Well now, this was fun! I'll spare you my standard spiel on how important I think MG fiction is, and just tell you straight out that this book is going to appeal to a lot of young readers. It's intriguing, fast-paced, and actually rings true to real life despite its premise. What if you could share other people's life experiences? Would you take that opportunity? What if you could actually take memories away from people? Is that okay, if they won't remember and it might improve their lives? So we come to the complicated web of morality that Benji must face, all while still being a kid.

It should be known that I have a soft spot for male protagonists in MG fiction, because I truly think we need more of them. Benji is the perfect example of an impressively drawn main character. At the heart of it all, he's simply a young boy who is motivated by his desire for his family to be happy again. Which means, of course, that he doesn't quite stop to think of what the consequences of his choices might be. After all, it's for good reason. Right? Then Genevieve comes into the picture and shows Benji that the power he hoped to use for good, can also be used for nefarious purposes. There's so much wrapped up in here. The importance of family, the concept of honor, dealing with deception, and even a healthy does of conflict resolution. Definitely a lot for a young reader to soak up, and yet it's all tied up in a perfectly action-packed story line.

Honestly, that's all I can really say without accidentally spoiling anything. This is a quick read, that's really enjoyable to get lost in. In my opinion, it's just about perfect! I have no doubt in my mind that there are a lot of young readers out there who are going to have a blast devouring this. Rest assured though, that The Memory Thief is one of those books that easily transcends age groups. If you, like me, love reading MG? This book definitely deserves a spot on your reading list.

 

I need someone to follow me around while I'm checking my email and smack me on the hand every time I agree to do a new blog tour. *sigh* Pretty much all of these books are review books for tours, or that I agreed to read for the authors themselves. It's not that I'm not excited about most of them! I am! I'm just bummed because somewhere in here I also have to fit some bingo books. September is going to be a challenging month.

 

Cool things about next month though:

 

* The IT re-read is with the Horror Aficionados group on Goodreads, which I'm super stoked for.

 

* Esio Trot is part of a HUGE blog tour in honor of Roald Dahl's birthday next month, which is going to be really really awesome! A ton of prizes will be given away.

 

* Kubrick's Game is a new book by an author that I helped out a ton before he worked his way into YA (he wrote MG books), and I get to provide one of his first 10 reviews. I feel special <3.

 

Wish me luck! This is going to be an intense reading month.

It is super hard for me to do top ten favorite book lists for the year because my reading years feel so long. Things that I read way back in January feel eons ago (my perceptions of time have always been a bit strange). I'm going to try, though, by looking at my Goodreads 2013 challenge (which I mad. Tt also included novellas and graphic novels, though... Maybe I should up my challenge goal for each one of those I read this time... We'll see... Anyway I'm not counting graphic novels on my top ten list because I generally don't experience them in the same way that I experience novels.

Anyway, in no particular order...

1. After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn

2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

3. 14 by Peter Clines

4. Cold Magic by Kate Elliott

5. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

6. Ashfall by Mike Mullin

7. The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

8. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

9. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

10. Vodnik by Bryce Moore

Novella special mention: San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats by Mira Grant
Short story collections: Shadow Unit by Emma Bull et al

I kind of wish San Diego 2014 had been a full length novel, though maybe there wouldn't have been enough to sustain it that long. It was a really fun story -- so much so that every time I try to read something from its parent series I think, "Oh, this isn't San Diego 2014... Eh, I'll try to read it later." Now, the Shadow Unit series is really interesting. I've only read the first two volumes, but I keep meaning to read more... They're a creepy, fascinating collection of stories put together by a group of authors who decided to write as if they were doing a tv series so basically every few collections is a "season" with a crazy finale. (or so I presume) You can read them online for free here or buy the cheaply priced Kindle versions and so on. The stories are write by Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Elizabeth Bear, Sarah Monette, and Amanda Downum, at least as far as I've got. They make it a big experience with the agnts having live journal accounts you can look at and all kinds of stuff if you want to immerse yourself more. 

Some of these books come before I started that booklikes site, so I don't have links to my reviews/ramblings about them, but I included them where I could.

P.S. Part of why I decided to do a top ten was seeing others' but part was also this blog entry about how to help authors you love. Hmm... Maybe I should do a post of anticipated reads, soon to be released...

Moore weaves myth and folklore and modern teenage angst into a wonderfully compelling novel. This one will hook you in and not let go. Don't be misled by the YA label, it's perfectly readable for adults too.

When I first read the synopsis of Vodnik I thought well this is something new and immediately I wanted to read it. The Plot was original using Slovakian legends to tie in a fish out of water slash self discovery story of the main character Tomas. As a young child after a horrific accident Tomas leaves Slovakia to live in America. In America Tomas is a fish out of water he doesn’t fit in, and when he returns to his native country of Slovakia at age 16, after his family loses their home in a terrible fire. He discovers he doesn’t fit there as well. Not to mention the culture shock Tomas encounters when he first arrives. The plot also includes a deal with death, social issues like racism, unemployment, refugee like conditions for the Roma (gypsies) is touched upon as a tie to the racism arc. They live denied of opportunities many degenerate into a life of crime while some crawl in a bottle and drink themselves into oblivion. Which just re-enforces the Slovaks low opinion of Roma which is addressed quite often.I loved the format of the book— at the beginning of each chapter there is an excerpt from from the guide book of the dead. Giving the reader a little detail about magical creatures in Slovakia. I enjoyed Vodnik immensely the bridge between the old world and new set against the backdrop of a medieval castle. I liked the conflict “the bigget gang” added, after Tomas has a horrible encounter with them. That made me so angry, he’s forced to learn to protect himself thus becoming stronger, and has the has the added benefit of making Tomas better equipped to face the Vodnik. I thought the story was original, the setting was amazingly quaint and old world. I was introduced to Slovakian legends which I thought was cool. The pacing was ok there were moments when the story stalled for me but overall I enjoyed the experience.I don’t have much negative things to say my issues are minor and don’t affect your enjoyment of the book. Just moments I found personally I didn’t like. For one thing the pacing overall was good except for those moments when the story lulled. The constant mention of the racism the Roma experienced was annoying after a while, show don’t tell and tell. The instances where the writer shows how the Roma are poorly treated conveys the point. I’m not saying he shouldn’t tell but not so much that Tomas comes off as a whiner or an angry kid. He mentions the racism element in almost every chapter. I would recommend this book for fantasy buffs the Slovakian legends will be something new compared to our legends here in the United States. Or anyone looking for something original to read—age group 12 and up. Since there is no cursing or mature scenes in the book. I gave Vodnik a four out of five.http://sonythebooklover.com/2012/04/vodnik-review/