Book Chic

Truth by Julia Karr

2012-01-26T00:00:00.001-05:00

Truth by Julia Karr
"Nina Oberon's life has changed enormously in the last few months. When her mother was killed, Nina discovered the truth about her father, the leader of the Resistance. And now she sports the same Governing Council–ordered tattoo of XVI on her wrist that all sixteen-year-old girls have. The one that announces to the world that she is easy prey to predators. But Nina won't be anyone's stereotype. And when she joins an organization of girls working within the Resistance, she knows that they can put an end to one of the most terrifying secret programs the GC has ever conceived. Because the truth always comes out . . . and the consequences can be deadly."- summary from Amazon

I've been looking forward to this follow-up to XVI because I loved Karr's debut. This sequel is a bit more low-key than its predecessor, though the climax is a pageturner. I think the main reason for that is because now that the reader knows about the Resistance and how basically all of Nina's friends are involved in it, most every setting is set up to have no surveillance; it diminishes the watchfulness of the Governing Council.

It was cool to see more aspects of the world, like how the Media works and how the Resistance uses it to create interruptions. Bringing in new characters and giving old ones bigger parts was great too. I loved the idea of the Sisterhood, the girl group within the Resistance doing their own projects. Nina is still a wonderful, feisty main character and Karr did a good job weaving romance into the book without it dominating anything else, or taking away focus from the main plotlines.

Overall, an intriguing followup and still worth a read. Karr has carved out a very interesting, layered world and I cannot wait to read more from her, whether it's in this series or not. I'm not sure if there'll be a book 3 in this series, though I kinda hope there is. I want there to be a government upheaval and everything set right again!!

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Ask Book Chic (26)

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a LOOOONNNGGG time since I've done one of these, so I figured I needed to post one! Enjoy!

Molly asks "My question which YAL book character do you relate to the most and why. BTW, I enjoy your blog. I can always know what to pick up by reading this."

That's so sweet of you to say! I would say I relate to Jonathon from Straight Road to Kylie by Nico Medina the most because I'm on the lookout for love and it's a hard journey. I hope I can have a happy ending like his! Plus, we both love Kylie Minogue! :)

Liviania asks "Have you ever said anything on your blog that you regret?"

Nope. I always stand by what I say, and spend a lot of time thinking about I want to say and how to say it before posting it. Even if it's against the grain (like my post earlier this week about snark in reviews and DNF reviews), it's still my opinion and I have the right to say it. Also, I'm always right so there's no need for regret. :P

kallosmango123 asks "i just wanted to ask What your best 2011 read so far is."

Yeah, a bit late on this one, lol. I actually revealed my Top 10 earlier this month- Part 1 and Part 2- and it's a great list. For 2012 so far, my favorite read has been Cinder by Marissa Meyer (review posted yesterday). I also really liked My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudetsky (review posted last Saturday) and The Selection by Kiera Cass (small review on Goodreads, full review in April).

Ronyka7 asks "my question is simple... I just started a blog this year (note: this was from back in 2011), I only have 9 followers. How long did it take for you to have so many followers and how did you get noticed by publishers?"

It's taken me a long time to get as many followers as I have- the way to do it (and also getting noticed by publishers) is to just keep posting quality reviews and other posts as well as network by commenting on other blogs and being on Twitter. Other bloggers, book lovers, and publishers will eventually notice you and give you the follow and, in the case of publishers, review copies. Good luck!!

Farrah asks "Question: What book/books would you take on a long plane ride?"

Honestly, just whatever I have to read for review at that time, lol. I don't do a whole lot of non-review reading and usually don't have the time to re-read faves, so the list would constantly change.

Total Book Nerd asks "My question is when and if you do procrastinate, what activity or thing made you want to procrastinate? To break it down, What are you usually doing when you're procrastinating? LOL."

Usually it's the internet that distracts me at any time, though sometimes it's also watching TV or DVDs. But the internet is the main one with Twitter, Youtube, tons of awesome blogs, GChat, and so many other things.

These are the last questions I have, so I'm all out!! If you have any new questions for me, leave a comment or send me an email! I'd really appreciate it.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
"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."- summary from Amazon

I absolutely loved this debut and cannot wait to read the rest of this series. I flew through this book and had such trouble putting it down; I was actually really surprised at how quickly I got through this novel because this font is on the small side and it is 400 pages long. But Meyer's prose flowed so well and her characters were really interesting.

The world building was great and I liked this futuristic reworking of Cinderella (the little allusions here and there were fun to spot). The whole hierarchy of humans, cyborgs and bots was cool, and getting to read about the inner workings of the government with other countries and the Lunars through chapters following Prince Kai was intriguing and added a great depth to the book as a whole.

I loved Cinder as a main character- she was fun, thoughtful, intelligent, and resourceful. The other characters were handled well too, even the evil stepmother and stepdaughters (though Peony wasn't really evil). I also loved Cinder's helper bot who was just a hoot. I did think Queen Levana was a bit one-dimensional and, though I hate her with a passion (I kept thinking "JUST STAB HER!" whenever she came on the scene), hope we get more characterization from her in future books.

The ending for me was okay. It was a perfectly fine ending, but I was hoping for a bit more, i.e. Levana death as well as some other things. We do have three more books though so I guess we have to keep some threads open.

Overall though, a fantastic, engrossing debut from Meyer (who is also a Sailor Moon fanfic writer, which makes her even more awesome in my eyes) and one I think you all should read.

Here's a snippet from the audiobook (courtesy of Novel Novice):

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Meandering Monday- Bad Reviews, GoodReads, and Authors

2012-01-23T00:00:00.002-05:00

Blogger note: A lot of this started out as a comment on Maggie Stiefvater's post about bloggers. It'd be best to read that first then come back here (or not, whichever, lol).

So there's been a lot of stuff going around the blogosphere about negative/snarky reviews on Goodreads and elsewhere and also bad author behavior. I'm kinda going to be touching on those things but I'll be mainly focusing on my thoughts regarding reviews and how people post them.

I really liked Maggie's review vs. post (or, as someone called it in the comments, "reaction posts") point and it may be something I need to keep in mind for the future. I got involved with the GoodReads stuff twice (defending the books and authors in question) and it was just a bit stupid to waste time on that when I could've been reading a wonderful book instead. I did also leave a comment on a blog that had been involved in a separate incident that I'd heard about, funnily enough, via GoodReads. I need to know when to just read it (or not even get that far) and then X out and forget all about it and go back to whatever awesome book I'm reading or great friend I'm chatting with in Gmail or Twitter.

My problem with it was that both times, the users in question had a lot of followers on GoodReads and (I guess wrongly) I felt that what they were writing should have been less snarky and a bit more professional. I feel like if you're making a habit of writing a review for every book you read, wherever it is, you should be held to a slightly higher standard than the average joe who writes a "review" every six months. I don't care for snark pieces when it comes to anything (books, music, movies) so it bothers me to see somebody with 600 followers or whatever write something so low-brow. Again, it shouldn't bother me (I'm not even the author!) but it does.

Also, I'm not a fan of writing a full-fledged review of a book you didn't finish- it just loses its credibility for me as a useful review; in the interest of full disclosure, I did write two sentences on Goodreads though about Melody Burning because I didn't finish it, but I'm not going to waste time writing 3/4 paragraphs on it. I'm on to the next book. But I didn't post it here on the blog, nor do I even consider it a real review. I may be alone in this though since it's kind of telling people there's a "right" way to write a review, which I do have strong opinions about (and have even from before I was a blogger).

I think the other thing too, for me, is that I viewed GoodReads as a booklover's haven as opposed to Amazon which is open to everything. I had been told about it by my blogger friends and so thought it was like a collection of great book bloggers' reviews, both positive and negative. That image shattered pretty quickly, but I kinda held on to the hope that it wouldn't be infiltrated by snarky ne'er-do-wells.

What may be at the root of how I feel has to do with having to work so hard to be noticed and respected by publishers. I am not kissing ass by not being snarky or writing mainly positive reviews; these are my genuine thoughts. While I am not necessarily a professional (I put LOLs and multiple exclamation points among other things in my reviews), I do my best to make my reviews and my blog as professional as I can make it. I want to be taken seriously, especially when the publisher is kind enough to send me advance review copies. I mean, we have a blogger convention that's going into its third year, being run by smart, hardworking bloggers and also has authors and publishing professionals taking part in panels and discussions. Seeing snarky reviews, especially of a book yet to come out (which means a publisher sent you a copy), just cheapens the blogosphere and hurts our credibility. Maybe it's just me, but if a publisher sends you an advance copy for review, you should at least have the decency to keep snark out of your review. There is the Golden Rule- "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."- but it should be revised to say "If you don't have anything nice to say, at least say it tactfully."

I pride myself on being a good reviewer and writing anything negative I have to say in a polite, constructive manner. Constructive criticism doesn't stop at the editing stage, like some people seem to think; if the comment is general enough- bad characterization, stilted dialogue, etc.-, authors can take that into consideration when writing their next book if they want. No, you can't change the book you just read but you could potentially help the author get better as time goes on. I do know some authors who look for that in blogger reviews; if something is repeated enough times, they do their best to get better at it with their next book, which I think is a good attitude to have.

In regards to authors getting involved, I don't think it's the way to go. It's kinda like when people get up in arms about something "offensive", all you're doing is bringing MORE attention to it. If you don't want anyone to read or watch it, DON'T SAY ANYTHING (I will tell you that if I'm ever an author, this will be hard for me, lol). Because once you say something, people are drawn to it and then want to see what all the fuss is about. Except in this case, for some people, it may turn them off from reading any of your books and that's losing more potential customers. Personally, I let the book stand on its own away from the author; I do the same with music and movies. If what you write/sing/act is good, then I'm all for it. You can do whatever you want in your personal life. That is not my business.

Please chime in with your thoughts and questions, no matter what they are- good discussion is always needed (plus, there's the new comment system from Blogger so I can reply to individual posts!). I do have comment moderation up (for every post, not just this one), but every comment will be posted.

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudetsky

2012-01-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudetsky
"Justin has two goals for sophomore year: to date Chuck, the hottest boy in school, and to become the king of Cool U, the table in the cafeteria where the "in" crowd sits.

Unfortunately, he has the wrong look (short, plump, Brillo-pad curls), he has the wrong interests (Broadway, chorus violin), and he has the wrong friends (Spencer, into Eastern religions, and Mary Ann, who doesn't shave her armpits). And Chuck? Well, he's not gay; he's dating Becky, a girl in chorus with whom Justin is friendly.

But Justin is determined.

In detention one day (because he saw Chuck get it first), Justin comes up with a perfect plan: to allow Becky to continue dating Chuck, whom Becky's dad hates. They will pretend that Becky is dating Justin, whom Becky's dad loves. And when Becky and Justin go out on a fake date, Chuck will meet up with them for a real date with Becky. Chuck's bound to find Justin irresistable, right? What could go wrong?"- summary from Amazon

OK so I really need to read summaries before starting a book because I had no idea this was a gay novel until I started reading it. No joke, I re-read the first page just to be sure that it was a male narrator commenting on wanting a boyfriend. This of course made me really want to read the novel even more so than before.

Anyway, this is the kind of book I'd like to write- a hilarious, sarcastic, compelling book about a gay protagonist navigating through high school. I was so happy to see so much humor in the book (pretty much a laugh a page, if not more) because while I love all the gay teen books I've read, there aren't that many that are also hilarious.

I loved how Rudetsky wrote Justin and Spencer's friendship- it felt realistic, and it was nice to see two gay guys just being friends. Reading about their friendship and inside jokes and rituals was really fun and kept the pages turning. What also kept me compelled was the whole comedy of errors going on as Justin went through fake-dating Becky to try real-dating Chuck.

Overall, a fantastic YA debut and I really hope Rudetsky writes more!

FTC: Received e-galley from Netgalley. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Signing Recap- Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

I was so happy to be able to attend Marissa Meyer's signing in Chapel Hill, NC on January 6. There was a slight hiccup when I accidentally missed my turnoff for the interstate, but then another junction came up a few miles down the road, which put me just an exit ahead of where I had to get off! I stopped at McDonald's for dinner, then went off in search of Flyleaf Books, which was in a small plaza with a couple other places. But seriously, Flyleaf Books is a HUGE place- they even have a separate room for signing events (half of which is taken up by the used books section). Before taking my seat (I was like half an hour early), I read through the extra material in the paperback of Bossypants by Tina Fey which made me chuckle, and browsed the YA section.

Then I headed in and took a seat near the front and continued reading Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan while more people trickled in. I also took a picture of the speaking area because I had a feeling I'd be too scared to take a picture once Marissa was up there. I always feel awkward taking pictures of authors when they're reading or doing a QnA- does anyone else feel that way? Anyway, one of the booksellers came in and gave a great introduction and then Marissa was at the podium. She talked a bit about how Cinder came about, read a couple pages (she asked us to pick a number before page 150 and she would read starting from that point), then did a QnA. There were some great questions. By the way, the whole time Marissa was talking, I kept thinking she was like a cross between Sarah Rees Brennan and Molly Shannon- looks and personality-wise.

Once she was done with the QnA, people lined up to get their books signed. I waited a few minutes then got in line. Marissa was really nice and I gave her my business card to help introduce myself and she was like "I know you! You've been tweeting about this event!" We talked a bit about how I've come down to Chapel Hill/Raleigh quite a few times for book events and how this is such a great book community. There's a lot of great indie bookstores down there.

Afterward, I browsed throughout the whole store and while in the Used Books section, I overheard Marissa talking with some other people about how she needs a better phrase to write when signing for boys. She currently had "May all your ever afters come true!" (or something like that) which she thought was a bit too feminine. I later tweeted her with "May you grow cyborg arms with weapons and be happy." because there had been a young boy who had asked if any of the cyborgs in the book had weapons. So it seems fitting. Anyway, just a lovely event and I'm so glad I went!

Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani
"Can you find love when you think you already have it?

Shalini is new to L.A. Not new like from New York City new—or even Kansas new. New like from India new. And in the U.S., she has it all wrong: the way she dresses, the way she talks, the way she wears her hair. And then there is the ring, which makes her way different from everyone else—because Shalini has been engaged since she was three to Vikram, back in India.

Shalini’s life has been turned upside down. She doesn’t fit in, her mom is depressed, and email is no substitute for being with Vikram.

But when she meets Toby at school, Shalini’s heart gets turned upside down, too. Just looking at Toby makes her stomach flutter. She thinks she loves Vikram, but he never made her feel like this.

In Lovetorn, Shalini discovers that your heart ultimately makes its own choices, even when it seems as if your destiny has already been chosen."- summary from Amazon

This book was really interesting; I don't think I've ever read a book from an Indian's point of view. I thought the author did a great job writing Shalini's character and incorporating the Indian culture, including the arranged marriage (though, like it says in the book, that's not really done much now and is part of an older culture). Because of my unfamiliarity, this story was a breath of fresh air. I really liked Shalini's voice and she made the book fun to read. I feel like I didn't put it down all that often because I was interested to see what Shalini would be experiencing next now that she was in America.

I also really liked Daswani's inclusion of depression in the storyline and it rang true. I can only imagine what it's like to be uprooted from your home country and plopped down in another so far away, especially when you no choice in the matter. Daswani did a great job including it in the storyline and giving the mother a journey of her own to go through, along with the rest of the family's reactions and concerns to it.

I had a bit of a problem with the romance aspect of the book. We barely see Shalini with either boy, and so I never really got a connection with either one. Both boys were nice, but there wasn't much screen time for either. Vikram is only heard from through phone and email every so often, and Toby doesn't come into the story until halfway through the novel. So I didn't really buy that Shalini was in love with him. I think one of the problems regarding that was because the timeline was over a couple months, but it was crammed into 100 pages so it felt rushed to me.

Overall though, a promising debut and it is a cute book with some depth to it. I'd suggest a library read. Plus, yay for people of color on and in books! :)

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard
"Ryan spends most of his time alone at the local waterfall because it's the only thing that makes him feel alive. He's sixteen, post-suicidal, and trying to figure out what to do with himself after a stint in a mental hospital. Then Nicki barges into his world, brimming with life and energy, and asking questions about Ryan's depression that no one else has ever been brave enough - or cared enough - to ask. Ryan isn't sure why he trusts Nicki with his darkest secrets, but that trust turns out to be the catalyst that he desperately needs to start living again."- summary from Amazon

I loved Hubbard's debut and have been eagerly awaiting to read her next book, which was just as amazing as her debut. Ryan is a great main character and I liked getting to know him throughout the course of the book as he opened up to himself and also to Nicki. They had an emotional journey together and Hubbard did a great job writing their interactions and giving them chemistry.

The prose is very atmospheric and it felt much like the cover- a bit... I can't even find the right word but the tone and color of the cover really matches the tone inside. It helped me really get into and understand Ryan's mindset. Hubbard does a phenomenal job getting down a boy's voice just right, like she did in The Secret Year; it never felt wrong or fake to me.

Overall, a fantastic follow-up to The Secret Year and I'm anxious to see what she gives us next!

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Meandering Monday- Best Books of 2011 Part 2

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the final 5 titles in my Best Books of 2011 list! This is in order of publication date, not by which I liked better because that would be too hard to choose!

Shine by Lauren Myracle
"When her former best friend, Patrick, is found near death, tied to the pump of the local gas station, sixteen-year-old loner Cat is forced into action. The local sheriff blames out-of-towners, but Cat knows someone in their tightly-knit Southern community is guilty of the crime. And only she has the will- and the fury fueled by a still raw wound- to find him."-summary from back of ARC

I reviewed Shine here and also interviewed Lauren on the blog!

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

"Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do."- summary from Amazon

I reviewed The Girl of Fire and Thorns here and it has no comments- go show it some love!!

Amplified by Tara Kelly
"When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . . ."- summary from Amazon

I reviewed Amplified here.

Legend by Marie Lu
"What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets."- summary from Amazon

I reviewed Legend here and also participated in the blog tour, where Marie talked all about Day, one of the two narrators!

and finally, the last best book of 2011:

Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble
"Some people spend their whole lives looking for the right partner. Nate Schaper found his in high school. In the eight months since their cautious flirting became a real, heart-pounding, tell-the-parents relationship, Nate and Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. He and Adam are rock solid. Two parts of a whole. Yin and yang.

But when Adam graduates and takes an off-Broadway job in New York--at Nate's insistence--that certainty begins to flicker. Nate's friends can't keep his insecurities at bay, especially when he catches Skyped glimpses of Adam's shirtless roommate. Nate starts a blog to vent his frustrations and becomes the center of a school controversy, drawing ire and support in equal amounts. But it's the attention of a new boy who is looking for more than guidance that forces him to confront who and what he really wants."- summary from Amazon

I reviewed Don't Let Me Go here and also interviewed J.H. on the blog!

and here's the rest of the list of the ones who almost made the cut (with links to my reviews):

1) 13 Gifts by Wendy Mass
2) The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
3) The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
4) Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
5) The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
6) The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
7) Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
8) Diabolical by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Did any of these make your own Best of 2011 list? What other titles did you all enjoy last year?

In My Mailbox- Week of January 8 + Retrospective

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

No vlog this week unfortunately as I have low batteries, so just pictures.

Books Shown:

Picture 1- Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin (ARC, March 2012)
Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John (ARC, April 2012)
Beauty by Lisa Daily (ARC, May 2012)
The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams (hardcover, Jan 2012)
Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral (ARC, Feb 2012)
Trafficked by Kim Purcell (ARC, Feb 2012)
The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George (ARC, March 2012)
Last Rite by Lisa Desrochers with signed bookmarks (ARC, May 2012)

Picture 2- This Time Together by Carol Burnett (library)
Almost Everything by Tate Hallaway (paperback, Feb 2012)
The Cowboy Takes a Bride by Lori Wilde (ARC, April 2012)
Vesper by Jeff Sampson (library)
Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst (library)
Dear Bully by Various Authors (library)
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock swag

and here's my weekly retrospective-

Monday- I posted the first half of my Best Books of 2011 (along with a partial list of books that almost made it) and tomorrow, I'll reveal the final five as well as the rest of the books that almost made the cut.

Tuesday- I reviewed Oopsy Daisy by Lauren Myracle, which is out in stores now!

Wednesday- I reviewed Fracture by Megan Miranda, which will be out in stores January 17.

Thursday- I reviewed Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan, which is out in stores now!

Friday- I unveiled my list of mid-East Coast events that will be updated as often as possible. If you know of any events not on this list that are in the PA/NJ/MD/DC/VA/NC area, please let me know either in the comments or by email.

Saturday- I reviewed Diabolical by Cynthia Leitich Smith, which will be out in stores January 24.

Diabolical by Cynthia Leitich Smith

2012-01-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Diabolical by Cynthia Leitich Smith
"When "slipped" angel Zachary and his werewolf pal, Kieren, arrive under suspicious circumstances to a mysterious New England boarding school, they quickly find themselves in a hellish lockdown with an intriguing assortment of secretive, hand-picked students. Plagued by demon dogs, hallucinatory wall décor, a sadistic instructor, and a legendary fire-breathing monster, will they somehow manage to escape? Or will the devil have his due? Best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith unites heroes from the previous three novels in the Tantalize Series - including Zachary's girl, Miranda, and Kieren's love, Quincie - along with a fascinating cast of all-new characters for a suspenseful, action-packed clash between the forces of heaven and hell."- summary from Amazon

This series just keeps getting better and better! Each book is greater than the last and it started off with a pretty high bar to surpass. I loved seeing all my favorite characters again and especially all of them together, as they were separate in the first two books, then brought together in the third. Now, they have spent time communicating and getting to know each other so there's more of a friendship there.

Smith's prose is fast-paced and funny and I found it hard to put the book down (or, rather, X out of my Adobe Digital Editions which I use to read e-galleys, lol). I really enjoyed the multiple POV, which bounces between Zachary, Kieran and Miranda. Each had their own distinctive voice and it was fun getting to see their side. I also loved any interaction that involved Zachary's angel friend/co-worker (who may be gay? I'm not entirely sure) whose name I unfortunately cannot remember.

Overall, just a fabulous book with an action-filled plotline and an amazing climax with some sweet romance as well. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

FTC: Received e-galley from Netgalley. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Mid-East Coast Book Events!

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

So I realized that so far this year, there's quite a few book events being held in the mid-east coast which almost never happens. But it seems 2012 is bringing a lot of authors that already live in this area, as well as publishers hearing our plea for more book events here (it always surprises me that our nation's capital is left out of a lot of national book tours)!

Anyway, I thought I'd compile a list of events and keep it updated. If you know of any MG/YA events and conferences in the PA/NJ/MD/DC/VA/NC area (I know, a lot of abbreviations), please let me know and I'll update it here! I am also contemplating making a comprehensive list of books events everywhere in the US but I would need a TON of help with that so for now, I'm keeping it to this 6-state radius.

Thursday, January 19 at 5pm- Jay Asher (13 Reasons Why, The Future of Us) and Carolyn Mackler (The Future of Us)
Bethesda Library (sponsored by Politics and Prose)
7400 Arlington Rd
Bethesda, MD

Friday, January 20 at 7pm- Miranda Kenneally (Catching Jordan)
Barnes & Noble
1035 Emmet St.
Charlottesville, VA

Saturday, January 21 at 12pm- Megan Miranda (Fracture)
Barnes and Noble
8725 Townley Road
Huntersville, NC 28078

Saturday, January 21 at 2pm- Miranda Kenneally (Catching Jordan)
Fountain Bookstore
1312 E. Cary St
Richmond, VA

Monday, January 23 at 7pm- Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman (Why We Broke Up)
Quail Ridge Books & Music
3522 Wade Ave
Raleigh, NC 26707

Saturday, January 28 at 3pm- Cate Tiernan (Immortal Beloved and Darkness Falls)
Quail Ridge Books & Music
3522 Wade Ave
Raleigh, NC 26707

Saturday, January 28 at 1pm- Miranda Kenneally (Catching Jordan)
Barnes & Noble
11500 Midlothian Tpke
Richmond, VA

Saturday, January 28 at 1pm- K.M. Walton (Cracked)
Books-A-Million
Exton Mall
Exton, PA

Saturday, February 4 at 1pm- Jennifer R. Hubbard (Try Not to Breathe)
Children's Book World
17 Haverford Station Rd.
Haverford, PA

Saturday, February 4 at 2pm- Jodi Meadows (Incarnate)
Books-A-Million
1925 East Market Street Harrisonburg, VA 22801
(540) 434-1670

Saturday, February 11 at 6pm- Jessica Spotswood (Born Wicked)
SOVA
1359 H Street NE
Washington, DC

Saturday, February 11 at 3pm- Beth Revis (A Million Suns) and Megan Miranda (Fracture)
Malaprops Bookstore
55 Haywood St
Asheville, NC
(828) 254-6734

Tuesday, February 14 at 1pm- Amy Brecount White (Forget-Her-Nots)
U.S. Botanical Garden
100 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington DC

Thursday, February 16 at 5pm- Beth Revis (A Million Suns), Andrea Cremer (Bloodrose), Marie Lu (Legend), and Jessica Spotswood (Born Wicked)
Bethesda Library (sponsored by Politics and Prose)
7400 Arlington Rd
Bethesda, MD

Saturday, February 18 at 4pm- Beth Revis (A Million Suns), Andrea Cremer (Bloodrose), Marie Lu (Legend), and Jessica Spotswood (Born Wicked)
Towne Center Book & Cafe
220 Plaza Drive, Suite B-3
Collegeville, PA (near Philadelphia)

Sunday, February 19 2012 at 4pm- Beth Revis (A Million Suns), Andrea Cremer (Bloodrose), Marie Lu (Legend), and Jessica Spotswood (Born Wicked)
Doylestown Bookshop
16 S. Main St
Doylestown, PA

Thursday, February 23 at 7pm- Jordan Sonnenblick (Curveball)
Quail Ridge Books & Music
3522 Wade Ave
Raleigh, NC 26707

Friday, February 24 at 7pm- Kim Harrison (Madison Avery series)
Books-a-Million
Arundel Mills
7000 Arundel Mills Circle
Hanover, MD

Thursday, March 1- Beth Revis (A Million Suns) and others
Malaprops Bookstore
55 Haywood St
Asheville, NC
(828) 254-6734

Sunday, March 4 at 3pm- Lauren Oliver (Delirium, Pandemonium)
Quail Ridge Books & Music
3522 Wade Ave
Raleigh, NC 26707

Saturday, March 10 at 4pm- Jessica Spotswood (Born Wicked) and Miranda Kenneally (Catching Jordan)
One More Page Books
2200 N Westmoreland Street #101
Arlington, VA

Tuesday, March 13 at TBD- Ally Carter (Out of Sight, Out of Time) and Rachel Hawkins (Spell Bound)
Bethesda Public Library
7400 Arlington Rd
Bethesda, MD 20814

Wednesday, March 14 at 7pm- Ally Carter (Out of Sight, Out of Time) and Rachel Hawkins (Spell Bound)
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
210 Commerce Blvd
Fairless Hills, PA 19030

Friday, March 16 at 7pm- Ally Carter (Out of Sight, Out of Time) and Rachel Hawkins (Spell Bound)
Children’s Book World
17 Haverford Station
Haverford, PA 19041

Saturday, March 17 at 3pm- Ally Carter (Out of Sight, Out of Time) and Rachel Hawkins (Spell Bound)
Quail Ridge Books & Music
3522 Wade Ave
Raleigh, NC 26707

Thursday, March 29- Josh Berk (Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator)
Upper Dublin (PA) Public Library - More info TBA

Saturday, April 7 at 2pm- Josh Berk (Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator)
Barnes & Noble
2960 Center Valley Pkwy Ste 742
Center Valley, PA

Saturday, August 4 at 11am (to 3pm)- Cyn Balog (Starstruck, Touched) and many others!
Palmer Library
Easton, PA

Thursday, August 30 at TBD- Jay Asher (13 Reasons Why, The Future of Us)
Bristol Public Library
Bristol, VA

Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan
"Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite som drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave.

She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?"- summary from Amazon

I really enjoyed the first book in this series because I don't read many books about regular immortals. It's a bit of a breath of fresh air. Plus, Nas is a great main character with a great sense of humor. I really enjoy reading about her adventures, both present and past. I liked seeing the glimpses into her past and how it shaped her to be who she is.

The climax of the book is very action-filled and I had so much trouble putting it down. Tiernan really knows how to pace the plot and keep the action moving along at a good clip. It's almost 400 pages, but it felt much shorter.

Overall, a great sequel and I'm really excited to see how the trilogy wraps up in the final book (which will hopefully be out later this year, even though this one was pushed back due to cover change, but that was a good choice because the old cover looked like an 80s VC Andrews cover.).

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Fracture by Megan Miranda

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Fracture by Megan Miranda
"Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine -despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?"- summary from Amazon

Oh my goodness, this was a really good book. I liked the element of magical realism Miranda included, with Delaney's new ability. But the main amazing thing was how Miranda handled Delaney trying to fit back into her old life. It just felt so realistic seeing how she interacted with her friends and family and how they interacted with her as she adjusted back to life. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Delaney and Decker; it was written really well and I could feel how awkward it was at times and also just how awesome their friendship was too. I also liked seeing Delaney deal with Troy as she navigated her new abilities; it brought up some interesting issues about life and death.

Overall, just an amazing debut and I'm looking forward to what Miranda writes next.

Check out the Fracture Facebook page for a chapter sampler, book event list, and other exclusive content!

FTC: Received ARC from my friend Susan (http://www.wastepaperprose.com). Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Oopsy Daisy by Lauren Myracle

2012-01-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Oopsy Daisy by Lauren Myracle
"Life for the Flower Power girls is never boring. Milla, still madly in crush with sweet Max, wonders if it’s time—dun dun dun!—for the two of them to actually HOLD HANDS. Eeek! Katie-Rose, on the other hand, can’t help but wonder when—or if—she will ever be crush-worthy, especially since the only boy to pay her any attention is pesky, annoying Preston, whose favorite pastime is throwing erasers at Katie-Rose’s head. Violet, however, has bigger issues than boys on her mind. Her mom is finally scheduled to be discharged from the psychiatric hospital where she’s been undergoing treatment, but what if her homecoming doesn’t go as planned? Luckily, Yasaman has a foolproof plan for distracting her friends from their worries. The targets: beloved teachers Mr. Emerson and Ms. Perez, who are meant for each other, even if they don’t know it. The goal: to bring those lovebirds together at their school’s “Kids Night In,” a teacher-chaperoned evening of fun, fabulosity, and possibly even romance . . ."- summary from Amazon

The third book in the Flower Power series is just as awesome as the first two. I simply flew through this book and had problems putting it down. Myracle's prose is fun and easy to read, and I love reading from each girl's different perspective. There's a lot of emphasis on boys and romance in this book, but there's some great chapters from Violet's point of view that deal with her emotions regarding her mom being back home from the psychiatric hospital. Those sections were really poignant to read and I think Myracle did a wonderful job making it realistic.

Overall, I can't say enough good things about Myracle's books and this middle-grade series in particular. I heard that this will just be a quartet, which means only one book left but I do hope more get written. These characters are so much fun to hang out with that I don't want to have to say goodbye to them!

FTC: Received hardcover from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Meandering Monday- Best Books of 2011 Part 1

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

OK, so I've finally compiled my Top 10 books of 2011 (I had to narrow it down from 26 titles), in order of publication date rather than importance because I could not do that. Here are 5 of the 10 (with links to my reviews after each one), the rest will be revealed next Monday. I'll also include a list afterward of books that almost made the cut because I want to showcase them as well.

1)
Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart
"Ruby Oliver is in love. Or it would be love, if Noel, her real live boyfriend, would call her back. But Noel seems to have turned into a pod-robot lobotomy patient, and Ruby can’t figure out why.

Not only is her romantic life a shambles:
Her dad is eating nothing but Cheetos,
Her mother’s got a piglet head in the refrigerator,
Hutch has gone to Paris to play baguette air guitar,
Gideon shows up shirtless,
And the pygmy goat Robespierre is no help whatsoever.

Will Ruby ever control her panic attacks?
Will she ever understand boys?
Will she ever stop making lists?
(No to that last one.)"- summary from Amazon

My review can be found here. You can also listen to/watch me read an excerpt from the book here.

2)
Leverage by Joshua Cohen
"The football field is a battlefield

There's an extraordinary price for victory at Oregrove High. It is paid on-and off-the football field. And it claims its victims without mercy-including the most innocent bystanders.

When a violent, steroid-infused, ever-escalating prank war has devastating consequences, an unlikely friendship between a talented but emotionally damaged fullback and a promising gymnast might hold the key to a school's salvation.

Told in alternating voices and with unapologetic truth, Leverage illuminates the fierce loyalty, flawed justice, and hard-won optimism of two young athletes."- summary from Amazon

My review can be found here.

3)
Clarity by Kim Harrington
"When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?"- summary from Amazon

My review can be found here. I also read an excerpt and interviewed the author!

4)
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
"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, and it is only their incredible strength, love and hope that pull Lina and her family through each day. But will love be enough to keep them alive?"- summary from Amazon

My review can be found here.

5)
I Am J by Cris Beam
""Hola, Jeni."

J spun. His stomach clenched hard, as though he'd been hit. It was just the neighbor lady, Mercedes. J couldn't muster a hello back, not now; he didn't care that she'd tell his mom he'd been rude. She should know better. Nobody calls me Jeni anymore.

J always felt different. He was certain that eventually everyone would understand who he really was: a boy mistakenly born as a girl. Yet as he grew up, his body began to betray him; eventually J stopped praying to wake up a "real boy" and started covering up his body, keeping himself invisible - from his family, from his friends...from the world. But after being deserted by the best friend he thought would always be by his side, J decides that he's done hiding - it's time to be who he really is. And this time he is determined not to give up, no matter the cost."- summary from Amazon

You can read my review here. I also read an excerpt and had the author by for an interview and guest blog!

And now, 8 books that didn't make the cut but were very close (the other 8 books will be revealed next week)!

1) Divergent by Veronica Roth
2) Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern
3) Hourglass by Myra McEntire
4) Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
5) Forgotten by Cat Patrick
6) Wildefire by Karsten Knight
7) Want to Go Private by Sarah Darer Littman
8) Misfit by Jon Skovron

Do you agree so far with my picks? What were your favorite books of 2011? Any guesses as to what books will show up next week?

Author Interview- J.H. Trumble

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

1) How did you come up with the idea for Don't Let Me Go?

DLMG came about in stages, so I’ll address your question that way, if you don’t mind.

Stage 1: My friend Alissa Wood and I decide we’re going to write our novels if it kills us. I jump in; she gets married, opens a library, and has a baby. I think we both did pretty well.

Stage 2: I ask myself what I’m passionate about. The answer is easy: the right to love the person of your choice.

Stage 3: Books are about conflict, and I really don’t want this to be the kind of gay story that’s all about fighting homophobia. Homophobia definitely plays a roll, but for me, this story is more about internal conflict, and not about sexual orientation.

On a walk one day I get to thinking about a young man whose story just broke my heart a few years earlier. I think about the things he said in interviews about everyone knowing what happened to him, and I think about how much pain he must have been in to take his own life a few years after his assault. Then I wonder about how things might have played out differently if he’d had someone like Adam who knew what others didn’t and fought for him when he couldn’t fight for himself. And thus the driving force behind Nate’s insecurity and fear is born. Here’s a link to the news article that inspired this conflict: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-07-02-cruise-ship-death_N.htm

Stage 4: DLMG, as you probably know now, began as two novels. The first novel ended with high school graduation, the trip to Key West, and Nate’s facing his emotional issues. But then I got to thinking that Adam just graduated, and surely such a talented young man wouldn’t just hang around for a year waiting on Nate to graduate. He had to go to school or work. And when he did, what would happen to Nate. And thus, novel two is born.

Stage 5: For the final piece of this adventure I have to give credit to a young woman who ran a blog— Gossip Candy — a few years ago on which she posted prolifically about American Idol Season 9, everything Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. I spent hours that summer scrolling through her GIFS and hilariously captioned photos. Her humor definitely influences the character of Danial. Sadly, the blog is down now.

2) What is your writing process like? Do you have any rituals that you have to do to get in the mood, or do you just sit down and write?

I don’t like a lot of clutter when I write— it clutters my brain — so I tend to clean first. Beyond that, it’s all about word count. I’m a stickler for getting work done when I’m working on a novel. Even if I go over my goal one day, I don’t give myself any slack the next. Five days a week until I’m done. I’ll jot down the word count where I need to end my day, and I work until I’m done. I do take breaks when I need to think. Sometimes I clean something or take a walk, but I’m working through what’s coming next when I do. It helps to leave myself a few notes at the end of a work day about where I want to go next. Sometimes it’s whole paragraphs or dialog. After a while, I find myself thinking three or four scenes ahead and the notes that go with those thoughts.

3) What are you currently working on now? Can you tell us anything about it?

I just finished the big edits on a novel titled Where You Are. It’s scheduled for a 2012 release (probably December). I wrote it this summer, and I’ve been tweaking it since. It’s about a 24-year-old teacher who falls for one of his senior calculus students, a young man who is dealing with his conflicted feelings about his dad’s death. The story is told in alternating viewpoints. I’m very excited about this one.

I have a third novel on the books for 2013. I already have one in the wings (Luke’s story), but I’m also about to start something new. I THINK this new story will be about a young man who is still dealing with the disappearance of his younger sister years ago. I’m not sure where this one is going, but I have a number of scenes in mind, and I can’t wait to get started! Not sure which novel will be pubbed next.

4) What is your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor (or flavors, if you're so inclined)?

I love jelly beans! Definitely NOT popcorn or licorice. Beyond that, I haven’t met a Jelly Belly I didn’t love. My favorite, though, is probably pineapple. I love the tropical fruits. Everyone, feel free to send me jelly beans!

5) You did a wonderful job writing about the ache and pain a couple goes through being long-distance. Did you ever have a long-distance relationship? If not, how did you write about it so convincingly?

Been there, done that. When I was twenty, I was engaged to be married to a hometown boy that I actually met at Texas A&M. We even had our engagement photo made for the newspaper. I was totally gaga over him. I dropped out of school and got a job. The plan was that I’d work while he got his graduate degree in nuclear engineering or something like that. As a result of my decision, I was also estranged from my parents and soon living on my own for the first time.

We were living about two hours apart. Anyway, it didn’t take too long before I started getting that feeling that something was amiss. I was a crazy person for a while, especially after my suspicions were confirmed. We broke up. He made a half-assed attempt to get back together. Even his mom called me. But that was a betrayal I just couldn’t get past after everything I’d given up. And frankly, he just didn’t try hard enough. If he had, my life might have turned out completely different. So, Michael, thanks for being such a jerk!

So, I understand crazy. I pulled heavily from that experience.

6) Since you have no bio on your website or facebook (at least, not that I could find, and which made it difficult to come up with questions), can you tell us 3 interesting/random things about yourself?

I’m so mysterious! Ha ha. And since you know so little about me, I’ll give you five things.

I still have the baton I twirled with in high school, and every now and then I take it out for a spin or two.

I used to be a teacher, and once I wrote an article about leaving the profession. To my surprise it was published as the lead article in the Diversions section of the Houston Chronicle and almost cost me my job a few months early.

I always take the lead on group projects (I’m bossy like that!), and once wrote a reader’s theater on Charlotte’s Web, which included songs to the tune of the Gilligan’s Island theme and the song the mice sing on Babe. It was awesome, though my group didn’t quite get it and the performance was somewhat lacking. I also choreographed a dance for my school’s annual chili cook-off. I shanghaied some colleagues and we put on a performance to The Village People’s “Macho Man.” It was quite a show ;)

My daughter is gay and out. That’s pretty current news. I’m very proud of her and her brother, who took it all in stride.

I have a piano, and my biggest regret in life is that I didn’t stick with piano lessons when I was younger (or older). It takes me forever to learn a piece, and then I play it ad nauseum. I used to be really good at “The Entertainer,” “Fur Elise,” and Chicago’s “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love.”

Meandering Monday- 2012 Reading + Other Goals

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today is just going to be a main focus on reading goals but I did also want to include that I want to write more in 2012. I have a WIP I'm currently working on, and my goal for the year is that I'd like to finish that and maybe even another book. Both would at least be first drafts, though I'd hope to have some time to revise both. If anyone wants to help encourage me and also hold me accountable for when I don't write, I'd greatly appreciate it. Ideally, I'd like to write a bit at least each weekday, like around 500 words (basically amounts to a page). I will do my best to start today and I'll try to keep you all posted on my progress.

Alrighty, back to reading-

I'd like to read 150 books total this year. I made it to 142 books, though I'd hoped to make it to 145 books, but unfortunately, I've had a terrible cold these past few days which made it difficult to really do much of anything. In terms of debuts, I read 43 debuts this year, which is pretty good. I usually don't have goals for debut novels; I just read a bunch during the year and then end up with a number at the end that I'm happy with, lol.

I tried starting some reading goals each month late last year, but I was only able to complete one of two. The first was catching up on the Iron Fey series, but that was easier because I was doing a blog tour for the fourth book so I HAD to catch up in time for that. My December goal was reading the Hunger Games trilogy, which didn't happen.

So instead of doing it by month, I'm just going to do my best to read these series by the end of the year-

Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins (this should be done by time of movie release, which is on my birthday!)
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
Mortal Instruments series by Cassie Clare
Beautiful Creatures series by Margie Stohl and Kami Garcia

Are there any others I should be on the lookout for? As you can see from Harry Potter and Hunger Games on there, nothing is too popular for me to not have read yet, lol.

I think that's all I've got. Does anyone else have any reading/writing goals for 2012? Share in the comments!

Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith
"Kiss
What Leah did—only she really shouldn’t have—one hot night at a country club party.

Crush
What Leah has—only she really shouldn’t have—on the guy with the green eyes, the guy who is not her perfect boyfriend, the guy who does not fit in her picture-perfect life, the guy her sisters will only mock and her mother will never approve of. Not in a million years.

Collide
What happens when everything you always thought you wanted—having cool friends, being class valedictorian and homecoming queen—runs smack into everything it turns out you really do want.

Kiss. Crush. Collide.
For Leah and Porter, summer is only the beginning."- summary from Amazon

I wasn't terribly impressed with this novel. It was decent enough, but the characters and the story just never took a full shape. Meredith definitely knows how to write love scenes though because those were sizzling but unfortunately I never got more than a lust sort of vibe between Leah and Porter. Also, I never really understood how he was from the "wrong side of the tracks"; I mean, yeah, he worked at the country club but his dad goes there and is somehow connected to it.

Leah's home life, while interesting, never got past the superficiality of it and so I couldn't really connect too well with her on that front. I definitely think there could have been more done to plump that aspect of the book up.

Overall, the book is decent and the author does show promise, but this is definitely a library or paperback type of book.

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Cat Friday (23)

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's Cat Friday again! It's been gone for a while due to lack of time and then my break, but now it's back! Cat Friday is a somewhat-weekly meme that's similar to Presenting Lenore's Cat Tuesday, in which I show off pictures of my cats. You've seen them in videos wandering by but now you can see them more clearly.

I got this picture of Maya mid-yawn and it's just too awesome not to show. Then in the next shot, she's very prim and proper. It's like she knows that the first photo didn't turn out well and wants to make things better.

Hope you guys enjoyed these two shots of a very cute cat!

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

2011-12-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
"Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.

And then every day in between...She's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive...and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process."- summary from Jennifer's website (the only website to have the full summary; everywhere else stops at "few new friends" for some reason)

I love Barnes' Raised by Wolves books (and am eagerly waiting for the third book) and so was excited to read something different from her (I do know she has books out from before RBW, but I don't have time to really read books from several years ago, which is a bit of a shame.). This was an amazing book that I could not put down. It's full of suspense and non-stop action with tons of amazing reveals.

Kali is a great main character full of spunk, sarcasm, and smarts. I also loved pretty much every other character involved in Kali's quest that it's hard to pick favorites. Even pretty minor characters like some of Skylar's brothers were fun to read about. Both Skylar and Bethany were fantastic secondary characters and it was great having them along on the journey. Barnes does a wonderful job with all of her characters, really making them jump out and be real and flawed. I loved it.

I liked the variety of creatures Barnes featured in the book as they're ones not usually found in paranormal and urban fantasy (at least, the ones I've read). I will warn people that this book is fairly gruesome and violent. Action scenes involving killing are pretty well detailed so this may not be for the squeamish.

Overall, an absolutely amazing book, though I'm a bit peeved at something that I felt could have been avoided but it's a spoiler so if you've read the book and want to know what it is, you can talk to me about it. But it is an awesome book otherwise, lol. I also had no idea it was going to be a series but it ends well and I cannot wait for the next book!

FTC: Borrowed ARC from Susan of Wastepaper Prose (after the e-galley I had was archived over a month before release date for no reason and with no warning, so thanks Egmont.). Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Sirenz Book Trailer!

2011-12-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, there's this awesome book that came out from Flux this past July called Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman. If you haven't read it, you need to, and if my recommendation isn't enough, check out this amazing book trailer!

Sirenz is out in stores now as a paperback, with the sequel Sirenz Back in Fashion coming out next June also as a paperback! So it's good for your wallets and your voracious reading!

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten

2011-12-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten
"If there’s an upside to having your heart broken, it’s this: A broken heart makes you brave.

The first day of sophomore year doesn’t go the way Lucy planned. After a summer apart from her boyfriend, she’s ready to greet him with a special surprise and instead gets a shocking one in return: He’s breaking up with her. Beyond devastated, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life.

Enter three stunning girls with the unnatural ability to attract boys and an offer Lucy can’t refuse: They can heal her heart in an instant. And then she’ll be one of them—a member of a sisterhood that is impervious to heartbreak and has access to magic distilled from the tears of brokenhearted boys. But to gain their power, Lucy must get a guy to fall in love with her the old-fashioned way, and then break his heart in the next seven days.

While the sisterhood may need another Heartbreaker, Lucy’s only desire is to get her ex back. But how far is she willing to go, and who is she willing to cross to get what she wants?"- summary from Amazon

I absolutely adored Weingarten's debut, Wherever Nina Lies, which was just so fun, intriguing and so unputdownable, so of course I was eagerly anticipating her follow-up. While I did like the book, it took me a long while to really get engrossed in it. For me, it was kinda lacking that same spark that made her debut such a page-turner. It's not bad or anything, but I just never felt a pull to pick up the book and read it.

Once in the latter half of the book, I was turning pages quickly wanting to know what would happen next and getting really involved in Lucy's story. It's a magical second half that dazzles and has some wonderful twists to it, which leads to a nice ending that makes me want more.

The idea of the Heartbreakers was really cool and I liked how Weingarten set it up and how information was dispensed about them. There was never an info dump; there's a sprinkling throughout the book as Lucy gets further involved and deals with several tests.

Overall, it is a good book, though it does take time to become invested, and I'm still looking forward to more from Weingarten. I highly suggest her debut book to anyone; it's amazing.

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Cover Reveal- Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt!

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

I've got a great cover reveal for you today! It's for Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt, an April 2012 release (tentative) from Entangled Publishing. Let's take a look at this gorgeous cover (you can click on it for a bigger view, I think)):

Doesn't it look amazing?! And the summary looks really good as well-

What if you were mankind’s last chance at survival?

Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger.

But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

You can add the book on GoodReads. So what do you all think? Chosen Ones is the first in a dystopian trilogy.

Waiting on Wednesday- Simon and Schuster 2012

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Here's my second-to-last Waiting on Wednesday for 2011 where I spotlight some 2012 books from each publisher. Previous publishers I've spotlighted are HarperCollins, Scholastic, Little Brown, Penguin, and Hyperion. Today I'm spotlighting Simon and Schuster!

Fever by Lauren DeStefano
My thoughts: I absolutely loved the first book in this trilogy and cannot wait to see what DeStefano comes up with next for Rhine and Gabriel. I hope I get a Galley Grab newsletter with a link to the e-galley soon!! This will be released Feb 21.

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
My thoughts: I really loved Ockler's debut and feel bad that I haven't yet read her second book Fixing Delilah. But I'm very excited for her third book and hope that my library gets a copy in. If you haven't read any of Ockler's books, do so. She's an awesome writer. This will be released Jan 3.

Island of Silence (Unwanteds #2) by Lisa McMann
My thoughts: I love Lisa's books and her new middle-grade fantasy series is just so much fun. I absolutely cannot wait for this new addition to the series and I hope it goes for 7 books like Lisa wants it to. I can't get enough of it. This will be released in September.

The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols
My thoughts: I was a bit sad when this was originally announced as just an e-book because I don't have an e-reader. But then good news! It's being released as a paperback on Feb 7! I love Jennifer's books so much and I absolutely cannot wait to read this book.