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!
K ody was born and raised in rural western Kentucky, where she attended high school and began writing her first long pieces of fiction. Kody wrote THE DUFF during her senior year at McLean County High School. Kody is now nineteen and attending Ithaca College in New York where she's majoring in writing and finishing her second novel to be published by Poppy in Fall 2011. She loves books, converse tennis shoes, New York City, and popular TV teen dramas. When she isn't writing, she's spending time with her friends and, most likely, doing piles and piles of homework she has neglected.
1. The DUFF is such an amazing story, but when you first started writing it did you ever imagine it going this far?
Never. I really wrote this book for fun more than anything, and once I finished, I had readers tell me to query agents. I expected rejections all around because, let’s face it, I was so young and the chances were so slim. But I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t try, at least.
And now, a year and a half later, here I am. I can only say that I’ve been so, so blessed to have this all happen to a story that I really, truly loved writing.
2. Now that you are getting feedback from readers, what has surprised you the most about their thoughts on the book? I’m continually amazed by how differently each reader views the same book. I’ve had some readers call THE DUFF “light hearted” while others have called it “heavy” and “emotional.” Some readers have said it’s one of the funniest they’ve read, while others tell me that the book made them cry. Each reader seems to leave with a different take, I’m an always fascinated to see who views the book in which way.
3. I also went to school in Kentucky. Can you explain what it's like to go from a small town in Kentucky to attending college in New York? Well, honestly, I go to school in Ithaca, New York. Which is, in fact, a small town not that much different from the area where I lived in Kentucky. That made it very easy to adapt.
However, I do spend a lot of time in New York City, and I’ve found that I like it there a lot. It’s a huge change from back roads and corn fields, but I love the transportation and the lights and the buzz. I can go from one extreme to another when traveling between NYC and Kentucky, and it’s getting easier every time. But at first, there was total culture shock.
4. You are now working on your second novel. How do you juggle that with going to college and promoting The DUFF? I won’t lie – it’s hard. I get behind a lot. I forget to do things. I don’t get as much sleep as I should and sometimes I miss out on fun things with my friends.
But, at the end of the day, I do my best and I’m happy, because even when it’s hard, it’s a blessing, and I know I’m so lucky to be in this position. I just remind myself of that every time I feel overwhelmed.
Thank you so much Kody for stopping by. USE GOOGLE to check out my review of THE DUFF
The DUFF by Kody Keplinger Publisher: Little Brown- Poppy (September 7th, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 288 pages Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her"Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.
But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.
For more information on Kody Keplinger or The DUFF: Kody Keplinger / Blog / Twitter / Goodreads Buy from: Amazon / The Book Depository / Barnes & Noble
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?
What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton Published: Poppy (October 9th, 2013) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 310 pages Rating: 4 of 5 stars Summary: How can you talk about something you can’t remember?
Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still… ), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.
Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect… or so she thinks.
Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens.
Review:
I was really shocked by how much I enjoyed this book. It was gripping, surprising, and a book I want to read again soon!
Sid was a good girl who was looking forward to her school ski trip. She meets a guy, Dax, and ends up taking a big chance and going to his cabin late one night for what she thinks is a party. Once she arrives she realizes no one else is there.
There's a bit of mystery behind what exactly happened that night because Sid wakes up the next morning with no idea what went on. Dax isn't around so she bolts from the cabin and is finally able to go home. Sid tries to get her life back but she can't get away from what happened to her. She doesn't open up about it but she does try to lean on the small group of people who are proving to be good friends.
One of those friends is Corey. Corey is not really the typical YA guy we find in novels. He's quiet and ends up being a terrific friend. He's a genuine person who turns out to be exactly what Sid needs. It was good to see that one mistake didn't turn her completely off of trusting someone else.
Corey has his own issues and I just loved seeing how his interactions with Sid grew and they develop a strong friendship. Once that turns into romance it's even easier to see how amazing he really is.
Sid really showed her strength in this story and I was happy to see such a brave young girl in a story. I look forward to reading more stories by Colleen Clayton in the future.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Janenifer E. Smith Publisher: Poppy (January 2nd, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 236 pages Source: Publisher Rating: 3 of 5 stars Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.
Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it. Review: When I first saw the cover and summary for this book, I was super excited to get my hands on it. I'm a hopeless romantic and the thoughts of a book taking place during such a short time period really grabbed my attention. This is a cute, romantic story, but it just didn't hold my interest as much as I wanted.
Hadley, a 17 year-old girl, is on her way to her father's wedding in London. She misses her flight and that puts her on a path to meet Oliver, a young boy also on his way to London. This book was interesting because it really shows how timing is everything and how fate can change your life. It's so easy for 1 small thing to change a life forever. Like how you can drop your keys and have them picked up by a guy who may later become your husband because of that 1 small event.
I really enjoyed the beginning of the story and the parts of the plane ride where Hadley and Oliver are really getting to know each other. They had a nice connection early on and their conversations seemed honest and realistic. However, I found that I didn't fully connect with Hadley. There was nothing really wrong with her, and sometimes I found her funny, but she still came off as a bit… boring. Oliver, on the other hand, was wonderful. He was sweet, charming, smart, and witty.
There is a back story to this book that involves Hadley's relationship with her father. She recalls their past together, when he was with her mother, and how it all came crashing down. I think because of my lack of connection with Hadley, I just didn't find an interest in this part of the story. I found myself skipping paragraphs to get back to the sections where she was talking to Oliver.
Overall, there is no doubt this is a cute book with a wonderful romance. If you are looking for a quick read, it's a good pick. It's somewhat predictable but I'm still really glad I read it.
Thanks to Random House, St. Martin's Griffin, HarperTeen, Kensington/ The Teen Book Scene, Poppy, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and Simon & Schuster for the amazing books this week!
Review Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton You Don't Know About Me by Brian Meehl Tighter by Adele Griffin My Not-So-Still Life by Liz Gallagher Jane Jones: Worst Vampire Ever by Caissie St. Onge Slicker by Lucy Jackson Twisted: Pretty Little Liars #9 by Sara Shepard Dragon's Oath by P.C. and Kristin Cast Falling For Hamlet by Michelle Ray The Familiars: Secrets of the Crown (ARC) by Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson Deadly Cool (ARC) by Gemma Halliday Touch of Frost (and bookmark) by Janenifer Estep Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (*2nd copy- read and it is a great book!) Forgotten by Cat Patrick (*2nd copy- LOVED it!)
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.
The Immortals: Everlasting (The Immortals #6) by Alyson Noel (Macmillian Children's Books 7/1/2011) Fins Are Forever (Fins #2) by Tara Lynn Childs (Katherine Tegen Books 7/1/2011) Settling (Solid #2) by Shelley Workinger (CreateSpace 7/4/2011)
Original Sin (Personal Demons #2) by Lisa Desrochers (Tor Teen 7/5/2011) Twisted (Pretty Little Liars #9) by Sara Shepard (HarperTeen 7/5/2011) Sirensong (Faeriewalkers #3) by Janena Black (St. Martin's Griffin 7/5/2011)
Paradise by Jill S. Alexander (Feiwel & Friends 7/5/2011) Falling For Hamlet by Michelle Ray (Poppy 7/5/2011) Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic Press 7/12/2011)
Sass & Serendipity by Janenifer Ziegler (Delacorte Books for Young Readers 7/12/2011) Dragon's Oath (House of Night Novellas #1) by P.C. & Kristin Cast (St. Martin's Press 7/12/2011) Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore (Delacorte Books for Young Readers 7/12/2011)
Starstruck by Cyn Balog (Delacorte Books for Young Readers 7/12/2011) Sometimes it Happens by Lauren Barnholdt (Simon Pulse 7/12/2011) Undercurrent (Siren Trilogy #2) by Tricia Rayburn (EgmontUSA 7/12/2011)
Lost Voices (Lost Voices #1) by Sarah Porter (Harcourt Children's Books 7/4/2011) Luminous by Dawn Metcalf (Dutton Children's Books 7/7/2011) Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris (Delacorte Press 7/12/2011) If you know of any other new releases for July 1st-13th feel free to add them in the comments so others will know about them!
