Waiting on Wednesday (25)

Waiting on Wednesday is an amazing weekly topic that is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham

June 12, 2012

1 Concert
2,000 Miles
3 Ex-Best Friends
Alice, Summer, and Tiernan are ex-best friends.
Back in middle school, the three girls were inseparable. They were also the number one fans of the rock band Level3.
But when the band broke up, so did their friendship. Summer ran with the popular crowd, Tiernan was a rebellious wild-child, and Alice spent high school with her nose buried in books.
Now, just as the girls are about to graduate, Level3 announces a one-time-only reunion show.
Even though the concert’s 2000 miles away, Alice buys three tickets on impulse. And as it turns out, Summer and Tiernan have their own reasons for wanting to get out of town. Good thing Alice’s graduation gift (a pea-green 1976 VW camper van know as the Pea Pod) is just the vehicle to get them there.
But on the long drive cross-country, the girls hit more than a few bumps in the road. Will their friendship get an encore or is the show really over?

Bay Area Book Events- Copperfields Books

Today I thought I would feature some of the upcoming Teen Book Events that will be at my local independent bookstore, Copperfields. Copperfields is awesome. It’s located in the Bay Area, and they have 6 locations (not including their 2 used bookshops). The two events I’m featuring right now are located in the Petaluma store. If you’re interested in attending any of these events, there will be a link you can click to find out more information.

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Michael Grant, author of the GONE series, and his new book BZRK

March 8th, at 4pm

You can find more about the event by clicking here.

 

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Barry Lyga, author of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl and his new book I Hunt Killers

April 4th, at 3pm

You can find more about the event by clicking here.

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Sadly, I won’t be able to attend either of these events. However, if you live in the Bay Area I strongly encourage you to go!

Have you read any of Barry Lyga’s or Michael Grant’s books? If so, what did you think of them?

A Touch Morbid Tour: An Interview with Az

 

A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford comes out tomorrow! A Touch Morbid is the sequel to A Touch Mortal, which is fantastic. If you haven’t read it yet, you totally should! I recently had the chance to interview a character from the book, Az. I hope you enjoy the interview!

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1. What did you think the first time you saw Eden?

She was on the beach. She had this long hair and was kind of curled into herself, like she was hiding. I remember thinking there was something different about her even then. You know how sometimes you just kind of know? I tried to hit her up with this corny pickup line, joking around and she just decimated me. *smiles* That’s about when I knew she was for me.

2. What's your favorite book?

I don’t really get a lot of time to read these days. Every few decades there’ll be a few months of relative quiet and I’ll catch up on some of the better classics. Jekyll and Hyde. Dracula. Those types.

3. What do you think of your life being published?

I wish it wasn’t. Everyone makes bad choices, or says something they regret. Mine are there forever. People remember them and don’t understand that it’s different when you’re in the situation. There are so many things I would change if I could.

4. Who can you most relate to?

It’s gonna sound weird, but Eden’s roommate, Jarrod. At first I thought he was just this hardass kid, but I think we’re more the same than either of us wants to admit. We both want what’s best for the Siders. I think we both try to do what’s best, me for Eden and him for the group, and sometimes things go wrong.

5. What is your biggest fear?

I’d say losing Eden, but honestly, it’s becoming one of the Fallen. If I become one of them, I’d never be able to be with her. I wouldn’t only lose her though. I’d lose myself.

6. What is your biggest vice?

*glances away* Lying. I try to make things easier and it always starts out so small… I’m working on it. The truth is harder.

7. Where have you always wanted to travel to?
I’ve travelled a lot over time. If anything, I’m more for finding a place and settling down a bit. I don’t usually get the chance to get to know a city, have a favorite coffee shop before the place moves on. Little things like that. It’s just nice to feel comfortable somewhere.

Waiting on Wednesday (24)

Waiting on Wednesday is an amazing weekly topic that is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini

September 4, 2012

Life altering mistakes are meant to alter lives…
When Elliot dies for the third time, she knows this is her last shot. There are no fourth-timers in this afterlife, so one more chance is all she has to get things right. But before she can move on to her next life, Elliot will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed.
As she pieces together the mistakes of her past, Elliot must earn the forgiveness of her best friend and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl... Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

Cinder is brilliant. I love how different of a retelling it is. The spin on the classic tale was genius. It’s a well known story (Cinderella) mixed with a popular YA subgenre (fantasy/sci-fi), and I’m pretty sure a retelling of Cinderella can’t get any better than this one. It has androids, cyborgs, and moon people!

Cinder is a kickass character. Really, she is. Cinder is a 33% cyborg mechanic, who lives in New Beijing. She’s working when the dashing Prince Kai appears. Kai asks Cinder to repair one of his favorite childhood androids. Cinder, when she figures out that Kai is the prince, gets a little starstruck. Thankfully, Prince Kai doesn’t let that happen. Kai is immediately taken aback by Cinder, and urges her to treat him like everybody else. That’s why I liked the prince, he isn’t super stuck up and big-headed. He and Cinder get along seamlessly, which helps the story flow smoother. Cinder’s family, though not very pleasant, stays true to the original Cinderella tale.

Meyer’s writing flows beautifully. The world of New Beijing was a bit of a problem for me, though. At times I felt like how Meyer explained everything going on between them and the moon people was too confusing. I found myself having to go back and reread paragraphs a few times. However, it did not distract from the story too much. The strong characters and plot make up for the lack of development when dealing with New Beijing.

I recommend Cinder to readers who are reluctant to read sci-fi or fantasy novels. Marissa Meyer did an amazing job writing a fresh retelling of an old tale.

FTC- Received as an ARC from Copperfields Books.

Waiting on Wednesday (23)

Waiting on Wednesday is an amazing weekly topic that is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

All These Lives by Sarah Wylie

June 5, 2012

Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani’s twin, Jena, isn’t so lucky. She has cancer and might not even be able to keep her one life. Dani’s father is in denial. Her mother is trying to hold it together and prove everything’s normal. And Jena is wasting away.
To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives. Maybe they’ll be released into the universe and someone who wants to live more than she does will get one. Someone like Jena. But just when Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she’s faced with a startling realization. Maybe she doesn’t have nine lives after all. Maybe she really only ever had one.

Zombie Tag by Hannah Moskowitz

Wil is desperate for his older brother to come back from the dead. But the thing about zombies is . . they don’t exactly make the best siblings. Thirteen-year-old Wil Lowenstein copes with his brother’s death by focusing on Zombie Tag, a mafia/
capture the flag hybrid game where he and his friends fight off brain-eating zombies with their mothers’ spatulas. What Wil doesn’t tell anybody is that if he could bring his dead brother back as a zombie, he would in a heartbeat. But when Wil finds a way to summon all the dead within five miles, he’s surprised to discover that his back-from-the-dead brother is emotionless and distant.  In her first novel for younger readers, Moskowitz offers a funny and heartfelt look at how one boy deals with change, loss, and the complicated relationship between brothers.

Zombie Tag is by Hannah Moskowitz, need I say more? Hannah has quickly become one of my favorite writers. When I heard she was writing a middle grade book, I was hesitant to read it. I’m now a big fan of middle grade books, and was afraid that because of that I wasn’t going to life Zombie Tag. Thankfully, I loved it. Zombie Tag reads just like Moskowitz’s other work, except with less swear words. Hannah Moskowitz is an amazing writer who is able to capture the dynamic between siblings (in this case, brothers) perfectly.

Zombie Tag is a really innovative and original idea, and I love how much one single game is incorporated throughout the novel. Wil cares so much about his brother, its adorable. All of his friends were equally great. Their arguments and attitudes towards each other was so incredibly real.

This book made me so many different kinds of emotions. I laughed, I cried, you name it- I felt it. The story is beautiful, the characters are beautiful. Zombie Tag is deep, while remaining a book that younger children will enjoy. I wish it were around when I was little because it would have made me a reader from a very young age*. Deepness aside, this book has zombies. Zombies are awesome.

But, Zombie Tag wasn’t just about Zombies (it was also about tag!). Only Moskowitz can make a book about zombies also about friends, family, and the struggles of being a teenager (a young one, at that). Her characters go above and beyond the norm. of the characters in fiction meant for children. Wil and his friends are extremely bright and complex characters. Zombie Tag is a home-run novel. I can’t wait to see what middle grade Hannah has coming out next!

FTC- Bought.

mmm… brains

*For those of you who don’t know, when I was younger I was a reluctant reader.

Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

My wish is to fall cranium over Converse in dizzy daydream-worthy love.

(If only it were that easy.

Marcie has been dragged away from home for the summer--from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She's left behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "summer vacation" has become permanent. She has to start at a new school, and there she leaves behind her Leftover status when a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? Can you even know it until you've lost it?

This book is adorable. It is one of the cutest in-verse novels I’ve read. This is one of the most promising contemporary debuts I’ve read in awhile. Though having the novel in verse makes it a quick read, this story doesn’t skimp on emotions. Love and Leftovers is the type of story that I think everyone can relate to. Whether your struggling with crushes or trying to fit in, you’ll be able to relate to the characters.

I felt so bad for Marcie that she had to just up and move because of a fight her parents had. I couldn’t imagine being uprooted like that. I think I would have handled it much worse than she did. I didn’t agree with some of her choices (particularly the ones she made in the relationship department), but she eventually matured and grew out of them. Linus was adorable. He had his bad moments, but he made up for them towards the end of the book. I was a big fan of the Leftovers. I liked that they didn’t each have a group that they fit in to, so they made their own little clique. It was a great mix of different personalities.

Overall, I really enjoyed Love and Leftovers. It was refreshing to read a light book in verse (compared to Lisa Schroeder or Ellen Hopkins). I recommend Love and Leftovers, especially to people looking for a cute, quick read.

FTC- Publisher.

A Video Interview with Daisy Whitney

Recently I had the chance to interview Daisy Whitney, author of The Mockingbirds and its newly released sequel, The Rivals. I also have the opportunity to give away a paperback copy of The Mockingbirds and a hardcover copy of The Rivals to three lucky winners! Once you’re done watching the interview, you can scroll down to view the entry form for the giveaway. Here is a summary of The Rivals-                                                                                                                                               When Alex Patrick was assaulted by another student last year, her elite boarding school wouldn't do anything about it. This year Alex is head of the Mockingbirds, a secret society of students who police and protect the student body. While she desperately wants to live up to the legacy that's been given to her, she's now dealing with a case unlike any the Mockingbirds have seen before.

It isn't rape. It isn't bullying. It isn't hate speech. A far-reaching prescription drug ring has sprung up, and students are using the drugs to cheat. But how do you try a case with no obvious victim? Especially when the facts don't add up, and each new clue drives a wedge between Alex and the people she loves most: her friends, her boyfriend, and her fellow Mockingbirds.

As Alex unravels the layers of deceit within the school, the administration, and even the student body the Mockingbirds protect, her struggle to navigate the murky waters of vigilante justice may reveal more about herself than she ever expected.

To be entered to win a copy of The Mockingbirds and a copy of The Rivals, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below-