Surprise Giveaway!

Okay, so you know how I've been a blogger slacker. And I am truly sorry. So, lucky for you, when I feel guilty I want to give away books! :)


So for you lucky readers who have stuck with me all this time, and any new folks that come my way this week here's an awesome giveaway!

Paranormal Prizes!

There will be two winners!! The first place winner will have their pick of:
EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton (signed hardcover)!
SUPERNATURALLY by Kiersten White (signed hardcover)!

Then each will also receive some bookmarks and the like that I've received from various YA authors!

First, one reason why I am doing the giveaway was I finally caught Brodi at a book signing. I was SO sad to miss her launch because of sick kids, but here's a couple of pictures from that.

Brodi signing one of you lucky duck's book!

Brodi and me. She is such an amazing kind person. So glad she knows who I am! Makes me feel special.

Now, to make two of YOU feel special for winning! Just enter below!

Contest open until 11:59 pm EST on Monday March 5th! USA and Canada mailing addresses only.

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Sarah's Key

Sarah's Key

Tatiana de Rosnay
293 pages

Travel back in time to Paris in July of 1942, as you read Sarah's Key, a different kind of Holocaust story. Ten-year-old Sarah and her family are arrested along with other Jewish families in the middle of the night by the French police. Thinking her younger brother will be safe from harm, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard, and promises to come back. Sixty years later, Julia Jarmond, an American journalist living with her family in Paris, discovers Sarah's story along with heartbreaking family secrets.

The New York Times Bestseller, Sarah's Key is written in al-turnating chapters, changing between present day, and the past. Sarah and Julia are characters so real, you feel each of their emotions. You will laugh with them, you will smile with them, and most importantly, you will cry with them.

de Rosnay has made this story come alive, with rich descriptions, and vivid details, making this book one to leave you somewhere inbetween the book and your real life for days afterward.

I love this book, but Sarah's heartbreaking and emotional story is sometimes just too much to handle.

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Guardians: The Girl by Lola St. Vil

Summary 

Emmy Baxter, a fifteen-year-old, is attacked by demons who threaten to kill she her if she doesn't reveal her dark secret; a secret buried so deeply, Emmy doesn't realize she knows it. Emmy - a bookish, witty student - is rescued by six teenaged angels with powers, called Guardians. They've been sent to elicit the secret from her before the demons can. Emmy later learns that her name is the only clue to locating a sought-after bridge that for centuries, Evil has plotted to destroy; this would in turn bring about the end of humanity.

Things get worse when Emmy falls madly in love with Marcus, the well-intentioned but obstinate leader of the Guardians. He eventually confesses that he is in love with her as well. Unfortunately, Marcus has been warned by his clairvoyant and omniscient guide that should he and Emmy get together, the mission will fail and humanity will perish.    

• Number of pages: 342

REVIEW

Amazing. I have chills. These chills can only come about by one thing: a really good book.

And that is exactly what it was. I was asked about a month back to read a book by an author. The book seemed interesting enough from the summary, but lately I’ve been drowning in a sea of previous school obligations. It’s safe to say that I have not picked up a book in a long, long time. And I am sorry that it took so long because this book was simply amazing. I loved it from start to finish. Not a single moment happened when I wasn’t thoroughly entertained. It was a very good book. I thought that the beginning was flawless. There was complete control as to how much thrilling suspense, sarcastic humor, and heroic action were put into it all. This is a book series for one thing, so the ending was like “ . . . are you kidding me? WHAT HAPPENS?!!?” I was left screaming into my pillow at 2:30 in the morning.

To start off I just want to say that what really struck me about this book was mostly the originality. Something about this story seems to strike unique from the beginning. You can’t really say that about YA books lately. We can all say that we like those books well enough, but when a book comes out that defies the usual you can’t help but thoroughly enjoy it and crave more of it. This is an angel story. Seems played out, but not really, not the way Lola wrote it. Let’s start off with the heroin. Emmy is a nerdy teenager who happens to be the key to saving the entire world. Seems logical enough, right? Well it’s not, nor is the fact that the head angel leader is the perfect definition of a story’s heroic male lead character. A cool thing about the way this book was written was how the first couple of chapters is is all in the point of view of Emmy, then the next few chapters start all over again from the beginning of the book with the exception that it is all through the eyes of Marcus (the really amazing angel guy that is perfect), and then once both parts catch up to each other it goes back to Emmy. That isn’t something you see that often in books. Admittedly there were some parts in Marcus’ section that really bugged me, and I felt really slowed down the story. That was a big part of just explaining everything about the world of the angels and the demons, and there was a lot to explain.

And it had some very cool fighting scenes. When the story decided to get scary, it got scary. When it decided to get sad, it got really sad. And when it decided to get funny, I laughed out loud. There are six angels in total and I loved each and every single one of them.  All their personalities were great, some were funny, some were thoughtful and considerate, some were sweet, it was a great combo all together.   Well, maybe except one, but you’ll see once you read this book. And you will. Read this book, I mean. Because if you don’t you will be missing out. From 1-10? I give Guardians book confident 9

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Thin Yet Thick: The Giver

The Giver
Lois Lowry
179 pages

As a reminder, "Thin Yet Thick" reads are books thin from cover to cover (about 200 pages or less), but thick and deep in meaning. The Giver by Lois Lowry is definitely one to touch your heart.

Jonas lives in a futuristic Utopian community. There are no choices and everyone is assigned a life to live. At the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas is chosen to receive special instruction by The Giver. The Giver is the only person in the community with memories from the past. Meaning, he is the only one to know war, peace, pain, family, and most importantly, love.

One quote I especially like from this book is: "There could be love." While spending time with The Giver, Jonas learns what love is. After reading that chapter, I began to think about what it would be like if our world had no love, and I guess I started to appreciate how much love I receive from people. My family and friends love me, and I love them. I could not imagine what it would feel like to not give or receive that emotion at all.

That of course is not the only line I like, but I don't want to give too much away. Lowry does a fantastic job of throwing the reader into a setting so unlike the one we know best. With foreshadowing and unique character description, it is no wonder this novel won the 1994 Newbery Medal.

This is definitely a read you don't want to miss!

Check out my other "Thin Yet Thick" review

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Thursday Three (3)

Sorry I've been MIA again! Life has been nuts! Here's what's going on for me in the book world.

1) I always ALWAYS have more to read than I have time for. How do you do it? How do you choose between all the fabulous books on your shelf, at the library, and new in the store?

2) I got an unexpected and completely AWESOME ARC in the mail last week. I'm almost done reading it and will hopefully have some time to bring you a review and maybe interview next week! March is going to be a big book month. Is there a book coming out in March that is on your list?

3) I was able to go to some fun book signings a few weeks ago. I still need to get the pics from my friend. But it was so fun to talk to authors and get signed books and talk to local authors. I wish I had the money to buy them all...but then there's that time problem too!

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The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare

INFERNAL DEVICES BOOK 1: CLOCKWORK ANGEL SUMMARY

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the Dark Sisters, who are members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downlorlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and bvolatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

INFERNAL DEVICES BOOK 2: CLOCKWORK PRINCE SUMMARY

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of handsome, self-destructive Will and fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister that she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

INFERNAL DEVICES REVIEW

Cassandra Clare has created a completely new masterpiece. I don’t know if you have read my review on her other series The Mortal Instruments, but if you haven’t then let me just say that I adored her other books and I adore this author. When I found out that she had a whole NEW series coming out, I almost had a heart attack. I am going to do a summary of both the first and the second book as one, and when the third book comes out I will review it on a whole different post, so stay tuned!

There are so many changes from book 1 to book 2, but all around both books are amazing. The characters are perfectly created, and I couldn’t imagine any better way to live through the Downworld during the Victorian Era other than through the eyes of these characters. That’s the great thing about Cassandra Clare, she has a great gift for creating life into her characters, characters that you can relate to, hate, love, and trustingly follow as they maneuver the reader through this intricate plot. I always say that the best thing about a good book is the characters, and The Infernal Devices has plenty of that. All the characters are all so different, Will is hilariously witty, Jem is a sweet heart I could just hug and hug and hug and never let go, Henry is the mad and lovable professor/genius/screw up, and Tessa is a strong version of a young lady in a time where they are suppose to be seen, not heard.

Now, I don’t want anyone thinking that this book is going to be like The Mortal Instruments series. Yes, it has all the good qualities that the other series had, but it is a completely different story line and they really don’t have much to do with each other, so I don’t want anyone who has read The Mortal Instruments series freaking out that these books should have been read before or anything like that connecting the two. These books are like the prequels of that series. The cool thing about this series is that it does have small connections into The Mortal Instruments series, things like characters that pop up from the other books and names that any Mortal Instruments fan would recognize. I’m not going to go into detail of what the book is about because the book flap summary really just about covers all the real important stuff, and writing any more will definitely give it away.

If you read my previous ramblings post, you’ll see that something about the second book stressed me out to no end. Don’t worry! I’m not going to tell you what it was, I am just warning you that you will feel the need to chuck the book across the room, grunt in frustration, and then run to pick it up and continue where you left off as if your air supply depended on it. I must have sounded crazy in that post, but no one can judge. All you have to do is go get the books, read them, and then you guys can see for yourself what happened to my sanity after reading it. Trust me, my reaction was not so out there. So all in all go get the books and you’ll see that from 1-10? I’m not crazy to give these books a 9.

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Mini Reviews

I wanted to post a few quick mini-reviews of books I've read for book club:

ELLA MINNOW PEA
by Mark Dunn

Placement in the Pile: Middle of the Stack

Review: This was an interesting read. A little silly in concept of a made up country and how crazy it got politically in such a short time, all because of some letters falling off a monument. It led to some good discussions however.

THE DARK HILLS DIVIDE
by Patrick Carman

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights

Review: A great first book to a great series. A middle grade level so it's a fast easy read with some fun characters and mysterious plots. If you're looking for a good series to read but don't have a lot of time to spend on huge books, this one is worth a try! I like books 2 and 3 even more!

What are you reading for book club? What do you think makes a good book club book?

And coming soon some pretty awesome stuff! I promise!

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A to Z and A Bit Beyond

I am currently in the midst of reading several books at once, therefore, I have nothing new to review. In that case, I have decide to post my thoughts in an A to Z fashion. The ideas might be a bit random, as I am going to see what I can come up with in 30 minutes.

A- Audiobooks. Truth be told, I have never read a book this way. I guess I like the fact of hearing my own voice in my head as I read, and not someone else's.

B- Bookshelf. The bookshelves in my room are currently filled to the max. I probably should donate some of the ones I don't read anymore, but how do you part with a book?

C- Candy. My favorites are Kit Kat bars, and the classic Hershey's.

D- Dreams. Isn't it funny how we never seem to remember our dreams? Even if I do, its only tid bits, and I think "What does that have to do with anything?"

E- Earring. There are not a whole lot of "e" words that come to my mind right away, but earring is definitely one of them. I have so many earrings, I never really know where to keep them, or even when I will ever wear them all.

F- Friends. There are a lot of great best friend pairs in books I have read. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Emma Hawthorne and Jess Delaney. Megan Wong and Becca Chadwick. Sometimes I think about them related to my best friends, and realize even those perfectly created characters, can't even compare to how great my real friends are.

G- Give. One of the three books I am currently reading is The Giver by Lois Lowry. The book takes place is a futuristic society where every citizen is assigned a role in the committee.

H- Harry Potter Box Set. My paperback set came last week from Barnes and Noble and I was practically jumping up and down when I saw the delivery package by the mailbox.

I- Ice Cream. Friday always means its ice cream night. Vanilla, chocolate, sprinkles, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, you name it.

J- Jambalaya. This is supposedly what my dad is making for dinner tomorrow night. Peppers, chicken, shrimp, tomatoes, and I think you serve it over rice. Sounds pretty good.

K- Kite. For me, the best place is to fly one is a Cape Cod beach.

L- Love. Tuesday is Valentine's Day.

M- Mom. My mom is really awesome. She definitely is not as big of a reader as I am, but she tolerates all of my book discussions and blog posts. Thanks Mom!

N- Not Over You. This is currently (as it changes almost everyday) my favorite song. I don't usually listen to Gavin DeGraw, but I can't get this song out of my head.

O- One Inch. This is how much snow we received last night. Sadly, it has already melted.

P- Peace. Someday the whole world will find this, but unfortunately not in my lifetime. Peace out!

Q- Quiet. That's how my house is right now. Just the sound of my fingers tapping the keyboard.

R- Rose. I wrote a book this year called Rose Street. It's only about 30 pages, but I think that's a pretty good start.

S- Sarah's Key. This is one of the three books am currently reading. The book takes place in Paris, 1942. Sarah and her family are taken by the French police during the Vel' d' Hiv' roundup. Thinking she will be back home in a few hours, the ten-year-old locks her younger brother, a flashlight and some food in a kitchen cupboard.

T- Time. One of my favorite Christmas ornaments is one shaped like a book that says "So many books, so little time."

U- Utopia. Here is the dictionary definition: any real or imaginary society, place, state, etc, considered to be perfect or ideal. Everyone's utopia is different, and sometimes I have a hard time creating mine.

V- Vocals. I was in choir for one year in fifth grade. It was fun, and I have a good voice, but I am definitely no American Idol.

W- Words with Friends. I currently have two games going on my iPod. Any ideas for words that start with "j" and end in "o"?

X- I have nothing to go with this letter. Absolutely nothing.

Y- Yellow. Not a color that looks particularly good on me, but is one to put you in a good mood.

Z- Zebra. I remember wanting to have a zebra themed birthday party when I was little. I think I had a tea party instead. Dressing up, and drinking water out of plastic tea cups is so much more fun!

Well, that ended up taking a little more than a half an hour. It was actually not as hard as I thought it would be. Try it for yourself sometime!

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A Little About... Laurie Halse Anderson

About Laurie
Laurie Halse Anderson is a novelist for juvenile and young adult readers.  She began her writing career as a newspaper and magazine reporter before publishing books. she has won numerous awards, including the Printz Honor, Margaret A. Edwards Award, and is a New York Times Bestselling Author.

Laurie's Books
Speak
Melinda Sordino ended an End-of-Summer Party by calling the cops. Now, her friends don't talk to her, and she feels like an outsider. She doesn't feel comfortable anywhere, even in her own thoughts. Something happened that night at the party, and thinking about it, is the worst thing she can do.

Catalyst
Kate Malone is smart and organized. But not even those traits could prepare her for the events ahead; her neighbors moving in, college decisions, and an event that will change everything else. This book is set in the same community as Speak, and according to Kirkus Reviews, it is "intellugently written, and mutlti-dimensial"

Fever 1793
During the summer of 1793, the fever epidemic striked the country, leaving many dead, and others scarred for life. Fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook is just as curious and ambitious as any tennager, but when the fever claws at her front door, she must leave her family, and everything else she holds close.

Chains
Chains follows the story of Isabel Gardner, a slave to the of a rich New York City couple. When she meets Curzon, another slave, they start the journey to freedom together, and if they're caught, it will mean terrible punishment. Forge is the acclaimed sequel.

Other books by Laurie include: Prom, Wintergirls, Twisted, and Forge.

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Laurie's Website: http://madwomanintheforest.com/

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