Novel Thoughts

Review: The Humming Room by Ellen Potter

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Hardcover: 288 pages
Release Date: Febuary 28, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Pre-Order the Book: Amazon
Shelf It: Goodreads | Shelfari

Hiding is Roo Fanshaw's special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable family, she often needs to disappear at a moment's notice. When her parents are murdered, it's her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her life.

As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle, who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn't believe in ghosts or fairy stories, but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? And who is that strange wild boy who lives on the river? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined to find the truth.

Despite the best efforts of her uncle's assistants, Roo discovers the house's hidden room--a garden with a tragic secret.

Inspired by The Secret Garden, this tale full of unusual characters and mysterious secrets is a story that only Ellen Potter could write.

One of my favorite stories as a kid was The Secret Garden. It was also one of the few movies we owned. On VHS, mind you. Classic, I know. I would watch it over and over again and even took it to school with me in fifth grade to show my class. Also, the movie had Maggie Smith who is a goddess, but that's irrelevant here.

I said all that to say this, The Humming Room by Ellen Potter is a novel inspired by The Secret Garden. I don't know how fine the line between "inspired by" and "retelling" is, but this felt very similar to the original. The story followed the same major plot points as TSG. The characters were different and the setting/garden story was changed to fit this interpretation, but I wouldn't consider this just "inspired by" The Secret Garden.

Roo's life changes when her parents die suddenly. She is sent to live with her introverted Uncle at his island home, a converted Children's Hospital that was closed in the 1960s. Other than the maids and her Uncle, Roo is the only other person living in the house. Or so she was told. The walls hide secrets. All she has to do to uncover them is follow the humming.

I found this story very fun and interesting. Aside from its closeness to The Secret Garden, I really enjoyed the unique characters Ellen created. The house in itself is a character. It hides secrets and hosts a lot of the mystery throughout the story. A lot of the myth and legends that were used to support the plot were all created specifically for this book and I thought that was awesome. There's enough stories that draw ideas from actual myth that most originality has been watered down. While this was not quite a unique story, Ellen's re-interpretation of The Secret Garden was completely original and fun.

The Humming Room reminded me of all the things I loved to do as a kid. Explore new places, talk to animals, hide in the smallest of spaces. It was like a glimpse of the past and it made me miss those simple childhood pleasures.

If you're a fan of The Secret Garden, this is one MG book you will want to read. It's cute, fun, mysterious, and such a quick read. The Humming Room is the type of book you would give someone who is skeptical about what is good Middle Grade fiction. Reading this makes me want to read more of Ellen Potter's books. Also, I want to rewatch The Secret Garden now.

The Humming Room is a fresh take on a classic story with secrets all its own.

This Week in YA (February 5-11)

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:21:00 +0000

This Week in YA is a weekly feature over at Jeff's YouTube channel, GingerBookNerd. It's an idea we've tossed around for a while but never really did it, but now he took up the reins, and here is the first episode! Hope you guys enjoy it and also learn some new news from this past week!

Let us know what you think? Hope you learned something. Come back each Saturday for a new episode and new news!

New Weekly Booktube Feature: This Week in YA

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:23:00 +0000

As some of you may know, I (Jeffrey) have been vlogging about books and things on my YouTube channel, GingerBookNerd, for a few months now. It's been a new and fun learning experience so far, but I have high aspirations for what I want to do with it. So I am proud to debut my first video of my new weekly feature, This Week in YA). Well, it's more of a preview video. The actual "show" doesn't start until Saturday.

This Week in YA will cover book, movie, and publishing news from the YA community from the previous week. I'm really excited about this feature and I hope you stick around with me as I take on new goals and challenges with my channel.

If you are not yet a subscriber to my channel, watch a few videos. If you like what you see, you can subscribe. That way you'll be notified when I upload more videos. If you don't, well we can all have our own opinions :)

If you hear anything related to YA news: cover reveals, book releases, movie news, drama, etc., please let me know and I may talk about it in my video. I will even give credit where it is due for your help.

New to Review: Graphic Novels

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:15:00 +0000

For the year 2012, we've decided to make a refresh to Novel Thoughts. Not only to the look of the blog, which is quite different you'll notice, but also to what we'll be reviewing and some new features we'll have each week/month.

One of the things I'm challenging myself to do this year is to read more graphic novels. I also decided, "hey, I could totally reviews those on the blog. Other people like graphic novels too!" So that's what we'll be starting. Every once in a while, you'll see us reviewing them. The first of which is going up tomorrow!

I'm a huge Batman fan and am also wanting to read the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman and The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman. Stay tuned for more graphic novel reviews and if you have any suggestions you'd like me to review, please let me know in the comments!

I also just updated our REVIEWS page so you should definitely check that out because it looks AWESOME! :)

New Young Adult Book Releases: Feb. 7, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:57:00 +0000

There are some great new YA titles out today! At the top of the list is our Febuary Featured Debut title and then a few others that we are pretty excited for!

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood - not even from each other.

Dead to You by Lisa McMann

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

Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer & Peter Lerangis

Ben has always had it pretty easy--with no acting experience, he landed the lead in his high school musical, and he's dating the prettiest girl in school. Haunted by memories of 9/11, he makes the decision to enlist in the army--with devastating consequences. Somehow nobody ever thought Ben would be one of the soldiers affected, but after his convoy gets caught in an explosion, Ben is in a coma for two months. When he wakes up, he doesn't know where he is, and he doesn't remember anything about his old life. His family and friends mourn what they see as a loss, but Ben perseveres. Although he will never be the person he once was, this is the story of his struggle and transformation.

Two Truths and a Lie by Sara Shepard

Sutton Mercer watches from the afterlife as her long-lost twin, Emma Paxton, takes over her identity to solve her murder. But after ruling out her early leads, Emma still hasn’t found Sutton’s killer. A lot of people wanted her dead—but one name keeps popping up: Thayer Vega. When the gorgeous and mysterious Thayer returns to town, Emma has to move fast to figure out whether he’s back for revenge…or if he already got it.

Set in a town where friends can turn into dangerous enemies and everyone harbors dark secrets, The Lying Game is a juicy new series that fans of the #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series—and the hit ABC Family show—will love.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief she’ll never have to tell them that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.

But that relief soon turns to heartbreak, as Cam is forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and not making waves, and Cam becomes an expert at this—especially at avoiding any questions about her sexuality.

Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. To Cam’s surprise, she and Coley become best friends—while Cam secretly dreams of something more. Just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, her secret is exposed. Ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to “fix” her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self—even if she’s not quite sure who that is.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules.

Which ones are you most excited to read?

I cannot WAIT to get my hands on Born Wicked and Dead to You!

Author Interview: Beth Revis

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:24:00 +0000

Jeremy and I recently had the privilege of sitting down and talking to New York Times Bestselling author, Beth Revis, about her series Across the Universe and what her plans are after the release of the third and final book in the trilogy, Shades of Earth. Plus, we got to discuss loads of other nerdy sciency things. I apologize for the length of the interview, but then again I get carried away when talking with authors.

Beth is so much fun to talk to. We share a lot of the same interests, so this interview was so much fun! I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did.

Oh, and do you remember that Agatha Christie parody story I was talking about, And Then There Were Nuns? Well, I made a cover for it. Now I have the motivation to actually maybe write it. We'll see.

What do you guys think?

In My Mailbox (49)

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:04:00 +0000

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

The past two weeks have been awesome for getting books in our mailbox! We even got to see John Green live last month and get our copies of TFiOS signed! Hopefully the coming weeks are just as book-filled as this week was. Here's what we got in our mailbox:

From Michelle Zink:
A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink (thanks Michelle!)

From Sash and Em:
Wake by Amanda Hocking
Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Black Heart by Holly Black

From Grand Central Publishing (Hachette):
Pure by Julianna Baggott

From Books A Million (my job):
Batman: Gates of Gotham by Scott Snyder

That's all for this week! Let us know what you got in your mailbox too! Have a great week and happy reading!

Book/Debut of the Month: February

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

This month, I chose two of my most anticipated books of the year to be our books of the month. I've been looking forward to the first ever since my girlfriend, Kelsey, got me to read the beginning to the series last year and I loved it! And for my next pick, I heard about this book for the first time a few moths ago and have been pining for it ever since. Mainly because I'll read almost any classic witch YA book, but also because it looks freaking fantastic!

With that being said, our Book and Debut of the Month are:

Book of the Month: Debut of the Month:

Fever by Lauren DeStefano Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

We look forward to spotlighting these books this month and hope to have the authors stop by for special features like interviews, guest posts, reviews, and giveaways! Stay tuned this month and be sure to pick up these two amazing books!

Review: Pure by Julianna Baggott

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Hardcover: 431
Release Date: February 8, 2012
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Pre-Order the Book: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads | Shelfari

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

The first time I heard about Pure was from the publicist asking if I would like to review it. I looked it up in Goodreads and while it sounded good, I didn't know if I wanted to give it a try seeing as it's 400+ pages. A lot of the time when I see something that long, I am wary to pick it up because with more pages that could mean two things: More pages to love or more pages that you have to slug through to finish. I guess it's safe to say I vastly underestimated this book.

If I'm remembering correctly, this is the first Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian book that I've read since the Hunger Games series. At least, one of this specific sub-genre. And while they are very similar in mood, they are very different in story.

Pure is set nine years after the Detonations occurred wiping out most of humanity on Earth minus the few who made it to the safety of the Dome. Those who didn't make it either died from the radiation or were fused to nearby objects when the Detonations occurred leaving them permanently scarred and other. Those living in the Dome were called Pures because there bodies were unharmed by the radiation and life continues on normally there. They say they are waiting for a time when the earth can support life again and they will come out of the Dome and start a "New Eden" and repopulate the earth.

The story is told from multiple point of views. Pressia, a 16-year old girl living outside the Dome who is marked by a childhood doll fused to her hand from the blast. Partridge, a teenage boy and son to a very powerful figure inside the Dome. And a few others as the story progresses. It's mainly these two though seeing as their the protagonists here. I really liked the changing POVs because it gave a little more insight into what one or the other was thinking during certain scenes and it really helped keep the story fresh.

Though it is still our earth and it is still America, it is not the same as we know it. After the Detonations, everything mutated. The humans, the plants, the animals. Some became hybrids. Humans covered in metal shards, broken glass, or in the case of one of the other protagonists Bradwell, birds fused to his back.

I won't lie to you, Pure is not a light read. Much like the Hunger Games, there is a lot of death and an overall aura of darkness. It is a wasteland outside of the Dome. There is death and disease and destruction. The OSR (militia) go on human hunts. It is a pretty dark book, but without these dark descriptions of what Pressia has to endure daily you wouldn't be able to properly know her story.

The plot progression was fantastic and every chapter left me wanting to keep reading more. Julianna Baggott is not a novice. She's been around the writing business for a while, so she knows how to write a great story. I haven't read any of her other books, but I am really curious to see how they compare to this beauty. I will be recommending this a lot. Especially to fans of the Hunger Games.

Apparently, the movie rights have sold for this book (and maybe the series?), but I really hope this makes it past the cutting room floor. I know a lot of books get picked up and then dropped shortly after or halted in pre-production, but I would love to see how it would be brought to the big screen.

February Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:40:00 +0000

It's February! The month of love. So I thought I'd share some of the books coming out this month that I am looking forward to. Here we go!

What books are you looking forward to this month? Did we not mention it?

Let us know in the comments below!

Review: Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Hardcover: 288 pages
Date Published: December 27, 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Author Info: Website
Buy the Book: Amazon | IndieBound
Shelf It: Goodreads | Shelfari

My wish
is to fall
cranium over Converse
in dizzy, daydream-worthy
love.

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "vacation" has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? can you even know it until you've lost it?

Love and Leftovers is a beautifully written story of one girl’s journey navigating family, friends, and love, and a compelling and sexy read that teens will gobble up whole.

I picked this book up, flipped it open and found it to be a verse novel. Win. I LOVE verse novels. Secondly, looking the cover and reading the back it looked all cute and happy and something I needed at the moment. But let’s clear something up right now. While, yes, it has cute, happy moments, there were several moments where I wanted to cry for poor Marcie. So, just know that.

I am PROUD to announce my FIRST FIVE star review of 2012! YAY!

This book was even home to one of my Greatly Disliked Themes in YA books: the love triangle. I HATE love triangles. They make me want to throw said book at a wall and sit huffily on my bed, fuming. HOWEVER - and this is a big ‘however’ - Tregay made this possibly one of the best love triangles/ cheating situations EVER. As a human being, cheating = the end to a relationship to me, even if there is a lot of grey area. But SHOCKINGLY I never disliked or hated Marcie, Linus or J.D. at all. That is amazing for me, people.

Now for what BLEW ME AWAY about this book. Many YA novels will have teens that talk about sex. Many YA novels will have teens that talk about love or falling in love. This YA novel had a teen talk about passion. Yes, there was sex-talk by proxy, but all Marcie wants more than anything is to be emotionally and physically connected with someone. Wow, guys. That is so much more intimate than just talking about love like it’s a bland box of instant mashed potatoes. Kudos to you, Sarah Tregay.

And without any spoilers (as always) OMG. The ending - or more specifically, the last 50 pages - made me feel like there were a hundred warm and fuzzy kittens running around in my chest in a totally non-creepy way. I was finishing this book while being a passenger in a car and trying hard (but not really) to not grin like a complete and utter fool. And then I preceded to re-read the ending again when I was done. (I may have read it a second time... and once again, just to let the taste of the words sit in the back of my mouth and savor the flavor.)

This book is cute and honest with funny moments, moments that make you want to cry and smile at the same time and I fully recommend it to you. If you read contemporary at all, you will HAVE to read this book!!

Giveaway: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

As you all know, Cinder by Marissa Meyer was our Debut of the Month for January! Our friends at the awesome Macmillan have graciously offered a copy to give away a finished copy to one lucky reader. Here's a little more about CINDER:

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.

All you have to do is enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Spectral by Shannon Duffy

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Today I have an awesome cover reveal for you guys! If you like a good paranormal romance, you might want to add this one to your TBR list when it comes out!

Title: Spectral

Author: Shannon Duffy

Release Date: April 10, 2012

Publisher: Tribute Books

Shelf It: Goodreads

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

So, what do you think of the covers? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Author Interview: Printz Novelist John Corey Whaley

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:21:00 +0000

This week has been full of new experiences for me. The biggest being me trying to come up with a way to interview authors in a new way. Over the past two years, I have interviewed a few authors and through sending them questions and receiving their answers I felt a disconnect. One of the ways I've been working on changing that for myself is to start a weekly podcast that discusses all things YA. And while it is still a passion of mine, it has been shelved for a while.

A few days ago, I had a brainblast moment (any Jimmy Neutron fans out there?). I started thinking about video interviews. I have the knowledge and a platform now to accomplish at least that. So I looked into it a bit more and after just a short time I was ready to get into it!

Seeing as this all happened within the last few days, I really wanted to get John Corey Whaley, newly awarded Printz author of Where Things Come Back, to be my first interviewee. And fortunately for me, he complied. The interview comes in four parts. In part one, we discuss his book and other random conversation. In part 2, I ask him fan-submitted questions. And in part 3, Corey answers obscure questions that I came up with. Part four continues random questions and Batman discussion. So if you're in for a laugh and have time to watch, here's my first author interview with John Corey Whaley.

I'm still in a trial phase with this sort of interview style, so if you would like to leave feedback in the comments on how you like it or what I could do to improve the next time I would love to hear it! I apologize for the video quality of this one. I didn't quite have the hang of the program just yet. Bear with me ;)

We won't be doing all of our interviews like this unfortunately because it takes a lot longer to make, but I hope to have them for you more throughout the year. I hope you enjoy new frontiers because we love exploring them!

Review: Hunted (The Shadowing #1) by Adam Slater

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:45:00 +0000

Hardcover: 208
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Publisher: Egmont USA
Author Info: Goodreads Profile
Buy The Book: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads | Shelfari

Once every century, the barrier between the human world and the demon realm begins to break down. Creatures gather, anxiously waiting to cross the divide, to bring death and destruction from their world to ours. This time is called The Shadowing.

Callum Scott has always known that there is a supernatural world out there—he’s seen ghosts for as long as he can remember. Lately, he’s had visions of children being brutally murdered by a terrifying creature. Then the visions start coming true, and Callum realizes that he’s being hunted, too.

Driven by a dark destiny, he must stand against the demons that threaten our world.

And The Shadowing is almost here. . . .

So I have started this thing on Twitter called #10pagetrials. Where on books I am if-y on (ie. I have qualifiable reason to think I won’t like it), get a 10 page trial. Hunted by Adam Slater was one. Why was I if-y on it? Back cover synopsis key words: demon realm. *que the Mario Kart audio clip for when you fall of the track*

However, I picked it up and never put it down. It immediately intrigued me and I have to say that the phrase “demon realm” is not entirely accurate. Yes, it more-or-less happens, but really we are following around Callum Scott who has started seeing ghosts and visions of people being brutally murdered. See? We’re getting good already!

While I don’t get scared all that easily, I can’t lie and say I didn’t have several shivers run up my spine while reading this book. And you know the best part? This book is 200 pages (at least the ARC is) and in its little 200 pages, it packs a full-on punch. I always think 200 page books are so short that it can’t possibly get in depth. This would be another moment where my foot is neatly inserted into my mouth. I never felt for a moment that this book was skipping out on any detail and I only wish it was longer cause I wanted more! But have no fear, this is a series after all! Yay!

The Literary Oscars

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:40:00 +0000

Earlier this morning, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the 2012 winners for some of the highest recognized awards for Children's and Young Adult literature. Think of it as the Oscars for the literary world. The most notable awards being the Printz Award, the Newbery Medal, the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the Morris Award, and several others.

A short list of the 2012 award winners are:

2012 Newbery Medal Winner

And one of my favorites of 2011 won both the Printz Award and the Morris Award. So a HUGE congrats to John Corey Whaley.

2012 Printz and Morris Award Winner

One award that I hadn't heard of before today is one that recognized adult books that had a great YA crossover demographic, the ALEX Award. This was given to ten books of note. Here are just a few:

And for those of you interested in audiobooks, the Odyssey Award for best audiobook for children/young adults goes to:

For a full list of all the award winners, head over to ALA's website to read all about them. Or if you would like to watch the entire ALA awards ceremony, they recorded it and posted it on their website.

A big congratulations to all the winners and to the runners up in each category. A place in the finalists list is an honor in itself. I know after today's ceremony I have added a few more books to my TBR list.

Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

The Future of Us by Jay Asher
and Carolyn Mackler
Published by Razorbill
Date Published: November 21, 2011

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

The Future of Us was a collaboration book between authors Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. Though I've never read any of Carolyn's books, I've been a big fan of Jay's since I first read Thirteen Reasons Why in January of 2009 (being one of the first YA books I ever read). Since then, I've been wanting something new from him and when I found out about Future, I had to read it.

Even though I've had this book since I received it at BEA in May, I held off on reading it for a while. After I finished it though, I wished I hadn't waited so long.

The story is one that is quite unique. In in time where our everyday lives are consumed with social media, mine is Twitter rather than Facebook, it was fun to see a book come about that humors us about how much we spill about our day to anyone who cares to read it but also about what we do can affect our future.

Though Josh and Emma stumble across Facebook accidentally, they take caution with it and test to find out if it's real or a crazy prank. From that point on, they get careless and do things to try to change their futures to turn out the way they like. Though one minor thing could change their future forever.

In the beginning, this is a story of friendship. In the end, it;s a love story. I loved the progression throughout the book and the added humor that the authors write in. The characters, Josh and Emma, were both very well written and the story was told well and kept me interested until the end. I finished this book relatively quickly, which isn't always the case for me. That's usually a sign for me that it's a good book.

If you've read Jay's first book, Thirteen Reasons Why, or even Carolyn's book, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, you should definitely pick up their collab. And if you've not read either of them yet, this would be a great place to start! If you love original books about love, friendship, and humor, you'll definitely love The Future of Us.

New Feature: Book/Debut of the Month

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

For the new year, we wanted to start a new feature where we spotlight an upcoming book each month. Then I decided that we should do it for a debut author as well. So this is it. At the beginning of each month, we will share two books with you that are our choices for:

1. Book of the Month

2. Debut of the Month

Through that, we will spotlight the book and it's author by having interviews, guest posts, giveaways, and, of course, a review of the book. We will be trying different things out to make it even more fun but we just thought it would be a great idea to show that we love books. Who knows, maybe having this new feature will get more people to pick up those two books!

So to kick off the first "Books of the Month" (even though the month is coming to a close), our two books are:

Book of the Month: Debut of the Month:

A Million Suns by Beth Revis Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I have already reviewed A Million Suns HERE but we'll be having an interview with Beth coming up soon. We will also be interviewing Marissa and reviewing Cinder in the next two weeks so look forward to that!

A Dystopian Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:46:00 +0000

~~Free~~ Speech

First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It's something we could possibly lose before we know it. Today, we are blacking out as a protest to SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) which will in turn give government the ability to shut down any and every site or blog they please if they don't like it. We, along with Tumblr, Google, Reddit, and many more, protest against this. Speech is free. I will not filter myself nor limit myself due to government restrains. I will post what I like on my blog and those who don't like it don't have to keep reading it or follow me. Simple as that.

As an open letter to Congress, don't pass this. It will be a huge mistake. It will affect so much more than you think. Your main goal is to stop online piracy of the few, but in-turn, you're stopping progression. You are cutting down creativity and stifling the masses. You think it will help, but it will only cause more chaos than it's worth. When you start taking away people's food, they revolt. Just let them eat cake.

The US Government should not have the right to decide what it's people can view online. I am appalled that this is even a real thing. It seems so very dystopian in nature.

To learn more about SOPA and why it should not be passed, check out these websites:
Fight For the Future
SOPA Strike
Google: Take Action
Electronic Frontier Foundation

Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:47:00 +0000

A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Published by Razorbill (Penguin)
Date Published: January 10, 2012

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

Whoa. For pretty much all of 2011, Across the Universe, Beth's first novel, was my overall favorite YA book. Now I'm sure A Million Suns will be the same for 2012.

Beth takes things from an already heavy cliffhanger in AtU and launches the Godspeed with even more lies, conspiracy, and murder (how can you not love that?!). After finishing AtU, I thought it would be nearly impossible to top the levels of intensity of the story that was written. I was wrong. Just reading the first chapter will make you want to not put the book down until you finish. It's one of those 400 page books you'll fly through and then look back and be all "I'm already done? WTF?! What happens next? I NEED SHADES OF EARTH!!!" At least that was my response. And I was on a plane.

Beth's writing always draws me in and keeps me intrigued. Maybe it's the fact that I love a good murder mystery wrapped in lies taking place on a space ship floating in space. But nonetheless, I loved it.

And if anyone ever says this book is predictable, they are as confused as a Feeder on Phydus. At one point while reading, when a BIG SECRET unfolds, I went "WAIT, REALLY?! AHH!!" That's the response a book should make you have. I enjoy books even more when I can't see what's coming next and then BAM, something HUGE happens and leaves you speechless. That happens quite a few times in this book.

For those who've read Across the Universe but not A Million Suns just yet, no spoilers, but all those questions that were buzzing through your head and bugging the crap out of you...well, at least most of them, are answered finally. So there's some good news for you. Though it does just add more questions to your head you have to wait to find out. That's the bad news.

But seriously, this book was amazing and I still love the alternation between Elder and Amy's POVs.
Really though, I need Shades of Earth right away.
Beth, if you are reading this, help me out.
I can't make it another year.

Read this book.
Right now.
Do it.

Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:57:00 +0000

Heist Society by Ally Carter
Published by Hyperion
Date Published: February 9, 2010
Amazon

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

So upon first glance, I wasn’t exactly intrigued by the cover of Heist Society - to me it looked like a rich girl in Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s garb, committing white collar crimes. I mean, it looks about as dangerous as that dumb movie that came out a few years ago about cheerleaders who rob a bank.

However, once reading a few chapters, I promptly opened my mouth and inserted my foot. I mean OH MY GOD, DO I LOVE A GOOD CON. And this, I think, is my new favorite con artist book. That title doesn’t come easy or lightly, folks.

First of all, we have the BEST group of con artists ever. Dontcha love it when you read a book and you just LOVE every character? Like every character is just perfect for who they are? Yes, I experienced that with this. Katarina - a short, criminal mastermind. Hale. Um, there’s really nothing more to say than: HALE. He easily makes the list of hottest male characters ever. And the fact that’s insanely rich and doing this just ‘cause - *swoon*. Gabrielle. Yeah, she’s hot and maybe a bit snotty, but she is still freaking awesome in her own girly way. Simon, the kinda geeky computer master and then of course the Bagshaw brothers, muscle and comic relief rolled into one, or two.

I think the thing that just seduced me the fastest was Carter’s writing. It flowed like a movie. While it was 3rd person, it would start from some more or less innocent bystander and then move to our con artists swiftly moving around with precise clockwork movements, having complete control over the situation. I don’t know exactly know how I can read something and feel like I’m watching a movie, but I did without a question here.

Then there was the con. A master con. One with an absurdly simple idea, backed by an impossible task. It was clever and smart and completely on the level of Catch Me If You Can, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels with a touch of Goodfellas/ Godfather. I’m going to say this now: I WANT MORE CON ARTIST BOOKS IN YA. *bangs fists to get attention* PLEASE.

My love for this book was so intense that at some point in the evening, I paused the book, went to my local Barnes and Noble in search of Uncommon Criminals. Only to find they were out. UNACCEPTABLE. I went to one further out and got it. I did this so when I finished I could easily pick up the second book and not have to wait for things like stores to open to satisfy my book-hunger. And what did I do after I finished Uncommon Criminals? Bought the entire Gallagher Girls series. I needed more Ally Carter and thievery.

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey West) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Published by Dutton
Date Published: January 10, 2012
Amazon

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.

After turning the last page of The Fault in Our Stars, I couldn't justify moving away from the spot where I had just spent close to eight hours (I'm a slow reader) reading. As I sat there, I thought back over the words I had just read. Rereading it as best I could in my mind. I mentally paraphrased it at best. It was moving, heartbreaking, hilarious, emotionally-straining, but most importantly, it made me FEEL. "That's the thing about pain . . . it demands to be felt."

There's something about a fictional story that can make it's readers feel. Feel emotion, feel pain, feel like the fragmentations of a fictional, metaphorical grenade still cut deep within one's very literal heart. To feel like one of the many that were wounded in the main character's battle. This story will certainly be on my mind for quite some time. I am still in a state of bereavement and heartbreak.

Not since reading Looking For Alaska last January have I felt this sense of emotion following a book. John has a way of pulling it out of me and--I'm sure--many other readers.

Again with the great characters. Hazel and Augustus were so well-written. Which goes without saying when referring to John's characters. The one defining difference about this novel compared to his earlier work is that it was actually narrated by Hazel. I can honestly say that he writes really well from the perspective of a 16-year old girl. I did have a hard time getting into her mindset though because I listened to John read the first two chapters a while back and couldn't get his voice out of my head. Which isn't a complaint at all.

Hazel looks at her situation as inevitable death, but not so pessimistically. She doesn't want to be looked down on because she has cancer. She wants to be treated like any other person, though she knows that that will never happen in the real world. When she meets Augustus for the first time, all the sees is her own flaws. A hot guy is staring at her from across a circle of cancerous kids and she her only thoughts are on her own appearance. That sounds really conceited. She's not though. If you were being stared at by a hot guy, wouldn't you too wonder why and think you must have something on your face? I know I would if a hot girl was staring at me.

Augustus is hot, obviously. And not just hot in a "we're both diagnosed with cancer, so out of my options, he's the best" sort of way. He's legitimately hot. But in the best ways possible. He's a total nerd. He plays video games a lot and even reads the companion books to a certain military video game. When Hazel suggests he read her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, she doubts he'll even be slightly interested by comparison to his other interests. But he loves it and it sets the two of them off on a fun journey of self-exploration and what happens to characters after a book ends.

"I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence." Reading is one of my "pleasures of existence". I can just as easily say recognizing beauty is as well and for that reason I must say that I simply adored this book. The Fault in Our Stars is simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking. You're going to want to curl up in a ball after you read this one.

This is one book I will be recommending to everyone for a very long time. An instant classic.

This Star Won't Go Out

Review: Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:31:00 +0000

Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway
Published by Razorbill
Date Published: April 10, 2008
Amazon

When her ex writes a break-up song about her that rockets up the charts, Audrey is suddenly famous--she can't go out without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi. Readers can take a wild ride with Audrey as she makes headlines, confronts her ex on MTV, and shows the world who she really is. This irresistible, fast-paced novel has a totally hot new paperback cover! Its the song everyones singing. And its about her! But for Audrey, becoming famous overnight equals total, life-changing disaster. . .

So when the lovely book blogger Carla visited in May, naturally, we went to a bookstore and she threw a few books at me. This was one of them. She labeled it as “HILARIOUS”. And holy freaking amazeballs. It was. I laughed a few pages in. I busted out into obnoxious, uncontrollable laughter about 20 pages in (I can’t for the life of me explain what exactly is so funny about a morbidly obese cat, but I was seriously dying) and it didn’t stop.

If you’ve read the summary, you know what this is about. I honestly expected this to be some kind of mortification-fest for this poor girl. And it was. BUT Miss Audrey takes it all with charm, some grace, wit and a bit of a rock star attitude.

And Victoria. What kind of story like this would be complete without the ever-loyal, hilariously perfect best friend? Whose text messages perfectly understand Audrey’s drama without question all with emphatic caps and !!!s speak volumes about her. Then there’s adorkably cute James, her co-worker, who is only known to have said ‘butter pecan’ for the first 70 pages.

And there’s the ending. No spoilers, don’t worry! Never! But it is, like, perfect. PERFECT. I think I actually shouted ‘HAH!!’, sufficiently startling my cat who is too used to my random outbursts while reading. It was so cute and wrapped up all the ends so well! I was waiting to see one thing in particular happened from just about page one and was glad to see it done just perfectly.

Is it realistic? No. Hardly, actually.
Is it HILARIOUS?! YES.
Is it insanely cute? YES.
Does it have a TON of amazing music references? Yes.

Audrey, Wait is a whirlwind of a story. It’s so much easier to let go and be swirled around than to sit tight. From page one the frenetic energy engulfed me and didn’t let me go for 313 pages. It was very à la Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.

Jennifer's Best Books of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:02:00 +0000

At the very end of 2010, I challenged myself to read a 100 books in 2011. Pretty ambitious considering I think I’d read a max of 30 in all my years prior.

Anyway, when the clock struck midnight on January 1st, 2012, I had 125 to my name, thank you very much! So welcome to my own personal version of the book Oscars.

Note: they are not ranked within each category, only alphabetized by author.

Here my rankings of the year of 125 books:

Top 5
These books are in the Top 5 for one reason alone: they invaded my brain. DAYS after reading, I kept thinking about them. Complete invasion like that is difficult to achieve, so well done.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Top Runner-Ups
Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The Best Contemporaries
Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway
Unforgettable by Loretta Ellsworth
Saving June by Hannah Harrington
The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Without Tess by Marcella Pixley
Boy21 by Matthew Quick
The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
Stick by Andrew Smith
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

The Darkest Reads
Death Watch by Ari Berk
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann
Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Best Action Reads

Heist Society by Ally Carter
Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
Divergent by Veronica Roth

You might think 27 books is a lot for a “favorites” list, but that’s only like 20% of all the books I read. So really, that’s pretty good.

Trailer: Tempest by Julie Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy West) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:39:00 +0000

One of my most anticipated books of 2012 is Tempest by Julie Cross. For one, it involves time travel. So I have to read it being an avid fan of traveling time. And just released is the book trailer for it and it's awesome! Check it out below!

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy .. he's in college, has a girlfriend ... and he can travel back through time. But it's not like the movies—nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there's no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors—it's just harmless fun.
That is ... until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he's stuck in 2007 and can't get back to the future.
Desperate to return to 2009 and to save Holly, he learns what he can about his abilities and it's not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these "Enemies of Time" will stop at nothing to recruit him.

Also, you can read the FIRST FOUR CHAPTERS HERE!