Happy May!

And so we arrive in a brand new, shiny month. April was a truly excellent month for reading. I blew through thirteen novels, and not one of them was appallingly bad (although one was pretty boring). I have so many reviews I need to write, but first and foremost--the best book of April...

Happy April!

Hi! Yeah, I'm still alive. It's been shockingly difficult to  get my brain in gear to blog lately, but I'm nevertheless here, on a new shiny non-sucky laptop no less. This one has, like, working keys and a screen and everything--all the amenities. Hopefully April will see more posts as a result.

First things first, let's crown the best book of March!

Happy March!

Well, that's it folks, Romance Month has at last drawn to a close. I'm almost sad to see it go, but at the same time I'm looking forward to reintegrating some non-romance into my reviewing schedule. But before we get to that, let's crown the best book of February!

Drum Roll, Please!

Happy February! It's Romance Time!

February is kind of the most miserable month of the year. It's cold and snowy, without the promise of Santa to make up for it. And it has Valentines Day, or Single Person Awareness Day, depending on which side of relationship hell you're standing on. Anyway, here on reading to penguins we're going to make the best of this short miserable month by celebrating romance in all of it's ooey gooey schmaltzy goodness.

But first, let's crown the January 2013 Book of the Month:

RtP Top 10 Books Read in 2012!

It has been one heck of a year, ladies and gentlemen. I got finished school, moved, got married, adopted a demon posing as a cat...and I read some pretty great books too. So now, for your reading pleasure, I present the top ten books reviewed on Reading to Penguins in 2012.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, published in 2011, was reviewed in January. It's almost impossible to place genre-wise--not solidly romance or fantasy or anything else, but a little bit of all things fantastic. It tells the story of two magicians in a magical fight surrounding a circus. It's memorable for its rich imagery and setting driven story. It's a book to immerse yourself in, a book that makes you desperately crave caramel corn. If it's a bit low on the list, it's only because I felt the plot was a bit weak compared to some of the other books in our top 10.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins was published in 2010, and I reviewed it back in March. It's a very simple YA romance, but I find it completely charming. I like that it's a "friend's first" love story, with a build up of chemistry that I always find appealing. The characters are fun and easy to relate to. Most importantly, the setting will have you wishing for a vacation in Paris tomorrow. I put it a bit low on the list only because, having glanced through it again, I do find that it does a lot of very cliched YA things--like the instant group of perfect friends for the new girl, and the Etienne's somewhat bitchy current girlfriend.

So, I don't read a lot of high fantasy. I don't have a lot to compare to. But Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, published in 2012 and reviewed this August, managed to leave an impression. It's a novel about dragons, and about a heroine who must accept her own deep connection to the dragons. The setting and plot are extremely creative. I liked that the author put us right inside Seraphina's head, allowing us to see her dreams and the secret visions that she keeps hidden away. It's a fun novel, but the plot is slow and the pacing stalls out at times, much to my frustration. It's still well worth your time.

The Color of Snow by Brenda Stanley, published in 2012, found it's way onto my blog in July. Admittedly, this isn't my usual fair, and I don't know how many people it will appeal to. But I found it uniquely enjoyable. It's the story of a teenager who lived in isolation for years after her paranoid father kidnapped her from her grandparents. What stood out about this story, for me, was it's lack of a villain and it's ability to make the character sympathize, to some degree, with all of the characters. It's a serious book about love, insanity, finding your place, and learning to think for yourself. 

I knew at the outset that Fables was going to appear on this list somewhere, but it was honestly difficult to decide which one to put and where. In the end, I decided to put Volume 1, Legends in Exile, here. First, because it introduced me to the series and got me hooked. Two, because it actually made book of the month back when I reviewed it in October. Fables is a graphic novel series in which fairy tale characters are stuck in the real world, trying to live normalish lives. Legends in Exile is actually something of a murder mystery, but the plot is less important than the introduction of the fantastic fairy tale characters--all at once familiar and totally unexpected. If you only ever read one graphic novel, it should be Fables.

If you asked me which book I was most surprised to be including in a top 10 list, it would be Angelfall by Susan Ee. I say that because, on the surface, it sounds derivative and amateurish. Once you delve into it, though, you find that it's better than a lot of main stream, popular urban fantasy currently on the market. It's the story of Penryn, a teenage girl who wants to protect her little sister, and her broken journey alongside the angel Raffe. It's everything a post-apocalyptic story should be--horrific, disturbing, thoughtful, and vaguely hopeful. But be warned, it ends on a cliffhanger that might make you throw your reading device at a wall.

Night Sky by Jolene Perry is an absolutely fantastic contemporary romance. It was published in 2012, and I reviewed it in April for a blog tour, feeling mostly surprised and relieved to have really liked it. The characters and the romance feel very real, and the power of their impact lies in how serious and yet sweet it all is. Notably, it's told from the hero's perspective, and that male point of view put an entirely novel dimension to an otherwise simple story. Jameson is a typical guy in many ways, but a really nice guy all the same, and it's hard not to love him. It's hard not to love this love story.

Spoiler alert, folks, Duchess War by Courtney Milan was my favorite book of December. More importantly, it was the #3 book of 2012. It's a historical romance with a remarkably smart but sadly suppressed heroine, and a hero trying to right many ancient wrongs. Milan writes the most compelling characters I've seen recently, and the plot almost doesn't matter because it's so interesting to just watch these people be. The plot, however, is engaging by itself. All around, the complete package. Go read this book. Go read it now.

It's surprising to tell that I had somewhat mixed feelings toward Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and yet Days of Blood and Starlight ranks at number 2 on my list of favorite books for the year. I felt deeply invested in the world while I read this book. The stakes seemed so high, and so was my level of sympathy for Karou. The world building is just so strange and unique and fantastic. The love story is compelling--you want everything to end up happy. But above all, it's a story of war at it's worst, and trying to overcome it's effects with acts of mercy and love.

And the #1 book of 2012 is...

Yes, it's Cinder, by Marissa Meyer. It's a science fiction fairy tale retelling, and it is even more awesome than it sounds. It's the best possible version of Cinderella, with a charming and quirky heroine who at least gets to know her prince charming a bit. The world building knocked me on my ass, it was so interesting and so bizarre. If you haven't read this book yet, you need to read it in 2013. It's absolutely essential.

Happy December! (Better Late Than Never)

"Were you drinking coffee in the shower?" Husband asks as I emerge, towel swaddled and hair dripping, steamy mug in hand.

"Why yes, yes I was. I'm not even slightly ashamed of it."

"You have a problem."

I guess it's apparent that I am indeed suffering from a bit of end of year exhaustion, helped along by my decision to work a bazillion hours at my job(s) as a toy elf/picture lass. I think I'm also encountering a bit of ennui when it comes to my reviews and this blog in general. Again, this is partly based in physical exhaustion, but it also has to do with a need for changes that I know I need to make. So we're in the middle of a road block of sorts where I know I need to redesign, redefine, change what isn't working, and get back to what has worked in the past--and that is what December and January are going to be all about. Just as soon as I finish my goddamned coffee.

But you aren't here for all of that! Your here to find out which book from the November line up rocked my tiny little socks. And here it is:

Best Book of October/November Preview

My October reading went kind of off the track. I read quite a bit, just not what I really meant to. In any case, I've got two more months to finish up my reading goals. First thing, lets crown the book of the month!

Best Book of September/October Preview

Happy October, everyone! Oh boy, you guys, this is my favorite time of year! I love fall. I love the cooler weather and the pretty leaves. I love Halloween. I love baking with pumpkin. Plus, my birthday is this month! We've got a lot of great books coming up in October, but first we have to crown the best book of September.

Best Book of August/September Preview

As predicted, August was a sparse month for Reading to Penguins. The good news is, things are quieter now, so September should be a more blog friendly month. But before I tell you what to look forward to, we have to crown the best book of September!

Drum roll, please....

Wooo, Dragons!

Best Book of July/August Preview

Oh, wow, is July over already? Well, time to crown the book of the month! The winner is...

Best Book of June/July Preview

Retrieved from: http://blisscarmannews.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/weird-wacky-8-the-firework/

There's no point lying to you guys--June was a rough month for Reading to Penguins. My personal life exploded with a series of things that NEED TO GET DONE, RIGHT NOW, OR OMG, THE WORLD MIGHT END. So books took forever to be read, there were a good number of DNFs, I haven't been visiting other blogs or commenting as often as usual, and I haven't participated in any hops or followed anyone new in weeks. But July is going to be better, right? Well...

Because I'm moving next week, and because our internet may take some time to get set up, and because my wedding is in August (AHHH!), I honestly don't know if I'll be able to do better. But I'll try. So keep visiting, keep commenting, keep being the awesome followers that you are, and just know that if I don't respond right away it's probably because I'm lost in a maze of boxes. I will reply and visit you back...eventually.

Okay, so we do have to crown the book of the month. The winner is--

Best Book of May/June Preview

Well folks, the merry month of May is over, so it's time to crown the Book of the Month!

It was another close call, but in the end I have to go with Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep! In a month filled with a lot of mediocre reads, this book stood out for being far more amusing than annoying. Also it has wolves. You should check it out!

The June line up is full of awesome, guys. Here we go:


The Selection by Kiera Cass:I finished this yesterday, and my review for it should be up today or tomorrow. Probably tomorrow. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Castaway Dreams by Darlene Marshall: I'm 28% into this book. I started it because I had insomnia. But it's really good so far!

Insurgent by Veronica Roth: I just started reading this yesterday, so I'm only like 10 pages into it. At 520 pages, who knows how long it will take me.

The Last Timemaker and the Stolen Sun by S.A. Damus

Stand-in Wife by Karina Bliss

Breaking The Devil's Heart: A Logic of Demons Novel by H.A. Goodman


Bring Him Home by Karina Bliss

The Orphan, the Soulcatcher, and the Black Blizzard by Kimberlee Ann Bastian

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

Flicker by Kaye Thornbrugh

I'm insanely excited to have some contemporary romance back on the list, along with all of the paranormal and YA.

Now it's your turn: what do you plan on reading this June?

Best Book of April/May Preview

Well guys, it's the first of the month again, which means its time to crown the best book of April, and give you a little taste of what's coming in May. 

Once again, there were a lot of great books in my pile this month, but the clear winner for favorite was Night Sky by Jolene Perry. I did not expect to love this book, but between the awesome male POV and the rich story of young love, I was enthralled. Go check it out, if you haven't already.

What's coming up in May?

Two reviews, already written, should be up for your amusement shortly. The first is for Bonds of Fenris, by S. J. Bell, which I liked quite a bit. The second is for Daphne and the Mysterious Girls Secret Bathroom Society, by Robert Shields, which I did not like at all. And I mean...not even a little bit.

And in our TBR we have:

Hammered by Kevin Hearne

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benajmin Alire Saenz

Spectral by Shannon Duffy

A Good Man by Venessa Morgan

Symphony of Blood by Adam Pepper

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Knee Deep by Jolene Perry

And that's the official line up! What's in your TBR this month?

Best Book of March/April Preview

March was an absolutely amazing month for reading, folks. I'm having a tough time picking a favorite...We're going with Cinder by Marissa Meyer, which earned a 4.5 stars from me and totally lived up to all the hype.

In case your curious, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins was the close runner up. I recommend both, actually.

There were a couple of DNFs in March. I couldn't get into First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost. I find that, while I love Cat and Bones, I'm not crazy about her writing style in other contexts. That happens to me sometimes. I also barely got into Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick, finding it too stupid to be worth the library fees it would have cost me to keep it. I think my enjoyment of Hush, Hush, which was based on a lot of guilty pleasure, was in fact a fluke.

So what's coming up in April? 

First of all, on April 3, you'll see my review of Night Sky by Jolene Perry go live. I agreed to read it for the book tour, and ended up really loving it. I can't seem to get enough contemporary romance lately.

Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward--66% read, and I'm not going to lie, it does not suck. The last book had me worried that the series might be on a hopeless downward spiral...but this one does not suck.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake--About 50% done. This one came really highly recommended. I'm excited to see where the story goes.

The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry--7% done. I liked Night Sky so much, I just really wanted more from this author.

Princess Charming by Nicole Jordan

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

Young Avengers by Allan Heinberg (A Things I Read For Love Review)

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Kind of a different mix this month, but I'm excited about it. Happy April, everyone!