The Best Reader [Search results for Loss] 

The wonderful Jackie Morse Kessler is here today on her tour for LOSS, the upcoming book in her Riders of the Apocalypse series.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a Loss poster!

Loss if the third book in the Riders of the Apocalypse series. How do you come up with your main characters? Do you have a certain image in mind or do you let them form as you go along?

JMK: I tend to have a basic idea when I start writing, and then the characters get fleshed out as I go. They reveal themselves to me gradually. With Billy, the protagonist of LOSS, it took longer than it did for either Lisa (from HUNGER) or Missy (from RAGE). Part of that might have been because Billy’s a guy, but I think most of it was because he has two consuming issues—he’s horribly bullied, and he’s a caretaker for his Alzheimer’s-suffering grandfather—whereas the protagonists of the earlier books had one consuming issue each (eating disorders in HUNGER; self-injury in RAGE).

If you were to see these characters come to life on the big screen, are there any particular people you would like to see as the actors?

JMK: Ooh. Well, Death looks, sounds and sings like Kurt Cobain, so if they ever make that biopic about him, whoever plays Kurt would be perfect. Or, you know, I’d settle for Matt Damon or Jared Padalecki, because I luv them. Deep luv. Much luv.: ) For the Conqueror, please, please, please, Robert Carlyle. So love him on Once Upon A Time! For everyone else, I’m very open.

Do you have a specific routine while writing or do you just wing it and see what happens?

JMK: There’s a lot of winging going on.: ) But when the words are flowing, everything else falls away. Which can be problematic when, say, dinner is in the oven. When I’m on deadline, I do my best to hit a specific wordcount goal for the day. There may be chocolate involved.

Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler
Publisher: Graphia (March 20th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 272 pages
Series: Riders of the Apocalypse #3

Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard is the kid that everyone picks on, from the school bullies to the teachers. But things change drastically when Death tells Billy he must stand in as Pestilence, the White Rider of the Apocalypse. Now armed with a Bow that allows him to strike with disease from a distance, Billy lashes out at his tormentors… and accidentally causes an outbreak of meningitis. Horrified by his actions, Billy begs Death to take back the Bow. For that to happen, says Death, Billy must track down the real White Rider—who is lost in his memories.

In his search, Billy travels through White Rider’s life: from ancient Phrygia, where the man called King Mita agrees to wear the White Rider’s Crown, to Sherwood Forest, where Pestilence figures out how to cheat Death; from the docks of Alexandria, where cartons of infested grain are being packed onto a ship that will carry the plague, to the Children’s Crusade in France—all the way to what may be the end of the world. When Billy finally finds the White Rider, the teen convinces the man to return to the real world.

But now the insane White Rider plans to unleash something awful on humanity—something that could make the Black Death look like a summer cold. Billy has a choice: he can live his life and pretend he doesn’t know what’s coming, or he can challenge the White Rider for his Crown. Does one bullied teenager have the strength to stand his ground—and the courage to save the world?

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
LOSS by Jackie Morse Kessler comes out March 20, 2012!

GIVEAWAY: One lucky commenter below will win a small cover poster of LOSS —and will be entered in the grand prize drawing! The grand prize winner will receive signed copies of HUNGER, RAGE, and LOSS—and will get to name a character in BREATH, the fourth book in the Riders of the Apocalypse series. The grand prize winner will be picked on Sunday, April 1, 2012. No foolin’.

Website | Blog | Twitter

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Just leave a comment below (WITH YOUR EMAIL) to be entered to win a LOSS poster!

Hello everyone… it's time for another post for our second month of Blogger Talk: Novel Exposed!! Today we have a exciting and very different, yet fun interview with Partials author, Dan Wells. We hope you'll enjoy it, as much as we have.
A quick message: Lisa (A Life Bound By Books) and I would love to thank everyone who participated in last months discussion. We're still working out the kinks of this new feature for both of our blogs, but we believe it's been a great addition for each of us. We hope you guys will continue along with us for the journey as we bring you new and exciting books and authors each month.

Title: Partials (Partials, #1)
Author: Dan Wells
Publisher: Balzer + Bray, 472 Pages (February 28th, 2012)
Add Partials to: Goodreads
Order Here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partialsóengineered organic beings identical to humansóhas decimated the worldís population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanityís time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friendís pregnancy, sheís determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the warís origin that she never knew to ask.
Top 5 Interview:

1. Give us 5 words you would use to describe Kira?
Smart, Brave, Reckless, Temperamental, Determined

2. 5 words you would use to describe the"world" we see in Partials?
Decaying, Empty, Overgrown, Dangerous, Waiting

3. Tell us 5 ways we would know someone is a Partial?
1- They're stronger, faster, and tougher than a human.
2- They're trained in battle.
3- They heal at a superhuman rate.
4- They can communicate silently with other Partials, which also means:
5- You can tell someone's a Partial if you are a Partial yourself

4. The 5 major survival skills humans would need in order to stay safe.
1- Stay away from old houses; most of them lack steel construction and could collapse if you're not careful.
2- You can find water almost everywhere, but make sure you purify it first. The Old World put a lot of scary chemicals into the soil.
3- Most canned food is still good, so you can find food almost anywhere (but watch out for cans that are bloated or swollen--they've gone bad).
4- Stay away from Partials at all costs.
5- Partials aren't the only bad guys. Wild animals have reclaimed most of the planet, and unscrupulous humans might be the most dangerous threats of all.

5. What are 5 symptoms of the RM virus?

1- Intense fever.
2- Loss of bodily fluids (mucus, urine, sweat), and with that the threat of dehydration.
3- Hallucinations.
4- Loss of muscular control.
5- Destruction of the immune system.

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy touring schedule to stop by today and be part of this months Blogger Talk. It was great to have you here, you're more than welcome anytime and we're looking forward to having you stop by again later this week when we share some favorite quotes with everyone.

Find Dan Online:

Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Check out my review of Partials HERE!

Book Trailer:

Be sure to stop by again later this week for quotes from Partials and discussion post we hope you'll join in on to help us celebrate this FANTASTIC book and author.

How my morning went:

Wake up. Throw myself out of bed.

Sheila: Oh, you can go back to bed.
Me: Okay. Boom, hit the bed.

20 minutes later.

Wake up. Throw myself out of bed. Do the morning routine. Go down to breakfast. Come back up to the fourth floor with a mysterious uniformed soldier in the elevator, make an awkward elevator moment comment, drop Sheila's muffin (not code for anything), sit down to eat my bagel.

Sheila: Blog! I need to get a picture of you blogging.
Me: Okay.

Sit down to write an unknown post.

Sheila: Really, what are we going to do about your blog's name (see engagement) ? I'm obsessed with this. Maybe we could just cross out Miss and put Mrs.

Wait a moment.

Sheila: Oh no, that won't work. We'd have to cross out Remmers too.
Me: It's a hot mess.
Sheila: Oo! We could call it Hot Mess!!
Me: Maybe...

So... it's been exactly a week since the engagement. We have booked the church, the reception area, the caterer, and the photographer. I feel like we have all the major bases covered — at least for a while. Now I have been presented a new dilemma: my online identity is "Miss Remmers." My email, my blog (obviously), my Twitter, all the forums, all the groups — I am Miss Remmers.

What do I do when I'm Mrs. Urbanec in eight months. Do I change it all? Will people get it? Do I come up with a different blog name, like "hot mess?" If I leave it as is, in five years when people (or students) don't necessarily remember that I was once a Remmers, will they get confused with my loss of identity?

It's so confusing!

What do you think? Here are some of the one's I came up with:

• Hot Mess (inspired by Sheila)
• Identity Crisis — The Reading Adventures of a Miss turned Mrs.
• No Name
• I Blog About Books — Not My Loss of Identity?
• Do You Know Who I Am? I Don't.
• Mrs. Urbanec's Review
• The Book Urbalation

The Beginning of After by Janenifer Castle
Publisher: HarperTeen (September 6th, 2011)
Hardcover: 432 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sixteen-year-old Laurel's world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all, there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel's life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss, a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.
Review: I absolutely adored this book! It is raw, heartbreaking, and honest. Laurel goes through an unimaginable pain when her mother, father, and brother are all killed in a car accident. The girl who was only focused on nailing her SATs and getting into a good college is then forced to face a reality without her entire family.

Things are further complicated because a friend of the family, Mr. Kaufman, was driving the car and there is some mystery as to what exactly happened during the crash. Laurel can't seem to face her emotions and she finds herself looking for any distraction when her thoughts come to the surface. David, the son of Mr. Kaufman, seems to be the only one who breaks through the layers Laurel is hiding behind. His existence brings things back into focus for Laurel so she often tries to avoid him.

Laurel tries to go back to her normal life and even starts dating but nothing is the same. She sees her life as"before" the crash or"after". Janenifer Castle created a story that I would say is one of the best debut YA's I've ever read. Her story gets into the depth of teenage emotion and explores a reality that many people could never imagine. She did this flawlessly! I never questioned Laurel's actions because people deal with loss in different ways. Some hide behind a wall and pretend everything is okay.

Laurel was an outstanding character. She was strong and courageous even though she often fought herself to stay in control. She knew that David was the only one who could really grasp what she was going through. His mother died in the accident too and his father was in a coma. David was more open with his pain and I think it showed Laurel that it was okay to let someone in.

David is the bad boy but the accident sends him on a path very different from Laurel's. He wants away from normal life and away from the people who look at him with pity. Together Laurel and David were the perfect pair. Their interactions were not over the top. They never had to say much to each other to know what the other was feeling. Their anger gradually changes and they are able to see each other more clearly.

This story is not about action, drama, or a fabulous setting; it's about a girl coming to terms with a horrible tragedy. It's one of those books that you can't stop thinking about. I keep wondering what would happen to these characters next. Would they be happy or would they never let themselves feel that much again? Janenifer Castle truly created a masterpiece with this book and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Find Janenifer Castle
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
Purchase The Beginning of After
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

It's Not Summer Without You by Janeny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (April 27th, 2010)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 288 pages
Source: Publisher
Series: Summer #2
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.
But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

Review:
May contain spoilers!

This really turned into a fantastic series! I reviewed book 1, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and it was a great book but I wasn't sure when I would get to read the rest of the series. Recently, I was in a"summer book" mood and read It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer in 1 day! I was completely mesmerized by the beautiful setting, characters, and plot.

It's Not Summer Without You takes place a year after book 1. It's summer again and Belly is dealing with the aftermath of a horrible loss. Summer isn't going to be the same, but even with her friends back home trying to make her have a fun summer, she can't stop thinking about Cousins Beach.

Jeremiah calls Belly and says that no one knows where Conrad is. She immediately leaves with him so they can hopefully track him down and convince him to come home. It seems obvious where he is but it surprises her to find out exactly why he ran away.

While at Cousins, lots of memories come back from the year before. We get a chance to discover how Belly and Conrad's relationship had developed and changed over a short amount of time. I loved that the story brought up these details. Readers can follow their current situation while seeing what exactly brought them to that place.

This is one of those series where, even though we have a love triangle, I never exactly could pick a side. Jeremiah and Conrad were amazing, and frustrating, in their own ways. Jeremiah was the more sweet, loving personality, while Conrad was more mature (sometimes!) and heartwarming character. He always seemed to be having an internal battle with himself but when he let his true feelings show, wow, watch out! It will make you fall in l-o-v-e!

It's easy to see how these characters grew and matured over the course of a difficult year. Janeny Han has created characters that you feel you actually know once you finish the book. They are so realistic, imperfect, and passionate that it's impossible to not feel something as you go through their story.

It's Not Summer Without You is a heartwarming tale of loss, love, and friendship like no other I have read. It's the perfect summer read!

Find Janeny Han Janeny Han | Blog | Twitter
Purchase It's Not Summer Without You Amazon | The Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

This year's very first Guest Reviewer is Esme, from Chocolate and Croissants!

*******************
From Kathryn Stockett...
"Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step. Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone. Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken. Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own. Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed."

Sometimes you read a book that speaks to you from the heart, The Help is one of those books. Author Kathryn Stockett brings to life the story of three women living in Jackson Mississippi in the early 60's as the civil rights movement was reaching the deep South.

For me, I was able to picture the women, the homes they lived in and their friends. First time novelist, does a wonderful job of bringing her characters to life. The women are seemingly as different from one another as can be, but come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

Each woman has her own cross to bear and social graces to maintain. Skeeter, a recent college graduate returns to her parent's home after graduation. Yearning to be a journalist, her mother is more concerned about Skeeter's clothes and hair and the trust fund that she find her a suitable husband. Hoping to land a job at a publishing house Skeeter writes the stories of black maids in Jackson. Her main ally is Aiblileen, an older wise maid raising her seventeenth white child. Aibileen is troubled that the children she raises may become an extension of their parent's racism. Suffering from the loss of her own child, she empowers Mae Moberly to realize, she is important, smart and beautiful. At the risk of being fired she teaches the little girl lessons about Martian Luther King and that love comes from what is inside of you. Minny, Aibileen's best friend is the best cook in Jackson, but loses her jobs because she sasses the missus back. Together the three women rally the black maid community to tell their stories.
What fascinated me about the book was the author's impetus for the story. Raised in Jackson herself. Her family had a maid, Demetrie. Stockett loved her maid, after her parents divorced her maid was a surrogate mother for her. Someone's shoulder she could cry on or a lap to crawl on.

To quote Stockett " Our family maid, Demetrie, used to say picking cotton in Mississippi in the dead of summer is about the worst pastime there is, if you don't count picking okra, another prickly, low-growing thing. Demetrie used to tell us all kinds of stores about picking cotton as a girl. She'd laugh and shaker her finger at us, waring us against it, as if a bunch of rich white kids might fall to the evils of cotton-picking like cigarettes or hard liquor." Demetrie was born in Lampkin, Mississippi, in 1927. It was a horrifying year to be born, just before the Depression set in. No-one ever asked Demetrie her story, what it was like to work for a white family.

There is one line in The Help, the author truly prizes, which brings home the point of the book. We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought.

If you can fit one more book onto your bookshelf for the year. Chose The Help.
**********************
Esme, thank you so much for the great review! Please stop by Chocolate and Croissants and share some book love! Check out her original review here.

You know it's ironic — just yesterday GReads asked the question: "Book Mourning: does this happen to you? When you finish an amazing book, do you find yourself at a loss to pick up another one? What was the last book that left you feeling so bewildered? & what did you do to overcome it?" I flippantly answered that I couldn't remember the last time it happened to me.

Little did I know that hours later (around 2pm) that I would finish one of the most amazing novels EVER and be in complete book mourning.

Yes, blogosphere, I am in complete book mourning over "Wither" by Lauren DeStefano. While I am not a fan of the cover (weird I know) I am completely in love with this book. I almost reread it today simply because my mourning is that bad! I don't know what to do with myself. I keep thinking of Linden and Rhine (okay, but mostly Linden) and I just NEED to know what happens next. The worst part? The book isn't even "officially" out yet! It's been such a long time since I've felt the loss of a good book — and I've read some great books this year already. But DeStefano has written such an amazing, elaborate, depth-filled novel that right now I can't imagine reading anything else!

I thought I'd pick up a "lighter" quick read to recover from my heart being wrenched out of my body and my soul sucked into the pages of "Wither" so I tried picking up "The Lipstick Laws" and got a few chapters in before putting it down indefinitely. While the protagonist is supposed to be a high school sophomore it seemed like she was more of a middle school student. Maybe I'm 'too old,' but I just couldn't connect to the "mean girl" plot. While, yes, I could have continued reading as I hear it is an okay read — surprisingly it was extremely hard to read something so "light" after reading a book like "Wither" where my whole heart and soul were consumed by the plot and characters.

The worst part, this isn't the first book I've put down this week.

I've been waiting since December for "Entice" by Carrie Jones to get finally get to me; I swear, there were a million holds on it. When it arrived I excitedly picked it up and was almost instantly disappointed. Now, I liked "Need " and I liked "Captivate. " Yes, the dialogue bothered me but the story made up for it. Only a few pages into "Entice" and the dialogue had my skin crawling with the immature and sort of "dumbed down" dialogue. I felt like I was reading a book with a 6th grade protagonist.

It was extremely hard for me to put "Entice" down simply because it was the end of the series. I'd made it this far, waiting that long — why not just suck it up and finish the book?! But the truth of the matter is, for me, I didn't need to know what was going to happen to Zara and Nick. I did however like Astley a lot and am a little curious as to his fate — but not enough to continue reading. Now, just because I didn't like "Entice" doesn't mean that I won't eventually get a copy for my classroom.

"Need" has mysteriously vanished from my classroom and "Captivate" has been checked out several times; I have no doubt that those same students will love "Entice." And I know many of my students will adore "The Lipstick Laws" because of the "mean girl" plot and the more shallow characters. It's just not for me. I'm not afraid to have books on my shelves that I didn't like; what kind of teacher would I be if I only had my favorites out!

But, I'm still a bit disappointed in myself — two "did not finish" in one week! And, the ebook I was really excited to read "Plan B" is all funky on my Nook. None of the text on the Chapter Title pages show up. I've tried deleting the current copy and uploading another and no luck. So I think, in order to survive this vicious bout of mourning without the immolation of any other potentially great reads, I'll try a nonfiction book. Yes, nonfiction. No, I've never reviewed a nonfiction book or even read one recreationally. We will see how this goes. My choice of poison: "Jane Austen: A Life Revealed."

Besides that, my Saturday has been eventful. I worked out, finally talked to D (we're done fighting — thank goodness. Longest 48 hours of my life!), went to eat with my cousins and their kids, met my other cousins and their kids at a wrestling meet in town, and got my hair cut! Great day.

What about you? Do you feel about about your DNF list? How do you recover from such an amazing book that you can't imagine reading anything else? Look for my review of "Wither" on Monday!

Apparently a lot. As most of you know, I was married in June and as my blog's title happens to deal quite a bit with my maiden name I was posed with the question: Do I change my blog name or keep it the same?

I've taken polls, asked friends, and contemplated on this idea for over a year (pretty much since our engagement in October 2010). And I am finally prepared to deliver my conclusion. If it isn't already apparent, I will not be changing this blog title for several reasons.

First of all, I love the alliteration. Maybe it's just the English teacher in me, but "Mrs. Urbanec's Reviews" just doesn't have as catchy-a-sound to it. I considered playing around with it: Urbanec's Utopian Reviews (completely senseless) or Mrs. U's Reviews (a bit of assonance rather than alliteration). But overall, I just like the title of my blog.

Next, I've been to BEA twice and a few other conferences. Not only have I handed my business card out to several different publishers, agents, bloggers, authors, but I have about 300 business cards left! While they weren't SUPER expensive, I feel like I'm not in a position to throw them away at this time financially and order new ones.

With that, I need to consider that this blog has been around for two and a half years. While I don't have a huge outreach of readers, the ones I do have are friends and colleagues. I feel like to change my name (of the blog, obviously) could potentially hurt blog traffic — something I've struggled with from the beginning to promote. While many people have done this effectively (most recently Ash from English Major's Junkfood to English Major's Narrative) , I'm just not sure I could. I loved how Ash incorporated her old name to the new with this subtitle: "English Major Junk Food All Grown Up," because what she's going to be talking about has changed. If you're interested in some fantastically cute pictures and the reason why — it's in this post. But Ash's blog name change and my potential blog name change (say that six times fast) are different and I'm not sure I could come up with as brilliant of connection between the two as Ash has.

There's another obvious reason: I have this really cool stamp that I stamp all my books with. It has my blog title and url. I don't want to RE-stamp all my books (talk about a hot mess) much less order a new stamp.

And finally, I kind of like having this blog a little bit separate from my students/school. Obviously I'm not going to rant about my students or job (as I love them both), but I do like the little bit of anonymity that comes a long with using my maiden name. Have I shared this blog with students? A few. Do I have anything to hide? Absolutely not! But when I created this blog in the beginning, (before teaching, the politics of teaching, and before discovering this amazing blogging community) it was meant to be a place to have students review their own reads. But now, (you can call me selfish) I kind of like my own place on the web. I like the freedom to post my own thoughts without trying to suede students to just pick a book up. I like the freedom to "geek out" or talk about personal events in my life (weight loss, weddings) — rather than feeling censored.

Will I continue to blog with students? Probably, it's something I would like to foster in my classroom, but until I get my feet more off the ground in this new school I think I'll wait. Will I share my books and thoughts with students? Everyday! Because of my profession, I am lucky that I am able to talk books on a daily basis and this is one area that blogging has helped me tremendously! Even if I haven't read a book, I'm able to give thoughts and recommendations based on YOUR reviews! My book group (now called Word Shakers) will still be meeting to read, write, and talk books. But for now, I just want Miss Remmers' Review to be just that — my reviews, my thoughts, and my life. While there are a lot of "my's" in there, I don't think I'm being selfish. And even if I am, oh well... it's my blog.:)

So for anyone who has skipped my rant and arrived at the bottom: I'm not going anywhere. Miss Remmers' Review is here to stay!

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

Since I'm back at school, I've decided to do this post on Saturdays. Sundays is my Salon day (my favorite meme) and I don't get any mail on Saturdays because the Post Office at school isn't open.:)

For Review:

Thanks to the publisher, I received an ARC copy of "On the Bluffs" by Steven Schindler. Thank you! Check out my review here!

From Amazon.com...

"SOMETIMES THE BIGGEST LIES ARE THE ONES WE LIVE.

While Brian DeLouise was working the graveyard shift at a conspiracy theory-crazed radio station his wife was alley-catting around Washington, DC. But a cheating wife and a dead-end job no longer made him angry or depressed. He was just numb. It took a daring brush with death to awaken his senses and a few clicks on Google to begin a journey to recapture a love he believed was gone forever. Brian finds his lost lover in a rundown mansion on the windswept bluffs of Cape Cod, where he must confront a fast approaching evil while he risks losing everything he now cherishes."

And thanks to Bancroft Press I received two ARC copies of "Thanksgiving at the Inn" by Tim Whitney. Thank you!

From Amazon.com...
"Ever since his mother left, life has't been easy for Heath Wellington III. Between his father's (Junior's) bouts with alcoholism and literary rejection, and Heath's own wrongful suspension from school, there hasn't been all that much to be thankful for.
But following the tragic death of estranged grandfather Senior, father and son alike stand to inherit a life-changing fortune... with one catch.
Heath and Junior must spend the next three months managing Senior's bed and breakfast, located in the same Massachusetts home Junior has spent the last eight years trying to escape.
Upended from his everyday life and relocated to a town where everyone knew and loved the grandfather he can't even remember, Heath finds an inn full of some of the strangest people he's ever met, such as:
* Winsted, the old, wise Jamaican man who used to lead the prayers in Senior s factory;
* Mrs. Farrel, an elderly woman giving away her late husband's fortune letter by letter;
* Mustang Sally, the muscle-bound, tattooed grease monkey who doubles as a children's author;
* And Carter, the silent TV news junkie and secret Harvard graduate.
And, at a nearby school is Savannah, Junior's first love, and her adorable, autistic daughter, Tori.
But most of all, there's Junior himself, vinegar to Heath's oil. As Heath adjusts to his new world, what he needs most is to start anew with his father, to understand that Junior, too, is dealing with loss, and to realize that, even in the most tragic of times, there's a lot in life to be thankful for.
Thanksgiving at the Inn is a beautiful story of family and forgiveness, and a sure holiday classic. Tim Whitney's fantastic, heartwarming debut is one you'll want to read with the whole family for years and years to come."

Thanks to the author, I recieved a copy of "Frozen Tears" by Mary Ann MacAfee. Thank you!

From Amazon.com...

"In Alaska's stunning but brutal interior, where white and Native cultures clash, Kale Weaver struggles to survive a devastating tragedy that becomes the genesis for her allegiance to wolves and the circumstances making her target of a primitive superstition. Aided by her best friend, a worn-out helicopter pilot, and the bond shared with a wolf shaman, she then struggles against what follows: the bigotry and rejection imposed on her and her half-breed son,until she is challenged by the ultimate ordeal. Whatever the risks, she must fulfill a wish for her young son that she had never imagined for him. But above all, Kale's page-turning journey shows that love can triumph over life's most dire challenges and painful losses."
To Giveaway:

I received directly from the Author, Barry Lyga, a signed copy of "Boy Toy" to give away.

From Barry Lyga's website...

"Five years ago Josh’s life changed. Drastically. And everyone in his school, his town—seems like the world—thinks they understand.
But they don’t—they can’t.
And now, about to graduate from high school, Josh is still trying to sort through the pieces. First there’s Rachel, the girl he thought he’d lost years ago. She’s back, and she’s determined to be part of his life, whether he wants her there or not.
Then there are college decisions to make, and the toughest baseball game of his life coming up, and a coach who won't stop pushing Josh all the way to the brink.
And then there’s Eve. Her return brings with it all the memories of Josh’s past. It’s time for Josh to face the truth about what happened.
If only he knew what the truth was... "

Won:

I haven't won anything recently — but I figure I'm due.:)

You can win a few books here too! Currently I am giving away a copy of "My Name is Will", "Boy Toy", and "Dancing with Ana".

From the library:

• "Eighth Grade Bites: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod"
• "Ninth Grade Slays: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod"
  

Until next week — Happy Reading!

This is a super hard list for me. I've read a huge number of books this year. 154 books as of today! Picking 10 of my favorites makes me break out in a sweat! But I will try my best.

Title: Deity
Author: Janenifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Add to Goodreads
"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time."

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner… and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time"training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed… and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate.

Title: Easy Author: Tammara Webber Add to Goodreads A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

Title: Onyx
Author: Janenifer L. Arme ntrout
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Add to Goodreads
Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Title: Partials Author: Dan Wells Publisher: Balzer + Bray Add to Goodreads The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them--connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer, takes readers on a pulsepounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question--one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.

Title: In Honor Author: Jessi Kirby Publisher: Simon & Schuster Add to Goodreads Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn’s celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.

Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn’s last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn.. and ruggedly good-looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn--but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

Title: Taking Chances Author: Molly McAdams Add to Goodreads Eighteen year old Harper has grown up under her career Marine of a father's thumb. Ready to live life her own way and experience things she's only ever heard of from the jarheads in her father's unit; she's on her way to college at San Diego State University.

Thanks to her new roommate, Harper is introduced to a world of parties, gorgeous guys, family and emotions. Some she wasn't expecting yet, and others she never knew she was missing.

She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with her boyfriend Brandon, and her roommate's brother Chase. Covered in tattoos, known for fighting in the Underground and ridiculously muscled… they're exactly what she was always warned to stay away from, but just what she needs. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both adore and would do anything for Harper, including stepping back if it means she's happy.

Her first year away is turning out to be near perfect, but one weekend of giving in to heated passion will change everything.

Title: The Secret of Ella & Micha
Author: Jessica Sorensen
Add to Goodreads
Ella and Micha have been best friends since they were kids. But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.

Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home.

Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.

Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes.

Title: Born at Midnight Author: C.C. Hunter Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Add to Goodreads Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Title: The Edge of Never Author: J.A. Redmerski Add to Goodreads Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?

Title: Anew
Author: Ch elsea Fine
Publisher: Firefall P ublishing
Add to Goodreads
Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery… until she met a boy with a familiar voice.

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past… might just be the death of her.

Now it's YOUR turn! Link up your list using the Linky below!
Lisa from A Life Bound By Books is hosting the giveaway for today!!
Note: This is the SAME Linky on all FIVE Co-hosting blogs.

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

Lucienne Diver – Flux – Vamped, Revamped, Fangtasic, Fangtabulous

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

This week I'd like to welcome Nicole, from Books and Bards, as this week's Guest Reviewer! Check out her original review here!

*******************
In the not-too-distant future, the continent of North America has become Panem, a totalitarian country divided into twelve territories. Every year, each district is required to send a tribute of a young boy and girl, chosen by lottery, to fight to the death like gladiators while the nation watches on live television. Sixteen-year-old Katniss lives with her mother and sister in the most impoverished section one of the poorest districts, where she must illegally hunt in the forbidden woods to stay ahead of starvation. When her younger sister, Prim, is drawn for the Hunger Games, Kat steps in and volunteers in her place. And just like that, she is shipped off to the Capitol, along with Peeta, the baker’s son, to fight for her life. I love novels that disturb or unsettle me. Needless to say, I gobbled this one in a single sitting, completely transfixed and desperate to find out how it ends.

The writer in me admires Suzanne Collins to pieces, and I couldn't help geeking out over her command of language and her spareness of words. One thing that turns me off to a lot of sci-fi is authors who get bogged down in conveying every minute detail of the brilliant world they've created. Collins conveys just enough necessary detail to serve the story and lets the rest take care of itself. Her sci-fi world, filled with brutality and speckled with genetically engineered creatures, is merely a backdrop for the struggles of a cast of complex and believable characters.

Katniss, an ace with a bow and arrow, is a fascinating heroine--sort of Annie meets Huck Finn. I have to confess I found myself girl-crushing on her a bit while hanging out in her head and seeing this twisted version of the world through her eyes. One of the things I love about this book is the way Collins draws upon both classical literature and pop culture, blending them seamlessly together to tap into certain universal fears of the human psyche. The story has its roots in the Greek myth of King Minos, whose son died on a state visit to Athens. Furious, Minos captured Athens and imposed a harsh punishment: Every nine years, Athens must send him seven of its young men and seven maidens, whom he then fed to his Minotaur.

On the sci-fi end of the spectrum, Collins weaves in an element of reality television gone wrong, with a bloodthirsty nation devouring the brutal spectacle on TV, placing bets on who will win, and demanding more excitement when the games become stagnant. Beforehand, the tributes are trussed like turkeys, interviewed, and sized up on camera. Once inside the arena, they form alliances, calculate strategies, and receive unexpected boons (or hindrances) from the hidden but omnipresent gamemakers. It’s Survivor meets Lord of the Flies.

At the core of this novel is the question of humanity, and what it means to be human. As Kat forms alliances of her own, she grapples with the realization that she will have to slaughter people she has come to care about and confronts the question of whether survival is worth the loss of her humanity, especially knowing her beloved sister may starve back at home without her. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, carried along by Kat's determination to survive and to not be subdued by the atrocities she witnesses. I was frequently horrified, occasionally touched, and always on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next twist. Find out what other people think about this book! Alea — Pop Culture Junkie ******************* Thank you so much Nicole for an awesome review — I've been meaning to read this forever! If anyone else has a great book to recommend to high school students, please email me (my profile has the address). Check out this post for more information on how to become a guest reviewer. Please share some book love and check out Nicole's blog, Books and Bards. Thanks again, Nicole!

I beat the storm home last Saturday and have spent the week at home. While it seems like I haven't gotten a lot accomplished, I have. I successfully reattached my 'enter' key and reinstalled Word. I lost most of my music (about 8GB) while trying to transfer music from my iPod to my PC (I've come to terms with said loss) and had a pick me up by having Santa bring me a new iPod Touch (not that I know how to use it yet). I have seen three movies in theaters since last Sunday including: "A Christmas Carol" (let down), "The Princess and the Frog" (surprisingly amazing), and "Sherlock Holmes" (slight let down). Last Sunday my phone broke and they were sending me a new one. It was supposed to arrive on Wednesday. It is now a week later and I still do not have a working phone — but again, I've come to terms. As you can tell, I had a pretty rough week (in regards to technology). Slowly (but surely) things are starting to look up.

This week I reviewed "Inside Out, " "The Source of Miracles, " "Elmer the Christmas Elf, " "A Christmas Carol: Special Edition, " "I Used to Know That, " and "Cracked Up to Be. " As a result, this has probably been one of the most productive weeks (in regards to blogging/recreational reading) that I have had since August. I'm SO enjoying it. "The Source of Miracles " was one of the best books I've read in such a long time! I can't shut up about it! I did read/finish "Love You, Hate You, Miss You" as well — the review is coming. I did have to abandon two books that have been hanging over my head all semester. I've had both of them for months and I've continually tried to pick them up and read them — but I was forcing myself to do it. And I can't condone forcing myself to read when I have such an awesome bunch of books to read. So, I'll be passing them on (hint hint). Stay tuned.

Sadly, part of the 8GB of music lost included "Confessions of a Shopaholic." I wasn't too far into it though so I'm not too upset about it. I'll probably look for it at the library. I also didn't do an "In My Mailbox" post as I haven't received anything (not even a phone)! But I do know that I have a book or two waiting for me back at school that I will get sometime this week when I head back for New Years.

Cassie was this week's Guest Reviewer — donating her review of City of Bones. Please share some book love and visit her at Happy Book Lovers.

My new holiday campaign to collect Guest Reviews has been a great hit — we've acquired 44 reviews! Thanks to everyone who has donated! Campaign ends January 4th and is open to absolutely everyone! I have four more Guest Reviews to post (scheduled) but those are only the ones that I received via email. Many people only left a link on Mr. Linky — which I guess is okay and it is still appreciated. I just feel more like I'm plagiarizing then — but reviews are reviews and the more the better.

I gained three followers this week and now have 34 amazing followers. Welcome and Thank you!

My list of books to read/things to do during break:

• Read "Inside Out"
• Read "Elmer, the Christmas Elf"
• Post all the Guest Reviews I've received for My Holiday Book Review Campaign
• Finish "The Source of Miracles" (Review)
  
• Read "Lucifer Rising" (Review)
  
• Read "Comfort Living" (Review)
  
• Read "I Used to Know That" (Review)
  
• Read "Some Girls Are" (ARC — Goodreads Winner)
  
• Read "The Van Alen Legacy" (Library — Momma Remmers)
  
• Read "Love You, Hate You, Miss You" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Truly, Madly: A Novel" (ARC — Goodreads Winner)
• Read "Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Single" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Sea Change" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Jumping off Swings" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Before I Die" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Embellish" (Review)
• Read "Gone" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Cracked Up to Be" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "How to Buy a Love of Reading" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Oh.My.Gods." (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Dark Places" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Nothing But Ghosts" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Isabelle's Boyfriend" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "The Grand Sophy" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Shelter Me" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Ransome's Honor" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Poltergeist" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Girlfriend Material" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Wicked Lovely" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "According to Jane" (Library — Momma Remmers)
• Read "Catching Fire" (Library — Momma Remmers)

What did you finish this week?

This week I'd like to welcome Sharon from Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews as this week's Guest Reviewer! Sharon is so enthusiastic about my mission that I've decided to post this review on a completely random day — my birthday! Most Guest Reviews are on Wednesdays, but it is my birthday — so I figure I can do whatever I want (right?).

*******************

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte — Syrie James

From Amazon.com...

" "I have written about the joys of love. I have, in my secret heart, long dreamt of an intimate connection with a man; every Jane, I believe, deserves her Rochester."

Thank you SO much to Sharon from Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews. I've been meaning to read this and it sounds so great! Thank you for your enthusiasm and for spreading the word, to all of my past and future Guest Reviewers, I'm so glad I'm not in this fight alone. Make sure to stop by to visit Sharon and share some book love!

If you're interested in fighting the good fight — find out how here.

Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié
Publisher: Simon Pulse (September 7th, 2010)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 470 pages
Source: Publisher
Series: Crusade #1
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
For the past two years, Janen has lived and trained at Spain’s Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.
Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Janen discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Janen is isolated — and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Janen stands to lose.
Then Janen is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Janen must find the courage to trust herself — and her heart.
Review: Crusade is a fabulous start to this series involving so many kick-butt paranormal beings. I would describe it as"an adult book, in a YA package", which means that it is set up like an adult series (with lots of action, characters, details) but made for YA readers.

Crusade doesn't just follow one character. We get to look at each one as we go throughout the story. It jumps from Janen, to Antonio, to the others in their group. Janen is the main focus in the book and she is such a strong character! Janen has been in training to fight The Cursed Ones, vampires who are beginning to take over the world. Many people believed they were harmless but now things are changing and hunters are needed to kill the vampires. Janen has been in Spain but after a family loss, she returns to San Francisco to see her family.

San Francisco isn't what Janen remembers and she is faced with several obstacles along the way. She is alone to fight her own battles and, although she doesn't see herself as a strong member of her group, she proves exactly what she can do.

Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié have created a frightening, dangerous world where vampires rule and humans are too scared to fight. The new group of hunters may be young but their diversity and skills make them a powerful force.

Jenn does have someone in the group she cares deeply about, Antonio. But their relationship comes with it's very own obstacles and dangers. This was an exciting twist for the story and it was interesting to see how Janen felt about Antonio, and how he felt about her. Crusade is full of action-packed adventures and heart-pounding moments! There was never a dull moment. The range of characters we meet in this book constantly amazed me. Each person had their own past that brought them on their journey to Spain and their only common element seemed to be a hatred for The Cursed Ones.

Crusade takes readers on a treacherous journey through locations where vampires hold the power and hunters are the only things keeping them at bay. Full of detailed settings and scary paranormals, Crusade will have readers at the edge of their seats!

Find out more about Nancy Holder Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

Find Debbie Viguié
Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

Purchase Crusade Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Today I am joining GReads for TGIF (Thank Goodness it's Friday!) I'm every excited to be participating! I've been looking for a Friday meme that will allow me to participate by answering a question and posting my week's recap without the whole "Follow me, I follow you back" bit (that's a post for next week).

Today, GReads asks:

Book Mourning: does this happen to you? When you finish an amazing book, do you find yourself at a loss to pick up another one? What was the last book that left you feeling so bewildered? & what did you do to overcome it?
This is a tough question! I totally understand Book Mourning. I can't quite remember when it happened to me last but any really good book will have me feeling sad when I close the book at the end, especially if it is a series!

Movie Review: Beastly Review: The Iron Daughter Movie Review: I Am Number Four Live Simple For Lent Share a Story: Literary 2.0 Review: The Iron Queen

Here are my top 10 covers of 2012!

Title: Insurgent Author: Veronica Roth Publisher: HarperTeen Add to Goodreads 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.

"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian"Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Title: Dreamless Author: Josephine Angelini Publisher: HarperTeen Add to Goodreads Can true love be forgotten?

As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out--a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen's sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Josephine Angelini's compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds all expectations.

Title: Under the Never Sky Author: Veronica Rossi Publisher: HarperCollins Add to Goodreads
Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

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

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

Title: Easy Author: Tammara Webber Add to Goodreads A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

Title: The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden Author: Jessica Sorensen Add to Goodreads There are those who don’t get luck handed to them on a shiny platter, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, who don’t get saved.

Luck was not on Callie’s side the day of her twelfth birthday when everything was stolen from her. After it’s all over, she locks up her feelings and vows never to tell anyone what happened. Six years later her painful past consumes her life and most days it’s a struggle just to breathe.

For as long as Kayden can remember, suffering in silence was the only way to survive life. As long as he did what he was told, everything was okay. One night, after making a terrible mistake, it seems like his life might be over. Luck was on his side, though, when Callie coincidentally is in the right place at the right time and saves him.

Now he can’t stop thinking about the girl he saw at school, but never really knew. When he ends up at the same college as Callie, he does everything he can to try to get to know her. But Callie is reserved and closed off. The more he tries to be part of her life, the more he realizes Callie might need to be saved.

Title: Sweet Evil Author: Wendy Higgins Publisher: HarperTeen Add to Goodreads Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Add to Goodreads
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with"freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Title: Stealing Parker Author: Miranda Kenneally Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Add to Goodreads Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

Title: Everneath Author: Brodi Ashton Publisher: HarperCollins Add to Goodreads Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned--to her old life, her family, her boyfriend--before she's banished back to the underworld.. this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.

Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.

Title: The Edge of Never Author: J.A. Redmerski Add to Goodreads Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?
Don't forget to share YOUR list on the Linky Below!
Today's Top 10 of 2012 Giveaway is being hosted by — Jaime from Two Chicks on Books!
Note: This is the SAME Linky on all Co-Hosts Blogs.

"The plot isn't necessarily new and the characters aren't exactly original, but there is definitely something different about this story... somehow a generic (albeit tragic) plot with cliche characters has completely won me over. " — Miss Remmers

Release Date: September 6th, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Challenges: DAC 2011, 100+ Reading Challenge, eBook Challenge

"Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It’s all about Before and After. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow , shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.

Sixteen-year-old Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss—a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways."
"The Beginning of After" starts like almost every other contemporary YA novel that revolves around tragedy. At first the "cliche-ness" of it all really bothered me — you know, the good girl who gets straight A's, super anal-retentive, and the ultimate perfectionist who, of course, suffers some huge tragedy and along with the bad boy "gang member" who also suffers some huge tragedy. They fall in love. End of story.

Right?

Sort of. About page twenty when I felt like I had this entire story figured out I was about to put it down and say "Okay, back to paranormal fiction for me!" But I didn't. Maybe I'm stubborn or maybe I am just desperate to finish a book — but I kept reading. [I read the first half of this book in the car on the way to our "mini-moon" vacation] Soon I was annoyed when the car stopped for bathroom breaks and meals and decided that it was in my best interest (and the hubby's) for me to continue reading and skip the breaks. I couldn't pull myself away from the story — not necessarily the plot (two very different things) but the story.

Once we arrived at our destination I didn't necessarily have the time to read because of all the activities planned and of course we were surrounded by family who wanted to celebrate our first two months of marriage together and Laurel's situation slowly became a subtle rhythm (rather than a loud banging drum) in my subconscious. Until the baseball game on Tuesday night (the second baseball game of our vacation). I brought my Nook only to read during the pre-game/batting practice. But page by page (or click by click) I found myself running out of time. The game was about to start at any minute and I wasn't ready to be done reading. After the "Star Spangled Banner" I put down my Nook but by half way through the first inning I was sneaking peeks at the screen. By the end of the second inning I was down right reading shamelessly. The in-laws, friends, and my amazing husband were (for the most part) very understanding and just let me finish. I just kept saying "I'm almost done. I'm almost done."

I finished after the fifth inning. There were times when my heart literally hurt — but I have a hard time explaining why. The plot isn't necessarily new and the characters aren't exactly original, but there is definitely something different, something I can't put my finger on, about this story by Jennifer Castle. Perhaps it is the way it's told, or the subtle progression of the character's grief process — I don't know. It reminded me of "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman because "The Beginning of After" challenged me to consider my own life without my loved ones. But unlike Mia, Laurel doesn't have a choice to stay or go — she must simply continue on.

Despite the genericness of it all, I somehow found Laurel to be refreshing and easy to relate to and David mysterious and more than slightly selfish. I fell in love with the American Boy Joe Lasky. I felt for Laurel and David (although with each additional animal in Laurel's house I felt like I lost more and more of my sanity). I saw and understood the different ways that Laurel, David, and Laurel's grandmother dealt with their grief. It's almost as if Castle has somehow reinvented this plot and these characters through her fantastic story telling ability and has created something entirely different and heartbreaking.

The truth is somehow a generic (albeit tragic) plot with cliche characters has completely won me over. I highly recommend this book to any one who enjoys contemporary YA if for no other reason than to give Laurel (and Castle) the opportunity to prove that the whole "parents die in a car accident" plot is not entirely washed up.

-Visit Jennifer around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook

To the FTC, with love: Galley from NetGalley

By: Lisa Desrochers

The premise of my novel, Personal Demons, is that angels and demons are moving among mortals looking for reasons to “tag” our souls to be either Heaven or Hell bound after death. At a recent signing I was asked how I knew what my characters looked like. I answered that I picked the most cliché appearances for a demon and angel I could think of. My thought was, if there truly were angels and demons walking the earth, would we ever allow ourselves to believe that’s what we were seeing, even if they looked and acted exactly how we would think an angel or a demon would? My main character, Frannie, is more jaded than most her age. A loss in her life has caused her to question her belief in anything she can’t touch. So, when “bad boy” Luc and the angelic Gabe show up to fight for her soul, it takes her a while to put the pieces together.
This concept is something I’ve tossed around in my mind for a long time, since an encounter several years ago, in my reckless youth, left me wondering.
Have you ever had the feeling you were being watched? You know, that skin-crawly feeling you get when you’re sure someone is following you? Yeah. Me too. So, as best as I can remember through the creepiness, here’s what happened.
I was probably 14ish at the time and I was at our family cabin, which in a very quiet, secluded area in the Sierras. There are lots of peaceful hiking trails that meander through the thick woods. I’d spent my whole life wandering those woods. So, this day, I was out for a walk and had just picked my way across a stream, deeper into the woods, when I got that crawly feeling. There’s lots of wild life up there, so my first thought was that it was just some animal watching me. As the feeling got stronger, I started to worry it might me something like a bear or mountain lion, which would be a problem. Several times I stopped and listened, but heard nothing. Eventually, I creeped myself out enough that I decided, instead of making the whole loop of the trail, I’d turn around and head back the way I’d come. I hadn’t made it five feet back up the trail when I saw the girl. She was sitting on a boulder in the shadows a little off the path, and there seemed to be something dark and misty around her. Except, when I really focused my eyes on where she was, there was no one there. Just a shadow where the sun was filtering through the trees.
In my defense, you have to remember that I’d spent the previous ten minutes creeping myself out, and my heart was racing, so I took off running. I slowed down a little crossing the stream (not as much as I did on my way out) and picked my way quickly across the stones. When I looked up, the girl was standing in the path in front of me. She was less foggy and I remember she had very light skin and dark hair. She was standing there, staring at me, so, of course, I stumbled back and fell on my butt in the water.
And this is where I don’t really remember what happened very well. I remember my butt hitting the rocks (I had a huge bruise later) and the REALLY COLD water. Maybe it was the combination of the pain and the cold, but everything went foggy. I don’t remember pulling myself out of the stream or how I got home, but the next thing I do remember is sitting on the stairs of the cabin, sure I’d been having a conversation with someone, but unable to remember with who or what we said. I’d think I dreamed the whole thing, but my clothes were still damp—and my butt was sore.
It was so easy to convince myself the girl had just been a figment of my over-active imagination. I didn’t say anything to my family, because I didn’t know what to say, but I never went walking alone after that. Thinking back on it now, though, I can’t help but wonder if the girl was really there. Was she a ghost? An angel? A demon? But, see, those things don’t exist… do they?

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers Publisher: Tor Teen (September 14th, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 364 pages Series: Personal Demons, book #1 Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance—even her closest friends—and it seems her senior year will be more of the same… until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions—for Hell—and she possesses a unique skill set that has the King of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he’s as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn’t get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay… for all of them.

Prize:

• 1 winner will receive a signed copy of Personal Demons and swag (bookmarks, and Team Luc and Team Gabe tattoos).

• 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 12th.
• Once contacted the winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.
• The form must be filled out to enter.

- Thanks so much Lisa for the amazing story and book/swag donation. Go Team Luc.just sayin'; )

Find Lisa Desrochers Lisa Desrochers / Blog / Twitter / Goodreads
Purchase Personal Demons Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Book Trailer: (And since I AM Team Luc, guess which trailer I picked.ha!)

* 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.

1. Hunger involves a very emotional topic, anorexia. Was this story difficult to write?

Actually, it was very cathartic. I used to be bulimic, and even though I haven’t been in many, many years, tapping into that Thin Voice was very easy to do—I guess it never really goes away. Even the raw parts of the book—the bathroom scene, for one; the bulimic scene, for another—were freeing. Getting the words out didn’t just feel good. It felt right.

2. How did the idea for this book, and series, evolve?
I had the idea for HUNGER for a long time—about 10 years. But I’d convinced myself that no one would want to read it, so I didn’t write it. And then, in October 2008, when I mentioned to my agent that my goal was to become a big enough name so that I could write the book I really wanted to write, she asked what book that would be. So I pitched HUNGER. And she said to me, “Why haven’t you written this book yet???” Basically, with her blessing, I wrote the book. And once it was on submission, my agent said to me, “So which Horseman are you writing about next?” And that’s when the idea for RAGE began to percolate.
3. What has been the most surprising part of being a debut YA author and promoting Hunger?
The teen market is very different than the adult market—and in great ways! It’s exciting to see librarians and booksellers and educators so active in the publishing community.
Separately, the best writing advice I’ve gotten from a teen reader is “Don’t sugar coat things for us; we want the truth.” That’s brilliant and amazing and fabulous to hear—and it makes me eager to keep writing for teens. Write truth!
4. Do you have any other projects you are currently working on?
I’m currently working on LOSS, the third book in the Riders’ Quartet. That book is about a bullied teenage boy who gets tricked into becoming Pestilence. Very different from both HUNGER and RAGE.

5. Can you tell us a little about the next book in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series, Rage?
RAGE is about a teen girl who self-injures, who becomes the new War. It’s the most difficult book I’ve ever written (including all my adult books), and I will donate a portion of proceeds to the nonprofit organization To Write Love On Her Arms.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler Publisher: Harcourt Graphia (October 18th, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Series: Horsemen of the Apocalypse, book #1 “Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

Find Jackie Morse Kessler Jackie Morse Kessler / Blog / Twitter

Purchase Hunger Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository