This was the best week of books EVER! First I have to thank Simon and Schuster and Ellen for your epic awesomeness! I was so thrilled to get these books!
AND Kristie Cook, author of the fabulous book Promise, for the"O-M-G FREAKING OUT" surprise I received yesterday. (PICTURE AT THE BOTTOM)
Also, thanks to Janenifer DeLucy who is super sweet and offered a copy of her books, Brenda Pandos, Disney, Flux, T.K. Richardson, RandomHouse and Valerie from I Should Be Writing.
Simon and Schuster awesomeness!
Review The Mortal Instruments (BOX SET) by Cassandra Clare The Haunted by Jessica Verday Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare Nevermore by Kelly Creagh (2 copies) Invincible Summer (ARC) by Hannah Moskowitz Stay (ARC) by Deb Caletti The Fallen 1: The Fallen and Leviathan by Thomas Sniegoski The Fallen 2: Aerie and Reckoning by Thomas Sniegosky Freefall by Mindi Scott Vanished by Meg Cabot Haven by Kristi Cook It's Not Summer Without You by Janeny Han Elixir by Hilary Duff Wither (ARC) by Lauren DeStefano Darkness Becomes Her (ARC) by Kelly Keaton ----------------------------------- The Sapphire Talisman by Brenda Pandos (signed and bookmarks) Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan Hate List by Janenifer Brown A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler Whisper of Light by Janenifer DeLucy Other by Karen Kincy Return the Heart by T.K Richardson (signed and bookmarks) The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
Won — from Valerie When It Happens by Susane Colasanti The Naughty List by Suzanne Young I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson SURPRISE! Purpose (ARC) by Kristie Cook (signed and bookmarks… and… )
My very first BLURB!! And it means so much to me. I adored Promise and can't wait to read Purpose. Thank you a million times over Kristie for this surprise!!: )
What did you get in your mailbox this week?
*IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristie at The Story Siren and it was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.
"I think I struggled with this book because I'm not used to the unsugarcoated truth; I've grown up with Disney movies and "happily ever afters." But life, as Hannah Moskowitz has illustrated, isn't always as cookie cutter perfect as it appears. " — Miss Remmers
Release Date: April 19th, 2011 Publisher: Simon and Schuster's Children Publishing Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge
"Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?
Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive... ."
This book is misrepresented. It appears to be a light, summer, beach read and it starts out that way. I loved the beginning of this novel because it reminded me of home and of summer. Having grown up on a lake in Northern Minnesota all I know is lake houses and summer. My favorite part of summer was when the "tourists" would come visit on the weekends and the whole town would buzz with excitement and then they'd leave on Sunday evening or Monday morning and, while it was still summer and the sand and the water was all the same, it felt completely different — like a different kind of summer. Then the tourists would return Thursday or Friday and the routine would continue.
In the beginning when Chase and Noah are waiting for their neighbors to return I could almost smell my own beach in MN and feel the sand and hear the water (sans the salt). I envisioned the summer families unloading, unpacking, the excitement of summer finally here. This was the part of the novel I loved — the family, fun, beach part.
But that's not what this book is about. I think if I would have known that going in I would have enjoyed this book as a whole more. I read the synopsis and figured "love triangle" and summer. What I got was a whole lot more depth and I wasn't prepared for this.
For the better half of the novel it was a summer read and then I started picking up on the undertones of the novel (subtle or not): Claudia's rebellion, Noah's disillusionment, Melinda's games, and the fighting. I began to realize that this wasn't a fluffy read and that serious "stuff" was about to be addressed: family, rape, responsibility, handicaps, etc.
I wasn't prepared for this.
I loved Chase and I loved Gideon. But there were all these allusions to Noah's past and his need to run — why did he need to run? I felt like that was really left hanging open for readers merely to accept. Melinda and Chase. Melinda and Noah. Melinda, Chase, and Noah? That was extremely awkward. The families portrayed at the beginning of the novel, my "tourist" families, were shattered, broken, but seemingly perfect. While this bothered me at first it made me question: what about my "tourist" families who come each summer and look so happy. Are they really that happy? Is it all a facade? Furthermore, what about my family? Are we as happy as we appear to strangers and observers?
This book was honest.
Did I enjoy this book? Not as much as had hoped. But despite this, it's undeniable that this book evoked such strong emotion in me that I could feel it throughout my body: rage, sorrow, anger, hatred. With "The Goddess Test " by Aimee Carter my heart felt so connected to the characters and plot, but with "Invincible Summer" I felt disconnected to the characters and plot but there's still this raw emotion inside of me. Even while writing about this I'm angry and upset but I don't really know why. If I didn't like the book why would I be feeling this way? If I didn't like the book how can I be so emotional about it?
Maybe I just didn't like what happened in the book. Maybe I just didn't like how honest the plot was. Maybe I didn't like the book because it's filled with raw emotion, it's real, and it's life. And really, isn't it that very raw emotion what makes a good book? I think I struggled with this book because I'm not used to the unsugarcoated truth; I've grown up with Disney movies and "happily ever afters." But life, as Hannah Moskowitz has illustrated, isn't always as cookie cutter perfect as it appears.
Favorite Quote: "Hiding behind an attitude is no better than hiding behind literature" (178).
-Visit Hannah around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
To the FTC, with love: Review from Publisher (hard copy)
" I was completely brought into this novel by the suspenseful writing, 'life-like' characters, and the riveting plot." — Miss Remmers Release Date: April 5th, 2011 Publisher: Simon and Schuster Challenges: 2011 eBook Challenge and 100+ Reading Challenge
"Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.
Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough... "
Okay, this "Stay" is another victim of me not reading the synopsis before reading the book. I began this book with no prior knowledge of it's plot and as a result was extremely surprised and enthralled. Immediately just by the tone of the book I knew something was amiss and I had to find out exactly what happened. I started picking up on the subtle clues and began to dissect and over-analyze every line.
The pacing of this novel was perfect; I wanted to know what had happened but I never felt like there was a dull moment. I waited for the "ah-ha" moment but my need to understand it was satiated a bit more with each chapter until the "big reveal." Part of this was due to the Deb Caletti's flawlessly elegant and thought-provoking language. I mean, really, on page 10 I was already thinking: "Man, I wish I had a hard copy to put sticky notes and even (God forbid) highlight in!"
I was completely brought into this novel by the suspenseful writing, "life-like" characters, and the riveting plot. It may be due to the fact that I am currently teaching Romeo and Juliet and have to teach each scene five times (five periods of English 9) and that my mind is just enveloped by R&J, but a lot of the bookmarks I made were because I wanted to share them with my students. They are currently struggling with how quickly Romeo and Juliet fell in love and I think that "Stay" describes that kind of "love" so perfectly.
It was also a bit sobering as before I met my Prince Charming I dated a few duds (emphasis on few). While reading "Stay" I remembered my first boyfriend at the age of 16 and saw some definite similarities to that relationship and Clara and Christian's. The jealousy, the rage, the anger, but most importantly the fear of being left and the addiction and obsession that came with my first "love." I remember editing myself, like Clara, in front of this boyfriend out of fear of his reaction. Like Clara, I have been addicted to love and lost myself in that obsession.
I think that "Stay" is the perfect read for any high school student and, after my book talk yesterday in class, I hope that many of my students go and pick up this book after it's release next week. When reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet they roll their eyes and say "that never happens in real life." While I pray that they are never in a situation like Clara or even a relationship similar to the one I had, I think it's important that they realize that this does happen but it doesn't always have to have a tragic ending.
Quick note: I think I would have really enjoyed the annotations (as that's how I tend to write, think, and talk) but on an eReader it was hard to follow.
Final Quick Note: When I was looking at Deb's website I realized that the characters are linked! I think that is SO cool — Nine Miles Falls!!! It reminds me of the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
Originality: 10/10 Ending: 10/10 Characters: 9/10 Plot: 10/10 My reaction/enjoyment: 9/10 Cover: 7/10 Overall: 55/60 A
Because the language of this novel was caught my attention first and left me analyzing Shakespeare and my life, I'd like to share a few of my favorite quotes found in the ARC Galley. Please remember that any of these quotes are subject to change in the actual published novel.
"But something had already been set in motion, and I wonder and wonder how things would have been if I'd have just let that moment pass, the one where our eyes met. If I had just taken Shakti's arm and moved off, letting the electrical jolt that passed between us fade off, letting the girl return to his side, letting fate head off in another direction entirely... " (10-11).
"I had already made him into someone he would never be, and I didn't know it then, but he was already doing the same with me" (12).
"Dad was a priss about jaywalking... Or maybe he just liked to stare down what he'd testily call the "grammatical error sanctioned by the state." There is, of course, no apostrophe in the DONT WALK sign" (43).
"I tended to give a book chance and another chance and another, sometimes seeing it al the way to the end, still hoping for it to turn out different. Maybe I was confused about what you owed a book. What you owed people, for that matter, real or fictional" (49). Talk about a blogging reference!!
"I tried to read that book again before I went to sleep. I didn't like that book, but I kept going for all the reasons a person hangs in with something that isn't good — you feel bad about not giving it a chance, you've already come too far to give up now, you believe it's going to get better" (77).
-Visit Deb around the web here: Website | Goodreads -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
"For some reason I am able to forgive the one dimensional characters and "too fast" of pace because of the end result: a book I couldn't put down." — Miss Remmers
Release Date: November 15th, 2011 Publisher: Simon and Schuster Challenges: Dystopia Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge, eBook Challenge
"In the violent country of Ludania, the language you speak determines what class you are, and there are harsh punishments if you forget your place—looking a member of a higher class in the eye can result in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina (Charlie for short) can understand all languages, a dangerous ability she’s been hiding her whole life. Her only place of release is the drug-filled underground club scene, where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. There, she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy who speaks a language she’s never heard, and her secret is almost exposed. Through a series of violent upheavals, it becomes clear that Charlie herself is the key to forcing out the oppressive power structure of her kingdom…."
I began "The Pledge" with knowing nothing more than the synopsis and that it was a "pretty big deal" on Twitter when it was released via the Galley Grab; this was basically a "blind read" for me. Let me start with my initial reaction: complete and pure love. I read almost the entirety of this novel on Sunday when my husband was watching football and after our Sunday night family dinner with the in-laws we went to see "Real Steel" in theaters and I was still thinking about this book. As an exhausted new teacher, there are very few books that I "stay up for" (because, seriously, I'm usually in bed by 9:30) so when I told Dan that I wanted to stay up and read while he watched the days football highlights, he was completely shocked. An hour and a half later I finished "The Pledge" and couldn't wait to tell everyone about it.
I loved the pacing, I loved the plot, I loved the entire concept! I absolutely loved all the parallels to society today and loved analyzing the book in comparison to immigration and language barriers; I found several wonderful quotes that I have written down below to tease you. I mean, the power of words is unmistakable but Derting does such a fantastic job of highlighting and illustrating that power. I loved the twits and I loved how I never really knew which characters to trust. My initial reaction to this book was pure and complete adoration.
But within a days time I was online and reading reviews and one particular review (compliments of April from Good Books and Wine) has kept me thinking. This review brought up tons of different points that I realized I agree with but had just never thought about. I realized, after reading this thorough and fair review, that the characters aren't multidimensional — I can't tell you why I like Max or what makes Charlie so special (besides for being "plain" — which I guess has become synonymous with "the girl next door" that every protagonist lately has become). I don't understand why Max is "intrigued" by Charlie and I don't understand Charlie and Aron's relationship.
April's points about pacing also rang true for me. I couldn't put this book down because I was never bored but that probably has a lot to do with the fact that the entirety of this story really takes place in a very small time frame. Now that I think about it, I'm a bit flabbergasted that the entire plot took place in the span of a few days and that one girl's life could change so completely. But while I was reading, none of this bothered me or even occurred to me.
I think the power of the review is astonishing. April's review of this book has kept me thinking and comparing my thoughts to hers and how we agree on so much but our feelings at the end were so different. Even with all of these points, this book was still amazing for me. For some reason I am able to forgive the one dimensional characters and "too fast" of pace because of the end result: a book I couldn't put down.
Favorite Quotes: "That was when the class system was first imposed. It was designed to discourage future uprisings, to keep people living apart so ideas of rebellion could not be co-mingled. Language became a tool, a way to complete that division... words had become the ultimate barrier" (144 — according to my Nook in the Galley). "These Outcasts who spoke only one shared language, seemed happier than those... who were segregated by words and ruled by fear" (225 — again, my Nook in the Galley).
-Visit Lisa around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
3. Do you have your own blog or plan to start one? (If you have one, do you find blogging to be fun? If you don't have one, why the heck not??)
I’ve had a blog (http://blog.jerismithready.com) since September 2004. When I first started blogging, it was this magical way to interact instantaneously with my friends (and eventually readers) and spout off about whatever weird thing I was thinking about. It was more fun, inclusive, and substantive than e-mail and chats. But now, Twitter and Facebook satisfy my urge to socialize much better than blogging does. I can have an actual conversation instead of me putting out this essay and people responding.
I really admire authors who can blog well and do it consistently, but good blogging for me comes from the same well of creative energy as writing books does. So you can always tell when my writing is going well, because that’s when my blog gets really quiet.
I think authors (or anyone) should only do the stuff online that they enjoy, because that — Jeri Smith-Ready
I do have three blogs. One is on my website--nancyholder.com. Another is my live journal blog (Nancy Holder) and I am a member of the Simon and Schuster Pulse It! Community for teen readers. I wish I had more time to just sit and blog. I read a number of other people's blogs to wind down late at night, and I thoroughly enjoy catching up on their experiences. — Nancy Holder
I have blogs, but not a book blog. My author blog is at www.KristieCook.com and my writer blog (yes, there’s a difference, this one is for other writers) is at http://a-musedwriter.blogspot.com/ I would love to have a book blog but I would want to give it the time and love needed to make it as great as this one. If I did that, I’d never get another book written, which could upset a few people, including myself. — Kristie Cook
I have had a blog since 2004. I’ve chronicled my writing career, my books, my trips to England and other far-flung places. Now I currently maintain two blogs – one for the main JanaOliver.com website and one for the UK DemonTrappers.co.uk site. Sometimes the main website content is mirrored on the UK blog, but most time the UK has a different bent. It’s quite a challenge to come up with interesting articles to post. I’m not as polished as some, but I do enjoy it. — Jana Oliver
I tried blogging, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. While I can lose myself in writing fiction, writing a blog is, in a way, baring my soul (without the shield of fiction!) I used to write book reviews for newspapers, and when my first book came out, I found I couldn’t do it anymore. — Julie Chibbaro
I totally have an author's blog and I love it. There's so much more to blogging than just"dear diary." A lot of work goes into it, and the potential for fun is endless. — Janenifer DeLucy
I do indeed, at www.hollycupala.com. I blog about beloved books, events, and of course lots of secrets about Tell Me a Secret and Don’t Breathe a Word. One of my favorite series ever was when a bunch of YA bloggers guest posted for me on What YA Bloggers Want. It was a lot of fun to see what they said—and helpful for me as an author. Thank you for participating, Jessica! — Holly Cupala
I blog! At http://bethrevis.blogspot.com. I blogged for years before I got my book deal and I adore the blogging community. — Beth Revis
Yes, I do have a blog on my website, and blogging is definitely fun! I enjoy writing about different topics that will hopefully be of interest to readers. — Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
I do have a blog as part of my webpage, and I usually use it to make announcements and share reviews of the books that I'm reading. I'll admit that I'm not that active with it, but it's a great way to keep in contact with people and respond to news and stuff. Having it linked to Goodreads is really great because I've been lucky enough to find a lot of readers over there. — Jason Letts
I have a blog, but it's for my shameless promoting. lol. I wish I had more time to review books on there and write other stuff. Maybe one day when my preschoolers are older. — Brenda Pandos
* The fourth question for the bloggers will be posted tomorrow in 3 parts. USE GOOGLE if you want to know more about the blogoversary celebration.
"This is a fantastic book from Elizabeth Scott that new and old fans will enjoy. It's full of emotion, surprise, and honesty — what more can you ask for?" — Miss Remmers
Release Date: May 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge and 2011 eBook Challenge
"Abby accepted that she can't measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.
Until the accident.
Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby's life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.
She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she'd never seen.
Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could... " As my first Elizabeth Scott novel, I didn't quite know what to expect with "Between Here and Forever." I figured it would be very similar to Lurlene McDaniel (from my middle school years) where the dying sister leaves the younger sister all on her own to deal with her devastation and grief before meeting a young man who is also hurting in one way or another. The two (inevitably) develop a wonderful friendship and become either best friends or lovers so that when the sister dies the younger sister isn't all alone.
You get the idea.
"Between Here and Forever" starts out with that general plot line so much so that I almost put it down. But somewhere between pages 50 and 200 something exciting happened and I don't really know what it was. This book went from a book where I was looking at the pages thinking "Oh my, I have a lot left to read" to me looking down and realizing the book was almost finished! I can't exactly say what transformed this book because I have yet to figure it out myself. But I will admit that this book is full of so much more depth and raw emotion than I had assumed or expected.
I will say that Abby's "I suck" attitude did wear on me throughout the novel. At first it made me sad to see her take compliments and misconstrue them to be negative, but this behavior continued to get worse and I continued to get more annoyed. But by the end of the novel I understood why this was necessary; I also understand that this trait made Abby probably more of a realistic and honest character than she would have been without.
There were a few "twists" throughout this novel that I very much enjoyed and didn't see coming. Really. On the plane to BEA (that's how late this post is) there was a moment where I couldn't help but exclaim, "Really! Wow!" and Sheila (Book Journey) may have rolled her eyes at me.:)
This is a fantastic book from Elizabeth Scott that new and old fans will enjoy. It's full of emotion, surprise, and honesty — what more can you ask for?
-Visit Elizabeth around the web here: Website | Goodreads | Twitter -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
This year we wanted to add to the excitement of Top 10 lists by making it an event! Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Rachel from Fiktshun & Jaime & Patricia from Two Chicks on Books and and I are hosting a top 10 week where everyone can join the fun! You can check out this post for more information. Each day you add your top 10 list to the linky (below), you get an extra entry into the giveaway for a $50 amazon gift card! Just remember, each day will have a linky for THAT Top 10 topic and your list has to be for that top 10.
First, we wanted to do a little wrap-up for the year! 117 Books Read! 36,776 pages read! 435 posts this year!
My goal for this year was 100 books so next year I'm bringing that up to 110!
Today is Top 10 Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2012!
Why: I've had Divergent on every single list this week so it's obvious that I'm dying to get my hands on this book! Can't.wait!! Add it to Goodreads Summary: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
Onyx by Janenifer L. Armentrout Entangled Publishing (May 2012) Series: Lux #2 Why: Does anything by Janenifer even need an explanation anymore? Hot guys, wonderful plots, kick-butt heroines, it's all there! And look at that *points to cover*.yeah… who can resist him?! Add it to GoodreadsSummary:No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…
Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins Hyperion Books (March 13th, 2012) Series: Hex Hall #3
Why: I adored the first 2 books in this series and I can't wait to find out what happens next. Sophie is one of my favorite female characters of all time! Add it to Goodreads Summary: Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.
Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.
Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?
Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready Simon Pulse (May 1st, 2012) Series: Shade #3 Why: This series has a special place in my heart! I'm so sad to see it end but I know Jeri will not disappoint.Add it to GoodreadsSummary: No other love has burned so bright
Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced that she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves… even if that means betraying her own heart.
Why:Starcrossed was awesome and I really need to read this book! There were so many questions that have to be answered and I can't wait to see how it all plays out! Add it to Goodreads Summary: As the only Scion that can enter Hades at will, Helen descends to the Underworld in search of a way to overcome the Furies and end the cycle of revenge that has cursed the Scions. But she’s running out of time. Each descent weakens her both in mind and spirit. A mysterious stranger might be her only salvation, but the price may be her love for Lucas Delos.
As an unforgettable love triangle emerges, Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding. The eagerly awaited sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed, Dreamless delivers with a huge emotional impact that will leave readers satisfied—and longing for more.
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore Dial (May 1st, 2012) Series: The Seven Kingdoms #3 Why: I read Graceling and Fire a long time ago and have been checking on this book for over a year! I was so excited to see the cover and a release date, YAY! Add it to GoodreadsSummary: Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past. Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.
Why: Hourglass was a whole book of greatness and I know this one will be just as good. And, I do <3 me some Kaleb!! Add it to Goodreads Summary: A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking…
Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?
Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devestating results.
Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough…
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver HarperTeen (February 28th, 2012) Series: Delirium #2 Why: Love the storyline that goes along with this series and Delirium really left me needing more! I plan to read this one very very soon! Add it to GoodreadsSummary: I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing aside thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, push, push, push, like Raven taught me to do. The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too. I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Fever by Lauren DeStefano Simon & Schuster (February 21st, 2012) Series: The Chemical Gardens #2
Why: Another very unique dystopian and I really want to get my hands on this book to find out what happens to Rhine and Gabriel! Add it to Goodreads Summary:Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion. But danger is never far behind.
Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago―surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The Two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine's twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous―and in a world where young woman only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can't seem to elude Rhine's father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion… by any means necessary.
Deity by Janenifer L. Armentrout Spencer Hill Press (November 8th, 2012) Series: Covenant #3 Why: *see answer above*: ) Actually, there is another book, Pure, coming out before this one, but I read it as soon as it entered my door so now I must have Deity.like.NOW! Add it to GoodreadsSummary: (Not available yet)
A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young Balzer + Bray (June 26th, 2012) Series: A Need So Beautiful #2
Why: Really loved A Need So Beautiful and the interesting plot in this series. It was another book that left me with a ton of questions that I gotta know the answers to! Plus, Harlin *swoon*. Add it to Goodreads Summary: Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park, with no idea who she is.
After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose affect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.
Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really? Yes, I know that was 11: ) There are so many more books too! I tried to highlight books in a series here but below are a few stand-alone books I can't wait for…
If I Lie by Corrine Jackson Simon Pulse (August 28th, 2012) Add it to Goodreads
Breaking Beautiful by Janenifer Shaw Wolf Walker & Company (April 24th, 2012) Add it to Goodreads
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry Harlequin Teen (August 2012) Add it to Goodreads
Something Like Normal by Trish Doller Bloomsbury (June 19th, 2012) Add it to Goodreads
The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt Simon Pulse (July 10h, 2012) Add it to Goodreads
Don't forget to link each day! Signing up & then linking your Top 10 posts early you EXTRA entries into the $50.00 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway. The last day to share your posts is January 8th, 2012. The winner will be picked using Random.org and announced during the week of the 9th, 2012. Good Luck! NOTE: this is the SAME Linky on each of the Co-Hosts Blogs, so please only enter your Name, Blog Name and URL once. Thanks!
Tonya Hurley is here today to talk about her book Precious Blood. There's also a fantastic contest that you can sign up for below!
Saints and Sinners Tour By Tonya Hurley PRECIOUS BLOOD is the tale of three Brooklyn teenagers – Lucy, Cecilia and Agnes – who are at the lowest point of their lives when they encounter Sebastian, an enigmatic guy who believes that each of them may be the incarnation of a namesake historic female martyr.
These martyr legends are some of the first young adult stories that we have. These girls are possibly the first young adult superstars on record – their tales of passion, strength, struggle, the supernatural, suffering, and devotion are what all good love stories are made of.
In the book PRECIOUS BLOOD, the first in THE BLESSED trilogy, Cecilia, Agnes and Lucy are three girls struggling to make it in a gritty, modern day Brooklyn- looking for love, for fame, and for who they really are.
AGNES of THE BLESSED Trilogy
Agnes is in love with love. And, when Sebastian comes to her that fateful night in the emergency room, after her suicide attempt, she is ready to believe in love, and him, whole-heartedly. She is the youngest of the three girls, and a headstrong, hopeless romantic, consumed with the notion of ideal love.
A rebellious bohemian in both dress and attitude, Agnes is an open-minded, carefree spirit most comfortable in her long skirts and thrift store jewelry finds, writing journal entries in her homespun and loungy bedroom with cozy knitted blankets, silk robes, and embroidered cushions everywhere smelling of incense and burning candles. Hers is a world of vintage boutiques and flea market scores, which define her unconventional style and her artsy personality as well as her loyalty to the past and ability to see beauty in things. While she may be a sentimental daydreamer, Agnes is no pushover. She finds herself constantly at odds with her overbearing, divorced and decidedly more practical mother, Martha, with whom she shares a Park Slope brownstone. Martha pushes her toward guys with big futures and family money but Agnes pushes back, holding out for something genuine. Something real. Something everlasting.
Photo Credit: N atalie Shau
Precious Blood by Tonya Hurley Published: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (May 14th, 2013) Reading Level: Young Adult Summary: What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them? Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief. The story begins in PRECIOUS BLOOD and continues in PASSIONARIES, available 1/7/14.
Prize:
The Patron Saints of Summer Prize PackOne (1) winner receives:
· Earbuds (courtesy of Cecilia, Patron Saint of Music) · Sunglasses (courtesy of Lucy, Patron Saint of Sight) · Essie Chastity Nail Polish (courtesy of Agnes, Patron Saint of Chastity) · Copy of Precious Blood
· AND an Agnes t-shirt
Giveaway open to U.S. addresses only. Prizing & samples courtesy of Simon & Schuster.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends July1st
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The form must be filled out to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Learn more at http://theblessed.com Like The Blessed on Facebook Follow The Blessed and Tonya Hurley on Twitter and join the conversation using #PreciousBlood Follow The Blessed on Pinterest About the Author Tonya Hurley is the New York Times best-selling author of the highly acclaimed “ghostgirl “ book series; creator, writer and producer of animated and live action hit television series; writer and director of independent films; writer and director of commercials for Playstation, Gameboy and Warner Home Video; and creator of groundbreaking videogames. Her new young adult trilogy, THE BLESSED, begins with Precious Blood.
Praise for Precious Blood “Our new favorite dark, sexy rock-n-roll thriller.” (SugarScape.com) “Intriguing premise, fiery dialogue, and digs about celebrity-obsessed culture that moves at the speed of Twitter… ” (Publishers Weekly) "… Hurley brings her deadpan wit and blackest humor to the first tale in this trilogy about spirituality, sacrifice and supernatural romance." (MTV Hollywood Crush)
The rest of the Saints and Sinners tour: Monday, June 17: Meet Agnes the girl at Confessions of a Bookaholic and Agnes the Saint at Candace’s Book Blog.
Tuesday, June 18: Meet Cecilia the girl at Bewitched Bookworms and Cecilia the Saint at A Life Bound by Books. Wednesday, June 19: Meet Lucy the girl at The Reading Date and Lucy the Saint at All Things Urban Fantasy Thursday, June 20: Meet Sebastian the boy at Vampire Book Club and Sebastian the Saint at The Book Cellar. Friday, June 21: In Bed With Books has a Q&A with Tonya.
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.
"I'm so in awe of the world that Lauren has created" — Miss Remmers
Release Date: February 21st, 2012 Publisher: Simon and Schuster Challenges: 75+ Challenge
"Rhine and Gabriel may have escaped the beautiful prison of Wither’s mansion, but they are far from escaping danger. First they’re chased for stealing a getaway boat, and then the fleeing pair ends up in the eerie den of Madame, an old woman who collects girls and sells them to the highest bidders. Worst of all, Vaughn, Rhine’s sinister father-in-law, seems to be on her trail every step of the way. Rhine remains determined to get to her brother in Manhattan—but the road they are on is long and perilous.Now that Rhine has finally regained her freedom, what lengths will she need to go to in order to keep it?"
IMM 1.21.12 "Squee" Moment 1.18.12 Wither 3.14.11 Book Mourning 3.12.11
Ladies and Gentlemen, that list of links right there ^ are the posts in which I have "squeed" over Lauren DeStefano, "Wither," and "Fever." I think it's almost safe to say that I'm completely obsessed. After receiving "Fever" I was almost too scared to read it. I ended up going to Twitter and asking people if Linden (my love) made an appearance and finally Cat (Beyond Elsewhere) told me that there would be "very little." I'd rather know than not — right?
Right.
Well, without Linden, I should be able to wait a few weeks to read it. Right? Wrong. After trying to get into a book for two days finally I just gave in and picked up the book that's been on my "most wanted" list for almost a year!
I immediately fell back into the plot and characters. While I was still ever hopeful of a "Linden Appearance," this never held me back from enjoying the story as it is. I'm still captivated by the setting and the dystopian atmosphere. Even though Gabriel isn't my favorite character, I enjoyed his and Rhine's journey. I liked their adventures and I loved the intrigue.
But something was missing for me.
Romance.
Call me stubborn and call me a fool for liking the polygamist over the poor server boy, but I just don't understand the romance between Gabriel and Rhine. I just don't feel it and I don't think Gabriel's feelings are as strong or as genuine as Linden's. But, I'm not the writer.
There was also a "twist" at the end that I'm not sure if I'm intelligent enough to get (apparently). I had to reread it like six times to make sure I was understanding the lingo. Overall, at this point in the series, I don't have any emotional connection to Rhine's twin brother Rowan and the twist did little to move me.
Bottom line: I enjoyed this book and I'm so in awe of the world that Lauren has created. When I book talk these books to my students they always shine away from the "polygamy" thing but after I explain that's it's more dystopia than anything their interests are peaked.
I do love Linden and I'm so excited to see where the third book will take us, even though I can guess it's not the direction that I'm favoring (because, really, when does the polygamist ever really win?). I'm going to be rereading "Wither" here shortly because I just can't get those feelings out of my head — as it was, I'm pretty sure, the most romantic novel I've ever read.
So, my question for you dear readers is this: am I crazy? Am I making a "romance" out of nothing? Out of one man's naivety and one girl's complete prison? Or do you feel it too?
-Connect with the author: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
To the FTC, with love: ARC received from Publisher
This is another hard list for me. There are so many amazing books coming out next year. Here are j ust a few o f the ones I am looking forw ard to.
Title: Sweet Peril Author: Wendy Higgins Publisher: HarperTeen Add to Goodreads Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.
Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.
When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?
Title: Taken Author: Erin Bowman Publisher: HarperTeen Add to Goodreads There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends… and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.
Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?
Title: Things I Can't Forget Author: Miranda Kenneally Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Add to Goodreads Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.
Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…
This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt… with her.
Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…
Title: Level 2 Author: Lenore Appelhans Publisher: Simon & Schuster Add to Goodreads Three levels. Two loves. One choice. Debut novelist, Lenore Appelhans has written a thrilling otherworldly young adult novel about a place that exists between our world (Level 1) and what comes after life (Level 2).
'I pause to look around the hive — all the podlike chambers are lit up as the drones shoot up on memories … I've wanted to get out of here before, but now the tight quarters start to choke me. There has to be more to death than this.'
Felicia Ward is dead. Trapped in a stark white afterlife limbo, she spends endless days replaying memories, of her family, friends, boyfriend … and of the guy who broke her heart. The guy who has just broken into Level 2 to find her.
Felicia learns that a rebellion is brewing, and it seems she is the key. Suspended between heaven and earth, she must make a choice. Between two worlds, two lives and two loves.
Title: Boundless Author: Cynthia Hand Publisher: HarperTeen Add to Goodreads The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.
Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her.. even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California — and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.
As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one.. With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.
Title: The Forever of Ella & Micha Author: Jessica Sorensen Add to Goodreads It's the kind of love that owns you, the kind that last forever.
Ella and Micha have been through tragedy, heartbreak, and love. When they are with each other, anything seems possible. But the days of racing cars and passionate kisses are gone now that they are thousands of miles apart.
Ella continues going to school and tries to deal with her irrevocable mistakes. She constantly worries about how her life will end up, and with her father in and out of rehab, she’s having a hard time making it through the days. All she wants is Micha by her side, but she refuses to let her problems get in the way of his dreams.
Micha spends his days traveling the country with the band, but he knows something is missing from his life. Being away from Ella is harder than he thought. He wants her closer to him—needs her with him. But he won’t ask her to leave college, just to be with him.
The few moments they do spend together are fleeting, intense, and filled with passion, but it only makes it more difficult when they have to part. They quickly learn that a long-distance relationship is challenging and it tests their love.
They know they want to be together, but is wanting something enough to get them to their forever?
Title: If You Stay Author: Courtney Cole Add to Goodreads 24-year old Pax Tate is an asshole. Seriously.
He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match.
But he’s got his reasons.
His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count.
As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade. So he slipped far, far from it.
Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right? Wrong.
And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila. Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.
When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one… the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness.
But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it.
He knows that. And he’s working on it.
But is that enough to make her stay?
Title: Date You To Author: Katie McGarry Publisher: Harlequin Teen Add to Goodreads"I dare you… "
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does…
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.
But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all…
Title: Fragments Author: Dan Wells Publisher: Balzer + Bray Add to Goodreads Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence--it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?
Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.
The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity's time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means--and even more important, a reason--for our survival .
Title: Apollyon Author: Janenifer L. Armentrout Publisher: Spencer Hill Press Add to Goodreads Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.
Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.
The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.
Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself. Don't forget to share YOUR list in the Linky below!Today's giveaway is hosted by Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads NOTE: This is the same Linky on ALL Co-Hosts Blogs.
"When I think of 'Silence' this is what I remember: a grown woman hiding out in closet-sized Study Room with a book about Fallen Angels and not being able to put it down." — Miss Remmers
Release Date: October 2011 Publisher: Simon and Schuster Challenges: 100+ Challenge
"The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past... bridged two irreconcilable worlds... faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust... and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever."
I read "Hush Hush " two summers ago and "Crescendo " less than a month ago. Between "Hush Hush" and "Crescendo " I lost my enthusiasm for this series. After reading "Hush Hush " I was just amazed and astounded — wanting more! Do to all the other books that needed reading, I didn't get to "Crescendo " until recently. As I opened "Crescendo " for the first time I wasn't really sure how I felt about it. I didn't remember the characters. I didn't remember the plot. I didn't remember Fitzpatrick's created reality. In retrospect, I think that's why I didn't really care for "Crescendo " — I was spending most of my time trying to figure out what was going on.
"Silence," on the other hand, reminded me what I love about this series. While I wasn't as lost as Nora, I loved rediscovering this reality along with her. As her memory returned in fragments and flashes — so did mine! "Silence" is exactly what I needed to rekindle my love of Nora, Patch, and even Scott!
This book was a complete page turner. While at school during my plan period and lunch I kept sneaking away to find a quiet place to read. I felt like I was back (actually attending) at high school again! I found a little study room that was nice, but it's between two classrooms and I was so nervous about being caught! I may (or may not) have even hid out in the staff bathroom during passing time between classes waiting for the other teachers to clear out. Finally, my nerves were spent and I couldn't take feeling like a rebel anymore so I settled for the school library (which isn't nearly as relaxing or quiet). I can't explain it, but I felt as if I were breaking the rules or doing something I shouldn't be when all I was doing was reading! It was the most peculiar thing! It's not as if I didn't get my work done but I didn't want to be chastised either.
Anyway, when I think of "Silence" that is what I will think of: a grown woman hiding out in closet-sized Study Room with a book about Fallen Angels. Like the other novels, "Silence" is fast paced and a book that, right when I had it all figured out, the plot twisted. It was fantastic! I ended up reading it in two days and cannot wait for the fourth installment (I hope my memory holds).
-Visit Becca around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
Today I am featuring the top 10 book boyfriends of 2012. You may notice that I haven't posted anything yet for this event yet but I've had a really sick child since Christmas: ( I will be catching up on the posts though so stay tuned for that. Top 10 Book Boyfriends
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: 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: 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: 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: Unlikely Allies Author: Tiffany King Add to Goo drea ds Eighteen-year-old Kimberly gets the shock of her life when she learns the father she thought was dead is not only very much alive, but never even knew she existed. Angry with her mother for lying all these years, Kimberly flies to Colorado to meet the father she knows nothing about before heading off to college in the fall.
Her father’s world turns out to be nothing like she expected. Rather than the typical nine to five lifestyle, Kimberly’s father runs a summer foster camp that teaches young children skills to build their confidence and self-esteem. The Colorado Rocky Mountains are a different world than the sunny shores of California, taking Kimberly completely out of her element, and causing her to second-guess her spur of the moment decision.
Never being one to quit anything, Kimberly is determined to show her father that a surfer girl can fit into this rugged mountain wilderness. That is if she can deal with Mason, an arrogant nineteen-year-old guy who has made it his mission to point out every mistake she has made since her arrival. While she would love nothing more than to rub it in his know-it-all face, Kimberly can’t deny the feelings he stirs up inside her, or the chemistry between them, even during their verbal assaults.
When a tragic accident leaves them stranded in the mountains, Kimberly must use her shaky skills to save Mason and survive the elements. Suddenly, fighting is the last thing on their minds as they must rely on each other if they want to live. In their struggle for survival, they realize what they thought they knew about each other isn’t true after all.
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: Destiny's Fire Author: Trisha Wolfe Publisher: Omnific Publishing Add to Goodreads It's the year 2040, and sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind-part of a nearly extinct race of shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Her home and her secret are threatened when the Council lowers the barrier, allowing the enemy race to enter the Shythe haven.As the Narcolym airships approach, Dez and her friends rebel against their Council and secretly train for battle. Not only is Dez wary of war and her growing affection for her best friend Jace, she fears the change her birthday will bring. When Dez's newfound power rockets out of control, it's a Narcolym who could change her fate… if she can trust him.Dez's guarded world crumbles when she discovers why the Narcos have really come to Haven Falls, and she's forced to choose between the race who raised her and the enemy she's feared her whole life.
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: Lucid Author: P.T. Michelle Add to Goodreads Once Nara combines her prophetic ability with Ethan’s power to outsmart Fate at his own deadly cat-and-mouse game, she’s more determined than ever to help Ethan learn the meaning behind the raven sword tattoo that suddenly appeared on his back after their confrontation with Fate.
During her quest to uncover the tattoo’s secrets, Nara enlists the help of some new friends and discovers her own surprising connection to Ethan.
While Nara digs deeper into the mystery, her desire for answers leads her down a dangerous path full of powerful and ruthless enemies. Swept into an age-old battle, Nara quickly learns that keeping one’s enemies close can be a necessary evil, making an intangible enemy she can control far more preferable to the human enemies she can’t.
Title: A Girl Named Digit Author: Annabel Monaghan Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Add to Goodreads Farrah"Digit" Higgins may be going to MIT in the fall, but this L.A. high school genius has left her geek self behind in another school district so she can blend in with the popular crowd at Santa Monica High and actually enjoy her senior year. But when Farrah, the daughter of a UCLA math professor, unknowingly cracks a terrorist group's number sequence, her laid-back senior year gets a lot more interesting. Soon she is personally investigating the case, on the run from terrorists, and faking her own kidnapping-- all while trying to convince a young, hot FBI agent to take her seriously. So much for blending in.
Now it's YOUR turn! Link up your list using the Linky below! I am hosting the giveaway for today!!Enter below for a chance to win $15 to The Book Depository. Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is International and ends January 10th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The form must be filled out to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway Note: This is the SAME Linky on all FIVE Co-hosting blogs.
Well, we didn't make it to the Simon and Schuster Fall Preview. I mean we made it literally, but we were about an hour late due to a delayed flight and once we arrived we were sent all over the building and no one really seemed to know what was going on. We went from the 14th floor to the 7th floor to the 4th floor to the 17th floor! Finally, we decided to cut our losses, find food, and head towards the Teen Author Carnival. That, of course, ended up in a three hour trek in Manhattan due to some poor directions and tired feet.
But eventually we DID make it to the TAC and had a great time! It was a bit different than 2010 as the place was even more packed and there really wasn't a lot of time, unless you waited for the lines to die down, to actually talk to the authors so I'm hoping to accomplish that more tomorrow.
After our TAC adventure Sheila and I returned to the hotel room, got some Subway, and relaxed the rest of the night. It was a long, tiring day but we survived with a bit of improvisation and will, indeed, live to see another day.
Friends I Made Today
Renee from The Book Girl Reviews
Jamie from The Broke and The Bookish
Robin from Scholastic
Friends I Missed Out On at TAC But Vow to Say Hello Tomorrow
The Book Smugglers
Julia from Rex Robot Reviews
Farrah from I Eat Words
Day Two: The plan of Day 2 centers around (obviously) Book Expo America. Sheila and I plan to leave for the Javits around 6am to stand in line to get our badges (as we didn't have time on today). From there we will probably move to another line to enter the Exhibit Hall. After that, all bets are off and let the craziness begin. I'm hoping to go into the Expo a little more level headed this year and again, be a bit more selective.
I don't exactly have a "plan" for the Expo, but I do want to get my hands on "Witch Eyes," "The Demon Trapper's Daughter," "Haven," and "Enthralled" hopefully today. I also am on the look out for "The Power of Six" — if anyone sees it please let me know via Twitter! Tomorrow I do want to check out the Online Book Discovery discussion, the Inkspot Tweetup, and the Bookrageous Bash! Sometime tomorrow (if at all possible) I'd also like to sneak away to go to the HP Exhibit so if you're interested in that let me know!
"This is definitely a 'Sorry, I can't hang out because I'm reading' book." — Miss Remmers
Release Date: February 7th, 2012 Publisher: Simon and Schuster/Simon Pulse Challenges: 75+ Challenge
"Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It’s a miracle…at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn’t going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he’d be able to put the pieces back together. But there’s something that’s keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable... "
Okay, can I just say — WOW! A relatively short book (less than 300 pages) that had me from the first page. But this isn't a new thing for me. Lisa McMann and I have an ever growing relationship where she hooks my interest from the first page, first paragraph, first line. I still think this has something to do with the short and to the point sentences — but anyway, the first thing you need to know about this novel is that it's awesome.
Quick things: "Mama" drives me crazy — why would a sixteen year old call his mother "Mama"! I don't get that. Also, Ethan does this hysterical laugh thing that is super weird. I understand traumatic influences etc etc — but there were whole paragraphs describing his break down. Finally, Gracie was the most adorable thing EVER!
Okay, now that I got those things out of the way — let me just say, this book is made of awesome (oh, wait, did I already say that?). Well, believe it! Like I mentioned, it does hold true to McMann's writing style in that the sentences are choppy and short — but, for me, I find it refreshingly different and captivating. I enjoyed Ethan's character and I felt so bad for everyone involved.
Do you remember that movie "The Deep End of the Ocean" with Michelle Pfeiffer, Ryan Merriman, and Jonathan Jackson (swoon) from 1999? Where the son gets kidnapped while the mom and family are at a high school reunion and then they reconnect years later and the boy has a hard time fitting in with the family? I swear I have a point.
This book is just like that. Except different.
I will say the "twist" at the end had me exploding on Twitter asking if this was a series or a standalone (any one know?). I don't want to say anything more — but let me just say, I didn't see that coming (although I knew something was up). Those last couple pages, my heart just stopped, I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't read fast enough. This is, yet again, another book by Lisa McMann that leaves me waiting for more (whether in the form of a second installment of her next book in general).
-Visit Lisa around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
To the FTC, with love: ARC received from Publisher
Release Date: September 27th, 2011 Publisher: Simon and Schuster
"Mara Dyer believes life can't get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can. She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is. She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong."
So you know when you are super excited to receive a much requested book for a book tour but then when the book comes "life all of a sudden happens" and you don't get a chance to finish the book before you must pass the book on? Unfortunately, "Mara Dyer" was the victim of this in my reading life.
I was SO excited to be one of the few to be approved for this book on tour in the middle of July/beginning of August. But when I received the book at the end of the August it was the week before school started and "life just happened." I started the book but no matter what I tried to do in order to make time for it, I just didn't get it finished before I had to send the book on. So no, this is not technically a review. But even though I only read the first couple of chapters, I do have something to say about this book.
As a teacher it seems I'm always talking about the "hook" of a book and its importance. This past week was the first official week of "Recreational Reading" in my classroom (with both seniors and sophomores)^. All of my classes took to it very well and came into my classroom ready to read. But I did have one student who said that she had started the book a few nights ago but "just wasn't liking it." I asked her what page she was on — 97. At that point, I told her to put the book down and go find something she did like (after giving her quite a few recommendations). If a book hasn't "hooked" my students (especially struggling readers) after fifty pages, and even that is stretching it, I just don't think they should waste their time reading it.
Now it's different for readers (like most of us) who either refuse to put a book down or give the book a hundred or 150 pages. But for students who I have to "persuade" to read, I don't want them wasting their time and learning to dislike reading even more because they just can't get into the book. Note to all authors: if your book doesn't grab my attention in (at the most) fifty pages, I won't be recommending it to struggling students — no matter how much I enjoy the book as a whole.
Even though I didn't get the chance to finish "Mara Dyer," this will be a book I can pitch to students. While I only read the first couple chapters, they are chapters that I think about even now (nearly a month later) because the hook was so effective. When a struggling reader comes into my classroom on Friday and says "I don't want to read. All books are dumb" (it's happened before), "Mara Dyer" is a book I can give that student and say, "Give me fifteen pages and if you don't like it you don't have to read today," knowing that without a doubt that student will read the entire hour and then ask me if they can check it out for the weekend.
Books like "Mara Dyer" are a teacher's treasure and treasures like this are few and far between. Do you know of any other treasures that I can recommend to struggling readers with brilliant hooks?
-Visit Michelle around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
I am honored to kick off the tour for Damned, the second book in the Crusade series. I have an interview with both authors, Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié and an amazing ARC giveaway listed below. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour. You can see the stops on Nancy Holder's blog.
1. What is it like working with another person on a book? Do you two have a certain system for writing?
Debbie: It’s amazing and fun. What’s great about our relationship is that her strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa. We are able to rely on eachother. Also, the ideas are exciting because with the two of us working on a book it morphs into something awesome that isn’t necessarily what either of us would have done if working solo. Being a co-author means you have to put your ego aside and decide together what’s best for the story. Nancy and I have had no problems doing this with each other and the results have been remarkable! We usually trade off writing chapters and then we swap and edit until by the end we can’t even tell who wrotewhat originally!
Nancy: The real question is, What is it like to working with DEBBIE on a book? It’s no wonder we write about magic. Not only do we complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, but we often independently come up with the same edits and fixes. We’re about to celebrate a decade of partnership and it’s flown by.
2. This question is for both of you. Who is your favorite character to write about? Do you tend to focus on certain characters over others while writing?
Debbie: I love writing for Jamie. He isn’t my favorite character, but writing him is just fun. We try really hard to give all the characters a lot of time to have their story unfold. We try to make sure we have several point of view scenes for each main character.
Nancy: Antonio. I love him. I admire him and I would tell you that I pity him, but if he found out he’d be very cross with me.
3. How did you develop the world we see in CRUSADE and DAMNED?
Debbie: We thought about what it would be like if WWIII happened with vampires as the enemies. We tried to craft a world that we thought was a realistic depiction of how people and nations react in times of great despair and how they try to fight foes that seem unbeatable.
Nancy: Our vampire hunters are like the Resistance in World War II. They’re outnumbered and outgunned, but they have stealth and courage on their side. There were so many unsung heroes in WWII. This is our tribute to them, and to soldiers in the trenches today.
4. If each of you could describe your main characters in one word each, what would they be?
Debbie: Jenn heroic Antonio devoted Skye conflicted Jamie explosive Eriko tormented Holgar compassionate Father Juan enigmatic
Nancy: Jenn couragous Antonio idealistic Skye awakened Jamie bitter Eriko suffering Holgar warm Father Juan mysterious
5. What was your reaction to the new covers for the series?
Debbie: I love, love, love the cover of Damned. I think it’s vibrant and exciting and the fact that Antonio has his sleeves rolled up in a snowstorm shows you just how different he is from humans.
Nancy: I also love the cover of Damned. The name of our cover model is Sterling and he’s been in Los Angeles auditioning for pilot season. Good luck, Sterling!
6. If you could both pick to be a vampire, werewolf, witch, or hunter, which would you pick and why?
Debbie: Werewolf. You get to live a normal life except for one night a month at which point you get to unleash your inner animal. It sounds very cathartic. (Frightening and horrific too, but not as life altering ultimately as the others.)
Nancy: Witch Definitely. You have powers to change the fabric of the universe based in a tradition of goodness and mercy.
Damned by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (August 30th, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 384 pages Series: Crusade #2 There is a fine line between love and sacrifice… Antonio would do anything for his beloved fighting partner Janen. He protects her, even suppresses his vampire cravings to be with her. Together, they defend humanity against the Cursed Ones. But tensions threaten to fracture their hunting team and his loyalty—his love—is called into question. Jenn, the newly appointed Hunter, aches for revenge against the Cursed One who converted her sister. And with an even more sinister power on the rise, she must overcome her personal vendettas to lead her team into battle. Antonio and Janen need each other to survive, but evil lurks at every turn. With humanity’s fate hanging in the balance, they must face down the darkness… or die trying.
Prize:
1 winner will receive an ARC of Damned by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié and a SIGNED bookplate for your book (signed by both authors!).
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is INTERNATIONAL and ends August 15th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
This year we wanted to add to the excitement of Top 10 lists by making it an event! Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Rachel from Fiktshun & Jaime & Patricia from Two Chicks on Books and and I are hosting a top 10 week where everyone can join the fun! You can check out this post for more information. Each day you add your top 10 list to the linky (below), you get an extra entry into the giveaway for a $50 amazon gift card! Just remember, each day will have a linky for THAT Top 10 topic and your list has to be for that top 10.
Today is Top 10 Book Covers of 2011!
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi HarperCollins (November 15th, 2011)
Why: This cover is beautiful! It's one you have to see in person to truly see the beauty of it. I think the girl really shows a strong personality — which is exactly what Juliette is. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary:Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini HarperCollins (May 31st, 2011) Why: I fell in love with this cover from day one and it is another one you have to see in person. The shimmer effect some of these newer books have is just incredible! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: How do you defy destiny? Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood.. and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history. As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.
Divergent by Veronica Roth Katherine Tegen Books (May 3rd, 2011)
Why: This cover screams"powerful" to me and that perfectly describes this book. I can't imagine a better cover for this title. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.
Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle Patrice Michelle (June 27th, 2011) Why: Isn't this so pretty? Everything about this cover drew me in — the colors, the trees, the girl, the dress — all perfect! Plus I really think it fits the vibe of the book. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate… until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.
After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.
Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.
A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young Balzer & Bray (June 21st, 2011)
Why: I really like the golden look of this cover. I know some people are turned off when a person is on the cover but I like it. I like having a glimpse at a character and this was another cover that I felt showed off the theme of the story. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten…
Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.
Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences.
Love Story by Janenifer Echols MTV Books (July 19th, 2011) Why: I admit it, I'm a hopeless romantic. If a guy and girl are on a cover being all"cutie patootie" together, it grabs my heart. This is one of many of these covers but this one was my favorite"couple" cover. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary:She's writing about him. he's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines.
For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter.. so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?
Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter.. except this story could come true.
Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey Penguin (December 8th, 2011)
Why: Who wouldn't think this is beautiful?? The colors are amazing and the way the dress turns into flower petals. so pretty! Even the text is so nice and detailed. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary:A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger
Lenzi hears voices and has visions — gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker — someone who can talk to and help lost souls — and that he has been her Protector for centuries.
Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.
Wither by Lauren DeStefano Simon & Schuster (March 22nd, 2011) Why: The detail work that went into this cover is outstanding. Each part has significance to the story (which is a big perk to me) and it just gave off that"dystopian" look. Another book you gotta make sure to see in person! Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: Obviously, something went terribly wrong. Genetic mutations have festered, reducing human longevity to twenty-five, even less for most women. To prevent extinction, young girls are kidnapped, mated in polygamous marriages with men eager to procreate. Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery, a recent victim of this breeding farm mentality, has vowed to break loose from its fetters; but finding allies and a safe way out is a challenge she can only hope she will survive. A dystopian fantasy series starter with wings.
Hourglass by Myra McEntire Egmont (June 14th, 2011)
Why: This cover really makes you think. It's so unique and I do love the color (obviously!). Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary:One hour to rewrite the past.. For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past. Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?
Falling Under by Gwen Hayes New American Library (March 1st, 2011) Why: Beautiful!! I never thought I'd love a cover that was mostly black with just a touch of color, but wow, this one is perfect! The girl is gorgeous (and that hair, OMG), and the black flowers really make the red dress pop out. Read My Review Add it to Goodreads Summary: Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams. As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear. And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.
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Wither by Lauren DeStefano Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (March 22nd, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 356 pages Source: ARC from publisher for review Series: Chemical Gardens Trilogy, book #1 Rating: 5 of 5 stars What if you knew exactly when you would die?
Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left. Review: Wither is among other books recently that focus on a dystopian society. This one is one of my favorites! The story is about Rhine, a 16-year-old girl who gets chosen to be a bride along with 2 other teens after being kidnapped. In this society a genetic virus is killing girls when they are 20 and boys when they are 25. Due to this fact, girls are often picked at a young age to be brides and help the population; even without their consent. Rhine has struggled to survive since her parents were killed years before. Her twin brother was her only protection and now she has been taken away to marry a man she doesn't know. Linden is not a bad guy but his father has ulterior motives for arranging these marriages. He hopes to study the dead bodies and find a cure before the virus takes his son. Rhine's sister wives Cicily, 13, and Janena, 19, have drastically different feelings about their marriage arrangement and Rhine seems to be the one in the middle. While she begins to actually care for Linden she keeps one thing in mind: escape. The brides are able to get everything they need and they have a lavish home, but they remain locked up most of the time. Slowly Rhine is given the privilege of attending events with Linden but even the idea of being"first wife" doesn't make her stray from her goal of getting back home. She finds an unlikely ally in Gabriel, one of the servants. Her connection with him gives her hope that maybe somehow they can both get out and survive. While a majority of the story takes place inside the home, it is far from boring! Lauren incorporates the thoughts of Rhine, her past life, and their current situation beautifully. This story is geared towards older teens because of subject matter involving sex and death scenes that are a little graphic. Cicily, at the young age of 13, is faced with responsibility she is not prepared for. I thought her character was captured perfectly because often young teens have a picture perfect life in mind and they find out the hard way that things may not be as easy as they seem. She evolves dramatically throughout the story and it was perfectly intertwined throughout. Janena, on the other hand, is much more reserved and pensive. She seems to fully understand the world and what awaits her beyond their walls. Her connection with Rhine is a slow process but one that holds strong at the end. Wither is a fascinating story that is very complex and full of emotion. Rhine brings power to a oppressive situation. Her refusal to back down and her love for her sister wives shines throughout the book. I was very happy with the ending and I can't wait to see where Lauren takes the next installment. I'm curious to learn more about this world she created and what she has in store for Rhine. Cover: I have to mention the cover because it is breathtaking! The girl is stunning and the the shimmer of the pink outlines (which you can't notice online) are beautiful details! Also, the ring and bird in a cage are circled, which have significance to the story. I couldn't think of a more appropriate cover for this book!
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Janeny Han Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (May 5th, 2009) Hardcover: 276 pages Reading Level: Young Adult Series: Summer, book #1 Rating: 4 of 5 stars Some summers are just destined to be pretty Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer — they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along. Review: This is a really great summer read. It's quick but has some deeper aspects than what the title and cover hint to. Belly is the happiest during the summers she spends with her moms friend Suzanne and her family at the beach house. They spend their days swimming and soaking up the sun without a care in the world. But this summer is different for a few reasons. Belly has grown up and isn't the same little girl, and the boys (Jeremiah and Conrad) both notice. Plus there is a deeper secret that can't stay hidden beneath the glow of summer for long.
I really enjoyed this book. It made me long for the beach and a carefree summer. Belly takes us through her past summer experiences that brought her to get to know Jeremiah and Conrad. Her friendship with Jeremiah, her growing love for Conrad, and the way they each treated her like a little kid. Now she is more adventurous and they take notice.
As Belly enjoys the summer and tries to figure out why Conrad seems to be more distant and angry, she connects more with Jeremiah than she expected. But her mother and Suzanne are also keeping a secret, one that the boys are already aware of, and one that turns Belly's world upside down.
Character: Belly (I admit, the nickname drove me nuts!) is sweet and ready to take chances after crushing on Conrad after all these summers. Jeremiah is funny, sweet, and adorable. He is very easy to like. Conrad is the older brother so he is more"grown up" in this activities and he seems to be more reserved and hard to read. Belly's mother and Suzanne were quite the pair. I think that most people would love to have a mom as cool as they are.
Cover: This cover does fit in well with the story but it comes off a little more fluffy than what the moral of the story seems to be. Either way, the cover was what first made me really take notice of the book.
This is a book that makes you imagine being young and in the heat of summer. How relationships form and change over 3 months, and how the hard parts of life don't go away over summer break.
It's Not Summer Without You (Summer, book #2) Released April 5th, 2010
We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, book #3) To be released May 3rd, 2011
Find Janeny Han Janeny Han / Blog / Twitter Purchase The Summer I Turned Pretty Amazon / The Book Depository / Barnes & Noble
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