Monday, December 31, 2012

NINJA GIRL'S BEST OF 2012

Happy (almost) New Year everyone!!   Here's my list of the best books/authors I discovered in 2012.  Yes, I was a little late to the party on some.  But they still kicked major a** :-)
 
BEST YA CONTEMPORARY:
 
 
BEST YA PARANORMAL/FANTASY:
 
 
BEST ROMANCE:
 
 
BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE:
 
 
BEST NEW YA SERIES:
 
 
BEST ADULT SERIES:
 
 
BEST NEW AUTHORS:
 
1) Ilona Andrews (I devoured the Kate Daniels series)
2) Stephanie Perkins (will read anything by her after AatFK)
3) Courtney Milan (the woman knows romance <3)
 
BEST HERO:
 
Three-way tie: Lucas (Easy) and Ash Turner (Unvelied) and Gavriel (Grave Mercy).
 
 
BEST HEROINE:
 
Kate Daniels (aka the most kick-ass chick you'll ever meet :p)
 
 
Hope everyone has an awesome New Year's!!
 
Ninja Girl



Friday, December 28, 2012

BOOKS, BOOKS, AND MORE!

Hi all!  This was my first Christmas spent away from home.  Me and the fam all went to Ninja Aunt C's this year--and it snowed!  Of course, it didn't stick but STILL!  Snow on Christmas *___*  It was great you guys.  I got entirely too much again, and I gave some things I really loved.

 
These are all the books I gave this year!!  Some of my absolute favorites!
 
 
And b/c my family knows me far too well, I got a ton of great books!  I've already devoured one: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (it was mind-blowing!).
 
Ninja Aunt P got me these INCREDIBLE shoes!!  Did you ntice the "NINJA GIRL" personalization?!? Crazy cool!
 
 
Ninja Aunt C made me smile immediately with this Monsters Inc. ornament.  Ahhhhh Boo!
 
 
Annnnnnnd awesome Asian dramas--which I'm currently watching ;)
 
Like I said, way, way too much, but I'm so grateful for everything.  So, how was your Christmas?  Did you do anything interesting?  Receive or give any great gifts?  I'd love to hear about your holiday!
 
Have a great one,
 
Ninja Girl


Sunday, December 23, 2012

THAT'S WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT

Hi there,

Here's my happy holidays post!!  I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas.  There's just something about this time of year...*sigh*  I've included a few vids that always make me smile, and I hope they make you happy, too :D.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Ninja Girl





Friday, December 21, 2012

FRIDAY FAVORITES

Hi there!  Hope everyone's enjoying this week leading up to Christmas :D.  My highlight was watching A Charlie Brown Christmas since I missed it last year, and it's a family tradition.  Goodreads says I've read 91 books (I hope to add a couple before the year ends lol).  But today I wanted to spread some cover love.

This post is for my favorite cover of 2012!  Here are my top 2:


It was impossible to choose one.  They're both so beautiful (and the stories were awesome as well!).  Great books with great covers?  To quote my dear friend Linus: That's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown ;). Well, not really, but I am giving a whole bunch of great books as gifts!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ninja Girl

Monday, December 17, 2012

POW (Page One Wow): BITTERBLUE

 
Things to ask yourself when looking for POW: Does the book draw me in from the first page? Does it have that certain something that makes it unputdownable? Does it make me pay attention?

I'm going to post a few lines from the first page of a book (current or past read), and say whether or not I think it has Page One Wow. As always, feel free to chime in!

My current read: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

 
Prologue
 
"When he grabs Mama's wrist and yanks her toward the wallhanging like that, it must hurt.  Mama doesn't cry out.  She tries to hide her pain from him, but she looks back at me, and in her face, she shows me everything she feels.  If Father knows she's in pain and is showing me, Father will take Mama's pain away and replace it with something else.
 
He will say to Mama, "Darling, nothing's wrong.  It doesn't hurt, you're not frightened," and in Mama's face I'll see her doubt, the beginnings of her confusion.  He'll say, "Look at our beautiful child.  Look at this beautiful room.  How happy we are.  Nothing is wrong.  Come with me, darling."  Mama will stare back at him, puzzled, and then she'll look at me, her beautiful child in this beautiful room, and her eyes will go smooth and empty, and she'll smile at how happy we are.  I'll smile, too, because my mind is no stronger than Mama's."--page 1, Bitterblue
 
So, does it have POW?  I'd say yes.  *Shivers* I've been a fan of Cashore's writing since Graceling.  This first excerpt is so creepy, so wrong.  That sense of wrongness reminds me exactly why the power of persuasion is so dangerous and why King Leck was such a formidable foe.  If you haven't read Graceling, I'd recommend you do so immediately :D
 
Any thoughts?
 
Hope eveyone has a wonderful week!
 
Ninja Girl

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

Hey there, "Waiting on Wednesday" is a meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine, featuring those books that are just too good, the ones you wish were out. Right. This. Second.

This week I saw that one of the titles I've been dying for FINALLY has a cover!!  Probably been out for weeks, but it's new to me.  Emily is definitely rockin' it in this photo!

 
Goodreads Summary:
 
Finley Jayne, Griffin and their crew are stunned when one of their own is kidnapped. Emily has a way with machines—she can literally talk to them. But the automatons who abducted her aren’t ordinary machines. They’re almost human—and they want Emily to do something as horrifying as it seems possible.

To save Emily, Finley must contact the highly unsettling Jack Dandy and face her feelings for two vastly different men, even as Griffin’s nightmares threaten to turn into a reality that might just end them all.
 
Ahhhhhh, Jack, Jack, Jack!!!  Mr. Dandy is back, and I am so looking forward to his return :D  *Takes a deep breath*  I am seriously desperate for book 3.  This is one of my favorite YA series.  And can I just say, great title?

Can't wait to check out everyone else's WOW picks,

Ninja Girl

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

TUNE IN TUESDAY: YOU INSTEAD

 
Hi all! Tune in Tuesday is a GReads meme currently being hosted over at Kate's Tales of Books and Bands.  Found this totally sweet movie on iTunes called "You Instead." The title track was my favorite (acoustic version, of course).  Plus, you gotta love Luke Treadaway :)  Enjoy!

 
Hope you have an awesome Tuesday!
 
Ninja Girl

Monday, December 10, 2012

CINDER by Marissa Meyer


Let's appreciate that beautiful cover.  Goodness.  I can't imagine a prettier, more eye-catching stiletto/cyborg leg if I tried LOL.  The curling-silver font is perfection as well.  Good job designers!  This one's a winner :-).

Cinder is Marissa Meyer's take on Cinderella.  Now, I'm not much for retellings.  Lots of bloggers are all about them, but whenever one comes out, I'm like, "Meh.  I already know the basic story.  How good can it be?"

The answer in this case, folks, is pretty darn good.

I was pleasantly surprised by my first foray into retellings.  This is Cinderella with an edge, a spark if you will (pun intended since Cinder herself is both a mechanic and part-cyborg).  The kick a** heroine and her steampunk-y goodness made this a must-read for me.  But I had no idea I'd like it as much as I did.

Sixteen-year-old Cinder is the best mechanic in New Beijing.  But she's also cyborg, 36.28% not human to be exact, which makes her life not as valuable as that of the other citizens.  When Prince Kai shows up at her market stall, asking her to fix an important android, Cinder does her best to shield her metal parts and her heart.  But Kai's charismatic and charming personality don't make it easy.

Here's a little excerpt that I loved from their first meeting:

"Instead of answering, the prince bent down, craning his neck so that she had no choice but to meet his eyes, and dashed a grin at her.  Her heart winced."--page 8

Wow.  Cinder's heart "winced"?  I could imagine exactly how that felt.  Kudos to Meyer because I've never heard it described quite like that.  Loved the word choice and all the subsequent meetings with Kai.  The chemistry was undeniable.  Cinder was fierce, smart, brave, and loyal to her loved ones (both human and not).

And if I wasn't already sold, Cinder's backstory--which she knew nothing about--sealed the deal.
 
There were several mysteries in this book, and I think I figured most of them out before the big reveal.  BUT that didn't really matter because, back in the day, I was a huge Sailor Moon fan J
 

If someone would've told me this was a retelling of Serena and her lunarly ways, I would've been down even sooner.  Awesome!
 
Two main evil forces threaten the lives of everyone in New Beijing: Letumosis (the plague) and the Lunars. Once one contracts Letumosis, they'll be dead in days. This plague has killed thousands--and yet there's still no cure. The Lunars are another race that hails from the moon and can manipulate anyone into seeing, feeling, or doing whatever they want. Someone who can take away your free will? If that's not scary, I don't know what is. *Shivers* And the Queen of the Lunars has her eye on Prince Kai.

Cinder was a great read.   The only thing that could've made it better imo was if it was a standalone.  Things I loved: Cinder, the gutsy heroine/cyborg, Iko, Cinder's android best friend who had a thing for fashion, Prince Kai, the guy who won our heroine's heart and mine, Peony, Cinder's younger step-sister and only human friend.  A great steampunk story made even better by the Sailor Moon slant.  Looking forward to Book 2!

Happy reading,

Ninja Girl

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

POW (Page One Wow): THE HUNGER GAMES

 
Things to ask yourself when looking for POW: Does the book draw me in from the first page?  Does it have that certain something that makes it unputdownable?  Does it make me pay attention?

I'm going to post a few lines from the first page of a book (current or past read), and say whether or not I think it has Page One Wow.  As always, feel free to chime in!  Today's pick is a great test of my theory.

 
"When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.  My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim's warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress.  She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother.  Of course, she did.  This is the day of the reaping.
 
I prop myself up on one elbow.  There's enough light in the bedroom to see them.  My little sister, Prim, curled up on her side, cocooned in my mother's body, their cheeks pressed together.  In sleep, my mother looks younger, still worn but not so beaten-down.  Prim's face is as fresh as a raindrop, as lovely as the primrose for which she was named.  My mother was very beautiful once, too.  Or so they tell me."
 
So, does it have POW?  Heck. Yes.  And I'll take it a step farther: this one has wow in the first paragraph.  If you're a writer or a reader, you've probably heard about "voice."  I think The Hunger Games is an excellent example of an undeniable character voice.  We're automatically in Katniss's head, her world.  She's real.  We, as readers, can relate to her and want to know more about her and this ominous event referred to as "the reaping."  Notice Collins doesn't give us any more details.  It's enough to know that it's giving poor Prim nightmares.  We're there with Katniss and can feel the affection she has for her sister, and in contrast, the distance she keeps from her mother.
 
It's straightforward.  It's emotionally honest.  It tells you without telling you that the MC is protective of her sister.  The first page is Katniss, and that's why I love it so much.
 
What are your thoughts?  I'd love to hear them!
 
Ninja Girl

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

TUNE IN TUESDAY: THE KILLERS

Hi all! Tune in Tuesday is a GReads meme currently being hosted over at Kate's Tales of Books and Bands.  I'm loving the latest Killers album!  The songs I like best are giving me a serious Springsteen vibe.  In my book, sounding like The Boss is never a bad thing ;).  Songs featured are:

1) Runaways

 
2) Miss Atomic Bomb
 
 
3) And because I couldn't resist...a little Bruce :)
 
 
Enjoy!  Hope everyone has a great week!
 
Ninja Girl