Passion (Fallen #3) by Lauren Kate (Delacorte Books for Young Readers 6/14/2011) From Bad to Cursed (Bad Girls Don't Die #2) by Katie Alender (Hyperion 6/14/2011) Trial by Fire (Raised by Wolves #2) by Janenifer Lynn Barnes (Egmont USA 6/14/2011)
Ordinary Beauty by Laura Weiss (MTV Books 6/14/2011) The Demon's Surrender (The Demon's Lexicon #3 (Margaret K. McElderry Books 6/14/2011) Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey (Walker Childrens 6/21/2011)
A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young (Balzer & Bray 6/21/2011) Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2) by Ally Carter (Hyperion 6/21/2011) Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family #1) by Melissa de la Cruz (Hyperion 6/21/2011)
Dead Rules by Randy Russell (HarperTeen 6/21/2011) Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (Simon Pulse 6/28/2011) Sharks & Boys by Kristen Tracy (Hyperion 6/28/2011)
Hourglass (Hourglass #1) by Myra McEntire (Egmont USA 6/14/2011) Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz (Harlequin Teen 6/28/2011)
If you know of any other new releases for June 14th-30th feel free to add them in the comments so others will know about them!
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 RealEmbrace 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 just read Frigid a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved it!! Kyler was so swoon-worthy and Syd was his perfect match! Today I have Kyler here for a question as part of the blog tour.
12. Ever have those superhero fantasies? What superhero do you wish you could be, even for only one day? Why that hero and those powers? I think I would be Thor. Not only is he a god who wields a hammer and can kick everyone’s ass with his bare hands, he also gets to hook up with Natalie Portman in the movie. I think I’d be okay with that.
You can check out a video of ALL of Kyler's questions he was asked by visiting StuckInBooks tomorrow, 7/26 http://stuckinbooks.com
Frigid by Janenifer. L. Armentrout Published: July 15th, 2013 (Spencer Hill Press) Reading Level: New Adult For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.
Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.
But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.
GIVEAWAY
The giveaway is a $200 gift card to Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository or any indie bookstore of the winner's choice.
a Rafflecopter giveaway This giveaway is for paperback ARC copies of Frigid. There are three winners. This is US/Canada only. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Author bio:
# 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Janenifer L. Armentrout (aka J. Lynn) Lives in West Virginia.
All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true.
Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write.
She is the author of the Covenant Series (Spencer Hill Press), the Lux Series (Entangled Teen), Don't Look Back (Disney/Hyperion) and a yet untitled novel (Disney/Hyperion), and new YA paranormal series with Harlequin Teen.
Jennifer also writes New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn. The Gamble Brothers Series (Tempting the Best Man/Tempting the Player) and Wait for You. Under her pen name, she is published with Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
For the third year in a row I am participating in the Crossroads blog tour! This tour will feature 13 outstanding authors and people who follow along with the tour will have a chance to win a KINDLE. The kindle will be preloaded with a title from each author!
To be entered, your readers MUST complete all the research questions (a new one will be posted each day) and email their answers to judithgraveswrites@gmail.com by midnight on October 30th — correct entries will go into a draw for the grand prize.
You can find more details here.
Twitter chat will be:Monday the 29th from 8-9 CST / 9-10 EST.Hosted by Mundie Moms PARTICIPATING AUTHORS Judith Graves – Leap Books – Under My Skin, Second Skin, Skin of My Teeth, Killer’s Instinct
Joy Preble – Sourcebooks – Dreaming Anastasia, Haunted, Anastasia Forever. Soho Press (forthcoming May 2013) – The Sweet Dead Life
Stacey Kade – Hyperion – The Ghost and the Goth, Queen of the Dead, Body & Soul
Amanda Ashby – Speak – You Had Me at Halo, Zombie Queen of Newbury High, Fairy Bad Day, Demonosity
Kiki Hamilton – Teen / Macmillian – The Faerie Ring, The Torn Wing
Jackie Morse Kessler – Harcourt Graphia – Hunger, Rage, Loss
Christine Fonseca – Compass Press – Transcend, Libera Me
Carrie Harris – Delacorte Books for Young Readers -Taste In Boys, Bad Hair Day
Dawn Dalton – Leap Books — SPIRITED Anthology, Killer’s Instinct
Leanna Renee Hieber — Sourcebooks – Darker Still (Magic Most Foul, #1), The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart (Magic Most Foul, #2)
Ty Drago — Sourcebooks – The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses, The Undertakers: Queen of the Dead
Janet Fox – Speak – Faithful, Forgiven, Sirens ______
PARTICIPATING BOOK BLOGGERS:Late Bloomer Online A Simple Love of Reading Scribing Shadows For What It’s Worth Confessions of a Bookaholic Mundie Moms Book Reviews Most-Wanted Monsters A Life Bound by Books
The tour Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crossroads-Blog-Tour/218310244897337?ref=hl And Twitter account: @TheCrossroadsBT
I have, in all seriousness and without hyperbole, had a life filled with paranormal activity. Some of the paranormal experiences I’ve had have been wonderful, some revelatory, some disconcerting, but the most terrifying one I’ve had occurred when I was almost exactly, to the day, half the age that I am right now. My parents moved from the house I grew up in the year that I went away to college. I remember coming home on a break and helping them move; I remember sleeping on my mattress the last night in my old house, reading Stephen King’s It by the amber light of my table lamp in an otherwise empty room. Earlier this year, I moved my family from the house that my children have halfway grown up in, and I was reading Stephen King’s Under the Dome. I liked It more, but I like my new house better than all of the places that I’ve lived. These facts aren’t really germane to the event I’m about to relate, but they are the sort of coincidence that makes me feel that nothing in life is truly coincidental. I mention this move because the house where I had my most horrifying paranormal experience was one that I never really considered to be my home. Maybe that fact is pertinent, maybe it isn’t. I lived there on school breaks, and although I had my own room there it always felt like someone else’s space, not mine. So I was very chagrinned and disappointed in the summer following my graduation, I moved back home, one of the classic Gen X boomerang kids. I was woefully unprepared for entering the real world, and the job market that I graduated into was one of the worst ever, especially for someone who majored in English, and whose only real ambition in live was to write novels. Not being able to find anything that matched my idea of a worthy career, I ended up taking two low paying but sort of intellectually stimulating jobs associated with fields I’d like to be in: bookseller and theater usher. Production and not Sales, at least I was still around the things I love. My parents were wonderful to me, as they always have been, and didn’t seem to begrudge me my initial failure to launch. Although I was feeling a bit like a failure for not coming out of school with a string of publications under my belt, I was writing well (at least, if writing success was measured by quantity and not quality), and I was already making plans to marry the woman I loved. I was happy rather than bitter, so I have no idea why I had the horrific experience I did. There’s a phenomenon called “Night Hag” or “Old Hag” that afflicted me for two days during the summer I returned home from school. You can Google the term for verification, but basically “Night Hag” is a form of sleep paralysis where a sleeper awakes but cannot move, and the sensation is akin to feeling as though a weight or many hands are pressing you down into your bend, rending you unable to move anything but your eyes. Picturing that alone is enough to make my flesh crawl, but when I recall the thing that visited me during my two day bout with Night Hag, the hair, what’s left of it, literally stands up on my head. I awoke in my bed around eight o’clock in the morning on a very sunny day. I worked long, late hours at the theater so I liked to leave my window shades up and let the sun wake me, because if I kept the room darkened I’d easily sleep past noon. I opened my eyes, and I saw floating along the opposite wall a semi-spherical object that appeared to be composed of dark gray smoke floating along the wall. The smoke effect was heightened by the greasy grayish yellow contrail the thing left. I couldn’t move, but my eyes tracked its fluttering course around my room. It turned towards me, and it had a face. Or teeth, at least. I remember teeth and a single eye in an ever-changing skull face, where the smoke hung and fell away like rapidly decaying skin. I closed my eyes, and it disappeared. But it was back the following morning, drifting around the room like a thick clot of resinous cigarette smoke. Again I couldn’t move. The previous day all I’d had to do was close my eyes and reopen them and it vanished; a few moments after its departure I was able to move again. So I tried the same strategy. It worked. It disappeared. But I closed my eyes a second time, and upon reopening the hideous thing was hovering right above my navel. I looked at it and it seemed to pulse, the grayish smoke coalescing and then dissolving as I tried and failed to will my inert body to move. Then it looked up at me. I knew it had been watching me before, but this was the first time I actually made eye contact with the thing. Its one eye, a glassy black marble, undulated with a baleful, dead malevolence. I closed my eyes again. I was screaming inside but I couldn’t move a muscle. I fully intended to keep my eyes closed, but I had the sensation of tiny claws prying my eyelids open. The thing had moved up my body and we were now nose-to-nose, although it didn’t have a nose, just a pair of ragged rents in its smoky, shifting face. It regarded me a moment, seeming to lean forward, and I could feel awful hot breath on my cheeks. Then, in the space of a single heartbeat, it turned from me and sped towards the window, disappearing before it reached the glass. I haven’t had a similar experience since. Thank heavens.
Passing Strange by Daniel Waters Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (June 1st, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 386 pages Series: Generation Dead, book #3) Karen DeSonne always passed as a normal (if pale) teenager; with her friends, with her family, and at school. Passing cost her the love of her life. And now that Karen’s dead, she’s still passing—this time, as alive. Karen DeSonne just happens to be an extremely human-like zombie. Meanwhile, Karen’s dead friends have been fingered in a high-profile murder, causing a new round of antizombie regulations that have forced them into hiding. Karen soon learns that the “murder” that destroyed their non-life was a hoax, staged by Pete Martinsburg and his bioist zealots. Obtaining enough evidence to expose the fraud and prove her friends’ innocence means doing the unthinkable: becoming Pete’s girlfriend. Karen’s only hope is that the enemy never realizes who she really is—because the consequences would be worse than death.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a signed copy of Passing Strange.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US ONLY and ends November 9th.
Once contacted the winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.
The form must be filled out to enter.
- Thanks Daniel for the wonderful story and book donation! Find Daniel Waters Daniel Waters / Generation Dead / Tommy's Blog
Purchase Passing Strange Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository
* Check out Lisa's Haunted Halloween post.
*Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here.
Always a Witch (Witch #2) by Carolyn MacCullough (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 8/1/2011) Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman (Scholastic Press 8/1/2011) Circle of Fire (Prophecy of the Sisters #3) by Michelle Zink (Little Brown and Company 8/1/2011)
Betrayed (The Guardian Legacy #2) by Ednah Walters (Firetrail Publishing 8/1/2011) Popalazzi by Elise Allen (Harcourt Children's Books 8/1/2011) Never Have I Ever (The Lying Game #2) by Sara Shepard (HarperCollins 8/2/2011)
Between by Jessica Warman (Walker and Company 8/2/2011) Blood Ties (Blood Coven #6) by Mari Mancusi (Berkley Trade 8/2/2011) Eternal (Immortal #3) by Gillian Shields (Katherine Tegen Books 8/2/2011)
Dark Angel (Dark Angel #1) by Eden Maguire (Hodder Children's Books 8/4/2011) All You Desire (Eternal Ones #2) by Kirsten Miller (Razorbill 8/9/2011) Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay (Delacorte Books for Young Readers 8/9/2011)
Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik (HarperTeen 8/2/2011) The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab (Hyperion Books 8/2/2011) Dark Parties by Sara Grant (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 8/3/2011)
Hooked by Catherine Greenman (Delacorte Books for Young Readers 8/9/2011)
If you know of any other new releases for August 1st-15th feel free to add them in the comments so others will know about them!
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins Publisher: Hyperion Children's Books (March 2nd, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 323 pages Series: Hex Hall #1 Rating: 5 of 5 stars Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect. As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.
Review: I don't know why I waited this long to read Hex Hall! This book was just calling to me recently and I am so glad I picked it up. Rachel's writing is hilarious! She absolutely cracks me up and I mean that as the highest compliment. Hex Hall had everything a good YA book needs.
Sophie is a witch and she is sent to a school for paranormals who have created some form of havoc with their abilities. This book starts out with a bang and it continued to amaze me in so many ways. Sophie is far from popular when she arrives at Hex Hall and it was so much fun to get to know her through her encounters with other students. Poor Sophie! But she was so easy to relate to and care about. She was strong and caring but far from the perfect witch. I couldn't help but crack up at many of her hysterical phrases because I could see myself thinking/doing some of the same things.
Hex Hall has a fascinating plot that carries a lot of mystery. I was shocked by some of the events! And, of course, Sophie isn't the only character in this book. We have the lovely-swoonworthy Archer, and her vampire best friend Janeny. Hex Hall was really a great foundation for this series because I'm sure it is going to go in some wild directions. It was honestly exactly the type of book I was looking for.
If you are looking for a YA book with intense action, fun magic, and hilarious moments that will have you laughing out loud, you gotta get Hex Hall! Rachel Hawkins is my new hero!
Crazy-good book week!! Got some great summer/fall titles that I've been wanting badly!! Thanks to Hyperion, HarperTeen, Random House, Simon & Schuster, St. Martin's Press, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and author Megan Duncan.
Review Mercy (ARC) by Rebecca Lim The Near Witch (ARC) by Victoria Schwab Putting Makeup On Dead People by Jane Violi Girl Wonder by Alexa Martin .an UNrequired reading water bottle and 2 packs of cards (1 for giveaway soon) Sass and Serendipity by Janenifer Ziegler (ARC and finished copy) Fateful (ARC) by Claudia Gray The Beginning of After (ARC) by Janenifer Castle A Beautiful Dark (ARC) by Jocelyn Davies Released (SIGNED) by Megan Duncan Soul Thief (ARC) by Jana Oliver Damned (ARC) by Nancy Holder & Debbie Vigule Sometimes it Happens (ARC) by Lauren Barnholdt Forgotten by Cat Patrick The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller The Other Countess by Eve Edwards Wildcat Fireflies by Amber Kizer Starstruck by Cyn Balog The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris Amen L.A. by Cherie Bennett Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Purchased Shadowspell by Janena Black
What did you get in your mailbox this week?
*IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and it was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.
Never to Sleep (Soul Screamers 5.5) by Rachel Vincent (Harlequin 1/1/2012) Irises by Francisco X. Stork (Arthur a. Levine 1/1/2012) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Janenifer E. Smith (Poppy 1/2/2012)
Darkness Falls (Immortal Beloved #2) by Cate Tiernan (Poppy 1/2/2012) Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook (Simon Pulse 1/3/2012) Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler (Simon Pulse 1/3/2012)
Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) by Andrea Cremer (Philomel 1/3/2012) Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala (HarperTeen 1/3/2012) Pretty Little Liars: A Pretty Little Liars Collection (HarperCollins 1/3/2012)
Dreaming Awake (Falling Under #2) by Gwen Hayes (NAL Trade 1/3/2012) Charmfall (Dark Elite #3) by Chloe Neill (NAL Trade 1/3/2012) Dragonswood by Janey Lee Carey (Penguin Young Readers 1/5/2012)
Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler (Dial 1/5/2012) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Dutton Juvenile 1/10/2012) A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis (Razorbill 1/10/2012)
Jessica Rules the Dark Side (Jessica #2) by Beth Fantaskey (Harcourt Children's Books 1/10/2012)
Cracked by K.M. Walton (Simon Pulse 1/3/2012) Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (HarperCollins 1/3/2012) The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams (Simon & Schuster 1/3/2012)
Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer (Feiwel & Friends 1/3/2012) Switched (Trylle Trilogy #1) by Amanda Hocking (St. Martin's Griffin 1/3/2012) A Witch in Winter (Winter Trilogy #1) by Ruth Warburton (Hodder Children's Books 1/5/2012)
Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe (Omnific Publishing 1/10/2012) Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom (Disney Hyperion 1/10/2012) The Gathering Storm (The Katerina Trilogy #1) by Robin Bridges (Delacorte Books for Young Readers 1/10/2012)
What books are you most excited to read?
If you know of any other new releases for January 1st-15th feel free to add them in the comments so others will know about them!
The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston Published: Disney-Hyperion (May 14th, 2013) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 320 pages Series: The Rules for Disappearing, #1 Rating: 4 of 5 stars Summary: She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky.. But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.
Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.
But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.
Review:
I loved that The Rules for Disappearing was something that I had never seen in a story. A family is forced to give up their identities and move around constantly due to some secret thing her dad did or knows.
In this story we meet Meg, who has just moved into a new town with her family and must, again, get used to being a new person. It seems that they have to end up moving a lot so it's getting harder to keep the facts straight about their"lives". And she worries about her little sister's ability to do this over and over.
Meg tries to distance herself from all people because she knows that in the end, she will have to leave them just like every other time. But she never expected to meet someone like Ethan, a popular guy who seems to not fully believe her back story. He keeps pointing out these inconsistancies and it makes Meg nervous that he will find out her secret.
I really found myself enjoying each character we meet in this story. They were very well developed and fun to get to know.
Although there is romance in this story, there's also a ton of mystery surrounding what happened. I was a bit surprised to find out what led to their family being in the Witness Protection Program. I was really glad to see that this series is continuing. A blurb hasn't been released yet but I'll be waiting to see what happens next!
This week was ah-mazing! Books, swag, my very first audio book!! And, a super cool surprise that you can get a peek at today. One of the best mailbox weeks ever! Big thanks to Simon & Schuster (audio), Tor, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Macmillan, Hyperion, and a big, giant hug to Josephine Angelini! And last, but not least, thanks to ABC Family!
Review From Willa, With Love (ARC) by Coleen Murtagh Paratore Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers Forever (ARC) by Maggie Stiefvater Pearl by Jo Knowles Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter Haunting Violet (ARC) by Alyxander Harvey Blood Red Road (AUDIO BOOK) by Moira Young
Purchased Crush Control by Janenifer Jabaley
Gifted Starcrossed (SIGNED) by Josephine Angelini *SQUEE* - with 3 bookmarks, 3 pens, and 2 Starcrossed chap stick!
Super Cool Surprise Hmm, what could be in this box? Could it have something to do with the new show The Nine Lives of Chloe King? Possibly!
Ohh… cool wooden box inside! What secrets do you hide little wooden box? We shall find out… on Tuesday.: ) ha!
The brand new show, The Nine Lives of Chloe King premieres on ABC Family on Tuesday at 9/8c! Will you be watching with me?
Come back on Tuesday when I open to box and reveal the secrets inside… *dramatic music plays*
What did you get in your mailbox this week?
*IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and it was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.
A chicken coop. How scary could a chicken coop be? But this coop was no ordinary home to chickens. Set way back behind my best friend’s Victorian house, it was run down, full of fallen leaves, with huge gaping holes in the roof. And one single rocking chair… On beautiful sunny days, my best friend and I would play in her backyard without a thought for the coop. We’d race around, pretending we were famous jockeys about to win the Kentucky Derby. Or, as we got older, we’d sit in the warm rays of the day and talk about our most recent crushes. But on dark days, stuck inside the rambling, creaking house, we’d inevitably be drawn to talk of the coop. What had happened there? Why had it been abandoned? Why was the lone chair left when nothing else remained? We made up stories about the coop. I was convinced that a chicken plague had struck and left nothing behind. My friend thought that it was just abandoned when owning chickens became uncool. But my friend’s brother? He had another story. A story he claimed was the truth. A story he would tell us over and over again… Once, long ago, when the house was surrounded by nothing but farmlands, a young girl lived there. Her name was Caroline and she was lovely and popular. Everyone who met her thought she was wonderful. They’d smile when she entered town or walked into church. Animals flocked to her, especially the chickens that she loved. Girls wanted to be her friends or sister and all the young men wanted to marry her. But where Caroline was nothing but sweetness and light, her father was a mean and cruel man. His words were harsh and his heart cold. Caroline’s mother had died years ago and she had no siblings. Her only friends were her chickens. She would spend hours with them, cooing to them as she collected their eggs. The even bob of their heads as they walked a comfort to her. With no one else to love, the chickens became the ones that Caroline told her dreams to, shared her fears with. They never let her down. Not like her father, who, with no regard to her feelings, agreed to marry Caroline to a nearby neighbor in exchange for rights to his hunting woods the day she turned eighteen. And so Caroline was married and left her family home and her beloved chickens to move a few miles down the road. At first, it seemed the match was a good one. The pair were seen around town, Caroline with a smile on her face, her husband with a comforting arm on her shoulder. But this was nothing but show. It was a loveless match. Behind closed doors, Caroline was left alone and when her husband did talk to her, he called her ugly, stupid, and laughed when she asked for her chickens. Chickens, he said, were as ugly as her and had no place on his land. On the first New Year’s Eve of their marriage, Caroline did her best to get in a cheerful mood. She had a fire lit in the grand fireplace, a warm drink waiting for her husband when he came home. But it was to no avail. Her husband took one look at the fire and the drink and laughed, calling her lazy. She couldn’t even make him a proper holiday meal like his mother used to do. He kept laughing as he walked into the study and slammed the door, leaving Caroline alone. Poor Caroline could no longer take it. In a desperate attempt to find a moment of peace and a sliver of the happiness she had once had, she grabbed her favorite red scarf and fled back to her father’s home. Racing to the back yard, she made her way into her beloved coop. The chickens squawked and flapped around her, welcoming her home. She took a seat in the chair that had always sat in the corner and finally let out a breath she’d been holding for what felt like forever. For a moment, she was happy again. And then she heard the sound of footsteps. Turning, she had only an instant to see her husband’s face, red with rage, before a rope tightened around her neck. “You dare run from me!” he shouted. “You can never run far enough! You’re mine. For now and for forever!” He pulled the rope tighter and tighter and Caroline struggled and clawed at the rope trying to free herself. But it was no use. Soon, her hands fell limply to the side… My friend’s brother would always stop there and wait for us to stop shivering. Poor Caroline we would say. And then he would tell us what happened after. How her father found his daughter in the chair, dead, with her red scarf still around her neck under the rope that had killed her. And how the chickens had died suddenly a few days later. And how Caroline’s husband apparently went crazy and claimed he kept seeing Caroline, rocking in her chair. He would tell us that, on some New Year’s Eve nights, when the moon was full, you could sometimes see Caroline rocking in the chair in the coop, calling for her lost chickens… Then he would do something stupid like go “boo!”, we’d scream and spend the rest of the night playing Girl Talk to try and forget. I always thought it was a sad story. But not a particularly scary one. Until one New Year’s Eve when my friend’s brother told the same story and then dared us into the woods. He was always the brave guy, laughed at horror stories or movies like Omen, so my friend and I followed, clutching flashlights and shaking. We got to the coop in minutes and after a brief rush, we realized there was nothing there but the fallen leaves and the chair. We all laughed nervously. But then I felt this weird chill and the chair began to rock, slowly, and then faster and faster. There was no wind. Nothing to move the chair. But it kept rocking. We didn’t wait to see what happened. We took off, running and screaming. But as I turned to see if my friend was behind me, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of color. A flash of red. A red scarf…
Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick Publisher: Hyperion (June 22nd, 2010) Paperback: 264 pages Reading Level: Young Adult Claire is a #hopelessromantic. Lottie is determined to set up her BFF with Mr. Perfect. Will wants his #secretcrush to finally notice him. Bennett is a man with a plan.
Claire can’t believe it when her dream guy starts following her on Twitter. She never thought he noticed her, and suddenly he seems to understand her better than almost anyone.
But the Twitterverse can be a confusing place, especially when friends act differently online than they do in person. Things get even more complicated when Claire realizes she’s falling for someone else, the last person she ever would have expected…
Told in an innovative format combining tweets, emails, and blogs, Tweet Heart is a contemporary romantic comedy that will set your heart atwitter.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a signed copy of Tweet Heart and a water bottle.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US ONLY and ends October 23rd.
Once contacted the winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.
The form must be filled out to enter.
USE GOOGLE to read my review of TWEET HEART. - Thank you Elizabeth for the scary post and for the giveaway!
Find out more about Elizabeth Rudnick Elizabeth Rudnick / Twitter / Blog Purchase Tweet Heart Amazon / The Book Depository / Barnes & Noble * Check out Lisa's Haunted Halloween post with Leah Clifford and a giveaway for a $20 gift card.
*Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here.
"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" was one of those books I got from NetGalley without doing any research or knowing anything about it really — I just liked the cover and the synopsis sounded pretty cool. It's funny that I'd read this book directly after "Dead to You" by Lisa McMann for obvious reasons but mainly that they both deal with the prodigal son returning home after years of absence. Spoiler: There are SO many other similarities but I don't want to post them — if you read both let me know! I'd love to compare them in a individual conversation with you!
"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
This year we wanted to add to the excitement of Top 10 lists by making it an event! Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Rachel from Fiktshun & Jaime & Patricia from Two Chicks on Books and and I are hosting a top 10 week where everyone can join the fun! You can check out this post for more information. Each day you add your top 10 list to the linky (below), you get an extra entry into the giveaway for a $50 amazon gift card! Just remember, each day will have a linky for THAT Top 10 topic and your list has to be for that top 10.
Today is Top 10 Book Boyfriends of 2011!
Divergent by Veronica Roth Katherine Tegen Books (May 3rd, 2011)
Who: Four Why: Four was absolutely incredible! He was so strong but you could really see his gentle side come out with Tris. He made her a better character, which is always a nice touch! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.
Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle Patrice Michelle (June 27th, 2011) Who: Ethan Why: Ethan is not a typical character at all. He was always there for Nara without being too forceful playing games with her. She could depend on him and their connection was deep and powerful! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate… until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.
After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.
Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.
A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young Balzer & Bray (June 21st, 2011)
Who: Harlin Why: I loved Harlin because he seemed so realistic. This was one of the rare books where a romance already existed before the story starts. I think that really made him stand out he was a very sweet character. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads
Summary: We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten…
Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.
Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences.
Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace Accendo Press (August 26th, 2011) Who: Mirko Why: Cause he's hot! He's strong, wise, and can kick major butt. He's also gentle and sweet when it comes to Brooke and her well-being. But yeah, he's hot! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. In a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.
Cross My Heart by Katie Klein Kindle Edition (March 14th, 2011)
Who: Parker Why: Wow, Parker! He was just, wow.I'm not sure how to describe Parker. He was quiet, the bad-boy without really trying to be, but mostly he was sensitive, smart, and very sexy! I think it would be pretty impossible to read this book and not fall for him. Review Coming Soon Add it to Goodreads
Summary: True love can blossom in unexpected places. This is Jaden pretending not to notice..
Jaden McEntyre and Parker Whalen are a wrong fit from the start. Jaden is driven and focused, Harvard Med School within reach. Parker has a past-a reputation-and the rumors about his mysterious habits abound. So there's no reason why, when they're assigned to work together on a project in English, they should discover they have anything in common, or even like each other, and they definitely shouldn't be falling in love.
As they bond over Edith Wharton's tragic novella, Ethan Frome, the"bad boy" vibe Parker plays begins to dissipate. Soon, Jaden finds herself shedding her own"good girl" image: sneaking around to be with him, confiding in him, and ultimately falling hard for this leather-wearing, motorcycle-driving loner who plays into the rebel stereotype.
Still, Jaden can't shake the feeling that there's more to Parker than he's letting on. He's hiding something from her, and discovering the truth means reconciling the Parker she's grown to love with the person he really is. Because it's possible that his life inside the classroom-everything Jaden knows-is one, massive lie.
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins Hyperion Books (March 22nd, 2011) Who: Cal Why: Cal is another quiet guy, but one with a ton of power hiding behind his exterior. He is a character I can't wait to read more about! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.
That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.
Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.
But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?
Half-Blood by Janenifer L. Armentrout Spencer Hill Press (October 18th, 2011)
Who: Aiden Why: Does this even need an explanation?? Aiden is super-duper hot! He's a kick-butt instructor, he's hard on her but he also knows when to stop. He"gets" her more than anyone else. He's just flippin' perfect! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.
Seers of Light by Janenifer DeLucy Omnific Publishing (February 10th, 2010) Who: William Why: William and Lily had incredible chemistry! The romance was scorching hot and no one could deny their intense attraction. I think a lot of people would kill for that type of romance! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: Lillian Hunt has never truly lived. Always sensing more to the world than is easily perceived, she fears that her instincts are stubborn flights of fancy, or worse, mental instability. But some things disappearing strangers, tangible dreams, and visits from malevolent creatures cannot be ignored. Before it's too late, Lillian is ripped from the only existence she s ever known and thrust into a reality that she always suspected, but could scarcely believe. She must learn the truth about who she is, the powerful beings that wish to destroy her, and the two men who would die to protect her.
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand HarperTeen (January 4th, 2011)
Who: Tucker Why: Goodness, I love me some Tucker! Who doesn't love a guy who starts off by picking on the girl? That love/hate vibe made their connection even more wonderful. Plus, he's a freakin' cowboy! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees..
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side. As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski HarperTeen (June 7th, 2011) Who: Hudson Why: I don't know if any male character has been as sweet as Hudson. He started out as a friend and his kindness towards April always made her feel better. I want to read this book again just for him! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: 2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have. If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe"opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1:"Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up"Skipping School" (#3),"Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8),"Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um,"Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them. Tomorrow's Topic — Top 10 Characters! Don't forget to link each day! Signing up & then linking your Top 10 posts early you EXTRA entries into the $50.00 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway. The last day to share your posts is January 8th, 2012. The winner will be picked using Random.org and announced during the week of the 9th, 2012. Good Luck! NOTE: this is the SAME Linky on each of the Co-Hosts Blogs, so please only enter your Name, Blog Name and URL once. Thanks!
The Way We Fall by Megan Publisher: Disney/Hyperion (January 24th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 304 pages Series: The Way We Fal1 #1 It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in. And then you're dead. When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back. Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest. Because how will she go on if there isn't?
Prize:
2 winners will receive a copy of The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US only and ends February 2nd.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The form must be filled out to enter.
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Thanks to Big Honcho Media/Disney for making this giveaway possible.
Today is the release day for The Near Witch and I have the wonderful Victoria Schwab here today to talk about the book.
I am super excited to talk to her because I will be meeting her on August 7th in Knoxville as part of the Ash to Nash tour!
1. You have explored quite a few college majors and careers. Can you tell us a little about what you learned from your experiences? --I learned that physics wasn't for me, drama had too much drama, art history was too quiet to be a morning class, every religion has its own gorgeous stories, the majority of creative writing students are not very creative when it comes to writing (and goodness help you if you want to be a PUBLISHED one *cough*sellout*cough*), film doesn't give you credit for enjoying the films too much to take notes, and art students have perfected a method of staying up all night using only a bag of skittles.
2. How did you first get into writing? --By writing really, really bad poetry. And then by writing slightly better poetry. By the time I decided to try writing a book, I had NO idea what I was doing, but I knew I could assemble words in lovely ways. Next I had to learn structure. That took a little while and a good deal of rejection. Thankfully.
3. What has been the most surprising thing to happen to you since The Near Witch started grabbing everyone's attention? --I have two favorites. One is authors I adore/admire knowing that I even exist, let alone several of them having read (and enjoyed!!) NW. That's just beyond surreal and surprising. The second was hearing from a friend that their non-reader friend suggested my book to her, after the non-reader's mother, a high-school teacher, had mentioned it to her, after having overheard students in her hall talking about books they wanted to read that summer. That was pretty dang cool.
4. If you could tell people one thing about The Near Witch, what would it be? --It's a fairy tale. And it's written that way. It's meant to be airy, and sparse, a bit blurred at the edges, a window into a world, rather than a door. Go in knowing that.
5. You will be going on tour with Beth Revis and Myra McEntire soon. What crazy things do you all have planned? --OH THE ANTICS. There are planned ones, and ones that we couldn't plan if we tried. But rest assured, there will be lots of laughing.We are three loud and largely inappropriate people.
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab Publisher: Hyperion Books (August 2nd, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 288 pages The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. And there are no strangers in the town of Near.These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true. The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him. As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Find Victoria Schwab Victoria Schwab | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
Purchase The Near Witch Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
1. You wrote stories even as a child. Can you tell us some of your earliest ideas? Do you think you will ever take some of those ideas and turn them into your next novel?
Oh, my. Well, most of those ideas were rather strange. But I do recall writing stories about people who could turn into cats, so I was perhaps ahead of my time with the shape-shifter trend?: -) I also did my share of writing Star Trek fan fic.
I don’t think I’d ever revisit those ideas because there are so many new ones to explore, but never say never! 2. What has surprised you the most as a debut author?
I’ve just amazed and awed by the response to the characters in G&G, Will in particular. He’s already had one offer of marriage.: -)
3. The Ghost and the Goth has such a fun cover! What did you think when you saw it? Is that how you pictured Alona and Will? I LOVE the cover. It’s bright and conveys the fun tone of the book, in my opinion. And Will and Alona look exactly like I imagined, to the point where I think it might unnerve me a little if I were ever to meet the models. 4. In The Ghost and the Goth, Will has to deal with being able to see ghosts, how would you deal with having that ability? Oh, I think that would be so difficult. In high school, I probably would have begged to be homeschooled to avoid all those interfering ghosts! But as an adult, I don’t know… I think I would try to find a way to help people and still have a life, you know? 5. Do you have any projects you are currently working on, or books coming soon? Queen of the Dead, the second book in the series, will be out in June 2011. But ARCs should be ready in the next couple of months, and I’m super excited to see the cover! I’m working now on the third book in the series.
The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (June 29th, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 281 pages Series: Ghost and the Goth, book #1 After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck here in spirit form with no sign of the big, bright light coming to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser/outcast type who hates the social elite. He alone can see and hear her, but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.
Can they get over their mutual distrust—and this weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?
Find Stacey Kade Stacey Kade / Twitter / Journal / Goodreads Purchase The Ghost and the Goth Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository
This year we wanted to add to the excitement of Top 10 lists by making it an event! Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Rachel from Fiktshun & Jaime & Patricia from Two Chicks on Books and and I are hosting a top 10 week where everyone can join the fun! You can check out this post for more information. Each day you add your top 10 list to the linky (below), you get an extra entry into the giveaway for a $50 amazon gift card! Just remember, each day will have a linky for THAT Top 10 topic and your list has to be for that top 10.
First, we wanted to do a little wrap-up for the year! 117 Books Read! 36,776 pages read! 435 posts this year!
My goal for this year was 100 books so next year I'm bringing that up to 110!
Today is Top 10 Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2012!
Why: I've had Divergent on every single list this week so it's obvious that I'm dying to get my hands on this book! Can't.wait!! Add it to Goodreads Summary: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
Onyx by Janenifer L. Armentrout Entangled Publishing (May 2012) Series: Lux #2 Why: Does anything by Janenifer even need an explanation anymore? Hot guys, wonderful plots, kick-butt heroines, it's all there! And look at that *points to cover*.yeah… who can resist him?! Add it to GoodreadsSummary:No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…
Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins Hyperion Books (March 13th, 2012) Series: Hex Hall #3
Why: I adored the first 2 books in this series and I can't wait to find out what happens next. Sophie is one of my favorite female characters of all time! Add it to Goodreads Summary: Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.
Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.
Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?
Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready Simon Pulse (May 1st, 2012) Series: Shade #3 Why: This series has a special place in my heart! I'm so sad to see it end but I know Jeri will not disappoint.Add it to GoodreadsSummary: No other love has burned so bright
Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced that she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves… even if that means betraying her own heart.
Why:Starcrossed was awesome and I really need to read this book! There were so many questions that have to be answered and I can't wait to see how it all plays out! Add it to Goodreads Summary: As the only Scion that can enter Hades at will, Helen descends to the Underworld in search of a way to overcome the Furies and end the cycle of revenge that has cursed the Scions. But she’s running out of time. Each descent weakens her both in mind and spirit. A mysterious stranger might be her only salvation, but the price may be her love for Lucas Delos.
As an unforgettable love triangle emerges, Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding. The eagerly awaited sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed, Dreamless delivers with a huge emotional impact that will leave readers satisfied—and longing for more.
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore Dial (May 1st, 2012) Series: The Seven Kingdoms #3 Why: I read Graceling and Fire a long time ago and have been checking on this book for over a year! I was so excited to see the cover and a release date, YAY! Add it to GoodreadsSummary: Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past. Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.
Why: Hourglass was a whole book of greatness and I know this one will be just as good. And, I do <3 me some Kaleb!! Add it to Goodreads Summary: A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking…
Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?
Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devestating results.
Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough…
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver HarperTeen (February 28th, 2012) Series: Delirium #2 Why: Love the storyline that goes along with this series and Delirium really left me needing more! I plan to read this one very very soon! Add it to GoodreadsSummary: I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing aside thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, push, push, push, like Raven taught me to do. The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too. I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Fever by Lauren DeStefano Simon & Schuster (February 21st, 2012) Series: The Chemical Gardens #2
Why: Another very unique dystopian and I really want to get my hands on this book to find out what happens to Rhine and Gabriel! Add it to Goodreads Summary:Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion. But danger is never far behind.
Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago―surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The Two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine's twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous―and in a world where young woman only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can't seem to elude Rhine's father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion… by any means necessary.
Deity by Janenifer L. Armentrout Spencer Hill Press (November 8th, 2012) Series: Covenant #3 Why: *see answer above*: ) Actually, there is another book, Pure, coming out before this one, but I read it as soon as it entered my door so now I must have Deity.like.NOW! Add it to GoodreadsSummary: (Not available yet)
A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young Balzer + Bray (June 26th, 2012) Series: A Need So Beautiful #2
Why: Really loved A Need So Beautiful and the interesting plot in this series. It was another book that left me with a ton of questions that I gotta know the answers to! Plus, Harlin *swoon*. Add it to Goodreads Summary: Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park, with no idea who she is.
After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose affect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.
Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really? Yes, I know that was 11: ) There are so many more books too! I tried to highlight books in a series here but below are a few stand-alone books I can't wait for…
If I Lie by Corrine Jackson Simon Pulse (August 28th, 2012) Add it to Goodreads
Breaking Beautiful by Janenifer Shaw Wolf Walker & Company (April 24th, 2012) Add it to Goodreads
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry Harlequin Teen (August 2012) Add it to Goodreads
Something Like Normal by Trish Doller Bloomsbury (June 19th, 2012) Add it to Goodreads
The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt Simon Pulse (July 10h, 2012) Add it to Goodreads
Don't forget to link each day! Signing up & then linking your Top 10 posts early you EXTRA entries into the $50.00 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway. The last day to share your posts is January 8th, 2012. The winner will be picked using Random.org and announced during the week of the 9th, 2012. Good Luck! NOTE: this is the SAME Linky on each of the Co-Hosts Blogs, so please only enter your Name, Blog Name and URL once. Thanks!
Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland Published: Disney Hyperion (May 7th, 2013) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 304 pages Rating: 5 of 5 stars Summary: For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.
Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.
When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.
But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.
A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.
Review:
This was such a fantastic story for so many reasons! Nantucket Blue really made me want to find a place just like Nantucket where I could be like Cricket and go exploring for the summer.
Cricket was wonderful. She was very much the typical teen but she grew so much during this story. In the beginning we learn that Cricket spends a lot of time with her best friend Jules and her family. She's sort of a permanent fixture in their lives, but not in a bad way. It's just the way things were. Then the Clayton family goes through a horrible loss and things change quickly.
Cricket had plans to spend the summer with Jules and her family in Nantucket. After the tragedy, Jules makes it clear that she doesn't want Cricket around. There were some times when I wanted Cricket to stand up for herself with Jules. Yes, Jules had a big reason to be sad but she didn't need to be so mean and heartless. I was happy to see that, after a while, Cricket is able to break free of that dependency and try things on her own.
Since Cricket doesn't really want to go home, she decides that she will still spend the summer there but she has to find a job. She works for a hotel and ends up making some great friends. As the story goes on, I really felt that Cricket was doing what was best for her. This summer journey was what she needed.
This isn't a book full of romance but I was very surprised at where the romance ended up being. It was very cute and sweet. I really love books like this. I'm a huge romance fan but this book carried enough of a plot that I didn't miss it not being there in the beginning. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a feel-good summer book!
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."
