addicted to books

2012-02-13T07:21:00.000-08:00

Hey, all, the US version of Graffiti Moon comes out TOMORROW!!! Thought that I'd repost the review that I did several months ago. I LOVE this book. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

(btw - continue to ignore the mess that is the blog). I am under construction. :)

"Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.

His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.

Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.

But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

My review: When I saw this book on Netgally, I did a little snoopy dance in my seat. I've been waiting forever to read this. It's been out in Australia for awhile (and been very well received), but it's scheduled for release in the US in February. But I didn't have to wait! I was so excited. Then I read the first page, and I did another Snoopy dance. First page = AMAZING. Indulge me for a minute.

I pedal fast. Down Rose Drive, where houses swim in pools of orange streetlight. Where people sit on verandas, hoping to catch a breeze. Let me make it in time. Please let me make it in time.

Just arrived at the studio. Your graffiti guys Shadow and Poet are here, Al texted, and I took off across the night. Took off under a sky bleeding out and turning black. Left Dad sitting outside his shed yelling, "I thought you weren't meeting Jazz till later. Where's the fire, Lucy Dervish?"

In me. Under my skin.

In me. Under my skin. At those words, I was hooked. And of course it just gets better from there. Lucy is the kind of character who's a little naive, a little of a romantic, and a little neurotic. I can relate. Ed is the kind of guy your heart aches for - brilliantly talented, misunderstood, and in desperate need of someone who will believe in him. I cheered for them both from the first page. I wanted them to get together in the worst way, and I can honestly say that I didn't know if that was going to happen or not. AND of course, I won't tell you if it does. That would break all the suspense, and Crowley does create a lot of suspense with her simple premise. It just goes to show that you don't need car chases (although there is a bike chase in the book) and complex plots to make a good story.

There was more to this book than romance though. The story is told in alternating POV, and while I was sometimes thinking that Crowley spent too much time rehashing what had just happened, I thought it was generally well done. I did enjoy Ed's POV just a touch more. He's more angsty than Lucy, more at odds with the world, and I kind of felt like it was his story rather than theirs. I appreciated the somewhat darker themes that the book addresses, about kids who are sitting on the sidelines waiting for their lives to happen while others around them seem to have the world at their feet. Crowley reminds us that everyone has something to offer. The message isn't a hit you over the head type of thing - it just is what it is. I love books that can set you down in the real world while offering up a fun quirky story. Hats off to Crowley for accomplishing this with elegant, effortless prose.

One final observation. I'm usually not big on books that include snippets of poetry. Aside from the occasional poem by Maya Angelou, I'm just not that into verse. But I did like the way Crowley uses Poet's poems in this book to let us see into his character. It was a creative way to introduce his side plot without spending a lot of time on it or letting it get in the way of Ed and Lucy's story.

Thanks to Random House Children's Books for providing me with this ARC.
You can read the first pages here.
I will be buying my own copy when it comes out in February. There's just too much good writing here to walk away with a single reading. :)

Books of January

2012-02-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

Why hello February, you sneaky little groundhog. How did you manage to get here so fast??

Okay aside from it being unseasonably warm (hello? 30-40's for most of January IN MINNESOTA!!!), this month has been fairly average for me. I clocked in 11 books, and even though I said I was going to read less and write more, I still haven't quite gotten hold of my addiction yet. Though to be honest, I don't mind so much because it DOES give me something to talk about (if nothing else, I'll have at least 12 posts this year based on this blog meme alone). Read some really great stuff this month, only one super big dud and one so-so dud. The rest really knocked my socks off. Did you get any good books read this month? Would love to know!!

Also: please do not laugh at the mess that is my blog. I'm trying to clean house and I've got a few ghosts hanging around that don't seem to want to go away (ahem, like double titles). Will hopefully have things back to normal in a few days. :)

1. Chime by Franny Billingsley** Wow, this is a book that I can honestly say I wish I had read sooner. I was so in love with the dark, creepy voice of the main character. She may be very depressing to some and well, negative, but I loved her. I knew that she didn't WANT to be that way and the way she cared for her sister was endearing. I loved how the friendship between Briony and Eldric grew over time and the funny lines that the sister had, but more than anything I loved the prose. Every line was perfection, and there were so so many lines that I had to just sit and digest. Awww, bliss...
2. Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan* Oh, RR you slay me! I love Percy Jackson and all I can really say about this one is that I wish there had been more of Percy and less of the other characters. I know, I know, what more can we really learn about Percy? But come on, the book is called Son of Neptune!! Not Son of Mars or Daughter of Pluto. At 513 pages it just felt too dragged down by all the complicated backstory of these other characters, and really I just didn't care about them as much. Though, I will say that I'm looking forward to the next adventure when I get Annabeth back. *covers son's ears* Yes, it's a MG book, but I need to see these two kiss a bit more.
3. You Are My Only by Beth Kephart* A story about a baby who's kidnapped told from the mother's POV and the kidnapped baby years later (as a teen). It was a slow starter, but I did eventually get into the story and was really rooting for the perfect ending, which I got.
4. The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler First let me tell you that I loved 13 Reasons Why by JA and The Earth My Butt and Other Round Things by CM. I think they're both extremely talented writers, but this book just... fizzled out. The premise was very cool, but it was too darn predictable. I knew almost from the very first page what was going to happen, and so I had to slog through chapter after chapter of Emma (who was annoying) and Josh (who I wanted to whack upside the head) trying to figure it out themselves. This one goes to the library book recommendations.

5. You Against Me by Jenny Downham** Loved, loved, loved this!!!! Jenny Downham you now have a fan in this reader. I read almost the entire thing (400 pages) in one night - it was unputdownable. I loved all the Britishisms, the sparse writing, and the characters who were so raw and perfectly flawed. It is an issues book, but it's brilliantly done. Clearly one of my favorites so far this year.
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green** Overall, I really enjoyed JG's new book, though I can say that I the beginning dragged a little bit and the voice wasn't as perfect as it is in his other books. I did weep a little at the end. Oh, and Prufrock! I hadn't heard that poem in years. It gave me all these lovely feelings of nostalgia for my AP English Lit class.
7. What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones* A novel in verse told from a boy's POV. It was so honest and funny!! Imagine a 14 year old boy taking art classes at Harvard and discovering that he's painting nudes! It was too much fun. Will definitely be looking for the other books in this series - and sharing with my son when he's a little older. :)
8. Forever by Maggie Steifvater** I wish that I hadn't taken so long to read the third book in this trilogy, and my reason? Cole St. Clair. God, I love that boy. Never have I crushed so hard on a secondary character. I did still love Sam and Grace, but Cole, Cole, Cole. I shall dream of him next time I'm up at my parent's cabin. (Yes, they live not far from the fictional setting of Mercy Falls).

9. Wildefire by Karsten Knight So I go from several rocketing reads to one that I wanted to throw in the trashbin (don't worry, I didn't, but only because it was a library book). There is so much nastiness and snark I can say about this book, but I won't. Though I will say that if you pick it up, you have been warned.
10. Stopping the Presses, The Murder of Walter W. Liggett by Marda Liggett Woodbury** Historical non-fiction. Told by his daughter, Marda Woodbury, this is the life story of newspaper reporter Walter Liggett who was murdered in 1936 for attempting to report the truth about corruption and misdeeds in Minnesota government. I read this as research for a book that I'm writing, and it's inspired me to write an outline of yet another book based on Liggett's story. Even if you're not a big fan of the prohibition era, I highly recommend this book as it illustrates the importance of freedom of the press. And I promise you, while the beginning is a little slow, it's not boring!!
11. Winter Rose by Rachel A. Marks Self-pubbed novella. 1. The writing is beautiful. 2. The beginning was a little depressing and bleak, for me. 3. The story does become more uplifting as it goes on, and as I said, the writing is just gorgeous. I think Ms. Marks has a special thing going on and I look forward to reading more from her!

Review - Katana

2012-01-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

Hey addicts! Just wanted to let you know that I'm over at TYAC tonight with a review of Katana by Cole Gibsen- a samurai style Buffy. Oh yeah!

Books of December

2012-01-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

Aw, so I'm a little late recapping my reading list for December, but I do yearn for consistency with at least one blog feature so we shall proceed as planned and PRETEND that it's not January 7th. I didn't read quite so many books in December - I actually devoted some time to writing and research. Go me! Love to hear your thoughts on my December list.

129. Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta** *dies just thinking about it* Review here. AWESOME!!
130. As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott This is the second book I've read recently by Elizabeth Scott where I've been left feeling unimpressed. I hear so many readers say that they love her writing, but I've had a hard time with her recent stuff. This one was just confusing as hell, and most of it was never really explained, ever. Honestly, a month after reading it, I'm not even sure if I could tell you what it was about.
131. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher* An entire prison that's ALIVE! Now that's a unique premise. I loved all the characters and the overall story, but I thought some of the visual details were very hard to grasp.
132. A Million Suns by Beth Revis ** LOVED IT!!! I plan to review this soon, but let's just say that I read most of the book in one evening, couldn't put it down!

133. Saving June by Hannah Harrington* Review here. Enjoyed it, but I kind of wished it had wowed me, and well, it didn't. Too much hype?
134. Minnesota 13 by Elaine Davis* (non-fiction, historical) This book is for research on my new WIP. Some hints - gangsters, the 1930s, an entire MN county engaged in bootlegging? I'm not sure if anyone who isn't from MN would find this book as interesting as I did, but I hope to incorporate some of the history I learned and make it interesting. Yes, I do love a challenge.
135. Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. Oh so slow of a start. This book felt so disjointed. The first half focuses mainly on the MC finding friends and getting acquainted with her new school - barely any mention of The Ripper. Then the second half was all Ripper and the friends were completely ignored. With such a compelling subject, I expected so much more from this. Not high on my recommendation list.

136. Katana by Cole Gibsen* Interesting combination of reincarnation and Japanese Samurai. I'll be doing a TYAC review of this next week. Stay tuned!

137. The Gorgon in the Gully by Melina Marchetta* (lower middle grade) I bought this as a Christmas present for my 10 year old, but now I think it was maybe a little too young for him. I'll make sure that my younger son and daughter read it though. Very nice story of a boy finding courage to face his fears and making friends along the way. I got a little choked up at the end. And oh! If you've read Jellicoe Road you'll appreciate the little asides about Jonah Griggs. *big cheeky grin* :)

138. Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell* A lovely gift from a dear friend. It's a story based on the Arthurian Legends written in verse, which makes for a very nice combination. I read this all in one sitting and just loved it. Beautiful prose. Coming of age story set in the Middle Ages. A bit of a love story (of course) that doesn't end how you would predict. A strong recommendation.

Review: Froi of the Exiles

2012-01-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

Title:Froi of the Exiles
Author: Melina Marchetta

Publisher: Candlewick
Release Date: March 13, 2012

Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home... Or so he believes...

Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been trained roughly and lovingly by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds. Here he encounters a damaged people who are not who they seem, and must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad Princess.

And in this barren and mysterious place, he will discover that there is a song sleeping in his blood, and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen.

First off:

MELINA MARCHETTA, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whew, glad to get that off my chest. Normally I don't do the whole fangirl thing, but well, MM made me squeal more than once in this book and so I think I have to let loose a bit. I've been recommending this series to friends for a while now, and last week I even told my brother in law to get it. Yes, my BROTHER IN LAW. He used to be a big fantasy fan and he does read YA occasionally, and holy hell, if anyone who likes those two things doesn't read this series then there is something wrong with them.

Froi of the Exiles is a continuation of the first book, Finnikin of Rock, and yes, unfortunately you do have to read the first book in order for this one to make sense. Froi is a different story in itself, focused several years later, with a different main character and a slightly different angle. Those that have read Finnikin and long for his return won't be disappointed though; there are plenty of little scenes with Finnikin and Isaboe to make your heart do that pitter-patter thang. I have to say that when I learned the second book would focus on Froi, the little urchin who does quite a few unspeakable things in the first book, I was a little... afraid. Would I like him? Would I be able to forgive his past transgressions and come to the point where I'd fall in love with him? I was concerned. But by the first page, I got my answer. YES AND YES!! Unbelievable, but that's Melina Marchetta for you. In truth, I actually liked the second book better.

There are a lot of similarities between Finnikin on the Rock and Froi of the Exiles- a curse to be broken, a main character that you predict early on will break said curse, a strong female lead, sexual tension up the wazooki. :) But make no mistake, it's not the same book. Froi's character is much more complex than Finnikin - happily (for the reader), he's more tortured. Orphaned and broken early in his youth, Froi has grown up to trust no one but himself. When he finds his heart bound to Queen Isaboe, his duty to his queen easily defines him. He takes on the mission to assassinate the king of Charyn with pride and the conviction that he will not fail. All of this comes crashing down on him, of course. His loyalty is tested, his heart is broken, put back together and broken again. Marchetta spares him no grief and it is this that endears him to us and makes us pound our fists with the unfairness of it all when the last, cliffhanger line is read.

A little mention about the other characters in the book. First there was Quintana, the Charyn princess who appears mad and even quite repulsive when we first meet her. I was sort of scratching my head thinking, this is our heroine/Froi's LI? The girl who lets her hair fall into her food? Who eats off other people's plates? But I grew to love Quintana's ferocity and eventually saw what would make Froi fall in love with her. Then there were the two brothers, Gargarin and Arjuro. I was never quite sure which one to hate and which to love. Both are a little rough around the edges, both incredibly brilliant. I loved their story and how it all fit together with Froi's. Finally, a little mention about Lucian and Phaedra. I wasn't sure what to make of their story. I quite hated Lucian at first for taking a Charyn wife and their resulting conflict, but as I saw the two eventually make their peace (and saw Lucien act more like the gentleman he was supposed to be) I found myself wanting them to fall in love. But then horror of horrors happen, which I obviously can't say because that would be too much of a spoiler. *big cheeky grin*. I'm so anxious to see how this plays out and what the whole purpose of it was. There are many other characters I could mention, each unique in his/her own right. Melina Marchetta's ability to create complex characters that we both love and hate is reminiscent of Tolkein's genius. I often have to simply stand back and marvel at her.

Oh, I could go on and on about a dozen other little things that I loved about the book. The wonderful world building that makes you feel like you're RIGHT THERE in that stone-sheltered world. The descriptions *sigh* and the wonderful prose *double sigh*. The flirtatious dialogue that made me squeal and pound my pound my feet with glee, yes! yes! I do like to give a balanced review though, so I will mention two little things that I didn't like about the book. One, it was a bit hard to keep the backstory straight. There are a lot of characters in the book, many of whom are dead, and so as I was learning the story of Froi's past I had to re-read a bit. Not a big deal overall because in the end it made sense and compared to some fantasy books it was trivial, but I'm just giving it a mention. As for the other thing, and this isn't really a criticism but more of an 'oh phooey' sort of comment, the subject material is just a little too heavy-handed for my son to read. I love getting him excited about series that I've read, but at his age he's just not quite ready for some of the things that happen in this book. In two years though, I fully intend to introduce him to MM's world.

Finally, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, to Candlewick Press for letting me review this book ahead of it's US publication date.

Best of 2011

2012-01-01T08:15:00.000-08:00

Well, looking around the blogs, it appears that everyone has already been putting putting up there Best of 2011, so once again I am late to the party. O.o. But, hey it snowed last night! Can I be blamed for watching out my window instead of writing a blog post? Can I? Huh? Huh?

I managed to read 138 books in 2011, past my original goal of 100 and then past my second goal of 135. They are listed here on the blog up top if you're looking for some recommendations - anything with an asterisk or double asterisk. I think I'll have to cut back some this year though because I really need to write more, so I'm setting my reading goal for 75. It feels like such a pitiful little number, though I suppose if I get another book written it will be worth it. So anywho, here is a rundown of my stats and then my Bests lists. Hope you find something new to check out.

Stats:
Paranormal/urban fantasy: 39
Dystopian: 12
Contemporary: 71
Historical: 5
Science Fiction: 4
Fantasy: 3
Aussie (gets its own category cuz there's so many): 10
Novel in verse: 2
Adult: 0!!!
middle grade: 2
Indie/self-pub: 8

Once again I had far more contemporary than anything else, even though neither of the books I'm currently writing fits into these categories. I really envy contemporary writers. The ability to take a simple story idea and write with striking prose and voice without relying on the back up of a "unique" concept really floors me. I wish I were as good. Still, I think that I need to back off a bit with these and focus on some other areas that I'm not as familiar with such as: Historical, Science Fiction, Middle grade, Classics,
Novels in verse and plain old fantasy. I also have quite a few series on my re-read list that I've been meaning to get to such as the whole Hunger Games series.

And now for the awards...

Books with serious "teen" issues that I recommend:

Hate List - school shooting

Raw Blue - don't want to say because it will spoil the book!

This Gorgeous Game - stalking

Split - domestic violence

Best paranormal (concept) White Cat by Holly Black

Best paranormal (writing) Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Most moving contemporary: Raw Blue by Kirsty Eager

Best off-beat contemporary: Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry

Most tension filled contemporary: The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Strongest female protagonist: Quintana from Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

Best boys: too many to choose from!! Let's see there was Tom from The Piper's Son - too sexy. Adam from Where she Went was tortured in a good way. Jonah Griggs from Jellicoe Road was so serious, and Prince Brigan from Fire who is both dashing and dreamy. I could go on and on...

Best Dystopian Divergent by Vernonica Ross

Best overall YA: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Finally, this is my list of favorite new authors that I vow to check out more from:

Kirsty Eager

Bethany Griffin

Stephanie Perkins

Nina LaCour

Nina de Gramont

Jennifer Donnelly

Leila Sales

Kirsten Hubbard

Suzanne Young

Holly Black

Tom Leveen

How about you? Have you read any of these? Any that you think I really really need to add to mile-long TBR list this year?

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

2011-12-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

A dead sister. A cute, mysterious guy. A road trip. All great elements for a moving piece of young adult fiction. Hannah Harrington's Saving June was not a disappointment; it delivered exactly what I expected it would. The prose was easy and the dialogue flow between the characters kept me smiling. The tense arguments between Harper and Jake set the stage for some later hot, steamy scenes. The ending was bittersweet and brought tears to my eyes. I enjoyed it.

But. You knew it was coming right? The but. It wasn't that the story itself wasn't good, or that the characters didn't move me (Jake really moved me -haha). It's just that it didn't hit a WOW factor for me. Maybe it's because I've read too many stories like this and the plot is getting old. Or maybe it's because I'm not a diehard, knows every album in the world, music fan (there's a whole lot of music talk in it). Whatever it was, I just didn't feel like this story hit five stars for me. And that's okay. I don't expect every book to knock my socks off, and I did enjoy it. Like I said, it delivered exactly what I expected. I guess I was just kind of hoping it would exceed those expectations, that I'd be surprised by some plot element, amazed, and I wasn't.

Overall, I recommend it, but there are other books with similar themes that I would shout about first. Opinions? Agree? Disagree? Love to hear your comments!

2011-12-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

What would you give your favorite characters???

I saw this question on Between The Lines the other day and thought it was such a fun idea that I'd give it a try.

So here goes, some of my favorite books, my favorite characters and what they can expect in their stockings this year.

1. Tiny from Will Grayson, Will Grayson will definitely be getting a pair of tights. I hope he uses them during a production of The Nutcracker where I would expect him to be one of the sugar plum fairies, but I guess we'll see.

2. Carly from Kirsty Eager's Raw Blue is a special girl who touched my heart. I'd give her a bracelet made of sea glass so that she could look at it and never forget the healing powers of the ocean.

3. Etienne and Anna from Anna and The French Kiss are probably the YA couple of the year and as such deserve to be commemorated by another classic couple - Minnie and Mickey! At the Eiffel Tower of course. :)

4. Ellie from John Marsden's Tomorrow series needs her teddy back (I think it was a teddy, Nomes will correct me if I'm wrong), or as close to a replica as I can muster. I don't know exactly where I'll find one, but I will certainly try.

5. Angus from Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging needs a kitty laser light to work off some of his energy - his furry feline libido seems to cause too much trouble.

6. I don't normally advocate for strippers, but Cas from Anna Dressed in Blood needs a lap dance to remind him what a real girl is. Dude, falling in love with a ghost is just... non-productive.

7. For all the girls of Beauty Queens I would fill your stockings with laser hair removal coupons so you would never have to worry about unsightly leg and underarm hair. I know that was a NIGHTMARE for you.

8. Tom Leveen's Zero gets a very expensive art set - paints, brushes, pencils, canvases, everything her art loving soul can imagine. Hey, this is my fantasy Christmas. It can be expensive if I want. :)

9. To Melody from Megan McCafferty's Bumped, I give you Couvade syndrome (sympathetic pregnancy symptoms) with the hope that it will give you some idea of what it's like to be preggers. Boo-yah!

10. Finally, I have one present left to give and it's for the character of my favorite book which I had the pleasure to re-read this year. That book is Jellicoe Road and that girl is Taylor. I love Taylor's story. I think I went through a whole box of tissues reading this book again. My present for Taylor is a locket where she can keep a picture of her mother close to her heart (hope that wasn't too spoilery).

What about you? What would you get your favorite characters? Would love to hear your ideas!!

WINNERS!!! 100 Book contest Celebration and Larkstorm contest

2011-12-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone for all the wonderful comments and recommendations. I have a lot to add to my list now, and I was so pleased to see some of had already read the books I'd read. Love that! I know you're all dying to find out who the winners are so, here we go:

For the 100 Book Contest the winners are:

Krista Ashe

and

Angie (not me, haha).

You each will get one book of your choice from the list below or you can pick any double starred book from my 2011 book list (see page tab at top of the blog)

And the winner of Larkstorm is:

Melanie!!

Congrats everyone! I will be contacting you shortly. And for those of you who didn't win Larkstorm, I really hope that you consider buying it. It's getting great reviews and it's only 4.99, which you know, is almost as cheap as a cup of coffee - and it lasts a lot longer. :)

Character Interview with Lark Greene

2011-12-08T08:24:00.000-08:00

Addicts! I have a treat for you today. My very first character interview! Say hello to Lark Greene from the world of Larkstorm, Dawn Rae Miller's debut YA novel.

*loves hearing all the shouts and cheers*

Settle down, folks, settle down.

Lark comes to us from what used to be the state of California where she's a very dedicated student, with a promising future as a Stateswoman and an even more promising future with her betrothed, the very handsome and affable, Beck Channing. Which brings me to my first question:

Lark, most of us here in the twenty-first century are not that keen on the idea of arranged marriages, yet you seem to be most enthusiastic about it. Tell us, are all young women in your world this happy with their arrangements or do you think you just got the luck of the draw?

Lark: So we should run around picking whomever we want with no knowledge of their background? How odd.

I suppose some girls are unhappy, but it’s only because they haven’t followed the rules and allowed themselves to become attached to a boy they’re not bound to. But to answer your last question, being paired with Beck has nothing to do with luck. The State studied our ancestry and knows we’re each others best mate.

Wow, intriguing answer! And along those lines, I understand that you and Beck have been keeping pretty cozy quarters for the past few years - as roomies! Certainly that makes for some interesting situations. Do you have any stories you'd like to tell us?

Lark: When we were younger, I tacked a sheet down the center of the room and Beck wasn’t allowed to cross into my zone. One day, I had an argument with Kyra and felt miserable. As I sat on my bed, I noticed strange shadows on the curtain - Beck was putting on a shadow puppet show for me complete with sound effects. I love that about him – he knows just how to cheer me up.

Ah, that's so sweet. I was hoping for some juicy details to chomp on, but now you've got me dabbing my eyes. And dusting some snow off as well? *eyes the flakes of snow questioningly while Lark tries to hide the sadness on her face* Well, um... maybe we should turn to a more serious question. Lark, future society has become extremely structured as a result of the Long Winter and the State's desire to protect its citizens from Sensitives, can you give us your thoughts from a teenager's perspective on the good and bad of living in your time?

Lark: I like that everyone knows his or her place. It makes things easier. Sometimes, I wish I could be alone more – I don’t have much privacy – but in general, it’s great living with a group of friends. Sure we fight, but I know they’ll always be here for me.

The bad would have to be not knowing my family. As you read, lack of that knowledge caused me a lot of... problems.

Yes, it did indeed. *shivers as a gust of wind picks up* Without telling us too much about that very upsetting time in your life, can you give us your thoughts about good and evil? Are people born one way or does everyone have the capacity to change?

I…I don’t know. I want to believe we can change, that we don’t have to be one way. But I just don’t know.

I’m sorry. This question is too upsetting for me.

*Hollers over the wind and blinding ice storm*
M-maybe we should move on to something else then?
*Lark nods and the snow tapers off to a flurry*

Whew! Okay, so let's do a quick run-down on future trends.
Most popular drink?

Tapioca drinks. At least until you’re a Statesperson – they love champagne.

Sports teams?

Lacrosse is our most popular sport. It’s been around for hundreds of years, but I don’t think it was as popular in your time as it is in ours.

Favorite slang word or expression?

Deso. It derives from “desolate.”

Popular dance?

We’re trained in formal dancing from a young age. We definitely don’t jump around with arms flailing like your people do.

And lastly, I have to ask -- Uggs or heels?

Is this really a question? Who in their right mind would wear something as hideous as Uggs when they can wear heels and look proper?

Haha, well I'm glad to see Lark has gotten her spirit back. And for the record, Uggs may be hideous, but I think we all need them with Lark around!

Thanks for stopping by, Lark.

*waves goodbye before sending the son out with the snow shovel*

If Lark sounds like an interesting character to you, then go check her out in Larkstorm, available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords for 4.99.
And there's one more day to enter my contest for a free copy!!.
Other additional contests for Larkstorm here and here.
Also check out the book trailer:

Books of November

2011-12-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

Let's see... 12 books for November. Not bad, not bad. Actually it was quite impressive considering that I also got a HUGE deal of writing done. What? You didn't hear that? I got a HUGE amount of writing done. Well, not enough to qualify me as a Nano winner, but maybe a baby NaNo. Do they have those awards? I think I need to make myself a button. Before I get to my books of the month, I want to remind you of two contests I have going on.

1. My 100 book contest where I celebrate having read 100 + books - there will be 2 winners, 1 book each, many to choose from.

2. My Larkstorm contest - win a free copy of Larkstorm by Dawn Rae Miller and of course, a review.

Both contests end 12/9, so go enter!

And now, my books of November. Enjoy!

117. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter* Pleasantly surprised by this one. I really liked Hades as a good guy and the actual "test" and characters surprised me in the end. Looking forward to the sequel.
118. Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay Mixed bag of feelings on it. I liked the premise a lot, but the delivery was off a bit. Also Romeo was just sooo creepy, and I can hear a lot of people shouting, "Don't mess with my Romeo!" :)
119. Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs** Loved this! Loved, loved, loved. The pictures throughout were so unique and then to find that they were real, un-doctored. Well, the story line was fresh and well-written too. But those pictures! Whispers: in case you didn't notice, that girl is levitating. Also, this book is really quite tame and fun. It would work well for a MG reader.
120. Hushed by Kelley York* My first YA thriller. I'm still thinking about it. Review here on TYAC.
121. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake* Buffy gets a new stake, or um... athame, and a few new sidekicks - none who are gay/lesbian though and unfortunately none named Xander. I know, boo, right? Seriously this book was great. It was about a ghost hunter/slayer and was told from a male POV. Great voice, great set up and delivery, great prose. The only thing keeping it from a 5 star was that I just didn't feel emotionally moved by the story. Overall, very entertaining.
122. Ripple by Mandy Hubbard My first experience with sirens. It was a little hard to get through but had an interesting twist at the end.

123. Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe* This was my first novel in verse and I really enjoyed it. The plot was a bit predictable, but very sexy in a...poetic way.
124. Bumped by Megan McCafferty I usually tend to like satire a lot better MONTHS after I read it. I'll let you know about this one in...say February then?
125. The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt* Lovely MG book about friendship and coming out of one's shell. I enjoyed the secondary characters and the little cheese shop. :)
126. Zero by Tom Leveen** I got this one from Netgalley based on a recommendation by Karla, I think? Thank you Karla, or whoever recommended it!!! I really loved the combination of art and music. All the Dali quotes were inspiring and I felt the NEED to look up all the paintings that were mentioned. Doing so really enhanced the experience of the book. Obviously this is a 5 star for me. I really enjoyed how Zero confronts her issues with self-confidence, and the LI was kind of swoony. :) Review in a couple months.
127. Frostbite by Richelle Mead* Second in the VA series. Rose continues to make TONS of mistakes, but in the end I forgave her cuz she kind of rocks too. Will get around to #3 at some point.
128. Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) by Sarah Mlynowski* This book was so deliciously fresh and teenager-y. The voice was spot on, dialogue was memorable, and the wacky things the girls did just had me laughing and my eyes popping. There was a more serious plot going throughout though and a lot of character growth. Recommended!

Review - Larkstorm by Dawn Rae Miller - and contest!

2011-11-30T11:36:00.000-08:00

Goodreads summary:

In the years following the destructive Long Winter, when half the world’s population perished, the State remains locked in battle against the Sensitives: humans born with extra abilities.

As one of the last descendants of the State’s Founders, seventeen-year-old Lark Greene knows her place: study hard and be a model citizen so she can follow in her family’s footsteps. Her life’s been set since birth, and she’s looking forward to graduating and settling down with Beck, the boy she’s loved longer than she can remember.

However, after Beck is accused of being Sensitive and organizing an attack against Lark, he disappears. Heartbroken and convinced the State made a mistake, Lark sets out to find him and clear his name.

But what she discovers is more dangerous and frightening than Sensitives: She must kill the boy she loves, unless he kills her first.

Contest at the end of post - hang on!!

The review:

Larkstorm is a cross-over between dystopian and traditional fantasy. Witches and super trains. Dark magic and repressed societies. Perhaps I'm just not well-read enough (even though I try), but I thought this was a unique cross-over combination that allowed for a lot of unusual plot development. What if witches brought about a global catastrophe? What would that look like and how would society rebuild itself with magic at the helm? Miller brings that world to life with intricate detail and descriptive writing.

But at its heart, Larkstorm is a love story. Lark and Beck grow up believing they are destined to be together and the earlier scenes attest to their devotion. I loved the interactions between them - the tension! OMG, how does Lark manage to not jump all over that boy and eat him alive?? She definitely has more will power than I do! I also admired Lark's bravery for going against everything she was brought up to believe in order to find Beck and clear his name. When the two are reunited (well, that's a bit spoilery, but you knew it would happen), I admit I had an 'Ah, that's so sweet' moment. I was eager to see how the two would fight the system together and bring it down. At that point, Miller pulled the rug out from under me, and I learned things that I really wish I hadn't. I'm all for a good plot twist, but it all seemed so unfair! I felt Lark's frustration and anger through it all, which is a testament to Miller's ability to tug on the reader's emotions.

Secondary characters - I have a fascination with secondary characters because I believe they're one of the hardest story elements to get right. They're in the backround, always lurking, always adding their two bits. As an author, you want them to shine and feel "real", but giving them their own unique flavor and history without letting them take over the story is hard, to say the least. In Larkstorm, I loved the character of Bethina. She reminded me a lot of Mrs. Weasley with her warm, motherly demeanor, and no-nonsense attitude. She really stood out. Other favorites included Lark's best friend Kyra and the creepy Eamon. They each added something to the story that intrigued me and made the story richer.

I will admit that I wish Lark had been a more active character in the last third of the book. Given the strength that Lark displays in the first half I thought there would be more instances of her pushing against those who I'll call the enemy (for lack of a better term since again, I don't want to spoil the fun). I didn't get that. But what I did see, and actually loved, was Lark's inner conflict as she tries to figure out who she is. Imagine the frustration and doubts that build as people try to convince you that you will hurt the one person you love or die yourself. This is an effective plot device, and Miller utilizes it to its full advantage by including her own unique elements.

Overall, Larkstorm is a recommendation for me. It goes on sale December 6th at Amazon, and will also be available at Barnes and Noble and Smashwords (I think). Links coming soon. It also has a very cool trailer - check it out!

BUT DON'T LEAVE YET!!! Because I'm also doing a contest! I'm giving away a copy of Larkstorm (kindle or nook version). All you have to do is comment on this blog post. You can get extra entries for:

1. tweeting the contest +1
2. being a follower +1
3. adding Larkstorm to your goodreads shelf +1
4. Finally, if you mention Larkstorm on your blog, I will give you not only 5 extra points on this contest, but 5 extra points on my 100 Book Celebration Contest. Link here!!

Add up your points please. Contest ends 12/9.

*Thank you Dawn Rae Miller for an advanced reader copy.

100 Book Celebration and a Contest!!

2011-11-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

I DID IT!

I DID IT!

I read 100 books!

Actually I did it a couple months ago, and I'm up to about 125 now, but I'm never one to be on time for anything, so this post comes a little late. Actually, I've been trying to think of the right way to talk a bit more about this 100 book goal without sounding preachy. And well, here goes...

Why read so much?

My perception about writing in general and my own writing in particular has changed a lot in the past year, and I think that a lot of this has come about because of all the reading I've done. I read books that made me laugh out loud. I read books that turned me into a big bawl-baby (and resulted in funny looks from family members). I read books that were just so-so. I didn't read any books that made me throw them against the wall (although that has happened in the past). I tried to pick apart the differences between them. I stowed away in my memory some lessons on POV, plotting, characterization, and especially on what makes great prose. I didn't memorize character names - I am horrible with names - but I did devote to memory when an author did some little thing that I liked. For example, when Jaclyn Moriarty had Bindy Mackenzie write little notes to herself in the third person. Or the way that Brigid Lowry (Guitar Highway Rose) described things not in long drawn out sentences but by using lists. Finally, I made my own list, a collection of those dozen or so books that tore my gut out or made me grin so much my cheeks hurt. It's these books that I'll come back to time and again throughout my writing journey. And yes, I'm jealous of these writers. They got everything right. I know that I may never be as good as they are, but I can hope.

Perception

Let's be honest here. Almost every newbie writer thinks his/her book is the hottest thing since sparkly vampires became in vogue. I loved my first book. I loved my characters and I had a bit of a crush on my LI. I think the writing was good, and I even think if the market weren't quite so saturated with paranormal YA, that it would do okay on the shelves. Note there, I said that I think it would do OKAY. Not smashing and not a best-seller. Just okay. I know that I sound like I'm down on myself, but I'm really just being honest. Reading a lot has given me perception, and this is not a bad thing. I'm still querying Nikki's Wish, and I'm still hopeful. I know there are a lot worse books out there so I certainly have a chance. But I'm also okay with it if NW isn't my debut. In fact, I might even be glad if it's not. My new WIP has a much bigger, and more unique, concept. I think that my writing has improved. I think if I were to debut with my new WIP, that I'd be better off overall. So, no tears here. Just growth. I've grown as a reader, and in turn as a writer.

And now for the CONTEST!!

There will be two winners and each will get their choice of one of the books in the picture below.
These are my 5 star lovelies, the books I drooled over, the books that kept me up late at night just so I could finish them. If you should win, these will be the books you get to choose from. Not because I have a thing against gift certificates or letting people choose the book they're dying to get, but rather because these are the books that I really want to share my love for. I want to promote them and discuss them and all that good stuff because they are now near and dear to my heart.

To enter, just leave a comment below telling me your favorite book this year!
You can get one extra point for tweeting the contest or mentioning it on your blog.
You can also get one extra point if you're a follower.
Honestly I don't care about follower numbers, but some publishers seem to and this will help me get more ARCs *insert cheesy grin*.

Add up your entries: 3 possible, and please remember to include your email address to your comments so I can get in contact with you.

Contest is international (wherever The Book Depository delivers) and will end on December 9th!!

ALSO - SCROLL UP TO THE LARKSTORM POST TO SEE HOW YOU CAN GET BONUS POINTS FOR THIS CONTEST!!!

Review of Hushed

2011-11-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

I'm over at TYAC today with a review of Kelley York's Hushed. You won't want to miss it!!

Hushed by Kelley York
Available Dec 6, 2011

The Amazon summary (altered a teensy bit to be less spoilery) : Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another. Archer is always there, settling Vivian's scores for her. And waiting to get noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out she's not number 1 anymore, she'll do whatever it takes to put things back the way they were.

Head on over to TYAC to read more...

Booooooks of October

2011-10-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

I read 12 books this month, a little less than in previous months. But hey, I managed to add 10K words to my book!!! Woot Woot!! I've moved up my reading goal to 135 books read total for 2011, so if I just manage 10 books in each of the next two months I should make it. This month had a lot of middle-road choices with a few outstanding reads. Let me know what your favorite read was for October. Anything s-s-s-scary????

105. A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young** I thought this was a very different take on angels. There's a constant tension in the story, and I often found myself trying to imagine what it would be like to live in Charlotte's shoes. The LI interest here is HOT. *fans self* Great debut for Suzanne!
106. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins The voice in this one is really fun, but I felt like it was more of the same in the paranormal genre. It would be very appealing for tweens though.

107. Blubber by Judy Blume I read this with the intention to do a review for bully prevention month, but alas, I never got around to it. It was so much fun to revisit these characters though. I hadn't seen them in over 25 years!
108. Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty * I <3 Jaclyn Moriarty, and this one had been sitting on my shelf for way too long. I think this one has taken first place in my heart.
109. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins* Stephanie Perkins's sequel to Anna and the French Kiss has had mixed reviews, from those who loved it more than Anna to those who really didn't resonate with the characters. Myself, I think it was a solid sophomore novel. Maybe not quite as good as Anna, but still worthy of putting SP high on my list of favorite YA authors. I'll be looking forward to reading the third book in the spring.
110. A Job - From Hell by Jayde Scott (indie) Review on TYAC.

111. Before I Die by Jenny Downham** A truly heart wrenching book. I give it high marks because it had me emotionally pumped up, but I'm not sure if I'd want to experience anything so traumatic again.
112. Grace by Elizabeth Scott ES is hit or miss with me, and this one missed. The premise was intriguing, but if you don't read a blurb about it first it WILL confuse. The ending dragged about 2 chapters too long.
113. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern I mistakenly thought this was a YA novel, but it's actually an adult story that's been marketed as a YA crossover. The descriptions were just lovely, but I didn't feel very connected to the characters, and the story dragged a lot. It does have young people in it, but there is little character development and I don't believe the themes would resonate with younger readers. Overall, I think I would have enjoyed it more had I not gone into it thinking it was YA.
114. Bestest Ramadan Ever by Medeia Sharif What I appreciated most about this book was getting a look into Muslim culture and learning a bit about Ramadan, which admittedly I'm not all that familiar with. The voice was good, but I didn't like the MC very much. I kept reading knowing she had to change at some point, and she does in the end, but getting there wasn't a fun ride. At times I felt like I could "feel" the writer's presence (as in, it sounded like a middle age person who was pretending to talk like a teen).

115. Ash by Malinda Lo * This was a very interesting take on the Cinderella story, complete with fairies, huntswomen and a lesbian love interest. I liked the added elements while still getting enough of the traditional story to feel like I knew where it was going. The only thing I didn't like was the very abrupt climax that wasn't a climax at all.
116. Larkstorm by Dawn Rae Miller Available in December. Review coming soon!

Review at TYAC

2011-10-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

I'm over at TYAC today with a review of Jayde Scott's A Job - From Hell. Boy do I feel like that somedays! Of course my job doesn't involve blood thirsty vamps, just very uncooperative little plants! Stakes are still involved, but my bad boys are much easier to kill. Hahaha...

In other news, my yahoo mail account was hijacked/phished a couple days ago. So if any of you got email from me, BIG APOLOGIES!! No, I am not in Spain, and no, my sister is not having a hysterectomy, and no, I do not need money. I kind of figure everyone already knows that I would never send such a goofy email, but if you were worried about me, I thank you.

Toodles...

Time for a little TYAC promotion

2011-10-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Should I read it? Should I not read it? Should I read it? Should I not read it?

What am I talking about? This book: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Bleh, that cover makes me squirm every time I see it, but the book itself is generating a lot of great discussion. TYAC guide, Erin Brambilla and special guest, Jamie Blair, are doing a Beautiful Disaster Grudge Match today. We'd love for you to stop by and see what all the fuss is about. And well, I'd love your opinion. After reading their opposing opinions, I'm still undecided!! I don't know if I should read it or not. Part of me says, yeah, you love smut and you loved Twilight even after you realized all its faults. The other part of me says, you're going to be like Erin and want to throw that baby against the wall. So I'm leaving it up to you guys: go read the discussion and give me your vote, yay or nay?

ETA1 - Please, please do, I'm so indecisive.
ETA2 - you can leave your vote/comments on TYAC page so you don't have to navigate back here.

The power of the word "what".

2011-10-03T15:46:00.001-07:00

Those of you with young children will appreciate this recent conversation with my 4 yr old.

Mama?
Dylan?
Mama?
Dylan?
Mama!!
Dylan!!
Why do you keep saying Dylan?
Why do you keep saying Mama?
Because I want to ask you something.
Then ask me something.
Mama?

Books of September

2011-10-02T16:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, I completed my 100 books goal!!! I'm planning to talk about that more in depth in the next post so I'm just going to do my regular summary for now. I had a fruitful month, and as I think some of you know, I've started doing an occasional review for TYAC, the YA Curator, where we review Indie titles. It's a lot harder than I ever thought it would be, and I have a whole new respect for agents and all the work they do. This month, I also managed to work a bit on my MG book. I'll post the first chapter on the blog here someday soon. Would love to hear what your favorite books were for the month, so please leave comments!

93. Dream Smashers by Angela Carlie (Indie) Reviewed for YA curator. Here.
94. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz * Loved it!! This is a great sophomore novel by Hannah. I loved the relationship between the brothers. There were a few believability issues for me regarding the little sister, but I moved past that because I really loved the writing and style. Also the time line here was intriguing.

95. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard** I'm crushing on everything about this book. The writing, the awesome subject, the LI. My review is here.
96. Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma This one was a disappointment for me. I didn't feel connected to the characters at all, and I really hated the older sister. I know that others have said they loved the premise, but for me I felt lost through most of the story. Guess that I just like to have some sense of what's going on before I get to the last chapter, but IG keeps all of its secrets until the very end. Just not for me.
97. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray** Sooo funny. I loved the characters and the whole idea in itself was just hilarious. I thought it went on a little too long, and I didn't care for the epilogue, but overall it's a very entertaining book and earns 5 stars for its humor.
98. The Night is for Hunting by John Marsden* Finally I've gotten back to this series and finished it! The 6th book was another favorite. It was definitely different and for me, far more emotional.
99. White Cat by Holly Black* The mafia, a sexy MC, magic. What's not to love here? The first half felt a little slow, but then around midway it really picks up and doesn't let go. LOVED the ending, so much that I was compelled to pick up the second book right away when I saw it at the library. Continued below...

100. The Other Side of Dawn by John Marsden* The conclusion of the Tomorrow series! It was a little less intense than I expected, but Marsden did a good enough job with the other books that I couldn't make any predictions as to who would come out of it alive. I wish that I could see the movie. *wipes at the tears of injustice*
101. Amelia O'Donohue Is So Not a Virgin by Helen Fitzgerald* So despite the believability issues with this one, I really enjoyed it. There was a BIG, HUGE, GI-NORMOUS twist at the end that I was not at all prepared for. Well, I had one glimmer of an idea that it might be that, but then I quickly dismissed it as being impossible. But it wasn't, and it was a very intriguing indeed! After reading other reviews, I'm shocked that more people didn't like it. It's been on sale at Amazon for under 2$ in the past month, and though it's not right now, I've noticed their books tend to go on and off their bargain racks repeatedly. If it sounds interesting to you, I'd watch to see if it goes on sale again.
102. Anathema by Megg Jensen (Indie) I read this for the Curator, but decided not to review it because I couldn't recommend it in good faith. Basically for a fantasy, at 200 pages, it just wasn't long enough. The characters were quite predictable and there was a lot of telling rather than showing. This story could have been so much more because the beginning was quite gripping, but there was just no follow through. So hard to predict these things.
103. Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer** Awesome second book in the series. Team Shay ALL the way. :)

104. Red Glove by Holly Black* As said above, after I saw this on the library shelf I had to get it. The beginning starts out really good and I was caught up in all of it through about 90% of the story. Then there was a little disappointment in the ending. Still worth every minute reading it though. I do love how unique this series is, and I LOVE, LOVE how the curse workers suffer immediate (and sometimes physical) consequences for using their magic. Not something you often get with paranormals. Also the male voice in this is just awesome. The main character is sort of how I picture Eric from my own WIP, so of course, I'm sort of enthralled here. :)

Review: The Tomorrow Series by John Marsden

2011-09-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

The premise here is pretty simple. Ellie Linden and her five friends go off for a weekend in the Australian bush. No parents. No rules. Just time spent with friends and some fun exploring. But when Ellie returns home, she discovers her parents gone, her farm destroyed, and her town invaded. Australia is at war, and Ellie must go into hiding to save herself.

Or you know, get some revenge.

The Hunger Games has no hold over The Tomorrow Series when it comes to killing and violence. NOT that I'm all gung ho over death and destruction, but just so you know, there aren't a lot of pink posies in this series. People die, buildings get blown up, and crimes of war are committed. The things these characters face will make you forever grateful that you live in a peaceful society and maybe a little guilty that some others don't. For most of all 7 books, we don't know what Ellie will face when the war finally ends. Will her parents be alive? Will she lose her home? Will the fact that she's killed someone mean that she'll never be herself again? Ellie spends a lot of time asking these questions and dozens of others. I enjoyed that aspect of it because they're the type of questions you don't normally get in a young adult novel. Yet, if I were to pinpoint the one thing that made me continue with the whole series, it would have to be Ellie's character.

Not to say that city people are soft, but if I were in a situation where I had to survive on my own, outsmart my enemy and maybe even take a few down, I'd want someone like Ellie on my side. As the daughter of a sheep farmer, she KNOWS things, like how to drive a big payload truck, start a dirt bike, build a fire, and especially how NOT to get lost in the bush. Nothing unnerves this girl, and while at times it may have seemed like things always went her way, I never felt that her knowledge was beyond her background. Aside from her capabilities though, Ellie's just got loads of strength. Her courage is tested again and again, and somehow she always manages to dig up a little more when it seems there shouldn't be any left. I know that I would have just given up, given myself over to the enemy or to God in that situation. Ellie doesn't. She fights on. She's a character worth cheering for.

The supporting characters in this series are also well-crafted with memorable personalities and yes, flaws. Lots of them. Homer is a bit of a male chauvinist and a know-it-all, but he's also a terrific co-leader (the picture above is of Ellie and Homer from the movie, which I haven't seen yet, but oh do I want to!!). Fi is about as girly as her name implies, but her tender heart is sometimes just what the gang needs. Lee. Whoa. What a love interest. He's hot and then he's not. He's sweet but then sometimes he's the king of all jerks. And just when you think you're done with him, he turns Casanova again. Definitely tops on my list for swoon-worthy male characters. Then there were the minor characters, some in the beginning of the series and others who came later in book 6 and 7. I enjoyed them all. Unfortunately not all of them make it through Marsden's war, but that's also what gives the book a feeling of reality that I appreciated.

The war itself - it's interesting how Marsden was able to build an entire series around an enemy who is never named. There isn't much to say about them except that Mardsen did his best to make us hate them, perhaps a little too much. There were times when I thought the enemy could have been given more depth instead of making them into THE BIG EVIL. The initial act of invading another country for the soul purpose of stealing their lands was enough to make the reader dislike them, but Marsden always seems to be inventing new ways of making us hate them even more. Small aside: I suffered more than one moment of the giggles when the enemy called the kids "naughty" for doing some heinous act of sabotage. They blew something up, they were naughty. They wrecked thousands of dollars worth of aircraft and they were "naughty". It was a little thing, but one that made me laugh every time I heard it.

The series is 7 books long, and although I loved the series as a whole, the first book was probably my least favorite. It's very repetitive, slow moving, and often we get information second hand so that much of the excitement is lost. This bothered me in the first book, but in the other books I didn't notice it as much. As the series progresses though, the guerrilla attacks staged by the kids become more destructive and ultimately more exciting. They don't win every time, which is a good thing for reality's sake, and there are some other events thrown into the mix (such as rescuing orphans) to shake things up a bit. I appreciated that. Not every book was the same and I was always getting thrown surprises. I did always know that Ellie was going to come out on top - it was written in 1st person so that was kind of a given - but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless. Ultimately, the series has that special something that equates it to other save the world type series that make the kids into heroes, only in a contemporary setting. I haven't seen many YA books of that type, and I appreciated Marsden's attempt to do it. It was a bit predictable, but then again, so was Harry Potter. The ride was definitely worth getting to the ending.

Verdict: Recommended!

ETA: I changed my ending a bit here after DD's comment. I didn't want to come off as saying that the series was a realistic portrayal of war because as DD pointed out, it's more of an adventure series.

The YA curator

2011-09-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

This post is to draw a little attention to a new blog that I'm a part of, called The YA Curator. It's a review site for indie books, but more particularly it focuses only on indie books that us (the reviewers) thoroughly enjoyed. Essentially we're slogging through the myriad of indie books out there to recommend to you only the best. Please follow along!!

Back to school means back to cruel? Some words of encouragement...

2011-09-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

It's September, and for many here in the United States that means back to school. For some kids though, that also means back to cruel - back to the bullies, back to the teasing, back to feeling out of place and alone. I've heard so many stories from my friends these past few weeks about incidents of teasing and such that it's made me sick to my stomach. I hate that my friends' kids go through that. I hate to think that my kids are going through that. I hate to think that my kids might go through that when they get older. My anxiety was cooled somewhat though when I went to my son's connection night at his school. Connection night is sort of like a curriculum night where we meet the teacher and find out what the kids will be learning that year. But it's a lot more than that. Part of it is learning about the school's (and the teacher's) philosophy. I can't convey to you how relieved (and proud) I am to know that our school is actively committed not only to enforcing rules about bullying but also to preventing it in the first place. I was thoroughly impressed with everything my son's teacher had to say, and I'd like to share some of these thoughts with you over next few days.

One thing that really struck me was when Mr. Hanson was talking about the old saying, treat others the way you want to be treated. I've heard this quote a million times, as I'm sure everyone has, but I hadn't heard it put quite this way before:

Treat others the way THEY want to be treated.

Huh? Wait. What does that mean, you ask?? How am I supposed to know how someone else wants to be treated? Well, you don't. Not for certain, and that's kind of the point. Wording the phrase this way takes the focus off of YOU, off of self, and puts the focus on the other person. When you inherently focus on someone else, you begin to realize that people are different. They have different needs, different ways of thinking, and different ways of reacting. And all of that is just as important as how you think and act.

Some examples:
1. Maybe if you're angry and upset, you need a hug. But for someone else, maybe they need space and distance.
2. Maybe you wouldn't take offense to being told your clothes look funny. But for someone else, hearing such a comment can be devastating.
3. Maybe you wouldn't care if someone criticized the way you throw a ball, maybe you'd even appreciate their honesty. But someone else might take such criticism to mean you don't like them.
4. Maybe in your culture it's common to compare your accomplishments or monetary status (I know some cultures where this is very common, particularly for parents to brag about their kids). But others may think this is extremely rude.

The point here isn't to be so afraid of offending someone that you don't say anything at all. Rather the point is to increase your sensitivity to those around you, and one way to do that is to take the time to get to know other people (and other cultures) better.

Which brings me to another point that my son's teacher made. It's not enough to say that we will treat all people the same or that will "tolerate" others who are different than us. A better philosophy to adopt is that we will celebrate the differences and see them as something fascinating, unique and worthy of our time to study.

I don't pretend that hearing these mighty words will change everything. People are people, kids are kids, and in some sense we're fighting against nature (survival of the fittest) here. But I like to think about the other component of nature, that diversity drives evolution. Without diversity our world wouldn't be such a fascinating and beautiful place to live in.

Think about it.

ETA: Please tweet if you like this post - just click on that little birdy at the bottom there. Thanks!

Two for Tuesday!! Past Perfect and Wanderlove reviews

2011-09-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

I have a treat for you today - two reviews for the price of one!! Meaning you only have to listen to me once. HA! Why am I doing this, you ask? Doesn't each author deserve her own moment in the spotlight? Well, er, yes, but this is going to save me (and you) time, and don't we all love saving time these days? Thing is, I read these two books within a week of each other, and they're so similar, I think it will benefit both to do a little compare and contrast. That way if you like one, you'll know exactly what to go for next. Sounds good, eh? So here are our two books:

Title:Past Perfect
Author: Leila Sales
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: October 4, 2011

An abbreviated Goodreads summary about Past Perfect:

All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love.

Title:Wanderlove
Author: Kirsten Hubbard
Publisher: Random House Children's books
Release Date: March 13, 2012

An abbreviated summary about Wanderlove: 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be a global vagabond. In a quest for independence, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America— one filled with middle-aged tourists and fanny packs. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path. Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says.

Now these two books may sound quite different, but they actually have a lot in common. Both books:

1. Are set over the summer
2. Are about second romances/loves.
3. Have deliciously witty and engaging voices that had me smiling the whole time.
4. Have unusual settings - one a colonial America re-enactment site, the other Central America. I found myself wanting to visit both.
5. Have a swoon-worthy male love interest.
6. Hooked me within the first 2 paragraphs.
7. Both authors share a personal interest/hobby through their story, and both left me thinking how cool those interests were.
8. Include a theme wherein the MC has to get over a past love who didn't show her the respect she deserves.

Some differences about the two:
1. Wanderlove includes some very lovely drawings by the author, Kirsten Hubbard.
2. Past Perfect has a slightly younger main character than Wanderlove (16 rather than 18). I think that Wanderlove will really hit home for those looking for something in the "new" adult category.
3. We don't hear much about Bria's friends back home in Wanderlove, but the friendship between Chelsea and Fiona (love that name, btw) in Past Perfect includes just enough detail to make it stick in your head while not becoming an obtrusive subplot.
4. Wanderlove was maybe a little on the long side. I didn't have any problems getting through it in 2 days, but I think it could have been tightened a bit more or a scene here or there nixed. I'm all about condensed writing these days (after trimming my own WIP), and I'm learning to appreciate shorter manuscripts.
5. I love both covers, but I have no idea how the cover for Past Perfect fits with the story. *shrug*

I DO DO DO recommend both of these reads, but if I had to pick one over the other... ah, forget it, I won't do that. You'll just have to read both and make your own call! :)

Books of August

2011-09-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

13 books this month! I think that's what I managed last month too, but this time, I actually did manage to finish my revisions for my own book. Of course now I have all those pesky query letters to deal with. Grrr... I also finished off 3 series that I had been working on - will have more to do next month. I also managed to do some reviews. Hope you find something here you like, and yes, I'm almost to 100 books for the year!!!!!!!!! Unless I get in a freak accident (knock on wood), I will make my reading goal for the year. Heck, I might even tack another 30 books on before Jan 1 if I keep up at this pace. I think a celebration will be in order. Any suggestions? Contest? Other? Let me know what you read this month - always looking to expand the ever-growing TBR list.

80. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams** The tension in this book was so extreme that I had knots in my stomach the whole time while reading it - and that's why I read it front to back in one night! I haven't been this swept up by a book since Some Girls Are (though this book is very different).
81. Ashes by Ilsa Bick Review here. Loved the beginning, got a little slow in the middle. This book is getting a lot of hype, but I'm sort of on the fence about it.
82. Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton Interesting take on witches and magic. I thought the LI was very sexy, but beyond that I had trouble getting into it.
83. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley ** OMG read this!!! Once again, the Aussies have blown me away. Review here.
84. Specials by Scott Westerfeld This is #3 and the conclusion of the Uglies series (though there is a 4th, separate book). Wasn't as good the second one. I didn't love the MC as much this time around.
85. Where She Went by Gayle Forman** I was really surprised by how much I loved the sequel to If I Stay. The male voice here is just phenomenal, though I was kind of surprised by the ending. Not sure why.
86. Entwined by Heather Dixon This is a sweet, though long, book that could be easily categorized as middle grade. There's lots of dancing, fancy dresses, gentlemen and fiesty girls. It gave me Little Women flashbacks. :)
87. Split by Swati Avasthi** A very honest and real look at domestic violence told in an authentic male voice. And the author is from MN! Yay!!

88. Shine by Lauren Myracle** The mystery in this kept me going throughout and made me stay up late to finish it. I thought the ending was a little strange though and I have mixed feelings about it. The writing was superb.
89. Blue Noon, Midnighters #3 by Scott Westerfeld So-so ending to the series. Not sure what it is about SW's novels. I always enjoy the first one, but don't feel compelled to move on to the next (though I do out of commitment). Second time that the last book in a series of his has disappointed.
90. Fury by Elizabeth Miles See review here.
91. Past Perfect by Leila Sales ** I hope to have a review of this later this week. I LOVED this book. The voice reminded me a lot of Anna and the French Kiss. The whole premise was very original, and the romance was sweet. I shall get into it more later....
92. Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr I'm surprised by how much I loved the 4th book in this series - very dark and sexy but still appropriate for a slightly younger audience. Looking forward to getting the 5th (and final) book.

ETA: Can I just say how much I hate formatting in Blogger? *hits blogger over the head with Les Mis*

2011-08-31T14:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm doing a Road Trip Wednesday*. Why? Because the question is so gosh darn easy to answer (I usually skip them because I hate coming up with entertaining quips and all). Hehe.. Anway today's question:

What is the best book you've read in August?

Answer: The Chosen One by Carol Williams. It's about a girl who lives in a polygamist community and how she reacts to her arranged marriage. This book was unbelievable. It curled my stomach and made me ache inside. I read it in one sitting, and quite literally couldn't stop for a breath. Truly tension-filled. There are number of other books that I really loved this month, including Split by Swati Avasthi and Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. I'll be talking more about my books of August tomorrow - provided I can make myself do another post tonight. :)

So what about you? What's the best book you've read this month?

*Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

Kirsty Eager Week - win free books!

2011-08-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

Kirsty Eager is the very talented Australian author of Raw Blue and Saltwater Vampires. I have to tell you, Raw Blue is one of my very favorite books this year. I love it so much that I've been sending it around the US to other (unfortunate) Americans. I've been telling myself that I should do a review of it, but I keep get frozen feet, knowing that I could never do it justice. If you'd like to read some awesome reviews though, here are two that I thought were outstanding. Nome's review at InkCrush. Dana's review at and we're blogging. Ms. Eager has a new book coming out called Night Beach that I am dying to read. Yes, I probably will shell out the bucks to have it shipped all the way from Australia! And yes, I am entering this AWESOME contest to win a signed copy of Raw Blue even though I already have one (though I believe its somewhere in the midwest by now). You can enter the contest too! Go visit Nik at Irresistible Reads or Bibliophile Brouhaha for more info (actually there are two contests - double the chance to win!). If you don't win, then come back here and I can get you on my list for the book tour I've been doing. Yes, you should. No, I won't hold it against you if you don't, though I will start to wonder...

Review: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

2011-08-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

Title:Fury
Author: Elizabeth Miles
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: August 30, 2011

Goodreads summary (edited):
Sometimes sorry isn't enough....
It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...
Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.
On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.
In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And Em and Chase have been chosen to pay.

Why I wanted to read this book:
1. The cover.
2. Characters with flaws.
3. The cover.
4. Mythological creatures from Greek Mythology
5. The cover.

*sigh* Yeah, it was the cover. I am getting a little tired of seeing covers with girls in fancy dresses, but this one just spoke to me. That fiery red hair all over the place. I know that I, personally, would not do well with hair like that, but it speaks to my youth. Yes, there was a time when all I wanted in the world was a Barbie Doll with hair that came down to her ankles. Maybe that's what all these "girls in dresses" covers are about - speaking to our inner Barbie. They need to realize, it's not just the dress - it's the HAIR!!! :)

But back to the review:

I would have to say that Fury is probably not a book for everyone. First of all, the characters are rather unlikeable, and for some, that may be hard to get past. We learn in the second chapter that Em is in love with her best friend's boyfriend and despite her insistence that she loves Gabby, she plows forward with those feelings regardless of how wrong it is. Then there's Chase, who when we meet him seems intent on nothing but securing the hottest date for his very important sporting event/dinner. He's ashamed of his mother and his trailer park digs. He's shallow and conceited and every time his perfectly preppy attire was mentioned I felt like strangling him with a shoelace. The only "nice" character in the whole book was JD, and he was so classically cliche that I had a hard time getting interested in him.

Yet, it was because I had heard these characters were flawed that I wanted to give the book a chance. I do love flawed characters when they are presented in just the right way, with voice and maybe some justification as to why they are that way. When they feel like "real" people with faults. But, the characters in Fury just seemed dim to me. Even so, while I was reading Fury, I was asking myself, why is it that I've come to expect YA characters to be either incredibly likeable or to have "understandable" unlikeability? I found myself comparing these characters to those of Stephen King. Back when I used to read King religiously, I never thought about whether I should put a book down because the characters were unsavory. I LIKED their darkness. I LIKED their rawness. I LIKED it that I was only see surface features, dimness (maybe because that made it more fun when the monsters got them?). I'm not sure when that changed or if it even did, but while reading Fury, I decided that for once, I wasn't going to care that the characters were infuriating (no pun intended). I was just going to keep reading because of the mystery.

And Fury did have some mystery to it. When I downloaded the book several weeks ago, I had forgotten what the story was supposed to be about. This was good, for me. When the mysterious girls showed up, I was anxious to figure out who they were, and since it's not spelled out right away, I was left guessing through most of the book. It kept me going when the characters were making me feel like I wanted to tie them down and stomp all over them. Thankfully, by the time I did figure it out, the characters had changed somewhat, and I wasn't quite so anxious to see them as roadkill. I've purposely eliminated any spoilers here so that you can have the same reaction if you decide to read - provided of course that you haven't read any other reviews.

One other word - or warning - about Fury. It's sloooow. And loooooong. At 340-some pages, it could have easily been cut down a bit without losing anything. Nothing interesting happens until page 60, and even after the interesting things start,the sequence of events just crawls at a snail's pace. The big reveal doesn't happen until the last 50 pages or so, and by then I was getting frustrated that I wasn't being given any clues as to what was really going on. The pacing just felt...off. If it weren't for my insistence to finish what I've started, I probably would have stopped reading it.

My final reaction: it was different than most paranormals I've read. A lot of cliches and common plot devices used in other paranormals were lacking, and that was refreshing. But there were plenty of other things, the characters and the pacing, that make me hesitant to recommend it without some caution. Some may like it, some may not. There's a sequel in the works, but I probably won't be picking it up.

Thanks to Simon Pulse for providing this e-galley.

Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

2011-08-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

Title: Graffiti Moon
Author: Cath Crowley
Publisher: Random House Children's Books

"Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.

His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.

Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.

But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

My review: When I saw this book on Netgally, I did a little snoopy dance in my seat. I've been waiting forever to read this. It's been out in Australia for awhile (and been very well recieved), but it's scheduled for release in the US in February. But I didn't have to wait! I was so excited. Then I read the first page, and I did another Snoopy dance. First page = AMAZING. Indulge me for a minute.

I pedal fast. Down Rose Drive, where houses swim in pools of orange streetlight. Where people sit on verandas, hoping to catch a breeze. Let me make it in time. Please let me make it in time.

Just arrived at the studio. Your graffiti guys Shadow and Poet are here, Al texted, and I took off across the night. Took off under a sky bleeding out and turning black. Left Dad sitting outside his shed yelling, "I thought you weren't meeting Jazz till later. Where's the fire, Lucy Dervish?"

In me. Under my skin.

In me. Under my skin. At those words, I was hooked. And of course it just gets better from there. Lucy is the kind of character who's a little naive, a little of a romantic, and a little neurotic. I can relate. Ed is the kind of guy your heart aches for - brilliantly talented, misunderstood, and in desperate need of someone who will believe in him. I cheered for them both from the first page. I wanted them to get together in the worst way, and I can honestly say that I didn't know if that was going to happen or not. AND of coure, I won't tell you if it does. That would break all the suspense, and Crowley does create a lot of suspense with her simple premise. It just goes to show that you don't need car chases (although there is a bike chase in the book) and complex plots to make a good story.

There was more to this book than romance though. The story is told in alternating POV, and while I was sometimes thinking that Crowley spent too much time rehashing what had just happened, I thought it was generally well done. I did enjoy Ed's POV just a touch more. He's more angsty than Lucy, more at odds with the world, and I kind of felt like it was his story rather than theirs. I appreciated the somewhat darker themes that the book addresses, about kids who are sitting on the sidelines waiting for their lives to happen while others around them seem to have the world at their feet. Crowley reminds us that everyone has something to offer. The message isn't a hit you over the head type of thing - it just is what it is. I love books that can set you down in the real world while offering up a fun quirky story. Hats off to Crowley for accomplishing this with elegant, effortless prose.

One final observation. I'm usually not big on books that include snippets of poetry. Aside from the occasional poem by Maya Angelou, I'm just not that into verse. But I did like the way Crowley uses Poet's poems in this book to let us see into his character. I thought the use of poetry was a creative way to introduce his side plot without spending a lot of time on it or letting it get in the way of Ed and Lucy's story.

Thanks to Random House Children's Books for providing me with this ARC.
You can read the first pages here.
I will be buying my own copy when it comes out in February. There's just too much good writing here to walk away with a single reading. :)

TGIF

2011-08-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

Woot Woot!! I start vacation after work today. I can't wait. I have so much to do. Let's see there's:

Pulling the weeds in the garden
Cleaning the house
Putting together the new bunk bed that will come on Monday
Buy the kids school supplies
Dentist appointment
Hang out with my sis
Review with the kids before they start school again.
Clean out the storage room in the basement

What? Doesn't sound like a vacation? Oh blasted. I knew something was wrong. Okay how about:

Read 4 books
Write 20,000 words in the new WIP
Finish revisions in the old WIP
Send out 20 query letters

Still not good enough? Okay how about this?

Yep, that's what I'll be doing tomorrow. Well, not me, but the kids. Have a good weekend, my friends. :)

Review - Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont

2011-08-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

Goodreads summary:

When sixteen-year-old Sydney Biggs’s pregnancy test shows the tell tale plus sign, she confides in only her best friend Natalia, and Natalia promptly “borrows” her mother’s car so Sydney can confront the baby’s father. But after the car is reported stolen and police bring the girls home, their parents send them away to wilderness camp as punishment. With six weeks to spend in the wilds of Canada, time is ticking for Sydney, who isn’t sure what she wants to do about the pregnancy. As she befriends her fellow adventuremates and contends with Natalia’s adamant opinions on the choices available, Sydney realizes that making the right choice can mean very different things.

It was a big debate for me whether to review this book. First off, I really loved it, but the subject matter (teen pregnancy and abortion) may not be for everyone. If you have very strong opinions one way or the other you may find yourself easily offended. At the same time, I feel like anyone who is open-minded and willing to listen to the other side will really appreciate this story. I'm not saying it will change your beliefs; it didn't mine. But it did give me a strong sense for the struggle that pregnant teens go through. And that, I think was the author's purpose; not to make a broad statement about what was wrong or right, but to show how one girl deals with it.

That said, Sydney's character is about as real and complex as you can get. She goes through all the emotions of denial, fear, avoidance, and anger. She even has thoughts of doing some pretty unthinkable things to avoid her situation.There were times when I wanted to take this girl by the shoulders and give her a hard shake. Obviously her character is not altogether likeable. Yet despite that, I wanted to know what she was going to do. I enjoyed accompanying her as she worked things out and seeing how she learned and was changed from her experience.

I can't review this book without mentioning the supporting characters, especially Mick. Like Sydney, he wasn't the most likeable character I've come across, but he is one of the most memorable. I was never really sure if he was friend or foe, and that unsettling feeling he gave me really piqued my interest. I would love to see a sequel made surrounding his story. And then there was Natalia, Sydney's best friend. She didn't turn out at all like I had thought in the beginning either, and like Sydney and Mick she sure had her flaws. Beyond that, she was one of the best "side kick" characters I've read. Her relationship with Sydney became something of its own story, but NdG managed to craft it without sidetracking too far into a subplot typhoon. There's some study material there for you writers. :)

One last thing to say about the book. Canada. The wilderness. Summer on a river with no parents. Bonfires. Sleeping in tents next to guys. In some instances, very cute guys. Are you digging the setting as much as I was? It may seem strange to have a setting like that for such a serious topic, but at the same time it was appropriate. The setting and all that the characters see and do while on this wilderness trip reminded me again and again of how young these characters were. Kids deal with adult stuff all the time, but in order to understand how they deal with it, we have to remember that they are just kids. Nina de Gramont helps the reader see that by making it a story about real kids doing real things and despite the hardships, having fun at the same time.

Final verdict: A favorite of 2011.

Review - Ashes by Ilsa Bick

2011-08-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

Title: Ashes
Author: Ilsa Bick
Publisher: Egmont, USA
Release Date: September 6, 2011

Author website:

Goodreads summary:

It could happen tomorrow...

A cataclysmic event. An army of "The Changed."
Can one teen really survive on her own?

An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human...

Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the Changed, Alex meets up with Tom---a young army veteran---and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse.

This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive.

Ashes is an apocalyptic thriller that almost seems like two different stories in one. In the first half of the book, we're introduced to Alex, a tough teen who's decided that her battle with a terminal brain tumor isn't going to leave her wasted in a hospital bed. Armed with her parents ashes (who died 2 years ago) she hikes into the Michigan woods to eventually cast them into Lake Superior. While on her mission, she runs into Jack and his 8 year old granddaughter, Ellie, and that's when things go terribly wrong. An electromagetic pulse sweeps over the country, killing all electrical devices and most middle aged people along with it. With Jack dead, Alex must keep herself and little Ellie alive while she tries to find help, but aside from all the normal challenges of being alone in the wilderness with a child who seems to be more trouble than she's worth, Alex also has to contend with the zombies. Zombies, you say? Yes, zombies. For some reason which is not entirely explained, most teenagers have been Changed by the EMP and are now cannibals with no brains. I'm not dissing on the story here as it created a creepiness that certainly upped the stakes and left my heart pounding. It felt very much like The Forest of Hands and Teeth, a book that I really loved, and so I found IB's zombies to be right up my alley. I breezed through the first half of the book, excited to see how the story would resolve. But then... things changed.

Alex arrives at a town called Rule, and aptly named, Rule has a lot of rules. And of course Alex doesn't agree with them. But, and here's the kicker, she doesn't DO anything about it. We're given a good 150-200 pages of learning about this town - which is more like a religious cult. We're introduced to about 12 new characters - who I never did get completely straight. Then, there's a bit of romance thrown in, because afterall, what's a zombie book without a little romance? (O.o, I'm getting snarky here). Point being, the second half of the story didn't fit the first half at all. The pacing and the intensity tapers off. Alex, who was a very strong character before, acts passive, and a good portion of the story is spent discussing her feelings about a boy whom we don't really see much of. Most of the danger is just... gone. I waited and waited for something to happen and in the last 30 pages or so it did, but then, BAM! The story was over. The ending was a cliffhanger that was actually quite good, but to get there...

Yeah, so I'm a little torn on my overall feelings about the book. Alex was a good character, tough, with a good head on her shoulders, but sometimes things seemed to come a little too easy for her. Actually the character that I most enjoyed was only there for a short while, and that was Ellie. She's a major pain in the ass when she's first introduced, but by the end she was the one I was most worried about making it through. I don't know, maybe it's the mom in me. The love interests were... meh. I didn't really get a feel for who Chris was at all. I did like Tom though and hope that he plays a bigger role in the sequel. And yes, I do plan to read the sequel. The beginning half of Ashes was exciting enough that I hope the second book starts over like that - and carries through. I guess we'll see.

Before I end this review, I also want to say that I give Ms. Bick a lot of credit for doing her research. The whole thing with the EMP was believable, and I even looked it up after I was done reading. I wasn't surprised to find out that as a catastrophic event, it is quite possible. Certainly I don't think that the entire American government would be non-existent after such a thing as we're told (or made to believe), but I do like the way that Bick tied her world into something that could actually happen. Most of these apocalyptic/dystopian types novels don't fit with anything that is logical, so it was refreshing to read something that was at least semi-grounded in reality. That said, I do NOT know how the zombies fit into all that, but then again, they're zombies. Maybe no more explanation is needed than that. :)

Thanks to NetGalley and Egmont, USA for providing this book for review.

Finish the Damn Series Month

2011-08-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have officially declared August to be the Finish the Damn Series Month. :) I have way too many series that I am "almost" done with, but for some reason I keep putting off that last book. Not sure if it's because I don't want the series to end or because I'm so overwhelmed with newer books that sound more exciting *pets shiny new books*. BUT, I have decided that this month I will make an extra effort to finish a few series that I have been putting off. Not every one mind you - that would take about 6 months - but a few. They are:

1. The Uglies series by Scot Westerfeld. When I first read Uglies I enjoyed it, but wasn't dying to read the second one. Well, I picked up the second one about six months later and actually liked it a whole lot better than the first. I bought #3 yesterday and I'll probably run over to HPB soon and get #4.

2. The Tomorrow Series by John Marsden. I have just two books left in this series about teens caught in a war in Australia. I think my reluctance to finish this series is because book 5 left with such a bang, I'm not sure if the last two can live up to it.

3. The Midnighter's Trilogy by Scot Westerfeld. Books 1 and 2 were easy middle grade reads and I enjoyed them while reading, but not enough to feel a great compulsion to run to my e-library for the third one. But, I only have one book to read here and it will be nice to finish another series of SW's.

4. The Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr. Gah, I really loved the first one in this series, but I've been trickling the others in here and there. I did start #4 awhile back, but it was a library loan and I didn't get very far before it expired. I have since bought it and have it on my nighstand. I can get #5 from the e-library (or maybe I'll buy it to complete my collection). It will be nice to finish this one off and MM has such lovely descriptions, I'm looking forward to it.

5. The Clan of the Cavebear series by Jean Auel. My lagging on this series has been 20 years in the making!! *gasp* I KNOW!! But it's not my fault as the last book (#6) was only published this past March. Ms. Auel takes a very long time to write her books. It's an adult series, but the first book could be considered young adult as we get to see Ayla grow up (and become a young woman) in that one. My plan is to buy all of the paperbacks again when #6 goes that route. I love the design of the new covers, and my old ones are falling apart I've read them so many times.

6. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. I'm adding this one in hopes that I get to it as well, but it'll be last on the list. I loved FHT, but wasn't quite as thrilled with the second one. I'm hoping that #3 is a nice conclusion to the series.

So, that's 9 books lined up for August as well as a few singles that I have checked out from the library/gotten from Netgalley/have sitting on my nightstand. That should keep me fairly busy. So what about you? Any series that you need to finish up? Care to join me on my quest to finish the damn series?

Books of July - a few days late

2011-08-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

How did August sneak up on me so fast? I really expected to get more reading done this month, being that it was LONGER and that I had VACATION days. But alas, I was bogged down with a little ol' thing called work. Grrr.... Don't you hate it when real life gets in the way of your play time?? I still managed quite a few reads, and half of them earned 5 stars!! I hope that you find something on this list to take a closer look at. Next month (this month) I'll have a whole week to myself to write and do more reading and hopefully get some reviews done, *cough badblogger cough* Let me know what you think if you've read any of these and leave me a note saying what your favorite read was for July!! At over 200 books, my TBR list really isn't long enough. What? I'm serious. :)

67. Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti - I picked this one up because I thought the author sounded sort of Sarah Dessen-like. And the book is - slow start, lots of background but a good smooth read. BUT it lacked something that I find in SD's books that makes me want to keep at them. I liked the older characters in this story better than the teens, and that's not really good. Not sure if I want to try another one from this author.

68. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly** Oh, I loved this one. It's kind of long, but well worth it. I loved all the history of the French Revolution and the added magical realism. And the LI - suh-woon! I've been reading a lot of books about loss lately (for research purposes), and I loved the way this one made me connect to the character's emotions. Lovely prose too.
69. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork** I'd heard good things about this one, though I didn't really know too much about it when I dove in. I was pleasantly surprised. I love books about challenged characters who make me think it's the rest of us who are the challenged ones.
70. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon Not as good as I had hoped, and I'm not sure why. I think part of it was just the stigma that goes along with an Asian female character and the author's attempt to thwart that with everything she had. The MC's kickass-ness actually makes Buffy look like meek. I was thinking to myself, um, too much?? I will say that I enjoyed all the descriptions of the food. I was so hungry by the time I finished this!

71. Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont** This is easily one of my favorite books of the year, so much so that I ran out and bought NdG's other book, Gossip of the Starlings (haven't read it yet though). :) The characters in this were so wonderfully flawed, and the minor characters stood out just as much, if not more. I will say that there were times when I didn't like the MC much, but I was very eager to hear how her story was going to turn out. It's an issue book, but not preachy. I felt more like the author was trying to get the reader to understand what goes on in someone's head in that situation (teen pregnancy). I WILL do a review of this soon.
72. On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God by Louise Rennison ** Second book in the Georgia Nicholson series. So funny, light and breezy. La la la la. Good times. :)
73. Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson This is a good college-age book that hits at some of the issues teens face just as they're getting out on their own. I felt a strong connection with the characters, and it helped me recall my own dorm days. There were times when I felt that parts were a little over-written and the details unnecessary, but overall it was a nice read.
74. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson The first half of this story really dragged, but then around midway it picked up and I ended up liking it. I was a little surprised by the MC's actions at the ending; wasn't expecting that based on her behavior beforehand. Curious if anyone else felt the same.

75. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta******* sob-fest! This was a re-read, and I can now say without a doubt that JR is my favorite YA book. I cry with frustration when I hear others say that they just can't get past the beginning. I know the feeling, believe me. But it is so so so worth it. Please give it another try!!! The second read-through was so nice because I could concentrate on the beautiful prose and very real cast of characters instead of trying to figure out what was going on. I think that's what bumped it up to my #1 fave. Wonderful, wonderful book about friendship and life and death. Please read it!
76. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand The beginning was a bit cliche as far as paranormal romances go. I did eventually get sucked into it, and I really enjoyed the dilemma at the ending. I'll probably check out the sequel.
77. Knocked out by my Nunga Nungas by Louise Rennison 3rd book. I was still laughing out loud many times. But I also think that I may be getting just a little bit tired of the voice now. I'll have to pace myself with the rest of this series.

78. Wither by Lauren DeStefano This was an okay one for me. There was a lot of world building that didn't make much sense with this one, so I tried to look beyond that or it would have driven me crazy. I enjoyed the relationship between the sister-brides, but the male MC was just kind of squicky. I shivered a bit during some of the bedroom scenes even though I consider myself well-versed with sex/erotica in literature. And it wasn't that this was that, detail-wise, it was just the "idea" of what was going on. Not sure that I'll bother continuing with this series.
79. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys** I have hereby declared this book as a must-read for everyone, regardless of whether they like historical or YA. In the vein of the Diary of Anne Frank, this book delivers a story and the history of a people that we cannot forget. I know I'm bordering on preachy now, but the book is also wonderful with its prose and storyline, not just the history behind it. It had me shaking by the end, and I thought about it for days afterward. I'm still in awe with this one.

Because I'm supposed to be working...

2011-07-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

I will of course do a blog post instead!! My good friend Lindsey Roth Culli is celebrating her new blog look with an awesome contest where you can win an ipod shuffle!!! She's a bit crazy if you ask me, but hey, I won't complain if I win. :) Love the picture at the top of her blog - does that say YA or what??

Also, I've been dong a lot of window/browser shopping for used books lately because you all know how obsessed I am with books. Now I know you're all dying to get the great sales from Borders, but since it will be a couple weeks before prices really come down, maybe you'd like to get a jump start? Amazon has some really good ones on sale including Hold Still by Nina LaCour, a couple of Sarah Dessen, Ally Carter (Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy), Courtney Summers (Some Girls Are), The Chose One by Carol Williams... the list is pretty extensive and most are under 4$. Not trying to pimp Amazon here, just the books. :)

A short story by Jennifer Walkup

2011-07-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hey all, my good friend Jenn has a short story published by the Gloom Cupboard. It is awesome. And kind of creepy in a sad sort of way. I'm doing a pimp here for her even though she doesn't know it. :) The story is called Soggy. The third one down. Check it out!

Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

2011-07-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

Goodreads summary:
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

I've heard conflicting reviews on this book, and after reading it, I can see why. I'm conflicted. Beth Revis is a good story teller, weaving elements of sci-fi, romance, and mystery together into one cohesive plot that really makes you stop and think, could this happen? Would a world such as this really be a bad thing? I love stories that can give me that "wow" factor, and Across the Universe did. But at the same time I can see why some had a hard time with it.

The story is told in alternating points of view, from that of Amy, the girl who goes into the cryo-chamber and that of Elder, future leader of the world (inside the spaceship) where Amy wakes up. Using this alternating POV, we get to see what's happening while Amy is asleep, which is helpful. It also helps us when the mystery is presented because it allows us to see things that neither Amy or Elder can't. But at the same time, the double POV slows the story down immensely. Much of it is backstory and world building - in Elder's world (as we see how the ship/society works) and then in Amy's world (as we see her thoughts as to what her life was like before). Unfortunately all of this made the story drag. I wanted Amy to wake up already so that the story could begin - and she does - on page 70. Once Amy is thawed though, the book does take off, and as with any good mystery, I wanted to keep going until I had figured it all out.

There's another aspect to this book that I think will have people divided, and those are the plot holes and plausibility issues. The science in this book is really one where you have to just kind of take it in faith that it could happen.... someday. But looking at it from today's perspective (and as a scientist), I was cringing at some scenes. A lot of it seemed to be there just to elicit a "fear" or "shock" response in the reader because the why and the how of it all (the genetics and the breeding program) just didn't make a whole lot of sense. In fact sometimes it was downright laughable. There was also one central plot element that is completely wrong, and you don't need to know a whole lot about science (you just need to watch CSI) to figure it out. There were other plot holes, such as the presence of a very young girl who is injecting rabbits at one point (even though we're told early on that Elder is the youngest person on the ship), and there are loose ends that aren't tied up (like in the beginning a big deal is made of the fact that Amy and her family are frozen one year too early, yet this is never brought up again). There are other plausibility issues in the story too, but let me stop there because I think you get the picture. Looking back, I see so many areas where Revis could have avoided digging herself into a plausibility grave that I wonder how much effort she put into thinking things through. Granted, the world building was pretty good; I had an immediate sense of what the ship looked like and how it ran and I marveled at some of the technology just as Amy did. The premise of the whole story was phenomenal; I admire the idea itself. The characters were believable, and I felt emotionally caught up in everything that Amy was going through. It's just the delivery of the science that was off.

To put it in perspective, let's talk a little bit about another book/movie which I know you've all heard of - Jurassic Park. I love Jurassic Park. A couple years after it came out, I also read a book entitled, The Science Behind Jurassic Park, or How to Build a Dinosaur, by Rob DeSalle and David Lindley, in which JP is picked apart one nucleotide (or claw) at a time. I remember after reading this book that I felt a little let down. Not a lot, but a little. It takes a good imagination to figure out how to build a dinosaur, and keeping in mind that JP was written over 20 years ago, it was pretty darn inventive - even though the whole concept was a wash from the get-go. There were ways in which Crighton could have made JP more believable and in line with what is scientifically possible, BUT (and here is the big but) while the science in JP may have been lacking, the story itself dug at a theme that is at the core of humanity. Across the Universe parallels JP in that the science could have been better (a whole lot better), but it's still a good story, and the themes in it are pretty much universal. And I guess that's where I sit, glad that I was given an enjoyable reading experience, but a little let down that it couldn't have been done better.

Books of June

2011-07-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, I didn't realize I had read so much this month until I added them up. And I even got a bit of editing done to boot! Very productive month. I marked books that are my top favorites with double asterisks. While I enjoyed many from this list, these are books that I'd give 5 stars to and would rave until the cows came home. Still meaning to go around to all the Faves of 2011 posts from Thursday too - after I take care of this nasty sunburn. 99 today. Oy! Have a good 4th of July US citizens!!

1. Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
This was the last of Melina Marchetta's books that I needed to read, and while I did enjoy it, I think it's probably my least favorite of hers. The MC is strongly opinionated, very out-spoken and that sort of surprised me. She was so different from MM's other characters. It took me a while to get used to it. A central element of the plot was the issue of the Italian/Sicilian culture's view of sex and marriage and how a girl who was born out of wedlock deals with that. I usually love getting a look at different cultures, immersing myself in the language and the food and the people. In this case, I kind of felt like I was bombarded with all the bad things about the culture to the point where I sort of hated it. Later we see that the MC does love her culture and respects it, but I guess what I'm saying is that I would have liked to have seen some of that early on and that may have contributed to my feeling of this not being as good as her others.

2. Chasing Alliecat by Rebecca Fjelland Davis Yay! A Minnesota book and a Minnesota author. See my review here .
3. Matched by Ally Condie I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Some have said that there isn't any action and it's slow, but I kind of enjoyed the tension that seemed to build as we learn about all the little ways in which the society controlled its citizens. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
4. Burning For Revenge, Tomorrow Series #5 by John Marsden ** Loved this one - action packed and man, was my heart pounding at times! Seriously the best of the series so far. I'm not sure what's going to happen next and I love that feeling.
5. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi Not sure that I'd call it a dystopian or even an apocolyptic novel. It is set in a future very different from ours, where oil is scarce, the people are poor, and surviving means doing whatever it takes - even committing murder to get ahead. But, when the MC refuses to do so, we see that the human spirit is still very much alive. I enjoyed the more literary style of the novel, and I can see why it received a Prinz award because of it. But, I also felt like the plot was quite predictable. It's one of those books that barrels forward in a straight line because there's really no where else for it to go.
6. The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness** Loved it!! Review here.
7. Touching Darkness, Midnighter's Trilogy #2 by Scott Westerfeld Quick read, maybe not quite as good as the first, but still enjoyable.

8. Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Loiuse Rennison** This book tickled my funny bone. Such a great voice and wacky character. I'll be checking out some of the others in the series soon.
9. Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry** I am seriously in love with this book. The prose was so unique and colorful and full of sensations. The plot was precious and quirky and youthful. The secondary characters were delightful (though a little hard to keep track of at first). I didn't quite understand the reasoning behind the dramatic ending, but enjoyed it nonetheless. A new fave!

10. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson I found the first half of the book to be engrossing, albeit a little slow. I was eager to know what was actually going on. But the second half left me with a lot to ponder. There were some believability issues here that nagged me, and the epilogue. Oh man, why did she have to add that? I seriously don't understand what that was all about.
11. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King It had a very plucky character that I loved, and a plot that was intriguing and felt so REAL. I'm still harboring bad feelings toward the main character's best friend Charlie - big heartbreak there. The only thing about this story is that the writing is almost too straightforward. I felt very strongly moved at times, so sad for the MC and I WANTED to cry for her, but I didn't. I can only think that maybe if the prose had been stronger then I would have had a stronger, tearier emotional response. Still highly recommended though!

12. Across the Universe by Beth Revis Yikes, I am so torn up about this book. I loved the whole premise of a girl waking up in space and trying to figure out what the deal is with this society she's been thrown into. The mystery was truly great - it gave me that "I don't want to put this down" feeling. BUT after it was over, I thought about some parts of it and I realized that it is just loaded with plausibility issues and plot holes. I'm sure that those who don't read a lot of science fiction can easily ignore this, and that's fine. It's just that I think the story could have been a whole lot stronger if Revis had thought these things through better.
13. Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John** I loved this one!! It's about a girl who becomes manager of a high school hard rock band - only she herself is deaf. Hoping to make myself do a review soon. Awesome, tough character with a strong voice, great family dynamics and such a swoony kissing scene towards the end.

Day 3 of Faves of 2011

2011-06-30T06:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's more of Nomes's fabulous little blog series, the Faves of 2011. Today we have a few random awards to give out. Hope you enjoy my list!

the scenes

1. best first chapter

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

I loved how the scene just seemed to fly off the pages, almost like stream of conscious type writing, and as many of you know, I'm particularly fond of opening scenes that involve kissing strangers (points to Nikki's Wish button above).

2. best climax

There are really too many that fit this description so I'm going to break my rules of choosing just one.

All of these are kind of action packed, though I didn't intentionally do that.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

3. best ending

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

The ending of Finnikin is just much, much too sweet for words.

4. best plot twist/revelation (no spoilers!)

Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers

Because I was too blind to see it coming. :(

5. scariest/most disturbing scene

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

There's a scene in the middle of this one that absolutely turned my stomach. I mean I knew that it wouldn't come to fruition, so to speak, but it was still chilling to read.

6. steamiest scene (or sweetest/sexiest kiss award)

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

This book is so sexy almost from the get-go, but there's one scene in particular that was just HOT - and then funny - and then rather sweet. Loved it. :)

7. best swoon-worthy moment

Anna and the French Kiss

Close to the end, at the park. Yes, that one. :)

8. biggest nail-biting moment

Burning For Revenge, Tomorrow Series #5 by John Marsden

This series is full of nail-biting moments actually, but there's one in particular in book 5 that sort of turns the whole series around. JM isn't afraid of kill off his characters, and I was certain that one of them was going to bite the bullet this time around. Can't say whether they did or not, of course.

9. most hilarious scene

Angus, thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Picture a young girl, a Sex God, and um... hair fried by over-bleaching. I started laughing out loud. :)

10. most heart-breaking/tear-jerker moment

Please Ignore Vera Dietz

There are a few heartbreaking moments in this one that makes you just kind of crumble up inside. Anyone who has ever had a friend turn on them will be able to relate.

the random

1. fave first sentence

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

The string slices into the skin of his fingers and no matter how tough the calluses, it tears.

(so she's talking about a guitar here, but you could take a leap and say that it's a metaphor for the MC - just brilliant!)

2. fave book title

I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier

It's significant, unlike so many other titles out there, but you won't know what it means until the very end. Also I know that I could never come up with anything that simple, desolate, and brilliant.

3. fave reading experience (ie: created a great reading memory)

Guitar Highway Rose

This book made me crazy desperate to be a teen and free of responsibilities and eager to make mistakes again. Gah!

4. book with the best food in it (made me so crazy-envious-hungry)

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Examples: Turtle soup, pheasant stuffed with figs, stewed oysters, potted larks, greens cooked with bacon, pickled watermelon rind, buttered parsnips, cold tongue. Gingerbread, pies of brandied peaches, cherries and mincemeat, macaroons, blancmange, Jordan almonds, and maple syrup bread pudding. The list goes on and on. Obviously not everything in this book would appeal to all palates.

5. book with the most sensual weather (made you shiver/sweat)

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Well, it's set in a futuristic world where much of New Orleans is underwater and there are hurricanes all the time and what not. And it's very very hot. And they're on a ship for parts of the story. Nasty.

6. most embarrassing book cover (feeling sheepish in public)

Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

So it wasn't particularly the picture, but rather the title, especially since I was reading it at my son's soccer practice. :)

7. can’t believe you waited this long to read the book (!)

Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin

If there's one book that deserved a heck of a lot better marketing, it was this one.

I'll be hopping around to all the blogs again soon. If I've missed you over the past couple days, my apologies. I try to visit everyone, but sometimes I get lost in Bloggerworld and can't find my way out.

Faves of 2011 continues...

2011-06-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Faves of 2011 continues...

this is a continuation of the Faves of 2011 series hosted by Nomes at Inkcrush. Again, I had so much fun picking these out. Thanks Nomes for coming up with this series. It's brilliant!

1. best female POV

The Earth, My Butt, and other Big Round Things

It was hard to choose this one because so many books are written in the female perspective. I decided to go kind of askew here and picked one that I thought dealt particularly well with a girl's emotions and struggles of just trying to figure out who she is. The Earth, My Butt definitely has this going on.

2. best male POV

The Piper's son

This one was a pretty easy choice. Tom's voice is so authentically male, Melina Marchetta hit it spot on. But then, it's MM, what do you expect?

3. Best couple

Anna and Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss

I really liked how their relationship grew over a longer period of time. You rarely get that these days - usually it's just love at first (and man am I guilty of that in my own writing, hehe). Loved the chemistry between them and the friendship and especially the moment when Anna realizes that she's in love with him and starts calling him by his real name. It was so well done.

4. who i so want to be best friends with

Bindy Mackenzie from The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie

She was so brilliantly funny. She's kind of socially inept, yet you know she'd be the kind of pal who would never let you down. And yes, that pictures is pretty much spot on.

5. who i fell completely in love with

Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss

Okay, I admit there were times when I was frustrated with him, but he had it all going on, funny, friendly, made the girl feel special just by a glance, and a British accent to boot! Yeah, he's definitely my new literary crush.

6. worst (best) villian

Aaron from the Knife of Never Letting Go

He's a preacher out to kill the main character (or so you think). Every time he showed up in the novel I felt like I wanted to scream, why isn't he dead? And kill him already, kill him! And run! He reminded me of that evil preacher guy from the last season of Buffy. Oh he is just too deliciously evil. :)

7. best character twist (who you loved then hated or vice versa)

So this award goes to a secondary character from Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Nick's last girlfriend.

who unfortunately I can't recall the name of (it was a library borrow). Anyway, you think she's a total bitch, but in the end she turns out to be actually kind of nice. It was a good character twist, I thought.

8. best kick-arse female

Rose from Vampire Academy.

I've said it before that Rose reminds me of Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (although not as psychotic). She's tough, sexy, a boy-magnet, doesn't really care what others think of her, and although she might not be the toughest protector around, you just know that she's going to get the wind under her sails (she has to with an instructor like Dimitri). I NEED to read more of this series.

9 best kick-arse male

Four from Divergent

I don't usually go for military types, but Four could teach me boxing lessons any day. :)

10. broke your heart the most

Culler from Fall For Anything

I was really hoping that Culler would turn out to be the older, crushworthy guy who turns a crush into something more. There were clues this wouldn't happen, but I ignored them. Totally broke my heart.

11. best/worst character names

Worst: Delilah from Fixing Delilah - not sure what it is about that name that just niggles with me.

Best: Alliecat from Chasing Alliecat.

Well, her real name is Allie, but she's a mountainbiker who always lands on her feet (both literally and figuratively). I loved how the nickname fitted her personality.

bonus: 5 fave covers:

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater - I love the artistry in these covers so much. It's so unique and fresh.

Raw Blue by Kirsty Eager- There's just something about the blues on this cover that makes me feel all achy inside.

Matched by Allie Condie - If that dress had been any other color than green, I don't think I would have liked it as much.

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta - I love this cover for some reason.

Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison - look at that cat, just look at him!!

I'm eager to see what everyone else picked, so I'll be going through the blogs over the next few days. This series is so much fun, yes? YES!!

Faves of 2011 - Day 1

2011-06-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

So my good friend Nomes over at InkCrush is hosting a Faves of 2011 blog series (ain't that button just adorable?) where you get to award your favorite books that you've read in 2011. The blogs series will last 3 days/posts and has all kinds of funky good categories. These are my awards for Day 1. You can join in the fun and post your own - go have a looksee at what Nomes has listed and add a link to yours. This is a great way to build your TBR list (not that mine needs to be any bigger, haha). In truth I had a ton of fun just thinking back about all the books I've read so far this year. It was really hard to choose some!! Hope you enjoy my list. :)

1. favourite book read so far in 2011 Raw Blue by Kirsty Eager

I had a hard time choosing between this and Anna and The French Kiss. I loved both, but Raw Blue was just so quietly astounding. Wonderful prose and so atmospheric, I could just feel myself on that beach. So many books about rape border on the preachy side, and focus on the aspect of having to "tell" about what happened, but this book never did. It focused more on the healing of the person inside, and I really felt in tune to Carly's struggle to learn to trust again. I loved this book so much that I gave it to a friend to read and then sent it across the country for another friend and she sent it to another. Hoping that the book tour continues and more can share this wonderful story! If you'd like to read it (and you live in the US) drop me a line.

2. most powerful book Hold Still by Nina LaCour

I have read a lot, and I mean a lot, of YA books that deal with death - of siblings, friends, parents (I've even written one myself). I have to say that Hold Still is probably my favorite. It was so beautiful and uplifting to see this young woman pull herself back into the world of the living after her friend dies, and the new friends she made, well they're the kind that I want for myself.

3. brilliantly funny Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

I read this just two days ago!! And found myself laughing out loud. Oh, it was just so funny and brilliant and awesome. I passed it on to someone else already and I look forward to the rest of the series. I have to see what goes on with the Sex God!!

4. best ache-y, heart-breaking, tear-jerker read Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Well, I haven't read that many books this year that I can nominate a book for just one award. Let's just say that I was in tears through a good portion of the pages.

5. most beautiful story Raw Blue by Kirsty Eager

6. delicious rainy day comfort read Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry.

I just finished this one last night, and it was an easy choice. It's so brilliantly quirky and fun. The tone of this book reminded a lot of Beatle Meets Destiny (a fave of last year). I liked the simple prose and the way she described the setting by using lists. It reminded me that you don't have to get flowery with your words to convey a meaning. Plus I really enjoyed the way she incorporated all of the characters, even the parents, into the story. I really just adored it. *sigh*

7. adrenalin-fuelled, unputdownable award Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

This book takes place over the course of one night and really it is kind of non-stop action, and kissing and sexy sexy dancing, and just a whole lot of music, fun and good good times! This is youth at it's best. :)

8. the beautiful prose award Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater continues to astound me with her use of words. And book 3 is coming out soon!

9. most atmospheric and vivid setting Fire by Kristin Cashore

It was a toss up between this and Finnikin of the Rock. I love epic fantasies for the way that they transport you to another place and time.

10. i-so-want-to-go-there award Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I've always wanted to go to Paris, never got a chance in high school even though I took 3 years of French. C'est une tragedie! This book really did it for me. I WILL go there someday!

11. most original and imaginative The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

I recently did a review of this one, here. I loved most everything about this book, but the thing that struck me the most was how I thought it was one thing when it was something completely different.

12. best under-appreciated, hidden gem book Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin

The back cover blurb of Bethany's first book doesn't do it justice. It's sexy and true to life and maybe just a wee bit, okay a lot, addictive. Read it in nearly one sitting. :)

13. i-had-no-idea-i-would-love this-so award The Midnighters by Scott Westerfeld

This is more of a MG book than a YA, and the thing is that I always have this reaction to SW's stories. I don't expect to enjoy them so much, but then I do. I love the concept and there's one scene in particular in the first book that continues to play with my imagination. It was just that cool.

14. most haunting story The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

This book isn't haunting in that it's scary. It's haunting in that it has a very strong message about the way the world works. It's a tad pessimistic, which goes against every grain in my being, and yet it's true. I think that's why it sticks with me as being haunting because I know that people can really be like that. Highly recommended read, especially if you like dark stuff without a lot of edginess (as in sex, swearing and stuff).

???

15. outside my comfort zone but gosh how i loved it

Sorry, none of my 2011 reads fit this category. I'm not sure if that means that I'm comfortable with everything or what. I know if I had read that Ellen Hopkins book I was thinking of getting that I'd have something to list. I think me and books in verse are just not going to mesh well.

16. series that i’m loving Tomorrow Series by John Marsden

Everyone should read this series. It's so easy to look away when war isn't in your backyard, but this book/series reminds us that it could very well happen to you. Plus, kids kicking the butts of trained soldiers? What's not to love?

17. most memorable voice award The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

See my review for a sample of Todd's voice. Loved it.

18. completely awesome premise award Feed by MT Anderson

Oh gosh. I have to admit that I really didn't like this book when I was done with it. I spent a lot of time hating the characters while marveling over the technology that Anderson invents. It took me a while to understand that the whole book is a parody (yes, I'm that slow), but once I understood that I liked it a whole lot more. This book leaves you with a lot to think about.

19. would make the best movie Divergent by Veronica Roth

I imagine this as a Matrix meets Fight Club meets Hunger Games mix. Haha... Of course I really just want to know who they'd choose to play Four. :)

20. want to re-read already Raw Blue by Kirsty Eager

Dang, if I had time I would re-read everything on this list. But, I don't, and I always think that there are so many good books out there that I haven't experienced that I tend NOT to re-read things. Still, if there is one book that I will take seconds of, it will be this one.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

2011-06-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

Does a book ever come to you in whispers? As in, you've heard the name over and over again on forums, in book discussions, etc., yet you've never read (or even glimpsed) a review of it? You don't know what it's about, but something about the book keeps whispering to you, "pick me up, pick me up". This was The Knife of Never letting Go for me. I know where I first heard of it - on a forum discussing The Hunger Games, yet I knew nothing about it when I requested it from the library. I had no idea what I was getting into when I read the first paragraph. I must say, I kind of like how that turned out, and so I give to you now the first few lines of The Knife of Never Letting Go without any forehand plot knowledge:

The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say. About anything.

"Need a poo, Todd."

"Shut up, Manchee."

"Poo. Poo, Todd."

"I said, shut it."

Haha. Is that not awesome? I don't think I could ever do a dog's voice so well (yes, Manchee is one of my favorite characters, poo and all). If you want to experience the rest of the book without any clue what it's about like I did, then stop reading right now. I enjoyed figuring it all out on my own, and while some books aren't very good for doing that, this one is. It gets going at a very fast pace, and the mystery will keep you GLUED to those pages. I encourage you to try reading it that way.

BUT I get that some people need to know what a book is about before they'll invest time in it, so for those readers, here's a Goodreads blurb (and my review that follows):

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

Intrigued? I thought so. Here's a little more info:

1. It's a sci-fi. I was not expecting that, and I think that's part of the brilliance of it. We're introduced to a backwards talking, illiterate MC and his country-hick dog. He tends sheep, yet, the book is set on a different planet with aliens and futuristic inventions. It reminded me of all those outposts that are seen in the old Star Trek TV show, and I loved that aspect of it.

2. It almost reads like a MG. The MC is about 13-14 years old, and there isn't a whole lot of sugary romance in it even though there is a girl. It's very much like an adventure story with one exciting thing happening immediately after another. But, there's a little bit of swearing (or implications of swearing, F'ing) and some references to unseemly sexual acts and definitely a lot of violence. I do want my son to read it at some point because I think it'd be right up his alley, but I think he'll have to wait another year or two yet.

3. The main character is rich and complex. Todd makes mistakes (lots of them), and even though I found myself frustrated with him many times, I was still rooting for him through the whole thing. I loved his dimensionality. Some of the supporting characters on the other hand are a little predictable or cliche. There's the uncle/proxy dad who loves Todd and would do anything to protect him,and there are many stupid townspeople whose ignorance is irritable at best. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately for them) these characters don't stick around for long, and we're left with Todd and Violet and Todd's dog Manchee. "Poo, Todd." "Squirrel, Todd, squirrel." "Todd?" Dang, I loved that dog.

4. The world building is sheer brilliance. Thinking back on it, I really don't see a single plot hole anywhere. Even though the characters were a bit mad, there was logic and reason to how their madness unfolded, if that makes any sense. I could see why the events happened as they did, and I didn't have to stretch my imagination about anything where the world building was concerned.

5. As I mentioned before, the pacing was fast and exciting. For a 500 page book, I was expecting it would take several days for me to get through. In truth, I was done in about a day (9 hours total). I will say that I was a bit tired of characters who just wouldn't die already. Like how many times are we going to encounter this particular evil person and leave him lying in the dust with his eyeballs on the ground only for him to come back again 50 pages later (eyeballs intact)? That got a little frustrating, but just a little because in between those parts I was trying to figure out what the MC didn't know but everyone else seemed to. Ness was very good at not giving away all the answers at once, and I think that reading it without any forehand knowledge made it all the more interesting in that respect. Notice that I haven't really given away anything here, so you can still read it and experience some of that the way I did. :)

So, there you have it. Obviously, I really enjoyed the book, and I'll be moving on to the next two in the series. But I'll leave you with a question - are there any books you read that you had no clue what they were about when you picked them up? And would you recommend them to be read that way? Leave your recommendations, please!

Review: Chasing Alliecat

2011-06-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

Goodreads summary: Sadie Lester has been dumped with relatives for the summer. Boredom seems inevitable in her small Minnesota town until she meets Allie—a spiky-haired off-road biker with incredible grace and speed. Training for the upcoming bike race, Allie leads Sadie and cute fellow cyclist Joe up and down Mount Kato—an exhilarating rush that pushes their limits. The fun ends abruptly when they stray off the trail and find a priest, badly beaten and near death. After calling for help, Allie mysteriously disappears from their lives.

Just like the trash littering the beautiful river bluffs, there's something foul afoot. Creepy rednecks are prowling the woods, the same ones who ran Sadie and Allie off the road one night. It's not until the day of the big race that Sadie finally learns the startling truth about Allie, her connection to the priest, and what drove her into hiding.

Disclaimer:
I have never gone mountain biking.
I haven't walked through the MN woods in many years.
I have never been to Mankato, MN.
Although I'm from MN, I'm a city dweller and will likely remain so for the rest of my years.

And yet, reading Chasing AllieCat, all of the scents, sounds, and sights associated with the woods and small town MN made me feel very much at home. I'd like to say that it brought back childhood memories, but alas, it wasn't even that. I grew up near a lake in central MN (several different lakes actually as we moved multiple times), and my childhood experiences really weren't the same as these characters'. I'm not sure how to explain why this book gave me the feeling of coming home, but it did. Does that mean you have to be from MN or from a small town to enjoy this book? Absolutely not. But, I think that it did enhance the experience for me.

What I loved most about this book was the way it captured those rare magical moments where you meet someone and you just "click". A few simple words, and it's as though you've been friends forever. That's the kind of friendship that occurs between Sadie and Allie. It's special, and it's the whole theme of the book and something that I think a lot of us (teens especially) can relate to. The characters were well done, and Sadie's LI, Joe, was a "real" guy, which was refreshing.

As for the plot itself, it starts off kind of slow. We're shown hints of something being "off" with Allie, but are left guessing what it is. We're also given hints of impending danger, like Allie and Sadie almost getting run off the road while biking and Sadie's dog going psycho around some strangers. It all kind of builds until the middle of the book when the friends find a body at the bottom of a ravine and then Allie suddenly disappears. Those parts of the story were wonderfully crafted and held my interest. I was eager to figure out what was going on and why Allie was connected to body and why she had disappeared and why everyone was lying to Sadie. I was caught up in the story at that point. And then... something changed.

To tell you where the story went from there would be a too much of a spoiler, but I will say that it wasn't delivered with as much finesse as I thought it could have been. In essence, it felt... dramatic, but in a soap opera sort of way rather than in a tear-jerker sort of way. Parts of it felt contrived, and the antagonist's actions didn't follow any sort of logic. Then again, I suppose I'm not the type of person who would do what the antagonist did, so maybe I don't know how they would behave.

So although the ending niggled with me a little bit, I still enjoyed the story overall. I loved the characters, the setting and learning about mountain biking made me feel like I should get off my rump and hop on a two wheeler! Haha... just kidding... I think.

Chasing AllieCat is Rebecca Fjelland Davis's second YA novel, though she also has several children's books published. CA has been named a Junior Library Guild selection for 2011. You can visit her blog here.

You can purchase Chasing AllieCat from Amazon.
Or Barnes and Noble.

CONTEST - ATTENTION ALL SEINFELD FANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-06-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

Are you a fan of the tv series Seinfeld? Do you like reading YA? Talking about YA? Talking and reading about edgy YA? Then visit my pal, Melanie's blog, YA for the YAt Heart. She's a YA writer that you will want to meet. And, in celebration of her new blog look, she's having her very first contest. It's not exactly book related, but she's got some pretty cool swag, and you guessed it, it's related to the tv series Seinfeld!! I won't tell you how exactly because I want you to go there and check it out for yourself. But for a sneak peak at her blog, have a look-see at this:

Doesn't just looking at her button with the gothic city in the middle make you want to drop everything and head on over? I KNOW you do, so I'll stop chattering now and leave you to it. Cheers!

You know you're a book addict when...

2011-06-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

I will not admit to which of these I do, better to keep you guessing.

10. You would rather read than watch Harry Potter The Deathly Hallows Part I on DVD.
9. You look forward to the school book fair more than your kids do.
8. You skip lunch knowing that 5$ sandwich can buy you a discounted book.
7. You refresh your e-library's new release button every ten minutes to see if any new e-books have been added.
6. You take No-doze (or equivalent) so that you can stay up to finish one more book.
5. Barnes and Noble gives you reading book suggestions - and you actually agree.
4. You force your kids to get involved in the Half Price Books summer reading program - and then steal their coupons.
3. Your reading wish list Excel file is open more often than your manuscript.
2. You wish your husband would hurry and finish the hell up so you can get back to your YA romance.
1. You would rather stay home and read Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls) than go to TDH Part II on it's opening night. :)

May reading list -15 books!!!

2011-06-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Yes I was very prolific this month. I think I need to cut down a bit because I only wrote about 3000 words of my new WIP! That's bad writing form. :( I think I'm going to start writing reviews again as well as give my quick list. I feel really bad about not promoting these books more, especially those that I get from the library. I can't afford to buy this many books, but SOMEONE should be buying them because many are oh so good!!! And lots of surprise endings this month! Anywho, hope you find something on this list that interests you, and as always, I love getting book recs so please let me know what book really stuck with you this month!

Double asterisks indicate highly recommended.

39. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer** I've read a lot of paranormals lately, but this is one that really stands out to me. The love triangle is tres sexy, and even though I knew who she'd end up with, I still enjoyed the ride. There was a bit of mystery and suspense in this and a scene with a giant spider! Can anyone say LOTR flashbacks? Only it was in a good way because if there's one thing that will creep me out, it's a giant spider. My skin was crawling and I loved it. I can't wait for the sequel, Wolfsbane to come out. AND Andrea Cremer just happens to be from MN, so I'll be going to her book signing at the end of July and will bring back swag for a contest! Stay tuned for it.

40. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver I have to say that the beginning of this didn't really stick with me that well. The main character is very unlikeable and although she changes through the course of the book, it was hard for me to stick with her to the end. I did like the premise a whole lot though, and it didn't end at all like I thought it was going to.

41. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky**This one was not what I thought it was going to be. AT ALL. The ending was very startling to me. Even though there were clues, I just didn't pick up on it quickly enough. It doesn't read like an issue book even though there is an issue, and throughout I kept thinking that the MC's weird social habits were abnormal-normal if that makes any sense. I loved the minor characters; everyone should have friends who are that supportive.

42. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan ** Good God, I loved this one! So fast paced and sexy. I loved both characters and desperately wanted them to get it on. Looking forward to reading others by this author-duo.

43. Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler Not as good as I had expected given Ockler's success with 20 Boy Summer. The plot was a bit predictable, and I found some things in it to be unrealistic, as in, that's not what the typical person would do. SPOILER ALERT!!!!!: I'm referring to the diary here. If I had found a diary written by my dead aunt who no one will talk about, you can be certain that it wouldn't take me 3 weeks or more to read it!). The prose was very well written, but there were definite moments where the telling vs showing balance was totally off. Overall, a bit disappointed.

44. The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta** LOVED IT!! This is a stand alone that follows the same characters as Marchetta's other YA novel, Saving Francesca. I liked being reunited with these characters, and I'd recommend reading that one first only for that reason. It was very different from SF, sort of dark and gritty. Tom is a character who makes a lot of mistakes, and yet I found myself rooting for him from the very beginning.

45. This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas As the plot of TGG progressed, I felt my hair standing on end, my stomach turning sour. It's easy to get caught up in and delivers such a strong message. Even though it's about a priest turned stalker and that gave it a very definite turn of flavor, I think it could easily apply to any similar situation, thus making it a great book for teens. I was a bit turned off with the Mary Sue- type characters; they didn't feel all that realistic, but the message it delivers alone is worth the read.

46. What I Was by Meg Rosoff Very different. I enjoyed the writing style immensely, but the story (especially the ending) was not what I expected. Still, I'll look for more from this author.

47. Darkness Be My Friend by John Marsden #4 in the Tomorrow Series. I didn't feel like a whole lot happened in this one, but I enjoyed the conflict of emotions that Ellie continues to go through. Some of it was so unexpected given her tough exterior, and of course I like it that the subplot about her love interest is re-ignited. :)

48. The Secret Hour; The Midnighters #1 by Scott Westerfeld There were a lot of cool scenes in this one. I think it reads more as MG than YA, but I continued to cheer Westerfeld's ability to incorporate science efficiently and believably into his works. This one didn't have quite as much as some of his others (and oh no, it was about math- haha), but it worked well.

49. Divergent by Veronica Roth ** RUN, DID YOU HEAR ME RUN!!! TO YOUR BOOKSELLER AND GET THIS BOOK!!!! Divergent deserves all the hype it's been getting. Some say it's like HG, and I can definitely see the similarities, yet the story is holy unique and doesn't need that selling strategy to boost its appeal. I will warn you that the take off is a little slow, if not confusing, but once you get past that around oh page 25 or so, then you will love it! I dare you to prove me wrong. :)

50. Hold Still by Nina LaCour** Clearly deserves to be on my top ten contemporary YA list for 2011. It's heartwrenching and hopeful and sad and uplifting all at once. The supporting characters surpass many that I've read in recent history. I wish I could write a book like this. Looking forward to seeing more from this author. Wait - I'd better go see if she has anything else out...

51. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty This might be personal preference, but SF didn't live up to the hype for me. I found the voice to be a bit too much, and it was hard to find a plot until about halfway through. The ending was very abrupt, and makes you want to read the next one just to see what happens, and yet... I don't think I could suffer 200 more pages of Jessica Darling.

52. Intertwined by Gina Showalter This book had a bit more than I expected it to - as in a few more vampires, werewolves, fairies, witches, and every other paranormal creature out there. I typically don't like books that stick everything into them, and though this one did keep me interested, I wouldn't have gotten it if I had known that was the case. Not so sure if I'll bother reading the next one in the series.

53. Double Helix by Nancy Werner I'm debating whether to do a more lengthy review of this one being that it's right up my professional alley. It's about transgenics and what can go wrong when scientists try to play God. I read it for the sole purpose of research, as I have an idea that I'm playing with. The thing with this one, is that while I enjoyed certain parts of it, I felt like the author was more interested in educating and making a point than they were in presenting in-depth characters with a story. I didn't really feel connected to the MC until about halfway through, and even then I think it was just the mystery of wanting to know how far she was going to take it that kept me going. Would I recommend it to someone who was planning to write sci-fi that deals with genetic manipulation? Yes, it's a good model to go by. Would I recommend it to someone who's just looking for a good story? Probably not. The tale just wasn't that gripping, the characters not that interesting.

250 word contest on Is It Hot In Here

2011-05-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

Shelly Waters over at Is It Hot In Here is having another contest of awesomeness. This one is a 250 word contest with new agent, Judith Engracia of Liza Dawson and Associates. From interviews I've read, Judith just sounds so awesome. So, for this contest, I'll be posting my first 250 words for a bit of a critique before entering tomorrow (I'm a little late to the party, blame it on Memorial Day Holiday and relatives and kids). Anyway, here we go with the beginning of Nikki's Wish, my YA paranormal that currently sits at 87,000 words.

Nikki's Wish

Chapter 1

I plucked the wallet out of a crater-sized pothole and shook the mud off. Its owner was already halfway down the block. He looked tame enough - leather jacket, faded jeans, dark hair that played freeze tag with the wind. He sprinted across Nicollet Avenue, skipped up to the curb, and proceeded on his way without a sideways glance around him.

Forget about meeting Dad and catching a safe ride home. I had more important things to do. Like chase a stranger through downtown Minneapolis. On a Wednesday night. In the dark. Alone.

I could imagine what my sister would have said: You have no common sense, Nikki. He could be a drug dealer or... or a murderer. I mean, come on. Where's your head?

And I would have replied: Give it a break, Shani. The world is not full of freaks who are out to kill you.

There was more to my carefree attitude than a need to show her wrong. I was like a wind-up toy springing back to life, and after so many months of feeling like shit, it was a welcome change. Besides, he looked pretty good in those jeans.

He entered the Foshay Tower, and I followed half a minute behind. I came to a full stop and blinked as the door shut behind me. Pink and blue neon lights shone off the walls and cascaded over a checkered floor. Sitting on a donut-shaped desk was a lighted “W”, and to the right was a lounge of sorts with black leather chairs, a wrap-around sofa, and a hot-pink beaded centerpiece that dropped straight from the ceiling.

Would you rather???

2011-05-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Would You Rather segment on my radio station this morning was really kind of dumb - would you rather have birds follow you around, dive bombing you all day (including excrement), pecking at your hair, OR would you rather get a full body bird tattoo that you could never remove? Not sure what the whole bird thing was with the morning crew, and I'm not sure if I even WANT to know. But I have a much better, writerly Would You Rather for you today:

Would You Rather:

1. Increase your reading speed about 3 times so that you could read more books, more often, while still enjoying the leisurely "feel" of reading at a normal pace?

2. Would you rather have a machine that would automatically type every word that pops into your head. So in other words, you could dictate your novel to the computer without having to touch a single key?

I honestly have no idea how to choose this one. My writerly gut tells me to go for number 2, but with my book addiction I could just as easily take number 1. What about you? Which would you rather have?

Happiness is in an (e)book.

2011-05-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

So I just need to share the joy. Yesterday I was browsing through the new books list at my digital library and found out they have The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta. I swear I was just about to buy this one on my next book buying shopping spree. THEN tonight, I noticed that they added even more and guess what I found? DARKNESS BE MY FRIEND!!! This is the 4th book in John Marsden's Tomorrow series, and I have been patiently waiting for it to be re-printed. Apparently even the Scholastic store is out of stock on this book and the only ones I'd been able to find cost 30$ - for a paperback! Or, I could have had it shipped from Australia - 30$ or so too. But now, now, I got it from my e-library! I so happy I could practically weep. Why didn't I just by the ebook version you ask? Well, I'm a bit of a crazed book collector in that I like to have all the books in a series look the same. And now I can because I can read the ePUB book and still buy the paperback when it goes back in stock. See this?

Boing Boing Boing

This is me jumping up and down!

Hehe... like I said, just had to share the joy.

Crits - next week!!

2011-05-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend is going to be super busy for me. Going to visit the fam and hopefully get some writing done, so I won't be able to do any crits. BUT if you're interested in having me do a crit for you, I will be looking for more next week. So, polish up your first pages or direct your friends to my blog (details here). I'll start taking them on Thursday. I loved reading the first pages of all the stories I did last week - some really superb writing out there. Keep it up!! :)

I'll leave you with this awesome LOTR dialogue makeover that I just saw on YA highway:

What did you read in April? What are you planning to read for May?

2011-05-04T04:44:00.000-07:00

What was up for April? Lots of vampires and angels, a few shadow hunters, kisses in Paris and some good ol' friendships Sarah Dessen style. Here's a run down:

1. The Glass House, The Morganville Vampires #1 by Rachel Caine. So-so. This was an enjoyable read, but the big scary vamps didn't really feel all that scary to me, and the main character fits the 'why the hell do you keep putting yourself in danger?' description. I may or may not move on to #2.

2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins Easily a 2011 favorite!! I loved how sweet this book was, the setting was too perfect, and I loved how the romance was allowed to grow and need I say, Etienne!!!! OMG, I think I have a new literary crush. Stehpanie Perkins's debut novel deserves all the clout it's been getting, and I have no trouble telling people that they won't be disappointed with this one!

3. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld The second book in the Uglies series. Wasn't planning to read this as the first book left feeling kind of unsure. I'd heard a lot about how there was "cutting" in the second book that was made to look like it was a cool thing. In reality, those scenes were done really well and the main characters were as repulsed by it as I was. In fact, I actually really liked the second one better than the first as the MC seems to have grown a lot and become much stronger. I'll be picking up #3 at some point.

4. Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen A quick read. I always like the uniqueness that Sarah Dessen gives her characters, but with this one I especially liked the friendship between the two older girls and how the younger girl discovered that she could have (and deserved) that too.

5. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare Much anticipated 4th book in TMI series. This one has a lot less action than the previous books, but there's more about Simon and the last 5 pages will literally blow you away!!

6. Saltwater Vampires by Kirsty Eager Gifted by a very good friend. If you're looking for vampires in a YA book who are kind of scary, this is the book for you!! It reminded me very much of The Lost Boys, and it has a wonderful male POV. And of course, surfing. And the ocean. Need I say more?

7. Fallen by Lauren Kate A bit on the "duh" side, as in, why does it take the MC so long to figure out what's going on when the reader has it figured out by page 50??? I was supposed to be swooning over the reincarnated lovers theme, but I wasn't. The coolest scene in the whole book was the ending with the two enemy angels shaking hands. Hard to want to keep going when it's only the last scene that resonates with you.

8. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen In short, the MC's best friend becomes pregnant while the MC deals with issues like whether or not to sleep with her boyfriend (who's kind of a dick). Like Keeping the Moon, the strong female friendship in this one made me weep a little and wish that I'd kept in touch with my old high school buddies.

9. Vampire Academy (#1) by Richelle Mead I LOVED this one! Finally a vampire series with some truly kick ass characters! The main character reminds me of Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, complete with curvy curves, awesome one-liners and older men who can't keep their hands off her. Only, well, she's kind of nice whereas Faith was a pyschopath. So if you hated Faith, you're still cool :) And how awesome is it that the vampires are the weaker species in this series? Five by five!

And now for my list that I'm anticipating for May. You'll notice that I read a lot of paranormal last month, and well, I'm kind of overdone on it. So in May, I'm going to stick to contemporary (mostly).

1. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer - I actually finished this one last night, and I really liked it!! More on it next month.
2. Before I fall by Lauren Oliver - halfway done with this.
3. Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist
4. The Perks of being a Wallflower
5. Fixing Delilah
6. Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty
7. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
8. Notes from the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell
9. 2-4 others that I haven't quite decided on yet. Depends on what's available at the library and if I get that far.

What was your favorite read last month? What are you looking forward to this month? I love recommendations, so please comment!!

Children's choice book awards - 2011 winners

2011-05-03T05:07:00.000-07:00

Sponsored by the Childen's Book Council, the Children's Choice Book Awards is the only national awards program where the winners are chosen by the children themselves! The categories range from best K-2 to best illustrator to author of the year. Some of this year's finalist's were:

Teen Choice Book of the Year:

Burned (House of Night, Book 7) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (St. Martin's Griffin/Macmillan)

Fang (A Maximum Ride Novel) by James Patterson (Little, Brown)

Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press)

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, Book 5) by Richelle Mead (Razorbill/Penguin)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (Dutton/Penguin)

Author of the Year:

Cassandra Clare for Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1) (McElderry/Simon & Schuster)

Suzanne Collins for Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) (Scholastic Press)

Jeff Kinney for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (Amulet/Abrams)

Stephenie Meyer for The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (Megan Tingley/Little, Brown)

Rick Riordan for The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1) (Disney-Hyperion)

Winners were chosen last night during an awards ceremony in NYC and the winners for these categories were:

Best Teen book of the year:

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

by John Green and David Levithan

Best Author of the Year:

Rick Riordan for The Lost Hero

Winners in other categories included:

Johanna Kerby's "Little Pink Pup" for kindergarten to second grade

Jarrett J. Krosoczka's "Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown" for third- to fourth-grade

Rick Riordan's "The Red Pyramid" for best fifth- to sixth-grade

David Wiesner as best illustrator for "Art & Max."

My take on the winners: I really enjoyed Will Grayson, Will Grayson, but I'll say that I'm rather surprised it won as it's probably not the most widely read teen book out there. I would have expected Mockingjay to take the prize. I'm not disappointed AT ALL though, and I think it really says something about our teen readers to pick a contemporary over the other choices (all of the other finalists were in the paranormal or dystopian category). As for best author, I'm not really surprised at all that it's Rick Riordan as kids of all ages love his Percy Jackson series. I've read The Lost Hero too and actually liked it more than Percy Jackson!

Finally, congrats to all the winners and finalists!

Want a critique?

2011-04-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why, but I kind of feel in the mood to do some critiques!! While I could go onto SYW on the AW forums and get busy, I thought I'd offer up my services to my followers first (okay why did that sound really sleazy?). If you'd like to get a critique of your first chapter or first 1500 words, go ahead and send it to my email address:

adktd2bks (at) yahoo.com.

I'm envisioning that I might do this for a few weeks as it will motivate me to get my butt moving on my own new WIP. So at present, I will do a crit for everyone who sends me something, but if I start to get lots of them, i.e. too many for me to handle, then I might go to random drawings.

Please indicate what kind of crit you'd like:
1. general comments.
2. line by line suggestions.
3. tightening/editing - I'd only do this if I think you're at the stage where you could query soon.

Also, let me know what genre you're writing in. Paranormal, contemporary, dystopian, etc. I will assume it's YA unless noted otherwise.

I prefer to read first chapters, but if you do send me something from the middle of your manuscript, please let me know that. And of course, don't participate unless you want honest feedback!!

Would You Rather??

2011-04-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

My local radio station does a little segment once in a while called Would You Rather? Today's was kind of interesting so I pose the question to you:

Would you rather:
1. Live in a glass house, in the middle of somewhere really exposed (like the Mall of America) where everyone can see EVERYTHING that you do? You would still have internet, tv, phone, etc. but you can't leave.

2. Would you rather live in a cabin out in Montana with no phone, no internet, no tv, just you, the cabin and nature. Also think, no take out, pizza, etc. Everything you cook would have to be done by hand, aka Walden-style.

For the purposes of this blog, you're allowed to have/bring as many books as you want. :) You MUST choose one or the other.

Me, I could live without all the gadgets of modern day, as long as I had my books, but having someone watch everything I do would drive me nuts!! I'd pick #2.

Please leave your choice. I'd love to hear what you think!!

Query letter blogfest

2011-04-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Since I'm in big procrastination mode and I know that I need to revise this query letter before I send out any more, I thought that I'd participate in the query letter blogfest hosted by Slice of the Blog Pie. To join in, just post your query letter, and then add your name to the list. Then pick 5 other query letters to crit. Here's my most recent query letter for Nikki's Wish, my YA paranormal, set at 87K words. I'm thinking it needs to be tightened (currently at 200 words) any thoughts?? TIA.

Sixteen-year old Nikki Dreyer just wants a simple fairy tale. As in, after meeting a genie, she becomes his master, he grants her wish to bring her sister back from the dead, and the three of them go bungee jumping at the Minnesota State Fair.

Unfortunately, magic can’t mend Nikki’s grief so easily. Sam, the genie in question, already has a master, Maxine, and this wicked witch of the Midwest has no interest in resurrecting dead sisters.

Nikki buddies up to Maxine, gaining her trust and learning what Maxine loves best – hurting Sam. Nikki bonds with Sam too and discovers that there’s more to his magic than conjuring beefcake androids. With Sam’s support, Nikki finds the courage she needs to accept the permanence of death. Ironically, that’s when a plan to trick Maxine into wishing Sam free – and get her sister back - takes shape.

Moving on is good, but thwarting death is priceless. Throw saving a sweetheart like Sam into the mix, and Nikki has plenty of reasons to see her fairy tale through. But happy endings aren’t guaranteed because if Maxine catches on to Nikki’s plan, she’ll turn Sam into a loaded weapon... and Nikki will be his target.

ipad randomness

2011-04-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

So my husband bought an ipad about 3 weeks ago, and I thought that I'd share my observations thus far (and give each points for yay or nay):

1. Awesome for reading EPUB books checked out from the library. +5 pts
2. Great for getting my son more interested in reading. He likes anything electronic. +10 pts
3. Sucks cuz I can't take it to the pool. -5 pts
4. My three year old has become addicted to smashing watermelons in the game he calls fruit smash. = BAD!! -3 pts
5. Equally BAD, a game where the three year old can smash bugs - guts included. -3 pts
6. I'm constantly worried when my sons set it on their lap without anything between the machine and their um... privates. Explaining to a 3 yr old that he has to protect his pee-pee is strange. Reminding the 9 year old is just plain awkward. -3
7. My two sons and daughter fight over it constantly and would rather watch a movie on it, crowded together on the couch, than spread out in front of the tv. +2 pts for togetherness.
8. Because of 2,4,5 and 6, I never get to use it until they go to bed. -5 pts
9. Cat's hair sticks to it. -1
10. Overall sleek look, design, cool-ness factor. +3

Overall grade: zero.

Yep, I think I could have done without it. I do like it for reading library books, but I never really get the chance with the kiddies snagging it all the time. Plus, I think I still love my paper and ink better. :)

Do you have an ipad or other reading device? What's your verdict? It's okay, I won't hold it against you either way.

TGIF!!

2011-04-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Getting a head start on my weekend - that is my head is in the clouds dreaming of all I'm going to accomplish over the next two and a half days (hey, Friday night counts right?).

1. Finish City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare. I've barely started it, but I'm already digging the plot. A lot more about Simon, who is starting to bump Jace out of the favorite character spot. Sorry, Mel!!

2. Spiff up the last 2500 words that I wrote last weekend - they were really BAD. Hehe... Hoping to get at least one more scene written by Sunday night.

3. Clean up the yard. My perennial garden is a mess, the grass looks like someone decided to make it into a checkerboard, and hubby is complaining about the ivy growing up to the chimney. Lots of back breaking work involved, though if it snows tomorrow I may put it off.

4. Lots of general putzy stuff like clothes to be washed and homework to get done and kitty to take to the vet.

That's about it, but for inspiration, I'm going to leave you with a photo I found earlier this week that makes me feel like I've stepped right into my new WIP. Can you name this famous 1960's couple?

Quick quote of the week

2011-04-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

"The world in which you were born is just one model of reality.

Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you;

they are unique manifestations of the human spirit."

by Wade Davis

Meet our new family member!!

2011-04-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest member of our family!!

Things we know about her:

She's 10 months old

She already had kittens - poor thing!

She DOESN'T like cars - she escaped her box on the way home and spent the rest of the time curled in my lap growling.

She LOVES her scratching post - and I'm crossing my fingers that continues.

She doesn't have a name yet. Carissa suggested 1. Precious 2. Love Kitty 3. Sallie

Ethan has vetoed Buffy, but I think a cat this little (6 lbs) needs a tough name.I'll keep you posted.

Contest news!!

2011-04-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Karla Nellenbach is having a contest over on her blog The Last Word and is giving away not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 4 books!! All are new releases that come out in May.And look, I even give you the titles with the links to her reviews and everything. So go to The Last Word and enter. Or don't, cuz then I'll have a better chance. *evil grin*

SHINE by Lauren Myracle. (read my review here) release date: May 1, 2011

MAGNOLIA LEAGUE by Katie Crouch (read my review here) release date: May 3, 2011

GIRL WONDER by Alexa Martin (read my review here) release date: May 3, 2011

IN FRONT OF GOD AND EVERYBODY by KD McCrite (read my review here) release date: May 10, 2011

140 character pitch contest over at Is It Hot in Here

2011-04-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little late with the blog promo. Busy, busy weekend, but there's still a little time - eh, about 16 hours?? Anywho, Shelley Watters is doing an epic 140 character pitch contest on her blog, and the winner gets a full manuscript critique from none other than super-agent Susie Townsend!! Try to say that 10 times fast. :) If nothing else, go check out the Shelley's blog and follow the links on how to write a pitch - it's really helpful!

A few quick summaries

2011-03-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Been doing a lot of reading lately folks - though obviously not enough blogging. Thought that I'd offer up a few quick summaries of noteworthy reads that I've tackled over the past couple months.

Raw Blue by Kristy Eager

I got this one from a good friend (find her review awesome here), and I'm so very lucky that I did. I had a hard time finding it anywhere online, and I'm far too stingy to do overseas mail order. If you can get your hands on a copy, do so. Raw Blue is the reader's equivalent of a chocolate lover's Triple Riple Fudge. It's the tale of a rape victim trying to piece back together her life, learning how to trust again and finding herself in one of the most beautiful settings I can imagine - Australia's blue coast. The prose is the kind that makes you pause every now and then just to re-read. I loved the take that the author had on this topic. So many rape stories are about speaking up - which is great - but Raw Blue is more about how a young woman learns to trust after an event like that. It was beautiful and powerful and I just loved it to death. I plan to re-read this one over the summer, preferably on the beach somewhere. True, I don't have the ocean to look at when I do, but maybe a Minnesota lake will suffice? I don't give ratings anymore, but if I did this one would get 5 stars.

The Tomorrow Series: Tomorrow When the War Began, The Dead of Night, and The Killing Frost. These are the first three books in John Marsden's Tomorrow series; I have plans to read the next 4 when I can get my hands on them. Again, another Australian setting. Short description: 6 kids go out into the Australian bush for a weekend of camping and come back to find their country has been invaded and they're now in a war. I've come to find that the books in this series get better and better (albeit more violent) the further you get into them. The narrator strikes me as one of the toughest heroines in contemporary literature. Forget Katniss and Katsa, Ellie could blow them both up (and would find a way to do it). Yet, the reader never forgets that she's just a girl. All she really wants is to see her parents again and not to lose all her friends. I was literally shaking while reading the third book. #4 is currently out of stock where ever I look (including at the publisher's website), but I vow to finish this series before the summer is over, even if I have to spend 50$ for an 8$ softcover.

Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin. This contemporary novel is not about a girl getting handcuffed for some kinky-time with her boyfriend and then trying to figure out how to get out of them before her parents find out. That's what I originally thought when I picked the book up - not my fault!! The back cover really makes you think that's the plot, but it is so so much more. This book is about a girl's first time, about coming out of her shell and refusing to fit into the stereotypes that everyone (including her sister) had cast her into. It was hard to put down, and I found myself reading late, late into the night. Have no doubt, there is plenty of sexiness to this one, but it's not a romance. It's very much contemporary. I also loved the way Griffin portrayed the parental/family dynamics. So very real. Bethany will has much to celebrate as she just got a new 3-book deal for her dystopian, The Masque of the Red Death (possibly to be re-titled). Make sure to watch for it, and check out her new website!!

Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard. The book is about a very young protagonist who wants more than anything to be like wild-child Mandarin, but as the two become close friends, Grace finds out that Mandarin has some real problems and maybe being the most-talked about girl in school is not the best thing after all. I can imagine that many young girls can relate to the MC, Grace. As an older reader, I was a little in dislike with her. But I do get the appeal, and of course there's a lot of character growth at the end which you come to expect with a book like this. I really loved the prose, could almost feel those wild winds of Wyoming she describes. A fabulous debut for Kristin.

I think that I shall stop there and maybe do a short series of paranormal summaries next week. But, I just wanted to add that, YES! I did finish the YA Aussie challenge already. With the four above, and Melina Marchetta's Finnikin of the Rock, Jaclyn Moriarty's The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie, and The Spell Book of Listen Taylor also by J. Moriarty, I have now read 7 books by Australian authors this year. And it's only March! I still have plans to read a few more in the coming months. There's still plenty of time to join the Aussie YA book challenge if you're up to it. Linky is here.

A memo from adktd2bks

2011-02-03T22:22:00.000-08:00

12:12 am

I am a bad writer and an even worse blogger. I should be revising, chopping, slashing, writing that damn query letter!! Or blogging! Instead here I sit, soaking in the aftermath of a book that has me rolling in writerly envy. The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie. What an astounding read. So witty, such characters, and the plotting!! Jaclyn Moriarty, I heart you. I double heart you. I triple heart you with Toblerone chocolate triangles on top!!

But I must go to bed now before my crazy kids wake me at the crack of dawn or I am caught in bed with my eyes open lost in

REVERIE

I shall retreat now, dear readers, but remember that I forever remain,

Adktd2bks

What are you reading??

2011-01-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

This week has seen a lot of ups and downs for me. I got really excited by the prospect of working on a new WIP (I chose Bettina for those who read my last post), and then I was in QLH for a while. Needless to say, that's been the down part of my week. Hopefully I'll escape with a few shreds of dignity. But, on to more interesting topics - books!!

First up, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. I mentioned this book last week, so it's a bit of a repeat, but I finished it up and wanted to give my final opinion. And a little warning here, it's a bit spoilery. I really did love this book, the writing, the voice, the descriptions, and the alternating POV was done so well. I really liked the way that the issue of depression in the POV of the second Will was brought up because that can be such a huge issue with teens, although I wish they had delved into it a little deeper. The character of Tiny was hilarious. At first I thought that a gay football player named Tiny was cliche, but the character was so well developed in the end that it was easy to forgive. He was a hoot! Finally, the ending (and this is the spoilery part) resembled Looking For Alaska a bit too much. It was different, but still had the same general theme of teens pulling off some huge stunt. It didn't bother me in LFA, but when I saw it happening in WG,WG I was kind of thinking, okay is this like a thing with John Green? Anyway, I still really loved it and would place it right behind LFA in my ranking of JG titles.

Second read this week: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. The story is about a boy named Jerry who is first a hero and then a victim when he refuses to sell chocolates at his private catholic school. At first glance, the premise might seem a little flimsy, but it's not at all. There are themes of gang violence, intimidation, misuse of power, standing up against the autocracy, and the existence of evil. It was riveting and even a little sickening at times. The book was published back in the 70's (and by the smell of my library copy you could tell), but that didn't detract from the themes at all. I didn't like the ending, but I do respect the author for having the courage to write an ending like that, especially in a YA novel. Moreover, it was appropriate for me to read it at this time because it gave me some great ideas for my new WIP.

Final read: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. This is a Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story type book with a more modern flavor. It's set in Chicago in a neighborhood where Latino gangs and the richer class live pretty much next door to each other. Perfect Chemistry has a lot of...chemistry. It was hot, and while the other themes in the book, standing up to misunderstanding parents and the difficulties of living in poorer neighborhoods surrounded by gang violence were there, it was really the hot romance between Alex and Brittany that kept me reading. I enjoyed it and I'd particularly recommend it to those who are looking for something multicultural.

What next???? Help me decide!!

2011-01-16T07:28:00.000-08:00

Along with finishing a book comes the fun part of figuring out what to write next. I have three or four choices that I've been playing with and I'm having a lot of trouble deciding. I thought I'd throw out these ideas to you and see what my followers think.

1. Write Sam's Wish. I have the sequel to Nikki's Wish mostly outlined, the first 8 or so chapters in my head, and I wrote a brief first chapter. I know that they say not to write the sequel until you actually get a contract for the first one, but this story is the most clear in my mind right now. I know exactly where I want it to go and I know the characters well. Should I get a head start??

2. Bettina (will be renamed) - is set in the 1960's about a boy who believes he's the reincarnation of a famous bootlegger/bank robber from the 1930's. In the course of the book there's a hot romance, some physical abuse and a possible murder. It's pretty much outlined, but the problem is that I'm not sure if I can do justice to the MC, Erik. I want the atmosphere of the book to be dark, sort of like Fight Club, but I don't know if my writing skills are up to that. I'm also still debating where to start the book. Do I start where I have it currently, with Erik being kind of an overly confident, overly popular teen because he knows where he's been previously or do I back it up and make him kind of repressed until he comes to the conclusion that he was this dynamic reincarnated person and then he comes out of his shell so to speak? All of this leads up to him standing up against his father, if that helps. The other problem is that I want to weave a lot of the history of the 1930's into this one and again I'm not sure if I'm up to it having never done any historical writing. Maybe it'll come out sounding silly.

3. Daniel's Song - this would be a stand alone and yet sort of a spin-off to Nikki's Wish. It's about a boy opera singer who wanted so badly to keep his voice that he made a bargain with the devil. Later, Daniel finds out that boys with voices like his were destined to be guardian angels and that's why they were given the voices of angels. The story itself would begin after Daniel's made the bargain - at this point in his life he's a rock star and getting involved in sex and drugs and stuff because he figures what's the dif, he's already going to hell. I think that it needs to be completely re-outlined because I want to include a second MC, a girl who is deaf and has the ability to see people who are marked for hell. Obviously she sees Daniel's marks and tries to help him. And there's romance between the two. A given.

4. Untitled middle grade - this is more just a premise that I started working on about a month ago. It's about three brothers who are cursed by gypsies with the old saying, ''hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil". So the three brothers are respectively deaf, blind, and mute (I'm not sure why I keep coming back to the idea of my characters being handicapped, is it strange?). The eldest brother goes missing in the second chapter and the rest of the book would be about the other two doing everything it takes to find him. It needs to have a lot of action in it - as per my son's request. It's not outlined and I have no idea where the story would take me, but then again, I didn't have Nikki's Wish outlined at all when I started and I think that my writing style is well-suited towards boy middle-grade type books.

So those are my four choices. I would really love to do Sam's Wish, but I know that I shouldn't. My second choice would be Daniel's Song, but the market is flooded with fallen angel books right now, and while Daniel isn't really a fallen angel (he's more of an angel that never was), I'm not sure if it's the right choice either. So, any opinions guys? Your wisdom is much appreciated. :)

LIttle update and what are you reading??

2011-01-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

First a short update. Yes, I feel like this weekend is going to be it. I have a list of about 4 little things that I want to fix up in Nikki's Wish and then I'll be done!! I kind of feel like I want to re-read the whole thing one last time, but I think I'll refrain from doing that, give it some time to sit while I clean up the query and synopsis. Then maybe I'll read it through one last time before sending anything out. Yeah, I know I'm kind of anal retentive that way, but I can't help it.

Now on to something a bit more fun! This week I read two and a half books. I'm still finishing up the last one, but I'm going to blurb about it anyway.

First, MT Anderson's Feed. Okay, I admit that I was a little slow on the uptake with this one. All I knew about the book going in was that it was a futuristic story where the internet is wired into people's brains. Cool background for a story, no? So I started reading. Fifty pages in, I was rather annoyed with the main character and his friends, searching for some sort of plot and thinking to myself that although the world building was spectacular, the story itself was sort of... dumb. I read some more. Still little plot, even more ridiculous scenes with characters who I want to thrash by now, and even more spectacular world building. I get to the middle of the book and one scene in particular. Main character and his girlf (yes, it's spelled that way) go out to the country to visit a farm. Woohoo, something is going to happen, I shout to myself. And then I see what kind of farm it is... a tissue farm. For growing tissue. Cow tissue. Big blocks of marbleized steak. Row after row of Fillet Mignon. I kid you not. After resisting the urge to hurl, I almost put the book down. Almost. And then, I got it. Feed is a satire.

Like I said, I was a little slow on the uptake, even afterwards I was thinking to myself that the author could have done so much more with the characters. They were dumb, shallow, and materialistic, even the main character. But now I see the brilliance in it. Really, there was no other way for Anderson to create his futuristic world and make the statement he was making without creating the characters that he did. It just wouldn't have been the same. Obviously I enjoyed the book in the end because it really made me think (and shudder a bit), but I would have liked it much more if I had known what I was getting into. So if you decide to read it, consider yourself warned.

Next I read The DUFF by Kody Keplinger. I've heard about The Duff for over a year now, and I even got to read the first chapter on the SYW boards at AW. This was a few weeks before Kody was agented, and I thought then that the story sounded fantastic. I'd been looking forward to seeing what Kody had done with her characters. And I was impressed.

Goodreads summary: Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) she throws her Coke in his face.
But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

I would have been all over this book in high school. A strong, gutsy girl who tells it like it is, plus some hot HOT scenes between Bianca and Wesley, and finally a message that it's okay to be a DUFF because really everyone is a DUFF at some point. Yeah, I would have loved this book as a teen and I think that's where it's really going to resonate. BUT, I have to say that reading this as a married 36-year old with three kids, it didn't quite hit the mark. I was very puzzled as to why a girl as smart as Bianca would sleep with a man-whore like Wesley. Even though she was using it as an escape, and even though they used protection every time, I was still... ew. I shiver just thinking about it. So I guess in some ways you could say that I had trouble accepting the premise, but then again I'm not a teen and I've never been in a situation like Bianca was so maybe I'm just too distanced from it to judge properly. The ending was a bit predictable, and the writing has room to grow. But again, a great debut from such a young author. I'd recommend it, especially to teens.

ETA- Geesh, what am I saying? It was written for teens of course I would recommend it to teens. There are so many middle age people reading YA now that sometimes I forget who the original audience is. BAAAADDD Angie, BAD!

Last up; Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. I'm only halfway through this book, but I got it yesterday so having read half of it one day, you can guess that I'm pretty much enthralled.

The Goodreads summary: One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

The book is written by two authors alternating each chapter and this method works very well. I could tell right off which was written by JG, and I have to say that I liked his chapters better, but now at about the middle of the book, as the two Will Grayson's are coming together, I'm noticing how much more sympathy I have for DL's Will. It's got me addicted, so much so that I'd like to bail out of work right now to finish it. So, yeah, go get Will Grayson, Will Grayson. You won't be disappointed.

As a little side note - WG, WG is the first e-book that I got from my library. I'm just mentioning this because I had looked around online and realized that even though I don't live in Hennepin County (Mpls), I could still get access to the Hennepin County Library because I have a card from another MN public library. This shouldn't be too surprising given inter-library loans and all, but I just wanted to point out to everyone that maybe you have the same set up in your area. You might want to particularly check it out if you live in a small community - maybe your state's capitol or a bigger city in your state has e-loaning that you could get access to.

As always I'm interested in what you've been reading too! Leave a note. And next week I promise to be a better blogger, visit more sites and actually post some more! I should be done editing so I'll have more time (of course there's all that agent research to do). Blah! :)

What I've been reading...

2011-01-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

Don't know why I decided to do this post on a Friday but I think that I'm going to try making it into a weekly thing. No full fledged reviews (as per my last post), just mini-thoughts on what I read that week.

First up for this week: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. This is the first middle grade book of LHA that I've read. I have to tell you that I was impressed, not too surprising though because LHA is so consistent with her storytelling. Chains is about a young slave girl living during the American Revolution and what she tries to do (selling secrets back and forth between the redcoats and the patriots) to earn her freedom. It was a riveting story, full of hypocrisy, hardships and tough decisions. There were moments where I just cried thinking about the injustice of it all, and the description was so realistic. You can really tell she did her research. I mean would you have thought to include eel pie in your historical? LHA really hit it the nail this time and I highly recommend it to all. In terms of young people reading it, I think that my fourth grader would have trouble with some of the vocabulary and there's one scene of abuse that I think would be harder for younger kids to handle. For older kids though (maybe 5th or 6th grade), it would be perfect.

Second up: Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, which counts as my first read in the YA Aussie Challenge. OMG, if you love fantasy then you should have read this already! I can easily say that this is the first book in a long time that grabbed me so much that I want to re-read it just a few days later. That hasn't happened to me in over a year (and I read a lot of good books last year folks)! A little summary: After the 'five days of the unspeakable', when the King and Queen and their children are slaughtered, an imposter king takes the throne of Lumatere. A curse is put on the country, trapping those inside and forcing thousands of others to roam the land as exiles, dying of fever and persecution in foreign camps. Ten years later, Finnikin, a boyhood friend of Prince Balthazar encounters the young novice, Evanjalin, a girl plagued by dark dreams, who holds the key to their return to the Land of light. Finnikin of the Rock, like most fantasies, has a prophecy, a young man who is destined for rulership, and a lot of swordplay. But what sets Finnikin apart is the strong female roles. Yes, yes, Arwen and Katsa are strong females, but not like Evanjalin. I can't say more without giving away major plot elements, but trust me, if you like strong female roles, read this book. You won't be disappointed. Oh! And the ending. I have to say it was one of the sweetest scenes I've seen in a long time. You thought Edward had the proposal thing down. Ha! Loved it!

I'll be spending the weekend re-reading my manuscript so I'll probably only get to one book next week. I just started it - Feed by MT Anderson. And then I have a few others coming up that I just ordered, including The Duff! Can't wait for that. So what have you been reading this week? Share!

A little bloggerly clean up

2010-12-30T07:53:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm doing this, but *sigh* I am. I've read posts on various sites over the past few months about professionalism in the writing industry, and one idea that comes up repeatedly is how to handle the issue of book reviews and such. Keep in mind that I don't necessarily believe in the old saying, "if you don't have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything at all" when it comes to books. I think authors should expect to get both good and bad reviews and judge their worth accordingly. But as a writer (and hopefully a professional one someday), I've come to the conclusion that it could be bad business to rate a book and then expect to sit next to that same author during a conference or such.

Let me say that this isn't easy. I do love talking about books, especially what worked for me and what didn't, and I love it when someone reads a book I've recommended and adds their own stamp of approval. But it's a step towards becoming a professional writer that I feel is necessary to take. Granted, I'm not published yet, but it seems good to get into the practice now. So *takes a deep breath* I've erased all my book reviews and ratings. Yep, that's right. I've taken that tab off my blog. Now if you look up there, you'll notice that I still have an addictive books list. I thought it would be okay to at least list the books that I absolutely loved and hopefully someone will peek at them from time to time. I've also kept up my lists of all the books I've read the past two years because I find it highly motivating to watch the lists grow. But you're not going to see any star ratings anymore. Unfortunately, this leaves me with one less feature on my blog, which means that I'll have to find more interesting things to talk about. I'm thinking I'll have to beef up my posts on writing in general and try to come up with some good topics that my readers will find entertaining. And maybe next year I'll start doing teasers again. I should have a new WIP going by February. We'll see.

Coming up tomorrow: More about resolutions!!

2010 Wrap Up

2010-12-29T12:56:00.000-08:00

I love making New Years resolutions, partly because I tend to think of myself as successful even if I only get halfway (or a quarter of the way) to my goal. This is the optimist in me shining through, and this year is no different.

What I accomplished this year:
1. I wrote and revised (3 times) my first novel, Nikki's Wish. It's currently in the polishing phase and should be ready to query in January. Go me!!
2. I read 76 books. This exceeds last year's tally by 50%!! See that optimism, folks. Blinding isn't it?
3. I actually pushed myself to do some volunteer work at the local high school, which may not seem like a big deal, but it is to me because it means that I'm actually considering changing my career path. It's kind of scary to think about quitting something you've put 13 years into and spent a small fortune being trained for. I still don't know if being a teacher is the right path, but at least I had the guts to take the first step.
4. I started ice skating again! No, I'm no good at it, but it's fun bonding time with the kids and we have an ice rink just a block from our house. Plus, exercise! My thighs forgot what that was about.
5. I finally figured out how to the get soap scum off my bathtub walls. Think circular motion, folks. Wax on, wax off, wax on...
6. I guess I should conclude by saying that I did get a patent for a transgene construct I made. It's not likely to do anything except spiff up my resume a bit, but hey, it's a patent.

I don't want to leave you thinking that my life is all rosy because it's not. I spent many days this year feeling the stress of being a mother of three with a full time job and a desire to get published. I wiped up many tears and wished that I had a different job or that I could be a SAHM. I had arguments with the spouse that I'd rather take back. But like I said, I'm eternally optimistic. I hate dwelling on the negative.

So how about you? What did you accomplish this year? Don't hold back on me, folks. I think it's important to celebrate even your little accomplishments. Life's too short to get down on yourself all the time. And if you don't believe me, trust Calvin and Hobbes: