The Reading Fever

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask.

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin.

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discover just how far she will go to become whole again

This story just sounds awesome! I was drawn to it from the get go (it's no secret that I love the fey), and then I read the last paragraph and realized that it's a retelling of Jane Eyre--and almost went crazy about it. Jane Eyre + fey + steampunk? I need this book now!! :)

What are you waiting on?

Soulless by Gail Carriger | Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:30:00 PDT

Soulless by Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate #1)
Publisher: Orbit
Format: ebook
Genres: Historical Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Steam Punk, Adult
Publication Date: 1 October, 2009

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

There's something to be said about a character who can consistently correct and/or insult people in only the most socially polite of ways. There's even more to be said when this character is the heroine of our story. This is the case in Soulless, where our heroine is a sassy, outspoken female, whose strong temper is matched only by her great wit. Alexia Tarabotti could talk you into a corner before you had taken two steps into a room, and it wouldn't even rattle her teacup once, to do so. And that is precisely why she is a fantastic heroine.

Set in Victorian London, Soulless begins with a sort of Jane Austen-style of witty dialogue and social pressures. Add in machines, werewolves, vampires, other supernatural beings, and a decidedly more outspoken main character, and you have one of the most entertaining stories I have read this year. Add to all that, the ruggedly handsome and hot-tempered, Scottish alpha werewolf love interest, and this story is bound straight for my favorites shelf.

If there is one thing I didn't like about this story, it's that some of the events weren't very detailed. We only see things from Alexia's POV, so whatever she doesn't know, we don't know either. There were some parts to the story that I would have liked to have a better understanding of (the octopuses, vampire abilities, and just how differently the Queen's agenda and BUR's are). Due to Alexia's limited involvement/interaction, these things weren't explained. BUT...that's really not super important, especially compared to the rest of this fabulous story, and the fact that I don't think there was a character that I didn't like.

Gail Carriger did an amazing job meshing so many genres into one story. I really couldn't narrow it down to just one, or even two, because they are all so well put together. It all just feels right. In these pages lies romance, danger, humor, political intrigue, suspense, and a good helping of Victorian society to boot.
THIS is how you do a love story.
THIS is how you do a truly strong female heroine.
THIS is how you do Victorian-steam-punk-paranormal-romance.

Now I need the second book, STAT!

Personal Favorite
Temp. Guide

Read this if:
...you like werewolves, the paranormal, and stand-out heroines!

Content Warning
*This section may contain some spoilers about content!*
Highlight between the brackets to reveal the text.
{Violence (no more than is expected in a paranormal novel), nudity (a character is nude for an entire chapter, after having been locked up--werewolves are naked after transforming), steamy kissing scenes, and a married couple's sex scene that is brief, and not very detailed.}

Other Books in the Series:

Book 2: Changeless / Book 3: Blameless / Book 4: Hearless / Book 5: Timeless

Purchase Soulless:

Gail Carriger:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Blog

Fierce Reads Tour Is Coming To Utah! | Utah Events

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:33:00 PDT

You've probably heard of the Fierce Reads tour by now--where young adult authors tour around the country, signing the books of we crazed fans, and answering our silly questions about anything and everything. But did you know there are not only one, but TWO stops in Utah? Find all the details below, including which event I'll be at. :)

The 2012 Fierce Reads author tour will feature:

Anna Banks (Of Poseidon) | Jennifer Bosworth (Struck) | Emmy Laybourne (Monument 14)
Leigh Bardugo (Shadow and Bone) | Marissa Meyer (Cinder)

Utah Events:

Links lead to each event's page.

June 11th, 2012 @ 7pm

Salt Lake City Library Main Auditorium

210 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah

(Presented by The King's English and Salt Lake City Library)

June 12th, 2012 @ 7pm

Provo Library Ballroom

550 North University Avenue, Provo, Utah

^I'll be at this one!^

If you come to this one, tweet me so I can say hi! @readingfever

Full Tour Schedule:

Adapted from Forever YA's tour schedule. | Links lead to each event's page.
*Marissa Meyer will NOT appear at this stop
**Extra authors will be present at this stop

Tuesday June 5, 7:00pm: Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Bookshop, La Verne, CA **

Wednesday June 6 ,7:00pm: Mysterious Galaxy, San Diego, CA **

Thursday June 7, 7:00pm: Books Inc, San Francisco CA *

Friday June 8, 3:00pm: Copperfield’s Books, Petaluma, CA

Saturday June 9, 6:30pm: Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA **

Sunday June 10, 4:00 pm: Village Books, Bellingham, WA **

Monday June 11, 7:00pm: King’s English Bookstore, Salt Lake City, UT

Tuesday June 12, 7:00pm: Provo Library, Provo, UT

Wednesday June 13 12:00 am: Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX * & **

Thursday June 14 7:00 pm: Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL*

Friday June 15 6:00pm: Schuler’s Books, Lansing, MI (event info page could not be found)

Saturday June 16 4:00pm: Barnes & Noble, Pensacola, FL *

Sunday June 17 4:00pm: Oblong Books & Records, Rhinebeck, NY * & **

Monday June 18 6:00pm: Books of Wonder, New York, NY * & **

Utah Book Month Giveaway WINNER!

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:03:00 PDT

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my Utah Book Month giveaway, and/or signed up for Utah Book Month! The winner of the giveaway is:

Ricki from Reading Challenged!

Congratulations Ricki!

I'll be sending you an email shortly. :)

Silence by Michelle Sagara | Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:30:00 PDT

Silence by Michelle Sagara (Queen of the Dead #1)
Publisher: DAW Books
Format: Hardcover (courtesy of DAW Books)
Genre: Supernatural, Young Adult
Publication Date: 1, May 2012

It began in the graveyard. Ever since her boyfriend Nathan died in a tragic accident Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that’s all it was. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there—Eric, who had just started at her school, and an ancient woman who looked as though she were made of rags. And when they saw Emma there, the old woman reached out to her with a grip as chilling as death….

I was excited to read Silence, mainly because it is refreshing to find necromancy in YA; a subject I love, but don't come across very often. I was excited to read Michelle Sagara's take on it, and began this book shortly after receiving it.

The story in these pages is full of thrilling moments that kept me reading on. It contains mystery, action, and a little romance. Oh, and a touch of that slightly darker stuff that is *necromancy goodness*. I was enticed by some of the characters, and I wanted to know what their part in the story would be. This is especially true for Michael, who is a character with autism; his character is so realistic and well-written. He is definitely my favorite of them all. I was also drawn to Emma, and I wanted to know how she would handle her new-found ability.

Yet in all honesty, it's been a while since I finished reading it, and it has taken me forever to actually type this review up. I waited so long because I had planned to read it again before reviewing it. The truth is that I really didn't understand a lot of the book. I was pretty lost while reading, and I don't think I got the full effect. There were many times when thoughts and conversation subjects changed mid-sentence, and I then had no idea what was being discussed, or where the turning point in the conversation had happened. This was very frustrating, and left me utterly confused most of the time. (It's not just me!)

Keep in mind that I'm a heavy reader; I devour books (as I'm sure most book bloggers and avid readers do), and I know how to read and comprehend a conversation between characters. This is not my first ballgame, y'all! I have felt confused in a book a couple times before, but it was always just a sentence or two that threw me off. This was....something different. This was the entire book. Anyway, I had meant to read it again just to give it a fair shot, but I couldn't get into it a second time. I had already read the story, and I found myself reaching for other books each time I tried to pick it up again.

Despite the things I liked about it, I wasn't that impressed with the story. Not only was I confused, but the secondary characters seemed very contrived, and present only when they were useful. Emma herself blindly trusts people without having any reason to do so. She falls in love with a character very quickly, and he falls for her too. Very quickly. *SPOILER!* So quickly that he spared her life instead of killing her like he was sent to do. *END SPOILER*

On top of all of that, there really isn't much necromancy beyond the basics. Yeah, Emma can see and talk to dead people. She helps a few spirits in trouble (don't let me get started on some of the powers she is conveniently capable of). But it is all very tame, compared to some of the amazing necromancy books out there. It's really more of a supernatural/ghost story, than it is about necromancy. And maybe that's the problem: there are better necromancy books out there, and I've read them. I think I just expected more. *shrug*

Read this if:
...you like supernatural stories, action, and love.

Content Warning
*This section may contain some spoilers about content!*
Highlight between the brackets to reveal the text.
{Ha! I wish I could remember all of it (sadly, I don't). There is some fighting violence, ghosts, and people who have passed away come back to talk to Emma. There is also a lot of talk of a child who burned to death in a house fire (this is a central plot point, and is heavily explored).}

Purchase Silence:

Michelle Sagara:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Blog

Want To Be Featured On The Reading Fever?

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:00:00 PDT

Well, here's your chance!

I am currently accepting applications for my upcoming blog feature: Author Focus!

What is Author Focus?
Each week beginning in June, I'll be spotlighting an author who will get to show us whatever hobbies, talents, or obsessions you have, in a short (around 5 minutes) vlog. Yep, vlog. Oh yes, we want to see these things in real life! Or as close to that as we can get. :)

How Easy Is It?
For starters: the video can be of anything--a hidden talent, your best jokes, you singing a song, your favorite hobby, or anything else that you can come up with. This is all about YOU! It can also be longer or shorter than 5 minutes, as the need applies.
Next: it can be recorded on anything, such as a cell phone, laptop, camera, or video recorder, and can be sent in any format YouTube accepts.
Finally: I have a YouTube account where I will host the video (unless you would like you use your own account), taking the stress of converting and/or uploading to YouTube away from you. You just get to send me all your awesomeness, and let me handle the technical mumbo jumbo.

Why Author Focus?

I've always wondered what my favorite authors do during spare time--you know, when you're not spending hours at the keyboard fretting over sentences, creating our favorite characters, and churning out the novels we readers know and love. I've wondered what hidden talents you might posses, or what non-bookish hobbies you have. I wanted to know more about you; I wanted to know something different. And I knew I wasn't alone. At the beginning of the year, author Kimberly Sabatini sent me a video to include with an interview (which will be posted in October), where she demonstrated an awesome talent of hers on camera, in response to one of my questions. When I began ~~being nosey~~ thinking about authors and hidden talents I remembered this video, and it was like the two were meant to be together. And so Author Focus was born, as a way to let us readers see YOU in a new light!

What Do I Get Out Of This?

You'll get to reach a new audience--my fantastic readers--and attract admirers old and new.
Each post will consist of the video, an author bio, social media links (website, Twitter, & FB), and a link to your most recent/upcoming book--unless requested otherwise.

And best of all, you get to share that secret (or not so secret) talent/hobby of yours with the world. You know you want to! ;)

If you are interested in participating, please email me at readingfever@gmail.com.

If you're quick you may get the last two spots in June, but I will be scheduling the posts as far out as I need, to accommodate everyone. Please let me know if you have a book release that you would like the post to coincide with. I'll do my best to make it happen.
*If you are a Utah author, and want to be featured during Utah Book Month (August), let me know!

I can't wait to hear from you!

Katherine Longshore Interview | Class of 2K12

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:00:00 PDT

Today I have author Katherine Longshore here, as part of my Class of 2K12 interview series! Katherine's debut novel, Gilt (more on the book below), is officially out as of yesterday! I must say that I have been extremely excited to read this one, since I adore historical fiction.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and any hobbies you have?
I'm pretty average, really. If I'm perfectly honest, I'm not the sort of person anyone would notice
right off the bat. But that works for me, because it gives me more opportunity to observe others. I
think observation can bring excellent details to your writing.

I've always had lots of interests, but some of my hobbies have had to be put on hold since
having kids and starting a writing career. I love to travel, spent most my twenties doing just
that, and make the most of every opportunity now that comes my way. I love outdoor activities,
hiking, canoeing, camping, stargazing. And when I need to take break when I'm writing, I bake.
Especially chocolate.

What do you want readers to feel after reading your book?
I'd like for readers to feel that they understand the history of the Tudor era, if only just a little
bit. To get a sense that maybe people 450 years ago weren’t so very different from people today.
And I also like them to feel that it is possible to break away from the perceptions of others.

I like that you want your readers to see the connections between 'our' time and 'their' time. This is one of the reasons why I love historical fiction so much; because despite all of our advances in technology, we're still not very different from those who lived so long ago.

What was the hardest scene or chapter to write, and why?
First and last. It's the same with every book. I can't start without a first chapter but I never get it
right the first time. So I have to finish the book. But when I get to the end, even when I know
what's going to happen, the final pages are agony. And then I have to go back, and right the first
chapter again. And again. And again.

What has been the most rewarding part of having your book published?
There've been so many rewards, it’s difficult to think of just one. Getting to meet, and to
know, some incredible industry professionals. Having the opportunity to receive advice and
encouragement from an incisive and understanding editor. Validation.

But I have a feeling that the most rewarding part is yet to come. Speaking with readers from
my intended audience. Hearing that just one person has read and enjoyed my words. Those are
things that I think will truly rock my world.

And just for fun: Everyone has a bizarre hidden talent. Care to share yours?
I don't know how bizarre it is, I make a mean cappuccino. I put myself through college by
working at the coffee bar, and became a bit of a snob. To me, a true cappuccino is shot of strong,
creamy espresso, topped by thick, rich foam. I have a talent for foam.

Now THAT is a talent that I'm sure many people would like to have. :)

Thanks for answering my questions, Katherine, and congratulations on the release of Gilt!

About Katherine Longshore

In the course of my life, I've worked as a dishwasher, lingerie seller, coffee barista, cake decorator, ship's steward, video rental clerk, freelance journalist, travel agent, waitress, contracts manager, bookseller and Montessori preschool teacher.

But in writing for teens, I've finally found my calling.

And through writing, I am able to encompass all my loves. Becoming a character made of words. Exploring new worlds. And living history. (source)

Find Katherine Here: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Blog

In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free--and love comes at the highest price of all.

When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

Purchase Gilt here: Amazon / B&N / Book Depository

Harry Potter Reading Challenge Twitter Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:15:00 PDT

Hey y'all!

Tonight is the night of the Harry Potter Reading Challenge Twitter party! Our theme is "Things I Would Do At Hogwarts." Are you excited? I am!

The fun starts at 8pm MST.

Be there, or face Professor Umbridge's wrath.

#2012HPRC

Need an easier way to chat on Twitter? Keep track of the conversation using one of these Twitter chat sites:

Tweet Grid (this is what I'll be using)

Tweet Chat

Just go to one of these sites, enter our hashtag (#2012HPRC), and add me as the moderator/host (@readingfever). You'll be good to go!

The 14 Worst Books I Have Read

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:20:00 PDT

Jenny from Alternate Readality posted a list a couple days ago, of the top 10 worst books she had read. It was a response to a question from her sister on a previous blog post about book recommendations. In it, Jenny said:

We've all had those books we read, hug to our chest and then being pushing on all our friends. In contrast, we've had books that we read that are so dreadful we want to scream out a warning and throw our bodies between it and anyone even considering it. (Emphasis added.)

Her sister wanted to know which books she thought so dreadful, she would want to scream out a warning and throw her body between it and anyone even considering it. Hence, Jenny's post...which has inspired me to post my own list. We all have a list like this. Here's mine. If I catch you in the store with any of the following books in your hand...be prepared for what may come next. ;)

The 14 Worst Books I Have Read

Disclaimer: Please remember that this is my own opinion, and yours may differ. No feelings were meant to be harmed in the making of this post--although I deliberately left it at 14 books, to annoy potential haters. :D

14. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (DNF)

Okay, so I don't hate this one, so much as roll my eyes every time I look at it. I was enthralled...for the first two hundred pages, which was when I realized absolutely nothing had happened.

13. The Game by Diana Wynne Jones (review)

There is almost nothing more frustrating than lots of action happening in a book, that isn't being described. This book was underdeveloped, and all sorts of confusing.

12. The Luxe by Anna Godberson

This book is not for people who enjoy accurate historical fiction, and societies who are properly scandalized when girls go off with alone at night with boys.

11. Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik (review)

This is the book that successfully butchered Pride & Prejudice. Yes, I belong to the legions of women who adore Jane Austen's work, and enjoy retellings of it...but not like this. Not like this at all.

10. Blood by K.J. Wignall (review)

Same reason as The Historian, only this one was even more boring.

9. Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler (review)

It's like this book was made just for the sake of telling people about the problems we make for the environment. The message was stronger than the story line. Plus, no one in the story acted like normal people would. A public shooting had no consequences, and raised no alarms. 'Nuff said.

8. Wildefire by Karsten Knight (review)

This book had so much potential that was wasted with flat characters, unnecessary (and often perplexing) actions from the main character, and consequences that didn't match the situations.

7. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz (review)

I actually really liked this book, until I re-read it last year. I hadn't noticed until then, how similar this book is to reality tv: fake, and focusing more on the fashion, drugs, drinking, and fights, than an actual story. Somewhere in these pages is a vampire story; let me know if you find it.

6. Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare

It's not technically a book, but seeing as how it's been made into book form, and how English teachers across the country deem it superb teaching material for their students, I'm counting it as one.

This is not a love story. This is a child infatuated with another child; both of whom think of nothing but themselves. It's definitely a tragedy...one that seems to be the bane of my existence (I cannot escape talk of this story, no matter where I go).

5. Bumped by Megan McCafferty (review)

While I found a lot of this book hilarious, I was infuriated to find that the message it was attempting to make, wasn't as strong as the message it was trying NOT to make. It also vilified and made fun of the Christian religion (something I hate to come across in a book) to an extreme point.

4. First Love & Forever by Anita Stansfield

This is an LDS fiction novel; one that was highly recommended to me, but I was extremely disappointed with the plot. The book can be summed up like this:

*Spoiler alert*

The MC's relationship with her husband hasn't been going very well, when she runs into an old boyfriend/fiance (who would have been her husband, if she hadn't picked the other guy). She wants to leave her husband for him, but can't bring herself to leave him. She spends the entire book going back and forth on the decision to leave her husband for him. She finds out her hubby has been cheating on HER, then gets extremely close to cheating on/leaving him...but stops herself, deciding that she'll be a good wife and stay with her husband. But it's all okay, because her husband conveniently dies in a car accident the very next day, and now she's free to have the guy she wanted all along.

And somehow, this is all supposed to be Heavenly Father's plan for her. Psh!! I don't think so.

3. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (review)

This is one of those books that I initially liked--to a point--when I first read it. Heck, I even reviewed it and gave it 3 stars. But at the risk of having the Cassie Clare army storm down on me, I must admit that after further consideration, this book is a piece of crap. I can't even think about it anymore, without getting angry.

After three books of being dragged around on the Clary/Jace roller coaster, and after finally having our hopes confirmed, and after finally being given a semi-happy ending, I believe we, as fans, deserved better than to be dragged around on a twin roller coaster once again--only with added character drama. It was this book that confirmed my suspicions that the storyline of all the CC books I have read are exactly the same:

Sexy boy + sexy girl in need of help + sexy other boy + lots of sexy time + no hope for a real relationship - an actual original plot + more sexy time = money in the bank.

2. Tris & Izzy by Mette Ivie Harrison (review)

Insta-love like never before. Multiple cases of this insta-love. People who act as if they've never lived in society before or learned proper friendship etiquette, and a magical world that doesn't make sense. And on top of all that, one of my favorite tales--Tristan & Iseult--is butchered.

1. Legacy by Cayla Kluver (review)

This is one of two books that I disliked this much, that I actually finished. I found the story to be so horrible, that I was fascinated. I had to finish it just to experience the horrible characters, awkward discussions, and never-ending, overly wordy, unnecessarily descriptive descriptions (see what I did there?), through to the end. Read this if you like main characters who do the exact opposite of what they say they want to do, or who claim to be a rebel but have no backbone. Read this if you don't care about character growth, or resolution of any kind.

Have YOU read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Dark Eyes by William Richter | Audiobook Review

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:56:00 PDT

Dark Eyes by William Richter - Narrated by January LaVoy
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Format: Audiobook (courtesy of Penguin Audio)
Genre: Contemporary, Action, Thriller, YA
Publication Date: 15 March, 2012

Get ready for the vigilante girl detective of the next generation.

Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child and grew up in a wealthy New York City family. At fifteen, her obsessive need to rebel led her to life on the streets.

Now the sixteen-year-old is beautiful and hardened, and shes just stumbled across the possibility of discovering who she really is. She’ll stop at nothing to find her birth mother before Klesko—her darkeyed father—finds her. Because Klesko will stop at nothing to reclaim the fortune Wally’s mother stole from him long ago. Even if that means murdering his own blood. But Wallys had her own killer training, and she's hungry for justice.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for teens, this debut thriller introduces our next big series heroine!

Having never read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. What I got, is a story where Russian mob culture clashes with American culture--and the result is a gritty, action-packed thriller, that doesn't let up. There are a lot of things that happen in this book; there are secrets, betrayals, and ultimately, real consequences to the actions of the characters.

Wally is a tough girl who thinks on her feet, and knows how to stay out of trouble. She has evaded the cops for years, and lives the life that she wants--on the streets. I like her, and her need to protect those she cares about. She creates a family while living on the streets, and she takes care of them. I found her to be a very fleshed-out character; one who is a bit lost, but who denies that she is anywhere but where she wants to be. She's a leader.

Unfortunately, the other characters are not as fleshed-out as Wally. Though important, the secondary characters are never explored enough to give us a better idea of their personalities, or their importance to Wally and the story. Even the love interest is flat, and his and Wally's interactions show very little clues for a possible relationship until it happens. Along with this, it was irritating to find that Wally could constantly leap to conclusions (from very little information) and follow random hunches, and always be right, no matter how big of a stretch these hunches had been. Always.

There are many events that contribute to this story, some happening off the page, and some happening within Wally's view: the cops and their search for answers, the gang members who want in on the action, Wally's Russian father, and his search for his fortune, and some people who were a complete surprise to me. Though the secondary characters are a bit lacking, the story is not. These people and events all come together to create a thrilling story, that entertains as much as it shocks.

Narration:
January LaVoy does an excellent job in bringing Klesko, and other Russian characters, to life. Her Russian accent and actual speech is--to my untrained ears--perfect. She gives perfect inflection to the voices of cops, street kids, and other characters (including a great Aussie accent). Sadly, the one voice I did not like was the main character, Wally's--meaning it's the one I heard the most. When Wally spoke, there was often something that seemed off about her voice; she actually sounded bratty at times, like a child at other times, and sometimes even sounded like an older woman. Her voice did not seem to mesh with her character, and it threw me off while listening. Aside from that, the narration is fantastic.

Read this if:
...you like lots of action (especially action movies), and you don't mind the gritty details that come with all that action.

Content Warning
*This section may contain spoilers about content!*
Highlight between the brackets to reveal the text.
{Violence (shootouts, a character being beaten, etc.), multiple murders, talk of mature subjects like sex & rape (non-descriptive), drug use, and lots of swearing--including use of the 'F' word, and religious names.}

Purchase Dark Eyes:

William Richter:

Website / Twitter / Facebook

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa | Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:30:00 PDT

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden #1)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: eGalley (courtesy of Netgalley)
Genre: Paranormal, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult
Publication Date: 4, Apr. 2012

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

At a time when vampires have been depicted in every seemingly possible way, it is rare to come across a truly fresh depiction of them--and yet, that is exactly what Julie Kagawa has created with this new series. She takes the vampires we all know (and love), and sticks them in an environment that is uncomfortable, even for them. She makes them not only the hunters, but also the prey. It's fantastic!

Allison is such a strong female heroine. She kicks butt, thinks quickly, and learns well. After becoming a vampire, she is forced to travel outside the safety of the city walls, in a quest to find a place for herself in the world. She faces hard lessons about what it really means to be an immortal, and learns how friendship and love plays into that. A lot of her quest in the story is spent learning how to survive as a vampire, battling her inner self, and teaching herself control. And when it comes down to it, she is a killer fighter, with scenes that are described so fluidly.

There is a lot of setup in the beginning that keeps the story from taking off until about half-way through. Characters are introduced, complete with back-stories, and then things happen that make knowing them useless. I also wanted to know more about the vampire world, and their politics. We are given a glimpse of the hierarchy of this world, and then the story takes another path. These things all make sense in the context of the story, but it was a bit frustrating, and did bog things down a bit.

There was also an inconsistency in how easily Allison was able to fight one foe, compared to how hard of a time she had fighting another foe. This happened a few times in the book.

With that said, this is definitely one to add to your collection of vampire novels. It takes you on an adventure, and redefines your knowledge of vampires and zombies (yep, zombies). It ended up being exactly what I was looking for in a vampire/post-apocalyptic novel. I definitely recommend it!

Read this if:
...you love vampires, and zombies, and you want something fresh!

Content Warning
*This section may contain some spoilers about content!*
Highlight between the brackets to reveal the text.
{Death, murder (by vampires, 'rabids,' and humans--sometimes descriptive & a bit gory), violence, a few instances of torture, and some kissing. Most of these are instances that happen in self-defense, and almost all of these are instances where the MC feels horribly about what happens, mulls over the consequences, and tries to figure out how to prevent them from happening again. There may have been a few swear words, but I don't remember.}

Purchase The Immortal Rules:

Julie Kagawa:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Blog

Utah Book Month Signups + Giveaway! (INT)

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:11:00 PDT

You are cordially invited to join in the Utah Book Month fun!

Utah Book Month, which will take place in the month of August, is a celebration of the fantastic community of authors and book bloggers who reside in Utah. It was started by Natasha from Maw Books Blog (formerly called Utah Author Month), and is being organized this year by Suey from It's All About Books, Emily from Emily's Reading Room, Jessica from The Bluestocking Society, Enna from Squeaky Books, and myself!

We have lots of fun activities planned for the month: blogger-to-blogger interviews, Utah author interviews, mini-challenges, book giveaways, and more! There will be ways for both Utah bloggers and non-Utah bloggers to participate, so be sure to come and join us! :)

Sign-ups are open from now, until May 21st, 2012.

Here is a list of need-to-know items (which I shamelessly stole from Enna's post):

If you are a blogger you do NOT have to live in Utah to participate, however, preference will be given to Utah bloggers.
If you are an author, you MUST live in Utah to participate (or have a purty darn good argument for why you're a Utah author)
The faster you sign up, the more likely you'll get your first choice of activity to host
The hosts of the event will be coordinating author contact. So if you select "author interview" don't go running off and e-mailing authors. We've got that covered and we'll get you in touch with them.
You have until 11:59pm on the 21st to sign up! That's only ~~two weeks~~ 1 1/2 weeks!
THIS IS THE SAME FORM ON ALL THE HOST BLOGS! There are five of us hosting the event this year, and you only need to fill out this form ONCE.
You can ask me questions directly, or e-mail UtahBookBloggers@gmail.com
If you want the latest updates, be sure to follow @UtahBooks on Twitter!

August will be an awesome month! Sign up to experience it. :)

This is the same form that is on all five of the other host blogs, so if you have already signed up on another blog, then you don't need to fill this form out.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

To kick-start the sign-ups, I am hosting a giveaway! This may or may not be an attempt to bribe you to join us. ;) Entrants are NOT required to sign up for Utah Book Month, although you totally should, because it's going to be awesome!

We have so many fantastic authors living in Utah, so it only made sense to have a giveaway that features a few of my favorites.

The winner will receive his/her choice of any TWO books written by any of the following Utah authors:

Examples include:

Click the name of the author to see what other books they have written, and then include your choices below, via Rafflecopter, to enter.
Open internationally!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday | Love And Other Perishable Items

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:35:00 PDT

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Visit Breaking The Spine to see more entries!

This week, I am eagerly waiting on:

Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo (originally published as Good Oil in Australia)

Publisher: Random House Children's

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Publication Date: 11, Dec. 2012

A wonderful, coming-of-age love story from a fresh new voice in YA ﬁction.

'Miss Amelia Hayes, welcome to The Land of Dreams. I am the staff trainer. I will call you grasshopper and you will call me sensei and I will give you the good oil. Right? And just so you know, I'm open to all kinds of bribery.'

From the moment 15-year-old Amelia begins work on the checkout at Woolworths she is sunk, gone, lost...head-over-heels in love with Chris. Chris is the funny, charming, man-about-Woolies, but he's 21, and the 6-year difference in their ages may as well be 100. Chris and Amelia talk about everything from Second Wave Feminism to Great Expectations and Alien but will he ever look at her in the way she wants him to? And if he does, will it be everything she hopes?

I may, or may not, be excited for this one purely because of the title. ;)

It sounds a bit quirky and fun, and I just love me a good book set in Australia.

What are you waiting on?

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix Linkup & Twitter Party | HPRC

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:30:00 PDT

Phew! We're already on book five! Can you believe it?
At this point in the series, I couldn't hold myself back from reading the rest of the books...so I have officially read the entire Harry Potter series! It feels so great! I absolutely love the series. I also have this huge need to watch the movies right now, but I'm saving that for October, so we can all do it together. :)
Include your links below, and then read about our Twitter party this month!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix review Links

Please leave links to your reviews, thoughts, comments, or updated kick-off posts in the following format:

Name - Blog - Format

(Penelope - The Reading Fever - Comment/Kick-off Post)

(Janie - The Reading Bug - Review)

Harry Potter Reading Challenge Twitter Party!

Join me on May 15th, to discuss all things Harry Potter!
All is open to discussion, as I am going on the assumption that the majority of people will have read the books, or at least seen the movies. We'll begin discussing our theme (Things I Would Do At Hogwarts), and see where it leads us. It will be a night of pure HP fun! :)
Hashtag: #2012HPRC

April Giveaway Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 23:13:00 PDT

Thank you to everyone who entered the two giveaways I had going last month!

The winner of the HPRC giveaway is:

Jessica Ball from Books: A True Story!

The winner of the Glass Houses giveaway is:

Jasmyn Novachek from Jasmyn's Reviews!

Congrats, ladies!

Check your inboxes for the emails I sent each of you, and don't forget to respond within 48 hours. :)

------------------------------

My favorite comments in response to the giveaway entry question:

Which is your favorite Harry Potter book, and why?

Jenni Elyse said:

"Prisoner of Azkaban is also my favorite. I just love the complexity of the story. And, I love that it's different than most of the other books. Voldemort really is only a secondary character in it, unlike all the others where he plays a major role."

Dea S. said:

"My favorite would be the first one. When Harry just discovered that he's a wizard and their first adventures happened. I get nostalgic just by remembering..."

Jessica Ball said:

"Deathly Hallows is my favorite. It made me cry big fat tears and I'll never forget that. Chamber of Secrets is a close second. I was shocked that a middle grade book had me afraid to go to sleep with voices about death....kill......WHAA!"

Aai Marsh said:

"My favourite is Goblet of Fire.It is where all of them are more funny and don't forget that they don't cut their hair! Lol =.="

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:30:00 PDT

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #5)
Publisher: Scholastic
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Fantasy, Magical Realism, Young Adult
Publication Date: First published in 2003

There is a door at the end of a silent corridor, and it's haunting Harry Potter's dreams. Why else would he be waking in the middle of the night, screaming in terror?

Here are just a few of the things on Harry's mind:

• A Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher with a personality like poisoned honey
• A venomous, disgruntled house-elf
• Ron as Keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch team
• The looming terror of the end-of-term Ordinary Wizarding Level exams

... and of course, the growing threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

In the richest installment yet of J.K. Rowling's seven-part story, Harry Potter is faced with the unreliability of the very government of the magical world and the impotence of the authorities at Hogwarts.

Despite this (or perhaps because of it), he finds depth and strength in his friends, beyond what even he knew; boundless loyalty; and unbearable sacrifice.

Though thick runs the plot (as well as the spine), readers will race through these pages and leave Hogwarts, like Harry, wishing only for the next train back.

“Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?"
"Yes."
"You called her a liar?"
"Yes."
"You told her He Who Must Not Be Named is back?"
"Yes."
"Have a biscuit, Potter.”

-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

*This review contains spoilers for the book.*

I have really enjoyed reading this series, but this book is the first one I read, where I realized that I absolutely love this series! Despite hearing warnings from many people that book five is 'slow and boring,' and their least-favorite of the series, I found quite the opposite to be true. Let's begin with the villain:

Professor Umbridge is probably one of the coolest villains of the series, yet (second only to 'ole Voldy). Her character placement in the story is significant because, not only is she not one of Voldemort's supporters, but by all of her wrong-doings, she truly believes that she is doing the wizarding world good. She is the first authority figure Harry has come across who hasn't immediately sympathized with him, or who isn't under Dumbledore's command. Even Snape--who has made life hard for Harry before--is still heavily influenced by Dumbledore. In overcoming the obstacles that Umbridge presents, Harry is truly tested for the first time.

The character development in this one is, simply put, spectacular. We are introduced to many awesome new characters who each find their place in Harry's life, along with old characters, who are beginning to define their roles in Harry's life as well. Things are just starting to come full-circle; with secret organizations, changing alliances, and prophecies being revealed, it is such a complete turning point in the series. Not only is Harry now someone who is looked up to as a teacher/role model, but he finally stars to believe it as well. Despite all his angst, and feeling sorry for himself (which really annoyed me, but hey--these are typical teenager issues), he finds it in himself to rise to a leadership role in the D.A..

The formation of Dumbledore's Army literally sent chills up my spine--the kind you get when you know something amazing is happening. It is one of the first times that the students from different houses have banned together. Neville finally begins to excel in an area that he previously failed at, and shows some of his potential. And my favorite part of the entire book, is when Fred & George decide it's time to leave Hogwarts. It's something that has been a long time coming--they get to inspire the other students to action, and they finally get to show off their genius and have the time of their lives while doing so. Their exit is thrilling, and ultimately so uplifting, that I wanted to clap and yell, "bravo!"

This book is definitely darker than the previous ones in the series. For the first time, there are real consequences to Harry's actions--including death. I said it before: this is a turning point in the series. This is the bridge between adolescent innocence, and true knowledge of good and evil. Harry finally begins to really understand what he is up against, and he still rises to the occasion. This book is fantastic.

ETA: Author Elana Johnson just posted about this book in a post titled: What I Learned From the Worst Harry Potter Book. In it, she says something very thought-provoking, which pretty much hit the nail on the head, of why I love this book so much. Head on over there to read what she has to say!

Read this if:
...just read it! :)

Content Warning
*This section may contain some spoilers about content!*
Highlight between the brackets to reveal the text.
{A few swear words, snogging, parts that show violence, and death.}

“Give her hell from us, Peeves.”

-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

My Other Reviews From This Series:

Book 1 / Book 2 / Book 3 / Book 4

Purchase The Order of the Phoenix:

J.K. Rowling:

Website

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson | Audio Review

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:30:00 PDT

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Format: Audiobook (courtesy of Penguin Audio)
Genre: Memoir, Humor
Publication Date: 17, April 2012

When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father (a professional taxidermist who created dead-animal hand puppets) and a childhood of wearing winter shoes made out of used bread sacks. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.

Lawson's long-suffering husband and sweet daughter are the perfect comedic foils to her absurdities, and help her to uncover the surprising discovery that the most terribly human moments-the ones we want to pretend never happened-are the very same moments that make us the people we are today.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened is a poignantly disturbing, yet darkly hysterical tome for every intellectual misfit who thought they were the only ones to think the things that Lawson dares to say out loud. Like laughing at a funeral, this book is both irreverent and impossible to hold back once you get started.

Let me preface this by saying that I don't normally review--or even read--memoirs. They're usually not my cup of tea. But on Tuesday (literally) I discovered The Bloggess' blog, and her post about Beyonce, the giant metal chicken, and I couldn't stop laughing. Then I read about her tiny stuffed ermine she named Ermione Granger, and it was like I was destined to come across her blog.

THEN, after spending an hour reading through her best posts and laughing my brains out, I realized that the book she wrote had only just been released, and that the cover seemed extremely familiar. Further contemplation reminded me that this was because I had been sent an audio copy for review a month ago! I had dismissed it after seeing the word 'memoir' on the cover, and had let it get lost in a pile of books I am going to giveaway on this blog sometime soon. I fished it out yesterday morning, popped the first CD in, and did absolutely nothing worthwhile all day long, except listen to the book, and laugh my head off.
This is a lesson I've now learned from.

Now for the review:
I have never been so entertained by a memoir before! It pains me to group all memoirs together like that, but it's the truth. I have tried reading memoirs before, and none have captured my attention in quite the same way that Jenny's has. She's got a certain eerie humor; the type that makes you cringe, but at the same time there's no way you can make yourself stop listening, because Jenny is a storyteller.

Certainly no topic is off-limits for Jenny, and even though I had sampled her blog before I dove into her memoir, I was still surprised at some of the topics she brings up. I was even more surprised that despite my disgust, aversion, or disbelief, for some of the stories, I still wanted to hear the full details; I still laughed like crazy. She's got a knack for picking the craziest, most funny, most unique, and ultimately best stories, to entertain and wow readers.

Throughout the book, she talks about a wide range of topics, including some of her personal problems with general anxiety, anorexia, and the loss of her first two pregnancies. Even with frequent hilarious asides, these are seeped with true peeks into her life, which bring a meaningful balance to the story, and enables listeners to connect with her through similar embarrassing or heartbreaking experiences.

One of my favorite things about the book is Jenny's hilarious conversations with her husband. Jenny has some unique quirks (which I think are awesome), and it's absolutely clear that her husband loves her because of them...even when that means he has to put up with some crazy stuff. Out of this comes some of the most hilarious arguments about utterly mundane subjects.

I will say that this is definitely not the type of audio that you'd listen to in the car while driving with the kids. There is a lot of crude humor, language, and truthful talk of mature subjects. While it is seriously funny stuff, that warning is not to be taken lightly.

This is a book full of personality and humor. It didn't feel like a memoir; it felt like a good friend telling me the most outrageously funny stories I have ever heard.

Narration:
Like listening to your best friend tell her most riveting stories, Jenny tells it in a way that brings them all to life. I noticed a few quirks along the way (pronouncing words like 'appreciate' incorrectly), but I think they added to the rich personality of her story.

Read this if:
...you love juicy gossip-style stories about people who are more funny than you, and you have a strong sense of humor.

Content Warning
*This section may contain some spoilers about content!*
Highlight between the brackets to reveal the text.
{Lots of crude language, crude humor, lots of swearing, and talk of drinking and drug use.}

P.P.P.P.S. Also, if you try to make a shrimp boil, but the bag of spices bursts, and so you just toss it in along with whatever spices you can find in the pantry, you can make homemade pepper spray--unintentionally. And everyone at your dinner party will run outside for the next hour, coughing and tearing up as if they've been maced, because technically they kind of have been, because mace was one of the spices I found in the pantry. I blame whoever makes spice out of mace, and I remind my gasping dinner guests that even if I did mace them, I did it in an old fashioned, homemade, Martha Stewart sort of way.
With love.

-Jenny Lawson, Let's Pretend This Never Happened (quoted from the audio, so formatting may differ)

"You are using a frisbee as a plate!"

"Uh, what? I'm not using a--oh hang on, this is a frisbee. Weird."

Victor glared at me.

"Dude, calm down, I'll wash it afterward. It's probably dishwasher safe."

-Jenny Lawson, Let's Pretend This Never Happened (quoted from the audio, so formatting may differ)

One of my favorite conversations between Jenny and her husband, Victor, resulted in me creating this:

Purchase Let's Pretend This Never Happened:

Jenny Lawson:

The Bloggess / Twitter / Facebook

The Raven Boys | Waiting On Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:30:00 PDT

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Visit Breaking The Spine to see more entries!

This week, I am eagerly waiting on:

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (Raven Cycle #1)

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

Publication Date: 18 Sept., 2012

'Ravenboys' by Maggie Stiefvater - Chapter tease

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

In all of her books, Maggie Stiefvater has got this way of writing that totally draws me in...and that's true for this one as well. I read the chapter tease of this book last week thanks to Alice Marvels (you can read it below), and am hooked! The first chapter is a bit eerie, which is what I just loved about it. I cannot wait to read it!

What are you waiting on?

Sarvenaz Tash | Class of 2K12

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:30:00 PDT

Today I have author Sarvenaz Tash here, as part of my Class of 2K12 interview series! Sarvenaz Tash's debut novel, The Mapmaker and the Ghost (more on the book below), hits stores today!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and any hobbies you have?
Sure! My name is Sarvenaz but most people call me Sarv. However, if we ever meet and you
pronounce my full name correctly, I will secretly like you just a little bit more.

I spend a lot of my free time reading and writing. I also started learning the guitar a couple of
years ago and I find it’s been really great to do something creative that uses a different part
of my brain. Funnily enough, I was inspired to pick up the guitar because of all the time I was
spending playing Rock Band.

Which is not to say I don’t still enjoy “playing” with my Rock Band band. We’re called Ugly
Sweater and we pretty much rule the world of plastic instruments.

What do you want readers to feel after reading your book?
I mostly want them to laugh and feel like they just went on an adventure, too.

What was the hardest scene or chapter to write, and why?
Chapter 2! For some reason, I rewrote that chapter, literally, over 17 times. It was the chapter
that segued from one setting to another and where the main story really took off and I think I
had a hard time finding the balance between having enough exposition and making sure there
was still something happening.

What has been the most rewarding part of having your book published?
It really has been a lifelong dream so having that come true has been truly exhilarating. It’s
hard to ask for more than that from life! It’s also been really great to connect with all these other
wonderful debut authors (such as those in the class of 2K12).

And just for fun: Everyone has a bizarre hidden talent. Care to share yours?
I do a mean Toni Braxton impression. So if we’re ever at karaoke together, make sure to punch
in “Unbreak My Heart.”

Ooh, I think a vlog of you singing "Unbreak My Heart" is in order! Also: Ugly Sweater is an awesome Rock Band band name. :)
Thanks for answering my questions!

Photo by: Corinne Ray

About Sarvenaz
Sarvenaz Tash was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up on Long Island, NY. She received her BFA in Film and Television from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. This means she got to spend most of college running around and making movies (it was a lot of fun). She has dabbled in all sorts of writing including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting. Sarvenaz currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. The Mapmaker and the Ghost is her debut novel.

Find Sarvenaz Here: Website / Twitter / Facebook

Goldenrod Moram loves nothing better than a good quest. Intrepid, curious, and full of a well-honed sense of adventure, she decides to start her own exploring team fashioned after her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark, and to map the forest right behind her home. This task is complicated, however, by a series of unique events—a chance encounter with a mysterious old lady has her searching for a legendary blue rose. Another encounter lands her in the middle of a ragtag gang of brilliant troublemakers. And when she stumbles upon none other than the ghost of Meriwether Lewis himself, Goldenrod knows this will be anything but an ordinary summer . . . or an ordinary quest. Debut author Sarvenaz Tash combines an edge-of-your-seat adventure, a uniquely clever voice, and an unforgettable cast of characters to prove that sometimes the best adventures of all are waiting right in your own backyard.

Purchase The Mapmaker and the Ghost here: Amazon / B&N / Book Depository

Official book trailer:

12 Days of Morganville Madness Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:09:00 PDT

Today marks the beginning of the 12 Days of Morganville Madness tour!

There are 12 stops, spread out over the next 12 days, leading up to the release of Rachel Caine's newest Morganville Vampires book, BLACK DAWN. Each stop brings a refresher of each book in the series, along with reviews, interviews with Rachel Caine, and a giveaway of each book!

Check out the tour schedule:

April 20 - GLASS HOUSES (book 1) @ Page Turners

April 21 - THE DEAD GIRLS DANCE (book 2) @ A New Kind of Ordinary

April 22 - MIDNIGHT ALLEY (book 3) @ Book Splot Reviews

April 23 FEAST OF FOOLS (book 4) @ Hobbitsies

April 24 - LORD OF MISRULE (book 5) @ Book Monster Reviews

April 25 - FADE OUT (book 6) @ My Overstuffed Bookshelf

April 26 - KISS OF DEATH (book 7) @ Miss Vain's Paranormal Fantasy

April 27 - KISS OF DEATH (book 8) @ The Story Siren

April 28 - GHOST TOWN (book 9) @ AwesomeSauce Book Club

April 29 - BITE CLUB (book 10) @ Confessions of a Bookaholic

April 30 - LAST BREATH (book 11) @ Litteral Addiction

May 1 - BLACK DAWN release day! (book 12) @ Mundie Moms

Penguin has generously offered to give one reader a copy of GLASS HOUSES, the first book in the series, along with a BLACK DAWN bookmark!

Read the description on Goodreads

Enter below!

Giveaway ends at midnight, on May 1st.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meant To Be | Waiting On Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:30:00 PDT

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Visit Breaking The Spine to see more entries!

This week, I am eagerly waiting on:

Meant To By by Lauren Morrill

Publisher: Delacorte

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Publication Date: 13 Nov., 2012

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

This just sounds like a light-hearted, cute book. It sounds like it will be funny and romantic; both of which I am a big fan of. I also really like the cover; it's modern, different, and eye-catching!

What are you waiting on?

J. Anderson Coats Interview | Class Of 2K12

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 06:30:00 PDT

Today I have author J. Anderson Coats here, as part of my Class of 2K12 interview series! J. Anderson Coats' debut novel, The Wicked and the Just (more on the book below), is officially out today!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and any hobbies you have?
I own over two hundred books about the middle ages. I’m a Cancer, I lived in Australia as a child, and I earned two master’s degrees before the age of thirty. I’m married to a math teacher, my teenage son has read every book on programming in the public library, and my cat has thumbs. I make rag quilts with more enthusiasm than skill, and my attempts to keep a garden alive have been successful to date.

What do you want readers to feel after reading your book?
Curious. THE WICKED AND THE JUST is set in thirteenth-century Wales, and it’s possible people aren’t as familiar with this setting as they are with other places and eras. Most people have a preconceived notion of what the middle ages were like, and my presentation of that world may not jive with their picture. I hope people are intrigued enough with the story to want to know more about medieval Wales and the events of 1294-5.

What was the hardest scene or chapter to write, and why?
Definitely the confrontation between Cecily and Gwenhwyfar toward the end of the book. It was difficult to feed enough information to readers without too much telling. I really wanted readers to make the connection at the same time Cecily did, so it was a delicate balance between “enough” and “too much” when it came to detail.

What has been the most rewarding part of having your book published?
Each phase of this experience has been more exciting than the last, but the best part has been joining the YA/MG lit community. I don’t think there’s a more friendly, helpful, welcoming group of people on the planet. I’ve learned so much just sitting at their feet and listening, and I’m humbled and grateful to join them.

And just for fun: Everyone has a bizarre hidden talent. Care to share yours?
I can wake up just before my alarm goes off. Since I get up every morning at five to write, it’s very helpful!

Oh, that sounds like a *super* helpful talent. ;)

Thanks for answering my questions! You talking about how different medieval Wales was, has me pretty curious! I can't wait to read about those differences. Congratulations on the publication of your book!

About J. Anderson Coats
J. Anderson Coats has dug for crystals, held Lewis and Clark’s original hand-written journal and been a mile underground. She has a cool surgery scar unrelated to childbirth, she reads Latin, and she’s been given the curse of Cromwell on a back-road in Connemara. On a clear day, she can see the Olympic mountains from her front window. On the foggy ones, she can smell the Puget Sound.

She writes historical fiction set in the middle ages that routinely includes too much violence, name-calling and petty vandalism perpetrated by badly-behaved young people. Her work is represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

Find J. Anderson Here: Website / Twitter / Facebook

Cecily’s father has ruined her life. He’s moving them to occupied Wales, where the king needs good strong Englishmen to keep down the vicious Welshmen. At least Cecily will finally be the lady of the house.

Gwenhwyfar knows all about that house. Once she dreamed of being the lady there herself, until the English destroyed the lives of everyone she knows. Now she must wait hand and foot on this bratty English girl.

While Cecily struggles to find her place amongst the snobby English landowners, Gwenhwyfar struggles just to survive. And outside the city walls, tensions are rising ever higher—until finally they must reach the breaking point.

Purchase The Wicked and The Just here: Amazon / B&N / Book Depository

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen | Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:30:00 PDT

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (The Ascendance Trilogy #1)
Publisher: Scholastic
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publication Date: Apr. 1, 2012

THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Master Graves was incensed and said, as punishment for my disruption, I would have to write my letters an extra ten times that day.
"Ten times the better I'll know them, then." I said. "How strange that you should punish me by ensuring I come out more educated than Roden, who has tried to obey you."

-Sage, The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

I had the opportunity to attend Jennifer A. Nielsen's author signing at the Provo Library not too long ago, where she spoke about this book of hers. What stuck with me was the way she spoke about the main character, Sage. One of the things she said about him, was how he is one of those rare characters who she didn't need to create a history for in order to know him better, because he came to her full of history and personality. She also talked about how he is very stubborn yet cunning, and how the people around him are always trying to get him to conform to their rules...all the while not knowing that he is changing those very rules, without them even knowing it. It was a tempting statement, and one that I didn't fully understand, but it convinced me to buy the book then and there, so I could meet this Sage character.

You guys--I have never before come across a character who has been able to lie so convincingly, that even the reader believes the lie. I was close to tearing my hair out, as I gripped it in surprise when all was revealed. It did NOT happen as I thought it would. It was a fantastic charade. This is a very character-driven story. Sage is not only a stubborn and cunning character, but he's also perceptive, quick-witted, and funny. He gets himself into trouble many times (either for defending himself or others, or because he just wanted to spite someone), is constantly threatened, and yet he remains his own master. He doesn't give in. He is a character who just does. not. give. up. It's an admirable quality. Other characters have fantastically rich personalities as well, filling the book with lots of good twists and changing alliances.

There were some things that happened towards the end, that made me disappointed because the story got more and more predictable, just when I had come to expect the unpredictable. I must admit that I had expected more from Sage, after finally seeing the full reach of his cunning. Although I am happy with the outcome, the questions that I have due to the ending (like: how would Sage have fared if there was never a lie?) are still running through my head. And I was still unclear on the age of the characters (it mentions it in the beginning, but they all seemed much older than that, leaving me confused at times).

Overall, while I can't say the book is completely perfect, it is pretty close by my reckoning. Jennifer Nielsen not only constantly surprises you and has you rooting for the main character, but she also manages to get you to trust the main character--even after so many lies. It's amazing. You'll be entertained from the very first page.

Go read it!

Click here to read the first chapter of The False Prince.

Read this if:
...you want a great fantasy adventure, with a character who will knock your socks off.

Content Warning
*This section may contain some spoilers about content!*
Highlight between the brackets to reveal the text.
{Murder, poisoning (which is talked about a few times), fighting (to be expected with a fantasy adventure), and a scene where a character is chained up and lashed. There also may have been a swear word or two (I can't remember; I was too enthralled).}

This is Teen is hosting the first chapter of The False Prince, which means you can read it now!

Purchase The False Prince:

Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers

Jennifer A. Nielsen:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Blog

Guest Post: T.A. Demings on WIFYR

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:30:00 PDT

Hi readers! Today I have T.A. Demings here, to talk about the upcoming Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers conference. She approached me to see if I would post about the conference, but I turned it around and asked her to do a guest post instead. I'm sure you would much rather read her passion for the conference than my rather lengthy streams of rambling thought...kind of like this. ;)
So without further ado:

Hi.

I’m T.A. Demings and I’m a writer.

Right now I’m in the process of finding a home (i.e. agent/editor/publisher) for my first book, which is a YA contemporary in chopped line (most people refer to this form as “verse”, but I won’t go into why that’s wrong…).

I’ve been working on this book for about two years and I’m getting to the point where I’m almost ready to submit, which presents a lot questions. Where do I look? How do I find an agent or an editor? How do I get them to read my manuscript? How do I get them to like it?

Of course, I don’t know all the answers, but there’s one thing that’s really helped me get my foot in the door of the literary publishing world and that is WRITING CONFERENCES. I’ve had other writer friends tell me that conferences are silly and “why should I have to spend money on a conference when I could figure out the publishing industry on my own?” First, conferences are probably the most useful stepping stones to getting published. Second, to (some of) my writer friends out there: we’ll see who gets published first.

Since there are so many different writing conferences all over the country (and the world) I can’t tell you about all of them. But I’m going to tell you about my very favorite one (of about 5) that I’ve been to. Writing and Illustrating For Young Readers (lovingly referred to as WIFYR). It’s a week-long conference held in Sandy, UT during June (18-22 this year). The conference offers several morning workshops in which writers have a chance to workshop their manuscripts in a group (of about 14) led by a published author. Then there are afternoon presentations where editors, agents, and published authors talk about writing, editing, and publishing.

I first attended WIFYR last year (2011), and, because of my creative writing training in college, I was able to take the advanced morning session class with Kathleen Duey (who has dozens of published books). Her feedback (along with the feedback of my peer writers in the group) was absolutely invaluable, and helped me improve my writing tremendously. From that morning workshop I became a better writer, made some good friends, and absorbed priceless information about becoming a professional, published author.

During a Q&A part of an afternoon presentation I was able to ask literary agent Mary Kole a few questions. After the session she asked me a few questions too, and then suggested that I submit my manuscript to her (yes, the contemporary YA in chopped line). When I’m finished editing my manuscript, who do you think I’m sending it to? J

This year I’m on the volunteer (with perks) staff for WIFYR. I’ll get to work closely with, and assist published author Greg Leitich Smith as he leads one of the advanced morning workshops (which, of course you should sign up for!). One of the “perks” of being an assistant is that I’ll get to have a pitch session with one of the agents or editors presenting at the conference. I’m telling you, this is how you make your connections!

Okay. So, I’m not quite published yet. YET. But, I’ve made a lot of connections—with authors, literary agents, editors, and librarians—and I’ve learned that getting published takes a lot work. It takes time. And yes, it takes money.

When I do get published, I know it will be largely owed to my participation at WIFYR conferences.

You want to join in on the fun now, don’t you?

Here’s the info:

June 18-22

Sandy, UT

9 published authors

2 literary agents

2 editors

YOU

Don’t have the money for a conference? Then enter WIFYR’s writing contest to win a $1000 fellowship!

See you in June! ;)

Write on!

Thanks for your post, T.A. Demings! The conference sounds like a great opportunity for authors and illustrators. Plus, it's in UTAH! I really love my state. :)

About T.A. Demings:
I grew up in Richfield, Utah. Writing is my love. I'm working on a YA novel right now. I believe in love, forgiveness, acceptance, work, and the outdoors. I have a duck fetish. It started out with rubber ducks, but I love pretty much any duck now. My favorite, most well-traveled and well-known is Clyde who I often sleep with at night (yes, technically I am an adult...).

Find T.A. Demings here: Website / Twitter

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

noreply@blogger.com (Penelope Lolohea) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:00:00 PDT

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Publisher: Dutton Books
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult
Publication Date: Jan. 10th, 2012

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

. . . but it is the nature of stars to cross, and never was Shakespeare more wrong than when he had Cassius note, "the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves." . . . there is no shortage of fault to be found amid our stars.

-The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I put off reading this book for one reason: I knew it would hit really close to home. It was published while my child was still in the thick of cancer treatments (oddly enough, that was only three months ago), and I wasn't sure I would be able to handle reading it. It wasn't until I read last week that John Green personally signed each and every 1st edition copy of this book, that I decided to see what was so important about this book that such a thing would take place. I knew that with such a touchy and personal subject, I was likely to either love or hate the book in the end, and that it could possibly intrigue me to pick up more of his books in the future, or prevent me altogether from ever being able to. It was a risk I took.

Let me say this right off: John Green gets cancer right. He gets it so right, that at one or two particularly truthful points in the book, I yelled "dammit John Green!" ...just for his causing me to think so philosophically about something that at one point was trying to take over my son's body. Let it be noted that I have never before, and will never again, cuss on this blog. There are so many powerful and poignant passages in this book, that I was practically snapping pictures of every page (how I document favorite quotes). Along with that, there are steady bursts of comic relief--the kind born out of tragedy--the combination of it all producing laughter through tears, and tears through laughter, and ultimately, a messy face not fit for public eyes. ;)

I did find a few flaws in the book, all of which involve a trip that the characters take. I want this to be a semi-spoiler-free review, so I'll summarize what I typed in the spoiled paragraph below. In short: the trip seemed unorganized, and not consistent with the organization for the type of trip people in their position would take in real life. I also didn't like how easily, and how often, the characters were left alone while on this trip. Even I was worried for their health while they were off and alone, and just wanted them to have someone nearby in case anything happened...I guess caution is another side-effect of dying. (Read the book and you'll get that one.)

*Spoilers in this paragraph*
So, the Wish trip: for one thing, the planning of the trip felt a bit unorganized. My experience with Wish trip planning is that it takes a lot of time, people, and coordination, to put a Wish together. And all the little details (like meals, places of travel, and most importantly in this case: the special person you'll be meeting) is handled by the Wish coordinator, who makes absolute certain that you have no problems on your trip. Not so in the book. I was also under the impression that they frown upon a.)making a wish FOR someone else, even when cleverly disguised as a wish for yourself, and b.)your parents not coming along! If you wish for a trip, the whole family (or at least your parents) are always included to make it a family experience. I also don't agree with how often the main characters were left on their own for the entire trip, either. For someone who was SO worried that something would happen to her daughter while in a country where she would be without medical assistance, Hazel's mother sure left her to fend for herself a whole lot. But I digress.
*End spoilers*

In truth, the flaws in the book were easily forgotten in lieu of a gripping storyline, and deep, thought-provoking, passages. This book is tough on both the mind and the soul, but is worth every tear shed. For anyone waiting to read this book--unsure if it's realistic--or anyone who's read it and still wondering if this is what it's really like: it really, truly, is. This is the truthful, gritty, trenches of love and cancer--analyzed in ways that make you contemplate every agonizing moment of it. I appreciate the deeper view of life, love, and death.

I appreciate this book, John Green.

Read this if:
...you want a realistic view of life, love, and cancer, told in an unforgettable story.

Content Warning
*This section may contain some spoilers about content!*
Highlight between the brackets to reveal the text.
{Death, illness, loss, underage drinking, sex (not descriptive), drugs (cigarettes, which are often present, but never lit), and some swearing.}

“People talk about the courage of cancer patients, and I do not deny that courage. I had been poked and stabbed and poisoned for years, and still I trod on. But make no mistake: In that moment, I would have been very, very happy to die.”

-The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

"What am I at war with? My cancer. And what is my cancer? My cancer is me. The tumors are made of me. They're made of me as surely as my brain and my heart is made of me. It is a civil war . . . with a predetermined winner.”

-The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I bawled at this part. It's one of the sentences that stood out the most to me.

Purchase The Fault in Our Stars: