A word from our sponsor

Just a quick video to say I hope your holiday season was delightful and that I appreciate you! 

Also, because you rock and because Macmillan Audio is generous I'm giving away the audiobook of Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan . Note: I listened to this once so it is opened. One entry per person. US only. 13 years or older. 

25 Days of Jubilation Winner

I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas had a merry time! Happy holidays to all. 

Rafflecopter picked the winner for my 25 Days of Jubilation contest! Congratulations go to 

Mandy R. 

I've sent her an email. Hope you enjoy the books and such Mandy!! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and entered to win :) 

In My Mailbox (43)

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.

Merry Christmas! I hope you are having a delightful holiday season so far! I will be posting sporadically over the next couple weeks as a juggle family time, a wedding to attend in Texas, and getting ready for school in the new year. Never fear, I will be back to posting regularly soon :) 

For Review:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Thank you Macmillan Audio)

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler (Thank you Simon Pulse)

Irises by Francisco X Stork (Thank you Scholastic)

Gifted:

Major Crush by Jennifer Echols - Thank you Erica at The Book Cellar

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally - Thank you Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit

On Loan:

Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore - BITTERBLUE!!!!!!!! My bookish Christmas wish come true! Thank you Michelle from Hooked to Books. 

2011 End of the Year Book Survey

I was talking with a couple people on twitter about how I didn't think I could fill out this survey. The people who do it totally impress me! I just have a hard time thinking about what I've read within the parameters of a calendar year. Still, Jamie has some really great questions. I decided to pick a few out and answer just those. Props to everyone who completed the whole thing! You are way cooler than me ;)


Best Books You Read in 2011 (No way was I limiting this to one book!)
*The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
*Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
*Please Ignore Vera Dietz and Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
*Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
*The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
*Divergent by Veronica Roth
*Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
*The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell


Best Audiobooks Listened to in 2011 (I added this one since I am obsessed!) 
*Chime by Franny Billingsly
*The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
*The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex


Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did
I am a huge fan of retellings of Jane Austen novels so I was super excited to read Sass & Serendipity. I ended up not liking it as much as I hoped. I think I was expecting it to be more like the original. I probably would have liked it more if I didn't think of it in relation to Sense & Sensibility. It just wasn't for me. 


Most Surprising (in a good way!) Book of 2011
I had heard a lot of mixed and frankly weird things about The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. When I finally read it I really enjoyed it. I don't typically do creepy well so that says a lot! Also, Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver was delightful. It's very different from her other books so I wasn't sure what to expect. 


Book you Recommended to People Most in 2011
Anything by John Green! I am always trying to get people to read his books! He is my all time favorite author. I also recommended Sarah Rees Brennan's The Demon's Lexicon books a lot. It's a series I think deserves a wider readership. I even bought five copies and sent them out to bloggers who were interested. SRB is one of my very favorite authors and a delightful person :)


Book Series You Discovered in 2011
I am late to the game but the Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima. It's one of the best fantasy series I've ever read. Chima does an amazing job with world building and character development! The Demon King was a contender for one of the best books but that list was so long I decided to just fangirl about it here :)


Favorite New Authors You Discovered in 2011
STEPHANIE PERKINS AND LAINI TAYLOR!!!!!!!!! Ohmystars. Love. Love, love, love, love, love! If I'm having a bad day or just in a reading slump I can pick up their books, flip to any page, and get lost. I love it. Also, how adorable are they with their fun hair and general awesomeness?!? Two very talented ladies!


Best Book That Was Out of Your Comfort Zone or Was a New Genre for You
I have not read much magical realism since reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez in high school Spanish class but that's the best way I can think of to describe A.S. King's Please Ignore Vera Dietz and Everybody Sees the Ants. Well, magical realism and AMAZING! These are powerful and hard hitting books. I literally had to pull off the road because the audiobook of Please Ignore Vera Dietz had me sobbing. You must read her books!


Books You Most Anticipated in 2011
The two books I've been anticipating for years are Mastiff by Tamora Pierce and Bitterblu by Kristen Cashore. Mastiff was released (and awesome) and Bitterblue has an honest to goodness release date in 2012. Three other books I was highly anticipating: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (love her books!), Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (Infernal Devices is my favorite!), and The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson (more Jenna Fox!!!!!!) None of them disappointed!


Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2011
Without a doubt it's Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I could gush and gush and gush about this book and Laini's writing. And, although it doesn't come out until 2012, The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell is beautiful. Saundra's turn of phrase always gets to me. 


Alright, I'm going to stop there. I would basically just keep repeating the books I've mentioned for all the other questions :) 

My Book Club Rocks

One of the things I've loved most about being a YA book blogger is the opportunities it's given me to meet people as crazy bookish as me! Many of them are spread across the country but a good many live close by too! A group of us bookish Wisconsin ladies have decided to get together and start our own book club.

That's Jillian's picture on the computer I'm holding :)

 We met all together for the very first time on Monday. It was so much fun! I won't be posting about every meeting but this first one deserves a shout out! The fabulous Liza hosted and made us an amazing meal that I just had to share. She made foods that she found in some of our favorite YA novels. How awesome is that?!?!? The menu looked like this:

Can you say, "deliciousness"!?!? Everything was homemade. It was so yummers. Just look at the appetizers:

The conversation was just as amazing as the food. For our first meeting we decided not to read a book. Since it was in December I thought it'd be fun to discuss the books we read in 2011 or just our favorites in general. To keep us on track (we are all very chatty ladies!) I printed off the questions from Jamie's end of the year book survey. We only made it through a few but SO MANY awesome books were chatted up. My favorite discussion centered around books we felt deserved more recognition. I of course mentioned Saundra Mitchell and Sarah Rees Brennan. I just love their books so much! I got so into the hatting that I forgot to take pics of the yummy dinner and dessert. Here is a pic of the table after we demolished the food! That's Chicken Tiki Masala in the forefront. I ate so much of it.

You can see Liza's post here. There is a link to all the recipes at the end. I seriously cannot express how much fun it was. Thanks to Liza, Jillian, Rani, Sasha, Erica, and Maggie for being made of awesome! No joke. Best book club EVER! I mean, the first book we're reading is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. These are my people! 

Waiting on Wednesday (42)

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

December 21, 2011

Underworld

by Meg Cabot

Release Date: May 28, 2012

Published by: Point (Scholastic)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, the dark reimagining of the Persephone myth begun in ABANDON continues ... into the Underworld.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn't dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it's for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they've come back as Furies, intent on vengeance . . . on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there . . . and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there'll be no escape.

I had you at "Meg Cabot" didn't I? Meg Cabot + reimagining of Persephone? WIN! I liked the way Meg made the story her own in Abandon so I am really looking forward to seeing where she goes in this one. May seems oh so far away!!! 

Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature run by the lovely crew at The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings

There are so many books I could put on this list! Thanks to Kristi and Shanyn I was able to move Harry Potter Page to Screen and Catching Jordan of this list and on to my to be read pile :) Thanks ladies! You are too sweet. I'm not actually getting any books for Christmas. We're heading to Houston for a wedding so that covers everything! Still, these are the titles I would have asked Santa for!

1. BITTERBLUE by Kristen Cashore: So what if it's not out? It's SANTA. If he can travel around the world in a night delivering gifts her can get me this book! I adored Graceling and Fire so hard. Like, I would consider acts that may not be approved of by my mother to get this book! Reading Graceling seems like it was so long ago (2008) and I've been waiting and waiting and waiting and... you get the picture. This is probably the book I have stalked most!

2. The Hunger Games Collector's Edition by Suzanne Collins: More Hunger Games? Yes, please! Clearly I have to have this. 

3. Any of the Penguin Clothbound Classics: I LOVE the covers on these books. They would be so pretties on my shelves. I need them ALL! 

4. Any of the Puffin Classics: Again, I need these on my shelves. I just love, love, love the covers. 

5. Audiobook of Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare: I KNOW! I have like three copies of this book. But, but, but..... ED WESTWICK!!!!! I need this audiobook to lull me in to sweet dreams :) 


6. Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale: I borrowed these from my library and adored them. I can't believe I haven't bought them yet! Shannon Hale is amazing and weaves such lovely stories.


7. Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl: I read the first one when it came out and loved it. I bought the second one right away but haven't read it yet! I fail! Still, I know that I'll want book three as soon as I finish book tow!


8. The Queens Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner: Again, I borrowed these from my library. I own the fourth book, A Conspiracy of Kings but none of the others. If you've not read this series pick up The Thief ASAP!!!!


9. Audiobooks of the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness: I just finished listening to book one and it was phenomenal. I need ALL THE BOOKS! Actually, I also want hardcovers of them! 


10. Any of the Jennifer Echols books I haven't read: I've read Going to Far, Forget You, and Love Story. I really enjoyed them all and so, so, so want to read her others! Santa could totally fit them in my socking! 

In My Mailbox (42)

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.

Sorry the vlog is so long. I was tired and rambled on and on. Then I was too tired to re-film it! This is me late at night running on little sleep and too much sugar! 

The Broke and the Bookish Secret Santa gift: (Thanks Stacy!)

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (paperback with bonus story!

Post-it type page markers

Bookmark Pens

Bought:

Signed paperback of Across the Universe by Beth Revis + swag!

Beth Revis' Giveaway (ends 12/20)

For Review: (Thanks Hachette/Little Brown!)

The White Glove War by Katie Crouch and Grady Hendrix

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

Perfect Escape by Jennifer Brown

The Storm Makers by Jennifer E. Smith

From the super awesome, amazing, kind, generous, and delightful Kristi:

Harry Potter: Page to Screen by Bob McCab

Guest Post: Hannah Harrington

Please welcome Hannah Harrington to the blog today! Hannah is the author of the recently released (in the US anyway!) Saving June. Today she has a post in where ideas come from as well as a chance to win a copy of Saving June or the grand prize... an iPod skinned with the cover of Saving June. Giveaway details after the post!  

Where Ideas Come From

One of the most common questions any writer get is, “Where do your ideas come from?”

I suck at answering this question. That’s because there is no process—it just… happens. Sometimes the idea for the plot comes first and the characters second. Sometimes a character is fully-formed in my mind and just waiting for me to find something to do with him or her. Sometimes a single line of dialogue pops into my head, and I start writing from there with nothing concrete in mind until I stumble upon a hook.

I realize that’s a tremendously unhelpful answer for aspiring authors out there, but that’s just how it goes!

It’d be nice if there was a place you could go to find ideas, like an idea store, or maybe a tree where you could pick them off of branches like apples, but unfortunately that’s not how it works. Ideas can come from everywhere around us—our own life experiences, random dreams, overheard conversations, questions of “what if”, thinking about the world as we see it or how we wish it would be. The list goes on and on.

I’ve been asked a lot about the inspiration behind Saving June. The truth is there were a lot of factors leading to me writing this story. Some of it does come from personal experiences; I did experience loss as a teenager, hung out with anarchists and participated in political protests, and I’ve gone on plenty of road trips. Music is a driving force behind the story too, and certainly had its influence. I could probably list a hundred different songs I listened to while I was writing the book. Expressing what music meant to me as a teenager definitely shaped the story in the early stages.

But more than anything, what led me to writing Saving June was the feeling that I had a story to tell. The idea—a girl fulfilling her deceased sister’s last wishes via a cross-country road trip—really just provided the framework for everything else I wanted to say. And that’s a lot of what writing is: relaying a story that only you can tell, because everyone’s perspective is unique, everyone has something to bring to the table that no one else does. Ideas are necessary, obviously, but they’re only the first step. What’s most important is figuring out what exactly you want to say and saying it in a way that only you can.


Thanks so much Hannah! Although I'm not a writer I am always interested in what inspires people to write! Keep reading to learn how to enter the giveaways...

About Saving June - goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Indiebound
If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.

When Harper Scott’s older sister, June, takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split up her sister’s ashes, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the urn and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going—California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession…and an unknown connection to June. So when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanor and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs. Except…Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down—again.

About Hannah Harrington - website, Twitter, Goodreads
Hannah Harrington resides in Michigan with one dog and too many cats. When she isn’t busy writing like a crazy person, she enjoys arguing about politics, watching documentaries, playing guitar (very badly) and speaking about herself in the third person.


The Giveaways!!!!

How pretty is that iPod?!? 

Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter to win a copy of Saving June (one given away at every stop!) or the grand prize iPod!

Please note that both the daily and grand prize give-aways are for US/Canada participants only.  See full contest rules here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The FitzOsbornes in Exile

The FitzOsbornes in Exile

Author: Michelle Cooper
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 5, 2011
Pages: 464
Series: The Montmaray Journals, book two
Audiobook: Listening Library/Books on Tape
Source: Purchased audiobook at NCTE, purchased ebook


About the Book: Michelle Cooper combines the drama of pre-War Europe with the romance of debutante balls and gives us another compelling historical page turner.

Sophia FitzOsborne and the royal family of Montmaray escaped their remote island home when the Germans attacked, and now find themselves in the lap of luxury. Sophie's journal fills us in on the social whirl of London's 1937 season, but even a princess in lovely new gowns finds it hard to fit in. Is there no other debutante who reads?!

And while the balls and house parties go on, newspaper headlines scream of war in Spain and threats from Germany. No one wants a second world war. Especially not the Montmaravians—with all Europe under attack, who will care about the fate of their tiny island kingdom? 

Will the FitzOsbornes ever be able to go home again? Could Montmaray be lost forever?



My Thoughts: The cover of this book is what finally got me to read A Brief Hostory of Montmaray. It made me desperate to read this one and I just couldn't without reading book one first! The font, the black and white floor, the red belt and lips... it captures so much of what I love about the time period! The book was everything I wanted the first one to be and more! I started out listening to the audiobook and it  was just as well done as A Brief History of Montmaray. Emma Bering is perfect for Sophie. Her narration really helped me to get in to the feel of the story. About 2/3 of the way through the audiobook two others that I was waiting for came in at the library so I bought the ebook and finished the story by reading it. The entire time I was reading I had Emma Bering's voice in my head. It was great :)


As I said in my review of A Brief History of Montmaray I liked it but it was a bit slow. It left off right when I really got in to it. Thankfully that is where The FitzOsbornes in Exile picks up. Sophie and the rest of the FitzOsborne family are now staying with their aunt in England. High society London in 1937? Yes, please! I loved the fashion and the social whirl. Sophie is learning the ins and outs, the dos and don'ts of society. It's all new and foreign to her. Since the story is again told through her journal we get a fresh view of it all. Of course Veronica is as politically minded as ever and not afraid to show it. Her intelligence and wit were appreciated by this reader! Her "debates" with Simon were some of my favorite scenes. I also loves seeing the FitzOsbornes interact. They have their differences but are clearly a family that cares about each other. It was nice to see.


Another aspect that I unexpectedly enjoyed was the lack of romantic relationships. There are some relationships hinted at and Sophie reveals her feelings about some of the other characters. That is about all I can say without being too spoilery. It just seemed really authentic to me. Sophie is writing her journals at a time when her world is on the brink of war. As well as trying to find her place in a new situation she is also helping to get her home back and trying to make sense of the horrible things going on in the world. Her journal reflects all these things. As with A Brief History of Montmaray I loved all the history that was worked in to the story. I think it's easy to look back on the events that lead to WWII and think, "What were they thinking?!?! How could everyone not see that Hitler was a pot of crazy evil?!?" While I still think that to some extent it was interesting to see and understand a bit more about what was going on. 


I really enjoyed The FitzOsbornes in Exile and cannot wait to get my hands on The FitzOsbornes at War. If you want to get the most out of this book I suggest reading A Brief History of Montmaray. You can enjoy and understand the story without it but having the background will add to the experience. 

A Brief History of Montmaray

A Brief History of Montmaray

Author: Michelle Cooper
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 13, 2009
Pages: 304
Series: The Montmaray Journals, book one
Audiobook: Listening Library/Books on Tape
Source: Purchased audiobook at NCTE


About the Book: “There’s a fine line between gossip and history, when one is talking about kings.”

Sophie Fitzosborne lives in a crumbling castle in the tiny island kingdom of Montmaray with her eccentric and impoverished royal family. When she receives a journal for her sixteenth birthday, Sophie decides to chronicle day-to-day life on the island. But this is 1936, and the news that trickles in from the mainland reveals a world on the brink of war. The politics of Europe seem far away from their remote island—until two German officers land a boat on Montmaray. And then suddenly politics become very personal indeed.

A Brief History of Montmaray is a heart-stopping tale of loyalty, love, and loss, and of fighting to hold on to home when the world is exploding all around you.

My Thoughts: This was one of those books that I've been meaning to read but never seemed to get around to. The time period and location really caught my eye. I also liked the fact that it was told in journal entries. I was thrilled to see the audiobook at the Books on Tape/Listening Library booth at NCTE. I snatched it up (along with the second book) and began listening to it right when I got back to "real life." The narration is great. The dialect and pronunciation really added to the atmosphere of the story. Emma Bering sets a wonderful cadence. She does a nice job with using different voices/inflections for different characters. Her reading adds a lot to the story. 


As far as the book goes there were a couple things I really enjoyed. 
1. Montmaray: Creating a fictional place was a great way to tell a historically accurate story while still having the freedom to make much of it up. The characters view the events of the world a bit differently than if they had been British or French or Spanish. I liked learning about the Montmaravian (spelling?) history. Seeing how it fit in with world history helped explain the climate of the time.


2. The history: As I stated above I enjoyed this aspect. The years between WWI and WWII have always fascinated me. Reading a fictional story that had historical connections was a bonus! 


3. Sophie's Journal: I liked that we got to see the events that Sophie recorded AND what she was thinking/feeling. It really personalizes the story. 


While I enjoyed these aspects and the story overall I will say that it was a bit slow for me. Montmaray is an isolated island with few people living on it. Correspondence and news take forever to get there. It made much of the books seem a bit repetitive. Yes, this was representative of the characters lives but still... if the narrator hadn't been so good I may have had a harder time finishing. The story does pick up towards the end. It made me want to start The FitzOsbornes in Exile right away! I guess I ended up liking this one but feeling like it was really more of a build up for book two. I would recommend it to fans of historical fiction. A Brief History of Montmaray is an interesting look at a teen trying to survie and find her place in a world on the brink of war. 

Waiting on Wednesday (41)

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

December 14, 2011

Destined

by Aprilynne Pike

Release Date: May 1, 2012

Published by: Harper Teen

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful—and deadly—of all, and she is working with Klea to conquer and destroy Avalon. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares for a fight she never thought she would have to face. 

Filled with heart-pounding action, sweeping romance, and higher stakes at every turn, Destined is the series conclusion that readers have been clamoring for—with a twist that will leave them breathless.

Another Harper Teen book that I am dying for! Plus, how gorgeous is that cover?!?!? This is a series that I've been reading since it first came out and I just cannot get enough! My students really love it as well! Last year Aprilynne was kind enough to send us an autographed copy of Wings for our library after both of our copies went missing and we didn't have any more money for the year. How awesome is she?!?!? So yeah. I need this book in my life ;)

25 Days of Jubilation: It ain't Christmas without you!

The 25 Days of Jubilation is being hosted by the lovely Cyndi at Dog-Eared & Bookmarked (@DEBookmarked), Jacinda at The Reading Housewives (@ReadingWifeJac), and Yani at The Secret Life of an Avid Reader (@AvidYani). Thanks for putting this together ladies!


There are some things that just "make" Christmas for me. They are the things that I have to see or do every year to get in the Christmas spirit. 

With my nephew on this years tree outing

Cutting down Christmas trees with my family: My mom is one of those people who has to find the perfect tree. Clearly a stand selling pre-cut trees will not do! The Saturday after Thanksgiving is reserved for our annual Christmas Tree Hunt. We (some mixture of my parents and my siblings/their spouses/their offspring) drive about an hour to a Christmas tree farm my mom likes and then spend an undesignated amount of time traipsing about in search of the perfect trees. Personally I am too lazy to remember to water a tree so I have a fake (sacrilege, I know.) Still, it's a fun day to spend with family.

All I need now is a cup of hot cocoa and a book!

Decking the Halls: Obviously you can't be in the holiday spirit without decorations! I love hanging ornaments on the tree and unpacking all the Christmas boxes. I really love my Peanuts decorations... especially the nativity set! I also have a number of decorations made by my grandmother. They are put on display every year. The stocking in the picture to the left is the one she made for me when I was young :) I also love seeing all the decorations around town. I live on Main Street in a small town. The road is cobble stone and it looks so sweet with all the businesses decorated. 


Songs: I really love Christmas music. My mom would listen to it year round if we would let her! There are certain songs that really put me in the holiday spirit.
I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas (I don't care if it's annoying)
Baby, It's Cold Outside (Ignore the creep factor)
Santa Baby (Only this version)
Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth (Bing Crosby and David Bowie!!!!!)
Christmas in Prison (Don't judge! My family is weird)

Christmas Movie: I vividly remember curling up with my great grandma in her bed to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolf the Red-Nose Reindeer, and A Garfield Christmas. These are still favorites of mine (although I haven't seen the Garfield one in years!) My dad is a huge fan of Scrooged starring Bill Murray. If you haven't seen it you should. It's hilarious! We watch it every year :) And of course Elf. When my niece was little she called it "funny movie." I have to agree!


Making cookies: A holiday staple! I love making Christmas cookies of all kinds. I go a little crazy. In college I used to make a ton and then send out boxes to my friends that were scattered all over the state. My Nana and Oma used to bake a lot so it always reminds me of spending time with them. this year my sister and her kids came over to my place. We made a variety of cookies including some Star Wars ones :) Theoretically they were for my nephew but we all know that they were really for me! 

Santa Photos: Seeing pictures of my nieces and nephews with Santa always makes me laugh. This year is my baby niece's first Christmas. Her santa picture is priceless. She looks so angry! Also, if you've never seen the awesome that is Sketchy Santa then you have seriously been missing out! 


Okay, you've stuck with me so far. You deserve a present. Or at least a chance to win one! I couldn't decide if I was going to do one big giveaway or a couple small ones. I polled twitter and y'all were no help. Then I remembered I had this awesome box. It looks like this:

I've been wanting to use it but it's pretty big so I haven't had a chance. I DO NOW! I filled the box with some of my favorite books I read this year AND stuff I don't need but that is still awesome! The prize pack looks like this:

See? All kinds of stuff. There is a bunch of random swag, a copy of The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep, Clockwork Angel (paperback) and Clockwork Prince (Wal-Mart edition) by Cassandra Clare, Divergent by Veronica Roth (signed!), the audiobook of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (signed), and the MP3 CDs of The City of Bones, The City of Ashes, and The City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. Use the rafflecopter widget to enter! US only. Must be 13 or older to enter. Good luck! 

The Unwanteds

The Unwanteds

Author: Lisa McMann
Publisher: Aladdin (Simon & Schuster)
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
Pages: 390
Series: The Unwantds, book one
Source: ARC from BEA, purchased copy


About the Book: Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.

Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.

In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation.

But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

My Thoughts: I absolutely adored Lisa McMann's Wake trilogy but it can be a bit mature for some of my middle schoolers. I was so pleased to find out the she had a middle grade series in the works! I just knew it would be a hit with my students and I was so right! They have nothing but good things to say about it. I even had a student come in and ask for it before we had it! I never have students asking for books before I book talk them! Last week I got about two sentences in to describing it to one of my reluctant readers before she stopped me and said, "Stop right there. I'm sold!" (Note to self: "Sent to their deaths" works every time!) This is one book that I totally agree with them on! I loved it. 

Lisa McMann does a wonderful job of describing the ordeal that Alex and the other unwanteds go through. Alex's acceptance of his fate at the purge is just heartbreaking. Even though the reader knows he is not actually being sent to his death it still gets to you. He tries so hard to be strong! McMann also captures the confusion and mix of feelings that the unwanteds feel when they arrive at Artime. Their lives are turned completely upside down. They are separated from their families and in a world that looks nothing like the one they left. The very things that got them sentenced to death are encouraged. Add to that a host of creatures they've never seen before and an eccentric man running the show and you can see why the teens might have a hard time adjusting!


One of the other things I really appreciated was the depiction of the different characters. Some times "the good guys" made me mad. Some times my heart went out to "the bad guys." I liked that it wasn't cut and dry. The characters struggled with choosing between what the wanted to do and what they knew they should do. They made mistakes and had to face the consequences. Everything was not perfect right away. This adds so much to the story. 


There is so much awesome contained in this one book! It wraps up nicely while leaving the reader begging for book two! I cannot wait to see where this series goes. Lisa McMann FTW!!


Random Things I Loved:
*Chapter titles... love, love, love, love, love
*Multiple points of view
*The creatures!!! 
*All the different "spells" the unwanteds learn/create
*Alex's ability to hope
*The way McMann makes me care about all the characters... even the ones I don't want to!
*"Quill prevails when the strong survive."