YA Bliss

Dead to You - Lisa McMann

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:48:31 PST

Young Adult
Pages: 256
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: February 7, 2012

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first.
Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked.
Something unspeakable...

So deliciously haunting and gripping that I could not make myself put it down. I stayed up reading and ended up shocked and amazed when I closed the book. I'm a big fan of Lisa's writing, because she goes to the point without being all gooey or overdone.

It's an unusual storyline, hard to relate but easy to imagine, and the fact that there's so much more going on than what we can appreciate from Ethan's narration makes it more mysterious. There's a certain point where you might predict the big twist, but it's still surprising how it's done. I loved the writing and sometimes I loved Ethan, but I did feel we had a bit of an unreliable narrator (which, if done on purpose, was amazing!) because we would be thinking so many things at once and sometimes would be wallowing on such an unimportant matters for the moment that I never felt he was being absolutely honest.

I loved how compelling it was, I loved the characters, Gracie more than any other, and I love how the resolution was so thought-provoking and will stay with me like few books can. I want to say so much more, but I feel that whatever I say I'm spoiling the book a little. What I do want to say is that, if I could inject the book with something, I would just give it a bit more emotion. Sometimes it felt that yes, while Ethan was indeed struggling, the full emotion of it didn't quite come through. I guess when you're done reading it and had time to think about it, you can understand why some emotion is lacking, but still.

Overall another amazing novel from Lisa McMann that everyone should read.

Goodreads / Amazon

How to help Yara

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:40:53 PST

You may have heard already that an amazing blogger, Yara from Once Upon a Twilight, has lost her house in a terrible fire this past weekend. We were driving from Houston to Dallas for ALA, when she received the news. She was my roommate at ALA, so I know first hand how awful it was, and how much we admire her for keeping it together. Thankfully, everyone is okay, but they lost all their possessions.

Because the YA world is such a giving and awesome community, lots of people have offered and rushed to help. Mundie Moms has set up a Birthday book drive which you can read about here, you can see Yara's book list to donate books or make financial donations through Twilight Moms.

Anything you can help with is greatly appreciated.

Waiting On Wednesday (127)

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:04:45 PST

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

Blind Spot by Laura Ellen

How do you clear your name of murder when you can't remember what happened? When a truck driver plunges through the thinning ice on Birch River, Tricia Farni's body floats to the surface; dead since the night she disappeared six months earlier. The night Roswell Hart fought with her. The night Roz can't remember. Roz has an eye disease that robs her central vision, so she's used to piecing things together to make sense of the world around her. But this time it's her memory that needs piecing together; to clear her name and to find a murderer.

Debut novelist Laura Ellen's own experiences with macular degeneration and special needs add powerful authenticity to this suspenseful and emotional page-turner for teens.

Wow.

Release Date: October 23, 2012

Goodreads / Amazon

YA Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:38:28 PST

This is a weekly post to spotlight some YA and MG books that will be releasing during this week.

The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful #2) by Ivonne Woon
Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Getting Over Garret Delaney by Abby McDonald
There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff
Pink Smog by Francesca Lia Block

Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James
Havoc by Jeff Sampson
Daughter of Centaurs by Kate Klimo

Stealing Magic by Marianne Malone & Greg Call (MG)
My Awesome, Awful Popularity Plan by Rudetsky

The Big Crunch - Pete Hautman

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:45:24 PST

Young Adult
Pages: 288
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: January 1, 2011

June and Wes do not "meet cute." They do not fall in love at first sight. They do not swoon with scorching desire. They do not believe that they are instant soul mates destined to be together forever.
This is not that kind of love story.
Instead, they just hang around in each other's orbits...until eventually they collide. And even after that happens, they're still not sure where it will go. Especially when June starts to pity-date one of Wes's friends, and Wes makes some choices that he immediately regrets.
From National Book Award winner Pete Hautman, this is a love story for people not particularly biased toward romance. But it is romantic, in the same way that truth can be romantic and uncertainty can be the biggest certainty of all.

I love realistic and romantic fiction. This would have been a wonderful story for me to read. In fact, I even liked the story. But, imagine for a moment a fresh teen romance story that you were so eager to read... Now imagine that story being told by a ROBOT.

I could not tolerate the third person distant weird storytelling. It drove me nuts. I felt like my 5 years old daughter was methodically telling me what happened in a movie. It was just so emotionless, dull and utterly frustrating narration that it ruined the book for me.

Such flat narration even flattened out the characters that were actually a tad more thought-out characters than I would have expected from this writing. Had it been told in first person alternating povs, I would've probably devoured it, but sadly, it's not. I feel like realistic teen fiction should stick to first person narration, and that might be just me but I'm willing to bet a lot of readers agree.

Goodreads / Amazon

Waiting On Wednesday (126)

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:00:07 PST

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

PURITY by Jackson Pierce

Hours before her mother died, Shelby promised her three things-- to listen to her father, to live life without restraint, and to love whenever possible.

Those promises were easy to keep when she was younger, but things get tricky when she turns sixteen. Shelby's still-grieving father joins a committee at their church to host a Princess Ball-- a dance where young women pledge their purity (namely, their virginity) to their father's safekeeping until they marry.

But Shelby has a Life List-- things she wants to do, to live without restraint like she promised her mother-- and getting married young isn't on it. Waiting until she's thirty to have her first time isn't on it either. But how is she supposed to keep her promise to listen to her father if she refuses to pledge? By exploiting a loophole- by losing her virginity before the Ball.

She and her best friend Jonas make a list of potential partners, but somewhere in-between failed attempts at losing her virginity, trying to answer some lingering questions about God, and planning the Ball with her Dad, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her PURITY.

Release Date: April 24, 2012.

Goodreads / Amazon

The Disenchantments - Nina LaCour

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:54:20 PST

Young Adult
Pages: 304
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: February 16, 2012

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.
But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?
Morris Award—finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

So unusual and original. A very different take on epic/life-changing road trips. A wonderful journey, though: deep and heart-felt and hopeful. There's something wonderful about authors who can write contemporary so amazingly realistic, and yet very original. I loved the premise of this. A girl band? Going on tour? Even though they totally suck? And told through the fresh and yummy point of view of their friend-who-is-a-boy?

I admit that at first I felt it was kind of slow and not very gripping, but I loved the writing from the very first sentence. The fact is that the premise makes it wrongly seem like it will be simply a fun book. And it's more than just a fun book, it has depth and emotions. I've mentioned before how I love male PoV, specially when it involves a weird bad girl, a la Looking For Alaska.

The biggest bump I found was trying to match the Beverly in the book with the one Colby is in love with. It's a story about endings, and facing the future. So Colby and Beverly's friendship we glimpsed through memories. During the whole book Beverly is cold and distant, and yet, I guess the writing was just good enough to make me feel there had been that special friendship. And one of the things I loved the most was Colby's relationships with the other girls in the band, Meg and Alexa. He was just so awesome. Loved his character!

At some point I was just so involved and having so much fun, and just wrapped up so much in this awesome idea of a road trip for a tour even though you couldn't be less famous (or talented for that matter), that I was just eager to read the whole thing. And the ending was so great and magical and unexpected that I ended up overseeing all my previous "bumps" with the story.

I haven't read Hold Still, but if it's anything like The Disenchantments, I'm sure I'll love it too.

Goodreads / Amazon

YA Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:00:00 PST

This is a weekly post to spotlight some YA and MG books that will be releasing during this week.

Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard
Tempest by Julie Cross (my review)
Fracture by Megan Miranda

Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani
Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic
Truth by Julia Karr

The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries #5 by L.J. Smith
Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
Hollowed by Cynthia Hand

Halflings by Heather Burch
In Darkness by Nick Lake
The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards (MG)

Me @you.com by KE Payne
Getting Somewhere by Beth Neff
Amanda Miranda by Richard Peck

In My Mailbox (118)

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 09:41:57 PST

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, inspired by Alea and explores the contents of our mailbox on a weekly basis.

For Review:

Lenobia's Vow by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Destiny and Deception by Shannon Delany

Gift from the AWESOME AMBER!

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:41:54 PST

Young Adult
Pages: 256
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: January 2, 2012

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

So there's this new thing or story style I'm crazy about and I've been calling it the 24 hour book or Before Sunset books (if you have not seen Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, do it now!) after THIS POST I wrote when I had first read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.

Needless to say, the story takes place in a very short period of time. Which means, it's so much about feelings and moments and the feeling of the moment, and less about consequences and future. Still, you know those really long days that somehow change everything and you end up telling the story of that day over and over? It's one of those days. Sigh.

There's something about traveling and airports that can make a great story. Airports and planes normally constitute a leap out of our normal lives. Traveling involves excitement and change along with beginnings and endings. The plot was delightfully thought out. "Airports you are like suspended, not here and not there. Anything can happen" -Oliver says in the book. SO true.

Hadley and Oliver are both flying to England on family business. They meet in the plane. It's magic, and the heart-warming romance just takes off from there. A romance so true and sweet that it wins you over. In good contemporary, romance doesn't feel pushed or hurried. Even when they fall in love in a day. When you spread out that day in a whole book and you feel like you're living it, you understand how it happens and it makes it believable. So yeah, I had previously stated that I don't believe in literary love at first sight. Now I correct: I don't believe in literary love at first pages. This book makes that distinction. It never feels rushed. That's how it should be.

For romance and realistic YA lovers, this is a must read.

Goodreads / Amazon

Waiting On Wednesday (125)

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:00:08 PST

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

The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando

An all-day scavenger hunt in the name of eternal small-town glory
With only a week until graduation, there’s one last thing Mary and her friends must do together: participate in the Oyster Point High Official Unofficial Senior Week Scavenger Hunt. And Mary is determined to win.
Mary lost her spot at Georgetown to self-professed “it” bully Pete Lembo, and she’s not about to lose again. But everyone is racing for the finish line with complicated motives, and the team’s all-night adventure becomes all-night drama as shifting alliances, flared tempers, and crushing crushes take over. As the items and points pile up, Mary and her team must reinvent their strategy—and themselves—in order to win.

Release Date: July 5th, 2012

Goodreads / Amazon

Tempest - Julie Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:03:38 PST

Young Adult
Pages: 352
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: January 17, 2012

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

Even though I shy away from supernatural elements in YA, time travel is just one of my favorite themes in literature. Besides the time travel bit, there's not really any other supernatural elements (or maybe this qualifies as Sci-fi?).

Tempest is narrated by Jackson, and male narrators are one of my favorite things to read. He's in college and experimenting with his time-travel freakish and mostly boring ability, because he cant go back very long and he cant change anything when he does. Until the day some dudes burst into his girlfriend's dorm and shoots her in the head right in front of him. Then he's thrown back two years in the past and gets stuck there.

Even though the writing was not rich or outstanding in any way, and it was even sometimes a tad confusing, the plot was mind-blowing and INSANELY AWESOME. What Julie Cross lacks in rich writing, she makes up for with her absolutely amazing ability to thread a thrilling plot. It's almost impossible to put down, and as a reader, I was so glued to the story because the plot kept just spitting out twists and surprises everywhere.

The mix between time-travel, male narrator and being CIA related makes me quite certain that this is a book for male readers as well. Yes, it does have it's splash of romance but the sense of adventure is in every page. This would make an amazing on-screen adaptation, and I'm glad the rights have been already bought because I cant wait to see it come to life.

It's also one of the few Young Adult books I've read where the character is actually in college and not in high school (at the beginning at least). The cover, even though it's gorgeous, had me a little wary because it looks a lot like Hush, Hush's cover, and like I said, I'm a reluctant paranormal reader. But once I established this was NOT like the typical paranormal romance recipe, I knew I would enjoy it.

This is a wonderful debut and start to a series that will appeal to teens and college students and also to realistic and fantasy readers alike.

Goodreads / Amazon

YA Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:42:23 PST

This is a weekly post to spotlight some YA and MG books that will be releasing during this week.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Ditched by Robin Mellom
A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose (MG)
Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani (MG)

In My Mailbox (117)

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:39:01 PST

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, inspired by Alea and explores the contents of our mailbox on a weekly basis.

I took almost a month off but I'm back now, and here's what I these past weeks:

For Review:

The Raft by S. A. Bodeen
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
Just Flirt by Laura Bowers
52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody
Dark Eyes by William Richter
The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson
Before You Go by James Preller
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Bridge of Time by Lewis Buzbee
Ascend by Amanda Hocking
Switched by Amanda Hocking
Tempest by Julie Cross
The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman
The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont
Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Bought for Kindle (Not pictured & all are--or were-- 0.99!):

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler
The Unidentified by Rae Mariz
Songs for a Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson
Jessica's Guide for Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (FREE!)
Bumped by Megan MaCafferty (my review)
Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowsky (my review)

Christmas present from the AWESOME ERICA:

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder!

Author This or That with Veronica Rossi (Under The Never Sky Blog Tour)

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:18:51 PST

Apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic?

Post. But apocalyptic might be interesting at some point...

Female or Male narrator?

Darn. Both?

First or third person?

Third. For this series : )

Fast or slow pace?

Fast, mostly.

Setting or world building?

Both. I see them as the same thing.

YA or Adult?

Older YA.

One voice or alternating POVs?

Alternating.

Romance or action?

Romantic action. Action romance.

Plot or character driven?

Character. Plot. Ahhh! I'm failing, aren't I?

Hard copy or ebooks?

E-books, but hard copies for the very favorites.

Thanks for having me, Sab!

____________________________________________

Thank you, Veronica, for stopping by!

Happy release day to Under the Never Sky, you can now go get your copy of this wonderful dystopian novel wherever books are sold.

My 2011 Top 10

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:24:43 PST

Here's my TOP 10 of books published in 2011 (from the ones I read):

Where She Went by Gayle Forman
Every You, Every Me by David Levithan
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
Stay With Me by Paul Griffin
Legend by Marie Lu
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Waterfall by Lisa Bergren

Waiting On Wednesday (124)

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:13:33 PST

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

Drain You by M. Beth Bloom

Quinn’s life is a red carpet of weird fashions, hip bands, random parties, and chilling by the pool with her on-and-off BF Libby. There’s also her boring job (minimum wage), a crushed out co-worker (way too interested), her summer plans (nada), and her parents (totally clueless). Then one night she meets gorgeous James, and Quinn’s whole world turns crazy, Technicolor, 3-D, fireworks, whatever.

But with good comes bad, and unfortunately Quinn’s new romance brings with it some majorly evil baggage. LA is crawling with gangs of the undead, all aching to drain something. Now, to make things right, Quinn has to do a lot of things wrong.

Quinn’s goal: to stay sane, cool, in love, and alive.

With a one-of-a-kind protagonist, high-fidelity friendships, wicked LA nightlife, and a restless romance, this unforgettable debut from M. Beth Bloom is perfect for fans of Heather Brewer and John Green.

Since I'm currently suffering The Walking Dead's withdrawal, and True Blood's required blood dose is still very far away too, I picked a bloody zombie book. Plus, sounds like the chick has quite a voice. Can't wait! In July we'll be getting Courtney Summer's zombie book as well, so July can't get here fast enough. It's also a debut!

Release Date: July 24th, 2012

Goodreads / Amazon

Top Ten Books I Want To Give As Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:41:01 PST

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish.

1. I want to give Amber Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, because as much as we have shared books with each other and read the other's picks, she has not read my all-time favorite book.

2. I NEED to give Erica The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima simply because you cannot claim to love high fantasy, without reading one of the best series in YA in this category. It's a series I'd recommend to all Graceling fans.

3. I'd give my sister every book I've loved if she would only read them. Last year I gave her Jellicoe, Hunger Games, Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers and Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert. She still needs to read those before I get her more :(

4. I would give Daughter of Smoke and Bone to any YA readers who, like me, pride themselves to be non-paranormal readers and reluctant to read paranormal romances. This is one of the many exceptions to my rule.

5. I would give Lori Stay With Me by Paul Giffin and Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally because she has excellent taste in books and she loves a well done romance. Don't we all?

6. I would also give author Lisa Schroeder Catching Jordan because she loves Friday Night Lights and sweet fun books.

7. I'm giving my grandmother Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly as soon as I find it in Spanish.

8. I bought a new pretty "deluxe" copy of The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne for my daughter who just started reading. It'll still be some time before she can read a chapter book but I want her to read that one first. I also got her the Tangled Read-Along as a Santa gift because it's awesome!

9. I'm buying an adult book, We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver for myself so I can read it before the movie comes out. I eavesdropped (through twitter) on some authors including Stephanie Perkins raving about it!

10. It's only fitting that I buy myself two books since well, I'm me, so I'll also get The Lover's Dictionary because I haven't read it and David Levithan is one of my favorite authors and because Lori wont shut up about it!

Author Interview: Kathryn Miller Haines (The Girl is Murder)

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:13:33 PST

What made you want to set a mystery novel in WWII?

I’d written an adult series set in World War II (The Rosie Winter series for HarperCollins) and I really loved the era and wanted to explore what it would be like to be in high school during that time period. It’s such a rich period in history, especially for young women who found so many opportunities opening up for them because of the war. And I love the pop culture of the time – the clothes, the music, the movies.

What was your research process like?

I’d done a lot of the ground work for my adult series, so I really focused my research on what high school was like during that time. I read hundreds of articles taking kids to task for not caring about the war, read the fiction and comic books that were popular then, watched movies, listened to music, and interviewed a lot of folks who grew up during the war about their experiences and what they remembered from those days.

Do you have any favorite historical YA titles?

I’m really fond of Judy Blundell’s books and I’ve fallen in love with Jillian Larkins’ Flappers series. I also loved Christine Fletcher’s Ten Cents a Dance.

What would you tell teens to encourage them to read more historical novels?

History informs so much of the fiction that’s popular right now. The whole basis of dystopian fiction (things like The Hunger Games, etc.) comes out of events that really happened re-imagined, amplified, and extended to another time and place. Don’t think of historical fiction as a history lesson – it’s just another alternative reality to explore. And don’t think that people who lived 50 or 100 years ago are impossible to relate to. The thing that’s so eye-opening about reading historical characters is learning that they are just like us – they have the same hopes and dreams, make the same mistakes, question the same issues. And young people are (unfairly) accused of the same things then that the younger generations are accused of now (self-involvement, violence, loose morals, etc.)

Giveaway:

One winner will receive a copy of The Girl is Murder.
Open to US only.
Ends December 19, 2011.

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Giveaway: GLOW Audiobook!

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 06:28:52 PST

One winner will receive:

Rules:

Open to US and Canada.
Ends December 31st, 2011.

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What I Saw and How I Lied - Judy Blundell

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:34:33 PST

Young Adult
Pages: 288
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date November 1, 2008

When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him . . . until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two. As she begins to realize that almost everything she believed to be a truth was really a lie, Evie must get to the heart of the deceptions and choose between her loyalty to her parents and her feelings for the man she loves. Someone will have to be betrayed. The question is . . . who?

It's not often that you find such a complex book that weaves mystery with historical facts and setting. The book was unbelievably atmospheric, nothing ever makes you doubt the time in which events are happening. Set in the 1940s, this rich tale is written in gorgeous prose and incorporates so many unexpected turns, that I was quite shocked at its resolution.

Evie is a young, naive girl who needs to get some experience into her life, just when her stepfather returns from WWII. They take a trip and she falls in love, and then you'll be so confused and expectant, that you'll need to finish it right away. For me, the first half of the novel felt slow and rather pointless at the time, but then it surprised me so much, that I ended up loving the second half.

A story that brings out and makes you ponder how much you can actually know a person, and how much you can affect their lives. It's so frustrating, or it was to me, thinking about how, when you really think about it, you cannot know what happens--what really happens-- when you're not present. How a lie, a simple lie, can change things and change people. Really, the plot was brilliantly though-out.

Overall, it was a graceful and emotional book about choices that will envelop you in its post-war setting.

Goodreads / Amazon

Catching Jordan - Miranda Kenneally

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:25:32 PST

Young Adult
Pages: 288
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: December 1, 2011

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

Another contemporary gem that I will rave about. I'm a sucker for unique and strong female voices. In contemporary literature, I think it's one of the most important things. Jordan is one of the strongest voices I've read in a while. She's just so her, so unlike any other character I've read.

Jordan's struggle is with gender discrimination. She's a female football player, that even though she plays just as good or even better than the guys, they tend to see her as a girl. Not in her school though, she's the captain of her team and her teammates respect her.

This was probably my favorite aspect of the book. They're not just her teammates, they're best friends and she has become one of the guys. Since I grew up surrounded by male friends only, I could relate and see how believable and enjoyable this friendship was. Her relationship with Carter and JJ was amazing. Her relationship with her brother and her dad and even with Jake, was awesome. Kenneally has a great talent writing and forming characters and relationships. The writing was smooth and modern and dialogue was spot-on.

Then there's the romance. For some it will be surprising and for some it'll be predictable, but it's yummy and sweet and delightful for all. Even though some little details in the plot ticked me off a bit, the feel of the whole story was so real that I never doubted it.

And finally, football. I'm not American and even though I've lived in Texas for 4 years now, I don't enjoy football, I don't know shit about football, in fact, I don't even understand it at all. I'll accept I didn't even try to understand the tiny parts where Jordan describes plays during games, but I still enjoyed them. Point? You don't need to know or enjoy football to LOVE this book. If you do love it, then you have even MORE reason to read this!

This is definitely a contemporary, witty and fresh read, that everyone will enjoy. For YA contemporary lovers, this is a MUST read.

Goodreads / Amazon

Waiting On Wednesday (123)

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:34:13 PST

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

Two teens, brought together by their court ordered therapist, work together to learn the secrets of their case files, but neither foresaw the shattering consequences of the learning the truth regarding their families or of falling in love.

Eeek! I'm a sucker for stories like this one! Can't wait.

Release Date: August 2012

Goodreads / No Amazon yet

Finnikin of the Rock - Melina Marchetta

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:28:57 PST

Young Adult
Pages: 416
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: February 9, 2010

At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere.

But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An impostor seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.

Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock—to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

Generally, one can't write high fantasy unless you are an exceptionally talented writer. It needs too much precision of language and plot development. It needs a smooth and layered world-building. It needs surprises and shocking plot twists. Melina Marchetta is one in a million. She can write high fantasy as good as she can write realistic fiction, and that is VERY high praise since Jellicoe Road is probably my favorite book in the world.

High fantasy is like my weak point. It's where my rules and preferences change. Pace can be slower if you shower me with beautifully written words. Descriptions can be long and detailed if I need to visualize the world. And so on. Finnikin of the Rock was one of those books you want to crawl into. Those that draw you in and blur the real world. The characters were deep and complex, the plot was intricate and passionate, and the magical factor was originally engaging. The conflicts of their world will resonate and be painfully thought-provoking.

If you've read Jellicoe you know that one of Melina's greatest gifts is making little things count. Small details or connections between characters that make you sigh. Also, her spot-on romances. No mushy-wooshy cheesiness. Just heart-pounding romance. The best kind.

The search for identity, the need to belong somewhere, the longing for a lost home, the struggle to understand human nature are all themes that intertwine with the adventure and battles and faith struggles that are the spine of this novel. As rich in its prose as it is rich in everything else, this book will please fantasy readers of all ages.

Fans of Kristin Cashore and Cinda Williams Chima will absolutely love this one. Since I read it first and then listened to it, I can assure you that the audiobook is just as magical as the written form.

Favorite lines:

"Be prepared for the worst, my love, for it lives next door to the best."

“Because without our language, we have lost ourselves. Who are we without our words?”

Goodreads / Amazon

YA Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Sab H.) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:00:08 PST

This is a weekly post to spotlight some YA and MG books that will be releasing during this week.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey
Fix Me by Rune Michaels

Illuminated by Erica Orloff
Struck: Stupid Cupid, Flirting with Disaster, Pucker Up by Rhonda Stapleton
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

WinterTown by Stephen Emond
Deadly Little Voices by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber

The Fire: Witch and Wizard by James Patterson
Surrender (Haunting Emma) by Lee Nichols
Sweep (volume #5) by Cate Tiernan