In My Mailbox - February 28, 2010

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren

My goodies this week:

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

First in a young adult urban fantasy series about a world of ghosts only the young can see.

When Aura’s boyfriend meets a most untimely end, she is forced to reconsider her relationship with the living and the dead.

(I'm so super excited to have gotten this! I've had it on my YA Debut Author Challenge list since day one...squeeee)

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Ultimate Guide by Mary-Jane Knight

It's the handbook no half-blood should be without: a fully illustrated, in-depth guide to gods, monsters, and all things Percy. This novelty companion to the best-selling series comes complete with trading cards, full-color diagrams, and maps, all packaged in a handy, "manual-size" POB with a crisp, magnetic flap enclosure.

(My son & I saw the movie last weekend & we loved it :) I know my son is going to love this series soon - he's on chapter books now - and I am a huge mythology fan.)

What goodies did you get?

Clear up your calander next Wednesday.....

Who's all going? I'll be there along with my bestie, Jackie.

Review: Numbers by Rachel Ward

Publisher: Chicken House Ltd

Released: January 5, 2009

Paperback, 304 pages




Teaser quote:

"Instead of backing away or hitting back, he got his arms and legs around me, and kind of wrapped me up, and squeezed. My arms were held down by my side, my legs had no where to go. I was held in close, my face pressed into the smelly place under his arms, and he sort of sapped the fury out of me. I could feel it going, feel my body relaxing. His chin was resting on top of my head, and we stood there for a bit, just breathing.

'You all right now?' he said after a while." (pg 98)

My rating: 3.5 / 5

My thoughts:

Jem has a unique ability - when she seems someone's face, she see's numbers. Their death date, to be exact. She's lived a rough life, no Dad & a drug addicted mom who accidentally dies of an overdose, leaving her an orphan. She's been around the block, no one seems to understand her, until she meets Spider, a school mate who slowly becomes more. A trip to London changes their lives forever as Jem see's today's date on multiple faces, causing her to think there is going to be a tragic accident and them to flee. She was right, but now news reports say police are looking for two witnesses who fled the scene just before the blast. Having no faith in the system and thinking they are going to take the blame, Jem and Spider decide it's best to run away and start fresh.
 
I loved the premise of this. I'm a huge numbers geek in real life, but sadly this story didn't focus on that aspect. The beauty in the story is not Jem's numbers ability (as I had hoped for), it is watching two people who feel they have nothing to lose, find each other. The character development in Jem is heartwarming. Even knowing Spiders death date, she is finally able to feel love for someone and sees good in the others around her. Spider, on the other hand, doesn't make it as far but you see some passion as he falls for Jem.
 
The storyline was unique and had me guessing how it would play out. The moral dilemma appears a number of times (if you know someone's death date, should you tell?) but really this story was about Jem & Spider just struggling to survive. I did have to giggle though as the book takes place in 2009 with an epilogue 5 yrs later. For 5 yrs it seems that we get a glimpse into the future  - which makes me wonder why they didn't write this in 2004 with a 2009 epilogue?

Book Lovers Inc and Interview with Mara!

Have you guys been over to the amazing  Book Lovers Inc blog yet? You'll find at least one post a day (well, maybe not on weekends) and lots of fun stuff like interviews, guest posts & giveaways from author from EVERY genre. (We may still have an issue with our reader feed so you may not see us in your reader feed)

I feel honored to be in charge of entertaining readers with the Wednesday YA posts. For those that have vistited, thanks & I hope you're enjoying it! For those of you who have yet to check us out, what are you waiting for? LOL

Today's post is an interview with author, Mara Purnhagen. Her debut book, Tagged, is released this coming Monday, March 1st. Come by, say HI and leave a comment supporting Mara :) Click here for interview!

"Waiting on" Wednesday - February 24, 2010

This weekly event is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I can't wait to read It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Release Date:April 27, 2010

Publisher:Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

I couldn't find anything online except for this: In Jenny Han's follow-up to The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly finds out what comes after falling in love.


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What are you waiting on?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? February 22, 2010

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week. Feel free to join in this weekly event if you'd like. Thanks Sheila for hosting!


Last week:

I finished Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver as part of the B&N Book Club. Loved it!

I also read The Mark by Jen Nadol , another good read, but never made it to Possessed by Kate Cann as I had planned :(

(I will have reviews up later this week)

This week:

I'm reading Numbers by Rachel Ward & will finally get to Possessed by Kate Cann

What are you reading?

In My Mailbox - February 21, 2010

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren

My goodies this week:

The White Cat (The Curse Workers, #1) by Holly Black

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable? alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Spells (Wings #2) by Aprilynne Pike
Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
Piper McCloud lives with her normal ma and pa on a normal farm in normal Lowland County. But Piper isn’t your normal girl. Ever since Piper was a baby she’s been able to hover a few feet off the ground, and if the people of Lowland County knew she could fly, they would have something to say about it. So it only seems best that Piper be sent away to I.N.S.A.N.E., the top secret school for children with extraordinary abilities like hers. Her new friends have powers like telekinesis, X-ray vision, and the ability to create their own weather. Piper likes her new life at school, but soon, she realizes things aren’t as they seem. Now, the school she was sent to for her own protection might be the most dangerous place she’s ever been.

What goodies did you get?

Review: Double Eagle by Sneed B. Collard III

Peachtree Publishers

Released: April 1, 2009

Hardcover:256 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1561454808



Recommended for: adventure lovers

Teaser quote:
"That night we returned to the fort armed with our new sand sifter, two buckets, Kyle's Coleman lantern, and some wooden stakes to mark out our grids.(pg 112)

My rating: 4.5 /5

My thoughts:
Mike always spends the summers with his Dad, a biologist. This year he joins him at the marine lab on an island just off the coast of Alabama. Mike and Kyle, son of a maintenance worker, quickly become friends, hanging out while their Dad's work. Talk of a salvage ship searching for golden coins & an old fort nearby provide the perfect summer adventure.The boys discover a unique gold coin, search for more & come across many dangerous situations.

I loved the way Sneed sets up the story, he gives the reader everything they need. The prologue provides the reader with a background into the Skink, the ship that went missing back in 1862 that the fortune hunters are searching for. The majority of the story takes place in 1973 and finishes with an update in late 2009.  The main characters, Mike and Kyle, are typical boys looking for something to do. I think the only difference between 1973 and now is that they didn't have access to cell phones, the Internet, gaming systems. To keep themselves amused, they created their own fun! An exciting story filled with twists and turns. Be prepared for a little history lesson too, as Sneed seamlessly weaves it into his story.

Although catagorized as ages 9-12, this is a fantastic adventure story for all ages to enjoy. I think what makes it work for the teen + reader is that most, if not all, can relate to treasure hunting...who didn't go off in search of treasure when they were younger? You know you've read a great book when you finish the last page, take a deep breath, close the book deeling satisfied. I highly receommend this book for anyone looking to go on a mini-adventure. I'm definately keeping this for my son as I know in a couple years he's going to love reading this too!

http://www.author-illustr-source.com/sneedcollard.htm

Book Lovers Inc & Guest Post!

Have you guys been over to the amazing  Book Lovers Inc blog yet? You'll find at least one post a day (well, maybe not on weekends) and lots of fun stuff like interviews, guest posts & giveaways from author from EVERY genre.

I feel honored to be in charge of entertaining readers with the Wednesday YA posts. For those that have vistited, thanks & I hope you're enjoying it! For those of you who have yet to check us out, what are you waiting for? LOL

Today's post was really fun. Alexandra Diaz, author of Of All Stupid Things, stops by to talk about her schooling background & how it affected her writing.

Come by, say HI and tell us how high school was for you! Click here for guest post!

Teaser Tuesday - February 16, 2010

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

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Lindsay flips the goggles onto her head. "We were having a dance party, Mrs. Carter," she says brightly, as if dancing around half-naked and decked out in winter sports equipment was a Girl Scouts-mandated activity.
(pg 167 of ARC )

I have to admit to cheating on this teaser, it was not random at all. I read this late night and laughed so hard, memories floating back to the random silliness that happens with your best friends. I couldn't help but share & hope it puts a smile on your face too.

Review: Gone by Lisa McMann

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Hardcover: 224 pages

Released: February 9, 2010



Teaser quote:
"Wonders what it would be like if all of it had never happened to her, if she'd never read that damn green notebook, if she'd never ridden that train where it all started when she was eight. If she could actually be in control of her life, just once."

My rating: 3.5 /5

My thoughts:

Note: this is the final book in the Wake trilogy (see my review of book #1 here and book #2 here) and unfortunately this review will be full of spoilers....be forewarned!

Janie & Cabel have graduated and are enjoying their summer together, that is until she gets an emergency phone call about her mom. She rushes to the hospital only to discover her mom comforting somone she doesn't reconize...her father in a coma. Janie uses her ability to learn more about her dad but in the process uncovers another life path that Miss Stubin didn't consider.

This book focused on Janie's internal struggle on how to life her life: continue as Miss Stubin only to develop crippled hands & become blind in a few years OR become a recluse like her dad & leaving everyone behind. Poor Cabel is the great guy he always has been, supporting her without really knowing what she is going through..and she was just about to leave him! Although I enjoyed GONE mush better then FADE, I was hoping for more insight into her mom & why she is the way she is. Yes, I know we were told about why her father left, that he loved her mom but I would have liked maybe to see more on this, maybe some closure, maybe something to bring her and Janie closer? I guess I really felt that this was too focused on Janie and her choice, the ending ties things up too quickly and there was much more in this story to be told. I ca see myself re-reading WAKE over and over again but as a series overall, I think it was just OK.

Review: Fade by Lisa McMann

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Released: February 10, 2009

Hardcover : 256 pages



My rating: 3 /5

My thoughts:
Note: This is the second book in the Wake trilogy (see my review of book #1 here) though I do try my best in all my reviews to keep them spoiler free.

Janie & Cabel have been assigned to a case together. Based on calls on the schools hotline, it appears there may be a sexual predator at school. Cabel continues watching the staff and students while Janie uses her ability to get inside dreams to see if she can uncover any clues.

After being sucked into WAKE, I was so excited to devour this. Again, it was another quick read but I didn't get the same rush while reading this. While WAKE was all about Caleb & Janie's relationship as well as Janie finally sharing her ability with someone & trying to understand it, this book is focused on the case. I didn't see much in terms of character development and the case wasn't all that exciting. I was also hoping to learn a bit more about secondary characters (her mom, Miss Stubin) and learn more about the side-effects of dream-catching...I kept flipping pages hoping but never did. At the end, I was ready to bite into GONE, book #3, knowing this was the final book & I may finally get my answers :)

"Waiting on" Wednesday - February 10, 2010

This weekly event is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I can't wait to read The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. I am so excited to start reading his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series with my son and of course plan on taking him to see the movie which comes out this week! This is the first book of Rick's new series The Kane Chronicles.

Release Date: May 4, 2010

Publisher: Disney/Hyperion Books for Children

From Amazon.com :
Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set--has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

You can read the first chapter here
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What are you waiting on?

Teaser Tuesday - February 9, 2010

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

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Come on, Sam," Courtney calls. She and Bethany have climbed into the backseat of the Civic. They're waiting for me to take shotgun again. "Party time."
(pg 239 of ARC )

Review: The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Hardcover:192 pages

Released: January 7, 2010

ISBN-13: 978-0670011537

Teaser quote:


"I didn't really believe all that stuff Julia had said about me being better at kissing than Austin. I figured she was just mad at him, and horny, and I happened to be there, so what the hell." (pg 21)

My rating: 5 /5

My thoughts:


For the last year, Colt and Julia were living double lives. Julia was from the rich side of town, had a long-time boyfriend and was a frequent visitor at the country club; Colt lived in the flats. One day they meet at the river & somehow, against the odds, they connect. Without anyone knowing, they met up almost every Friday, but tragedy strikes when Julia is killed in a car accident. Colt is finding it difficult to mourn her loss with no one to talk to - until Julia's brother discovers her journal. The journal never mentions Colt by name, but each entry is written to his initials and gives us a little more insight to Julia's thoughts over the last year. Can the journal give him some answers & peace of mind to move on?

I read this over a week ago but kept thinking about how to start my review. The fact that I'm still thinking about it is a big reason I'm giving it 5 stars. Any book that keeps you drawn into the story that long is a definite re-read in my books :)

I can't imagine having to deal with grief with no one to lend an ear. The character development is phenomenal as we watch Colt go through many stages of grief. I loved Colt and really felt for him as he struggles to come to terms with Julia's death. Julia I'm still on the fence about. Was it more about the game they were playing, the secret OR did she really care for him? Was she ashamed to have feelings for him OR scared of change? I wonder if Colt knew the 'real' Julia OR was she just as bad as the others who thought they were better then everyone else? See, I told you this book stuck with me! An awesome debut novel, I hope to see more form Jennifer!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - February 8, 2010

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week. Feel free to join in this weekly event if you'd like. Thanks Sheila for hosting!

Last week:

I read The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

I finished Fadeand Gone, both by Lisa McMann.

I read Double Eagle by Sneed B. Collard III

(I should have all reviews up later this week!)

This week:

I'm starting Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver as part of the B&N Book Club.

I plan on reading The Mark by Jen Nadol and Possessed by Kate Cann



What are you reading?

In My Mailbox - February 7, 2010

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren

My goodies this week:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history-or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

Christine Johnson’s CLAIRE DE LUNE, in which a teenager learns that she is a werewolf, descended from a long line of female werewolves, and must balance her human and werewolf lives, while tracking down the rogue werewolf preying upon the people of her town.

When having money is all that matters, what happens when you lose it all?

Perfect, picturesque Orchard Hill. It was the last thing Ally Ryan saw in the rear-view mirror as her mother drove them out of town and away from the shame of the scandal her father caused when his hedge fund went south and practically bankrupted all their friends -- friends that liked having trust funds and new cars, and that didn't like constant reminders that they had been swindled. So it was adios, Orchard Hill. Thanks for nothing.

Now, two years later, Ally's mother has landed a job back at the site of their downfall. So instead of Ally's new low-key, happy life, it'll be back into the snake pit with the likes of Shannen Moore and Hammond Ross.

But then there's Jake Graydon. Handsome, wealthy, bored Jake Graydon. He moved to town after Ally left and knows nothing of her scandal, but does know that he likes her. And she likes him. So off into the sunset they can go, right? Too bad Jake's friends have a problem with his new crush since it would make Ally happy. And if anyone deserves to be unhappy, it's Ally Ryan.

Ally was hoping to have left all the drama in the past, but some things just can't be forgotten. Isn't there more to life than money?

What goodies did you get?

"Waiting on" Wednesday - February 3, 2010

This weekly event is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I can't wait to read The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell. Earlier this month, Chelsea shared some awesome news that Disney Original Movies optioned the film rights!



Release Date: May 11, 2010

Publisher: Egmont USA

From Goodreads.com:

Damien Locke knows his destiny--attending the university for supervillains and becoming Golden City's next professional evil genius. But when Damien discovers he's the product of his supervillain mother's one-night stand with--of all people--a superhero, his best-laid plans are ruined as he's forced to live with his superhero family.

Going to extreme lengths (and heights), The Rise of Renegade X chronicles one boy's struggles with the villainous and heroic pitfalls of growing up.

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What are you waiting on?

Teaser Tuesday - February 2, 2010

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

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

"See you then."
I hung up and threw myself on my bed. I'd judged Julia pretty harshly for always saying she was going to break up with Austin Chadwick and never doing it, but now I was starting to see that it wasn't so easy." (pg 72)

It's Monday! What are you reading? February 1, 2010

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week. Feel free to join in this weekly event if you'd like as well as use the photo/pic/button above. Thanks J. Kaye for hosting!

Last week I finished:
Scone and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland - a super cute read (click for review)

I started Fade by Lisa McMann but realized I had another YA debut book to read that was released in December so only counted towards the challenge in January! I then moved onto The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (click for review)

I also started The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard - an awesome story so far!

This week:

I'm finishing The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard hopefully tonight :)

I'm finishing Fade, then reading Gone by Lisa McMann.

It's my son's 3rd birthday tomorrow so I'm keeping this reading week light.

What are you reading this week?