Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie + Contest!

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

The New York Times bestselling author of Bet Me, Tell Me Lies and Welcome to Temptation delivers her long-awaited novel.

Andie Miller is ready to move on in life. She wants to marry her fiancé and leave behind everything in her past, especially her ex-husband, North Archer. But when Andie tries to gain closure with him, he asks one final favor of her before they go their separate ways forever. A very distant cousin of his has died and left North as the guardian of two orphans who have driven out three nannies already, and things are getting worse. He needs a very special person to take care of the situation and he knows Andie can handle anything.

When Andie meets the two children she quickly realizes things are much worse than she feared. The place is a mess, the children, Carter and Alice, aren’t your average delinquents, and the creepy old house where they live is being run by the worst housekeeper since Mrs. Danvers. What’s worse, Andie’s fiancé thinks this is all a plan by North to get Andie back, and he may be right. Andie’s dreams have been haunted by North since she arrived at the old house. And that’s not the only haunting.

What follows is a hilarious adventure in exorcism, including a self-doubting parapsychologist, an annoyed medium, her Tarot-card reading mother, an avenging ex-mother-inlaw, and, of course, her jealous fiancé. And just when she thinks things couldn’t get more complicated, North shows up on the doorstep making her wonder if maybe this time things could be different between them.

If Andie can just get rid of all the guests and ghosts, she’s pretty sure she can save the kids, and herself, from the past. But fate might just have another thing in mind…

Review:

The adult genre isn't my usual genre to read, but when I heard about this one, I just couldn't resist. Lucky for me Maybe This Time was not only was a fabulous ghost story with just the right amount of romance and funny to keep just about any chick-lit reader happy, but it has officially landed Jennifer Crusie on the top of my list of authors to watch for.

Maybe This Time tells the story of Andie Miller; a woman who wishes her ex-husband would finally let go of her and let her live her new life. And after an engagement proposal, she finally decides the time is right to cut of her last tie to him- the alimony checks he keeps sending. She does just that; she drops by his office and gives him the checks, but something comes of it she just wasn't expecting, a favor. A favor that leads her on her way to a supposedly haunted South Ohio mansion and into the lives of two very emotionally messed up children who have managed to run off all their previous nannies. Her mission: to figure out a way to help them before it's too late. And as she expects this turns out to be one hard task; thanks to the fact that the children want nothing to do with her, her fiancée thinks North wants Andie back, and the fact that this house might just be housing a force that may kill Andie if she doesn't fight back, but when she does will worse happen to her than she could have ever imagined? Only more time and more pages will tell in this witty new addiction in ghostly chick-lit.

One of my favorite parts of this story was its setting, a beautiful, crumbling, and haunted mansion. I loved Jennifer's descriptions of the house because it always managed to have the house, along with its residents, float of the page and come alive.

Another part of the story I enjoyed was the characters, Andie in particular. Andie, a girl who moves to "Layla", was funny, charming, and always a character I rooted for 100%. I especially loved the scenes she shared with the children because it made it appear even more caring and likable. North was another character I adored as well. While he seemed distant at first, it's easy to see he uses his distance to hide the fact that he truly does have quite the big of hearts, especially when it comes to Andie. And Andie and he were completely adorable together. I loved their squabbles and the way they brought the best (and worst even) out in each other. Another character I really enjoyed reading about was the charming Southie.

The plot of this was never failed be well thought-out and fun. Crusie's excellent story telling always had me on a brink of different emotions ranging from laughter to sadness to suspense. I enjoyed the way she made the ghost story aspect of this be unique and intriguing, and the way she always had a new twist to complicate things on step further for the characters and have you guessing at what would occur next.

In all, Maybe This Time is a delightful ghost story. One that I'm sure fans of The Tale of Halcyon Crane (another fabulous ghost story) and paranormal chick-lit will eat right up!

Grade: A-

Maybe This Time is now out!

Source: Publisher/Publicity firm. This Nicole/St. Martin's Press!

And now for the part you all have been waiting for: THE GIVEAWAY! :)

Thanks to Nicole and St. Martin's Press, I have ONE copy of Maybe this Time to giveaway to one of my U.S. or Canada readers.

To enter, please fill out the following form. Though as with any contest there are rules:

~ Must be 13 years or older to enter. (Though please be aware that this is an adult read and does contain references to sexual activities and (present but very mild) sex scenes, as well as a range of colorful language at times.)
~ Open to US and Canada only.
~ This giveaway will close on September 14th at 12:00 PM Eastern.

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER.*

The Ivy by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Congratulations! You have been admitted to the most prestigious university in the world. Now what are you going to do?

Callie Andrews may not have money or connections or the right clothes, and she may have way too many complications in her love life, what with—

Gregory

the guy she loves to hate

Evan

the guy she'd love to forget

Clint

the guy she'd love to love

and Matt

the guy she really should love

—all vying for her attention.

But she has three fantastic roommates (best friends or her worst nightmare?) and a wholesome California-girl reputation (oops) and brains and beauty and big, big dreams.

Will it be enough to help her survive freshman year at Harvard?

Review:

I've been dying to read The Ivy ever since I first heard of way back in '09, and I have to say, now that I've read it, it was well-worth the wait. No doubt about it.

To me, The Ivy is like Gossip Girl goes to college meets Lauren Conrad's L.A. Candy series with just a bit more substance then both of those reads have combined, which left it to be a mix I absolutely adored!

The Ivy tells the tale of Callie, a girl who's just about to start her first year at the highly prestigious Harvard University. In high school Callie used to be one of the most popular girls there; she never had any trouble making friends, getting the good grades, and having all the boys drooling over her, and she expects to collage to be the same way of course. Though, as she is soon about to find out, it won't be that easy, because first of all she has three kooky but somewhat lovable roommates, but is one out to ruin her reputation? Second of all, her boyfriend of several years has just broken up with her, but is he hiding a major secret? Third, she has Harvard's queen bee out to get her as well. Last of all, she's having boy trouble, major, major boy trouble. You see, not only does she have an ex who she can't seem to get out of her mind, but she has Gregory, the guy who loves to make her mad, Matt, the sweet, nerdy, and charming boy who has a heart of gold, and Clint, the rich socialite who she would do anything to really, really love. Now, it seems that freshman year will be anything but simple. Though, will she be able to survive it? Only time will tell!

I really, really liked Callie. She was funny, sweet, and all around good person, though that never stopped me from wanting to shake some sense into her sometimes, which made her even more lovable in my eyes. I enjoyed seeing her have hobbies besides just chasing boys around. Also, I found her three roommates to be absolutely hysterical; my favorite out of the three, though, would have to be Mimi. Further more, it always proved to be interesting to see Callie go through her days at Harvard because it never failed to provide drama, drama, and some laughter, but the one thing that made Callie the most relatable and someone I never ceased to root for, in my opinion, was her ability to make mistakes and learn from them; it's an important quality to have I have to say. Plus, this wouldn't be a complete if I didn't talk about the boys at least once. Matt was amazing, by far one of my favorite's of Callie's guys. I especially liked his expose about sexism at Harvard because it really was eye-opening and made me think. Further more, Gregory was swoon-worthy and sarcastic, though he was imperfect in almost all ways when it came to dealing with his possible liking of Callie. Also, my favorite non-Callie boy was OK, who was just a complete riot.

Besides the characters, my other favorite part of The Ivy was its setting, because I loved the fact that Kunze and Onur included some of Harvard's history, legacies, and clubs among other tidbits in it.

Further more, the plot was filled with fun and drama, and when mixed with the easy-going writing, it was easy to fall right into this book and finish in a few short hours. I especially loved how while it was told from Callie's third person narrative, it also included little snippets from the other characters lives because it always seemed to provide a new little twist.

I'm not really one to say whether or not it did an accurate job of portraying college life because of the fact I'm still in high school, but from what I've read from other reviews by people who have experienced college life, it seems to them at least that it does a good job of portraying the social and study part of it.

In all, The Ivy proves to be the perfect breezy end of summer read and a new series to keep an eye out for because I have a feeling it can only get better and better from here.

Grade: A-

The Ivy will be released August 31, 2010.

Source: Publicist at HarperCollins. Thanks, Melissa!

In My Mailbox: Week 85

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi at The Story Siren.

For Review:

Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles (Such an AMAZING follow-up!!! I think it was even better than Leaving Paradise. Be sure to check back for my review next week. Thanks, Flux!)

Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook (Very cute chick-lit from the author of Must Love Dogs (Have you seen the movie adaption? It's great! Anyhow, be sure to check back for a review soon!)

Kiss Me Deadly edited by Trisha Telep (I was so excited to receive this one, but it's only okay so far so I'm hoping it'll get better. Thanks, Nicole!)

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan (I read it as soon as I got it and let me tell you, it was so good. Defiantly one of my favorite books of '10 and very similar to something Sarah Dessen or Meg Cabot would write. Anyhow, be sure to lookout for my review, as well as a contest for the book, coming soon! Thanks, Selena!)

When I Was Joe by (It's really good so far! Thanks, Jessica!)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (So excited about this one, even though I haven't read Catching Fire yet (I know, I'm so bad!) Thanks, Natalie! )

Solid by Shelley Workinger (Looks really good! Thanks, Shelley!)

The Brave Escape of Edith Wharton by Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge (Surprise package and it actually looks quite interesting! Thanks, Clarion Books!)

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler (I've heard so many amazing things about this one so I can't wait to read it! Thanks, Graphia!)

Won from Mavie at The Bookologist:

Take the Reins by Jessica Burkhart (Looks cute! Thanks, Mavie & S&S!)

Swag from author Denise Jaden (Thanks so much Denise!):

~ Losing Faith Bookmarks to put with books I giveaway here and some to put out at the library were I volunteer at.

~ Got Faith? Stickers (Not shown, but they are supper cute!)

~ Assorted bookmarks for other authors and their books (including Freefall by Mindi Scott, a book I'm dying to read!)

~ Book plate for Losing Faith and Mistwood

~ A note from Denise

In all, a great week book and swag wise!

On another note, I will be starting school tomorrow. Oh, the horror of it all! And while I'll not only be sleep deprived and up to my head in work until next June (Cue *sigh*), I'll still be around in blogging world as much as I can (and given the fact I already have posts scheduled through mid October you won't be getting rid of me for a while ;). Please be patient with me if you send me an email, though, because it will probably take a day or two for me to answer them with school and everything. But for now, wish be luck, because quite frankly I need it. haha. :)

Anyhow, enough about me, what did you get this week? Anything cool? Let me know in the comments and feel free to link to your IMM posts in the comments, so I can check them out.

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

Summary/Cover Image from Goodreads:

Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

Review:

Ever since reading Mara Purhagen's fantastic first novel Tagged, I've been eager to read more by her, so when Past Midnight (her newest novel and a paranormal mystery at that!) showed up in my mailbox I was beyond ecstatic. And as it turned out that was just the right emotion to be feeling, because Past Midnight is an unputdownable ghostly paranormal read that I can't suggest highly enough for all you paranormal lovers out there!

From the first page the reader is thrown into the world of Charlotte Silver, a girl who has never been exactly normal thanks to her famous paranormal investigator parents. But this year, Charlotte's senior year, is going to be different; she's going to be normal. Because not only have her parents agreed to stay in one place for the year but she's already making friends at her new school. But as it turns out everything is soon to unravel. Because not only is she being stalked by scary paranormal beings, but her friends are getting closer and closer to finding out about Charlotte's parents occupation and she just can't have that now, can she? So now she's on the path to find out who (or perhaps what) is stalking her and how she can get rid of them once for all, but when her friends find out about everything, will they stick by her side? More importantly: will she make it out of high school alive? And most important of all: Will she EVER be normal? Only time can tell in this rich paranormal mystery by Ms. Purhagen.

Charlotte was a character I loved reading about, because, quite frankly, she was a pretty interesting girl. I especially loved the way she would go out of her to help her new friends, and the way she grew to understand that no one is normal or perfect for the matter, that you should just roll with the punches and live your life. My favorite secondary character out of the mix would have to be a tie between Avery and Noah, because both were characters that were not only fun to read about but ones I respected as well. 

The plot of this was nothing short of fun, though why wouldn't it be? I loved the way Mara intertwined facts about paranormal investigating right along with the ghostly sub-plot, because paranormal investigating is a topic I always love to read more about. Making Past Midnight even better in my eyes was Mara's writing, which moved  in a fun, fast paced sort of way, just like in Tagged.

In all, Past Midnight is a ghostly paranormal mystery and a fantastic start to a new series that I highly suggest you pick up the next time you see it in stores or online.

Grade: A-

Past Midnight is now out!

Source: Author. Thanks, Mara!

Miss Match by Wendy Toliver

Summary/Cover Image from Author's Website:

Has this miss finally found her match?

Sasha Finnegan has always had a knack for setting people up, and at sixteen, she's turned her talent into an online business, molding high school crushes into true love.

But Sasha finds her toughest match yet when hottie Derek Urban asks her to set him up with Sasha's gorgeous sister, Maddie. It's not that Derek isn't a good catch. In fact, after spending so much time with him, Sasha can't help but think he's perfect -- for her, that is.

Can Sasha push her feelings aside for the sake of her business? Or has this miss finally found her match?

Review:

Miss Match is definitely one of my favorite Simon Romantic Comedies out of the ones I've read so far, if not my absolute favorite. I mean, it was such a cute and funny teen romance read, one that I truly couldn't put down even for even a second once I began. Sure, it's not the most unique read out there, but it was cute and just the read I needed after several darker books I had read prior.

Sasha has always been known as the girl to go to when you need help getting together with your current crush, so now that she's in need for money, she's using this fact to use since she decides to start her own matchmaking business. Though, Sasha soon learns matchmaking isn't always as fun as looks when she's asked to hook up her sort of crush with her sister, and with the more time she spends with him, she's starting to realize he may just be the guy for her, not her sister. But what's a matchmaker to do when she faces this sort of problem? Sasha has no clue but she's sure to find out.

Sahsa was a protagonist that was easy to relate to from the get-go because for the most part she's just an ordinary girl. She worries about her weight (what girl doesn’t?), she kind of always feels like she's inferior to her older and more popular sister, and she's worried that the guy she likes may not like her back. Also, she's pretty funny, making her a great protagonist to lead Miss Match. I liked her love interest Derek at lot as well. He was sweet, funny, and just oh-so-adorable, basically the typical lead male in these types of stories.

One of my favorite parts about Miss Match was Sasha's matchmaking business because to be honest I just about love all stories that include matchmaking. I mean, it's just so fun to read about all the different situations a matchmaker faces in their business. Plus, when matchmaking is involved it's almost always includes funny chaos as well.

Wendy Toliver's writing was pretty great and it never ceased to bring the story fully to life. I can't wait to read more by her!

In all, if you're looking for a funny and romantic read, look no further because Miss Match is the book for you!

Grade: B+

Miss Match is now out!

Source: Author. Thanks, Wendy! :)

The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos

Summary/Cover Image from Amazon's Website:

To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves.

Review:

The Emerald Talisman is a book I've been looking forward to reading for quite a while now. Simply because everything I've heard about it has been nothing but praise, so when it finally did end up in my hands I was nothing short of ecstatic, but then the beginning came, and I was torn and so close to giving up because of the first couple of chapters. Luckily, two amazing things happened and they fortunately were the middle and the end- two parts that made the lackluster beginning so worth it and the last of the two left me with only one comment: I want to read the sequel as soon as possible!

The Emerald Talisman is the story of Julia Parker, a girl who craves to be normal after a freak accident took away her mother and left her with a huge awareness of what people are feeling at any time. Luckily, she's established a life as normal as she can have with the help of her best friends and her remaining family, but that all changes the night her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere at nighttime. Left with only two choices, she picks the second, one that leaves her in harms way and changes her life forever. But when she learns more than she could have ever imagined from this night, will she use it to good use? Only more time and more pages will tell in this captivating tale of love, mystery, and vampires.

Julia was a character I found likable for the most part. She was smart, a good friend, and never backed down without a good fight, though I found some of her choices throughout The Emerald Talisman to be a little irrational and silly, but it made for good plot so who am I to complain? Also, I really liked seeing how she used her psychic powers. Nicholas, her love interest, was another character I found interesting and surprising to read about. I especially adored reading about his relationship with Julia, even though it was one of those relationships that are a little too rushed for my liking. But without a doubt I'm really looking forward to reading more about each in the sequel coming this December.

Even though I wasn't too found of the beginning, once this book gained momentum and established a steady, intriguing plot, I was quite simply hooked. I loved the new spin Brenda put to this vampire world, and the way she always provided a new spin to the story that caught me of guard. I simply can't wait to read more by her!

The only other thing I disliked about this book besides the beginning was the lack of depth in some of the secondary characters. In all honesty, it was hard for me to tell the difference between Julia's friends at times because,with the exception of Katie, they all blended together at one point or another.
In all, The Emerald Talisman proves to be a worthwhile and addicting read once you get past the mediocre beginning!

Grade: B

The Emerald Talisman is now out! To find out more about Brenda and her books be sure to check out my past interview with her.

Source: Eleni at La Femme Readers' blog tour. Thanks, Eleni & Brenda!

Waiting On Wednesday (89)

My pick this week is:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (January 11, 2011)

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.  (Cover from Amazon/summary from Goodreads. May not be final; if changed I'll correct it here.)

This one looks like it's going to be epic and possible one of my favorite books of '11 if my predication is, in fact, correct. I mean, not only do I think the premise sounds pretty spiffy but the cover is stunning with a capital S. Now all I have to do is waiting for January 2011 to get here. :)

*Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking The Spine*

Guest Post: The Familiars

Purchase your own copy of THE FAMILIARS
September 7th!

Today, Andrew Jacobson, co-author of the The Familiars, is here to talk about the different research he does for his novels, and how he may just secretly enjoy it, even the part were listening to Taylor Swift and watching the CW is involved...

“Why I Read Twilight, Watch Gossip Girl, and Listen to Justin Bieber…”

by Andrew Jacobson

It’s research. At least that’s what I tell friends and family who ask why I’m reading the Twilight books, or watching the CW, or listening to tween pop music. Yes, I’m a man in my early thirties. I’m married with a kid on the way. But for much of my career I wrote teen comedy movies and for MTV, and now I have transitioned into writing fantasy middle grade fiction. So it’s not entirely a stretch when I justify my tendencies toward adolescent entertainment as research for work. And what an awesome job I have, creating stories for an audience of tastemakers, many of who aren’t even old enough to have a driver’s license.

It’s true, I have to stay current on what kind of pop culture the pre-teen and teen demo are consuming. My secret… my hidden shame… is that I actually like it. I’m a superfan of Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. I never miss an episode of American Idol or Glee. I listen to Taylor Swift (when my wife isn’t in the car). A perusal of my bookshelf or DVD collection or car CD player might give the impression that they belonged to a tweenager. But alas, they are the property of a fantasy football playing, red meat eating, superhero loving dude who also happens to enjoy The Hills. I don’t know if I’ll ever outgrow my affinity for youthful diversion. Just know that if you find me standing in line for Breaking Dawn… it’s research.

ADAM JAY EPSTEIN spent his childhood in Great Neck, New York, while ANDREW JACOBSON grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but the two met in a parking garage out in Los Angeles. They have been writing for film and television together ever since. The Familiars is their first book.

One day, Adam asked Andrew, “Are you familiar with what a familiar is?” And from that simple question, Vastia was born, a fantastical world filled with the authors’ shared love of animals and magic. They wrote every word, sentence, and page together, sitting opposite each other.Adam Jay Epstein lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jane, their daughters, Penny and Olive, and a black-and-white alley cat who hangs out in their backyard.

Andrew Jacobson lives with his wife, Ashley, and their dog, Elvis, four traffic lights away.THE FAMILIARS will be produced for film by Sam Raimi and Sony Animation.

You can learn more about The Familiars at http://www.thefamiliars.com/.

And have you seen the book trailer yet? If not, check it out below. :)

Grace by Elizabeth Scott

Summary/Cover Image taken from Publisher's Website:

Grace was raised to be an Angel, a herald of death by suicide bomb. But she refuses to die for the cause, and now Grace is on the run, daring to dream of freedom. In search of a border she may never reach, she travels among malevolent soldiers on a decrepit train crawling through the desert. Accompanied by the mysterious Kerr, Grace struggles to be invisible, but the fear of discovery looms large as she recalls the history and events that delivered her uncertain fate.

Told in spare, powerful prose by acclaimed author Elizabeth Scott, this tale of a dystopian near future will haunt readers long after they've reached the final page.

Review:

Grace. There's so much to say, yet I don't think I could ever say enough to justify how amazing and powerful this one book is. It's disturbing, heartbreaking, and yet so beautifully written and eye-opening, you can't help but get caught up in this dystopian tale of life and death and what makes you choose which will be your path in the end.

From the first page, you are transported into Grace's world, a world of chaos and a sick leader controlling it all. Grace is an Angel; though don't let the title make you think she's a heavenly being. You see, an Angel is a suicide bomber used to kill government officials and show that those people won't be in power forever, but Grace took a different root; she escapes, not dying and completing the cause. So now she's on the run with the mysterious Kerr, someone who may have just as much to loose as her, someone who may understand her even though they're far from being the same person.

In Grace's world, she would be viewed as a coward, but to me I viewed her as being an extremely brave and daring person, someone who goes well past the limit on the road not taken to get to the world she wants and knows is best for her. Kerr, oh the mysterious Kerr, is someone who constantly introduced new things that made me, as well as Grace's character, re-think everything I had thought about their world and see new parts that I hadn't seen and understood fully before.

The premise of this was something fresh, and I have to say I don't think I've ever read or heard about anything just like Grace. The execution of the premise was even better, because it constantly had me on the edge of my seat dying to know what big revelation would be revealed next to make me re-think my thoughts on the characters and world they lived in. Also, I liked the discussion this novel held about life and death and everything in between. It was interesting and part of the reason why I'm still thinking of this novel days after reading it.

And this review wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention Scott's fantastic writing at least once, so... Elizabeth Scott is an excellent writer, one that never fails to show her tremendous wealth as a storyteller through the range of different topics she chooses that never fail to be well delivered. She's a writer I admire greatly, one I can't help but want to read more by as soon as possible.

Out of all the fabulous 2010 books this year, Grace is the one you should definitely pick up no matter what. It's fantastic, disturbing, and eye-opening- a book I'm still thinking about days after reading it. Overall, this is one of the best of the year; no doubt about it.

Grade: A+

Grace will be released September 16, 2010.

Source: Publisher. Thanks, Penguin!

In My Mailbox: Week 84 + Winners

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.

For Review:

Loco Motive by Mary Daheim (Surprise review copy. I haven't read the first 24 books in this series so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this.)

Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram (So excited about this one! It looks ah-MAZING! Thanks, Kelly!)

From The Emerald Tailsman Blog Tour:

The Emberald Tailsman by Brenda Pandos + bookmark (Looking forward to reading this one.)

From Library:

My Boyfriends' Dogs by Dandi Daley Mackall (Looks like a really cute read!)

Bought from Library Book Sale:

Eyes Of Crow (Aspect of Crow, #1) by Jeri Smith-Ready

Voice Of Crow (Aspect of Crow, #2) by Jeri Smith-Ready

The Reawakened (Aspect of Crow, #3) by Jeri Smith-Ready

They all were only $2.00 each (plus tax) and since I adored Jeri's YA Debut (Shade) I decided to get them as well.

Birthday Presents that were books:

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (Looks so good!)

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel (I've heard the best things about this book.)

Won from Allison at Read Into This!:

Sticky Fingers by Niki Burnham (I really enjoyed Niki's Royally Jacked series so I'm excited to start thins one!)

Lush by Natasha Friend (Really enjoyed Natasha's For Keeps so I'm looking forward to reading this one and Perfect.)

Perfect by Natasha Friend (Same as above!)

Overall, I had a pretty great week book-wise.

Also, since I have a few past giveaway winners to announce I thought I would do it now. So.....

Winner of What's Your Status? is

Renahe (already claimed prize)

Winner of Her Fearful Symmetry is

Angela L

Congrats you two! Didn't win? Well, there's still time to enter the C.A. Belmond giveaway as well as my Birthday one. Links are above! Also, I have several contests coming up shortly! :)

Review: A Field Guide for Heartbreakers by Kristen Tracy

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

When high school seniors Dessy and Veronica arrive in Prague for prestigious college writers program led by Veronica’s novelist mother, their priorities aren’t quite in sync. Dessy, still fragile from a recent jilting, has come to heal her broken heart and hone her writing skills. (Not that strapping creative writing majors aren’t welcome company.) Her gorgeous best friend Veronica, on the other hand, has just inexplicably dumped her devoted boyfriend and plans to blow off the workshop. Leave the craft of fiction to egomaniacs like her mom. Veronica aims to master a different art—boys.

To Dessy’s dismay, Veronica gets right to work on her “man-wall”—one paper cutout for every hot-dude she meets—and zealously embarks on her mission to cover one entire wall of their dorm with hot-dudes by the end of the program. In spite of herself, Dessy sometimes wonders if her friend might be some kind of genius. Veronica’s man-wall is blossoming like mad, and thanks to her heart-breaker’s sage guidance, it looks like Dessy might have a real shot at beguiling her #1 hot-dude, Waller Dudek. At other times, Veronica seems more like an agent of chaos. By the end of their first week, a homicidal suitemate is bent on killing Veronica and Dessy, Operation Waller has taken an absurd turn, and both girls are hiding secrets that could wreck their friendship.

Well, no one ever said heartbreaking was a simple art...

Review:

I'll admit it now that this just was not the book for me one bit. Going into this, I was expecting a cute and funny romance, something similar to the greatness contained in Elizabeth Rudnick's Tweet Heart, but sadly enough, this summer YA read just fell short for me in the cute and funny scales. Instead it measured quite high on the boring and blah ones. Though, don't get me wrong, I didn't HATE it necessarily, but I didn't find it all that great either, but before I get to that, let me tell you what it's about...

It's been a couple of weeks since Dessy got her heart broken by her college-bound and now ex-boyfriend, and while everyone's telling her she should get over it and hunt for more fishes in the sea, she just can't. She wants him back more than ever, actually, even though he was a huge jerk to her in many areas.

Her best friend Veronica is facing similar problems involving a break-up, but instead of viewing this as a set back, Veronica's taking everything she can get and doing everything she can to get back in the game of dating. Which involves conquering all the hot, young, and eligible guy's of Prague and creating a man wall of them during her and Dessy's one month writing retreat, and before Dessy can say no, she's recruited as well into this scheme of hot guys, but when Dessy meets two guys who she finds adorable, will she be able to tell which one is the one for her deep down? But with her ex-boyfriend calling, will she say no to both and settle for him? Only time and more pages will tell in A Field Guide for Heartbreakrs by Kristin Tracey.

Let's start with Dessy, our lovely main character. Dessy is one of those girls who has a problem of not speaking up to herself when it comes to her parents, Veronica, ex-boyfriend, and basically everyone in her life, and that annoyed me and tarnished my other feelings for her right of the bat. I mean, she was okay, but that quality of her just bothered me to no end, as it would with any character in a book, no matter who the author is or how great the plot is. Making this even worse, I just couldn't relate to her, which was just the icing on the cake for me. I did like Veronica for most of the better half of the beginning and the last couple of chapters because I found her to be funny and interesting. But in the middle I lost interest in her because she provided to be one messed-up emotionally teenage girl who was a just a bit too manipulative and made one too many stupid decisions involving guys. Though, I did really like some of the other characters for the whole book, including Veronica's mother and the boys, especially Roger.

The one thing that did save A Field Guide for Heartbreakers a bit in my eyes was the setting. I loved Prague and the way the reader got to see it and learn about its history right along with the characters. I also enjoyed the fact that Dessy and Veronica's writing class was a big part of the book as well. Because the stories and situations provided always were interesting and funny.

Lastly, while Tracy's writing was decent and enjoyable, I often felt she didn't dig deep enough into her characters, and that left for dragged on periods of time in the story.

In all, A Field Guide for Heartbreakers is a decent story, and one that you may possibly love, but it just wasn't the right read for me at this time. And the biggest question of all: Will I be reading more by Tracy? I'm not sure yet. I mean, I do I have anther one of her books in my TBR pile and her 2011 release does sound pretty snazzy, so maybe I will give her books another chance.

Grade: C-

A Field Guide for Heartbreakers is now out!

Source: Publicist. Thanks, Atoosa!

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies by Andrea Beaty

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

When Joules and Kevin Rockman’s parents drop them off at Camp Whatsitooya on their way to an International Spamathon, the twins expect a summer of marshmallows, campfires, and canoe trips. What they do not expect is to defend the earth from an invasion of sugar-addicted, murderous, seven-foot-tall rabbits from another galaxy. Happily, the Rockman twins, veteran watchers of the Late, Late, Late Creepy Show for Insomniacs, are unusually well-prepared for dealing with monstrous beings from outer space. If only their fellow campers were so lucky.

Andrea Beaty, author of several very funny picture books and a mysterious novel, here reaches new heights of hilarity and verbal dexterity in a novel sure to become a camp—ba-dum-dum—classic.

Review:

There's not many words that would accurately describe Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies besides bizarre, yet it's a book that I can totally see being eaten up by middle grade readers, especially boy ones, everywhere because I also have to admit it's quite funny and original.

As Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies begins Joules and Kevin Rockman are expecting one boring week at the summer camp were their parents are drooping them of at. Though, the one good thing about is that they won't have to go to the annual spam festival with their spam-fanatic parents, but as it turns out this week will prove to unforgettable, because also at the camp are crazed, fluffy bunnies from another planet who only have on thing in mind- human domination. Now it's up to Joules, Kevin, and their new friend to stop these fluffy bunnies before it's too late.

This novel was a very quick read and I have to say I enjoyed every minute of it because it proved be humorous and always have a new twist that changed everything. I especially liked the fact that it included comic panels to tell parts of the story, as well as ads for different objects. As mentioned before, the premise of this was kick-butt and the execution was even more so, because when Andrea's writing was mixed together with Dan's drawings, it ended up becoming one un-put-a-down-able read.

While the characters were not the most developed ones out there, they still were ones that I knew enough about to enjoy reading about their adventures. Also, I feel that they were ones who most middle grade readers would be able to find someone to relate to out of the mix.

In all, Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies was a cute and funny read that I enjoyed.

Grade: C+

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies is now out!

Source: Publisher. Thanks, Amulet!

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Haven Moore can't control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother's house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

Review:

After finishing The Eternal Ones, I could only think of one word and that word was "WOW!" Simply because The Eternal Ones is by far one of my favorite reads of 2010 so far. I mean, it has nearly has everything needed to hook a reader- a steamy romance, believable and relatable characters, an intriguing and well executed premise, and excellent storytelling that never ceases to transport you to the world contained inside the pages of The Eternal Ones.

The Eternal Ones tells the story of Haven Moore, a girl who couldn't fit less into her hometown if she tired. You see, ever since Haven was a little girl she's had visions of a past life, ones that have marked her as having the devil inside her, thanks to her overly religious grandma and priest. Though, at least she has her best friend Beau, the dressmaking business the two share, and a one-stop ticket to New York City to tie her over with. But soon enough her plan comes to shambles when she faints at the sight of Ian Morrow, epic playboy and the guy who's played a part in all of Haven's past visions. And before she knows it, she's off  to find Ian and find out what her visions mean, even though she knows it won't be a small feat.

Even though Haven annoyed me to no end at times with her silly decisions and her tendency to trust people too easily, she definitely was a character I adored and rooted for. One of the things I liked most about her character was the fact that she actually had a hobby that meant a lot to her, and it played a fairly big part in the story. Also, her romance with Ian was, without a doubt, the definition of steamy, though I personally would have loved more development into Ian's character, because he was a little too one dimensional for my taste. I mean, during the whole story, I don't think I ever knew nearly as much about him as I knew about Haven and even Beau. Lastly, while I really liked Haven, my favorite character would have to be Beau. He was such a hilarious sidekick, one that I would love to have in my own life.

The plot of this was action packed, and once begun The Eternal Ones is a book that needs to be read in one night because it's just that good. Well, in my opinion anyway. I also loved how The Eternal Ones talked a lot about reincarnation because I always find it to be an interesting topic to read about. Further more, I loved the little twists and turns Kirsten always threw in because they always had me re-guessing my previous predictions over and over again.

In all, The Eternal Ones is one fantastic and spellbinding book that I can't help but highly suggest, and I  can't wait to read the sequel!

Grade: A-

The Eternal Ones is now out!

Source: Publisher. Thanks, Penguin!

Waiting On Wednesday: The Contemps Addition

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Have you heard aboutThe Contemps yet? If not, here's some info about them straight from their website:

We're the Contemps, a group of YA authors with contemporary novels releasing over the course of a year. We are passionate about realistic fiction because these are the books that remind us we're not alone in this real world. Our mission is simple - to spotlight contemporary fiction for young adults through blog posts, author events, and (over)sharing from our teen years.

Very Cool, huh?

Anyhow, I thought since they just launched their website I would spotlight a few of their releases I'm really looking forward to, and since I'm excited about all of them I decided I would only spotlight the newest ones I've heard about lately.

For example, Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt? It sounds funny and oh so amazing! I simply can't wait!

Payton Gritas needs a focus object—something to focus her emotions on after discovering that her father’s been hiding his multiple sclerosis. Her guidance counselor suggested something inanimate but Payton chooses the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold’s head. They’ve been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas, it’s an alphabetical order thing), but she’s never really noticed him before. Payton starts stalking—er, focusing on—Sean’s big blond head, and her research quickly grows into something a little less scientific and a lot more crush-like. As Payton gets inside Sean’s head, Sean finds a way into her guarded heart. But obsessing over Sean won’t fix Payton’s fear of her dad’s illness. For that, she’ll have to focus on herself.


Back When You Were Easier to Love. Amazing cover, much? It sounds great as well, and the cover? LOVE IT! :)

WHO ZAN IS: Blow-your-mind brilliant. Stop-your-heart gorgeous. Hold-your-breath clever. WHO ZAN WAS: Joy’s boyfriend. WHY JOY NEEDS HIM BACK: So she can breathe again. WHAT THAT MEANS: An elaborate road trip involving a SAAB 900, Sprite, and Barry Manilow. Oh, and Noah, Zan’s irritating-but-almost-charming ex-best friend. Original and insightful, quirky and crushing, Joy’s story is told in surprising and artfully shifting flashbacks between her life then and her life now. Exquisite craft and wry, relatable humor signal the arrival of Emily Wing Smith as a breakout talent.

Next is Want to Go Private by Sarah Darer Littman. It dosen't have a cover, but it sounded too spectacular to skip, and since I loved Sarah's previous book Life, After, I just know I'm going to love this one as well.

When Abby meets Luke online, she can’t believe her luck. He’s nice. He’s funny. He listens to her and he thinks she’s pretty. He even gets jealous of other guys, which is adorable. Without Luke, Abby’s not sure how she’d make it through her first year of high school. Everyone, including her mom and her best friend, Faith, tells Abby that if she just made more of an effort, she’d be having fun instead of dreading each and every day as if it’s a prison sentence. But there’s nothing fun about being the lowest link in the social food chain. Abby knows she’s not supposed to chat with random guys online. But Luke isn’t random, and he isn’t a stranger. Best of all, he really loves her. So what if she never goes out with her friends anymore and her grades are slipping? All she needs is Luke. Luke is her secret, and she’s his — it’s perfect that way. So when Luke suggests that they meet each other in person, Abby agrees. And then she’s gone. Missing. Without a trace. And everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don’t, they’ll never see Abby again.

Last but not least is Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler. Okay, I admit it, I've heard about this one a long, long time ago, but the cover is too good not to buzz about, and the premise makes it sound great!

"We all long for what could have been."

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart. She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition. Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

I could go on for a least ten more books but I'll stop myself for now, and tell you to head on over here to check out the Contemps' website to find out more about them and their books. And be sure to take a look at the Contemp Challange!

*All covers and summaries taken from http://www.thecontemps.com/*

My Wickedly Awesome Birthday Contest!

As you may or many not know today is my birthday, and let me tell you, I'm quite excited because I'm still at the time in my life were getting old is fun not scary. ;)

Anyhow, because it's my birthday and I never did celebrate my blogoversary with a contest, I've decided to have "My Wickedly Awesome Birthday Contest!", which includes several books (arcs and finished copies, out and not out) as well some swag and maybe even a surprise or two.

Here's what you can win:

~ An ARC of The Ivy by Laure Kunze and Rina Onur (Which is not out yet and INCREDIBLY AMAZING! It's my new favorite series!)

~ An ARC of Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti (Not my favorite Colasanti read but it was still pretty good)

~ A finished copy of The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott (Not my favorite Scott read but it was good in it's own ways)

~ An ARC of The Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block (Not out until late September but it's really good!)

So, would you like to enter? Well, fill out the following form below and the sooner the better because this contest closes one week from today.

Also, as with any contest there are rules:

~ There will be ONE winner only.
~ Must be 13 or older to enter.
~ Internationally Open!! :)
~ Don't comment below to enter or you will not be entered!
~ The contest will close on August 24th at 12:00 PM Eastern.

Exclusively Chloe by J.A. Yang

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Chloe-Grace can’t help it—she’s spectacular. How could she not be with celebrity parents who have been the queen and king of Hollywood for years? And Chloe is a celebrity all unto herself as well— she’s the first celebrity-adopted kid in Hollywood. But now Chloe’s sixteen, and she is tired of every undesired moment of the world’s attention. She wonders what it would be like to be a “normal” kid in a regular school. To really understand it, though, she would need to go undercover. So after getting a “make-under” at the hands of her mother’s fabulous stylist, she enters the “real” world. But she soon finds out that there is just as much drama there as there is in Hollywood….

Review:

This has been in my TBR pile for ages now and I'm not really sure why, because as it turns out, Exclusively Chloe is a fun, savvy, and start studded coming of age tale, one that was highly enjoyable.

Exclusively Chloe opens up just as Chloe is learning about her parent's divorce from a celeb magazine. It's quite the understatement to say that she's shocked, because all her life she's felt that her parents were truly going to be celebs that would stick it out for the long run. Especially given the fact that they adopted Chloe to show the world how truly much they loved each other. Though, that's not the case anymore, since with her mom's new love of dating, her dad's infidelity coming out from every angel, and the fact that their lives are being splashed across every magazine known to man, it's easy to see that things may never be the same. And with the chaos Chloe's life is right now, as well as the fact she just made an alarming discovery, she decides it's the best time to go undercover and find out what it means to be a normal teen. Though, will every problem in her life suddenly go away? Only time and pages will tell.

Chloe was a character that was funny, sweet, and just overall a good person, even if wasn't always the nicest one before. I especially liked the fact that while she was the child of two very famous people, she never was exactly snobby or shoved her wealth in people's faces. I also enjoyed seeing her path on finding out who she was and how her birth parents come into play in the future. Further more, I really liked Jack, Chloe's love interest, he was sweet, though I felt that he, as well as some of the secondary characters, could have been more developed.

In addition, I loved how Exclusively Chloe mixed together the serious parts of life and the not so serious parts to make a well-rounded novel. Though, I think I would have enjoyed this novel even more if Chloe possibly went further into discovering her Chinese heritage.

J.A. Yang's writing always moved smoothly and made the story addicting. He's someone I'm really looking forward to reading more by in the future.

In all, Exclusively Chloe is a great debut!

Grade: B

Exclusively Chloe is now out!

Source: Author/Publisher. Thanks, J.A. / Penguin!

In My Mailbox: Week 84

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.

From a Once Upon a Read-a-Thon Contest:

The Season of Risks (Ethical Vampire Novel) by Susan Hubbard

The Society of S (Ethical Vampire Novel) by Susan Hubbard

The Year of Disappearances (Ethical Vampire Novel) by Susan Hubbard

I'm looking forward to reading all three!

For Review:

Greek: Double Date by Marsha Warner (I've never seen the TV show for this, but it looks like a really cute/quick read. Thanks, Tricia!)

Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie (I've never read anything by Jennifer before, but it supposedly a ghost story, and I LOVE ghost stories, so hopefully this is the book for me. Thanks, Nicole!)

Beautiful Dead: Arizona by Eden Maguire (The first Beautiful Dead book was kind of iffy, though I'm willing to give this one a try. Thanks, Paul!)

The Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green (Looks really cute! Thanks, Paul!)

Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft (I've heard such amazing things about this one, so I can't wait to start it! Thanks, HMC!)

From HarperTeen Sweepstakes:

A lovely yet kind of wrinkly I am Number Four T Shirt!!! (I love it! And I love the saying on the front even more.. "Three are dead... I am number four. Can't wait to see people's reactions when I wear it. :) Thanks, Harperteen!)

In all, a great week! I can't wait to wear my new T shirt and read all my new books. :)

Though, enough about me, what did you get this week? Anything exciting? Feel free to link to your IMM post in the comments.

The Emerald Talisman Tour: Quick Q and A with Brenda Pandos

Today as part of the The Emerald Talisman Tour, I have a Q and A with the author, Brenda Pandos. So without a further ado:

~~

In your opinion what are the top three reasons why teens, or even adults, should consider picking The Emerald Talisman up the next time they see it in stores or online?

In my humble (well, not really) opinion, I think they should because it’s fabulous (and Nicholas is completely amazing). Seriously though, it’s a great paranormal romance that parents of pre-teens can feel comfortable letting their daughters read and many people my age and above said they enjoyed. But don’t take my word for it.Two of my favorite fans said, “the story is cool and your vampire world building is different which is GREAT,” and “Nicholas' role in Julia's life is unlike another vampire in fiction”.

The Emerald Talisman is told from the perspective of Julia Parker, so can you tell us a little about her? Also, if you could offer her any type of advice what would you say?

Julia, an empath, has had a rocky upbringing. Her mother disappeared when she was five and her father is routely out of town on business trips, leaving her with little parental support. Now a teenager, she’s overwhelmed with the emotions of her fellow classmates, which lends
to her small friendship base and non-existent social life. Things change after Nicholas comes into her life.

Actually, I’d like to be Julia’s mother and fill that longing in her life. Then I could be there for when her heart breaks, help her manager her abilities and maybe suggest who she should trust and who she shouldn’t.

If The Emerald Talisman had a theme song what would it be?

I heard ‘I Fight For You’ by Morgan Page during my one of my editing sessions on slacker radio and fell in love with it. The beat, the drive, the words and overall feeling of the music matches the scene starting in chapter 3. Here’s my favorite lines...

Meeting you here, the night’s alight with midnight cheer
Our dust still unsettled, I feel the plucking of our petals
I’m drawing circles don’t you know, protect the seed that wants to grow
To a garden, pardon my territory
Be friendly but cautious, you’re gonna have to count your losses
Easily attracted, but dangerous to get distracted .... Not gonna share you no

Even reading them gives me chills.

What was your favorite part about writing The Emerald Talisman?

My favorite part of the process happened when the characters emerged and continued to talk even after I stepped away from my computer. I was right with them, running, feeling, chasing, fleeing, fighting. I’ll be sad when the story is over.

The original thing that drew me to find out more about The Emerald Talisman was the stunning cover. Which left me to wonder if you were involved in the process in any way? Also, what was your initial thought when you first saw it?

Actually, I’m the designer. I have a website and graphic design business, so I was allowed to design my own cover. I didn’t have a physical talisman to photograph, so I made one in my graphics program with real pictures of stones and molded the gold around them digitally. I’m actually having a replica made, so the next cover won’t be so difficult to construct. What I came up with was a hit, so we ran with it!

I read in your ‘About Me’ section on your blog that Stephenie Meyers' biography was one of the main things that inspired you to write. Which left me to wonder if there are any other authors and/or books out there that did the same?

I can’t say I’ve read a ton. In elementary school, I read most of the ‘Betsy Books’ by Carolyn Haywood and Bevery Cleary’s books. ‘Are you there God, it’s me Margaret’ by Judy Blume helped a lot with that crazy pre-teen time. Later, I was really into ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books. My most favorite series is the Annals of Lystra by Robin Hardy, the first book being ‘Chataine’s Guardian’. I would say, that story planted a seed. Stephenie’s bio was the water. Encouragement from family and friends was the sun.

What’s up next for you book wise?

The Emerald Talisman’s sequel, The Sapphire Talisman is almost completed and going to be available December 2010. I’m super excited about it and can’t wait to share the continuation of the story with my readers. There will be a third after this one.

~~~

Thanks so much, Brenda! To find out more about Brenda, as well as her book, head on over to her website.