Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman

Title: Enthusiasm
Author: Polly Shulman
Reviewer: Stephanie
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: Worship
Alerts/Warnings: None
Premise: Julie and Ashleigh, high school sophomores and Jane Austen fans, seem to fall for the same Mr. Darcy-like boy and struggle to hide their true feelings from one another while rehearsing for a school musical. (King County Library System)
Opinions: I am Enthusiastic about Enthusiasm. Ashleigh is an enthusiast that goes through phases where she becomes obsessed about certain topics, like balloon animals, military strategm or Pride and Prejudice. Julie has always loved Jane Austen and when Ashleigh reads Pride and Prejudice for the first time it becomes her new Enthusiasm. Thus leading Ashleigh and Julie in a quest to find their Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley.

This is a highly entertaining book. It was funny and full of life. It is one of my favorite reads of this year. I loved all of the characters and the situations were so funny. I laughed out loud when I was reading this book, and it is at the top of my wish list this year. :)

And the Winner Is......

The winner for the autographed copy of The 13th Reality: Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner is . . . . . Mary A. Congratulations Mary!!! Please email us at FabulousReads@yahoo.com with your address and we will mail your book to you as soon as possible.

Look forward in the next week or two as we celebrate our 100th post with a list of our Top 100 favorite books/series.

Keep on reading and let us know if you read something fabulous that you would like us to promote on our blog.

Thanks,
Karen

Last Day of 13th Reality Giveaway

Today's the last day of the James Dashner giveaway. If you haven't signed up for it yet, please do as the contest will be up at midnight. For rules and regulations please see the October 8th post by clicking here.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Reviewer: Karen Pellett
Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi
Rating: Love
Alerts/Warnings:
Premise: Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape. (King County Library System)
Opinions: Every month for two years the "Glade" has received a new teenage boy. Every time a new boy arrives, they arrive with their mind completely wiped clean of the past. All they know is that, like everyone else in the glade, they must work together to survive and to find a way out of the maze that they live in. Whether coincidence or not, once Thomas arrives things go all askew and a difficult life becomes even more dangerous. The very next day everyone is surprised that another visitor arrives...this time a girl. Before she passes out she brings one message to all in the glade - Everything is about to change.

The more of James Dashner's books that I read, I can definitely see his progression as a writer. His plot is intriguing, the characters interesting, and yet he still retains that one something in all his books that makes it hard to put the book down until you have read the very last word on the last page. I am definitely looking forward to where this series is headed and can't wait for the next installment.

War of the Black Curtain by James Dashner

Title: War of the Black Curtain
Author: James Dashner
Reviewer: Karen Pellett
Genre: Mid-Grade Fantasy
Rating: Love
Alerts/Warnings: None (though I cried)
Premise: When the Black Curtain rips open, evil Stompers and Shadow Ka swarm across the land and the Black Coma plunges the world into a grim nightmare. If Jimmy Fincher can solve the riddle of the Red Disk, find the Dream Warden, and receive the Fourth Gift, perhaps he can save the world from its horrible fate--but he will be forced to face the truth behind his enemy's true nature. (Pleasant Grove Library System)
Opinions: The fourth and final book in the Jimmy Fincher series did not disappoint. With each book the plot and the writing grew better and better. While the inhabitants of earth fall one by one into the Black Coma, Jimmy must continue his search for the Fourth Gift. With time running out Jimmy faces a truth that, even I didn't see coming. I must warn you that when I read the ending I cried. I still love the strength of family that James displays throughout the entire tail and how love and sacrifice make a world of difference.

I loved this entire series and am also really glad to have gotten to know James since then as he has motivated me in my own efforts to get published. I'm impressed with his writing and love everything that he has written. Please read the Jimmy Fincher Saga as well as James' other series' The 13th Reality and the new series The Maze Runner.

The Tower of Air by James Dashner

This is the last week for the James Dashner book giveaway. Don't forget to check out the rules here. The contest will run until end Saturday at midnight and the winner will receive a signed copy of The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters. We only have four entries at this time so please spread the word to your friends and family and have them join in for this great giveaway.

Title: The Tower of Air (Book 3 of the Jimmy Fincher Series)
Author: James Dashner
Reviewer: Karen Pellett
Genre: Mid-Grade Fantasy
Rating: Love
Alerts/Warnings: None

Premise: Jimmy Fincher sets off on a dangerous journey under the ocean and across the desert to find the second gift from the Givers that will help him stop the evil Stompers from destroying the Earth. (King County Library System)
Opinions: The third book in the series does a fabulous job highlighting the growing strengths of James Dashenr as an author. The plot is more compelling, the characters more intriguing, and the strength of the family more enduring. Jimmy works to find the Givers' third gift that will lead him all over the globe and beyond, while the Stompers are openly attacking the world and the Shadow Ka are evolving. While the world looks to Jimmy to save them, Jimmy must look within himself to find the strength to accept his role to save humanity as well as to redeem his father from a terrible fate.

Once again, I could not put this book down. James did a fantastic job. Just wait until you read the fourth, and last, book in the series.

A Gift of Ice by James Dashner

Title: A Gift of Ice (Book 2 of the Jimmy Fincher Series)
Author: James Dashner
Reviewer: Karen Pellett
Genre: Mid-Grade Fantasy
Rating: Love
Alerts/Warnings: None
Premise: In Japan, fourteen-year-old Jimmy Fincher adds another gift to the arsenal of weapons he can use in his mission to prevent the evil Stompers from destroying Earth, much to the dismay of the Bosu Zoku, agents of the Shadow Ka. (King County Library System)
Opinions:Jimmy and his family have followed a set of clues for the second of the four gifts to the island of Japan. When an evil gang leader Bosa Zuka smashes into his hotel room leaving behind the sounding rod - the one weapon that can break through Jimmy's protective barrier. Working with the Alliance, Jimmy fights the Shadow Ka to reach the second gift first, while trying to save his family at the same time.
One of my favorite aspects of this author's writing is the strength the main character finds in his family. I love the relationships and the suspense. This is an easy read, but one that I couldn't put down. Definitely read this book, but don't stop there. You HAVE to read the whole series. It is worth it.