Blog Tour - How to Date Dead Guys guest post and a giveaway!

Today, I'm happy to be part of Ann Noser's blog tour for HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS. I did the cover reveal for the book back on June 2nd and today I'm super excited to give you all a little guest post from the author herself! 

First, some basic info about the book: 

College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when charming Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.

Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn't the only one.

Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a desperate victim determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand…at first. More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.

Now, some info about the author:

My to-do list dictates that I try to cram 48 hours of living into a day instead of the usual 24. I’ve chosen a life filled with animals. I train for marathons with my dog, then go to work as a small animal veterinarian, and finish the day by tripping over my pets as I attempt to convince my two unruly children that YES, it really IS time for bed. But I can’t wait until the house is quiet to write; I have to steal moments throughout the day. Ten minutes here, a half hour there, I live within my imagination.

Like all busy American mothers, I multi-task. I work out plot holes during runs. Instead of meditating, I type madly during yoga stretches. I find inspiration in everyday things: a beautiful smile, a heartbreaking song, or a newspaper article on a political theory. For example, a long drive in the dark listening to an NPR program on the SMILEY FACE MURDERS theory made me ask so many questions that I wrote HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS to answer them to my satisfaction.

I’d love to have more time to write (and run, read, and sleep), but until I find Hermione Granger’s time turner, I will juggle real life with the half-written stories in my head. Main characters and plot lines intertwine in my cranium, and I need to let my writing weave the tales on paper so I can find out what happens next.

Where you can find Ann Noser: 

Social Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

And, here's my guest post from author, Ann Noser!

THANK U

Do you remember the song "Thank U" by Alanis Morissette? Let me give you a hint—during her infamous music video she strolls naked around New York City. Fortunately for her, she had really long hair at the time. That's right, now you remember. But perhaps for all the wrong reasons. Because this blog isn't about nudity. Everybody will be keeping their clothes on-not sure if you'll be relieved or disappointed to hear that.

If you're not too distracted by the singer's nudity to listen to the beautiful, inspiring lyrics of the song, you might learn something about yourself.

This song encourages appreciation for both the good and the bad. That's not an easy thing to do. Personally, I'd rather hold a grudge.

"Bad times have a scientific value.

These are occasions a good learner would not miss."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Notice Emerson isn't saying "everything bad happens for a reason", because that discounts personal suffering as a necessary evil. I prefer to think of things this way:

"Sad things happen. They do.

But we don't need to live sad forever."

-Mattie Stepanek.

Our past may have stained us, left a residual melancholy. But accepting the past as a learning tool, and shedding any lingering disappointment, is healthier than dwelling on grief forever.

Here is my list (I encourage you to make your own):

1) THANK U for my failures, for they have humbled me and made me human.

2) THANK U for summer vacation (oh man, how I miss that) with absolutely no abilities in any sports activities whatsoever. I could blame it on poor vision, because I couldn't see the ball coming until it knocked me in the head and bowled me over. Or I could blame it on my ability to fall down when there's no bump in the road. But, either way, this lack of summer sports in my life left me much time to focus on reading.

3) THANK U for making me an only, lonely child, whose imaginary playmates lived on the written page. Yes, I had wonderful childhood friends, but they went home at night, deserted me to go on summer vacations, had sports activities to attend, etc. and their absence left me lonely…until I opened a book. Then I escaped the real world for something that, at times, seemed even better.

4) THANK U for my librarian mother. First she read me to sleep every night. Then she encouraged me to read books far above my level. I can't remember at which age I read GONE WITH THE WIND, but I recall needing a dictionary for almost every page. And I loved it. Isn't that fantastic?

5) THANK U…Oh dear, this one is hard. How can one be truly thankful for the miserable way I (and many others like me) were treated by vicious girls in junior high? I am thankful that at least people are talking about this now, admitting out loud that it's a problem. Schools actually have anti-bullying programs. I'm not commenting on how effective they are—that remains to be seen, and I'm sure it varies from school to school, but at least it's addressed as a real, legitimate problem. And for all you bullies out there—work on fixing the heartaches in your own lives, instead of ruining the lives of others. Because I still hold the belief that the bully is also unhappy, and that they take out their sorrow on those they perceive to be weaker than themselves. And perhaps I was an easy target.

At this point, you may be wondering how all this unusual appreciation ties in with my book, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS. Good question.

Writing this book brought me back to college, then back even further. My delving into Emma's character forced me to address my past. I infused her with all the insecurities I suffered at that age, due to an ego still bruised from bullies merged with the stubborn pride of a nerd. I needed to show that bullying affects the victim years after junior high or high school is over. Of equal importance are the prejudices the victim may unconsciously feel and need to overcome to become an unbiased adult.

HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS is Emma's story-not mine. Her life is one I didn't lead, but I had to give her a baseline to start from which I understood in order to determine what choices she would make given the tragedy she experiences.

Check out the rest of the stops on the blog tour HERE and you can even enter to win a copy of the book...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finally...where you can buy HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS:

Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble

Mini Reviews: Stephanie Plum Catch-Up Edition

So, since I've taken my professional reviewing down a notch and I've had some free time, I've been playing catch up with some of my favorite adult series.  One series I love that I had fallen sadly behind on was Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. They are just SOO much fun... and since I'm driving a lot more now (back and forth to Roller Derby practice!), I decided to listen to these books which is an even more hilarious experience...

Explosive Eighteen
by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum series, book eighteen

Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 from Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, she’s flying back to New Jersey solo, and someone who sounds like Sasquatch is snoring in row 22. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead and the FBI, the fake FBI, and guns-for-hire are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.

Only one other person has seen the missing photograph—Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. Over at the Bail Bonds Agency it’s business as usual—until the bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke, Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their “largest” FTA yet, lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment, and everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?! All Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is . . . It’s complicated. (description from Goodreads.com)

I had forgotten how much this series made me laugh.  Listening as everyone tried to drag the tale about Hawaii out of Stephanie and then finally hearing the tale, bit by bit, as Stephanie recounts how exactly things went down...So good. I love the strange balance she struggles to keep in her personal *and* professional lives with Joe and Ranger. 

Notorious Nineteen 

by Janet Evanovich 

Stephanie Plum series, book nineteen 

New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don’t just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don’t do what Tiki tells you to do.

After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton’s premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it’s on Stephanie to track down the con man. 

Desperate for money—or maybe just desperate—Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. (description from Goodreads.com)

Oooh. The baddies in this one were just plain creepy!  A "Yeti," a special forces freak-show hunting Stephanie down...and a Tiki "influencing" people into doing things they just shouldn't do... This one was very entertaining and like Stephanie, for a solid minute, I really thought perhaps she should just quit her job! Thank goodness that she always manages to escape just by the skin of her teeth. 

Takedown Twenty 

by Janet Evanovich 

Stephanie Plum series, book twenty

When powerful mobster Salvatore “Uncle Sunny” Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it’s up to Stephanie to find him. Nobody wants to turn him in—not his poker buddies, not his bimbo girlfriend, not his two right-hand men, Shorty and Moe. Even Joe's old-world grandmother, Bella, is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail. It’s not just Uncle Sunny giving Stephanie the run-around. Before Stephanie knows it, she’s working side by side with Ranger and Grandma at the senior center, trying to catch a killer on the loose—and the bingo balls are not rolling in their favor.

With bullet holes in her car, henchmen on her tail, and a giraffe named Kevin running wild in the streets of Trenton, Stephanie will have to up her game for the ultimate takedown. (description from Goodreads.com) 

Can I just say that I spent the majority of this book solely focused on Kevin. A GIRAFFE running around Trenton, New Jersey?!  Janet Evanovich you just made my reading YEAR. Love.  This was spectacularly funny and I know I have a little bit of a bias here (read that as a huge bias based on my love of giraffes) but I cannot wait to see where the bounty hunting hijinks take Stephanie Plum next. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this series. 

Full disclosure: All audio books borrowed from my Library. 

Red

Red
by Alison Cherry

Felicity St. John has it all: loyal best friends, a hot guy, and artistic talent. And she’s right on track to win the Miss Scarlet pageant. Her perfect life is possible because of just one thing: her long, wavy, coppery red hair.

Having red hair is all that matters in Scarletville. Redheads hold all the power—and everybody knows it. That’s why Felicity is scared down to her roots when she receives an anonymous note:
I know your secret.

Because Felicity is a big fake. Her hair color comes straight out of a bottle. And if anyone discovered the truth, she’d be a social outcast faster than she could say strawberry blond. Her mother would disown her, her friends would shun her, and her boyfriend would dump her. And forget about winning that pageant crown and the prize money that comes with it—money that would allow her to fulfill her dream of going to art school.

Felicity isn’t about to let someone blackmail her life away. But just how far is she willing to go to protect her red cred? (description from Amazon.com)

Cherry’s first novel may overtly seem to have a somewhat silly premise, but underneath the “ginger” focus, there is a really strong commentary on superficiality and social standing. I found myself questioning the distribution of power based on appearance and the lengths that desperate people will go to in order to protect their deepest secrets. Inner strength and self-acceptance are also strong themes that run throughout the book. While you might giggle your way through this fast-paced tale, you'll also find you've thought while reading it.

Full disclosure: Review copy received from SLJ

Charmed Vengeance

Charmed Vengeance 
by Suzanne Lazear
The Aether Chronicles, book two

*Contains spoilers from book one* 

When her true love, Steven, is forced to break their magical bond, Noli Braddock decides to join her brother on the crew of the Vixen’s Revenge.

With its gleaming brass, dark wood, and spotless clockwork gears, the Vixen’s Revenge is a beautiful airship. But Noli discovers a dangerous secret beneath its polished exterior—the crew has been hired to steal dozens of priceless Otherworld artifacts. Desperate to keep her past Otherworld experiences hidden from the airship crew, Noli fears that if she doesn’t risk telling her own secrets, the stolen artifacts will be used to destroy both of the worlds she loves. (Description from Amazon.com)

I loved diving back into this charming blend of steampunk and faerie lore.  Lazear does a brilliant job blending traditional faerie legends and affectations into an alternate history of the US.  This particular book spans the country, too, which made for a lot of interesting scene changes.  With the faerie realm underlayed, though, the country almost felt small, and the amazing airships made traveling a breeze.  

In some ways this book truly was a bridge between the first and what will be coming in the third.  There's a lot of set up for the next portion of Noli's story and characters were introduced or brought back in ways that lead directly to how they'll play a part in the next tale, yet it still felt as though it had its own legs to stand on. *NOT* to say that I wasn't immediately left wanting the next book, but I'm also happy with where things were left...for now.  

A lot of that contentment with this book derives from seeing how Noli progresses as a character.  Having to deal with her new...situation...bridging the gap between the mortal and faerie realms.  Seeing how the people in her world help those two realms collide...there were a lot of feelings in this book... 

I cannot wait to read book three!!  

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley

Every Day

Every Day
by David Levithan

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day. (Description from Amazon.com) 

This was a real page-turner for me! I opened this book and three hours later flipped the final page. I was captivated from start to finish.

Levithan creates a fantastic character in A. You have no idea (as s/he doesn't) whether A is a boy or a girl, what s/he looks like, you only have a sense of his/her personality. What an intriguing concept! What a great way to get down to the real root of a character.

I loved, too, that Levithan did not let A take the easy route in any of his/her choices. The book ends perfectly in a very realistic and believable way. Though we may want true love to triumph at all time, logistics become a huge factor in real life. I was rooting for Rhiannon and A all along, but I really loved how Levithan wrapped things up...

Definitely worth picking up if you haven't already.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library

Gold Star Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars

For Darkness Shows the Stars
by Diana Peterfreund

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it. (Description from Amazon.com)

Wow. I loved this book. It had all the romantic and sweeping, yet understated elements that you find in classic Austen, but they were wrapped in the most intriguingly imagined post-apocalyptic world. Persuasion is one of Austen's books that I really love (my favorite is Emma, in case you were interested) and I was a little afraid that Peterfreund might have taken on a little too big a task in modernizing it.... I should have had faith! She's one of my favorite authors for a reason.  Peterfreund nailed it!! 

I found myself wrapped in a world where I could see the connections to Austen's original work, but had no trouble at all losing myself in the new story, forgetting that it was anything but what it was. This world is similar to our own, but Elliot's family and friends are so far removed from our society that it feels very foreign. I liked the religious aspect that helped develop their philosophies and how it felt organic without becoming an overwhelming aspect of the book.  

The romance. Ah, the romance. I loved it.  It felt very real. Both characters had reasons to feel hurt and both had reasons they were unable to let go.  Elliot and Kai were two very strong personalities that were stuck in a tough situation that could easily have torn them apart forever. I loved that Peterfreund made Elliot strong enough to not only be herself, and only herself, to succeed in the things she tried to do, but also strong enough to fight for the man that she loved with all her heart. 

*(This following paragraph is quoted from the comparison I did between For Darkness Shows the Stars and Persuasion on Yalsa's The Hub) Thankfully, Diana Peterfreund’s Elliot North stays true to the spirit of Anne Elliot. Though Elliot may be younger, in the post-apocalyptic world that Peterfreund created, her emotions and convictions ring true in the same way, regardless of time and place. Peterfreund’s retelling effortlessly blends a new world and a new, struggling society with the heart and soul of Austen’s tale. The science fiction themes are easy to understand and seem to integrate themselves seamlessly into the story so that even readers shy about delving into the genre will have no trouble navigating this foreign world. Peterfreund’s readers will find themselves considering the same important themes from Persuasion, and hearts will beat faster because of the same romantic gestures. Some may even be inspired, as I was, to delve back into Jane Austen’s classic with freshly plucked heartstrings.

I recommend this book to all readers, regardless of whether or not you've read the original Austen tale that inspired it.  I give this book a GOLD STAR and can't wait to see what Peterfreund does with The Scarlet Pimpernel in the upcoming Across a Star-Swept Sea.

Full disclosure: Received signed book at BEA 2012

Going Vintage

Going Vintage
by Lindsey Leavitt

When Mallory discovers that her boyfriend, Jeremy, is cheating on her with an online girlfriend, she swears off boys. She also swears off modern technology. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory decides to "go vintage" and return to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn't cheat on you online). She sets out to complete grandma's list: run for pep club secretary, host a dinner party, sew a homecoming dress, find a steady, do something dangerous. But the list is trickier than it looks. And obviously finding a steady is out . . . no matter how good Oliver (Jeremy's cousin) smells. But with the help of her sister, she'll get it done. Somehow. (description from Amazon.com) 

I LOVED this book. It was a breeze to read, sweet, funny, and just... just wonderful. It managed to convey both a vintage feel and a very contemporary atmosphere...kind of like the perfect old tattered reading chair in a cozy new apartment. 

It had a fantastic romantic element, but what I truly loved the most was that Leavitt decides to have Mallory concentrate on really centering herself rather than just jumping into a new relationship.  Girl power. :)  There were great family relationship issues here and even as people dealt with problems you could obviously feel the love and respect between them. 

A definite winner. 

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley

The Gift

The Gift
by Andrea J. Buchanan

High school sophomore Daisy Jones is just trying to get by unnoticed. It doesn’t help that she’s the new girl at school, lives in a trailer park, and doesn’t even own a cell phone. But there’s a good reason for all that: Daisy has a secret, unpredictable power—one only her best friend, Danielle, knows about.

Despite her “gift” (or is it a curse?), Daisy’s doing a good job of fitting in, and a gorgeous senior named Kevin even seems interested in her! But when Daisy tries to help Vivi, a mysterious classmate in a crisis, she soon discovers that her new friend has a secret of her own. Now Daisy and her friends must deal with chilling dreams and messages from the beyond. Can Daisy channel the power she’s always tried to hide, before it’s too late? (description from Amazon.com) 

This book, originally self-published, could probably have benefited from a thorough editing job.  While the premise had moments of promise, there were too many small extra plotlines that were actually distracting from the main story. I also think that it seemed to take a little too long for the two major arcs of the story to come together. That *could* be partially attributed to the fact that I listened to this as an audio book, so the whole story took some time, but I really think the ghost/energy connection was too hard to piece together the way that the author presented it. 

Even though I didn't really enjoy the story, I was happy to find that the author included the songs that Kevin "performed" and also Danielle's diary entries (which I thought would have made a nice addition perhaps interspersed within the story...).  It made for a more interesting end.   

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for SLJ

The Elephant of Surprise and a Giveaway!!

The Elephant of Surprise
by Brent Hartinger
The Russel Middlebrook series, book four

People aren't always what they seem to be. Sometimes we even surprise ourselves.

So discovers seventeen-year-old Russel Middlebrook in The Elephant of Surprise, a stand-alone sequel to Brent Hartinger's landmark 2003 gay young adult novel Geography Club (which has now been adapted as a feature film co-starring Scott Bakula and Nikki Blonsky).

In this latest book, Russel and his friends Min and Gunnar are laughing about something they call the Elephant of Surprise – the tendency for life to never turn out as expected. Sure enough, Russel soon happens upon a hot but mysterious homeless activist named Wade, even as he's drawn back to an old flame named Kevin. Meanwhile, Min is learning surprising things about her girlfriend Leah, and Gunnar just wants to be left alone to pursue his latest technology obsession.

But the elephant is definitely on the move in all three of their lives. Just who is Wade and what are he and his friends planning? What is Leah hiding? And why is Gunnar taking naked pictures of Kevin in the shower? (description from Amazon.com) 

I have to admit up front that I have not yet read any of the other books in this series.  Since seeing the preview for Geography Club, I have been very intrigued, but now that I've read The Elephant of Surprise, I'm definitely going to have to go back and start from the beginning! Especially if I want to see the movie... LOL.

This book was a great and different read for me. A little out of my comfort zone (y'all know that I LOVE fantasy/sci fi and tend to sway that way almost TOO often) being LGBT realistic fiction, but I loved that this book was light and funny and quickly-paced.  While there is indeed a focus on relationships, (and really in most YA lit, when is there not?) there was also a HUGE focus on these amazing friendships that I really loved.  Russel, Min, and Gunnar will basically do anything for one another and you have to admire that type of friend.  This REALLY made me want to go back to read Geography Club to see how they become that close.

I also really enjoyed learning more about Freeganism.  While I'd heard about the movement before (people who try to scavenge as much as possible - ie. not participate in our currency-based culture), I don't think I've ever read a book that dealt with it, and it was sort of fascinating to see how Hartinger made it work for the story.

Now...I know I mentioned the trailer for Geography Club. Would you like to see it? I KNOW you would, LOL.  Here it is!!

Doesn't it look good?? I LOVE some of the casting choices and like I said, I'm dying to see Russel, Min, and Gunnar become friends originally... 

I know that I'll be reading Geography Club soon, and I wanted to offer one of you the chance to read it, too, maybe even before seeing the movie! Enter through the rafflecopter below.  Good Luck!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Full disclosure: eARC received through NetGalley at the invitation of Brent Hartinger 

Absent

Absent
by Katie Williams

Publication date: May 21, 2013

When seventeen-year-old Paige dies in a freak fall from the roof during Physics class, her spirit is bound to the grounds of her high school. At least she has company: her fellow ghosts Evan and Brooke, who also died there. But when Paige hears the rumor that her death wasn't an accident—that she supposedly jumped on purpose—she can't bear it. Then Paige discovers something amazing. She can possess living people when they think of her, and she can make them do almost anything. Maybe, just maybe, she can get to the most popular girl in school and stop the rumors once and for all. (description from Amazon.com)

This book is short, but very good. It doesn't flinch away from the harsh truth of death and how other people perceive you...or how you perceive them. This story feels really genuine. The teen ghosts' despondency, Paige's quest for justice, vengeance, and the way that she yearns for acknowledgment from beyond the grave will definitely pull in most readers. As each student, both the living and the dead, finally find what they need to move on, you will not be able to put the book down until the very end. I know I couldn't!

There is some drug related content and other mature themes, so this would not be a great book for young readers, but it is extremely well done in the way that it does handle the situations with drugs, hooking up, homosexuality, and suicide. 

Full disclosure: ARC received to review for SLJ

Revival

Revival

by Jena Leigh

The Variant series, book one

 



Possessing the uncanny ability to fry a television set from twenty paces can really wreck a girl's social life.

If you're looking for proof, just ask sixteen-year-old Alexandra Parker. After catching her boyfriend in the arms of the prettiest girl in school, she made the journey from social elite to social pariah in a haze of electricity and exploding electronics. But finding herself at the bottom of Bay View High's social hierarchy was nothing compared to the shock of discovering who--and what--she really is.

After being zapped out of a burning bookstore by the mysterious Declan--a hero nearly as handsome as he is infuriating--Alex finds herself under the protection of the powerful Grayson family. It's through them that she learns the truth: that the world she's always known is nothing like it appears to be... and that she has far more in common with them than she might want to believe.

Now, on the run from a fire-wielding hit man and a secretive government organization, Alex must navigate a strange and treacherous new world filled with superhuman mutants known as Variants. As she begins to unravel the many secrets of her family's past, she uncovers the real reason for her parents' death twelve years earlier--and finds out that the threat to her family, and to everyone she cares about, is still dangerously real. (description from Amazon.com)

 

Ever thought that your break-up was electric? Well, Alex's pretty much is! LOL. Alex has developed the uncanny knack of frying any electronics within about 20 feet any time her emotions spike. Fun, huh? Well, after a very hot, and strangely intriguing guy follows Alex around for a day, saves her from being burned alive and TELEPORTS her to a remote cabin in the woods...somewhere...Alex finds out that she's not the only one out there with special abilities. 

 

I loved meeting the members of the adoptive Grayson family.  Kenzie is that girl you'd love to have as a best friend, and Alex does love her, though she still loves her normal best friend, Cassie, too...and can read people's minds.  Nate is a telekenetic and little Brian sees the future. Not your average household...but they are interesting!

 

I really liked the dynamics of their family. It was not only interesting to see how they interacted like siblings in general, but also how they dealt with each others' abilities...and to then see them band together when threatened by outsiders... In fact, I loved seeing all of the "Variants" deal with regular people and the Agency that governs them. 

 

Hmmm...have I accidentally given away too much already? Maybe....oh well. I vow not to tell you the biggest secret, but I WILL tell you that even when Alex thinks she knows who she really is, nothing is ever really certain... I cannot wait to find out what happens in book two...

 

Don't forget to check back here tomorrow. I have an interview with the author, Jena Leigh!!

 

Full disclosure: Ebook sent to me by author to review

Gold Star Review: The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

 



Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better. (description from Amazon.com)

This is a stellar book. Absolutely stellar. The concept is phenomenal. The characters, though animals, are still anthropomorphized (humanized) enough to make them evoke sympathy from readers.  The storyline is perfect. The writing style fits the character and story beautifically.

Yes, I am gushing. This book deserves to be gushed over.  If you have not read it yet, PICK THIS ONE UP. I guarantee that every reader will find something to love.  Animals, art, love, grief, it's all here. The free form verse makes this book a breeze to read (I think it took me an hour or so) and my heart was bursting when I was done. 

I cannot recommend this one enough. If it does not win at least one award this year, I think I will be shocked and somewhat appalled. Definite GOLD STAR.

 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library

This Week's Library Loot (5)

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

 

My Library Loot:

Bitter Blood

by Rachel Caine

The Morganville Vampires, book 13

 

The Dead and Buried

by Kim Harrington

 

This is Not a Drill

by Beck McDowell

 

So, that's what I picked up at my Library this week... did you swing by yours or did the holidays keep you away?? 





Splintered

Splintered

by A.G. Howard

 

Publication date: January 1, 2013

 

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own. (description from Amazon.com) 

I LOVED this book.  I was simultaneously torn between wanting to desperately tear through it to find out all the crazy/wonderful things that would happen and wanting to put it down periodically so that I could savor that first reading for just a little bit longer. 

Howard wrote some ravishingly dark imagery in her version of Wonderland. Every time you think you recognize something from the original, there is a creepy and distinctive twist.  Even Alyssa turns out to have facets that you would not expect. The characters have motivations that make for a more intriguing and power hungry tale than Carroll's version and ultimately, you as the reader have no idea who may survive this twisted place. 

I'm having trouble even formulating an effective way to describe exactly how much I loved this book. Suffice it to say that even though I received a review copy, I will most definitely be buying my own hardcover copy in January so that I can read it again and ooh and ahh over the gorgeous aesthetic details (the cover, OMG!) inside and out while I do...

For now, let me just say I'm giving it a GOLD STAR and that I demand you all READ IT!!

 

Full disclosure: Review copy received from VOYA

Monday's Movie and TV Talk!

Okay, this is another new feature that I'm going to try out here... I don't know if I'll do this every Monday, or just sporadically on Mondays, but I LOVE TV and movies, so I figured why not add some of that to the blog for fun?? It'll be especially awesome when I can tie things into the YA book world...

So... today, I want to talk a little bit about the TV show, GRIMM. 

It's my second favorite show right now and it just went into a season break for the Holidays. I can't wait until it returns in January...especially since it ended with the dreaded TO BE CONTINUED...

 

I will, however, forgive GRIMM for this horrible tease because they just keep writing an excellent show that feeds into both my love of gritty fairy tales and cop drama. I love the idea of a homicide detective that can see the creatures that go bump in the night... it makes for some very interesting cases!

 

*Spoiler(s) Alert*

 

Okay. We are currently in season two.  I don't know how many of you are also GRIMM fanatics, but I love how this season has somehow gotten even grittier with Nick tapping more into the power (and the scare tactics it can provide) that he weilds as a Grimm over the Wesen population. 

 

The fact that he now not only has Monroe as a great sidekick, one who can interact more easily with the Wesen population, but now has also revealed everything to Hank (aka sidekick #2!) makes for a very interesting trio of investigators. This last episode also brought Monroe and Nick to a whole new level of "doing whatever it takes" to keep those around them safe...breaking laws, both officially written and those that are unspoken between the Wesen.  :)

 

I am super excited to see what happens in January with the "Battle Royale"... Will Nick discover that not only did the Captain try to inadvertantly steal his woman, but is also the secret Royal in Portland? Will Juliette truly leave Nick?  Will Nick cross all the lines and be unable to come back?  Dun. Dun. Dunnnn! 

*End Spoilers*

Let me know if you're also a GRIMM watcher and what you think may happen... but be kind and prepare people for spoilers in your comments if you're going to make any!!!

It's Kind of a Funny Story

It's Kind of a Funny Story

by Ned Vizzini

 

Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan’s Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life—which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job—Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That’s when things start to get crazy.

At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he’s just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away. The stress becomes unbearable and Craig stops eating and sleeping—until, one night, he nearly kills himself.

Craig’s suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, isolated from the crushing pressures of school and friends, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety. (description from Amazon.com)

 

I really need to listen to my teen readers at the library more often. The trouble is I usually have such a huge stack of books that I'm dying to read any way that when a teen suggests a book I tell them, "oh yeah, I'd like to read that...it's going on my list" and then it takes ages for me to get to it...

 

I had three different teens recommend this book to me.  Then I picked it up, looked at the cover, and put it back down. (I know, shame on me!) I also, unwittingly, checked out the movie from the library and then returned it unwatched.  It wasn't until I received the audio book for review that I finally got around to "reading" this great story.

 

And, yes...it was indeed a great story! Others have said this, but it bears repeating...for a book about a suicidal teenager, this was actually a surprisingly funny book.  Vizzini manages to make this book feel achingly "real" precisely because it covers such a huge range of emotions.  There are NO one dimensional characters and the plot is utterly realistic. What a well done book. 

 

I highly recommend this one (and I have since checked out the movie again, because this time I will actually watch it! I want to compare it to the book...)

 

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for SLJ

Sneak Peek at Carrie Harris' BAD YETI!!!!

Bad Yeti

by Carrie Harris

Kate Grable series, novella

 

Set in the world of BAD TASTE IN BOYS and BAD HAIR DAY, this digital story is the perfect introduction into the funny high school world of Carrie Harris, where humor meets horror (and sometimes zombies, werewolves, yetis, and yes, even unicorns).
 
Jonah Grable hasn’t minded living in the shadow of his older, zombie fighting sister Kate, but this weekend he’s definitely raising his profile. A weekend of epic epicness — waving swords and flirting with girls in elf ears at his LARP club event — is totally up Jonah’s alley. But when his alter ego, Sir Talatien Maguirier, Nightdark Clanlord, comes face to face with a real, live Yeti, Jonah — or, rather, Tal — has to take matters into his own hands. So he sets off with gamer goddess Lady Amethyst, brown-eyed Europa, and Calamity, a braid-wearing barbarian in fur into the great unknown on a search for yeti-related awesomeness… (description from Carrie's website)

Okay, so you may have seen my slightly gushy review of Bad Taste in Boys (here) and my Gold Star review of Bad Hair Day (here)... you may have seen me on the webs having a slight author crush and stalking, I mean constantly chatting up Carrie Harris, herself.  What can I say? Carrie and her books are officially awesomesauce and on my MUST BUY THE DAY THEY COME OUT list.

Well, I am beyond stoked to be one of the lucky bloggers that is able to give you all a little sneak preview at the above-mentioned novella, Bad Yeti!  I'm so excited to read this because, I mean come on not only are there Yetis involved, but it also has to do with LARPing (which I am totally fascinated with in that can't quite wrap my head around it way...) and is told from the persepective of Kate's younger brother, Jonah, who I LURVE. 

Want a sneak peek? Well, here you go. This is the beginning of chapter one and is a perfect little teaser, LOL...



If I’d known that girls go crazy over zombie slayers, I would have gone medieval on some undead a long time ago.

Sure, I’m the smallest guy in the freshman class, smaller even than Kai Tipton, and his mom is a bona fide little person. And maybe I’m addicted to computer games, like Dragons of Roargan Kross, and yes, the jocks sometimes duct-tape me to toilets for fun. But once I’d kicked some zombie butt?

The ladies loved me.

Of course, going to homecoming with the Kiki Carlyle, our homecoming queen, hadn’t hurt either. And Kiki was definitely on my mind this morning. I slapped some gel on my hands and ran them through my do. I looked a whole inch taller. Now I’d come all the way up to Kiki’s shoulder.

“You’re going to miss the bus, dorkwad.” Kate—my sister—stuck her head into the bathroom, ruining the nice Kiki-related daydreams I’d been entertaining, and ruffled my hair. I shrank about a quarter inch.

“Die, lich spawn!” I yelled, throwing the bottle of gel in her general direction.

She took off, and I tore down the stairs in hot pursuit. I would have caught her too, if I hadn’t turned the corner and nearly bulldozed Kiki herself. If Kate had wanted to motivate me, she should have known that the presence of a goddess in the house would have worked. I skidded to a stop and almost swallowed my tongue as I took in the view.

The girl of my dreams stood in our entryway. Her blond hair was pulled into a ponytail, exposing a slender neck. That neck killed me. I’d spent a whole night staring at it while we danced at homecoming. But her looks weren’t the best thing about her. What got me the most was that she smiled every time she saw me. Always had.

This time, she laughed outright. I grinned back. Kate kept on going toward the kitchen, cackling madly like she’d won something. Maybe she’d won the battle, but no way would she take the war.

I knew a lot about battle tactics from playing Roargan Kross.

“Kiki!” I grinned up at her. “What’s the girl of my dreams doing in my house this fine morning?”

She blushed a little. “I thought you and Kate might like a ride. It’s better than the bus, right?”

“Thanks!” My voice squeaked, but I pretended not to notice, and so did she. “I’ll be sixteen next month, so maybe then I’ll drive you around.”

 
She might have been out of my league, but she didn’t scoff. She totally liked me; I could sense it.

“Maybe.” She jingled her keys, smiling. “So listen. I wanted to ask you something.”

“Anything.” I meant it too. At that moment, or any moment, really, I would have died for her.

 

I don't know about you, but I am DYING to read the rest now. I'm not even really sure that I can wait until November 13th!!

 

Bad Hair Day

Bad Hair Day

by Carrie Harris

Kate Grable series, book two

 

Publication date: November 13, 2012

 

Kate Grable is geeked out to shadow the county medical examiner as part of her school's premed program. But after he's arrested for murder, she's left with the bodies. And when Kate's brother, Jonah, stumbles upon a dead gamer girl, Kate realizes that the zombie epidemic she cured last fall was only the beginning of the weirdness taking over her town. Someone—or something—is murdering kids. Something really hairy. And strong. Possibly with claws.

Could it be werewolves, like Jonah and his dorktastic friends think? Kate's supposed to be a butt-kicking, zombie-killing genius . . . but if she can't figure out what's behind the freakish attacks, the victims—or what's left of them—are going to keep piling up. (desription from Amazon.com)

Show More

Show Less



Oh, Carrie Harris... how do I love your books? Let me count the ways:
1. Sassy heroine
2. SMART heroine
3. Good friends
4. A great boyfriend
5. Funny, loyal brother
6. Viral Zombies
7. Hilarious LARP groupies
8. "Werewolves" (or are they...)
9. Nanobots
10. Geektastic internships with Doctors
11. A "Rock"-a-Thon

This book once again made me laugh out loud, even as I was marveling at the brilliant blend of the paranormal and hardcore science.  I love that for every weird phenomenon that happens, there is a perfectly viable explanation and, of course...Kate is always right there to fix things!

The perfect vacation read (I tore through this one while I was in Martha's Vineyard, in fact), I am going to bestow a beautiful Gold Star to this book!

 

I'm also going to let you know to keep an eye out for Carrie Harris' novella, Bad Yeti, coming out on the same day (I've already pre-ordered mine!) featuring Kate's younger brother, Jonah!

Full disclosure: e-ARC received from Netgalley

Bluefish

Bluefish
by Pat Schmatz

Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he's missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there's just the cramped place he shares with his well-meaning but alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of passing when he's called on to read out loud. But that's before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who doesn't take "pass" for an answer--a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it's before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own. (description from Amazon.com)

I was surprised, honestly, by how much I liked this book. It has such a "blah" title and the cover does nothing for it...so without being prodded, I might never have picked up this book. 

Short and quirky, this was a good read.  It has a heartwrenching feel that builds into a heartwarming feel that will stick with you after the book is done.  Both Travis and Velveeta are characters that you just want to see succeed.  Both come from families with some *issues,* but luckily they find one another and one great teacher. 

This is a book that just feels honest and true to life.  It was one that I rolled around in my brain for a few days after I'd finished listening to it.  It is one that I will probably recommend to the right teen in my library. 

Full disclosure: Audio book borrowed through interlibrary loan.