ChicaReader

Teen Book Scene: Marni's Awkward Past

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Introducing the author of Awkward, Marni Bates...

My autobiography MARNI (part of HCI's Louder Than Words series) was on the New York Public Library Stuff for the Teen Age 2010 List. I then signed a four book contract with KTeen and my first YA novel AWKWARD comes out January 1, 2012. In my free time I can be found reading romance novels, rollerblading, singing really loudly (and off-key) in public and . . . watching copious amounts of television.

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Onto Marni's book recommendations to her past self...

Marni at age 5: The Magic Treehouse books by Mary Pope Osbourne because Jack and Annie are awesome. Hmm . . . I was obsessed with King Arthur and would read anything magical I could get my hands on. I can't remember any of the specific titles though. My mom read novels aloud to us and she recorded herself doing it. I fell asleep every night listening to my mom read The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett and Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat. I didn't understand a huge chunk of them as a little kid, but I'm so glad I had that experience growing up.

Marni at age 11: I fell in love with Gordon Korman. Some of my favorites are no longer in print (a travesty of epic proportions) but Why Did the Underwear Cross the Road?, No More Dead Dogs, and The Twinkie Squad are all easy to buy. The D- Poems of Jeremy Bloom, I Want to Go Home, and Who is Bugs Potter? are worth the effort to track down.
So. Freaking. Good.

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews is another must read. It completely changed my world view as a kid.

Oh, and I grew up with Harry Potter, which was a really special experience. I felt like the two of us were aging together and even though I'm still miffed that I didn't get my owl, I adore those books. I highly recommend the series, just don't read the final epilogue. It's . . . how should I put this? Grrr!!!

Marni at age 16: Time for some books about girls kicking butt! I love Tamora Pierce! I think she does a fantastic job of writing strong female characters who have important things to deal with (like, you know, saving the world) and who don't rely on men to protect them. Strong heroines are my favorite and Tamora Pierce provides quite a collection of them.

Meg Cabot also writes some really great female leads. Sometimes her heroines start out a little on the weak side, but it's nice to watch them become increasingly assertive and confident. My favorites have to be the Mediator and the 1-800-Where-R-U series. Suze and Jess deal with these crazy intense situations and yet they remain classy and strong. And the guys? Let's just say I've spent more than a few hours swooning over Jesse and Rob.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is amazing but one of the most intense reading experiences of my life. It's a brilliant account of a girl dealing with the aftermath of rape. This novel isn't one you should pick up lightly, but if you think you can handle it, I highly recommend it. Definitely changed my life.

More recent finds: Ally Carter's The Heist Society. Erica O'Rourke's Torn, Jennifer Estep's Touch of Frost, Brigid Kemmerer's Storm (Not yet released), and Nina Berry's Otherkin (Not yet released). All excellent female driven stories that you won't want to put down. (Side note: I only recommend really nice authors, the type who will probably tweet you back if you track 'em down on Twitter. Personally, I find reading a great novel even more rewarding when it's written by a genuinely kind individual. So let's support them by buying their books!)

Marni at age 20: Okay, my recommendations for 16 year olds definitely apply to 20 year olds. In fact, the two are so hard to separate because I really think it depends on the maturity of the reader. So definitely check those out!

That said, I also love romance novels. And even though I started reading them my sophomore year in high school, not everyone feels comfortable with some of the steamy scenes at that age. For those of you who are interested, I want to recommend some real winners.

Tessa Dare. Her books are funny and sexy and absolutely irresistible. My personal favorite has to be A Night to Surrender and I am eagerly awaiting A Week to be Wicked. She's just . . . brilliant. And she's also super sweet in real life. We've chatted over Twitter a few times and I'm making real progress with my fangirl-ing. I now only nearly hyperventilate.

Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Victoria Dahl . . . okay, too many fantastic authors for me to provide a detailed account in one blog post. The Romance Writers of America (RWA) does an excellent job of honoring excellence in the field, so you should check out RITA winners (and nominees) for more ideas once you've read everything I've listed.

Oh, and did I mention Awkward by Marni Bates? I'm pretty fond of that one too. Not that I'm biased or anything . . .

Sincerely,
Marni

Mackenzie Wellesley has spent her life avoiding the spotlight. At Smith High, she's the awkward junior people only notice when they need help with homework. Until she sends a burly football player flying with her massive backpack and makes a disastrous - not to mention unwelcome - attempt at CPR. Before the day is out, the whole fiasco explodes on YouTube. And then the strangest thing happens. Suddenly, Mackenzie is an Internet sensation, with four million hits and counting. Sucked into a whirlwind of rock stars, paparazzi, and free designer clothes, she even catches the eye of the most popular guy at school. And that's when life gets really interesting...

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Thanks to Marni and Teen Book Scene!

LiLi

Winners: Two copies of Cobbogoth

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Factoids: 17 entries, 7 entrants...

Congrats to...

Stacy W. and Holly H.

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway! For those who didn't win, make sure to check out my other giveaway going on right now for Here by Denise Swank.

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: Cobbogoth Teenage Garage Sale

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Introducing the author of Cobbogoth, Hannah L. Clark...

Hannah L. Clark was born and raised in central Utah. She has been creating stories since age four, but used to record her earliest adventures on tape, "DJ Style," on account of the difficulties she faced as a dyslexic. In 2006 she earned her Bachelor's Degree in English from Utah Valley University and shortly thereafter began seriously writing her first novel, Cobbogoth. Hannah currently lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah with her husband, Michael and their son, where she actively seeks to inspire kids and adults by speaking about her experiences of becoming an author in spite of her dyslexia.

Favorite Quote: "Whatever you think you can or can't do, you're right." -Henry Ford

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Onto the author's own teenage garage sale...

No Doubt: Tragic Kingdom CD - $5

Delta High School Rabbit Mascot Uniform (I was the first female mascot in our school. I believe I started a trend.) - $15

Half used bottle of Old Navy perfume - $2

Tie-dyed quilt made by me - $10 (it was my first real sewing project and was a little pathetic, but worked great for sleeping on dirty bus floors on my way home from track meets)

Track spikes - $15

Beatles Anthology cassette tape collection I got from a boy in 8th grade - $5

The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes audio collection - $10

My old paper route carrier bag - $2

My 10-speed bike “Rusty” - $5 (My dad got it from Good Will and fixed it up for the paper route I took on as a 12-year-old)

Favorite copies of—which I would never even think about selling in real life—Jane Eyre, Little Women, and Great Expectations.

Finally, knowing my mom, she probably would’ve turned the yard sale into a full on event and made her town-famous spud nuts, (donuts with mashed potatoes in them—you just have to try them to understand), jubilee-jumbles, and divinity to sale for $.50 apiece.

To seventeen-year-old Norah Lukens, the Cobbogothians were just a myth. But after her archeologist uncle's brutal murder, and being asked to translate one of his old research journals for evidence, she begins a journey to discover the truth for herself.

Chasing the myth her uncle was obsessed with, Norah learns that his murder was a cover up for something far more sinister. If she hopes to save others from suffering the same fate he did--including the peculiarly magnetic James Riley--she must head to Iceland in order to find out the truth once and for all.

If she succeeds, she'll gain the one thing she's always longed for.

But if she fails, not even the gods can help her.

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Thanks to Hannah and Teen Book Scene!

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: Here by Denise Grover Swank Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before.

Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he’s volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can't ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant she’s been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he’s really from.

In order to enter for your own copy paperback of Here, all you have to do is fill out this FORM. Ends March 12th at midnight EST, open to US residents only.

Thanks to Teen Book Scene!

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: Deadly Character Feature

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Introducing the author of Deadly, Julie Chibbaro...

Julie Chibbaro is the author of Deadly (Simon & Schuster 2011), a medical mystery about the hunt for Typhoid Mary. Deadly won the 2011 National Jewish Book Award, and was Top 10 on the American Library Association's Amelia Bloomer Project list. Deadly was named Outstanding Science Trade Book by the National Science Teachers Association for 2012. The novel has received excellent reviews from such journals as The New York Times, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal.

Julie Chibbaro's first book, Redemption (Simon & Schuster 2004), an epic tale of love, kidnapping, and white Indians, won the 2005 American Book Award. In 2013, her new novel, Aurora Borealis & Amazing, will be published by Penguin (Dial BFYR), with drawings by Jean-Marc Superville Sovak.

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Onto Prudence's Character Feature...

My feelings are private. Not for any reason other than I know that I’m not supposed to have them. Especially not when everyone around me has such normal desires: To be the next Gibson girl, to marry Will Stryker and have his babies. I know I’m not normal.

I do love a man, but he is 20 years older than me. I am interested in Gibson girls, but mostly because of what’s inside them. What makes them human.

No, no, that’s not entirely true either. I can’t define my interests so well. I’m not sure who I am, or which path to follow. Does any 16-year-old girl? Mrs. Browning says I should desire to be a governess for a rich family, or a banker’s secretary, but these things don’t appeal to me. I want to open up the world, see inside. How does a heart beat? Why does a stomach rumble? Why do people get sick and die? These are the things I wonder about.

Prudence Galewski doesn’t belong in Mrs. Browning’s esteemed School for Girls. She doesn’t want an “appropriate” job that makes use of refinement and charm. Instead, she is fascinated by how the human body works—and why it fails.

Prudence is lucky to land a position in a laboratory, where she is swept into an investigation of a mysterious fever. From ritzy mansions to shady bars and rundown tenements, Prudence explores every potential cause of the disease to no avail—until the volatile Mary Mallon emerges. Dubbed “Typhoid Mary” by the press, Mary is an Irish immigrant who has worked as a cook in every home the fever has ravaged. But she’s never been sick a day in her life. Is the accusation against her an act of discrimination? Or is she the first clue in solving one of the greatest medical mysteries of the twentieth century?

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Thanks to Julie and Teen Book Scene!

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: Cobbogoth by Hannah L. Clark Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

To seventeen-year-old Norah Lukens, the Cobbogothians were just a myth. But after her archeologist uncle's brutal murder, and being asked to translate one of his old research journals for evidence, she begins a journey to discover the truth for herself.

Chasing the myth her uncle was obsessed with, Norah learns that his murder was a cover up for something far more sinister. If she hopes to save others from suffering the same fate he did--including the peculiarly magnetic James Riley--she must head to Iceland in order to find out the truth once and for all.

If she succeeds, she'll gain the one thing she's always longed for.

But if she fails, not even the gods can help her.

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Thanks to Hannah and Teen Book Scene, I am able to give away two SIGNED copies of Cobbogoth. In order to enter the giveaway, fill out this FORM. Open to US residents and ends on March 3rd at midnight EST.

LiLi

Guest Post: Mary Lowry, the author AND screenwriter

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Introducing the author of The Earthquake Machine, Mary Pauline Lowry...

Mary Pauline Lowry has worked as a forest firefighter, construction worker, open water lifeguard, and advocate in the movement to end violence against women.

She currently works as a novelist, screenwriter, and regular contributor to the Huffington Post.

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Onto the 'screenwriter' guest post...

First I want to thank LiLi for having me guest post here at the fab book blog ChicaReader. She’s asked me to write about my work as a screenwriter.

I am a total accidental screenwriter. I never aspired to write scripts. I’ve always been very driven to be a novelist. But when famous Hollywood producer Bill Mechanic read my yet-to-be-released novel THE GODS OF FIRE (based on my experiences as a forest firefighter) he loved it. So I flew out to LA to meet with him and he decided to option the book for film.

Bill Mechanic and another producer named Suzanne Warren asked me to write the screenplay! I was thrilled, but also nervous. I’d barely even ever read a screenplay, much less tried to write one. But I immersed myself in movies and scripts and started writing. After about a 100 drafts, the script went out to directors. Director Peyton Wilson is now attached to the script, which will soon go out to actors!

One thing I’ve learned is that only 10% of screenwriters of major motion pictures are women. That’s about the same percentage as female forest firefighters! That’s a shocking statistic and one that we as women and girls need to work to change.

I feel very strongly that women should have a chance to have adventures, make art, and get their art out into the world.

For more from Mary Pauline Lowry on women and art, check out her Huff Post article Art & Adventure: a Manifesto for Women and Girls.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-pauline-lowry/art-and-adventure-a-manif_b_933637.html

The book every girl should read; and every girl’s parents hope she’ll never read.

The Earthquake Machine, a fun, fantastical and exhilarating tale, explodes the distinction between Young Adult and adult coming-of-age novels, even as it explores the borders between the United States and Mexico, adolescence and adulthood, male and female, English and Spanish.

The Earthquake Machine tells the story of 14 year-old Rhonda. On the outside, everything looks perfect in Rhonda’s world, but at home Rhonda has to deal with a manipulative father who keeps her mentally ill mother hooked on pharmaceuticals. The only reliable person in Rhonda’s life is her family’s Mexican yardman, Jesús. But when the INS deports Jesús back to his home state of Oaxaca, Rhonda is left alone with her increasingly painful family situation.

Determined to find her friend Jésus, Rhonda seizes an opportunity to run away during a camping trip with friends to Big Bend National Park. She swims to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and makes her way to the border town of Milagros, Mexico. There a kind man named Juan Diego convinces her she won’t be safe traveling alone into the country’s interior. So with the Juan Diego’s help, Rhonda cuts her hair and assumes the identity of a Mexican boy named Angel. She then sets off on a burro across the desert to look for Jesús. Thus begins a wild adventure that fulfills the longing of readers eager for a brave and brazen female protagonist.

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Thank you for the guest post, Mary!

LiLi

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Title: Incarnate
Author: Jodi Meadows

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (January 31, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0062060759
ISBN-13: 978-0062060754

New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Review:

Ana signifies nosoul, alone. No one has ever been there to help Ana or teach her the ways and practices that have existed for thousands of years. Li--Ana's mother and guardian--makes sure she gets as little exposure to the public as possible but when her eighteenth birthday finally arrives, Ana decides to venture to the center of it all; the one place where she might find some answers for her existence, Heart. When she takes a wrong turn and ends up going in the opposite direction of her destination, she's put into a near-death situation but is unexpectedly rescued. Sam saves her, but seeing as how this is the first time anybody has tried caring for Ana, she's understandably hesitant to trust him. One thing binds them together though, music.

With the help of Sam and his friends in Heart, the encompassed white-wall enclosure where most of the population lives in Range, Ana is able to live with him and allowed to explore their libraries to learn more about how the million souls, under the rule of the Council, live.

My first impression of Ana's character was that she had trust issues and questioned everything about the way the oldsouls lived. Ms. Meadows goes into her story head-on but throughout the book, she unveils the reasoning and thought process for Ana's decisions and attitude. I grew to like her brave impulsiveness and polar opposite personality from Sam. She definitely grew into her own person even if she didn't see that herself at first. Sam was a sweet love interest that indulged Ana more than he probably should have. His protective and hesitant nature flourished due to Ana's influence and vice versa. They both developed simultaneously and learned from each other.

I liked reading about the other characters involved in the Ana's life as well. I appreciated their roles and how they reflected on Ana's life but I could also see how their individual lives were part of the million souls.

The secretiveness and distaste behind Ana's existence is evident from the very beginning. Ana's quest to find out more about her raison d'être takes hold of the story's plot line as does the intensity behind her relationship with Sam.

I had some problems while going through the book because I wanted more of the technological background for the oldsouls, less to do with their feuds with dragons and all the other mystical creatures and more about how they live, what their individual jobs are, how the Council makes its decisions and keeps track of everything. All of these elements are mentioned but never truly gone into depth about. The only truth given for Heart's creation was that a being named Janan supposedly built it for the humans that were being reincarnated. And what bothered me the most was the mysterious structure that stuck out like a sore thumb in the book: the temple. We only get the answers and reason behind the temple's creation towards the end of the book and even though, I was so confused I was getting wrinkles. All the answers that Ms. Meadows was trying to give at the end had too many gaps and just left me frustrated and wanting to shake the book--in this case, my Kindle--for more thorough explanations.

Another smaller issue I had a problem with was how the climate and time-telling inside heart was different than outside the walls. This also leads to my problem with how one year is called the Year of Drought, the next the Year of Souls. There's no explanations for the cycles or when they know another Year of Souls is coming up.

I will be reading the sequel for Incarnate just to follow along and see if I can get some answers to my questions and that will be what determines if I read the rest of the Newsoul series. I do recommend picking up Incarnate because of its originality and new twist on the ever-growing popularity of the dystopian genre.

Grade: C

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Source: Netgalley

LiLi

Waiting On Wednesday (12)

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on...

Title: Vessel
Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (September 11, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1442423765
ISBN-13: 978-1442423763

In a desert land where serpents made of unbreakable glass fly through the sky and wolves made of only sand hunt within storms, Liyana is destined to be a vessel, to sacrifice herself so that her clan's goddess can inhabit her body... but her goddess never comes.

Title: Thief's Covenant
Author: Ari Marmell
Series: A Widdershins Adventure, #1

Hardcover: 273 pages
Publisher: Pyr (February 14, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1616145471
ISBN-13: 978-1616145477

Once she was Adrienne Satti. An orphan of Davillon, she had somehow escaped destitution and climbed to the ranks of the city's aristocracy in a rags-to-riches story straight from an ancient fairy tale. Until one horrid night, when a conspiracy of forces—human and other—stole it all away in a flurry of blood and murder.

Today she is Widdershins, a thief making her way through Davillon's underbelly with a sharp blade, a sharper wit, and the mystical aid of Olgun, a foreign god with no other worshippers but Widdershins herself. It's not a great life, certainly nothing compared to the one she once had, but it's hers.

But now, in the midst of Davillon's political turmoil, an array of hands are once again rising up against her, prepared to tear down all that she's built. The City Guard wants her in prison. Members of her own Guild want her dead. And something horrid, something dark, something ancient is reaching out for her, a past that refuses to let her go. Widdershins and Olgun are going to find answers, and justice, for what happened to her—but only if those who almost destroyed her in those years gone by don't finish the job first.

Both have such amazing covers and awesome synopsis!

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: Author of Here This or That List!

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Introducing the author of Here, Denise Grover Swank...

Denise is a single mom who lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri raising five of her six kids. (The oldest has gone off to live on his own.) She loves to embarrass her children whether it be spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen or making her teens’ friends think she’s funny/cool. *gasp* (Even if its in her own mind.) On rare occasions, she is known to post stories about her crazy life on her family blog There’s Always Room for One More.

She keeps her sanity by creating worlds to escape to and characters to hang out with.

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Onto the author This or That list...

Chocolate or Peanut butter?

Chocolate

Hot summer days or Cold winter nights?

Cold winter nights—better for snuggling

Hand- or Type-writing?

Type. My handwriting is nearly eligible and my fingers can’t keep up when I’m writing a first draft.

Twitter or Facebook?

Oh, hard one. It depends on my mood but lately I’m on Facebook more

Heating Blanket or Snuggie?

Heating blanket. My kids gave.

Most influential: School education or Life experience?

Life. Some things you just have to learn for yourself.

Blog or Journal?

Blog. I used to regularly post on my family blog, There’s Always Room for One More, until I began writing seriously two years ago. Now I have to drop in and clean out the cobwebs.

Road trip or Air plane?

Airplane. I’d rather get there faster and have someone else in charge of getting me to my destination.

Dogs or cats?

Dogs. I’m total dog person. I have two—a Yorkie named Fifi and a Maltese named Bella.

Ideal home: Big metropolitan house or Small rural cottage?

Rural cottage. As long as there’s a Starbucks close by. LOL

Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before.

Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he’s volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can’t ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant she’s been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he’s really from.

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Thanks to Denise and Teen Book Scene!

LiLi

CtDfY's Not-To-Be-Missed Dance Video

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:59:00 +0000

For your viewing pleasure, a special dance video dedicated to Gail Sobat's Chance to Dance for You release...

Thank you, Gail, for letting me know about this amazing performance!

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: CtDfY Jess's This or That List!

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Introducing the author of Chance to Dance for You, Gail Sidonie Sobat...

Gail Sidonie Sobat...is a witch at heart, a pirate in her dreams, and a gypsy in practice. She has assumed any number of disguises in her lifetime, including that of teacher, adjunct professor, woman-in-black, professional actor and singer, grounds keeper, flag girl, parimutuel seller and flower seller. She is the creator/ coordinator of YouthWrite, a camp for kids who love to write, a teacher at the University of Alberta Hospital School, an instructor in the University of Alberta Faculty of Education, and the Canadian Authors Association (Alberta Chapter) Writer-in-Residence. She has moved twenty-seven times in her life from Badlands to Siksika Nation Reserve to hideous suburbs to Istanbul to the Sunshine Coast to her writer’s garret in a near-century-old temperamental house.

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Onto Jess' This or That List...

Thick milkshake or fruit smoothie?

Fruit smoothie with protein power. I’m an athlete.

Hockey or Football?

Hockey. I’m Canadian, eh? It’s our national game.

NFL or CFL?

CFL!

Work out or Hang out?

Work out. Hanging out is boring. Might as well pump some weights. Work on maintaining the six pack.

Big city or Small town?

Big city. Easier to get lost in the crowd.

Date dessert: Ice cream or Donuts?

Dunno. Chicks like ice cream.

Pass-time: Small backyard football game or Going to the movies?

Football any time the snow’s not on the ground!

Hamburgers or Hot dogs?

Hamburgers. Hot dogs are full of toxic crap.

Text or E-mail?

What’s e-mail? Text!

CDs or iPod/MP3 player?

I don’t even have a CD player. iPod all the way!

Ian lives in a suburb where everything's the same. The houses are the same; the cars are the same; the families are the same; and their aspirations are the same. But Ian is different.

Openly gay in his bigoted high school, Ian doesn’t exactly fit in. But he's not worried— he's been training in dance for a long time and soon he'll be able to leave town and train to become a professional. Then he falls in love with Jess, the high school quarterback.

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Thanks to Gail and Teen Book Scene!

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: Chance to Dance for You by Gail Sidonie Sobat

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Title: Chance to Dance for You
Author: Gail Sidonie Sobat

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Great Plains Teen Fiction (May 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1926531116
ISBN-13: 978-1926531113

Ian lives in a suburb where everything's the same. The houses are the same; the cars are the same; the families are the same; and their aspirations are the same. But Ian is different.

Openly gay in his bigoted high school, Ian doesn’t exactly fit in. But he's not worried— he's been training in dance for a long time and soon he'll be able to leave town and train to become a professional. Then he falls in love with Jess, the high school quarterback.

Review:

Living in the Canadian suburbs has not stopped Ian from thinking of bigger and better things for his dancing career. Ever since he was a tot he hasn't done anything or thought about anything more all-consuming than his dancing. And although the teachers at his high school don't like to talk and rather stay away, they can't ignore the results that incorporating his dance techniques and flexibility exercises helps improve their athletes mobility. When a certain jock takes notice of Ian, it sparks a secret relationship between the two that the former would die to keep.

To start off, the predictability bar was set very high and did not disappoint. I knew what was going to happened before I even read the book. One thing I did not expect was for Chance to Dance for You to be crazy funny and satirical at times. Ian loved to make fun of the jocks, the burbs, his school in general and I loved reading all the names he came up with; they all had their own original twist on the names we hear everyday. I also appreciated the fact that Ian had a separate life that concentrated on his dancing when he started his relationship with Jess. That distraction definitely gave a spin to the book that was needed in order for the plot not become stagnant and solely focused on the secrecy between Ian and Jess.

Since Chance to Dance for You was such a short read, the only issues I had with it was the predictability and the ending. In a lot of ways, these two things coincide and it was the ending that I saw coming and did not enjoy reading at all. I know some may say different, that it's really the reality of homosexuality right now but the way and context in which this book was written set up such high hopes for the reader only to have them come crashing down in two seconds. However, I imagine that's how brief it would take to ruin someone's life, and I understand how the author wanted to illustrate that.

Grade: C

Source: Teen Book Scene

LiLi

Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:02:00 +0000

Title: Overprotected
Author: Jennifer Laurens

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 465 KB
Print Length: 254 pages
Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing (February 9, 2011)
ASIN: B004N637DO

Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.

Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.

Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.

Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.

Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.

Daddy was wrong.

Review:

The reasoning behind Ashlyn's father's--Charles--overprotective nature is what built up the tension for the Adair family from the start. It is only when an "old family friend"--as Ashlyn's mother, Fiona puts it--takes authority of being Ashlyn's bodyguard that things start to go haywire in the family's townhouse on Fifth Avenue.

When Ashlyn Adair started to feel uncomfortable with her bodyguard Stuart, she knew it was time to convince Daddy to let her have her freedom once and for all. But, as per usual, Charles ignores his little girl's wishes--and by this time she's almost eighteen--and decides to hire another bodyguard that'll annoy Ashlyn just as much, Colin Brennen. The strange feeling that Ashlyn gets around Colin hasn't ceased to grow inside her since the last time they saw each other but the bullying that Colin administered when they were younger is particularly unforgettable. This by no means stops Ashlyn from acting out her longing wish of freedom.

Since I've read four other books by Jennifer Laurens and one under her pseudonym J.M. Warwick, and since I loved ALL of them, my expectations were very high. But honestly I was just glad to be able to read another book by her again. When I first read the synopsis for Overprotected, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and when I finally did, it took no longer than two days to breeze through it.

While the romance that slowly kindled between Ashlyn and Colin was passionate and tasteful, I think the core of the plot centered on Ash's familial issues. And there were plenty to be dealt with. All the imperfections that surrounded her didn't deter her determination to fulfill her one wish of freedom. Her love of music and playing the piano with an excellent skill provided the "innocent" quality that others see in her and a humbleness since she doesn't realize her own innocence. For some reason, going into this book, I expected Ashlyn to be more outspoken and rebellious; and while she does rebel against her father when she can find the courage, her subdued demeanor radiates a sense of inborn class. I admired Ashlyn for her individualistic character while in a household that feels more like a cage than a home. Colin wasn't as mischievous as I thought either, but whenever he flashed those intense blue eyes and crooked smile, I could admit to myself that his protective FBI persona was hot.

The writing was not any less addicting than in Ms. Laurens' previous novels, but every once in a while I'd catch myself in the middle of one family argument and had to stop and take note of the impressive manipulative skill that was demonstrated in the conflicting personages of each individual. Charles' irrationality when it came to his daughter's freedom and expression made me reflect on how parents' final decisions can ultimately affect the child--or children--and have their own repercussions.

I would recommend Overprotected for the sole reason that it is by Jennifer Laurens, but for those in need of more persuasion, I'd say to pick up the book because you won't want to miss how one girl separate from the outside world becomes the missing girl everyone in New York is buzzing about.

Grade: B

Source: Amazon Purchase

LiLi

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Title: Scarlet
Author: A.C. Gaughen

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Walker Childrens (February 14, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0802723462
ISBN-13: 978-0802723468

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.

Review:

Even if you don't know anything about the Robin Hood legend, Scarlet will introduce you to a point in history where a revered King--King Richard I--wasn't always in his homeland and his jealous brother Prince John essentially ruled and taxed the lands. It's the taxing that sets off a specific detail in the "Robin Hood" lore that remains constant in all variations of the story. He takes from the wealthy and gives to the poor. This interpretation of Robin Hood was so well though-out and had such heart-wrenching characters that it was difficult to hold myself back from learning everything I possibly could about Robin Hood and his men--in this case specifically, his "boys." This creative portrayal of his story was told through the eyes of "mysterious and moody" Will Scarlet, Robin's closest friend. Scarlet particularly focused on the teenage years of Hood's life and incorporated original back stories for some of the legendary "boys" known to be in Hood's circle.

As the protagonist for this book, Scarlet was truly an interesting and decidedly stubborn character to read about. Right off the bat I could understand what Scarlet was going through at different intervals of the book and I liked that her background remained a mystery until she was prepared to reveal herself to her band mates. Her difficulty to hide who she was from most of the people she helped was a constant I enjoyed reading about. It made more of empathetic character to think that she did all these things, gave all this hope to an overly-taxed town and still remained but a visually fleeting glimpse in the people's memory. The only problem I had with Scarlet was that I wished she'd defend who she was and how she felt more clearly to her "brothers" because I would have liked to have seen their reciprocating reactions. Also her diction was something I had to get used but had trouble looking over because for every incorrect use of "were" instead of "was", I always had to backtrack and waste time trying to understand clearly what the heck she meant.

However, in spite of this, I appreciated the easy-flowing plot and wide cast of characters, not only the boys but the people of Nottingham and the surrounding towns at the time. The villains in this re-telling had a front-stage presence in the book because they were never too far from anyone's mind and consistently inspired fear. As characters, the Sheriff of Nottingham and the thief-taker he hires, Guy of Gisbourne, were both well depicted and gruesomely terrifying. The love triangle between Robin, John and Scarlet starts somewhat instantaneously and I could see from the start that it was a bit of a domino-effect; one loved the other who loved the other. The internal conflicts were more interesting as tension was built, decisions were made, and uncertainties arose. The climax and brilliant ending will serve their purpose to incite pathos in the reader and establish a credible ground for any of Gaughen future works.

Grade: B+

e-galley Source: Netgalley

LiLi

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:35:00 +0000

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on...

Title: Endure
Author: Carrie Jones
Series: Need, #4

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (May 8, 2012)
ISBN-10: 159990554X
ISBN-13: 978-1599905549

It's all-out war (and no-holds-barred romance) in the climactic conclusion to Carrie Jones's bestselling series.

Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet.

Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king...

Unexpected turns, surprising revelations, and one utterly satisfying romantic finale make Endure a thrilling end to this series of bestsellers.

I love the Need series! Really want to see Zara dump Nick...

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: Untraceable Cover Post

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Introducing author of Untraceable, S.R. Johannes...

Shelli Johannes-Wells started out writing for her local school paper, winning a state Nutrition essay contest for “Be a Smart Cookie”, and singing in a local Jazz band. Somewhere along the way, she earned an MBA in Marketing and embarked on an 18-year marketing career in Corporate America working as a marketing and communications consultant.

In 2000, Shelli traded in her expensive suits, way-too high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She started her own marketing & communications business, www.bilaninc.com, and continues creating materials for a variety of large profit and nonprofit clients, including Spanx, Goody Hair Products, Chick Filet, Delta, CARE, and the Boys & Girls Club of America.

Shelli’s dream is to publish children’s books and magically imprint the imaginations of kids. In addition to juggling nap schedules while attending client meetings, Shelli focuses on her writing. She is a frequent marketing speaker at SCBWI conferences across the U.S and runs a popular marketing blog, Market My Words (www.faeriality.blogspot.com) where she provides marketing advice for authors in the hopes of helping them better market their words.

In her spare time (yeah right!) and if the kids allow (yeah right!), Shelli obsesses over movies, reads children’s books (over and over), wishes she could squeeze in Bikram Yoga sessions, and dreams of sleeping in on the weekends.

She currently lives in Atlanta with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess that someday will change the world.

Onto the Cover Post...

Ever since I started writing Untraceable, I had a very specific concept in mind. A girl hiding in the woods. It was important to me to use a real life model. I wanted the reader to feel like they were in the woods with Grace. I wanted it to contrast the dark books out there with bright greenery yet still needed a feeling of suspense to come across.

I hired Vania at VLCphoto.net to shoot the cover because I love her trailers and her photography.

I wanted an original concept to grab people. Stock photo just would not do it for me and I knew Vania would breathe life into my book.

The minute I saw the model’s photo in the casting call, I knew she was the one. She is Grace in a nutshell. She exactly like I pictured Grace.

For hours we tromped around in the woods. Jae was willing to do anything and we got some great shots. She was a trooper.

The cover ended up amazing. I love the cover! It is everything I wanted it to be. Grace is a nature girl and the book is a thriller. I think this cover captures that. Perfectly.

16 year old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival.

When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.

Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

Thanks to Shelli and Teen Book Scene!

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: Unraveling Isobel This or That List

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Introducing author of Unraveling Isobel, Eileen Cook...

Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

Website I Facebook I Twitter

Onto the author's This or That...

Rum and coke or Pina colada?

Rum and Coke. Pina Coladas smell like suntan lotion to me, and I try to avoid drinking that.

High Fantasy or Science Fiction?

Science Fiction, but it can depend on the book.

Heart-shaped candy or Gummy worms?

Heart shaped candy- anything cinnamon flavored is a favorite.

Literature or History?

Oooh this one is a tie. I love literature, but I’m a history junkie. I know all sorts of random odd history facts.

Print copies or E-books?

Print copies, but I adore my iPad reader, so e-books may win out in the end.

PC or Laptop?

Laptop. I have a love affair with my MacBook Air. It goes everywhere I go.

Electric or Journal day-planner?

Electronic. (see love affair with iPad and MacBook Air listed above)

Zoo or Amusement park?

Amusement Park. However, I’m not crazy about spinning around upside down. I love animals, but it makes me sad to see them in zoos.

Travel in luxury or Back-packing?

Travel in luxury! Bring on the spa, fancy hotel and good restaurants.

Walmart or Target?

Target hands down. The people watching in Walmart is sometimes more amusing.

Tic-tac-toe or Puzzle?

Can I choose board games? If not, I’m going with Tic-tac-toe.

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts.

Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

B&N I Amazon I Goodreads

Thanks to Eileen and Teen Book Scene!

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Hardcover: 304 pages

Publisher: Simon Pulse (January 3, 2012)

ISBN-10: 1442413271

ISBN-13: 978-1442413276

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

Review:

There's always been something about being "crazy" that scares me. I freely admit that but somehow the theme--or moral--I got from Unraveling Isobel is that I shouldn't ashamed of that fear. Isobel is not my favorite character mainly because during the first half of the book she was so contradictive, she made me dizzy. I did like the aura of creepiness all of the characters had, it was like they couldn't always explain their actions but that's also what built their self-image. Nicole, Nate, Isobel's mom, they all had an edge that if you crossed them, you better damn well be prepared to grovel to get on their good side. Even if that doesn't sound like a good quality characters should have, I honestly thought they made the plot all that more thrilling and enticing.

There were three main elements this book was working, all in their own rights. First was the creep factor. I did in no way expect the ultimate thriller murder-mystery this book turned out to be. The synopsis did not prepare me at all*. I would have liked the murder mystery element to have portrayed a bigger role in the first half of the book, but I did understand that Cook was setting up the creepiness and wanted to add that suspense element too.

Second was the humor. I didn't understand when none of the other characters--except maybe a ghost or two--really got Isobel's sense of humor. The girl was flippin' hilarious. They were few and far between but her one-liners' cracked me up.

Finally, the "romance". I don't know what's up with the brother and sister relationship in YA these days but, I couldn't deny that it wasn't necessarily illegal for Isobel and Nathaniel to be together. That was when I finally got a grip on how Unraveling Isobel was a unique case when it came to comparing it to other Paranormal YA novels. Not only was the construction of the plot more intense than in anything I've read before** but there were also some intense make-out sessions.

I also have to admit that it would have been so inexplicably easy to stop reading the book after the first half because from where I could determine the plot going on from there on in was absolutely unappealing. I really hated it for a moment but finally decided to keep going mostly because of the "scary" characters. Heck, the whole island where Isobel was stranded on, Nairne Island, was scary but it's the people that inhabit it that'll really do you in. Eileen Cook tells a mean ghost story.

*Not to mention the cover was pretty misleading. This book was too creepy to just have purple and black swirls on its cover.

**I don't think anything that I've read in the YA genre is freakier than The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, but I consider it more a Dark Contemporary than Paranormal.

Grade: C+

ARC Source: Teen Book Scene

LiLi

Winner: A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:28:00 +0000

Factoids: 3 entries, 3 entrants.

Congrats...

LeAnne

Thanks to all participants in this giveaway! Stay tuned to my next giveaway coming soon.

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: Holly Cupala's Inspiring Places Vlog + Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Introducing author of Don't Breathe A Word, Holly Cupala...

Holly Cupala wrote teen romance novels before she ever actually experienced teen romance. When she did, it became all about tragic poetry and slightly less tragic novels. She has worked with the Western Washington chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, been a readergirlz diva, and now serves on the board of the University of Washington Writing Program. When she isn't writing and making art, she spends time with her husband and daughter in Seattle, Washington. These days, her writing is less about tragedy and more about hope.

TELL ME A SECRET is her first novel, and her second, DON'T BREATHE A WORD, is coming October 2011 from HarperCollins. Ten percent of the author's proceeds go toward World Vision's Hope for Sexually Exploited Girls.

Website I Twitter I Facebook

Onto Inspiring Places Vlog...

Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words - tender words, cruel words - until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

Website I Goodreads I Amazon I IndieBound

The Giveaway...

HarperCollins was nice enough to contribute enough books for there to be a daily giveaway for copies of Don't Breathe A Word.

Entries:
-One automatic entry.
-For every post you comment on, it's one entry. (Don't forget to link to where you commented.)
-An extra entry if you tweet, facebook, blog post or in some way incorporate the giveaway on your blog.
-Fill out the form each time you do one of these things, and remember you can only do spread the word through one social media network one time. (Example: only tweet once, other tweets will not be counted as entries.)

Rules:
-Giveaway is International, as long as The Book Depository can ship to you.
-US/Canada copies will be mailed from Holly and signed.
-Ends January 14 midnight CST.

Fill out this FORM to enter.

Thanks to Holly and Teen Book Scene!

LiLi

Daughter of the Centaurs (Centauriad #1) by Kate Klimo

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (January 24, 2012)

ISBN-10: 0375869751

ISBN-13: 978-0375869754

Malora knows what she was born to be: a horse wrangler and a hunter, just like her father. But when her people are massacred by batlike monsters called Leatherwings, Malora will need her horse skills just to survive. The last living human, Malora roams the wilderness at the head of a band of magnificent horses, relying only on her own wits, strength, and courage. When she is captured by a group of centaurs and taken to their city, Malora must decide whether the comforts of her new home and family are worth the parts of herself she must sacrifice to keep them.

Kate Klimo has masterfully created a new world, which at first seems to be an ancient one or perhaps another world altogether, but is in fact set on earth sometime far in the future.

Review:

I love when stories--particularly with "selfless" female protagonists/heroines--live by the seat of their pants and know the skills--or slowly learn, in this case--how to survive and be independent. When Malora must leave her People and live alone forevermore with just her horses as company, she saw a restless but fortifying life ahead of her. When she went back to discover the desolation of her people it destroyed something in her. That's when they discovered that the People were not as dead as they thought. A society of human and horse hybrids have been living successfully since the war with the People of Mount Kamaria--known now as Mount Kheiron, habitat of the centaurs--occured. From Daughter of the Mountains, to Daughter of the Plains, to Daughter of the Centaurs, Malora "Ironbound" Thora-Jayke does not fail to capture the reader's heart and symbolize inspiration for a whole other race.

Such vivid descriptions of mountainous and barren landscapes. So easy to hear the hoofs of Malora's "boys and girls" stampeding across the plains. Without the need to learn to read or write, Malora's voice captures more abstract concepts and appreciated the primal nature of the land she knows by heart. Her love of horses became my love of horses for all their nickering, whinnying, snorts and eye-rolls. When first encountering the Highlanders and their method of living, the frivolity was comforting but seen as a waste through the main characters'. The author's writing ability to depict all the monuments, murals and colorful aspects of a Highlanders' life was dazzling and absolutely awe-inspiring to behold. With the minor addition of its own terminology, Daughter of the Centaurs was originally created and uniquely executed. I did not want to put down this book for longer than six hours, couldn't part with it; not the world or the characters.

It was nice to see Malora grow throughout the time that she left her People and joined the centaurs. Granted she did lose herself from time to time with the centaurs but she never truly forgot her roots. That's what excited me the most. She could never truly be a centaur and she didn't spend useless time thinking she could; she just enjoyed the luxuries they provided that she never knew of. The plot was successful in appealing to the no-nonsense side of me. I can't stand when authors make up unnecessary conflict between two parties just to liven up a certain scene. The book's solitary, soothing tone after the bloody mess and grief Malora went through because of the demise of her people was easy to use as a filter to distinguish traits and personalities of other characters.

It is obvious, reading the ending and knowing all the other unanswered questions, that there will be a second book in the series. No doubt the "Centauriad #1" gave that away. Its the waiting that might do me in if I don't get another horse-y book-related fix in the next six months.

Highlight for minor spoilers: However, I want to know specifically Centauriad the series and Brion the Blacksmith and how Malora's training with her Hand goes, and not to mention, the decree the Apex made in the end should make life definitely more interesting for both Flatlanders and Highlanders.

Grade: A-

e-Galley Source: Netgalley

LiLi

Winner: Of Light and Darkness!

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Factoids: 7 entrants and entries!

Congrats to...

donnas

Thank you to those who entered and don't forget to check out the current giveaway I have going on for a paperback copy of A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: A Dog's Purpose Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog’s search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More than just another charming dog story, A Dog’s Purpose touches on the universal quest for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we here?

Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious golden-haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray mutt, Bailey’s search for his new life’s meaning leads him into the loving arms of 8-year-old Ethan. During their countless adventures Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog.

But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey’s journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders—will he ever find his purpose?

Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.

In order to win your own paperback copy of A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron, just fill out this FORM. US residents only, giveaway ends on December 30th at midnight EST.

Thanks to Teen Book Scene!

LiLi

Teen Book Scene: Shattered Soul's Lenzi (This or That List)

noreply@blogger.com (LiLi) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Introducing the author of Shattered Souls, Mary Lindsey...

Mary's writing is a natural expression of her love of reading and a fascination with the flexibility of the human imagination. Books make the impossible possible.

Prior to attending University of Houston Law School, Mary received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Drama from the University of Houston. She has taught drama and playwriting in a large public high school and English in a private school. Currently, Mary teaches acting to children and teens at a private studio in Houston, Texas.

Mary lives with her husband, three kids, two dogs, her daughter's pet rats, an Australian Bearded Dragon, and dozens of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.

She is represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette from the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

Website

Onto female protagonist Lenzi's This or That List...

Hot-fudge sundae or Banana split?

Hot fudge sundae for sure. Chocolate is my thing.

Coffee or Tea?

I don’t really like coffee, so tea. I like Earl Grey best.

Boots or Sneaks?

Sneakers. Boots are too hot and uncomfortable.

Library or Bookstore?

It depends on whether or not I have money. I’d much rather buy a book than anything.

School Dance or Night club?

School is not my thing. Going to a school dance would be a nightmare. I don’t hang out at nightclubs, but I like the one where Zak played.

Smolder-hot bad boy or Sweet and sensitive?

Selfish of me, but I want all of those things. A sweet, sensitive, smoldering hot bad-boy. I think I’ve found one.

Internet or TV?

I love to lie on the couch and watch sitcoms, so TV.

Car or Bus/bicycle?

I wish I had a car, but we can’t afford a second one. Alden has one, though, so I’m good. Houston has a crummy mass transit system and you are in danger of getting smushed in some parts of town on a bike, so I’ll stick with car.

Indoor-sy or Outgoing?

I’m pretty indoor-sy. Maybe because I don’t really like the beach and that’s where I grew up.

Concert or Book signing?

Concert for sure.

Music or Movies?

Those are so different. I guess if I had to live without one, I’d choose music over movies. I need music.

A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger.

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

Goodreads I Amazon I B&N

Thanks to Mary and Teen Book Scene!

LiLi