The O.W.L.

Young Adult Giveaway Hop: Choice of 1 of 4 Books!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:25:00 +0000

Well everyone I'm easing back into blogging (apparently with giveaways!) I've really limited my participating in giveaway hops, but I thought I had to do this one!

If you like YA books, you've got to hop around this giveaway! (ok ok I know that was lame!)
It runs from now through the 31st.

I'm giving away your choice of one of four books.

The books to pick from are:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (an ARC)

Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Hades (Halo #2) by Alexandra Adornetto

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now hop along to enter to win some more awesome YA books!

A Wrinkle In Time 50th Anniversary Celebration: Sharing the Book

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:35:00 +0000

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Newbery Awarding winning book A Wrinkle in Time. Macmillan is celebrating in part by having 50 blogs talk about this book.

I was honored to be asked to participate!

I get the pleasure of writing about sharing this book.

But first let me tell you about the amazing 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition.

Isn't it pretty looking? I love it, and it's even prettier in person!

The 50^th Anniversary Commemorative edition features:

• Frontispiece photo*†

• Photo scrapbook with approximately 10 photos*†

• Manuscript pages*†

• Letter from 1963 Caldecott winner, Ezra Jack Keats*†

• New introduction by Katherine Paterson, US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature †

• New afterword by Madeleine L’Engle’s granddaughter Charlotte Voiklis including six never-before-seen photos †

• Murry-O’Keefe family tree with new artwork †

• Madeleine L’Engle’s Newbery acceptance speech

* Unique to this edition † never previously published

I have to say the manuscript pages that show her actual revision is the coolest thing ever, and I will be showing it to my students. They need to see that even award winners revise!!!

Check out more about the celebration at the A Wrinkle in Time Facebook page.

Now for my thoughts on sharing this book with middle schoolers.

I have to admit it - I had never read A Wrinkle in Time before a week ago. Yup I was that reader, that teacher, that person! But I am so glad that I did read it finally! And really I'm glad I read it now, because I can relate to people who aren't sure they want to read it. When I share it now I'm not sharing it from a memory of when I was 11 and read it. I'm sharing from the hear and now. And I can understand what might be holding them back and combat it head on! Reading it now gives me a way better understanding of how and where to share this story. And believe me I will be sharing it a lot.

But can I tell you something about sharing this book - something even I fought in myself - be ready to fight a huge misconception! Here's what happened when I told my 12 year old daughter (an avid reader) she should read it.

Me: Hey have you ever read A Wrinkle in Time?

Her: (nose wrinkled) No.

Me: Why not?

Her: I don't know. It's old. I don't like old books.

Me: But it doesn't seem old!

Her: But it is.

Me: But it doesn't seem like it was written 50 years ago!

Her: (rolling her eyes) I'll read it later.

Me: No read it now.

And at that point the conversation ended because I, mom, had pushed it too much. But what I wanted you to see was what could happen when sharing this book with middle schoolers. They see it as "old". It'll be dated. It'll sound silly because it was written so long ago. They all want the popular "now" book. They don't think they want an old book - You've got to make them rethink that! You've got to! To help you I've come up with a list.

So here's my "Top Ten Ways to Change Their Minds".

10. It never says the year! So it could be RIGHT NOW!

9. What? 50 years? No, no, no. 50 TEARS! It brought tears to my eyes. You'll love it too!

8. Time travel and sci fi are becoming popular now! This is soooooo that AND MORE!

7. It has none of that annoying slang that dates it! Nothing is "groovy". There are no "dudes". And "rad" is nowhere to be found!

6. Although Madeleine L'Engle calls them companion books - it's part of a series and you finally get to see what happens to the characters when they grow up! Tell me the last book series that happened in!

5. THE POWER OF LOVE. Does that EVER go out of style????

4. Ever feel like you don't fit in? Have I got the girl for you! Meg is amazing.

3. Ok so yes it's 50 years old but how can something that has been around that long be wrong???

2. Think of how impressed your parents and teachers will be when they hear you've read it!

1. Aw just skip all that and READ IT ALOUD TO THEM!

Ok all the joking aside. You will have to fight some bias against "old" books when recommending this one but fight tooth and nail to get them to pick it up. I haven't EVER read a book written that long ago and been blown away by the timelessness of it. It could've been published just this year. How was Madeleine L'Engle able to write something that timeless??? Ah.Maze.Ing. Then there's Meg! What a great role model for girls. How did she know that girls would continue to need strong role models in their reading? Meg is full of faults, but they don't hold her back and she does what needs to be done in the face of all fear! You go girl!

Now I also have to comment on sharing this book with adults

I asked many many teachers I work with if they had read this book. Many said no. And here is my theory as to why. You know those books we're suppose to read? Like Of Mice and Men or To Kill a Mockingbird (both FANTASTIC books) - the ones we're "suppose" to read. They are classics. They are to make us think. They are to be taken seriously. Those books - well, we shy away from that sometimes. Like the kids we want fun!

Tell an adult this: Yes you'll think. Read it. Yes it's different than anything else you've read. Read it! Do you have a family you love? Read it! Do you like to see good win? Read it. Do want a story that shows you hope? Read it!!!! With adults you can be more direct :)

So that's how I'd share this book that I'm thankful to have finally read. It will be in my hands a lot as I'm handing it to a new generation of students that need to go with Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace. That need to see Meg's strength and make her their hero. Some won't get it. But some will - and it's those kids who probably need this story the most. So because I know those kids are out there, it will a book I'll share over and over. (but I'm sure I'll need my top 10 list!)

GIVEAWAY: SIGNED Copy of The Book of Wonders

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:55:00 +0000

Today I have a great giveaway for you. Up for grabs is a signed copy of:

The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

About the Book

Magic, Djinn, Ogres, and Sorcerers. Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings, long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan—a terrifying usurper who, even with his eyes closed, can see all.

When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she must go to any lengths to rescue her. Along with her best friend, Ridhan—a silver-haired, violet-eyed boy of mysterious origins—and an unlikely crew of sailors led by the infamous Captain Sinbad, Zardi ventures forth into strange and wondrous territory with a seemingly impossible mission: to bring magic back to Arribitha and defeat the sultan once and for all.

To Enter:

Watch the trailer to answer this question on the form:

How long does Zardi have to save her sister?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Random Giveaway of The Fault in Our Stars

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:44:00 +0000

Hey all I've got a random giveaway! I wanted a signed copy of The Fault in Our Stars. The first one I bought was just signed, but then I went to Target and found one signed with the little fish! I wanted that one so I bought it too!!!!

That left we with two copies.

After surveying some people they all told me to GIVE IT AWAY!!!!!

So that's what I'm doing.

Just in case you don't know what it's about:

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.

And its signature

PS can I tell you something else: this story has such hints at the novel I'm in the process of revising that I'm already in love with it!!! Now shhhhh because to compare something (even remotely) I'm working on to something John Green wrote is crazy talk!!!!

Now to enter - apparently you have to click READ MORE to get the Rafflecopter to show up! Sorry! I'll need to figure that out!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2k12 Guest Post: Megan Bostic - Never Eighteen

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:26:00 +0000

A long while back I was approached by Caroline Starr Rose to help promote the fantastic group of authors in the Class of 2k12. These are a group of authors being published in 2012. I jumped at the chance to help out.

What we came up with was a series of guest posts. The topic:

MIDDLE SCHOOL!

Since I teach 7th grade I live and breath middle school (ok some of you can stop shuddering now).

So over the course of 2012 you will get to hear from some the the 2k12 authors and their memories/thoughts about that time in their life. I thank each of them for jumping in a tackling the subject!

To learn about all the 2k12 authors check out their site: Class of 2k12: Fiction that Rocks

Today our 2k12-er is:

Megan Bostic

Title: Never Eighteen

Release Date: January 17th (today!)

Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life.

Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go.

But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.

Her Thoughts/Memories about Middle School

Megan in Middle School
First off, I’m old enough to where we called middle school, “junior high”, which was seventh through ninth grade. Seventh grade was a little awkward for me. I had just started wearing glasses the year before, started paying attention to body image and realized I could no longer eat anything I wanted without payment in either my butt or thighs, and was terrified of bullies, bad grades, and boys, not necessarily in that order.

Like any other red-blooded American middle schooler, I craved popularity, but sadly, that was not my calling. I mean, I wasn’t invisible or weird or anything, I just wasn’t in “that” group of girls. In fact, I played softball, and “that” group of girls was our biggest nemesis on the diamond. They were nice kids though, so that rivalry stayed on the baseball field.

I did have a good circle of friends of my own. We all lived near each other and liked going out for pizza, listening to rock music (groups you’ve never heard of like Van Halen, Loverboy, and AC/DC). We also liked just laughing and being goofy.

In eighth grade I became a quitter. I quit piano, I quit softball. Boys were first and foremost on my mind. I had a boyfriend for the much of that year. His name was Jeff and I really liked him, but I was still utterly and completely terrified of boys, so I tried to avoid him as much as humanly possible. This was also the year I heard my butt was fat for the first time. I don’t remember much more about eighth grade probably for good reason.

I became more like a real person in ninth grade. I finally became bad at math (I knew it was just a matter of time), but in return made the concert choir (did I mention I loved to sing?), and the drill team. My musical tastes shifted from rock to something slightly more, as we called it back then, New Wave. My circle of friends became larger, including more boys, one of which I had a giant crush on (his name was Sean). I became so confident in myself that year I actually talked to him. Unfortunately, though he liked me too, he was so shy he ran away and threw up in the hallway garbage can. Alas, we were never to be.

I think I made a pretty big leap from seventh grade uber geek to ninth grade confident flirt. One thing I didn’t accomplish in middle school: My first kiss. But that’s a story for another day.

Thank you Megan for sharing! I'm from the "junior high" era also! :) And I believe that boys took over my thoughts about that time as well!

Help with Middle Grade March Madness

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:27:00 +0000

Hey everyone! I'm putting together a fun March where I'll do nothing but highlight middle grade books! But I need a little help. I've love people to join in and help if they can.

Here's how you could help:

write a guest post about you and middle grade books

host a giveaway of a mg book

read mg and review as much as you can in March

Review Giveaway

I will be hosting a giveaway for a MG book for those that post a review of a middle grade book during the month so get your reviews ready! You'll be able to link at my site to enter. More details to come!

So if you want to help, please fill out the form below.

If you've already contacted me, could you still fill it out, so I have all the info in one place! THANKS!!!!!

Also I need a button for the event. If you are any good at that I'd sure love some help ;-)

THE FORM can be found here too if you can't see the one below.

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Class of 2K12 Guest Post: Caroline Starr Rose

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:51:00 +0000

What we came up with was a series of guest posts. The topic:

MIDDLE SCHOOL!

Since I teach 7th grade I live and breath middle school (ok some of you can stop shuddering now).

So over the course of 2012 you will get to hear from some the the 2k12 authors and their memories/thoughts about that time in their life. I thank each of them for jumping in a tackling the subject!

To learn about all the 2k12 authors check out their site: Class of 2k12: Fiction that Rocks

Today our 2k12-er is:

Caroline Starr Rose

Her book: May B.
Release Date: January 10 (today!)

I've known it since last night:It's been too long to expect them to return. Something's happened.

May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose's fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.

Her Thoughts/Memories of Middle School

Today I got a phone call from a teacher at my former middle school, asking me to come talk with her students about my book. I spent seven years teaching middle school kids and have a soft spot for them, but talking to middle schoolers at my old school? The idea seems wildly crazy and stirs up all sorts of weird emotions.

The thing about middle school is it’s really the first place a kid experiments with who they are and who they want to be. For the first time, you become aware that other people notice you (at least it was that way for me). I remember starting sixth grade in my super cool outfit -- cropped yellow pants, yellow blazer, and hot pink shirt, all three covered with numbers. A friend of my took one look at me and said, “I never knew you dressed like that.” I wasn’t sure what she meant (I’m still not sure!), but it was enough for me to realize that people tuned in to what I looked like and responded in some way. (Incidentally, that year for Halloween I was a Go Go and wore the same outfit. At every door a friend and I sang, “We’ve got the trick, you’ve got the treat, yeah, trick or treat!”).

Middle school was about studying the cool kids as they circled the halls before school began. It included slumber parties and toilet papering (almost always our mothers drove us), watching the movies La Bamba and Stand By Me (the first rated R movie I was ever allowed to see), and passing spirals filled with notes back and forth with friends. It meant big bangs (my Spanish teacher named my hairdo “the wave”), pearly pink lips, and contact lenses.

I played in my doll house until I was thirteen (though I would have never admitted this at school), danced ballet religiously, and read some books I still count as favorites: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, A SEPARATE PEACE, and GONE WITH THE WIND, which I read the summer before sixth grade and the summer after eighth.

Middle school is where the now and the not yet intersect, where childhood first flirts with adulthood. Returning to my school has stirred up some of my insecurities from those years, but it’s also reminded me of the fun it is to be a kid, to be figuring out the world on your own terms.

So here’s to middle school in all its messy glory!

Thank you so much Caroline for those great thoughts! What an amazing reading list at 13!

If you want to know about Caroline and her book May B. you can find her in the following places:

website ~ blog ~ facebook ~ goodreads

And I really think you should check out the book trailer for May B.

January is NetGalley Month!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 05:25:00 +0000

Red House Books is once again hosting NetGalley month for the month of January.

Here's a bit about it!

Between January 1st and January 31st, I challenge you to read as many NetGalley books as you possibly can!

NetGalley October was a ton of fun and for January I've taken into account some participant suggestions:

*I'm using a linky tool for people to sign up with -- lets us all see and hopefully visit each other over the course of the month

*A Twitter hashtag? THERE IS ONE! It's #NetGalleyMonth and you can use it anytime you tweet about your NetGalley reads in January. I'll be checking the feed just about every night and hopefully crashing a few conversations ;)

I need to read some of my NetGalley books, so this will be a great chance to do that!

To find out more check out the post all about it from Red House Book.

Wrap Up Up Date

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:27:00 +0000

Ok so I really need to stop signing up for read-a-thons. I always go into them with great intentions and then everything falls apart!!! I've only read two books :(

Cinder and Variant.

I'm hoping for a third before I go back to work on Tuesday!

Wrapping Up Read-a-Thon

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:46:00 +0000

So glad I heard about this one. I wanted to do a read-a-thon over break and this is the perfect one.

It's being hosted by Remarkable Reads! Check it out.

My list of books I'm picking from are shown in the picture. I hope to get through at least half of them! :)

Author Interview: Alison Croggon

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:10:00 +0000

Today I'm very excited to welcome Alison Croggon to The O.W.L. Alison is the author a popular YA fantasy quartet, The Books of Pellinor, which is published by Candlewick and Walker Books. But that's not why she's here today. She's here to help you get to know a book she self published on Amazon Kindle - Jimmy Wonderspoon

Sam Gorey knew that she had an odd family, because other people said so. She lived with her mother Elena in a little house by the sea, and her uncle Jimmy Wonderspoon, who most people thought was even stranger than Elena, lived around the corner. Her father, David Gorey, had disappeared two years before. It wasn’t that unusual not to have a Dad, but it was unusual to have a father who had literally vanished in a puff of blue smoke at the supermarket while he was buying toothpaste. Just after her tenth birthday, Sam discovered her father was not only a wizard, but a spy, and not only a spy, but had been thrown into prison in another world peopled by cats and rats. And that was only the beginning of her accidental quest to rescue her missing father from the evil Ingkor of Wat.

Alison has agreed to answer a few question for us! Welcome Alison!

For Jimmy Wonderspoon - what part/character/event are you most excited/proud about?
When I write stories, maybe the most important aspect for me is to get the relationships in them real. I suppose I want the readers to feel that these characters are as real to them as they are to me, and that what they feel is genuine, however absurd or fantastic their situations might be. I like Sam, my main character, quite a lot: she is feisty and fun, and she’s quite brave, although she does get herself into trouble because she is so impulsive. And her relationship to her mother feels very real to me.

Although it’s a nonsensical comic plot, I wrote the book in part to talk about difficult things, like what it’s like to miss someone you love, or what it’s like when you quarrel with people close to you, or what it’s like when your family is a bit different from other people. In this case, Sam’s family is a bit ramshackle: her father is a wizard spy and her mother is a poet.

I also had a lot of fun making up the world of Wat, and all the animal characters. Wat is where Sam ends up with her eccentric uncle, Jimmy Wonderspoon, trying to rescue her father, who has been kidnapped and imprisoned there.

Tell about your writing process. How long did it take you to write Jimmy Wonderspoon from idea to finish? Please tell about revision is you can!
I generally write quite fast, although with long gaps in which the book is “cooking” in my subconscious. I wrote Jimmy Wonderspoon about ten years ago to amuse my daughter Zoe, and I think it took about a month. She was then about 11 and I read her each chapter as I wrote it. It was a very enjoyable way to write. Then I ran it past my two sons too, who both gave me the thumbs up.

The story actually emerged from a very vivid and strange dream, in which I was flying through clouds in a giant shoe, looking over a weird purple landscape. I woke up and thought, I have to write that story! Although, of course, I had no idea until I started writing it what it was about. Mainly, I just had fun making things up: I felt very free writing this story.

As for editing – I think I’m quite unusual among writers, because generally that’s my favourite part of writing. I’m working on the edits of my next book, a young adult novel Black Spring, right now (out in 2012/2013 with Candlewick) and I’m enjoying the process. Most writers I know hate it. I like the problem solving aspect of it – there’s nothing better than making a cut that solves a problem you’ve been fiddling with for days. It’s very satisfying when you feel that you’ve got something right. I also really enjoy collaborating with other people.

I edited Jimmy Wonderspoon myself: it’s been sitting in a drawer for ten years, which is why I’ve self-published it. I figured that maybe there are people out there who might like it as much as my children did.

Is the story and/or characters based on anything/anyone in your real life?
It is – I used all sorts of things. The section set in the “real” world describes a place very like the Melbourne suburb in which we lived at the time, and Sam’s home is based on my sister’s house, which was just around the corner from us. Most of its animal characters are based on various pets we knew. Certainly all the cats are: we knew a lot of cats, and I based all the cats on real animals and their peculiarities.

Sam is rather like my daughter, although not quite the same – she’s a fictional character, after all. (I should say that Zoe never poured green paint over her school enemy, and certainly never broke anybody’s nose.) She always tells me off for saying so, but at the time I wrote the story, she had a shocking temper. That stopped when she became a teenager, which is probably the wrong way around, but our family has often been the wrong way round.

When you were in middle school kind of student were you? Did you write then?
I was rather shy and awkward. Like a lot of people who end up being writers, I think! I was bright, but socially rather backwards. I have always written things, for as long as I can remember. According to my mother (I don’t remember) I wrote a verse on my first day at school. I attempted my first novel when I was about 10. That eventually, about 30 years later, ended up becoming my first fantasy series, The Books of Pellinor.

And because it's the owl my standard question always is: WHOOO do you admire when it comes to writing?

Oh gosh. That is a hard one, because there are so many. Narrowing the focus to writers for young readers, I suppose
Antoine St Expury’s The Little Prince is right near the top of my list of best children’s books ever: I totally admire the simplicity and beauty of his prose, and how he tells with such charm – and yet with not a trace of false sentiment - a fable that explores some profound truths. I’m afraid I cry every time I read it. I’d also put all Maurice Sendak’s books pretty near the top. Other favourites include the English writer David Almond, who is a brilliant writer by any standard. I’ve always admired CS Lewis’s style in the Narnia books, even if as I got older I became less enamoured of some of his messages (I always thought he was very unfair to Susan). He knows exactly how to write for young people.

The Fun Questions! (based on what 7th graders do!)

Do you chew gum? Yes or No If yes favorite kind?
No, but I do eat a lot of chocolate. Milk chocolate, by preference, but I’ll eat whatever I can get.

Did you pass notes in school? Ever get caught?
I was caught drawing a cartoon of my science teacher once. I hated him – I think it was mutual – and I drew him covered with spots. I was caught by my very ironical maths teacher, who was actually quite nice. Looking back, I think he was trying not to laugh, but he told me off anyway.

Do you text?
Yes, but I am the worst texter in the world. Autocorrect means that some of my friends have received messages from me that they simply do not understand.

Was school lunch just as yucky then as it is now?!
In Australia, we don’t have school lunches. We had to bring our own, or buy meat pies and salad rolls at the school canteen. I much preferred buying my lunch. My mother made our own bread, which meant we had to take sandwiches like crumbly bricks to school. I’m sure they were nice, but I wanted to have white bread like everyone else.

Thank you Alison for visiting The O.W.L. today! I never knew Australia doesn't have school lunches!

I also love the reason for writing the book - to keep your daughter entertained! What a sweet way to write a book.

Guest Post: David Farland +Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:44:00 +0000

Today I'm so very excited to welcome David Farland to The O.W.L. David Farland is a New York Times bestselling author. His new book, an enhanced novel titled Nightingale, pushes the limits of reading. You aren't just reading - you're experiences the book!
You must check out the trailer to see exactly what I mean!
(and pssst - It'll help with the giveaway later)

Here's the summary of the book:

Bron Jones was abandoned at birth, forced into foster care, and passed from home to home. At age 16, he’s alone and friendless, a complete outsider—until he gets one last chance. He's sent to live with a wondrous teacher, Olivia, who recognizes him for what he is: a "Nightingale," a creature not quite human.

Now, epic forces combine to pull Bron apart, stripping him from the only real parents, friends, and girlfriend he's ever known.

Bron must risk everything to answer the mysteries: "Where did I come from? What am I? Who am I?”

Today David Farland is sharing his thoughts on reading in the future.

Welcome David Farland!!!

Reading in the Future

Imagine that you put on your “reading glasses.” The glasses are dark, fitted with lasers and high-quality stereo earbuds, so that as you put them on, your entire field of vision is captured. A laser inside the glasses flashes a novel title on the interior surface of your eye.

Of course, the book you see is my book (why not, it's my fantasy). The letters start small, off in the distance and they quickly draw closer to you, but they don't stop, they wash right over you and just when it seems they're all around you, they explode in a burst of light, “Nightingale, by David Farland.” You can hardly imagine what life was like before 3D. As soon as you read the last word, a laser with a computer link that tracks your eye movement cues the background music, and images begin to flash in your eye—a holographic video-clip of the character of Bron, as an infant, being abandoned outside the door of a cheap hotel in the Utah desert. The camera pans up to the face of his mother, Sommer, bitter and broken, with tears in her eyes. We flash to the prologue, where Sommer runs through a forest at night, her breathing deep, while dogs snarl and bark as they give pursuit. Fireflies rise up around her.

Words to the novel appear on screen, as background music continues, and you begin to read. As Sommer twists her foot and falls, the lasers pace your reading and insert a sound-effect—the thud of a body falling, the hiss of breath knocked from Sommer’s throat. The dogs bay more excitedly. A man’s heavy footsteps can be heard tromping through the brush behind the reader, and a startled mewling cry escapes Sommer’s throat. . . .

Welcome to the future of reading, where text, images, sounds and music forge a collage. That’s the vision I have that led me to become a co-founder of East India Press.

The technology to do this already exists. The use of heads-up displays in fighter jets was pioneered in the 1960s, and that technology has now gone public. Though readers now are using the iPad2 and the Kindle Fire, I’m looking forward to the devices we’ll have five years from now, or ten years.

How can reading technology be better than with current books?

We don’t want to replace reading. We don’t want to make movies. Reading often engages the audience’s imagination in ways that movies fail to. We want to keep it that way. We want the reader to be a partner with us in bringing a tale to life. At the same time, we hope to ‘enhance,’ the story, help readers become more fully involved with it, yet keep budgets reasonable. With film clips, animations, illustrations, background music, and sound effects, we can create something that fuses a lot of storytelling tools.

Creating e-books has become cheap and easy. This year, it is estimated that three million people will be putting their own e-books up for sale. That’s a staggering number. If you spend twelve hours a day just examining those titles, and spend only ten seconds studying each e-book put up this year, you wouldn’t be able to glance at even 1/100th of all the books that will be published—much less read one!

Readers are being deluged, often with books that aren’t any good. Most of those books, unfortunately, wouldn’t have made it past an editor. The author just wasn’t ready. Sure, there will be a few diamonds among all of that coal, but no editor will have time to sort through it.

I've had my share of sorting through manuscripts. For nearly a decade I was the first judge for one of the world’s largest writing contests. A funny story, once an editor of a major publisher asked me to help pick a book to give the “big publicity push to” for the next year. I read through thirty books and selected a book that the marketers thought was “too-long” for its intended audience. I pointed out that the book was also written several grade levels too high for its intended audience. But it was a great book, so I urged them to push it despite the book’s apparent problems. It was called Harry Potter.

Even though authors can publish their own works, we’re going to need editors in the future who understand how to green-light a novel, who can recognize what will please an audience. But once a work is selected, the editor will take the role of a producer—assembling a creative team of composers, musicians, illustrators, animators, directors, sound-effects engineers, and so on.”

Distributing enhanced books won’t be expensive. After all, it will be done electronically. There are no copies to print, ship, or store. But creating them will be expensive and time-consuming.

Still, it will be a lot less expensive than making a movie. To create a really great movie with a lot of special effects can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and it will only give the viewer an hour or two of entertainment. But by meshing technologies, we can create a similar experience with novels, spending perhaps only a hundred thousand or two—and it will give a reading experience that might last for twenty or thirty hours or more! Novels have a unique ability to let us achieve deep penetration into the minds and emotions of a character, much more so than with a film. I’m excited about the possibilities.

In fact, I am so excited about the possibilities that I went indie with this next novel. I didn't have to by any means. I'm an award-winning New York Times bestseller. Instead, I decided to start my own publishing company for enhanced novels. I see potential. Nightingale is the first young adult novel I’ve written, outside of a little work with Star Wars and the Mummy. I knew it could be a hit, but I wanted to do something . . . unique with it. I've trained dozens of other #1 international bestsellers, people like Brandon Sanderson and Stephenie Meyer, and I've learned to spot “good,” whether it's someone else's work or my own. Nightingale has it.

Now that it’s done, this is a first step toward creating a more-engaging form of novel, the kind that kids who are reluctant readers might devour. I’m looking forward to see what we can do in ten or twenty years. But Nightingale is a step toward that future.

Nightingale is the story of a young man, abandoned at birth, rejected from foster home after foster home. People see that he’s brilliant and talented, but also “strange.” He’s the ultimate loner until he meets Olivia, a marvelously gifted teacher, who recognizes that Bron is something special, something that her people call a “Nightingale,” a creature not quite human.

I was excited to see how it would be received. I was even more excited when the first reviewer said, “I devoured the novel. It was absolutely incredible! . . . I struggled to explain just how much I enjoyed it in my review. . . . After reading Nightingale, I don't think I will even be able to go back to reading regular e-books again. Like it says in my review, reading the enhanced Nightingale felt like an ‘experience.’ It didn't feel quite like a book or a movie. It initiated all of my senses. . . . enhanced ebooks are actually a real deal.” That's what we were hoping people would see in it. The future of books is beginning now.

Best of all, East India Press has created a new web simulation technology that mimics how the book appears on the iPad, so you can see and hear it for yourself for free at www.nightingalenovel.com.

Giveaway!

If you're interested in Nightingale and would like to enter to win a ebook copy, fill out THIS FORM to enter.

YOU MUST WATCH THE TRAILER TO ENTER - this is so you know what is special about Nightingale!

Must be 13

Internationally because it's an ebook

Ends Dec 16th

Book Review: Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:09:00 +0000

Title: Water Wars

Author: Cameron Stracher
Publisher: Sourcebooks

Welcome to a future where water is more precious than gold or oil-and worth killing for.

Vera and her brother Will live in the shadow of the Great Panic, in a country that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe. Water is hoarded by governments, rivers are dammed, and clouds are sucked from the sky. But then Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey in search of him-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary proup, and greedy corporation.

My Thoughts

I really like the concept for this book - that our world has lost much of it's supply of water. To me it sometimes seems like a very real possibility. As I read the book I thought a lot about having barely any water would be like. Long hot showers would be a think of the past! My kids running through the sprinkler in the summer would not happen. So many things would be affected.

Water Wars did a very good job in creating a world that without water that was easy to buy into. The things they did were very believable. What I really liked was that Stracher referenced much of the United States that I know now when showing how different the world was. It make it so much easy for me to relate to the world of the book. For example they are next to a huge country that included what use to be Minnesota. I live in Minnesota now, so it was very interesting to see how it was described in the book void of its 10,000 lakes! It just made it that much more real.

So the world creating was amazing, but I was less excited about the story. The core of the story itself was good especially once Vera and Will go in search of Kai. To see how big business and the more common man reacted to the lack of water was great. It was almost scary to think about the fact that what Vera and Will see could be reality. I also liked the action in this part of the book. Once Will and Vera start after Kai the action is nonstop and it held my interest.

But where I had problems was in the details of the story. There were times I felt like I must have missed a page or two because Vera would be talking about something, and I'd have no clue how she got to that. It seemed like details were left out, but then show up later. The first time Kai and Vera meet she thinks that night that she should invite him to dinner. But I was thinking "how she doesn't know anything about how to find him". Well it turns out he gave her his number, but that wasn't mentioned. Things that happened several times and it through me off a bit. It wasn't a huge deal, but for me it interrupted the flow of the story because I stopped to think about it. Once the action really started this happened less, so that was good.

Final Thought: Over-all an interesting story but the world building really captured my thoughts and "what-ifs".
Best stick-with-you image: A barren Minnesota
Best for readers: Who are wondering what might happen if we ran out of water
Best for ages: 12+

For the Guys? I think so. Even though Vera tells the story Kai and Will are strong male characters they could relate too.

Book Review: Liesl & Po

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:20:00 +0000

Title: Liesl & Po

Author: Lauren Oliver

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

My Thoughts

What a completely sweet and amazing book. My daughter read this book and loved it, so I knew it was time to just set everything aside and read it. I'm so glad I did. What a sweet story of love and friendship and hope in the face of circumstances that scream to forget all about that kind of stuff. Poor Liesl has been trapped in her attic room for over a year yet she is still kind and caring. Will has had a life of nothing but hardship. He's been told over and over that he is "useless". Yet he sees Liesl and is fill with happiness. Two children that are not pushed down by the life they find themselves in. Instead they fight for what they need to do.

I love Liesl. She was a character so full of love for her father and it flowed out onto the people, and ghosts, around her. But beyond that she was a tough little girl. When she realizes what is happening her little spine straightens up and she starts to fight the best she can. I so admired her!

Now Po. I think Its (we don't know if Po is a boy or girl) story is the one that affected me the most. So many times I wanted to just hug It. Especially as Po began to remember bits and pieces about what it was like what It was alive. Po seemed so lost even though It would never ever admit that! And then to help Liesl. I just loved Its story! (and yes referring to Po as It did take some getting use to!)

Then there's Mo! Big sweet Gosh I liked his character. Who else would be compelled to do go after Will because of one simple reason. I heart like that just can't be beat!

Final Thought: A book that left me with hope and filled with awe of the magic around us
Best Stick-with-you Image: The Otherside
Best for Readers who: Need an uplifting story
Best for ages: 9+

For the Guys? Yes The story of Will would allow the boys to relate to the book

Help Followers! I Think I Need a Break

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:13:00 +0000

Hey everyone. I'm posting this because unfortunately I'm the type of person that needs permission to do things, and it's your permission I need.

Lately I've been feeling a clear lack of excitement for writing my blog and reading the books needed for it. It has been weighing heavily on me. Because of this I feel like I'm not giving the blog the effort YOU ALL deserve. It feels half done on my part. I'm thinking about taking the months of December and January off from blogging.

During the time off I want to try to get back to the heart of what this blog should be - my love of reading. When I come back I want this blog to get back to just sharing my love of reading and the MG/YA genres. I also want to come back knowing for MYSELF that giveaways and interviews and getting the "cool" books are awesome and fun UNTIL it all stresses me out. And that this blog can be fantastic without all that as long as my passion for books stays at the core.

Here's where you all come in. Sadly I need "permission" to do that - take the time off! And yes I realize how sad sounding that makes me. But I need you to remind me that when I come back any followers I lost will be replaced by ones just as great (well actually I hear that Google is getting rid of GFC so that may not matter!). I just kinda need a little gentle push that say it's ok - go do what you need.

I love you all now - I'll love you more if you can give me that :)

And all that are reading this - I really do love you all. The fact that I somehow do something ok enough to bring you here amazes me and I am thankful for each and every one of you! I<3!!!!

AMENDED!!! For those I've promised reviews/interviews/guest posts to!! These, of course would still happen but I would get them done in the next two weeks. I guess that means that I'd take mid-December to Valentine's Day off!

Photo Card

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:09:00 +0000

Family Moments Holiday

Create personalized holiday cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

WoW: Cinder

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:26:00 +0000

This post is inspired by a meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. In this post I talk about books yet to be released that I'm excited about OR already published book's I've seen that I'm really wanting to read. I also like to try and find books other bloggers aren't sharing so that more books are shared.

This week I'm waiting on:

Cinder

by Marissa Meyer

Release: Jan 3, 2012

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

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

I've read a few reviews and think it sounds really good! Plus the cover is really cool. What have you heard about it??

Tween Tuesday Review: The Contest (Everest Series #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:08:00 +0000

Title: The Contest (Everest Series #1)
Author: Gordon Korman

A thrilling adventure trilogy from Gordon Korman about a number of kids competing to be the youngest person to ever reach the top of Mt. Everest

Four kids. One mountain.

They come from all across America to be the youngest kid ever to climb Everest. But only one will reach the top first. The competition is fierce. The preparation is intense. The challenge is breathtaking. When the final four reach the higher peaks, disaster strikes -- and all that separates the living from the dead is chance, bravery, and action.

My Thoughts

Gordon Korman has written several of these trilogy series, but this is the only one I've read. It's a great book for those kids who need something short, fast paced and enough mystery to keep them guessing. I found that all in this book. This first book in the trilogy is all focused on how the kids are chosen to be part of the group of kids that will climb Mt. Everest. You'd think it could be kind of boring even cut down to be part of the second book, but you really can't. So much is set up in this book that you know will be played out in the other two books. I liked that part of it - it wrapped up the mystery and tension in this part of the story well, but set up so much that you want to keep reading and know exactly what is going to happen.

The book also had some great twists and surprises. As the kids battle it out to be part of the team you begin to realize that as talented as each are, they each have struggles and secrets they are trying to hide. And worse some are trying to prove what everyone thinks about them is wrong. Putting those two situations together creates some very dangerous situations. This sense of danger kept me reading because I wanted to find out if anyone got hurt during it all. This is even more important with how the story starts hinting at something bad that happens on the climb. I know that any kid reading this first book will want to know more and jump right into the rest of the series.

Final thought: Great for both boy and girls who love to read and perfect for the reluctant reader

Best stick-with-you image: All the climbs were all so well described that I would get nervous!

Best for readers who: Like short books that have a lot happening

Best for ages: 9-12

For the Guys? YES! The main character is a boy and he does a lot of daring things that should impress some guy readers

I'm a NaNoWriMo Winner!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:06:00 +0000

I did it!!!

After falling behind I pushed myself tonight and I got it done!!! 50,000+ words and actually I have more of the novel yet to write. For a long time I really kinda hated the story. It turned into more of a romance than I wanted. But right at the end the main girl character got depth, and I like her a whole lot better! I'd like to explore her more and see where it could lead because she really found herself and was ready to take on what she wanted.

So anyway, I'm done and I will now take a mini break from writing :)

Cover Crush

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:58:00 +0000

I love book covers. Love, love, LOVE them. I've been known to drag my sister across Barnes and Noble just to show her a book cover. Or to find students before school starts just to do the same. You could say that yes, I develop a cover crush!

Today I'm Crushing On:

Metamorphosis

by Devon Ashley

Why I'm Crushing

The second saw this one I was completely drawn to it. How could you not be? Maybe it's because it's not like everything else out there - a girl in a big pretty dress -that draws me to it. Not that I don't like those covers. I do. But this is so completely different.

Her eye just captures me, and I get stuck on it. And do you see how the sliver of her face is in the shape of a knife? Why? Is that intentional?

And the stars in her eyes? What do they have to do with the story? I love it all.

Oh and I also like that the title is vertical instead of horizontal. It's just all so different and memorizing.

IMM a Few Weeks Together and the RETURN of Owl of the Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 12:20:00 +0000

IMM is the time we all share the wonderful books we've gotten in the mail, bought, borrowed from the library or won I've got a few because I didn't do this last week!

Before we start I need to give a shout out to Krisit at The Story Siren for hosting each week!

Here we go!

For Review

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Everneath (YES!!) by Brodi Ashton

The Partials by Dan Wells

Awakened (audio book) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

From the ALA Convention

in my home state

(the media specialist in my building went and shared!)

Boy 21 by Matthew Quick

Chasing AllieCat (signed!) by Rebecca Fjelland Davis

Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker

Playground by 50 Cent

From Paperback Swap

The Knife of Never Letting Go (audio book) by Patrick Ness

Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz

Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz

Won

One Day and One Amazing Morning On Orange Street by Joanne Rocklin

After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel

It was a good week :)

And this weeks Owl of the Week:

Look at these cute owl pj's from Target! I want them!!!

Click the picture to link to the page for them.

A Happy Thanksgiving List Early and a Week's Break

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:47:00 +0000

Hey all I wanted to wish you all a very very happy Thanksgiving!!!!

I'm saying it now, but because I've decided to take the week off from blogging. I'm trying to catch up on my NaNoWriMo writing - I'm like 3000 word behind YIKES! plus I have a few books I NEED and really I just want to relax for the holiday and my few days off.

I should be back next weekend with my IMM. I've gotten a few that I want to share.

If you're a US follower hope you have a good holiday. If you're an international follower I hope you take minute this week to think about what you are thankful for.

Below is my list of what I'm thankful for:

My kids: man I love you three!
MJ your talent and willingness to be who you are amaze me each day
MK I love how your mind works and how you still give me hugs
SL For always saying I love you and patting my back when you hug!
My sister and brother-in-law: I would've been lost without you lately
My mom: thanks for always understanding
My dog and cat: You goofballs make me laugh so hard!
My Friends: Thank you for texting me whenever I need you to.
All the kids I interact with each day: You take my crabby days and force me to do a 180. Thanks for singing with me and listening to my babble about books!
Running: Painful but good
And the weird things that keep me going: coffee, wine and tootsie rolls.

Happy Thanksgiving all!!!!!

Author Interview: Catherine Austen

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:57:00 +0000

I'm very excited today to welcome Catherine Austen author of both a middle grade and a young adult book!

I'm always in awe of authors who can write both. It just shows how broad their creativity is.

Catherine is the author of the MG book 26 Tips for Surviving 6th Grade

Becky Lennox wrote the book on getting through grade six, but these aren't the kinds of tips that come from school books or teachers...

Forget social studies, math, and science - this hilarious new novel is about surviving some of the real problems tween girls face in the sixth grade: jealous friends, first crushes, embarrassing parents, and annoying older brothers.

This honest and heartwarming novel follows 11-year-old Becky Lennox through the course of the school year, as she survives one challenge after another - feeling left out, lovestruck, lonely, and loony, but learning a little something each time.

And the YA Dystopic novel All Good Children

Quick-witted, prank-pulling graffiti artist Maxwell Connors is more observant than the average New Middletown teenager. And he doesn't like what he sees. New Middletown's children are becoming frighteningly obedient, and their parents and teachers couldn't be happier. As Max and his friend Dallas watch their classmates transform into model citizens, Max wonders if their only hope of freedom lies in the unknown world beyond New Middletown's walls, where creativity might be a gift instead of a liability.

For those who like their dystopias with a rich character sauce and a side of humour.

Don't they both sound fantastic???

And with that - Welcome Catherine Austen!

The Serious Questions!

For these two books - what part/character/event are you most excited/proud about?

In both my new books, I am most proud of my main characters. In All Good Children, it’s Max, a smart-aleck teenager who is pushed into heroism. In 26 Tips for Surviving Grade 6, it’s Becky, a funny self-absorbed 11-year-old who makes a lot of mistakes but learns from them. Sort of.

Tell about your writing process. How long did it take you to write your current book from idea to finish? Please tell about revision is you can!

I let ideas sit in files for years, then one day I wake up knowing it’s time to write that book.

I sometimes draft methodically, working every day at a moderate pace. But other times I draft all day long, barely bathing or eating for several weeks running. That is absolutely the best time (for me, not so much for my family)

I spend at least as long revising as drafting. It’s hard to see where the original book is, actually, by the time I’m done. After major revisions – which are difficult and depressing - there is polishing line by line – which is beautiful, like the icing on the cake.

All Good Children took about 5 months of drafting, 5 months of revising and polishing, then a couple more months revising based on my editor’s advice. So a good year’s worth of work (two if you count the idea/outline stage).

I began 26 Tips for Surviving Grade 6 over 8 years ago as a short story. It went through many forms and revisions before publication, including repeated rewrites of the ending based on my editor’s advice.

Is either story and/or characters based on anything/anyone in your real life?

26 Tips for Surviving Grade 6 has many small bits of my life in it. Embarrassing bits. I’m not telling which bits. All I’ll say is that I did go to the circus with a boy in grade 6 and I can still picture the acrobat.

How much say did you have in the cover of this book? What is the process for creating the cover (my students are always curious about this!)

I had no say at all. From my end, the process was opening up an email with the cover in it, as created by my publisher’s designers. Fortunately, I have liked all my covers. It would be so disappointing to get a cover I disliked.

When you were in middle school kind of student were you? Did you write then?

I was good at heart, I truly believe, but I had a misguided sense of justice. Like at one point I embarked on a not-entirely-legal plan to start my own library. And there were some altercations with teachers making what I felt were unjust requests of my time. On the upside, I was hard-working and academically inclined (my apologies to the 7^th grade teacher who received my 64-page report on Hawaii). I probably wrote stories back then, but I didn’t keep any. (That’s probably for the best.)

And because it's the owl my standard question always is: WHOOO do you admire when it comes to writing?

I admire writers who make me laugh, like Daniel Pinkwater and Barbara Park, and writers who make me cry, like Robert Cormier and Virginia Euwer Wolff. My all-time fave might be Roddy Doyle, who does both.

The Fun Questions! (based on what 7th graders do!)

Do you chew gum? Yes or No If yes favorite kind?

Yes, I chew any brand of peppermint (NOT spearmint, which is gross) or some brands of bubblegum (NOT Hubba Bubba and NOT grape or strawberry flavors)

Did you pass notes in school? Ever get caught?

I don’t remember ever getting caught. The key is to fake a stretch and maintain eye contact with the teacher while dropping the note. If you are an A-student and you have an honest face, no one will ever suspect you.

Do you text?

No.

Was school lunch just as yucky then as it is now?!

Up to grade 8, it was much much worse. I’m talking day after day of bologna or tuna fish. Mondays were okay because I’d get roast beef left over from Sunday’s dinner. There was no such thing as Schneider’s Lunchables or snack-sized Pringles in my day. (But then again, there was always PB&J – I never heard of a peanut allergy when I was young.)

High school lunches were WAY better than they are now because there was a cafeteria and absolutely no one in the world was concerned about our nutritional intake (because we were all skinny and active and ate home-cooked suppers), so I ordered French fries with gravy (AND ketchup) every single lunch. It was AWESOME.

French fries are no longer served in high schools where I live – honestly, it’s French fry fascism up here in Canada. There is still cardboard pizza and soggy lasagne, but the one item that cafeterias make better than you can make at home - fries and gravy – are banned. This is particularly sad because I live in Quebec, where fries are served with gravy AND cheese curds in a delicious ultra-fatty nutrition-free dish called poutine. You can’t get that at the high school. You have to go to the chip truck next door.

I can't imagine having no french fries for a school lunch!!! And the idea of not texting is forgien to most of my students!

Thanks so much Catherine! I hope you all check out 26 Tips and All Good Children!

Book Review: Beautifully Broken by Sherry Soule

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:11:00 +0000

Title: Beautifully Broken
Author: Sherry Soule

Thirteenth daughter. Heritage witch. Demon slayer.

They say every town has its secrets, but that doesn’t even begin to describe Whispering Pines. The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and the mystical disappearance of a local teen has everyone murmuring about a centuries old witch’s curse.

Sixteen-year-old Shiloh Ravenwolf is a heritage witch from the Broussard family, a family both destined and cursed. When she takes a summer job at Ravenhurst Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan, and immediately becomes spellbound by his charms. Yet she is determined to discover the connection between them before it’s too late.

Finally, Shiloh's met someone who is supercute and totally into her, but Trent may be the next victim on the supernatural hit list. And Shiloh is the only person with the power to save him. Complicated much?

It sucks to have a destiny, especially since Shiloh would rather spend her summer being a normal girl who worries about clothes and boys, not the supernatural. But she’s never been normal and the stranger things become the more her own magical senses awaken.

With cryptic messages from a pesky wraith, she will begin to understand the mysterious significance of the strange mark branded on her wrist, and decide how much she's willing to sacrifice to protect the other teenagers in town.
Unfortunately, for Shiloh, not all ghosts want help crossing over. Some want vengeance.

My Review
I went into this book not sure what to think. I'll have to admit I was very pleasantly surprised. First let me talk about Shiloh. She really sold the book for me. I liked her. I thought she was very genuine and real. Her reactions as all these crazy things was great! I loved that she didn't just give up and run away. I loved that even though she didn't really know what she was doing and she was winging it a lot, she stepped up to fight what ever was thrown at her. How could you not like a girl like that??? I'd like have her in my corner if I ever came up against something. And the best part about her? She has no clue how completely brave she is! See! Awesome character. Now this doesn't mean that I agree with everything Shiloh does! There were times I wanted to pull mom and yell and her to think first. She makes mistakes along the way as she's trying to figure it all out, but what kind of book would it be if she already knew everything! It was also neat to see her become more confident and less alone as the story progressed.

Now the plot was pretty decent. What I really liked was how it jumped right into the scary and creepiness right from the first few pages. The biggest of bad guys is introduced then, and this pulled me right in! There were times I wish I had more background about exactly what had happened with Shiloh, her scar and mostly her relationship with her mother. Some of it was almost presented like it was something I should already know, so there was no need to give me the details. I saw this mostly in the relationship with her mother. I had a hard time figuring out if her mother had been this way towards her since she was born, or if her behavior had only started recently. Some of it was explained as the story progressed. This helped reveal more and more what was happening with Shiloh and the ghosts and I see why it was done - it built up some tension and heightened the mystery, but sometimes I just wanted the full story about their relationship now. I also felt this with the story behind her scar. What happened that caused her to get her scar was slowly revealed. I got why, but at times it confused me and I just wanted all the details! Over-all the plot held my attention well and kept me reading. I wondered how all these creatures, shadows and ghosts fit together and what they all really wanted from Shiloh. Were they all evil? How would she overcome them? Could she over come them?? Lots of questions I kept reading to find the answers to.

I liked the budding relationship between Trent and Shiloh. It was well done. I felt Shiloh's frustration with Trent as he seemed to be one way one second and then completely switch. This made their relationship never completely certain. Did Trent like her and could she trust him? Even now I think those questions are not completely answered, and I'm ok with that. I don't like perfect little romances. The romance was important in the story, but I liked that it wasn't the only thing that drove the plot. The shadows and Shiloh's developing powers were really doing that instead.

Final Thought: If you like a ghost story with some nasty bad guy check it out!
Best stick-with-you image: The nasty creature that shows up within the first few pages
Best for readers who: Like a ghost story
Best for ages: 14+ (mostly due to the romance between Shiloh and Trent)

For the Guys? No not really. I don't think they'd enjoy hearing all Shiloh's thoughts although they might admire her courage too!

Book Review: We Are Not Eaten By Yaks +KINDLE Giveaway Details

noreply@blogger.com (Jill The OWL) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:44:00 +0000

Title: We Are Not Eaten by Yaks (An Accidental Adventure #1)
Author: C. Alexander London
Publisher: Philomel

Eleven-year-old twins Oliver and Celia Navel live on the 4-1/2th floor of the Explorers Club with their father, Dr. Navel. Their mother, Dr. Navel, has been missing for years. So when an explorer shows up with a clue as to where his wife could be, Dr. Navel drags Oliver and Celia to Tibet to find her. Once there, the twins fall out of airplanes, encounter Yetis, travel through waterfalls, and end up in the Demon Fortress of the Warrior King where they - just possibly - might find their mother and save their father from the Poison Witches. Thing is, they would much rather be watching television. And if their trip doesn't work out as planned, the twins could end up as slaves to Sir Edmund Thitheltorpe III, an evil explorer with breath that smells like boiled carrots, who has it in for the whole Navel family.

Review

Loved this book! Just loved it. It was fun mixed with tension mixed with mystery mix with more fun. I tore through it because there was so much going on that I couldn't stop - the pace was fantastic. It was like a wild roller coaster ride that included yaks, monks, scary airplanes and a whole lot of need of TV. I do have you tell you that with a mix like that the book risked going over the top - being to crazy that I could not in anyway buy into it and enjoy. That just didn't happen. Even though a lot of what happened was so crazy that we all know it wasn't possible but I believed it. I believed every wild rump of it!

Ok let me talk about why I believed it. That would be the two main character Oliver and Celia. They were fantastic. I completely loved their dry sense of humor, and their obsession with TV. The love they have for TV is amazing! And they way they described their shows and how much they knew them was so over the top it couldn't be anything but funny! I also loved that from these two explorer who raised their children around explorers came twins that only wanted to explore what the next TV show would be! It was a fun contrast. But what was even more fun was that their parents still made them go on all these adventures even though they hated them. And the kids had great complaints about why they were so awful. The funny thing was I understood why they'd hate them! They lived the danger first hand. They just wanted to stare at the tv where dramas gave them dramas etc. I guess that once you've been bitten by a poisonous snake you'd just rather stay home and watch it happen to someone else! The funny part is, you catch glimpses of the maybe just a tiny tiny bit liking to explore, but of course they'd never ever admit that! Admitting might mean they miss their favorite shows even more. But as the adventure they accidentally find themselves in develops it becomes clear that all the adventures they've gone on with their parents has stuck whether they admit it or not.

The twins do have one other topic besides tv that they think about - their mother who disappeared while searching for the Lost Library of Alexandria. She has been gone for several years, and the twins do wonder what has happened to her. The mother's disapparnce does play a role in the adventure they find themselves in. Her disappearance and a cast of shady characters and the mystery that also keeps the reader reading. Where is their mother? What happened? Is she helping them now? Loved looking for all the answers to these questions! Just another aspect that kept me reading.

Final Thought: Fun! Fun! Fun! with lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing.
Best stick-with-you image: Falling from the plane
Best for readers: Who like a fun fast mystery filled read
Best for ages: 9+

For the Guys? YES! Great adventure (duh!) and a pace that never lets up.

Now I want to share a giveaway that C. Alexander London is hosting! Here are the details:

Hey Friends!

I wanted to let you guys know about a contest I've launched to celebrate the release of my new book, We Dine With Cannibals

With the help the help of SMITH Magazine's Six-Word Memoirs project, I'm asking readers to share their own most accidental adventure in Six Words. One randomly selected winner will get a Kindle!

My Six Word Accidental Adventure ("Surprise revolution took away my cartoons") tells the story about how I got the idea for The Accidental Adventures series.

You can read the back-story on SMITH's site: http://www.smithmag.net/mylifesofar/story.php?did=279266

All the Accidental Adventures Kindle Contest (AAKC!-I love a good acronym) details are here: http://www.calexanderlondon.com/blog/2011/10/your-accidental-adventure-six-words-win-kindle

Readers can enter on Twitter or on SMITH Magazine's Website http://www.smithmag.net/questions/story.php?did=279698

Plus there's a Bonus Prize! Signed books for a lucky winner who helps share the contest on twitter with the #AccidentalAdventures hashtag

What are you waiting for???? Go!!! Enter!!!!