{Review} A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

 A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1)
Libba Bray
Pages: 403
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
Age Group: YA
Date Published: December 9, 2003

A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy.

{Review} The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus

Erin Morgenstern

Pages: 512

Publisher: Anchor Books

Format: Paperback

Source: Borrowed from Paige

Age Group: YA

Date Published: September 13, 2011

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.

{Top Ten Tuesday} Top Ten Characters With POWERS

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, and today's theme is "Top Ten Characters Who X." I've chosen Top Ten Characters Who Have Super Powers. 

1. Juliette Ferrars (Shatter Me Trilogy) - She has some killer skin.

2. Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer Trilogy) - Mara's got some killer wit. (Why can all my favorite characters kill people? Because that makes for really interesting books, okay?)

3. Clary Fray (The Mortal Instruments) - Clary has some amazing drawing skills, as in she makes runes stronger just by drawing them and she can create new runes. Cool beans, right?

{Top Ten Tuesday} Top Ten Bookish Things That I'd Like To Own

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, and today's theme is "Top Ten Bookish Things (That Aren't Books) That I'd Like To Own." 

1. New Bookshelves - My current bookshelf is old and overflowing. There's a hole in the back for like a cord? But it was "handmade" (as in someone poked a hole in it with a hammer or something equally ratchet). I'd really like something like this:

2. Bookmarks to match every book I own - You know that odd feeling of accomplishment when you have the matching bookmark to go with the book? I WANT THAT FOR ALL OF MY BOOKS.

3. Book Page Nail Press-Ons - Sally Hansen sells some I think. Like the zebra print nail stickers? Except with words.

{Review} Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

Untold (The Lynburn Legacy #2)

Sarah Rees Brennan

Pages: 370

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Format: Hardcover

Age Group: YA

Date Published: September 24, 2013

 It's time to choose sides....On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?A darkly humorous take on Gothic romance, Sarah Rees Brennan's Lynburn Legacy weaves together the tale of a heroine desperate to protect those she loves, two boys hoping to be saved, and the magical forces that will shape their destiny.