A website dedicated to books in the Young Adult genre, featuring book reviews, author interviews contests and much more!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Contests Coming This Month!



This August is going to rock for contests!

Not only will I be hosting giveaways for some great book titles like Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready, Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson and Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Vigue, I've got another CSN Contest on the horizon!

With over 200 stores, CSN Stores will cover all of your online shopping needs. They sell everything from a coffee maker to home office furniture. Normally, the people at CSN offer up a bookcase for the lucky entrant. But, this time around, the winner will receive a one-time use gift card for $80 which can be used at ANY one of their sites. So be sure to keep checking back!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Books on Fire: Hot Reads August 1st-7th




"Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them."
-Arnold Lobel




YOU WISH BY MANDY HUBBARD
August 5th 2010 by Razorbill




BETRAYAL BY GILLIAN SHIELDS
Katherine Tegen Books (August 3, 2010)

INFINITE DAYS BY REBECCA MAIZEL
August 3rd 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin


THE IRON DAUGHTER BY JULIE KAGAWA
Harlequin Teen (August 1, 2010)

MANIFEST (MYSTYX, #1) BY ARTIST ARTHUR
Harlequin Enterprises, Limited (August 1, 2010)


ROSE SEES RED BY CECIL CASTELLUCCI
August 1st 2010 by Scholastic Press

(August 1, 2010)



OMNITOPIA DAWN BY DIANE DUANE
August 3rd 2010 by DAW




Book Review: Siren by Tricia Rayburn

SIREN BY TRICIA RAYBURN

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA (July 13, 2010)
Language: English
Interest: Mermaids
Buy This Book: Amazon|Indiebound|Barnes & Noble
Photobucket

Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything—the dark, heights, the ocean—but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is, until Justine goes cliff-diving one night near the family’s vacation house in Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Though her parents hope that they’ll be able to find closure back in Boston, Vanessa can’t help feeling that her sister’s death wasn’t an accident. After discovering that Justine was keeping a lot of secrets, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor, hoping that Justine’s boyfriend might know more. But Caleb has been missing since Justine’s death.

Soon, it’s not just Vanessa who’s afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes host to a string of fatal, water-related accidents in which all the victims are found, horrifically, grinning from ear to ear.

Vanessa turns to Caleb’s brother, Simon, for help, and begins to find herself drawn to him. As the pair try to understand the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance—and will change her life forever.

A seductive paranormal romance full of unexpected twists, Siren is certain to make a big summer splash.
Vanessa’s sister Justine died in a tragic cliff diving accident and Caleb, the only witness at the time of her death, has been missing every since. While normally a sleepy small town, Winter Harbor has recently fallen prey to many more disturbing incidents involving the water. Though Vanessa is normally afraid of anything and everything, she travels back to Winter Harbor desperate for answers. With Caleb’s concerned brother Simon in tote, the pair soon find themselves navigating through a town filled with strange locals and unexplained drownings. Will they find out what really lies beneath the surface of Winter Harbor? Can it be stopped before even more lives are lost?

As a protagonist, I found Vanessa extremely likable and could empathize with her character. Who wouldn’t go through the myriad of emotions after losing a sibling? The fear, the self doubt and the need for answers all made sense to me. I appreciated how Vanessa was a girl struggling to overcome her self-acknowledged fears and lack of confidence. So often in Young Adult books, the protagonist is passive about everything, but Vanessa was a character determined to stop being afraid and take a more pro-active role in her life. It was also refreshing to have the romantic element not pushed to the front lines of the plot. I appreciated how Tricia Rayburn chose to keep it in the background- just enough to keep me intrigued, but never overshadowing the more important elements of the story.

The history behind the supernatural elements of Siren was very well thought out and tensions ran throughout the narrative. Yet in the end, I felt like things tied up too neatly and without enough closure. Despite some loose ends and somewhat unsatisfactory ending, Siren was a haunting and compelling novel I enjoyed. I look forward to the sequel.
View an in depth look into my star rating.




Check out The Harlequin Teen Panel!


Hey everyone! Recently I discovered a great program at Harlequin Teen and wanted to spread the word! I wish it was around when I was a teenager.

What's the Harlequin Teen Panel?

HOW TO JOIN: We are looking for girls from age 13 to 17 who live in the USA and who love to read young adult fiction books. We do need your parent’s consent—it’s a legal thing. Visit HarlequinTeenPanel.com to find out more about the Harlequin Teen Panel and how to join.

WHAT DO YOU DO AS A MEMBER? You’ll be contacted at least once a month via email with a survey or discussion about books and other topics. You should also know that we created our panel for market research only, which means I’m not going to sell you anything--ever--I’m only interested in getting your honest opinions.

Are you interested? Sign up today to share your opinion about the books you’ve read and the books you’d like to read—as well as other things that help you choose your books.


Here’s what some of the members of the Harlequin Teen Panel have to say:

"I love to read; this is a great way to read books before they come out or even influence them” Harlequin Teen Panelist

“So far I love being one of your members. The books are great and I have been sharing with my friends. They would also love to join.” Harlequin Teen Panelist

Not a teen? Check out Tell Harlequin, a Reader Panel for adults.

Waiting on Wednesday: Steel by Carrie Vaughn


STEEL
Carrie Vaughn
March 15th 2011 by HarperTeen

When Jill, a competitive high school fencer, goes with her family on vacation to the Bahamas, she is magically transported to an early eighteenth century pirate ship in the middle of the ocean.


(Okay this isn't a whole lot of info, but sounds awesome to me! Love that cover too.)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event spotlighting upcoming releases we are highly anticipating. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.




Tuesday, July 27, 2010

What's Your Status Book Release and Giveaway!

Want to Win A Top Eight Prize Pack!
It includes:
Top 8
and

What's Your St@tus!

by Katie Finn!




What's Your Status: A Top 8 Novel


Sixteen-year-old Madison still loves logging on to Friendverse to see what her BFFs and her cute new boyfriend Nate are up to. But the latest social networking craze is Status Q, which is all about rapid-fire status updates. When one of Mad’s friends has to pull off a high-pressure heist, the gang relies on Status Q to send coded messages to each other…all in the middle of a school dance! Will up-to-the-minute social networking save the day…or lead to good old-fashioned disaster?


Read a sample of Chapter 1.




Top 8

Madison MacDonald is seriously freaking out

Madison MacDonald

16

Putnam, CT

Status: Single?


About Me:
Everything in my life was working out. I had my three best friends, a brand-new boyfriend, and the lead in the school play. Aside from that history paper I hadn't started, things felt perfect.

Then I returned from spring break to find my Friendverse profile hacked. Someone clearly out to ruin me had spilled the most damaging secrets - AND posted the worst photos of me ever taken - online.




Katie Finn is the author of Top 8 and What’s Your St@tus?. She lives and writes in Los Angeles. Friend her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @katiefinnwrites and visit her online at www.katiefinn.com.

To learn more about Katie Finn and her books, be sure and visit:
Point Books
Katie Finn's Official Website






***CONTEST RULES **
This contest is now closed


How to Enter:


Post about this contest on the social media of your choice: Twitter, Facebook, Blog, etc! Leave me a comment with what you did. That's it! Bonus entries for every extra place you post the contest to.


Deadline: Contest ends August 11 2010 and is open to all U.S. residents.


Good Luck!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Book Review: Insatiable by Meg Cabot

INSATIABLE
BY MEG CABOT
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher:
William Morrow; 1 edition (June 8, 2010
-US & UK)
Language:
English

Photobucket
Sick of Vampires? So is Meena Harper.

But her boss is making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn’t believe in them.

Not that Meena isn’t familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you’re going to die (not that you’re going to believe her; no one ever does).

But not even Meena’s precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side . . . a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.

The problem is, he already is dead. Maybe that’s why he’s the first guy Meena’s ever met that she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena’s always been able to see everyone else’s future, she’s never been able look into her own.

And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.

Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future . . .

If she even has one.
Definition: in·sa·tia·ble
adj.
Impossible to satiate or satisfy: an insatiable appetite; an insatiable hunger for knowledge.

Meena Harper is having a bad week. Instead of having the type of precognition that could actually be useful, say like picking winning lottery numbers, Meena's gift is more like a curse. How would you like to meet someone and instantly know how they are going to die? Not exactly a great way to make new friends either. To make matter's worse, her recently unemployed brother is squatting in her apartment and her annoying neighbor Mary Lou seems to be stalking her at the elevators. But it gets worse. Meena was passed over for her dream job at the soap opera she currently writes for. Now, thanks to new boss and archenemy Shoshana, Meena's got to write about the one subject she can't stand- vampires.“Get over it, Harper, Shoshona had said.

They’re everywhere. You can’t escape them.
It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t she escape stupid vampires?”- page 284

Things just couldn't get any worse, right? Wrong. No, better yet- Dead Wrong. Meena’s whole world comes crashing down the night she meets Lucien. He's a man that seems to have it all- he’s a prince, gorgeous and did I mention filthy rich? At first she thinks she hit the jackpot. Then Meena soon learns all that glitters is not gold. In fact in Meena's case, you could say, all that lives, doesn't always have a pulse. Getting involved with Lucien puts Meena in a world of danger she never imagined possible. If she survives long enough to avoid the Palantine vampire hunting guard hammering at her door, not to the mention hordes of killer bats on the loose, will she lose her own soul in the process?

"When she got through all this- and she would, indeed, get through all this. She was going to have to.

What other choice did she have?- she was going to write a book. She had to get the word out there. It was the only way she was going to save other women from what she was going through now.

Women are From Venus. Vampires Are From Hell.” – page 328


Meg Cabot couldn't have chosen a better title for this book. I devoured all 563 pages in twenty-four hours and was still not satisfied. Just like it's namesake, I felt INSATIABLE, wanting more and more!

Meg Cabot took a subject completely over-saturated in the media right now and wove her own original twist into a fresh story line. I loved how the narrative unfolded between the alternating viewpoints of the different characters. There were so many well-defined, quirky personalities that it constantly kept the plot buzzing with excitement and humor. Alaric was by far my favorite one. I loved everything about his character; his rock-hard abs, his penchant for Betty & Veronica comics, his fondness for Senor Sticky, and his no-nonsense outlook on vampires. But more importantly, I loved the way Alaric's scenes sizzled with Meena; so much that I could practically hear them crackle and pop. The way they constantly fired zinger after zinger back at one another reminded me of a well written slap-stick comedy from an era gone by. Supporting characters such as Meena’s well-meaning, bumbling brother Jonathan, best friend Leisha and socialite Mary Lou added even more oomph to the book for me. Meena’s precognition was also really interesting; I loved how she used her gift to try and help people in a way that was realistic and at times, often poignant.

Instead of jumping on the vampire bandwagon, I believe Cabot sought to gently poke fun at our collective obsession with them. Cabot did a great job deconstructing our society and how/why so many people are enamored with vampires. Consent is a prevalent theme in this book. It takes three bites to become a vampire; people have a choice if they want to keep going back for more. Meena may have hated vampires but not everyone shared the same opinion. I liked that even as she struggled with her own attraction to Lucien, she still didn't want to be indoctrinated into their world. Sure guys like Lucien may be attractive and want to whisk you away on romantic vacations to Thailand, but it's important to remember that under all that glitz and glamor, they're still just a bunch of soulless demons wanting to suck your blood.

I've read numerous vampire novels, both within the YA and adult genres. This book was by far one of the most entertaining and downright addictive vampire books I have read in a long time and I highly recommend it.
Read
excerpts of Insatiable.





Meg Cabot(her last name rhymes with habit—as in, “her books are habit-forming”) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over twenty-five series and books for both adults and tweens/teens, selling over fifteen million copies worldwide.

Meg lives in New York City with her husband and their one- eyed cat, Henrietta.

Visit Meg Cabot's Official Website


Sunday, July 25, 2010

Ten Tantalizing Questions for Tricia Rayburn, Author of Siren!


Have you ever wanted to learn more about your favorite authors? Ten Tantalizing Questions is designed not only to showcase exciting books on the horizon, but to also provide a glimpse into the personalities of the authors behind them.

"There are thousands of thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen and writes. ~William Makepeace Thackeray

Up this week:

TRICIA RAYBURN


Siren is a story about Vanessa Sands, a teenager whose world is shattered when her sister Justine tragically dies in a cliff-diving accident near the family’s seaside vacation home. Can you tell us a little more about the book, and perhaps share with us a favorite line, scene or passage from the book?

When Justine dies, everyone chalks it up to a tragic accident. Vanessa, on the other hand, knows her sister wouldn’t be so careless and returns to Winter Harbor to figure out what really happened. When she gets there she learns that Caleb Carmichael, Justine’s sort-of boyfriend, is missing. Vanessa and Caleb’s older brother, Simon, team up to look for him, and it’s not long before other bodies begin washing ashore, their mouths frozen in permanent smiles. As Vanessa and Simon work together to solve the small town’s mysteries, Vanessa faces some of her worst fears—including one she never dared to imagine. What she learns about herself threatens her new romance and changes her life forever.

One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Vanessa and Simon find Caleb with a certain sneaky seductress in the woods. For a brief time, Caleb isn’t the only one under a siren’s spell, and Vanessa’s reaction to this helps her make sense of her confusing feelings for Simon.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Beautiful.”

My head snapped toward Simon. He was still staring, transfixed, like Zara was a flawless, translucent pendulum swinging in front of him.

“She’s beautiful…isn’t she?”

I turned back, my face burning. How could he think that at a time like this? He wasn’t some random guy whose every thought careened around the same track. He was Simon. Mr. Weatherman. Mr. Science Guy. How could he of all people get caught up in hormones, emotions, or whatever, when Caleb sat only a few yards away?

And how could I suddenly wish I’d put more thought into my appearance that morning so that I had the same hypnotizing effect?

What three words best describe Siren?

Suspenseful, alluring, spooky.

Do you remember the first words of Siren you ever wrote? Are they still in the book today?

I do remember the first words of Siren I ever wrote. They were the first sentence of the book, which was: “My older sister Justine always said the best way to deal with your fear of something was to pretend it didn’t exist.” That changed slightly to: “My sister Justine always believed that the best way to deal with your fear of the dark is to pretend it’s really light.”

If Siren was to be made into a movie, do you have certain actors you envision in the lead roles of Vanessa and Simon or do you think unknowns would be best suited to play them?

I think Dakota Fanning would make an amazing Vanessa! I don’t have a particular actor in mind for Simon, but whoever played him would have to be tall and somewhat athletic-looking (because Simon’s on the Bates crew team), and have a serious yet endearing way about him. Kind of like Shia Labeouf—with glasses!

What types of feedback do you receive from readers of your books? Is there one comment in particular that really affected you?

I’ve received a few emails from readers who said that once they started reading Siren they couldn’t put it down. As a writer, this kind of engagement is the very best thing I could hope for! And I’ve heard from many Maggie Bean readers who said those books either helped them feel better about themselves or inspired them to be kinder to others, which is just what I hoped Maggie’s story would do!

What prompted you to use Maine as the backdrop for Siren? Did you visit specific locations for inspiration- if so, did you uncover any interesting local folklore along the way?

I love New England and really wanted to set Siren there. I chose Maine for its dramatic coastline and decided on the small town of Winter Harbor after learning that its namesake harbor never freezes, not even in the middle of winter. As you know, this plays a key role in Siren!

If you had to attach a musical score to Siren, what music do you picture playing during prominent scenes?

Something moody and dramatic, like music by Arcade Fire, Snow Patrol, Bon Iver, or Imogen Heap.

Siren is your first foray into young adult fiction. Looking back at how your story transformed from initial spark to full length novel, can you describe to us the most challenging aspects of writing the book?

Siren’s very different from anything I’d written before, so the most challenging aspect was probably pushing the plot—and my imagination! My previous books were very much based in reality, so writing about characters with supernatural abilities was a completely new experience. As creatively trying as it sometimes was, though, it was also VERY exciting when things came together.

If you could inhabit the life of one literary character and dive into their world for just one day, who would you choose and why?

Hermione Granger! I’d love to experience all things Harry and Hogwarts from her perspective.

Your novel Ruby’s Slippers releases in July and there are also plans for a sequel to Siren. Can you give us any insider scoop on what we can look forward to in the next installment of Siren? Do you have any other projects in the works?

In Siren 2 Vanessa struggles with being back at school for senior year, dealing with new physical abilities and limitations, and figuring out her relationship with Simon. She’ll learn more about who she is and where she came from, and realize that sometimes you can’t escape the past—no matter how hard you try.

As for other projects, I’m currently working on a fun, new middle-grade idea. It’s in the very early stages so I can’t say much, but I’m very excited about it!

July 13th 2010 by EgmontUSA

Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything—the dark, heights, the ocean—but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is, until Justine goes cliff-diving one night near the family’s vacation house in Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Though her parents hope that they’ll be able to find closure back in Boston, Vanessa can’t help feeling that her sister’s death wasn’t an accident. After discovering that Justine was keeping a lot of secrets, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor, hoping that Justine’s boyfriend might know more. But Caleb has been missing since Justine’s death.

Soon, it’s not just Vanessa who’s afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes host to a string of fatal, water-related accidents in which all the victims are found, horrifically, grinning from ear to ear.

Vanessa turns to Caleb’s brother, Simon, for help, and begins to find herself drawn to him. As the pair tries to understand the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance—and will change her life. To learn more about Tricia Rayburn and her books, visit her online at www.triciarayburn.com and www.triciarayburn.blogspot.com.

OTHER BOOKS BY
TRICIA RAYBURN:








Friday, July 23, 2010

Book Review: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood

GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD
BY EILEEN COOK


Reading level:
Young Adult
Hardcover:
261 pages
Publisher:
Simon Pulse; 1 edition (January 5, 2010)
Language:
English

Popularity is the best revenge.

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.
“Revenge is a tricky thing. I wanted Lauren to pay, but pay in a very particular way. For example, it might be momentarily satisfying to do one of the following:
1. Push Lauren out in front of a speeding dump truck.

2. Slather her with BBQ sauce and set a herd of hungry pit bulls on her
.

3. Pour honey in her hair and then tie her down on an anthill.


4. Dress her in a bathing suit made out of herring and then push her into shark-infested water.”- page 38
Confession time. I put off reading this for quite some time. I thought it would be fluffy chick lit with a predictable revenge theme. But Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood turned out to be surprisingly entertaining. Sure, there were similarities to teen movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and Mean Girls. But what made this book stand out to me was that Helen, the revenge seeker, already knew the ins and outs of popularity way ahead of the game, and was able to use that knowledge to play her cards flawlessly from day one. Her imagination and resourcefulness had me laughing out loud – this girl took revenge tactics to a whole new and slightly scary level.

The writing of Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was fast-paced and always suspenseful. It was obvious that Helen would end up being dissatisfied with her choices in the end, but it was fun to watch her get there nevertheless. I loved the characterization of Helen’s super hip grandmother as well as Brenda, the nerdy ugly duckling Helen worked to remake into a swan. Helen's relationship with the elusive film buff Christopher was enjoyable and added an extra layer of intrigue to the whole deception aspect of the novel as well. When would everyone find out? Would Helen tell Christopher and Brenda herself? What would they do? What would Lauren do? These things were what kept me reading, I just had to know!

So, what about Lauren Wood, you ask? Well, Lauren was definitely one of those characters you just love to hate. Initially, I assumed that Lauren would have a few redeeming qualities which would become apparent and make things less black and white. But nope- Lauren was just a downright nasty person, as many people in this world most definitely are. There’s no rhyme or reason, they only see things there way and stomp all over good people in the process. I thought it was smart for Eileen Cook to write her that way. I did not want to like Lauren. I wanted to see her fall of her pedestal. But with that being said, I also wanted Helen to realize that life was not worth living with so much hate either. I thought Eileen Cook struck the perfect balance between revenge, self-awareness and vindication. It never went too far in any one direction and that impressed me the most about the book.

Bottom Line: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was a bitingly humorous novel with a bold plot and one heck of an unforgiving protagonist dedicated in the pursuit against evil.
Honestly, when all is said and done, a little chili powder in some mascara and tuna fish in the AC vent never really hurt anyone, right? Vive la Helen!



Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in six different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. Her latest release, Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was released in Jan 2010.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at http://www.eileencook.com/. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.



Book Beginnings Friday: Annexed by Sharon Dogar

Book Beginnings on Friday
is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

(I'm about to crack this open so thought I'd do a post about it. I want to read it but at the same time, if it let's me down I'll be really upset. What do you guys think?)



"May 1945- Peter: Austria, Mauthausen, Sick Bay I think I'm still alive. But I'm not sure. I'm ill. I must be because I'm lying down. We never lie down. In the camps there's no such thing as rest."

- Prologue; page 1


ANNEXED BY SHARON DOGAR
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Andersen Press (October 26, 2010)/ UK (September 2, 2010)
Language: English

Everyone knows about Anne Frank and her life hidden in the secret annex – but what about the boy who was also trapped there with her?

In this powerful and gripping novel, Sharon Dogar explores what this might have been like from Peter’s point of view. What was it like to be forced into hiding with Anne Frank, first to hate her and then to find yourself falling in love with her? Especially with your parents and her parents all watching almost everything you do together. To know you’re being written about in Anne’s diary, day after day? What’s it like to start questioning your religion, wondering why simply being Jewish inspires such hatred and persecution? Or to just sit and wait and watch while others die, and wish you were fighting.

As Peter and Anne become closer and closer in their confined quarters, how can they make sense of what they see happening around them?Anne’s diary ends on August 4, 1944, but Peter’s story takes us on, beyond their betrayal and into the Nazi death camps. He details with accuracy, clarity and compassion the reality of day to day survival in Auschwitz – and ultimately the horrific fates of the Annex’s occupants.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Hot Future Releases to Dream About







"Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance."
-Jean de La Fontaine

This quote can easily apply to books, don't you think? I'd like to say I judge what books I want to read solely on literary merit, but that wouldn't be completely true. Sometimes a breathtaking cover is all it takes! Here are some eye catching future releases that would surely stop me in my tracks at the bookstore, how about you?





The Liberation of Alice Love by Abby McDonald (July 8, 2010)









The Lost Saint by Bree Despain


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Contest: Win Linger by Maggie Stiefvater!

Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #2)



In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver,
Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past...and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves...and is nonetheless drawn to Cole. At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love--the light and the dark, the warm and the cold--in a way you will never forget.

Want to win a finished copy of
LINGER?
**This contest is now closed**

To enter:
Leave a comment with your email address.

Bonus entries:
+1 for everyplace you link/post about my contest!

Valid through August 5th at midnight eastern standard time.
U.S. entrants only


Note: If you live outside the U.S., but have a U.S. address the book can be shipped to, you may enter.