Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski

Devi is a high school senior, looking forward to college. At least, she was, until Bryan - her boyfriend of three years - broke up with her and she realizes that her whole life was planned with him in mind. While at the mall, Devi accidentally drops her phone in the fountain and suddenly it only dials one number: fourteen-year-old, freshman Devi. Once they get over the shock, senior Devi realizes that she has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reorganize her life the way she wants it, if only she can convince her younger self to go along with the plan. But as her world literally changes around her, Devi starts to wonder what she actually wants, and what she's willing to do to get it.

I really enjoyed this story, which was an nice twist on the classic idea of "what you would tell yourself if you could go back in time." The way that the author handled the time distortion was interesting, since "senior" Devi could witness the changes, but hadn't experienced the time in between "freshman" Devi's actions and her reality. Overall, I liked the characters and found them very realistic, and I thought that (aside from the magical temporal paradox), the situations were also extremely realistic. So far as I know, this is a stand-alone book, and it had a fairly satisfying ending. I would recommend this book to fantasy fans who enjoy magic that happens in the real world.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Princess for Hire, My Fair Godmother, The Ghost and the Goth, or Steel

The Genie Scheme by Kimberly K. Jones

Janna is frustrated by her life and the fact that she and her mother don't have enough money to buy everything that she wants. But everything starts to change when she buys a hat for a homeless woman and her kindness is rewarded. The woman is a genie who will now grant wishes for Janna - and it turns out that the 3-wish rule is just a story; there are no limits! Except, none of Janna's wishes are going the way that she intends. Everything she wishes to have herself gets taken away from someone else, and unlimited wishes still have complex restrictions. Suddenly, having a genie around is less like winning the lottery than Janna had hoped, but she still has to use her wishes somehow...

This was a fairly good book and a quick read. It was definitely an interesting take on the "genie" concept, and well thought-out. I liked the way that the characters develop during the book and and the fact that Janna grows a bit throughout the story. I would recommend this to fantasy fans of all ages who enjoy stories that take place in the real world.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Magical Mischief, Fablehaven, Princess for Hire, or The Wish List

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Savannah's having a rough time after her boyfriend, Hunter, dumps her for her older sister, Jane. Things should have been looking up when she gets three wishes from a fairy godmother, except that she gets stuck with Chrissy - and she's only a "fair" godmother because she only made average grades in fairy godmother school. Chrissy's misunderstandings send Savannah back to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. As if that isn't bad enough, her third wish sends Tristan - her current crush - to the Middle Ages where he is faced with a series of life-threatening challenges. Now Savannah must figure out how to get both of them back to modern times...and survive her godmother's "help."

This book was a fun change from the usual "fairy godmother" stories and put a bit of a spin on the retelling of the fairy tales into which Savannah is thrust. I personally found the prologue material (including the narrative from Chrissy, correspondence from her teachers, etc.) to be a little tedious even though it does provide some context, but I enjoyed the story once I got to the main narrative. I also liked the way that the story mixed some Middle Ages realism with various aspects of magic. I would recommend this to fantasy fans who enjoy slightly-twisted fairy tales, or stories about magic in the real world.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Prophecy, Dark Lord of Derkholm, The Frog Princess, or A Kiss in Time

Princess for Hire Trilogy by Lindsey Leavitt

Desi Bascomb is thirteen and not terribly happy with her life. She works at a local pet store (Pets Charming) as part of an apprenticeship program; it mostly involves dressing as a groundhog and enduring ridicule. But when she makes a wish on some "magic" fish, her life changes drastically. Desi discovers that has an unusual ability to tap her magic potential (MP), which means that she's a candidate for a position to substitute for royalty. When she puts on the magical Royal Rouge, her appearance is temporarily transformed into that of a royal family member, who use the service to go on anonymous vacations. Throughout the trilogy - Princess for Hire, The Royal Treatment, and A Farewell to Charms - Desi learns how difficult it is to fill someone else's shoes without losing herself. But she's determined to find out who she really is, and stand up for what she believes in...no matter what it costs her.

These books were really quick reads and I enjoyed the series a lot. The first book felt very fluffy, although there are some more serious issues later in the series. The plot was interesting and I kept reading to find out where it was going to head next. Since it's told in first-person point-of-view, it has an informal feel that's similar to The Princess Diaries or Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging (neither of which are fantasy books, but they have the same kind of tone), and readers really get to know Desi and how she grows. I would definitely recommend this series to fantasy fans looking for something light that's a little out of the ordinary, or stories set in the real world.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Cloaked, Wings, Me, My Elf, and I, or Fairest

Magical Mischief by Anna Dale

Mr. Hardbattle is quite happy living alone in his little bookshop in Plumford; but then magic moves in to the dusty corners between his shelves. Although Mr. Hardbattle is willing to coexist with the magic - and the horrible smells, mischievous practical jokes, and animated objects - it scares customers away, leaving Mr. Hardbattle no choice but to try and find it a new home. When he shares his predicament with Arthur, a young boy, and Miss Quint, they agree to watch his store while Mr. Hardbattle searches for an appropriate place for the magic to live. But no one can guess how much trouble the magic can get into, especially while Mr. Hardbattle is away.

This is a cute story with an interesting premise. Miss Quint is a little annoying, but the characters are all realistic and the plot certainly kept me wondering what would happen next. I would definitely recommend this to younger fantasy fans and readers who are looking for something light and a bit out of the ordinary.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Now You See It..., Fablehaven, Flora Segunda, or The Frog Princess

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions Edited by Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong

This is a collection of stories from 16 different YA authors:

• Giovanni's Farewell by Claudia Gray: Ravenna's twin brother, Cairo, has been suffering from odd attacks that have caused them to drift apart; during a trip to Rome, Italy Ravenna meets a boy named Giovanni who shifts her perspective in a way that only her brother can understand
• Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan: Margie and her little sister, Sally, have built a hideaway in a remote cabin - away from an unsafe world - but they're about to be discovered by someone from outside
• Red Run by Kami Garcia: Everyone avoids the "Red Run" road in rural Louisiana at night because it's haunted by a killer ghost, but tonight Edie has decided that it's time to stop him
• Things About Love by Jackson Pearce: Lawrence's best friend, Viola, has fallen in love with a jinn which means that now he's regularly watched by the jinni for "security" reasons; however, Juliet isn't an ordinary jinn and she's determined to use her time with Lawrence to learn about the concept of love
  [Sequel to As You Wish]
• Niederwald by Rachel Vincent: Sabine has come to Niederwald, Texas to get answers; but consulting a seer is always tricky, even when she isn't guarded by a town full of harpies...
• Merely Mortal by Melissa Marr: Keenan and his girlfriend, Donia - who happens to be the Winter Queen - decide to take an ordinary, human vacation away from the world of faerie
  [Related to the Wicked Lovely series (the story contains spoilers if you are intending to read the whole series)]
• Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong: Chloe and her friends (all teens who have abilities from genetically-modified DNA) are living on a country farm and keeping a low profile; but when Tori runs away, they could all be in danger
  [Related to the Darkest Powers series, which starts with The Summoning]
• Let's Get This Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan: Christian is the vampire bass player in the hottest new boy band "4 the One," which is going on tour; but not everyone is comfortable about having a vampire around
• Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready: Logan may be dead, but he still has something he needs to tell his brother
• Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting: Rafe is in the middle of nowhere, trying to find something he has seen in a dream - and he's scared that he'll find it
• Leaving by Ally Condie: Everything changes for Sora when her father mysteriously leaves the safety of the city and she is tainted by association, but now she has a plan to change everything
• At the Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday: Jane is the "bait" in a family of hunters who chase down supernatural monsters; tonight she has gone out on her own to find a troop of cannibal Girl Scouts...but then everything starts to go wrong...
• IV League by Margaret Stohl: Wren and Hopper are "Drinkers" from a remote town in the South who are on a school trip to interview at colleges where they'll have a convenient supply of "blood donors," if only they can get in
• Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson: Giselle is a gargouille - an angel of the night - but a man has captured her and stripped her wings in the hope of making money, but his hope has destroyed life as she knows it forever
• The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Jess is used to her sister, Kissy, having strange impulses that force her to do things, so when Kissy wakes her up and says they have to go to San Antonio, they go - but the trip is far more complicated than either of them realize
• Automatic by Rachel Caine: As the youngest vampire in Morganville, Texas (a community primarily composed of vampires), Michael is chosen to demonstrate the new vending machine that dispenses cans of blood
  [Related to the Morganville Vampires series that starts with Glass House]

This was a really great collection of stories that I enjoyed a lot. As the title suggest, they tend more toward the paranormal/supernatural, but these stories represent a large spectrum, including fantasy. I would absolutely recommend this collection to fantasy fans looking for a good collection of short stories, particularly those who enjoy paranormal tales or who have enjoyed some of the other books written by these authors.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Last Apprentice series, The Magic and the Healing, Swoon, or Rampant

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce

Viola Cohen feels invisible. She doesn't fit into any of the high school cliques, and her heart was broken by her best friend, Lawrence, who used to be her boyfriend. Even her artwork does not give her any fulfilment. But on an ordinary day in her Shakespeare class, Viola has a real, true wish and is lucky enough to have a genie appear to grant her three wishes. "Jinn" is used to following the rules: grant wishes as quickly as possible and return to Caliban, where life is perfect and no one ages. But Viola refuses to follow the rules and the longer Jinn spends with Viola on Earth, the more both of them start to change as they help each other find out who they really are and who they want to be.

I really enjoyed this book, both because of the interesting fantasy elements, and because the characters are incredibly easy to relate to. The book is told in first-person, but alternates between Viola and Jinn so that readers get an in-depth sense of what drives both of the main characters and their development throughout the story. Although there is a romance element to this story, the focus is on friendships and finding oneself; anyone who has felt "lost" or "invisible" would certainly relate to Viola's feelings. I would definitely recommend this to teens (particularly girls) who enjoy books about magic in the real world, and even non-fantasy fans who like books about life in high school.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Rampant, , The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, or The Wish List

The Wish List by Eoin Colfer

Meg Finn has few options since her mother died and her step-father has kicked her out. For that matter, she hasn't really been a good kid. But now, her 'partner-in-crime,' Belch, has convinced her that they should break into an old person's house and rob him and Meg has to go along with it even though she isn't very happy. But the crime goes wrong and both Belch and Meg end up dead. Now, Belch goes straight to Hell, but Meg has ended up with an absolute even score and cannot enter either Heaven or Hell. To try and skew the balance, Meg has a second chance - she has to go back and help Lowrie McCall (the man that they tried to rob) finish up his Wish List of things that he wants to accomplish before he dies. It sounds rather simple. Unfortunately, Satan has decided that he'd like to have Meg down below and his second-in-command sends Belch out to 'make her bad.' Meg doesn't have very long to change her fate, and she has no idea how complicated it's going to be.

I'm not sure this qualifies as a 'fantasy' book per se, but it's definitely supernatural, so I thought it might interest some fantasy readers. This was a fairly quick read - it's aimed at the younger teens, but older readers will enjoy it too. The story is rather out of the ordinary and the characters are fairly well done. I'd definitely recommend it to readers looking for something quick and somewhat 'fluffy' or for anyone looking for something a little less 'fantastical,' but still outside the general fiction category.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Summoning, The Keys to the Kingdom, Reseerved for the Cat, or Fablehaven