More Awards!?

Y'all are crazy.

The Versatile Blogger award is making it's away around the interwebz again. Don't remember what it is?

Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award. Share 7 things about yourself. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about the award.

And guess what? These INSANE people have awarded it to me over the past month.
- Courtney at Courtney Reads
- Katie at Books Are Dreams
- Nymfaux
- M.A. Chase at The Guide To Good Books
- Darla from DforDarla's Definite Reads
- Joanna at Nor Cal Book Blog

Um. Yeah. WHOA.

Needless to say, I feel really honored. And I can't pass it on! I haven't been reading new blogs lately, what with college and social life and writing and blogging and reading and schoolwork and job and everything.

But I CAN fulfill half of it, so here are seven bits of information about myself.

1. I obsessively organize things ahead of time. I started outlining my first essay for Women in Literature before I had even attended the first class; I've been a month ahead in setting up posts for two months now; I have my Waiting on Wednesday posts and Friday Fronts and Friday Feature: Bookcases post set up all the way until the end of December.
2. I ADORE Richard Armitage (right). He's my computer background, my cell phone background, and my goal is to watch everything he's ever been in. I love him more than Johnny Depp.
3. I am in love with the idea of love but have a sinking sensation that I will never actually fall in love.
4. I have taken three "photoshoots" in the past year: one for graduation photos, one for a family portait, and one at my local newspaper for WORD.
5. In my family portrait one, my sister and I took pictures with a rubber ducky, I sat on my brothers feet, and we made the camera woman laugh so hard that she couldn't take one of our photos for a few minutes. I ended up laughing so hard I was crying at one point.
6. I'm VERY close to my family.
7. My high school librarian reads my blog. If she's reading this - HI! I LOVE YOU, YOU ROCK. Don't miss me too much this year.

I also received the One Lovely Blog Award over at Young Adult Literature Lover.

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link. Pay it forward to fifteen other blogs you have newly discovered. Contact those blog owners and let them know they've been chosen.

Again, I'm not passing it on - I haven't done much blog surfing lately! - but thank you!

...

Wow. Thanks, guys! Love you all.

What do you guys think about my seven random facts?

Ballads of Suburbia

Ballads of Suburbia
Author: Stephanie Kuehnert
Series: ---
Publisher: MTV Books
How Received: publisher

Ballads are the kind of songs that Kara McNaughton likes best. Not the cliched ones where a diva hits her highest note or a rock band tones it down a couple of notches for the ladies, but the true ballads: the punk rocker or the country crooner telling the story of their life in three minutes, the chorus reminding their listeners of the numerous ways to screw things up. In high school, Kara helped maintain the "Stories of Suburbia" notebook, which contained newspaper articles about bizarre and often tragic events from suburbs all over and personal vignettes that Kara dubbed "ballads" written by her friends in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago. Those "ballads" were heartbreakingly honest tales of the moments when life changes and a kid is forced to grow up too soon. But Kara never wrote her own ballad. Before she could figure out what her song was about, she was leaving town after a series of disastrous events at the end of her junior year. Four years later, Kara returns to face the music, and tells the tale of her first three years of high school with her friends' "ballads" interspersed throughout.

This got a LOT of positive feedback from those I asked about it - my other blogger friends absolutely adored it.

Me? It was pretty good.

It took me a while to get into it - about two thirds of the way in, actually - but the characters were amazingly heartfelt and real.

It's hard to review this book, because by the end of it, you just kind of sit back and go, "Wow." It's that kind of book.

So have some words:

Emotional. Raw. Gritty.

Final Comments: Just wow.
Cover Notes: Love!

Interview: Selene Castrovilla

Hello, lovely WORD readers! Did you enjoy Louder than Words week?

Well, it's time to move on. Today, we have the lovely Selene Castrovilla stopping by for an interview. She's written half a dozen novels, including the modern Saved By The Music and the historical By The Sword. You can learn more about her books by heading over to her website and clicking the section labeled, well, books.

But I HIGHLY suggest learning more about her first. How? By reading this SUPER SPIFFY interview, which involves pirates, Gerard Butler, Ouiji boards, and Billy Joel.

Hannah

Hannah
Author: Hannah Westberg
Series: Louder Than Words
Publisher: HCI Teens
How Received: TLC Book Tours

Hannah Westberg has gone through more trauma in her eighteen years than many people will experience in a lifetime. Stemming from her depression and recently diagnosed borderline personality disorder, Hannah has engaged in dangerous behavior and has paid a high price. By the time she was in eighth grade, Hannah was cutting, popping pills, skipping class, and drinking. The following summer, she tried to commit suicide for the first time. Since then, she has had stints in the psych ward, worked with numerous therapists, gone on anti-depressants, and gotten better, only to slip up and relapse, repeating the whole cycle again.

As told through powerfully written vignettes, Hannah is a personal account of the author's life with mental illness and the plethora of related problems that continue to arise through her day-to-day struggle to cope with her demons.

This was the book that, in my head, required the best writing. No, not because it was the last of the three that I read.

No, because her story was the one I've read before. Well, not her story precisely. But drug using and cutting are commonly seen things in some of the more gritty YA contemporaries. So, despite this being a true story, I needed Hannah to suck me in.

And for the most part, she did. Like both Chelsea and Alexis, Hannah knows how to write - she's good at it. Hell, she's even got quotability factor.

My choir teacher wouldn't let me take my final until I told him what happened, and he wouldn't take "attacked by Coca-Cola polar bears at the zoo because I was drinking Pepsi" for an answer.

But, with the exception of a few choice moments like that, I never really connected to her. Did I like her? Yes, I liked her well enough. And she writes well. It just felt like she was going through a list of things that had happened to her, with occasional mentions of how she felt. It was hard to get into her head, to feel what she felt, even when she was expressing it.

All in all, though, it wasn't a bad book. I was rooting for her all the way through!

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 7/10. Told well, but while it's easy to root for Hannah it's a little harder to connect.
Cover Comments: Poor Hannah. She definitely got the worst of the covers. She's much prettier than this girl. However, I LOVE the eyes.

Final Friday Interview: Alexis, Chelsea and Hannah

And now, after nearly a full week of celebrating their books, they're HERE. Yes, the authors themselves are here!

May I present Alexis Papalia, Chelsea Rae Swiggett, and Hannah Westberg.

Alexis Singer is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At 19, she is about to begin her junior year at Chatham University where she studies political science and women’s studies. She attended the Pittsburgh High School for Creative and Performing Arts as a writer. She is a writer, a read, an activist, a feminist, and an avid home cook. Her heroes include AlicePaul, Conan O’Brian, and her mother.

You can check out my review of Alexis here.

Chelsea Rae Swiggett is 18 years old and lives in Ohio. She will soon be heading to college to major in English and immerse herself even further into the world of books and writing. She currently serves on the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board and plans on traveling the world—or at least the US—by the time 2012 hits. Just in case. Visit her on her YA book review blog, The Page Flipper.

You can check out my review of Rae here.

18-year-old Hannah Westberg lives in Vancouver, Washington. She earned her GED and plans to enroll in Portland Community College’s drug and alcohol counselor certification program. When she’s not babysitting, she is probably volunteering for political and charity organizations, as well as participating in flash mobs.

My review of Hannah will be up tomorrow.

You know the drill. To see this super fantastic interview, just click read more. And, as always...

Rae

Rae
Author: Chelsea Rae Swiggett
Series: Louder Than Words
Publisher: HCI Teens
How Received: TLC Book Tours

When you're fourteen and trying to deal with the highs, lows, traumas, and humiliations that go along with being a high school freshman, having severe anxiety can become all consuming. Chelsea Rae Swiggett's anxiety has affected every area of her life—school, family, friendships, and romance—ultimately pushing her to lose her voice, withdrawal from everyday life and school, and develop an eating disorder.

The sounds of planes flying overhead could spark a panic attack and something as simple as being called on in class could push her over the edge, convinced that everyone was judging her, mocking her. Faking sickness so she could stay home became her only solution, since she'd rather do anything than face the reality of what happened behind the school's double doors. Rae tells a story all-too-many teens today relate to—what it feels like to see the world through a lens of constant debilitating fear, anxiety, and stress.

Going into this, I refused to let the fact that I know Chelsea sway my opinion on her book. If anything, I knew I was going to be harder on it, more nit-picky about things.

I shouldn't have worried. Girl can write.

Rae is rather like getting a phone call from your best friend. You get on the phone and she rants about her day, because she needs to get it off her chest. And you listen, because that's what a best friend does, and by the end of it you've forgotten that you were just doing your best friend duty and were actually waiting with bated breath to hear the end of the story. Sure, she gets off track sometimes, and backtracks, but it makes the story just as entertaining.

I have to admit: books that aren't linear annoy the crap out of me. I mean, for fiction, I NEED things to be
linear for a plot, so I give biographies like this a little leeway. But Chelsea had a tendency to jump back and forth between times, which made it a little hard for me to keep up.

However, like I said, girl can write! The entire book was very well written - the quotability factor was skyrocketing through the roof - and her analogies were fantastic. I liked learning (more) about her as the book went on.

The one thing I wish she had made more clear was, actually, her love of reading. Yes, I know she loves to read, and I know she's involved in the book blogging world, but she only mentions it once or twice - and then brings up that she met Kristi as part of the blogging world. You never mentioned you blog! *tear*

But I think everybody can relate to what she went through, at least on some level. Yes, what she had was extreme - which is why it makes such a good story. But she presents herself in such a way that everybody, on some level, is going to connect to her story.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: A solid 8/10. I'm not a biography fan, and the fact that not everything was in time order annoyed me a little bit, but the writing is fantastic and the story something everybody can relate to, at least on some level.
Author Notes: Chelsea runs The Page Flipper, which is one of my favorite blogs ever, and I finally got to meet her in person at BEA. Whenever I bring her up to my mother I describe her as one of my favorite people ever. And it's true.

Waiting on Wednesday: Not That Kind Of Girl

Because we all have something we're waiting for.

Not That Kind Of Girl by Siobhan Vivian
Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things.

But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up being the boy you want to sleep with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out.

Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between.

Series: ---
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: September 01 2010

"Saint or slut? Winner or loser?" Best tag line in a LONG time. I loved Siobhan's last novel, Same Difference, so I have high hopes for this one.

And maybe you're wondering why I decided to put this during Louder than Words week.  It is about a girl who is trying to deal with life when it comes running at her, and the decisions she has to make.

I think it fits in well, don't you?

Alexis

Alexis
Author: Alexis Papalia
Series: Louder Than Words
Publisher: HCI Teens
How Received: TLC Book Tours

At the age of sixteen, Alexis Singer was solicited by, manipulated by, and eventually became involved with a married thirty-seven-year-old man over the Internet. He coerced her into having cybersex with him and sending him explicit photos of herself.

In her debut memoir, Alexis Singer describes how she, a bright student at an arts school in Pittsburgh, first encountered an older man on a message board and how he posed as a friend and father figure who could support and advise her when her own father was physically and emotionally absent. Over the course of a year of online communication, Alexis became emotionally connected to and dependent on this man, whom she had never met. Alexis is the heart-stopping and raw account of Alexis's Internet affair, the turmoil and confusion that plagued her as she became more and more attached through her cyber encounters, and the dark details that ultimately led her to end the relationship. Alexis's recovery from the collateral damage of an affair gone awry continues to this day.

I started Alexis thinking it was the book I would connect to the least, enjoy the least, and leave thinking that the girl who wrote it was a moron. Mentally, I had always had little tolerance for the girls who participated in cybersex. I mean, yes - most of the fault lay with those who seduced them. But they should have known to stop. Right?

Then I read Alexis.

The problem with Alexis is that she reminded me of me. A little too much, actually. We both participate in theater related online forums, we both love musical theater, we both like to write and read. And I think just learning those things connected me to her, and that was what made the story so real to me.

So this book gave me the creeps. The good creeps, of course, but the creeps.

This is, of course, ignoring Alexis' brilliant writing. With the exception of a few times, she doesn't give specific details of what her predator said. (Because that's what it was; a predator.) But you felt what she felt. The sensation that this was wrong, the gradual pull, the cracking of willpower.

Honestly, I'd love to see Alexis write fiction, because I think it'd be brilliant.

But I digress. It's hard to find words for this review, because it really struck a chord. It's also hard because I don't want to spoil anything for you, about how it ends, because you're going to be sucked in. It's one of those books where you sit there ranting with a friend (in my case, Erica from The Book Cellarx) about what happened and why and what could happen.

So I'll leave you with this.

Final Comments: A brilliant debut from a writer I hope we see more of, and a novel that will leave you with the chills.

Mockingjay

Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games (#3)
Publisher: Scholastic
How Received: My library got their copy in a week early to have on release date, and my boss loves me, and lent it to me.

This is a SPOILER FREE review.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

May I say that being able to read this book early was a privilege, an honor, and an absolute torture? (The only reason I did was because I knew I wouldn't have access to it for quite some time, and why not use what resources you have available to you?)

I switched teams as I neared the end of the book, as characters began to change and developed. Just watching this whole thing play out - the intricacies behind it, the things I didn't catch, watching Katniss realize what had happened, watching the effects of the former Hunger Games catch up to all of them, watching all of the characters (even the dead ones) come back to play a part...

Suzanne Collins is a genius. I absolutely and irrevocably loved it, every bit of it. I didn't put it down - I couldn't put it down! - and just seeing all of the little things that I never noticed come into fully effect the Game was fantastic.

I only called ONE plot point, and that was one about Prim. It's not a hard one to figure out, but it tied the book together, made it make more sense. And when things began to jumble as you near the end, only to be explained a few pages later, it's okay. It works. Because it's what should be happening, what has to happen.

My love of Haymitch has increased tenfold. I love Cinna even more, too. (It's possible.) The dynamics between the GalexKatnissxPeeta love triangle were amazing. Like I said, I switched teams - but with good reason. You'll see. I still love my original team, but in the long run, the team I switched to was better for Katniss.

I can't say much more without getting spoilery, so I'll stop now.

But guys, remember what Suzanne Collins said, guys.

One of the most important things to me is that everyone in the world is going to be able to experience the final book of The Hunger Games all at the same time, and be able to discover what happens in the book without hearing about it elsewhere first. Word will certainly travel fast, but I urge you – before or immediately after August 24th – to please respect the other Hunger Games fans worldwide and avoid sharing any spoilers, so that the conclusion of Katniss’s story can unfold for each reader the way it was meant to unfold.

So no matter what happens, keep it spoiler free.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 10/10. It lives up to the rest of the books in the series, and gives a fantastic conclusion.
Movie worthy?: They had better do this series justice. Yes, movie worthy - but only if you guys cast Kristin Chenoweth as Effie.

Louder Than Words Week + Giveaway

This giveaway is over.

Guess what? As part of TLC Book Tours' blog tour for the Louder than Words series, I am hosting Louder than Words week.

Why an entire week, you ask? The answer is SIMPLE, my dear friend.

There are THREE fantastic books involved in this series, and all THREE deserve a little time to shine on their own! This week, I'll be hosting a GIVEAWAY - oh, wait, that's this post; just keep reading! - along with reviewing all three books and interviewing the lovely authors of each.

What is the Louder than Words series? "This cutting-edge series gives teens an opportunity to tell their own stories—authentically and with no holds barred. The authors’ unique teen perspective,along with their fresh, real voices, hook even the most reluctant teen readers." You can see their website for more information, and even how to submit your own story.

And here are the three books! Clicking the image will bring you to their page on Goodreads for the book summary and more information on each of them.

And please note - the ONLY thing to interfere with this week is my review of Mockingjay. I hope you can forgive me. *wink*



And like I said - on top of getting to read these fantastic books myself, I get to make sure some of you do, too! I have the ALL THREE up for grabs for one lucky reader, and three more people who enter will win as well - though they only get one of the three books. Four winners; how fantastic is that? Sadly, they can only be American or Canadian - but that still leaves room for plenty of people to enter! You have until 6 p.m. EST of August 28, the last day of Louder than Words Week, to enter!

Quick Recap:
[1] set of Louder than Words books up for grabs
[1] copy of Alexis by Alexis Singer up for grabs
[1] copy of Hannah by Hannah Westberg up for grabs
[1] copy of Rae by Chelsea Rae Swiggett up for grabs
[4] winners in the U.S. or Canada (one for set; one for each book)
ends August 28

How To Win:
[mandatory] Fill out the form below.
[+2] Follow Chelsea Swiggett on Twitter (@thepageflipper)

Don't forget to tune in later this week to read my reviews and my interview with Chelsea, Hannah and Alexis!

Interview: Allan Richard Shickman

Guess what? Today, we have an AUTHOR INTERVIEW! *confetti* As you may have noticed on the sidebar, today we are featuring Allan Richard Shickman. He is not only an artist, teacher, actor, historian, gardener, and former Boy Scout, but the author of Zan-Gah! Donna at Lit Bites gave it a pretty good review, and everybody knows I take her opinions seriously.

Wondering what Zan-Gah is about?

A prehistoric adventure has only begun. Pressed by love for his brother and a bad conscience, the hero undertakes a quest which leads to captivity, conflict, love, and triumph. In three years Zan-Gah passes from an uncertain boyhood to a tried and proven manhood and a role of leadership among his people.

Y'all know the drill. Click read more to learn about what goes well (or, er, not) with vanilla icecream, the 22nd century, and counterfeiting.

Winner: Firelight & The Search For WondLa

Congratulations to Sarah R for winning these two fantastic books! An email has been sent your way.

Magic Under Glass

Magic Under Glass
Author: Jaclyn Dolamore
Series: Magic Under (#1)
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
How Received: library

Nimira is a music-hall performer forced to dance for pennies to an audience of leering drunks. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir.

Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.

I went into this after hearing a lot of mixed reviews and all the cover controversy (it was white washed; now it's fixed!), so I wasn't sure what to expect.

I ended up enjoying it, a lot more than I thought I would! It's not very long, so it makes for a nice, light, quick read. It's a good fantasy, though it needs to be fleshed out a bit more. Things were mentioned, but never elaborated - like the fairy war - and I wish we had learned more about them.

I liked most of the characters in the story. My favorite was Anni - I wish we had had a chance to see more of her! However, Hollin needed to be developed a bit more, and I felt like Nim flip flopped personalities sometimes.

However, I do want to see what happens next - just to get a peek into this fairy war if nothing else!

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 7/10. Good fantasy, but it needs more world building and character development. Excited for the sequel!
Cover Comments: I LOVE this new cover so much better than the original, and it's accurate, too. Win!

Feature Friday: Bookcases (7)

Who said storage had to be boring?



It's so cute! I just want to carry it with me and stick it in my college dorm. Or my future child's bedroom.

Nah, I want it now. *squees*


Image found from Flickr. Does it belong to you? Email me, and I'll give you credit!

Friday Fronts - Nightshade

AHHHHHHHHHHH SO MUCH LOVE.

That's all.

While You're Reading This...

... I am moving into my college dorm.

Yes. I have successfully moved past my high school prom, graduation, and a long, fantastic, book filled summer.

And I am moving into COLLEGE.

I shall be living in a dorm full of freshman, as I elected to take the First Year Initiative program. I will be taking some sophomore courses, as I have already completed the requirements for the freshman courses. (If any of you are curious, I'm majoring in journalism.) I will be meeting people I have never met before.

I will be balancing a social life, a school life, a job life, and WORD.

... what? What was that?

Yes, you heard me. If I have to sacrifice a few hours of hanging out with friends to keep this site running, I will. I have worked way too hard on it (probably harder than I should have), and I love it far too much to let it rest. Blogging may slow down, of course - I have real school work now - but I'm still going to do my damn best to keep it up.

And it's not like my friends won't know the type of girl I am within the week. After all, Mockingjay comes out in five days, and if they expect me to talk to them before I finish it, they've got another thing coming.

So wish me luck, WORD readers. I am delving into a new world, with new responsibilities - and keeping this site running.

And, as always,

Waiting on Wednesday: The Julian Game

Because we all have something we're waiting for.

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin
New girl Raye Archer is desperate for a way into the In crowd, so when ice-queen Ella Parker chooses her to get back at her ex, the gorgeous Julian Kilgarry, Raye is more than game. Even if it means creating a fake Facebook identity as “Elizabeth” so that she can learn enough about Julian to sabotage him. While a fun and dangerous thrill at first, what Raye hadn’t counted on was falling for Julian herself—and igniting Ella’s rage.

As Raye works to reconcile the temptress Elizabeth with her real-life self, Ella serves up her own revenge. Now it’s Raye who falls victim, as Ella creates an online smear campaign of nasty rumors and trashy photographs. Suddenly notorious, Raye has to find a way out of the web of deceit that she’s helped to build, and back to the relationships that matter.

Adele Griffin’s riveting novel explores the issues of generation Facebook: the desire to be someone else, real versus online friends, and the pitfalls and fallouts of posting your personal life online for all the world to judge.

Series: ---
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: August 26 2010

This wouldn't sound as epic if you hadn't seen the cover. And then it becomes EPIC. The characters suddenly seem INTERESTING.

What says you?

Guest Review: The Warrior Heir

The Warrior Heir
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Series: The Heir Chronicles (#1)
Publisher: Hyperion
How Received: bought

One March day, Jack Swift, a high school student in a small college town, forgets to take the medicine he’s taken daily since he was an infant. There ensues a cascade of events that puts him in mortal danger.

Jack discovers he carries a secret within him that has made him a target of the ruthless wizards of the Red and White Rose. Jack is a Warrior Heir, the last of a dying breed, sought after by the Roses to fight in the tournaments that are used to allocate power among the Wizard Houses. Unknown to him, Jack has lived all his life surrounded by members of the Magical Guilds: wizards, enchanters, soothsayers, and sorcerers. They are determined to save him from the Roses.

With the aid of his aunt, a beautiful enchanter, Jack desperately tries to acquire the skills that might save his life. Jack and his friends, Will and Fitch, unearth a magical sword from a cemetery and fight off the wizards who would take it from them. Jack begins training with the dark and dangerous Leander Hastings, a wizard with a mysterious past.

Meanwhile, Jack is torn between his attraction to Ellen Stephenson, a new student at Trinity High School, and Leesha Middleton, his former girlfriend, who decides she wants him back.

Discovered and besieged by treachery at home, he flees to the Lake District of England. There he is confronted by the greatest challenge of all.

Chima's book was simply fantastic. I loved it.

It was the perfect embodiment of adventure, thrill, and fantasy. It was written nicely and easy to read. The story was a page-turner, to say the least, and the plot was solid and intriguing.

But there is one thing I loved about this book. The lack of romance.

What? Yes, that's right. I like just a little bit of it in books, and this book had just a little bit. Chima's writing made me think of J.K. Rowling a bit. She focused on the adventure, and the plot, and the art of storytelling. It didn't need the romance. Just with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, it didn't have the romance (at first) and yet it was good. That is the same with The Warrior Heir.

The characters were well rounded, and I loved the plot twists. Some parts were predictable. For example, I could tell from a long way off, who Jack was going to be fighting in the Game. The twist with Lee at the beginning was interesting, and just when you think you have things figured out, the end of the story comes and you're greeted with a hair-pin plot twist. It was great!

The only thing I would like to have seen different, was a little bit more focus on Ellen. She plays a key part, and yet she's not noticed that much until the end. Maybe that's the way Chima wanted it...

However, the book ranks as one of my favourites, and as with every favourite book of mine, there comes a favourite quote.

More and more, there were no revelations, but simply the uncovering of truths long known but dimly remembered. Everything had been written long ago. There was nothing truly new in the world, but only the slow, circular march of time that revealed the old things once again.

Her writing is almost poetic, and yet very easy to read. She's definitely a talented author. I would definitely read this again, and I am very much looking forward to reading the companion novels. As for recommendations: READ IT NAO. It's worth it.

Need

Need
Author: Carrie Jones
Series: Need (#1)
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
How Received: library

Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

WHY did I put off reading this book? I had seen it half a dozen times in the store, but I never really picked it up and looked at it. The only reason I put it on hold at the library was because I got a poster of all three covers in the series at BookExpo America, and they were really pretty.

Damn, I was missing out.

LOVED it with a capital LOVE. The world is fantastic - I loved the werecreatures, the pixies, the poor oblivious humans. The dynamics between all of them were great.

Nick is SUPER sexy - I've realized I've always preferred werewolves to vampires, but damn, this werewolf is even better than the rest. Betty kicked some serious ass, and Isis was adorable.

Zara reminded me of me - right down to things I would say. And her friends say things my friend would say. Need's quotability factor is through the roof.

"There are people who like cute, furry things and people who eat cute, furry things."

"Okay. Stay calm," I tell the steering wheel. "No need to panic."

The wheel does not panic.

I only called one plot twist - there were a lot of surprises at the end, and I couldn't wait to finish. I need the next one, um, now.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 10/10. A must read for all fantasy lovers.
Cover Notes: Not my favorite compared to the rest of the series, but still eye catching. REALLY long neck, though...

Giveaway: Firelight & The Search for Wondla

This giveaway has ended.

Are you excited for the books coming out this fall? There's a pretty good cache!

And two of the books coming out this fall - in September, to be precise - are Sophie Jordan's Firelight and Tony diTerlizzi's The Search for WondLa. And guess who has a copy of each up for giveaway? This time, both will go to one lucky reader!

Eva Nine has never seen the actual sun before, or walked outdoors. In fact, she has never seen another living person in all twelve years of her life. That changes when a marauding huntsman destroys her underground home and sends her fleeing for her life. So begins the harrowing quest of Eva Nine, seemingly the only human alive on an extraordinary alien planet. Through daring escapes, confrontations with beguiling characters, and travels over spectacular vistas, Eva is led by a single clue that gives her hope: a crumbling picture of a girl, a robot, and a human with only the word WONDLA still visible on it. Along the way, she comes to understand the true meaning of home and family.

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.

Quick Recap:
[1] ARC of Firelight by Sophie Jordan up for grabs
[1] ARC of The Search for WondLa by Tony diTerlizzi up for grabs
[1] winner in the U.S.
ends August 21

How To Win:
[mandatory] fill out the form below
[+2] follow Sophie Jordan on Twitter (@SoVerySophie)

The Space Between Trees

The Space Between Trees
Author: Katie Williams
Series: ---
Publisher: Chronicle Books
How Received: publisher

This story was supposed to be about Evie how she hasn't made a friend in years, how she tends to stretch the truth (especially about her so-called relationship with college drop-out Jonah Luks), and how she finally comes into her own once she learns to just be herself but it isn't. Because when her classmate Elizabeth "Zabet" McCabe's murdered body is found in the woods, everything changes and Evie's life is never the same again

I really went into this not sure of what to expect. I thought it was going to be predictable - Jonah was mentioned, so I thought he'd play a bigger part than he did, and Hadley isn't mentioned in the summary at all. But then again, I prefer this vaguer summary to one that gives away the entire book - I hate when that happens.

The one word I can use to describe The Space Between Trees is interesting. It's unlike anything I've read so far, and it made me sit and think. I put it down quite a lot, not willing to read any farther. It's a digestion novel - slow and steady.

The build up to the end takes a very long time. If I had to divide the book into threes, I would say the first two thirds of it is a build up, and the last third of it is a really quick wrap up. The book seems less about the plot and more about Evie developing as a character which, I can say, I didn't mind. I liked being in Evie's head and watching her develop.

As for her choices? I disliked Hadley and didn't understand her choice in Jonah. I didn't connect to any character besides Evie, either, and even then my connection with Evie was only at moments. I may have liked watching her develop, but it didn't mean I was connected to her.

All in all, it wasn't a bad story. Just a long one with a quick ending, and one that makes you think.

Final Comments: Pick up if you want a book that may make you think.

Feature Friday: Bookcases (6)

Who said storage had to be boring?



If you tell me you don't want this, I'd call you a liar. It's SO COOL. It offers a whole bunch of storage for your stuff, doesn't take up a ridicuous amount of space, creates a book nook, AND looks adorable. It's like a tiny igloo for books.

And it has a pink flamingo.


Image found from Flickr. Does it belong to you? Email me, and I'll give you credit!