The Best Reader:
hype

Shortly after reviewing "Losing Faith " for Denise Jaden, I received an email from Denise about The Contemps. The email contained a very awesome PDF explanation; because I can't really post a PDF on blogger (that I know of), I simply copied and pasted. THE CONTEMPS: YA Authors Keeping it Real Embrace the Real!
www.thecontemps.com Introducing The Contemps!

We're a group of YA authors with contemporary novels releasing over the course of a year. We are passionate about realistic fiction because these are the books that remind us we're not alone in this real world. Our mission is simple — to spotlight contemporary fiction for young adults through blog posts, author events, and (over)sharing from our teen years.

We hope you'll help us spread the word to readers about our group! We have fun things planned on the site
all year long, including a contest going on NOW through November 15, 2010.

Take the Challenge! Read 18 of our 21 books and enter to win all 21 of our books! The contest is open to anyone age 13 — 113! Visit the "Get Involved" page at www.thecontemps.com for more information.

Read, Write and Celebrate Realistic YA with:
Denise Jaden, LOSING FAITH (S&S/Simon Pulse, 9/2010)
Kody Keplinger, The DUFF (Little, Brown/Poppy, 9/2010)
April Henry, GIRL, STOLEN (Henry Holt, 9/2010)
Mindi Scott, FREEFALL (S&S/Simon Pulse, 10/2010)
Daisy Whitney, THE MOCKINGBIRDS (Little, Brown, 10/2010)
Sarah Ockler, FIXING DELILAH (Little, Brown, 12/2010)
Courtney Summers, FALL FOR ANYTHING (St. Martin's Press,12/2010)
Michael Northrop, TRAPPED (Scholastic, 1/2011)
Sara Bennett Wealer, RIVAL (HarperTeen, 2/2011)
Lindsey Leavitt, SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD (Bloomsbury, 3/2011)
Kirsten Hubbard, LIKE MANDARIN (Random House/Delacorte, 3/2011)
Micol Ostow, FAMILY (Egmont USA, 4/2011)
Emily Wing Smith, BACK WHEN YOU WERE EASIER TO LOVE(Dutton, 4/2011)
Jo Knowles, PEARL (Henry Holt, Spring, 2011)
Hannah Harrington, SAVING JUNE (Harlequin Teen, 5/2011)
Lisa Schroeder, THE DAY BEFORE (S&S/Simon Pulse, 6/2011)
Elizabeth Scott, BETWEEN HERE AND FOREVER (Simon Pulse, 6/2011)
Melissa Walker, SMALL-TOWN SINNERS (Bloomsbury, 7/2011)
Brent Crawford, Third CARTER book (Disney-Hyperion, summer, 2011)
Kristen Tracy, SHARKS AND BOYS (Disney-Hyperion, summer, 2011)
Sarah Darer Littman, WANT TO GO PRIVATE? (Scholastic Press, 8/2011)

I printed two copies of the PDF and have one up for my students to see (above) and one up with my own progress (which is very little right now, "Losing Faith" and "The DUFF") (below).

Since posting these I have had several students ask how they can get in on the "challenge" and what the prizes are. I've had such a great response that I have about six girls coming in after school on Wednesdays to talk about what they are currently reading and how far they have come in the challenge.

This has turned out to be a fantastic classroom activity that has really sparked the interest of my students. I only have one book on my shelf right now, "The DUFF," but students have really gone out of their way to find these books, at least the ones already released.

My class and I will be participating in this challenge, will you?

"I've never read a book like Losing Faith or a plot even nearly similar. Very suspenseful and full of mystery, I found I couldn't put this book down. " — Miss Remmers

From Amazon.com...

"A terrible secret. A terrible fate.

When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don’t know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.

As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith’s final night... a secret that puts her own life in danger."

Why I read this: I met Denise at BEA in May and found out about "Losing Faith." Not only was Denise extremely friendly and supportive of bloggers (and educators), the premise of "Losing Faith" really captivated my interests.

Plot: I've never read a book like "Losing Faith" or a plot even nearly similar. Very suspenseful and full of mystery, I found I couldn't put this book down. I took it with me to the first Varsity/JV football scrimmage to read before it got started; an hour later I realized that the scrimmage was almost over.

Characters: Brie and her parents were so real in their mourning and grief, it was almost scary. I really felt for Brie having to deal with grief, two parents who were pushing her away, a poor best friend, an even poorer boyfriend, and the mystery of the events surrounding her sister's death. That's a lot for one teenage girl to handle. I struggled with the character of Tessa; I had a hard time keeping up with her mood swings. Alis — what a sweetheart!!!

Cover: Beautiful and intriguing cover.

Random Thoughts: This is a great book with a "normal" story that I will buy for my classroom. So many YA novels currently deal with vampires, werewolves, pixies, witches, wizards, etc, it's refreshing to read something more realistic.

Final Thoughts: A fantastic read, it's worth the hype! I'll definitely be purchasing this book for my classroom.

Originality: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 8/10
Theme: 9/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 9/10
Overall: 93/100 A

This book will be released on September 7th, 2010

To the FTC, with love: Received from the author

I'm not good with suspense so I'm just going to say it.

I have a slight "professional" crush on Karsten Knight author of "Wildefire" (out July 26th, 2011).

What's worse is I haven't even read the book yet (thanks to Galley Grab it is on my to-do list!). This author-crush is purely one dimensional — it's not because he writes so fantastically (although I'm hoping it's a good read) or anything touching like that. No, this crush stems from the simple fact that I find this man hilarious.

For anyone looking to promote their book please pay tribute to Mr. Knight. I mean, talk about good promotion! You know when you visit a debut author's website and there's nothing there — that's the complete opposite of Karsten Knight's website! This new author is completely plugged in (Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter) and as a result he appears "down to earth" and "reader friendly" (as opposed to monstrously evil). Anyway, back on track, this man has done a great job on connecting with readers and helping build the hype around his own novel. So many times I feel authors throw their work out there an expect instant results; I heard of Karsten before I heard of "Wildefire" and his interaction with his "potential" readers speaks mounds of his dedication towards his art and the business.

Plus, the man is hilarious. I mean, really, his vlogs are great — hacky sack, batcaves, and dancing to name a few. His sense of humor I think is very similar to my own; in real life, I could see him being my bff (no joke).

This "crush" really translates into professional admiration; it's great to see an author promoting his work in such an effective way. When I'm "almost" famous and publishing a book — I hope to be as cool as Karsten Knight.

I want to assure you all that I am completely in love with my fiance and am SO excited to be marrying him on June 10th. I'm torn between my excitement for BEA and next weekend when I return to Sioux Falls to pack and move to Bismarck and then get married! Life is great! While I'm "slaving" away talking to bloggers and authors and traveling NYC, D is preparing our house for my arrival next week by picking up bunny/dog feces, spraying for weeds, vacuuming, and all of the other tedious chores that go along with being a home owner.

Babe (in reference to D not Karsten Knight), thank you for all that you do! I appreciate everything you're doing while I'm away. I promise I'll pull my weight this summer! I love you!

I'd like to welcome Alexia as this week's Guest Reviewer!

*****************
Book Blurb:Meghan Chase has a secret destiny — one she could never have imagined…
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth — that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

My Review:
I am so glad that this book lived up to all of the hype! I heard nothing but raves about this one and since I couldn't wait to get my copy and read it, it jumped straight to the top of my TBR pile. Well worth it as I loved almost everything about this book! The cover is gorgeous, the story is fast paced and interesting and the characters are believable.

The main character is a teenage girl named Meghan. She lives on the outskirts of town and has always felt like an outsider. It doesn't help that her family is poor. Meghan is about to turn sixteen when she is humiliated at school by one of the popular boys that she's had a crush on forever. That scene brought back the horror that was high school, and reminded me how cruel teenagers can be. I thought that Julie really nailed the high school experience, and my heart broke for Meghan.

Then things get strange when she gets home. What happened to her mother? Why is her little brother acting so strange? And why is her best friend Robbie making such outrageous claims? Robbie and Meghan are supposed to be celebrating her sixteenth birthday, but instead are set off on an unexpected adventure.

I really enjoyed this story. I thought Meghan was a believable character who reacted like a sixteen year old girl would when confronted with strange situations and horrible threats. It does get a little old when characters who supposedly lived normal human lives suddenly turn into superwomen and discover an unknown talent for kung fu or something. I liked that Meghan was scared and broke down into tears at times, but she was also strong, grew up fast, and discovered hidden strengths she didn't realize she possessed.

I enjoyed the plot and thought that both main and secondary characters were well drawn, and overall the book was very well done. I especially loved Grimalkin! I'm looking forward to the next book, The Iron Daughter, due out in August.

********************** Big thanks to Alexia from Alexia's Books and Such for such a great book review. Check out her original review here!

Yes, today is the release day of much anticipated novel "The Bodyfinder." I am SO excited!

Today is also the release day of "The Young Samurai II: The Way of the Sword" by Chris Bradford. Hyperion-Disney were kind enough to send me a copy of both book (one and two!) and Chris has even been working on a guest post for Miss Remmers' Review! So stay tuned in the coming weeks for some Samurai Awesomeness (I just made that up... ).

From Amazon.com...

"After a vicious ninja attack left him orphaned and stranded in Japan, Jack Fletcher managed to complete his first year of samurai school. Still, his troubles are far from over. The prejudice of his Japanese classmates has gained him dangerous enemies within his school, and Dragon Eye – the ninja who killed his father – is still after him. Jack’s only hope of defeating them lies in surviving the Circle of Three: an ancient ritual that tests a samurai’s courage, skill, and spirit to the limit.
For most, gaining entry into the Circle means honor and glory, but for Jack it’s a matter of life or death. The winner will be trained in the Two Heavens—the formidable sword technique of the great samurai, Masamoto. Learning this secret is the only hope Jack has of protecting his father’s rutter — the invaluable navigation guide of the world’s uncharted oceans — from Dragon Eye.
Forced into a deadly battle, Jack’s going to have to master the Way of the Sword. And his time is running out."

I am "stealing" this from The Story Siren. If you want to find out more about it in my blog. Anyway, these are books I got this week at the bookstore, library, and in the mail, of course.
Wow! Big week for books!

For Review:

From Penguin: "Talk to Me Like I'm Someone You Love"

From Disney-Hyperion: "Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior" and "Young Samurai: The Way of the Sword"

From Bloomsbury: "The Sky is Everywhere"

From Penguin: "The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott" and "Girl in Translation"

Won:

From the library:

• "Catching Fire"
• "All Quiet on the Western Front"

This week I'd like to welcome Dominique from Coffee Stained Pages as our Guest Reviewer.

******************************
From Amazon.com...

"When Ellie and her friends go camping, they have no idea they're leaving their old lives behind forever. Despite a less-than-tragic food shortage and a secret crush or two, everything goes as planned. But a week later, they return home to find their houses empty and their pets starving. Something has gone wrong--horribly wrong. Before long, they realize the country has been invaded, and the entire town has been captured--including their families and all their friends. Ellie and the other survivors face an impossible decision: They can flee for the mountains or surrender. Or they can fight."

John Marsden’s The Tomorrow Series is easily Australia’s most popular young adult series. The book definitely lived up to its hype and popularity; I polished it off in only two sittings.
Tomorrow, When the War Began is told from the point of view of Ellie, a sixteen-year-old “rural” from fictional country-town Wirrawee. She and her friends go bush for a few days, attempting to reach the practically inaccessible Hell, a remote valley. With great difficulty they climb The Devil’s Staircase leading to it and then squeeze through metres of rock in a small cave before finally arriving in Hell, which they find to be a beautiful, hidden sanctuary from the pressures of life. When they emerge and travel home they find their homes empty of their families, their pets dead and all power and electricity shut off. Australia has been invaded by an unnamed foreign power while they were gone and almost everyone in the town has been captured. During their short trip their lives changed forever and now Ellie and her friends must fight to maintain their freedom and plan how to survive as guerillas.
Tomorrow, When the War Began is different to the norm of the dystopic genre; it lacks the oppressive social structure and rules of a totalitarian regime, instead it features characters trying to resist capture by an invading force yet to fully establish itself. It’s still dystopic, but it focuses on that period where a power is taking over, a time traditionally only briefly recapped or left a mystery in most other novels of this genre (eg The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and the list goes on).
The idea of a foreign nation becoming jealous of all the space at the disposal of Australians while their people are crammed together in slums, then deciding to invade it and colonise it, capturing Australians and intending for them later to become menial workers is an interesting one. A large percentage of Australians, mainly the middle to lower-income earners, have an irrational fear of Australia becoming overrun with refugees and immigrants. Regularly stories of asylum seekers entering our waters in rickety boats receive wide coverage and national debate, with the government maintaining a tough stance on the issue to keep voters happy. It’s very much an irrational fear considering “More than 1,600 boat people have arrived off Australia’s northwest coast this year, mainly people fleeing violence in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. The numbers are small compared with the tens of thousands of asylum seekers sailing across the Mediterranean to Europe each year.” It’s even more of a ludicrous fear since “as of June 30 (2009), a total of 48,456 people had overstayed their visa” in Australia, mostly English tourists. In Tomorrow, When the War Began Marsden plays on this fear, while never identifying the invader, and apparently no country fits the description that evolves throughout the series.
Marsden’s writing is tense and maintains a sense of urgency throughout the novel, making for an engaging experience. He establishes its sense of place expertly, capturing the essence of small town Australian life and culture without hamming it up for the international readers, something that really irritates me about some novels set in Australia. According to the Author’s Note at the end of the book Hell is based on Terrible Hollow, in the Australian Alps. Nicola Outdoors has some great pictures of the area up on her site, for anyone who’s interested.
Tomorrow, When the War Began is full of action, from combat, to concealment, hunting and hiding to infighting and a bit of the romantic variety of action too. Marsden’s characters are brave and likeable, and with compassion he examines how the adolescents deal with the violence and the emotional turmoil of an invasion.
****************************** Dominique, thank you so much for this great review! It sounds like a one of a kind read!
Please visit Dominique at Coffee Stained Pages, share some book love, and read the original review.

"I've been spoiled recently with all of the good books I've been reading and 'Double' definitely fits into this category." — Miss Remmers

Release Date: February 27th, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Challenges: eBook Challenge, +75 Challenge, NetGalley Challenge

"When the sixteen-year-old runaway Chap is mistaken for a missing boy named Cassiel, his life changes dramatically. Chap takes on Cassiel's identity, gaining the family and friends he's always dreamed of having. But becoming someone else isn't as easy as he hoped--and Chap isn't the only one hiding a secret. As he teeters on the brink of discovery and begins to unravel the mystery behind Cassiel's disappearance, Chap realizes that he's in much deeper danger than he could have imagined. After all, you can't just steal a life and expect to get away with it. Award-winning author Jenny Valentine delivers an explosive mystery where dark secrets, betrayal, and loss pave the way for one teen's chance at redemption."

"Double" turned out to be a fast-paced, amazing read! I enjoyed every minute of it! My students (as I was finishing this book during Recreational Reading Friday last week) kept asking why I was in such a good mood and all I could say was that I was reading a fantastic book! This week when we do book talks I'll tell all my classes about it because I know they'll be curious. While reading this book I got completely lost in the (digital) pages. I've been spoiled recently with all of the good books I've been reading and "Double" definitely fits into this category.

The plot was flawlessly woven together; it included some big twists and some great feeling in regards to the well being of the characters. There were parts that I felt like I needed to begin writing down all the unanswered questions, but everything was solved in the end. Ever other chapter (another great book with short chapters) we found out about Chap's grandfather. This plot line was just as riveting as the 'present day' plot.

Overall, "Double" was a surprisingly fantastic book! I highly recommend it and "Dead to You" by Lisa McMann (plus, "Double" is a stand alone — how often does that happen!?).

-Connect with the Author: Goodreads
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

To the FTC, with love: eGalley received through NetGalley

Today I'd like to welcome the author of "101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle," Dawn Del Russo.
Dawn, tell us about you. I am a fashion stylist and owner of www.belladawn.com. I have loved fashion, trends and styling since I was little. My dream came true when I opened my boutique 5 and half years ago.
Tell us about "101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle" I was absolutely so excited to put this book together. I love helping women look fabulous and feel good about themselves. This book is a simple little guide that gives everyone young an old the ability to add a touch of "glam" to their life.
What was your favorite part of writing "101 Glam Girl Ways... "? I was so excited as I saw my ideas come to life through the super cute drawings, literally I saw my imagination come to life!
Explain the writing/publishing process. The process of writing a book for the first time is definitely a learning experience, but now I can't wait to write a second. It takes time and for me evolved very organically. I started with get getting my thoughts down on paper. After I had the writing complete I was able to focus on finding a illustrator and making my visions reality. Working with Book Surge, the publisher, was a relatively simple process, they lead me through copyrighting it and design and layout.
How did you get here? How long did the whole process take? The process was about 2 year. Since I knew what I wanted to write about, and a lot of the tips I was already using on a daily basis it developed pretty quickly. The illustrations were all drawn by hand, that was much more tedious, but well worth it for the final product.

Who would like this book? The response I have received have been amazing all ages love the book. It is very relatable and many people can find a tip or two they do already. Young girls love the illustrations and simple text, while sophisticated women love the glam tips like "get a mani/pedi." Do you follow all 101 ways to being chic? I absolutely try to follow all the tips, I have definitely done them all. Sometimes making time can be difficult but so important, and I love feeling glamorous of course. If not, which ones do you feel you need to work on most? I need to get more massages... hehe, that is one I never seem to stay on top of.
Which tips are your favorite? Do you do them regularly? My two favorite's are tips #1 and #101, Wear Diamond Studs and Believe in your self. I follow them both religiously. (My favorite is also #1! I wear fake diamond studs everyday! I was so excited to see this when I first opened the book!)

Where did the idea come from for this book? The book pretty much evolved from the tips I was always giving out to my clients. I decided to post a few on my blog, and from there it eventually turned into this book.
Do you have any advice for young women who want to be chic? Yes, start with feeling confident in yourself, get your clothing tailored to fit your shape, always wear lip gloss, and love everyday.

You talk about lip gloss a lot, can you suggest a kind for someone (like me) who is clueless to all things lip gloss. There are a few great lip glossses in a variety of price ranges, E.L.F. is $1 but great gloss, Kohls sells a brand called Flirt which I love and Mac Dazzle Glass super glam. Links: Hypershine, Flirt Cosmetics, Bloomingdales
Where can we find you online? I am every where, I give daily tips on my blog www.myintimateaffairwithfashion.com, twitter.com/dawndelrusso,www. facebook.com/dawndelrusso, my shopping site www.belladawn.com, and for more about me www.dawndelrusso.com
Any last parting words? "Dream your dream, live your life, and look glamorous doing it!" Thanks for stopping by Dawn and taking time to answer some of these questions. My review of "101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle" will be posted tomorrow!