Cover Collage

Just in case everyone didn't figure it out yet:  I love book covers, and I definitely judge the book by them.  If the cover isn't interesting then I won't read the book (unless I've been told really good things about it/have to).

When posting all these covers I'm going to try not to repeat myself, but things happen and I have a terrible memory!  All the titles and authors of these books are listed under the picture, identifying from right to left.

Human .4 - Mike A. Lancaster
Shattered Souls - Mary Lindsey
Ember - Bettie Sharpe
Illuminated - Erica Orloff
Remembrance - Michelle Madow
Come Home - Lisa Scottoline
Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
Such Wicked Intent - Kenneth Oppel
Immortal City - Scott Speer
Mercy - Rebecca Lim
Nameless: A Tale of Beauty and Madness - Lili St. Crow
Shadow Girl - Jennifer Archer

Author Spotlight: Lurlene McDaniel

Lurlene McDaniel

Website:  http://www.lurlenemcdaniel.net/

Biography:

Lurlene McDaniel (born c. 1948) is an author who has written over 50 young adult books. She is well known for writing about characters struggling with chronic and terminal illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and organ failure.  (From Goodreads.com)

Life Philosophy:  "No one gets to choose what life gives them.  You do get to choose how you deal with it."  (From lurlenemcdaniel.net)

Books:

She has many series, sequels, and independent novels to offer young readers.  All her books center around tragedy, and the love that comes before and after.  It is often that you will read her book and cry at the end (I have done this many times in public places).

Some of my personal favorites by her:

Review: Divergent

Title:  Divergent
Author:  Veronica Roth
Series:  Divergent [1]
Rating:  5/5

Summary:

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.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Review:

I loved this book more than I expected to.  I may have loved it more than The Hunger Games, but that's only a maybe.  More likely I think they're equal.  The dystopian ya fiction genre is a favorite of mine right now and I think this was particularly well thought out.

It was fast paced, but didn't cover a lot of time, and left plenty of time to know Tris's thoughts.  I'm not sure what I can constructively say without simply gushing over the plot and the characters.

So far I like the series (and I'm currently in the middle of reading the second book), but I'm not sure it can ultimately stand up to The Hunger Games, but it far surppases the Matched Trilogy in my rankings.

Recommended to all!  But especially to those who enjoy this genre and who want something along the same vein of The Hunger Games.