Friday, August 24, 2012

Favorite Books of the Summer





Betrayed: A Guardian Legacy Book
I've read some really awesome books this summer, but there are 3 that really top the list, so I thought I'd share them with you today. In no particular order, they are:

Lil isn't just an average teenager. She's one of the Nephilim--the descendants of humans and angels--which gives her some serious psi skills and a mission for redemption. Just when Lil thinks she's found a balance between her normal life with human friends and her training to become a Guardian, she's warned that someone close to her will betray her. When the boy she loves starts acting strangely and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability, Lil begins to realize that someone is manipulating the people she loves... and won't stop until she's been lured to the dark side.


I couldn't put Betrayed down. I went back and reread sections because I loved them so much. It's full of action and emotion. Such a great read!


Shift (Strange Chemistry)
When your average, 16-year old loser, Scott Tyler, meets the beautiful and mysterious Aubrey Jones, he learns he's not so average after all. He's a 'Shifter'. And that means he has the power to undo any decision he's ever made. At first, he thinks the power to shift is pretty cool. But as his world starts to unravel around him he realises that each time he uses his power, it has consequences; terrible unforeseen consequences. Shifting is going to get him killed. In a world where everything can change with a thought, Scott has to decide where he stands.


This book has such great action scenes. It's a fast read, and the male POV is so refreshing. I loved it.


The FarmLife was different in the Before: before the Ticks began devouring humans in a deadly swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined “for their own protection.” These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…

And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.

Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…

Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...


I love the multiple POV in this story. Lily is a great character to follow, and Carter has so many secrets up his sleeves. The book has action, adventure, and mystery with some creepy things thrown in. So good!

What are some of your favorite reads this summer?

51 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. You're welcome, Emily. Much deserved. THE FARM is amazing!

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  2. I really love the idea of THE FARM - it sounds so exciting, full of suspense and deep characters. I'd really like to read that one. Thanks for featuring all three, Kelly!

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    1. You're welcome. Yes, THE FARM is definitely worth your time. I really loved it.

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  3. I LOVED the Farm - wasn't it excellent? SO many great books out there!

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  4. I loved GONE GIRL. Couldn't put it down!

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  5. The Farm looks really good! I'll have to check it out.

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  6. I hadn't ever heard of The Farm before. Thanks for pointing it out. Betrayed is one I've been wanting to read. One of my fav summer reads was My Life Next Door. I also really liked Seaweed by Elle Strauss and can't wait until the rest of the world can read Renegade by J.A. Souders in October. It was fabulous.

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    1. Betrayed is now on my all-time favorites list. I loved it. The Farm was recommended to me this summer and I'm so thankful. It's a great book.

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  7. Shift really looks exciting, and I've enjoyed most of The Strange Chemistry books, so glad Angry Robot got the YA imprint.

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    1. Same here. Shift was a great read. I think you'll really like it.

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  8. The Farm sounds really amazing. Thanks for sharing.

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  9. The Farm sounds truly creepy--so paranoid of ticks! My fave read?? Under the Never Sky was a good one. Reading the Passage now by David Cronin. Wonderfully written, but horribly LONG...

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    1. I tend to like shorter books. I have so many to read and review. I push longer ones back because of the time commitment.

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  10. I don't even think I could handle The Farm- lol! A swarm of ticks? no thanks, I've had Lyme disease twice! Very unique premise though. The cover is fabulous : ) ~ Jess

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    1. They're not that kind of tick. These are humans who were turned into these animalistic vampire hybrids. They are called ticks because of... well, the whole drinking blood thing.

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  11. You know what you're doing to me, don't you? I haven't read any of these, so where do they go? My TBR list, of course. Happy to add them. Thanks.

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  12. I love seeing what everyone else read this summer. I haven't read any of the books you mentioned. I might to a similar post next week, would you mind? I can't believe next weekend is Labor Day.

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    1. Go right ahead. That way I can see what you've been reading. :)

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  13. I got really into Kelley Armstrong's series, Darkness Rising. I really liked her, Darkest Power Series so i decided to venture on-The Gathering was a great summer read. Those were the only YA's I read this summer. I love angel stories, glad you added your list.

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    1. I love Kelley Armstrong! Those books are amazing!

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  14. Thanks for the shoutout, Kelly. xoxo

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    1. You're very welcome! I can say enough about your book. I LOVED it!!

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  15. The to-read pile grows. Thanks for the suggestions!

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  16. I think I will find more time to read this winter. I hope so. I ap preparing my list, thank you <3

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  17. I can't keep up with the reading anymore, so I've decided to accept that I will always be lagging behind. It seems you've done very well this summer!

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    1. I found some really awesome books this summer. :) I'll never catch up either though.

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  18. The premise for 'Shift' sounds friggin' amazing. It reminds me of 'The Green Futures of Tycho' by William Sleator.

    I'm going to have to add this one to the TBR. You're right -- it's nice to read a male POV now and again, and this sounds like a fun book to pick up.

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    1. Yes, it's really good. Definitely give this one a try.

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  19. These all look great. I'm especially eyeing THE FARM.

    Some of my favorites this summer were PAPER TOWNS, EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, and WHEN YOU REACH ME.

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    1. Thanks for the recommendations. Oh, I loved When You Reach Me.

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  20. Thanks for the recommendations. I'm always looking for new things to read and The Farm sounds really exciting.

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    1. You're welcome. The Farm is great. I hope you check it out.

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  21. hmm... betrayed interests me the most. seems like it has a lot of drama, and i like the ideas of exploring the nephilim people.

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  22. Unfortunately, I havent read any of these yet. The Farm has that creepy awesome vibe to it!

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  23. 'The Farm' sounds great. I like novels with multiple POVs (plus the cover looks very cool). Seems like you've had a wonderfully satisfying summer read(s)! I just finished reading 'Great Expectations,' then 'Mother, Missing' by Joyce Carol Oates, and an MG novel called 'The Year of the Book' by Andrea Cheng. Am reading 'Dandelion Wine' by Ray Bradbury now. Hope I don't take too long.

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  24. DOn't read much YA, but all three of these look amazing. (And give me nightmares, besides.)

    Thanks for the great recaps.

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  25. Out of all of them, Betrayed, its cover, and description would be my pick, although all three look to be excellent reads.

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