BookExpo America: What Went Down And What Should Have Happened

I'm an honest person.

Frankly, it's what I do. I don't like lying and I don't like beating around the bush; some people would call me brutally honest, but I just tell it as I see it.

My BookExpo America experience was fantastic, honestly. I did not run into people getting grabby at piles or cutting lines; I wasn't bit or hit or anything. Everybody I encountered was nice and cordial and it was an all around good experience.

This didn't happen for everybody.

Who This Happened To/With/Whatever
Frankly, this applies to everybody. It's not just bloggers that did this or had it happen to them. It's not just teenagers that did this or had it happen to them. This applied to every profession, every age group, everybody that was there.







The Controversy
(Or What Everybody Has Been Raging About)
On Twitter and on some blogs I've seen a lot of people complaining about a number of things.

1) People cutting lines
2) People biting/hitting other people to get books
3) People grabbing more than one copy of books

My Opinions
Lines are lines are lines.
I'm gonna be honest here and lay it on the line - cutting lines really isn't that big of a deal most of the time. Le gasp, I know. It's RUDE and you shouldn't do it. Sometimes, however, a friend is saving a spot for you. If that's the case, simply explain yourself to the people as you pass them and get to your friend. If you're cutting merely to cut - or if you're a GIANT group of people cutting - don't do it.

I'll be honest - I've jumped in front of a few people to hang out with friends in a group. It's always on lines that I know there will be enough copies that whoever is behind me will still get a copy and, frankly, the order doesn't really matter. In cases like lines for Maureen Johnson's The Name of the Star or lines where there are a limited amount of copies - don't do it. Cutting is BAD. BAD, BAD, BAD.

What the hell? Biting, hitting? It's just books, guys.
Apparently people got bit and hit at BEA when people were grabbing books.

I think this is kind of self explanatory - don't do it.





Sometimes grabbing multiple copies is okay. Sometimes, it's a no-no.
This is the big one that people are raging about as the other two have rather self explanatory answers. Other people there want them, so you shouldn't take more than one copy, right? It's rude. But what if you asked to take more than one? Or you're grabbing one for somebody who couldn't be there?

This is one of those things that's very iffy. If you see somebody with more than one copy of something, you tend to assume they've just grabbed more than one, and thus give them death glares, especially if it's something you want. That's not always the case.

It is NOT acceptable to grab more than one copy of a book if it is a book that you know many people want. And let's face it - you KNOW when it's going to be a popular book. For the most part, don't grab more than one copy. It's unfair to the other people at the expo who may want a copy.

However, there are exceptions to this. For instance, if you've seen a whole bunch of books lying around for a while and you know it's not going to be something popular and you think you can help promote it - sure. Grab a second copy. But you know what? The best thing to do is ask the publicist.

This is the most logical thing to do. If you ask the publicist - be it in the booth or at a signing - for a second copy and explain why you want it, chances are you may get it. Don't grab a second copy just to have a second copy. Last year, I asked if they had enough copies of Richelle Mead's Spirit Bound that I could have a second signed one to do a giveaway, and both Richelle and the publicist were fine with that. If you're at a booth and you talk to the publicist - introduce yourself, so on - they'll explain if they have enough and more than often give you some other books to help out with the blog.

How People Are Reacting
Not at the expo, but afterwards.

I swear, if I see one more venomous Tweet I'm going to stop following whoever sends it.

Yes, some of the things that happened weren't necessarily the best. But don't attack people who grabbed more than one copy or spend all your time complaining about how you didn't get a copy of something but so and so go two.

It's BOOKS. We're here because we love 'em. Raging and getting worked up over what happened isn't going to change what actually happened. Put aside your anger and just work towards making the BEA experience better next year.




How To Act And What To Do Next Year
I'm not going to spend my time worrying abut what has already happened. Instead, I'm going to work towards making next year more fantastic for everybody. Here are some tips on how to act and what to do for the next time you're at the Expo (or your first time for some!).

This is an industry event.
This is not your personal happy land. Yes, it's FANTASTIC that you get to run around meeting authors and snagging books. But it's also a place for you to start making a name for yourself and to talk to professionals. Don't dress like a hobo - and don't act like one, either.

Remember, it's just books.
Keep your emotions in check. If you don't grab something you wanted or they ran out before you could grab a copy, it's okay. You're there to have fun and meet people in the industry. Make it a happy experience - try not to get angry or upset.

And remember - these publishers don't have to give you anything. You're not entitled to the books just because you're there.

When you see somebody doing something, it's okay to say something.
You're in New York, the home of "see something, say something." For me, the same applies to the Expo. If you see somebody cutting a line, just politely point them towards the back of the line. If they're rude to you or don't listen, you can politely tell the publicist nearby what they're doing. Though it's a bit different for when you see people grabbing multiple copies, it's okay to speak up. Just remember to be polite.

Talk to the publicists.
Yes, if there's a pile of books, go and grab something. But take the time to introduce yourself to the publicists. Tell them about your blog/website/whatever and ask them about the books they have coming out. More often than not they'll be willing to hand you a few ARCs that you may not have even known were there - and it's a great way to get a new contact.

This is also what you should do if you want a second copy of something, be it for a blogger who can't attend or a giveaway or something else. Explain the situation to the publicist and ask for a second copy. There's a good shot that they'll give it to you if you have a good reason.

Be patient.
Lines are long. Don't cut them. It's okay to wait - and in some cases, you can meet some of the best people that way.



Feel free to talk about what happened in the comments below; they're open to everybody and Anonymous is turned on if you don't want to express your opinion and connect it to your blog. If you guys have any questions, I'm happy to answer them.

Hunger Games: Jennifer Lawrence on Katniss

The fact that Jennifer loves the books as much as she does makes me happy; how do you guys think she's going to do in the role?

Giveaway: The Dark City

This giveaway is over.
Catherine Fisher's Incarceron series is rather awesome - a steampunk dystopian world? You know I love it.

She has another series I didn't know about - I plan on starting it soon. You can, too!

Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope for the world lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his sixteen-year-old apprentice, Raffi. They know of a secret relic with great power that has been hidden for centuries. As they search for it, they will be tested beyond their limits. For there are monster, some human, some not, that also want the relic's power and will stop at nothing to get it.

The widget for the book was here, but if it started automatically playing the trailer one more time I was going to assassinate something.

The Relic Master series consists of four books; this is the first. The next three books will be released over three consecutive months this summer: The Lost Heiress (June 14), The Hidden Coronet (July 12), and The Margrave (August 9).

If you want a chance to win the first one - it sounds awesome, doesn't it!? - all you have to do is fill out the form below and live in the US. (Sorry, international people; I'm working on it! If you have a friend that lives in the US and can send it to you, you can enter.) You've got a week to enter!

Oh, did I mention that two of you get to win!?

Quick Recap:
[2] copies of The Dark City up for grabs
[2] winners in the US only
ends June 4

How To Win:
[mandatory] fill out the form below

BookExpo America 2011 Recap

I had a lot of fun this year at BookExpo America this year (and I didn't pick up as many books as last year. My to be read pile thanks me).

Day One: Wednesday, May 25
After a fight about letting me in with the Press Lady of Doom, I headed in and started wandering around. I was going to go visit Lauren Oliver, but her line was HUGE. Ginormous. So I hit Scholastic first.

Unlike last year, I took the time out to introduce myself and whathaveyou. Since I got in after the rush of people, the booth was basically clear - which ended up being to my advantage, since I got to gossip with the Scholastic people for a good half hour and ended up with a stack of books from them.

Fun fact of the day: Talk to people if you see something that looks interesting. I ended up talking to a booth with calendars because they had a Pokemon calendar and they ended up giving me a Goats In Trees calendar because I loved it so much.

I wandered around for a little while longer and picked up some more stuff before heading over to Sarah Maclean's Eleven Scandals To Start To Win A Duke's Heart signing. (I loved her YA book The Season and her romance novels are my guilty pleasure.) She was a sweetheart.

Sometime around this I ended up running into Kate Lied, the publicist assistant at Bloomsbury. She's one of my favorite people to work with. I also saw Mitali and Susan at this point, too, I believe.

And then I got to meet the fantabulous JULIE KAGAWA! Squeegigglegiggle.




She's as nice in person as she is online - as is the fantastic Harmony; I met her on the line for the signing and we ended up spending a lot of time hanging out together that day.




Then there was the Maureen Johnson signing. I'm not kidding when I say she may be the most fantabulous being in all the galaxies. She most definitley is.




By the time the Maureen Johnson signing was over they had already cut off the line for the HarlequinTeen signing, so I joined Harmony on the line and just said hi to everybody. (Kady Cross is fantastically nice as well as gorgeous.)

After that I floated around with Harmony some more - got lunch, hit a few booths - before going to see Lisa Desrochers for my last big signing of the day. (She's a sweetheart; I have a signed copy of Personal Demons to giveaway to you guys.)




Day Two - Thursday, May 26
On Thursday, I ran into BEA and spent the first hour waiting to see if there would be an extra copy or two of Maureen Johnson's Name of the Star, despite me getting there after the cut off line and Penguin having a ridiculously small amount of the books.

There wasn't.

But I swung over and met Leanna Hieber at her adult book signing. She's a new YA debut with Darker Still, which sounds absolutely fantastic. She's a sweetheart.

Then I wandered around for a little bit while my mom went to Jane Lynch's signing and got my sister and I autographs because she's awesome.




Then I went on to Kody Keplinger's line - she has a lisp, too! I love when awesome people have lisps - and got a copy of Shut Out and met some new bloggers. Oh, and I met Donna from Bites. Who I simultaneously friend-hugged and fangirled over, because she's fantabulous. (And gorgeous.)


I stopped by Egmont and talked to them about upcoming trends in YA books and picked myself up an Hourglass poster. I drifted around a bit more before heading home early to get some reading in. All in all, not a bad couple of days, if I do say so myself.




How was YOUR BEA - or Armchair BEA - experience!? (Oh, and if you're on WORD and not on the direct post, click Read More to see the full book list with Goodreads links!)

Lark

Lark
Author: Tracey Porter
Series: ---
Publisher: HarperTeen
How Received: ARC

When sixteen-year-old Lark Austin is kidnapped from her Virginia hometown and left for dead in a snowy forest, she leaves behind two girls who are shocked by the loss of their former friend. At the same time Eve must face the hole left by Lark’s absence, she also can’t shake the guilt that Lark’s death was her fault. Meanwhile, Nyetta is haunted by Lark’s ghost, who comes through the bedroom window and begs Nyetta to set her soul free. Eve and Nyetta realize it is their responsibility to uncover why Lark is trapped in limbo, but only by coming together to find the missing pieces of themselves can they bring peace to Lark.

I've started the summer by tackling my "Oh, this book looks small; I should be able to finish it quickly!" pile. Lark was a good way to start that pile.

I don't often read books like Lark; this one came in the mail and seeing as it was coming out soon at the time I was looking at it, I figured I'd read it. I actually sat down and read it in one sitting.

Though not my typical kind of book, I rather enjoyed it; it's got a lot of good things going for it. The length, of course, was what attracted me to it in the first place, but don't look at the summary of the book and think that it can't handle the material in such a short time. Porter does a rather fantastic job at getting into the heads of the two girls (and Lark) and showing the story. She manages to get details without making the book longer than it has to be.

That's another thing I thought was interesting; we get three points of view (Eve, Nyetta, and Lark) and normally I don't like that. In this case, it was handled really well - we get glimpses into each of their lives and just enough details to let you connect to them and feel for them a little bit without so much as to feel as if one story should have more details than the others.

All in all, I thought it was a really good book; it was a great book to kick off my summer reads with, and I'm looking forward to reading more by Tracey Porter.

Overall Rating & Final Thoughts: 10/10. It's not my normal kind of book, but seeing as I liked it enough to read it in one sitting and can't really think of any complaints, I have to give it a 10.
Lark or The Space Between Trees?: Though the material is similar, I prefer how Lark handles the girl murder mystery to how The Space Between Trees handles it; something about the writing in Lark just clicked with me better than The Space Between Trees.

The Dark Days of Supernatural

The Dark Days of Supernatural tour kicks off at the beginning of June for those of you who are interested in that kind of stuff. None of these places are near me, sadly, but for those of you around the continental US - well, you might be interested.

Naperville, IL
Tuesday, June 7th, 7:00 PM
Authors: Veronica Roth, Aprilynne Pike, Ellen Schreiber, Tara Hudson, and Amy Plum
Anderson’s, 123 W Jefferson Ave

Portland, Oregon
Wednesday, June 8th, 7:00 PM
Authors: Veronica Roth, Aprilynne Pike, Ellen Schreiber, Tara Hudson, and Amy Plum
Barnes & Noble, 12000 SE 82nd Ave,

Austin, TX
Thursday, June 9th, 7:00 PM
Authors: Veronica Roth, Aprilynne Pike, Ellen Schreiber, Tara Hudson, and Amy Plum
Book People, 603 North Lamar Boulevard

Tempe, AZ
Friday, June 10th, 7:00 PM
Authors: Veronica Roth, Aprilynne Pike, Ellen Schreiber, and Josephine Angelini
Changing Hands, 6428 S McClintock Drive

Lansing, MI
Saturday, June 11th, 4:00 PM
Authors: Veronica Roth, Aprilynne Pike, Ellen Schreiber, and Josephine Angelini
Schuler Books & Music, 2820 Towne Centre Blvd



The books on the Dark Days of Supernatural tour include the following (for people like me who tend to not watch YouTube on blogs). If you click the cover it'll bring you to the GoodReads page for each book.




You can do all sorts of fun things like follow them on Facebook or Twitter or download a super fab tour calendar. And if you're a fan of Vampire Kisses, you can read an excerpt of the eighth novel! Oh, and you can read an excerpt of Something Deadly This Way Comes here.


Does anybody think they'll be going?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Name of the Star

Because we all have something we're waiting for.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target?

Series: Shades of London (#1)
Publisher: Putnam
Release Date: September 29 2011

I follow Maureen on Twitter and have been looking forward to this ever since she first announced it; I may not be a fan of the cover, but I love the concept and have full faith that Maureen will make this excellent.

Interview: Lauren Baratz-Logsted

To celebrate the release of The Education of Bet in paperback form, Lauren Baratz-Logsted is back at WORD again to answer a few more (rather fun) questions!

When Will and Bet were four, tragic circumstances brought them to the same house, to be raised by a wealthy gentleman as brother and sister. Now sixteen, they’ve both enjoyed a privileged upbringing thus far. But not all is well in their household. Because she’s a girl, Bet’s world is contained within the walls of their grand home, her education limited to the rudiments of reading, writing, arithmetic, and sewing. Will’s world is much larger. He is allowed—forced, in his case—to go to school. Neither is happy.

So Bet comes up with a plan and persuades Will to give it a try: They’ll switch places. She’ll go to school as Will. Will can live as he chooses. But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined.

Click read more to check them out. Hint: One question involves a zombie George Washington.

Experiment: Red Riding Hood Reality Project (The Conclusion)

That is one long blog post title.

Anyway.

Julia did the fantastic job at summarizing the basic results from our experiment, so here they are:




Red Riding Hood Reality Project
Test Results
Our stats:
Julia:
Waist – 26”
Height – 5’2”
Weight – approx. 110 lbs.
Nicole:
Waist – 29”
Height – 5’7
Weight - 130 lbs.

Day One:
Saturday, April 30th at 2:00 P.M.

Before Corset:
Julia – 26” waist
Nicole – 29” waist
After Corset:
Julia – 27½” waist
Nicole - 26½” waist





Right after donning the corsets, we went to lunch. It was certainly more difficult for us to eat while we were tightly laced up. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get our hands on any chicken wings.

*Because the Elizabethan corset (which is meant to create a silhouette not focused on shrinking the waist) actually added to the waist measurement, we decided not to use for the rest of the experiment, choosing instead to focus on the Victorian style under bust corset which does cinch the waist. Julia took off the Elizabethan corset around 3:30 and remained uncorseted until later that night.

9:00 P.M.
Nicole – 25½” waist (worn since 2 P.M. with a few short breaks)
Julia – 25” waist (worn for the first time that day)

The biggest hands we could find belong to Nicole’s boyfriend, Bryan. He’s 6’3” and his finger span (from tip of middle finger to tip of thumb) is 9½”, making the largest circumference that his hands could encircle 19”. Neither of us had gotten anywhere close to a 19” waist that day, although in Victorian times, it was common.





We didn’t get a picture just of Bryan’s hands, but to give you an idea, here’s a picture of Julia’s hands, showing you how we measured.



From tip of middle finger, following the bend of the hand to the end of the thumb.

Day Two:
May 1st at 2:00 P.M.
*Since we were no longer using the Elizabethan corset and Nicole had already done her day with the Victorian one, only Julia laced up on this day.

Before Corset:
Julia – 26” waist
After Corset:
Julia – 25½” waist (2:00 P.M.)
24½” waist (6:00 P.M.)
24½” waist (7:30 P.M.)





At 7:30 we stopped the experiment because Julia had had the corset on for 5½ hours and couldn’t tighten it anymore without feeling intensely uncomfortable.





Here are all the hand measurements:
Julia – 7” each, 14” altogether
Nicole – 8" each, 16" altogether
Bryan - 9.5" each, 19" altogether
Max (Julia’s brother) – 7½” each, 15” altogether


My Thoughts:
Click here to read Julia's thoughts.

I don't care if you want to make your character thin.

But when you haven't established a Victorian based world, clearly this is unrealistic. I didn't think the corsets would be able to shrink our waists small enough, and it didn't; since nobody in the original comments who said people could fit their hands around their waist contacted us back, we had nothing real to work against (the random skinny girl on America's Next Top Model aside).

I just hope this is a lesson to both myself when I write and to other authors and readers: tiny details? They're what make a book realistic. In a world of paranormal and dystopias and fantasies, you need to get the small details right to keep some sort of ground in any reality. This time it didn't work. Maybe next time it will.

But hopefully we won't have superbly skinny girl to get that way.

On that note, I leave you with corset lady:



Tell us your thoughts, concerns, questions, compliments, curses in the comments below!

America Pacifica (DNF)

America Pacifica
Author: Anna North
Series: ---
Publisher: Little, Brown
How Received: ARC

Eighteen-year-old Darcy lives on the island of America Pacifica—one of the last places on earth that is still habitable, after North America has succumbed to a second ice age. Education, food, and basic means of survival are the province of a chosen few, while the majority of the island residents must struggle to stay alive. The rich live in "Manhattanville" mansions made from the last pieces of wood and stone, while the poor cower in the shantytown slums of "Hell City" and "Little Los Angeles," places built out of heaped up trash that is slowly crumbling into the sea. The island is ruled by a mysterious dictator named Tyson, whose regime is plagued by charges of corruption and conspiracy.

But to Darcy, America Pacifica is simply home—the only one she's ever known. In spite of their poverty she lives contentedly with her mother, who works as a pearl diver. It's only when her mother doesn't come home one night that Darcy begins to learn about her past as a former "Mainlander," and her mother's role in the flight from frozen California to America Pacifica. Darcy embarks on a quest to find her mother, navigating the dark underbelly of the island, learning along the way the disturbing truth of Pacifica's early history, the far-reaching influence of its egomaniacal leader, and the possible plot to murder some of the island's first inhabitants—including her mother.

I didn't finish America Pacifica. Part of me regrets this because I am kind of curious as to see how it ends; part of me knows that I need to tackle the rest of my to be read pile before trying to finish a book I'm iffy on.

I got to page 207, which means I had around 100 pages left in the book. Normally I stop sooner if I'm going to stop, but I kept giving this book try after try before finally putting it back on the shelf. I know I'll finish it, just not now.

The thing is, this isn't a bad book. But as I've been reading it, I've been unable to connect to it. The world is interesting - I'm still trying to figure out how it works, but it's interesting. I like the plot; that's the only reason I kept giving this book as many tries as I did, because I was genuinely interested in seeing how it turned out.

The thing is, I couldn't connect to the characters.

Now, anybody who reads WORD knows how obsessed I am with connecting or liking a character; in a dystopian or a fantasy or sci-fi or historical, it's even more important because you need to be able to relate or like somebody who is in a completely different kind of situation than what you're in. You have no common ground with them.

With America Pacifica, I feel like Anna tried really hard to create a Katniss-like character. In The Hunger Games, Katniss is a hero who doesn't want to be a hero. In America Pacifica, Darcy is set up to be a hero who doesn't want to be a hero - but I don't particularly like her the way I liked Katniss. Maybe it's because I was in Katniss' head, maybe it's because I loved some of the other characters in The Hunger Games (Rue, Haymitch) whereas in America Pacifica I didn't particularly like any of the characters at all.

Final Thoughts: So though this is a did not finish review, this isn't a bad book by any means; I'm sure there are plenty of you dystopian fans out there who would enjoy it and probably like the characters better than I did. It certainly is worth reading for the plot.

BookExpo America 2011

For a lot of people, the chaos that is BookExpo America starts today - flying into the city or arranging transport of some sort or finishing packing. Over the next few days, different publishers have different little events, and the entire thing kicks off on Tuesday.

Of course, I won't get there until Wednesday and will only be doing Wednesday and Thursday, but still.

There are plenty of BookExpo America posts floating around right now, but I'll summarize what I learned from last year quickly - and what I plan on doing this year.

Last Minute Advice
- Comfortable shoes.
I know everybody's said it, but really, it's important. You're going to be walking all day.
- Don't pick up every book you see.
Be selective! I know it's tempting to pick up everything, and trust me, you're going to want almost everything you see - but don't pick it up unless you really want to read it. Not just because somebody else may want it, but because you are going to end up with more books than you will ever get around to reading.
- No, really, be selective.
I'm overemphasizing what I just said because I still have so many books from BEA last year. Trust me. Pick wisely.
- Schedule in time for eating!
That was a mistake I made last year; make sure that, in between all your signings and everything, you have time to eat! (Even if it's just a handful of crackers or something. I suggest packing snacks.)

My Schedule







Of course, I'll be visiting various booths and floating around in general - if you see me, be sure to say hi!

If you have any last minute questions, comments, concerns, curses, just leave 'em in comments - I'll answer them!

Feature Friday: Bookcases (35)

Who said storage had to be boring?

To promote the Read Across America program, the New York Public Library created a 26-ft tall by 40-ft wide display that spelled out the word “Read” using 25,000 Dr. Seuss books.

And this is why I love public libraries.

Found here.

Friday Fronts: The Goddess Test

I love the image for this book; I think it captures the book's essence perfectly, and the picture itself is absolutely gorgeous.

But there's so much TEXT! It takes away from the cover; we could have just used the title and the author's name and maybe the tagline, and not where they are - rearranged a bit, me thinks. I think Cassandra's quote should have been saved for the back of the book, even if it is an attempt to make people pick it up.

Liz's Corner: Intertwined

Intertwined
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Intertwined (#1)
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
How Received: bought

See Nicole's review here.

Most sixteen-year-olds have friends.

Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:
One can time travel.
One can raise the dead.
One can possess another human.
One can tell the future.

Everyone thinks he's crazy, which is why he's spent his entire life shuffled between mental institutions and juvie. All of that is about to change, however. For months Aden has been having visions of a beautiful girl—a girl who carries centuries-old secrets. A girl who will either save him or destroy him.

Together they'll enter a dark world of intrigue and danger…but not everyone will come out alive.

This time around, I was looking for a refreshing read but one with a bit of meat to the plot. Intertwined was one such book.

The story revolves around a teenage boy, Aden Stone, who has four souls trapped in his head. That sure caught my attention, so I plunged on. Turns out, each soul has an ability. One can time travel, one can raise the dead, one can tell the future, and one can possess others. By that time, I was all for this book.

As you read, Aden Stone finds a girl (Mary Anne) who knocks the wind out of him - literally. When they meet, they both have this unexplainable urge to hug each other...and run away from each other. Soon after meeting, they're both plunged into a world of vampires, werewolves, fairies, goblins... you name it!

Aden falls in love with Victoria, a vampire who is somehow going to save him. Vampires are always iffy ground for me, since I'm afraid another Twilight will crop up or it'll be something super cheesy. However, Intertwined was pretty neutral. Nothing super creative, but it was all tolerable.

They're all drawn together by the burst of energy Mary Anne and Aden created when they met each other. Which leads to one of the bigger plot devices! Yeah for plot devices! (And the crowd goes wild!)

Of all the characters, I love Riley & Caleb the best. Riley is a werewolf who has the best attitude in the whole book. He's got style and he's cute. Caleb is one of the souls trapped in Aden's head and he's just down right funny.

I gave the book five stars because it was an all around good book. Awesome plot, hilarious scenes, great solemn moments, and just the right amount of romance. I can't wait to read the second book now!

Waiting on Wednesday: Falling for Hamlet

Because we all have something we're waiting for.

Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray

Meet Ophelia: a blonde, beautiful high-school senior and long-time girlfriend of Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Her life is dominated not only by her boyfriend's fame and his overbearing family, but also by the paparazzi who hound them wherever they go. As the devastatingly handsome Hamlet spirals into madness after the mysterious death of his father, the King, Ophelia rides out his crazy roller coaster life, and lives to tell about it. In live television interviews, of course.

Series: ---
Publisher: Poppy
Date Released: July 5 2011

HAMLET.

I EFFING LOVE HAMLET.

Nomansland

Nomansland
Author: Lesley Hauge
Series: ---
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
How Received: gift from Kristi

Sometime in the future, a lonely, windswept island is populated solely by women. Among these women is a group of teenaged Trackers—expert equestrians and archers—whose job is to protect their shores from the enemy. The enemy, they’ve been told, is men. When these girls come upon a partially buried home from the distant past, they are fascinated by the strange objects—high-heeled shoes, teen magazines, make-up—found there. What are they to make of these mysterious things? And what does it mean for their strict society where friendship is forbidden and rules must be obeyed—at all costs?

When I first saw the summary for Nomansland a while back I was awfully excited; I love weird dystopian societies. But I saw Kristi's less than enthusiastic review (along with a few other reviews) and tempered myself; it wasn't going to be as good as I initially hoped. I still wanted to read it.

Honestly, I don't think it was worth the read. I read it in one sitting, but that's only because the book itself is so very small. In 243 pages, Lesley sets forth what has the potential to be this intriguing dystopian society where women rule and men are nonexistent, but she crams too much into a short period of time.

You learn little about the most interesting characters, and relationships are so hastily made that they're hard to believe. The society itself doesn't make much sense because nothing is elaborated on or explained. The only reason I related to the main character was because I was as confused by everything going as she was.

Even when they find the relics from times past - make up, high heels - they seem to figure out what they're meant for automatically. If they really are so disconnected from what people used to be, they shouldn't have. They should assume that high heels are some weird sort of glove-weapon or something, even if there are images to help them. (And even so, how do you figure out that mascara is meant for your eyelashes? It could have been for anything.)

All in all, everything moved quickly and I was left with a feeling of indifference at the end of it. The world and the characters had potential, but they weren't elaborated on, and I ended up not really caring.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 4/10. An interesting concept but not really worth the energy to read.

Book Trailers (1)

Since most of you said that you wanted to see more book trailers featured here, I'm delivering! I'm not going to do this on a set day or at regular intervals or anything, but I'll feature them.

The thing is: I refuse to feature book trailers that I don't think are excellent. Like, if it's a decent book trailer, good for you. But I'm not going to want to show you off.

Now these are some book trailers that - despite my opinions, or lack thereof, of the books - caught my attention.

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young




Fallen by Lauren Kate
This is the UK trailer, not the American trailer.



Divergent by Veronica Roth