The Geekish Reader

Title:   Dust Girl Author:   Sarah Zettel Genre:   YA, Paranormal Pages:   304 Published:   June 2012 Publisher:   Random House Source:   NetGalley Where to buy:   Amazon Synopsis: Callie LeRoux lives in Slow Run, Kansas, helping her mother run their small hotel and trying not to think about the father she’s never met. Lately all of her energy is spent battling the constant storms plaguing the Dust Bowl and their effects on her health. Callie is left alone when her mother goes missing in a dust storm. Her only hope comes from a mysterious man offering a few clues about her destiny and the path she must take to find her parents in "the golden hills of the west": California. Along the way she meets Jack, a young hobo boy who is happy to keep her company — there are dangerous, desperate people at every turn. And there’s also an otherworldly threat to Callie. Warring fae factions, attached to the creative communities of American society, are very m...

About the Author: Wanita May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario - St.Catharines.  Crazy-happy childhood, she always has had a vivid imagination and loads of energy. The youngest of six -- four older brothers, and sister -- they taught her at a young age to be competitive in all aspects of life. At sixteen, she began competing in athletics (track and field) and before she turned seventeen, she was representing Canada in high jump.  She continued to compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record (1.92m - 6' 3 1/2" for those metric-ly challenged).  She attented University of Toronto, and Kansas State University - graduating with a BS degree in Kinesiology and beginning her Masters in Business. She is currently married, and the mother of three adorable kids. After her father passed away in 2009, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight against), she began to write again.  A passion she'd loved for years, but reali...

Title:   Cinder and Ella Author:   Melissa Lemon Genre:   Fairy Tale, YA Fantasy Pages:   208 Published:   November 2011 Publisher:   Bonneville Source:   NetGalley Synopsis: After their father’s disappearance, Cinder leaves home for a servant job at the castle. But it isn’t long before her sister Ella is brought to the castle herself—the most dangerous place in all the kingdom for both her and Cinder. Cinder and Ella is a Cinderella story like no other and one you'll never forget. I stumbled on this book quite by accident.  I saw several reviews for it around the blog realm and decided to check it out.  While 'window shopping' through netgalley one afternoon the title popped up - I just had to click request!  I've always been a sucker for fairy tale re-tellings and boy was this one great! This doesn't follow the traditional tale of Cinderella - Cinder & Ella are sisters.  One leaves home to work at the R...

Title:   Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes Author:   Jonathan Auxier Genre:   YA Fantasy Pages:   381 Published:   August 2011 Source:   via Publisher for honest review Synopsis: (via Goodreads) Now, for those of you who know anything about blind children, you are aware that they make the very best thieves. As you can well imagine, blind children have incredible senses of smell, and they can tell what lies behind a locked door- be it fine cloth, gold, or peanut brittle- at fifty paces. Moreover, their fingers are so small and nimble that they can slip right through keyholes, and their ears so keen that they can hear the faint clicks and clacks of every moving part inside even the most complicated lock. Of course, the age of great thievery has long since passed;today there are few child-thieves left, blind or otherwise. At one time, however, the world was simply thick with them. This is the story of the greatest thief who ever liv...