
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Blog Tour: Guest Post and Giveaway by Albert Borris, author of Crash Into Me


Saturday, September 25, 2010
Blog Tour: Guest Post by Andrea Cremer, author of Nightshade

Two brilliant authors who are two wonderful people write a book about two awesome boys, both named Will Grayson. I got to hang out with John and David at ALA and I’m still going through withdrawal – I wish I could see them every day! This story about self-discovery, friendship, and loyalty made me laugh out loud and cry. It’s beautifully written and full of surprises. John Green and David Levithan each write books on their own too – and they are all amazing, pick any one of them up and you’re in for a treat.
The Demon’s Lexicon series by Sarah Rees Brennan
The first book has a fabulous twist. The second book features a kick-ass heroine. All of it takes place in England, one of my favorite countries and is full of an original mythology that is fascinating and compelling. I love the characters Sarah has created and I’m dying for the third book in this trilogy to hit shelves!

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Lisa is my critique partner so I’ve been lucky to read this book and its sequel, Original Sin, early. You can pick it up September 14! Lisa has offered an original spin on the battle between Heaven and Hell with a no-nonsense, sassy heroine and two phenomenally sexy boys trying to win her heart (and soul). Lisa’s books are delicious and addictive!
Lament and Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
I love The Wolves of Mercy Falls series, which Maggie is best known for, but her books focusing on faerie lore are my favorites by this gifted author. Not a series, but companion novels Lament and Ballad are

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Speaking of faerie lore, Brenna’s debut hits shelves in September. This book hit me hard, but in a good way. It’s a frightening and slightly disturbing interpretation of ugliness and beauty, good and evil. The protagonist is Mackie – a very unique young man – he’s a changeling, a faerie child left in place of a human child who’s been stolen. Unlike other faeries, Mackie is trying hard to be part of his human family and their world, despite the fact that it’s slowly killing him. I loved this story which is in turns sweet and horrifying.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Blog Tour: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Publication Date/Version: October 2010/Hardcover
Publisher: Philomel
Age Group: Young Adult
Received From: Publisher
Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?
A bit animal-like, a whole lot sexy, and plenty of action. Nightshade is a whirlwind debut that tops the charts as one-of-those paranormal books. Ranking with Raised by Wolves and Spell Hunters, this one hits all kinds of new levels.
Calla is a strong, no nonsense kind of girl. The kind you actually want to read about. She's certainly no pushover, and you get that immediately from the story. She's tough and fights for what she wants. We're drawn in instantly to her major problem - saving a human boy, violating pack rules. Soon after, she begins to question everything she's known about the pack and just how truthful they really are.
Meet her two rival boys, Ren and Shay. Ren is the soon-to-be alpha male of the pack Calla and Ren are destined to create. He's the hot boy with a heart just for Calla. He's not without his flaws, but he is willing to stop it all for Calla. Then comes along Shay, the boy Calla saves from certain death. He's not afraid of the pack, though he should be. He fights for Calla and crosses more than a few boundaries doing so. I preferred the relationship between Ren and Calla as it was hot and exciting. I didn't feel the chemistry between her and Shay, but apparently she did. Either way, it didn't detract much from the plot.
Fast-paced and full of action, the insanity never stops in Nightshade. The pack is intense and demanding, while Calla's secrets draw her away from her duties and friends. There's nonstop intrigue and you can't help but flip the pages. This hefty book only took me a couple days to read. I highly recommend Cremer's debut, and I cannot wait for the next installment, Wolfsbane!
Overall: Hot chemistry, dynamic pack, full of intrigue.
My Advice: Buy a copy.
Cover: Loving it. The colors are great, and I especially enjoy the flowers that look as though there's been a bit of bloodshed.
*This book was read as a part of the 100+ Reading Challenge and the 2010 Debut Author Challenge
Monday, September 6, 2010
Review: The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Sunday, September 5, 2010
School: Why I Love, and Despise, You


5. School spirit! Dressing up for games, getting decked out in team colors, yelling 'til you're hoarse...that's the life of a teenager.


Saturday, September 4, 2010
In My Mailbox or The Fed Ex Guy is Sneaky

Crave by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz (Accepted Review Copy)
Echoes by Melinda Metz (Accepted Review Copy)
Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love edited by Trisha Telep (Accepted Review Copy) - Fed Ex dropped this one off, and because I never open my door for them (hehe) he left it on my porch. I walked out, looked around, and didn't see it so I came back inside. I thought maybe it was a package I had to sign for, but I decided to look again. He had wedged it in a corner behind our potted plant, under its leaves. Very sneaky... I do like that about Fed Ex though. They always put our packages out of a passerby's viewpoint.

The Death by Bikini Mysteries (Books 1-3) by Linda Gerber (Paperback Swap) - What a surprise! I thought I was receiving a copy of the first book, but I ended up getting all three in one book.
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (Bought) - Thanks to a gift card from my awesome Grandma!
The Indigo Notebook by Laura Resau (Random Buzzers Program)
Do you like the way I'm doing IMM now? Or do you like the old way?
I had a good week! How was yours?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
I'm participating in the Banned Books Reading Challenge!

The lovely Steph of Steph Su Reads has issued a Banned Books Reading Challenge, and I plan on taking part! You can read more about it and sign up here. This is my main post, in which I will be outlining my goals and linking to reviews.
Often times I find myself recommending book to certain age groups based on their content, but who am I to judge? I look forward to break boundaries and defying those who think they can control me. Bring on those oh so bad banned books.
My goal is to read at least 2 banned or challenged books. I'm starting out small, but maybe I'll read more. I would like to check out:
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Review: Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney

Saturday, August 28, 2010
Blogging Break
Sunday, August 22, 2010
In My Mailbox (49)
Friday, August 20, 2010
Review: The Jaguar Stones by J&P Voelkel

Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wednesday Wishlist (26)

The Sweetness of Salt
by Cecilia Galante
Julia just graduated as her high school valedictorian, has a full ride to college in the fall and a coveted summer internship clerking for a federal judge. But when her older sister, Sophie, shows up at the graduation determined to reveal some long buried secrets, Julia's carefully constructed plans come to a halt. Instead of the summer she had painstakingly laid out, Julia follows Sophie back to Vermont, where Sophie is opening a bakery - and struggling with some secrets of her own. What follows is a summer of revelations - some heartwarming, some heartbreaking, and all slowly pointing Julia toward a new understanding of both herself and of the sister she never really knew.
Reasons I want to read this:
1. I love the cover - its images and color combinations, especially the way the text is laid out
2. I enjoy stories like this: ones in which a family is shaken up by secrets
3. I'm in the mood for contemporary fiction
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Teaser Tuesday (19)
Monday, August 16, 2010
Review: Zillah's Gift by Lois West Duffy

Sunday, August 15, 2010
In My Mailbox (48)

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.
Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wednesday Wishlist (25)

Entangled
by Cat Clarke
Grace meets enigmatic Ethan the night she's planning to kill herself. The next morning she wakes up in a strange room with a table, chair, pens and paper. There's nothing to do but write, and as she writes, Grace remembers the things she's tried so hard to forget.
The hazy memories lead Grace into a dark place where friendship, heartbreak and betrayal tangle together...
Reason I want to read this:
1. The premise makes it seem as though this will be a deep, well-thought out novel.
2. Why is she in that room? And why do her, well, captors want her to write? I must find out!
3. The combination of colors on the cover is gorgeous.
4. Unfortunately, this is releasing in the UK, not the US.
ps. Sorry for my absence. I haven't been in a blogging mood lately.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
In My Mailbox (47)
For Review:

(PB/August 2010 in Australia/Pan Macmillan Australia)
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.
Cath was kind enough to send me a copy of this after I loved her previous book, A Little Wanting Song, so much!
Friday, August 6, 2010
One Year Blogoversary!

...And some nummy cupcakes. Hope to see you this time next year!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Mini Reviews (4)


Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Wednesday Wishlist (24)

The Twin's Daughter
by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day... a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And the transformation in Aunt Helen is indeed remarkable. But when Helen begins to imitate her sister in every way, even Lucy isn't sure at times which twin is which. Can Helen really be trusted, or does her sweet face mask a chilling agenda?
Reasons I want to read this:
1. What a concept!
2. It vaguely reminds me of The Prophecy of the Sisters which I really enjoyed.
3. I like the cover - how there's two obvious images and how they create an image in their void
Contest Winners!
The three lucky winners of Lost For Words are:
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Teaser Tuesday (18)

Monday, August 2, 2010
I have returned
Friday, July 30, 2010
Updates!
1. Don't worry if your comments aren't going through! I have moderation on, so they won't show up until I get back and am able to go through all of them. Also, I have scheduled some posts, as you can see, but a lot of it was rather last minute, so you might not see posts every day this week. I'm enjoying my time off and trying not to stress about the blog.
2. I know that at least one of my contests has expired, and one may in the very near future. It's okay if you enter past the date I have listed as the entry closure date - I didn't know I would be gone so those contests will be extended. I'll end them when I get back, and then I'll announce the winners.
3. IMM will be postponed until next week. I have absolutely no idea what I've received this week, so you'll see two weeks worth of books the following week.
Catch you all later!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wednesday Wishlist (23)

Tweet Heart
by Elizabeth Rudnick
Claire is a #hopelessromantic. Lottie is determined to set up her BFF with Mr. Perfect. Will wants his #secretcrush to finally notice him. Bennett is a man with a plan.
Claire can’t believe it when her dream guy starts following her on Twitter. She never thought he noticed her, and suddenly he seems to understand her better than almost anyone.
But the Twitterverse can be a confusing place, especially when friends act differently online than they do in person. Things get even more complicated when Claire realizes she’s falling for someone else, the last person she ever would have expected….
Reasons I want to read this:
1. It sounds like such a cute story line!
2. Love the adorable cover.
3. I really enjoy books told in alternate forms (email, diary entries, etc.)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Teaser Tuesday (17)

Page 15, Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson
Enjoy!
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Clearing by Heather Davis

Sunday, July 25, 2010
Onward Bound to the Happiest Place on Earth!

Saturday, July 24, 2010
In My Mailbox (46)




Thanks to the publisher for this one, as well. Love the cover!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Contest: Mockingbird and goodies

Interview: Kathryn Erskine, author of Mockingbird

Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy, and make friends at school, especially after the death of her brother, her social link to the world. Working to find closure, she helps her family and her community come to terms with the school shooting tragedy.
2. What inspired you to write Mockingbird? What do you think the book's cover?
I was inspired to write Mockingbird because my daughter has Asperger’s. I used the school shooting event (which transpires before the book opens) because I was so affected by the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007. I thought that, maybe, if the shooter had received some help over the years, he might have felt heard and others might have understood him better. Mockingbird is all about walking in each other’s shoes and learning to understand each other better, which is why I tell it from the point of view of Caitlin, a girl with Asperger’s.
At first I wasn’t sure about the cover. People either love it or hate it. Fortunately, most people love it. I think it’s beautifully pure and simple.
3. The one book everyone should read?
To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s no coincidence that I reference it both in my book’s title and in the story.

I loved travelling and experiencing other cultures. There’s so much to learn and appreciate beyond our borders. I felt very lucky. As I write this, my sister is in New Zealand, which is one place I’d love to visit, as well as Australia. I have to say, though, if I could pick just one place, I’d love to go back to southern Africa, specifically, Botswana. There’s something about Africa that gets under your skin and never leaves you—the languages, the music, the people, the sunsets, the wildlife—it’s a breathtaking world.
5. Are you working on anything at the moment? If so, please tell us a bit about it.
I’m currently working on Cornerstone, a novel about a boy who confronts the racism in his community while dealing with the death of his father. He learns that people, past and present, aren’t always what they seem, and that picking sides isn’t as easy as you think.
6. Any last words?
I just finished edits on The Absolute Value of Mike, which will be out a year from now (Philomel, Summer 2011), about a boy with a math learning disability and a genius for a father. Mike spends the summer with wacky relatives and ends up doing something pretty amazing.
Please visit me at http://www.kathrynerskine.com/ where you can get my news, playlists, and fun photo writing prompts, or at my blog, http://kathyerskine.wordpress.com/, or on facebook or twitter.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Deception by Lee Nichols

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Wednesday Wishlist (22)

Dark Water
by Laura McNeal
2. Sounds unlike anything I've read before
3. Based on the description, I get the feeling the writing will be gorgeous. "The town of marigolds and palms, blood oranges and sweet limes." Isn't that evocative?