A Contest You Should Know!

So I'm here to spread you some cheer and let you guys know of a contest. A SUPER DUPER AWESOME CONTEST! One that includes CATCHING FIRE (that's right!) AND Hush, Hush (oh yeah!)

Prizes you can win:

1. Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick ARC

2. Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen ARC

3. Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters ARC

4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater ARC

5. Troy High by Shana Norris ARC

6. Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott ARC

7. Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn ARC

8. Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker

9. Death by Series by Linda Gerber (3 books total)

10. a 5 dollar giftcard from Walmart (you can buy yourself half of a book with it, lol)

11. 3 Sarah Dessen books ( Just Listen, This Lullaby, Someone Like You)

12. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

13. Fire By Kristin Cashmore ARC

14. Last but not least, I have some extra amazon cards, so I will also include a preorder for CATCHING FIRE BY SUZANNE COLLINS. It will be shipped to on or around Sept 1st (whenever they ship it)

AND a book of your choice (under $15.00 please and it can be a preorder as long as it comes out in September-so many good books get released)

So go here and let Cindy know that I've sent you! If you want to let me know that you've entered and let her know with my name I'll give you an extra entry to this contest I'm having next month! Two books are up for grabs from me, Give Up the Ghost and Candor. Interested? Then enter her contest, let her know that I've sent you and let me know here at my blog.

Candor

Candor by Pam Bachorz (September 22nd 2009—Egmont)

Grade: 3 stars out of 5

Summary: “Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, he's found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He's got them all fooled: Oscar's the top student and the best-behaved teen in town. Nobody knows he's made his own Messages to deprogram his brain. Oscar has even found a way to get rich. For a hefty price, he helps new kids escape Candor, Florida before they're transformed into cookie-cutter teens. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor, and Oscar's carefully-controlled world crumbles.”

Review: I wanted to lavish the book with compliments, with praise, with excitement on my face about how freaking much I love this book. Of course though, there’s a but (there’s always a but). I had some annoying frustration on my end when I first read Candor.

I guess my biggest reluctance would be Oscar. Oscar at some point seemed childish to me. His attraction to Nia may have resulted to the fact that she represents everything Oscar abhors. Does he only love her because he hates this town, hates his father? Is it because she is “different” than what he knows? I’m going to do a loose (very loose) interpretation to the Oedipus/Oedipal complex. The Oedipus complex is mother-fixated which I connect Oscar with. His mother was different from Candor, his mother loved art, his mother left. That can also describe Nia—Nia leaves Candor with the help of Oscar. Maybe it’s just me (I’m thinking 99.99% it’s just me). Some think just seemed off about Oscar, but I guess it takes two to tango. Perhaps it was a combination of Nia and Oscar that dulled the book?

Onto to happy thoughts now. Candor provokes the inner battle of how much can you control someone until the person is no longer one actually. Get rid of the need to breathe, eat, and sleep and you have yourself a town full of robots. There are those who understand this and run, but sometimes it’s too late. It’s the perfect paradise whether you want it or not. It’s quite a gripping idea to never have the ability to think for yourself, leave this imprisonment, and gain any sort of freedom. And those that do leave suffer the side effects from the messages. Forever they have to live off these messages or face with the withdrawl from hell.

I didn’t get the intensity that many others had. I didn’t get the sense of awe that others had. I just had the sense of oh, okay feeling. However this did change toward the last few chapters of Candor. The desperation was palpable, the conflict was strong, and the disdain was tangible. Oh how I wanted to kill some of the characters.

The ending was the most marvelous attribute to the story! I dare not say a peep but just that Candor's ending may have sold me to Pam's next book (should she write one).

Overall: A plotline that was faltered by some of the characterization from its great potential.

Cover B+

Waiting on Wednesday! (25)

Kiss in the Dark by Lauren Henderson (April 13th 2010--Delacorte)

With Dan McAndrews's murder finally behind her, Scarlett has high hopes for a fresh start at Wakefield Hall Collegiate, the elite English boarding school her grandmother runs. Unfortunately, those hopes are dashed when her nemesis, the infamous Plum Saybourne, is transferred to the school. Plum wastes no time turning Scarlett's impressionable classmates against her.

Scarlett has dealt with Plum's nasty schemes before, and she can handle her archenemy very nicely, thank you - until Plum sets her sights on Scarlett's best friend, Taylor, and new boyfriend, Jase. Then Scarlett is more than willing to fight for what's rightfully hers.

Things only get worse after Scarlett becomes entangled in a mysterious death on campus. Scarlett is compelled to investigate because she wants to protect someone close to her. She never imagines that she'll uncover secrets related to her parents' fatal accident so many years ago. . . .

This meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Traveling to Teens: Jo Knowles

This week we're touring with Jo Knowles. You can vist her website here. Jumping Off Swings is her second novel. The following answers were answered by the characters from the book!~

---

1. What playground game would you consider yourself?

Ellie: A swing

Josh: A slide

Corinne & Caleb: Merry-go-round!

2. Do you jump off the swings at the highest peak?

Ellie: Someday I’ll be brave enough.

Josh: Definitely.

Corinne: It's the only way.

Caleb: It depends on my mood.

3. Which character do you associate with the most?

Ellie: Corinne

Josh: Dave and Caleb

Corinne: Ellie and Caleb

Caleb: Josh and Corinne

4. Do you own a pair of red fishnet tights?

Ellie: Yes, but don’t tell my mom.

Josh: Uh, why would you think that?

Corinne: I’m totally borrowing Ellie’s.

Caleb: No, but I think they’d look cute on Corinne!

5. Would you rather break dance in a crowd or rap in a crowd?

Ellie: None of the above.

Josh: Rap maybe, but I think both are kind of lame.

Corinne: How much would I be getting paid?

Caleb: I’ll sit that one out, thanks.

---

This was a Traveling to Teens tour.

Jumping Off Swings

Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles (August 11th 2009—Candlewick)

Grade: 3 stars out of 5

Summary: “Ellie remembers how the boys kissed her. Touched her. How they begged for more. And when she gave it to them, she felt loved. For a while anyway. So when Josh, an eager virgin with a troubled home life, leads her from a party to the backseat of his van, Ellie follows. But their "one-time thing" is far from perfect: Ellie gets pregnant. Josh reacts with shame and heartbreak, while their confidantes, Caleb and Corinne, deal with their own complex swirl of emotions. No matter what Ellie chooses, all four teenagers will be forced to grow up a little faster as a result. Told alternately from each character’s point of view, this deeply insightful novel explores the aftershocks of the biggest decision of one fragile girl’s life—and the realities of leaving innocence behind.”

Review: Jumping Off Swings is one of the many teen novels that deal with teen pregnancies. We follow the 4 teens how they dealt with Ellie’s pregnancy.

Corinne and Ellie are best friends and that is quite clear through their actions. Corinne aids Ellie seek help, comfort, and support through the many months. I love these types of relationships because it brings me happiness to see that. A friend is going through this and you’re not one to abandon her mid-way.

Ellie is labeled a slut because she craves the touch. But it’s not just black and white; there are many shades of grey. Ellie has family problems that might have forced her to trust every guy. She’s always heartbroken when the boys just use her and toss her aside once the deed is done—ashamed even. Ellie has a complex mind that I wished we could have seen more of.

Caleb had a crush on Ellie for the longest time so when Josh talks about Ellie like nothing, he will defend her. Caleb is the one guy that Ellie can lean her shoulder on—just as a friend though. He’s the perfect counterpart to Corinne’s spunky attitude.

Josh has family problems of his own. His mother got pregnant very early by his father forcing them to wed. So he’s terrified that the same thing is happening to him. We delve into the mind of the baby’s father, one that is reluctant to be a father but understands his responsibility. He has his guilt, his determined attitude to make peace with Ellie—even if it isn’t when she can see him. He tries to be a good father but sometimes being a teen father is hard—as we come to read through his chapters.

Together these 4 teens come together for the sake of one unborn baby. We follow them through the 9 months, the birth, and the aftershock. Each one with a distinct narration and characteristics. I would have liked the book to be longer. The chapters didn’t cover enough for me to dig deep in the characters. The emotions faltering from powerful and the sparkle between Caleb and Corinne were distractions from the main purpose of the novel.

Overall: If the book was a bit longer it would have been a bit better.

Cover B-

Monday Mystery: My Bookcase in Oak

Mylex - Five Shelf Bookcase in Oak (CSN Office Furniture)

Grade: 3.5 stars out of 5

Summary: “The Mylex Five-Shelf Bookcase is a great way to store your books, CDs, DVDs or other items without having to sacrifice style for function. Featuring a sleek oak finish, this bookcase has five shelves to accommodate your storage needs. Perfect for use in the home or office!”

Review: Let’s break this down into categories: Shipping and handling, building, materials, and efficiency.

Shipping and handling: The company uses UPS which was a smart move on their end, USPS isn't known for their safekeepings. As soon as order is sent you will receive an email confirmation with the product, the address, and the estimation of shipment and delivery. I was quite pleased of how quickly they handled the order. They also send you a UPS tracking number as soon as the bookcase was ready to be mailed so you can stalk the process as I did. When I got the package nothing was damaged, torn, or completely mangled. The packaging was sturdy and the delivery was clean and impeccable.

The build it yourself process is less painful than you might think. The instructions were very clear and mostly pictures. They include a legend for the nails and screws and step by step instructions. The shelves were marked with number stickers so it was easy to find. The construction only took about 40 minutes to finish—speedy.

The materials, however, lacked. We managed to nick the bookcase 4 times with the nails. The backboard of the bookcase was too small for my taste and too flimsy. It was hard to center it correctly and secure the nails. We just kept shifting it so it touched all the edges—barely—and having a tug of war battle between the two backboards and one 1 inch shelf width of a space. We had a tear in an area when we nailed a corner in but didn’t quite make it to the wooden shelf. It actually skimmed it so the nail showed (I applied tape to the books would not get stabbed with the nail). The other times the wood just chipped off. Another time when we moved the bookcase I must have dropped it none too gently because a piece of wood fell off (I still am trying to figure out where the piece came from). I wish that the shelves were sturdier because just mere minutes after putting all my books in them, it started to cave downward. It might be my fault because 90% of my books are hardcover.

A few days later it’s still standing so I’m guessing that it works. I’m still scared that everything might collapse and the entire thing comes crashing down. Books are up, plenty of room, tall and lean.

Overall: It’s a bookcase all right. Works too! Would suggest using wood glue instead of nails for the backboard.

Cover B-

Maybe I should have gotten maple...?

Before the bookcase:

Note the many, many boxes. It's all filled! Even the pear boxes~ This is my basement. (Taken: 07/28)

After the bookcase:

mom took 1/3 of the space of my bookcase for random junk. I can see the basement floor again! OMG it's a miracle! (Taken: 07/29) <--I have more books to hide shelf in the bookcase...so it turns out that my basement floor is partial covered and the top of my bookcase is already filled. (08/10)

Books By Its Cover (7)

Golden locks

Undone

Splayed

Across the back

Family of

Many

Escape

Email your guesses! Remember to pick a new header for every new poem! Prizes on the right hand side!

Give Up the Ghost

Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe (September 15th 2009—Henry Holt)

Grade: 4 stars out of 5

Summary: “Cass McKenna much prefers the company of ghosts over "breathers." Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody... and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.

But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass's whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.

As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim's life, she's surprised to realize he's not so bad--and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it's time to give the living another chance...”

Review: This book was reached the expectations that I had only dreamed of. Give Up the Ghost was gripping page turner that left me salivating for more of Megan’s works.

Cass has a slight social problem. It might be because she can see and talk to ghosts and every time someone catches her doing it, she looks like a freak. Or it might be the fact that the ghosts like to gossip giving Cass plenty of justified ammo to take down these villains. But when Tim asks Cass if she can talk to his mother, whom happens to be dead, Cass is a bit weary because for one thing, how does he know that she can see the dead? We follow Cass as she tries to take a hold of her life before the ghosts once again and help Tim grasp the living world.

I enjoyed every last detail of Cass’s life. I love the ghost gossip and how every ghost is a unique individual. They all have their quirks and they all have their lovelier sides. The humor is there as well as the conflict of emotions.

Cass is a dynamic character with a cage around her heart to protect her of what happened in middle but she softens up and helps Tim who cannot let go of his mother. Both characters are equally strong as is the plot. There is a sprinkling of twists within the plotline.

The background information lacked in some areas however. I would have liked to read more of how Cass came to her powers, Paige’s reluctance to let go, Cass’s mother and father, and perhaps more of Tim’s family as well.

Overall: It was still a stunning debut!

Cover B+

Give Up the Ghost Trailer and Contest!

Sound interesting? Well good because Megan Crewe is giving away some prizes to start you guys off!

Copied and paste from Megan's blog

How to enter

Send your stories about junior high or high school misbehavior to secrets at megancrewe dot com by August 24th. It could be something not-so-nice you did, something not-so-nice someone did to you, or something you saw happen to someone else (a friend, classmate, teacher, etc.). For examples, check out the stories already posted!

Don’t worry–unlike Cass, I won’t reveal your secrets. All stories will be posted without name or contact information. I’ll separate your e-mail address from your story as soon as I get it and delete the messages, and even *I* won’t know which stories belong to the winners.

Make sure each story includes your age or grade at the time of the story (should take place during junior high or high school). Other than that, be as creative as you like! All the current examples are written stories, but there are lots of other options (just send me the file):

-create an image around your secret (a la PostSecret)

-draw a picture of what happened

-record an audio file of you telling your story

-make a video (without showing your face–cover it, do a slideshow with voice-over or text, it’s up to you!)

You can submit as many stories as you like–each story counts as one entry in the draw.

The prizes

1. The grand prize is only available to those who present their secret in one of the more creative ways listed above. Those whose stories include an image, drawing, audio file, or video will be entered to win…

A large GIVE UP THE GHOST prize pack, including:

-A signed advance copy of GIVE UP THE GHOST

-All five ghost scent samples

-A GIVE UP THE GHOST tote bag

-A 10″ LED paper lantern (from the book: Get [Paige] interested, though, and she brightened up like a Chinese lantern.)

-A friendship bracelet (from the book: I’d kept thinking of Danielle as my real best friend. We had the extra four years between us, that back history of friendship bracelets and sleepovers and secret sharing.)

-A sticker set featuring the main characters of the novel

-A GIVE UP THE GHOST bookmark

-A GIVE UP THE GHOST button (not pictured, but I should have them by the time the contest is over)

and…

First choice of THREE of the ARCs pictured above (ALPHAS by Lisi Harrison, ONCE A WITCH by Carolyn MacCullough, CRAZY BEAUTIFUL by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, TRICKS by Ellen Hopkins, SOULSTICE by Simon Holt, CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins, RIOT by Walter Dean Myers, DEMON PRINCESS by Michelle Rowen, FOREST BORN by Shannon Hale, DEVIL’S KISS by Sarwat Chadda, and ONCE WAS LOST by Sara Zarr).

2. The second prize is for everyone who submits any sort of story, and it’s pretty awesome too! It includes…

A signed advance copy of GIVE UP THE GHOST

A medium GIVE UP THE GHOST prize pack including

-All five ghost scents

-Small paper lantern

-Friendship bracelet

-Sticker set

-Bookmark

-Button

-Second choice (after the grand prize) of TWO of the additional ARCs

3. Five additional winners will receive a small GIVE UP THE GHOST prize pack (same as medium but only one ghost scent) and choice of ONE of the remaining ARCS!

Seven chances to win, twelve great books! What are you waiting for? Send those secrets in now!

So what are you waiting for!? ENTER!

Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (December 1st 2009—Little Brown)

Grade: 4 stars out of 5

Summary: “There were no surprises in Gatlin County We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere. At least, that’s what I thought. Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong. There was a curse. There was a girl. And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.”

Review: Beautiful Creatures was a 600 page book worth of intricate detail, mesmerizing scenes, and diabolical…mothers?

The connection between Lena and Ethan started off rocky with just a dream that held them together. I was hesitant of how I should understand their love when the only thing they had was fragmented scenes of a dream where they could barely recognized each other’s faces. The foundation was shaky at best and no amount of her being “different” could explain why these two were so perfect for each other. On one hand I was glad that the authors gave the two 600 pages to spark the sizzle to each other—I do not think that I would believe the relationship of anything less. It blossomed to something tangibly sweet where they both leaned on one another’s shoulder a bit.

The Caster detail was extensive but sometimes dragging. I enjoyed the various chapters especially ones that recounted the past and filled in the many gaps. The scenes of the past were most attentive to conjoining with the present. It gave small hints to the larger picture so the readers can understand what had happened, the reasons, as well as retelling a tragic love story—a story within a story.

The diverse powers that the authors cultivated were fun to imagine. I normally never have a solid image of a character in mind, rather their personality and essence but the authors made it possible to contour the planes of the faces to what I believe the appearances are. I can picture a different of faces for each different power—the strong jawed face of Macon, the sharp, intelligent face of Reece and the delicate face of Lena. Each power can aid the reader in recreating the person making them a living breathing person.

The ending was split to the good and the not so good. I had trouble keeping up with the chapters and the creditability of it. Where had Amma come from? How do the Greats have the power to control time and space? Why is everything in italics? Is it a conversation in their minds? Can they somehow move objects while everyone else is frozen? What are the perimeters of how far the Greats can freeze? And the poem at the end gives a hint of sequel, perhaps? One can only hope. The good side of it was that it was not all complete happy ending that I’ve come accustomed to. A twist here and there in a story is always nice.

One of the things that I would like a little more clarification was Ethan’s mother. What types of magic does she possess? Was she a Caster librarian?

Overall: A 600 page book of awesomeness! Could have done without so many details though.

Cover B
It simmers in the light! How cool is that!?

Little Black Lies

Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen (September 13th 2009—Egmont)

Grade: 3.5 stars out of 5

Summary: “Sara and her father are moving to Boston from small-town Lundun, Massachusetts. She is going to attend the very elite Anton High School-- crowned "North America's Most Elite and Most Bizarre" by Time magazine, harder to get into than Harvard. As the new girl, Sara doesn't know anyone--better yet, no one knows her. And that means she can escape her family's checkered past and her father can be a surgeon instead of "Crazy Charlie" the school janitor.

What's the harm of a few little black lies? Especially if it transforms Sara into Anton's newest popular girl. But then one of the It girls at school starts looking into Sara's past, and her father's obsessive compulsive disorder takes a turn for the worse. Soon, the whole charade just might come crashing down...”

Review: Little Black Lies start out a bit dull for me but developed into something interesting towards the end. In the end this was a good book with a few twists and adorable scenes. We can say this entire book does a great job on the word “karma”. Karma is a bitch isn’t it?

A few white lies, turning to black, and bam, all hell goes loose. This is what Sara goes through. One thing that I really found refreshing is that the main character (Sara) didn’t get away scot free. There are consequences for every action and Tish Cohen did an excellent example of that through this book.

I also loved how the author incorporated random facts here and there.

“In South America, army ants are actually used as sutures. Doctors squeeze the gaping wound shut and deposit ants long the gash. In defense, each ant grabs hold of the edges of skin with its mandibles, or jaws, and locks it in place. Doctors then slice off the head, leaving the mandibles in place to secure the cut until healed. I’m not saying I’d lop off this guy’s head, but if his squared-off jaw were to clamp down on my flesh, I’m pretty sure I’d heal in half the time.”

Overall: A nice debut book. Would have liked something more.

Cover A-
I happen to really like this cover. Something just sparkles for me.

Waiting on Wednesday! (24)

This meme is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong (May 1st 2010--Harper Teen)

The release date is tentative. The summary is non-existent. I just want to show you a sneak peak of the cover! Funny how the cover comes first then the summary. Anyway this is the last book in the Darkest Power trilogy! SUPER EXCITED!

so I think the left one if the final but the right I found from the Awakening series facebook

READ NOW!

So I found this link from Elizabeth Scott's blog and I WANT EVERYONE TO DOWNLOAD THIS NOW WHILE YOU CAN!

It's Cabel's story by Lisa McMann author of Wake.

http://www.simonandschuster.com/giveaways/lisa-mcmann-cabel-story

Wishlist/Upcoming Books

A:

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis

Ashes by Kathryn Lasky

B:

Banished by Sophie Littlefield

Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

The Broken Lane by Shelena Shorts

C:

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

D:

Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart

Dark Touch by Amy Meredith

Dead to You by Lisa McMann

E:

Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst

F:

Fire Will Fall by Carol Plum-Ucci

Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

G:

Girl Parts by John Cusick

Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker) by Jenna Black

Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams

Grace by Elizabeth Scott

H:

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Her and Me and You by Lauren Strasnick

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

I:

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

Indigo Blues by Danielle Joseph

J:

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin

K:

Knight Angels by Abra Edner

L:

Lost for Words by Alice Kuipers

Love Sucks! by Melissa Mckenzie Francis

M:

Miracle by Elizabeth Scott

My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite

My Soul to Reap by Courtney Allison Moulton

N:

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Nice Recovery by Susan Juby

No Pain, No Brain by Carrie Harris

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

O:

One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt

Other by Karen Kincy

Out for Blood by Alyxandra Harvey

P:

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Pegasus by Robin McKinley

Poisoned Honey: A Story of Mary Magdalene by Beatrice Gormley

Prophecy of Days, Book One: The Daykeeper's Grimoire by Christy Raedeke

Q:

R:

Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

Rocky Road by Rose Kent

S:

Secrets of a First Daughter by Cassidy Calloway

Shadow Mirror by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Slayed by Amanda Marrone

Sleepless by Cyn Balog

Sleepwalking by Amy Huntington

So Many Boys: A Naughty List Novel by Suzanne Young

Stalker Girl by Rosemary Graham

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

T:

Take Me There by Carolee Dean

Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala

The Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1) by Cassandra Clare

The Coming of the Dragons by Rebecca Barnhouse

The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Fire Opal by Regina McBride

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina Mcbride

U:

V:

Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

Viola in the Spotlight by Adriana Trigiani

W:

Warped by Maurissa Guibord

Wayfarer (Faery Rebels, #2) by R.J. Anderson

Wereling by Steve Feasey

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill

Wildwing by Emily Whitman

X, Y, Z:

XVI by Julia Karr

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

Zen and Xander Undone by Amy Kathleen Ryan

EDITED: 3/13

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can’t Have

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can’t Have by Allen Zadoff (September 8th 2009--Egmont)

Grade: 4.5 stars out of 5

Summary: “Life used to be so simple for Andrew Zansky—hang with the Model U.N. guys, avoid gym class, and eat and eat and eat. He’s used to not fitting in: into his family, his sports-crazed school, or his size 48 pants.

But not anymore. Andrew just met April, the new girl at school and the instant love of his life! He wants to find a way to win her over, but how? When O. Douglas, the heartthrob quarterback and high school legend, saves him from getting beaten up by the school bully, Andrew sees his chance to get in with the football squad.

Is it possible to reinvent yourself in the middle of high school? Andrew is willing to try. But he’s going to have to make some changes. Fast.

Can a funny fat kid be friends with a football superstar? Can he win over the Girl of his Dreams? Can he find a way to get his Mom and Dad back together?

How far should you go to be the person you really want to be?

Andrew is about to find out.”

Review: Can we just say how funny this book is? This is laugh out loud, rolling on the carpet floor getting a 3rd degree burn. Allen Zadoff gave the perfect balance of an emotional wrenching book and a hilarious outspoken book.

While this book is more towards the male audience with talks of football, blenching, how to lay a girl, there’s a bit for us ladies as well…that is if you enjoy cooking…or eating actually.

Andrew, Andy, is not the fattest kid in school but the second which makes it way worst. He tries but falls at trying to find his place in school. He’s kind good at being a diplomat in the Model UN but when April catches Andy’s eyes he’s determined to reach it to the top of the high school pyramid—football player. Which it turns out, Andy’s actually good at. But Andy can only pick one side, the Model UN and his skinny best friend Ethan or the football players and April the cheerleader. Andy embarks on a journey of self finding, and weight issues that seems to be a selective generic trait in his family.

This book gives the reader an addiction that you cannot be contained until the entire novel is devoured. It touches the bases of weight issues, family problems, little sister phobia, high school crushes, high school lessons all with an incredulous feeling that Andy cannot believe he’s actually popular…sort of. While Andy doesn’t lose like 100 pounds in the book, he becomes healthier with the help of football and learns to use his largeness to the fullest potential.

The family issues are the result of a nasty divorce from an equally nasty affair. Andy tries to reconnect with the dad and through football he does. His father admits that whichever he chooses, to quit or to continue, he’s proud of Andy.

Andy learns that to not put so much faith on just one man especially when it comes to love as he finds out with April…and O. Douglass. He grows, develops, understands, and lives on.

Overall: An amazing novel that tackles the issue of weight like never before.

Cover C+

Winner of Books By Its Cover

Here's to the first month of my latest meme: Books by its Cover. Anyway the answers were...

Sample:

Swoon by Nina Malkin

Breathe in the danger

Exhale the smoke

Below the nimble

Tree is a tale

Red lips lush

Of a man you desire

Let me be covered

In sin

Crap this poem was too hard:

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Amethyst raindrops

Underneath sea-green veins

Lustful glaze of the one whom

Returned

And tell the one you knew

Farewell

The actual poems now:

Are U 4 Real? by Sara Kadefors

Double click

Left click

Right click

Pink and blue

Tell me all

Online

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Pedal backwards

But move forward

In life

Accept me

For me

My plain

White tee

And me with my

dress--spotted

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

Green and orange collide

Behind the soft tinted peach

Follow me, follow you

Sleepless by Thomas Fahy

Cover up the mystery

With bloody tears

Streaked

And so the winner is...

Jessica!

Her email is lost_inabook(blankblank). So if you're this Jess then congrats! You can choose between Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev (ARC), Rules by Cynthia Lord (signed), Secrets of Truth and Beauty by Megan Frazer (ARC), Wings by Aprilynne Pike (ARC). Send me an email with your address and choice of book please!

Monday Mystery: Fugliness with the Twilight Cast

So this will be the debate of the century. We're talking about whom you think is the not-best looking one: Jacob or Edward. I'll show you pictures at their prime and let you guys decide. Trust me, it ain't pretty.

Dammit! Taylor Lautner doesn’t have horrid photos! Well I'm screwed...so uh enjoy ugly photos of Robert Pattison then I guess. If anyone of you can find some heinous pictures of Taylor, I would appreciate it...

No Looky

So I'll be updating random posts for next couple of days filling out the buttons in the navigation bar. I finished my "books read", just recently posted my "policy" (see below) and my wishlist will follow shortly~

Policy

Books by Their Cover began as a young-adult book review blog in 21 December 2008. Current statistics are available to authors and/or publicists on request.

At this moment I am accepting the following genres and age groups for review:

• young adult novels
• middle-grade novels
• contemporary fiction
• paranormal romances/urban fantasy
• graphic novels
• historical romances that fall within the above groups will be decided individually
• GLBT works that fall within the above groups will be decided individually
• e-books though preference will always be a physical copy

I am not accepting the following:

• nonfiction novels i.e. memoirs, biographies, testimonial, historical, etc.
• crime/thriller novels
• horror novels
• self-published works
• internet articles (do I even need to mention this?)

Authors are welcomed to request an interview, but I will warn beforehand that I tend to lean on the more informal and uncommon questions. I try not to ask the same questions more than twice. I am currently swapped with other businesses that I regret to say that I will not be doing interviews as frequently as I would have before.

Reviews are a sensitive topic for me as I am not one to gush about how I love every book I read. I have dealt with this concern a few months into blogging and have asked my readers how I should approach this problem. The majority ruled that I should continue on how I was. I do try to review the books as they come, but please understand that I schedule reviews in advance (weeks/months) ahead.

• Each review will be accompanied by a "grade". 
• Books are rated from 0 to 5 stars. 0 being the worst and 5 being the best with everything in between.
• Reviews are posted a month before or after the book's release date unless it was one purchased by myself. Publishers, publicists, and authors are more than welcome to schedule a review date ahead of time.
• I follow the FTC guideline and tell my readers where I receive my books (personally bought, library, publishing houses, authors, etc).

I do participate in numerous tours. Traveling to Teens (T2T) is a young-adult book touring site that a friend and I founded, but is currently closed. I review for TLC Books Tours occasionally. I have worked with media firms in the past that sponsored giveaways and created blog tours.

You can also find me reviewing books on GoodReads and LibraryThing, and the occasional Amazon reviews. 

Most links to Amazon, Indie Bound and Book Depository are all affiliate links where I will receive a small profit (very small) if you were to buy directly with the link I provide.

Questions or concerns? Contact me.

UPDATED: June 2012

Layout Love!

So Laina...darn it where's her link...found it! redid my layout once I begged her to. She was talking to Sharon on twitter about doing a layout for her so of course I butted in and asked if she could do one for me as well. So...ta-da! Isn't it fabu!? So basically she gave me a link to her photobucket and asked if I had any ideas. I wanted a header with 4 panels and gave her those 4 pictures in that order. The font and colors she did an amazing job with! The background image I asked for something abstract, I don't know if that's abstract or not but it's so cute! I love it! Laina also kindly included the navigation bar I asked her and *sparkle sparkle* it's so purty!

I decided to then change my label list to a label cloud (as you can see, I have wanted a label cloud for some time now) and changed my footer to a 3 column footer (I just had a craving for it) and it's done! Of course the footer wouldn't cooperate with me and center itself (grrrr) and after numerous attempts to float center I gave up. (You can find the html code for both of these on google)

So like it? love it? hate it? Blame it all on Laina (who I think did a wonderful stupendous job!).

P.S. Don't ask how this all relates to books because I don't know and frankly I don't really care.