Reading Nook

Weetzie Bat: the movie

2012-01-26T09:36:00.002-05:00

Alright, before you all freak out. There is no movie...yet.
I did stumble across a reading at a bookstore though, of a screenplay that Francesca Lia Block wrote.

"In September 2010 actors, including Chelsea Staub and Corbin Bernsen, read the Script for Weetzie Bat and the Dangerous Angel in bookstore with Block. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 YT videos about 11 min each. "

I thought it was slinky and awesome and wow. It was weird seeing Noel Kahn(Brant Daugherty) as Dirk though. I would absolutely love to see this made into a real movie. Hey hitRECord get to it ;) But seriously. Weetzie Bat is the greatest love yourself and people role model. Sometimes she struggles, but she's so cool anyways.

Anyway, if your a fan or a newbie, make sure you check out those clips and read the books. Seriously.

Review: Pink Smog - Francesca Lia Block

2012-01-25T12:00:00.001-05:00

Where I got it: ARC from Amazonvine

Rating: 4.5 stars

Cover Rating: 4.5 stars (PINK! It's great it goes lovely with the new cover for Dangerous Angels.)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: January 24, 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Page Count: 185 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Meet Louise Bat, newly a teen and starting her transformation to Weetzie Bat. Weetzie has to start a new school, where she doesn't have any friends and there are girls meaner than mean. Her father recently stormed out of the house and hasn't been back since, but Weetzie thinks that her creepy new neighbors may have something to do with it, if they even exist. Weetzie feels all alone in the world—under the pink smog of L.A. Hopefully she can get some help and find some friends to help her get through this rough patch and become who she is supposed to be.

What fun this read was. After having read and adored the Weetzie books for many years, it was awesome to take a look back and see how it all really started. To see how Louise became Weetzie. If you haven't already read Weetzie Bat, I would definitely start with this one. Then you have the wonderful experience of watching her change and grow. If you have already read and loved it, make sure you don't miss this one; just as magical as the others. Weetzie walks the line between reality and fiction, sometimes not even sure if she is the one imagining things. I love her whole world, how everything is beautiful and lots of things hurt. It's so real, even when the unimaginable happens. Guardian angels, weenie dogs, voodoo and coincidence all make an appearance in this novel. If you've never read Francesca Lia Block, you can't even begin to imagine the joy that awaits you. This is a lovely story for anyone who's ever felt alone or out of place; a story for someone who wants a little magic in their lives.

First Line:
"The day after my dad, Charlie, the love of my life, left, and an angel saved my mom from drowning, I woke up with a slamming headache and a wicked sunburn."

Favorite Line:
"I imagined him coming into my room in the dark and sitting at my bedside stroking my forehead with his hand, whispering fairy tales the way my father used to, his blue eyes like night-lights."

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith

2012-01-24T11:54:00.004-05:00

Where I got it: From my collection

Rating: 4 stars

Cover Rating: 4.5 stars (Cute and fitting. What a long title!)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: January 2, 2012

Publisher: Poppy

Page Count: 299 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Hadley realizes just how much can change when you're four minutes late. She misses her flight to England, to her father's wedding. Hadley did not want to go to the wedding at all, but showing up late would almost be worse. Thins are just miserable until she meets Oliver. Oliver is British and helps her carry her bags and keeps her company. Then they find out that they are seatmates on the flight over, the one that Hadley had to change to. Oliver is charming and funny and cute. So much can change in four minutes and so much can happen in twenty-four hours.

This was a super sweet story. I loved Oliver. I would not mind being stuck on a plane with him for seven hours. Hadley was a bit childish in the beginning especially, but she got better as the story progressed. My parents divorced and my dad and mum both got remarried. I never felt too miserable about my dad getting remarried though. My mum could have picked someone better though. I've never been on a plane, but if I could be guaranteed a trip next to a cute British boy, I might book a flight right now. This whole story centers on the idea of love at first sight. Hadley automatically opens up complete to this boy that she just met. She could just be a talker, or it could be kismet. I definitely have to read some Dickens now though, it sounds splendid. If you are looking for a quick, thoughtful love story then make sure you pick this one up. There were plenty of fantastic characters in this novel, and I wouldn't mind some companion novels in the future. This is one you won't want to miss in 2012.

First Line:

"There are so many ways it could have all turned out differently."

Favorite Line:

"It's a feeling like falling, like forgetting the words to a song."

Review: Truth - Julia Karr

2012-01-23T16:41:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: ARC from publisher for review

Rating: 3.5 stars

Cover Rating: 4 stars (It's much easier to read than the cover of XVI and I like that they match somewhat.)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: January 19, 2012

Publisher: Puffin

Page Count: 299 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Sequel to XVI

Nina's life will never go back to normal. Now that her mother is dead and she killed her stepfather, she and her sister are living with their grandparents. Nina also has to deal with the fact that she has a nice fresh XVI tattooed on her wrist which offers her up as fair game to any sexual predators. When things start getting out of hand, it's up to Nina to figure out what to do to bring everyone back together and keep them safe. All eyes are watching now though, just waiting for a slipup, any excuse to take people away.

This was an interesting sequel to XVI. I though this would be the final book, since it says companion instead of sequel, but alas there will more than likely be another one. Truth sort of felt like a transition novel between books 1 and 3. The timeline just seemed brief, but with a lot happening. Nina once again shows her strength when she's forced to make a whole lot of very tough decisions. Experimental surgery, spying, life and death are all things thrust into Nina's hands. We see and he more from the resistance in this novel as they slowly rise up with the new information that Nina obtained in XVI. We also get to see and hear a lot more from Nina's sister, Dee. All the tragedy that has befallen the girls really speeds up the growing-up process. I'm anxious to read the final novel, because this one ended sort of crazy. It was a good ending, but my curiosity is certainly piqued. I do wish I had reread XVI before starting this one, because I know there are things that I forgot that would of helped make Truth even better. Make sure you check this one out if you enjoyed XVI, it will have you eagerly awaiting book 3.

First Line:

"I was contemplating what would happen to me if anyone discovered that I'd killed Ed when Mr. Haldewick's voice broke through my brooding."

Favorite Line:

"We must have been floating up to the stars."

In My Mailbox #118

2012-01-22T08:17:00.001-05:00

In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren

Won from Read It Foward:

Vampire Knits - Genevieve Miller

This book is a bit silly and Twilight-y, but there are some fun and cute patterns inside ;)

If you're feeling the full moon calling to you, wear this quick-to-knit hat to expose your inner wolf. Or, make one for the little pups in your life! With 5 sizes, this pattern can fit the entire family.

Bought:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.
Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes of the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

Bulfinch's Mythology - Thomas Bulfinch

The stories are divided into three sections: The Age of Fable or Stories of Gods and Heroes (first published in 1855); The Age of Chivalry (1858), which contains King Arthur and His Knights, The Mabinogeon, and The Knights of English History; and Legends of Charlemagne or Romance of the Middle Ages (1863). For the Greek myths, Bulfinch drew on Ovid and Virgil, and for the sagas of the north, from Mallet's Northern Antiquities. He provides lively versions of the myths of Zeus and Hera, Venus and Adonis, Daphne and Apollo, and their cohorts on Mount Olympus; the love story of Pygmalion and Galatea; the legends of the Trojan War and the epic wanderings of Ulysses and Aeneas; the joys of Valhalla and the furies of Thor; and the tales of Beowulf and Robin Hood.

So that's what I got this week. What did you all get?

Review: Try Not to Breathe - Jennifer R. Hubbard

2012-01-20T12:31:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: ARC from publisher for review

Rating: 4 stars

Cover Rating: 3 stars (meh. I like the ARC cover better)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: January 19, 2012

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Page Count: 233p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Ryan gets out of the hospital after a suicide attempt and finds out that everyone knows. No one really knows why though. A neighbor girl, Nicki, meets him one day and starts asking him to help her. Her father killed himself and she wants to figure out why. She thinks that Ryan holds the answers. Ryan is still trying to figure things out for himself. Trying to piece himself back together. He's in love with a girl who will reject him and his parents don't know how to treat him. Both Nicki and Ryan have a lot to learn but maybe together the trip will be easier.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was that depressing for a book about suicide and life. I really appreciated Ryan's character. In most novels the character that attempts suicide acts depressed and/or has a really shitty life. Ryan's not really like this. He has a pretty dang good life and he acknowledges this. Sometimes depression just sneaks up on you. The fact that this took place after he got out of the hospital gave the book a completely different atmosphere. Ryan has to face the "what happens next" part of his treatment, which I imagine can be a lot more difficult than just trudging along the hospital corridors. The growing friendship between Nicki and Ryan was nice, she was sort of annoying but he apparently didn't mind. Nicki just asked a lot of question forcing Ryan to open up; maybe this was good for him. I loved the waterfall and all it represented to both Ryan and Nicki. It was a place for both of them to go, a place that called to them and for very different reasons. Ryan's other friends seemed to be there mostly for contrast. They seemed a bit more unhinged than Ryan, so it was easier to see that Ryan was getting better. I think that fans of Jennifer R. Hubbard's The Secret Year will really enjoy this one too. Another great novel about dealing with grief and life and learning to live and trust again.

First Line:
"It was dangerous to stand under the waterfall, but some kids did it anyway, and I was one of them."

Favorite Line:
"The steamy weather wrung the sweat out of me, but somehow my mouth was dry."

Reivew: Still Waters - Emma Carlson Berne

2012-01-19T16:25:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Library

Rating: 4 stars

Cover Rating: 5 stars (Gorgeous.)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: December 20, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Page Count: 212 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Hannah doesn't know for sure if she loves her boyfriend Colin. The pressure is on her to say it though, since he's already said it a few times. Each time she says she has to think about it or that the moment has to be perfect. Hannah just wants them to be alone, really alone so that she can know for sure. She decides to surprise him with a trip to his family cabin for the weekend. Colin isn't thrilled about going there, because he doesn't remember liking it but he reluctantly agrees. It's way off the beaten path though, hidden deep in the woods. Hannah gets a very uncomfortable felling, but tries to let it go. She just wants this too be a nice weekend before Colin goes off to college. When more strange things start happening, the trip goes from fun to scary. Hannah and Colin don't know what's going on, but this is not the trip they had planned.

If you like Psychological Thrillers, snatch this one up right away. This book really creeped me out. I read it in one sitting, right before bed and could feel the cool lake air drifting into my dreams. I loved the imagery and attention to detail in this novel. Emma Carlson Berne, can certainly paint a picture with words. I knew exactly how everything looked throughout the novel, which lent to the creepy feel. One thing that threw me off though is the use of the word "rear" instead of "butt". Rear just seems out of place in YA and makes me giggle, because it's a silly word. Is this just me maybe? The ending was completely unexpected which I thoroughly appreciated. There were a few things in the end that kind of seemed like they were a little off. The mood changed dramatically all of a sudden, which was a little off-putting. There was a nice creepy vibe with your heart pumping and then there was just mystery and recollections. It was just sudden. Neither of the characters have too much background revealed in the beginning of the story, but they still felt like good solid characters. Their feelings were very tangible so that helped. If you're looking for a good intense read, make sure you don't pass this one up.

First Line:
"Hannah Taylor leaned her finger on the doorbell of Colin's house, listening to the silvery chimes echo inside the sprawling Victorian."

Favorite Line:
"The pine boughs scraped the truck on either side, like reaching fingers."

Review: A Million Suns - Beth Revis

2012-01-18T14:57:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Library

Rating: 4.5 stars

Cover Rating: 3.5 stars (I like that it combines the feel for both the hardcover and paraback of Across the Universe, but the cover doesn't look well done. The stars are fuzzy and the pod-thing has bad edges.)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: January 10, 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Page Count: 387 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Sequel to Across the Universe

Now that Eldest is dead, Elder has to step up and take charge of the people on Godspeed. He wants to rule in a different way, without Phydus turning everyone into mindless robots. Unfortunately this action has serious consequences. Elder might not be a strong enough leader in the everyone's opinion. Meanwhile, Amy is pining away for open air and grass. She just wants to see her parents again, but she probably will never get the chance. When she stumbles upon some clues left for her by Orion though, they ignite a little bit of hope in Amy. They ignite some hope in Elder too, which he definitely needs as he faces a revolt from the members of Godspeed. If he doesn't step up and show them what a strong leader is soon, he may have more issues to deal with than just their destination.

An incredible sequel in an amazing series. The ship has gone crazy with everyone off Phydus. People are learning more and some are stirring up trouble. There are more lies that must be uncovered and deceptions that have devastating effects. Elder is trying to hold it together as the new leader, but since he is so young, no one really puts much stock into what he has to say. Being a young person in a position of power is difficult and it's especially hard when people who are supposed to be your friends turn against you. Amy is missing Earth something fierce in this novel, but luckily to keep her mind occupied she stumbles upon some clues left to her from Orion. The clues lead to some huge information about the ship, and Amy shares some of the info with Elder, even when it starts seeming futile. The relationship between Elder and Amy is especially strained in this novel. Elder is under a lot of pressure being the new leader of the ship, and Amy is still weary about the fact that he's the one who unfroze and nearly killed her. I love how realistic the relationship is, especially with Amy extra confused, because there's really no one else her age except him, so she doesn't fell like she has a choice. There is one person who turns up dead, but no one notices and no one admits guilt. I hope that we find out who did it in the next and final book. I can not wait to crack open the spine on the next story and find out the conclusion. This is an incredible series and if you haven't started it, you should.

First Line:
"'This isn't going to be easy,' I mutter, staring at the solid metal door that leads to the Engine Room on the Shipper Level of Godspeed."

Favorite Line:
"The painting is vividly bright, even though in my memory everything was dark: the water, the mud, her eyes."

Review: Fix Me - Rune Michaels

2012-01-17T13:18:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Library

Rating: 2 stars

Cover Rating: 4 stars (Interesting, I like the broken mirror and the creepy feel of it all.)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: December 6, 2011

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Page Count: 149 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Leia is an orphan, and her brother beats on her almost daily. She live with her aunt, who simply tells her that siblings fight. Leia, wants to escape, needs to find someplace better. That's how she's ends up at the zoo. It's her own sanctuary and she never wants to have to leave it. She can't stay in the zoo forever though, and she must face her fears so that she may move on.

This book sounded amazing and super edgy. What I was left with was fragments of a story, pieces were missing and there was a lot of guess work involved. In some stories, leaving things to the imagination works. In this story though, it does not. It either happened or it didn't. There are too many things that are never laid out and didn't make the story better, but rather took away from them. I did like the zoo. It was great that she could find this place with the elephants that made her feel better. But we never knew why she was so messed up. She just seemed like she was completely crazy. She remembered a stranger from a dream about the zoo. Then she goes to the zoo to escape it. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If I had a dream about some creep and in the dream he cornered me at the zoo near the elephants, I am not going to go straight there to hide from him. That is simply ridiculous. The violence with her brother never seemed that bad. Leia barely ever used self-injury to feel better. There was just a lot in this story that were unfinished and misplaced. I won't rule out reading another Rune Michaels, but I'll be weary. Luckily this was a very short read, so I didn't have to trudge through too many pages to get to the unsatisfying end.

First Line:
"The wood is splintered around the lock, where he wedges a knife to force it open."

Favorite Line:
"And I feel the wall of air between us, compressed air teeming with poison."

Review: The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

2012-01-16T11:45:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: ARC from publisher for review

Rating: 4.5 stars

Cover Rating: 4 stars (It's fitting and fun and pretty, but somehow doesn't quite capture the novel.)
Genre: Adult

Publication Date: September 13, 2011

Publisher: Doubleday

Page Count: 387 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Sometimes there are magicians who pretend to have magic, but are simply skilled at illusion. Other times there are magicians who have real magic but have to pretend they are just illusions. The Night Circus is spawned and one of the latter magicians audition for the illusionist job. She has been practicing and training all her life to face her competition. She does not yet know who they are, but they know who she is. They are playing a game that has rules not made clear to them. The circus and all the people involved are pawns, and sometimes sacrifices are made. The two competitors get in too deep, when they let their emotions get the better of them. Few people know of this hidden secret that the circus keeps, most are just dazzled by it's elegance and whimsy. Step inside a tent and perk up your ears to hear the story of Le Cirque des Rêves.

What a wonderful story. I never wanted it to end. I took my time with this, devouring just one morsel at a time. The story plays out as if you were meandering around the circus. Lazy circles and flying between past and present until they intertwine. I loved all the characters in this, especially the twins Poppet and Widget. They were just a nice fresh feel in the circus and they just seemed like very fun, smart kids. I adore the idea of a circus only open at night, especially one that is all black and white. Very fancy and gorgeous. This book doesn't necessarily have to be read too much in order. You could easily skip around within the first 300 pages and probably not be too lost. It would be a shame to read it that way the first time through though. The first time you should read it start to finish and then you'll probably want to pick it up again and explore the chapters in a different way. Each chapter is a black and white tent, with mystery and wonder inside dying to be explored. I recommend this to people who love magic and romance and mystery and a whimsical story.
Celia takes on so much in this novel, and her father is a pain. I can't imagine having to put up with him. He and his friend do seem a bit too old to be playing the same game. Celia's father just seems very pompous and childish, after all the years he's been around, it seems like he simply has not grown up yet. Marco is charming. That's not all there is to him, but he certainly falls comfortably into his skin. The tents he invents for the circus are just amazing. I wish I could run away with this circus. They could hide me in a trunk, I wouldn't mind. All the characters were unique and unforgettable though, and they were just amazing people with great vision.
The near ending sort of bothered me though, some of the last few chapters had that wrapping up the story feel to them, seemed a bit forced. It felt like there were things that we were supposed to garner from the book and the author wanted to make sure we got them. I did like the very ending though. It was prefect and almost how I thought it might end. A very lovely novel. I can not wait to read another novel by Erin Morgenstern because this one was simply awing.

First Line:
"The circus arrives without warning."

Favorite Line:
"The spreading moss is crushed by deep plum and sparkling gold as he pulls her away."

In My Mailbox #117

2012-01-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren

For Review:
Thanks to HarperCollins and Penguin and Little, Brown

Spin - Catherine McKenzie

A Midsummer's Nightmare - Kody Keplinger

Revived - Cat Patrick

The Storm Makers - Jennifer E. Smith

Purity - Jackson Pearce

The Drowned Cities - Paolo Bacigalupi

The Difference Between You and Me - Madeline George

Bought:

Wicked Bugs - Amy Stewart

Wicked Plants - Amy Stewart

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS - JOHN GREEN

(also got a copy for a friend)

I also bought four art prints from DeviantArt.com Any look familiar?

Won:

from Michelle Hodkin

I won a Who is Mara Dyer? tee and a print of the photo used for her book cover!

A couple of book trailers and a giveaway!

2012-01-13T08:19:00.000-05:00

First, I thought I share with you two awesome new trailers for upcoming novels!

About the book:Set in a world in which a diminishing oil supply has lead to chaos and mass rioting, sixteen year old Faye is plagued by waking visions and nightmares. Her parents think the only solution is to send her to Holbrook Academy , the creepy prison-like school for disturbed teenagers. When she and her friends wake up on the floor with their hands stained red, Faye has no idea what it means, but fears she may be the cause. But despite the strangeness of Holbrook and the island on which it sits, Faye feels oddly connected to the place. The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain he is trying to kill her –and the rest of the world too.

About the book: Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?

Aren't those trailers amazing! The Harbinger especially is just so freaky-deaky and awesome.Alright, now on to the giveaway which is why I'm sure you're all here. The wonderful folks at Macmillan Audio have allowed me to host a giveaway for...

that's right, a copy of Cinder on audio! My review of Cinder was sort of lukewarm, but I am still excited about this series and seeing where is goes. You should definitely enter the contest. If you click here you can listen to a sample of the beginning of the audio book (it's at the end of my review).

Rules for this contest, are as follows:

U.S. address only to enter

Contest ends Jan. 20th 2012

You must be 13 or older

You must click HERE and fill out the form to enter!

Good luck to all of you. And make sure you keep and eye out, because I might just be giving away a couple of books soon that relate to this post ^_^

Review: Zombie Tag - Hannah Moskowitz

2012-01-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Library

Rating: 5 stars

Cover Rating: 4 stars (I don't love cartoon covers, but this one amuses me.)
Genre: Middle Grade

Publication Date: December 20, 2011

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Page Count: 232 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Wil's older brother had asthma, which is what left him dead. Wil and his parents aren't sure what to do now, how to go on living. So Wil starts playing Zombie Tag, a fun game that helps temporarily keep his mind off his dead older brother. That is until he finds a way to bring back all the dead in a 5 mile radius. So his brother comes back, but is now a zombie and not the same brother as before.

Leave it to Hannah Moskowitz to turn zombies into a touching story. Wil not only has to deal with his brother's death, but also his reanimation and subsequent emotionless state. This was an excellent story about zombies and grief. I liked that is had a light feel to it while dealing with the issues, that way you don't get too depressed. Wil was an interesting character and I loved being inside his head. He has that impulsive quality about him where you know he's bound to get in trouble but will try to find his way out of it. I definitely recommend this for kids who are going through death of a loved one, it might make them laugh and also help them realize that death isn't always a bad thing. At the very least, maybe a game of Zombie Tag will lighten their mood a bit. Another great novel by Moskowitz, period.

First Line:
"I only invented Zombie Tag three weeks ago, and we've already lost seven spatulas."

Favorite Lines:

"Maybe he's just pretending that he doesn't have feelings, because it's easier. Maybe it's way easier not to love me."

Teaser Tuesday #64

2012-01-10T12:22:00.000-05:00

This week's Teaser Tuesday is from The Fault in Our Stars - John Green and A Million Suns - Beth Revis. Today is the release day for both of these incredibly amazing sounding books! Make sure you go buy your copy today!

(page 25)

"And they stayed shrunk. Huzzah, Phalanxifor!"

(page 111)

"The rest of the room is a bit of a mess, but this blank wall is neat, clearly sectioned off. It's obviously meant to be the center of attention, even if there's nothing left to direct one's attention to."

Teaser Tuesday is brought to us by Should be Reading.

Rules:

1) Grab your current read

2) Open to a random page

3) Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4) BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

In My Mailbox #116

2012-01-08T14:19:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren

For Review: thanks to St. Martin's Griffin, William Marrow and Amazonvine

Friends with Boys - Faith Erin Hicks

Maggie McKay hardly knows what to do with herself. After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and rough-housing with her older brothers, it’s time for Maggie to face the outside world, all on her own. But that means facing high school first. And it also means solving the mystery of the melancholy ghost who has silently followed Maggie throughout her entire life. Maybe it even means making a new friend—one who isn’t one of her brothers.

Pink Smog - Francesca Lia Block (!!!! SO EXCITED FOR THIS!!!!)

The girl in the mirror wasn’t who I wanted to be, and her life wasn’t the one I wanted to have. Despite how much Louise insists, no one will call her Weetzie. It’s her dad’s nickname for her, but it won’t stay put. Neither will her dad. Charlie left Louise and her mom and he took everything with him: her family, her home—and her understanding of who she’s meant to be. But Los Angeles is a city full of strange angels, and Louise embarks on a journey to sift through the smog of her heartbreak, to grow her own wings, to become Weetzie. This is the long-awaited prequel to Francesca Lia Block’s groundbreaking Weetzie Bat.

The Starboard Sea - Amber Dermont (Hadn't heard of this until it showed up.)

Set against the backdrop of the 1987 stock market collapse, The Starboard Sea is an examination of the abuses of class privilege, the mutability of sexual desire, the thrill and risk of competitive sailing and the adult cost of teenage recklessness. It is a powerful and compelling novel about a young man navigating the depths of his emotional life, finding his moral center, trying to forgive himself, and accepting the gift of love.

What Happened to Hannah - Mary Kay McComas

What Happened to Hannah? is a novel of love, hate, loss, and redemption; of a life full of unfinished business. New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay McComas weaves an unforgettable tale of a loner who is called back by tragedy to the home she ran away from years earlier, and finds herself the sole responsible party for a troubled teenage niece. Powerful moving, deeply emotional, What Happened to Hannah? is superior contemporary woman’s fiction that fans of Kristin Hannah, Kristina Riggle, and Jennifer McMahon will take deeply into their hearts and hold there forever.

Graveminder - Melissa Marr

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn’t a funeral that Maylene didn’t attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.” Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place—and the man—she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected. Beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D—a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.

Bought:

Mythology - Edith Hamilton

After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away - Joyce Carol Oates

Boy2Girl - Terence Blacker

Darklight - Lesley Livingston

Chasing Lincoln's Killer - James L. Swanson

So that's what I got this week. What did you all get?

Review: The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories - Joseph Gordon-Levitt (hitRECord)

2012-01-07T13:44:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Finished copy from publisher for review

Rating: 5 stars

Cover Rating: 5 stars (Fitting and different. I like it a lot.)
Genre: Book Lovers

Publication Date: December 6, 2011

Publisher: It Books

Page Count: 88 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon / hitRECord

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories is a collaborative effort put together by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. hitRECord is an online art spectacular filled to the brim with talent. Anyone can sign up and contribute in any way.

In this first volume of the tiny book series, there are one to two sentences for each story and they are accompanied by an illustration. The stories all make you think and expand your imagination a little bit further. Some are cute, some are sad and some are strange. They are all fantastic though.

Each story is just full of wonder and imagination and the illustrations are fitting and phenomenal. I am really excited about the whole concept of hitRECord and you all should check it out if you have any creative fibers in your being. This is a great project, and I can't wait to get more Tiny Books and more Morgan M Morgansen's dates with Destiny!

First Line:
"i'm ready for another adventure now, take me far away please!"

Favorite Line:
"I don't get dressed anymore."

Review: The Death Catchers - Jennifer Anne Kogler

2012-01-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: ARC from publisher for review

Rating: 3.5 stars

Cover Rating: 5 stars (Fitting and different. I like it a lot.)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: August 16, 2011

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Page Count: 341 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Lizzy Mortimer's life is about to be turned upside down. She sees news about her best friends death...in the future. Before she has time to panic though, her grandmother sweeps in to impart some wisdom. She informs Lizzy that they are descendants of Morgan le Faye and see death specters that help them stop people they love from going with death too soon. Weirder thing keep happening though and the stress of all that is placed into Lizzy's lap may be too much. There's an evil sorceress trying to kill the last descendant of Arthur Pendragon, and with his death she'll destroy the world. Lizzy has to do some speed courses in Death Catching, but hopefully she is enough for the task.

Brush up on your King Arthur legends before you delve into this one. I'm just kidding, they tell you all you need to know about the legend as you read, and it's quite fascinating how they spin it. This book is told as a letter to Lizzy's english teacher Mrs. Tweedy. It's a letter/essay for Lizzy's final project. This story is her life as it unfolds extraordinarily while Lizzy is supposed to be working on her real final assignment. At time this read a little younger than the YA I am typically used to, so younger readers may want to check this out too. Each chapter was titled with a different literary device that Lizzy discusses and goes on to use. It's an interesting touch, and may help readers learn about these in a more relaxed and interesting way. The characters were all quirky and fun. I loved Lizzy's mom, the librarian. Always trying to find the perfect book for people, even strangers. She carries around a pile of them and hands them out like candy. This was a fun read with a great ending. It left a lingering sense of a sequel, but one is not entirely necessary. If you are a fan of legends with a sprinkle of paranormal and a dash of adventure, make sure you pluck this one up.

First Line:
"Dear Mrs. Tweedy,
I know that a letter may not be what you had in mind when you said I could save myself from flunking your class by writing a defensive paper on the topic Why I Should Still Pass English Even Though I Did Not Turn in My Final Project."

Favorite Line:
"'When we finally do make Drake fall madly in love with you, you have to swear you won't turn into a whiny, lovesick girl and completely ditch me. I don't want to have to got to the trouble of finding a new best friend.'"

Review: Top of the Class - Kelly Green

2012-01-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: ARC from author for review

Rating: 4 stars

Cover Rating: 3 stars (With the bottom half as a guy, it creeps me out to look at it XD It is still fitting for the series though, and I'm glad they all match.)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: December 20, 2011

Publisher: Backlit Fiction LLC

Page Count: 304 KB

Buy it: Amazon
Sequel to: The Shadow and Girl Steals Guy

Abby is ready for the transition this time into a new body, but she's in for a big surprise. She never thought she would end up in a guy's body. Naked. In bed with someone else who is naked. After that shock to her system though, Abby gets on task, though there are more surprise to come as she struggles to complete her third mission.

MORE ABBY GRACE! These books are just really fun. I wish that there was more development of Miss Rogers in this one though. We were told that she was crazy and unstable, but we never really saw that. I did like this story though, there were lots of suspects and each one had the perfect motive and opportunity. We learn a bit more about Abby Grace in this one. Slowly we will uncover more of her past and hopefully find out what her future holds. I also hope we'll have more Will soon. He seems like a fun guy, even if Abby sort of ignores him sometimes. And that ending!!! GAH! I can't wait to find out what happens next. If you haven't checked out this series yet, make sure you do. I'm hoping that these will be published as bind-up paperbacks so I can get them for my library. These are great reads for reluctant readers, and avid readers who just want a fun quick mystery.

First Line:
"The fog swirled all around me."

Favorite Line:
"It seemed I’d been transplanted into the body of Superman."

Review: Girl Steals Guy - Kelly Green

2012-01-04T08:43:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: From my collection

Rating: 4 stars

Cover Rating: 4 stars (Fitting and matches the first cover.)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: October 21, 2011

Publisher: Backlit Fiction LLC

Page Count: 271 KB

Buy it: Amazon
Sequel to: The Shadow

Abby is plunged into another body, this time she is tasked with reuniting the lovers. Since she wound up in a girl's room with a girl crying about her boyfriend, Abby figured she had it all figured out. There is a lot more than meets the eye with this task though. Blackmail and secrets play a heavy role in Abby task, and she has to put it together quick if she ever wants to get out of this body.

This was another fun chapter in the Borrowing Abby Grace series. Now that we know what Abby has to do with each body she inhabits, she can get right to it. In this book we find out more about the real Abby Grace. She still doesn't know exactly who she was, but she's working on figuring it out. There were lots of crazy twists and turns in this one that kept me guessing until the end. The only thing that felt a little off, was a boy being described as Leonardo DiCaprio in his heyday. Do teens still crush on Leo? I did when I was a teen, but that was 5-10 years ago. Any teens care to comment on this? This was a fun read and I can't wait to get on to the third book!

First Line:
"I knew I hadn't vanished completely, because if I had, I wouldn't have such a hideous headache."

Favorite Line:
"I personally think that bribery isn't a proper start to a lasting love, but what do I know?"

Review: Cinder - Marissa Meyer

2012-01-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: ARC from publisher for review

Rating: 3 stars

Cover Rating: 5 stars (Awesome!)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Page Count: 387 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Cinder Linh is an orphan. She is looked after by her adoptive father's wife after he died. She has two of her own girls though, human girls. Cinder is a cyborg, which means that she is worthless in most people's eyes. The only thing she's good for is earning money as a mechanic. Though her life is not enviable, it's good enough for now. Then Prince Kai comes to her to ask Cinder to fix one of his androids. Soon after, her favorite sister gets the plague and everyone blames Cinder, even though Cinder is fine. The Prince has many struggles and heaped onto that is a forbidden attraction. Cinder is just trying to help her sister and find an escape to a better life. With all the chaos stirred up, they might have to look to each other for some help.

YAY, a re-telling of Cinderella. This was a fun story and a great take on the classic. One thing that really disappointed me, is that the big secret was obvious within the first 50 pages. That takes a lot away from the reading experience, when you know exactly what's going to happen. The journey to the reveal was good though, so it was not a wasted reading adventure. I really enjoyed Cinder and Iko's characters. The banter between the two of them was fun and light. Prince Kai was charming and funny too. He was a very like-able guy, which is a curious but welcomed trait in royalty. I really enjoyed the cyber take on Cinderella, it made the story quite fresh especially with the added Lunar people aspect. The whole setting was really interesting, but sort of downplayed. The environment was nor payed too much attention to, which I guess the characters wouldn't, but I just felt like NEW BEIJING! could have been amazing, but just felt like any other place on Earth. Cinder's cyborg struggle with her identity was also a bit lackluster. She seemed to just start to delve into a deep thought about her machine versus human parts, but then something always seems to distract her. Each part of the story started with a snippet of the original which was fun. This was a good read and I look forward to the next one. I was very disappointed with how this one ended though. It ended right in the beginning of a big action-y scene. It's a clever but painful ploy making the reader have to read the next book for resolution. Nevertheless, I will keep my eye out for this next installment.

First Line:
"The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle."

Favorite Line:
"Cinder pried herself away, limbs still shaking from the raw energy inside her."

Audio book sample: Check it out here!

Review: Virtuosity - Jessica Martinez

2012-01-02T08:44:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Finished copy from AmazonVine

Rating: 3.5 stars

Cover Rating: 5 stars (The colors and movement are just fantastic!)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: October 18, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Page Count: 292 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Carmen is a famous violinist and is preparing to compete in a huge contest, the Guarneri. Usually, this would not a problem, but on boy in the competition might be trouble. Carmen sees Jeremy as a male version of herself after reading about his accomplishments, and she decides to scope him out. At first his arrogance is too much for Carmen, and she writes him off as an idiot but the more they run into each other the more she sees that he might understand her better than anyone. Then there's the Guarnei and Carmen's mother. Both of these things stand in the way of Carmen falling in love, especially after her mother plants the idea that maybe Jeremy is just using her to win the competition. Carmen has to figure out what she wants the most and just blindly dive in, she can't always follow what her mother says is right.

This was a fascinating coming of age tale. Carmen is coming of age a bit late in the game, but she led a sort of sheltered life. She traveled all around the world and played in front of thousands of people, but had never been kissed. I could tell that Jessica Martinez was a violinist, her writing holds so much passion for music that she had to feel that love first hand to convey it so perfectly. Carmen's mother is a stage mother living past her failed career through her daughter. She was a fairly selfish person. I realize that she may have sacrificed for Carmen's career, but she never asked Carmen what she wanted. People should be able to make their own life decisions, without people guilting them about self sacrifice. Carmen really needed to grow up and get away from her mother, she was really just stunting Carmen's growth. One thing that fell flat for me was the relationship between Carmen and Jeremy. It didn't seem like a big deal. I couldn't feel the longing between those two, and it seemed like they didn't really care. They said they thought about each other, but there wasn't half as much passion in their relationship with each other as their was in their music. It just didn't seem like they wanted each other enough, so them not being together didn't feel like a big deal. Not that they had to be star-crossed lovers ready to die for the other, but a little more would have made it better. It was realistic though, I guess. Most people don't go crazy for the first person they connect with. Regardless, this was a wonderful story, and I very much look forward to reading more from Martinez.

First Line:
"The balcony felt cold under my cheek."

Favorite Lines:
"I did remember the story, though. It was about a bird who flew up and up and up toward heaven until she was too high to be seen."

Books I am looking forward to next year and Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T16:54:00.003-05:00

For the next week or so I will not be updating my blog (not like I'm doing a great job this month anyways). The holidays are simply a busy time, and I probably just won't get a chance to relax. It's all in good fun though. I thought I'd just share with you some Christmas cat pictures and then talk about some books that are coming out next year that I am super excited about. Feel free to tell me what you can't wait for in the comments section. Happy Holidays to all my readers!

I'm going to try not to include books that I have ARCs of or have done WOWs for, because clearly I'm already excited for them. There are hundreds of books I'm looking forward to next year, but here's some highlights of that list! Click on the title will bring you to Goodreads so you can add it to your TBR list too!
Parts of series
Endlessly by Kiersten White
I don't want the story to end, but can't wait to see what happens.
A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Across the Universe was one of my Favorites from 2011 and I can not wait to read this follow-up.
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Even though I didn't love Delirium, it left me wanting more.
Until I Die by Amy Plum
Loved Die For Me.
The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting
Yes. I love this series and am super curious to see how this one ends.
Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel
I am dying to read this one, I loved Infinite Days and really want to know if my suspicions about the ending are correct!
Timepiece by Myra McEntire
Hourglass was fun and I want more!
Perception by Kim Harrington
I adore Clare and can't wait to see what awaits her in the next book.

Standalones
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Yes I have already per-ordered this. No I don't want to talk about how many copies.
Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony
This novel is mixed media and I am very interested to see how well it is done.
Faery Tales & Nightmares by Melissa Marr
I love short stories and faeries. That title and cover don't hurt either.
Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz
Invincible Summer is my favorite book of 2011, of course I want more from Hannah!
Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield
First, that cover is AMAZING, second it sounds really intriguing.

I know I'm probably missing a million, but you'll see what I'm reading in the New Year!

Review: The Shattering - Karen Healey

2011-12-20T14:23:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: ARC from publisher for review

Rating: 3.5 stars

Cover Rating: 3 stars (I love the color, but other than that...meh.)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: September 5, 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Page Count: 311 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

When Keri's brother commits suicide, her whole family is devastated. She doesn't understand how this could have happened. Janna's brother had committed suicide too, but she tells Keri she thinks they may have been murdered. Janna knows a boy, Sione, who's brother killed himself too, and he thinks it was murder. There's a pattern to the boys that have been killing themselves, and there's something suspicious about that. The three must come together to figure out what is going on in Summerton and possibly save another young boy from certain death.

This was a really interesting novel. There were a few twists I was not expecting, even though I had read Guardian of the Dead. The story unfolded in three perspectives. We followed Keri in 1st person and Sione and Janna in 3rd. It was interesting watching things unfold from so many different viewpoints, especially when things started to get hairy. If you like mystery and action, make sure you don't skip this one. Despite how much I enjoyed this novel though, it seemed to drag a bit. It felt like I was reading it for forever and not getting any further with the book. Maybe it was just my mood. Maybe it was because there is tons of information in this little book. I love Karen Healey's writing and the story is just fantastic. You can easily get wrapped up in the characters and the chaos that surrounds them as they try to prove to themselves that their brothers didn't really commit suicide. Ir's a touchy subject, but it's handle well and never gets to be too depressing. I can't wait to see what Healey has next for us!

First Line:
"The first time I broke my arm, I was ready for it."

Favorite Line:
"Takeshi smiled straight across the long, light-filled room, and her heart expanded in her chest like an inflatable air bed."

In My Mailbox #115

2011-12-18T16:57:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren

Gift from Big Honcho Media

The people over at BHM sent me a Starbucks giftcard which is super sweet. Thanks!

For Review from Ksenia and Zoe, Thanks!

Struck - Jennifer Bosworth
Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.
Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.
Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

Of Poseidon - Anna Banks
Emma and her friend Chloe are spending vacation in Florida. When Emma (literally) runs into a hot guy named Galen on the beach, little does she know he’s a prince of the Syrena. Galen and Emma both feel something strange – is it attraction? – and Galen suspects that Emma might well be the girl he’s heard of – a human who can communicate with fish.
What follows is a deadly scene with a shark in which Galen witnesses Emma’s gifts. He must know more about her, and follows her back to New Jersey, and high school, to find out for sure if she’s the key to saving his kingdom. Soon, Emma can’t deny her feelings for him, but can’t explain them, either – and both she and Galen must learn more about where she comes from and what her powers are before they can trust one another and their feelings.

Monstrous Beauty - Elizabeth Fama
Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences. Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.

52 Reasons to Hate My Father - Jessica Brody
If she wants to receive her beloved trust fund, every week for the next year, seventeen-year-old Lexi Larrabee must take on a different low-income job. All 52 jobs have been carefully pre-selected by her father himself.
What Lexi doesn’t know is that each job was at one point held by one of world’s most influential people. The goal is to teach his daughter a few lessons about life, compassion, work ethic, and the value of a hard-earned dollar. If each of these jobs eventually led to wealth and success, at least one of them has to work for Lexi.
Left with no other choice, Lexi grudgingly sets off on her quest, each week being comically presented with a highly undesirable job. All of them are designed to turn Lexi into an entirely different person.

Monument 14 - Emmy Laybourne
Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.
A huge store isn’t the worst place to be stranded. There’s food and water, bedding and books. But what if it’s not safe to leave? Emmy Laybourne had us from the get-go with her utterly fresh and fast-paced debut. Six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids are trapped together in a chain superstore. Together they build a refuge for themselves inside, while outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapon spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

To Catch a Mermaid - Suzanne Selfors
Boom Broom doesn't think his life could get any worse. Ever since his mother was swept away by a twister, his family has gone crazy. They refuse to leave the house and Halvor, the Viking descendant who rents the room over their garage, will only cook fish for Boom and his sister Mertyle to eat.When Boom finds a baby mermaid who seems to grant unlimited wishes, he thinks his luck has turned around. That is, until his sister is hit by the curse of the merfolk and starts to turn green. Now Boom and his best friend Winger must find a way to return the foul-tempered merbaby to its mother and save Mertyle before it is too late.

Bought for Amazon Kindle App

The First Time - Various Authors

Borrowing Abby Grace: Girl Steals Guy - Kelly Green (my review of book one)

So that's what I got this week. What did you all get?

Friday Favorites #5

2011-12-16T14:46:00.002-05:00

This week I'm highlighting my 5 favorite book quotes from this year. Enjoy!

“I want to tell her not to speak, want to say it, but her lips are on mine again and I taste me and I taste her and I don't taste what we're saying and I don't taste Noah. I taste Camus—I owe to such evenings the idea I have of innocence.”


“In my mind I am eloquent; I can climb intricate scaffolds of words to reach the highest cathedral ceilings and paint my thoughts. But when I open my mouth, everything collapses.”

“My eyes break open. Two shattered windows filling my mouth with glass.”


“Hello and good-bye are not as simple as everyone thinks.”


“Cushions had been sliced apart and were bleeding stuffing onto the floor.”


“I'd choked back so many tears, they'd become a lake of sadness in my belly.”

“The story you choose to tell isn't always the story you believe.”

“Colt has the subtlety of a car alarm.”

What are some of your favorite book quotes of the year?

Interview with Mariko Tamaki

2011-12-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

1. Which character did you enjoy writing more, Emiko or Skim? Which one did you relate to better?

It was a very different writing process for the two characters. Skim was a character I'd had bouncing around for a while. I'd had this idea to write up a goth character that was a little less dramatic, a little less patent leather and a little more NIN t-shirt, than the goth characters I'd seen. Also Skim was written in a diary format, so the text is a lot more subtle and also a little more personal. Emiko Superstar was created specifically for MINX. With ES it was more about the overall story, of a girl in this Factory performance theatre like setting, although the character certainly evolved throughout the writing process.

2. Both of your YA graphic novels are about girls that are half Asian. Which nationalities are you a mixture of?

I am Japanese Canadian. My mother is "white" and my father is Japanese. I think that has certainly had an influence on the character choices I make, if only because I don't automatically assume them to be white. Or skinny. Or anything else really. That said, I don't think you could say that my works provide any real cultural portrait of Japanese Canadianness. Which may have something to do with me and my background. I didn't even realize I was Japanese until I was in Grade 2.

3. Was your writing process any different between working with your cousin and working with Steve Rolston?

Very. Skim was my first graphic novel. It was also my co-creator and cousin Jillian Tamaki's first. So we just sort of did what felt comfortable and familiar. I had a background in theatre and so the script is very much a theatre script. It was written in scenes and acts, the actual description of the setting was very minimal. Mostly to give a sense of where the scene was taking place, with a few cultural references included - mostly My So Called Life and Degrassi. My focus was really on the narration and the dialogue. DC Comics, who published Emiko Superstar, had a very formatted version of both their script and editing process. Their scripts are VERY descriptive, like movie scripts, with each visual described in great detail. Everything has to be approved, page by page, by several people, which requires a lot of clarification. So with Steve (Rolston) I sent over some very detailed pages. I will say that for both comics, though, my focus was never on the final visuals so even with the script I handed Steve there were lots of changes Steve made throughout the editing process.

4. What's your favorite part in Skim or Emiko Superstar?

Hmmm. It changes. I really like the confrontation scenes in the last act of Skim. Skim's discussion of Romeo and Juliet, and her thoughts on the suicide/love story in that work, were pretty fundamental to the story for me. Plus I just love the double date scene and how it's drawn. I mean, I love how the whole book was constructed by Jillian and for some reason that particular scene ALWAYS cracks me up.

Emiko Superstar has a ton of illustrations of performance art type stuff I really enjoy. One of my favourite exercises in that work involved me dreaming up a crazy costume and getting Steve to bring it to life. Which he did. Many times.

5. What is one book you've read recently that you recommend to everyone?

Let's see. I read Tales from The Goon Squad recently and I absolutely loved it. I think a lot of people did. It is truly an incredible book. Very intricate. Complicated. Overall I am always recommending creative non-fiction. The collection New Kings of Non-Fiction ed by Ira Glass is my personal fav.

6. Do you have anything you're working on right now?

Yes. I just finished edits on my next Young Adult Novel to be published by Penguin Books Canada. It's called (You) Set Me on Fire, it's about a girl in her freshman year at college. Jillian Tamaki and I are working on a new graphic novel with First Second (US) and Groundwood Books (CAN). The book will be called Awago Beach Babies.

7. Anything else you'd like to say to everyone?

Yes. Follow me on Twitter @marikotamaki and you can also check out my blog at marikotamaki.blogspot.com

If you do those things, you'll see I have lots to say :)

Thanks so much for stopping by Mariko!
Readers, you can click to check out my reviews of Emiko Superstar and Skim. Brief summary...go buy them and read them!

Review: Tris & Izzie - Mette Ivie Harrison

2011-12-13T11:23:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: AmazonVine for review

Rating: 3 stars
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Just so amazing. I love it!)

Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: October 11, 2011

Publisher: Egmont USA

Page Count: 262 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Izzie feels like she has found her other half in Mark. He's nice and funny and just an all around great guy. When she notices that her friend seems to be wishing for love too, she decides to use some magic. Izzie's mom is a witch, and no one is really supposed to know about magic. Izzie's friend Branna knows and Izzie figures a love philtre is just the thing to get her to stop moping about. Izzie meets Tris later that day and thinks he would be perfect for her friend. Tris drinks the potion, but Branna won't. Mark tries to take a swig, but Izzie chugs the whole thing so that her boyfriend doesn't fall in love with Tris. Unfortunately, this is what happens to Izzie. Not only does she have to battle her feelings for Tris, there are lots of monsters coming to get her, and she needs to figure out how to find some magic to stop them.

As a magical adventure story, the novel wasn't half bad. As a re-telling of Tristan and Isolde however, it fell a little short for me. There wasn't a whole lot of romance. A re-telling of the greatest romance that was and it was nearly void of emotion. It was just a bit disappointing. I did like all the ways Harrison snuck little pieces of the original into her re-telling. The black sails and the love potion and the names. Izzie and Branna were sort of annoying characters. Izzie was just so blind to everything that was going on around her. There were some things that were completely obvious, but she was just too stuck in her own world. Branna was sort of a back-stabbing best friend. I mean, you can't help how you feel, but she was pretty wicked about things during this book. It went above and beyond just going for what you want. Mark and Tris were sort of flat characters. You got the smallest bit of background on them and I just couldn't really make them into full characters in my head. If you go into this book expecting nothing, or at least not having read the original tales, I think you will love it. It had magic and adventure and an interesting story line. I did feel like it was going to be a series, while I was reading it, until the epilogue. There is still room for more story, but the epilogue sort of killed a direct sequel. All in all it was an interesting little read, but if you're expecting romance, seek elsewhere.

First Line:
"Mark caught me in a big hug from behind as I closed my locker."

Favorite Line:
"We kissed then, and it was a kiss full of fire and magic."

Daily Dose Monday #10

2011-12-12T10:38:00.001-05:00

Daily Dose Monday is hosted by Holly over at Good Golly Miss Holly and features inspiring/magical images that you would like to share with your fellow readers.

The weeks leading up to the holidays are always hectic. Even if you aren't in a rush or frantic yourself, it's easy to get swept up in the frenzy whenever you leave your house. I really wish we had snow! I know it's a dreaded, cursed thing, but it's so pretty and it makes everything soft and slow down.

...I also want cupcakes!!!

Images from WeHeartIt

Review: Skim - Mariko Tamaki

2011-12-09T09:08:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Interlibrary Loan

Rating: 3 stars

Cover Rating: 3 stars (It's the same as the interior art work which is great, and the colors are eye-catching. I don't know if I would be drawn to this cover though.)

Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: February 23, 2010

Publisher: Groundwood Books

Page Count: 144 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Kim aka "Skim" is not really all that skim. She's mostly goth, nearly Wiccan and 100% sixteen. She attends and all girl private school with a really great English teacher, Ms. Archer. Ms. Archer and Kim start meeting secretly, but soon thereafter, Ms. Archer disappears without a trace. Kim feels heartbroken. This all happens around the same time that the whole school is mourning over a classmates ex-boyfriend's suicide. He may have killed himself because he was gay, but he may have just killed himself for other reasons. Kim's friend is no help in all this, she's too full of herself. Kim might just find herself drifting away and finding herself in a different friendship, something better.

Kim is stuck in the throes of adolescence. She has all these feelings and is growing in a different direction than her younger self, but has no desire to let go of things the way they used to be. This was a great story of growing up and apart. Kim is sixteen years old and sees her life ahead of her and sees her life now, and knows that the two are very different and that in order to be happy she has to make some changes. I like how you get to see a lot of perspectives of the school. There are people grieving a boy they never knew while the ex-girlfriend slowly closes herself off and then there is Kim, not really part of that world directly but still a part of it by default location. The illustrations in this story were really interesting, they sort of remind me of the traditional Japanese art you see in books. It really made the story work nicely. This was a fantastic coming of age tale and you should definitely check it out. Kim goes through a lot of emotions that are easy to relate to, so this book is totally relatable even if you aren't into Wicca or go to private school.

First Lines:

"Dear Diary,

Today Lisa said, 'Everyone is unique.'

That is not unique!!"

Favorite Line:

"I rode the bus all the way to the end of the line and back again."

Review: The Future of Us - Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

2011-12-08T08:41:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Library

Rating: 3.5 stars

Cover Rating: 4 stars (It's pretty nifty. I like the vagueness of their faces, but how their appearances match the characters.)

Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: November 21, 2011

Publisher: Razorbill

Page Count: 356 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Back in 1996, most homes don't have a computer and no one has ever heard of Facebook. Emma and Josh have been neighbors and friends for a long time, so when Emma gets a personal computer, Josh brings over an AOL CD for internet. When Emma installs the disc though, another screen pops up with someone of the same name, but 15 years older. Emma thinks it's a coincidence until she starts finding out more about the woman's past. Josh thinks it might be a prank, but Emma knows it's real. They can view their future lives on this Facebook thing. Everything they do now will affect the outcome of their future. For some the future looks great how it is, but can they put their feelings aside for a great outcome, or do they have to live in the here and now?

This was an interesting kickback to the 90's. I was not 16 in 1996, but I hung out with a lot of teenagers, and even if you were in school in the 90's this book may bring back some memories. Oh, the days of dial-up and AOL were long days filled with the static-y beeping of the internet connecting. Nostalgia aside though this was a great story about friends and relationships. I just wish Emma wasn't such a twit. This is a classic girl is twit, guy loves her anyway because he's just swell and they've known each other forever. Many times I wanted to smack her, I wanted to smack Josh plenty too, but Emma mostly. One thing the drives me crazy is when people won't just tell the each other how they are feeling. Nothing dramatic, just something like "Hey, I hate that we fought yesterday, let's be friends again," is that so hard? Regardless this was a fun read. There's plenty of nostalgia and laughs and awkward moments. It's like being in high school and talking to friends. You'll reminisce, you'll laugh, you'll cry and the whole time you'll be enjoying it. Check this one out soon, I'll be looking forward to more stories by both these authors.

First Line:
"I can't break up with Graham today, even though I told my friends I'd do it the next time I saw him."

Favorite Lines:
"'Truthfully, his hair was the only thing that made him hot,' I say. 'Now he looks like a peach lollipop.'"

Teaser Tuesday #63

2011-12-06T12:58:00.001-05:00

This week's Teaser Tuesday is from The Future of Us - Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. Read an excerpt here.

(page 111)

"Even though a trip to the public library sounds innocent, I know I shouldn't be doing what I'm about to do. And since I'm skipping track, it's best to leave the school grounds quickly."

Teaser Tuesday is brought to us by Should be Reading.

Rules:

1) Grab your current read

2) Open to a random page

3) Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4) BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

A Few of My Favorite Things Contest

2011-12-05T08:16:00.001-05:00

Hello fellow book lovers. In case you have missed it, this month I've been having my 500 followers contest and today is the final day to enter. Click here if you haven't entered yet. Since that one is ending, it's time for a new contest, a My Favorite Things contest! Below are some of my favorite books (click on the image to be brought to my Goodreads favorites shelf).

Here are some nifty bookish things that I love and found on Etsy.

So now on to the contest!

There will be two winners this time.
First winner will get three of my favorite books and other miscellany favorite bits and bobs.
Second winner will get one of my favorite books and various other things I deem fit.
Contest is international
Contest will end December 31st
There are no extras this time around, just name and address
Click here to enter and May the Odds be ever in your favor ;)

Review: Going Underground - Susan Vaught

2011-12-03T12:30:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Library

Rating: 5 stars

Cover Rating: 5 stars (This is a fun picture for the cover. Everything in it is necessary and let's you know what you're in store for...mostly...sorta.)

Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: September 13, 2011

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Page Count: 324 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Del was deemed a felon at age 14. It wasn't really his fault though. Now he's stuck at seventeen with no conceivable future in front of him. The only thing he has in his world is his parrot Fred and digging graves. It's here, at the graveyard, where he meets a girl who shines a little light in his life. He has to tell her about his past, but Del doesn't know if he can say the words out loud. If he wants a future though, he has to overcome his past as best he can.

Wow. This was an amazing story. I have read and loved Susan Vaught and the past and this novel just cements that I will continue to keep reading her novels. Del was an amazing character who answered the door when the wrong fate came a-knockin'. I loved the take on sexting in this novel. Susan presented in with hard facts. It may not really be wrong in the eyes of your parents and yourselves, but the swift hand of the law takes prisoners. Del was an extremely well-mannered kid considering all the crap that had been thrust into his lap. I would have been friends with him, because he seemed like a great person who just happened to have this black cloud following him around. Del's parrot Fred was amazing. She made me wish I could get an African Grey parrot (parrot is a girl). I would love it if this book had push buttons that made Fred noises, that way it would be just as ridiculous as I imagine Fred to be. Harper was pretty fantastic too. He was the graveyard owner and he was just a swell guy (minus the drinking). He understood Del in a lot of ways that nobody else seemed to, which is something Del really needed. This novel was just good in every way. The characters were vivid and alive and the small town seemed normal. It was interesting that Del worked at a graveyard too. A place to be alone with his thoughts and take a different perspective on a lot of things. Before the end of this year you all should definitely pick up this book; it will make you laugh and it will make you cry and it will make you angry. Hopefully you'll love it as much as I did though.

First Line:
"Dead zones."

Favorite Lines:
"The air fills chilled as I climb the rest of the stairs like a badly oiled robot, jerking at the joints."

"Some of these people look so old they might have died last week and somebody forgot to wheel them out."

Review: Lost at Sea - Bryan Lee O'Malley

2011-12-02T12:18:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Library

Rating: 4 stars

Cover Rating: 5 stars (Nice and simple, with great colors. My copy is more navy with brighter orange on the bottom.)

Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: May 3, 2005

Publisher: Oni Press

Page Count: 160 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Raleigh is a girl lost at sea. After her parents divorced and she lost her best friend, she is just floating around. She ends up on a road trip home from California to Canada with a bunch of kids she sort of knows from school. They might get back to Canada eventually, but until then Raleigh has to try and make new friends and move on from the past.

What the heck is with all the cats?!?!? Seriously? Is there something I just don't get? Is it just that cats are associated with souls, so it only makes sense? Did Raleigh really lose her soul and sisters to the devil? Why couldn't Raleigh at least open that damned letter before the end of the novel?!?!? *breath*
Okay, regardless of my slew of questions, I did really enjoy this book. Raleigh's stream of consciousness flowed smooth and true. There were a lot of things on her mind and she got it all out on the quiet road ahead of her and her car mates. I guess Bryan Lee O'Malley is just weird. Scott Pilgrim was weird and Lost at Sea is weird. Things happen that leave you scratching your head, but all the characters seem okay with what's happening, so you feel like you're the odd one not them. I did love the drawings of the cats and went they went to go find the cat with Raleigh's soul. That whole part was hilarious and completely realistic...mostly. I could totally see my friends and I searching, during the wee hours of the morning, for a cat that contains someone's missing soul. It's fun and free and ridculous, but some things you just do without too many questions. I recommend this if you enjoyed the Scoot Pilgrim books, even if you didn't read this anyway. Unless you hated the books, then maybe this won't be up your alley.

First Line:

"I have a lot on my mind and not a lot to do so it's going to come out, all of it, and then, then, it may begin to make a sort of sense."

Favorite Lines:

"Hey, wake up. We have to go find Raleigh's soul, it's in a cat."

2011-12-02T12:16:00.001-05:00

So I just found out that Kelly Green has put her books, Borrowing Abby Grace: The Shadow and Borrowing Abby Grace: Girl Steals Guy, on sale for only $.99! How awesome is that? If you missed my review for book one you can find it here. I will be buying and reviewing book 2 and book 3 soon! I would definitely go grab them if I were you! Just click on the titles to go to the Amazon page or click "Barnes and Noble" to get them there.

Borrowing Abby Grace by Kelly Green

A high school mystery series with a supernatural twist…

Episode 1: The Shadow
Barnes and Noble

Episode 2: Girl Steals Guy
Barnes and Noble

Review: Audition - Stasia Ward Kehoe

2011-12-01T16:39:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Library

Rating: 4 stars

Cover Rating: 4 stars (It's quite fitting for the book, but doesn't grab my attention from other books.)

Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: October 13, 2011

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Page Count: 458 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Sara is sixteen and from Vermont. She started ballet in a basement studio in her small town. She is thrilled and surprised when she is offered a scholarship to study ballet in New Jersey. She feels like she's finally on the track to becoming a professional ballerina. Once she is there though, doubts start to creep in. She starts to feel unsure of who she is and what she wants. Things get even more complicated when she starts to fall for twenty-something Remington. He has a girlfriend, but they seem on rocky ground. Maybe a boyfriend is just what Sara needs for her home away from home. Maybe it'll just complicated things even further though and make Sara even more unsure of what her future holds.

This was a very interesting read. I did ballet for a few years when I was younger, so I knew some of the terms but more than half I had no idea what they were. Not a huge deal, but make sure you have the internet handy if you want to be able to picture their moves better and you are not a ballerina. I did love the writing though and with the ballet motions, it just brought the characters to life. Picturing Sara posing in front of her mirror arabesque, or gliding across the studio jeté. It just really made the novel enjoyable and added a lovely lyrical quality to the brief phrases of verse.
The one thing that irked me about this book is how Sara switched back and forth between naive girl from Vermont to wise ballerina woman. Sometimes she just had these amazing, adult, moments of clarity but then she would slide right back in to her sixteen-year-old, unsure skin. Though, teens are wild and complicated creatures, moody and such. Maybe that's just the kind of person she was. It did seem to switch a bit too far though, almost as if Sara was writing about it years later and interspersing new found wisdom throughout her narrative.
Now, despite the age difference, this was not a big teacher-student relationship thing. I do enjoy reading those novels, but this one was not risque enough to fall into the category. Their love just wasn't forbidden enough I suppose. Granted they do get quite intimate and he is in his twenties, while she is only a teen. Honestly though, the relationship did not seem that scandalous. The relationship was mostly just a coming-of-age moment for Sara. Having never really had a boyfriend, she has to experiment and figure out what she wants.
That's the big theme of the novel. Sara finding what she really wants in life, not just what is expected of her. This is not expected just by her parents, but things Sara expects of herself. This was an amazing verse novel and I eagerly wait for Stasia Ward Kehoe's sophomore debut!

First Line:
"When you are a dance
You learn the beginning
Is first position."

Favorite Lines:
"This night is all adagio."

"I wake up lonely.
Want to be

Someone's

Prima
Ballerina
Muse
Girl."

Waiting on Wednesday #46

2011-11-30T07:59:00.001-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting on This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers.

I loved Courtney's Some Girls Are and Fall For Anything. I have, but have not read Cracked Up to Be. They are all contemporary fiction, so this one is sure to be a treat, because it's just outside of Courtney's writing shell.

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up.

As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, everyone’s motivations to survive begin to change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life–and death–inside.

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

Zombies anyone? I love that cover too it perfectly normal when you first look at it, but the more you look the creepier it gets; with the hair in the girl's face flying all over, the little blood splatter in the upper-left hand corner. I cannot wait until June 19th to get my hands on this! So excited!

Review: First Day on Earth - Cecil Castellucci

2011-11-29T08:58:00.000-05:00

Where I got it: Library

Rating: 4.5 stars

Cover Rating: 4 stars (Nice.)

Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: November 1, 2011

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Page Count: 150 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Mal is angry. His father left with no explanation and his mother is more than useless. School is no picnic and he only sort of has friends. Then he meets Hooper. Hooper claims to be an extraterrestrial. At first Mal doesn't believe him, but why shouldn't he. Why couldn't Hooper be from another planet?

This was a nice little novel about a lot of things. On the surface it was about space, aliens, a kid struggling in life. This novel dealt a lot with belief. Defining your own beliefs can be hard, and allowing others theirs even when they conflict with your ideas. This novel had the same feel to it as How to Say Goodbye in Robot. They both had this laid-back and inquisitive feel to them. Some kids carving out a place for themselves, gathering misfits along the way. This is a novel that will leave you thinking about it, long after you finish. Cecil Castellucci leaves some questions unanswered and it works perfectly. As a reader, you are left to contemplate your beliefs. Depending on how you feel, depends on how you think the novel ends. I love that this book forces you to look inside and come to your own conclusions, and not because the novel isn't finished, but because it's open for interpretation. Mal and Hooper and very interesting characters. Mal isn't overly unique, sort of the lonely, brooding, outcast, but he is still a very interesting person. There's a lot going on in his life, and even though he's angry, he seems to roll with it easily. Definitely check this novel out soon. It's a quick read you won't regret.

First Line:

"You think you know what I am, the kid slumped in his chair in the back row, with greasy hair, wearing all black."

Favorite Lines:

"My life sucks. So I shave my head."

"Hello and good-bye are not as simple as everyone thinks."