Bed with Books

Due to time restraints, instead of a new review I am doing a throwback! This review was originally posted back in April 2011 - and is definitely a great read! Here goes: The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a YA post-apocalyptic, literary zombie novel by Carrie Ryan. I know what you're thinking - "literary" zombie novel? Yep, never read anything like it! Well, that's not exactly true. The whole reason I became obsessed with reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth (beyond the amazing title) is the short story Carrie Ryan wrote in Kiss Me Deadly , a compilation of a bunch of stunning stories written by some of today's best YA paranormal authors. It was called Hare Moon and it took place in the same world, the same village as The Forest of Hands and Teeth - and it was flat out spectacular. So I knew that I absolutely had to read The Forest of Hands and Teeth . So, lets get to the synopsis, shall we? Mary lives in a village surrounded by a fence. The fence keeps out the...

Illuminae is the first book of the YA futuristic sci-fi thriller series The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Krisftoff. It started off like a day like any other in the year 2575 on the human inhabited planet of Kerenza. Kady had made the difficult decision to break up with her boyfriend Ezra – and she thought that would be the toughest thing about the day. She didn’t realize her planet would be attacked that afternoon, the victim of two rival mega-corporations battling over the tiny speck of universe they called their home. There was no warning before nearly everything was on fire and people were dying all around them. Suddenly she and her ex, barely speaking since that morning, are forced to flee together – in a desperate attempt to evacuate the planet. Yet even once they are off Kerenza, it is not the end of the nightmare. There is a warship after their refugee fleets. There’s mysterious talk of quarantines. And the AI that is supposed to be keeping them safe may actually be t...

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions is a YA anthology of stories by numerous best-selling authors and edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong. Pulling together short stories together regarding journeys – whether physical or not – these authors provide plots featuring vampires, faeries, angels and more. Authors include such bigwigs as Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Carrie Ryan and more. One of the main reasons I wanted to read Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions was for the short story by Kelley Armstrong. I’m a huge fan of her Darkest Powers trilogy and Facing Facts was a great little reunion with my favorite characters of hers – Chloe and Derek! Facing Facts did not disappoint! Generally, however, Enthralled was a mixed bag. Giovanni’s Farewell was a good, sweet story by Claudia Gray. Let’s Get This Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan and At the Late Night, Double Feature Picture Show by Jessica Verday were interesting diversions, both creative an...

Warm Bodies is, essentially, a zombie story – but so much more – by Isaac Marion. R doesn’t remember his name – none of his fellow Dead do. They don’t remember much of anything about their former lives, actually. He lives with a large hive of zombies in an abandoned airport, riding the conveyor belt, listening to Sinatra and calling an old 747 his home. Each day passes by in a blur. Then during a hunt, he meets a girl. A living girl – named Julie. Against all reason, instead of snacking on her brain, R takes Julie captive – but she becomes his hesitant guest. For some reason, R doesn’t want to eat Julie (well, most of the time) – he wants to protect her and try to talk to her (extremely difficult for zombies). Something is changing… Warm Bodies was INCREDIBLE!!! I was recommended it and I am so glad! Warm Bodies has moments that are shocking, sometimes gory, yet also surprisingly humorous, incredibly original and undeniably likable. It’s touching, dark and strangely romantic! Keep in...