Waiting on Wednesday (37)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature that highlights books that I am anxiously awaiting. WoW is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Transparent
by Natalie Whipple
to be published May 21st 2013 by HarperTeen

X-Men meets The Godfather; in which an invisible girl has to stop her dad—an infamous crime lord—from ruining her life.

On the run from her mind-controlling father, the infamously invisible Fiona McClean hides in a small town, hoping to finally rid herself of the crime world she has always known. But playing at “normal life” with a mother she hates, a brother she can’t trust, and a boy she can’t stand proves more difficult than she ever imagined. Soon her father is hot on her heels, and it’s up to Fiona to protect not only her family, but the friends who’ve taught her that life doesn’t have to be as lonely and cruel as she thought.

Umm.. X-Men meets the Godfather.. I feel like I could just leave it at that! But then there is the gorgeous cover and the invisible girl and the infamous crime lord and that all just screams awesome!

Happy Halloween everyone!!! What are you waiting on this Halloween? 

Two and Twenty Dark Tales Tour Stop (Interview & Giveaway)

Today I am excited to be able to bring you an interview with author C. Lee McKenzie who wrote the story Into The Sea of Dew which is a dark retelling of Blinkin, Winkin and Nod.  There is also a great chance to win an ebook, so be sure to check that out.  First here is a bit more about the book:

Two and Twenty Dark Tales
by Various Contributing Authors (Click the Goodreads link to see them all)
published October 16th 2012 by Month9Books

In this anthology, 20 authors explore the dark and hidden meanings behind some of the most beloved Mother Goose nursery rhymes through short story retellings. The dark twists on classic tales range from exploring whether Jack truly fell or if Jill pushed him instead to why Humpty Dumpty, fragile and alone, sat atop so high of a wall. The authors include Nina Berry, Sarwat Chadda, Leigh Fallon, Gretchen McNeil, and Suzanne Young.

 Interview with C. Lee McKenzie

1) Convince us to read your story in 140 words or less, twitter style!

What if you were one of four in a lifeboat? What if you were the only girl? What if you might be the last survivor?


2) What inspired you to write Into The Sea of Dew?

I've always loved the nursery rhyme, Winkin' Blinkin' and Nod and I loved the phrases like "nets of silver and gold," "that misty sea," "of crystal light" and--of course--"into the sea of dew." To me these were so beautiful. I wanted to weave some of that into the tale, so that while my version of the story would be dark, the language wouldn't be. I also have always been charmed by the idea of the three fishermen tucked inside a wooden shoe that becomes the baby's trundle bed, rocking him gently while he dreams. The fantasy seemed all the more exciting when I was little because of the connection to the real world. I could close my eyes and imagine a bed becoming a shoe cast onto an open sea. It was lovely and scary at the same time. I hoped to create that same feeling in my short story.

3) Do you have a writing room? What does it look like?

Oh yes, I do. My office is perched on the second story of our house and looks out onto a forest canyon. If you find a lot of trees or canyons in my books, that's why! As to what the room looks like I guess I'd say it's as close to being outdoors as I can make it. I have a wall of windows--it's that tree/canyon thing, you see. I have tons of books and a desk that takes up about nine feet of space. I splurged a few years ago and treated myself to a desk that would accommodate me, my writing, my cat and my almost-outdoor-writing room. I keep pictures on the wall next to my computer of my favorite places, mottos (Never Give Up is one.) and things to do. "Write Great Books" has been there for a while. If I had only three words to describe my writing room they'd be: light, hope, possibility.


4) I see that you write young adult as well as middle grade novels. How does writing one genre differentiate to the other? Do you prefer to write one more than the other?

They're very different critters in many ways, yet crafting a story for either one is still the same. You have to create fleshed out characters, have good pacing, write prose that creates images and excitement, so people will enter the story and stay there. The characters are younger in MG than YA and they have different kinds of goals and needs. What that means is the themes are very different. In MG, most kids are still trying to fit into their families or communities. In YA, teens are trying to establish their own identities, separate from their parents. I love to write both because they present different challenges and switching keeps me fresh and on my toes. When I'm writing YA I hang around the teen fringes to hear and watch. When I'm writing MG I get to play with the kids and talk.

5) What are you currently working on?

I've just sent another MG off to my readers. It's a sci-fi fun story about visitors from Murrg--a wanna be planet. I'm still into my play with the young kids mode, so I've set aside my YA manuscripts for a time, although, I have a couple with an editor who's reading them.

This or that:
A) Coffee or Tea? Coffee unless I have a cold, then it's green tea.
B) Vanilla or Chocolate? Chocolate, especially hot fudge on ice cream or Almond Rocca.
C) Paperbook or ebook? Euuu. Very hard. I love both, but crave eBooks when I travel.
D) Morning or night? Morning, hands down.
E) Cake or pie? Pie. Fresh, hot apple. I'm very Americana when it comes to my pie.
F) Peeta or Gale? Peeta.

Your writing room sounds absolutely stunning! And I totally agree that ebooks are just much more convenient when you are on the move. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!

C. Lee's Website / Facebook / Goodreads

In her other life--the one before she began writing for teens and younger readers--C. Lee was a teacher and administrator at California State University, San Jose. Her field of Linguistics and Inter-cultural Communication has carried her to a lot of places in the world to explore different cultures and languages. She can say, “Where’s the toilet?” and “I’m lost!” in at least five languages and two dialects.

Her idea of a perfect day is one or all of the following: starting a new novel, finishing writing a blockbuster novel, hiking on a misty morning trail in the Santa Cruz Mountains, saying Namaste after a great yoga practice, sipping a cappuccino topped at a bustling café, reading in front of a fire with snow outside, swimming in an ocean someplace.

Giveaway

 Winner will receive an ebook copy of A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young

Giveaway is open internationally

Fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter! 

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To see all the stops on this tour Click Here!

Sourcebooks Celebrates Halloween

It's almost Halloween! To celebrate, Sourcebooks sent me out a copy of Horrid Henry's Monster movie for me to read to my daughter and review and they have offered up a really exciting giveaway for readers.  So first off I'll share mine & Sloane's thoughts of Horrid Henry and then we'll get to the winning!

TITLE Horrid Henry's Monster Movie
AUTHOR Francesca Simon
PUBLICATION September 1st 2012 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
READ October 22, 2012
SOURCE Sourcebooks for review

Contains four stories - Horrid Henry's Monster Movie, Horrid Henry's Horrid Weekend, Horrid Henry's Grump Card, Horrid Henry's Olympics.

I hadn't realised that Horrid Henry books have been around for so long until I received Monster Movie and saw how many people reminisced about the beloved character.  Upon finishing these 4 quick stories I can see why.  Henry is a little devil and reading about the crooked situations he gets himself into was definitely interesting.  I read this to my 5 year old daughter as well as my 3 year old son and I can't even count the number of times the two of them laughed out loud.

Coming from a mother's perspective I can say that I found myself looking for a moral in these stories and longed for Henry to learn a lesson in each one and was a bit disappointed when he didn't.  But I can also say that it was refreshing to read tales that were just for fun! No deep thought went into absorbing these stories and they were strictly for fun which was, in it's own way, refreshing.

The favorite story in our household was Horrid Henry's Grump Card.  In this story there wasn't necessarily a straight forward lesson that was learned but I found my daughter raising her hand a lot and pointing out the fault in Henry's actions.  It was fun to see how she could identify right from wrong and she was shaking her finger at poor Henry.

I will be on the lookout for more of Henry's books and the kids have been asking for more as well.  I definitely recommend these cute reads for anyone looking for light, fun reads that will have your kids (and you) laughing along the way.

Giveaway

Now for the prizes! Fill out the Rafflecopter below to win these great books:

• Horrid Henry’s Monster Movie by Francesca Simon and illustrated by Tony Ross
• Horrid Henry & the Zombie Vampire by Francesca Simon and illustrated by Tony Ross
• Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin
• A Bad Day for Voodoo by Jeff Strand

This giveaway to open to residents of Canada and the US 

There will be one (1) winner of ALL four (4) books

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Book Buzzers (6)

This week it was my turn to pick the topic and in honour of Halloween week I decided to get everyone to talk about their favourite paranormal character (vampire, werewolf, Valkyrie  mermaid, immortal etc.) Watch my video to see what I picked, why I picked it and some recommendations I have for you!

What is your favourite type of character? And recommendations for me? Let me know!

Stacking the Shelves (27)

***WARNING: There is an F-Bomb dropped in this video***

Books mentioned (click title for Goodreads):

Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz & Ron Bass

Ironskin (Ironskin #1) by Tina Connolly

Something Like Normal by Trish Dollar
Pulse (Pulse Trilogy #1) by Patrick Carman
Mila 2.0 (Untitled #1) by Debra Driza

Bloggers mentioned:

Giselle from Xpresso Reads

Blythe from Finding Bliss in Books

Andrea from The Bookish Babe

Thank you to Giselle, Tor Books & HarperCollins Canada!! Also, a big thank you to Mia Castile and Jeanne Ryan for the awesome swag!

What did YOU get this week? Link me up!

This or That with Jeff Strand - Guest Post

Today I am happy to have Jeff Strand stop by the blog for a great Halloween themed This or That post.  I can't wait to read A Bad Day for Voodoo, I have heard it is the perfect blend of paranormal and comedy, which is always a welcome blend for me.  Here's a bit more about Jeff's book:

A Bad Day For Voodoo
by Jeff Strand
published June 5th 2012 by Sourcebooks

When your best friend is just a tiny bit psychotic, you should never actually believe him when he says, "Trust me. This is gonna be awesome."

Of course, you probably wouldn't believe a voodoo doll could work either. Or that it could cause someone's leg to blow clean off with one quick prick. But I've seen it. It can happen.

And when there's suddenly a doll of YOU floating around out there—a doll that could be snatched by a Rottweiler and torn to shreds, or a gang of thugs ready to torch it, or any random family of cannibals (really, do you need the danger here spelled out for you?)—well, you know that's just gonna be a really bad day ...

Guest Post

This or That (Supernatural Edition)

Find out Jeff’s preferences of all things that go against the laws of nature.

1. Who would win in a fight: a vampire or a werewolf?

Neither. I truly believe that if they just talked out their issues, they could resolve everything without having to resort to violence. Everybody's a winner!

2. Which would you rather have explode, your ear or your toe?

Every time one of my toes explodes it puts me in a crabby mood for at least a couple of days, so I'm going to say my ear.

3. DC or Marvel Comics?

Are DC and Marvel Comics supernatural? Wow. That explains everything!

4. Who would you rather fight in a battle, a magical gypsy or a zombie?

A zombie. One good poke in the head with a pitchfork and they’re no longer a problem. Whereas a magical gypsy...well, that’s where you find yourself clucking like a chicken for the rest of your life.

5. Casper or Bloody Mary?

Well, Casper the Friendly Ghost has "friendly" right there in his name, so I'd much rather fight him in a battle because he'd probably be all nice and stuff while you were beating him up.

6. Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

Is the question still who I would rather fight in a battle? Would anybody pick Mr. Hyde? I mean, that's like asking if I'd rather fight Bruce Banner or The Hulk. Of course I'd pick Dr. Jekyll--he's a total wuss. If that's not what you were asking then I might have to revise my Casper answer above.

7. Would you rather have the power transfiguration or invisibility?

Transfiguration, because not only could I change into something really cool, like a hippopotamus, but I could find a loophole in this question and transform myself into an invisible man! Ha!

8. What’s harder to find, a working pay phone or ten thousand dollars?

Though my characters are desperately searching for a pay phone at one point in the book, in real life I have a nice shiny iPhone. Not the latest model, but nice and shiny nevertheless. So it’s been several years since I’ve used a pay phone, and for all I know every pay phone in the country is covered with slime and infested by bloodthirsty wasps. But I’ve also never just found ten thousand dollars lying around. This question is too hard!!! I have to skip it!!!

9. What would make a better getaway car, a minivan or a taxi cab?

Let’s be honest—they’re both awful getaway cars. What you want is a helicopter that swoops down and picks you up. One that's just like in the movies where it doesn't make any sound until it pops up in the frame. That would be awesome.

10. Who is more dangerous, a Rottweiler or a family of cannibals?

A family of cannibals, DUR!!!

11. What’s a better weapon, a suitcase or a voodoo doll?

A suitcase filled with voodoo dolls.

12. In 137 years when robots that have taken over the earth would you hide in a junkyard or the sewers?

I feel that when robots have taken over the earth, it's not such a great idea to hide in a place that is littered with the corpses of their fallen friends. That just makes them mad. Sewers have a bad reputation, but you meet lots of interesting people down there. I'd go there even if robots hadn't taken over the earth. That's where I'm answering these questions now.

Well Jeff, I am happy you could take a minute out of your sewer exploration that you are so fond of to whip up this post. Thanks!

Do you agree with Jeff's choices? Disagree? Let me know in the comments!

Jumping Off Swings Review

TITLE Jumping Off Swings
AUTHOR Jo Knowles
PUBLICATION August 11th 2009 by Candlewick Press
READ September 02, 2012
SOURCE Purchased

One pregnancy. Four friends. It all adds up to a profound time of change in this poignant, sensitively written YA novel.

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

Jumping off Swings was a book that I bought on a whim. I was perusing my local bookstore when I saw the cover and was drawn in by the empty feeling that it gave me. The cover is the perfect pretense for the novel. It's a very quick read, clocking in at 230 pages, I read it in a single 2 hour sitting and I was completely captivated from page 1 all the way to page 230. I wasn't too sure what to get out of this, all I knew was that it was about a teenage pregnancy.

What we get within these pages is a story told in quick chapters, constantly switching POV. That seems to be a new fad, and I am slowly becoming a fan. The varying voices were distinct and I always knew who I was reading about. We have Ellie, a girl who is looking for love in all the wrong places. She is quick to trust and is so desperate to find companionship that she is constantly being let down in the worst way possible. While I will admit I was constantly shaking my head how quick she was to let a guy into her pants, I knew many girls like her growing up. The girls who took one sweet comment to mean that the guy wanted to be with her for the rest of their lives. Once her actions got her pregnant, she definitely learned her lesson on that front but I still felt for her along the way. The guy stuck in the mix with her, Josh was also a character that was very well developed. He had it rough at home and he was so lost in the situation.

Josh and Ellie have two very supportive friends in Caleb and Corinne and not only do we get to see that side of the friends but we also get to watch a very healthy teenage relationship blossom between them. Their romance was cute and served to show the more mainstream side of things as a bit of a contrast. Under the circumstances, seeing what their friends were going through, they were very hesitant and knew that they had to take things rather slowly so as to not end up in their own mess. Caleb's mom is always there as well, and she was the kind of mom I hope to be one day. She was a mom through and through but she was someone that her son and his friends could turn to when they needed advice.

In a story of teenage turbulence there are a lot of beautiful relationships that blossom in Jumping off Swings. In the short amount of pages that I absorbed I grew to feel for these characters and essentially care about their well-being. If you are on the hunt for a quick read that will actually make you feel, then pick this one up the next time you are book shopping.

Ten Review

TITLE Ten
AUTHOR Gretchen McNeil
PUBLICATION September 18th 2012 by Balzer + Bray
READ October 16, 2012
SOURCE Purchased

SHHHH!
Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend. House party.
White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Every October I find myself with the urge to take in as much horror as humanly possible. I love all of the Halloween movie marathons on television as well as the spooky decorations that begin to pop up all over town. It felt like the perfect time of year to read Gretchen McNeil's Ten. Ten is about 10 high school students going to a party on a secluded island after all being invited by the most popular girl in school. Once there things don't go exactly as planned, the weather is terrible with high winds and tons of rain and slowly accidents start happening and people start dying.

This novel kept me guessing right up until the end, which is always a welcome surprise because I find a lot of YA to be rather predictable most of the time. I really had no idea who was responsible for the murders, while I was reading it I had moments where I suspected each one of them & at other times I was certain there were paranormal forces at work. The story begins to weave together through a journal that our MC, Meg, finds in her room at White Rock House. As these threads begin to pull together, a bigger picture, that deals with some pretty heavy issues, starts to unfold. This added some great depth to the story and also to the characters.

There are 10 players in this story and they were all perfectly developed in their own way. I have seen a lot of reviews for this novel that say there is very little development as far as the characters go but I didn't feel that way at all. This was a typical slasher story to me, we had our perky perfectionist, our tough but uber sensitive jock, our joker, our snarky chick, even the mentally unstable basket case. Everyone I expected to take the stage did, and I relished every single second of it. Meg was a great character, she was a writer and was so perceptive of the happenings around her. I did get frustrated with her often for her inability to stand up for herself and what SHE wanted to Minnie, her best friend, but the explanation of why she didn't is also understandable. So that brings us to Minnie.... MINNIE.... she drove me INSANE throughout, I couldn't stand her. I know she was sick but she still grated on me something fierce.

Another issue I had with Ten was the ending, things were a bit too... pretty once all was said and done. I mean terrible things happened and tons of lives were lost but there was a bright side that was attempted to be brought out and I just couldn't feel it at all. Despite the few (small) qualms I had, I can definitely say that this novel was a fun ride and quite refreshing. I ate it up in half a day and could have easily read more.

Waiting on Wednesday (36)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature that highlights books that I am anxiously awaiting. WoW is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Things I Can't Forget
by Miranda Kenneally
to be published March 1st 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

 I am a huge fan of Miranda's and have loved both Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.  I love how all the tales could be stand alone's but fans of the series get to see the characters intermingle in the stories.  I can't wait for this one!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Embrace Review

TITLE Embrace (The Violet Eden Chapters #1)
AUTHOR Jessica Shirvington
PUBLICATION March 6th 2012 by Sourcebooks Fire
READ October 18 to 20, 2012
SOURCE Soucebooks Fire for review

It starts with a whisper: "It's time for you to know who you are..."

On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It's a battle Violet doesn't want, but she lives her life by two rules: don't run and don't quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.
LINCOLN: He's been Violet's one anchor, her running partner and kickboxing trainer. Only he never told her he's Grigori--part human, part angel--and that he was training her for an ancient battle between Angels and Exiles.
PHOENIX: No one knows where his loyalties lie, yet he's the only one there to pick up the pieces and protect her after Lincoln's lies. In a world of dark and light, he is all shades of gray.
Two sides: Angel or Exile.
Two guys: Lincoln or Phoenix.
The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity...

I always find myself quite wary going into an angel book. I'm always nervous that the story will delve too heavily into religion and that it will start to feel preachy and begin grating on my nerves. But, really, if I look back at my track record with such books it's actually been quite good. There is most often a unique spin put on everything and it often feels like religion takes a back seat to the drama and romance of the story. Embrace was no exception, the angel lore was utterly unique and the romance was downright swoon worthy. Upon finishing, I admit, I sat there and questioned myself over and over again about why I enjoyed it so much; it was pretty cliché and there was a very predominant love triangle but I think in this case those things just.... worked.

Another thing that just worked for me in Embrace is the characters. Violet was a strong, snarky chick and I really enjoyed that about her. Her flip flopping between her emotions did get the odd eye roll from me but I always have to remind myself that I am reading about a teenage girl, having been one myself, I know all too well that flip flopping and heightened emotions is definitely par for the course. She was a thinker, I didn't find that she was too hasty in her decision making, which is always a relief as well. Her best friend Steph was someone that I enjoyed in every scene as well. Her little quips were hilarious! I do feel that she was way too quick to believe everything about the angels when Vi broke the news to her, I mean it took like 5 minutes for her to believe her. I would have definitely thought she was on some hard drugs before I believed any of the story.

The real gem for me in this story was the romance. Yes, there was a love triangle but for me both of the love interests were pretty swoon worthy and I think I was just due for some good swooning. Phoenix was strong and protecting and while he did get a little possessive at times I could just feel how much he emotion he had for Vi. And Lincoln... LINCOLN.... I loved him. He was so sweet and thoughtful and he just pulled at my heartstrings all throughout. Normally the minute I sense a hint of a triangle I head for the hills but I think it was the set up here that made it work. I loved that we were brought into Vi & Lincoln's relationship once they already had a deep friendship going. That was a great call on the author's part because it didn't feel as if it was moving too fast at all, the foundation was already there and we got to watch it grow and change.

Jessica Shirvington has got me hooked on this series with its pitch perfect pacing and swoon worthy romance. I sat down and before I knew it I had devoured 300 pages and was dreading the end of this fantastic story. I am happy to have read it this late though because as I look at my bookshelf, Entice is sitting there just waiting for me to pick it up and dive in, and I will be doing so very soon!

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

I'm excited to be taking part in the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop which is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & The Diary of a Bookworm. There are over 500 blogs participating in this hop so make sure you check out the link to the linky below.

My Giveaway

Win a book of your choice from The Book Depository

The book can be valued up to $10

This giveaway is open internationally 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To see all of the stops on this hop, CLICK HERE.

Butterfly Kisses Tour Stop

Today I am so excited to take part in the blog tour for Mia Castile's Butterfly Kisses.  I read Becoming A Butterfly earlier this year and was a huge fan.  My tour stop will feature a guest post from Mia as well as the chance to win an ebook of Butterfly Kisses for yourself!

Guest Post

Fact Vs Fiction

Jenni, thank you for having me on your blog, today I was asked if I ever based scenes on my life. I do. I think there has to be some fact in fiction for it to work. It has to be believable and relatable. Life is going on all around us, sometimes we just have to pause and pay attention to the here and now, because sooner or later they may just be fond memories. Here are five instances where the art imitated life.

Fiction: Chase enjoys embarrassing Lacey with sexual innuendos through both Becoming A Butterfly and Butterfly Kisses.
Fact: Every boy I knew in high school enjoyed making me blush with sexual innuendos.

Fiction: Britt and Lana hang out at the quicky mart where Britt’s boyfriend works.
Fact: My friends and I would hang out at the 7eleven were a boy worked who I was talking to at the time. He’d give us free frosty drinks.

Fiction: Lacey and Chase have a secret spot where they sit and talk after a night of cruising.
Fact: I used to drive around with a guy friend and we’d talk for hours, about everything and nothing.

Fiction: Lana hangs out often on the front porch roof just outside her bedroom window to escape.
Fact: My cousin used to escape to her rooftop from her bedroom window. Growing up, I always wished I had a 2nd story bedroom to escape to the roof.

Fiction: Chase comforts Lacey by skipping class and hanging out with her in the hallway during her free class.
Fact: I once hung out in the hallway at school with a guy friend. It wasn’t the most ideal place to skip class, but we did and it was fun.

-Mia Castile

Thinking back, I used to skip and hang out in the hallway too. Definitely not the best place to cut class.  Thanks for the great post Mia!

Giveaway

Just fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter!

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Mia's Website / Twitter / Facebook

Mia grew up in a suburb of a medium sized city. There were cold winters, and hot sticky summers. Mia’s favorite seasons were spring and fall. She enjoyed the mild seasons, but also loved the vibrant colors each possessed.

Mia loved music. She didn’t just love it, she sat on the floor in front of her Casio stereo for hours at a time, recording songs off the radio. Then she would listen to those songs absorbing the words as she sat in her room and wrote her poetry.

Book Buzzers (5)

It's the start of another week for the Book Buzzers! This week our topic was picked by Amy and she picked: 5 sequels to series you love that you bought that you haven't read yet.  Once again I didn't have anything fitting this subject so I changed it up a bit so I'd have something to ramble about. First, here's a refresher of the schedule for everyone:

Monday: Jenni (Yours truly!)

Tuesday: Emily from Doodle's Book Blog

Wednesday: Evie from Evie Bookish

Thursday: Justin from Justin's Book Blog

Friday: Tiffany from Escaping One Book At A Time

Saturday: Jessirae from Words, Pages, And Books

Sunday: Amy from Book Loving Mom

Here is me rambling:
Here are my screenshots to defend my case:

The iOS app screenshot is on the left and the web is on the right. See how on the web the series info is immediately following the title but on the app that information isn't there so at first glance it looks like a standalone! (Yes, I realise that the first sentence states it is a sequel but I didn't read the blurb since I had already read what was on the jacket (and it didn't say that) so figured there was no point.)

So what about you? Do you ever buy sequels (knowingly or by accident) and then have to go and get the previous books in the series? Have you every run into this problem with the Goodreads app? Let me know!

Stacking the Shelves (26)

Sooo... I don't really feel like doing my hair right now... at all.  So there will be no vlog this week. I'll be back at it next week! I'll just share pictures this week, so here goes:

I got this pretty from Sourcebooks for a special MG Halloween event which will be hitting the blog on October 29 and will be featuring my daughters review of Horrid Henry's Monster Movie as well as a great giveaway. Thank you Sourcebooks!!

I did my favorite kind of grocery shopping this week, you know, the kind where you go to Wal-Mart and Superstore and make sure you hit up the books section.  I bought The Future of Us and betrayal only to get home and realise that betrayal is the second book in a series, I then used that as an excuse to go to the bookstore and grabbed envy.

I found this one for sale on Amazon for $1.00 for my Kindle so I had to pick it up! I'm always looking for a good scare and I've heard this one is really good.

That's all for me this week, folks.  Make sure you link me up to your post so I can stop by and see what you got!

Dog Blood Review

TITLE Dog Blood (Hater #2)
AUTHOR David Moody
PUBLICATION 2010 by Thomas Dunne Books
READ September 17 to 18, 2012
SOURCE Purchased

The world has suffered a catastrophe of unknown cause, dividing humankind into two: the Haters and the Unchanged. Each group believes the other to be the enemy; each group is fighting for survival. Only by working together can the enemy – whoever that enemy is – be defeated. There are no other choices. Danny McCoyne has managed to break free, and after days of indiscriminate fighting and killing, he is determined to make his way home, to recalim the only thing of any value to him in this strange new world: his daughter Ellis. Unlike his wife and son, Ellis is like him, and he knows, in his heart of hearts, that she is not dead. His dearest wish is for Ellis to be fighting for the world at his side – but Danny soon discovers his daughter is worth far more than just another fighting body. Others like him have discovered that children are absolutely vital to the cause. They are strong, small, fast, and they have no inhibitions. They are pure Haters...

After being blown away by Hater I was quick to run out and buy the remaining books in the series, Dog Blood and Them or Us. Hater had the perfect build up, and I was right there with the McCoyne's as the world went to hell. In Dog Blood we are once again treated to alternating perspectives, but here we have, of course, Danny's perspective and we alternate between that and a third person narration following an unchanged named Mark around as he tries to survive in a changed world. While this one was definitely less exciting than its predecessor, it was a worthy follow up in the intensely strong world building.

I loved how the two stories presented in Dog Blood intertwined throughout the novel and we got to see the characters tales blend together a bit. Danny's story is intense as he charges through, trying to find his daughter Ellis, who he knows is like him but was taken away by her mother. I was worried in the beginning that the novel would be a dragged out journey as he works his way to his daughter but the roadblocks he encounters really served to make it an interesting journey. This one gets a bit more political as the changed plan an uprising and a way to infiltrate the unchanged. I do feel that the first page of the novel stating that it doesn't matter why or how the change occurred was a cop-out and I really hope that those answers are still coming. I mean you can't have this happening to people and the world falling apart at the seams and not tell the reader what made it all happen. I don't care if it's a disease that comes from the saliva of bunnies, I just want some sort of reason.

Once again we are left with an intriguing set up for the final installment in the series. I am dying to see more of the changed children and just what they are capable of (even though I am certain it will not be pretty.) What sets this series apart for me is really brought to light in this second installment; the changed have a method to their madness. They are intelligent and have the ability to be organized & reign in their desire to the point that they come across as calculated in their actions at times. This is a frightening concept, and it's what keeps me hungrily turning the pages. I have no idea what the outcome of this series could be, there are so many directions it could go in so I can't wait to dig into Them or Us.

The Chosen One Review

TITLE The Chosen One
AUTHOR Carol Lynch Williams
PUBLICATION August 31st 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin
READ October 9, 2012
SOURCE Purchased

Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters. That is, without questioning it much—if you don’t count her visits to the Ironton County Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her secret meetings with Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her. But when the Prophet decrees that Kyra must marry her sixty-year-old uncle—who already has six wives—she must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family forever.

I've never been a religious person though I will admit to being fascinated with the fanatical elements that sometime occur within a religion. The Chosen One definitely falls into that category; it was haunting and shocking. Now, I am not a scholar on the issue but I have watched my fair share of documentaries and read every news story I can get my hands on. I can't claim to know for sure how much of what happens within these pages is truth, but I can say that with all of the information I have gathered on Polygamist colonies, none of it seems farfetched.

So much of what Carol Lynch Williams has written in this story is hard to read. The extreme punishments handed down to the young men and women of the colony and even to the babies who reside there were hard to stomach. I found myself angry, sad, and bewildered all at the same time. It took me through a wide array of emotions and I think that's because of Kyra's voice. It is written in the present, we are Kyra as she is experiencing the beautiful highs and terrible lows of this lifestyle. We are in the moment as she steals her first kiss, and it's so vivid that it gives you butterflies. It was a little difficult to get used to the way the story is written. With short clipped thoughts and the jumps back and forth in time, it took me a while to adjust. But once I did, I could not walk away. So I guess, while I did struggle to adjust, I can say that looking back it shouldn't have been written any other way because it wouldn't have the same effect that it did.

So did I like the characters in this novel? The majority of them, no. I'll admit that there were many instances where I wanted to cause bodily harm to some of them. Prophet Childs and Uncle Hyrum made my skin crawl in every single scene that they were in. I was furious with their actions and their way of thinking, but I think that was the point and that point was driven home very effectively. I did love some characters too. Watching Kyra go through her progression in the novel, and begin to question her surroundings, her way of life definitely created a connection between her and I. I had a sadness in me for all the children in this novel. They were growing up in such a toxic environment and had no way to know better (maybe that's a bad, judgmental way to put it, but that's how I'm putting it.)

The Chosen one was, at times, hard to read and yet the underlying theme of being open to the information around us and using it to our benefit was beautiful. I love these kinds of novels, I've said many times before how much I enjoy novels that deal with difficult subjects. Williams has weaved a tale this is equally haunting as it is thought-provoking, I have already recommended The Chosen One to a few of my friends and will continue to do so in the future.