Round Up on Challenges I Did in '09

Last year I particapted in several differnt challenges. Those challenges included 100+ Reading Challange, A-Z Challange, 2009 ARC Challange, 2009 Debutante Challange.

The Ones I finished:

100+ Reading Challange:

• I read 127 books this year. Though, I think a few are missing because I didn't keep the.... best track of what I read, but that's a totally different story.
• The 100th book I read was Deadly Little Lies by Laurie Stolarz which was a fab book!
• You can check out the full list here.

2009 Debutante Challange:

• I read the 25 books needed to complete it.
• The one that completed it was Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog which is another book I LOVED.
• I actually loved almost all of the book listed, though when it comes to books I'm easy to please. If you haven't noticed from all the As and Bs I give out.
• You check out the full list here, once again!

Ones I didn't complete:

A-Z Reading Challenge:

• Who knew this would be so hard! Seriously, I read a lot and I don't think I ever came across a book that's titled started with a V, X, Z. Though, knowing me, I was probably the only one that had a problem with this. lol.
• Oh, and if you like to see my fail, go check out my (uncomplete) list here.

2009 ARC Reading Challagne:

• Is it bad that I don't even remember what this one was about? *looks down in shame* I think it was about listing all the ARC I had and linking to my reviews to them, but I kind of stopped doing that after the post posted. *looks down in shame again*. So, yeah, moving on!

Overall:

I finished 2 out of my 4 challanges which is good, I guess. Though, hopefully, I'll finish all of the Challenges I choose to do in '10 (post coming soon listing them all!) ............. and remember what their about.

Devoured by Amanda Marrone

Summary:

Megan’s twin sister Remy died in an accident nine years ago, and she’s been haunting her ever since. Knowing how crazy that sounds, Megan keeps this secret to herself and tries to lead a normal life. But when she takes a summer job at Land of Enchantment to keep an eye on her new boyfriend and his lovesick best friend, Samantha, she meets fellow employee Luke who can see Remy, too. Things get even twistier because Megan’s new friend Ari is sporting a massive crush on Luke, who seems to be developing a massive crush on Megan…making for a love triangle that’s positively possessed.

Megan wants to keep her distance from Luke, but when Remy’s visions get crazy violent; she knows she needs his help. Because someone’s definitely in danger...the only question is who?
 
Review:
 
If I was asked to quickly sum up Devoured, I would use words such as creepy, romantic, and just a fun read overall.
 
I loved how it was a Snow White retelling because while Amanda had used an old idea, she turned it new again by giving it a fresh and original turn of events. Those events, in turn, made it a fast paced read that was easy to fall into with her simple writing. Though, I felt that sometimes she had the tendency to rush things like the ending, for example.

While Megan and Luke were the main characters and I did enjoy reading about them, my favorite would have to be Nikki. So as you can imagine if you have read the book, I was a bit shocked by what came to her by the end. Remy also added an eerie feeling to the story that made it hard not to get a bit scared when mixed with other events that were happening. Though, while I did like the characters, it sometimes seemed that Amanda didn't develop the secondary characters to the fullest they could've been.
 
In all, Devoured was still a decent read even with the problems I had.
 
Grade: B
 
Devoured is now out!
 
Source: Publisher. Thanks Taryn!

Waiting On Wednesday: Week 59

My pick this week is:

After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy

This moment changes everything.


Becca has been head-over-heels for Alec from the instant they met. He's a brainy jock with a poet's heart—in other words, perfect for her.
Camille is careful with her words and protective of her heart, especially since Chicago. Then a new boy in her new town catches her off guard with a surprise kiss.


Too bad that new boy is Becca's boyfriend, Alec.
Camille and Becca have never met, but their lives will unravel and intertwine in surprising ways as they deal with what happens after the kiss.

This book looks so good. Plus, I love the cover because it has such a inconent and calm look. Though, I don't think the story inside will have the same drama free atmoshpere. :)
 
After The Kiss will be released May 4, 2010!

Contest for The Dark Divine by Bree Despain!

Since I was lucky enough to get not one but two copies of this, I've decided to pass on my extra ARC to someone else whose dying to read this.

Here's the summary:

A prodigal son

A dangerous love

A deadly secret . . .

I stood back and watched his movements. Daniel had that way about him that could shut me down in an instant. . . . I kicked the gravel a couple of times and worked up my courage again. “Tell me . . . I mean . . . why did you come back? Why now, after all this time?”

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel's dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.

To enter, just answer the first four questions in the form and after that the extra entries are your choice. So, good luck! Oh, and this contest will close on January 12th at 12:00 PM eastern and is open WORLDWIDE!

In My Mailbox: Christmas Edition

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

Evidence of Angels by Francesca Lia Block and Suza Scalora (Thanks Suza!)

1 ARC Tours:

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White (So amazing! Look for my review sometime in March!)

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (Really good, too! Look for review in March!)

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (Yes, I did receive an ARC and review this a while back. Though, I wanted to write a note in it for Suzanne still because I adored the book!)

Contest Wins:

13 to Life: A Werewolf's Tale by Shannon Delany (I'm actually one of the 1st people to get a copy of this because I won it a while back in Jeri Smith-Ready Blogtoberfest. I also got some really cool Class of 2k10 bookmarks!)

Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu+ bookmark (not shown) + bear ( makes much more sense after you read the book) with it's own signed "copy" of Dirty Little Secrets!!! (Read it as soon as I got it and let me tell you it's definitly a fantastic book! Oh, in this picture you even get to see how messy my computer desk is. lol)

Christmas:

Immortal: Love Stories with Bite

Shadowland by Alyson Noel

Glee: The Music Vol. 2!!

Fearless Taylor Swfit ( I LOVE Taylor Swift's music!)

All the Right Moves One Republic

Pushing  Daisies ( I'm still mad that they canceled this show because it was really good. Way better then some others ABC kept.)

I also got cash, some gift cards from Barnes and Noble, American Eagel, Starbucks and I Tunes, a snuggie, UGG boots, a Coach change purse thing that's so cute and a ton of other stuff. :)

Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

Summary:

Looking for a new beginning after a terrible mean girl past, Charlie Healey realizes there’s no escaping high school drama.
Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle school was brutal. But high school is Charlie’s big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day she runs into Will, her ex–best friend, who had moved away. Now a varsity athlete and hotter than Charlie remembered, Will hangs with the crowd running the school. But Charlie doesn’t understand their power until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank.

Torn between doing what’s right and her secret feelings for Will, Charlie must decide whether to turn in her very best friend or live with the guilt of knowing what he did.
Rosalind Wiseman’s first novel for young adults is a fresh, funny, and juicy read about friendship, betrayal, and how far some will go to be accepted.
 
Review:

I really wanted to love this novel. I mean Rosalind's Queen Bees and Wannabes was the inspiration behind one of my favorite movies ever Mean Girls. Though, sadly I wasn't starstruck by this novel. Quite the opposite, actually, because I was easily bored by the lackluster and predictable plot that at times seemed like the cliché of all clichés meets an after school special.

The characters were just a total blah. Charlie was the typical "I used to be a follower of the poplars, but now I want to be a leader" type of girl and her love interest was someone who seriously needed to grow a pair and stop acting like an idiot because of peer pressure. Though, if that wasn't enough things to add to my dismay, I hated how these two characters could have been so original and awesome but were instead ran over by unoriginality.

As mentioned above, the plot was the same way. Something that while could have been awesomely amazing was just boring and didn't truly bring anything new to the table. Leaving me to think this novel is going to be run down by all the other incredible upcoming 2010 books like Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers.

Though, I did like some aspects of this novel. Such as some of the secondary characters like Michael, Sydney and Nidha who were funny. Also, the message in this one is something that should always be reiterated simply because of how important it is to not fall into peer pressure and instead become someone who can almost always do the right thing.

In all, while I do see talent in Rosalind ( Seriously, her webiste is awesome because of the fact that she offers advice that a lot of girls (and boys even) could relate too!) , I felt that this novel failed to show it as well as it could have.

Though, as always my review is just one in a million, so if you feel like this is something you would enjoy check it out. I mean others have loved it, just not me unfourantely.

Grade: D

Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials will be released January 12, 2010.

Source: Emily- the Director of Publicity & Brand Development- at Rosalind's website. Thanks!

Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays!

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays! I hope everyone has a fab day today. :)

~ Lauren

Waiting On Wednesday: Week 58

I'm so sorry this is a day late! I feel horrible about it. :(

Though, without a futher ado, my pick this week is:

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything—the dark, heights, the ocean—but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is, until Justine goes cliff-diving one night near the family’s vacation house in Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.
Though her parents hope that they’ll be able to find closure back in Boston, Vanessa can’t help feeling that her sister’s death wasn’t an accident. After discovering that Justine was keeping a lot of secrets, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor, hoping that Justine’s boyfriend might know more. But Caleb has been missing since Justine’s death.
Soon, it’s not just Vanessa who’s afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes host to a string of fatal, water-related accidents in which all the victims are found, horrifically, grinning from ear to ear.


Vanessa turns to Caleb’s brother, Simon, for help, and begins to find herself drawn to him. As the pair try to understand the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance—and will change her life forever.
A seductive paranormal romance full of unexpected twists, Siren is certain to make a big summer splash.
 
First off, the picture above is taken from the author's blog. It's the cover of the ARC, so I'm not really sure if it's final or not. Anyway, Siren looks amazing!! Plus, I'm sure it is going to turn out great, since almsot all Egmont books I've read so far are. :) Though, why June 2010?!? That's so far away!
 
Siren will be released June 8, 2010.

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Colt has been sneaking out at night to meet Julia, a girl from an upper-class neighborhood unlike his own. They’ve never told anyone else about their relationship: not their family or friends, and especially not Julia’s boyfriend.When Julia dies suddenly, Colt tries to cope with her death while pretending that he never even knew her. He discovers a journal she left behind. But he is not prepared for the truths he discovers about their intense relationship, nor to pay the price for the secrets he’s kept.

Review:

To say I was excited when I received this book in the mail would be a serious understatement. I was jumping around the house crazy when I saw the package on my doorstep. I've been following this book since it was titled Black Mountain Road, a book that was supposed to debut in '09 to now where it has an different title, The Secret Year, and a brand new release date, January 2010.

Anyway, getting back to The Secret Year, I had high exceptions for this. Luckily, it was great, but it was a bit short from fantastic.

When the story begins, you are thrown into Colt's life just when Julia Vernon has been killed in a tragic car accident. To anyone else this would be sad, but to Colt this is heartbreaking and life changing. You see, Colt has been secretly seeing Julia for the last year and the Friday before she died they had one fatal fight. A fight that was never fully resolved. I was instantly immersed in the novel, because I wanted to find out all about his and Julia's past relationship. It even got better when Julia's secret journal about their relationship landed in his hands, since you got to see how she felt the past year.

Colt was an interesting and well developed character that you instantly felt sad for. Throughout, I enjoyed reading about his life, though towards the middle I began to get a little sick of his bitterness over Julia dying. Bitterness that would lead to him not only hurting one girl, but two. I understood that he was devastated over her dying, but I felt that it was a bit to strung out. Luckily, I began to understand why he was the way he was at the end, because the big revaluation about Julia and his last night was finally revealed. Even though, Julia was dead from the beginning you still got to understand who she was and how she felt through the start, which another one of my favorites about The Secret Year.

Jennifer Hubbard's writing and character /plot development in The Secret Year was another strong point. I look forward to reading more by her in the future.

Overall, The Secret Year is a decent novel.

Grade: A-

The Secret Year will be released January 7, 2010.

* Source: Publisher. Thanks Emilie!

Hearts At Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

Summary:

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.



Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.

Even fans of the genre who’ve seen it all will find a fresh read with kick-butt characters and family dynamics that ring true for all brothers and sisters—vampire or otherwise.
 
Review:
 
While I'm always kind of hesitant to read anything involving vampires (with the exception of Vampire Academy and Evernight series, of course), I still decided to give Hearts At Stake a try and I have to stay that I was mostly pleasantly surprised with this new addition to the Vampire YA genre.


Hearts At Stake was told equally in the voice of two best friends- Lucy- the sarcastic and funny one that I had an easy time liking from the beginning - and Solange-  the quiet one who would rather do pottery and hang out with with Lucy then be a vampire princess. While both were pretty much well developed, I personally would have preferred the tale be told just from one girl's perspective because at times it was kind of hard to distinguish one from the other. Plus, as I've stated before, I'm not the biggest fans of stories told in multiple perspectives. Though, it did work okay and didn't detract from the overall story much.

The plot was interesting and easy to get in to because of the simple writing that flowed well. I loved the action, the sibling squabbles, and the romances that sprouted up throughout. Plus, the government system was mostly fresh and new even with the slight similarities it had with the Vampire Academy series
 
In all, Hearts At Stake is a pretty decent debut. I look forward to reading the next in the series which is due out next year.

Grade: B

Hearts At Stake will be released December 22, 2009!

Source: Publisher. Thanks Walker books!

Girl on the Other Side by Deborah Kerbel

Summary:

Tabby Freeman and Lora Froggett go to the same school, but they live in totally opposite worlds. Tabby is rich, pretty, and the most popular girl in her class. But behind closed doors, her 'perfect' life is rapidly coming apart at the seams.

On the other side, Lora is smart, timid, and the constant target of bullies. While struggling to survive the piranha-infested halls of her school, she becomes increasingly nervous that somebody might discover the unbearable truth about what's been happening to her family.

Despite their differences, Tabby and Lora have something in common - they're both harbouring dark secrets and a lot of pain. Although they've never been friends, a series of strange events causes their lives to crash together in ways neither could have ever imagined. And when the dust finally settles and all their secrets are forced out into the light, will the girls be saved . or destroyed?
 
Review:
 
Girl on the Other Side was an interesting and fast paced read about two not so unalike girls.

I liked how the characters in this were represented by two different types of girls. Lora being the social misfit who life constantly feels like a fight and Tabby the supposed it girl who doesn’t feel nearly as good about herself as she thinks she should. While I did fell both feel into cliché roles at times, I did overall enjoy reading about them and their struggles with issues not present at the surface. Since, it brought for a decent read. Also, I also did like how Tabby developed into not being as self absorbed as she was before along with how Lora and she eventually became short of freinds, I guess you would say, because of the issues they were dealing with.

The plot was fast paced which I also liked and surprisingly enough the switching narratives worked quite well with the story. Though, I didn't particularly like how the story was so short (a mere 184 pages) because I felt that there was a lot more left to say especially with how rushed the ending was.

In all, Girl on the Other Side is a decent read but not something I would suggest you run out to buy, instead wait for a library copy. On the flip side of that, I am hoping to read Deborah's debut novel sometime soon because I've heard a lot of great things about it. So, maybe I'll be awed by that one instead.
 
Grade: B
 
Girl on the Other Side is now out!
 
Source: 1 ARC Tours

In My Mailbox (12/14 to 12/19)

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.

For Review:

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (Already read it and it was so fantastic! I'm really looking forward to reading more by Elizabeth!)

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like. . .

Mia the Meek by Eileen Boggess

Mia Fullerton has entered her freshman year at St. Hilary s with a goal: to lose her nickname Mia the Meek, and soar into a confident high school career. Unfortunately, her transformation is made harder by her English-teacher mom, bratty little brother, already popular nemesis, and new neighbor. Although she s prepared herself for the battle by reading Excruciatingly Shy: How to Defeat Public Fear and Become Popular, her freshman year remains a series of uphill battles. The week before school starts, Mia wakes up to discover new neighbors have moved in next door. Forced by her mother to take them her special chocolate chip cookies, Mia first encounters Tim the handsome yet seemingly arrogant oldest son of the family. Their relationship develops based on competition, from literature to the basketball court, and Mia s got her work cut out for her. School begins and Mia immediately meets with all sorts of (often humorous) challenges from having a locker right next to her arch-enemy Cassie, to being paired with Tim for science lab, to having her mom as her very own English teacher. Before she knows it, her best friend has nominated her for class president, and, what s worse, she s running against Cassie! Mia embraces her nomination when she learns that her crush, Jake Harris, has seconded it. After all, what better way to emerge from her shell? As the year goes on, Mia deals with all the things girls her age face. She becomes class president with the help of an improvised speech and unconventional catch phrase dates Jake Harris, helps lead her team in the Academic Quiz Bowl, and tries to balance her new friends with the old. In the end, Mia emerges a far different person than when she set out, though it may not be the person she had imagined that first day at St. Hilary.

Mia the Melodramatic by Eileen Boggess

Summer has finally arrived, but Mia Fullerton does not have much to celebrate. Her best friend, Lisa, is spending the summer at a Mensa camp, and her boyfriend, Tim, will be at his grandparents house in Maine. So, stuck with a choice of spending the next two months hanging out with her younger brother, Chris who has declared a prank war on her or taking a job on the stage crew at a local children s theater group, Mia chooses the lesser of two evils and begins working at Little Tyke. The moment she meets the other student members of the stage crew, Mia realizes she is not at St. Hilary s anymore. There is Zoë, a Goth punk rock singer with fifteen facial piercings; Henry, a caffeine addict with the self-declared ability to predict people s coffee preferences; and Eric, a former childhood friend who has definitely outgrown his shy ways and geeky appearance. In this sequel to the much-loved Mia the Meek, readers will again enjoy spending time with Mia Fullerton, watching as she navigates the next stage of adolescence, one humorous and memorable fiasco at a time.

Mia the Magnificent by Eileen Boggess

*I can't find a summary or cover for this ANYWHERE. So, this will have to do for now.*

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore ( Can't wait to read this one!)

Nimira is a music-hall performer forced to dance for pennies to an audience of leering drunks. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.

The Returners by Gemma Malley

London teenager Will Hodge is miserable. His mother is dead, his father’s political leanings have grown radical, and his friends barely talk to him. To top it off, he’s having nightmares about things like concentration camps. Then Will notices he's being followed by a group of people who claim to know him from another time in history. It turns out they are Returners, reincarnated people who carry with them the memory of atrocities they have witnessed in the past. Will realizes that he, too, is a Returner. But something about his memories is different, and with dawning horror, Will suspects that he wasn’t just a witness to the events, he was instrumental in making them happen. Set in the near future, with the world on the verge of a new wave of ethnic cleansing, Will must choose to confront the cruelty he's known in his past lives, or be doomed to repeat it . . . again.

E-Books for review:

Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Keep Your Head Down. Don't Get Noticed. Or Else.

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. One of thousands who work in the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. The Trava family who rules our world from their spacious Upper levels wants us to be docile and obedient, like sheep. To insure we behave, they send the Pop Cops to police us.

So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? Not like it's all that dangerous--the only neck at risk is my own.

Until a lower level prophet claims a Gateway to Outside exists. And guess who he wants to steal into the Upper levels to get the proof? You’re right. Me. I alone know every single duct, pipe, corridor, shortcut, hole and ladder of Inside. It’s suicide plain and simple. But guess who can’t let a challenge like that go unanswered? Right again. Me.

I should have just said no...

Tagged by Mara Purnhagen
Kate Morgan is just as confused as the rest of her classmates when she arrives at Cleary High to find six life-size gorillas spray painted on the side of a building. Could the culprit be one of her friends or classmates? And is the kind-of-amazing creation really vandalism, or a work of art? She's tempted to stay out of it, mostly because, as the police chief’s daughter, she's always accused of being a snitch. But when gorillas start appearing throughout the state, her investigative instincts kick in.

Now Eli, Kate’s favorite co-worker at the local coffee shop, is MIA. With her best friend, Lan, preoccupied with her own boy troubles, Kate needs to figure out some things on her own. Like why she can’t stop thinking about Eli. And what she will do when all clues about the graffiti point to someone she knows...

The Repeats:

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (Hmm, is that CONEST bells I hear?!? Well, I'll guess you'll have to wait to find out. In the meantime, though, you can check out my review of it here.)

One ARC Tour:

Girl on the Other Side by Deborah Kerbel

Tabby Freeman and Lora Froggett go to the same school, but they live in totally opposite worlds. Tabby is rich, pretty, and the most popular girl in her class. But behind closed doors, her 'perfect' life is rapidly coming apart at the seams.

On the other side, Lora is smart, timid, and the constant target of bullies. While struggling to survive the piranha-infested halls of her school, she becomes increasingly nervous that somebody might discover the unbearable truth about what's been happening to her family.

Despite their differences, Tabby and Lora have something in common - they're both harbouring dark secrets and a lot of pain. Although they've never been friends, a series of strange events causes their lives to crash together in ways neither could have ever imagined. And when the dust finally settles and all their secrets are forced out into the light, will the girls be saved . or destroyed?

From Tundra Books:

Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen

Twelve-year-old Ambrose is a glass-half-full kind of guy. A self-described “friendless nerd,” he moves from place to place every couple of years with his overprotective mother, Irene. When some bullies at his new school almost kill him by slipping a peanut into his sandwich — even though they know he has a deathly allergy — Ambrose is philosophical. Irene, however, is not and decides that Ambrose will be home-schooled.


Alone in the evenings when Irene goes to work, Ambrose pesters Cosmo, the twenty-five-year-old son of the Greek landlords who live upstairs. Cosmo has just been released from jail for breaking and entering to support a drug habit. Quite by accident, Ambrose discovers that they share a love of Scrabble and coerces Cosmo into taking him to the West Side Scrabble Club, where Cosmo falls for Amanda, the club director. Posing as Ambrose’s Big Brother to impress her, Cosmo is motivated to take Ambrose to the weekly meetings and to give him lessons in self-defense. Cosmo, Amanda, and Ambrose soon form an unlikely alliance and, for the first time in his life, Ambrose blossoms. The characters at the Scrabble Club come to embrace Ambrose for who he is and for their shared love of words. There’s only one problem: Irene has no idea what Ambrose is up to.

In this brilliantly observed novel, author Susin Nielsen transports the reader to the world of competitive Scrabble as seen from the honest yet funny viewpoint of a boy who’s searching for acceptance and for a place to call home.

Overall: What a fantastic week. Much thanks goes to the differnt authors/publishers/ exc. that sent me these books! :)

My Favorite Books of '09!

2009 has seriously been filled with so many great books filled with debut authors to old time favs of mine. So, I've decided to share some of my personal favs from this grand year! Though, I've limited myself to only pick my top thirty thirty-one thirty-two (no particular order!) or I'll be here all day. :)

1. Fire and Graceling by Kristin Cashore
2. Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker
3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Technically a '10 release, but I read it this year.)
4. As You Wish by Jackson Pearce ( I love her books so much!)
5. Hate List by Jennifer Brown
6. Ash by Malinda Low
7. Give Up The Ghost by Megan Crewe
8. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
9. Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
10. Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
11. The Snowball Effect by Nicole Holly Hoxter (Technically a '10 release, but I read it this year.)
12. Fat Cat by Robin Brande
13. The Everafter by Amy Huntley
14. Liar by Justine Larbalistier
15. The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson
16. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
    
    
17. Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
18. Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
19. Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart
20. The Fidelilty Files by Jessica Brody
21. Merdian by Amber Kizer
22. After by Amy Efaw
23. The Uninvited by Tim Wayne- Jones
24. Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
25. Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors
26. A Match Made In High School by Kristin Walker (Technically a '10 release, but I read it this year.)
27. Every Little Thing In The World by Nina de Gramont
28. Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen
29. Love You Hate You Miss You and Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott
30. Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R.J. Anderson
31. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
32. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

AND MANY MANY MORE!! Since, there are seriously so many other books I adored.

Day 8 of the12 Blogs Of Xmas Giveaway is at Princess Bookie!

Do you want to win this?

Or this?

Or a MYSTERY ARC!?!

Well, head over to Cindy's blog and enter. So, you have a chance to win also. :)

Winners!

Here's the winners for some differnt contests on my blog that ended a while ago:

Five Minutes More and Responsible:

Cheryl (Already replied-copy is on way.)

Saving Grace and Rules for Life:

Belinda (Already replied-copy is on way.)

Explorer X-Alpha and poster:

Alexa (Already replied-copy is on way.)

Medina Hill Redraw Winners:

KiraR (Already replied-copy will be on it's way soon.)

Queen of Entropy (Already replied-copy is on way.)

Thanks to everyone who entered! There will another contest before the end of the year and two AMAZING ones coming up in January.

Lotus Lowenstein's My-Life-Is-Merde-But-Have-a-Bonnes-Fetes-Anyway Blog Tourapalooza

Libby Schmais is the author of the adult novels The Perfect Elizabeth and The Essential Charlotte. The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein is her first novel for young readers. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Here's a summary for that said book:

Lotus Lowenstein's life is merde. She dreams of moving to Paris and becoming an existentialist. Yet here she is trapped in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with a New-Agey mom, an out-of-work dad, and a chess champion brother who dreams of being a rock star. Merci à Dieu for Lotus’s best friend, Joni, who loves French culture enough to cofound their high school’s first French Club with Lotus. At the first meeting, the cutest boy in the world walks in. His name is Sean, and he too loves French culture and worships Jean-Paul Sartre.

At first, Lotus thinks Sean is the best thing to happen to her in years. He’s smart, cultured, and adorable. Unfortunately, though, Joni feels the same way. And having an existentialist view of love, Sean sees nothing wrong with enjoying both girls’ affections. Things come to a head when all three depart for Montreal with their teacher, Ms. G, on the French Club’s first official field trip. Will Sean choose Joni over Lotus? And will Lotus and Joni’s friendship ever recover?

 

And last but not least here's my fab interview with Libby!

~~~~~~~~~

1) First off, I’m going to give you a couple of categories and I would like you to list your favorite.

Book: It’s impossible for me too pick one book or even ten, so I’m going to limit this to my favorite diary books: I Capture the Castle, the Diary of Anne Frank, all the Diaries of Adrian Mole, Bridget Jones’ Diary, and, of course The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon..
Author(s): Again, an impossible question, so I’m taking the liberty of changing it slightly: Here are some favorite authors I’ve been influenced by: Barbara Pym, Dorothy Parker, Jane Austen.
Movie: My favorite movie of all time is probably The Women, the original version, with Norma Shearer, where all the men are offstage.
Season: Summer
Food: Fromage (and of course, pasta & chocolate) – what else is there?

2) Can you describe The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein, your newest novel, in five words or less?

Brooklyn, Romance, Existentialism and Poutine.

3) Are you similar to Lotus in any ways?

Probably more than I’d care to admit. We’re both pretty rebellious, and say things that sometimes we shouldn’t, and we both don’t care all that much what everyone thinks (although to be honest, I’m still working on that one).
4) How did the title The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein come to be?

I had just discovered the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagan, a wonderful diary book written by a lady in waiting at the Imperial Court of Japan. My character, Lotus Lowenstein, is studying the book in school, and writing her own diary book, so the title just kind of evolved naturally.

5) Do you have a particular favorite scene or line from the book that you would like to share?

I think my favorite scene is when Lotus orders a box of cupcakes which are supposed to be inscribed with the famous Sartre quote “Hell is Other People,” but the woman at the bakery decides that’s offensive and changes it to “Hello Other People.”

6) How did you celebrate the release of The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein? Did you do anything special?

I took the day off of work, because I didn’t think I’d be able to focus, and then I went out for dinner in my neighborhood (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn) with a few close friends. I’ve had book parties in the past, but this time I just wanted to do something really low-key.

7) Some readers may not know this, but all of your previous works have been labeled as the adult genre. So, what inspired you to break in to YA? Also, is there any big changes that you’ve noticed when writing for teens instead of adults?

A long time ago, someone told me that I should be writing for teens, but I didn’t take it seriously. When I started writing The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein, I was between adult books, and had a desire to write something completely different, so I started writing a story about a girl who lived in Brooklyn who was obsessed with France and Jean Paul Sartre. I didn’t consciously set out to write a young adult novel, but once I started writing, it was clear that I was writing from the viewpoint of a teen.

8) What other activities do you enjoy besides writing?

I love reading (I probably read 3-4 books a week), lounging, eating (French food, bien sur), travel, hanging out with friends, movies, drinking lots of coffee, yoga, walking in the park, shopping.

9) What’s up next for you book-wise?

I have a few projects in various stages. Another young adult book that’s near completion, a half-finished middle grade book, and various other unformed ideas for adult books.

10) Lastly, what’s the French Word du Jour?
Today’s French Word du Jour is à bientôt (which means "see you soon"). If you collect all the French words du jour on the Blog Tourapalooza, you can enter a contest to win fabulous prizes (a $25 Sephora gift card and a personally autographed Pillow Book!). Once you’ve visited all the blog tour stops and collected all the words, email the complete list of words to lotuslowenstein@gmail.com  with the subject line “French Word du Jour Contest.” All e-mail entries must be received by midnight (EST) on December 21, 2009. The winner will be selected at random on December 22, 2009. Be sure to include your name, e-mail address, and daytime phone number with your entry (If you're under age 13, give your parent's contact info). The complete My-Life-Is-Merde-but-Have-a-Bonnes-Fêtes-Anyway Blog Tourapalooza schedule can be found at lotuslowenstein.com. Thank you, mes amis!

~~~~~

Thanks Libby! Also, look out for a review of this book coming soon! :)

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Summary:

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility!

Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!

When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?
The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?
 
Review:
 
The Naughty List is just as cute and adorable as the cover it has proving it to be a series that you should definitely be keeping an eye on.

Tessa, along with the rest of SOS, was a blast to read about. Since, for one, I admired how they would put themselves in jeopardy just because they wanted to make one girl's live easier by finding out if her boyfriend was a keeper or a loser. Further more, each had distinctive personality that made them easy to distinguish from the others.

The plot, just like the characters, was fun to read about. I loved seeing their top secret missions and the drama that had the tendency to come from them. Plus, the relationship between Aiden (love his name!) and Tessa was such a cute addition.

My only compliant was the ending. Though, that's just because I can't wait to see what happens next to everyone.

Overall, The Naughty List is a fab debut by Ms. Young and I have to say I'm stoked to see what she comes up with next!  
 
Grade: B+
 
The Naughty List will be realeased February 4, 2010!
 
Source: Publisher. Thanks Razorbill/ Gillian!

Waiting On Wednesdy: Week 57

My pick this week is:

Winter Longing by Tricia Mills

Winter Craig finally gets up the nerve and tells her long-time friend Spencer that she likes him as more than a friend. The best part? Spencer likes her as more than a friend too. With the perfect boy to love and be loved by, she begins her senior year at her small Alaska school and indulges in the dream of becoming a costume designer for the movie industry. Life is perfect — until tragedy strikes. Winter’s perfect life turns upside down as she deals with an unbearable loss, doubts about her future, a best friend whose home life is getting worse by the day, and unexpected feelings for an unexpected boy.


Winter Longing looks so fantastic! So, I personally can't wait to read it. :)
 
Winter Longing will be released August 19, 2010 which is just two days after my birtday.

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Summary:

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

Review:

Much like her debut novel, Courtney gives you gives you a gritty, compelling, and most of all realistic look into what happens in high schools across the nation, when the fight to be on the top of the social ladder gets way out of hand in this heart wrenching novel called Some Girls Are.

The two main characters (Regina and Michael)  were crafted perfectly. You could feel their struggles, hope, and desperation just jump of the page from the start, leaving it to be so easy to be caught up in their tale. Most of all, I loved the change that Regina went through in this novel, one that went from her being a complete witch of a person to actually caring and giving up everything to make that one person who she ended up caring for most not get in the same situation she was in. Plus, I adored Michael. He, like Regina,  was such a complex guy that was so hard not to love.

Words that come to mind when thinking about the plot of this novel would vary from moving (one minute you would be bring a slight chuckle at a line to near tears at what Regina was going through) to addicting to fast paced. I was just so shocked at what these girls could do to each other. I know girls can be brutal, nasty, and just all around witchy, I mean I see it everyday. Though, the way the fearsome five was in this novel was so disturbing that it was hard to get through some of the things they did to Regina. Further more, as I said before and will continue to say, Courtney's writing is brilliant. I love that she's always straight to the point instead of feeling her novels with unnecessary and boring details that have the tendency to bring down greatness from novels. And what I like even more is that she never sugar coats all the crap that goes on and high school instead giving you an honest look.

In all, Some Girls Are is one of my favorite books of the year, even though I personally prefer Cracked Up To Be a bit more. So, do yourself a favor come January fifth. That favor? Go to the bookstore and pick up a copy because I have just the slightest feeling you won't regret it one bit.
 
Grade: A

Some Girls Are will be released Janaury 5, 2009!

Source: Publisher/ Author. Thanks Courntey and St. Martins Press

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Summary:

What if you had only one day to live?

What would you do?

Who would you kiss?

And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. She’s expecting to attend a typical Friday night party with her friends, but instead a terrible accident takes her life.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she relives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

Newcomer Lauren Oliver has crafted a rich debut, at once literary and commercial, that will leave readers breathless.

Review:

I know I say this a lot, but I just have to say it for Before I Fall because I was one hundred percent right on the key for this one: I knew this book was going to being amazingly fantastic from the moment I saw it.

There are so many different things that just make this one complex, breathtaking, beautiful, and heartbreaking book. So, let's start with the characters.

To be honest at first I loathed Sam because she was just so full of herself and constantly hurt people who loved her to no end. Though, during the middle of the book she just did a complete 180 degree turn and let go of her bad ways. Instead becoming someone who I admired greatly simply because she gave up trying to save herself and focused instead on saving someone else who needed help from the beginning, while setting a lot of things right that were wrong before. I won't say anything more about this because I don't want to ruin anything. So, you'll just have to wait to understand what I'm saying come March. :) Moving on, I absolutely adored Kent, the guy who has loved Sam forever even though she doesn’t see it, because he was everything that almost any girl could want in a guy.

The plot was addicting and something that always showed you that even the slightest change you make can have the biggest impact latter on. Further more, Lauren's writing was complex yet so simple which left me to enjoy this book even more and to have one wish. That wish? To have Lauren write many more books that continue to awe and shock me.

In all, if Before I Fall doesn’t show just how awesome debut novels and YA can be, I don't know what can. So, do pick up this book come March because  I promise you won't regret it one bit. ( And if you do, you have my permission to yell at me, but I seriously don't think that will happen.) Though, I do offer one piece of advice. That advice? Keep a box of tissues by you because you're definitely going to need them.

Grade: A+

Before I Fall will be released March 2, 2010!

Source: Around The World Tours

In My Mailbox (12/7 to 12/11)

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers ( Just fished it and it was so great! Review shall be coming soon.)

Hearts At Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

Captivate by Carrie Jones ( I love the cover of this one. So pretty!)

A Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup

Around The World Tour:

Before I Fall ( I absolutely LOVED this book and you'll be able to read more about my adoration for it come Monday.)

The Bought:

None

The Borrowed:

None

Overall:

Pretty fantastic week! Much thanks goes to Bloomsbury/Walker USA Children's Books  and St. Martins/KH/ Courtney for sending me these books.

Waiting On Wednesday: Week 56

*Spoliers present, so if you haven't read The Naughty List yet be aware of this*

My pick this week is:

So Many Boys: A Naughty List Novel by Suzanne Young

Tessa goes from strawberry smoothie to suddenly single!
After her center-court split with Aiden, Tessa puts the SOS behind her. After all, cheaters never prosper! Now she’s busy working on her faux-relationship with Aiden and negotiating the unfamiliar waters of “technically single and pseudo-dating.”
Life can’t get any more dismal for a one-guy kind of girl until an imposter hijacks the SOS, and it’s up to Tessa to save her squad from slander. But with her best boy hot and cold, what’s a kitten to do?
Even worse, Tessa doesn’t realize how much she’s up against—because this copykitten is far more naughty than nice.
 
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of The Naughty List a couple of weeks ago for review and let me tell you it was FANTASTIC! So, I seriously can't wait to read this one and see what happens next for Tessa and her friends. :)  

So Many Boys will be released June 10, 2010!