Rhymes with Cupid by Anna Humphrey

 

Seventeen-year-old Elyse hates Valentine's Day. This makes working at the mall gift store in February difficult. Elyse's goal: avoid all romance. But falling in love is the one thing she can't control...

 

I’m not afraid to admit that when this book showed up on my doorstep, I glared at it and was really pessimistic. I’m not a Valentines Day person at all. I don’t have anything against the people who love it, but it just isn’t my cup of tea. So I just dismissed this book and stuck it on my shelf without any thoughts of picking it up again.

But then came the day when I wanted something cute and small to read. I love it when books prove me wrong. I thought that Rhymes with Cupid would be some cute little book that wasn’t written well. It wasn’t. At all. I mean yes, this book is small and yes, this book is cute. But it was written well. Really well. I was sucked in and I didn’t stop reading until I reached the last sentence.

I’m telling you now lovely blog readers- never judge a book by the cover. It will come back to bite you in the butt. Anna Humphrey can write really well. I really want to read another book by her just so I can get lost in her cute and well-spun world again.

I can relate to Elyse. We both are totally negative when it comes to lovey-dovey stuff. I loved watching her grow as a character and keep proving herself wrong. There were times when I wanted to go into the story and tell her “go after him, girl” “Snap out of it!”. She was so incredibly clueless at times, it was amusing.

Overall, Anna Humphrey surprised me in the best way possible. She proved me wrong and made me realize just how much of a mushy-book-person I am. Rhymes with Cupid was bittersweet and oh-so-addicting!

FTC- Publisher.

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

 

To 17-year-old Leslie, the tattoo is a thing of indescribable beauty, a captivating mark that she must make her own. But this subtle web of eyes and wings brings with it a transformation that no sweet young girl would ever imagine or welcome. Like its predecessor, this stand-alone sequel to Wicked Lovely plunges its youthful heroine into a faery world of almost constant peril.

Ink Exchange was a really good book. I didn’t like it as much as its companion, Wicked Lovely. But I still really liked it.

I didn’t like how slow Ink Exchange was for me. It felt like the book kept droning on an on. The plot of the story seemed a little dry and hard to follow at times.

Besides that, I think ink Exchange was really fun to read. It had a darker tone to it than Wicked Lovely, which I felt added to the story more.

I really liked the tattoo-idea because I’m personally a fan of tattoo’s. Leslie annoyed me at times because she was so damn insistent on getting what she wanted. I think that her being so persistent helped the story too. It made it so she seemed feisty at times.

Like always, Melissa Marr perfected the writing in this story. She always writes with such ease. The pacing was also spot-on and everything that happened seemed to flow really organically. I don’t really have much to say about Ink Exchange because it wasn’t really a hit or miss for me. I’m still interested in reading the rest of the series, but I don’t think that this added much to it.

I know a lot of people consider this to be their favorite Marr book, but so far, it’s my least favorite out of all of the ones I’ve read.

That being said, I still think that everybody should read this series. It’s addicting, interesting, and is really well written.

 

FTC- Bought.

Chasing AllieCat by Rebecca Fjelland Davis

Sadie Lester has been dumped with relatives for the summer. Boredom seems inevitable in her small Minnesota town until she meets Allie—a spiky-haired off-road biker with incredible grace and speed. Training for the upcoming bike race, Allie leads Sadie and cute fellow cyclist Joe up and down Mount Kato—an exhilarating rush that pushes their limits. The fun ends abruptly when they stray off the trail and find a priest, badly beaten and near death. After calling for help, Allie mysteriously disappears from their lives.

Just like the trash littering the beautiful river bluffs, there's something foul afoot. Creepy rednecks are prowling the woods, the same ones who ran Sadie and Allie off the road one night. It's not until the day of the big race that Sadie finally learns the startling truth about Allie, her connection to the priest, and what drove her into hiding.

This book surprised me in such amazing way. It started off a little slow and had be saying “What the eff is going on here?” but then it picked up and my thoughts started being in all caps and Chasing AllieCat became one hell of a wild reading ride. This book was funny, amusing, dramatic, and very down to earth all at the same time. It was fast paced and I found it terribly hard to put it down. There were dramatic twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting, and some that I was expecting- but when the came I was amazed at how Rebecca had written them. I wish I had the guts that Allie, Sadie, and Joe to go mountain biking. All three of these characters had me amazed at how fearless and snappy they were. They were all so well written and relatable. I think that Chasing AllieCat provides a young adult book to teenagers that they haven’t read before. Generally young adult books have the same formula. Chasing AllieCat wasn’t like that. It doesn’t really follow stereotypes as much as other books tend to, and I loved that about this.
I recommend this book to anybody who is looking for a good addicting young adult novel that will sweep them right up into the story.

FTC- For a blog tour, book received from the author.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

 

All teenagers have problems, but few of them can match those of Aislinn, who has the power to see faeries. Quite understandably, she wishes that she could share her friends' obliviousness and tries hard to avoid these invisible intruders. But one faery in particular refuses to leave her alone. Keenan the Summer King is convinced beyond all reasoning that Aislinn is the queen he has been seeking for nine centuries. What's a 21st-century girl to do when she's stalked by a suitor nobody else can see?

 

The Wicked Lovely series had been on my bookshelves for a couple years before I actually picked up Wicked Lovely. After listening to me complain about how I needed a faery book to read, a few people finally forced me to read these books. Man, I’m so glad I was told to read them.

Melissa Marr’s much-talked about series had me on my toes the whole time I was reading it. I never knew what was going to happen, and I loved everything that was happening. Aislinn was really real and it felt like I was listening to one of my friends tell me a story about their life. Oh yeah, I have friends who can see fey. I’m cool like that.

If I remember correctly, I was awake until 4am reading this book. You know a book is good when you only get 2 hours of sleep because you were up all night reading it. And you know a book is good when you could really care less about going to school looking like crap because of the amazing book you stayed up all night reading.

Melissa Marr has an extremely addictive way of writing. Wicked Lovely as a book fit together perfectly and I felt that everything about it aligned just right.

This is one of the best Young Adult series’ I’ve read. I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a good story to read.

 

FTC- Bought.

Undead Much? by Stacey Jay

Megan Berry—Zombie Settler extraordinaire—just wants Pom Squad to trounce Cheer Team in this freakishly funny follow-up to You Are So Undead to Me. But someone's turning coma victims into settler-resistant über-zombies—and everyone thinks it's Megan's fault! Well, except for super-creepy male cheerleader Aaron. (Ew!)

Meg's also being stalked by a hot—albeit undead— seer named Cliff. Can Cliff's premonitions help Megan stop a zombies-on-ice deathscapade and discover who's really behind the coma-killer crusade before an entire army of undead rise up? And when Megan's boyfriend Ethan grows jealous of Cliff, will it end their intra-settler romance?

You can read my review of the first book in the Megan Berry series here.

Though I didn’t like it as much as I liked You Are So Undead to Me- Undead Much was really good!

This was another book that I stayed up late reading. Going into it, I really didn’t know what was going to happen. The beginning starts off in a strange point, in my opinion. I didn’t really feel like it started off the book well- but it was still able to keep me interested in reading the rest. I liked the introduction of Cliff. He isn’t your normal zombie-type, which I found appealing.

In Undead Much, Megan’s Settling was a bigger deal than it was in You Are So Undead to Me. There are still the fun and light parts of the story mixed in, but we get to learn more about Settling and Megan than we did in the first book.

This has quickly become on of my favorite series’ and I’m looking forward to seeing what other books that Stacey Jay has coming out. I don’t know if there will be another Megan Berry book (if anybody knows, tell me in the comments) but I really want there to be.

Jay is a fantastic writer. Undead Much was funny, addicting, and enthralling. I recommend this series to anyone and everyone who enjoys YA books! Even if you aren’t that into zombies.

FTC- Library.

You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

Fifteen-year-old Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a bunch of dead people with a whole lot of issues.
All Megan wants is to be normal and go to homecoming, of course. Unfortunately, it's a little difficult when your dates keep getting interrupted by a bunch of slobbering Undead.
Things are about to get even more complicated for Megan. Someone in school is using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into flesh-eating Zombies, and it's looking like homecoming will turn out to be a very different kind of party the bloody kind.
Megan must stop the Zombie apocalypse descending on Carol, Arkansas. Her life and more importantly, homecoming depends on it.

I admit it. I put off reading this book for ages, and I regret it. I really really do, because Stacey Jay is a zombie genius. If we ever had a zombie apocalypse, I’d make sure to head over to her house because she would be the one saving us all from disaster. Megan was a kick-ass kick-butt heroine and I really want to be her friend.

At some points while reading, I was caught completely off guard- which is always good. The characters in this book were fabulous. They were all really well written and I could relate to most of them a lot. There was also the drop-dead (pardon the pun) gorgeous, Ethan. I love cute guys in books, I’m pretty sure everyone does. But Ethan? Yeah, he’s extra cute, which made this book even more fun while reading.

One of the things I loved most about You Are So Undead to Me was how easy it was to read it. When I think of zombies, my brain immediately thinks of blood, gore, and guts. You Are So Undead to Me has all of that, but it pairs it with a light and funny narrator and high-school backdrop. I think that Jay found the perfect balance between serious and funny, bloody and girly, and fighting and kissing.

I totally recommend this book to zombie-loves and YA-lovers everywhere. It made me stay up until 2am because I wanted to finish reading it so much. Stacey Jay has quickly become one of my favorite authors with this series. The first book in the Megan Berry series is thrilling, addicting, and oh-so-fun to read.

FTC- Library.

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance—-even her closest friends—-and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him.

What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy—-all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.

I started reading Personal Demons right after I told myself that I wasn’t going to read anymore paranormal books. Despite Personal Demons being paranormal, I really loved it. Lisa has amazing writing skills and she is able to shape the characters into people who work with the situation at hand, really well.
Personal Demons is one of my favorite young adult paranormal books.
Usually in paranormals, the male lead (in this case being either Luc or Gabriel) tends to be perceived as totally gorgeous/can do no wrong. In Personal Demons, it wasn’t like that. We could see that both boys are deeply flawed, and characters are way better that way.

Personal Demons was addicting, well-written, and surprising. I can’t wait for the second book in the series!

FTC- Bought.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

Fifteen-year-old Virginia Shreves has a larger-than-average body and a plus-size inferiority complex, especially when she compares herself to her slim, brilliant, picture-perfect family. But that’s before a shocking phone call — and a horrifying allegation — about her rugby-star brother changes everything. With irreverent humor and surprising gravity, Carolyn Mackler creates an endearingly blunt heroine who speaks to every teen who struggles with family expectations, and proves that the most impressive achievement is to be true to yourself.


Why didn’t I read this book sooner? Really, why didn’t somebody nag me endlessly to read it? It is amazing.
I’m really not sure how to sum up my feeling towards this book into words. I mean, I know that I loved it. I know that is means something to me. And I know that I think everyone should read it.
Virginia is a character that a lot of people can relate to and feel sympathy for. She is a big girl with a big personality, and I loved her. Along with having to deal with her own personally issues, Virginia also has to deal with her brother date raping someone and each member of her family in their own personal crisis.
I admire her for breaking free of the mold that her mother was trying to push her to fit into. She stood up for herself, which is really important.
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things is a book that every girl should read. Even if you personally can’t relate to Virginia, the lessons are still wonderful and the writing is just as great.

FTC- Bought.

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

I tend to not like books that are rewrites or inspired by Pride and Prejudice, but I have to say- Elizabeth Eulberg nailed it. I loved her first novel The Lonely Hearts Club, so I was highly anticipating Eulberg’s sophomore novel. It didn’t disappoint at all. Lizzie is one hell of a character. Her voice is incredibly strong and dignified, which I love in a female main character. Will Darcy was just so spectacular that despite the parts when he was being a complete idiot, I still loved him.
This novel flows perfectly, the timing is just write and the writing is flawless. Like it’s cover depicts- Prom and Prejudice is adorable. It makes you want to curl up in a ball and smile with joy. I can’t really compare this to the original Pride and Prejudice because I haven’t read it (I know, I’m a very bad bookworm- I just can’t get past all of the proper old-time speak). From what I’ve heard, it follows Pride and Prejudice pretty well.
Elizabeth Eulberg is a wonderful writer who will always be one of my favorite authors. I’m already on the edge of my seat waiting for her next book to come out. Her writing is lovely, her characters are amazing, and her stories are flawless.

FTC- Bought.

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

Welcome to a future where water is more precious than gold or oil-and worth killing for

Vera and her brother, Will, live in the shadow of the Great Panic, in a country that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe. Water is hoarded by governments, rivers are dammed, and clouds are sucked from the sky. But then Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey in search of him-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporations. Timely and eerily familiar, acclaimed author Cameron Stracher makes a stunning YA debut that's impossible to forget.

Many people are comparing The Water Wars to The Hunger Games, I really don’t think that they should be compared. Cameron Stracher takes a completely different path when writing this dystopian than Suzanne Collins took when writing The Hunger Games.
The Water Wars was slightly disappointing because I had such high expectations for it. It wasn’t the best book I’ve read, but it is still worth reading. My main problem with this book was that I didn’t feel a strong connection with the characters. I loved reading about them, I just didn’t really bond with them. Besides that, I think that The Water Wars is a perfectly decent novel. It leaves you really thinking about the world and just how valuable the little things we have are.
I like that Stracher took something that we don’t usually think about a lot, like water- and flipped it to make readers aware of just how valuable this natural resource is to us.
The Water Wars isn’t the best book every, but it definitely makes you think. Cameron Stracher wrote a thrilling novel that shows us what could happen if an important resource becomes scarce.


FTC- Publisher.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

What if you knew exactly when you would die? Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out. When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home. But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.



This is possibly my favorite dystopian book. Wither is breathtaking. It is hard to read and hard to process, it is also amazing and full of beauty. Lauren DeStefano needs to publish more books fast because I don’t think I can wait a year for the next book in the Chemical Garden series to come out. At first look, Wither is just a gorgeous cover that you can’t help but stare at. But once you start reading it, it becomes so much more.
I risked being late for school because I was up reading this book into the wee hours of the morning. Lauren DeStefano has taken readers into a world that they won’t be able to forget.
She wrote this book with romance, heartbreak, grief, and so much more. The whole plot of this book amazes me. Not only do the people die at a scary young age, but what happens to the girls is really heartbreaking. Wither was hard to read, but I couldn’t stop myself.

FTC- ALA Midwinter.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Alexie's novel follows Junior, a resident of the Spokane reservation who transfers out of the reservation's school -- and into a nearby rich, all-white farm school -- in order to nurture his desire to become a cartoonist. Junior encounters resistance there, a backlash at home, and numerous family problems -- all the while relaying his thoughts and feelings via amusing descriptions and drawings.


When I first started getting into reading, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian had just been released and I had heard endless praise about it online. For some reason, I never read it. When I saw this book in my local libraries store- I decided to buy it and see what happens. Instead of just putting it on my TBR shelf and starting some other book, I decided to start reading it immediately. I’m so glad I decided to read it.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian was unforgettable. Junior was such a real and raw character, it was amazing reading about him. The writing in this book was incredible, I really felt like I was reading from the point of view of a young(ish) boy. Going into this novel, I didn’t think that it would tug at my heartstrings as much as it did. Sherman Alexie knows exactly how to make you sympathetic towards Junior- I felt truly bad for him.
Going into the novel, it starts off with a bang and you know that the story you’re reading isn’t going to be some run of the mills light and fluffy thing. You know it’s going to be deep and meaningful and that when you get done with it- part of you will be changed. That is exactly what happened to me.
I read this in one sitting, so it’s safe to say that despite the hard subjects presented in it, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian remains incredibly addicting.
I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I truly is a must-read.

FTC- Bought.

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Before Carrie Bradshaw hit the big time in the City, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation? The Carrie Diaries opens up in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends -- Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse -- are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy-older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school-until a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it's finally time to go after everything she ever wanted.

This book was surprisingly addicting. I wasn’t really expecting to like it. I have never seen Sex in the City and I never had any desire to watch it, so I was never really interested in reading The Carries Diaries. However, after I got it in the mail, I decided to dive in. Once I did, I didn’t let this book go until the very last page.
I got completely absorbed into the world that Candace Bushnell created and I never wanted to leave. The characters felt like they could be your best friends and the plot was to die for. I was in awe of what I was reading. I expected The Carrie Diaries to be a run-of-the-mill chick-lit book. In some ways I was right, and in some ways I was so- so wrong. It was more than that. Yes, it was very girly but it also had deeper a deeper meaning within it.
Candace Bushnell did a fantastic job writing this book. I couldn’t stop reading and I never wanted it to end.

FTC- Publisher.

Giveaway Winners!

So, I have two winners to announce to you all. First off is the winner of the Chasing AllieCat swag is-

KELSEY!

I just sent you an email.

And the winner of the 5 Bind-Ups is-

DEVYN!

Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt

According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object—an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas—it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking—er, focusing on—Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

This book is so awesome! I put off reading it for whatever reason and I totally regret doing so. I haven’t read Lindsey’s Princess for Hire books- but believe me, I will soon. I totally wasn’t expecting Sean Griswold’s Head to be as deep an addicting as it was. Lindsey Leavitt has a way of writing that makes you hopeful, worried, amazed, and emotional all at once. Payton was a teen character that I could totally relate to. I really want to jump into the story at times, to give her a hug and tell her that everything would be ok. I loved how original the point of making a focus journal about a guy’s head was. If there was a guy’s head to write a journal about, I’m nearly positive that Sean Griswold would be the best fit candidate.
That brings us to Sean Griswold. The lovely, lovely Sean Griswold. He was so incredibly sweet and kind to Payton when she needed him the most, I loved him.
I loved that the romance aspect wasn’t completely what this novel was about. It was there, but it didn’t take over the story. Sean Griswold’s Head was an addicting, irresistible novel that I would proudly reread at any point in time. I recommend it to everyone!

FTC- Publisher.

Chime by Franny Billingsley

Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.

Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.

This was such a thrilling novel! It took me awhile to get into Chime, but once I did, I couldn’t stop reading it! Franny Billingsley writing is beautiful, lyrical, and fluid. Absolutely perfect. Out of all of the mythical creatures (is it a mythical creature? Maybe not. But out of vampires, werewolves, etc.) witches are my favorite, which is why I was beyond thrilled to see that I got Chime in the mail for review.
While reading this, there were times when I just wanted to stop and soak up the amazing words that I had just read. If Chime were written by any other author, I think it wouldn’t be nearly as good as it is.
The characters were well developed, and the plot was amazing. I recommend Chime to anybody looking for a fantastically written book about witches! I would gladly reread Chime.

FTC- Publisher.

A World Without Heroes (Beyonders #1) by Brandon Mull

Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable--until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I generally don’t like middle grade books. That’s why when I got A World Without Heroes in the mail, I didn’t really know if I was going to read it. I decided to try and read it, despite my personal opinions about the genre. The book started out slow, but it gradually picked up its pace. This is also the first book I’ve read by Mull, and his world building made me excited to read more of his books. The world building in A World Without Heroes is incredible. Once I got absorbed in the book, I wanted to stay in the world all day long. Along with the world, the characters were also really well written. My only dislike about this book was that it was really slow at times. This was a middle grade book that is sure to surprise readers in the best ways possible.

FTC- publisher.

Stuff That Doesn't Suck

Stuff That Doesn't Suck is a meme that's hosted by Pam over at Bookalicio.us. So every week I'll be showing you some things that I've found that don't suck. For this next part, I'm stealing from the Stuff That Doesn't Suck (STD) post over at Novel Thoughts, which you can find here. "Each week we'll introduce things the may be old, new, funny, serious, kick-ass, or meh. But believe me, none of it will suck."
Let's get started!

Blog That Doesn't Suck-

The Naughty Book Kitties is run by Brent. This blog is totally awesome. Brent always speaks his mind and is completely open about his feelings towards a book. I check The Naughty Book Kitties nearly every day for new posts because I am so addicted to reading this blog. Brent is fierce, and so is his blog. (You should check it out)

Book That Doesn't Suck-

Clarity by Kim Harrington. I read this book earlier in the week and I am in love with it. I love books that I lose sleep over, and this was definitely one of those books. It's a new book, it's an addicting book, and it's an awesome book- go check it out! I still have to write my review, so that will be posting soon(ish).

Movie That Doesn't Suck-
Milk. When this movie first came out, I was totally oblivious to what it was about. It came out in 2008 when I was 11 or 12, and I just thought it was funny that they named a movie about a drink. And then I watched it last week. And then I was amazed. And then it made me cry. And then it became one of my favorite movies. If you haven't seen this movie, I totally recommend it. It's about Harvey Milk, gay rights, and his journey to becoming the first openly gay elected official.

Song That Doesn't Suck-

Cover Love Say What?

OH MY GOODNESS, LOVELIES.
Guess what book cover has been released?
Guess what book I am wanting even more now?
Guess what book I would give a limb for?
And, and, AND. The book cover takes place in San Francisco. For those of you who have read Anna and the French Kiss, who do we know that lives in San Francisco?

*let the fangirling screams begin*

I cannot wait for this book to come out, because as soon as it comes out- I'm dropping everything and devouring it.

Stephanie Perkins is an amazing, amazing author who is getting gold stars plastered all over her books (in my mind, that is).

The cover is also purple, and I love the color purple.

(And the guy is kind of really adorable in my opinion)

Ok, well I'm going to stop fangirling because I have mounds of homework to do.

What do you think of this cover? Love it? Hate it? Leave me a comment with your opinion!

Edit- Personally, I don't think that Stephanie Perkins' book covers do her books justice. The ANNA cover seemed to girly and bubblegum because the book itself is so much more. I have a feeling that LOLA will be the same. I wish they had covers that did the books justice, but I still like them.

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.


Holy Scariness. Cryer’s Cross was an epic, scary, fierce novel. This novel is an incredibly quick read that had me *metaphorically* biting my nails thought the whole thing. When people told me that this book was scary, I honestly didn’t believe them. Lisa McMann’s previous books didn’t scare me so I didn’t think Cryer’s Cross would. I was wrong. Every page made the book creepier and creepier, which is awesome.
I loved how different McMann made her main character. Instead of having her perfect (like many books do), Kendall was flawed. I loved that Lisa did something different with having Kendall have OCD.
Lisa McMann wrote a total winner with Cryer’s Cross. It’s scary, it’s addicting, and it’s totally original.
This book didn’t suck me in as fast as Lisa’s other books (the Wake series- it’s amazing), but it is still one of my favorite books that I’ve read so far this year.
I completely recommend it! Even if you are afraid of anything scary (like me) or if you think you’re fearless, I guarantee that Cryer’s Cross will freak you out. Lisa McMann wrote a book that will haunt you with every page, but you still won’t want to stop reading.


FTC- Bought.

When I'm Not Writing by Rebecca Fjelland Davis (Chasing AllieCat)

Today, as a part of the Teen Book Scene tour- I have the author of Chasing AllieCat telling us about what she does when she isn't writing. Stay tuned at the end of the post for a chance to win some Chasing AllieCat swag.


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If I could spend every day just riding my bike and writing and hanging out with my Newfoundland dog, Freya, I would be happy.

My children are grown, and live half way across the United States, so I don’t get to be with them nearly as often as I’d like. Being a mom is the most important and most joyful responsibility of my life.

Besides that, I am an obsessive cyclist (I ride my LeMond road bike a few thousand miles a year, and I ride a mountain bike, too). I used to race, but I don’t anymore.

I am infatuated with my Newfoundland dog Freya, and we walk a couple miles together every day. She hangs out with me wherever, whenever, I’m writing, too. I take her swimming a lot in hot weather. I have a creek running through my property, so she’s a fan of that, too.

Oh, yeah, I have a full-time job. That takes more time than anything else I do. I teach English and Humanities at South Central College in North Mankato, too. That’s why it takes so long for me to get a book done. I do love to teach, but I’d rather write full-time if I could.

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Rebecca Fjelland Davis is also giving one of you the opportunity to win some swag for Chasing AllieCat. One person will win a signed bookmark and a Retro A-1 Bike sticker. This giveaway is however, open internationally. It will be open until March 16th. To enter please fill out the form at the end of this post.

ALSO- For every meaningful comment on a tour post, Rebecca will donate $1 to charity. To see the list of all of the other tour posts, go here.

My review of Chasing AllieCat will be up on March 29th! You can enter to win the swag, here-

An Interview with Melina Marchetta

I recently had the opportunity to interview one of my favorite young adult authors, Melina Marchetta about her recent book release The Piper's Son. Melina is the author of The Piper's Son, Gellicoe Road, Saving Francesca, Looking for Chasing Alibrandi, and Finnikin of the Rock. Here is what she had to say-

1.Why did you choose to write a story about Tom, instead of a different character from Saving Francesca?
I didn’t really plan a sequel to Francesca. When it came out in 2003 that was it. I loved those characters because they seemed the most real to me, but then Jellicoe happened and I just went with it. If I ever planned to write a sequel at the time, it would definitely have been about one of the other characters like Tara Finke or even Will Trombal, although I wasn’t willing to write male point of view back then. But Tom came back exactly five years after Francesca was published and although I didn’t think he was big enough to carry a novel, I listened to what he had to say. Tom and his people, despite some of the sadness, were such beautiful characters to have in my head. Sometimes it’s good not to plan and just allow them to find you.

2. Is there a difference from being published in Australia and being published in the United States? If so, what is it?
I haven’t found a big difference at all. The process is quite similar although in the US they have commissioning editors which means that editors can come across a book and lobby for it to be published. In Australia, manuscripts go straight to the publisher and then he/she gives it to an editor to work on. These days agents come in handy, but I think if a publisher or commissioning editor gets a great story landing on their desk, they’ll run with it. I suppose the biggest difference personally is which books of mine are the most popular. Jellicoe definitely in the US. Back home, my first novel Looking For Alibrandi had a big reaction so everything I write gets compared to that.

3. If there is one thing (or multiple things) that you would want your fans to know about Tom, what would it be?
That although he comes across as a blokey bloke, he’s probably my most vulnerable character. That he feels all the right things but says all the wrong things.That he’s an amalgamation of a whole lot of boys I taught over ten years. The good, the bad and the ugly

4. You've written books in multiple sub-genre's of YA- do you have a favorite to write?
After the social realism (if we’re going to use terminology) of Francesca and Alibrandi, I wanted to do something a bit different with Jellicoe so there are parts of that novel which are quite mythical. It seemed the natural step to go fantasy after Jellicoe, but after spending so much time in the Finnikin fantasy world I was dying to get back to a Sydney setting and the realism of The Piper’s Son. Of course after all that realism and familiarity, I was dying to escape it with the Finnikin sequels. I never love a novel as much as the one I’m working on, so at the moment I don’t want to be hanging out with anyone in my head but Froi and his incredibly dysfunctional world.

5. Is there anything you would like to add?
Yes, I’ll be speaking at David Levithan’s New York Teen Writer’s Festival between the 14th-20th of March. The details are on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=56488781586

Bind-up Giveaway!

Hey everyone!
I'm here to tell you all about a super amazing giveaway that I have here on the blog starting today. Because the lovelies at Simon and Schuster, one of you will get to win 4 Bind-Ups. If you don't know what a bind-up is, it's one of those thick books that compile multiple books inside of it. If you fill out the form below, you will have a chance to win these four bind-ups (click on the book name to get the book summary)-

The Devil's In the Diva by Paul Ruditis
Friend Me by Cathy Hopkins
I Like Him, He Likes Her by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Year I Turned 16 by Diane Schwemm

To enter to win these books, please fill out the form below.

The Locket by Stacey Jay

On her seventeenth birthday, Katie discovers a locket and decides to wear it for good luck. But when her boyfriend Isaac finds out she cheated on him-- with their mutual best friend Mitch, no less--he dumps her, leaving her devastated. And then a miracle happens. The locket burns on Katie's chest and she feels herself going back two weeks in time, to the night she cheated with Mitch. At first, Kate is delighted to be a better girlfriend to Isaac this time around. But as other aspects of her life become inexplicably altered, she realizes that changing the past may have had a dangerous effect on her present. Can she make things right before the locket destroys everything--and every
one--she loves?


Before reading The Locket, I had never read anything written by Stacey Jay- and from what I've read of her now, she's one awesome author. The Locket was a fast paced novel that kept me guessing. I love how Jay put a dramatic spin on time travel.
This book had a slow and confusing start, but it blossomed into something that I ended up really loving. The Locket had a perfect pace set to it. My god, this book made me think. It made me think about do-overs and the past and about what would happen if everybody had second chances.
Stacey Jay crafted a well-written novel that will leave readers thinking.

FTC- Publisher

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth. Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers. But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

Another thrilling installment in this perfect series. Hex Hall was one of my favorite books of 2010, and I’m pretty positive that Demonglass is going to be one of my favorite books of 2011. Sophie was once again, a character I loved to read about. There were a few times I wanted to hop into Demonglass and slap her, because she was being so stupid and clueless.
One of the main things I loved about Demon glass (and Hex Hall) is the humor that Rachel Hawkins adds to her writing. There are very few YA books that can make me laugh, but this series never fails to do so. Rachel Hawkins is a thrilling and comedic writer that I love and I really hope you love too. I recommend Hex Hall and Demonglass to lovers of YA fiction, amazing writing, and an addictive plot.

FTC- Publisher.