Author Events!

I just wanted to do a quick post about author events I'm hoping to attend!

10/11: Melissa Kantor (NYC B&N)

10/15: Patrician McCormick (Marketfair B&N)

10/17: Cyn Balog (Hamilton B&N)

10/18: Megan McCafferty (West Windsor Library)

10/29: Tom Dolby (Books of Wonder)

10/29: Emma McLaughlin (Books of Wonder)

10/29: Gordon Kormon (Books of Wonder)

10/29: Bennett Madison (Books of Wonder)

11/10: Justine Larbelestier (Books of Wonder)

I'm not sure if all these events are set in stone, and I'm planning on posting more information about them later, but for now if anyone wants more information just shoot me an email!

*If anyone, authors included, know of any YA author events in the NJ/NYC area, please let me know, I would love to attend*

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

This week I'm waiting on...

Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn

"Very LeFreak has a problem: she’s a crazed technology addict. Very can’t get enough of her iPhone, laptop, IMs, text messages, whatever. If there’s any chance the incoming message, call, text, or photo might be from her supersecret online crush, she’s going to answer, no matter what. Nothing is too important: sleep, friends in mid-conversation, class, a meeting with the dean about academic probation. Soon enough, though, this obsession costs Very everything and everyone. Can she learn to block out the noise so she can finally hear her heart?" Summary Courtesy of Amazon

This book looks really good, I can't wait to read it, and the cover is so awesome, the colors flow so well!

Release Date: January 12, 2010

Review: The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols

The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols

Brace yourself for the battle of the exes....Hayden and Nick used to be a hot item, but their brief affair ended with a highly publicized breakup. Now the two are "just friends," excluding the occasional flirtation.When Hayden wins the girls' division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick is unimpressed, claiming that Hayden wouldn't have a chance against a guy. Hayden calls Nick's bluff and challenges him to a head-to-head boarding contest. Their mutual friends quickly take sides, the girls on Hayden's and the boys on Nick's, making for an all-out battle of the sexes. This friendly competition is bound to get heated -- and they might end up igniting some old flames.

Review:

The Ex Games was my first Simon Romantic Comedy, but I definitely plan on reading more. It was a fun, light read, but there were was seriousness as well. Surprisingly the few books I’ve read about exes I’ve really enjoyed- Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt was another great one. Most books involve a girl trying to get the guy not about exes. This wasn’t the only thing I liked about The Ex Games, I learned a lot about “boarding” as well. Snowboarding is something I’ve never done, so it was really cool to read a book that pretty much revolved around it. The whole plot was building up to the big competition between Hayden and Nick, the exes, to see who was the better boarder. I really liked the great build- up to the competition and the fact that I was really excited to find out who won as well. I was expecting The Ex Games to be a light, summery (well I guess wintery) read, but was pleasantly surprised that it had so much depth and an overall great plot. I’ve already bought a few more RoComs to get started on soon!

The cover of The Ex Games was really cute as well. I don’t usually care for cartoon covers, but the RoCom ones really fit. The pair on the cover look just like how I would picture Hayden and Nick. Also, Hayden was a down to Earth person. She was just a normal high school girl, but with a horrible accident haunting her past. The accident impacted her boarding and it was inspiring to read how Hayden worked on overcoming her fear of heights caused by the accident. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone, and as I said before am looking forward to reading more RoComs and Jennifer Echols’ books.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

September 8, 2009/Simon Pulse/303 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Author

Other books by this author: Going Too Far 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (5)

Read this week: (Click to read my review)

You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

Invisible Touch by Kelly Para

The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols

Reading Now:

The Everafter by Amy Huntley

To Read This Week:

The Day of the Pelican by Katherine Paterson

Moon Rise by Marilee Brothers

After by Amy Efaw

I'm really happy with the amount of books I read this week! I'm hoping to read the same this week! Also, be on the lookout for my review of The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols later today or tomorrow!(:

In My Mailbox (9)

So, these are the books I got In My Mailbox this week:

For Review:

The Everafter by Amy Huntley

The Amanda Project: Invisible I by Stella Lennon

Bought:

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

From Yan:

Lady MacBeth's Daughter by Lisa Klein (ARC!)

Of All The Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz (ARC!)

It's Not You, It's Me by Kerry Cohen Hoffman

The Sweet Life of Stella Madison by Lara M. Zeises

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

Library:

PS I Loathe You by Lisi Harrison

Won:

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith (from Shut Up! I'm Reading)

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Other books I got after I took these pictures:

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Do-Over by Niki Burnham

Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne

Death by Bikini by Linda Gerber

(I got all of the above books at a used bookstore for half price, except for My Soul to Take which was full price)

____

I'm on vacation in Maine right now, so this isn't my complete In My Mailbox because I just called my dad and he said I had EIGHT packages that came today. The mailman had to carry them all up in a giant box. Ha ha, I'm so excited to find out what they are!!!!!!

Invisible Touch Book Review

Invisible Touch by Kelly Para

Publisher: MTV Books

Release date: October 14, 2008

Source: One ARC Tours

Do you believe in fate?

Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be--compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the sign seer.

Because Kara has a gift--one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about--until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?

Review:

Invisible Touch far exceeded my expectations, it was well written, exciting, and overall a heart wrenching read. It was practically impossible to put down and it drew a lot of different emotions from me- from laughing to crying. It was such a unique idea- fate. Lately I've read a couple of books dealing with "fate" and I've learned a lot about it. Fate is an interesting topic and one I definitely want to read more about. Kelly Para writing style was unique and Kara was a character I liked. Her blog was also a great twist to the story. I loved all the little sub-plots that kept the novel going. I also learned a lot about Mexican culture. Another thing that really attracted me to this book was how rich it was in culture. It was interesting to see how Para combined culture and fate in what came out as a great novel. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more MTV Books now, especially Para's other novel, Graffiti Girl.

I would definitely recommend this novel to everyone. It would appeal to both boys and girls and it has a lot of important lessons. Kara's visions were an important part of the novel and really added an aspect to it that kept me hooked. It was interesting reading Kara's blog entries and there was a twist with that I didn't expect. The characters were all well developed and I really liked Anthony. He was a nice, honest guy who just wanted the best for Kara. Family was another big part of Invisible Touch and I really liked that. It was interesting to read how Kara, Jason, and their mom's relationship progressed and changed throughout the book. The only complaint I really had was some of the characters didn't seem as developed as they could have been. I didn't really know that much about Danielle or Carlos, and many of the people who seemed like they should be main characters, seemed a little flat. All in all, I enjoyed it though and as I've said before, I would highly recommend this book and the cover is a nice addition to anyone's collection!

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Find Out Friday: Pam Bachorz

General Questions:

What inspired you to write a book for young adults?

My voice, and my ideas, most naturally fit in Young Adult literature. And I think the being a teen is such a critical turning point, and an intense time, in everyone's life. Talk about great fodder for a writer. But most of all, the books I most remember reading, and still love, are all books I read as a teen and pre-teen: Lois Duncan, Ellen Emerson White, Mildred Ames, L.M. Montgomery, the Sunfire Romance series... I have those and many more beloved books sitting on the shelves behind my writing desk!

What is your favorite young adult book?

Wow, I can't pick just one (doesn't everybody say that?). Let's see. Here's one favorite near to my fingertips, one I read as a teen: "Anna to the Infinite Power", by Mildred Ames. it's all about a girl who was cloned when she was a baby, and the dark implications of that. Great story. And, I desperately wanted hair as thick and curly as the girl on the cover!

What's your favorite part about being a writer?

I love creating a stage for my characters to play on. For me, writing is a kind of performing. And as a published author, it's thrilling to know that some people will be buying "tickets" for my "performance".

Are you working on any other books?

Sure. I just finished a revision of the YA novel that Egmont has slated for their Fall 2010 list. And I'm playing with ideas for the next...

Candor questions:

What was your favorite part to write in Candor? (Try not to include any spoilers!) (:

Well, the last two chapters were my favorite part to write. And of course I can't give too many details on that! Also, I loved writing scenes that Mandi Able was in. She's just a kick in the pants, as my grandmother would say.

Did you have to do a lot of research before writing?

I did research brainwashing a fair amount, and also looked into the legality of brainwashing. (I'm no lawyer but as far as I can tell, what's happening in Candor, Florida is NOT illegal!). I also researched what it's like to live inside a cult, and how cults change people's thinking--Candor isn't really a cult but I think the Messages "overwrite" people's individual desires in a way similar to a cult.

Where did you get the characters names from?

Character names are SO hard and I'm really picky about them. I use babyname books, and I also look at US Census records to see what names are common and uncommon during the years my characters would have been born. One of the characters in CANDOR, Sherman, got his name from a record album that hangs above my desk. I have framed "storybook" albums--records that read books out loud to kids--above my desk. One of them is for Mary Poppins, and Richard SHERMAN was credited on there. I thought "ah! Sherman. That's a good name!". Of course I should hasten to say that Sherman is in no way modelled after Richard Sherman!

How do you feel about the cover?

I love the cover. I think the orange color is a nice shock, and it directly ties to the story, as does the cool spraypaint font. The dude wearing the headphones sure is easy on the eyes, too. Most importantly, I think it's the kind of cover that makes people curious enough to pick up the book... then read the flap copy... and then hopefully decide to read the whole book!

What made you decide to write a book dealing with brainwashing?

I am horrified by mind control of any sort. People's thoughts should be their own, and I just can't imagine a worse violation than someone reaching into your head and controlling what goes on there. I even hate going to those silly hypnosis shows--they make my skin crawl! So I felt that brainwashing would be lots of creepy fun.

Thanks so much for the interview, Pam!

Click here to read my review of Candor!

Click here to visit Pam's website.

Birthday Books(:

So as promised here are the books I got for my birthday! It was way more than I expected, but I'm not complaining(:

Whispering to Witches by Anna Dale

Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart

Rumors by Anna Godbersen

The Devouring by Simon Holt

The Unseen by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle

The Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis

The Diamond Secret by Suzanne Weyn

Alis by Naomi Rich

Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

The True Adventures of Charley Darwin by Carolyn Meyer

The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman

Two Girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein

River Secrets by Shannon Hale

So all in all I think I got a great load of books! I also got some great giftcards to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and The Strand! Two of which have already been put to use(:

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

This week I'm waiting on...

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

"Popularity is the best revenge.

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy." Summary Courtesy of Amazon

This looks really good and the cover is so cool!

Release date: January 5, 2010

Review: You Are So Undead To Me Book by Stacey Jay

You Are So Undead To Me by Stacey Jay

Q: HOW MANY ZOMBIES DOES IT TAKE TO RUIN A SOCIAL LIFE?

A: NOT MANY.

Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a whole bunch of semi-dead people with killer issues. All Megan really wants is to go to homecoming, but when you're trailed by a bunch of slobbering corpses whenever you leave the house, it's kinda hard to score a date. Let's just say Megan's love life could use some major resuscitation.

Megan's convinced her life can't get any worse - until someone in school starts using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into scary, hardcore flesh-eating Zombies. Now it's up to Megan to stop the Zombie apocalypse. Her life - and more importantly, the homecoming dance - depends on it.

Review:

You Are So Undead To Me was a fun, exciting book with a great twist at the end. Okay, yes, at times it was really gruesome, but overall I really enjoyed it. Stacey Jay's writing style really pulled me in and Megan's first person narrative kept the story going. The only other book I've read about zombies was Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby. Both of these books had the concept of zombies attacking at school dances, but overall the plot lines were really different. I liked how Megan's no-fooling around attitude, which at times surprised even me. She was a girl I would want to be friends with. At times things were a bit far fetched, but I think everything worked out in the end- and what an end! I don't want to give anything away but that ending did add a lot of greatness to the book! It was a little predictable, but then at the end I was completely shocked. Overall, this was a nice, at times gruesome, read and I would definitely recommend it.

I was a little confused about some things at first and didn't really understand what was going on, a little more reading and everything was straightened out. Megan, as a Zombie Settler, helps the undead do whatever they wanted to before they died. I was a little confused about Settling and by the middle of the book Settling kind of took the back seat as more exciting things were happening. I'm hoping to hear more about Settling in Undead Much?. Zombies are also something I'd like to read more about, but luckily I have a couple zombie books in my TBR pile. I'm definitely looking forward to reading Undead Much? and finding out what happens to Megan and the gang next.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

March 5, 2009/Razorbill/263 Pages/Young Adult/Book One

Source: Bought (Paperback)

Other books in the series: Undead Much?