Secondary Character Saturday (9)

I've started a new weekly meme here and I'd love for you to join me. Saturdays are now dedicated to honor the characters that don't always get their voices heard, who support (or work to destroy) our beloved protagonists. This is for the third wheel in the love triangle (can you have wheels on a triangle?), for the BFFs, the family members, or even just the kind and loving (or deceitful and creepy) stranger who shows up and changes the game. We all know these stories wouldn't hold up without support so I'd like to take the time to highlight the best secondary characters I come across. This is an opportunity to talk about what makes these characters special, maybe to speculate what their world would be like without them, or maybe cast them in their own primary roles. If you'd like to create a SCS post leave your link in the comments and I'll check it out!

So today it's all about:

Kopano from Sweet Evil


This book was one of those cases where I'm pretty sure I was rooting for the wrong guy. Because I completely adored Kopano. He has this incredibly intense background, but he's managed to get away from that and rise above it. Of all the Nephilim, he's the only one who seems to have a handle on controlling his temptation. Plus, he's sweet and patient. And despite his nature, he's actually kind and considerate. He showed some interest in Anna, and I really wish more would have been done with that. I mean, he can't really compare to the son of lust, but he's by far the healthier choice in this situation.
I'm not crazy. I get why someone - especially teens - go for the hot guy who's all temptation and tortured soul. Most time I prefer the bad boy - sometimes that's hard to resist. Generally I would have cheered Kaidan on through the whole book. But, I don't know. Something about Kopano got to me. I think it's that he knows how things are and he's trying to do what's best for everyone else. He's not first on his list of people to take care of. He's there to watch over everyone, keep them in check, and keep them from getting into trouble with the wrong people.

I so hope Kopano gets a bigger role in the next book, because I definitely want to see more of him. 

Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop. The hop is hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Portrait of a Book. Tons of other blogs are participating. To see the full list and hop along for the chance to win some great books go HERE.

Whats up for grabs here? One winner will receive their choice of one of the following books:

The details: 

• One (1) winner will receive one (1) book of his/her choice from the three pictured above. 
• You must be 13 or older to enter. 
• This giveaway is international as long as the Book Depository ships to you.
• Fill out the Rafflecopter form below - you can only enter once.
• This contest will run until May 23. 
• Winner will be announced by email - if you win you have 48 hours to respond before I pick a new winner. 
• Good luck and thanks for entering!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bitterblue - Kristin Cashore

Synopsis: Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.
Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart. (From Goodreads)

The wait for Bitterblue was so worth it. I've fallen so in love with the world Kristin Cashore has created. Every time one of her stories ends and I'm pulled back out of that world, I mourn a little. I love the Gracelings, but it was really kind of cool that this time around the main character was ordinary. I mean, other than the fact that she's the queen of her own country, she doesn't have a grace like Katsa, and she's not a monster like Fire. She doesn't have any extra power to help her out. Still, she's incredibly smart, she's determined, and she's fierce in her own right. I was really proud of who Bitterblue turned out to be.

Bitterblue has the daunting task of rebuilding her country after her father's destructive reign. Her job is even harder since everyone is still trying to protect her, they keep secrets from her, and most just flat out lie to her. She has this group of people she is supposed to be able to trust, but once she starts seeking out the truth she figures out that there are very few people she can actually rely on. I have to give props to Bitterblue, because she never stopped trying to figure out what was real and what atrocities her father committed - she kept on digging for the truth, even as it got worse and more painful as she went along. She went to extraordinary lengths to right the wrongs of King Leck and to give back whatever had been taken. Some of the passages in which Bitterblue discovers the things her father was up to were some of the hardest things I've read in YA lit, but they're important. That could have easily been glossed over, but Cashore doesn't shy away from the grittier aspects that often get lost in historical record - especially when it's so close that people don't want to remember.

The characters in this book are beautiful. Even the evil ones are written so well. There's motive, history, and futures surrounding each character, no matter how small. Everyone is important and integral to the plot, even if they don't actually make physical appearances. So impressive. I loved seeing Katsa and Po a little bit father down their own story line and seeing that they are still a huge part of Bitterblue's life. I loved Teddy and Saf - the boys she meets in her nighttime wanderings that lead her to story rooms (I loved the story rooms - can we please make these real things?). After she catches them stealing a gargoyle from the castle wall (who steals gargoyles?) I knew they'd have a special place in my heart. Teddy loves words and books, so he's awesome - and Saf has a Robin Hood complex and I love him for that.

The ending wasn't as resolved as I would have hoped. I was let down at the end and I couldn't figure out why it was so unsatisfying. Then I realized it was just because it was over. I don't even think an epilogue detailing the way all the characters end up in the end would have tied it up for me. I want to read Bitterblue's entire life in detail. I never wanted it to end. If I could slip between the pages and disappear into this world, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Being Friends with Boys - Tera Elan McVoy

Synopsis: Charlotte and Oliver have been friends forever. She knows that he, Abe, and Trip consider her to be one of the guys, and she likes it that way. She likes being the friend who keeps them all together. Likes offering a girl's perspective on their love lives. Likes being the behind-the-scenes wordsmith who writes all the lyrics for the boys' band. Char has a house full of stepsisters and a past full of backstabbing (female) ex-best friends, so for her, being friends with boys is refreshingly drama-free...until it isn't any more.
When a new boy enters the scene and makes Char feel like, well, a total girl...and two of her other friends have a falling out that may or may not be related to one of them deciding he possibly wants to be more than friends with Char...being friends with all these boys suddenly becomes a lot more complicated. (From Goodreads)

This book is completely adorable. I found myself reading this straight through, just because I was so wrapped up in Charlotte's life and the different paths all of her relationships are taking. I wasn't completely expecting the music and band element, but that was a nice surprise. I always like when characters are able to come out of their shells in a big way, and gaining the courage to sing in front of other people is definitely a great way to show that transformation.

I loved that this book isn't straightforward. It doesn't have a formula or a point A to point B kind of plot line. Charlotte's life feels real and a little messy. She tries something out and it doesn't work. She tests out a direction and realizes it's not taking her where she wants to go and she turns back. She gets lost quite often - both figuratively and literally - but she uses the people in her life as guide posts to find her way back. One of my favorite scenes in this book is one where Charlotte and  her best friend, Trip, are wandering around a residential area and they get lost, compose a song about Hansel and Gretel and how they used bread crumbs to find their way back, and in the process find themselves un-lost. That scene is kind of the epitome of the whole book, and I kind of like it as a metaphor for life too. Some times you do get lost, but if you're lucky, you have someone there with you to turn it into an experience and to help you figure out where you need to go.

My only issue with this book was the way that girl friends are portrayed. Obviously, this came up, given the title. I knew there'd be some sort of comparison between being friends with boys and being friends with girls. Both gave her problems, but the boys always chilled pretty quickly and those problems were resolved pretty well. The girls in this book though, had pretty much no redeeming qualities. They were either fake, or scattered, self involved, uncommitted, or catty. A couple might have been leaning towards okay by the end, but they still had that image slapped onto them. I have to say that there are some girls who make pretty awesome friends and I kind of wish all those relationships hadn't just been dismissed.

I also have to say that once I hit the last four pages, I kid you not, I literally read each page twice because I didn't want it to end. Then I finished it and read those four pages all together two more times. I was grinning like crazy and I went to bed feeling so happy. Just thinking about them now, makes me giddy. Ah, so cute. I definitely loved this book, and especially coming into summer, this is a great one to read and lift your spirits.

"The Ash-Born Boy" and The Near Witch Paperback Release

It's May 15th!

Not only does The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab come out in paperback today, but to celebrate its release, "The Ash-Born Boy" is finally up over at Disney*Hyperion's website!

So what IS "The Ash-Born Boy"?

It's a free story that Victoria wrote as a thank you to her fans, and she wrote it to answer one question: "Who was Cole before he came to Near?"


Now, if you've already read The Near Witch, "The Ash-Born Boy" is guaranteed to change the way you see Cole.

And if you haven't read The Near Witch yet, don't worry, "The Ash-Born Boy" won't spoil anything!

So basically, either way, you should read Cole's story!

And if you want to wait and read The Near Witch first, it's no problem. Cole's story will stay up on Disney*Hyperion's website, and if it ever comes down, Victoria will carve out a space for it on her own site. It will always be available somewhere, and it will always be free.

AND

Cole's story isn't the only goodie to go along with the paperback release. In the back of the paperback itself, you'll find the first chapter of Victoria's new book, The Archived, which doesn't come out until January!

So what are you waiting for?

Help Victoria celebrate today by taking a look at "The Ash-Born Boy," and don't forget to buy/order/pick up your own paperback copy of The Near Witch!

After you read "The Ash-Born Boy" come let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Entertaining Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is: Top Ten Authors Who Should Have Their Own TV Show


I love this week's topic. To me authors pretty much are celebrities, so I definitely think some of them should be on TV. I'm thinking either these people should all be thrown together in some sort of Survivor scenario. Possibly, they'd all be great in a Saturday Night Live situation. Or like The Real World for literary people. That'd be sweet. But I'd be content if these people just had their own talk shows.

1. Sarah Rees Brennan

The first person that came to mind when I saw this weeks topic was Sarah Rees Brennan. I've actually thought this for a long time. She's completely hilarious, pretty much uncensored and quite clever. I met her at YallFest in Charleston last fall, and she just has amazing energy and charisma. Someone NEEDS to give this woman her own show.

2. Karsten Knight

The second person that came to mind. After watching his YA Rebel and other YouTube videos you'll get it too. He's always entertaining and my stomach always hurts from laughing for three minutes straight. Plus, he's not bad to look at...ya know?

3. Myra McEntire

I've loved Myra McEntire since I became aware that Hourglass existed. I've been a loyal twitter follower and reader of her blog (and books of course). She's always fun and sometimes a little serious. But it was this conversation between Myra and Rachel Hawkins that leads me to say - these two should host their own show together.

4. Rachel Hawkins

See reasoning for Myra McEntire, above.

5. Shelley Coriell

After reading Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe and knowing that Chloe lives in her brain I'm pretty sure she would be delightful on a TV show.

6. Andrea Cremer

Andrea Cremer is adorable. I met her at YallFest too and she has an amazing presence. Also, in the final competition between authors, she did an awesome job playing an evil teacher who walked around with a raven on her shoulder. I also believe she was one of the people who coined the term, "sexy times." So that could be fun.

7. John Green

Well, he already kind of has his own TV show. I don't think I need to explain...

8. Leah Clifford

I've now spent Christmas Day and Easter Sunday watching Leah Clifford's live shows. So yeah, I'd probably watch her TV show.

9. Kiersten White

I think Kiersten is one of those cases where I like the books so much because the author rocks. She's got a huge personality and I love the things she says. Plus, all the "bleeping" would probably make my life.

10. Kirsten Hubbard

 

I definitely think Kirsten Hubbard should have a traveling show in which she periodically reads from Wanderlove and/or says wisdomous things that come from travel experiences. Yeah? Anybody else?

Secondary Character Saturday (8)

I've started a new weekly meme here and I'd love for you to join me. Saturdays are now dedicated to honor the characters that don't always get their voices heard, who support (or work to destroy) our beloved protagonists. This is for the third wheel in the love triangle (can you have wheels on a triangle?), for the BFFs, the family members, or even just the kind and loving (or deceitful and creepy) stranger who shows up and changes the game. We all know these stories wouldn't hold up without support so I'd like to take the time to highlight the best secondary characters I come across. This is an opportunity to talk about what makes these characters special, maybe to speculate what their world would be like without them, or maybe cast them in their own primary roles. If you'd like to create a SCS post leave your link in the comments and I'll check it out!

So today it's all about:

Johanna from Insurgent


There weren't too many new characters in the follow up to Divergent, but I found the leader Amity was a great addition to this world. Don't get me wrong, half of the book she drove me up a wall - but I think she's supposed to. She's a more passive person and the story is narrated by Tris, and "passive" is not in her vocabulary. Mostly, I think I like her because she's created as a representative of the Amity faction, a faction that only makes a very brief appearance in Divergent. During the whole blogger challenge in the lead up to Insurgent's release, I was definitely Team Amity. It's kind of a hippie faction - peace loving, tree hugging and all. So between their absence in the first book and my own allegiance to the faction, I was so curious about their role in Insurgent.

So that's were Johanna comes in. She is the spokesperson for Amity. All of Amity makes their decisions together and Johanna relays those decisions. She's also the one who brings things to the faction to be discussed. Of course, no faction is perfect, so we also find out through her what those imperfections are. But the real reason I think Johanna is so important in this book is in her polar opposition to Tris. Even though we don't really know too much about Johanna, I'm willing to bet that the things she and Tris have in common could be counted on a hand. Yet, when it comes down to the wire, they are on the same side working for the same thing. Both are characters you can root for, they just take different approaches to solve a problem.

I can imagine that Johanna has a really great story and knowing she has a story - a past that's shaped her into who she is and where she is headed - is what makes her a great secondary character worth talking about.