Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins

Before I dive in today (night, whatever), let me just remind you of the contest I'm running right now with AuthorIsland.com , just click the link over there in my sidebar for all the details, but you have to hurry, time is running out to enter for this wonderful prize! And just a warning, I'm tired, I haven't been sleeping well (been unable to fall asleep) lately (we had a death in the family, a family reunion this week-end, ball-games, and swim practices and meets - Bear placed First in Freestyle and Second in Backstroke last night! ) oh, yeah, and the day job. I have a backlog of reviews to post, unfortunately, I'm going a bit slow and I've taken a Benydryl just to get me drowsy enough to sleep, so if I start to make no sense, please leave me a comment and tell me to re-write this when I'm not so stupid from lack of sleep, seriously, I don't mind being called out! Anyway...

Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins
(BCC)

WITH TWO PROPHECIES FULFILLED,
Gregor is now focused on the Prophecy or Blood, which calls for Gregor and Boots to return to the Underland to help ward off a plague. But this time, his mother refuses to let him go...until Ripred the rat convinces her that Gregor and Boots need to stay for only a brief meeting. Finally, Gregor's mom relents, provided she is allowed to travel with them.

When they arrive in the subterranean city, the plague is spreading - and it has claimed one of his closest companions. Only then does Gregor start to understand how the illness plays with the fate of all warmblooded creatures, but he still doesn't know how he can help combat it.

You know my family is hooked on this series, right? Well, just like any series, there will always be that one book that clearly stands out in your mind as the "favorite." This book was mine. I will be fair and say we're only halfway through the final book, but this one, so far, remains my favorite.

When Gregor and Boots are summonsed, once again, to the Underland to fulfill yet another of their Prophecies, his mother flat out refuses. That is until Ripred decides to put the pressure on and "convinces" her that they must. Only she won't let them go alone, this time, she will be with those of her family that disappears into the Underland.

But they aren't there for just a short meeting, the Underlanders need Gregor and Boots to lead an expedition to find the cure to a devastating plague that is spreading rapidly through the warmblooded population of the Underland. A plague, that if not stopped, could put an end to the war building between the rats and the humans, as there will be none of them left to fight.

Although Gregor's mother refuses to let them stay and find the cure, after Gregor sees his once amazingly strong friend and bond, the bat Ares, so weak and in so much pain because of the hideous plague, Gregor decides he will do anything to find the cure. It isn't until his mother becomes infected herself, that Gregor takes his leave to find the cure.

Only this time, Gregor won't be going with his usual "questers", Luxa and Aurora are still missing, Mareth suffered greatly on the last quest and is no longer able to be a soldier, and Howard has been infected by the plague. So, in their stead, Boots, Gregor and Temp, set off with a new group of Underlanders. A group made up of humans, rats, and bats, a combination no one would have ever dreamed.

The quest is filled with new dangers, new allies, new enemies, new losses, and a revealed truth that is truly scarier than anything Gregor has faced yet. Will Gregor succeed before time runs out for his mother? Will the cure reunite the rats and the humans, or will the cause throw them into a full-out war?

Warmbloods, is by far one of the most spectacular reads, in any genre, I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time. With heartbreaking revelations, touching good-byes, renewed friendships, edge of your seat twists and turns, you won't be able to read the next page fast enough, but you'll be aching for more Underland when you've reached the end.

Don't let the Children's label on this book fool you, this is one book that readers of all ages will love. A non-stop thrill ride that you'll want to take again and again.

Take Care

Gregor and the Prophecy Of Bane by Suzanne Collins

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE! Please do not forget about the Reading Challenge! For more information, you can click the link in my sidebar or click here. I know that some of you are already participating, as I have had quite a few e-mails with questions, so I plan to do an FAQ post by the end of the week to clear a few things up and hopefully get more of you joining in. I've also had some contact with a few people that may really help make the prize a LOT more sweet, so I'm trying to hold off on that post until I've made the final arrangements on that! But keep tuned more, so much more to come!

Gregor And The Prophecy Of Bane by Suzanne Collins
Book Two in the Underland Chronicles
(BCC)

Months have passed since Gregor first fell into the strange Underland beneath New York City, and he swears he will never go back. But he is destined to be a key player in another prophecy, this one about an ominous white rat called the Bane. The Underlanders know there is only one way to lure Gregor back to their world: by kidnapping his little sister, Boots.

Now Gregor's quest reunites him with his bat, Ares, and the rebellious princess, Luxa. They descend into the dangerous Waterway in search of the Bane, and Gregor knows what is at stake. If he does not fulfill the prophecy, his life, and the Underland, will never be the same.

When Gregor and Boots fell down the vent in the laundry room, his family was changed forever. Gregor discovers an entire world beneath our own, a world inhabited not by magical creatures, but real humans and their human sized enemies and allies, such as rats, bats, cockroaches, spiders, mice, and so much more. He also discovered that the strange light haired, violet eyed people and the huge animals believe him to be the warrior that has been spoken of in their prophecies. So while after that first trip to the Underland Gregor may have taken away one good thing - his father. Gregor also took away a few bad things. His father may be with them now, but he is not the same man and Gregor has nightmares of the people he met and their world.

Gregor doesn't care what any prophecy says, he is NOT their warrior, and he will NOT go back to the Underland. He plans to keep as far away as he possibly can. But then Boots disappears, and Gregor knows just where she went and who has her. So, against his mother and father's better judgment, Gregor heads back to the Underland to get his sister and to get home.

But the Underlanders have a different plan for Gregor. They don't intend for him to go anywhere, let alone home, until he fulfills the second prophecy. Only this prophecy could mean the death of his beloved sister and also calls for him to kill. Seeing no choice in the matter if Gregor has any hope for himself and his sister to make it home, he and his "team" head out on this next quest to hunt the Bane and hopefully stay alive.

Gregor learned in the first book that the Underland was nothing like his own, the Overland, and the difference only become more clear as he is attacked by giant sea creatures, a swarm of mites, and so many more dangers than even he could imagine.

One thing is for sure, if Gregor and Boots survive, he will never be the same again, neither will the Underland.

In this second installment of the Underland Chronicles, Suzanne Collins grabs you from the get-go and it's nearly impossible to quit reading once you've started. In fact, I've mentioned before that this series is one we are reading aloud as a family, and I read this book out loud to them in only two sittings! Talk about a sore throat! But, oh was it worth it!

Suspense, friendship, courage, and compassion fill each and every page, that had my family glued to this world. And even though there is no magic involved in the creation of the Underland, it's end result is pure magic as I watch readers young and old come together in my household for more.

Grab the first book in this series and be prepared to want the rest immediately. Grab the first book in this series no matter your age, and even if you don't have a child to read with. You won't be sorry you fell head first through the pages just as Gregor and Boots did with the vent. But trust me on this, it's a thrill ride like never before!

Take Care

Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I am a bad, bad blogger. And I don't mean in the "To the Bone" vane. Nope, I'm a bad blogger because I tend to get lax in my postings (which is evident when you see my personal blog). You see, I've been so proud of myself for doing so well in finally keeping up with this, and then I kind of fell off the wagon the last few days. We've gotten a pool for the backyard (pics will be posted on my other blog shortly) and we've been spending a lot of time outside. However, I could be blogging at night, ya know, when I can't sleep and The Hubs is at work, but then I'm so tired because I can't sleep that you get a post like this one will be - loopy. I apologize in advance if it's hard to follow, and I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know if it's too bad for me to blog while under the influence of Benadryl. And now on with it...

Devil My Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon
(BCC)

Sin, an ancient Sumerian god, was one of the most powerful among his pantheon - until the night Artemis robbed him of his godhood and left him one step from death...

For millennia, the ex-god turned Dark-Hunter Sin has sought to regain his powers and take revenge on Artemis. But now he has bigger fish - or in this case, demons - to fry. The lethal gallu that were buried by his pantheon are stirring, and they are hungry for human flesh. Their goal: to destroy mankind. Sin is the only one who can stop them...if a certain woman doesn't kill him first.

Enemies have always made strange bedfellows, but never more so than when the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Now a man who only knows betrayal must trust the one person most likely to hand him to the demons. Artemis may have stolen his godhood, but this one has stolen his heart. The only question is: Will she keep it...or feed it to those who want him dead?

I used to be a HUGE fan of The Dark-Hunter novels. I started with Night Pleasures and loved it so much I even read Fantasy Lover. But, then Dream-Hunter novels and novels of the Were-Hunters started popping up, and well, I lost all interest. Fair weather reader? Who me? In all honesty though, that is what I was with this series. I swore I was done reading the Dark-Hunter books until Acheron's story came up. I was going to read Kenyon's books under the name Kinley MacGregor, because I love those historicals and that was it. But then, a few months ago I was in the store and saw this book and saw that it said it was a Dark-Hunter book, and thought, what the hell, give it a try. But then, the book sat in my TBR pile forgotten. Until a couple of days ago when I was in a funk and decided to give it a go. And ohmyword am I glad that I did.

Sin, ex-god, has Artemis worried. He's just stolen something that could be her undoing. And Artemis has a good reason to be worried, because thousands of years ago, she was his undoing. But although Sin would love nothing more than to destroy Artemis, at present, he has bigger fish to fry. A nasty like no nasty humanity has ever seen before, is about to re-awaken and Sin is the only one who has the power to stop it. That is, if he can find his twin brother.

But Artemis cares only for herself and sends Kat to kill Sin. Kat watches as Sin does something that could only be described as heinous, and decides that he is the worst sort of immortal that could ever be and that he must die. But, before the chance arises, Kat is attacked by one of the milder (and that ain't none to mild) nasties, and Sin saves her life - only as soon as he sees her, he wants to kill her.

But as Kat and Sin discover, they need each other to save humanity, if they can just survive Artemis' hit man, and demons that will stop at nothing to see them dead. But it just could be the love they are forming that could be their end or just maybe, it will be their beginning. With trust being a word Sin doesn't understand, Kat has her work cut out for her - good thing she's more than just Artie's hit-woman...

Devil reminded me just why I loved the Dark-Hunter novels. Thrills, chills, and Romance intertwine in this fast-paced page turner that will have you on the edge of your seat not ready to say good-bye to the fantastical world that Kenyon has created. The Romance is top notch, and let's just say have your fan ready because you'll definitely need it for some very steamy scenes.

Usually, I'm a POV purist, so if you've read Kenyon or MacGregor, your may be confused as to why I'm not complaining about the head-hopping that riddles the pages. But Kenyon is a master at the POV change within a scene, and only occasionally do I scratch my head at the sudden change. It works for her, and actually lends so much more emotion to the pages.

I'm so glad I read this book, because had I not, I may never have realized that Ash (the book I was awaiting to bring me back to this series) will have his book NEXT. To find out all about these wonderful and sexy Dark-Hunters and most importantly Ash, you can click here.

And now, for some reminders. I have yet heard form my contest winner, so if you are they, please e-mail me at novelreads at gmail dot com (ya know, with the symbols and without the spaces) with your snail mail addy so that I may get your prize to you. If not, I will draw another name soon.

Also, I have my Reading Challenge (side bar to the left has the direct link - I'm lazy right now) going on for the entire summer. And as a bonus to the prize I've already stated, the first person to read 5 books in the challenge and enter them in correctly will receive a Novel Reads tee-shirt (I work at a silk screening place). So please, help me get kids reading and help a library while we're at it!

Take Care

Summer Reading Challenge

Reading is a big part of our household. We all love to read. With a dyslexic child and a beginner reader, you can imagine that we read a lot of children's books. The kids will read silently while I read one of my books and we read together as a family on the bigger books like THE UNDERLAND CHRONICLES . It's a fun game in our home for the kids to see how many pages they can read compared to how many mommy reads in our quiet reading time moments.

It is this love of reading with our children that gave The Hubs and I the idea for a Reading Challenge. OK, that's a BIG part of it, but also, when I explained to The Hubs how the RIF program was in jeopardy, he wanted to find a small way to help.

Since I'm not all that familiar with Reading Challenges, this one will be very loose. All you have to do to be included in the challenge is read with your children. Every time you finish a book, come back here to the site and leave a comment (you will be able to click the link at the top of the sidebar to get to this post) letting us know what book you read, the author and a grade for the book (A-F). Please include two grades, yours and that of your child. We would love it if you would give a short reason behind the grade you chose, but you don't have to.

The books you read do not have to be Chapter Books. You can read Dr. Suess, because he is a HUGE family favorite here. We recommend picking this book up if you don't yet have it. But we highly recommend trying to find a couple of books that are longer to share with your child.

If you do not have a child of your own, but would still like to participate, that isn't a problem either! You can visit your local library and ask the librarian to pair you with a child. You wouldn't even need to meet the child, simply leave a list and have the child do the same, of books you would be interested in reading, and you can both pass notes through the librarian (have the librarian clear this with the parent of the child first though!).

All of this can also be done with nieces and nephews that live out of town, the invention of the internet is a wonderful thing! And of course, if you just want to try and earn some cash for your local school's library, you can take it upon yourself to read Children's and YA books all by yourself. We hope that you can help spark the love of reading in a child, but if it just isn't feasible, we understand!

If you have any questions, you can leave them in the comments here or e-mail them to me at novelreads at gmail dot com. Ya know, without spaces and with the symbols. At the end of July, the readers with the most books logged will receive a $35 donation to the school library (or local children's library) of their choice and adult and child will each receive a $15 e-certificate to the bookseller of their choice. We wish it could be more, but at present this is all we can afford. Maybe we'll get enough participants, and I can entice some donations of books too. Ya just never know!

If you have a blog and will be participating in the Challenge, just let me know so I can make sure to run the link in the sidebar!

Happy Reading and Take Care

Reading Challenge! Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

My contest for a signed copy of From Dead To Worse by Charlaine Harris is supposed to end tomorrow. I need 3 more entries to reach 10. If, I do not have 10 by that time, I will extend the contest a few more days. I really want to give away this book! And, well, I'm so darn proud of myself for keeping up my end of the blogging deal!

Before I start today's blog post, I want to explain how the book I'm getting ready to talk about and my son, Bear, has given me the idea for a Summer Reading Challenge. You see, my son aka Bear, is dyslexic. After a long, drawn out battle with the school district last year that netted us zero results, we took it into our own hands and had him tested. When the results came back that yes, he was dyslexic, we hired a private tutor and worked endlessly with our boy. You see, he's always loved a good story. LOVED to have books read to him. He could read sight words well, but put a sentence in front of him and he was lost. Add to that a teacher with no sympathy and we had a nearly broken boy by the end of school.

Thankfully though, there are such great authors out there. Authors like R.L. LaFevers and her Lowther Blade Trilogy. Authors like Jodi Lynn Anderson and her May Bird books. And authors like the one of this book, Suzanne Collins, that fanned the tiny spark that was once Bears love of books and turned it into an inferno. There is something about a good book that reaches deep into a child's imagination and reaches them like nothing else can. And it is in the spirit of these great authors and their work, and in celebration of the last day of school today that I'm instituting a Summer Reading Challenge. Read through to the end of the blog post for details. There will be a prize. And so I can get to the Challenge details, let me get to the blog...

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
(BCC)

When eleven-year-old Gregor follows his little sister through a grate in the laundry room of their New Your apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland beneath the city. There, humans live uneasily beside giant spiders, bats, cockroaches, and rates - but the fragile peace is about to fall apart.

Gregor wants no part of a conflict between these creepy creatures. He just wants to find his way home. But when he discovers that a strange prophecy foretells a role for him in the Underland's uncertain future, he realizes it might be the only way to solve the biggest mystery of his life. Little does he know his quest will change him - and the Underland - forever.

Gregor lives with his mom, grandmother, and two sisters in a small apartment in New York City. A little over two years prior, Gregor's father, a science teacher mysteriously disappers. Gregor, at the tender age of 11 has found himself with a lot of responsibility, and handles it with such amazing strength.

One day, after his mother goes into work, Gregor takes his 2 year old sister Boots with him to the laundry room to do the family wash, and he and Boots end up falling down, down, down through a vent.

What they find there is terrifying. Giant cockroaches. Fortunately for Gregor and Boots, the roaches take a liking to Boots and take them to the city of Regalia where Gregor meets pale-haired, violet eyed humans who ride giant, talking bats. But not just any people, he meets Royalty. Luxa is also 11, but is the queen of Regalia since her parents were killed by the rats - we're talking giant talking rats here. And these humans seem to think that Gregor is some kind of warrior sent to fulfill the Prophecy of Gray.

You see, these humans are down below the City because of a man named Barthlolomew of Sandwich, and Sandwich had visions he would write down, that are now the prophecies to which the Underland await.

But Gregor doesn't want to be a warrior, he just wants to go home. But no matter how bad he wants that, he wants what may lie at the end of the prophecy, so he sets off with a group of Underlanders to fulfill the Prophecy.

Gregor the Overlander is one fantastic thrill ride for readers of any age. I have re-typed about twenty synopsis' of the book by this point in the post, and no matter how hard I try I simply cannot do the book justice. The suspense is fabulous for young readers and had this adult glued to the pages as well.

About three weeks ago, the school had it's spring Book Fair. As you can imagine, this event is huge in our home. The kids get to go every day and buy a book or two on their own, and I take them twice to buy books with them. We heart books here. But this book, this book was one Bear picked out all on his own on the recommendation of the school librarian. The night he brought it home, he sat down with The Hubs and they started reading. They read up to Chapter 6. They were so hooked. The only reason they stopped there was because it was bedtime. The next night, they read to Chapter 13. It was that night that The Hubs asked me to catch up to them the next day while he was at work and then we could take turns reading (his throat was starting to get sore by the time they quit each night). There was only one condition - I could, under no circumstances, read past them. I had to stop until he got home from work and then we could start up as a family.

Well, I started the book, read the 13 chapters and cursed the condition. I didn't want to stop! I wanted to keep going. Gregor was such an amazing kid. The Underland was such an intriguing place, and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next! But I was a good girl and waited until The Hubs got home, and then we sat down as a family and read the rest of the book in one sitting. And after those 14 chapters, we couldn't wait to delve back into the Underland. Unfortunately, we have no bookstore in town, and the closest one was out of stock. So we ordered it. It arrived three days later and we finished it in less than three days. We are now on book 3 and already have the last two books on the shelves waiting for us to read. What a wonderful treat for summer!

And so, it is because of our love of these books. The love of these books our son has and the love of reading they have continued to inspire in him that The Hubs and I are going to donate, at the end of summer $35 to the school library or children's organization of my Summer Reading Challenge winner's choice. Not only that, but we will also give the winner a $15 gift certificate to the on-line book retailer of their choice.

So, to participate in the challenge, come back tomorrow for the details (and a bit of talk about Book 2 of this series) we are continuing to iron out. Who knows, maybe we'll get enough interest and the prize package will grow!

Take Care