Novel Thoughts

Review/Blog Tour: Eden by Keary Taylor

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Sat, 26 May 2012 04:10:00 +0000

Welcome to today's stop in the Eden Blog Tour hosted by the awesome ladies over at Mundie Moms! I'm excited to share with you my review for Keary Taylor's newest release as well as host a giveaway for an e-book of Eden!

Title: Eden
Author: Keary Taylor
Ebook: 243 Pages
Release Date: June 6, 2011
Publisher: Self
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Book: Amazon

Eve knew the stories of the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. She's seen the aftermath of the technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn't just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve's reality.

In their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has always been there for her, but is seven years her senior.

The technology wants to spread and it won't stop until there is no new flesh to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen.

Eden is a fast-paced, non-stop action ride from start to finish. Living in a world where technology has taken over humanity and the Fallen will do anything to "infect" the last survivors of the human race, Eve is not in the safest of situations. She has no memory of her life before coming to Eden so the only life and family she knows is in Eden. And she will do anything, even risk her own life, to protect her home. She is a very strong and capable lead character that really drives the story. Even if she does get a bit reckless on occasion.

Keary Taylor really brings this world to life with detailed descriptions and flashbacks of what the world used to be like that juxtapose the stark reality of their current situation and life. It's pretty bleak. Though there is a light through it all. Friends, family, and boys. Yes, boys. Now I'm not usually a fan of love triangles because they're usually all the same. And the triangle between West, Avian, and Eve was a little too familiar for my liking. Though it was well-written and both guys had something to offer, I felt it was a bit drawn out. Maybe that's just because from the omniscient reader's perspective we make our decisions on who should be with the main character in the end faster.

Reading Eden, I kept thinking of how similar the post-apocalyptic story was to a zombie apocalypse. It speaks of the Fallen attempting to infect humans with just a touch. So obviously my mind kept bringing up zombie scenarios. The thing that separates these genres though is the cybernetics. I loved that these were robots and that the "infection" that was being spread was "nanites" that would assimilate the human organic materials in your body into robotic parts. You would essentially be a cyborg. Though like zombies, they were all basically mindless predators hell bent on assimilating all flesh. I still liked the twist on the genre. It felt a lot like Walking Dead meets Terminator.

The level of detail that was put into the characters and world made it feel real and tangible. It was so simple to visualize this world after the Fall and the plot twists really left me on the edge of my seat. I was reading for hours non-stop. Like I said in the first paragraph, it's fast-paced, non-stop action. I highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of post-apocalyptic or dystopian novels. I suggest you add this one to your "Must Read" list now!

***

To be entered to win the ebook copy of Eden, all you have to do is follow the instructions below. Use your facebook or email that way I can contact you if you win. This giveaway IS international. Good luck!

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Review: You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Hardcover: 256 Pages
Release Date: May 19th, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Book: Amazon | IndieBound
Add It: Goodreads

Emma and her neighbor Peter are both lonely in a way that only bothers them on occasion. They both come from families they don’t quite understand. They both feel like something big is missing from their lives—and they’re both about to search for answers. When Emma makes a discovery that shakes the foundations of her identity, she convinces Peter to join her for a road trip.

Each of them has something to find: For Emma, it is a grave—a grave that may be her only connection to her family. Peter is seeking something harder to define, but perhaps easier to navigate—a freedom, a sense of something more than what he has. Together, they take to the open road, engaging in a universal quest to make sense of who they are and where they come from…and learning a thing or two about love along the way.

I don't know why I love reading travel books so much. They only make me long to travel more. Wanderlust unsuppressed. Visiting new places and seeing things I can't quite experience behind a computer screen on Google Earth. Though that is a cheap way to "travel".

Jennifer Smith has written a road trip book unlike any other I've read. The depth and thoughtfulness put into the story is pure. There's a lot of emotion in this book whether it be sad or happy, angry or comical. Every situation playing off each other to create a flow of events and a truly unique coming of age story.

I can relate to any story involving twins. It's a twin thing, sure, but anyone can relate to this story. It's one of self-discovery. Feeling out of place in the life you live at home. Wanting there to be something out there better than your current life. Needing there to be. I can understand this. We all can. Loneliness and feeling like you don't really fit in is universal. You Are Here takes those universal doubts and questions and does it's best to answer them in a thought-provoking way. Successfully I might add.

Emma and Peter set out on a road trip together for two different reasons. Emma wants to find out about the twin brother she once had, but died shortly after their birth. Peter wants to visit Gettysburg (He's crazy about the Civil War.). On the way they discover things about each other that they hadn't planned. Mundane things like their favorite things, but also deeper things like love, loss and taking what they have for granted.

Emma feels out of place in her house full of scholars and professors, unconnected. Like a puzzle piece from a different puzzle that just doesn't seem to fit in. Peter, with his Civil War obsession and out-of-touch dad, the town sheriff, and his mother who died years before, always felt more at home with Emma's parents.

The idea for a road trip book is a simple one. One that's been done before and will be done again, but it's what happens on the road that determines the quality of the story. The character interaction, the emotional tension, the progressive dialogue --it all has to work seemlessly. I can't imagine having to come up with enough things to say during a multiple hour car ride much less write a book about it with such emotional drive.

After reading The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Jennifer Smith quickly jumped up to be one of my favorite contemporary authors. After reading this, she has secured her place once more. You Are Here is now my favorite "road trip" book. You should all read it.

Disclaimer: It WILL make you want to go on an impromptu road trip. I'm ready to go on one now.

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Hardcover: 441
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Publisher: Harper Teen
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Book: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads | Shelfari
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Delirium was fast paced, action packed, and made you question love itself. Lena has grown up knowing the deliria nervosa made her mother jump off that cliff. It changed her. She grew up knowing that her day of treatment would be coming up and she would no longer have to worry about contracting the deliria. She knew the symptoms, the laws, and everything to do with it so she was ready to be cured. That was until she met Adam and makes her question everything.

This book was beautifully written and had a well driven plot. I had been meaning to get around to reading it for almost a year since it came out, then my girlfriend basically told me I had to read it soon because it was one of her all-time favorite YA books. So I did. At first, I was reading it and it was just taking me a while to get in to, then I got the audiobook instead and tore through it!

The story really picked up for me after the first 200 pages, which may seem like a lot but it's worth it, and carried the rest of the story through with action on every page. And the ending, oh how I didn't expect the ending AT ALL. It leads well into Pandemonium and I can't wait to start that soon!

About the Audiobook:

Sarah Drew, who read, did an awesome job. She also read the audio for Before I Fall, Oliver's debut novel, which I now really want to listen to instead of reading just for her reading. She really brought the characters to life and added her own inflections for each one so they sounded different. I could feel the action scenes through her voice and the same for the calm and loving scenes. Overall, the audiobook was definitely worth the listen!

BEA: A Survival Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

With Book Expo of America looming closer and closer (FOUR WEEKS, GUYS!), I have been thinking of what I could do to help out anyone in need of assistance where BEA things are concerned. I asked Twitter and received quite a few questions that I'll answer in my next post. We can call this a "Fireside Chat with Jeremy about BEA."

BEA. A convention for the strong-willed and daring type. Not for the faint of heart. There's a reason for the title of this post and if you've been to BEA in the past, you'll know exactly what I'm referring too.

Imagine going to a zoo and seeing a bunch of lions grazing through the exhibit looking a tad bit hungry. Now enters a single zookeeper with one steak in his hands. He gingerly sets it down then runs for dear life as the lions begin to run and pounce all over each other just to get to that steak and ease their overwhelming hunger. Not every lion will get a piece of the steak, some will continue to not eat. But in reality, a few of the lions were hurt in the chance to get some of it. But it probably wasn't worth it because now they are bleeding and still hungry.

Horribly long and terrible analogy, I know. But seriously. Tell a bunch of people "FREE BOOKS!!" and they come in hoards to pounce, jab, and dive for a book they have been dying for or even just to fill up their tote bag. It's a sad reality, but it happens every year. People are bitten, bruised, and stepped on all because of some book.

I ask of you, please don't be that person. I respect other bloggers and feel like I should do my best to keep in mind that I am representing my own blog as well as the YA community while at BEA and if I'm fighting with someone or diving into Scholastic's booth, I am a terrible representation. You may be thinking, what's the big deal with wanting a book? That's what it's there for. But you have to also know that other people (editors, authors, agents, publishers, etc.) see your actions even if you don't think they do and they will be quick to judge the blogging community as a bunch of kids doing whatever to get free books. This was the sad reality of last year's convention.

We must do better this year. Yeah, some people won't listen and will still do whatever they can to get a book, even if they won't even read it. (Hint: you have to pay to ship this stuff home. Think about that when you just grab stuff.) But in all honesty, you represent yourself, your blog, and your community when at an event like this so please be mindful of that. Talk to booth workers, befriend other bloggers, etc. This is a time to meet new people and make connections too, it's not just about getting books (which most people think it is).

Feel free to leave any questions you may have about it in the comments below and I'll make more posts up until BEA as long as there are questions to be answered.

Teen Author Carnival Author List Released

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Mon, 14 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

One of my all-time favorite events to go to is the Teen Author Carnival in NYC during BEA week. It's hosted and put together by my friends Mitali Dave, Devyn Burton, and Korianne Wey. Every year, their list seems to get more and more impressive and this year surely didn't disappoint. With a total of 39 authors, this is one event you'll be kicking yourself if you miss.

Teen Author Carnival will be Tuesday, June 5th, 2012 from 6:30pm - 9:30pm at the Jefferson Market Library. There are a bunch of fun and exciting panels where a whole string of authors are lined up to talk about everything from romance to angst to ass-kicking main characters. It's just an all around have to be there event.

And I think I've delayed long enough so check out the list of authors attending this year below:

Hannah Moskowitz, Melissa Walker, Leah Clifford, Scott Tracey, Gretchen McNeil, Victoria Schwab, Corrine Jackson, Sarah Tregay, K. M. Walton, Kody Keplinger, Tiffany Schmidt, Gennifer Albin, Aimée Carter, Hilary Weisman Graham, Barry Lyga, Jen Calonita, Jennifer Smith, Alecia Whitaker, Tom Pollock - The City’s Son, Crissa Jean Chappell, Karen Mahoney, Fiona Paul. Lauren Morrill, Katie McGarry, Michelle Zink, Eliot Schrefer, Courtney Allison Moulton, Lenore Appelhans, Michelle Hodkin, Rebecca Serle, Stacy Kramer, Valerie Thomas, Siobhan Vivian, Margaret Stohl, Lauren Oliver, Lucas Klauss, Jackson Pearce, Kieran Scott, and Jeri Smith-Ready.

RIGHT?! What an impressively spectacular list! It makes me so much more excited now that I know who will be there and who I can finally meet!

If you were on the fence about coming to TAC or even BEA, I think after reading this, the answer should be simple. Do not miss this for anything.

For more information and updates, be sure to check out TAC's Tumblr or Website.

Books of the Month: May

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Sun, 13 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Our Books of the Month features two books that we selected as our favorites: one debut and one non-debut. Throughout the month, we will try to have special features on those books, reviews, giveaways, and more while helping to promote them.

I know it's a little bit late to be posting this but I wanted to go ahead and write up a post about our two books of the month for May. For our Book of the Month, I chose what may be an obvious one. And for my Debut of the Month, I chose one possibly lesser known but still a great contemporary I think you'll love.

Our Book of the Month is City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. This is the fifth book in the Mortal Instruments series and possibly my most anticipated book of the year. I've been waiting since April of last year when I tore through City of Fallen Angels just to be tormented by the ending..but now it's released and finally everyone can read it.

Our Debut of the Month is When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle. It's a lesser known contemporary debut and I honestly hadn't heard much about it until recently. But it's an honest and heartbreaking modern recounting of Romeo and Juliet from another's point of view. I think it's one you'll easily love.

And with that, you now know our Books of the Month! We hope you pick up one or both of these books off our recommendation. Feel free to come back and comment on this post if you decided to pick it up and read it and let us know what you thought!

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 12 May 2012 04:21:00 +0000

Title: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Hardcover: 374 Pages
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Harper Teen
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Book: Amazon | IndieBound
Add It: Goodreads

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

I’d be lying if I said this one of those super easy books for me to get into at first. It wasn’t. I’m not a high fantasy girl and in the first few pages when terms like Death Shot, Ag 6, Reverie, Aether, Realms and Smarteye are thrown around and I get overwhelmed by World Building Terms pretty quickly. It took me about 100 pages to really get into it, but by page 125 I was like “SLEEP IS AN OPTIONAL THING, RIGHT?”

You’re probably wondering “Gee, Jennifer, what happened to change your mind so drastically?”. The first real meeting of two very different worlds, Aria and Perry. The “cultured” city girl and the “savage”. What does this create? Tension. Sexy, sexy tension. While I’ve read and seen similar situations before, there is something that just got me about it. There’s that tension and adventure and a shaky forge of trust and have I mentioned the tension?! Awesome. Both Aria and Perry have entered the stiffly awkward arrangement for their own reasons and stay because while they learn to care about the other even if they don’t fully understand the other.

Since I am on character, let’s talk about them. Aria (other than also being my cat’s name) is an awesome female protagonist, though she doesn’t start out like it. Her transformation is a thing of beauty as she goes from sheltered, naive and weak to kicking ass and taking names. Perry (other than being one of my VERY FAVORITE boy names) doesn’t exactly qualify to be on my Broken Boy list, but gets honorable mention. Conflicted, hurt in the past, fighting for his honor and disgustingly loyal. On top of that, he’s snarky and rude, but justly has his attitude handed right back to him from Aria. Don’t you just want to melt? And I can’t not mention Roar. Despite the fact every time I saw his name I thought someone was yelling, he provides some seriously needed advice and comic relief. Oh, and he might just have the best line in the entire book. “Fall off your own roof, Perry.” I apologize for it being out of context, but explaining the context is long and probably spoiler-y. Besides, it should intrigue you enough to go out and buy the book and read it. And believe me, it is so worth it.

And if you aren’t one of those people who love love and drooly, melty characters, then, first of all, what is wrong with you? And secondly, there is so much awesome action too! It starts on page one and kicks up to a whole new level when they set off on their adventure. Oh, and there are creepy guys. The Croven? Initially made me think of some goth wannabes from the 90s, but seriously, the sounds of bells have never been creepier. Like, end-of-the-Hunger-Games-trailer-whistle creepy. And to top it all off it is a brilliantly interesting futuristic concept.

I always try to prepare myself when I KNOW a book is a part of a series. I tell myself, “Jennifer, it’s a series, which means things will not all be wrapped up and there is likely to be a cliffhanger, so don’t freak out. Besides, you’ve got a MILLION books to keep you busy for the next year until book 2 comes out.” It’s a good logical thing to tell myself, but when I finished the last page my reaction was something like “*MAJOR POUT* Are you kidding me?! I don’t WANT all my OTHER books, I want Through the Ever Night!! *stamps foot*” Yeah, I go all five-year-old. It wasn’t really even a cliffhanger per se, I just wanted MORE. MORE Aria and Perry.

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YallFest Author List Released

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:56:00 +0000

Living in the South doesn't always have it's advantages...unless an author (or two) write a book about a small, made up town in your state then plan an amazing book festival there too! That would be my case.

Not a lot goes down, here in South Carolina. But now, for the second year, YallFest is back in Charleston, SC for what will be yet another amazing year. They just released the author line-up, and I'd be lying if my mouth didn't drop open from the shear amazingness that is the line-up.

There's a totally of 48 authors...whoa.

The official lineup includes:
Kwame Alexander, Jennifer Lyn Barnes, Holly Black, Pseudonymous Bosch, Sarah Rees Brennan, Heather Brewer, Kiera Cass, Cinda Chima, Cassandra Clare, Andrea Cremer, Katie Crouch, Gitty Daneshvari, Melissa de la Cruz, Matt de la Pena, Kim Derting, Simone Elkeles, Elizabeth Eulberg, Gayle Forman, Kami Garcia, Adam Gidwitz, David McInnes Gill, Adele Griffin, Deborah Harkness, Jenny Han, Siobhan Vivian, Michelle Hodkin, Ellen Hopkins, Tonya Hurley, Michele Jaffe, Caitlin Kittredge, Alyson Noel, David Levithan, Stephanie Perkins, Diana Peterfreund, Kathy Reichs, Brendan Reichs, Beth Revis, Jessica Rothenberg, Carrie Ryan, Eliot Schrefer, Natalie Standiford, Trenton Lee Stewart, Margaret Stohl, Cate Tiernan, Robin Wasserman, Marjorie Wentworth, John Corey Whaley, and Kathryn Williams.

Did you read all of that?! This makes me all the more excited to be a part of something so awesome. I can't wait for this year's festival and I hope you can't either! I hope to see you there!

Also, Cassie Clare and Holly Black will be keynoting the festival to launch it into an amazing weekend.

YallFest will take place in Charleston, SC, on November 9 and 10. Be sure to check the official YALLFest website for all the details.

Review: Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Title: Take A Bow
Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Hardcover: 228 Pages
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Point
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Book: Amazon | IndieBound
Add It: Goodreads

From the fantastic author of The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom & Prejudice comes a story of all the drama and comedy of four friends who grow into themselves at a performing arts high school.

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

I’ve had some very mixed feelings on books about performing arts high schools. And when I started reading this, I had my reservations. Why? Because it gives little clips freshman year, then cuts to senior year and I had the painful memory of Fame flashbacks. Fame, both the original and remake, were pretty terrible. HOWEVER, I had a lovely (and common) moment of my foot being forcibly shoved into my mouth.

There is DRAMA. There is A BAND. There is A HOT ACTOR BOY. There is JACK. There is A REDHEAD. There is a BROKEN BOY. There is UNREQUITED LOVE. And there is a SUPER MEGABITCH. Now, really, what more could you want?

Bouncing between four very different perspectives, we get a strangely well-rounded view of the world of the arts. The disillusioned and washed-up child actor, the highly-talented and no confidence musician, the highly-talented and thoroughly broken musician and the less-talented wannabe singer. It’s all of the highs, the lows, the pros and cons of the world and it is excellent. For someone who works in an art field, it’s so easy to be hyper-critical of the reality of it, but it was just the right amount real and hopeful. Especially Carter’s story.

And now to dedicate a paragraph to Jack cause I promised myself I would as I was reading. Jack is one of those secondary characters, who might be a secondary character, but the book would just not be the same without them. He starts off imaging crazy rock star lives for everyone and becomes one of the funniest and honest characters I’ve ever read. If Jack were real, I would work hard to be friends with him.

The best thing about this book is that it’s a Bullet Book, it took me just a few hours to read, but I was pulling my hair in anticipation as to how it was going to end. I seem to be one of the last people in my book friends group that hadn’t read an Elizabeth Eulberg book and now I can say that I will be going back and checking out her other books!

Lastly, if you have read this book and liked it or want more like it, I would also highly recommend Bunheads by Sophie Flack.

City of Lost Souls Twitter Party

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I tweeted Katie from Mundie Moms and said "So what should we do for City of Lost Soul's release?!" And she emailed me with all the elaborateness that she had in mind. I said "let's do it!" Thus formed the CoLS Twitter Party. We wanted to not only surprise Cassie with a crap ton of support from her fans, but also get the word out to the amazing fans and readers that we mean business about The Mortal Instrument series!

You guy's response was amazing and we quickly built a street team to secretly spread the word about this party. Luckily, Cassie has been offline writing so we hope that she is completely surprised and overwhelmed by the response of the fans on Tuesday.

Here's all the info you need to know about the party (from Katie, Mundie Moms):

What: To celebrate the release on City of Lost Souls and to show Cassie how much we support her, we're going to kicking off a COLS Release Party on Twitter with this:

Twitter Release Party | Cassandra Clare's City of Lost Souls| Out TODAY! | #CoLSParty @CassieClare

(*please DO NOT use this hash tag until the 10 am EST on Tuesday morning).

When: On Tuesday, May 8th at 10 am EST/ 9 am CST / 8 am MTN/ 7 am PST

Where: This party will mostly be taking place on Twitter, but you'll also find quite a few posts about it on Tumblr as well other sites, blogs and Facebook.

The Who: All TMI fans are invited and welcome to take part in this. A special thanks goes out to the COLS street team who's secretly been spreading the word for the past two weeks. Be sure to follow them on Twitter and Tumblr on Tuesday morning when we kick off the COLS party.

Like I said earlier in the post, the response has been AMAZING. Over 200 TMI fans have reached out and we are baffled. We think this will be amazing! Remember to spread the word like crazy. I can't wait to celebrate with everyone. Big thanks to all the fans for making this happen!

Remember, this is a SECRET. So please try to keep it that until Tuesday morning at your designated time. Tuesday's party is open to everyone to join! We will also be having a few giveaways on Twitter so be sure to keep up with it throughout the day. Be sure to follow @MundieMoms and @JeremyWest on Tuesday for the giveaways!!

For more information and other blogs/Twitter peeps to follow for party day, check out Mundie Mom's post about it here!

Review: Scott Pilgrim Series by Bryan Lee O'Malley

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Hardcover: Six Volumes, 198 Page Per Volume Average
Release Date: August 4, 2004 - August 3, 2010
Publisher: Oni Press
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Books: Amazon
Add Them: Goodreads

Synopsis taken from the author's website:

SCOTT PILGRIM is dating a high schooler, but when Ramona Flowers starts skating through his brain, everything changes. While Scott pursues Ramona, someone else pursues Scott: HER SEVEN EVIL EX-BOYFRIENDS. If he wants this relationship to work, he's going to have to defeat them all -- but even that herculean task might not be enough!

Scott Pilgrim was one of the first comic book ("graphic novel") series I wanted to take on. It's been at the top of my list of "things I really want to read if I get the time", so I took the time and it was every bit as epic as I imagined.

I'm sure by now many of you have seen the movie adaptation that came out two years ago, Scott Pilgrim vs The World. If not, I highly recommend it seeing as it is fantastic. But that's beside the point. Since I saw the film first, I wasn't sure how my perception of the comics would be going in. I didn't necessarily want to see Michael Cera as Scott or whatever. I thought he was excellent in the film though. I just wanted this to be a separate experience. And for the most part it was. so this is a review of the series, not the movie.

There are six volumes in all. Throughout which, Scott Pilgrim has to fight off seven evil exes to be able to date this girl Ramona. So basically one ex per issue. It seems like a simple enough concept, but with the action also comes great writing and a cast of hilarious characters. I found myself constantly acknowledging to myself that I was, in fact, Scott Pilgrim. His mannerisms and actions were all me. I kept thinking about how similar to my life this story was.
Well, not exactly the whole fighting people thing, but that's not really the story when you get down to the heart of it. It's about people and relationships. Whether it's friendships or something closer. How we interact with people every day. While the fighting bits were cool and all, I really enjoyed the background story even more. We learn a lot about each character throughout the six volumes.

I loved the look of the panels as well. It was all monochromatic with some exaggerated shadowing and silhouetting. It was obviously inspired by Japanese manga, but unique still. I heard they'll be re-releasing the series in full color starting this fall, so you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be re-reading them then.

The whole series was really funny and the dialogue was so well put-together. It even had an unconventional side mixed into the dialogue. Some of the characters would refer to the volume itself saying things like "You'll hear more about that in volume 5." or "We're already a quarter of the way through this volume and you're not dead yet?" I'm paraphrasing since I didn't memorize it word for word, but I found those moments to be really funny and made reading it a bit more enjoyable.

There's a lot of story the movie left out since they had to keep the plot moving and on point with the whole "defeating the seven evil exes" thing, so reading this series will give you a better grasp of the story and what Scott had to go through to keep Ramona. It's such an epic romance.

As a book series, this is one of my favorites and as a comic book series, it takes the gold medal. Scott Pilgrim is fun, entertaining, and hilarious. If you need a laugh, pick these up. they're quick reads and well worth the time spent.

Comic Book Madness

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:09:00 +0000

One thing I've gotten really into lately is comics. No, not like Garfield or Calvin and Hobbes, though those are both timeless classics that I love, but more along the lines of "graphic novels" and comic books. For the last few weeks, I've pretty much been reading exclusively that, well, and a few non-fiction science books, but those hold no relevance here.

While I've always been a fan from afar of comic books for a while, not until recently have I made an effort to seek out good books and read them. What I found over the last few weeks is a new medium of captivating storytelling -- and I obviously mean new to me. This visual form of storytelling has been around for decades.-- I just never took the chance to stop and give it my attention. When I finally did, I became obsessed.

Luckily for me, we have a local comic book store where I live, so I can stay up-to-date on the latest releases and find some great new series to read. With less than a month of comic book knowledge under my belt, I am starting to feel a part of that community now. It's nice.

Comic books have become my own little Prozac. Whenever I'm feeling depressed or just have had a not so good day, I get lost in a comic. It's a quick pick-me-up. That's one thing I never expected when I first started actually reading them, but it's soothing. Also, there are terrible cliffhangers each issue that will keep you coming back for more.

Basically I said all that just to intro this: Next week on the blog, I'll be adding comic books to the list of "things we review". I'll start posting reviews of all the latest comics I've read and one's I think you'll be interested in. Possibly even do a weekly feature of the latest issues I'm looking forward to most. A while back, we said that we wanted to start reviewing comic books on here, but as of yet we haven't. Well, that's going to change.

As a new fan and a now heavy reader of comics, I will be sharing all my favorites with you and hopefully if you're not a current comic book reader you will be soon. This is just me sharing what I like with you. I hope it's something you'll find entertaining.

Trailer: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:05:00 +0000

If you're anything like me, you've been dying since April 5th, the day City of Fallen Angels released and the day you most likely finished it as well. My brother and I actually competed and he won. But just barely.

So here we are and May is upon us. Soon, City of Lost Souls will be in our hands and we'll be reading about dear ole Sebastian/Jonathan Morganstern and all that good stuff.

In order to appease your slight need for CoLS to release, I thought I'd share with you the book trailer for it. Which, in my opinion, is fantastic! So well done, and the special effects are awesome.

Word of warning, it will be quite spoilery if you've not read CoFA yet. So beware.

There you have it. Awesome, right?
Now we must wait two more weeks before we can devour this one.
If you ask me, I doubt I'll be able to make it that long.

What'd you guys think of it? Has this been one of your most anticipated books of the year for you like it has been me? I plan to do nothing the day of release but sit and read this one. It will be a glorious day.

About the book:
The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

Review: Going Underground by Susan Vaught

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:28:00 +0000

Hardcover: 336
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Book: Amazon | IndieBound
Add It: Goodreads

Del is a good kid who's been caught in horrible circumstances. At seventeen, he's trying to put his life together after an incident in his past that made him a social outcast-and a felon. As a result, he can't get into college; the only job he can find is digging graves; and when he finally meets a girl he might fall in love with, there's a sea of complications that threatens to bring the world crashing down around him again. But what has Del done? In flashbacks to Del's fourteenth year, we slowly learn the truth: his girlfriend texted him a revealing photo of herself, a teacher confiscated his phone, and soon the police were involved.

Basing her story on real-life cases of teens in trouble with the law for texting explicit photos, Susan Vaught has created a moving portrait of an immensely likable character caught in a highly controversial legal scenario.

Let me first give you a brief history of my relationship with this book. First I was told that this is a funny, dark comedy (it kinda is, but really isn’t). Second, I was punch-drunk tired one night when I did start reading it, got stupid and looked it up on Goodreads. Third, I read a spoiler on Goodreads that made me frustrated and I ALMOST didn’t continue because of that spoiler. Thank you, unnamed blogger. Ugh. But the idea of giving up on this book hurt me, so I sallied forth. And I am VERY glad I did.

This is the story of a kid who has his life shattered. I don’t mean ‘my girlfriend just broke up with me’ or ‘OMG. My parents are moving right before my senior year’ or even ‘my life is over, my parents are divorcing’. This more like ‘my life will never, ever be the same as long as I live’ and the finality of THAT is something most teens can’t grasp. Hell, *I* can barely grasp that.

But that is Del’s reality and it’s heartbreaking as much as it is completely inspiring. Because this book is about LIFE. I put that in caps because LIFE is an awfully big concept to anyone under a quarter of a century. To most people it is what our parents told us it would be, limitless. To Del, it isn’t. Not only is he having to accept his limited life, but is dealing with the understandable fear of something else possibly happening.

Now I will share a quote that when I read it, I actually sat back and absorbed it before moving on.

“None of us can see nightmares like William Kaison barreling down on our lives, or we’d run like hell and never, ever get hit. Avoiding life, avoiding making any concrete plans for your life - that’s just one way you’re pretending you can keep bad things from happening to you again.”*

I have read hundreds of young adult books, a good portion of them contemporaries, and I can honestly say that I have never read one that deals with this particular issue. Especially one that has a teenager on probation. It’s something that didn’t really happen in my academically driven high school and in reading this book made me feel as though I was lucky to survive my teenage years without something awful happening cause it could have so easily.

I would HIGHLY recommend parents reading this book. I recommend ANYONE reading this book, because it applies to LIFE in it’s broadest concepts and how to deal with LIFE. Lastly, read it because it hurts my heart that this book is SO GOOD and has SO FEW ratings on Goodreads. Don’t read the reviews, just look at the sad little rating number.

*Quote taken from the ARC.

If you liked this review and want to read it for yourself, here's your chance! We have one ARC to give away. Just enter below :) This giveaway is US/Canada only.

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JK Rowling's New Book Has a Title, Synopsis, and Release Date!

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:18:00 +0000

Not too long ago, we were going crazy when JK Rowling announced her "New Book" coming out through Little, Brown. No other details were given at the time, but today LB released the title, synopsis, and release date.

The book is called The Casual Vacancy and will be released on September 27th, 2012. Unlike the latter books in her Harry Potter series, this book will only be a modest 480 pages long.

A synopsis of the book from Little, Brown follows:

When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

What are your first impressions? Are you still as excited for this new book as when she first announced it? Will you still be reading it?

Review: Purity by Jackson Pearce

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:07:00 +0000

Hardcover: 224
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Book: Amazon | IndieBound
Add It: Goodreads | Shelfari

A novel about love, loss, and sex -- but not necessarily in that order.

Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.

Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.

I read this book and really liked it. And then I became a little confused as to why some of my friends didn’t like it as much. I mean WHA? I was cracking up almost every page! Between the awkward conversations about sex and the actual jokes between the characters, it’s one of the funniest books I’ve read this year!
However, their issue wasn’t with the humor. It was with God. *rolls up sleeves* Oh, yeah, I’m going there, kids. Best get ready.

I’m going to go ahead and put this out there, but I am not a Christian, nor religious. So, there’s that. Some people are claiming this is an anti-God book. As someone who would have absolutely no problem reading anti-God books, I will say that this is, in fact, NOT an a anti-God book. The character even blatantly states that she believes in God more than when she was a kid. BUT, she does question God and God’s motives? -- is that a good word for this? -- and that’s actually quite revolutionary. Questioning does not necessarily mean a lack belief, it just means the character is deciding for herself how she wants to live in a world where everyone has their own opinion on everything. And really, that is the theme of the book, isn’t it?
Now that I’ve discussed religion, let’s talk about sex. (I don’t know about you, but I am loving this review so far.) Reading Shelby, Jonas and Ruby talk about sex in such a blunt and frank way, not only did it make me laugh, but made me feel like I was in early high school again and trying to figure it all out with practical logic. And you know what? We need more books like this. With candid and frank discussions of sex, accompanied with the reality of the situation. Pearce’s book just rang truthfully from page one on and while it is a story, I could see this happening when I was in high school (which wasn’t THAT long ago) and in my group of friends. (Admittedly, purity balls are a rarity where I went to high school, but living in the south - I’m familiar with them.)

Okay, now that the controversial stuff is over, let’s get back to the actual book. What I really liked about this book was that the situation made me feel all squicky inside. While squicky is not a word, “uncomfortable” just didn’t cover it. A girl is trying to lose her virginity in order to keep her promise to her dead mother to obey her father. See? Squicky. To the hopeful romantic part of me, it made me sad. To the logical part of my brain, I understood the bind. These two usually-irreconcilable parts of the brain, were soothed by one, beautifully stated quote (that you could in theory, scream BOOK RUINER at me, but really, you know the premise, you know the goal, that much is stated quickly, I don’t really see as a surprise - but in case you are, then you’ve had this long and rambling side note to realize I’m going to give a quote and you should skip to the next paragraph, like, now) “You got laid. But that doesn’t mean you won’t ever make love.” And that makes so many things better and brighter.

While it might be deemed as kind of controversial book, not only I would recommend it to teens, but to parents as well. I mean, really. Mr. Crewe gave me so many sad smiles. He gets the ultimate Trying Dad award. A little clueless, but means well. And I think it’s easier to see his blunders through fiction than blunders in real life.

Solid contemp, Jackson Pearce, solid contemp.

Edenbrooke Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:07:00 +0000

Hey guys, so as a part of the Edenbrooke Blog Tour set up by Pam from Bookalicio.us I was given two copies of Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson to giveaway. If you haven't heard about this book, it' basically the YA book form of Downton Abbey. Sounds pretty great, right?!

Here's the Goodreads summary:

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

What is a "Proper Romance"?
A "Proper Romance" is Shadow Mountain Publishing’s brand of clean, smart, engaging, romantic stories that will never embarrass the reader.

About the Author:
Julianne Donaldson grew up as the daughter of a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. She learned how to ski in the Italian Alps, visited East Berlin before the wall came down, and spent three years living next to a 500-year-old castle. After earning a degree in English, she turned her attention to writing about distant times and places. She lives in Utah with her husband and four children. Edenbrooke is her first novel.

So for your chance to win a copy of Edenbrooke for yourself, just enter below! This giveaway is US & Canada only.

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Edenbrooke Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

What is a "Proper Romance"?
A Proper Romance is Shadow Mountain Publishing’s brand of clean, smart, engaging, romantic stories that will never embarrass the reader.

About Julianne:
Julianne Donaldson grew up as the daughter of a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. She learned how to ski in the Italian Alps, visited East Berlin before the wall came down, and spent three years living next to a 500-year-old castle. After earning a degree in English, she turned her attention to writing about distant times and places. She lives in Utah with her husband and four children. Edenbrooke is her first novel.

This Week in YA #7: The One With All the Words

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:49:00 +0000

Hey guys, so I wasn't able to make a video this week, but I still had all this news to share with you from this past week. I hope it's still as entertaining as my videos. And that's just me assuming my videos are entertaining, which I'm not sure what your opinions are about that. Anyways, here is what happened This Week in YA (See what I did there?).

Movie News

The Hunger Games released this week raking in a whopping $20 million midnight release making it the #1 non-sequel midnight opening in history and an astounding $155 million at the domestic box office so far making it the third-best debut weekend of all time and the best for any film opening outside of the summer. That is a metric crap ton of money made in one weekend. I’m sure most of you guys have read the books already and if you’ve seen the film I want to know your opinions on the movie. I personally loved it and while there were a few things that bugged me about it, I think overall it was a fantastic adaptation. So let me know what you thought of it.

The film adaptation of The Great Gatsby released its first movie poster showing off a lot of Daisy, played by Carrie Mulligan, and not so much of Leonardo DiCaprio who plays Jay Gatsby himself.

Variety reported this week that Black Forest Film Group has acquired a psychological thriller screenplay written by Ransom Riggs, author of the New York Times Bestseller Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, called Black River. The story follows a "small-town girl who has been haunted by a dead girl's spirit ever since her own near-fatal accident. When she goes off to college and her friends begin to die, she must uncover the dark secret of the dead girl's fate."

If you haven’t heard of Black Forest yet, you will soon. It is a new production company started by Mark Morgan, producer of the Twilight films, Kami Garcia, co-author of the Beautiful Creatures novels, E. Thompson, and Brett Hudson. Knowing Randy’s past film experience and having read Miss Peregrine’s, I’m really excited to see what this movie could be like.

Production for the adaptation of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card has finally started and the studio has made a blog to keep fans up-to-date with the production of the film as it’s being made. The only post they have so far is one picture teasing the start of production (which you can see on the right), but I’m sure the hardcore fans of the book that have been waiting for this to be adapted for years will be excited by it.

Ender’s Game is a sci-fi film about a boy nicknamed Ender who is "an unusually gifted child sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future alien invasion." Hugo’s Asa Butterfield will be playing the main role as Ender with a supporting cast of actors including Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Hailee Steinfeld, and Abigail Breslin. It is set for a March 15, 2013 release.

Movie Trailers

Stephanie Meyer’s sci-fi adult novel The Host about "a frightening future where aliens take over the consciousness of human beings on Earth" is certainly a stark departure from her sparkly vampires, but how will the movie compare to the novel? A teaser trailer released this week even though the film isn't set to release for another year and it looks pretty cool.

Also released this week, though not really specifically YA, an Australian trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth. I’m pretty excited for this one, not really for Kristen, though she doesn’t look terrible in this, but mainly for the special effects feast going on.

Television News

The pilot episode of the CW’s The Selection started production last week in Vancouver and thanks to the website Hollywood North On Location fans can get a sneak peek at what the sets and costumes will look like as well as keep up with its production of the pilot. There are so many set photos, but here are just a few:

Aimee Teegarden and Ethan Peck together

William Moseley getting ready for a scene

Sean Patrick Thomas in quite a bright suit

Book News

Book Releases

Croak by Gina Damico

A gripping tale of love and betrayal that weaves historical fantasy with paranormal romance, The Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink. Seriously guys, you have to buy this one!

The sci-fi/ thriller The Deserter by Peadar O’ Guilin

The third book in the Riders of Apocalypse series, Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler

A debut thriller that has been called “The Girl with
the Dragon Tattoo for teens”, Dark Eyes by William Richter.

When You Open Your Eyes by Celeste Conway

Cover Reveals

Burn for Burn co-written by best-selling authors Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian, which has a sort of Gossip Girl/retro look to it.

Envy, the sequel to Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Book Trailers

This week was full of some of the best book trailers ever! Just warning you. Watch them with caution.

So do you remember that epic cover I showed you for Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo a few weeks ago? Well, not the book has a trailer and it is seriously the most epic book trailer I’ve ever seen.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, which was shot live-action with tons of special effects.

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

The third book in the Graceling Realm series from Kristin Cashore, Bitterblue has sort of a trailer, though really it’s just a trailer for the series.

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter, which is the sequel to The Goddess Test.

A new teaser for The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

And finally This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers.

Publishing News

Lisa Schroeder announced her new young adult novel set for release in 2013. Falling For You is about "a teen girl who relives the love of a dangerous boy, and unravels the secrets that haunt her family, as she hovers between life and death." It will be published through Simon Pulse.

Julie Kagawa announced the title of the first book in her Iron Fey Spinoff series, The Iron Prince, which is set several years after the events of the Iron Fey series.

Goodbye

And with that little bit of information, I have to say goodbye, but not for long because I will be back next week to talk about more YA news. Hopefully in video format instead of just words, but if you have any questions or comments about things discussed above, leave them in the comments below. Also, if you’ve seen The Hunger Games already, I want to know what you thought of it.

Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:20:00 +0000

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Hardcover: 338 Pages
Release Date: September 29, 2011
Publisher: Dutton Books
Author Info: Website | Twitter
Buy the Book: Amazon | IndieBound
Add it: GoodReads | Shelfari

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

So I read Anna and the French Kiss like every other good YA-er out there. And I liked it! I’ve spent time in Paris and love film - so I identified with Anna. However, St. Clair frustrated me a bit, but whatever. I liked it.

I liked it enough to make sure I got Lola. If I heard a thousand good things about Anna, I heard a MILLION good things about Lola. So I saved it. I saved it for when I needed something really, really good. I decided to read this as my official 125th book of 2011. Seemed like a good one for a number than monumental, right? I even PLANNED to sleep and spread it over two days. *cough* Yeah, RIGHT. I should know not to trust myself with that. I DEVOURED it and finished it at 4 am, causing a lot of pain when the alarm went off obnoxiously under 4 hours later. Ouch.

So what exactly caused this pain? Cricket Graham Bell. Or, as like I to call him CRICKET *EXPLETIVE* BELL.
Okay, now we need to talk about Cricket.
It was about 40 pages in when it became so heartbreakingly clear how in love Cricket was with Lola and she was so blind to it. This does not bode well for female readers. This means a lot of “OMG. CRICKET. MY HEART.” Or, more likely a nonsensical reaction like this: WORIGHSLIJVSOIHJSLIBOFIHBSODGVLERUBHQLFUBHSDLIFUDEATH. Guys, I read this book DAYS ago and Cricket is still rummaging around my head. Certainly, this has happened before but it is rare. What is it about that tall, skinny boy that is just so OMGPERFECT?!

And now, Lola. I’m kinda girl-crushing on her. If I was a teenager and read this book (and had more self-confidence), I can promise you I’d be head over heels obsessed and might go as far as to try and start sewing again. (That usually ends in disaster.) But there is something about Lola that I just completely identified with and adored her. Usually with female leads, I like them, but they will always do SOMETHING that makes me smack my forehead in frustration. But not Lola.

Not to say that either Lola or Cricket were perfect, instead they were more like perfectly misguided. Something that screams good intentions, but just a bit off. Completely teenage. But watching them stumble around was kind of the best, cutest (sometimes a little sad) thing ever.

Oh. OH. AND there were several (many) Anna and St. Clair appearances. Like I said, I liked Anna, but I LOVED seeing them in this and being all INSANELY CUTE. I love cameos of the original characters in “companion” books and this wasn’t a little, they were in there quite a bit! It made my heart happy.

And now my public plea to Ms. Perkins:
Dear Stephanie, you are super cute with your adorable smile and bright, ever-changing hair. But I regret to inform you that we need Isla and the Happily Ever After, like, yesterday. Sincerely, your entire fan base spoken through me.

Giveaway: A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 05:21:00 +0000

Today, our book of the month is finally released into the world! A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink (review to come) is simply a masterpiece that everyone should see. After reading it, almost all in one sitting mind you (it's no small book either), I was amazed at how gorgeous this book was. I can't go into detail more but I promise I will in my review!

Here's more about the book:

Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance...

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

Michelle Zink masterfully weaves historical fantasy with paranormal romance to create a gripping tale of love and betrayal.

***

And on this awesome release day, we have something exciting for you, our readers! Thanks to Michelle's generosity, we are giving away a Temptation of Angels prize pack! We have two up for grabs but only one winner who will get to choose between the two.

The two prize packs are:

A personalized, signed copy of ToA, bookmark, angel frame, body spray, nail polish, and a bookstore gift card.

A personalized, signed copy of ToA, bookmark, and a ToA tshirt (choose your size).

Prize Pack #2

So if you're a big fan of Michelle's books and have been dying for this one or even if you've not yet read one of her books, enter for a chance to win this awesome prize! This is a US/Canada only giveaway. Sorry.

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Top Ten Books On My Spring To-Be-Read list

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:47:00 +0000

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Jamie at The Broke and Bookish.

This week's topic is "Top Ten books on our Spring TBR list" and so I thought I'd share a few. Most of this list is for books I'll be reading before going to Teen Book Con in Houston in April but all still great ones!

1. Black Heart by Holly Black - I'm currently reading this and loving it. It is easily one of my favorite YA series for two reasons. first, the writing is amazing. And second, the story line is just too awesome. Curseworkers rock.

2. Dead To You by Lisa McMann - This is one of Lisa's books I've been meaning to get to for a while but finally decided I just need to. It's her first contemporary sans supernatural stuff and it sounds really good. Plus, if it's Lisa, I can count on great writing.

3. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews - This has to be one of my favorite covers of the year so far if not ever. I love it so much! And the story...oh I can't wait to read this! If you saw in this past week's IMM, I bought this at work because it was pretty and sounded great. I haven't heard much else about it but I can't wait to read.

4. The List by Siobhan Vivian - Oh, contemps. How I love thee. I heard about this book from my brother in January when he was saying he heard it was awesome and since then, I've been waiting for it! It doesn't come out until the beginning of April but you bet your bottom dollar I'll be getting it then!

5. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater - I know. I know. "What?! You haven't read this yet?" No, I have not. I've actually never read anything by Maggie despite meeting her in person and seeing how awesome and cool she is and hearing her writing is just perfect. But I will fix that soon!

6. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - This one is a major tearjerker, I hear. I guess we need those from time to time. I love that Ruta spent so much time with the people that this story is based on. She did so much research in the country and with the people which that alone would make me want to read it because of her dedication to the truth behind the story.

7. Purity by Jackson Pearce - Oh, Jackson. How I also adore thee. I've been waiting for this book since you first told me about it a few years ago in it's baby stages. I'm so happy you got this one published so I can finally read it. Also, the premise sounds like a lot of fun!

8. Partials by Dan Wells - Sci-fi/Dystopians, you get me every time. After meeting Dan last week at the Dark Days signing with Lauren Oliver and Claudia Gray, I just had to pick this one up. It looks fantastic and I kind of enjoy seeing when a male writer has a female MC to see how he pulls it off.

9. The Selection by Kiera Cass - And with all the buzz going around this book because of the CW tv show, I must read it. If you don't know what I'm referring to, check out the past few weeks of This Week in YA and you'll see the tremendous casting there has been.

10. Starters by Lissa Price - Jeffrey just finished reading this and it's also our debut of the month. He said it was amazing and fresh to the sci-fi/dystopian genre that seems to be lacking a bit in the YA section. I can't wait to read about old people possession, as I like to call it.

And those are my top ten Spring books to read! Have you made a list yet? What are some of the books on there?

This Week in YA: Toga! Toga! Toga!

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:21:00 +0000

This Week in YA is a weekly online show that highlights recent book news whether for movie, tv, or publishing. Stay tuned each week for new news and content!

Any news you're most excited about this week? Let us know below and be sure to subscribe to GingerBookNerd on YouTube for more videos throughout the week.

In today's episode of This Week in YA, The Mortal Instruments series has a new director, my favorite space cowboy is now a Greek god, Cassie Clare is writing a new Shadowhunter series, and there is finally a Macon Ravenwood for the Beautiful Creatures movie.

Movie News:
The Mortal Instruments: New Director http://bit.ly/w7hSWj
Sea of Monsters Casting: Hermes http://bit.ly/xt484K
Beautiful Creatures Casting: Macon, Aunt Del, and Emily http://bit.ly/zCg0kC
Catching Jordan Film http://bit.ly/y0rOK3
Hunger Games Caesar/Peeta Interview Clip http://youtu.be/fC8TsPzvzmk
President Snow and Seneca Crane Clip http://youtu.be/_e3wADQ7IXw

Television News:
The Selection Casting http://bit.ly/wzkxN5

New Book Releases:
Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins
The Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull
The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George
Cross My Heart by Sarah Gould
Starters by Lissa Price
Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig
Out of Sight Out of Time by Ally Carter
The Savage Grace by Bree Despain
Infamous by Sherrilynn Kenyon
Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk

Cover Releases:
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes http://on.fb.me/yJf5a1
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan http://bit.ly/vZhfqV
Velveteen by Daniel Marks http://bit.ly/wQTLmQ
Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay http://bit.ly/xQmwSf
Foretold edited by Carrie Ryan http://twitpic.com/8w8yhq
The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton http://bit.ly/zjE6ms
Crewel by Gennifer Albin http://on.vh1.com/FO8OT5
Poison Princess by Kresley Cole http://on.mtv.com/AfjMGv
Adaption by Malinda Lo http://bit.ly/xjY19K
A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner http://jamesdashner.com/

Book Trailers:
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa http://bit.ly/wzJ5T8
Spectral by Shannon Duffy http://youtu.be/AQG690T1GqQ

Publishing News:
The Dark Artifaces http://bit.ly/z0IaoE
Boy Nobody http://bit.ly/y7Qe0a

Be sure to subscribe for your weekly dose of YA news!
http://bit.ly/xfRkfF

Follow me on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/JeffreyWest

About TWiYA:
This Week in YA is a fresh look at the latest news in the world of Young Adult literature. Each Saturday, we will discuss topics dealing with book-to-movie news, book releases, book trailer releases, new YA book deals, etc. all in one place. Think of it as a YA Reader's Digest.

In My Mailbox (51)

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:11:00 +0000

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

We had a great week this week and I got to read a few awesome books. Two that I had read before they were published so I just had to buy finished copies. And I few others I just had to have. We also got a few books for review we're really excited about! Here's what we got in our mailbox!

For Review:

Hollow Earth by John and Carole Barrowman

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Bought:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Partials by Dan Wells

Hope you guys had a great week too! Let us know what you got in your mailbox this week too!

Review: Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Paperback: 272
Release Date: February 2, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Buy the Book: Amazon | IndieBound

After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe.

Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As readers flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, they see a girl on the precipice of disaster.

Chopsticks is unlike anything you've seen or read in the YA section at your local bookstore. It's completely unique, intriguing, and breathtaking. Did I mention the beautiful artwork?!

What makes this book so unique is that it's pretty much a picture book for young adults. The entire story is told is pictures whether it be from newspaper articles, scrapbooks, etc. Which made reading this book fast, yet long enough to get entranced with the characters and story.

The book starts out telling the end of the book. Glory is missing. It opens on news stories, articles, and more about her disappearance then shoots back 18 months earlier for the rest to tell the story of how that happened. By looking at the cover, you may assume this is a typical romantic drama...but it isn't. You just have to open it up to see.

Chopsticks easily lived up to my expectations and as a designer, I loved the way this book was formatted/set up. I can tell they took the time to make this a beautifully designed book. And it paid off.

I really hope to see more books like this come out for teens that are both fast-paced and beautiful stories. I'm not sure if Jessica plans on any more books like this but I am seriously wanting more!

Also, be sure to check out the awesome extended book trailer for Chopsticks!