Book-A-Month Sister Challenge

For 2019 my sister and I will be reading a book together each month. It sounded like fun to be able to talk about the same book and be reading at least one book a month. I've also invited some friends to join in as well throughout the year if they see anything interesting.

We spent the first week of January gathering recommendations from readers and authors, plus doing a little browsing of our own. Then we had to take that sizeable list and each of us made a list from that of the ones that we were interested in, which then we compared her interests with mine and took the choices that made it on both lists.

Lastly was the step of narrowing it down even further to have 12 books and then putting them into some semblance of order. Here's the final results!

January: 
Slated

KYLA HAS BEEN SLATED - her memory erased, her personality wiped blank. This is the government's way of dealing with teen terrorists: give them a fresh start as a new person. They teach Kyla how to walk and talk again, give her a new identity and a new family, and tell her to be grateful for this second chance.

It's also her last chance, and to ensure that she plays by their rules, Kyla is fitted with a Levo, a bracelet that monitors her mood and will stun - or even kill - her if her levels of anger or violence rise too high.

As she adjusts to her new life, Kyla can see she is different from the other Slateds. She asks too many questions and is plagued by nightmares that feel like memories - even though she shouldn't have memories. Who is she, really? Has her Slating gone wrong? And if only criminals are Slated, why are innocent people disappearing? Torn between the need to understand more and her instinct for self-peservation, Kyla knows a dangerous game is being played with her life, and she's determined not to let anyone see her make the wrong move...

Reasons we picked it: I have a love/hate relationship with dystopian novels. While I love the idea of them, I rarely see them executed well from start to finish. But I can never resist trying another one. My sister is new to the genre and picked this out of the 12 for us to read first, so I'm guessing it looked interesting. (I'm totally writing these segments without putting her on the spot and grilling her for details on her choices!)

February:
Henchgirl

The children of dragons and humans, the dracons, control eighty percent of the world’s governments. Humans worldwide are either subservient or prey. On the small vacation island of Mabi, humans call for war.
Sixteen year old Dakota Kekoa lives a double life. By day, she pretends to be a human to infiltrate Mabi Academy, a 'humans only' high-school. At night, she works as a henchman for her draconic mafia family, utilizing her ability to steal and manipulate emotions.

When Dakota’s human friend is kidnapped, she takes on the mission to find her. This is not just any mission though; she is diving head first into the escalating conflict between humans and dracons. As more girls disappear and some are discovered dead, Dakota realizes her first honorable mission may also be her last.

Reasons we picked it: My family likes to joke about the "ninja chick" trope. You know, the girl who's somehow beautiful and completely tough and ruthless at the same time. The one who we're told is able to take out 20 guys at one time, blind-folded, and injured. But we never see her do that. We just see her get in the way and screw things up with only the occasional super awesome move that's totally eye-rolling in its utter lack of believability.

Well this cover looks like that and it both intrigues me and makes me smile. I mean, come on, the girl is standing there in the typical "ninja chick" attire with her hair all perfect and flowing down. Spotless white shirt. Plus she has a gun AND a fireball. Because one just isn't enough . . .

Personally, I just want to know what the story behind this cover is. The story sounds cool, but the cover makes me laugh. I really hope it's good though.

This is also an Indie book and I love reading and supporting talented indie authors.

March:
Wintersong

The last night of the year. Now the days of winter begin and the Goblin King rides abroad, searching for his bride....

All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They've enraptured her mind and spirit and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesel can't help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away.

But when her own sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her. Drawn to the strange, captivating world she finds--and the mysterious man who rules it--she soon faces an impossible decision. With time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.

Reasons we picked it: Uh, because the cover is gorgeous? And yes, it sounds interesting. I'm stupid about covers that have clear objects with random items inside them. I don't know why. My number one cover hook is definitely people. If I see an interesting person on a cover it makes me want to know their story. The see-through object with stuff inside is the runner up though.

I also find the blurb super intriguing, so I have high hopes for this one.

April:
The Keeper and the Compass

When an unstable and determined sorceress kidnaps their parents and hides them in a book, longtime friends Jenny Fletcher and Josh Park find themselves deep in the world of the Compass. It's been their ticket to unprecedented adventure and is now their only hope for finding their families. The Compass can take them into any book, but it cannot protect them from the dangers lurking within the pages. That is up to them. 

The Sorceress has left a ransom note demanding items from five familiar but dark fairy tales in exchange for information on their parents whereabouts. Jenny and Josh must rely on quirky but highly skilled new friends who know all about the Compass for training and support to survive the fairy tales, obtain the required items, and face the Sorceress herself.

While dealing with the loss of their families and the dangerous tasks set before them, they press toward independence and adulthood but also battle inner doubt and fear. It's a constant struggle, wondering if they have what it takes to finish what they've started, maintain their friendship, and stay alive in the process.

Reasons we picked it: This was one of the indie books that was recommended to us specifically for this challenge. This made it high up on both of our lists, so it was an easy choice to make for the final cut. It sounds interesting to for the unique plot. I can't say I've read many stories where the character in the book travel through other stories/books. I can recall a kid's series and then a young adult one, but that's it.

May:
The Girl in the Mask

Set in Georgian England, fifteen-year-old Sophia is trapped by the limitations of living in a man's world. Forced by her father to give up everything she loves, Sophia is ordered to make a new life in Bath. By day, she is trapped in the social whirl of balls and masquerades. By night, she secretly swaps her ball gowns for breeches, and turns to highway robbery to get her revenge ...When one man begins to take a keen interest in her, Sophia must keep her distance, or risk unmasking her secret life.

Reasons we picked it: We both enjoy historical fiction, so there was no way we weren't going to pick at least one from that genre for the list. This author's work has come across my radar a few times and I've really wanted to try her. I've been stalling based on the lack of availability of her material. (no ebooks and no copies within my state's library system) But now I'm going to track down a hard copy and buy it so IT BETTER BE GOOD! Hopefully we picked a good one to start with.

June:
The Green Ember

Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world.
Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend.

Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand?

Reasons we picked it: My sister has heard a bit about this book and was intrigued. She suggested it and I've enjoyed a few animal character books over the years (anything from Watership Down to the Redwall series) so I was like yes, let's do this.

July:
Selkie's Song

A selkie’s song can enchant a man and tame the sea . . .

Naia’s unusual love for human things led her to become the sole artisan in her clan. But when this passion leads to her abduction, she loses more than contact with the sea when her pelt is taken. Unable to shift forms or return to the sea without it, she knows she will die if she cannot recover the pelt soon. Cut off from her family, Naia must appease the human king while persuading his lovesick son to honor past arrangements.

Malik has loved and lost before, an experience leading him to shy away from love. When Naia is stranded, however, he risks everything to find her. Together they uncover a plot that would sweep up humans and selkies alike in a war that would destroy the Five Kingdoms and possibly all of Sonera.
When the enemy acts, can they save sea and land . . . and each other? 

Reasons we picked it: We've both read previous work by Rogers and when we were scrambling to finish this list and needed one more, I went, how about this one? I love retellings and thought it means I'll now have to wait to read this *eye twitches* it'll be worth it to drag my sister along with me. I was going to read it sometime January, but I guess I'll stare longingly at it on my Kindle until then.

And of the other last minute choices I threw out there, this was the one my sister liked best. Fingers crossed. We picked this one off the list of suggestions for indie authors as well.

August:
Flower


Kitrin always assumed her overprotective parents were just paranoid—until the trees started talking to her.

For sixteen years, Kitrin has longed for freedom from her parents' secluded manor. However, one day her emotions trigger flowers to bloom, roots to grasp, and trees to bend. Unable to control her unexplained abilities, she finds an anchor in a young man with sad eyes and his own secrets. A man who sends sparks through her, but who might be tied to her destruction.

Palace outcast and nephew of the king, Prince Bryce lives under the shadow of his father's execution for treason. To escape the toxic court, he takes comfort in the company of the kindhearted Kitrin. However, as the mysteries in both their pasts are revealed, he realizes the girl he loves is someone his family wants dead.

Reasons we picked it: This was another one that was at the top of my sister's list. I'm going to hazard a guess and say this is one of the ones she is the most excited about. (Just a hunch). I already had it on my Kindle so that worked out perfectly. I was like yep, you know I'm interested. It's sitting right here in my epic pile. And this makes #3 for a selection taken from the indie recommendation list.

September:

Retrieve

What if the job you took to stay alive might be what kills you?

Kade knows what it is to suffer. He knows what it's like to lose everything and everyone around him.

His job in a Stormer Unit guarantees not just his survival in the decimated country of Azetaria, but his sister Meg's. Even if it means facing the Numachi warriors baying for his blood, he'll do what it takes to keep her safe.

Hadley is alone and surviving the only way she knows how. By hiding where predators won't find her and scavenging enough just to keep her alive.

When desperation drives Hadley to search for her missing brother, she mistakenly accepts the offer of recruitment into the Stormer's camp, only to be partnered with Kade and sent as a scout into Numachi territory.

The intimidating young Stormer may just know where her brother has gone. But can they stay alive long enough to find him?

Reasons we picked it: I just love this cover, and the blurb. This was another one that ended up at the top of both of our lists when we put them together. Also one of the indie books recommended to us for the challenge.

October:
The Mermaid Summer


About a hundred years ago, they say, a mermaid ruled the cold sea that washed around northern lands. She was beautiful and dangerous, and the fishermen of those parts were careful to speak well of her. All but Eric Anderson, who scorned her very existence - until the day the mermaid smashed his fishing boat against the rocks, nearly killing him and his crew. Eric bid his family good-bye, for after that, no one would sail with him. His grandchildren, Jon and Anna, never stopped missing him; so from the moment they saw the mermaid for themselves, they knew it was up to them to tame her and bring their grandfather home again...

Reasons we picked it: My friend Heather Hayden mentioned how much she loved this book a few years back and it's been lingering on my to-read list since then. This was our other last minute addition and I'm like, now's the time to finally get around to reading that!

November:
Dragon Kin: Sapphire and Lotus

The ancient prophecy speaks of the five, those who will come to save all of dragonkind. Like most prophecies, it leaves out a lot of the important details…

The very ordinary elf girl who runs for the hills—and gets lost in a forest instead. The dragon egg, precariously perched high in a tree on a dark winter’s night.

And what happens when egg meets girl.

Reasons we picked it: Dragons? Do we really need more reasons? I didn't think so. 


December:
Battle for the Throne

The sword quivers in Alaina's hand. With one final stroke she can slay the gladiator, win back her freedom ... and lose the trust of her people forever. 

The Kingdom of Falyncia is caught in a war between a guardian spirit and a powerful demon. Alaina barely escapes with her life, yet she vows to one day claim the throne. When she finally returns home, the enemy has her in his grasp. Now she must choose between freedom and staying true to her people. If she fails to kill the gladiator, torture awaits. Can she find the courage to face it? Or will the demon triumph again?

Reasons we picked it: This was our final choice from the list of indie books we had recommended to us. I found the blurb interesting and it sounds like it's going to be a nice medieval fantasy/adventure romp. 

And that's our 12 for the year!