Love Story & Songbird Winners!

I had two contests end this week. They were sponsored by two different tours I was on so the books will be mailed out by the tour hosts. Thanks to everyone who entered and congratulations to the winners!

Love Story (2 winners):

Bwyatt

and

Angelika Evans

Songbird: 

Patrice

I've emailed the tour hosts and winners. Hopefully the books will be on there way soon!

Supernaturally review + Giveaway

Supernaturally

Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: July 26, 2011
Pages: 352
Series: Paranormalcy, book two
Source: ARC requested from publisher
 
About the Book: Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal. (from Goodreads)

 
My Thoughts:  When I requested and ARC of this book I included the oh so professional statement that I would "do things of questionable legality" for a copy. Obviously I was kidding. Kind of. When I received it in the mail I nearly drove my car in to a tree. For real. I tell you these things to paint the picture of how incredibly excited I was for this release. Now, usually I get a bit nervous about books that follow a story I loved as much as I loved Paranormalcy and that I'm this excited for. I fear they won't live up and then I will feel bad because I really like the author and wanted so badly to like the book. Thankfully my faith was not misplaced in Kiersten White. She is as fabulous as I thought.  I wish I could fill this review with pink sparkly hearts. Seriously. I would bedazzle it if I could (and I don't bedazzle lightly!)
 
So, Evie is FINALLY at high school like she wanted. While her locker is just as wonderful as she hoped "normal" high school life is...well... not. It's nothing like Easton Heights (Evie's favorite show.) With Lend (insert dreamy sigh and much eyelash batting) away at college Evie doesn't even have seeing him in school to look forward to. Of course nothing in Evie's life could ever stay normal. Raquel shows up at school (My notes literally say "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" behind this statement) and everything gets a little crazy (or back to normal depending on how you look at it!)
 
Basically, this book is bleepin' awesome! (I couldn't resist!) It does a fabulous job of continuing with the overall arc of the trilogy while still having an actual plot of it's own. The characters I've come to love are just as awesome as I remembered. The humor kept me laughing but didn't overwhelm the book. (Insert MORE pink sparkly hearts.) I could go on and on but I think you get the point. If you're in a reading slump and need something to get you out pick up Supernaturally (Make sure you've read Paranormalcy first!) You won't regret it. 

Random Things I Loved:
*Evie's thought on gym
*The love for lockers
*Chapter titles... they just make books so much better!
*The new characters
*Bleep
*The line, "____'s past isn't one that contributes to stability." (Named removed since I couldn't decide if it was spoilery.
*The fact that pretty much every paranormal creature has been ruined for me (except Lend.... and maybe Reth even though he is NOT boyfriend material.) 
*Still no sparkly vampires
*THE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS!!!! You HAVE to read them. I enjoyed them more than some books I read this year. Five stars!

Sidenote: Paranormalcy was one of the first books I reviewed when I started blogging faithfully and Kiersten was one of the first authors I met. I loved the book and she was delightful. I get warm fuzzies when I think of either one! So yeah, read the books!! (If you're interested...my review of Paranormalcy.)


Giveaway: I've just decided.... since I've raved so much about these books I'm going to give away one copy of Paranormalcy and one copy of Supernaturally. Fill out this form to enter. Open internationally. Must be 13 or older to enter. One entry per person. Entry deadline is August 6.

Touch of Frost

Touch of Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Publication Date: July 26, 2011
Pages: 359
Series: Mythos Academy, book one
Source: Copy received for Teen Book Scene blog tour


About The Book: My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .

"Touch of Frost is an intriguing start to an exciting new series!" —Award-winning author Jeri Smith-Ready

". . .surviving high school means staying alive!" —New York Timesbestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks (from goodreads)

My Thoughts: I've said it before but it bears repeating... I LOVE books that work mythology in to a morden day setting. Make that a modern day boarding school setting and I am so in! Touch of Frost and The Mythos Academy series are right up my ally! 
 
One of my favorite things about this book is that it isn't a retelling of a myth (although I love those too!) The students at Mythos Academy are the descendants of ancient warriors. They have some magic and abilities but they are not gods themselves nor are they reincarnations. They are just normal teens... who could, you know, kill you in the blink of an eye. 
 
Gwen is an interesting main character. I enjoyed learning more about her and seeing things through her eyes. I liked that she was a bit different. I also really appreciated that she was willing to look past first impressions. She is the type of girl I would have enjoyed being friends with in high school. 
 
Touch of Frost is a promising start to a new series I will definitely be keeping my eye on. The teaser for book two (Kiss of Frost) already has me anxiously awaiting it!  
 
Random Things I Loved:
*The fact that it isn't just Roman or Greek or Norse or Native American mythology but a mix of all different kinds.
*Even the band geeks are killer tough.
*The line, "The weapons were just accessories at Mythos."
*Gwen's love for comic books.
*Gwen's grandma! I especially love the way she dresses.
*The library (even if the librarian isn't the nicest guy!)
*Two words... Logan. Quinn.


Enter to win a copy by going to yesterday's post and answering the question(s) about YA in the comments!

Touch of Frost Blog Tour Kick-off & Giveaway

Welcome to the first stop on the Touch of Frost Blog tour! I'm lucky enough to have the author, Jennifer Estep here today with one of my favorite things... a top ten list! Enjoy!

Greetings and salutations! First of all, I want to thank Heidi for having me on the blog today. Thanks so much, Heidi!

So today, Heidi asked me to do a top ten list, which are always a lot of fun to do. Since Touch of Frost, my first young adult book comes out this week, I thought I’d do a list about why I like YA books so much. Here goes:

1) The different creatures: Whether you want to read about vampires, dragons, witches, werewolves, Gypsy girls, or Spartans, you can find all those creatures, characters, and more in the YA genre.

2) The different worlds and stories: There are just as many different worlds and types of stories as there are creatures and characters in the YA genre. Whether you want to read an epic fantasy adventure or a mystery or a contemporary romance, you’ll find it in the YA genre.

3) The imagination: This goes hand-in-hand with numbers 1 and 2, but there is so much imagination in YA books as authors come up with all these fascinating worlds, magical rules, and more. If you can dream it up, you can write it in a YA book, which really appeals to me as an author.

4) The cool book covers: I think the YA genre has some of the coolest book covers around, and whenever I go to the bookstore, I always head to that section just to see what the latest covers look like. Some of my favorite covers include The Iron King by Julie Kagawa and The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney. 

5) The kick-butt heroines: One of the things that I love most about the YA genre is all the strong heroines that you can find in the books, everyone from Katsa in Graceling by Kristin Cashore to Katniess in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. YA heroines use everything from their magic to their strength to their brains to save the day. How cool is that?

6) The crush-worthy guys: It seems like there are just as many crush-worthy guys as there are kick-butt heroines in the YA genre, and they do everything from fight by the heroine’s side to help her however and whenever she needs it. I’m loving Ash from the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, and I was Team Peeta all the way when it came to The Hunger Games trilogy.

7) All the reader excitement: It seems like YA is the one genre that everyone gets excited about these days from teens to their parents to booksellers to librarians and everyone in between. It seems like all the books with buzz are YA books these days, and I think that’s really cool.

8) The TV and movie adaptations: It seems like more and more YA books are hitting the small and big screens, and I think it’s interesting to see how the books are brought to life on TV and at the movies. I’m especially looking forward to seeing the big screen version of The Hunger Games.

9) The timeless appeal: I think a lot of YA books have a timeless quality to them. I’ve got several YA books on my keeper shelf from when I was a kid to recent titles that I’ve read. I think we can all relate to growing up and trying to figure out who we are as a person, and I think that’s part of what makes YA appeal to such a large audience.

10) All the great books out there: Some of my favorite reads in recent years have been YA books like Beastly by Alex Flinn; Graceling by Kristin Cashore; The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins; The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal; and Poison Study by Maria Snyder. It’s just a great time to be a fan of the YA genre

What about you guys? What are some of your favorite things about YA books? What are some of your favorite YA books and characters right now?

Oh man... SUCH a great list! Thanks so much for "stopping by!" You mentioned some of my all time favorite books. I would add any thing by John Green, Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson... the list goes on an on! 


Now for the giveaway! Jennifer and I honestly want to know the answer to the questions she posed above. Tell us about why you love YA or your favorite YA books/characters and why you love them in the comments and you'll be entered to win my copy of Touch of Frost and a Touch of Frost bookmark. Make sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll chose a winner using random.org. Must be 13 or older to enter. US only. Contest ends July 31!

Jennifer Estep writes the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.

Touch of Frost, the first book in the series, will be published on Tuesday, July 26. First Frost, a prequel e-story to the series, is available now as a 99-cent download. Kiss of Frost, the second book, will hit shelves on Nov. 29. Visit www.jenniferestep.com for excerpts and more information.

Check out the full tour list here!

Maggie Stiefvater Signing

Photo by Brenda Morris

Last night the unheard of happened... a young adult author had an event in Madison, Wisconsin!! And it wasn't just any YA author... it was MAGGIE STIEFVATER!!! Cue fangirl squeeing! Obviously I couldn't miss this event (even though it was the THIRD time I've seen Maggie in about two months!) I met up with some friends and we had a great time. 

Photo by Brenda Morris

If you haven't heard about Maggie's road trip tour you should follow her blog and see all of her updates. There are fun videos too! Maggie and Tessa Gratton (author of Blood Magic) have driven to all the stops in Maggie's Camaro, "Loki." Of course my friends and I had to stalk Loki and take pics :) We love the "Shiver" license plate (As Maggie said, hubris goes with everything!) 

A voice from above telling Maggie to
write about werewolves and kissing!

There was a good sized group of teens and not-so-teens for the event. Everyone was really excited and couldn't wait to meet Maggie and Tessa! Madison doesn't get many events so it was really great to see so many teens out! Barnes and Noble was lovely and did a nice job of preparing. They even had ice water for everyone because it was such a hot day! Maggie talked a bit about The Wolves of Mercy Falls and told the story about when she was on tour for Linger and found out that it had hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list. She is such a great storyteller. The audience was captivated. She then went on to questions and the crowd certainly wasn't shy. Even though I've been to events recently I hadn't heard the stories or known the answers to many of the questions asked. I'm amazed that authors can keep their events so fresh! 

Maggie drawing my wolf!

After questions we moved on to the signing. Maggie recognized me (yes, I do feel like a stalker!) and drew a wolf on the inside cover of Forever for me. It's so great! As an added bonus I bought a copy of Blood Magic and Tessa signed it. She is delightful and I enjoyed meeting her as well. I love my new "Forever, Maggie" keychain too! It was a fabulous event and I loved getting to see some of my local bookish friends too! If Maggie ever has an event near you I highly recommend attending! 

Songbird Tour Stop + Giveaway!

Welcome to the next stop on the Songbird blog tour! I had the chance to send Dani (the main character) five questions via Angela Fristoe. Here's what she had to say...

1. If you could talk to Jace one more time, what would you want him to know?

I'd want him to know that I was okay. That I hadn't become like our parents.

2. There is often a debate about whether or not guys and girls can really be "just friends". What's the best part about having a male friend.

It's nice not having that constant pressure of having to do girl talk. And I'm not a boy crazy girl, so with him I'm not having to listen to comparisons about who is cuter: Justin Bieber or Taylor Lautner.

3. On the flip side, anything about having a male best friend that drives you nuts?

They can be a bit blunt and thoughtless.  Not that they're trying to be rude, but I'm not interested in checking out a girl's breast size. 

4. You've had to deal with a lot of issues in your relatively young life. What would you say to young girls going through similar events?

Don't be defined by your family, or the things that have happened to you. Make a choice to move forward.

5. It's your senior year! I'm sure this has you thinking about college and the future. If there were no limitations on what you could do what would you want your future to look like?

For college, I'd go for either Julliard or the University of Rochester. Wherever I go, I hope Martha and Paul will be there to see me graduate. After that, I don't know. The only thing I'm sure of is that Reece and Colin will be in my life.

Thanks so much Angela and Dani! 

And now for the giveaway!

Teen Book Scene is giving away a gently used ARC from the tour. If you're interested in checking this book out here are the details for entry:

*US only (sorry!)

*Must be 13 yrs or older

*Entry deadline: July 27

*ONE entry per person

*Fill out this form

Good luck!

Check out all the tour stops here!

Songbird Review

Songbird

Author: Angela Fristoe
Publisher: Little Prince Publishing
Publication Date: June 30, 2011
Pages: 208
Source: ARC received for Teen Book Scene Blog Tour


About the Book: There are defining moments in life when everything changes. For Dani Mays, it was the day she witnessed her father kill her brother. Now seventeen, she still hasn't put it behind her.

After Jace's death, she bounced between her alcoholic mother and foster homes until she found a permanent place. And a reason to want to stay: Reece Tyler. He's her best friend, yet Dani wants more from him.

Faced with losing Reece, Dani struggles to define his place in her life and escape the influence the memories of her brother's death have over her choices. Even as she weaves the pieces of her heart back together, the past becomes more than a memory when a former foster brother reappears and Dani begins receiving threatening calls. (from goodreads)


My Thoughts: Wow. This book is really intense. I liked the story and many of the ideas but it was really hard to read. For one thing my heart just broke for Dani. Her dad is an abusive drunk who her kills her brother in front of her when she is six. Her mom enters a downward spiral and Dani os basically left alone. While things in her life now have improved it still was hard to see. Another thing that made it hard for me was the fact that there were a ton of flashbacks. They were a bit too abrupt and made it hard for me to get in to the flow of the story. The characters were interesting and I felt a connection but I don't think I'll read it again. If you're a fan of intense contemporary fiction give it a try!

Love Story + Giveaway!

I was super hyped to be offered the opportunity to read and review Jennifer Echols' newest release Love Story a bit early AND do a giveaway sponsored by the publisher. Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster and Big Honcho Media! 

Love Story

Author: Jennifer Echols
Publisher:
Publication Date:
Pages:
Source: ARC received from publisher


About the Book: 
She’s writing about him. He’s writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines.

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions—it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a local coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter . . . except this story could come true.

Learn more: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Love-Story/Jennifer-Echols/9781439178324

About the Author: Jennifer Echols is the author of romantic dramas for MTV and romantic comedies for Pulse. She currently lives in Birmingham. Visit her on the web at www.jennifer-echols.com .


My Thoughts: Let me just start off by saying that I will be forever grateful to Amazon for suggesting that I might like Going Too Far! Say what you will about the online superstore but it was my introduction to one of my favorite authors. Jennifer Echols writes smart and sassy stories with interesting plot lines and just a hint of trouble. Love Story does not disappoint. 


We are introduced to the main character (Erin) through one of her stories. This is certainly apt considering that she is going to college for creative writing. I liked that we first see her and the "stable boy" (Hunter) through the characters she has based on their lives. The way a person sees themselves and others is often so different from how others see them. It made me wonder what my fictional me would be like! Stories by Erin and Hunter are featured throughout the book. I found it interesting that they are both most real when writing their stories.


The majority of communication between Erin and Hunter goes on when reading one another's stories. This leads to a lot of misinterpretation and confusion. I liked the ways that this built tension between the characters. Erin and Hunter have known one another since they were 12 but they really don't know one another at all. As is true with history in general Erin and Hunter view the events of their shared history through the eyes of their own experiences. I liked how writing their stories and sharing the events with their classmates/roommates gave them new perspectives.


Love Story is a great addition to Jennifer Echols' body of work. It compliments her previous works and brings in something new. I look forward to reading more from her!


Random Things I Loved: 
*Erin's issue with Jane Austen
*The Horses!
*The fact that Erin unapologetically writes romance. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ROMANCE BOOKS PEOPLE!
*The derby
*College aged characters
*Cutting faces :)
*The party the boys throw... clever ;)
*Reading the characters stories. I would have liked an appendix at the end with stories by the other students in the class!
*Summer & Monohar... basically all the roommates/classmates


And now for the good part! The giveaway! TWO winners will receive a copy of Love Story! To enter simply fill out this form by July 26. One entry per person. US only.

In My Mailbox (31)

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. 

Still no luck with my "new and improved" internet connection and uploading videos. 

For Review:

A Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

For Teen Book Scene Blog Tours

The Demon King (paperback), The Exiled Queen (hardcover), and The Gray Wolf Throne (ARC) by Cinda Williams Chima

I'll be on the blog tour for The Gray Wolf Throne in early September. They sent me copies of all three books in preparation. There will be a giveaway with it as well :)

Classics... to buy or not to buy?

Okay, I need your help! I've spent the past couple of weeks doing inventory in my middle school LMC. As part of that inventory I've gone through the shelves and pulled any book that hasn't been checked out in the past five years. I have no problem getting ride of most of them. They are outdated and of no interest to the students. The problem comes with books like the ones shown below.

The classics. Now, many of these books are fabulous. The problem is they don't look it. Books are judged by their covers. Period. No middle schooler is going to pick those up. I know because they haven't been checked out in YEARS. Some I'm not replacing. The Scarlet Letter, Of Mice and Men, and 1984 don't really need to be in a seventh and eighth grade library (Note: I'm not against students reading them. They can get them at the public library or I can request them from our high school.) But which books should I reorder? 

This is where you come in. What "classics" do you think every middle school should have. For example, I know that I'm reordering Treasure Island and The Call of the Wild. I'd appreciate suggestions in the comments :) Thanks!

The Summer I learned to Fly - Review

The blog tour for The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt kicked-off here at YA Bibliophile on Monday. Check out the full list of tour stops. Thanks again to Dana for her post! Now for my thoughts on the book:

The Summer I Learned to Fly

Author: Dana Reinhardt
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Publication Date: July 12, 2011
Pages: 224
Source: ARC received for blog tour


About the Book: Drew's a bit of a loner. She has a pet rat, her dead dad's Book of Lists, an encyclopedic knowledge of cheese from working at her mom's cheese shop, and a crush on Nick, the surf bum who works behind the counter. It's the summer before eighth grade and Drew's days seem like business as usual, until one night after closing time, when she meets a strange boy in the alley named Emmett Crane. Who he is, why he's there, where the cut on his cheek came from, and his bottomless knowledge of rats are all mysteries Drew will untangle as they are drawn closer together, and Drew enters into the first true friendship, and adventure, of her life. (from goodreads)


My Thoughts: This book was not what I thought it would be. I was expecting the story of a summer. I thought it would start at the beginning and go straight through to the end. I figured there would be some unrequited love (the whole crush on the surf bum part) and a bit of drama with that. That was not what I got. Instead the book read more like a conversation. Drew is telling the story of her thirteenth summer. We're not sure exactly how old she is now (you find out at the end) but we know that she is looking back. I really enjoyed this approach. 


One of the things really caught me was the way each section of the book built on the previous to make the story come together. It isn't the type of story where each chapter reveals more of what happens next. Interspersed among the linear story of what happened the summer Drew was 13 are sections that tell about important things in Drew's life. They might not directly deal with what is happening but they give the reader a great understanding of who Drew is. You really feel like you know her by the end of the book. Dana Reinhardt does an amazing job of forging a relationship between the characters and the reader. 


The Summer I Learned to Fly is a poignant story of growing up, friendship, and believing. 

Random Things I Loved:
*The titles rather than chapter numbers
*Drew's thoughts on Wisconsin :)
*Swoozie
*The way Drew's mom signs her notes
*The "Book of Lists"
*Nick
*Finding out how old Drew is now at the end of the story

Top Ten Rebels in YA Literature

Top Ten Rebels in Young Adult Literature

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by

The Broke and the Bookish

I haven't got a full ten for this week but it's a start!

1. Jerry Renault from The Chocolate War by Robert Comier: He's the first character that comes to mind when I think about this topic. I think the fact that it's one of the most challenged books has something to do with this!
2. T.J. Jones from Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher: T.J. cares about what is right and tries to do the right thing even when it's hard.
3. Chris Crutcher: The man is one of the most challenged authors yet he continues to do what he loves. He's also a great champion for banned books (as in he fights to keep them on the shelves ;)
4. Peeta from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: I feel like Peeta is the one who really the rebel. Katniss may be the face of the revolution but Peeta is the one who challenged her.
5. Ponyboy Curtis from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton: He isn't content to just stay where he's told. He looks for more.
6. Robin Hood: Stealing from the rich to give to the poor and all that jazz.
7. Katsa from Graceling by Kristen Cashore: Katsa goes against her uncle to do what she believes in. Plus she's tough ;)

The Summer I learned to Fly Tour Stop

I have the privilege of being the first stop in the blog tour for Dana Reinhardt's The Summer I learned to Fly. I fell in love with her writing when I read A Brief Chapter in my Impossible Life so I was thrilled to be a part of this tour. It seems appropriate to kick-off by learning more about the author. Who better to inform us than Dana herself? Without further ado...


Dana Reinhardt, In Her Own Words:
 
Dana Reinhardt can’t play any instruments or speak any foreign languages. She can’t juggle or roll her Rs and she’s pretty bad at ice-skating. She’s never been able to do a cartwheel, even back in grade school when all the girls were doing them. She doesn’t like mustard or mayonnaise or really any condiments at all. She’s never won a raffle or a contest, which is one of the reasons she doesn’t play the lottery. (The other is that she considers it a regressive tax, but this isn’t a political blog, so she won’t elaborate.) She’s afraid of bad weather and vampires, so you’ll forgive her if the whole vampire trend in YA literature has her a little out of sorts.
 
Glad to know I'm not the only one who can't roll my Rs! Thanks to Dana for sharing some fun tidbits about herself :) It's always interesting to get a glimpse at authors beyond where they went to school and if they have a cat. 
 
Look for The Summer I Learned to Fly in stores July 12. 
 
About the Book: Drew's a bit of a loner. She has a pet rat, her dead dad's Book of Lists, an encyclopedic knowledge of cheese from working at her mom's cheese shop, and a crush on Nick, the surf bum who works behind the counter. It's the summer before eighth grade and Drew's days seem like business as usual, until one night after closing time, when she meets a strange boy in the alley named Emmett Crane. Who he is, why he's there, where the cut on his cheek came from, and his bottomless knowledge of rats are all mysteries Drew will untangle as they are drawn closer together, and Drew enters into the first true friendship, and adventure, of her life. (from goodreads)

In My Mailbox (30)

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 filmed a vlog for this week but have given up on uploading it! It just wasn't playing nice!!

For Review:

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

I'm super excited to be a part of promoting Jennifer Echols' newest release! Look for a giveaway later this month!

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison

I adored her previous series. If this one is half as funny I know I'll love it! Look for a giveaway with this one as well :)

Purchased:

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

I actually "won" this signed copy in on of the charity auction things that a bunch of author's put together. I'd heard good things about the book and the money was for a good cause :)

So that's my week :) Hope you have some interesting reads!