"Waiting On" Wednesday 50

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Amazon.com:

In Caitlin’s world, everything is black or white. Things are good or bad. Anything in between is confusing. That’s the stuff Caitlin’s older brother, Devon, has always explained. But now Devon’s dead and Dad is no help at all. Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger’s, she doesn’t know how. When she reads the definition of closure, she realizes that is what she needs. In her search for it, Caitlin discovers that not everything is black and white—the world is full of colors—messy and beautiful. Kathryn Erskine has written a must-read gem, one of the most moving novels of the year.

Released April 12th 2010

This sounds like a sweet and emotional book. Reading from the eyes of a child but also a child with Asperger's could be pretty eye opening I think.

What can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Winners of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy!

The winners of my Gemma Doyle Trilogy are Mishel and Melissa @ 1 lbr I've emailed you so please respond with your mailing address by Friday!

Congratulations!

Hardcover vs. Paperback 48

The Lace Reader

Hardcover

Paperback

Amazon.com:

Every gift has a price . . . every piece of lace has a secret.

Towner Whitney, the self-confessed unreliable narrator, hails from a family of Salem women who can read the future in the patterns in lace, and who have guarded a history of secrets going back generations. Now the disappearance of two women is bringing Towner back home to Salem—and is bringing to light the shocking truth about the death of her twin sister.

Paperback for sure! The hardcover does nothing for me because the image is such a wide shot. And there isn't much to look at in the picture, I think. I love the colors on the paperback and the white lace!

Hardcover or Paperback?

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson

Amazon.com: Destiny Faraday makes a point of keeping her distance from her classmates at Hedgebrook Academy. Her number-one rule: Don’t get attached. But one day, unexpectedly finding a car at their disposal, Destiny and three of her classmates embark on an unauthorized road trip. They’re searching for one fair day—a day where the good guy wins and everything adds up to something just and right. Their destination: Langdon, a town that Destiny’s unsuspecting companions hope will hold simply a day of fun. But, as Destiny says, “Things are not always what they seem.” Only she knows that Langdon holds far more than that—a deep secret she has never shared with anyone.

The Miles Between explores the wonder and magic of a very real world where chance, mystery, and secrets abound.

I love the idea of coincidences that The Miles Between explores. Because this happened, this could happen, but not this and so on and so forth. To me that's the real strength of the book. In most cases coincidences look too easy or awkward in a book but since that's the theme of this book it works out wonderfully. I couldn't get enough of some of the coincidences that Destiny shared.

I was never too sure how I felt about Destiny throughout the book. She came off odd and closed off for a sort of fuzzy reason that isn't explained. Thankfully we eventually find out why, but until then I was left scratching my head at some of her behavior and her background. It kind of distracted me from the story, not knowing the reason. Thankfully Destiny wasn't the only character in the book and we have three more of her classmates that take this journey with her to balance her out. I liked seeing them help her open up to a variety of things on this one fair day. These 4 students could find themselves in a lot of trouble but through coincidence things happen in a rather clever and humorous way.

For me the book really grabbed my interest about 3/4ths of the way through so I'm really glad I kept at it. I had a lot of questions throughout the book and I'm happy to report they were all answered! I suspected a few things but my jaw still dropped when everything was revealed. I found The Miles Between to be a different sort of book that's great to read if you're willing to stick with it for an interesting outcome.

The Miles Between was released on September 1st.
Genre: Young Adult
3.5/5 Stars
ARC provided by Amazon Vine

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker

Amazon.com:

Writer, actress, and gorgeous stand up comedian: Introducing the Mormon Tina Fey It's lonely being a Mormon in New York City. So once again, Elna Baker attends the New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance-a virgin in a room full of virgins doing the Macarena. Her Queen Bee costume, which involves a black funnel stuck to her butt for a stinger, isn't attracting the attention she'd anticipated. So once again, Elna is alone at the punch bowl, stocking up on generic Oreos, exactly where you'd expect to find a single Mormon who's also a Big Girl. But loneliness is nothing compared to what happens when she loses eighty pounds. . . . and falls in love with an atheist. The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance is the memoir of a girl who distresses her family when she chooses NYU over BYU. A girl who's cultivating an oxymoronic identity as a bold, educated, modern, funny, proper, abstinent, religious stand-up comic, equal parts wholesome and hot. As Elna test-drives her identity, she finds herself in the strangest scenarios including selling creepy, overpriced dolls to petulant children at FAO Schwarz and dressing a head wound with a maxi pad while on a date.

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance is a fantastic example of why I love memoirs! It has everything you would want in an entertaining memoir, things such as hilarious work stories (my favorite part of the book Babies Buying Babies), to relationship problems, to questioning one's faith, to major weight lose. Elna Baker covers a lot of ground for someone so young.

Elna is a Mormon and it was really interesting to learn more about Mormons and also how it played a part in Elna's life. She's constantly challenging her religion and I thought that was a really honest depiction of religion.

This is probably one of the best memoirs I have read in the last few years, when I saw it and I read the title I knew this author would have a great sense of humor and she definitely did. I was also glad that there were serious parts to her story as well, that she could jump back and forth from something hilarious to something heartbreaking shows just how much talent she has.

I really can't put into words how much I liked this so you are just going to have to trust me. I found Elna pretty likable and very talented and definitely hope she continues writing!

The New York Regional Singles Halloween Dance is released on October 15th!
Genre: Memoir
4.5/5 Stars
ARC provided by Amazon Vine

To hear some clips of Elna reading, including Babies Buying Babies click here!

INTERVIEW: Jennifer Sturman

Today while I'm away, who better to share an interview with than Jennifer Sturman who's latest book, And Then Everything Unraveled takes place in New York! Thank you Jennifer!

1. All of your novels thus far have involved a mystery, what is it that draws you to them? Are there any downsides to mysteries?

I love puzzles – lining up the clues and teasing out the answers – and as a writer, mysteries provide a nice mix of structure and flexibility. There’s a built-in plot – a crime must be solved – but also endless variations of who/what/why. As for downsides – some people simply don’t like mysteries, so they’ll never buy my books!


2. What differences do you find when writing for teens rather than adults? Do you prefer one to the other?

For me, the key difference is the age of my heroine, which shapes her day-to-day reality and how she thinks about it. It’s not just that being younger affects her ability to take (or not take) certain actions, it’s also that so much is new to her, which is really refreshing to think through as a writer. As for which I prefer – I don’t know if I have an answer for that! A lot of the fun in writing is creating the worlds in which your characters live, and that’s true regardless of the age of your characters or your readers.


3. Can you tell us a bit about the sequel to And Then Everything Unraveled?

AND THEN I FOUND OUT THE TRUTH picks up right where UNRAVELED leaves off. Here’s the draft copy for the inside flap (though I should warn you it’s a bit of a spoiler for those who haven’t read UNRAVELED):

Delia Truesdale didn’t think life could get more complicated. After all, her mother’s on the run in South America and won’t be coming home anytime soon – at least, not until Delia can outwit the evil-doers who are out to destroy them both.

But it’s hard to thwart evil-doers from an entirely different continent, especially when everyone thinks you should be doing your homework instead. And Delia’s stuck in Manhattan, along with her slightly insane Aunt Charley, her completely uptight Aunt Patience, a petulant psychic, a love-struck detective, a boy-crazy brainiac, and Quinn, who defies description but has kissed her twice.

The answers are waiting in exotic Buenos Aires, and time is running out. Delia might not know how to tango, but she does have a passport. Will she be able to uncover the truth — before it’s too late?


4. On your website you mention your love of teen movie classics from the '80s, what is your favorite and why?

VALLEY GIRL. It has it all in one wonderful package: romance, comedy, drama, amazing music, some outfits that seriously defy description, and a fabulous prom scene.


5. I'm a huge fan of New York City, what's your favorite thing about living there? One thing you could live without?

I know it’s a cliché, but there really is a very special energy to NYC. I love how there are so many different worlds all occurring in parallel – pretty much anything you can imagine is going on somewhere in the city at any given moment. The biggest problem is that it’s impossible to take advantage of more than a tiny percentage of the possibilities.

Lookalikes 68

Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor

The Wholehearted Marriage by Dr. Greg Smalley and Dr. Shawn Stoever

I'm about 97% sure these are from the same shoot. The guy definitely seems to have the same feet and same pants on, whereas the girl has had an outfit change! What I like about these are that they are for two completely different age groups and they seem to work for both. I definitely like the image used on Girlfriend Material more so. It's just much more dynamite then The Wholehearted Marriage. Also the cover design is just a lot more sophisticated as well.

Which do you prefer?

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

BLOG TOUR: Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe

Welcome to another Traveling to Teens blog tour!

Amazon.com:

Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over “breathers.” Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody…and Cass loves dirt. She’s on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.

But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass’s whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.

As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim’s life, she’s surprised to realize he’s not so bad—and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance….

Oooh did I like this book! It was serious but funny and sad but exciting! It had a little bit of everything and gave me a lot to think about!

Right off the bat I loved the main character, Cass, she was relatable and likable and I totally would have been friends with her (even if I am a breather!) She's the outsider that used to be an insider until her best friend turned on her out of jealously. So now she lives her life chatting with her friends that no one else can see, ghosts.

I really like the first ghost we meet, and I'm not going to spoil who that is because I didn't know about them until I picked up the book and I was pleasantly surprised. Besides that unnamed ghost we have the two ghosts that "haunt" Cass's high school, Norris and Bitzy. They report back to Cass about the naughty going-ons of the students and staff of the high school and she basically throws it into their face that she knows what they are up to. We see a lot more of Norris than Bitzy, I'm not really sure why but I would have liked to have seen more of Bitzy, they are good friends to Cass.

Another character we meet is Tim the student council vice president, and in the same group as Cass's old best friend, which makes him instantly the enemy. But when Tim needs Cass's help he doesn't take no for an answer and it opens up a whole new world for Cass. I thought that Cass and Tim played off each other beautifully and I loved watching their friendship group.

Ok enough about the characters, Give Up the Ghost had a great sense of humor about it. The way Cass describes people or the comments she made, it definitely had me laughing! And while the book was really funny it was also sad (in a good way) at parts. And that balance made me love the book that much more, it covers all the bases.

Numerous times I've talked about my relationship with paranormal books and how I'm still testing the waters with books that have fantastical elements in them, and this is another one that is right up my alley. My own personal type of paranormal book, I'd definitely recommend this one!

Give Up the Ghost was released September 15th!
Genre: Young Adult
4.5/5 Stars
ARC provided by publisher

"Waiting On" Wednesday 49

Lone Star Legend by Gwendolyn Zepeda

Amazon.com:

When Sandy Saavedra lands her dream job with the popular website ¡Latino Now!, she can't wait to write hard-hitting pieces to combat all those stupid Latino stereotypes. While visions of Pulitzers dance in her head, her editor in chief is suddenly laid off, replaced by the infamous Dolores Villanueva O'Sullivan. Dolores has one mission: make ¡Latino Now! an internet phenomenon, no matter how many pandering puff pieces she has to pack onto its pages. Sandy doesn't see how she can keep this job without losing her soul, especially when she's sent to Middle-of-Nowhere Texas to investigate the dumbest legend her people ever created, the Chupacabra. She fears she's about to fail an assignment-and lose her job-until she meets Tío Jaime, a grandfatherly hermit who might be crazy, or might be the best thing that ever happened to Sandy's career.

Released January 25th 2010

I read her last book, Houston, We Have A Problema and enjoyed it so I think it would be fun to read another of her books! Sounds like a great plot!

What can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Hardcover vs. Paperback 47

The Order of Odd Fish by James Kennedy

Hardcover

Paperback

Amazon.com:

JO LAROUCHE HAS lived her 13 years in the California desert with her Aunt Lily, ever since she was dropped on Lily’s doorstep with this note: This is Jo. Please take care of her. But beware. This is a dangerous baby. At Lily’s annual Christmas costume party, a variety of strange events take place that lead Jo and Lily out of California forever—and into the mysterious, strange, fantastical world of Eldritch City. There, Jo learns the scandalous truth about who she is, and she and Lily join the Order of Odd-Fish, a collection of knights who research useless information. Glamorous cockroach butlers, pointless quests, obsolete weapons, and bizarre festivals fill their days, but two villains are controlling their fate. Jo is inching closer and closer to the day when her destiny is fulfilled, and no one in Eldritch City will ever be the same.

While the hardcover is semi-interesting I like the paperback about an INFINITY times more. That illustration style just stops me dead in my tracks, combined with a beautiful color palette and you've got yourself a beautiful piece of artwork right there. While the hardcover maybe hints at an adventure a little more I don't even care this time, I'm in love with the paperback!

Hardcover or Paperback?

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

BLOGTOUR: Ash + Malinda Lo Interview!

A few weeks back I shared with you my review of Ash and I'm excited to be able to share an interview with you today with the author, Malinda Lo! Yesterday Malinda stopped by The Story Siren and tomorrow she will be at The Book Blogger!

What drew you to fairy tale retellings? And why Cinderella specifically?

I enjoyed fairy tales as a child; I think many children do. That interest just continued as I grew up. As a writer, I’m interested in fairy tales because they are so ripe with meaning, and they can be interpreted in countless different ways.

I loved Cinderella when I was a kid because I identified with her, sort of. I’m sure many of us, as kids, feel like our parents are making us do things we don’t want to do. Fairy tales take those everyday experiences and magnify them into something hugely important. And I have always been a romantic, so that aspect of the story drew me in, too.

What is your favorite fairy tale and why?

Well, Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale. I’m a sucker for a good love story. And I really want to go to a royal ball!

What book is most memorable to you that you have read in the last year and why?

I’ve read so many great books in the last year that it’s really hard to pick just one! So I’ll tell you about a book I read fairly recently that comes out next month: Fire by Kristin Cashore. I loved Graceling (and I tend to mention Graceling whenever anybody asks me this kind of question), but I think Fire is an even more sophisticated novel. I was impressed by how Cashore reinterpreted many real-world issues through the genre of fantasy in Fire.

I thought it was a political novel, and a social commentary, and an argument for, well, lots of things I believe in. I also must admit I enjoyed the love story in Fire much more than the romance in Graceling. I’m not sure if most readers will agree with me on that! I thought it was subtle and thoughtful and heartfelt. It’s a great book.


Check out this map that Malinda drew of Ash's world! I wish I had this when I was reading the book!



Here are a few links that might be of interest:

FAQ about Ash
Malinda's Article about LGBT characters in YA Fiction
The Ash Cover Story

GIVEAWAY: The Everafter

Now that you've had a chance to see my thoughts on The Everafter I'd like to give you a chance to win your own final copy of the book!

If you need a reminder here's the blurb:

Amazon.com:

Madison Stanton doesn’t know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this — she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can re-experience — and sometimes even change — moments from her life.

Her first kiss.

A trip to Disney World.

Her sister’s wedding.

A disastrous sleepover.

In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life — and death.

This is a haunting and ultimately hopeful novel about the beauty of even the most insignificant moments — and the strength of true love even beyond death.

Here's how to enter to win The Everafter!

Leave a comment letting me know why you would like to read this book? Or if you have what you liked about it (no spoilers please!)

For 1 additional entry, blog (sidebar is fine) or tweet (@reply me @mint910) about this contest and leave a separate comment here linking to your post or tweet (only one additional entry total).

The giveaway is open to addresses within the U.S.

Please leave a way for me to contact you if you are the winner!

The giveaway will end October 6th at 11:59 pm Central Time.

The Everafter by Amy Huntley

Amazon.com:

Madison Stanton doesn’t know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this — she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can re-experience — and sometimes even change — moments from her life.

Her first kiss.

A trip to Disney World.

Her sister’s wedding.

A disastrous sleepover.

In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life — and death.

This is a haunting and ultimately hopeful novel about the beauty of even the most insignificant moments — and the strength of true love even beyond death.

The Everafter was like a puzzle that got put together page by page. I loved the author's view of what happens when someone dies and how it's so so so personalized to someone's own life and existence. It reminded me a little of The Lovely Bones in the sense that this is what I wish the Lovely Bones was like, I did not like that book one bit, but this one, this one was amazing!

The book opens in a place that Madison calls Is, she doesn't know where she is or how she got there but she sees all these objects that she had in her life. They allow her to go back and re-experience certain times in her life as a participant or as an observer. Through this we get a glimpse into Madison's life and all the people and things that were important to her. And Madison finds out what has happened to her that brings her to this strange in between place.

The secondary characters were great, from Gabe, Madison's boyfriend, to her best friend Sandra to her her sister and all the other people that come in and out of her life to make it what it is. They all brought out different sides of Madison to make her a really 3-D and believable character. From her jealously of Gabe's ex-girlfriend to consoling Sharon over her crazy mother, or trying to hide her illness at her sister's wedding, we really get to know Madison.

I loved the mystery aspect of the book, how did Madison die? Which of the strange things in her life added up to her death, or was it a freak accident? I definitely was surprised when I found out the answer!

I thought The Everafter shares great imagination, passion, mystery, and one glimpse of what the end really looks like. What a great story!

The Everafter will be released on September 29th!
Genre: Young Adult
4.5/5 Stars
ARC provided by publisher

That Summertime Sound by Matthew Specktor + Giveaway!

From the publisher:

It’s the summer after his freshman year of college, and the 19-year-old narrator of Matthew Specktor’s That Summertime Sound has two options: return home to Los Angeles, to a city and a family that hardly notice him; or journey to the heart of America—Columbus, Ohio—for a summer of unexpected and life-defining experiences.

Set against the Columbus music scene of the 1980s, Specktor’s lead character treks to Ohio in search of his favorite band, Lords of Oblivion. Headed by eccentric frontman Nic Devine, Lords of Oblivion are the antithesis of the popular New Wave sound of the decade. The narrator quickly adapts to life in Columbus, dressing in the local thrift store fashions, finding an on-again off-again girlfriend, going out, sleeping late, and above all, seeing live music. Eventually, he meets and befriends Nic Devine, cementing a friendship that will define the summer.

That Summertime Sound reads like a music encyclopedia with constant references to seminal bands like The Feelies, Hüsker Du, Pere Ubu, and Uriah Heap. Specktor’s cinematic prose is so visual that the music and characters become a reality. That Summertime Sound captures the vibrancy of youth and the thrill of summer. It’s about going along for the ride, because you can, when you can choose yourself before choosing responsibility.

That Summertime Sound was an interesting book. It read like a love letter to music lovers. I love how the author gets across how music can make you feel if you really listen and are really invested in the music. It was encompassed in the story of a guy spending the summer in Columbus after his first year of college. He heard Columbus was the place to be so he went back with a few college friends to see for himself.

For some reason this book (which is only 268 pages long) took me a significant amount of time to read, over a week. I think it had something to do with how detailed the language was. And because of that I think it would make for a great book to listen to in the audio version, to be able to really take your time with it.

To me the book had a few too many plotlines so it made it hard for me to focus on one thing because I wasn't sure where to place that focus. I think to me the one standout plot was about the un-named main character's interactions with his favorite band that he goes to Columbus to see, Lords of Oblivion and its frontman Nic. I did like how some of the characters were so detailed with rather large back stories in a few cases.

But even though it wasn't the easiest book for me to read I'm glad I read it. I'm not sure that I've read anything like it before. It definitely makes me want to explore some of the music and genres talked about in this book! And just explore more music in general!

That Summertime Sound was released August 30th!
Genre: Fiction
3/5 Stars
Review copy provided by marketing & promotions company

That Summertime Sound Website (is awesome)
Purchase That Summertime Sound

Readable Excerpts

Audio Excerpts (more on the website):
Morgan Freeman reads "This is Never Going to End"
Jeremy Irons reads "The Devil in It Somewhere"

Giveaway time!

Here's how to enter to win That Summertime Sound!

Leave a comment letting me know why you like listening to music? How does it make you feel?

For 1 additional entry blog (sidebar is fine) or tweet (@reply me @mint910) about this contest and leave a separate comment here linking to your post or tweet (only one entry total).

The giveaway is open to addresses within the U.S.

Please leave a way for me to contact you if you are the winner!

The giveaway will end October 4th at 11:59 pm Central Time.

Winners of Catching Fire + Swag!

The winners of the Catching Fire + Swag contest are:

Jacob windycindy

Jacob never responded so now windycindy is a winner! I emailed you so please respond by this Tuesday the 22nd with your mailing address! Thanks!

Sylvia
The Book Pixie

I have your addresses, thanks guys!

Yay! I have emailed you, please get back to me with your mailing address by this Saturday the 19th!

Bookish 3

Shelf Discovery Authors Interview on Blog Talk Radio

I've had my eye on Shelf Discovery by Nancy Pearl (of Book Lust Fame) and Lizzie Skurnick (a Jezebel contributor-great site) and here's a great chance to learn more about the book and its authors!

This Wednesday September 23rd at 3pm EST the authors will be interviewed on Blog Talk Radio. And besides just tuning in you can participate! You can call in or write to the show with a question and if so you will receive a copy of Shelf Discovery for yourself!

It's important to subscribe to the show before it begins, if you want to submit a question via the phone or online make sure to do this. Here's where you can register!

**I received a book in exchange for posting this announcement**

Julia Hoban Interviewed on A Book and A Chat!

Julia Hoban, the author of Willow will be a guest on Storyheart's A Book and A Chat October 9th at 7 EST for a 45 minute interview! To listen in and call/send in a question either call 347- 237-5398 or visit the website.

100 Best Blogs for Book Reviews List

I'm a sucker for lists and here's a fun one! Onlinecollege.org put out a "100 Best Blogs for Book Reviews" list which is broken down into categories (which is awesome), I'm happy to say I got to be included on it. They also included a little sentence about each blog, might be fun if you are looking for a new blog to check out!

This Week In Books Or Return to Half Price Books!

OLD SCHOOL STACK PICTURE!

Monday:

Acme Novelty Library Nineteen by Chris Ware
Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer
The Other Sister by S.T. Underdahl
The Clouds Above by Jordan Crane
Fruits Basket #1 by Natsuki Takaya (first manga!!)
Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez
So Punk Rock by Micol Ostow and David Ostow
The Essential Guide to Bollywood by Subhash K. Jha

Doctor= Half Price Books found several things from my wishlist which was exciting!

The Long Wait for Tomorrow by Joaquin Dorfman
The Pricker Boy by Reade Scott Whinnem
Voices in the Dark by Catherine Banner
The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade

For review. Need to read about these some more.

Tuesday: nothing

Wednesday:

Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Single

Library Book Store

Thursday: nothing

Friday:

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
Something Missing by Matthew Dicks

For review.

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
Positively by Courtney Sheinmel
Little Miss Red by Robin Palmer
My Invisible Boyfriend by Susie Day

From TSM Bookfairy!

Saturday: nothing

No This Week In Books next week as I will be on vacation....

Lookalikes 67

Thanks to Brooke Taylor for suggesting this lookalike!

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert

Gangs and Girls by Michel Dorais and Patrice Corriveau

Definitely Joey Ramone. You can see a lot more of the picture in Joey Ramone and maybe this is just the picture but the cover of Gangs and Girls does not have the contrast that Joey Ramone has. Also I don't really like how the type was just set on top of the photo in Gangs and Girls.

Which do you prefer?

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Candor by Pam Bachorz

Amazon.com
In the model community of Candor, Florida, every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks. The son of the town’s founder, Oscar earns straight As, is student-body president, and is in demand for every club and cause. But Oscar has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant–perfect–through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior. And Oscar’s built a business sabotaging his father’s scheme with Messages of his own, getting his clients out before they’re turned. After all, who would ever suspect the perfect Oscar Banks? Then he meets Nia, the girl he can’t stand to see changed. Saving Nia means losing her forever. Keeping her in Candor, Oscar risks exposure . . . and more.

When I first heard about Candor I knew I had to read it! Sounded so interesting and different and it definitely was! I wasn't immediately grabbed by the book (I think it was something with the way Oscar spoke, it didn't always flow for me) but after I had been reading for awhile I was definitely hooked and had to know how it was all going to turn out.

I love books that present questions and this one presented a lot of them. How do you know if you are what you think you are or if it's the messages telling you to be a certain way? Are there consequences to this perfect community? Why would someone knowingly agree to something like this? All sorts of great discussion points throughout the books.

I love how art is seen as something worthless in this community! But since freedom of expression is a bad thing in Candor so is art. It's really spooky to see how kids slowly would change after moving to Candor or how they would quickly change after visiting the Listening Room. This is a plot I've never come across before so it fascinated me!

And the ending, oh the ending, it was flawless to me. I closed the book and just sat there, like WOW! If you are looking for something different in young adult literature I would definitely suggest this book!

Candor will be released on September 22nd!
Genre: Young Adult
4/5 Stars
ARC provided by publisher

Visit the Candor, FL website! (This is awesome!)

Winner of How to Steal A Car!

The winner of the arc of How to Steal a Car is misusedinnocence! I have emailed you so please respond with your mailing address by Tuesday! Thanks!

Bermudaonion you are now the winner! I never heard back from the original winner! I sent you a tweet, please email me your mailing address!

"Waiting On" Wednesday 48

Connected: The Surprising Power of Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives by Nicholas A. Christakis MD, PHD and James H. Fowler. PHD

Amazon.com:

Your colleague's husband's sister can make you fat, even if you don't know her. A happy neighbor has more impact on your happiness than a happy spouse. These startling revelations of how much we truly influence one another are revealed in the studies of Drs. Christakis and Fowler, which have repeatedly made front-page news nationwide.

In CONNECTED, the authors explain why emotions are contagious, how health behaviors spread, why the rich get richer, even how we find and choose our partners. Intriguing and entertaining, CONNECTED overturns the notion of the individual and provides a revolutionary paradigm-that social networks influence our ideas, emotions, health, relationships, behavior, politics, and much more. It will change the way we think about every aspect of our lives.

Released September 29th 2009

If this goes the way of Malcom Gladwell's books AT ALL, I think I could dig it. It sounds rather interesting to me that's for sure! If the examples are interesting and engaging I'll totally be into it!

What can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

BBAW Reading Meme!

I'm horrible and haven't participated yet in any of the BBAW festivities, but this I can do, I'm going to do it!

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?

Er yes, I kind of snack all the time. I usually always have something to drink usually water. But I like to have something crunchy to snack on. I've tried ice cream and that's rather hard to do!

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

It horrifies me, no way would I do that!

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?

I use Post-It Page Markers!

Laying the book flat open?

Sometimes I will if I'm going to pick it back up shortly

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?

Usually fiction but I like certain types of nonfiction too!

Hard copy or audiobooks?

Hard copies. I really want to try more audio books, I definitely will need to work on my concentration and patience skills to make it work though!

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?

Depends on the book. If the chapters are short I will go until a chapter break, if not just until I need to stop reading.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?

Um no... usually never. :/

What are you currently reading?

The Summertime Sound

What is the last book you bought?

The Essential Guide to Bollywood

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?

Depends. Some books take longer and if I have the urge to get more reading done I will set it aside and read another book or two and then go back to it. I prefer to just read one at a time though.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?

I guess the morning bus, no distractions and for some reason I read better and faster in the morning than on the way home.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?

I like both!

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?

Willow by Julia Hoban, favorite of the year! And also The Season by Sarah MacLean and Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols!

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)

Oh my goodness, they are all over the place! But in the little space I do have to organize, sort of by author and genre...

Hardcover vs. Paperback 46

Willow by Julia Hoban

US Hardcover/Paperback

UK Edition (note the name change!)

Spanish Cover (thanks to Alba for this one!)

Amazon.com:

Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy —one sensitive, soulful boy—discovers Willow’s secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the “safe” world Willow has created for herself upside down. Told in an extraordinary fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl’s struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy’s refusal to give up on her.

Ooooh! For me it will always be the US edition, I fell in love with the book in that cover and I think it will stay that way. I like how the US and Spanish edition really focus in on Willow's face. I'm not sure I like how much of her body you see in the UK cover. And for me the yellow distracts from her emotion. It's also interesting that in the UK Willow will be known as Scarred. If it can't be called Willow I think that's a nice solution. It also helps create an initial emotion right away! The Spanish cover is interesting as well, I like the texture around the title and how it kind of looks like a blade painted it.

Hardcover or Paperback?

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

"Getting to know the characters of FIRE" Tour Day 2!

Lord Brocker, Archer’s adoptive father, was once the most brilliant military commander the Dells had ever seen… until some 20 years ago, when, out of the blue, old King Nax tortured and banished him. Of course, everyone knows that Nax was never entirely in his right mind. He did lots of flaky things. But, still… one wonders why he would have turned on his own military champion…

To read about more of the characters of FIRE check out the rest of the tour dates from September 14th to October 2nd! To see the list of stops click the tour icon! Here's some more information about FIRE which is the companion title (not a sequel, stands alone but is still related) to GRACELING by Kristin Cashore! Just like GRACELING, FIRE is getting great reviews and you can find out for yourself why when it releases October 5th! I'm sure excited to read them!

Amazon.com:

She is the last of her kind...

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don't need to have read Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven't, you'll be dying to read it next.

To get prepared for the release here are a few more things:

Sampler e-book of FIRE
Fire by Kristin Cashore

FIRE Countdown Widget

Onto a giveaway for a signed hardcover of FIRE!

Here's how to enter:

To win the signed hardcover of FIRE leave a comment sharing why you want to read this book or if you have already what you loved about it! (no spoilers please)

For 1 additional entry blog (sidebar is fine) about this post (the tour, ebook excerpt, widget, giveaway) and leave a separate comment here linking to your post..

For 1 additional entry tweet about this post (the tour, ebook excerpt, widget, giveaway) with the hashtag #firetour and @reply me @mint910 and leave a separate comment here linking to your tweet.

The giveaway is open to addresses within the U.S.

Please leave a way for me to contact you if you are the winner!

The giveaway will end September 29th at 11:59 pm Central Time.

BBAW Giveaway: Gemma Doyle Trilogy!

So... usually I like to giveaways of books I've read and that was the plan here as well but I was planning it for the summer and it's SO NOT the summer anymore. I thought what better time to host this awesome giveaway than during Book Blogger Appreciation Week! So here we are!


How to enter to win one of two paperback sets of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray!

Leave a comment letting me know what you like(d) most about Book Blogger Appreciation Week, if you don't know what BBAW is click the link and join in the fun!

For 1 additional entry blog (sidebar is fine) or tweet (@reply me @mint910) about this contest and leave a separate comment here linking to your post or tweet (only one entry total).

The giveaway is open to addresses within the U.S.

Two winners will receive a paperback set of the trilogy.

Please leave a way for me to contact you if you are the winner!

The giveaway will end September 28th at 11:59 pm Central Time.

Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan

Amazon.com:

Fifteen-year-old Blake has a girlfriend and a friend who’s a girl. One of them loves him; the other one needs him. When he snapped a picture of a street person for his photography homework, Blake never dreamed that the woman in the photo was his friend Marissa’s long-lost meth addicted mom. Blake’s participation in the ensuing drama opens up a world of trouble, both for him and for Marissa. He spends the next few months trying to reconcile the conflicting roles of Boyfriend and Friend. His experiences range from the comic (surviving his dad’s birth control talk) to the tragic (a harrowing after-hours visit to the morgue).

In a tangle of life and death, love and loyalty, Blake will emerge with a more sharply defined snapshot of himself.

What made me decide to read Flash Burnout basically encompassed the photography aspect and the girlfriend + girl that is a friend. And thankfully those two aspects of the book were pretty satisfying, unfortunately they came with a few other things that were bothersome to me.

Let's start with the good, I loved how each chapter started with something related to photography, be it from a manual or Blake's homework and the way that photography was used to move the story forward. I would have loved to have seen Blake's and Marissa's photographs. They sound beautiful.

I also loved seeing Blake try and balance having a girlfriend he adored and that adores him (Shannon) and a girl that is a friend that really needs him (Marissa). The feeling of being torn and trying to do what's right for everyone is explored wonderfully in this book.

Another thing I really liked was Blake's family, his open-minded parents and his older brother, Garrett. I actually liked Garret at times better than Blake and his storyline about his friend with benefits Cappie. Would have loved to have seen that explored more.

While I liked all of that I did have some problems that distracted and took away from the good things in the book. Right off the bat I noticed Blake's slang and sort of annoying sense of humor, stuff like talking to Houston in his head all the time etc. I could have done without those types of things. And another thing that became rather bothersome for me was the way that Blake talked about his girlfriend Shannon and her body and touching her body. Yes, I know boys have hormones and they think about that stuff, but it was just too much for me and it made me sort of dislike Blake during those passages. Another thing I didn't find funny at all was that basically any time Blake mentioned Shannon's father he insulted him, I can understand insulting her mother but her father, he never did anything to deserve that!

Overall a nice coming of age story with some downsides that somewhat distracted from the story.

Flash Burnout will be released October 19th
Genre: Young Adult
3/5 Stars
ARC provided by Amazon Vine

Demon Chick by Marilyn Kaye

Amazon.com:

Jessica may not have the warmest relationship with her mother, aspiring presidential candidate Margaret Hunsucker, but it still comes as a shock when she discovers that her mother has sold her to the devil. Will she have to spend eternity in hell with one of Satan’s minions, a demon named Brad? Brad takes pains to explain that they live in one of hell’s better neighborhoods, and he seems like a nice enough guy—but still! And things only get worse when Jessica learns the full extent of her mother’s evil plans. Can she and Brad come up with a plan to save the world? These and other pressing questions are all answered in Marilyn Kaye’s delightfully satirical Demon Chick.

Demon Chick definitely had a very clever and pretty original premise. A female presidential candidate sold her daughter to the devil for power? Don't come by that every day! And while it was rather clever and took some good jabs at society here and there it was a little bit off for me.

I liked the character of Jessica but found it strange how drastically she would be willing to change her appearance at a moments notice just because someone told her it was ok, that just never made sense to me. (From kind of plain nerdy girl to who you see on the cover) I also liked Brad the demon in hell that Jessica is assigned to be the mate of. He was really sweet to Jessica and never tried to press her on any issues and was very welcoming trying to find things she would like to do or that reminded her of home. But again, a 16 year old girl being a demon's mate and lover. Not really sure about that. That never really comes to play in the book but it was still odd to me.

When Jessica and Brad find out her mother's evil plan (via television which basically lets you spy on people on earth) for the world they decide Jessica should go back and try and do something about it. She gets back via some loop hole very easily and joins up with some protesters near her old school, one who she had briefly encountered before she had departed for hell, and oh yeah he happens to be really cute. So it's got a bit of a love triangle going on, which is never a bad thing.

So as you can see I had some problems with the book but was still able to have fun with it. Definitely an interesting premise with a clever look at hell that was also lacking in a few areas.

Demon Chick will be released September 15th 2009.
Genre: Young Adult
3/5 Stars
ARC provided by Amazon Vine

This Week In Books Or A Library Book Store-Centric Week!

Monday: nothing

Tuesday:

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

I was so SO excited to win this from Kay in her Facebook Fan Page giveaway! She signed it and everything!

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

For review!

Wednesday:

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
Let's Meet on Platform 8 by Carole Matthews
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
The Beach House by Jane Green
The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Library book store!

Thursday:

Uninvited by Amanda Marrone
Beach Blondes by Katherine Applegate
Frostbite by Richelle Mead
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

Had to go back to the library book store after seeing all the books they were pricing the day before!

Friday: nothing

Saturday: nothing

Lookalikes 66

Thanks to Amee for suggesting this lookalike!

Shame Lifter by Marilyn Hontz

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

Another hard one! I think I like Shame Lifter just a tad bit more because of how natural it looks compared to Just One Wish. But they are both nice. Tie!

Which do you prefer?

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Last second add on:

The Mark by Jen Nadol

This is the newly redesigned cover after it turned out another book was sharing the same image, but let's not get into that now, I have a lookalike planned for that one as well! Just thought this fit here nicely. I like the type treatment on this and the blurred dandelion petals near the top!

Back Home by Julia Keller

Amazon.com:

“I guess you would call us a normal family. Once a month, and sometimes other times, too, Dad would be gone for a few days. Mom told us that he was in the National Guard. We were normal, you could say. And then we weren’t.”

Rachel “Brownie” Browning is thirteen when her father comes back from the war in Iraq. Of course she understands that he has been injured and that he will be a little different, at least for a while. But Brownie doesn’t even know the man with a prosthetic arm and leg who sits in the living room day after day. He’s certainly not the father who helped her build a fort in her backyard, or played basketball with her sister, or hauled her little brother around like a sack of potatoes.

Brownie’s mother says that because of his traumatic brain injury, their father needs their affection and patience. In time, he’ll be better–Dad will be back. But Dad doesn’t seem to be making much progress, or much effort. He doesn’t smile. He doesn’t talk. He won’t even get out of his wheelchair, even though the doctors have taught him how and say that walking is essential to his recovery. And Brownie begins to wonder, will her family ever be able to return to the way life was before the war?

A story about an ordinary family forced to deal with an extraordinary loss, Back Home tells the tale of families scarred and the battle just beginning when their wounded loved ones return home.

Back Home was a very emotional, real, and valid book. I'm so surprised I haven't encountered a book dealing with children of people hurt in the Iraqi war. Maybe there are some out there but I haven't encountered them.

I found Rachel to be a really insightful narrator. Though she is 13 I was surprised how much she was willing to admit to rather than avoid the truth and make things up. I think she could be a role model for children going through the same situation. It was also nice that she had two younger siblings and we could see what it was like for them to go through, how they all reacted differently.

The book really shed some light on traumatic brain injuries and how it may look like someone isn't trying or they don't care, but that's not it at all. Because of their injury their brain isn't sending the right signals to the rest of the body to respond the way it should.

Because of her father's condition, slowly her friends begin to lose touch so most of the book is centered around her home life. I think I would have liked to see Rachel outside of her home a little more, maybe in school to really see more of how it impacted her schooling and friendships.

I wondered if the book would touch on the sides people take in a war and it did, I think in just the right way. It wasn't really the center of the book but both sides of the fence were talked about. I also really liked how the book didn't shy away from anything and I found the ending to be very realistic.

Definitely an interesting and important book!

Back Home was released on September 8th!
Genre: Young Adult
3.5/5 Stars
ARC provided by public relations firm