Pirate Penguin's Reads

Some giveaways (elsewhere)

2012-01-31T12:04:00.000-05:00

Melanie's hosting an international giveaway for an arc of ENTWINED and Heather is hosting a giveaway for an arc of FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS (unfortunately this one isn't international but it's too good to pass up so if you're in the US, go enter!)

Waiting on Wednesday #64

2012-01-25T11:50:00.000-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Twelve-year-old Sophie has always been different -- she's years ahead of the other kids in school and can read minds. She's always assumed there's some kind of logical explanation for her talents, but when she meets an adorable and mysterious boy, she finds out the shocking truth. She's never felt at home because she, well, ... isn't.

There are secrets buried deep in her memory, secrets about her true identity and why she was hidden among humans, that others desperately want and would even kill for. And she must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first. [from goodreads]

I've been following Shannon's blog for almost three years now and knowing that her book will finally be on shelves is unbelievably exciting. I can't wait to buy it :)

short explanation

2012-01-24T11:47:00.000-05:00

I'll be brief: I haven't been online lately since my computer battery died more than a week ago. (A week before my semester started too. Lucky me!) Right now I'm looking into getting a new laptop so I can get back to blogging and of course to do my homework because I already have plenty of assignments that need to get done (and they all involve the internet, grr). Since I'm back in school, I also wanted to point out that my posts won't be very frequent. My aim is to have at least one post a week but I'm not going to drive myself nuts if I can't manage to do that.

Like I mentioned before, I haven't been reading as much lately so I haven't been in a reviewing mindset for a while. I've been reluctant to say that I'm in a reading slump here on the blog but I'll admit it now: I AM in a slump and I'm not sure how to deal with it. Especially since this is perhaps my first time ever that I don't feel like reading. But my obsessive tendencies have shifted over into watching a LOT of movies & getting into t.v. (Downton Abbey, anyone? I'M OBSESSED. And I got my friend into it ;D. WIN.)

THOSE EYES. *THUD*

Sigh. I love Matthew. He's a good man ♥ Err, where was I?

Right. My short explanation...which isn't so short anymore. Oops xD I have a few more things I'd like to say but I'll say them in another post. (I promise it's not bad!) Anyway, if you're back in school or work I hope it's been good and if it hasn't, that it'll get better.

YAY SHANNON

2012-01-13T14:10:00.000-05:00

Have you seen Shannon Messenger's cover for her debut novel that's coming out later this year???? It's BEAUTIFUL. I would post it here but I'd rather you go and feast your eyes on it yourself---it's worth it, I promise ;)

And...I have a tumblr. v.v That isn't worthy news but yeah...the temptation was too much.

Mini-review: Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood

2012-01-12T12:21:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Release Date: August 1st, 2010
Source: Blog tour

Fourteen year old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on Estelle, the girl next door. His life is a mess, but for now he's narrowed it down to just six impossible things...

Six Impossible Things was a fast, light-hearted read that had me smiling and laughing until the last page. I loved Dan Cereill (pronounced surreal, not cereal) and his quirkiness. Despite having a lot of emotional hurdles thrown at him, he copes pretty well all things considered. Dan was so honest about things and his sarcasm (directed at everything, including himself) made the story much more fun to read. I do wish that we could've seen more of his father (especially after that one scene where Dan opens his birthday present) but his mother provided a lot of sad and hilarious moments. It was so funny seeing his mom trying to start a wedding cake business but ending up convincing her clients that they shouldn't get married, lol.

And maybe it's just me, but I really loved seeing Dan get along with Howard, the dog left along with the house his mother inherited from her great aunt. Their relationship was so endearing and reminded me of how I act with my own dog (I talk to her too sometimes) ♥ My only issue with the story is kind of silly--I liked Estelle enough but I didn't think she was as awesome as Dan did. I don't think she even deserves him, really! But Dan gets his happy ending and if he's happy, then so am I. xD

Final verdict: Six Impossible Things is an impressive debut from author Fiona Wood. The story itself is easy to zip through in one sitting and you're left feeling all smiley and content. It's a perfect choice for whenever you want to read something that lifts your spirit; Wood's snappy writing, realistic characters and penchant for awesome dialogue made what could've been a depressing story into a novel that skims along some dark edges certainly but is mostly heartwarming, hopeful and ultimately delightful. Also, I didn't know this but Dan Cereill is an anagram for Cinderella. How awesome is that?!

Clickable: {main site}

Again, thank you to Holly for letting me be a part in this tour too! I never would've read any Aussie YA if it weren't for you :)

just a few thoughts

2012-01-10T22:49:00.002-05:00

1.) To everyone that emailed me about the arcs I'm giving away: Damn, you guys are fast! xD I have all your info and I plan on sending them out asap. Give me some time though since I don't plan on sending them out all at once.

2.) John Green's new book is officially out today! WHO ISN'T EXCITED? (And who hasn't read one of his books? Fix that problem right now---I did in December by finally picking up Looking For Alaska. That book blew me away and I immediately preordered The Fault In Our Stars, eep!) Watch the awesome trailer for it here.

3.) I've been reading less and watching more t.v. and movies. My newest love? Downton Abbey. OMG I LOVE IT SO. I've officially been converted.

4.) I've been thinking about getting a tumblr. Should I? Everyone says that once you do, you waste away in front of the computer. I don't want that but GAH IT'S SO TEMPTING (despite knowing that it's really just micro-blogging...and I could just post random stuff here on this blog if I really felt like it ;P)

5.) Um, that's it. Hope everyone's having a good week so far! I plan on sneaking into my high school later on this week to visit some of my older-but-still-remembered teachers :)

Mini-review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-08T01:12:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: January 3rd, 2012
Source: Publisher

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl...

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

This was such a fun and imaginative story and along with the unique twist of Cinderella being a cyborg? Of course I enjoyed Cinder. Cinder herself was a fully developed character who I immediately liked; she's always been the underdog but she's managed to get by and when given the chance, she proves to be a loyal friend. I especially liked the scenes where Cinder would slide into her mechanic mode, downloading blueprints and figuring out how to fix things. Her thoughts about fixing andriods would inadvertently shift into thoughts of her own existence as a half human, half cyborg and how this has always defined her. I found those moments (along with her interactions with Iko, a funny little andriod with some tendencies that were too human-like in character) particularly enjoyable.

Cinder's interactions with her family did in some ways resemble the original fairy tale but rather than having two horrid stepsisters, Cinder finds a friend in the younger sister, Peony. It was nice to see that at least one person in Cinder's household accepted her for who she was. (Although I will say that her stepmother is a piece of work. Omg.) And as for the romantic element to the story, it was nice but I was much more interested in the politics going on between the Commonwealth and the Lunar Queen (who is quite evil and makes Cinder's stepmother look like a kitten).

Final Verdict: Cinder was a great book and despite almost reaching 400 pages, I sped through this story very quickly. Meyer has this way of writing that balances giving the reader just enough information without being too loaded. The detailed passages also showed some excellent world-building which I definetely appreciated. The only drawback for me, really, was that I quickly figured out what "the big mystery" was but that didn't stop me from enjoying Cinder. I haven't allowed myself to get attached to series lately but I'm willing to make an exception for Meyer's planned quartet. I have to know what happens next.

Clickables: {blog} {twitter}

Some bonus material for those who are curious! There is a free short story prequel to Cinder available on Tor.com It doesn't contain any spoilers and it's definetely worth checking out (especially if you want to see how you feel about Meyer's writing style). I read it earlier today and I lurved it so I hope you do too ;)

Clearing my shelves...

2012-01-04T23:50:00.009-05:00

I've been meaning to clean out my bookcase for a while now and I finally got around it today. I have two stacks, one of finished copies (old and new) that will be donated to my library for good use and another stack of arcs. I've donated some of my arcs in the past but I've spotted one or two of them in the FOR SALE section of my library. Since I want to avoid that happening to anymore of my arcs, I realized what better place to give them away than here on my own blog--especially since the blogosphere understands how to treat them and what they're worth.

So today, I'm writing up this post with a list of arcs that I'm giving away for free. I don't want to trade them for other books and I'm certainly not asking for any money. I just want to find them good homes. (In the states, I'm afraid. I don't have the money to send overseas so I'm sorry about that--unless of course you have someone in the US that could send it your way.) So if you see any that you like, please email me and I'll send it to you, no strings attached. My email is piratepenguinreads(at)gmail(dot)com

In no particular order:
~~Dumpling Days by Grace Lin~~
~~Fracture by Megan Miranda~~
~~Rock On by Denise Vega~~
~~Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan (2)~~
~~Flyaway by Lucy Christoper~~
~~The Predicteds by Christine Seifert~~
~~Between by Jessica Warman~~
~~(Two) Chapter sample of Holly Cupala's Tell Me a Secret~~
~~Chapter sample of The Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney~~

The winner of the Love & Leftovers givaway is...

2012-01-04T01:34:00.001-05:00

Yan!

I've already contacted you and you have 48 hours to claim your prize! Thank you to everyone that entered :)

Goodbye 2011!

2011-12-31T16:08:00.003-05:00

image found through google

Happy New Year everyone! I'll see you all in 2012 ;)

Guest post & giveaway with author Sarah Tregay!

2011-12-28T13:28:00.001-05:00

I have the great pleasure of welcoming Sarah Tregay on the blog today to talk about verse novels and why you should take the time to try one. (Which you should because you're missing out if you haven't!) But I'll leave it to Sarah to explain why you should give these types of books a try.

Novels in Verse?
As the ARCs of Love and Leftovers have made the rounds over the past few months, I’ve heard many comments like: “This was the first novel-in-verse I've ever read” and “I really wasn't sure about it at first because it was written in verse.” So I’d like to recommend that you give verse novels a try.

If you haven’t read one yet, let me assure you that today’s verse novels are nothing like the daunting epic poems that you probably read in English class. Today’s verse novels are more like fiction without the fat—you won’t be reading about the hero’s eyes or the best friend’s perfect figure for the next ten minutes. You will be reading the heart of the story, the heartbeat of the characters’ emotions, the pulse of the action. Today’s verse novels have made the New York Times bestseller list (Ellen Hopkins), won the Newbery (Karen Hesse), and just recently, the National Book Award (Thanhha Lai).

Verse novels cover many genres, most falling into middle grade and young adult fiction, although there are a growing number of adult titles. For contemporary YA, there’s sweet like Love and Leftovers, What My Mother Doesn’t Know, and The Secret of Me, and edgy like Ellen Hopkins, Carol Lynch Williams, and Thalia Chaltas. For historical fiction, look for titles by Jen Bryant, Margarita Engle, and Hellen Frost. Want to take a trip down under? Verse novels are popular in Australia, so look for Aussie authors Steven Herrick, Margaret Wild, and Sherryl Clark. And for younger readers, check out Love that Dog by Sharon Creech and Eileen Spinelli’s Where I Live.

Why verse and not prose?
Many verse novels are character-driven, and the choice to write in verse is often influenced by the characters themselves. For me, when I first imagined Marcie’s voice, it was in little bursts—she wasn’t a talker and didn’t go on and on about everything. Marcie also writes poems in her blue notebook, which plays a part in the plot.

For other characters, the verse format is a perfect fit, like Caroline Starr Rose’s May B. who has trouble with reading, and Katherine Applegate’s Kek in Home of the Brave who is just learning English. Still others have a love of poetry or are studying poetry in school. Becca in Terra Elan McVoy’s After the Kiss is one example, and Kevin in Ron Koertge’s Shakespeare books is another.

I hope you’ll pick up a verse novel on your next trip to the library or bookstore. For a list of titles, visit my website www.sarahtregay.com.

Thank you Sarah for that informative guest post! I've actually read some of her recommendations (some of the first verse novels I read were by Sonya Sones) and I hope that if you haven't already, you'll try reading a verse novel. They're quite fun :)

Now onto the giveaway! One lucky reader will be winning a swag pack containing a bookmark with a guitar/pick charm and some postcards. This giveaway is US only (sorry international peeps!) and will end on January 3, 2012. The winner will be announced the following day. To enter, please click ~~here~~~~. Good luck to everyone that enters!~~ This giveaway is now closed.

Happy holidays, everyone!

2011-12-24T08:00:00.003-05:00

Inuyasha, my first anime love!!!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Mini-review: Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar

2011-12-18T04:18:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

Release Date: June 29th 2009
Source: Blog tour

Synopsis: Carly has dropped out of uni to spend her days surfing and her nights working as a cook in a Manly café. Surfing is the one thing she loves doing … and the only thing that helps her stop thinking about what happened two years ago at schoolies week.

And then Carly meets Ryan, a local at the break, fresh out of jail. When Ryan learns the truth, Carly has to decide. Will she let the past bury her? Or can she let go of her anger and shame, and find the courage to be happy?

Raw Blue was brilliantly written--Eagar's writing style reminded me very much of the waves that Carly surfed. There are moments of tranquil beauty where you just wanted to sit and absorb the words on the page but Eagar could just as easily throw you aside and drown you in Carly's pain. Carly was a complicated protagonist, and chapter after chapter Eagar peels back layers so the reader could glimpse into her personality. That was a treat for me, as well as the lovely prose the author clearly possesses. I also must admit how refreshing it was to see that daily life CAN be described in such a way that it's not always so boring. And the surfing scenes? Awesome, awesome, awesome. It made me want to try surfing despite my intense fear of getting ravaged by sharks in the water*.

I also think Eagar handled Carly's relationship with Ryan in a completely realistic way. There were misunderstandings, doubts, and fears between these two but Ryan had an important role in Carly's healing. He was such a caring, patient guy :) I do wish that some of the secondary characters could've been explored more however. I was fascinated with Danny and his synthanesia--he really brought some flair into the story and he deserves a book entirely dedicated to his story in my opinion!

Final Verdict: I really enjoyed Raw Blue. It had all the qualities of a great read and I admired the way Eagar wrote about Carly's emotional path with respect and empathy. I also think that Raw Blue is a perfect example of how you can write about sex in YA but doing so in a tasteful and appropriate way that adds to the overall story. And I sort of liked how the story ended right when another story was about to begin (although I will admit that that annoyed me initially because I wanted more time with Carly!)

Clickables: {main site} {blog}

A thousand thank-yous to Holly for letting me participate in her tour!

*I know that sharks don't usually attack humans, I KNOW that. But it's still not comforting that their jaws can UNHINGE FROM THEIR SKULL. *shudders*

Penguin Authors on Censorship

2011-12-10T16:02:00.002-05:00

A great video that was further enhanced with John Green and Meg Rosoff's comments. I like that Laurie Halse Anderson followed afterwards, lol. (And of course I can't forget Maureen Johnson--"Censorship is like the common cold...." XD)

Waiting on Wednesday #63

2011-12-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

A powerful debut novel about a young Marine's return home from Afghanistan and the new life and love he finds while fending off the ghosts of war.

When Travis Stephenson returns home from Afghanistan, his parents are on the brink of divorce, his brother has stolen his girlfriend and his car, and nightmares of his best friend getting killed keep him completely spooked. But when he runs into Harper Gray, a girl who despises him for trashing her reputation with a middle school lie, life actually starts looking up. As Travis and Harper see more of each other, he starts falling for her and a way through the family meltdown, the post-traumatic stress, and the possibility of an interesting future begins to emerge.

His sense of humor, sense of his own strength, and incredible sense of honor make Travis an irresistible and eminently lovable hero in this fantastic and timely debut novel.

I'll admit that because of my preference to reading supernatural and fantasy YA I didn't pay much attention to Something Like Normal. But now that I've read an excerpt of the book because the author kindly posted it on her website, I'm aching to read more. I don't think I read more than two pages but I'm hooked thanks to Travis's narration. Something Like Normal hits shelves in June 2012. :)

Popping in for a sec...

2011-12-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone--I'm sorry for not posting much lately. School and real life responsibilities have kept me from blogging but I'll be more active once it's mid-December (I'll be out of school by then! YAY!). Anyhoo, I wanted to quickly mention that Shannon Messenger's hosting a giveaway for an ARC of Marissa Meyer's CINDER. I haven't entered since I've already had the luck of reading the book* but I can attest to its fabulous-ness. The world-building and the characters....ay! It's good stuff. So go on & enter Shannon's giveaway! It's open to everyone. (Take advantage, international peeps!)

*I'll hopefully have a review posted for it later this month....if I don't die from exams and stress :D

This is so true

2011-11-26T20:54:00.001-05:00

source

Oh tumblr, I spend too much time with you!

:D!

2011-11-19T14:50:00.000-05:00

I'm a little cautious but seriously? EEEEEK ♥

Hah, the dude with the toy unicorns...

I'm sure you've seen it by now but...

2011-11-18T10:09:00.006-05:00

I can't resist. I know that there are some people that aren't happy with the trailer...but I'm not one of those people. xD I had my doubts about the cast (except for Jennifer Lawrence--I had a feeling she'd be good) but clearly the movie people know what they're doing! I don't even care that Peeta isn't cute--Josh Hutcherson seems to have a good grasp of Peeta's personality so I'm pleased. And did anyone else get the chills when JLaw screams "I VOLUNTEER!"? Also, Effie reminds me of Rita Skeeter from Harry Potter for some reason....not that this is bad. Both women are kinda crazy.

Note: Um, I took out ID so all of those shiny comments I had before seem to be lost forever. :( I'm still undecided as to whether to stick with ID or not so for now the next blog post or two will be with blogger comments. I hope I don't lose any of you! xD I got my comments back!!! *TRIUMPHANT FIST PUMP* *dances*

Chime in, please!

2011-11-11T19:46:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone. I hope everyone's doing well, and for those that are NaNoing...I hope your word count's increasing by the minute xD

I can't believe that it's November already--and amazingly, my birthday is tomorrow. I'll be 20! Gasp! :O Anyways, I just wanted to pop in and ask a quick question--my commenting system's been acting funny and since I can't figure out why it's wonky, I'm considering getting rid of ID and going back to blogger. Or I could get Disqus, which works similarily to Intense Debate...

But before I decide on anything, I'd like to know what you all think since you are the ones that comment! Should I stick with ID, replace it with Disqus or go back to blogger's comments? I like that ID lets anyone comment and that I can comment in return but the fact that my posts keeps saying "0 comments" when it actually does have comments is annoying me. But whatever. Let me know your thoughts, please! I'd really appreciate it :)

Update: Ok, a few hours after this post went live, my comments magically returned! I was glad because it looked like ID sensed my frustration and intentions to break up with it. But now I come back and my comments are missing again! WHY is ID playing hide-and-seek with my comments? I DISLIKE THIS. >( My comments came back. Thank you, ID support team!

Waiting on Wednesday #62

2011-11-09T09:07:00.000-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

There’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance. [goodreads]

O_________O *makes grabby hands* *WANTS*

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

2011-10-30T20:25:00.000-04:00

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: November 15th, 2011
Source: BEA 2011

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. [goodreads]

I felt like I was the luckiest girl in the world when I managed to get this book at BEA and meet Tahereh for a few seconds (the line I stood in had to be cut off---eight people after me! so I was definetely cutting it close). But anyway..... Shatter Me was amazing. I'm not even sure how to categorize it since it blended aspects from different genres but it doesn't really matter. It stands all on its own because of this unique quality.

I won't deny that my favorite thing about this book was the prose. Mafi's got this incredible way of writing and some of the metaphors in this book....*shakes head* well, they're stunning. However, the writing sometimes overpowered the overall story--it was almost like Mafi lost herself in the intensity of her beautiful writing. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it ;) There's also this strike-out method that Mafi employed throughout the book, showing us how Juliette would think one thing, and another thought would pop up but she'd automatically stamp it out. I thought that was a brilliant way of showing how Juliette felt about her general situation because she'd start to feel some flicker of hope but she (or the situation) would squelch it.

Also, the romance in this book. HOLY CRAP. ~~THAT BATHROOM SCENE~~.* Juliette and Adam's relationship was very emotionally charged, and therefore very fun to read. I've read some complaints about Juliette being too "hormonal" when it comes to Adam, but if you were to pass the first seventeen years of your life without having ANYONE** touch you and all of the sudden this person shows up who can... and happens to be this amazing guy who adores you, weeeeell... you get the idea.

Oh! And there's this intriguing villain by the name of Warner--your gut reaction is to hate him but he has this way of making you see what he wants you to see. There's a curious dynamic between him and Juliette so I'm wondering what Mafi will be doing with that in the next book. Warner's a twisted character but for some reason, you can't help but be compelled by him. He offers up some tempting possibilities.

As for the world-building in this one, there are hints of dystopian lurking throughout the pages. It's not as vivd as I would've liked but it's noticeable enough. What did strike me was how different in tone the first half was in comparison to the second--the first part was perfect. It was heady with emotion and danger but by the middle the story something turned and once it got to the ending, it wasn't quite on par with what I read during the first part. BUT. The book was still pretty damn awesome. Mafi's created some memorable characters, even with the secondary ones like Adam's younger brother and Kenji.

*Why are some of the best romantic scenes in bathrooms? The one in Andrea Cremer's Nightshade immediately leaps to mind.

**it wouldn't even have to be romantic--it could just be a pat on the back or a hug. I can't imagine going through life without having any type of physical contact.

Ellen always amuses me

2011-10-29T17:24:00.000-04:00

I missed this episode when it was on t.v. but youtube had it so I still got to see it :D

YA Spooktacular: The Corn Stalker!

2011-10-28T01:58:00.002-04:00

Welcome to another stop for the YASpooktacular, hosted by Frenzy of Noise and Wicked Awesome Books! YASpooktacular is an awesome event that makes October a little more exciting for us book lovers--a bunch of YA authors and bloggers came together to celebrate Halloween with scary stories as well as treats (which I'm sure you guys will love)! To see all the other blogs who are participating, click here. I have the great honor of hosting Jessica Spotswood (author of BORN WICKED--which comes out in 2012!) today for my part of the event. I hope everyone enjoys the creepiness! xD

THE CORN STALKER
by Jessica Spotswood

“Yeah, okay,” I agreed hastily, trying not to sound like that scream freaked me out. “Let’s go.”

We took off back toward the exit, retracing our steps. It was dark without the floodlights. Really dark. Flashlight beams carved into the night sky as other couples tried to find their way. I heard whispering but couldn’t make out the words as the wind picked up, rustling the corn stalks, sending clouds scudding over the half-moon. Leaves skittered past with a dry death rattle. Kara slipped her hand into mine.

“This is not my idea of fun, Josh. This is like the complete opposite of my idea of fun.”

“Chill out. It’ll be fine,” I insisted.

“Don’t tell me to chill out,” she snapped, yanking her hand away and shoving it into the pocket of her orange hoodie. So much for my hope of getting laid tonight. She was wearing her seriously mad face now. “I didn’t want to do this in the--”

Her words were interrupted by screams. Two voices--one male, one female, both terrified. Closer this time, maybe only a row or two away. Kara froze. The cornstalks thrashed to our right, and then the guy’s scream ended with this awful sort of gurgle. Whatever was happening, it was happening three feet away. There was a meaty thud of something heavy hitting the ground. The dude’s body?

No way. This was just the trick part of trick or treat--it had to be. Maybe they hired some drama students from the college.

“Help! Oh my God, help us!” the girl shrieked. “Adam!”

I put my finger to my lips in the universal symbol for shhh and stepped toward the corn, pushing the stalks apart with one hand and peeking through as quietly as I could. There was a flash of orange. The guy on the loudspeaker had said something about an orange sickle, right?

There was a crunching. Footsteps lurched away down the row, an uneven shuffling that reminded me of zombie movies.

“Help us! Someone, please!” That girl didn’t sound like she was acting. She sounded like something scared the hell out of her.

“Josh,” Kara whispered, grabbing my arm. “Come on. Let’s go.” I couldn’t just leave. Could I?

The girl on the other side of the corn was crying now: big, gasping sobs like she couldn’t breathe.

She must have grabbed her flashlight because there was a sudden blinding flash, and for a second I couldn’t see anything, and then all I saw was blood. Red splattered everywhere. And a shoe. A dude’s blue Converse. I cursed under my breath.

Yeah, I was officially freaked out now.

“Hello? Is someone there?” the girl whispered.

Do I answer her and provide help? If so, go to Ivy Reads. http://ivyreads.info/

Do I ignore her and save myself, keep going toward the exit? If so, go to Chick Loves Lit. http://chickloveslit.com/

Author Bio: Jessica Spotswood has wanted to be a writer since the fourth grade. She got in trouble in the fifth grade for reading under her desk and had the life-changing experience of reading Gone with the Wind in the sixth grade. After years on stage and an M.A. in Theatre History & Criticism at Catholic University, Jessica found her way back to her love of reading and writing; and in 2007 she began writing her manuscript that snagged her an agent. Unfortunately, that one didn’t sell, but Born Wicked, the first in a trilogy, will be released February 2012 from Putnam.

Clickables: {website} {blog} {twitter} {goodreads}

Oh good! You're still here. Phew! For being so brave, you get a treat. ;) Click here to see what it is.

I haven't been around much...

2011-10-25T21:59:00.000-04:00

source

....Due to school, I'm afraid. That euphoria I felt about being in university? That evaporated pretty soon once I started getting enough homework that made me shut myself in my house for hours on end, studying for quizzes that only last ten minutes. I don't even want to talk about midterms--some of them have been ridiculously hard, when in theory they should be easy. But yeah. On the bright side, I am enjoying my linguistics class. I found that I have a knack for phonetics which comes in handy for my homework assignments (that are roughly 40% of my overall average in that class...so I can't NOT do my homework).

Anyways, I just wanted to let you guys now that I haven't been absent because I want to be--school's been keeping me so busy that 90% of the time I just want the day to be DONE in the hopes that I'll wake up and find that it's suddenly December. o_<;

One of my favorite couples

2011-10-09T19:48:00.000-04:00

source: we heart it

I never tire of these two. If only Jane Austen were around to see the impact her characters have had on so many people--I'm sure she'd be pleasantly surprised and humbled. The 2005 movie version of Pride & Prejudice is one of the few DVDs I actually own. (I'm not really into buying movies unless I truly love them.) Have you read the book or seen the movies? :)

Cracked Blog Tour: This or That! with Victor

2011-10-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm back with another blog tour ;) Today I'd like to hand over the site to Victor, one of the main characters from KM Walton's debut novel, Cracked, which comes out January 3, 2012. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Chunky peanut butter or nutella?
Both, just to freak my uptight mother out. She’s obsessed with being proper and sophisticated. Perhaps if she spent the same amount of time loving her only son, I wouldn’t be in the mess I’m in.

Night owl or early bird?
My dog Jazzer has made me an early bird. She loves to go for a walk before school starts. She’s pretty much my only friend. Pathetic.

Robots or zombies?
Funny, I frequently call my parents loveless robots, so I’m going with zombies. I have to say I wouldn’t mind having a zombie eat Bull Mastrick alive. He’s tortured me since we were little kids.

Blueberry pancakes or strawberry waffles?
I’m definitely a waffle kind of guy – hold the strawberries. Waffles are crispy and delicious and they remind me of my grandmother—and she’s the only adult who has ever shown me love.

Sci-fi or realistic?
I don’t watch much TV and movies are for my parents to watch (I’m not invited). Most of the time I’m in my room with Jazzer working on math related things.

Kiss on the first date or wait?
Kissing? Dates? I know not of which you speak. I am invisible to girls and the only jerk who seems to pay attention to me at school manages to humiliate me.

Sharpies or gel pens?
I’ve never thought about it before, but now that you ask – Sharpies. I like the permanence of Sharpies – how what you write will be there forever. I wish I felt that way about myself.

Cats or dogs?
Dogs all the way. My dog Jazzer is technically my mother’s dog, but Jazzer loves me far more. Most days, me talking to Jazzer, is the only out-loud-conversation I have.

Math or science?
Oh, definitely math. Math has always come naturally to me. I actually earned a perfect score on my math SATs. You think that would’ve impressed my parents, right?

Scary movies or funny movies?
Like I said, movies aren’t my thing. You know what movie I’d love to see? One about The Prince of Mathematics – Carl Friedrich Gauss – he’s my hero.

Medication or therapy?
If you had asked me this pre-psych-ward I would’ve replied, “Who cares?” Now, with my personal experience, I’d say therapy because it lets you unload the layers of crap you’ve built up. Therapy tip: you have to talk during therapy for it to be effective.

Brunettes or redheads?
Nurse Ellie, the brunette haired angel, has seared “brunettes” into my heart.

Raccoons or opossums?
I looked up each animal on Wikipedia so I could make an informed choice. I’m going with opossums because of this one line: Opossums are usually solitary and nomadic. Specifically the word “solitary” because alone is how I feel on a daily basis.

A big thank you to Sandy for having me here on her blog! It has been fun.

Yay! I'm so glad you had fun--thank you for answering my questions :D

Interested in learning more about Victor and his story? Or about KM Walton, the author of said story? Check out the links below to find out more!

Clickables: {main site} {blog} {goodreads} {twitter}

Waiting on Wednesday #61

2011-10-05T08:00:00.002-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

1 Concert
2,000 Miles

3 Ex-Best Friends

Alice, Summer, and Tiernan are ex-best friends.

Back in middle school, the three girls were inseparable. They were also the number one fans of the rock band Level3.

But when the band broke up, so did their friendship. Summer ran with the popular crowd, Tiernan was a rebellious wild-child, and Alice spent high school with her nose buried in books.

Now, just as the girls are about to graduate, Level3 announces a one-time-only reunion show.

Even though the concert’s 2000 miles away, Alice buys three tickets on impulse. And as it turns out, Summer and Tiernan have their own reasons for wanting to get out of town. Good thing Alice’s graduation gift (a pea-green 1976 VW camper van know as the Pea Pod) is just the vehicle to get them there.

But on the long drive cross-country, the girls hit more than a few bumps in the road. Will their friendship get an encore or is the show really over?

Doesn't Reunited sound so good? And that cover is so fantastic! I love how bright and cheerful the cover looks and that map is pretty cool. I also really love that bag over on the left...I'm assuming that's Tiernan's?

All These Lives cover reveal!

2011-10-04T10:48:00.000-04:00

Sarah Wylie revealed the cover for her 2012 debut on her blog today! I'm glad I caught sight of this before I start class in...*checks watch* twenty minutes or so. Anyways! This cover is beautiful! <3

Liesel & Po trailer

2011-09-30T19:48:00.001-04:00

What a beautiful trailer! I haven't read anything by Lauren Oliver yet (despite the fact that I own her other two books (I know, I suck!)) but I'll have to get on that... I wanted to post two other trailers but I think I'll save them for later. Anyways, enjoy!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

2011-09-29T22:44:00.002-04:00

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: September 27th, 2011
Source: Publisher (thank you!!!)

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong. [from goodreads]

This was a while ago but does anyone remember my OMG IT'S MARA post? Yeah. Well. I've reread this book twice now and while there are many elements I think the author did brilliantly, there were some things about the book that I wasn't completely taken with. I'll start with what I absolutely loved: Michelle Hodkin's writing. The first chapters are perfect---Hodkin instantly hooks you with the alluring promise of mystery and murder. I was insanely curious by the time I finished chapter one, and you can imagine how quickly I sped through the chapters to understand what was going on. I couldn't believe it when I heard that originally Hodkins never had any intentions to write; the YA genre would be missing some stellar talent if she hadn't!

And then there's Mara. I adored Mara's character--she's kinda messed up after the accident but she had me with her snarky sense of humor. I also loved her interactions with her brothers, Daniel and Joseph because you see a side of her that isn't always present; Mara's very sharp, but when it comes to her family? She melts a little and lets her sweetness peek through. Mara's parents are also there throughout the story and thankfully, they act like parents. The Dyer family unit was present the entire time in the book and I totally dug that :)

But then there's Noah Shaw, the love interest. I enjoyed his character and I definetely enjoyed his interactions with Mara (their verbal quips, their sexy moments, hellooooo) but there were times where he would conveniently swoop in and situations would be easily side-stepped. I used to ignore this type of thing in the past but after two years of analyzing book structures and whatnot, I can't do that anymore. And the paranormal element that I was eagerly waiting to be revealed felt a bit...lacking when it was shown in the latter half of the book. But knowing that there's a sequel coming out, I'm not too worried because I think Hodkin will better explain what's occuring in Mara Dyer.

So while there were concerns on my part about the romantic lead and certain plot points, I still loved this book because of the writing. Michelle Hodkin has a flair for writing creepy, suspenseful passages (the gators! holy crap!*) as well as romantic moments and her protagonist is a witty, sarcastic girl that you just can't get enough of. I can't wait for the sequel where Miss Hodkin will bring everything to light--I have a feeling it'll be explosive.

*if you read this book, you'll know what I'm talkin' about!

Blog Tour: This or That! with author Janet Gurtler!

2011-09-28T08:48:00.000-04:00

Poor blog. *gently pats off some of the dust* I promise to be back soon; but in the meantime, I have a treat for everyone that's been patiently sticking around! Thanks to {Teen} Book Scene, I had the chance to participate in Janet Gurtler's If I Tell blog tour and ask Janet some this-or-that questions. :)

1.) Gel pens or sharpies?

Sharpies.

2.) Black tea or green tea?

No tea for me. (*dies a little* I can't live without tea!)

3.) Nose rings or toe rings?
Nose studs. I love toe rings, they’re just so uncomfortable and impractical, see question 8.

4.) Jane Eyre or Jane Austen?
Austen.

5.) Polka dots or stripes?

Oh. That’s surprisingly tough. Dots.

6.) Kit Kats or Reese's Pieces?

I LOVE Reese’s Pieces but my son has a peanut allergy so I have to go with Kit Kat. (which are peanut free) (Mmm, Kit Kats. They're both chocolate so they both win!)

7.) Hogwarts or Narnia?

I found this and had to share, lol.

Hogwarts all the way. (Excellent choice.)

8.) Socks or barefoot?

Socks! Oh how I love me some socks.

9.) Parentheses or brackets?

Brackets.

10.) Squirrels or chipmunks?

Chipmunks. All the squirrels I know are kind of angry. (LOL. I agree with this.

Bio: Janet Gurtler lives in Calgary Alberta, near the Canadian Rockies, with her husband and son and a chubby Chihuahua named Bruce.She does not live in an Igloo or play hockey, but she does love maple syrup and says "eh" a lot.

{main site} {blog} {twitter}

(Slightly) New cover & date for The Vicious Deep

2011-09-22T09:49:00.001-04:00

The cover still has the same image but if you look at the other cover, you'll notice some subtle changes. But either way, this cover is still great! The Vicious Deep will now be released in APRIL of 2012!

Updatez: Zoraida's hosting a giveaway for this cool mermaid sticker!

You can put it on your laptop, your wall, whatever strikes your fancy. If you're interested, head on over and enter. The giveaway is international :)

This is how I feel:

2011-09-21T10:17:00.000-04:00

Source

Whoever made this chart has it right; except for the extremely hyper stage, I've been going through all the other phases. I knew that getting a job and going to school full-time would be demanding but I wasn't expecting to drop dead so fast! My days consist of school, work, sleep (and somewhere in between I squeeze in some time to eat, bathe, do homework...you know, the little things ;P) and I'm rarely online these days. But no worries, I have some mini-reviews in the works and I'll try to post some either this week or early next...

Sunday Seven

2011-09-04T18:24:00.000-04:00

*because I didn't write this post on Friday like I wanted to and because some cool stuff has happened!

1.) I started university last week and DUDE, I LOVE IT. Some of my classes are difficult but that's fine--I like to learn new stuff. Linguistics & Spanish are the most fun ;)

2.) I FINALLY GOT A JOB. AND I START THIS WEEK. EEEEEEEEEE.

3.) I took advantage of the first day of school and went to this Fitness Jam where they previewed the (free) classes given at my school. One of them was bellydancing so DUHZ, I went.

4.) So now I know some of the basic movements. Like, I can do figure eights. With my hips. o.O (It's surprisingly easy, actually....and it looks really cool!)

5.) I haz a new phone and I've been fascinated with it as if I'd never seen a phone before. But it's really shinyyyy. XD

6.) I went to Borders the other day (I've been avoiding it ever since they announced their closing) and while it was sad to see so many bare shelves, I did take advantage of the super awesome discounts. I only bought two books but it was satisfying paying $8.16 for a book that's originally $24!

7.) I still have no internet at home so like I said before...updating will be a little less frequent. Especially now that I have a job--but fear not! I still plan on hanging around--leaving the blogosphere would be too painful ;(

Spread the unicorn love!

2011-09-02T15:44:00.001-04:00

My awesome blogging buddy Jenn is celebrating her two year blogoversary!

GO JENN! *fist pump*

The Wake Unto Me Winner Is...

2011-08-31T16:41:00.000-04:00

#35 Erin!

Congrats! You have 48 hours to respond!

Thanks to everyone that entered. I'll be doing another giveaway soon so keep checking back for it!

Quick update

2011-08-30T12:12:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I hope you're doing well--especially those of you who had to survive Hurricane Irene. Thankfully, my house wasn't hit with any serious damage (my lawn is littered with tree branches and leaves...I need to clean that up :S) and my area was one of the few places where we didn't lose electricity or had any flooding. However, I wanted to let you all know that I currently have no internet connection so for now, blog updates and email replies will be a bit scarce. I'm not sure when I'll have the internet again (hopefully soon; two days and I was already in withdrawal!) but I'll try to reply to any emails that I haven't already answered and I'll attempt to have some posts up this week too. (I'll definetely be announced the winner of Wake Unto Me tomorrow as planned!)

So thank you all in advance for being patient and generally awesome :)

I like informing you guys about stuff! xD

2011-08-27T00:49:00.001-04:00

You've already heard about Courtney Summers' new book that's coming out next year... and that it's about zombies, right? No? Well, now you've heard about it.

And even better, Courtney Summers finally revealed the cover for said book!

I like that splatter of blood.

I read one zombie book* and suddenly I like them. Who knew?! xD

Oh, and last but certainly not least...my affiliate and really close blogging friend Jenn from Books At Midnight is celebrating her two year blogoversary with an epic giveaway consisting of two prizes that international peeps---yes, international!--can enter. You should really take the opportunity to enter! :)

*Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion---I LOVED this book. I'll review it some time soon.... it was so flippin' good.

Mini-review: Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

2011-08-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: October 18th, 2011
Source: Won from a giveaway (woot!)

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

Wowza. Virtuosity was an intense, fast paced read that I ended up devouring in less than 48 hours.

I loved Carmen. Despite the priveleged life she has (owning a Strad and having a Grammy makes you a little different from the average teen), she's still very relatable. She's just more intense because of her passionate love affair with music. And oh, her passion for violin was so vibrant, so powerful that after reading a few passages, I had to go and pick up my own violin.* And although there were very few moments between Carmen and her tutor, I particularly enjoyed them since they reminded me of my teacher (who wasn't quite as eccentric but still, same type of passion!)

As for the romance between Jeremy and Carmen, I liked it but I was actually more interested in Carmen's relationship with her mother, an opera singer whose dream was cut short. Carmen's relationship with her mother is based almost entirely on music and it shows a lot when someone refers to their mother by their first name rather than saying mom. The dynamic between these two finally shifted when Jeremy showed up and seeing Carmen finally push back against her mother was very thrilling!

Final Verdict: I felt a strong connection to this book based on my own experience as a violinst (the passages where Martinez describes music...sigh.) but non-musical folks can enjoy it just as much! I was hoping that the plot point with Carmen's drug addiction would be a tad more darker, but either way, it was well done. And though the ending felt slightly abrupt and open-ended, I can appreciate what it means for Carmen's story.

Clickables: {main site} {twitter} {blog}

* I'm not amazing, but I can play decently. I should, considering I've been playing since the fourth grade!

Interview with author Lisa Cach & giveaway!

2011-08-23T16:28:00.000-04:00

I'd like to welcome author Lisa Cach today to the blog--she has kindly taken some time out of her busy scheduele to answer some questions I had about her young adult debut, Wake Unto Me. Stick around to read the interview and for the giveaway at the end of this post!

Bio: Lisa Cach is the award-winning author of more than twenty romantic novels and novellas, ranging across sub-genres from Paranormal, Historical, Contemporary, and Chick Lit, to Young Adult. Her novel “Dating Without Novocaine” was named one of Waldenbooks’ “Best Books of 2002,” and she is a two-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America.

Clickables: {main site} {twitter} {blog}

Describe your journey to publication in five words or less.

Hope, disappointment, self-doubt, perseverance, success.

You’ve written numerous adult novels before you wrote Wake Unto Me—what prompted you to write a YA novel?

I wanted a change of pace, and my agent suggested that I had a writing voice that suited YA. It wouldn’t have occurred to me, if not for her. Sometimes other people can see you better than you can see yourself.

Tarot cards play a large role in Caitlyn’s story—did you plan on it being so symbolic?

Yes and no. They became progressively more important as I wrote, and then rewrote the story.

Was there anything different you did when you were writing Wake Unto Me? Any change in writing habits and whatnot?

I had to tone the sensuality way down from what I usually write in my adult novels, but that’s the only real change.

From reading the book, it’s obvious that there was a lot of research involved. How long did it take you exactly before you decided to stop researching and start writing?

I couldn’t start writing the book until I went to France and saw the Perigord Noir region and the Dordogne River for myself. After that I could start writing. Any further research I needed, I could do along the way.

What do you like to do when you need a break from writing?

Walk, garden, eat with friends, paint. Read.

Now that you’ve tried your hand at YA, do you think you’ll try writing in any other genre?

I’ve learned better than to try to predict my future! Who knows what I might try.

I know that there’s going to be a sequel to Wake Unto Me—can we get a little info on it? ;)

The heroine is from Nova Scotia, Canada, and there’s a hint of “Beauty & the Beast” to the story. But that’s all I’ll say, not least because a book changes during the writing of it.

Are there any other YA projects in the works?

My main YA focus right now is the sequel, Foxfire. I also have an adventure romance set in the Central American jungle I’d like to write, but first things first.

I hope everyone enjoyed the interview! And if you want to read Lisa's young adult debut, well, you have a chance to win it right now! To enter the giveaway for an arc of Wake Unto Me, please fill out this form here. The giveaway will run from today until August 30th. I'll announce the winner the following day. This giveaway is US only (sorry international peeps!) and you do not need to follow me in order to enter. Good luck to everyone!

A Breath of Eyre Cover Reveal!

2011-08-21T18:42:00.000-04:00

A Breath of Eyre is an Apocalypsies debut. And it's about Jane Eyre.

....Naturally, I was interested. But now that the book finally has a cover, I wantz it! xD

Eve Marie Mont's celebrating her cover reveal by hosting a Jane Eyre-themed contest. You should stop by to congratulate her and enter the contest ;)

In My Mailbox #42

2011-08-20T14:31:00.001-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme where you get to show off all the cool books you receive! This meme was inspired by Alea and memefied by Kristi.

IMMs have been scarce on this blog. But I've gotten some great stuff these past days and of course I have to show them to you all ;)

From the library:
Blackbringer (Dreamdark #1) by Laini Taylor (I haven't said much on the blog about it but I read Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone a while ago and I'm still so obsessively in love with it that I needed to read more of Laini's exquisite writing so I rushed to my library to get more of her books. To my shock, none of her books were there--FOR SHAME--so I made my library order all of her books. *nods seriously* When I want to be a book bully, I am an excellent one.)

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers (not shown--I already returned it to the library but I already reviewed it so...)

Gifted:
Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Thanks Cristina! ♥)

Won from giveaways:
Hourglass by Myra McEntire (Thanks to Jess over at Cover to Cover! She's actually celebrating her two-year blogoversary with a giveaway so hop on over to congratulate her & enter!)

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez (I was SO HAPPYYYYY when I found out I won--I've been pining for this book ever since I read the summary on GR. I've been reading it and it's just as good as I hoped it would be. I also got some swag....)

I LOVE SWAG.

Bookmarks, glorious bookmarks. And some of them are signed! :D Jessica was kind enough to sign all three bookmarks (the other one's marking my place in her book) and she sent this aewsome little musical pillbox which was filled with orange jelly beans. There aren't any more since I ate them all.... xD And there WAS this huge chocolate Hershey's bar (milk chocolate with almonds & toffee chips, yummmm) that had the word Symphony on it (me gusta all the musical allusions) but it's currently digesting in my stomach and NO ONE wants to see that, I'm sure. Anyways, thanks to Jessica Martinez for sending me this awesome prize pack and to Jenn for hosting the giveaway.

Winner of the Bunheads giveaway!

2011-08-20T01:19:00.000-04:00

The winner is... #11 Briana!

Congrats! I've emailed you and you have 48 hours to respond otherwise you forfeit your prize! Thank you to those that entered and stay tuned, I have another giveaway coming up! I think you guys will like it. ;)

Mini-review: Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

2011-08-18T15:40:00.000-04:00

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: December 23rd, 2008
Source: Library

Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide watch and her counselors think she’s playing games…but what they don’t know, the real reason for this whole mess, isn’t something she can say out loud. It isn’t even something she can say to herself. A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. If she can just remove herself from everybody--be totally alone--then everything will be okay...The problem is, nobody will let her.

I'm finally acquainted with Courtney Summers' writing style and I can see why so many readers love her--she wastes no time with flowery prose and cuts right to the bone with sharp, perfectly placed blows that hit brutally; but with that same power she can gently lift you back up and hint to better, brighter things.

Parker technically shouldn't be likable--I certainly wouldn't enjoy her presence if I were around her--but just like her creator, Courtney Summers manipulates you into liking her. Parker may be bitchy, but she has reason to be. And despite all the mean things Parker does and says, I still liked her. Her snarky inner dialogue only made me like her more, actually. I couldn't figure out what she had done to make her fold into herself but as the story went on, flashbacks of what happened began to appear and each time they did, more details would surface until I finally understood what had happened. I was a little disappointed with the real reason why Parker had changed so dramatically but in regard to story-telling and characters, I think Summers did very well.

Final Verdict: I wasn't completely satisfied with how things ended, but I think in this case the character (Parker) was bigger than the story being told. And this is good because I really liked Parker. It's difficult to write a well-developed character who's mean but still able to make readers sympathetic. Clearly Courtney Summers has this talent and her sparse, haunting prose only elevates it. I will definetely be picking up her other books (including her new zombie novel coming out next year!).

Clickables: {main site} {twitter} {blog}

Mini-review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

2011-08-15T14:54:00.001-04:00

Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: September 29th, 2011
Source: A friend got this for me at ALA. Thank you, Kari!

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door. [from goodreads]

Since falling in love with Stephanie Perkins' debut, I had high hopes for Lola and the Boy Next Door. I was expecting to be blown away, but unfortunately, I wasn't.

And it's not because this book isn't readable. It was actually a very quick read for me but as I turned to the last page to read the last words uttered by Lola, I wasn't left with that magical feeling that I felt with Anna. Lola just didn't have the spark that its predecessor did. I think it mostly had to do with the relationship between Cricket and Lola. Cricket, I liked. He was a sweet, awkward and geeky character and there were no problems with him; I even liked Lola--it took me a little longer to warm up to her than Anna but I still enjoyed her character and the overall transformation she went through. What I wasn't completely sold on was Cricket's devotion to Lola. Was it sweet? Yes. But I just didn't understand why he was so enraptured by her. I didn't completely buy his passionate, I-could-never-forget-you devotion to Lola and since that is the great motivator for this story, well.... I just couldn't get into it.

Final Verdict: I'm bummed that I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would but I'd still recommend it. I didn't realize it but as I was reading Lola, I realized that I had this fear that Stephanie Perkins wouldn't be able to write another female character that wasn't similar to Anna. But Perkins proved me wrong: Lola and her story are completely different in tone and meaning from Anna's and there was a more fully developed cast of characters in this story. Lola's two fathers, Andy and Nathan, and Lola's biological mother Norah gave the story a little more emotional depth which I appreciated and of course, Anna and St. Clair show up! I enjoyed seeing them happily in love and without any major issues. :)

Clickables: {main site} {blog} {twitter}

Giveaway: Bunheads by Sophie Flack!

2011-08-12T09:04:00.001-04:00

As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet.

But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life?

I felt like hosting a giveaway so here it is! I have an arc of Bunheads up for grabs and the rules are simple:

You DO NOT have to follow me in order to enter.
This giveaway will run for one week (starting today)--
and will end on the 19th.
I'll announce the winner on the 20th.
This giveaway is US only.

Comments are appreciated but won't count in the giveaway. ~~So if you'd like to enter, please fill out the form here.~~ ~~Good luck to everyone!~~ This giveaway is now closed!

The linguist in me is smiling

2011-08-11T13:45:00.000-04:00

This post isn't really book-related but since I LOVE this kind of stuff (and intend on studying it in university) I thought I'd share it with you. I found this on Tahereh Mafi's tumblr-- isn't it cool? Words that technically don't exist in our language. O_O

Waiting on Wednesday #60

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry into this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story. [from goodreads]

I haven't read Kirsten Hubbard's debut but THIS book (her second) really calls out to me. I've always been interested in travel and since the main character's doing that as a journey of self-discovery.... naturally I'm interested. And even more so since the author's drawings will actually be featured in the book. I LOVE that little fact :D So, my friends, what are you waiting for this week?

Titus and Atreus by Meridi Myers

2011-08-08T01:03:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Hero Publishing
Release Date: December 1st, 2009
Source: Author

Grief-stricken by the loss of his parents, Titus Attwater is convinced his life will never improve. His older sister ignores his calls, his grades in school have plummeted, and his house, once a place of warmth and security, is now lonely, cold, and alien.

But when a young man appears one night in Titus's house, claiming he came in upstairs through the full-length mirror, Titus's life gets turned upside-down. For, as Titus soon discovers, this intruder is not from Earth. Against his will, Titus is kidnapped and taken to another world, a place like Earth but markedly different. It is here where he will befriend angels, face assassins, and help a young prince unravel a prophecy that proves much darker and more twisted than any of them had imagined. [from goodreads]

With a bright cast of characters and an action-packed story, Titus and Atreus proved to be entertaining novel with a few surprising twists.

Initially it took me some time to get into the rhythm of the story since the beginning chapter or two was set-up but after that, the book picked up gradually until I hit the middle and ended up devouring the rest in one sitting. Myers had a very fluid, descriptive style when it came to her writing and while there were some passages in the story where I felt could've been streamlined better (sometimes the descriptions of the places or characters distracted me), overall it didn't detract from the story; it merely enhanced the vision that the author wanted to convey.

The plot itself was imaginative and while I had a good grasp of what was to come, Myers did manage to sneak in a few surprises that I never saw coming. However, the greatest strength of this novel had to be the characters: the humans and the angels. Their interactions with one another felt really genuine; they just had this inviting quality to them and it was easy to like the entire cast (well, except for the villain!). From Titus whose confusion and loneliness melted away into strength and courage to Atreus whose stubborn ways sometimes made things harder than it had to be... every character had a tangible personality that readers can connect to--even the secondary characters.

With well-developed characters and a smooth, creative writing style, Titus and Atreus was an enjoyable read filled with drama, action, and a light sprinkling of romance. I hope this is part of a series because while the ending wrapped up nicely, there's room for some plot lines to expand... and I hope that Myers does just that!

Book Trailers: The Daughter of Smoke & Bone and The Saskatoon Balloon

2011-08-04T17:05:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this is just the teaser trailer but it certainly does its job. I can't wait for the full version :)

And this trailer is for the sequel to Kate O'Hegarty's Mieradome. While I haven't had the chance to read Mieradome or The Saskatoon Balloon, the trailers for both books have me intrigued. You can view the trailer for the first book here.

Waiting on Wednesday #59

2011-08-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past.

Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for. [goodreads]

I have this one on my wishlist ;) What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Mini-review: Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

2011-08-02T17:15:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Spectra
Release Date: March 23rd, 2010
Source: Bought from B&N

JUSTINE KNOWS SHE’S GOING TO DIE. ANY SECOND NOW.

Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem.

Or is it? In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness—only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears. [from goodreads]

Man, oh man. WHY didn't I get to this book sooner? I bought it months ago, after seeing this cool guest post this author wrote up on another blogger's site but like always, the books I buy and intend to read immediately get left behind whenever a shiny new package shows up at my door. But I finally sat down to read Mind Games and it was so good that I feel the need to be a book bully and force all of you to read it.

I'm not a huge urban fantasy reader but I know something special when I read it--and this book had that. Justine Jones is a kickass heroine and despite her crippling medical fears (being a hypochondriac does that to you), I wouldn't mind going out to coffee with her and gossiping about her love life or helping her out with taking down bad guys. Aside from having an awesome main character, the plot for Mind Games is exceptionally unique (an MC who joins a psychological hit squad? um, 10 billion bonus points for originality!) and Crane has this wonderful way of capturing your attention with her writing: it's straightforward, concise and yet very, very addictive.

Final Verdict: Do you see me dissing anything about this book? Nope. I think a lot more people need to be more aware of this trilogy since the concept is unique AND it is well-written. I really enjoyed Crane's writing and I think many of you will too--you don't even need to be an urban fantasy fan to appreciate this style of writing. Also...not gonna lie, I LOVED Packard's character as well as the other people on Justine's squad. Mind Games has my seal of approval. *nods*

Clickables: {main site} {twitter} {blog}

The Vicious Deep Cover Reveal! (and winner of the giveaway!)

2011-08-01T12:33:00.000-04:00

*drum roll*

Tada! Here is the complete cover for Zoraida's book! Isn't it alluring? :D

And the winner of the Coney Island surprize pack is.....

Kate!

Congratulations! You've been emailed and have 48 hours to respond. Thank you to everyone that entered! (No worries, I have more giveaways coming up!) Even if you didn't win, I hope that the giveaway along with the interview has piqued your interest and that The Vicious Deep's on your radar!

Interview with Zoraida Córdova, author of THE VICIOUS DEEP!

2011-07-31T12:51:00.001-04:00

I'm ~~freaking excited~~ VERY PLEASED today to welcome debut author (and Apocalypsie) Zoraida Córdova to my blog today. Her novel, The Vicious Deep, will be available early next year from Sourcebooks Fire--and it's about mermaids. Or a merman to be more precise. Anyways! Zoraida very kindly allowed me to interview her despite the fact that she was doing a million other things, including getting ready to take a trip to Rome. xD But I'm letting myself get away from the subject of this post----so now I'll shut up & show you the interview :)

Bio: Zoraida Córdova was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and raised in Hollis, Queens, which means she should've been a hip-hop celebrity instead of a writer. She likes shiny things like Christmas, merdudes, and the skyline at night. She lives in New York City

Clickables: {blog} {twitter} {the apocalypsies} {the nightstand}

When did you realize that writing was a way of life rather than a hobby?

When I was 13 I first read IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. I was SO impressed that she was only 14 when it was published. Seeing someone so young published made me even more determined to be a writer for life.

Maybe if I knew then what I know now I would've pursued being a lawyer or something! (jk).

How do you find time (and the discipline) to write while living in New York City? (Or what I like to call The City of Ultimate Distractions!)

Actually the city is my inspiration. I work nights and write in the day/afternoon. I think I've developed self control. Plus, once I want to write and I really get going, there are few things that'll get me out of my writing space.

Describe your journey to publication in five words or less.

Don't try this at home.

How did you and your family react once you got the news about the book deal? :)

My reaction was very somber. My agent called me around 10 or 11 AM. I was sleeping so it's almost a miracle I woke up! So when she said we had offers, I gave a sleepy "wow. cool."

It didn't hit me until later. My family is glad for me. I think they'll get it more when it's actually published. In Ecuador there is no "publishing" world. What you get in novels is coming from Mexico or Spain. So, being a writer is an extremely American choice for someone with an immigrant family. Mostly because there's no security. I might as well have said "I want to be an actor" or "I want to win the lotto."

After a long absence from blogging, I was really happy to see you pop back into the blogosphere! Were you writing The Vicious Deep all that time?

Yes ma'am! I'm also sucky at keeping my blog updated, but it's even worse when I'm writing. (writing>blogging, totally. I missed you though!)

Was there anything—or anyone—that triggered the inspiration for writing The Vicious Deep?

*ogles*

I wanted to write an inverted THE LITTLE MERMAID. It's always about a girl and her choice between two hunky boys. What about the guys?! They have problems too! Tristan's becoming a merman coincides with his becoming a man and dealing with his body changes and desires.

That, and there was this beautiful lifeguard at Coney Island I saw one summer. He just stared out at the water and it helped me shape Tristan. I wanted to write this guy. It sounds hoaky to say "I dreamed it." Only I did. I could see him and the world just sort of fell into the right places.

The Vicious Deep—that is such an excellent title. Was this the working title from the beginning or did it change at any point to become TVD?

Originally it was MERMAIDS?!?!

Seriously, I had no idea what to call it. STAR OF THE SEA and MERMAIDS OF CONEY ISLAND were some of my first ideas. When I was editing, there's a reference to different names for mermaids over the centuries. One of those names (which I think I made up because I can't find it anywhere else) is "dwellers of the vicious deep." TA-DA! (Even if that's made up, it's perfect. O_O)

Did you research any mermaid folklore before you started writing the story or did you just let the story unfold on its own?

I've always sought out mermaids stories. But this world is totally me. Other than some mythology texts, mermaids picture books, and The Little Mermaid, I haven't read other mermaid novels. I wanted to stay away from them while writing this. Though I love that mermaids are bringing sexy back.

I'm excited to see what the reception will be.

What is it about mermaids that have you completely enamored with them?

Their mystery is endless. I've always felt a kind of connection to all things beach and water. I can't swim very well, but when I'm at the beach I feel peaceful. I like the idea of creatures close to nature that are also half human. Shifters, half breeds, and were-anythings are particular cool to me because it can serve as a metaphor to so many contemporary things. Multiculturalism, sexual orientation confusions, mixed desires.

Plus, mermaids are shiny. And I like things that sparkle. (Me too! xD)

The main character your novel is Tristan, a teenage guy. Was it challenging for you to write from a male’s perspective?

Yes and no. It was liberating but at the same time it's also very me. Tristan is a young guy from Brooklyn so staying true to THAT voice was more important to me than worrying if I sounded like a boy or not.

I know that some readers are wary of reading a guy’s point of view when the author is female, and vice versa. What would you say to those readers?

I think that it's a silly thing to worry about. Men write in the female perspective more often than the other way around, and there isn't a fuss over it. (This is quite true.) If I used Z.A. Cordova, then you wouldn't think about it, right?

If you don't pick up this book (and you really should) let it be because urban fantasies aren't "your thing." Not because I'm not a guy writing about a guy.

It's like being an actor. You just have to be convincing in the role. Say I wrote it with a girl main character. That doesn't mean it's going to be automatically good. Women can screw up female POVs just as badly as anyone. I'm a debut writer so it's going to be a chance. I get that. TAKE THE CHANCE :) Tristan is the kind of boy you hate to love. :)

What’s your writing process like? Do you use outlines or just see where the story takes you?

I handwrite as far as I can get. Then I make an outline to see where I have left to go. Then I transfer it my laptop :)

Some writers have to be in a certain place or have a certain object with them at all times as they’re working. Do you have any writing quirks?

Coffe. Or wine. Maybe a burger and whiskey. Lets just say food and drink!

How would you describe your writing style?

Casual. Laugh-in-the-face-of-danger-aloof.

Writers sometimes feel self-doubt, fear and other ugly emotions whenever they’re having a bad writing day. What do you do to cope with those negative feelings?

Take a break. Right now I have a deadline for the second round of edits. Part of me is going "omg, someone is actually taking a chance on me?!" The other part is confident. Another were-emotion. LOL. (LOL, I'm sure you'll do excellent. ♥)

What’s it like being an official member of The Apocalypsies? :D

I LOVE IT. It is the coolest group of writers I've ever been a part of. So supportive. So chill.

Are you working on any other projects currently?

Brainstorming. LOTS of it! (Good luck! :D)

Thank you, Zoraida, for answering my questions. I hope my readers enjoyed the interview! And that they put another book down for their wishlist ;) Also: the giveaway for the Coney Island surprise prize pack (coming from the author herself) will be ending today at some point so if you haven't entered already, please do! The winner will be announced tomorrow AND the cover for The Vicious Deep will be revealed. Entirely. (Expect something deadly, hehe.)

Mermaids, Murder, and Mayhem: The Vicious Deep Cover Reveal Giveaway!

2011-07-23T07:00:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! I am THRILLED beyond belief to be a part of the unveiling of Zoraida's cover for her debut novel, The Vicious Deep. But instead of showing you the full cover today, I'll only be showing you a sliver of what's to come; however, there will be a giveaway....right now. Zoraida has been kind enough to put together a Coney Island surprise prize pack for one lucky winner :) Why is it Coney Island-themed, you ask? Because Coney Island is the setting of her novel! And just to refresh your memory, here is the synopsis.....

Set against the backdrop of a Coney Island summer comes The Vicious Deep, the story of sixteen year old Tristan Hart whose life is turned upside down when the mermaids make an unscheduled return to land in search of their new king.

When a sudden storm pulls Tristan from lifeguard duty into a deadly riptide, he discovers what he really is—a prince of the Sea Court. Turns out, his girlfriend hopping and talents as a swimmer aren’t caused by his teenage prime hormones after all.

In this modern Arthurian tale with a twist, when all a guy wants to do is get The Girl and enjoy the freak show that is a Coney Island summer, Tristan has to fight for his life, the lives of his friends, and his humanity, if he still wants it, as he’s caught in a race for a throne that is as ancient as the gods.

Um, is anyone else feeling that desperate I-have-to-have-this-why-can't-I-read-this-NOW feeling? Because I am....

Here's my cover teaser. The first one is over at Zoraida's blog.

A pair of lips. A trickle of blood...

Interested? Well, good. Because now we can get to the giveaway portion of this post! Zoraida will be sending someone a Coney Island surprise prize pack--and the coolest thing about the prize is that it'll be from The Lola Star Store--a place where one of the main characters of TVD often shops! To enter, please fill out the form here. This giveaway is open to the US only & will end on July 31st. The winner will be announced August 1st AND the full cover will be revealed that same day. Also, the day before the winner is announced I'll have an interview up with the lovely author so stay tuned! :)

Bio: Zoraida Córdova was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and raised in Hollis, Queens, which means she should've been a hip-hop celebrity instead of a writer. She likes shiny things like Christmas, merdudes, and the skyline at night. She lives in New York City.

Waiting on Wednesday #58

2011-07-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness.

But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling. [from goodreads]

A futuristic world where Cinderella is a cyborg? Now THAT is a unique concept! I'm very curious to see how that works exactly...for now, though, I'll have to be content with Cinder's synopsis (it teases me!) and its epic cover. o.o

Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach

2011-07-16T15:11:00.000-04:00

Release Date: March 31st, 2011

Publisher: Speak

Source: Author/publisher

A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.

There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School.

And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy. [from goodreads]

Eerie, romantic, and full of twists, Wake Unto Me is a thrilling read that will have your heart racing with fear and delight.

Caitlyn was a relatable character--she's never quite fit in with everyone else and she yearns for something more, although she doesn't know what that something is. Preferring her sketchbook and solitude, she does take a while to come into her own but when she does, it's a proud moment for readers. The romance between Caitlyn and Raphael may seem a little rushed but under the circumstances (which Cach reveals later on in full detail), it makes sense as to why they fall for each other so quickly. Cach makes their romance believable and that's what matters most.

As for credibility, Cach's historical research for the novel certainly shines through: the detail used to describe Caitlyn's locations while she was in the past (and occasionally in the present) was stunning; it was easy to imagine the places that Caitlyn visited and the mystery surrounding her journey into the past was very alluring. Cach also wove a mystical element into the story by including tarot cards--that have always been highly symbolic in Caitlyn's life--and combining all of this with her elegant writing style, the novel was nicely crafted. I do have to mention the tone of the book--while I felt that Cach successfully managed to write a novel with a YA vibe, the writing itself still had a touch of an older style but considering the plot, it was fitting that it be told in the way it is.

Highly suspenseful and romantic, Wake Unto Me is a successful transition into the YA genre for seasoned author Lisa Cach. Its combined layers of paranormal, mystery, romance and self-discovery made the story an entirely satisfying read and I look forward to reading more of Cach's work.

Writer interview with Emy Shin!

2011-07-14T12:54:00.000-04:00

I'm psyched to have Emy Shin here on the blog today to kick-start what I hope will be an enduring feature here at PPR--writer interviews! I really enjoy reading them which is why I decided to invite aspiring writers who have hopes of achieving publication one day to my site--so first up is Emy!I hope you guys enjoy the interview & here are some links you can visit her at:

Clickables: {blog} {tumblr} {twitter} {paper hangover}

What initially sparked your interest in writing? Was it from reading so many books and then deciding to write your own stories?

Yes, definitely. For me, writing is intricately tied to reading. That's where I get my inspirations. One of my earliest ideas came after reading Harry Potter for the first time. (Can you guess what it was about? ;)) (I would imagine it'd have to do with a wizarding school ♥)

What’s your current status? Are you still writing out stories, are you querying, etc.?

I'm still writing, but I am eternally hopeful that I'll be entering the query trenches soon. (I'm sure you'll get there soon!)

It says in your profile over at Paper Hangover that you’re a biochemistry student. How do you make time for writing when you have to study and whatnot?

I am a terrible multi-tasker. During the school year, I would strive to write a little each week -- but come weeks with a project, two papers, and three exams due and you'll see me holed up in the library pulling all-nighters and not touching my manuscripts at all. I'd be too worried about failing my courses to do anything else. That's why I would try to take advantage of down time in easier weeks. (I can sooo relate to this. I mastered the art of pulling all-nighters in college.)

I read on your blogger profile (yes, I read everything) that you write YA fantasy and science fiction. Can you tell us what your stories are about? (And can we read a sample or two of your work?) :D

I've just, perhaps not very intelligently, thrown away and completely restarted my current WiP (holy crap O_O), so unfortunately, I don't have any polished samples to share. But I can share that it's a futuristic YA about the girl who time-travels seven years to the past, only to run into the teenaged version of the man she killed in the future. (Oooh, I'm VERY intrigued by the premise--it's a shame that we can't read any samples though!)

Besides writing, do you have any other creative outlets?

I do draw. Not well, but I do work on a few sketches every now and then.

Writing is a difficult task that frustrates many eager writers into quitting before they even get anywhere. How do you keep on going?

By reading a lot of great books. They can be confidence-shattering, but, at the same time, they make you want to forge on to hopefully one day write something just as great. Also, it's really difficult to quit when you are constantly inundated with Shiny New Ideas from reading..

What’s your writing process like? Do you use outlines, note cards or just leave it all to chance?

I'm a part-plotter, part-pantser. I would let an idea percolate before writing, and would have key scenes worked out, but I don't have a complete outline before I begin.

What comes to you first: the characters or the story?

They often come to be at the same time -- certain type of character in a particular situation.

Some writers have to be in a certain place or have a certain object with them at all times as they’re working. Do you have any writing quirks?

No, I don't have any tried-and-true writing quirks. But I do have occasional ones. Sometimes, I need absolute silence to write, and others, some music. Sometimes, I have to sit at my desk, and others, I like to sprawl on my bed. It depends on the Muse.

How would you describe your writing style?

My initial writing would often be too verbose, but I have the tendency to overcensor myself and end up too concise. :)

What are some of your favorite books that you’ve read lately?

You already know this, but I'm currently reading DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE by Laini Taylor. It is simply exquisite. (It is. Laini Taylor has an incredible way of writing. Readers, you should totally pick this book up once it's available!)

What do you prefer as a reader: a plot-driven or character-driven novel?

Oh, difficult question. I don't suppose I can say both? ;) (You can--I was just testing you, hehe) A good plot with lackluster characters will compell me to read on. But memorable characters in a less-than-stellar plot will stick with me longer -- if I actually manage to finish the novel.

How did the idea for Paper Hangover (which has an awesome name, by the way) come about? And what do you hope to accomplish by maintaining this blog?

It was initially Holly and Hannah's ideas, and the rest of us were recruited prior to Paper Hangover's opening. We hope for it to be a source of information for YA writers and readers, providing both writing tips and reading recommendations.

Check 'em out!

Lastly, what do you hope to accomplish as a writer?

:) I have way too many writing dreams to list -- but a personal goal of mine is to write a book that teenage me would have fallen hopelessly in love with.

That is a beautiful goal--and I'm sure that it, along with the others, will be accomplished. Thank you, Emy, for taking the time to answer my questions and for being a willing ~~guinea pig~~ er, participant for this new writer interview series I'm working on. I wish you all the best on your literary journey! :)

Cover reveals, I love 'em.

2011-07-14T09:21:00.000-04:00

Was it just me who set their alarm clock for 8:45AM so I could hop on the computer at exactly 9:00AM to see this?

source

I hope not. XD

And this cover was revealed yesterday by the author herself. Congratulate her on getting such a stunning cover!

Oooh.

Waiting on Wednesday #57

2011-07-13T18:21:00.000-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Set against the backdrop of a Coney Island summer comes The Vicious Deep, the story of sixteen year old Tristan Hart whose life is turned upside down when the mermaids make an unscheduled return to land in search of their new king.

When a sudden storm pulls Tristan from lifeguard duty into a deadly riptide, he discovers what he really is—a prince of the Sea Court. Turns out, his girlfriend hopping and talents as a swimmer aren’t caused by his teenage prime hormones after all.

In this modern Arthurian tale with a twist, when all a guy wants to do is get The Girl and enjoy the freak show that is a Coney Island summer, Tristan has to fight for his life, the lives of his friends, and his humanity, if he still wants it, as he’s caught in a race for a throne that is as ancient as the gods. [from goodreads]

Have you added this book to your goodreads list yet? I'm INCREDIBLY excited for this 2012 debut since it's coming from someone I've been following for a long time. And because from what I've read from her blog, I can tell she has loads of talent that's waiting to be released into the world. So my friends, keep your eyes peeled for The Vicious Deep* that's coming out next March from Sourcebooks!

*Isn't that such an awesome title? It sounds so...dangerous. >D

In My Mailbox 41

2011-07-11T19:43:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme where you get to show off all the cool books you receive! This meme was inspired by Alea and memefied by Kristi.

I'm still feeling out of sorts blogging-wise but I do plan on posting a bit more this week--I actually have an interview that I've been waiting to post for some time now! It's one of those writer interviews I mentioned waaaay back; I asked a fellow blogger if she would like to be the first and she accepted! So look out this week for my writerly interview with Emy Shin--she's a lovely person :) I also have something else in the works for you guys but I can't say anything about it yet...but I'm REALLY excited to be a part of it<3

Anyways, onto the books I've received. (There aren't any pictures--I'm going to be lazy and write a list ;P)

Received from the publisher:
Love Story by Jennifer Echols (I went out today to buy a gift for someone's bridal shower and came back home to find this little package leaning against my door! My thanks goes out to Gallery Books.)

Gifted by a friend:
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
(A trillion zillion thank-yous and alcoholic beverages to Kari over at A Good Addiction for getting me two highly anticipated titles!!! *pets the pretties* I don't drink but Kari, I owe you some thousand margaritas or something. Just tell me when xD)

Bookish News

2011-07-09T12:58:00.000-04:00

Four cover reveals, a book trailer, and....

Kim Harrington posted the cover yesterday for Perception, the sequel to Clarity. Isn't it gorgeous? I'm totes in love. <3 She also included the synopsis for it; I didn't want to include it here since I might accidently ruin it for some but if you've already read Clarity.... or if you just want to congratulate Kim for getting such a lovely cover... ;)

I haven't had the pleasure of reading the first book in this series (or even finishing the series that inspired this spin-off) but I know a LOT of people love Richelle Mead so I figured this cover would capture your attention. I spotted it over at Taschima's. It's the sequel to Bloodlines!

Now onto the next two books; both are by the same author and one of them is getting a new cover since it's coming out as a paperback! Beth Revis's Across The Universe and its sequel, A Million Suns.

Very pretty. O.O

And finally, the book trailer:

And...that's it for now. I know I said I was very bleh about blogging BUT that doesn't mean I was completely out of the loop---I still find out about bookish stuff and of course I want to share what I know!

Feeling bleh...

2011-07-06T00:18:00.000-04:00

source

I'm sorry for the lack of reviews lately but I haven't felt like blogging for the last couple of days. I'm in a mini funk which I know I'll pull myself out of soon---for now, though, I'm just letting this weird mood ride out. And to distract myself, I've been going into over-drive trying to find a job (so far nothing--but I have hope!) and trying to get a tan, haha (little success with that as well). Anyways, I just wanted to let you guys know that I'll be back eventually. I'm thinking I'll do another giveaway later this month.... would you like that? ;)

Giveaway winner for FOREVER!

2011-07-01T12:08:00.000-04:00

#23 Holly!

I've already contacted you; you have 48 hours to respond!

Thank you to everyone that entered and spread the word about the giveaway. Don't worry, I have more upcoming giveaways for you guys!

Waiting on Wednesday #56

2011-06-29T12:33:00.001-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

"Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.

His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.

Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.

But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes. [from goodreads]

I'm SO excited for Cath Crowley's Graffiti Moon---it's already available in Australia but it's going to be published in the US! The only bummer is that American readers will have to wait until 2012 but.... it's Aussie YA and it's crossing over to the states! Hurray! I'll gladly wait for the US edition.

Has anyone already read Graffiti Moon? And if you've seen it around the web, what do you think about the US cover? I like both versions.

Book Covers!

2011-06-27T23:25:00.001-04:00

There was an explosion of book cover reveals in the past few days. It was overwhelmingly awesome! The first one I stumbled upon today was Jill Hathaway's 2012 debut....

Gorgeous right? You should go congratulate her for getting such an exquisite cover!

More covers.....

Another 2012 debut!

I really like how the ends of her dress turn into wisps of smoke....

I love the title! You can see it better over at Veronica's blog.

And here are some covers I spotted from the HarperCollins catalogue (yes, I look through them. I'm obsessive!).

Balthie!!!

I'm not really a fan of this cover (the Balthazar I picture in my mind is waaaaay hotter than this guy, LOL) BUT I'm happy that the book has an image to link it to. And who knows, it may change in time.

Tis a sequel!

The sequel to Cynthia Hand's Unearthly. I haven't read the first book yet but I will soon (I have it sitting on my shelf).

I know this cover has been posted on a few blogs already but I haven't blogged about it so.... another 2012 YA debut and I'm extra, extra excited since Love & Leftovers is a verse novel!

Cover change:

Remember Rae Carson's original cover? Well, it's been replaced with this new image! I liked the original cover but I feel like this new one is better--it feels more fantastical and I'm drawn to it more ♥

I know I'm forgetting other covers but these are the ones that I remember best. I may post about the ones I haven't mentioned later...

Blog tour with Teresa Frohock, author of Miserere!

2011-06-25T01:23:00.000-04:00

I'm incredibly excited to welcome author Teresa Frohock to my blog today! Her debut novel, Miserere: An Autumn Tale, will be available on July 5th, 2011 (which is very soon--mark your calenders!). Teresa has kindly stopped by to answer the one question I had for her and I must say, she had an excellent response. Keep reading to find out what it was :)

BIO: Raised in a small town, Teresa Frohock learned to escape to other worlds through the fiction collection of her local library. She eventually moved away from Reidsville and lived in Virginia and South Carolina before returning to North Carolina, where she currently resides with her husband and daughter.

Teresa has long been accused of telling stories, which is a southern colloquialism for lying. Miserere: An Autumn Tale is her debut novel.

Clickables: {main site} {twitter} {tumblr}

"What has been your greatest non-literary accomplishment?"

Hi, Sandy, thanks for having me here.

I’m not sure if it’s my greatest accomplishment, but I’m very proud of the fact that I completed two years of college level Spanish and passed with very high grades. That doesn’t seem like much, but I have a profound hearing loss. I can hear sounds, but I have to read lips in order to understand speech.

On bad days when my tinnitus is in high gear, I can barely understand English. I learned how to read lips in Spanish, which is hard, because there is very little lip movement with Spanish. I have a difficult time following native speakers; they speak very fast and often don’t enunciate the same as people who are speaking Spanish as a second language.

I have a much easier time reading in Spanish. While I am nowhere near bilingual, I can read enough Spanish to get the gist of an article or blurb. I try very hard to keep read Spanish once a week so I don’t forget the vocabulary. It’s a beautiful language.

I think this was such a great question. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our writing, we forget the other things that fill in our lives. I like to hear about other people too, so if you’re comfortable, tell Sandy and me a little about YOUR greatest non-literary accomplishment.

The next interview in the blog tour will be at Sarah’s Random Musings where I’ll be talking about the fantasy novels that inspired me. I hope you’ll join me there. (I certainly will!)

Learning another language is a HUGE accomplishment! Especially Spanish---I'm a native speaker and I still get confused with the grammar. Anyway, thank you, Teresa, for taking the time to answer my question. :) Now for some info about Miserere...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exiled exorcist Lucian Negru deserted his lover in Hell in exchange for saving his sister Catarina's soul, but Catarina doesn't want salvation. She wants Lucian to help her fulfill her dark covenant with the Fallen Angels by using his power to open the Hell Gates. Catarina intends to lead the Fallen’s hordes out of Hell and into the parallel dimension of Woerld, Heaven’s frontline of defense between Earth and Hell.

When Lucian refuses to help his sister, she imprisons and cripples him, but Lucian learns that Rachael, the lover he betrayed and abandoned in Hell, is dying from a demonic possession. Determined to rescue Rachael from the demon he unleashed on her soul, Lucian flees his sister, but Catarina's wrath isn’t so easy to escape. In the end, she will force him once more to choose between losing Rachael or opening the Hell Gates so the Fallen's hordes may overrun Earth, their last obstacle before reaching Heaven's Gates. [synopsis]

Epic book trailer:

The one word I keep coming back to whenever I think of this book is badass. That cover, that book trailer, that synopsis...tell me that doesn't have you curious! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book! And if you're interested, the publisher has the first four chapters of the book available for reading.

Mini: A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

2011-06-23T14:29:00.000-04:00

Release Date: June 21st, 2011
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Source: Won from a giveaway :)

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...

Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences. [from goodreads]

Beautiful is the only word I can think of to sum up Suzanne Young's latest book. I haven't felt so invested in a novel for such a long time and A Need So Beautiful had me from the moment I read the first page.

Charlotte was a lovely character, always feeling the Need to help others and risking everything she had---sometimes even her own life---to make sure that people were saved. She's always known that she for whatever reason has to help whoever calls out to her but now that she discovers the consequences of being so helpful, she desperately wants to stop and just live her own life. It was interesting seeing Charlotte's struggle of being a good person to others versus not being able to be good to herself--that element of the story really leaped out at me and had me yearning to know why she couldn't stop herself from helping people (who in the end don't even remember her). The idea of being bound to something that you don't understand and knowing that you'll never be repaid or acknowledged for your good deeds was a fascinating concept and Suzanne Young presented it in a truly unique (and awesome) way.

I also have to comment on her writing style for this book: if you know me well enough from this blog, I'm always raving about how much I love poetic/lyrical/pretty words. Young's writing was very straightforward, easy to read through and I'm usually "so-so" about this kind of style but somehow Young, with that simplicity, was able to convey all this depth to the story that completely wrapped me up in the story and once I arrived to the breathtaking ending, I was tearing up with all the emotion!

Final Verdict: I am so happy that this book is finally AVAILABLE because it's worth buying. I was lucky enough to win an arc of it but I would definetely buy this book (and the sequel....which I ~~need~~ want. Maybe Charlotte could make that happen for me? Hehe.) Also, A Need So Beautiful has a strong contemporary vibe with a bit of supernatural laced through it so YA contemporary readers shouldn't be afraid to pick this one up. OH and I didn't even mention the boy in this book. Harlin is amazing. Probably one of the best boyfriends in YA so Charlotte is one lucky girl! I found it so refreshing that he and Charlotte were already together once the book started---it's rare that you read about an established couple in YA lit. Plus, there's this cool British dude & the villain in this story is deliciously coy and evil.

Clickables: {main site/blog} {twitter}

In My Mailbox 40

2011-06-20T14:19:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme where you get to show off all the cool books you receive! This meme was inspired by Alea and memefied by Kristi.

The cutest package everrrr.

Why yes, it's a Nook!

Received for review:

Blood Red Road by Moira Young (Not shown: both the audio book & paper copy--I did take a picture of these but I added another book in by mistake and... I didn't feel like taking another photo xD! I started listening to the audio book and I really enjoyed the first CD so I might actually listen to the entire set (there are 9 CDs in total)).

Won:

Signed arc of A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young (I already read this one and I LOVED it. Thank goodness the book's coming out soon---everyone should buy it!)

Super awesome notebook

Cute cat bookmark

Pretty cell phone charm & necklace pendant

Adorable Hello Kitty keychain (I kept ooh-ing and aaah-ing over it. It's so cute I can't even!!!!)

Thank you to Jenn for sending me this fantabulous package! :)

Borrowed briefly from the library:

The Nook. Yep. A Nook. Can you see why I love my library so much?! I'm able to keep it for two weeks and I am treating it as if it were a newborn because if it even so much as gets SCRATCHED, I have to pay 200 bucks. Not cool O_O; I'm probably not going to keep it for long since I'm already nervous about breaking it, lol. But I did want to experience reading with an e-reader so woot!

Mini-review: The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner

2011-06-17T22:08:00.001-04:00

Release Date: May 10th, 2011
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Source: Bought at Gae's release party :)

While Nick Gardner’s family is falling apart, his best friend, Scooter, is dying from a freak disease. The Scoot’s final wish is that Nick and their quirky classmate, Jaycee Amato, deliver a prized first-edition copy of Of Mice and Men to the Scoot’s father. There’s just one problem: the Scoot’s father walked out years ago and hasn’t been heard from since. So, guided by Steinbeck’s life lessons, and with only the vaguest of plans, Nick and Jaycee set off to find him.

Characters you’ll want to become friends with and a narrative voice that sparkles with wit make this a truly original coming-of-age story. [from goodreads]

What I enjoyed the most about The Pull of Gravity was Nick's voice. I thought Gae did a really great job with capturing a boyish tone so that Nick actually sounded like the teenage boy that he was. The tone of Nick's thoughts and feelings felt completely natural as the story progressed.

Jaycee & the Scoot were a quirky pair of characters but they were funny and awesome. The Scoot had that Yoda-like wisdom and made sure to have fun and be himself despite his disease so I admired him for his bravery... and I'll admit I felt slightly envious of Jaycee since she had--plainly speaking here--the balls to just be herself. Nothing really brought her down...I would've liked to have been as outspoken and adventurous as she was when I was her age (I would've even tried out her fashion choices). I also really liked Nick's relationship with his older brother, Jeremy. They didn't always like each other but they had each other's backs---as brothers should :) And then there's Nick's father. Oh, Nick's dad. You had my sympathy and then you had to go and do what ya did.... I still liked the man but once the truth was revealed? Brutal. I felt just as mixed up as Nick.

Final Verdict: The Pull of Gravity was a solid read and I would totally recommend it to anyone who's looking for a quick read full of warmth and originality. Nick's voice had me sold since it sounded genuine but I will say that the overall tone of the novel had a slightly more youthful vibe--Nick & his friends were teens but they were around fourteen or fifteen so there aren't any intense scenes full of swear words or fist fights. I still had a blast reading the book though :) It was emotional and distinctive. Oh, and I can't forget that scene with the cherry cola---I didn't think much of it until Gae connected the dots and made it apparent. That was very, very clever.

Clickables: {main site} {twitter} {blog}

Official Book Trailer:

Forever Giveaway!

2011-06-16T14:01:00.001-04:00

As promised, I will be giving away an ARC of Maggie Stiefvater's Forever! I want this to be a quick post so that way people can just fill out the form & be done so here are the rules:

This giveaway is open to the US only.

You do not have to follow me to enter.

Giveaway starts today & ends on June 30th.

Comments are appreciated but will not count towards the giveaway. To enter, please fill out the form here. Remember that the giveaway ends at the end of this month--I will announce the winner on July 1st. Good luck to everyone that enters :) This giveaway is now closed!

Important links: Privacy policy/Contesty policy

Also! If you'd like to try your luck somewhere else, I know of two other bloggers giving away an arc of Forever. My affiliate, Taschima over at Bloody Bookaholic, is hosting an international giveaway and my new blogger friend, Goldy, is hosting a similar type of giveaway as well---hers is ending in a week so get over there fast!

Waiting on Wednesday #55

2011-06-15T00:37:00.001-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Claire is struggling to overcome the murder of her childhood friend and secret crush, Daniel. Everyone else seems to be moving on with their lives, but she's still trying to cope. The fact that she finds herself alone and drowning on her 16th birthday isn't helping.
Neither is thinking she sees Daniel's face in murky water as she mysteriously resurfaces. But something happened during those four and a half minutes that will make her realize it was not just her imagination.

As Claire and Daniel try to grasp a possible reconnection, other grudge-holding beings have plans of their own. Now, the two of them have to decide if their fleeting relationship is worth the possibility of Claire being trapped on the fringe forever.

Beautifully told, On the Fringe intertwines fresh ideas about devotion, revenge, and the consequences that come with life and death.

ON THE FRINGE sounds like a potentially awesome story---I'm very intrigued by it... and that cover is something else. Wow. O.O

Here's the book trailer for it!

The books from BEA

2011-06-12T23:46:00.000-04:00

I know I'm late on posting this and I hope that any further mention of BEA won't annoy you... this is my last time mentioning it, I swear. I'll be brief and list what I was able to get and of course what I'm planning on giving away very soon... I think you guys will like it :)

the color of my dining room wall is hideous, I know.

ARCS:

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (my friend is planning on stealing it soon--she just finished Linger.)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Predicteds by Christine Seifert

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Undercurrents by Tricia Rayburn

The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Making Waves by Tawna Fenske

Blood Rights by Kristen Painter

Legend by Marie Lu

DJ Rising by Love Maia

Fateful by Claudia Gray

The Shadowing: Hunted by Adam Slater

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (not shown--I was reading it at the time, hehe)

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton (Kiki was really nice. :D)

Wintertown by Stephen Emond

Eve by Anna Carey

Frost by Marianna Baer

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker

Rock On by Denise Vega

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar

Between by Jennifer Warman

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

Dumpling Days by Grace Lin

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Flyaway by Lucy Christopher (2 copies--I'll probably be giving one away at some point)

Bunheads by Sophia Flack

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Finished copies:

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
What Happened To Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers

Swag:

A poster of Myra McEntire's Hourglass

A few bookmarks (not shown)

This cool Soulless pin I got from the Orbit booth (not shown--it's HOT PINK THOUGH <3)

This cool little yellow mirror (not shown either-sorry!)

Um, wow. Seeing it all laid out.... I did get quite a bit of stuff. But everything I have with me is because I truly wanted it--I don't have any books that I feel "meh" about in this pile ♥

So. Did you actually read through that list? If you did, I'm impressed! And pleased because I didn't type it out for nuthin' ;) So for those awesome people that actually read through my list, I'll tell you what I'm giving away this week so it's not a surprise when you see it (and because you read everything): an arc of Maggie Stiefvater's Forever. Mhm. Expect it THIS week, my friends. I hope you're excited as I am!

The winner of A Golden Web is...

2011-06-11T00:50:00.000-04:00

#2 Brooke!

Congratulations! I've emailed you and you have 48 hours to respond. Thanks to everyone who entered--and don't worry, I have more giveaways coming up! I may even post one next week...

Blog tour: Interview with Leah Cypess

2011-06-10T16:35:00.000-04:00

Thanks to The Teen {Book} Scene, I had the awesome opportunity to interview Leah Cypess, author of Mistwood and her latest novel, Nightspell. :)

Was Nightspell a planned novel waiting to be written after Mistwood or was it completely unexpected?

Actually, I started Nightspell before I started Mistwood. When I was in high school, I had an idea for a book set in a country where the dead come back to seek vengeance on their killers. I started writing that book, but lost steam and put it aside. Years later, while I was revising the final drafts of Mistwood, I went back to that idea and started writing it again.

Nightspell’s set in the same world as Mistwood so I was wondering…will Isabel or Rokan make a guest appearance? ;)
Sorry, but no! We do get to see a portrait of them... I don’t think that counts, though. (It counts! I was happy when I caught that reference.)

I noticed that the theme of siblings/family loyalty show up in both your books; while writing each story, were you consciously aware of this or did this particular theme just come into the stories on its own?

I knew from the beginning that Nightspell was going to be about sibling relationships, though I didn’t know exactly how it would play out. With Mistwood, the siblings aspect wasn’t planned – it found its way into the story as I was writing it.

Darri, the protagonist, must travel to a place called Ghostland where the living and dead exist together (and are completely aware of each other). This sounds adventurous but I would probably be unnerved if I ran into a ghost (especially if it’s the ghost of a murderer!). If you had to have an encounter with any type of ghost—whose ghost would you want it to be and why?

I would be a complete coward if I met a real ghost, and I would prefer for it to be a friendly Casper-type ghost who was as non-scary as possible! As for who, there are a lot of historical figures I’d like to chat with and get to know better. Plus, think of all the historical mysteries I could solve! (Assuming the ghosts would tell the truth. Hmm…) That said, I think the person I’d most like to talk to would be my grandfather, who died when I was two years old.

Darri and Isabel both seem to share the quality of being headstrong young women: would you say that you have that in common with your characters? :)

My parents and teachers would definitely say that. Myself, I prefer the term “determined.”

Last but certainly not least: are you working on any other projects?
Like another book set in the same world as Mistwood, perhaps? (YES PLEASE.) The book I’m working on now is set in the same world as Mistwood and Nightspell, but several hundred years after the events in those books. It’s about a sorceress sent to be the magic tutor for a mysterious sect of assassins. (Assassins=auto-win for me.)

Thank you, Leah, for taking the time to answer my questions! I hope my readers enjoyed the interview and will hopefully pick up Leah's books in the future! Leah has a lovely writing style. I'm very intrigued about the story with assassins....

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Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

2011-06-10T16:02:00.001-04:00

Release Date: March 22nd, 2011
Publisher: Philomel
Source: Publisher

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously—and at great risk—documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Using the few traces of history that were left behind and her talent for vivid story-telling, Ruta Sepetys has crafted a fearless, poignant novel that gives voice to the millions that were silenced during World War II by shedding light on one of humanity’s forgotten chapters of history.

Lina was a resilient, headstrong girl who cared tremendously about her family. Despite her young age, she was very intelligent and aware of the danger that surrounded her--but her headstrong ways sometimes blinded her to things that were obvious (which of course shows the reader that while she is smart, she's still young and has much more to learn). Her stubborness however was smoothed away at times by her wiser, patient mother and her younger brother, Jonas. Sepetys did a beautiful job of depicting Lina's family and their collective strength needed to endure so much abuse.Lina's mother was a particularly brilliant character and through Lina's memories, we see her mother as an elegant, beautiful woman but seeing her actions during the war, the reader gets to view Lina's mother as a tough, courageous woman willing to die for her children. Lina clearly inherited her mother's strength but instead of being quiet and humble, she can be impetuous but her heart is in the right place.

There was a hint of romance in the story that helped contribute to Lina's coming of age because her "inner blinders" fall away, enabling her to see others and their own desperate situations outside her immediate circle. Her relationship with Andrius also gave the story some momentary pockets of hope since the overall story is drenched with sadness.

Art is also a constant throughout the book. Lina uses her artistic talent to record everything that was happening through discreet symbols and fragments of sentences in her drawings; I found this to be an important element since Lina's determination to send word out to her father (who was seperated from the rest of the family) really added a sense of urgency to the novel (aside from the devastation that was already underway). Sepetys didn't shy away from illustrating the horrors the NKVD imposed upon the captives or the daily tragedies that occurred to the Baltic people but she wrote every heart-wrenching scene with empathy and grace.

Nonetheless, there was one detail of the book that I initially had trouble accepting; the ending at first felt abrupt and there were plot lines left answered so as a reader, I struggled to just accept it but from a writer's point of view, I understood why Sepetys wrote it the way she did. After mulling over it for a while, I realized that what felt abrupt was actually very wise of Sepetys to do--history itself will always give us unanswered questions and Between Shades of Gray mirrors this very fact. Sometimes the stories themselves outweigh the people involved (like Lina for example).

Told with bravery and beauty, Ruta Sepetys' Between Shades of Gray is a deeply emotional, powerful novel that tells an important story that must be heard and pays homage to the power of human perserverance, loyalty and love.

The belated BEA post...

2011-06-08T13:37:00.001-04:00

I wanted to wait a little before talking about BEA because I imagined everyone's dashboard would be clogged with pictures and posts and that would be annoying to see for a whole week straight. But I feel enough time has passed for me to talk about my own experience (and yes, I did take some pictures!).
Since I waited longer than most, my memory of everything that happened isn't perfect (there were so many things happening at once) so I'm relying on the pictures I took to jog my memory as well as give you some visuals of what I saw. I had a scheduele with all the author signings/events that I wanted to go to but I think I may have recycled it o_O;

But anyway... I was able to go all three days to BEA; I went to the city alone and it was very overwhelming at first (I admit that I cried the first day--I'm not used to traveling all by myself) but I eventually got the hang of it. Lexie was kind enough to walk me to Javits and back from Penn Station although we did lose each other that first day (it was my fault--I came out of the wrong exit). There are like three (or five? oh, I don't even know) exits from Penn and I'm only used to one. *sigh* But she found me, and we walked to Javits so the adventure could begin >D I brought a mini-suitcase this year so I wouldn't have to worry about carrying all the books I would eventually get and if any of you ever decide to go to BEA, DEFINETELY take a luggage bag with you. A backpack is not enough for all the books/swag you will accumulate. I tried that last year and failed horribly. Alright, so here are most of the pictures I took....

Sorry for the crappy quality :(

This is only a portion of the autographing area but there was a long row of tables and the lines (depending on the author) tended to be very long. There were back-to-back signings so if there was an extremely popular author at 3PM (and it was only 2PM at the time), there'd already be an advanced line for the 3PM author. I can't remember WHEN Maggie Stiefvater was there but that was the case when I arrived half an hour early. There were a few people waiting already but I managed to get in the front of the line--yes, I met Maggie Stiefvater everyone; she's lovely!--and managed to make another signing.

Since I was much more familiar with the layout this year, I was more confident in going off by myself (I glued myself to Taschima, Lexie & Emily last year, haha. Seriously, I had NO idea what I was doing!) whenever I had to make a signing that no one else wanted to go to or couldn't go to. (Not everyone's taste is the same, you know?) I had a lot of authors/booths I wanted to visit but there were some signings that I refused to miss. Like these two ladies, for example:

It felt like meeting God O_O

We all know who Sarah Dessen is, yes? If you don't, I feel sad for you. But not so sad that I wouldn't want to club you for not reading one of the best contemporary YA authors AROUND---for realz, if you haven't read any of her books, you have to. Anyhoo. This line was VERY long but I got there at a decent time and met Ms. Dessen. She's just as sweet and pretty as she seems :) I totally texted my friends afterwards and they were like WHAAAAAAAAA? xDDD

They misspelled her name! Boo!

Shatter Me was the book I HAD to get at BEA, no exceptions. And I arrived there early for the line and yes, I did get the book. (*cue the cheers and shrieking*) And spoke to Tahereh for a few seconds. She was lovely too :) I even pulled out my blue penguin and she recognized who I was! :D (I did tweet her about the penguin one time, lol. She's very responsive on twitter--tweet at her!) I lucked out on this line since I was a few people away from where the expo people cut off the line. *looks upwards* Thank you, Book Gods.

I walked under this many times.

One thing that I appreciate about the expo is all the time and energy that goes into promotion. Look at that banner! It's genius. I kept staring at it for the three days I went to Javits and wondered if this was the official cover for Daughter of Smoke & Bone since I saw another image floating around the web.

More stuff I walked under!

This section always had people. There was a teen hour which I attended and I managed to be one of the people that didn't have to leave the line---they were counting heads since there were more people than books to hand out!

Harlequin booth filled with people.

You couldn't really get anything from the Spanish pubs but I walked there a few times because they had plush carpets (my feet were sore and walking on SOFT carpet felt awesome before I had to step back onto the hard floor) and because I knew what everyone was saying, hehe. I did spot the YA section where I recognized a bunch of American titles--that was cool to see.

I passed by Random House a few times but didn't realize that the Egmont booth was RIGHT there. I was desperately looking for an arc of Undercurrents by Tricia Rayburn. I think my only regret for BEA (besides not being able to hang out with anyone outside of Javits) was missing Tricia's signing. I would've loved to meet her since I really enjoyed her first book. I missed a lot of signings for YA contemporary novels since a huge quantity of them were between 10 and 10:30... my goal was to get to Laini Taylor's signing first (which I did) and once I had my copy, I'd rush over to the autographing area. Laini came around half an hour later than she was supposed to so I missed many of those YA signings (including Tricia's--grr!) but I wasn't too bummed---I did get my copy of Daughter of Smoke & Bone ;)

And just so you can have an idea of how generous some of the publishers were,---see the plush carpetting? I walked there A LOT, lol--there would be galley giveaways at certain times or if you were at the right place at the right time, you'd pass a display with a bunch of free arcs! I think this was in the HarperCollins booth? I liked that the people were creative with how they placed the books.

Take a closer look! :D It was so neatly stacked. People were passing by grabbing copies of them but I was nice and only took one. *nods* You can't grab everything at this expo---you have to picky with what you accept/grab. This was another lesson I learned last year.

I know there's more to talk about but it's been a while and... I don't think I can properly explain everything I saw or the people I met. OH. Here's one thing I didn't mention: I wore the Mara Dyer t-shirt I snagged at the carnival the first day and I DID bump into Michelle Hodkin--one of the new friends I made (Hi Goldy! *waves*) towed me over to Michelle once we spotted her and we talked for a few minutes. That was exciting O_O And because I was wearing the shirt, I was placed on that super awesome list for news of the sequel to Mara Dyer (which is on super lock-down, apparently). SQUEE. x) OH and those rumors of there being arcs of Stephanie Perkins' new novel? IT WAS TRUE. But the copies were super limited--apparently you had to go up to the Penguin booth and ASK for one. I found out too late though--all the copies were gone. -_- But that is fine. ~~I can't wait why was I not one of the chosen ones?!~~ I can wait. Really.

Okay, so that's all! I hope my pictures satisfy your curiosity and give you a decent glimpse into BEA. I'll do another post where I SHOW you guys what I got from BEA---and naturally there will be a giveaway. I didn't forget you guys ;)

I had an amazing time this year and I'm already waiting for the next expo, lol. It'll be in June 2012, people. Mark your calenders!

Waiting on Wednesday #54

2011-06-08T13:02:00.003-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul. [from goodreads]

Darker Still will be available November 1st. Yay. :) Leanna Renee Hieber WAS at BEA promoting her Strangly Beautiful series and Darker Still (she's an apocalypsie!). I intended on going to either of those signings but things came up and I wasn't able to. Darn :/ But November's not that far away...

Cover reveal for Jodi Meadows' INCARNATE

2011-06-06T16:00:00.003-04:00

Twitter is the best place to find bookish news. If you don't have a twitter account already, I seriously recommend that you get one (although I will warn you, it is addictive!).

So back to the news: Jodi Meadows revealed the cover of her 2012 debut novel, Incarnate, today on her livejournal! Aside from having a gorgeous cover, Incarnate sounds like an amazing book and I've been waiting for this moment to see it with an official cover! ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL? The colors remind me a little of reminds me of Melissa Marr's Radiant Shadows. *sighs happily*

Bookish News

2011-06-03T00:20:00.000-04:00

I mentioned Miranda Kenneally's novel months ago when it was formerly known as Score. Now it's officially going to be known as Catching Jordan. At first I wasn't too keen on the title change but the new title's growing on me. :) Catching Jordan is going to be released later this year in December from Sourcebooks.

Has anyone read Laura Whitcomb's A Certain Slant of Light? No? You should. I LOVED this book when I first sat down to read it years ago. I found out the other day that Laura completed writing a rough draft for the sequel. AHHHHHHH!!! x) I'm so unbelievably excited to revisit the characters! Under The Light is due to come out in 2012.

I spotted the cover for Cole Gibsen's Katana, a 2012 YA debut. Cherry blossoms FTW! :D

Here's some info about Katana from goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Rileigh Martin wanted to spend her summer hanging out with friends, shopping, and working at a hair salon...too bad fighting ninja is a full time job in itself. (Ninjas! Who else is curious?!)

And to end this post: My good friend Kim and her blogging bud, Lauren, have unveiled their awesome new fansite for Veronica Roth's Divergent. I haven't had the chance to read Roth's novel but I'm going to at some point. I'm tackling the rest of my TBR pile (TWO BOOKS LEFT!) and planning on dipping into my BEA pile (I'll show you pictures!).

TAC Recap

2011-06-01T22:28:00.000-04:00

May went by so fast! I remember planning months in advance for BEA and TAC and now that it's all over, I'm left feeling slightly breathless. I had a lovely time at the carnival and an even more fantastic time at BEA (way better than last year!) (but that's only because I knew what I was doing).

So this year for the carnival, I decided to drag one of my oldest friends, Diana, and her younger sister to this event so they could experience what the carnival was like as well as seeing me in "my element." (D's words, not mine.) I took my backpack with me and of course, dangling from it was my little blue penguin ♥ We arrived to the library a little late (our train was delayed) and it was even more packed than last year. I think there was, like, double the amount of people there. I reunited with Lexie, Taschima and Emily and met some other bloggers too. I chatted a little with Steph Su, and I met both Keyona and Frankie from First Novels Club. Meeting Frankie was especially awesome for me since I follow both her blogs and I love, love, love her Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars recaps...and she's just wonderful as a person so yeah ;)

As for authors...I almost died when I recognized a few of the most well-known YA authors in the crowd. We're talking Gayle Forman and David Levithan status. (I stood next to David Levithan. I STOOD next to the author of Boy Meets Boy and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. I felt myself reeling, I tell you. But I didn't want to be creepy so... I didn't say anything nor did I whip out my camera (which was dead at that point, dammit)).

Note: I had brought my camera with me to take pictures but it decided to die on me midway during the train ride. Later on I realized the batteries were dead and I didn't think to bring any extras. So I can't show you guys any pictures of that day. I'm sorry :(

source

So let's see....right. Well, I arrived with my friends about half an hour late so naturally there were tons of people by the time I went downstairs to the panels. There were four panels in total and two of them were happening at once. I didn't know which one to choose (or what to expect) so I went to the room where I knew Lexie and Emily were. I left Diana and Tanya in the other room where I remember Andrea Cremer was talking in the panel for Kick Ass Females in YA: And Why It's A Big Deal To Have Them. (Cool title, right?)

Decisions, decisions...

I ended up staying in the same room with Emily (Lexie went off to another panel?) and we sat next to each to listen to a few authors discussing their journey to publication. The list of all authors present can be found here but just to throw out a few names: Michelle Hodkin, Scott Tracey, Kirsten Hubbard, Bettina Restrepo... and Lenore was there too. She was the moderator :) Sigh, listening to each author tell their story of how they got to where they are now (their paths were littered with rejection letters, false hopes, etc.) was truly inspiring...and the audience got to listen to them read passages from their novels (except for Lenore. She had just finished her manuscript so it was too early for it to be read.). The most memorable for me where Bettina and Michelle's. Everyone was hanging on Michelle's words while she read a particularly sexy passage (oh yes) from THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER and the room became tense with emotion when Bettina read a tear-inducing moment from ILLEGAL.

After that, though, everything else is honestly a blur. I walked around a little, meeting bloggers (the ladies I mentioned before) and staring at all the authors present (yeah, I could NOT muster the courage to talk to any of them). I didn't get any books either (all of the arcs went really fast) but I did get the MARA DYER shirt that Michelle was handing out and I did wear it to BEA. ;) I ended up leaving soon after since one of my friends wasn't feeling well; she felt claustrophobic from all the people there o_O;

So overall, my experience with the teen author carnival this year was more rushed than last year's and I wasn't able to stick around longer to talk to more people. But I had a lot of fun listening to the authors from the panels I attended and I did meet some new people. I only regret not meeting Jessica; it looks like she was in the other room for the OTHER two panels that I missed. Damn. :/

Blog tour: Editorial interview with Barbara Quick

2011-05-30T16:17:00.006-04:00

Today I have the honor of hosting a stop for Barbara Quick's blog tour for A Golden Web. Since I've already had the pleasure of reviewing her novel and interviewing her, I decided to have a different kind of interview. Instead of asking specific questions about A Golden Web, I've decided to ask her questions about her editorial process. I hope my readers enjoy it!

Clickables: {main site} {blog} {twitter}

After completing a first draft of a story, how many times do you personally revise it before sending it off to your editor’s desk?

I worked for many years as an editor—so I’m pretty scrupulous about sending off a manuscript that’s as good as I can make it after several rounds of editing and proof-reading. I write my first drafts by hand before typing them into my computer. And then I edit subsequent versions of the novel in hard copy until the final draft pleases me. I wrote 13 drafts of my first novel, Northern Edge, over the course of 10 years! I’m getting faster, but I’m still a stickler for detail… Discovering that I’ve sent off the final draft of something with a mistake in it is enough to keep me awake in the middle of the night.

Since you’ve written two historical novels, I was wondering: when you sent those stories for revisions, did you have to send some additional historical background info so that your editor could have a better grasp of the stories?

Not once! The novelist has to make the history transparent—but also manifest—in the story. If some text I’ve written needs explaining, I haven’t done my job.

While you wait for your editor’s feedback, how do you pass the time to distract yourself from thinking about revisions?

Good question! There’s something about sending a manuscript off that makes it feel as if your whole life is in limbo. You’ve spent all this time with the book, lavishing it with all your love and attention. But then suddenly your opinion of it doesn’t matter any more. You want your editor to love it just as much as you do. But once you’ve sent that package off, you have absolutely no power to influence the outcome. Honestly, it’s pretty agonizing. Those are the times when I tell myself that self-esteem has to come from the inside. (Still working on that one…)

Now that you’ve worked with an editor, how do you feel about your first drafts vs. the drafts that you’ve started before you had an editor? And what’s the most important lesson you’ve learned since?

When my first novel was published, in 1990, the editor didn’t change a single word. I’m not sure why. I think she was probably overworked. There’s a joke in publishing that says that editors work with a credit card, taking you out to an expensive lunch if and when you come visit them in New York.

My editors for Vivaldi’s Virgins (2007) and A Golden Web (2010) were very different in their approaches—and had very different personalities. But both gave me feedback about places where they wanted me to make cuts or change the story.

I think it’s important to have a very good rapport with your editor—but also to trust your own instincts about your story and the way you want to write it. Editors are the ones who polish what you create. Anything different is a perversion of the process, I think, indicating an editor who really wants to write and/or a writer who doesn’t really know how to write and needs to do a lot more work.

What do you think was it that made your editor interested in your work?

I think Rosemary fell in love with the story of Alessandra Giliani, just like I did. A couple of different publishers were bidding on the proposal I wrote for this novel. I hadn’t written anything for HarperTeen before, but HarperCollins had published my last two novels (Donald I. Fine published the cloth edition of Northern Edge, but HarperWest published the paperback.) Rosemary had also read Vivaldi’s Virgins and loved it. We have very similar literary tastes, I think—and I guess that just naturally drew her to my writing.

How has your relationship changed since working on your first novel and how open/comfortable are you with your editor?
The relationship with every editor is different, really—same with the level of openness and comfort. Trust and respect are terribly important for a successful editorial collaboration. I’ve worked with an editor before (on a nonfiction book) who drove me crazy with all the changes she wanted—but she was really good and, in the end, she made the book much better than it would have been otherwise.

What happens if you and your editor disagree on certain details?
I once worked with an editor (on another nonfiction book) who had me cut out about a third of the text, which was pretty aggravating. In this case, I think he was wrong. The book turned out okay, but I think it would have been a better book if it had been published as I’d written it.

Publishers have to make most of their choices these days based on marketing decisions. For a writer with artistic aspirations, this is truly awful. What’s stylish at a given moment (vampires, anyone?) doesn’t necessarily translate into books that will withstand the test of time.

With seven books of mine on my shelf now, I think I’d be more assertive about fighting for my own vision if I found myself in conflict with an editor. Publishers (not editors!) really have all the power, though.

Rosemary Brosnan was such a delight to work with on A Golden Web that I couldn’t help wanting to become friends—and I readily agreed to do whatever she suggested. She’s worked for years in the YA genre, whereas I was completely new to it.

Once revisions come in, do you prefer to receive them as paper or electronic notes?

Either way works for me. Electronic notes and phone conversations (rather than red ink and Post-Its) seem to be the way most editors communicate with writers now.

Thank you again, Barbara, for answering my questions with honesty and insightfulness! ~~Now it's time for the giveaway! One of you will be getting a copy of Barbara Quick's~~ ~~A Golden Web. To enter, please fill out this form. This giveaway is open only to the US and will end on June 10th. I'll announce the winner on the 11th. Good luck to everyone!~~ This giveaway is now closed.

Nightspell by Leah Cypess

2011-05-29T13:52:00.000-04:00

Release Date: May 31st, 2011
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Source: The {Teen} Book Scene

When Darri rides into Ghostland, a country where the living walk with the dead, she has only one goal: to rescue her younger sister Callie, who was sent to Ghostland as a hostage four years ago. But Callie has changed in those four years, and now has secrets of her own. In her quest to save her sister from herself, Darri will be forced to outmaneuver a handsome ghost prince, an ancient sorcerer, and a manipulative tribal warrior (who happens to be her brother).

When Darri discovers the source of the spell that has kept the dead in Ghostland chained to this earth, she faces a decision that will force her to reexamine beliefs she has never before questioned - and lead her into the heart of a conspiracy that threatens the very balance of power between the living and the dead. [from goodreads]

Just as she did in Mistwood, Leah Cypess has written a riveting, complex story with many twists and turns that the reader won't be able to piece everything together until the ending. (Even the characters are so changeable that one won't be able to clearly decipher what their true motives are!)

This is my second time reading Cypess' work and it's clear now that her talent lies in world-building and the creation of extremely layered characters. Cypess also has this excellent way of describing the mysteries and double-crossing that occur daily in many of history's royal courts and Ghostland is no exception: the reader is never really certain who or what is going to cause an upheavel at court. Suspicion is literally at every corner of this haunted land.

The characters of Nightspell are also suspect many times throughout the story: Darri's intentions to save her sister and return to her homeland are made clear from the beginning but her siblings' actions make her plans more difficult. Callie is no longer a barbarian princess like her elder sister and has become accostumed to Ghostland's ways; she still loves her sister but with cannot see herself ever returning home. The years at Ghostland's court has irreversibly changed Callie and this doesn't help to assuage Darri's guilt for leaving her sister to face Ghostland alone. Varis, their older brother, was much more trickier to understand. His motivations appear easy to comprehend but he surprises the reader occasionally by saying or doing something that might seem out of character but instead shows where his true loyalties lie.

And then there's Clarisse. She makes her surprise appearance in this story and her ruthless, cunning ways have not changed at all since Mistwood; in fact, they've only intensified. She was perhaps the most attention-grabbing character as Nightspell unfolded and her interactions alternated between coy and malicious (they were very fun to read read). The mystery surrounding Clarisse's character and her intentions was one of the main driving forces for me to continue reading and Cypess did not disappoint when she revealed exactly what was going on.

Those who have read Mistwood will be shocked and delighted to see how Clarisse has changed and will appreciate her even more as they discover new insight into her character; as for new readers, they can read either of Cypess' novels first. The two sets of characters in Nightspell and Mistwood are completely different and their storylines do not intefere with either side. Clarisse is the only connection between both novels but Cypess skillfully maneuvers her character so that no matter which novel you read first, you'll come to fully understand her (and love or loathe her; she's one of those murky characters that toe the line often!).

Full of intriguing plot twists, deceptive characters and beautifully descriptive writing showcasing Leah Cypess' quiet but powerful style, Nightspell is a worthy companion novel to Mistwood. It has the same brilliance that underlies Mistwood only Cypess has twisted the story and her characters into a newer, darker direction where not everything ends happily ever after but where everything comes full circle.

Heart with Joy by Steve Cushman

2011-05-27T15:57:00.001-04:00

Release Date: September 28th, 2010
Publisher: Canterburry
Source: Author

In Heart With Joy, fifteen-year-old Julian Hale’s life is turned upside down when his mother suddenly moves from North Carolina to Venice, Florida under the pretense of running her parents’ motel and finishing the novel she has been working on for years. While Julian has always been closer to his mother and wants to go with her, she tells him he has to stay with his father until the end of the school year.
Six weeks after his mother leaves, Julian’s father decides to run a marathon. This surprises Julian because he has never seen his father exercise, but once he agrees to help him train the two develop the sort of close relationship they’ve never had before. Also, with the help of an elderly neighbor, Julian learns that the most important thing in life is to follow your heart. And Julian’s heart leads him to a passion for cooking and a young cashier at the local grocery store. By the end of the novel, Julian is forced to choose between staying with his father and going to live with his mother.

Heart With Joy is an uplifting coming of age novel about cooking and bird watching, about writing and pottery, and about falling in love and the sacrifices we all make. But ultimately, it’s about the importance of following your heart and trusting that it will take you where you need to go. [taken from goodreads]

Heart with Joy is one of those rare novels that are simple in style and can be quickly read in one sitting but rather than leave the story empty-handed, one takes away so much meaning and is left with a feeling of wholehearted contentment.

Julian was a thoughtful character, more concerned about his parents splitting up and learning how to improve his cooking skills rather than chasing girls or being cool. His maturity (especially for being so young—he’s only fifteen!) really resonated with me and made me bond to his character easily. And Julian’s passion for cooking made the book much more fun to read overall—all the descriptive parts where Julian explains what he’s cooking? Delicious—and shows that food is a great connecter when it comes to family and friendship. As well as learning to improve his cooking skills, Julian also learns to slowly let new people into his life and forms an unlikely friendship with his elderly next door neighbor, Mrs. Peterson. I loved Mrs. Peterson for her love of birds and for her wisdom; she really helped Julian with coming out of his shell. Here’s a quote of hers that I really like:

“Let me just say this. Everyone should have something they are passionate about, something that fills their heart with joy. Those who don’t, I’d say, are missing something.” –pg 46 of Heart with Joy

"Everything should have something that fills their heart with joy." I couldn’t agree more. And so Julian finds things that start to fill his heart with joy, and learns that as one person leaves his life, another one comes in and guides him to a new chapter of his life. As for Julian’s parents, he has the difficult decision of who he wants to stay with and he does eventually choose but only after recognizing that there was more to the story than what he originally thought. This realization pushes him even further from his comfort zone and watching him slowly come into his own was unquestionably inspiring.

There is a dash of romance but it’s not a huge part of the story. Tia is another character that shares Julian’s passion for food and becomes another driving force behind Julian’s personal growth. They get together to whip up some awesome dishes and while they learn new recipes, they become attracted to each other. Their steady romance was endearing, awkward and honest (as all real-life romances start out).

Sweeter than butter, Heart with Joy is a quick, fufilling read that will brighten your day and give readers a plentiful amount of satisfaction despite the novel's open ending. It's odd for me to feel content with a novel that leaves something unanswered but Cushman's refreshing and earnest writing style made it possible.

Winner of THE POISON DIARES + teaser trailer

2011-05-23T23:25:00.000-04:00

The winner of my giveaway for a signed arc of THE POISON DIARIES is....

#15 Bookish in a Box

I've already emailed you. You have 48 hours to respond otherwise you forfeit your prize!

Also, I found this teaser trailer from Tahereh Mafi's site and man, I HAVE to read this book!

Are you going to BEA or The Teen Author Carnival?

2011-05-22T23:04:00.000-04:00

I am!!! And I cannot wait because this year seems even better! I will be attending the Teen Author Carnival tomorrow and I'm not sure exactly what I'll be wearing but knowing me, it'll just be some comfy jeans, sneakers and a shirt (probably black--my wardrobe is overwhelmingly monochromatic). I'm dragging two of my friends with me so they can experience the carnival and understand why I've been raving about it for the past year :)

I will also be attending BEA (only this time I'll be there for ALL three days). I wanted to write up a post or two talking about some tips for the newcomers this year but with all of my finals piled together within a span of two weeks and my graduation ceremony today, I haven't exactly had the time. I'm attending both of these events for the second time this year and while I'm no expert, I will say this:

1.) Comfort > fashion. This isn't a business meeting. You don't have to impress anyone with a suit or skirt--but you shouldn't dress like a hobo either ;P Since it looks like it's going to rain this year, I'd recommend being an umbrella too. Also, I can't stress this enough: wear comfortable shoes. You will be on your feet ALL DAY.

2.) Bring food & water. I won't deny it: I'm cheap. Why spend three dollars on a water bottle when I can bring one along with me? Bring a water bottle (or two if you get really thirsty like me) and some light snacks like an apple or a bag of chips.

3.) Bring your camera! You'll want to take pictures. Trust me.

4.) Be social! Now's not the time to be shy. You're in a place full of people who share the same obsessive love of books that you have. Talk to people! Or if someone wants to chat with you, let them. :)

....I can't think of anything else at the moment. But if you want more helpful tips, check out my friend Lexie's posts about BEA. Or Emily's. They both give an excellent run-down of what to do, what to expect (the books, people, THE BOOKS), and how to handle everything in between.

If you're going to either of these events, I'll be carrying a backpack and I'll have this little guy attached to it:

"I'm blue and adorable!"

I'm ~~extremely~~ a little camera shy so that's all I'm willing to show xDDD But if you see me, please come over and say hi! I would love to meet you and I promise to not be really awkward, lol.

In My Mailbox 39

2011-05-21T15:05:00.001-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme where you get to show off all the cool books you receive! This meme was inspired by Alea and memefied by Kristi.

What a week! I am done with finals and no longer have to worry about memorizing information that I will probably never use in the future (except for music... I can read in bass cleft now >D)

I received this awesome package from Macmillan after taking my history final! IT HAS CHOCOLATE.

The goodies kept on coming...

Received for review:

Ordinary Beauty by Laura Wiess (I loved Laura's Such A Pretty Girl so I have no doubt that OB will be amazing.)

Everfound by Neal Shusterman (I still haven't read this series yet but I have a friend who raves about it. Always a good sign.)

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin (I hadn't heard of this book until I actually received it, lol. BUT it looks good, I love the cover and it came with chocolate. Anything with chocolate is an automatic win for me!)

I can't say this enough but thank you to the publishers that are kind enough to send me these books. I appreciate every single one of them.

Won:

Bumped by Megan McCafferty (YES. I LOVE the Jessica Darling series soooo much so having McCafferty's dystopian debut makes me all kinds of happy. *pets the pretty*)

And of course, thank you to Enna Isilee over at Squeaky Books for sending me my prize. My friends are jealous that I have Bumped ;) But I think it's only fair, especially since they all abandoned me for Europe!*

*They all went for academic purposes but still...it's freaking Europe!!!

The Poison Diaries Giveaway!

2011-05-18T18:22:00.001-04:00

In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love...

Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure -- or kill.

When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined... [from goodreads]

I have one signed advanced reader's copy for a lucky reader! I'll make it quick: this giveaway will run from today, the 18th, until May 23rd. I'll announce the winner the next day. This giveaway is open to the US only (sorry international friends!). To enter, fill out the form here. Good luck to everyone! This giveaway is now over.

Important links: Privacy policy + Contest policy

Great news all around!

2011-05-18T18:00:00.001-04:00

Katniss has arrived!

One: If you haven't seen the reason for all the excited tweets or heard the shouts of joy, then let me show you why. IT'S KATNISS!!! IN PHYSICAL FORM!!! AIYEE. If I had any lingering doubts about Jennifer Lawrence, they've now been vanquished. She looks just like how I imagine Katniss to be. (I still have doubts about the guy playing Peeta....but who knows, he might rock it. Time will tell. )

Two: Tomorrow is my last day of finals and then on Sunday, May 22nd I will OFFICIALLY be graduating from college. ....I'm trying not to dance in my chair right now >D I'm so thrilled, relieved and slightly nervous that I'll be leaving my community college and transferring over to university in the fall but it's been two years and finally, I'm going to be taking classes that are actually related to what I want to study. I'm thinking that after graduation, I'll celebrate by eating at IHOP. (I've never gone there. It's about time, yeah?)

Three: BEA IS NEXT WEEK. AND TAC. I haven't let myself think about it too much (I channeled all of my energy and thoughts into studying for finals) but OMG. And how timely is it that right before these major events, I'm graduating? It's like the perfect gift! I'll try to write a post about BEA later but if you're attending, let me know! I'll try to find you. Or if you see ME, say hello! I'll be carrying a backpack and there'll be a familiar blue penguin with me....

Four:

Rhiannon Hart has finally revealed the cover for Bloodsong. I've been following her for a while now (has it been two years already? Gasp!) and I remember the times she mentioned her writing on her blog.... it's so cool to see it with a cover now. Bloodsong will be coming out this year in September from Random House Australia. Congratulations, Rhiannon!!! :)

Five: I haven't done a giveaway in a while. It's time to change that. Expect a new post within the next minute or two....

The contest for Forever (and other Maggie Stiefvater-related news)

2011-05-15T22:24:00.000-04:00

So this past Friday, Maggie Stiefvater revealed the cover for her latest novel, The Scorpio Races.

Described by the author as a standalone novel "with blood, beaches, and kissing," I find myself look especially forward to it not just because it's a Maggie Stiefvater book (which is reason enough to be excited) but because it's a standalone novel. Lately I feel as if all the books I've read belong to a two or three part series and while I DO love being able to revisit the characters and their stories, sometimes one book is suffice. But that's not all....

Remember this trailer?

Well, it's actually a different version of the one I posted the other day! If you've read Shiver, you'll remember that Sam wrote a song about Grace and called it Summer Girl. A band called Jonas & Plunkett's brought the song to live! :D It sounds perfect! If you're interested, you can buy the song here.

Is anyone else dying to read Forever? July is only two months away but it feels like forever... (haha, that was a joke. ~~Not funny? okay~~.) ;P The Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA is selling autographed copies of Forever so if you're interested in THAT... you have the link ;)

In My Mailbox 38

2011-05-15T14:41:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme where you get to show off all the cool books you receive! This meme was inspired by Alea and memefied by Kristi.

Nick & Lennie are hanging out with their new friends ♥

Won:
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson 
And it's signed! <3 I won it from Princess Bookie's contest craze... thanks to Cindy for hosting and thanks to Jandy for sending me her book! :)

Bought:
The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner

THIS ONE'S SIGNED TOO. ♥ I went to Gae's release party yesterday and had so much fun! I wasn't familiar with the store where Gae's party was but it had such a cozy atmosphere (and its YA section was well-stocked). There were tons of people, lots of great food and Gae's husband actually sang a few songs for the crowd. My mother and I were impressed; he had a really good voice :) Gae was so incredibly sweet when I finally went up to her and I was so awkward (my social skills are not great. sigh.) but other than that... my trip to Book Revue was fantastic!

I keep finding cool stuff!

2011-05-13T17:02:00.000-04:00

Did anyone else feel frustration when blogger was down for a few hours? I was initially annoyed but I took the unavailability as a sign to start writing my paper. My very last one of the semester, in fact. And I wrote the intro paragraph and was just about to write some more until blogger came back... and I saw these trailers. ....I decided to take a mini-break so I could post about them.

Vania's trailers just keep getting better and better. I love the bittersweet music... it's so well-done.

And this trailer! I love how it starts out quirky but then the serious element reveals itself... also very well-done :)

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

2011-05-10T21:25:00.000-04:00

Release Date: February 15th, 2011
Pub: HarperCollins/ Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Publisher

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Fierce in both its humor and intensity, Courtney Allison Moulton's Angelfire has everything a reader wants: an entertaining plot, action-packed scenes and a romance that readers will find thrilling and authentic.

So I have to talk about the fight scenes in this book--they are amazing. The detailed passages that Ms. Moulton wrote where you can literally feel the crunch of bones breaking from one of Ellie's punches or the wet smack of blood as someone's head hits the floor....erm, yeah, you get the point. But for all the detail the action scenes have, the fights never come off as gorey. Moulton did a wonderful job of balancing the horror aspect of the story without making it disgusting (which I am thankful for). Another aspect that really impressed me were the threads of theology & mythology woven together in Angelfire. I've always been interested in those topics so seeing them within a YA novel was awesome to say the least! Courtney Moulton introduced a fresh new take on them but wasn't so out there that she completely deviated from the original lore.

Now for the romance... all I can think of to sum up Ellie and Will? Swoon. Will can protect me anytime. ;) I enjoyed reading of how Ellie and Will slowly became friends, fighting partners and then let themselves become romantically intertwined with one another. Seeing how they both teased and fought with each other made them genuine and their romantic tension gives readers some reprieve from the intense issues that Ellie must deal with. However, as much I liked Angelfire, I did feel like there was one detail that could've been different. There are some things that Ellie gets away with too easily and that did make certain parts of the story lose a smidgen of credibility for me but it didn't bother me too much. (Not enough to make me completely distrust the story, that's for sure)

Full of kickass action, a romance that'll make you swoon, and a unique combination of mythology and theology, Angelfire is an awesome book that shouldn't be missed! (And it has Will. Will with his glowing green eyes and spiraling tattoo.... oh, sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. ;) )

Bookish news

2011-05-06T13:01:00.000-04:00

Tawna Fenske officially confirmed the cover for her debut novel, Making Waves! And it looks amazing! I've been ~~lurking~~ following Tawna's blog for months now and if you haven't had the pleasure of reading her hilarious and insightful posts, stop by her blog and read them! Meanwhile, you can congratulate her for geting such a fabulous cover. :)

And for fans of Lauren DeStefano's Wither, the author posted an excerpt of Fever, the sequel. (I had no idea that the sequel already had a title. But it's a good one!)

Susan Dennard, author of Something Strange and Deadly (which I really, really, really want to read), also has some official type of news. She made a new website for her book! Go check out her author photo, it's pretty spiffy o.o

And last but certainly not least! Blogger and now debut author (hurray!) Zoraida Córdova from Dirty Pretty Pages has a goodreads page for her novel, Vicious Deep. You should add it, for realz. I did ;)