Wicked Appetite

Wicked Appetite
by Janet Evanovich

Life in Marblehead has had a pleasant predictability, until Diesel arrives. Rumor has it that a collection of priceless ancient relics representing the Seven Deadly Sins have made their way to Boston’s North Shore. Partnered with pastry chef Lizzie Tucker, Diesel bullies and charms his way through historic Salem to track them down—and his criminal mastermind cousin Gerewulf Grimorie. The black-haired, black-hearted Wulf is on the hunt for the relic representing gluttony. Caught in a race against time, Diesel and Lizzie soon find out that more isn’t always better, as they battle Wulf and the first of the deadly sins. (description taken from Amazon.com)

Oh my gosh...Stephanie Plum lovers, hold on to your hats!! This is a great start to a new series by my favorite humor author. This book has officially earned a

for excellence! I laughed so hard in a couple of spots that I almost snorted coffee out of my nose...yuck.

Do you remember Carl, the trouble-making monkey, from Finger-Lickin Fifteen? Well...he's back...and I LOVE IT! He is soooo funny. His presence in this storyline is just priceless.

Beyond Carl, I love Diesel and his new partner, Lizzie. They're both great characters and they work well off one another. This first adventure in hunting down stones representing the seven deadly sins deals with gluttony and it's funny (plus I craved cupcakes for about six hours today) and I cannot wait to see what happens when they have to handle say...lust. Whoa!

If you love Stephanie Plum, or if you just want a book that will make you laugh out loud - guaranteed - pick this one up...and plan to read the next one whenever it comes out! I know I will be...

A Wizard of Mars

A Wizard of Mars
by Diane Duane
Young Wizards series, book nine

Kit and Nita become part of an elite team investigating the mysterious "message in a bottle," which holds the first clues to the secrets of the long-lost inhabitants of Mars. But not even wizardry can help them cope with the strange events that unfold when the "bottle" is uncorked and a life form from another era emerges.

Though the Martians seem friendly, they have a plan that could change the shape of more than one world. As the shadow of interplanetary war stretches over both worlds, Kit and Nita must fight to master the strange and ancient synergy binding them to Mars and its last inhabitants. If they don't succeed, the history that left Mars lifeless will repeat itself on Earth.

It's been awhile since I read the last book in this series, but having to wait for book nine was worth it. This is a great science-fiction based magic series. Rather than fairy dust or wand waving magic, the young wizards here have to memorize long spells in the Speech, a universal language, coax machines to do what they want and keep their magical knowledge in manuals that function more like handheld PDAs.

Kit and Nita both became wizards when they were very young. The most powerful wizards start out at about eleven. Now, older and more experienced, they have been working as partners for years...and each tries not to think of the other as anything else as their best friend. When Mars threatens to split them up, they must band together to save themselves, their friends, their world, and if possible the potential Martians.

Full of funny Martian movie references and typical teenage angst, this book also delves much deeper into themes of friendship, love, morality, strength, and loyalty. An excellent addition to the series that brings Kit and Nita to the breaking point...

Full disclosure: Received audiobook to review for Audiofile Magazine

In My Mailbox - October 10, 2010

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

For My Nook:

Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Afterlife by Claudia Gray

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber

I am currently in Arizona vacationing with family, so I may not be blogging as much as usual, though I hope to read a lot!! :)

Anxiously Awaiting...

Eona
by Alison Goodman

Due out 04/19/2011!!
I've been anxiously waiting news for this book ever since putting down the first, Eon, which was one of my favorite books of 2009!!

Jackson Pearce Speaks Out about Book Piracy

This is a great video that I found through another blog that I follow, Stories and Sweeties, and I think it's a really great message! Kudos to Jackson Pearce for standing up on behalf of authors everywhere.

The Karma Club

The Karma Club
by Jessica Brody

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve. But when Maddy’s boyfriend cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why Maddy starts the Karma Club, to clean up the messes that the universe has left behind. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.
(description taken from Amazon.com)

This was a really refreshing, fun teen read. I loved how Maddy reacts just like anyone else would when she is first humiliated and dumped. She starts out totally devastated...then plots revenge! What's great, though, is that she learns that through finding balance in her own self...in creating a better life for herself, she then can pass that on to others, and reap the karmic, but NOT selfish benefits.

I love how, yes, she finds the perfect guy, but it's really only after she's learned to be a better person on her own. He does not come along and fix her...in fact, she inspires him in some ways. All in all, a fun, and morally stimulating book. :)

For some more fun, check out this book trailer for The Karma Club:

Vanished

Vanished
by Kate Brian
Private series, book twelve

When Noelle disappears in the middle of a Billings Literary Society meeting, Reed worries, but thinks it must be a prank...that is until she starts to receive anonymous texts threatening Noelle's life!

Now Reed is tasked with completing a series of assignments in order to get Noelle back. While maintaining utter secrecy, Reed ends up having to ruin her social life, her academic career, her relationship with Josh...everything in her life! She'll do it all, though, gladly to get Noelle back...but, can she really save her life?

SO good. I love this series! This was a great addition to the series. Though I had my suspicions about who was behind the kidnapping, Brian threw me for a total loop at the end. There is a major revelation about Reed and Noelle's relationship!! I was proud of Reed, even when thrown for a total loop, she stands up for herself and refuses to play anyone's game but her own. This book leads into the prequel, The Book of Spells, coming out in December. I'm dying to read that one, too, though I kind of wish that Brian had not decided to add a paranormal element to the series...I feel like it's everywhere in YA now. *sigh Hopefully, though, this one will be good!

In My Mailbox - October 3, 2010

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

For Review:

It Started With a Dare by Lindsay Faith Rech
Lucy by Laurence Gonzales

From the Library:

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

Vanished by Kate Brian

So Much to Tell You by John Marsden

On My Nook:

Blameless by Gail Carriger

Death Perception by Victoria Laurie

Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn

Won on Twitter!:

Modern Fairies, Dwarves, Goblins, and Other Nasties: A Practical Guide by Miss Edythe McFate by Lesley M.M. Blume

Borrowed:

Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix

*Borrowed from my friend, Kim, about 2 weeks ago and totally forgot to mention it!!*

The Wide-Awake Princess

The Wide-Awake Princess
by E.D. Baker

In this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie—blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic—can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake.

But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn't possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father's guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own. (description taken from Amazon.com)

This book made me smile from start to finish! I loved it. It had just the right balance of fairy tale charm and modern day girl bravery to satisfy every part of my reader's demands! I love a good fairy tale retelling, but sometimes, now that I'm older, I find myself questioning things...practical things...and I have to push them aside to finish the story in a happy place. Not so with The Wide-Awake Princess!!

Annie, the main character, is the younger sister of Gwendolyn (who we would all know more commonly here as Sleeping Beauty). When her sister is put to sleep, along with the rest of the castle, for one hundred years, Annie is the one that asks, "What if we get attacked while everyone is sleeping?!"

In order to save her sister, and her kingdom, Annie goes on a quest to find her sister's true love...and the evil Fairy that originally cursed her...to try to speed the process up and revive the kingdom. Along the way, she gains a protector and friend, Liam, who just may be more intriguing than Annie originally thought. *wink, wink* They run into lots of other great characters, like Tomas and his little sister (very Hansel and Gretel-esque), a Prince enchanted to be a bear, a Princess who is engaged to an Ogre (very Beauty and the Beast) and Annie even gets stuck in Rapunzel's tower...where she learns more about that girl's habits than she ever wanted to know!

Along the way, Annie who has no magics of her own, demonstrates that she has plenty of other skills to assist her on her quest. She can ride bareback, she is intelligent, she learns new skills very quickly, she is brave, she has no compunction about eating whenever there is food available...all in all, she is one awesome and un-simpering Princess!

Though I'm pretty sure this is a stand-alone book, I loved Annie so much, I'd be really happy to see another book detailing her further adventures! A great tween or teen read for those that love fairy tales.

Sapphique

Sapphique
by Catherine Fisher
sequel to Incarceron

Finn has escaped from the terrible living Prison of Incarceron, but its memory torments him, because his brother Keiro is still inside. Outside, Claudia insists he must be king, but Finn doubts even his own identity. Is he the lost prince Giles? Or are his memories no more than another construct of his imprisonment? And can you be free if your friends are still captive? Can you be free if your world is frozen in time? Can you be free if you don't even know who you are? Inside Incarceron, has the crazy sorcerer Rix really found the Glove of Sapphique, the only man the Prison ever loved. Sapphique, whose image fires Incarceron with the desire to escape its own nature. If Keiro steals the glove, will he bring destruction to the world? Inside. Outside. All seeking freedom. Like Sapphique.

I was excited when I received this ARC in the mail to review. Overall, I had enjoyed Incarceron, as you can see in my review here, but some of the complaints I had had about the first book are things I found bothered me a little bit about this book. What I did love: the steampunk vibe, the prison Incarceron, the vivid imagery surrounding the characters. What I didn't love: the characters interactions with each other, the predictability of certain revelations (though I was totally surprised with others), not knowing if there is a book three or not.

Though Incarceron got rave reviews, and I think Sapphique will as well, it was not a super standout for me. There were moments that I loved but overall I wasn't left with that feeling of Whoa! when I put the book down. I do hope, though, that there is a third book...it could end where this book ends, and be okay, but I'd love to see where the characters go from there in repairing their broken down society!

Full disclosure: ARC received from SLJ for review. Hardcover comes out Dec. 28, 2010.

Book Blogger Hop

It's Book Blogger Hop time again! The BBH is hosted by Jen over at Crazy For Books. This is a great opportunity to check out some other book blogs and to just have fun finding out what everyone else is doing! It's a great networking tool. I hope you hop today!

This week Jen wants to know:
How do you spread the word about your blog?

When I first started blogging, my friend Jen who writes Yabooknerd, very graciously offered to interview me to help bring exposure to my blog. It was a ton of fun! Then, as I started posting more often, and very slowly gaining some followers, one of my friends said, "Ummm...do you link to your reviews on Facebook? You should." So, I started posting a link there everytime I blogged. Then I started getting big into Twitter, and started tweeting everytime I blogged, as well. Mostly, though, I find participating in this type of meme brings the most new visitors to my blog! :)

Banned Books Week

With all the controversy over Ellen Hopkins being asked to NOT participate in Texas' Teen Lit Festival and an idiot professor in Missouri calling to censor Speak, Twenty Boy Summer, and Slaughterhouse Five, this year's Banned Book Week has been brought right to the forefront in American consciousness. This is fantastic!

I work in a medium sized urban library that serves a very diverse population. Every year, I put up a book display about Banned Books Week. This year, I was super pleased when I had a school visit (three classes from our high school) on Tuesday morning and as I was explaining the different displays in the Teen Room someone asked what a "banned book" was...

I took my time explaining how some people think that others should not be able to read whatever they want and that we, as public libraries, choose to celebrate reader's choice. That we actually pull out all of these books to say that, "Yes, we do own this book, and YES, you can check it out!!"

The kids were really surprised when I pulled out some of the books from the display and started explaining why they had been challenged or banned in different places. Gossip Girl? Harry Potter? Twilight? What do you mean that people can't read those?

It was a great moment. A whole group of teens thinking about being told, "No, you can't read that because it's not appropriate for you." It made me smile to watch their faces grow from confused to aggravated to reluctant smiles when they realized that here...here, they could take them if they wanted.

I could go on and on about the different banned books that I've read and enjoyed, but I think there are so many authors, bloggers, and librarians that have already done so, and better than I could, this week, that I'd rather just leave you with this "success story" from my library. It certainly made me smile, and I thought brought home, for me, at least, the real importance of Banned Books Week...spreading the word!

Monster High

Monster High
by Lisi Harrison

The monster community has kept a low profile at the local high school, but when two new girls enroll, the town will never be the same. Created just fifteen days ago, Frankie Stein is psyched to trade her father's formaldehyde-smelling basement lab for parties and prom.

But with a student body totally freaked out by rumors of monsters stalking the halls, Frankie learns that high school can be rough for a chic freak like her. She thinks she finds a friend in fellow new student Melody Carver-but can a "normie" be trusted with her big secret?
(description taken from Amazon.com)

This was an interesting start to a new series. I love the concept of the original movie "monsters" having been real people that reproduced and now their descendants are attending high school and trying to conceal their secret identities! Frankie is a hilarious newly created teen that exemplifies all the worst behaviors a spoiled fifteen year old girl can have...yet, couples it with a courage and sense of self-worth that is undeniable and makes her a character well worth emulating.

Melody, the "normi," is another fantastic character. Not perfect, by any means, yet very honest about relationships and more open to others than a lot of people out there. The other "monsters" that are introduced are all different and all tons of fun. I can't wait to see what they get up to later in the series.

My only major complaint - the book ends on such a cliffhanger! It was honestly all just a set-up for the series...could almost be considered a prequel to whatever the next book is...that should be book one really.

It was fun to read, though. I actually listened to it on audio and got to hear snippets of the "Monster High" theme song and there were additional sound effects that gave a cinematic feel. More fun. I highly recommend the audio version of this one!

Full disclosure: Received audio version to review for SLJ.

Teaser Tuesday - Sapphique

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!"



Sapphique
by Catherine Fisher

p. 142

Incarceron's voice was rich with contempt. You who cannot leave here because of your imperfections. But Sapphique's dream of the stars is mine now, and there is a way. A secret way, a way no one expects.

Anxiously Awaiting...

Rage
by Jackie Morse Kessler

Due out April 18, 2011 from Graphia.
Sequel to Hunger, book one in a thoughtful new series...a twist on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. *see my review here.

In My Mailbox - September 26, 2010

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

For Review:


Blessedby Cynthia Leitich Smith
*Thank you, Thank you!!*


The Missionary by William Carmichael and David Lambert

Radiance by Alyson Noel

From the Library:

Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin

No Mercy by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Borrowed:

Rich and Mad by William Nicholson

*Thank you Geri!!!*

Books Meme

I saw this over at YABOOKNERD and decided to give it a whirl...

5 Books I’ve Read Recently

1. Carter's Big Break by Brent Crawford
   
2. Changeless by Gail Carringer
   
3. Meanwhile by Jason Shiga
   
4. Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
   
5. Water Steps by A. LaFaye
   

5 Books I’m Planning to Read (in the near future)

1. Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
   
2. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
   
3. Passing Strange by Daniel Waters
   
4. Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder
   
5. Virals by Kathy Reichs
   

5 of My Favorite Books - *for the moment...this changes frequently

1. Firelight by Sophie Jordan
   
2. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
   
3. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
   
4. Mistwood by Leah Cypess
   
5. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
   

5 of My Least Favorite Books

1. The Gardener by S. A. Bodeen
   
2. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
   
3. Dune by Frank Herbert
   
4. Any of the YA R.L. Stine books (Fear Street, etc)
5. Redwall by Brian Jacques
   

5 of My Favorite Book-to-Film Adaptations

1. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (rare in that the movie was better than the book!!)
   
2. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
   
3. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
   
4. Emma (Masterpiece Classics)/Sense and Sensibility (Emma Thompson) by Jane Austen
   
5. Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding
   

Meanwhile

Meanwhile: Pick any Path. 3,856 Story Possibilities
by Jason Shiga

Chocolate or Vanilla? This simple choice is all it takes to get started with Meanwhile, the wildly inventive creation of comics mastermind Jason Shiga, of whom Scott McCloud said “Crazy + Genius = Shiga.” Jimmy, whose every move is under your control, finds himself in a mad scientist’s lab, where he’s given a choice between three amazing objects: a mind-reading device, a time-travel machine, or the Killitron 3000 (which is as ominous as it sounds). Down each of these paths there are puzzles, mysterious clues, and shocking revelations. It’s up to the reader to lead Jimmy to success or disaster.

Meanwhile is a wholly original story of invention, discovery, and saving the world, told through a system of tabs that take you forward, backward, upside down, and right side up again. Each read creates a new adventure!
(description taken from Amazon.com)

Choose your own adventure meets the graphic novel...awesome!
This is a book that I would hand to any reluctant to read middle school boy. It is a choose your own adventure book, in graphic format, full of inventions, clues, disaster, random events, and a mystery. Very cool.

What did I love the most? Trying to follow the lines to see where the story goes next...turning the pages by the cool tabs...and realizing that the pages are laminated to prevent quick wear and TEAR! (The Librarian in me loved this!! I could just imagine having to replace the book about 8 times if the pages were normal...)

Fun. Interesting. I'd love to see another one.
So, what do you want? Chocolate or Vanilla...

Anxiously Awaiting...

Fins Are Forever
by Tera Lynn Childs

Coming June 28, 2011!!
I loved Forgive My Fins and can't wait to read the sequel.

Carter's Big Break

Carter's Big Break
by Brent Crawford
sequel to: Carter Finally Gets It

School is finally over, and he has (barely) survived his freshman year. Unfortunately, he quickly learns that the summer break he’s been craving just might break him. When he and his girlfriend, Abby, part ways (over his less-than-appropriate requests and her shameless flirting with another guy), Carter can’t help but think his summer is ruined.

Things start to look up after he’s unexpectedly cast in an independent film opposite the world’s biggest tween sensation, Hilary Idaho, who’s looking to give her image a makeover. With Hollywood knocking on his door, Carter gets a taste of the good life. Suddenly, his small town, lame friends, and embarrassing family don’t seem as great as they used to. As is prone to happen when Carter is around, the film spirals out of control, and he begins to fear that he’s not the “somebody” he thinks he is and more of the “nobody” he’s pretty sure he always has been. But maybe, with the help of a few friends, he’ll learn to see things in a whole new light.

Find out if Carter goes Hollywood…or Hollywood goes Carter.
(description taken from Amazon.com)

I really loved Carter Finally Gets It when I read it. It is hilarious...and slightly raunchy. Definitely a book I would recommend to a high school boy looking for a funny read! Carter absolutely sounds like a fourteen year old boy...full of horomones and toilet humor.

At the end of their freshman year, Carter and his boys are looking forward to an awesome summer. Unfortunately, Carter's life never seems to work out that easily, and suddenly due to a misunderstanding (potentially totally Carter's fault), he and Abby are no longer dating. She's got her eye on an older guy, and Carter's probably gonna end up alone. *sad face*

On the upside, Carter is suddenly cast into a movie! A real movie. And his co-star is no other than Hilary Idaho, the hottest tween sensation...ever...and the fulfillment of some of Carter's wishful dreams. Things are definitely looking up...or are they?

Full of horomone driven situations and hilarious mishaps just like the first book, Carter's Big Break is another great story. Not quite as purely magical as the first, Carter still persistenly charms (and makes me snort) all the way through. The raunchiness is perfectly balanced with real life lessons, making for a book that I am just dying to pawn off on other readers!

Water Steps

Water Steps
by A. LaFaye

Kyna likes her friends, her purple hair, and taking photographs. But there's something she definitely doesn't like: the water. Every time she comes near it, she feels the sinister pull of the depths trying to draw her down to a watery grave. Even the calm water in the bathtub reminds her of the torrential storm that took the lives of her sailing family when she was just a baby. But Kyna's adopted parents love nothing more than to swim and splash about in lakes and streams, or even the local pool. When they decide to spend the summer at a beach house on Lake Champlain, Kyna is convinced that they're trying to teach her something about water that she's not ready to learn. Little does she know that the water will reveal far more than she ever could have imagined.
(description taken from Amazon.com)

Kyna's story has been likened to the movie,"The Secret of Roan Inish" and I do have to agree. It is a story with a supernatural secret and a wonderfully folk-taleish rhythm. Though this story does deal with *Spoiler Alert* selkies... it really focuses on Kyna overcoming her fear of water. Ever since her family drowned when she was but a toddler, Kyna cannot even sit in a bathtub without having a full fledged panic attack.

As her adoptive parents gently coerce her to take "water steps," Kyna learns to overcome her fear and eventually conquers it *Spoiler Alert* in her quest to save a friend's life. Though she uncovers a deep family secret, more importantly Kyna learns how to really live with her new family.

I listened to this book on CD narrated by the author. The Irish accents were charming. The pacing was reminiscent of being told a story in front of a warm, cozy fire. A beautiful tale told in a charming way!

Full disclosure: Audiobook sent to me for review for AudioFile magazine

The Lost Symbol

The Lost Symbol
by Dan Brown
Robert Langdon series, book three

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation . . . one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon’s beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.
(description taken from Amazon.com)

Robert Langdon returns in another intriguing, complex Masonic adventure. This particular addition to the series starts off a little slowly, but gains speed quickly. This book once again blends organized religion, secret societies, mysticism, and science.

The science introduced, noetics, is really fascinating to contemplate...and to read about on the internet. The idea that you can actually use your mind to affect the world around you is very cool - I loved the correlations to group healings, prayer circles, and ultimate creation...wow. Very interesting!

The science I think really brought this whole book together, though I also really liked the way that Brown brought people from Langdon's life in closer to the storyline. His relationship to the Soloman family made the story more complex and drew me further into caring about what happened to each character. Smart!

Overall, an entertaining and thought-provoking read.

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots
by Abby McDonald

Jenna may hail from the ’burbs of New Jersey, but Green Teen activism is her life. So when her mom suggests they spend the summer at Grandma’s Florida condo, Jenna pleads instead to visit her hippie godmother, Susie, up in rural Canada. Jenna is psyched at the chance to commune with this nature she’s heard about — and the cute, plaidwearing boys she’s certain must roam there. But after a few run-ins with local wildlife (from a larger-than-life moose to Susie’s sullen Goth stepdaughter to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna gets the idea that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don’t play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. A dusty survival guide offers Jenna amusing tips on navigating the wilderness — but can she learn to navigate the turns of her heart?

This book was only so-so for me. I had really high expectations, I suppose, because I loved McDonald's Sophomore Switch so much when I read it earlier this year. This just didn't strike me the same way.

Although I didn't really connect wholeheartedly to Jenna's environmental dilemma, I did love the message about learning to become a well rounded person...to not just focus on a single aspect of one's personality. I also loved the subplot about one of the character's coming out.

This wasn't a bad book by any means, but I don't feel like it's a must read.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

OMG! This (finally!) official trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - part 1 looks AMAZING. I am beyond excited.

Do you want to be a Monster?

So, I'm currently listening to the audio book version of Lisi Harrison's Monster High and it's actually a really cute, funny read so far! I'm loving it. This made me want to check out the website again, which I had visited a few months ago when they first started promoting the book, dolls, etc. online. I love the fashionista teen versions of the traditional "monsters!" Anyway, just thought I'd share this fun music video that they posted to YouTube to also help promote the book...

Guest Post - Erin McCahan, Author of "I Now Pronounce You Someone Else"

Earlier this week, I was pleased to offer you my review for the day three stop on the I Now Pronounce You Someone Else blog tour. Today, I'm super excited to offer you a follow-up guest post from the author, Erin McCahan. My question:

"What came first the characters or the plot? Building a Story"

It’s funny, by which I mean happily coincidental – so, really, it’s not technically funny at all, is it, but only idiomatically funny – and where was I going with this? Oh, yeah, it’s funny (see above definition of funny) you ask this because I’ve been thinking about doing a post on my own blog about this very thing. I was going to call it: How It All Starts.

For me, whether it’s short stories or novels, it all starts with one small idea – either a scene, an object, a sentence, a conflict or a title. Never a character. The characters grow out of the idea, which first has to grow into a story.

For example, every Sunday, as my husband and I drive north to a monastery for our church service, we pass through a town called Widowville. Widowville is a handful of farmhouses set in very pretty farmland, and one of the houses always – ALWAYS – has a hand-lettered sign out front that says, either, eggs for sale or free kittens. In their side yard, cats and chickens wander and scratch, unconcerned about each other’s existence or proximity. So – a couple Sundays ago, I asked my husband this: What would the story be if the title were Welcome to Widowville, and it’s a comedy, not a horror story or tragedy?

Here’s another one I’m fooling around with. In this case, the Starter Idea is the opening sentence:

On the night before her wedding, Brigid Sullivan did something she always wanted to do. Brigid Sullivan . . .

I haven’t settled on an end to the second sentence yet, but these are some of the endings my husband and I have played with:

. . . married the man she truly loved.

. . . ran away from home.

. . . robbed a bank.

. . . vanished.

Then we started asking how old Brigid Sullivan is, where she lives, who she’s marrying and if she’s even human. This one’s percolating more than Welcome to Widowville, and Brigid is starting to take on certain characteristics based on two possible scenarios. As soon as I commit to one, she’ll start to grow on her own. And that’s one of two points I love about the writing process.

1. When the characters start becoming real, or real to me, anyway, and

2. when everything is in place and the story starts to tell itself.

Usually this second part of the process happens about a quarter of the way into the book, and it’s palpable, and it’s a relief, because from then on, when things aren’t working, I know I’m forcing a situation on characters rather than letting the characters work through their own situations.

Here’s the Starter Idea I’m working diligently on at the moment:

Then my grandmother knocked on my bedroom door, came in, closed the thing behind her, told me not to cry, that she was there to help. And she hugged me, which was nice, as I had not seen her since she died.

I want to thank Erin McCahan so much for taking the time to craft this guest post for me! If you click on the review link above, you'll see how much I thoroughly enjoyed I Now Pronounce You Someone Else. It was an honor to be part of this blog tour. Make sure you check out the other stops...you can see the full list at The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly's post.

Raised by Wolves

Raised by Wolves
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

This book restored my faith in YA paranormal fiction. Don't get me wrong...I love fantasy, paranormal romance, and if you couldn't tell...I'm addicted to YA books! Lately, though, everything seems to be fitting this genre...published just to get money from the Twilight addicts, I'm sure. Raised by Wolves, though is a great, really, really outstanding addition to this genre.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved books about werewolves. Vampires used to give me nightmares, but I always imagined cozying up (and not in a gross way!!) with a wolf that would later be able to talk to me...so cool! Post-Twilight it seems as if everyone jumped on the vampire/werewolf bandwagon and lots of...let's say, not stellar, books came out.

This book totally stood out from the pack, though. *wink, wink*

Bryn is a strong heroine...which I LOVE. She stubbornly refuses to give in...ever. What she considers hers, she will defend to the death. Even when she is totally outclassed by a bunch of supernaturals! Her connection to Chase was very sudden, but very believable, as they had been hurt in the same ways. Though Bryn isn't technically pack, she was raised to think like a wolf. This gives her insight into the ways that they think and react...and lets them react to her almost as if she could change in an instant.

Her relationship with Callum was so intriguing. I kept being drawn in by his almost fatherly attitude towards her...even when he's keeping enormous secrets from her. His concern for her welfare was always utmost, even when she couldn't see it, and I'm dying to see how things evolve there in Trial by Fire.

This plot twists, excellent characters, and just general shapeshifting fun in this book just really, truly reminded me why I LOVE werewolves and will defend them as a paranormal character over vampires any day!!!

Full disclosure: Purchased and read on my Nook!