Top Ten Books That Should be in your Beach Bag

Top Ten Books that should 

be in your Beach Bag

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by

The Broke and the Bookish

Oh how I love me some summer reads! There is nothing like lazing about reading books that take place during the summer or at the beach. They set the tone for those fabulous sunny and not so fabulous rainy days! Not all of these take place during summer but they are great reads regardless.

1. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen: I love it when Sarah Dessen sets her stories at Colby beach. You could also try Keeping The Moon.

2. The Summer Series by Jenny Han: I think the titles in this series speak for themselves (The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, We'll Always Have Summer.)

3. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson: This is a great read for some summer adventure. Actually all f Maureen Johnson's books would work :)

4. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: Okay, so it has nothing to do with summer but I think it's the perfect read for any season! There is never a time when St. Claie is not appropriate! 

5. The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore: The Southern Gothic feel of this story makes it a great paranormal summer read.

6. Going too Far or any other book by Jennifer Echols: I'm assuming Endless Summer would work better here but I've never read it. I do know that you'll want a strech of time where you can read uninterrupted! 

7. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery: I remember reading these in the summer when I was younger. Obviously you should too!

8. Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter: Apparently I think all older books should be read in the summer! I love the natural elements in this story :)

9. How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles: Warning! You will want to have the next two books handy!

10. Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott: I just ordered this book from amazon even though I already had a copy. It was just so cheap I couldn't pass it up. It's a great summer read!

The Girl in the Steel Corset-Character Tweets

As a part of the blog tour for The Girl in the Steel Corset I was lucky enough to get ahold of a twitter conversation between some of the main characters! I particularly like @Sam_Mandroid ;) (Thanks to the author Kady Cross for putting this together!)

Sam_Mandroid
How does this thing work?

ScienceGirl16
@Sam_Mandroid You type what you want to say in 140 characters or less.

Sam_Mandroid
@ScienceGirl16 This is bollocks.

Gunslinger
@Sam_Mandroid It ain't that bad. I met a couple of nice girls.

Sam_Mandroid
@Gunslinger You a'lwasdys meet guirlsd.

Sam_Mandroid
Bloody stupid little keys1

Gunslinger
@Sam_Mandroid #SomeoneNeedsAHug

Sam_Mandroid
@Gunslinger Someone needs a punch

Gunslinger
@Sam_Mandroid You're such a charmer.

Sam_Mandroid
dlkfhadoihgoiewnhf;dlkfngilahb;ofidj

ScienceGirl16
@Sam_Mandroid Stop mashing the keys! You'll break it.

Gunslinger
@Sam_Mandroid @ScienceGirl16 Sausage fingers.

Sam_Mandroid
@Gunslinger Isn't it time for you to go flirt with some floozy?

Gunslinger
@Sam_Mandroid You're right. It is. Don't you youngsters wait up.

Greythorne
@Sam_Mandroid @Gunslinger @ScienceGirl16 Em, are you certain this is a productive use of our time?

ScienceGirl16
@Greythorne No, but it's fun.

Greythorne
@ScienceGirl16 But we're in the same house. Couldn't we talk in person?

GirlWithADarkSide
@Greythorne You have no sense of fun, Your Grace.

Greythorne
@GirlWithADarkSide I wager not even your friend Jack Dandy would find this amusing.

GirlWithADarkSide
RT@Greythorne I wager not even your friend Jack Dandy would find this amusing. @Dandified

Greythorne
Right, I've had enough 'fun'. I'm going to Pick-a-dilly with Jas.

GirlWithADarkSide
@Greythorne Sounds fun. Think they'll let me in or am I #bannedforlife?

Greythorne
@GirlWithADarkSide Let's find out. #IDoTooKnowHowToHaveFun

Sam_Mandroid
@Greythorne Good idea. I'm coming with you.

ScienceGirl16
@Greythorne @Sam_Mandroid Wait for me!

Love it! Stop by June 8th to see my review :) In the mean time head over to the author's blog to watch the fabulous book trailer! 

Fangirl Friday: Anderson's Bookshop

Fangirl Friday: Anderson's Bookshop 

Yes, you read that right. Today I'm fangirling about my favorite indie bookstore. I am that much of a geek ;) But seriously... they are amazing! Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois is my go to place for great author events and signed books!

Nice screen capture ;)

Anderson's Bookshop

Anderson's Autographed Books

Wolfsbane

Wolfsbane

Author: Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Date: July 26, 2011
Pages: 400
Series: Nightshade, book two
Source: I Read Banned Books blog tour


***May contain spoilers for book One***


About the Book: This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended–Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer–one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack–and the man–she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

My Thoughts: Nightshade ended with SUCH a cliffhanger! I was dying for this book. It picks up right where Nightshade left off. Calla wakes up in the Searchers custody and is understandably leery of their intent. Her world has been turned upside down. Everything she knew has changed. She doesn't know who to trust or what to believe. To make matters worse she is without her pack. 


Calla realizes that, not surprisingly, the Keepers have been lying to her and the other Guardians. She doesn't trust the Searchers 100% but they offer the freedom Keepers deny. It's a very uneasy alliance but Calla attempts to work with the Searchers to end the war.


I really enjoyed getting more of the history and backstory on the Nightshade world. I was interested in knowing how the Guardians came to be and where the conflict between the Keepers and the Searchers stemmed from. Learning more about the Searchers and how they are organized was also really cool. The world building was my favorite part of this book. It really saved it for me.


What I didn't really like was Shay. Now, I've always been a Ren girl but my dislike for Shay in this book has nothing to do with that. I liked him in Nightshade. I just liked Ren more. I really just didn't care for him at all here. He actually made me angry. Calla's world is in pieces. She's confused and alone. She loves Shay (I mean,come on! She left her pack for him!) but she still cares about Ren. He's been a part of her life for so long! Shay doesn't get this. He keeps asking for answers she is not ready to give. It's not like she's had any time to process anything! Also, I felt like he was really pressuring her physically. It just made me uncomfortable. It was almost as if he was taking advantage of her. I know that he is going through crazy stuff too but still... It just felt off. (Note: This was just my perception. Others have loved it!) 


Overall Wolfsbane was an interesting read. It contained a lot more history (which is a plus for me!) but still had the action and pack dynamics I loved in Nightshade. Personally I preferred Nightshade but I'll certainly be interested in reading book three. 

Waiting on Wednesday (29)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly meme to talk about what upcoming book we're most looking forward to reading

Waiting on Wednesday

May 25, 2011

Fateful

By: Claudia Gray

Release Date: September 13, 2011

Published by: Harper Collins

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


Okay. I heard Claudia Gray talk about this book at one of her signings in September and I've wanted to read it ever since. It's such a random combination! I love me some shape shifters! 

Angel Burn

Angel Burn

Author: L.A. Weatherly
Publisher: Candelwick Press
Publication Date: May 24, 2011
Pages: 403
Series: Angel Trilogy, book one
Source: ARC requested from netgalley, also emailed by publisher


Note: This book was published as Angel in the UK.


About the Book: Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L..A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip — and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.


My Thoughts: This books starts off with a bang and doesn't slow down. I was captivated from page one. I read it on my nook while working out and it kept me so motivated! I loved the idea behind it, the characters, everything! Plus, multiple narrators? Such a win!


Okay. So, first things first. When reading this book throw out everything you have ever heard concerning angels. L.A. Weatherly's angels are not the benevolent beings you may be familiar with nor are they your typical "fallen" angels. These angels arenot at all they seem. (For you Dr. Who fans they reminded me more of the angles from Blink than anything else!) I loved this twist. I found it unique and it made me want to keep reading to find out more. 


One of my favorite aspects of this book was the fact that although Willow and Alex (Holy hotness Batman!) have lead these crazy different lives and are in this crazy messed up situation the issues they face are still issues teens can relate to. They are dealing with friends and family, trying to figure out where they fit in the world, questioning the beliefs they've been taught to hold, and the romance... oh the romance! I was impressed that Ms. Weatherly was able to make connecting with these unique characters so flawless.


Random things I loved:
*Multiple Narrators
*Willows ability to fix cars
*The road trip aspect
*Alex ( I couldn't resist!)


 Check out the website for the UK edition of the book here and follow LA Weatherly on Twitter!

Check out the Book Trailer too:

Alex Version:

Willow Version:

Beauty Queens

Beauty Queens

Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: My 24, 2011
Pages: 400
Source: ARC received from Publisher


About the Book: From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island. 
Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to email. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.

My Thoughts: This book is made of awesome. Seriously. From the premises to the cover to the footnotes (yes, footnotes!) I adored it. 


Beauty Queens starts off with "A word from your sponsor." The Corporation wants to warn you about the book and let you know how you should feel about it. Throughout the book they break in to give commentaries, footnotes, product placement and commercials. I love the snarky style of these interruptions. I think that it will appeal to older teens.


At the start of the book we see all the girls as simply beauty queens. As the story moves along we get to know more about each girl and her reasons for being in the pageant. I really liked this approach. We learn that under all the snark there is a story of friendship, courage, loyalty, love, and searching for who you are. Also, hot pirates. The story is definitely more than it seems on the surface.


Random things I loved:
*The line, "Awkward, we know."
*Sonic Screwdriver mention
*Libba's oh so true opinion on dolls (Note to Libba: NEVER go to House on the Rock in Wisconsin... Creepy dolls EVERYWHERE! They even have a carousel of them!)
*David L. Evithan
*The footnote about librarians
*"Man flower"
*The way the girls introduce themselves by their titles first (Hi! I'm Miss ________)


Also, you should read this Q & A on amazon in which Libba interviews herself.

Lucky Unlucky Panel

 I've never been a very superstitious person so Friday the 13th has never meant much to me. However, that changed this past Friday the 13th. That was the day the fabulous Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL hosted a Lucky Unlucky Day panel. It was made up of NINE amazing authors! Seriously, when I read the line-up I couldn't believe it! Just look:

The lovely ladies!

Sarah Bennett Wealer (Rival)
Courtney Allison Moulton (Angelfire)
Leah Clifford (A Touch Mortal)
Lisa Roecker (The Liar's Society)
Laura Roecker (The Liar's Society)
Saundra Mitchell (Shadowed Summer, The Vespertine)
Sarah Rees Brennan (The Demon's Lexicon Series)
Julia Karr (XVI)
Christine Johnson (Claire de Lune, Nocturne) 


I know, Right?!?! Look at all the goodness! I was SO EXCITED! I took the day off of work so that I could relax and spend some time bumming around Naperville. Erica from The Book Cellar and I decided to make a weekend of it and get a hotel for the night! Of course I ran behind schedule and got down there later than expected. I met Kristi from The Story Siren in Chicago and we made it to the signing just in time :) We met up with Erica, Lynn from Bringing the Epic, Stacey from Pageturners, Kristen from Bookworming in the 21st Century, and Scott Tracey (author of Witch Eyes.)  

The signing itself was fabulous. I was in awe of how great these ladies are. So funny and smart. It was such a great mix too! They interacted really well and kept the questions and such moving. I was so impressed! I don't think I've ever laughed so much at a signing. It was definitely one of the most fun events I've been too.
I got books signed by all the authors (except for Courtney because I already have Angelfire signed.) I cannot wait to read the ones I just got :) Also, the totally amazingly incredibly awesome Sarah Rees Brennan brought me a UK copy of the Truth & Dare anthology she has a story in (Saundra Mitchell has one in there too!) I can not even begin to express how much that meant to me. She is one of my all time favorite authors (If you haven't read The Demon's Lexicon yet what is wrong with you?!?!?!) It was so thoughtful and kind. Thanks Sarah! 


If you get a chance I highly recommend attending events with any of these women! Also, thanks to all my blogging pals who were there! It was great to see you :)

In My Mailbox (26)

In My Mailbox

In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. The idea of In My Mailbox is to bring books to the attention of blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs. 

I originally didn't think I'd be doing in IMM post this week because I leave for BEA and life is kind of crazy. Turns out this was a great book week so I couldn't miss it ;)

Jessica's Guide to Dating in the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Drawing from Memory by Allen Say

13 Gifts by Wendy Mass

Ghosts in the Fog by Samantha Speile

iBoy by Kevin Brooks

Sound Bender by Lin Oliver & Theo Baker

The Pack: Dogs of the Drowned City by Dayna Lorentz

Cat Found by Ingrid Lee

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

A HUGE thank you to:

I Read Banned Books

Books With Bite

Scholastic

If you want to know what I'm up to at BEA follow me on twitter :)

@hmz1505

Elizabeth Scott Week Giveaway!

I was super excited to hear about Elizabeth Scott week. Unfortunately I've been crazy busy. It's the end of the school year and I've been trying to get ready to go out of town. Still, I love Elizabeth Scott's books and I adore the ladies hosting this week so I had to do something! Soooo, in honor of Elizabeth Scott week I'm giving away one hardcover copy of Something, Maybe. The contest is open internationally. You don't have to be a blog follower or jump through any hoops. Just fill out this form by May 31st :) 

Sarah Dessen Signing!

Can you find me, front and center!

 So, you may have noticed that I have a bit of a thing for Sarah Dessen books ;) You can imagine how thrilled I was to see that she was coming to my favorite indie book store! I basically stalked the store until they had tickets available (I was #2 in line!) The turn out was pretty incredible as is evidenced by the picture to the right. Sarah Dessen took it just before she began. She said she had to send it to her husband so he would believe her :) There were so any people and everyone was so nice! We basically spent about an hour sitting there and fangirling about Sarah and her fabulous books! I thought I had a long drive there (about 2.5 hours) but there was a girl from Missouri! She was staying with family but still, that's dedication!



Sarah was, as you might suspect, completely delightful. Seriously, she is so sweet! She started off with a brief reading and then went on to answer questions. She talked about how her stories really start with a character and grow from there. She pulls character names form everywhere and anywhere... signing lines, magazines, anything unique! I was interested to hear that Just Listen was the most difficult book to write. It's my favorite so I'm glad she pushed through!

My new water bottle and signed books!

After questions it was trivia time! Sarah had water bottles and Luna Blu t-shirts to giveaway. Some of the questions were tricky but I SO wanted a water bottle. When she asked what company Jamie (Ruby's brother in law from Lock and Key) started I was ALL OVER IT! Making those connection graphics for Sarah Dessen Week really paid off and that water bottle was mine! I love it. A lot. More than is probably rational. Thank you Ume.com!

 

Finally it was signing time. There were so many people and Sarah was so gracious to everyone! She posed for countless pictures and talked to every single person who went through the line. I even got a hug for bringing her retractable Sharpies :) We also chatted a bit about Sarah Dessen Week! She was really appreciative and was honored by how many people took part. Yeah, basically she is just great! I am so excited to hear her speak at the BEA breakfast she's a part of and I hope to stop by the Sweetery truck to get a special Sarah Dessen Woopie Pie! 

Seriously, if you ever get a chance to attend one of her signings I SO recommend it! I can't gush enough about how awesome I think she is :) 

Me and my new BFF ;)

Yep, that's me right behind Sarah. She's holding my copy of
What Happened to Goodbye :) 

Starcrossed Blog Tour Stop #4

Welcome to the fourth stop on the Starcrossed Blog Tour!

I am so excited to be a part of this blog tour! Not only is it a fabulous book but YOU get a chance to win a Kindle3 loaded with some fabulous content or a beautiful Starcrossed Kindle3 Gelaskin! We'll get to that later. Let's start off with the book trailer!

Ummm, talk about intense! I love the words and phrases they chose to describe the book. They're perfect for the story! Speaking of the story... here's a bit more info!

About Starcrossed:  goodreads

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. 

About Josephine Angelini: (website)
Josie was born in a tiny town in Massachusetts called Ashland. When she meets people from Massachusetts and tells them ‘what part’ she hails from, she usually gets one of two answers. The first is: “Ashland. Isn’t that in Oregon?” And the second is: “Did you just say Ass-land?”

Her next stop was about as different from her hometown as it gets without leaving the country. As soon as Josie was legal, she packed a bag and moved to New York City to attend NYU. Somehow, she managed to squeeze in a little higher learning between bartending shifts and graduated with a BFA.

Massively in debt with college loans, she then moved to Los Angeles for reasons that are still a little blurry. Something about the weather was mentioned, and a vague idea to write poetry and find herself. She found that she is a terrible poet, but she never gave up on the writing bit.

Josie still lives in Los Angeles with her husband and now writes YA fiction.

My Thoughts:  What a beautiful book! Greek mythology in a contemporary setting = win. I love it. I am always interested in the way authors take the myths and make them their own. I loved the way Ms. Angelini built up her take on myths in the modern day. It was interesting to discover the connections and the reasons behind some of the characters actions. I loved figuring out who everyone was and what was happening. Helen, the main character, is ignorant of her own history so we are discovering things along with her. For the most part I enjoyed this but there were a few things that I thought she would have figured out earlier. All in all it was a very satisfying read! It was engaging and kept me interested for the entire nearly 500 pages. The main events come together but there are strings left for future books. I am anxiously awaiting the next release! 

Random Highlights:

*Helen's Dad. I loved him. The way he interacts with Helen (and even Claire) was fun to see.

*Claire: Can she please be my best friend?

* The boys: They are so swoon worthy!

*Basically all the characters: You really get to know them. I loved it!

*The nicknames. I give people nicknames all the time! It was fun to see what names the characters gave to each other :)

*The mythology: Obviously!

*The setting. I have a thing for books set in the East and down South. This one is in Nantucket. 

Okay, now for the part you REALLY want:

Kindle3 Giveaway AND Kindle3 Gelaskin giveaway!

To enter to win the 

Starcrossed 

Kindle3 follow the rules below! (hosted by the tour)

To enter to win the Starcrossed Kindle3 Gelaskin fill out this form! (hosted here at YA Bibliophile, provided by the tour)

Contest rules for the Kindle give-away:

• In order to enter to win a Kindle3 WiFi, including a copy of Starcrossed, a personal letter from Josie to the winner and covered in a GelaSkin of Starcrossed'scover art, you must collect the pink highlighted words from Lucas's love letter to Helen that are provide each day at the individual tour stops.  The daily words can be joined together in sequential order to create the winning secret message.  Once you've constructed the winning secret message, you will need to enter that message on Starcrossed's tour home page.
• No purchase, affiliation, status as follower to a certain blog or any other association is required to enter.
• Full rules for the contest can be found at the Starcrossed tour home page.
• Winner of the Kindle give-away will be announced on Josie's homepage on Tuesday, June 7th.

Here's my piece of the letter:

Oh Lucas! It's no wonder I love you!

Make sure to stop by ALL the blogs to enter to win the Kindle3!

Monday May, 16th - Bewitched Bookworms/ Tour Kick-off!

Tuesday, May 17th - Becky,  Stories & Sweets

Wednesday, May 18th - Elie, Ellz Reads

Thursday, May 19th - Heidi, YA Bibliophile

Friday, May 20th - See Scoot Read / Character Interview with Helen's BFF Claire

Monday May, 23th - Missie, The Unread Reader / "When I'm not Writing"

Tuesday, May 24th - Savanna, Books with Bite

Wednesday, May 25th - Natalie, The Mindful Musings / Character Interview with Helen

Thursday, May 26th - Heather, Buried in Books /Interview with Josie

Friday, May 27th - Nely, All about {n} / "Josie's Bookcase"

Monday May, 30th - Candace, Candace's Book Blog / Interview with Josie

Tuesday, May 31st (Starcrossed Book Birthday!) - Kristi, The Story Siren / Vlog post by Josie

Wednesday, June 1st - Small Review

Thursday, June 2nd - Jenny, Supernatural Snark / Character Interview with Lucas

Friday, June 3rd - Cynthia - A Book About Nothing

Tuesday, June 7th: Announcement of the big prize winner on Josie's Blog!