Suggestion Saturday, er, Sunday!

Yeah, I know I said I'd be doing Suggestion Saturdays and I haven't. I also know that today is Sunday. But, whatever, I still have a wonderful suggestion for today.

I've been on a YA kick lately, if you can't tell. So, I decided to make these suggestions NOT YA (shocking, I know).

Today, we have Mary Balogh's Bedwyn Series:



This is a regency series (of course it is, just look at the covers) that made me a life long fan of Mary Balogh. Years ago, I was a literary snob. I'll admit it. I thought, like a lot of unfortunate souls do, that romance was trash. I would never have been caught dead reading a book with a cover similar to any of these. But, one day while perusing the shelves of the 50 cent paperback racks at my local Goodwill, I decided to be reckless. I picked up a copy of Slightly Dangerous along with some not so great romances which will remain nameless and another that I'll mention in an upcoming suggestion post.

"But, obviously, Slightly Dangerous is the last in the series," you might say. And I would reply, "Well, where were you when I decided to take a leap and buy it? Because the strife I endured while reading this book and wondering about all the rest of the family and their stories was frustrating, to say the least."

Needless to say, I was hooked. The second I finished Dangerous I ordered every other book in the series. I now look back on my oh-so-snobby self and give her the cut direct. Regency romances became a passion of mine. One that I only allow myself to indulge in every few weeks or so, because once I start, I can't stop. And Mary Balogh is my favorite regency author. She always involves so much emotion in her books that I know I will cry. Call me sappy, I don't care. I will shout it from the rooftops "I LOVE REGENCY ROMANCE!"

Slightly Dangerous will always be my favorite in the series because I came to love stuffy, ol' Wulfric and his patriarchal ways and I related to Christine's clumsy, self-sacrificing character. But, my second favorite is Slightly Sinful about Alleyne who gets amnesia from being wounded in battle and is taken in by all the flamboyant ladies in a brothel and he must find his family even though he doesn't know who they are and he falls in love with the girl who saved him who he thinks is a prostitute but she really isn't and.... Sorry, got carried away.

So there you have it. If you are like I was way back when and don't want to lower yourself to the romance genre then, GET OVER YOURSELF! Sorry if that was a little harsh but it's just how I feel :) Go pick up one of the books in this series. I recommend the last one, that way you'll HAVE to go get the rest in order to know the beginning.

Happy Reading!

YA Review: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

In One Sentence: Read it in one day, 'nuff said.


Amazon Description:
Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memories of things to come.

When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

YA Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

In One Sentence: I've been waiting on this one and it didn't disappoint!


Amazon Description: 
One hour to rewrite the past . . . 
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

YA Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

In One Sentence: Nom, nom, nom, nom, sooooo good!

Amazon Description: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.


During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

Suggestion Saturday Starts!

I want to give some love to books that aren't exactly new but are amazing just the same. Introducing:

I'll be suggesting books that helped me nurture my love of reading, be they childrens', YA, romance, or comics.

So, if you feel like joining in, go right ahead! If you want to, leave me a comment with a link to your blog so I can get some suggestions as well!

YA Review: Jinx by Meg Cabot

In One Sentence: Nom, nom, nom, I ate it up!

The Lovin': Our main character here is Jean Honeychurch, aka Jinx. She's a teen who's just moved from a small town to the big city of New York to live with her aunt and uncle and their family. "Wait, why is she called Jinx?" you may be asking. Well, it seems that she has always had bad luck and everything she touches gets screwed up.

Anyway, in New York, her once-close cousin turns out to be a mean girl, Jinx gets a crush on her cousin's crush (just her luck), and the mystery of why she left her hometown just won't stay a secret. Oh, and there's a lot of witchy stuff!

YA Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson

In One Sentence: An original and interesting ghost story.


Description from Amazon: Release date - June 7, 2011


Can there truly be love after death?


Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.


Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

T&M Review: The Secret Life of Backyard Bugs by Judy Burris and Wayne Richards

In One Sentence: A great reference book for kids.

Description from Amazon page:

With this book in hand, readers of any age will discover — just outside their own doors, no matter where they live—a world they never knew existed. Stunning photography is combined with expert information to create an up-close-and-personal tour of the hidden lives of spiders, beetles, butterflies, moths, crickets, dragonflies, damselflies, grasshoppers, aphids, and many other backyard residents. You won’t believe your eyes! Each creature is shown in its natural setting, and many are shown progressing through the stages of their life cycles. This is a one-of-a-kind look at some of life’s most fascinating mysteries — surprising, captivating, and perfect for nature lovers of all ages.

YA Review: Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman

In one sentence: An addictive, cute, quick read that I couldn't put down.

From the back of the book: 

Jane Austen never had friends like this...

"There is little more likely to exasperate a person of sense than finding herself tied by affection and habit to an Enthusiast." Julie knows from bitter experience. Her best friend, Ashleigh, veers wildly from one obsession to the next, dragging Julie along on her crazy schemes. Ashleigh's current fancy is also Julie's own passion: Jane Austen's great love story Pride and Prejudice. Dressed in a vintage frock and dragging her feet, Julie finds herself sneaking into a dance at an all-boys' prep school with Ashleigh, in search of heroes. Unfortunately, they both fall for the same one: the handsome and gallant Grandison Parr. Will Julie have to choose between loyalty and love? Or will Ashleigh's embarrassing antics drive him away before Julie gets a chance?

YA Review: Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

In One Sentence: That's it, I'm buying everything this woman has ever written!

Here's the description from R. J. Anderson's website:

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.

This is not her story.
Unless you count the part where I killed her. 

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?

YA Review: Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish

In One Sentence: It's different from anything I've ever read.

Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish is about (go ahead, make a guess...) Savannah Grey! Here's the description from Mr. McNish's page:

A monster's out there... Only one girl can stop it. But will love get in the way?

It's a difficult time for fifteen-year-old Savannah Grey - she's settled into her latest foster placement, but her body is acting oddly. Then other strange things begin to happen. Birds behave erratically; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away. And Savannah discovers she has supernatural powers.

Only new boy Reece Gandolfo thinks Savannah's powers are a special gift. No wonder she's attracted to him. But there's another force that wants to lure Savannah from safety into danger...

TommyMommy Review: Midway Monkey Madness (DC Super-Pets!)

In One Sentence: So darn cute!

Amazon Description of Midway Monkey Madness (Dc Super-Pets!): 

When the carnival comes to METROPOLIS, BEPPO THE SUPER-MONKEY isn't far behind. This CHIMP OF STEEL can't wait to chow down on chocolate-covered bananas and other fair foods. Unfortunately, the world's evilest ape, GORILLA GRODD, has other plans. He wants to turn this festival of fun into a day of destruction. With a little help from the WONDER TWINS and their space chimp, GLEEK, BEPPO must somehow stop GRODD'S midway monkey madness.