In my mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Sirenthat encourages other book bloggers to share what they bought, won, begged for or borrowed. It is usually held on Sundays!
This week I got three more books I'm quite excited about and happened to find out some pretty exciting news which I will release November 8th. HINT: It has something to do with a giveaway and a certain author whose book recently came out who is coming to my town... Again, more info on that November 8th. Onto the other good stuff!
I'm really working hard to get YA Love Triangle Week all ready to go which means doing a lot of pre-posts. I haven't had much time to comment on things which makes me SUPER sad. So here's your chance to let me know what you've been up to. Leave a post (or two) you'd like me to read and comment on. I just don't have the time to weed through the many, many blogs I follow at the moment and it makes me sad.
The book blog hop is hosted by Jennifer over at Crazy For Books. The idea behind it is to link up your blog and check out others who did the same!
I want to welcome everyone stopping by from the Hop!
I'm a 23-year-old aspiring YA novelist and on my blog it's all about YA novels, writing and movies! I'm really excited to be meeting everyone! Feel free to have a look around my blog!
This week's question:
What is the one bookish thing you would love to have, no matter the cost?
I would love to have my own library. I'm saving up money to convert two closets into bookshelves and to buy some black and white furniture to have the best library in this part of town! I'll post photos when this happens (should be a few months). My book will thanks me. They've been on the ground for too long!
YA Love Triangle Week start November 1st! Drop buy and cast your votes each day and enter in a grand prize drawing!
Thanks to Goodreads and a post from I Read Banned Books, I'm excited to post up Sweetly's cover which is oh, so clever! I love the face in the trees. Described as a companion novel to Sister's Red and "a moderation of Hanzel and Gretel", Sweetly is definitely on my wishlist!
This is a great new meme created by Danya over at A Tapestry of Words.Hop over to her blog on Thursdays and join in the fun!
Across The Universe by Beth Revis A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.
I'm pretty sure that the cover and summary are self explanatory. This one actually comes out January 11th but I want to see a print out from Amazon.com saying this book is pre-ordered and will be waiting on my doorstep. The concept is so fresh and I can't wait to read it!
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where you can post about upcoming books you're looking forward to.
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
There are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.
It's honestly not fair of this book to sound so good. Ever since I read the summary a while ago I've been dying for this one to come out. It's a few parts creepy and a few parts intriguing. That's truly a noxious brew!
The posts are rolling in now and I have to say, they look awesome! I can't wait for everyone to see them! Spread the word, November 1st is THE week. You won't want to miss a second!
TEAser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as 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 any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!
Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!
" The girl turned and looked up at me. When she smiled, I stepped back from the desk. Her face was young and kind of shy, but her mouth was crowded with small, jagged teeth. Not a nice, respectable thirty-two, but closer to fifth or sixty.
"Oh dear," she said, putting down her tick and reaching out a dirty hand. "I ought to have been more cautious." Her voice was soft, and her train wreck of a mouth made her lisp. "You think I'm ugly." "
- Pg. 107 of "The Replacement" by Brenna Yovanoff
I'm continuing my month of horror with this novel which I am so excited to be reading.
I'm so happy with the amount of entries I got for this contest. 73 people entered and many people got extra points for a total of 223 individual entries. I want to thank everyone so much for adding their name in to the pot!
So now, on to the good stuff. I put in the number of entries to a random number generator:
Then I asked it very nicely to pick a few numbers:
I went to master post list and matched the number with a name:
H-A- Double L- O- W- Double E N spells Halloween! It's that time of year and I'm so excited. I've properly decorated my house and my blog and now it's time to give away a treat!
So now you ask, what's up for grabs?
One lucky winner will get their choice of one of these novels from The Book Depository.
I did a post on how I name characters and I used my newest character, Jacey, as the example. I'm in the very early stages of this novel but am really excited about it. Anyway, my husband decided to draw her and I wanted to share her with you.
For the full view you can hop over to hisDeviantart pageand check out his gallery. He's currently working on Jacey's counterpart Chase. He is also taking a few requests. Anyways, he'd love to hear what you think of it, either on here or over at his Deviantart page.
In my mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Sirenthat encourages other book bloggers to share what they bought, won, begged for or borrowed. It is usually held on Sundays!
I had another pretty good week for books. I'm particularly excited for Wildthorn since I got a hardback copy for $1.50 from Amazon!
The book blog hop is hosted by Jennifer over at Crazy For Books. The idea behind it is to link up your blog and check out others who did the same!
I want to welcome everyone stopping by from the Hop!
I'm a 23-year-old aspiring YA novelist and on my blog it's all about YA novels, writing and movies! I'm really excited to be meeting everyone! Feel free to have a look around my blog!
This week's question:
Where is your favorite place to read?
I either like to read to on my super comfy couch if no one is home or if the house is really quiet because it a good option for sitting up and my living room is bright and happy. If it's nighttime, I enjoy reading in bed but that gets me tired. If I'm already tired, reading in bed is heaven.
I don't like reading outside of the house. Especially if I;m on a romantic part of a book. For so reason I get kind of embarrassed like I'm exposing my love life to the world... I'm a weirdo.
Make sure you tune in forYA Love Triangle Week from November 1-7 to read guest posts, enter giveaways and read author interviews.
One of my frequent haunts as an aspiring author is Guide To Literary Agents Blog. You should definitely check it out, especially if you are a YA writer like me.
Right now there is a Dear Lucky Agent contest going on for YA writers. Basically, you send in your first 150-200 words of a polished, unpublished novel to be judged by an agent and if you win, you get a 10 page critique! Sounds awesome, right? Head over there and take a look. I just entered!
This is a great new meme created by Danya over at A Tapestry of Words.Hop over to her blog on Thursdays and join in the fun!
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.
I worry that I might be the only person who reads YA who hasn't read this series. I'd never even looked at it until I started blogging and all I heard are good things so I MUST get this novel soon so I can see for myself what all the fuss is about. I also need to figure out if I'm Team Puck or Team Ash.
So what about you? What do you hope to see underneath your Christmas tree?
Head on over to the Undercover Book Lover's AUCTION that benefits the Pakistan Flood Relief. She's got some super cool books and page critiques up for auction and it's for a good cause!
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where you can post about upcoming books you're looking forward to.
Always A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
The adventures of Tam and Gabriel continue with more time travel, Talents, spy work, and of course, the evil Knights.
Since the gripping conclusion of Once A Witch, Tamsin Greene has been haunted by her grandmother's prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision—one so terrible that it could harm her family forever. When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the nineteenth century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady's maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the advances of Liam Knight. As time runs out, both families square off in a thrilling display of magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.
Uh, can we say yummy? The first novel was beautifully written, fast paced and thrilling. I can't wait for the second installment of this series and the summary makes it all the more appealing. I love that we are going back to where it all started and are going to get to see the consequences of her choice to save her sister instead of stop Alistair. Don't even get me started on how gorgeous that cover is. This is definitely one I'm looking forward to!
Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Hyperion Book CH Language: English ISBN-10: 1423108779 ISBN-13: 978-1423108771 Source: Bought from Borders Cover: I pulled this book out of the shelf and almost dropped it onto the floor it was so incredible creepy. There is something mesmerizing about the lace over the model's face, the pale pink nightgown and the pink toenails. It's incredible and does an awesome job of telling you exactly what you'll be getting with this novel. First Sentence: "I stood perfectly still, looking up at the house and the dark sky behind it."
The Mini-Review: Don't let the horror aspect scare you off from this novel. It's jam packed with incredible passages, suspense, awesome and unique characters and a plot that will leave you racing for the end.
The Book Summary:
Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy, thirteen-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own antisocial, anti-cheerleader attitude.
When a family argument results in tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunctional to dangerous. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green; she uses odd, old-fashioned language-- and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her weird behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves, water boils on the unlit stove, and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough for the girls to see their breath.
Alexis wants to believe it's all in her head, until these seemingly harmless occurrences become life-threatening-- to her, to her family, and to her budding relationship with student council vice president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey; but what if the green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?
The Review:
There were several instances I thought about giving this book away without reading it because of the cover, because of the dolls, because I'm a chicken... I decided to suck it up and read this novel for Halloween and I am so glad I did. This novel has everything I could want-- a strong willed and very likable heroine, a unique cast of supporting characters, a mystery that will have you guessing to the end, writing that made me jealous on every single page and the right amount of creepy to send me flying through the pages.
Alexis was the girl everyone sets out to write when they want an original and spunky main character. However, there are very few authors who could master her the way Alender did. Not only did I believe Alexis's rebel without a care attitude, I also never once found her over annoying and she didn't judge people until they'd given her enough proof to do so. She was pretty open minded for being anti-social and no matter how hard she tried to push people away, she always ended up giving them a chance which I loved. She was also completely willing to speak her mind, even when what she had to say was not the most popular thing in the world. She was fiercely loyal to those she loved and incredibly brave (which is important for a lead in a horror novel). Alender was amazing at really showing us Alexis's fear and making her push through it to get the job done, even when the task was hopeless.
Speaking of the Alexis's relationship with her sister Kasey, I really want to emphasize how real it felt. Both parents were absentee most of the time so it was basically Alexis doing the normal "mom" stuff with Kasey, who is a temperamental, overly emotional girl. But Alexis wasn't overly nice to her sister and her sister wasn't overly sweet to her. They fought like normal siblings which was nice to see but when the time came down, Alexis was willing to push aside her frustrations and be there for Kasey. I was really impressed by this.
I was also glad to see some fresh faces in the YA genre. Yes, Kasey hates cheerleaders and there are some typical mean girls but some of them surprised me in this novel. How often have you heard of a paranormal obsessed captain of the cheer squad? Or what about a preppy VP with a darker past? I loved how Alender took stereotypes and turned them on their head.
This novel had a great plot, weaving the present and two separate instances in the past that Kasey had to figure out. I liked having three different situations and it also added layers to the mystery. It also provided helpful to see Kasey's side of the story through someone else's eyes. One of the instances is of a woman being possessed by the same thing that has taken hold of Kasey and Alexis gets to experience what it must be like for Kasey at all times. This proved really helpful.
I did have a few questions that where never answered-- mainly, when did Kasey become possessed and did Kasey really try to break a girl's arm? These are asked several times but there is no definitive answer. I would have liked to know.
The writing in this novel was flawless and fluid. Every page surprised me with an incredible observation or a beautiful passage. I was particularly impressed with the unique descriptions. For example, Kasey describes her transition into how she is today:
"That's when I began keeping really quiet in class, and finding ways to show the other kids I wasn't scared of them-- like staring them straight in the eye when they looked at me, taking a step toward them when they talked to me, or walking right up to them and getting in their personal space if I heard them say my name. Saying the meanest things I could think of whenever I had the chance-- repeating rumors, embellishing them. I found out that Kira Conroy had been arrested for shoplifting at the mall, and made sure everybody knew about it. The girl who'd had five beers on New year's Eve and peed her pants, the girl who'd tripped and fell off the stage at the Miss Teen California pageant-- I shared those stories the moment I heard them. All's fair in war, right? So suddenly I wasn't nobody anymore. I was somebody. Somebody everyone was afraid of."
As a narrator, Alexis doesn't hold back and she doesn't apologize for who she is. As an author, Alender is masterful at showing this in every page of the book. She's also incredibly skillful at mixing humor with horror, sucking some of the scare out of the wound just to let it creep back in in full force. She uses sight, smell, sound and setting to saturate everything with a tinge of horror.
Bad Girls Don't Die is the perfect novel to read in the daytime, with all the lights on and music blasting so you don't have to listen to the little noises that go bump in your walls. It really is that scary. But to cushion the blow is a cast of great characters, a female lead who isn't afraid to be herself, the right amount of humor and a plot that will have you ripping through the pages. I read this book in one day and savored every word!
The tenth and final pair announced for YA Love Triangle Week are Bill vs. Eric from The Sookie Stackhouse novels (which aren't exactly YA but I wanted one pair of adult love triangles).
TEAser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as 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 any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!
Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!
" "Eccentric?" Megan said. She looked generally surprised. "Alexis... your little sister is possessed."
I had to put a hand on the sink to keep from toppling over onto the grimy floor tiles.
"Like ghost, demon, darkside, Voldemort," Megan went on."
- Pg. 165-166 of Bad Girls Don't Die
I'll be honest, I considered giving this book away a couple of times because the cover and premise is SO creepy but I decided to be brave and read this novel for Halloween. I'm so glad I give it a chance. It's wonderful and I now I know what I'd be missing.
So give me some good teasers! What are you tempting me with this week?
I'm so excited to announce that I have figured out the week for YA Love Triangle Week! Everything goes down starting November 1-7th.
During that time, I will be posting guests posts from the volunteers, author interviews and some giveaways. Here is the SCHEDULE.
The polls will open on 7th and will be open the entire next week. You will vote on which PAIR presented their arguments in the best, not necessarily your favorite characters. The winning pair will receive and a prize and two voters will be chosen randomly by a random number generator. You can earn extra points by commenting on posts throughout the week. The voting winners will receive a book of their choosing from The Book Depository for under $20.
I still need two more posters to argue for Shay from Nightshade and Bill from True Blood/The Sookie Stackhouse novels.
So everyone, tune back in during that week and get ready to see exclusive interviews and some awesome guest posting as we discuss everything there is to know about YA Love Triangles!
I'll be announcing the date and schedule sometime today but right now, I still need your help!
Unfortunately, Lindsi had to back out of representing Team Shay so he's open again! I also still need someone to represent Team Bill from The Sookie Stackhouse series.
Email me at AmberInBlunderland@yahoo.com to represent both of these boys!
I don't know how many of you remember me mentioning I was taking in a kitten that was abused. My little girl was found abandoned in a lawn after someone had poured acid on her and burnt off the pads of her feet. She was one week old. Now seven weeks old and healthy, she is a functional (and adorable part of our family.
We named her... Katniss because like her name sake, she is a survivor and the toughest little thing we've ever seen.
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