Hot Off the Press (5)

Libraries & New Books

Don't you just love the feel and smell of new books?  They've never been handled nor are their covers all sticky with buttery fingerprints and their spines have never cracked. I love to be the first person to read the new books at the library. Usually libraries don't voluntarily order brand new books released recently; they automatically order books that have been released about a year earlier. With new YA sections popping up all over the smaller libraries, chances are they will gladly take suggestions! Check your library to see if you can help with books suggestions: goods books equals a better YA community.

Speaking of good books, look what's just been released. Suggest these books to your library today!

Anything But Typical by Nora R. Baskin

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Something Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Special Mention:

Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine is newly released in hardback!

Hot Off the Press is a creation of BLT. Please ask permission before using on you own blog.

Thank you.

Wishing on Wednesday (4)

Pure by Terra Elan McVoy

Tabitha and her four best friends all wear Purity Rings, symbols of the virginity-until-marriage pledge they made as tweens. Now the girls are fifteen, and their rings have come to symbolize not only their purity, but also the friendships and identities they've built based on their shared faith. Simmering tensions rise to the surface and the group is split apart when one of Tab's friends admits that she and her long-term boyfriend have broken the pledge. In the midst of the confrontations, betrayals, confessions, and revenge that follow, each girl is forced to reexamine her friendships, her faith, and what exactly it means to be pure. 

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I'm going to be blunt with this one. I can seriously say I have waited awhile for a book like this to come out. I just hope girls will read it. Pure will be released April 7th. Can't wait!

The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti 

Maybe it was wrong, or maybe impossible, but I wanted the truth to be one thing. One solid thing.Quinn is surrounded by women who have had their hearts broken. Between her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother, Quinn hears nothing but cautionary tales. She tries to be an optimist -- after all, she's the dependable one, the girl who never makes foolish choices. But when she is abruptly and unceremoniously dumped, Quinn starts to think maybe there really are no good men. It doesn't help that she's gingerly handling a renewed relationship with her formerly absent father. He's a little bit of a lot of things: charming, selfish, eccentric, lazy...but he's her dad, and Quinn's just happy to have him around again. Until she realizes how horribly he's treated the many women in his life, how he's stolen more than just their hearts. Determined to, for once, take action in her life, Quinn joins forces with the half sister she's never met and the little sister she'll do anything to protect. Together, they set out to right her father's wrongs...and in doing so, begin to uncover what they're really looking for: the truth.

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I've never read a Caletti book. For some reason I haven't really been drawn to any of her novels except this one. This book seemed a bit different and just sounded more interesting. Maybe I will try some of her other novels if this one is good. 

The Secret Life of Prince Charming will be released April 7th. 

You?

Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell

From the book jacket:

Riley Rose, atheist and bad girl, has been tricked into attending Spirit Ranch, a Christian camp. There she meets Dylan Kier, alumni camper and recent paraplegic, who arrives with a chip on his shoulder and a determination to perfect all of his bad habits. United in their personal suffering and in their irritation at their fellow campers, they turn the camp inside out as they question the meaning of belief systems, test their faith in each other, and ultimately settle a debate of the heart.

I read two reviews on Shelfari and both people loved this book. Me, well I couldn't finish it (I skipped to the end just to see what happened, I know naughty me). The main character, Riley, was happy with herself one minuet and treated her soul like trash the next .She was too arrogant and really needed to stop mimicking Chloe-you could definitely tell this girl had a problem. Thankfully that problem was solved in the end (except she still followed Chloe around). The only other thing I had a problem with was that Riley (and the other characters) made sexual references like they were talking about their cute puppy or something. I could see someone who could relate to Riley reading this, but the remarks and the events that happen in this book isn't that great of advice.

On the other hand the characters themselves were very well developed, the writing precise, and the setting was believable. The book took place at a so-called "christian" camp that had too many secrets stashed away and some kooky people were running it. Um, that doesn't sound like a Christian camp, just some weird place to stash unwanted kids/teens. Anyways, I wouldn't recommend reading Everything Beautiful because its really not worth it. Nuts, I wish the book had been better since Howell seems like a pretty good writer.

  Rating & Reviewer Enjoyment:

Pages: 292   Year Published: 2008    Fiction: Realistic/Contemporary

Level: YA (ages 16+)   This Book is For: Mature girls

Should I Waist My Eyes on This? No    Buy or Borrow: Borrow [NEW]

 

Monday Muse: Book Challenge or It's a Fairy World After All (1)

Whether your back in school today or enjoying your spring break, I hope you can find the time to except a challenge from BLT. This week I challenge you to read/borrow/buy one book with the word "fairy" somewhere in the title. 

It's okay if you've got it, but can't read at the moment, or just finished it-just get your hands on a book "fairy" book and read along! What I'm reading for the challenge:

How to Ditch your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier 

Want to challenge someone else? Spread the word and share the challenge! Simply blog about this book challenge and tell readers what book you're reading for the challenge (like me) and link your post through Mr. Linky. Please be sure to provide either a link back to my blog or credit for the challenge creation. Thanks!

Monday Muse is a creation of BLT.

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

From the book jacket:

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.

A little fairy dust, a little romance, a little medieval adventure.

Rallison did a great job with this zany fairy-tale story. It was hilarious (I drove my sister crazy laughing strait through five chapters), it had a great plot that kept you guessing till the very end, and there was never a dull moment. Guess not when you're battling the local ogre, stealing enchantments from a dangerous knight, and running from a [clears throat] goat?

Twenty-first century teens get thrown into a fourteenth century village-thanks to one ditzy fairy-where the dangers and royal scandals are very real (not your average Disney setting).

As Savannah gets the full "magical" experience, she must also battle a break-up with her boyfriend and find her prince wether he's back in high school or at the medieval ball.

Overall I had a great time reading this book (I even made a record: I read 300 pages in one day!) and am very excited about reading more of Rallison's books, especially her newest novel Just One Wish.

Even if you've never really liked books with whacky settings, Chrissy and Savannah just might change your mind. Oh, and remember if you ever find a leprechaun in your house, don't even get him started on his gold.

Rating & Reviewer Enjoyment:

Pages: 311 Year Published: Jan. 2009 Fiction: Fantasy/Romance/Comedy

Level: YA (ages 13+) This Book is For: Girls

Should I Waist My Eyes on This? Yes Buy or Borrow: Both [NEW]

Hot Off the Press (4)

You've heard the raves, you've seen the reviews, now it's time to read the book for yourself: Wintergirls is officially out in hardcover! Despite all the nice reviews about Wintergirls, I think I'm more looking forward to The Kings Rose by Alisa Libby the most. What about you?

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

The King's Rose by Alisa M. Libby

Jane in Bloom by Deborah Lytton

"Hot Off the Press" is a creation of BLT. If you would like to use "Hot Off the Press" on your blog, please contact me for permission. Thanks!

Wishing on Wednesday (3)

Double Eagle by Sneed B. Collard III:

The year is 1862. The Skink, a Confederate ship, is attacked by Union forces and sinks off the Alabama coast in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the ship was rumored to be carrying newly minted gold coins, no trace of the wreck and not even a single piece of Confederate gold is ever found.Fast forward to 1973. Mike is prepared for another routine summer in Pensacola with his marine biologist father. But plans suddenly change and Mike finds himself on Shipwreck Island near the site where the Skink went down and right in the middle of a century-old mystery!Mike and his new friend Kyle are intrigued by a salvage ship anchored just offshore. Some say it was brought in by fortune hunters searching for the long-lost Confederate ship and its treasure. But when the boys scale a fence at the fort on the island and explore a section closed off to the public, they realize that the fortune hunters may be looking in the wrong place. There in the sand-covered floor of an abandoned chamber they spot something shiny: an old double eagle gold coin. Mike and Kyle agree to keep their discovery a secret and start their own investigation into the shipwreck and the missing gold. 

 Lets see: treasure hunt+lost gold+Civil War secrets=I can't wait to read this book! I love movies about treasure hunts (Nation Treasure, Sahara ) but I haven't found very many YA books with treasure hunts as the setting. With Double Eagle coming out, my searched has ended. Although (I think) you can already buy this book on Amazon, it's not available in bookstores until April 1st, 2009.

Anyone else out there waiting for a specific kind of book?

"Wishing on Wednesdays" was inspired by "Waiting on Wednesdays" by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell

Where y'at, Iris?

There is nothing to do in Odine, Louisiana, except maybe hang out at the cemetery, listen to ghosts, and cast pretend spells. The summer Iris and and her friend, Collette, turn fourteen, that's just what they do. It's all fun and games until Iris truly sees and hears a "ghost" at the cemetery. After an incident with a Ouija board (witchboard), the ghost reveals himself as Elijah, the boy who mysteriously disappeared several years before Iris was born. With the help of Ben-Colette's latest crush- and Collete, Iris must find out what really happened that night in 1989 and why her dad is so hesitant in shedding some light on the subject. It seems all of Odine wants to forget "The Incident with the Landry Boy", all that is, except Iris and of course Elijah's restless ghost.

*****

Shadowed Summer was a short read and after 3 hours and a severe adrenaline rush, I can only say that this book not only made your skin crawl but was written quite well for a first time thriller writer.

The combination of a ghost story, friendship, and growing up made the story even more unforgettable. The characters were very well developed and there was more background than just the ghost haunts. The end really caught me off guard, I literally yelled, "What!" so loud it scared my poor cat. I even found myself re-reading the end just in case I missed something. (Personally I think the whole reason for Elijah's ghost to go haunting was a bit weird, but that's a physiological thriller for you).

Whew. I'm glad I'm done reading and writing the review for it. (Can you hear my heart beating?) Now I'm off to prepare the final resting place of Shadowed Summer-where else do you hide the boogie monsters?-in the closet. Yeah, it was that spooky.

Mitchell does in fact have a knack for storytelling, but I don't think I could handle another ghost story. I would not recommend this book to you if you get scared easily or, better yet-to take care of the recommendation-read if you dare.

Pages: 180 Year Published: 2009 Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Age Group: YA (ages 14+) Content: Horror

Enjoyed It: 4/5 Rating:

Monday Muse: Cover Stories

Edition vs. Edition

Okay, we all know what the U.S cover version of Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway looks like, but have you checked out the international versions?

U.S.A (Hardcover)

Paperback

UK & Australian version

Netherlands (Dutch) 

Norway

Italy

Korea 

Wow, cool huh? I still like the good old U.S hardcover version, but I'd have to say my fav international edition  would be the Dutch version. I can't figure out if "bonustrack" is a Dutch word or  they renamed it in english literally meaning "bonus track"?

The paperback edition is coming out April 2, but the cover is kinda plain. I think they needed to add some music notes or something or just go with the British verision which is cool.

The Norwegian version is okay, but seriously, it doesn't have anything to do with music! One word for the Italian version: boooooring! 

When I first saw the Korean version I was like "oooookay.", but then I saw the cat and the ice cream cones and I thought it was kinda cute after all.

 What about you?

Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway

I had heard a lot of good stuff about this book, so naturally I wanted to find out what the fuss was all about. Now, though, I am going to stick even more to the fact that just because a book is popular, doesn't mean it's any good.

Don't get me wrong, the plot was fresh and I can't count how many times I laughed out loud, but seriously, we can do without all the cuss words thank you very much!

Audrey's character was likable and seemed like she was going to be different and not have some clone personality. Er, so I thought until she goes and makes-out with a rock-star at random. I mean gosh, at RANDOM? Sounds like some Hollywood reality show stunt or maybe all that loud music was affecting Audrey's thinking?

I could see why some people really love this book. It's your average fantasy love story gone-wrong gone-right or the tale of an unexpected ride to fame. Some people-like me-might not enjoy this book because it had too much language. 

Either way, Audrey Wait! was still a disappointment [sniff] (especially after I won this book in a contest) and I won't be recommending it. Next time, Benway, please write something that won't make your ears ring every time a character says the "f" word.

             Rating:

 

      Reviewer Enjoyment:

 Pages: 313     Year Published: 2008    Fiction: Realistic/Contemporary 

Level: YA (16+)     This Book is For: Girls   

Should You Waist You Eyes on This? No

Hot Off the Press (3)

Gosh, more neat looking books! The library and my book shelf are going to be stuffed by the end of this year.

Out of these four books I think I am most looking forward to reading Jolted by Arthur Slade-it sounds different. Anything in particular you're looking forward to reading?

The Genie Scheme by Kimberly K. Jones

Jolted: Newton Starker's Rules for Survival by Arthur Slade

The One (The One series #1) by Ed Decter

Surface Tension by Brent Runyon

"Hot Off the Press" is a creation by B.L.T. If you would like to use this idea on your blog, please contact me for permission. Thanks.

Wishing on Wednesday (2)

He passed a note across the counter.THIS IS A BANK ROBBERY. YOU WON''T GET HURT IF YOU DO AS YOU''RE TOLD. I knew what the note said because I had written it.

Nell has been in foster homes all her life-most of them have been horrible. She finally gets moved to a home she likes, and the ministry threatens to close it down unless an expensive renovation is made to the house. Nell and the two boys in the home, Billy and Tom, decide to raise the funds themselves. How do kids get large amounts of money quickly? By robbing banks, of course. Their first few heists are successful, but when they almost get caught on their sixth robbery, the friends start to fight about whether they should continue. The bank jobs that were meant to keep their family together just might tear it apart.

James Heneghan is the best-selling author of dozens of books for kids and young adults, including Safe House and Waiting for Sarah.

Norma Charles has written many books for kids including The Accomplice, winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Children''s Literature Prize.

Norma and James both live in Vancouver, British Columbia. Bank Job was inspired by a newspaper account of three teens who robbed seven banks in Vancouver.

Will be released April 1st, 2009

A book about teens robbing banks!-this is a new idea. We know the real kids from Canada could pull it off, but can the authors? Can't wait to find out.

"Wishing on Wendesdays" in the creation of B.L.T. If you would like to use this idea on your blog, please contact me for permission. Thanks.

Contest for Primavera by Mary Jane Beaufrand

Oh, goody! B.L.T.'s first book give-away contest! From the day I started this blog I wanted to get a book to give-away. So, two weeks and a hundred plus visitors later, here we are. This book sounds intriguing and I've been waiting to read it for quite some time. 

(Came out in 2008)

Primavera by Mary Jane Beaufrand: 

In the midst of the Italian Renaissance, two powerful families, the tyrannical Medici and their biggest rivals, the Pazzi, are tangled in a blood struggle for ultimate power. Caught in the whirlwind is Flora, the youngest daughter of the Pazzi family. While her older and more beautiful sister is being painted by the famed artist Botticelli, Flora is dreading her fate.

Destined for life in a convent, Flora defies the life that has been set forth for her and begins a romance with Emilio, a soldier in her father's employ. But as the Pazzi's deal game of intrigue begins to escalate, it is Flora, the youngest and most overlooked, who must inevitably rick her life to save her family.

Inspired by Botticelli's masterpeice, La Primavera, and actual historical events, here is a dazzling coming-of-age story set during a time of beauty and wealth, ambition, rivalry, and passion.

How:

1) Leave a comment telling me about the best book you've ever read (besides Harry Potter, Twilight, etc.). Leave your email address. 

2) To gain an extra entry, follow my blog and leave an extra post telling me so.

3) To gain another extra entry, post about this contest on your blog and then send me an email or leave a comment. Please provide a link for proof.

Please separate comments for each entry.

Who:

Because I have limited funds, this contest is open only to teens living within the USA.

When:

This contest ends April 9th, 12:00 am eastern time. EXTENDED to April 30th!

I will post the winner the following day, plus contact you. Please make sure your email is correct or that you post your email address. If the email address is incorrect, I will be forced to do a re-count!

Good luck and happy reading!