Book Junkies

ARC Review: Wildefire by Karsten Knight

2011-08-07T17:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Wildefire
Author: Karsten Knight
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Rating: 3.5 of 5

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

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I know you're really not supposed to judge a book by the cover, but what about the author? Does the same rule apply? It would be nice to know the answer to this so that my little girl crush over Wildefire author Karsten Knight is justified. With that aside, it must be said that when this lovely ARC of Wildefire made its way into my hands I was thrilled to start reading. It is not often that I pick up a book written by a male author so it was refreshing to open up the pages and to have Knight introduce his reader to a new breed of female heroine.

Ashline Wilde is anything but boring; she's quick witted, sassy, independent and strong with a shimmer of vulnerability. Knight has written from a perspective that empowers this female character and makes her someone to be admired. Ashline and her sister Eve are well thought characters that truly reflect the basic duality of good and evil. As the Adam and Eve of this story, Eve is left convincing Ashline that there is more for them than what lies in their current surroundings. She offers Ash a taste of the forbidden fruit and to join her on a journey to what she deemed to be better.

One element of this book that I truly admired was how Knight incorporated various cultures into the storyline. Each god and goddess grew up in a different part of the world and yet they have this unparalleled connection to each other. The writing method used to explain their gifts gives the reader the opportunity to see each god or goddess in their own surroundings. While their unique gifts are powerful alone, this group of young people has been drawn together so they can be used for something greater. This whole theme of unity, and of power, caught my attention and reminded me in some ways of X-Men. A group of gifted young people who are seeking understanding, solace and acceptance without being totally conscious of their need for this. Kind of a nice twist.

What I found in Wildefire was that there was so much that could have surfaced that never really had the chance to. With a handful of characters, and each of them with such unique powers, it is hard to give enough time to each one. Ashline's journey took precedence over the others which was almost bittersweet given the complexities of the rest of the gods and goddesses. It almost felt as though there are a lot of loose ends still waiting to be tied up. My fear is that a few of the stories have had the doors closed on them and that the information behind will never be uncovered.

Wildfire is an interesting read that looks at gods and goddesses from a different angle. Knight's character's are well developed, including his sharp tongued heroine, Ashline. Nearing the end of this book I was unsure as to where a sequel might even start but it was the cliffhanger that really changed everything. It was entirely unexpected but it definitely gave me a reason to want more. If you are looking for an escape from some of the vampires, werewolves and witches in your lives then I suggest taking a chance on Wildfire.

-C

Bargains and Betrayals ARC Winner!

2011-08-05T10:29:00.000-04:00

After a short, but successful giveaway, we are pleased to announce the winner of the Bargains and Betrayals ARC!

Congratulations to...

#19 elaing8
Our winner has been contacted and will have 48 hours to respond. If we do not have a response within this time we will be forced to choose a new winner.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

xo - A&C

ARC Giveaway: Bargains and Betrayals by Shannon Delany!

2011-08-01T11:47:00.000-04:00

As you can see, Summer took Ashley and I hostage this July but thankfully she has decided to release us from her grips on this beautiful first day of August. What better way to make a big return than with an ARC giveaway...

We have in our greedy little paws a beautiful ARC of Shannon Delany's Bargains and Betrayals: A 13 to Life Novel. For those of you who are familiar with this series you will know how incredibly addictive it is. The ending of Secrets and Shadows was such a brilliant cliffhanger that I know there will be many readers eager to get their hands on this ARC.

We are going to make this a very quick contest so that the winner can get their copy ASAP. To enter, please read the contest details below and complete the entry form. :)

Good luck everyone!

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Friday's Fantasy Cast: Clarity by Kim Harrington

2011-07-08T13:09:00.000-04:00

Bella Thorne as Clare

Although she hasn't been in much, Bella Thorne is someone that I really pictured as Clare. With her red hair and petite features, it just felt appropriate that she be fantasy casted for this role. Whether she can act the part is still in question...

Reece Thompson as Perry

Of all the Canadian actors I would have to say that Reece Thompson stole my heart from the moment I laid eyes on him. As a younger looking James McAvoy, Reece is not only handsome but has incredible acting chops. If you have not seen him in Daydream Nation then you are missing out! Perry's character is kind of a womanizer, but he is also a wonderful older brother, both of which are qualities that I think Reece could pull off.

Rachelle Lefevre as Starla

I know she's a little young, but damn, Rachelle Lefevre just screams Stella. As Clare and Perry's mom, Stella is eccentric and full of life. I feel like Rachelle has that same kind of essence so it wouldn't be a stretch for her to play the part.

James McAvoy as Clare and Perry's Father

I gave you a clue about this character when I was talking about Reece. :) Yes, they do look alike. And yes, I am also in love with James McAvoy. :) I think he would complete the family, don't you? Since we don't know much about Clare and Perry's father it is only right that we judge him based on looks. Fine by me! :D

Nick Roux as Justin

To some, Nick Roux may only be a Disney Channel celeb, but I think that he could transition and take on some more challenging roles. When it came to Justin I wanted to cast someone who looked kind of surfer-esk, but that could also be the boy next door. I think that Nick has both of these qualities. What I like most though is that like Bella, he looks young enough to still be attending high school. Casting 30 year olds as teens is so last year.

Asher Book as Gabriel

To be honest, I never thought of Asher Book as a possibility for Gabriel until the last minute. I had Drew Roy all picked out to play the part but then I saw something in Asher. While Gabriel comes off as this very tough guy, there is something genuinely sweet about him that I saw in Asher's smile. :) I really liked Asher in Fame and thought his acting was better than the majority. It would be interesting to see him in this role.

I hope you enjoyed this latest Fantasy Cast! Please feel free to agree, disagree and post new ideas for actors in the comment section!

xo - C

Canada Day Blog Hop Winner!

2011-07-07T19:57:00.000-04:00

First of all, we would just like to thank Chrystal and Aislynn for throwing this incredibly patriotic blog hop! Since I, Christie, was in the US over the Canada Day long weekend, it was nice to know that this hop was spreading the love for me. :)

Thank you to all of the people who hopped over here to take a peak or stay awhile. And thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway! Speaking of the giveaway...

The winner of The Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen is...

JASMINE1485!

Congratulations! This winner has been emailed and will have 48 hours to respond. In the event that we do not hear from her, we will be forced to choose a new winner.

Thanks again to Chrystal, Aislynn, and to all of you wonderful people! You're all pretty awesome, EH?

Beach Read Sweepstakes!

2011-07-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

BEACH READ SWEEPSTAKES: Brought to you by Simon & Schuster Canada

"Summer is upon us, and the sunny days and longer nights leave a lot more time for reading. Enter to win 1 of 10 beach bags brimming with books and summertime goodies from Cake Beauty and Softlips."

Just click on the picture to be taken to to the entry form! Happy Summer Reading :-)

Today is Someone's Special Day...

2011-06-30T08:25:00.000-04:00

Today marks the day in which a certain special someone was brought into this world to not only bestow this earthly realm with her presence, but to eventually be my best friend, a wonderful sister, and an amazing daughter. It is a momentous occasion in anyone's life but more so - I think - in the life of girls everywhere. Please help me in wishing a huge, heart filled Happy Birthday to my best friend and fellow blogger, CHRISTIE!!!!

HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST FRIEND A GIRL COULD ASK FOR!

Right now, Christie is on her way to Chicago - her second home and a place that makes her beyond happy - with her siblings. I couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate a birthday! Have fun and stay safe :)

-Ashley xoxo

Summer Solstice Winners!

2011-06-29T11:31:00.000-04:00

The most exciting thing about revealing the Summer Solstice contest winners is that the Canadian Postal Workers are back on the job! Yay! We can actually send out prizes again. :)

Despite being a quick contest we got a really great response and are very excited to announce the two winners. These two lucky people are...

#44 Kaependragon

#33 Brooke

Congratulations to you both and thank you to everyone who entered!

xo -A&C

*Winners have been emailed and will have 48 hours to respond. If we do not hear from them within this time we will be forced to choose new winners.

Canada Day Blog Hop!

2011-06-29T00:01:00.003-04:00

If you follow our blog then you will know that we love our beautiful country. When we heard that Crystal and Aislinn were hosting this blog hop we were more than delighted to be a part of it. :) Anything that combines Canada, with authors and bloggers, is fine by us!

For this giveaway we chose a recent release by Canadian author Allison Van Diepen. The Vampire Stalker has been gaining some great buzz around the blogosphere so we thought this would be a great choice for the Canada Day Blog Hop! The giveaway form and contest details can be found below. :)

We would just like to thank Chrystal from Snowdrop Dreams of Books and Aislynn from Knit, Purl, Stitch...Read and Cook! for hosting this wonderful blog hop. Be sure to click on the icon above so that you can check out the other blogs you can hop to!

xo - A&C

Summer Solstice: Lesley Livingston's Release Party

2011-06-22T21:28:00.003-04:00

As you all know, yesterday was Summer Solstice. The first day of summer is the greatest not only because it is the longest day of the year, but because it holds the promise of the fantastic season ahead. What I am wishing for this summer is more wonderful author events like the one I attended last night. Lesley Livingston's Once Every Never is on store shelves now and last night this lovely lady had a chance to celebrate.

The release party was held at Dominion on Queen which is a popular venue for events of this kind. Lesley herself appeared to be no stranger to this pub, and commented on her previous release parties. Once at Dominion I stumbled upon Chrystal, who most of you know as Snowdrop Dreams of Books. This was my first opportunity to meet this wonderful blogger whom Ashley and I have befriended. :) I was also lucky enough to meet Mel at He Followed Me Home and Jackie at My Ever Expanding Library! :)

After sitting, chatting and eating, Lesley made her way over to our table wearing this kick ass tye dye dress. She said that she didn't recognize our faces and that we must be her online book buddies. :) After mingling a bit with us she took the stage. In her speech, Lesley thanked everyone who helped bring Once Every Never to life, and to those who have spread the word about it. Lesley was even kind enough to mention all of her book blogging pals for getting readers excited about the book! :) Once her speech commenced, Lesley read from Once Every Never. This was probably my favourite part of the night. It is so neat to see how an author interprets their own book and how animated they are when they read!

As the night came to a close, Lesley signed copies of her book and chatted with friends and family. I bought two copies of Once Every Never at the release party and on a whim decided to get them both signed for... YOU (Contest below!). As I was chatting with Lesley, the feathers in my hair caught her eye and for a moment she was mesmerized. She started pawing at them like a cat. It was hilarious. :) Once the books were signed, and I had congratulated Lesley again, it was time to go. The whole night was a lot of fun and I am so glad that I was able to attend the celebration. :)

- C

Now for the giveaway...

Guest Review: The Pigeon Wants A Puppy (By: Mo Willems)

2011-06-15T08:00:00.002-04:00

This guest review today is brought to you by one of the munchkins in my life. Jordan is my 8 year old sister and is probably one of the funniest people on the planet. She enjoys reading, writing and playing with her friends.

When I asked her if she wanted to write a book review she jumped at the opportunity. Read below to find out what she thought after reading The Pigeon Wants a Puppy...

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The Pigeon Wants a Puppy is about a pigeon that wants a puppy and he said that he really does. And when he sees one he says: "AHHHHHHHHHHH!". But then he wants something else than a puppy. He wants a walrus.

Now let's talk about the characters. The pigeon is so funny and so tricky, and sometimes he's so crazy. That's what I love about him. And the puppy is, welll, I don't know because he only says "Woof" and that's all. And he is only in one page.

Now let's talk about what I like about it and what I like is when the pigeon says: "I promise that I'll water it once a month!". That was very funny. And when he says: "I want a puppy RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!", that was funny too.

The pictures are so cool and so fun. This is what I liked about it. The pigeon is so awesome and I liked that the author put the words in speech bubbles so kids just have to say what they say. People who like funny books should read The Pigeon Wants a Puppy. When you read this book I hope you like it.

<3 Jordan

Review: Falling Under (By: Gwen Hayes)

2011-06-13T21:20:00.000-04:00

Title: Falling Under
Author: Gwen Hayes
Publisher: New American Library (A division of Penguin Group)
Published: March 1, 2011
Genre: YA Fantasy
Paperback: 324 pages
Dimensions: 20.2 x 13.8 x 2.4 cm
ISBN - 10: 0451232682
ISBN - 13: 978-0451232687

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

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There is something hauntingly beautiful about this cover, don't you agree? The hair, the dress, the black roses; all stunning. It will please you to know that what lies inside this book holds just as much intrigue. Falling Under may be a debut novel, but Gwen Hayes has managed to deliver something that will sit well with YA fantasy lovers.

Falling Under might just be one of the most quotable books that I have ever read. For days as I read it I was Tweeting the sweetest lines and the sassiest catch phrases. A bunch of our Twitter followers kept asking, "What book is that from?". To honour the wonderful writing I thought I would share the quotes that were most "Tweetable"...

"My hand tingled where he kissed her and the bastard knew it."

"I'm probably half in love with a boy I don't really like."

"My very own goth Mr. Darcy. Jane Austen would be so proud."

"The steady beats of his heart were the best kind of music, and I considered myself a pretty good ear."

"As they worked a sort of devilish makeover, I sat in the chair and cried silent tears."

"'I sleep in your room. I'm fairly pathetic about it. I wear your T-shirts to bed and watch your movies.' She paused. "And you don't even remember me."

As you can see from the above quotes, much of what is said revolves around a certain boy in our heroine Theia's life. Haden is everything that us girls want from our hero with his two distinct personalities; he's as bad as Jace Wayland and as sweet as Edward Cullen. As much as Haden will make you love him, he will make you hate him. Hence the, "I'm probably half in love with a boy I don't really like". What balances Haden's two sides? Theia. With her British charm and her uncomplicated view of the world, she makes sense of a boy from Under.

The most interesting part of this book for me was the juxtaposition of life on earth and life in Under. The dull backyard of Theia's house transforms each night when she dreams. The atmosphere takes on this gothic grace that is only disturbed by the creatures that are lurking. The way that Hayes has chosen to reveal the darker elements of this book truly captures her inherent focus on passion and pleasure. Although Falling Under is a fantasty novel though, it tends to focus more one the relationship between Theia and Haden. My only quam with this is that it seemed to be the reason that the story lagged a little at the end.

If you are looking for an enjoyable YA read then look no further. Falling Under is a delectable debut novel with tongue lashing one liners and a passionate love story. The end of the book is more like a beginning so hopefully there will be another tale to follow.

-C

Q&A with Elana Johnson, Author of Possession

2011-06-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

If you don't know too much about Elana Johnson, well, you will.
Her debut novel Possession has been gaining buzz around the blogosphere, but today it will be unleashed to book hungry young readers everywhere. Possession is joining the wave of dystopian novels geared towards young readers and we could not be happier for Elana. :)

As part of the blog tour for Possession, we got to ask some burning questions and learned a little something about this debut author! Check out our Q&A with Elana and then read Ashley's lovely review of Possession! :)

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1) What appealed to you about writing a YA dystopia novel?

I’m not sure I set out to write a YA novel when I first started writing. For me, writing is an emotional release, and it made sense to pour all that emotion into a teenage girl, who typically feels things more intensely than any other creature on the planet.
POSSESSION was the third novel I wrote, and the first dystopian. I did deliberately set about trying to write a futuristic novel, because I’d just read my first dystopian book and wanted to write in that genre. There’s just something magical and amazing about making up the future of our world. The possibilities are endless!

2) Why did you choose to write a novel that speaks about freewill vs control? Do you think that far too often today people, especially teens, are being controlled by other authorities instead of using their own freewill?

I think a lot of people allow themselves to be pushed or prodded in a certain direction, even (and maybe especially) adults. I think it’s important to know who’s making decisions for you in things that impact your life, and I think it’s important to know if you agree with those decisions or not.
I think the whole freewill vs. control issue is great for a teen novel, because quite often teenagers can’t make their own choices. They’ve got parents, leaders, and/or teachers always telling them what to do at a time in their lives when they’re trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do.
The same could be said for adult too, though, which is why I think POSSESSION is a great cross-over novel. Adults have a boss, the police, policies at stores, due dates at the library, and any number of things that they have to conform to.
Now don’t get me wrong; I do believe we need teachers and policemen and laws and all that. I just think that everyone, everywhere, has probably felt powerless to make their own choices at some point in their lives. I took that to the extreme in POSSESSION by creating a brainwashed society, but I think it’s an emotion that everyone can relate to.

3) If you could pick just one, who is your favourite female protagonist and why?

Hermione from the Harry Potter books. She is smart, and not afraid to show it. She’s resourceful. She’s loyal. She’s kind when the situation calls for it, and ruthless when she has to be. She is who I would want as a best friend.

4) If you lived in Vi's world, which celebrity would you break the rules for?

Uh, Hugh Jackman, hands down. I’m still disappointed I didn’t get to even glimpse him while I was visiting New York City. Apparently he’s always hanging out at The Gap.

5) What is one song that would have to be on the Possession soundtrack?

There are so many! I think I’d have to go with P!nk’s PERFECT. There’s so many voices in Vi’s head…

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Title: Possession
Author: Elana Johnson
Rating: 3/5
Dimensions: 16.8 x 10.4 x 3 cm, 416 pages
Format: ARC from publisher
ISBN-10: 1442421258
ISBN-13: 978-1442421257

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing /June 7, 2011 / Hardcover

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

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Possession by Elana Johnson is one of those novels that falls into the world of YA, but leaves out the whole paranormal aspect that is currently dominating the young adult world of literature. This is a novel that borders on, in essence, to the world that George Orwell created in his fantastic novel 1984. For all of those who haven't read this book, I highly suggest going out and reading it once you've read Possession. Possession centers around Vi and the way the world has ended up. We no longer have control over what we do, where we go and who we love. All of our choices are given to us through these communication channels that have you have to be plugged into while you sleep. The problem is that Vi doesn't live by the rules her society has placed upon civilization. Instead, Vi is able to think for herself, act out the way an sixteen year old girl should and fall in love, twice. As a female lead, Elana Johnson has created strength, determination and free will in Vi –– all characteristics all girls, at any age, should possess.

This story definitely does not lack hottie action. Elana Johnson has given us two guys to run our minds over and pick either good or bad. Personally, I'm team Jag. Zenn is a complicated character who gets introduced right away as Vi's match but later their relationship becomes highly complicated and in steps bad boy, Jag. I always tend to go towards the bad boys. It is a habit that I hope doesn't break any time soon. His dark features are contrasted to Zenn's light. They are the Ying and Yang in Vi's life and if presented with her dilemma I'm sure you'd also find it hard to choose. Both boys are complex and I can't wait to read where Elana takes them.

At the beginning, I found the story to drag slightly. Mostly because a lot of the terms and concepts being brought up were not introduced yet. Once you start to actually learn more about this world and what it means to live as either a goodie or a baddie, the novel picked up pace. It became an action packed race to save not only Vi and Jag's life, but free themselves from the people trying to control them. The end of the novel also introduces a slew of new characters who I can't wait to meet and get to know further.

The novel speaks to the problems surrounding others making our choices for us. What would we do if our own free will was taken away from us? Our freedom to choose who and when to love? The idea is heartbreaking and 1984 speaks about this very issue. This is a novel that could be our future; the thought is terrifying. Think the reality show Big Brother, but with stricter rules and guidelines. Having someone watch and monitor your every move and thought is a horrifying idea, but it makes for a great read and entertaining reality tv.

Elana Johnson has introduced readers to a 1984 for young adults and with her debut novel she doesn't disappoint. This novel was interesting, fascinating, scary, and of course we have our much needed romantic complications that all YA novels should have. It makes reading them that much better!!

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I would like to give a special thanks to both Simon and Schuster Canada for sending us a copy for review as well as Elana Johnson for stopping by our blog and answering some of our questions!

ARC Review: Starcrossed (By Josephine Angelini)

2011-05-31T06:00:00.001-04:00

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Rating: 5/5
Dimensions: 400 Pages, 6.6 x 9.03 x 1.4 in
ISBN - 10: 0062011995
ISBN - 13: 978006201199

HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS | May 31, 2011 | Hardcover

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is –– no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together and trying to tear them apart.

**********

I was fortunate to get a chance to read Josephine Angelini’s debut novel Starcrossed before the actual date of publication. I was so thrilled when I received the book that I immediately began reading. Starcrossed is a novel that takes the reader and transports them into a world filled with Greek Mythology. Nothing is at it seems. Everything, at its surface level, is veiled by something more magical and mythical. The story follows Helen Hamilton, a girl who has never really fit into the world she has been apart of her whole life. She always feels out of place, slightly off balance from those around her. The only people in her life who understand Helen’s differences are her father, best friend, Lucas –– the new boy in town who shakes up Helen’s entire existence.

Starcrossed definitely had a Romeo and Juliet feel to it, hence the title Starcrossed. Josephine paints a hauntingly beautiful world in which Greek gods are real and the idea of the ultimate love being held within our grasps, finger tips barely touching. Lucas and Helen make the most perfect pairing. They are both independently strongly written characters who can hold their own, but together they turn into a tour de force. The sexual tension between the two jumps off the pages. You can feel their pain, their excitement and their ultimate frustration. Helen was a fantastic female lead! She exudes power, empathy, strength, courage, love, and determination. Even when she is down she doesn’t let her weakness define her. Lucas is her perfect pair. Not only is he super gorgeous, but he has willpower and fortitude that equals Helen.

Not only does Josephine give us two amazing romantic leads in Lucas and Helen, she has also written a superbly exciting and exhilarating supporting cast. It would be amazing to get some short stories or a separate novel altogether, that focuses on some of the supporting characters. They are interesting all on their own and round out the story in epic fashion. All of them bring something very different to the story tying the plot together nicely.

As a debut novel and a novel in general, Josephine Angelini is able to suck you into her world of Nantucket and ancient Greece. This was one of those novels you better make sure you have time to read because once you start you won’t be able to stop. When I put the book down I felt as if a piece of myself, an extension of my person, was missing. I didn’t want it to end. Thankfully this is going to be a series! I can’t contain my excitement. The plot of the novel was intricately woven and pieced together wonderfully. When the first page is able to grab your complete attention, you know the book is going to be just as intense and magical. As a lover of both Greek Mythology and the idea of fate, destiny, and free choice, I ate this book up. I highly recommend this novel for lovers of mythology, magic, the unseen, and love. You don’t even have to be a lover of paranormal fiction to love this novel. You simply need to be a lover of reading and this is the next book you should read!

TRAILER LOVE

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for this advanced copy. :) For more information about the book you can visit the HarperCollins Canada website, read their Blog: The Savvy Reader, follow them on Twitter or Browse inside Starcrossed . Happy reading!

Cover Comparison - The Hunger Games

2011-05-28T13:02:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a while since we did a Cover Comparison post so I thought it would be fun to start again. :)
Here are the North American and UK covers of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins...

North American UK

Which cover do YOU prefer?

Dystopian Tour: Lauren Oliver & Veronica Roth

2011-05-22T21:17:00.001-04:00

As soon as I heard that these two were coming to Chapter's Brampton I knew I had to be there. These two authors have opened up the Dystopian genre to a new audience: young adults. I am ashamed to say that I have not read Lauren Oliver's Delirium yet. I know. It's a little ridiculous. The poor book has been staring back at me in my TBR pile and yet I have not found the time yet to pick it up. Don't worry though, it's next!
As for Divergent, I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from HarperCollins Canada. I immediately fell in love with Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago and Divergent soon became not only my favourite debut novel of 2011, but one of my all time favourites. I am so excited I was in attendance at this event and that I get to share that excitement with you!

The event got off to a great start as readers piled in to hear Lauren and Veronica answer questions posed by an interviewer. These questions ranged from those discussing their writing process, to others that exposed the author's hidden talents. To be honest, the talent question was probably one of my favourites during this discussion. Most of you have probably seen Lauren Oliver's talent splashed across YouTube, but I was in the dark. When she started to belt out Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid I couldn't believe my ears! Lauren is an incredible singer and I can totally seeing her making her Broadway debut someday! Veronica Roth's talent was just as shocking and I managed to get some of it on video. The talented young lady can take a piece of paper and turn it into a paper hat! How awesome is that? Veronica signed this hat and a lovely woman in the audience, who donated to Indigo's Love of Reading Foundation, took it home.

After this part of the discussion it was the audience's turn to ask the questions. This is always a wonderful part of any author event because it gives the readers the opportunity to ask those burning questions that keep them up at night. There were a few of those plot questions floating around but as expected they didn't get a response. Of the questions though there was one that I really liked and was something that I had been wondering myself. One of the readers in the audience asked Veronica, "Which faction would you choose?". What a fantastic question and the response was even better. Veronica said that she would probably be Abnegation based on the testing, just for the fact that she has been trying to be more selfless lately, but that she would choose Dauntless. Her reasoning for choosing Dauntless is that she has issues with fear and anxiety. She explains that those in Dauntless are not void of fear but that they just choose to embrace it instead. I really love her thoughts on this and would have chosen the exact same faction for the exact same reasons.

Finally it was time for the signing! :) I brought my copy of Delirium to have it signed to myself but I felt so bad that A wasn't there that I had Lauren sign it to her. So as I was having Lauren sign it to Ashley I was asking her about her middle grade series Liesl & Po which is out this fall. Needless to say the message she wrote to Ashley in the copy of Delirium pertains to this. Since it made no sense to Ash, I ended up keeping it. ;) I now have a copy of Delirium signed to Ashley, with a message to me. It's kind of awesome. :)

When it came to getting Veronica to sign the books I brought I turned into a complete fan girl. I really tried not to. I really wanted to ask her why she chose Chicago but all I managed to say was, "I have two books." Really? Wow. I am a fail. If Ash was there she would have laughed at me. Scratch that. She is laughing now. In my copy Veronica signed what I hope she wrote in every one's copy of Divergent: "Be Brave!". I really love that this is what she chose to write because that is really what her entire book is about. As for the other book I had signed, well, it was a copy for a giveaway sometime in June. It's sitting in the swag box as we speak waiting to be given to one lucky reader. Stay tuned!

This event was ABSOLUTELY wonderful and I had so much fun. Thank you to Indigo Green Room for organizing this event and to Chapter's Brampton for kindly hosting it. Oh and I really need to thank Amy from Chapter's Brampton. Not only did she take the pictures of me with the authors, but she also took candids out of the kindness of her heart. This post wouldn't be the same without those photos so I am very grateful! Thanks to HarperCollins Canada for handing out swag bags to all of the readers in attendance! That was totally unexpected but much appreciated. Finally, thank you to Lauren and Veronica for making the trip to Canada to visit with their fans here. I know I speak for all the readers in attendance when I say we wish you both the best and can't wait for your next projects!

-C

Forest of Reading: Festival of Trees 2011

2011-05-15T13:22:00.001-04:00

This past week I volunteered at the 2011 Festival of Trees hosted by the Ontario Library Association! It was a lot of fun and I wanted to share with you all what it is all about. :) The Festival of Trees is a celebration of the larger umbrella that is the Forest of Reading program. This initiative is made up of "seven programs designated to cultivate a love of reading for people of all ages" (AccessOla.com). Each year a committee narrows down a long list to only 10 books which are nominated for each award. These books are then voted on by none other than the readers who love them!

The Festival of Trees gives the Forest of Reading readers the opportunity to meet with their favourite authors at signings and workshops, and to attend the ceremony for each award. There are 7 categories in total for the entire program but because we are mainly a teen blog we have only covered the winnerd for Blue Spruce, Silver Birch, Red Maple and White Pine below.

Blue Spruce Award - Ages 4-7

My Think-a-ma-jink

Dave Whamond

It's Jack’s sixth birthday, and he’s bored. Bored! Model airplanes, stuffed dinosaurs, not even a talking robot can free him of his festering funk. Then, a mysterious box arrives. Within is a think-a-ma-jink, a bizarre contraption that bends the very laws of time and space, with which no idea is too fantastic to be realized. A wild new universe of possibilities beckons. Cotton-candy-breathing dragons! Caramel rivers! Space-traveling hot-air balloons! But as he and his sister Marie engage in a boisterous, shape-shifting struggle, the future of the think-a-ma-jink hangs in the balance. Is Jack doomed to boredom . . . or is he on the verge of an amazing discovery?

Silver Birch Awards - Ages 7-11

Fiction

Neil Flamber and the Marco Polo Murders

Kevin Sylvester

Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders is a hilarious, fast-paced murder mystery with a culinary twist! Neil is a 14-year-old wunderchef. He can cook anything, and he brags that he can cook it better than anyone else. He's cocky, but he may also be right. Patrons pay top dollar and wait months for reservations at his tiny boutique restaurant. What many of Neil’s patrons don’t know, however, is that he’s also a budding detective—code-named “The Nose” by Vancouver’s police force. It all started when he used his knowledge of cooking and his incredible sense of smell to acquit his mother’s client of murder. Ever since, Police Inspector Sean Nakamura has relied on Neil to help him crack case after case. Now, however, the city’s crime scene has taken a turn for the personal.

Non-Fiction

How to Build Your Own Country

Valerie Wyatt and Fred Rix

How to Build Your Own Country is an interactive and totally original learning experience that shows kids how to build their very own country from scratch. This book, the only one of its kind, offers children the expertise and advice they'll need to plant their flag in the backyard, in the bedroom or online. Kids will be amazed to discover that anyone can do it. Nation-building advice is peppered with examples of events that have shaped countries throughout history, teaching young readers about government, elections, geography and global issues.

Express

Binky the Space Cat

Ashley Spires

Binky is a space cat - at least in his own mind. He's really a house cat who has never left the family "space station." Unlike other house cats, Binky has a mission: to blast off into outer space (outside), explore unknown places (the backyard) and battle aliens (bugs). Binky must undergo rigorous training so he can repel the alien attacks that threaten his humans. As he builds his spaceship, he must be extremely careful with his blueprints - the enemy is always watching. Soon Binky is ready to voyage into outer space. His humans go out there every day and he's sure they need a certified space cat to protect them. But just as he's about to blast off with his co-pilot, Ted (stuffed mousie), Binky realizes that he's left something very important behind—and it's not the zero-gravity kitty litter. In the first book in the Binky Adventure series, graphic-novel readers will delight in watching where this lovable and quirky cat's imagination takes him.

Red Maple Awards - Ages 11-15

Fiction

Not Suitable for Family Viewing

Vicki Grant

Robin has everything a girl could want. Thanks to her mother—the internationally beloved talk show host Mimi Schwartz—Robin’s got the money, the means and the connections to make even her wildest dreams come true. so why, then, does she choose to sit alone in a dark room watching endless reruns of you, you and Mimi? Don’t ask Robin. She doesn’t know—not, at least, until the bizarre discovery of an old high-school ring propels her to ditch New York for a tiny Nova scotian fishing village. In her quest to solve the mystery behind the ring’s origin, Robin finds more than a renewed joie de vivre. she discovers love, the truth of her own background— and the shocking secret that helped make her mother a star.

Non-Fiction
The Bite of the Mango
Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland

As a child in a small rural village in Sierra Leone, Mariatu Kamara lived peacefully surrounded by family and friends. Rumors of rebel attacks were no more than a distant worry. But when 12-year-old Mariatu set out for a neighboring village, she never arrived. Heavily armed rebel soldiers, many no older than children themselves, attacked and tortured Mariatu. During this brutal act of senseless violence they cut off both her hands.

Stumbling through the countryside, Mariatu miraculously survived. The sweet taste of a mango, her first food after the attack, reaffirmed her desire to live, but the challenge of clutching the fruit in her bloodied arms reinforced the grim new reality that stood before her. With no parents or living adult to support her and living in a refugee camp, she turned to begging in the streets of Freetown.

White Pine Award - Grades 9-12

The Monkeyface Chronicles

Richard Scarsbrook

Philip’s aphorism-toting grandfather used to say “Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect,” and Philip is about to embark on a life journey of payback that has everything to do with cause in effect. Philip’s journey takes him through the most unusual family circumstances, where no one was really who they seemed to be, whether it was his reclusive scientist father, or his Citizen Kane-like grandfather.

Congratulations to all of the winners! The Forest of Reading is such a wonderful program and I am so happy that I got to be a part of the celebration! :) For more information on the program, festival, categories, nominees and winners, please visit www.accessola.com/reading!

-Christie

Shift Blog Tour Winners!

2011-05-11T19:42:00.000-04:00

The winners have been chosen for the Shift blog tour! We used random.org to help us because all of the comments were so awesome! Here we go...

The winner of a signed copy of SHIFT, plus the SHIFT soundtrack on iTunes, courtesy of Jeri (Note: due to iTunes’s rules, the playlist may only be gifted within the US. The signed copy is open to all.) is...

Evening Green!

And the winner of an unsigned copy of SHIFT, courtesy of Jeri’s publisher is...

Judi!

Congratulations to both of the winners!

Shift Blog Tour & Giveaway! - Last Stop!

2011-05-10T09:05:00.002-04:00

A&C: Shade was one of those books that we forced into the hands of our friends of family because it was just that damn good. With Shift here now we are ready for another round of "We can't talk to you until you read this book". We are ecstatic to be a part of the Shift blog tour (Thanks Jeri and Karen!), but even more so we are all smiles that we are the last stop AND we get a playlist. :) Lucky Junkies. Before you read the post, here is a message from the brilliant mind behind this series, Jeri Smith-Ready...

Thanks to Christie and Ashley for hosting the grand finale of the SHIFT blog tour! After the post, check out your chance to win books and a special prize.

**********

I thought it appropriate that since we started the tour with a playlist, that we should end with one, too. Music is such an integral part of the way that both I and readers relate to the SHADE books, I thought this would make a fitting way to sign off.

No, actually—this was a total accident. I didn’t realize they were bookending the tour until just now (Sunday). Haha!

Anyway, as you probably know, I like to make official “soundtracks” for my books. This started in 2008 with WICKED GAME, when my publisher asked me to include a list in the front of the book of all the songs mentioned in the story. With the release of SHADE last year, those simple “playlists” evolved into full soundtracks, where I would add songs that weren’t named in the book but where certain scenes or characters deserved them.

Even though I’ve had the SHIFT soundtrack ready for a couple weeks, I wanted to wait until the end of the tour to give people time to read the book first so they would know what I was talking about. But don’t worry if you haven’t read it yet—no spoilers here!

This playlist is available—with the studio version of “Another Man’s Woman”—for purchase from iTunes’s iMix site: http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/shift-soundtrack/id436704595. Note: I make no money off the sales of my iMixes—I just like to spread the word about bands I love.

I realize that Coldplay’s “Til Kingdom Come” appeared at the end of the SHADE soundtrack. But Chapter One of SHIFT replays the last few minutes of SHADE with more detail, so I had to start with this song, to reflect the continuous nature of the two books. (Besides, Aura refers to the song on Page One of SHIFT.)

I’ll probably do the same thing in the first chapter of SHINE, overlapping a few minutes with the end of SHIFT. So you can guess which song will be “Ready to Start” the SHINE soundtrack. ;-)

“Your Ghost” by Kristin Hersh was one of the first songs I discovered after deciding to write a ghost story. It inspired many of the mixed emotions I knew Aura would feel after the death and return of her beloved Logan.

Want to hear an amazing story? Okay. I wrote SHIFT a year ago, right? So in one scene, Aura goes to Zachary’s apartment to study. I wanted music in the background, so I had to decide what Zach’s favorite bands were (besides Death Cab for Cutie, declared in SHADE). Radiohead fit his mysterious, cerebral nature, so I wrote this:

Zachary reached past me to set the box on the table, but I didn’t move out of the way. We stood close together, my heart slamming so strong I could barely speak. From somewhere in the living room area to my left, the latest Radiohead release was playing at a low volume. The singer’s haunting murmur made my throat ache.

Now, I had no idea Radiohead would actually have a new release this year, but I figured, hey, it’s a parallel universe, and the band is still together, so it’s believable.

And then this past spring, with zero fanfare, they came out with a new release, THE KING OF LIMBS, with the perfect Aura/Zachary song, “Little By Little.” Serendipity FTW!

“Inside Out” by Eve 6 is my favorite song ever. When Aura and Logan were little kids, they and their friends would dance around to it and sing into fake microphones. Which makes me feel really, really old. But I loved naming a fictional band after a lyric from one of their songs. (No, I don’t know when I’ll get a Tabloid Decoys logo made.)

The first time I heard “When You Say Nothing At All” by Alison Krauss—in the PetSmart parking lot—I knew it was the perfect slow-dance song for Prom Night, specifically, Aura’s one moment of pure happiness during the whole event.

In an early draft of SHIFT, Green Day’s “Jesus of Suburbia” was the climactic song performed at the solstice concert, but one of my beta readers suggested Logan sing one of his own songs. While I never did write lyrics for the song “Shade” (I am not a songwriter, so they would’ve sucked), I gave it the operatic feel and rhythm of “Jesus of Suburbia.” So listening to it will let you imagine how the song “Shade” sounds.

Lastly, “Ready to Start” says it all, with both words and music. Listen to it after you’ve read SHIFT and tell me, am I right or am I right?

Thanks again to the Book Junkies—and to every single blogger on the tour—for not only putting up with my ramblings but posting them to your wonderful sites! I’ll have a special wrap-up message tomorrow when Karen at For What It’s Worth announces the Grand Prize Giveaway. Yay!

**********

If you’ve read SHIFT already, which other tunes from this soundtrack do you think go with a certain scene or character? (Try not to make your guesses be overly spoilery.) If you haven’t read SHIFT but have read SHADE, can you guess which songs might fit Aura, Logan, Zachary, or one of the other characters? If you haven’t read either book, which of these songs would belong on your life’s soundtrack? Feel free to answer just by reading the titles—you don’t need to listen to the songs or look up the lyrics.

SPECIAL CALLBACK, REDEMPTION, CLOSE-THE-CIRCLE QUESTION: Two weeks ago on the blog tour’s first stop, I asked what people thought of Logan. Many commenters thought he was a brat and wanted to slap him. So my question, for those who’ve read SHIFT, do you feel differently about him now?

Answer one or more of these questions, or ask Jeri your own question, below to enter today’s drawing!

There will be two winners.

The Prizes:

1) a signed copy of SHIFT, plus the SHIFT soundtrack on iTunes, courtesy of Jeri. Note: due to iTunes’s rules, the playlist may only be gifted within the US. The signed copy is open to all.

2) Winner #2 gets an unsigned copy of SHIFT, courtesy of Jeri’s publisher.

ADDITIONALLY, ALL COMMENTERS WILL BE ENTERED TO WIN THE GRAND PRIZE! - annotated copies of SHADE and SHIFT, an early copy of SHINE (book three of the series, of which there will be no other ARCS) and an iPod Shuffle!

Open to international entries. Winners will be drawn after 24 hours.

**********

Author Bio: Jeri Smith-Ready’s latest release is SHIFT (May 3), the second in the YA ghost trilogy that began last year with SHADE (now out in paperback). She loves to hear from readers, so please visit her at www.jerismithready.com, or better yet, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jerismithready) or Twitter (@jsmithready), where she spends far too much time.

Spring Blog Carnival Winners!

2011-05-09T21:09:00.000-04:00

This blog hop was tons of fun and made us 100 new friends on blogger. We know we lured you here with prizes, but you didn't have to follow. So thank you to those who found something they liked here. :)

The giveaway was something we knew would be a hit. Dystopian novels are taking over the literary world! Despite this though, we never imagined we would have this many entries. So, after nearly 400 entries (OMG!) we are excited to announce the winners of the Spring Blog Carnival Hop! Each winner has been contacted and will have 48 hours to respond before we are forced to choose new winners. The lucky people listed below have their choice of one of the books we listed in the giveaway! :) Now the moment you have all been waiting for. Drum roll please...

#210 Candice J

#278 Jen

#165 Al on Fire

Congratulations to all of our winners! Oh and, thanks again to all who hopped, followed or entered the giveaway. You rock!

Love, A&C

ARC Review: DIVERGENT (By: Veronica Roth)

2011-05-03T00:04:00.000-04:00

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Published: May 3, 2011
Format: ARC

Genre: YA Dystopia

Paperback: 496 pages
Dimensions: 6 x 8.75 x 1.47 in

ISBN - 10: 0062024027
ISBN - 13: 9780062024022

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

**********

When I opened Divergent, the first thing I noticed was a letter from Susan Katz, President and Publisher of HarperCollins Chidren's Books. This letter welcomes Veronica Roth to the "world of teen literature", but it also gives a warning to the reader:

"Once you're in the grips of Divergent, it's impossible to put down without knowing the conclusion. So consider this letter fair warning that you, too, may find yourself reading into the early hours of the morning!"

I wish to extend my thanks for this letter because it prepared me for what I was about to embark upon. Katz was right, after the first couple of pages I was hooked. Divergent held me hostage and I loved every minute of it.

Right away I knew that Beatrice 'Tris' Prior was the kind of female heroine that defines a generation. She is a remarkable young woman who's attitude will rub off on you. Every fear, fight and scar that Tris is faced with throughout the book will resonate with readers. The choices that she makes in her life become her, and it this mentality that gives her the strength she needs to push on. Her life in dystopian Chicago operates based on the contributions of all five factions. Each faction must live out the behaviours that their roles define. The society that now exists is supposed to offer some protection but in many ways it breeds chaos. Roth has shown young readers a different way of life, and in doing so has forced them to think. Her ability to make the content accessible to the readership, while making the story entertaining, is a stunning accomplishment.

The world we know now is like a distant memory compared to the society that Tris lives in and it is not just because of the factions. Roth has transformed my favourite city into a dystopian version of its former self. Through her visionary imagination, Chicago's most incredible landmarks have become the sites where faction members live out their day to day lives. The Sears Tower has become the Hub, a place where sixteen year-olds make the decision to choose one faction over another. The now broken down ferris wheel at Navy Pier is where Tris finds the courage to rise above and prove herself. Finally we have The Bean, the beautiful piece of architecture which has been deteriorating slowly leaving a rust covered shell of what once was. All of these pieces that make up the vibrant city of Chicago have been re imagined to create something hauntingly beautiful.

The action definitely stole the show in this book leaving me breathless more than once. It seemed like there was always something about to happen and that every moment you were living right there on the edge with Tris. Divergent is as much about fear as it is about power. Roth examines how our fears dictate our entire existence and how we can learn to live above them. Even a fear of love can be overcome when the right person comes along. This is a lesson that Tris knows well and is part of what makes this book what it is. Her affection for this heart breaker of a boy will give you butterflies. Their relationship is a prime example of how Roth revels in the idea that we make choices every single day and that we can choose to live fearlessly.

Divergent is unlike anything that I have ever read. The combination of action, romance and engrossing content is thrilling . Any critic who says that Young Adult novels can't be thought-provoking should be required to pick up a copy of this book. I promised myself that I wouldn't fan girl all over this review but it was difficult not to. If you read one debut novel this year, let it be Divergent.

Favourite Quotes

"I am selfish. I am brave." - 47

"If my entire life is like this, loud laughter and bold action and the kind of exhaustion you feel after a hard but satisfying day, I will be content" - 156

"I have never been carried around by a large boy, or laughed until my stomach hurt at the dinner table, or listened to the clamor of a hundred people all talking at once. peace is restrained; this is free" - 250

**********

Carnival Blog Hop!

2011-04-30T23:59:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone and welcome to our stop on the Spring Blog Carnival Hop! This fun event not only has giveaways but some blogs have challenges too! If you click on the icon above you will be directed to a long list of all of the other blogs you can hop to!

We were allowed to choose any book related prize for this Blog Hop giveaway so we decided to go with a theme: Dystopia! There are some incredible YA Dystopia novels out now, or on the way, and we got inspired. :) This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY (anywhere the Book Depository ships). You can enter this giveaway by filling out the form at the bottom of this post. Entries will be open until 11:59PM EST on Sunday May 8th. The winners will be chosen May 9th using Random.org. The winners will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond. If we do not hear from them in thie time frame new winners will be chosen.

The prizes you ask? There will be 3 winners and each will be able to choose ONE of the following books...

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Happy Carnival Blog Hopping!

Review: WICKED WOODS (By: Kailin Gow)

2011-04-28T22:36:00.000-04:00

Title: Wicked Woods
Author: Kailin Gow
Publisher: Edge by Sparklesoup
Genre: YA Supernatural
Paperback: 250 pages
Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm

ISBN - 10: 1597486310 ISBN - 13: 978-1597486316

Briony had to move to Wicked Woods, Massachusetts to live with her Great Aunt Sophie after her family disappears on vacation. The woods at the edge of Aunt Sophie s inn is filled with secrets and inhabitants both seductive and deadly.

Among them is a beautiful boy name Fallon who saves her one night in the woods. As Briony gets closer to Fallon, she learns he has a secret, as do most of the residents of Wicked Wood.

**********

Wicked Woods appealed to me for it's haunting cover and mysteriously supernatural synopsis which held so many secrets that I desired to find the answers to. Not knowing much more about the series, or the author for that matter, I dove into this book. While I know that there are many readers out there who have enjoyed Wicked Woods I have to be honest when I say that it was difficult for me to even finish.

One of the first things that I noticed about Wicked Woods was the excessive number of grammar and spelling mistakes for a published novel. While you could probably find a couple of small errors in any other book, the ones in this one were blatant mistakes that should have otherwise been corrected. The number of errors could be attributed to the fact that Wicked Woods was printed by a smaller publishing house but this is not the point. At the end of the day author Kailin Gow has little control when it comes to language mishaps that make it through publication. What she does have control over though is the depth of her characters, relationships and overall storyline.

Kailin Gow has penned over 70 books, many of which are tied to different series'. With this many published works it makes me wonder whether the craft of writing is still driving her to complete books, or whether the whole process has become mechanized. From what I found in this particular book I am swaying towards the latter. What I know about the main character Briony is not enough to even judge her. I know family is important to her and that in her old life she reveled in popularity, but the other aspects of her personality remain hidden. Unfortunatley because of this I felt detached from her whole journey and was not able to sympathize with her struggle.

The relationships in this book were probably the most difficult aspect for me to swallow. The most notable of these would be between Briony and the adorable boy she meets named Fallon. Fallon was the most appealing part of this book so it was a shame to see that his relationship with Briony fell short. After only a few lunch dates at school these two characters were already professing their love to each other. Without developing their relationship it really took away from the connection that they could have had with each other. The passion that they felt towards each other ended up meaning little because of the illogical pace to their relationship.

The supernatural elements of this book were actually very terrifying but they were not enough to turn it around for me. The whole storyline had so much potential but without proper characters or relationships it could not be held up. Because this is a series though, Gow has the ability to make up for what she lacked in this first book. There is more time for her to add depth which could potentially bring this series to life for me.

If you look Wicked Woods up on Goodreads you will see both negative and positive reviews. When it comes to books, everyone has a different taste and a unique sense of what makes a good book good. Despite not finding what I was looking for within the pages of Wicked Woods, this does not mean that I would ever tell you not to read it. The role of this blog is to start discussions about books and the way we do that is by finding others to read them with us. You have the right to form your own opinion about this book if you so choose. The follow up to Wicked Woods entitled Shimmer is waiting for me in my to-be-read pile. If I am willing to give Gow another chance then maybe this gives you the push you need to see for yourself.

-Christie

Tuesday Releases #29

2011-04-26T07:00:00.005-04:00

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back. But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most. But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

Publisher: HarperTeen

Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny's backpack—and the last little blue envelope inside—she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.

Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he's found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure—one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time, there are no instructions.

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it; the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream. This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow", as Samantha Jones dubs her, to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined. With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City's most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw.

Publisher: Speak

Crown Princess Aurelia stands in the face of exile. Behind her are the sister who tried to kill her and the father who ignored it. In front of her are the entire kingdom and Robert—the friend she can't help but fall in love with. Aurelia may finally be living her dream . . . but danger is not far behind. When Aurelia and Robert are betrayed by the very guards assigned to protect them, their expedition becomes a fight for survival that carries them from frontier to desert sands. Even with a hunter on their tail, the risks—to their lives, the throne, their hearts—only fuels Aurelia's determination to see her kingdom. And when their perilous journey is finally complete, she will discover just how much her people need her, and just how much of a risk loving Robert can be.

Publisher: Dafina

The only thing more intense than teen love is a break-up with the uncertainty of a make-up. This exciting new series serves up two tales of love that will shake-up your assumptions of relationships. So buckle up, it's time to get real, learn to deal, and move on with this first volume of The Break-Up Diaries.

Hot Boyz Ni-Ni Simone

Chance Kennedy always gets what she wants, even if she has to bend the truth to do it. She's set her sights on extremely fine and college-bound Ahmad King, and she will do anything to become his girl. There's only one problem: she didn't count on love entering the picture. Now she's scrabbling to make things right before the tiny white lie she's told to lock down her guy blows up in everyone's face. Now, the girl with everything may lose it all. . .

The Boy Trap Kelli London

Pretty, popular, and with mad potential, Gabrielle Newton is, hands down, the girl to know. But Gabrielle only has time for Tyler Scott, Lakeview High's hottest new athlete. He's the golden ticket to her dream: becoming an NBA star's pampered wife. But when Gabrielle plays Tyler one time too many, suddenly more than their relationship is on the line . . .

Publisher: HarperCollins Canada

Fourteen-year-old Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew. But to the bullies at his school in Naziera Berlin, it doesn't matter that Karl has never set foot in a synagogue or that his family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by relentless attacks on a heritage he doesn't accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth to everyone around him.
So when Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German national hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to give Karl boxing lessons, Karl sees it as the perfect chance to reinvent himself. A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but as Max becomes the mentor Karl never had, Karl soon finds both his boxing skills and his art flourishing.
But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: protector of his family. Karl longs to ask his new mentor for help, but with Max's fame growing, he is forced to associate with Hitler and other Nazi elites, leaving Karl to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his dream of boxing greatness with his obligation to keep his family out of harm's way?

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Into the summer heat of New York’s Spanish Harlem strides Carmen, a chica who is as hot as the sizzling city streets. When she first meets José, she falls for him hard. He’s not like the gansta types she knows—tipo duros who are tough, who think they are players. But José has a quick temper, and he likes to get his own way. And nobody gets in Carmen’s way.

When Escamillo rolls into town, everyone takes notice of the Latino Jay-Z—a quadruple-threat singer/rapper/producer/businessman. But he only notices one person—Carmen. And Carmen has given up on José—he’s not going to get her out of her tough neighborhood, el barrio, and into the action. Escamillo will.

But José won’t let that happen. Passion, love, and betrayal explode into tragedy in this modern retelling of an enduring love story.

Publisher: EgmontUSA

have always been broken.

i could have. died.
and maybe it would have been better if i had.

It is a day like any other when seventeen-year-old Melinda Jensen hits the road for San Francisco, leaving behind her fractured home life and a constant assault on her self-esteem. Henry is the handsome, charismatic man who comes upon her, collapsed on a park bench, and offers love, a bright new consciousness, and—best of all—a family. One that will embrace her and give her love. Because family is what Mel has never really had. And this new family, Henry's family, shares everything. They share the chores, their bodies, and their beliefs. And if Mel truly wants to belong, she will share in everything they do. No matter what the family does, or how far they go.

Told in episodic verse, family is a fictionalized exploration of cult dynamics, loosely based on the Manson Family murders of 1969. It is an unflinching look at people who are born broken, and the lengths they'll go to to make themselves "whole" again.

HAPPY READING!

Review: DEAR GEORGE CLOONEY PLEASE MARRY MY MOM (By: Susin Nielsen)

2011-04-23T22:26:00.000-04:00

Title: Dear George Clooney Please Marry My Mom
Author: Susin Nielsen
Publisher: Tundra Books
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Format: Hardcover
Dimensions: 240 pages, 19.8 x 14 x 1.8 cm
ISBN - 10: 0887769772
ISBN - 13: 978-0887769771

Tundra / August 10, 2010 / Hardcover

Violet's TV-director dad has traded a job in Vancouver for one in Los Angeles, their run-down house for a sleek ranch-style home complete with a pool, and, worst of all, Violet's mother for a trophy wife, a blonde actress named Jennica. Violet's younger sister reacts by bed-wetting, and her mother ping-pongs from one loser to another, searching for love. As for Violet, she gets angry in ways that are by turns infuriating, shocking, and hilarious.
When her mother takes up with the unfortunately named Dudley Wiener, Violet and her friend Phoebe decide that they need to take control. If Violet's mom can't pick a decent man herself, they will help her snag George Clooney.

**********

At the 2010 Word on the Street festival in Toronto, I ventured with my sister to the Children's Literature tent to hear Susin Nielsen read from her new book Dear George Clooney Please Marry My Mom. While I had not read middle grade fiction as an adult, Nielsen's reading gave me a reason to do so. The humour oozed from the pages as she read about the world from Violet's perspective. Soon after the event I purchased this book with the intention of laughing my guts out. While there were many moments that I laughed out loud, there were just as many when I cried. This heartfelt tale of a young girl struggling with her parent's divorce struck at my heart strings but ultimately left me smiling.

With a divorce rate that continues to rise, more and more children are faced with the realities of a change in their family structure. Nielsen, while tackling a difficult subject, has created a character that children can identify with and will no doubt enjoy. Violet is cheeky, unique and despite her tough exterior is softer than you think. She pushes boundaries and challenges the new life that her father has created. Her anger, confusion and resentment are so real that it is impossible not to sympathize with her. Putting her witty attitude aside though, Violet is still a child who is trying to make sense of herself and her family.

The humour in this book is absoultely brilliant and will appeal to a wide range of audiences. Young readers will enjoy Violet's crazy antics when it comes to her dad's new family and her mom's boyfriend Dudley Weiner. Adult readers will be drawn in by Violet's comments that drip with a sarcasm beyond her years and by her blunt remarks. One particular instance of this is when Dudley first comes to dinner and Violet takes it upon herself to interview him. Excerpts such as the following had me in stitches:

"We're almost finished. Are you an addict of any sort? Alcohol, drugs - illegal or prescription?"

Dudley took a deep breath. "I see what you're doing and I think it's admirable. But these questions, they're awfully personal."

"So you do have an addiction."

What Nielsen does really well throughout this book is to mask all of the pain using humour. She makes you believe what you are reading is lighthearted story but really it is an honest tale about the bonds of a family. Violet's letter to George Clooney, her interview with Dudley and all of the trouble she causes just shows how much she cares about her mother's happiness. Throughout the book she begins to learn that she has to trust her mother's choices and that people are not always what you think.

Dear George Clooney Please Marry My Mom is hilarious and heartwarming as it looks at divorce through the eyes of a child. The satirical dialogue has been penned with great thought and plays out seamlessly throughout the book. Despite being Middle Grade fiction, this book will appeal to a variety of audiences who are looking for a good laugh and a full heart.

-Christie

Eggciting Twitter Giveaway!

2011-04-22T11:35:00.000-04:00

This long weekend we decided to put a little Spring in your step with an Eggciting Twitter Giveaway! The theme of this giveaway is one that will get you pumped up for a certain YA release...

Jeri Smith-Ready's SHIFT!

This weekend we are celebrating all things Jeri Smith-Ready so that you can get EGGCITED about her upcoming release! Each day (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) there will be a prizepack to be won! As this is a Twitter based giveaway you will have to have a Twitter account or will have to bribe a friend to use theirs! ;)

Our Twitter giveaways will start at 12:00PM EST and will end at 6:00PM EST on each day. During this time you will have to @ reply to us with: "I'm EGGCITED for Shift!". Once you do that you will be entered into that day's contest. Once the contest closes at 6:00PM EST a winner will be chosen using Random.org. This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY! :)

If you want to follow us @bookjunkies you are welcome to, but you don't have to be a follower to enter. Oh, and if you don't win on day one, no sweat! You can enter each day granted you have not won on the other days. :)

Happy Tweeting!

Love, A&C

The Trouble With Spells Blog Tour #32

2011-04-21T18:41:00.000-04:00

Today we are extremely excited to be participating in The Bookish Snob Promotions, The Trouble with Spells by Lacey Weatherford, blog tour! On this stop you will be able to view two book trailers as well as participate in a little bit of trivia.

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TRIVIA!

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What do you do now?

Tomorrow bring your completed Kindle phrase to the Of Witches and Warlocks official website, and enter it into the Kindle form that will be provided there! The form will be up for two days, the 22nd and the 23rd, to give everyone plenty of time to enter. On April 24th all the entries will be added up and the winner will be chosen by random drawing! Good luck to everyone! We can’t wait to see who the winner will be!! Be sure to stop by those two days as well to see excerpts from The Demon Kiss and Blood of the White Witch too! :D

Win a Kindle Treasure Hunt!

We want to reward all the wonderful followers of this blog tour, so what better way to do that than to give away a free Kindle and Of Witches and Warlocks Swag! Being entered to win is easy! All you have to do is follow the tour each day and search for the highlighted words in the post. There may be only one word on some days or two or more on others, so be sure to read the whole post. They could be anywhere…even in this description! Keep collecting the words each day to build a certain phrase. At the end of the tour on April 22nd, bring your completed phrase to the Of Witches and Warlocks official site and submit it into the form to be entered into the Kindle drawing! Did you miss a day? No worries! Just follow the linky list on The Delusional Diaries/The Bookish Snob Promotions to the post for that day and search for it. After you have submitted the special phrase, add up all the times you commented on the different posts during the tour and add that number for extra entries! Lots of chances! So come join in the FUN!

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If you haven't already CLICK HERE to view all of the other blog stops on this tour!

Waiting on Wednesday (30)

2011-04-20T07:00:00.003-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and it allows other bloggers to see which book releases you are highly anticipating.

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WILDEFIRE

Karsten Knight

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing / July 26, 2011 / Hardcover

Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

California, private school and gods? Oh my! As a debut novel Wildefire sounds like it has it all! And that beautiful cover holds your gaze and will not let go! There are some excellent YA reads out this summer and this sounds like one of them.

What are YOU waiting on?

Tuesday Releases #28

2011-04-19T19:26:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Harlequin

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests. Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....

Not your typical beach read.

Publisher: Penguin Group USA

In this standalone sequel to Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, Australian author Alison Goodman (Singing the Dogstar Blues) tracks the perilous adventures of Eona, the first female Dragoneye in many centuries. Unfortunately, our heroine finds no time to rest on her laurels: She and her fellow rebels are racing frantically to find a potent black folio while they also attempt to elude High Lord Sethon's pursuing army. Eona: The Last Dragoneye brims with romance, suspense, and surprises. Definitely worth recommending.

Publisher: Hyperion

It’s Spring again in the village of Montacute, and people want nothing more than to celebrate the season with maypole dances, festivals, and visits from the nobility. The festivities are dampened, though, when a young boy turns up dead outside the village. Then they learn that three other boys have also disappeared lately. To the parson, this tragedy is a perfect excuse to kick off the only thing guaranteed to get his spring-giddy parishioners back to church – a witch hunt. Cecily may have occasional visions, but that doesnt' make her a witch! Fatherless and without friends, Cess knows she’s lucky to be employed by a grand estate like Montacute House, even if it is as a poultry girl. On her thirteenth birthday, Cess finds a precious locket in one of her chicken coops, a strange discovery that’s quickly overshadowed by her best friend John’s disappearance two days later. The parson has already started planting rumors that the missing boys were bewitched, and the villagers think Cecily may be the culprit. The only way Cess can prove her innocence is by finding John, but she’s soon embroiled in a plot that threatens her world and forces her to draw upon powers she never knew she possessedWitchcraft, politics and religious ambition combine in this gripping and wonderfully realized novel set in the Somerset of the 1500s.

Publisher: Razorbill

The heart-stopping fourth novel in New York Times bestselling author Lili St. Crow's Strange Angels series.

Now that sixteen-year-old Dru's worst fears have come true and Sergej has kidnapped her best friend Graves, she'll have to go on a suicidal rescue mission to bring him back in one piece.
That is, if she can put all of Christophe's training to good use, defeat her mother's traitor, Anna, once and for all, and manage to survive another day . .

HAPPY READING!

In My Mailbox #30

2011-04-17T20:24:00.001-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a fun way to show everybody what books you've received, purchased, borrowed etc.

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CHRISTIE'S MAILBOX

Won:

@IndigoTeenBlog hoste a week long contes where there were 5 days of prizes! I entered most of the days and didn't think I would win but I won on the last day of the contest! Thank you to Chandra and Indigo!

The Darkest Powers trilogy - Kelley Armstrong
City of Fallen Angels - Cassandra Clare
COFA Poster

*Ashley will have a bunch for next week's IMM. Stay tuned!

ARC Review: Red Glove (By Holly Black)

2011-04-13T08:56:00.003-04:00

Title: Red Glove
Author: Holly Black
Rating: 4/5
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Format: ARC received by the Publisher

Dimensions: 336 Pages, 5.5 x 8.25 x 0.98 in

ISBN - 10: 144240339X
ISBN - 13: 9781442403390

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing | April 5, 2011 | Hardcover

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe''s world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth-he's the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything-or anyone-into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she''s human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila''s been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila''s love is as phony as Cassel''s made-up memories, then he can''t believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel''s oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue-crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too-they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can''t trust anyone-least of all, himself?
Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

**********

IF YOU HAVEN'T READ WHITE CAT, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM READING THIS REVIEW. IT WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!

After I finished reading White Cat by Holly Black I immediately jumped into Red Glove. There was no way I was going to be able to leave Cassel and his world of cons alone. Cassandra Clare had it right when she said that Red Glove was "dangerously, darkly gorgeous fantasy." Black did it again with the world of workers and poor Cassal's inability to catch a break.

Red Glove picks up where White Cat left off. Cassel was able to con his brothers, but now Barron won't leave him alone and Phillip can't stand to talk to him. Cassel also finds himself dealing with Lila and his mother working her to love him. You can't help but feel sorry for him, but you know deep down that Cassel will come out victorious. Well, at least as best as a worker can.

The back and forth banter between Cassel and the various supporting characters, was again, amazing! Reading the book was effortless. The dialogue, inner voice, and plot structure fell into place so nicely that you were transported into Cassel's head with ease. You became apart of him, an extension of his soul. Again, the choice of language and phrases was spot on, appealing to both a younger audience as well as an older audience (like me and a great many fellow book bloggers).

I'm also definitely beginning to develop my crush for Cassel into something much more. He screams dangerously sexy bad boy with heart you know is good, but hope deep down inside he never loses his edge.

Then we have our supporting cast of characters, which again, are fantastic. I really love Sam and Daneca. Sam is the best friend you hope you have the chance to have. He's trustworthy, caring, and will be their for you no questions asked. Daneca is in this book a lot more and we really get to see her open up which was great! Then we have the ever so precious mob daughter and love of Cassel's life, Lila. It was nice to see her have to battle with her own emotions and so fragile that you see her core. Don't get me wrong, I love the hard talking, strong, female that Black has created with Lila, but I also like the rawness the reader gets to see in Red Glove. It gives her character dimension and develops the relationship between her and Cassel much more. Cassel's mother is erratic, insane, and totally off the charts, I'm not sure how he turned out to be the only "normal" (because what constitutes what normal is?) one in his family? She definitely adds a level of flare to the story.

The problem I have now is the cliffhanger at the end!! I'm a very impatient person and having to wait is going to hurt, but wait I shall. There is no way I would miss reading Black Heart and finishing the journey with Cassel. Also, there is another Jace moment - hilarious! - that you won't want to miss pop up in this installment of the Curse Workers, for all of those TMI fans out there.

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Don't forget to check out Red Glove's Page on the Simon & Schuster website and check out some other reviews:
Midnight Bloom Reads - Red Glove Review (4.5 stars)Tynga's Reviews - Red Glove Review Reading Teen - Red Glove Review

-Ashley

In My Mailbox #29

2011-04-10T19:43:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a fun way to show everybody what books you've received, purchased, borrowed etc.

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ASHLEY'S MAILBOX

Bought:

The Darkest Secret - Gena Showalter

The Gathering - Kelley Armstrong

Gifted:

City of Fallen Angels poster - HUGE thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada!!

CHRISTIE'S MAILBOX

Swag:

Chapter samplers from Jeri -Smith Ready! Thank you :)

BOOKS FOR REVIEW

From HarperCollins Canada:

Divergent - Veronica Roth

Hereafter - Tara Hudson

Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini

From Simon & Schuster Canada:

City of Fallen Angels - Cassandra Clare

Possession - Elana Johnson

He's So Not Worth It - Kieran Scott

A special thanks to HarperCollins Canada, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Jeri-Smith Ready for the fabulous haul this week :)

WHAT WAS IN YOUR MAILBOX THIS WEEK?

Review: White Cat (By Holly Black)

2011-04-07T10:26:00.001-04:00

Title: White Cat
Author: Holly Black
Rating: 4/5
Format: Hardcover
Dimensions: 320 Pages, 5.5 x 8.25 x 1.16 in
ISBN - 10: 1416963960
ISBN - 13: 9781416963967

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing | May 4, 2010 | Hardcover

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they''re all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn''t got the magic touch, so he''s an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He''s noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he''s part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love -- or death -- and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

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I had always had full intentions of reading this book, but it wasn't until I received an ARC copy of Red Glove that I was pushed into book buying action. Then school became the hectic it has ever been and all of my reading was put on the back burner. Well, school is almost done, essay's are all handed in and that meant reading could finally be done.

When I started White Cat I found myself struggling to really get into the story. I can't exactly pinpoint why, but I found myself frustrated. However, the moment you hit that 1/4 way through mark it was hook, line, and sinker. I was sucked into Black's world of Curse Workers and her darkly humorous hero, Cassel. If you think going in that the hero of the story will be modeled under the good boy cookie cutter image, you will run head first into a brick wall, waking up slightly confused and a little bruised. Cassel is sarcastic, witty, deeply disturbed by his past memories, and non-trusting of everyone and everything around him. He is one of the most unlikely protagonists I've ever come across in a novel, but what the reader gets - through this unlikely narrating voice - is an magically infused story where the reader is let in on the con and sees the good in an improbable hero.

I loved the maturity of the language Black chose to use. Rather than have the language play down to a younger audience, it works to incorporate all age groups, 14 and up. There was nothing over the top in how Cassel chooses to speak, but there was also no holding back, either. The twists in the story, from Cassel's insane family, to his constant cons, the grief of Lila and his attachment to her, were all so superbly done that the book pulled of a con of its own: I was afraid to put the book down. I also loved the small Jace (from the Mortal Instrument series) shout out.

The concept of Black's White Cat was unique in many ways. Firstly, I have yet to read a book where people have the ability to change a persons luck, emotions, fate, or human form; Secondly, our hero is an emotionally fragile and perplexed teenager who finds himself having to put his life on the line to figure out what is going on; thirdly, White Cat is a gripping story about learning to trust and love when you've never really understood how. Cassel must come to grips with his life being anything but the reality he has known and learn to survive outside the one true thing he has always believed in: his family.

Black has created a page turning YA dark suspense that will keep readers craving for more. White Cat made me laugh, heartbroken, shocked, and overly excited to have a chance to read more of Cassel's story in Red Glove. White Cat was an utterly twisted story of betrayal, lies, and theft, but most importantly magnificently crafted by Holly Black.

Oh and did I mention that the audio book is narrated by Jesse Eisenberg? I thought that was pretty cool!

TRAILER FUN

Don't forget to check out White Cat's Page on Simon and Schuster and pick up your copy of Red Glove, in stores NOW! :)

-Ashley

Waiting on Wednesday (29)

2011-04-06T08:00:00.005-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and it allows other bloggers to see which book releases you are highly anticipating.

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AS I WAKE

Elizabeth Scott

Dutton Children's Books / Hardcover / September 1, 2011

What if you woke up and didn't know where you were?

What if you didn't know who you were?

And what if, when your memories started to come back--what if they didn't match the you that you're supposed to be?

I have never read anything by Elizabeth Scott but I think I should start. The cover on this book is probably the most fascinating one I have seen in a while and as such is definitely a favourite. Combine that stunning cover with the vague, yet intriguing, synopsis and you have a book that I am highly anticipating. Something to look forward to in the fall! :)

-Christie

Tuesday Releases #27

2011-04-05T10:45:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (imprint of Simon & Schuster)

City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in the bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

“City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.”

Publisher:HarperCollins

Strange things are happening in Maya's tiny Vancouver Island town. First, her friend Serena, the captain of the swim team, drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. Then, one year later, mountain lions are spotted rather frequently around Maya's home—and her reactions to them are somewhat . . . unexpected. Her best friend, Daniel, has also been experiencing unexplainable premonitions about certain people and situations.

It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret, and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy—her paw-print birthmark.

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (imprint of Simon & Schuster) Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Publisher: HarperTeen

Every ghost has a story to tell. The last place Tansy Piper wants to be is stuck in Cedar Canyon, Texas, in the middle of nowhere, with a bunch of small-town kids. But when her mother decides to move to the desolate West Texas town, Tansy has no choice but to go along. Once there, Tansy is immediately drawn to the turret of their rickety old house, a place she soon learns has a disturbing history. But it's the strange artifacts she finds in the cellar—a pocket watch, a journal of poetry, and a tiny crystal—that have the most chilling impact on her. Tansy soon finds that through the lens of her camera, she can become part of a surreal black-and-white world where her life is intertwined with that of mysterious, troubled Henry, who lived in the same house and died decades earlier. It seems their lives are linked by fate and the artifacts she found, but as Tansy begins spending more and more time in the past, her present world starts to fade away. Tansy must untangle herself from Henry's dangerous reality—before she loses touch with her own life forever.

Publisher: HarperCollins

Sink your teeth into these bite-sized tales exploring the intersections among the living, dead, and undead. The vampires in these stories range from romantic to chilling to gleeful—and touch on nearly every emotion in between. The one thing they have in common? Their desire for blood...

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach. But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape—or even survive—life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love? Plague, Michael Grant's fourth book in the bestselling Gone series, will satisfy dystopian fans of all ages.

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

The long-awaited sequel to Janni Lee Simner's breathtaking YA fantasy debut, Bones of Faerie.Liza is a summoner. She can draw life to herself, even from beyond the grave. And because magic works both ways, she can drive life away. Months ago, she used her powers to banish her dangerous father and to rescue her mother, lost in dreams, from the ruined land of Faerie.Born in the wake of the war between humanity and Faerie, Liza lived in a world where green things never slept, where trees sought to root in living flesh and bone. But now the forests have fallen silent. Even the evergreens' branches are bare. Winter crops won't grow, and the threat of starvation looms. And deep in the forest a dark, malevolent will is at work. To face it, Liza will have to find within herself something more powerful than magic alone.Here at last is the sequel to Bones of Faerie, for all those fans of dark fantasy and dystopian adventure who thrilled to Janni Lee Simner's unique vision of a postapocalyptic world infused with magic

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever. Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other. Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is--and what he’s willing to do to make her stay. Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo's highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

HAPPY READING!

Review: CLARITY (By: Kim Harrington)

2011-04-04T08:00:00.005-04:00

Title: Clarity

Author: Kim Harrington

Rating: 5/5

Format Reviewed: Hardcover

Dimensions: 256 Pages,21.3 x 14.5 x 2.8 cm ISBN-10: 0545230500
ISBN-13: 978-0545230506

SCHOLASTIC INC / March 1, 2011 / Hardcover

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?

This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

**********

For months I have been waiting for Clarity to hit shelves so that I could get my greedy paws on it. This debut novel from Kim Harrington has been at the top of my to-be-read list, and rightfully so. Clarity combines all of the right ingredients to make a young adult novel that you will have trouble putting down. I thought I would do this review a little differently on account of how much I enjoyed the book. Here are the top 5 reasons you need to make room for Clarity on your bookshelf...

5. Retrocognitive Psychometry - You may be asking yourself what is "Retrocognitive Psychometry"? Well, you're not alone. Before this book I was not aware of this type of ability, nor did I know the proper terminology. Retrocognitive Psychometry is the ability to gather readings from people's personal objects; this is exactly what Clarity "Clare" Fern can do. To say Clare's ability is interesting would be a gross understatement. Harrington has not only shown Clare's ability in a professional way, but has also shown how her gift has impacted her personal life. It is these two perspectives on what Clare can do that truly gives readers a well rounded understanding of her character.

4. Small Town Murder Mystery - Clarity is set in Eastport which is a small tourist destination located on Cape Cod. This seemingly quiet town is rocked by a murder and suddenly the entire community is on edge. Harrington's use of setting within this mystery is absolutely wonderful. The town's landmarks, like King's Courtyard Motel and Yummys, are woven into the mystery and in turn become pivotal in telling of the story. These favourite spots in Eastport also act as the main gathering places for the characters which will no doubt make readers feel right at home within the pages. The mystery itself will keep you guessing from beginning to end. Even when you think you know the truth Harrington will turn it around and shock you.

3. Two Suitable Fellas - What is better than one fella? Two! Honestly, I never have trouble choosing between the two male leads, but in Clarity I just couldn't make up my mind! At first I thought that I would be pining for Gabriel, but it wasn't that easy. While Justin is the cheating ex-boyfriend, Gabriel definitely has some flaws of his own. As much as both of the male characters disappointed me at one point or another, they also surprised me. When it comes down to it their affection for Clare is genuine which makes it very difficult to choose just one. ;)

2. Kickass Heroine - Many have said that Clarity reminds them of the television show Veronica Mars. I can see where some might think this considering Clare's involvement in the murder case. I definitely see the connection but I really think it is more because of the Clare's persnickety nature. As a heroine Clare is full of wit, sass, and confidence. Despite being ostracized by many of her classmates she doesn't wallow in self-pity. Clare is the type of heroine that I like to see and one that I hope other female readers will admire.

1. Sibling Love - The relationship between Perry and Clare is my absolute favourite part of this book. Never have I ever read a YA novel that looks at the bond between brother and sister this way. While Perry no doubt cares for his sister it is actually Clare who takes on a protective role over her older brother. Their entire relationship is so incredibly endearing and it completely grounds this book. You have to wonder who inspired Harrington to write so affectionately about the relationship between brother and sister.

If I need to actually say it, well, here it is: I LOVED THIS BOOK. Enjoy the trailer and go grab your copy of Clarity. Your bookshelf will thank you. - Christie

In My Mailbox #28

2011-04-04T07:53:00.000-04:00

CHRISTIE'S MAILBOX

Venemous - Christopher Krovatin

Shade - Jeri Smith-Ready

*A lovely and unexpected surprise in my mailbox this week! Thank you to Amy at Simon & Schuster!

I requested Street Team Swag from Jeri Smith-Ready so that I can spread the love of her books! It arrived in the mail this week and I am so very happy!

ARC Review: Entwined (By Heather Dixon)

2011-04-01T21:32:00.000-04:00

Title: Entwined

Author: Heather Dixon

Rating: 5/5
Published: Greenwillow Books (imprint of HarperCollins)

Format Reviewed: ARC copy provided by the publisher
Dimensions: 480 Pages, 5.83 x 8.53 x 1.52 in
ISBN - 10: 0062001035
ISBN - 13: 9780062001030

HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS | March 21, 2011 | Hardcover

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

**********

Where to begin with this book? I LOVED it, ADORED it, CRAVED it... to simply state my thoughts on Heather Dixon's debut novel. From the moment the first chapter began, I found myself failing at being successful in the Entwine. I was trapped, with no hope of escaping the tangled web of story telling Dixon was emitting from the page. I didn't want to escape the confines of the entwine. I wanted to stay trapped, in hopes that this story would never end. From what I gathered from Heather Dixon's blog, Entwined is a story that builds off of The 12 Dancing Princesses Fairy Tale. This fairty tale was written by the Brothers Grimm in 1812. I have a collection of Grimm Fairy Tales, however, this is one I was unfamiliar with. So I google searched it and upon reading a quick blurb on the story I was definitely able to see this fairy tale brought to fruition in a beyond magical way by Dixon.

The story finds us following Azalea, the eldest child in a family of 12 daughters. As the eldest, not only does she find herself responsible for the care of her sisters, she is also bound to be Queen soon and must find a husband to become King. On top of everything, Azalea must overcome a family tragedy, keep things in order and not only find love, but keep dancing.

The dancing imagery is this novel was absolutely breathtaking. You were transported into a ballroom full of happy men and women twirling around in complete rapture. The folds of the dress are easily imagined as Azalea dances with the Keeper, or simply with her sisters. The silver gleamed off of the pages bringing the reader into magic. There is passion, raw emotion, and intensity that is woven into Dixon's language. As each girl is named after a flower, there is a definite sense of a poetic flowery language. Everything flows effortlessly, which is no easy task, but makes for an iridescent book you can't put down.

Azalea is a girl that I envy to be. She is strong, determined, smart having not only the weight of her family upon her shoulders, but the weight of her kingdom. She takes care of her sisters as a motherly figure, but will she have time to find love with all her worrying? Or has she grown up too fast, trying to escape through a magical maelstrom of dancing? Each sister also brings in a new dimension to the story. Let us also not forget the amazing Mr. Bradford. I fell in love with his character the moment we Azalea meets him. He is utterly handsome but completely disheveled, just as Azalea's sisters tend to be. He also has a heart of gold. It would be shocking if girls didn't fall for Mr. Bradford straightaway. There was a Mr. Darcy demure about him, but less pretentious and pompous.

This story captures the essence of both familial and romantic love. More than anything, I found this to be a book about the importance of family and love; the importance of choice and respect. Near the end of the novel, I was constantly getting the image of the ballroom scene from Labyrinth. The part in the movie where Sarah is being drawn into the elegance of mystery of the dance by Jareth. Instead, Dixon paints Azalea in the Sarah role constantly being drawn in my the allure of the Keeper (Jareth). Minus the look of Jareth which is all wrong for the Keeper, the dance scene is perfect in terms of visualization. I've included a Youtube clip of said scene:

To sum up, Entwined was a novel that will transport its reader into a mystical and magical world of a kingdom where dancing is one of the most important qualities a person can have, and where love has the ability to conquer all. This is an amazing debut novel by Heather Dixon that will capture the readers heart in an entwine of its own, never letting go.

A couple passages I loved:

"His voice reminded Azalea of rich, thick cream, the sort one could add to any recipe to make it taste better."

"She wondered if she would be able to give the soul's courtsy, with all her hear and soul, to anyone [...] Around her, the leaves of the rose bush ivies rustled, then curled and entwined through the lattice. Their buds bloomed into fat, silver blossoms, revealing pearls for middles."

**********

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for this advanced copy. :) For more information about the book you can visit the HarperCollins Canada website,read their Blog: The Savvy Reader, follow them on Twitter or visit their Facebook page. Happy reading!

-Ashley

Dear Tweethearts, Want to Win a book by Richelle Mead?

2011-03-31T19:02:00.000-04:00

For anyone who has been a follower of this blog, or our twitter, then it is no surprise that I (Ashley) am absoultely in love with Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series. It is one of my top series in the categories of writing, plot, characters, etc. Anything you can think of, these book –– in my opinion –– will meet and surpass. In honour of Richelle Mead's writing and to keep the ball rolling on this new meme, we will be having another Soundtrack Sunday. This time, we want to know what songs you would have on the Last Sacrifice soundtrack.

Here's what you have to do Tweethearts...

1. Think of a song that you think would be perfect for the Last Sacrifice soundtrack.
2. Send us a tweet (@bookjunkies) with the song you want and the hashtag #SoundtrackSunday.
3. Smile because you just entered to win any Richelle Mead book of your choosing! (if you want, you could win a pre-order of Bloodlines)

Contest is open Internationally AKA anywhere The Book Depository ships.The winner will be chosen at random by using Random.org. Contest closes this Sunday, April 3 at 5:00PM EST.
Unfortunately if you don't have Twitter you won't be able to enter but...there will hopefully be an Easter contest taking place in a few weeks!

Waiting on Wednesday (28)

2011-03-30T14:59:00.000-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and it allows other bloggers to see which book releases you are highly anticipating

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ORIGINAL SIN

Lisa Desrochers

TOR PUBLISHING | July 5th, 2011 | Paperback

In this second Personal Demons novel from Lisa Desrochers, former demon Luc Cain is now a mortal — thanks to Frannie Cavanaugh and her unique skill set. Unfortunately, Frannie didn’t turn Luc human on purpose, and now she can’t quite figure out how she did it. What good is a power if you don’t know how to use it? With angel Gabe’s help, Frannie starts to learn. But it isn’t long before Gabe realizes that being around her is too difficult. Rather than risk losing his wings, he leaves Frannie and Luc under the protection of Frannie’s recently acquired guardian angel: her brother, Matt. Which would be fine…if an assortment of demons didn’t promptly appear, furious that Luc deserted Hell and determined to get him back. Hell won’t give up and Heaven won’t give in. Matt exercises all the power he has to keep them away, but the demons are willing to hurt anyone close to Frannie in order to get what they want. It will take everything she has and then some to stay out of Hell’s grasp.

**********

The first novel, Personal Demons, was to sum it up, SEXY! Now, I 110% Team Luc so it will be interesting to see the role Gabe plays and if he is willing to fall for Frannie. I'm also really excited to see more of Matt in this novel. We were just given a taste of his character in the first book.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON?

-Ashley

ARC Review: STEEL (By Carrie Vaughn)

2011-03-29T11:57:00.000-04:00

Title: Steel

Author: Carrie Vaughn
Rating: 3/5
Format Reviewed: ARC copy provided by the publisher
Dimensions: 304 Pages, 6 x 8.75 x 0.97 in
ISBN - 10: 0061547913
ISBN - 13: 9780061547911

Harpercollins Publishers | March 7, 2011 | Hardcover

It was a slender length of rusted steel, tapered to a point at one end and jagged at the other, as if it had broken. A thousand people would step over it and think it trash, but not her.
This was the tip of a rapier.
Sixteen-year-old Jill has fought in dozens of fencing tournaments, but she has never held a sharpened blade. When she finds a corroded sword piece on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued and pockets it as her own personal treasure.
The broken tip holds secrets, though, and it transports Jill through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Stranded in the past and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew. But a pirate's life is bloody and brief, and as Jill learns about the dark magic that brought her there, she forms a desperate scheme to get homeâ€"one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainous pirate captain.
Time travel, swordplay, and romance combine in an original high-seas adventure from New York Times bestseller Carrie Vaughn

**********

We were recently lucky enough to receive a few books from HarperCollins Canada to review and Steel by Carrie Vaughn was one of them. I had every intention of finishing this book, with the review up, by the publication date. My last year of undergrad has proved to be one full of presentations, mountains of essays it seems, and novel upon novel to read. This set me back a bit in the books I was able to read, so I apologize. Now that I have my little blurb out of the way, ARGH! on to the review matey....

This was my first Carrie Vaughn experience and I must say, it was a rather pleasant one. This story is about a teenager, Jill, who is a highly competitive fencer. She lives fencing; she breathes fencing; she is fencing. Or so that is the mantra she goes by when the novel first beings. Have you ever wanted something so badly, come within its grasp, only to lose it completely? Well, that is where we meet Jill. She is determined to win to the point where losing is all she can think about when it happens. And then, on a family vacation after Jill's entire fencing world has seemed to crash down upon her, she finds a piece of a rapier. On a trip a sixteen year old girl does not want to be on, after losing a fencing championship that would have placed her as a potential olympian, finding a piece of history seems to brighten up her mood. It is through this historical artifact that Jill's entire world is turned upside down. She ends up going back in time to a period where Pirates –– like Blackbeard –– still roamed the open waters in large quantities.

Vaughn's writing transforms the reader from a hot tropical destination, the the high waters where swash buckling pirates still looted, raided, sailed by their own rules, and fought. History is fascinating; to be able to transport yourself into a different time period is an exhilarating idea. This book does that; it is able to grasp the reader by the collar and drag them into the water with Jill and resurface in a foreign time as a pirate. Honestly, who has never thought of how cool being a pirate would have been?

What I really loved in Steel was the female empowerment that was interwoven into the text throughout. Jill, firstly, is a teenage girl with a love fencing. Although fencing is safe, it is a sport that allows women to pick up a sword and fight. Secondly, Jill has somehow traveled through a space time continuum that places her in the midst of a pirate battle. At first scared, Jill is able to overcome her fears and live life as a pirate would have. The third aspect of the book that was fantastic for enabling female empowerment was the fact the Jill's new captain is a woman. Marjory Cooper is Captain of the ship that finds Jill and well respect to boot. Filled with men, the few women aboard have had to disguise themselves, assert power, and show enormous bouts of strength in order to survive in a male dominated world. I feel like this statement of female strength and power is a comment on the social order as it stands today. Women need to stick up for what they want and infiltrate the patriarchy, rising to the top themselves and flipping the social order on its head.

Where the novel tended to falter for me was in the relationship between Jill and Henry. Henry is a fellow pirate who helps Jill acclimatize to life at sea on board a pirate vessel. Their relationship felt rushed, especially in how everything takes place during the novels climax and ending sequence. I really enjoyed Henry as a stand alone character, but as a companion for Jill it would have been nice to see a little more in terms of character development. The book also fell flat at the end. I sat there feeling incomplete, like I missed something. Since the middle of the book was so strong, you expect a strong ending. Sadly, I didn't see that strength carried through till the end.

Vaughn has brought back the fascination with Pirates that was reinstated into culture by way of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. No, there is no Johnny Depp, but there is a vividly painted picture of what being aboard a pirate ship was all about. Through Vaughn's attention to detail, clothing, and scenery –– with the addition of real life documented pirates in the book –– the novel was fascinating and creates a thrilling ride of action, strength, determination, and hope that all will enjoy.

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Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for this advanced copy. :) For more information about the book you can visit the HarperCollins Canada website,read their Blog: The Savvy Reader, follow them on Twitter or visit their Facebook page. Happy reading!

-Ashley

Tuesday Releases #26

2011-03-29T08:00:00.017-04:00

Publisher: HarperCollins

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

The Gods have abandoned Ai Ling.

Her mysterious power haunts her day and night, and she leaves home—with just the moon as her guide—overwhelmed by her memories and visions and an unbearable sense of dread. For Ai Ling knows that Chen Yong is vulnerable to corrupt enchantments from the under-world. How can she do nothing when she has the skill and power to fight at his side? A dream has told her where he is, the name of the ship he is traveling on, his destination. So she steals off and stows away on board.

The ocean voyage brings with it brutal danger, haunting revelations, and new friendships, but also the premonition of a very real and terrifying threat. Zhong Ye—the powerful sorcerer whom Ai Ling believed she had vanquished in the Palace of Fragrant Dreams—is trapped in Hell, neither alive nor dead. Can he reach from beyond the grave to reunite with Silver Phoenix and destroy Chen Yong? And destroy whatever chance Ai Ling has at happiness, at love?

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Not a ton of releases this week but these sound fabulous! Happy Reading!

ARC Review: CRASH INTO ME - A Survivor's Search for Justice (By: Liz Seccuro)

2011-03-28T08:00:00.005-04:00

Title: Crash Into Me - A Survivor's Search for Justice

Author: Liz Seccuro

Rating: 4 of 5

Bloomsbury USA / December 21, 2010 / Hardcover

WARNING: The topic of this book and/or review may be sensitive to some readers.

In September 2005, Liz Seccuro's world turned upside down when she received an apology letter from the man who had raped her twenty-two years earlier. The rape, which occurred when she was a seventeen-year-old freshman at the University of Virginia, was reported to the campus police, but their inquiry led nowhere. The man accused of raping her left the university soon after and Seccuro tried to put the incident behind her, but like all survivors of trauma, the memory was never far from the surface.

The letter brought it all back. Seccuro bravely began an e-mail correspondence with her rapist to try to understand what happened, and why. As the correspondence continued, Seccuro found the courage to do what should have been done all those years earlier—prosecute him.

She began appearing on national television and radio to talk about the case. Several crime dramas and a John Grisham novel, The Associate, were based on her experience. She had found a way to end a terrible story, but once judicial proceedings began she found that what she thought occurred at that UVA frat party was only the tip of the iceberg. She now has reason to think there were two other assailants, neither of whom has been brought to justice. Liz Seccuro's inspiring, unflinching memoir is about experiencing terrible trauma—and the power of justice to heal.

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Before coming across this book on Goodreads I had never heard anything about Liz Seccuro nor the rape case that has defined her life. I must be living under a rock though because her story has been splashed across various media outlets. What makes Seccuro's case different from other victim's of rape is that the crime was committed 22 years prior to the start of the case. It is this element that created such a media frenzy, and in turn is what inspired Seccuro to write this book.

Seccuro`s journey began with a letter written to her by the man who had raped her in college 22 years prior. It is this letter that brought many painful memories back to the surface, but is also what acted as a catalyst for change. Before delving into the specifics of the case though, Seccuro takes reader's back to the night of her rape and outlines each horrendous detail. At first I felt this section of the book was kind of sensationalized but soon came to understand that this was Seccuro's opportunity to tell her story, in her own voice, free from media speculation. To truly capture the magnitude of the situation, and the impact it has had on her life, Seccuro needed to describe the rape scene to the extent in which she did.

The legal battle that ensues because of the letter, and Seccuro's subsequent emails, will no doubt infuriate and engross you. Overall she writes about the case in an objective point of view despite the emotional investment that she has in its outcome and her trust in the justice system carries the various court proceedings from beginning to end. Despite this though, the transcripts from the case prove how difficult rape cases can be as Seccuro must defend herself to the media and the courts as she is painted as a guilty party. This struggle is something many victims of rape are faced with and is no doubt the reason why many stay silent.

Throughout this book it is discussed how campus rapes are often kept quiet to preserve the school's reputation. In sharing her story, Seccuro is giving a voice to victims while doing her best to address how silence merely perpetuates sexual violence. While there are more resources and information available in the year`s since her rape, victims can still feel isolated. STARS (Sisters Together Assisting Rape Survivors) is a foundation that Seccuro started with her husband. This fund provides non-profit organizations with the means necessary to help victims, and aims to assist colleges and universities when it comes to responding to on-campus rapes.

Crash Into Me is as much a story about justice as it is about survival. It is about how to build your life from tragedy rather than building around it and about moving on even when you don`t have all of the answers. While the content of this book is not suitable for everyone, it is definitely an interesting memoir for adult readers. Those who are victims of sexual violence will no doubt have difficulty with the topic, but hopefully they will also find some sort of solace Seccuro`s words.

-Christie

A special thanks to Bloomsbury USA for posting a giveaway for this book on Goodreads. For more information about Liz Seccuro and her foundation, you can visit STARS.

In My Mailbox #27

2011-03-27T21:20:00.001-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a fun way to show everybody what books you've received, purchased, borrowed etc.

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ASHLEY'S MAILBOX

WON

Signed Copy of Lesley Livingston's Darklight - Thank you HarperCollins

Gifted

Timeless - Alexandra Monir (thanks to my Bestie Christie for this awesome birthday gift)

For Giveaway:

These are the fabulous Lesley Livingston, Once Every Never chapter Samplers! For all of the winners, I will be mailing them out this Tuesday. I apologize for the delay.

Thanks to Lesley for sending me and Christie each a personalized signed copy!

Bought:

Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
The Girl Who Chased the Moon -Sarah Addison Allen
The Dead- Tossed Waves - Carrie Ryan
Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetys

CHRISTIE'S MAILBOX

For Kindle:

Something Borrowed - Emily Griffin

This week I bought the first book for my Kindle!

I am so excited to read this book so that I can go see the movie which looks fantastic! Oh, and I am glad this was my first EBook choice. :)

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For Review:

The Book of Lies- Mary Horlock *A special thanks to HarperCollins Canada!

WHAT DID YOU GET IN YOUR MAILBOX THIS WEEK?

Canuck Week Winners!

2011-03-26T12:28:00.000-04:00

Our Canuck Week giveaways ended last night and our winners have been chosen!

Winner of Natale Ghent's The Odds Get Even...

AUDREY

Winner of Lesley Livingston's Tempestuous...

BROOKE

Winner of Eileen Cook's The Education of Hailey Kendrick...

KATIE

Congratulations to all of our winners!

City of Fallen Angels....Yes Please!

2011-03-25T13:19:00.000-04:00

It is no secret that we both absolutely LOVE and are totally enraptured with Cassandra Clare's writing, characters, and fantastic world! Most of all, we are totally head over heels in love with Jace Wayland. When we finished reading City of Glass back when it was published, it was a bitter sweet finale to the series. The series ended and we were happy with that ending. Then we sat around pining over the entire series, the characters we loved, and thought...wait a minute! The series is over, which means no more Simon, Clary, or Magnus....no more JACE! Needless to say, it was a heart stopping moment of realization. Then we heard the great news via a Ustream chat with Cassie Clare herself: there was going to be 3 more books in TMI series. So in honour of the upcoming newest release, we wanted to showcase the fabulous trailer on our blog and hope that you are all excited for April 5th, 2011 in the same way we are.

Credit for the trailer goes to Vania from VLC Productions :-)

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Here is a description of the book, just for good measure:

City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in the bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

“City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.”

You can check out more information on the following websites:

Cassandra Clare Official Website

Simon and Schuster Canada

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We would also love to hear your thoughts and comments about WHO you want to play Jace. We use to be huge supporters of Alex Pettyfer. Physically, he fit the part perfectly. With his recent attitude towards not only City of Bones, but as an actor on a whole, he is no longer someone we feel is deserving of the part.

Our new Jace and who would be beyond perfect for the role is:

MAX IRONS

Look, swoon, comment, enjoy!

Review: ENTICE (By: Carrie Jones)

2011-03-24T08:00:00.005-04:00

Title: Entice (Need #3)

Author: Carrie Jones

Rating: 3.5

Bloomsbury USA / December 14, 2010 / Hardcover

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever.

But that's not quite how things have worked out.

For starters, well, Nick is dead.

Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla?

And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't just turned...she's Astley's queen.

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Pixies, Weres and the creepy town of Maine; Carrie Jones has packed them all into the pages of the Need series. Entice, the third book in the series, picks up exactly where Captivate left off and throws the reader into the action. With Nick in Valhalla, and Zara as a Pixie Queen, there are an abundance of changes on the horizon for everyone. When you throw Astley into that mix it all kind of gets a little crazy.

In the previous books, clever chapter titles were used that all related back to the same theme. In the first book they were phobias, and in the second they were Pixie Rules. Jones continues with this in Entice by using social media and news quotes to title each and every chapter. With so much going on within Zara's social circle there is little time to step out and take a look at what life is like for others in Maine. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter aim to give background on the state of the small town and the people living within its boundaries.

Another aspect of Entice that aligns with the rest of the series is Zara's struggle with herself. As a pacifist, Zara is challenged by all of the violence around her and is tempted by her need to seek revenge. While Jones never compromises Zara's character, she definitely finds ways to test her. Zara is not the only one who fears the Pixie Queen she has become; it is also difficult for those closest to her to really understand and accept her. There are many moments in the book where Astley just might be the only one who knows and accepts Zara as she is.

I will not hide the fact that I am Team Astley. There is just something so charming and chivalrous about him that cannot be denied. The reason that Entice is not my favourite book in the series has a lot to with Astley. The entire time I was reading the book I kept thinking, "You're the Jacob Black of this book". Who knows if I'm right, but it is possible that Zara and Nick will end up together and Astley will fade into the shadows. It is this outcome that makes me weary about the end of this series.

Overall Entice offers much of what has been expected with this series and is a good YA read. I am very excited to see where the final book takes the characters and exactly who Zara ends up with. All I can say is that Astley has my vote.

-Christie

Waiting on Wednesday (27)

2011-03-23T08:00:00.004-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and it allows other bloggers to see which book releases you are highly anticipating.

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FATEFUL

Claudia Gray

September 13th 2011 by HarperCollins Children's Books

It's about a servant girl named Tess in 1912, who wants to escape from the house where she works, and most particularly the lecherous young lord of the manor. But that's not her biggest problem. While on a voyage to America, where she plans to escape and start a new life, she meets Alec, who's ruggedly handsome, fabulously wealthy, intelligent and yet so clearly troubled that she'd rather not fall for him, but she does. That also is not her biggest problem. Alec, it turns out, is a werewolf ... one cursed to change every night, unless and until he surrenders his independence and joins the Brotherhood, a pack of violently misogynistic werewolves who have been tracking him for months. You'd think that would be their biggest problem, wouldn't you?

But no. Their biggest problem -- though they don't know it yet -- is that they're aboard the RMS Titanic.

Werewolves and the Titanic. What an incredible combination! I am so excited to see what the cover for this book is going to look like. I mean seriously, you can go in so many directions with it! This book is a long ways away but anything Claudia Gray does is worth the wait!

-Christie

What are YOU waiting on?

Tuesday Releases #25

2011-03-22T08:00:00.004-04:00

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again.

But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

Publisher: Philomel Books

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously—and at great risk—documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse...

Nick Gautier’s day just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, he survived the zombie attacks, only to wake up and find himself enslaved to a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul.

His new principal thinks he’s even more of a hoodlum than the last one, his coach is trying to recruit him to things he can’t even mention and the girl he’s not seeing, but is, has secrets that terrify him.

But more than that, he’s being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn’t learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them...

Publisher: Atheneum

Janie Gorman wants to be normal. The problem with that: she’s not. She’s smart and creative and a little bit funky. She’s also an unwilling player in her parents’ modern-hippy, let’s-live-on-a-goat-farm experiment (regretfully, instigated by a younger, much more enthusiastic Janie). This, to put it simply, is not helping Janie reach that “normal target.” She has to milk goats every day…and endure her mother’s pseudo celebrity in the homemade-life, crunchy mom blogosphere. Goodbye the days of frozen lasagna and suburban living, hello crazy long bus ride to high school and total isolation—and hovering embarrassments of all kinds. The fresh baked bread is good…the threat of homemade jeans, not so much.

It would be nice to go back to that old suburban life…or some grown up, high school version of it, complete with nice, normal boyfriends who wear crew neck sweaters and like social studies. So, what’s wrong with normal? Well, kind of everything. She knows that, of course, why else would she learn bass and join Jam Band, how else would she know to idolize infamous wild-child and high school senior Emma (her best friend Sarah’s older sister), why else would she get arrested while doing a school project on a local freedom school (jail was not part of the assignment). And, why else would she kind of be falling in "like" with a boy named Monster—yes, that is his real name. Janie was going for normal, but she missed her mark by about ten miles…and we mean that as a compliment.

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

New York City’s spirit has been crushed. People walk the streets with their heads down, withdrawing from one another and into the cold comfort of technology. Teenagers Mal and Laura have grown up in this reality. They’ve never met. Seemingly, they never will.

But on the same day Mal learns his brother has disappeared, Laura discovers her parents have forgotten her. Both begin a search for their families that leads them to the same truth: someone or something has wiped the teens from the memories of every person they have ever known. Thrown together, Mal and Laura must find common ground as they attempt to reclaim their pasts.

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Jude Farraday is a happily married, stay-at-home mom who puts everyone’s needs above her own. Her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill enters their lives, no one is more supportive than Jude. A former foster child with a dark past, Lexi quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. But senior year of high school brings unexpected dangers and one night, Jude’s worst fears are confirmed: there is an accident. In an instant, her idyllic life is shattered and her close-knit community is torn apart. People—and Jude—demand justice, and when the finger of blame is pointed, it lands solely on eighteen-year-old Lexi Baill. In a heartbeat, their love for each other will be shattered, the family broken. Lexi gives up everything that matters to her—the boy she loves, her place in the family, the best friend she ever had—while Jude loses even more.
When Lexi returns, older and wiser, she demands a reckoning. Long buried feelings will rise again, and Jude will finally have to face the woman she has become. She must decide whether to remain broken or try to forgive both Lexi…and herself.

HAPPY READING!

In My Mailbox #26

2011-03-20T21:40:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a fun way to show everybody what books you've received, purchased, borrowed etc.

CHRISTIE'S MAILBOX

Gifted:

My dad and stepmom bought me a Kindle for Christmas and I just got it. :) It has been worth the wait.
I am currently trying to decide which book I want to read on it first. ;)

Bought:

Clarity - Kim Harrington
Haven - Kristi Cook
A Touch Mortal - Leah Clifford
Afterlife - Claudia Gray

Canuck Week Finale with A&C

2011-03-19T08:00:00.213-04:00

We are sad to say that the Canuck Week is over, but we sure had a lot of fun! Each and every post was like a present that we got to open each day and we can't thank all of the authors and bloggers enough for taking part! We are also thankful for anyone who blogged, tweeted, commented, added the button or screamed from the rooftops about this event. :)

If you missed any of the posts you can click on the links below. Oh, and, Canuck Week may be over but the giveaways are going on until March 25th at 11:59PM EST so be sure to enter!

Author Joanne Levy

Blogger Tynga

Author Natale Ghent (Giveaway of The Odds Get Even)

Blogger Snowdrop Dreams of Books (Chrystal)

Author Lesley Livingston (Giveaway of Tempestuous)

Blogger Midnight Bloom Reads (Liz)

Author Eileen Cook (Giveaway of The Education of Hailey Kendrick)

As this is the last day of the event we thought that we should share our favourite childhood books with you!

Enjoy!

ASHLEY

LITTLE WOMEN

BY: LOUISA M. ALCOTT

When I was a child, and still to this day, Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott has been one of my favourite books. Especially when I was young, roughly around the age of 9, I remember reading Little Women and falling in love with it. There is probably a good chance that I watched to movie first, which came out when I was 7, falling in love with the story so much that I asked for the book. I vividly recall the McDonalds birthday party where I was gifted my first copy of Little Women. It was a hardback, possibly edited for children, and I cherished it for a long time. My favourite character was Jo. I really fell in love with her artistic side and the fact that she wasn't afraid to be herself and follow her dreams. Even if that meant saying no to Laurie and breaking my poor little heart. I swear, I've never been the same since. I had problems with Beth, but those issues stemmed from my deep rooted jealous hate for Claire Danes. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jared Leto? I also think at such a young age I was really saddened and didn't quite understand her death. Re-watching it now at the age of 24 I don't dislike Beth and I've slowly begun to get over my Claire Danes dislike. Then I found Amy to be insanely annoying and her marriage to Laurie broke me. I was always Jo and in my alternate Little Women world that I created, Laurie ended up with me. It didn't help that Christian Bale played him in the movie adaptation. This book was just a feel good book, that not only had happy moments, it was filled with real moments. These moments are all things that girls and boys face and I found it help to understand certain situations better.

I just recently re-purchased this book –– adult edition. I started re-reading it and began remembering all of the little moments that made me love this story so much. Along with Little Women, Judy Blume as well as Harry Potter were both childhood favourites, even though Harry Potter stemmed from grade 7 until grade 12 :) And lets not forgot my absolute fascination with R.L.Stein's Goosebump books. Creepy and eerie!

CHRISTIE:

Tales of a Gambling Grandma

Dayal Kaur Khalsa

The grandma of this story is different. Not many grandmas teach their granddaughters how to play poker, or take train rides across the country, bathing in fresh orange juice. But this grandma is also not so different. Together grandma and granddaughter go to the movies, drink tea at a Chinese food restaurant, and see a vaudeville show that stars a beer-drinking hippo. Everyday they have lunch together, and grandma tells the story of her life. This is an off-beat, heartwarming tale narrated by a little girl whose grandmother is her best friend.

Dayal Kaur Khalsa may not have been born in Canada but after immigrating here in 1979 she spent the last 10 years of her life in this beautiful country. As a writer, Khalsa always treated her young readers as equals by telling them stories about valuable life lessons. Tales of a Gambling Grandma was the first book that I read by Khalsa and it stuck with me. The relationship between grandmother and granddaughter is unconventional, but it is grounded by one thing: love.

It has been about 10 years since I've read this book but I still feel its hold on me. To be honest, I have a copy of this book at home that I have never even opened. I am too afraid of cracking the spine, or spilling something on it, that I just keep it up on my shelf out of harms way. Tales of a Gambling Grandma is like a treasure to me, a gem. The beautiful writing and stunning artwork make this book one of the greatest stories ever told. If I ever have children, this book,and Khalsa's many other works, will line the bookshelves in their room.If you have children of your own, or are a child at heart, then you should spend some time lost in Khalsa's world.

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Thanks again everyone! We are sending you all some Canuck love!

GUEST INTERVIEW WITH LAUREN DESTEFANO

2011-03-18T09:30:00.000-04:00

We are absolutely thrilled to be hosting an author Interview with Wither author Lauren DeStefano as part of the Canadian Wither Blog Tour! Wither was an astonishing read and Lauren DeStefano did a fantastic job with her debut novel.

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Lauren DeStefano was born in New Haven, Connecticut and has never traveled far from the east coast. She received a BA in English from Albertus Magnus College recently, and has been writing since childhood. She made her authorial debut by writing on the back of children's menus at restaurants and filling up the notepads in her mom's purse. Her very first manuscript was written on a yellow legal pad with red pen, and it was about a haunted shed that ate small children.Now that she is all grown up (for the most part), she writes fiction for young adults. Her failed career aspirations include: world's worst receptionist, coffee house barista, sympathetic tax collector, and English tutor. When she isn't writing, she's screaming obscenities at her Nintendo DS, freaking her cats out with the laser pen, or rescuing thrift store finds and reconstructing them into killer new outfits.

1. Who would you say is your biggest inspiration in both your writing and in your life?

I would have to say TS Eliot. Sometimes when I'm in a writing slump, I flip through a book of his collected works and open to a random page. His dreamlike writing reminds me why I write. His poetry reminds me that the words we use for speaking are not the same words we look for in books; the words in books deserve to be carefully woven, should elicit strong emotion and make us braver as readers than we are in our lives.

2. When you aren’t writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I really love anything to do with crafts, particularly sewing and knitting.

3. The literary world for the past few years has been dominated by paranormal works of fiction. With so many vampires, werewolves, and faeries running about, how did you come up with such a unique concept for Wither?

The truth is that I didn't plan on it. Wither is the evolved result of a rough idea I had for an adult novel several years ago that I had discarded. The reason I'd discarded the idea was because I couldn't figure out how it would work as an adult novel. Then in late 2008, while I was especially frustrated with another adult manuscript, my agent told me to write something out of my comfort zone. She suggested a short story, that's what I originally intended for Wither to be, but as I went on, the world stretched out farther and farther, until it became what it is now.

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A HUGE Thank You goes out to both Lauren DeStefano and Beth at Simon & Schuster Canada for including us on this blog tour.

Wither hits book stores on March 22, 2011 and trust us, this a book you do not want to miss! Check out our Wither Review for further clarification that this book is awesome!

We also have the book trailer for your viewing pleasure:

Please check out these sites for further information on both Wither and Lauren DeStefano:

Lauren DeStefano's Website

Simon & Schuster Canada

Midnight Bloom Reads

Official Chemical Gardens Website
Teen Bookaholic Reviews

*Both the author picture and author description are from Lauren DeStefano's website