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| Title links send you to the Goodreads page for the book. Author links send you to their website. |
Bought:
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Where it Began - Ann Redisch Stampler
Wentworth Hall - Abby Grahame
That's what I got this week, what did you all get?
Showing posts with label Deb Caletti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deb Caletti. Show all posts
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Stuff I Got This Week
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Top Ten Tuesday
This week's topic is:
Top Ten Character Names I love...
Étienne - Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Sebastian - The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti
Margot - Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Jericho - The Diviners by Libba Bray
Augustus - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Tristan - Tristan and Iseuldt by M. Joseph Bedier
Mara Dyer - The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Atticus - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Tobias - Divergent by Veronica Roth
Gemma - A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Interview with Deb Caletti
I write what I like to read, and that’s contemporary fiction. I love that moment in a book, where you’re going along and then suddenly there’s a line where the author just gets you and your life, where they describe something you always felt but never knew there were words for. I read to be understood and to understand, and to me, contemporary fiction provides that. That’s my place, both as a reader and a writer.
2. What do you know now that you wished you knew when you wrote/published Queen of Everything?
The Queen of Everything was the fifth book I wrote, and the first to be published. When I was writing it, I didn’t know if this dream of mine – to be a writer and a published author – would ever happen. It was a time of great angst for me both personally and professionally. I’d been struggling for years to make the leap over the enormous canyon from unpublished to published, and I was married at the time to a stormy someone who once told me that my writing was a dream that would never amount to anything. I just kept writing and writing, almost afraid to stop, and I had a Nietzsche quote tacked above my desk: “Become who you are.” But then, a crazy-weird and fated thing happened. I finally got “the call” – the thrilling, life-changing call that we got an offer on Queen – just a few weeks after my long, drawn-out divorce was final. What I know now that I didn’t know then was how much a life can shift, even when things feel really dark and impossible. My life is so completely different now that the one I had then doesn’t even seem real. I wish I could have shown that woman who’d been struggling all those years even a tiny glimpse into the future. There was a lot of brightness coming. You never know what great, wondrous things the future has in store, just around that difficult corner. You just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
3. A lot of your stories deal with problems, like a parent dating a married woman, what sort of research do you do? Or do you not have to do any?
Writing involves a lot of research, from elephant behavior and anxiety (The Nature of Jade) to violin playing and the connection between creativity and madness (Wild Roses). In Stay, I researched obsessive relationships and how a lighthouse works, along with shipwrecks and ghost stories and edible beach plants. But more than research, I rely on my own empathy. I think it’s a writer’s most important tool. For example, I did not research fathers having affairs in Queen. Instead, I imagined what it might be like to feel that things were falling apart all around you.
The Queen of Everything is about a young girl who watches as her normal, everyday father spirals down into a terrible act: committing a crime of passion.
5. What are you working on now?
I’ve just begun work on my next YA novel (S&S April 2014), which is still untitled. We are also putting the fishing touches on my latest release, an adult novel called He’s Gone (Random House, May 2013).
6. What's a book that you've read recently and loved?
I finally read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, and I loved it. I couldn’t believe the mixed reviews it got. To come up with something so ingenious – right there, I’m in awe.
7. Anything else you'd like to share with everyone?
If you have a question of your own, or just want to say hi, I’d love to chat more on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DebCaletti Happy reading!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Review: The Queen of Everything - Deb Caletti
Rating: 3.5 stars
Cover Rating: 4 stars (It's nice. I like that they re-did all the covers like this, but I think they're changing them again...)
Genre: Young Adult
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: May 11, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Page Count: 322 p.
Add it: Goodreads
Jordan found her hippie mother to be a bit too "out there" so she decides she should live with her father. He's an optometrist, and very level-headed. At least, he used to be. Lately he's been acting a bit strange and Jordan thinks she knows the cause...Gayle D'Angelo. She's a married woman and her dad is in love. Jordan knows there's not a lot she can do about it since he is an adult, but she can tell that this is wrong. Besides that, Jordan is living a typical teenage life. She has an accidental boyfriend, but a crush on somebody else and her best friend gossips with her at work. Things are going pretty well until things with her father's love life blow up in a way Jordan could never have imagined.
This was a pretty interesting novel. Jordan had a lot of stuff going on. It must be nice but a little strange having your divorced parents living so close. Jordan can easily bounce between household, so when one house proves to be too much she can just go over to the other one. This book was incredibly predictable though. From the first chapter, I knew exactly what was going to happen. The side stories were still interesting though, so it didn't ruin the book. It's just a shame that it was so obvious.
I loved Jordan's friend's brother, Jackson. He was just an awesome character and I loved that he just did his own thing. He played bagpipes. He washed his car in the middle of the night. He was simply amazing. If there was one person I would want rescuing me, it would be Jackson. Melissa, Jordan's friend, was not a very like-able character. I didn't find her to be a particularly good friend. She was a bit standoffish all the time. Big Mama was a pretty great character, but until the very end of the novel, I didn't really know who the heck she was. It was evident that Jordan and her had a close relationship, but I couldn't see how she fit into the picture. Even at the end it seemed like their relationship was a lot deeper than I would have imagined given the circumstances. I hated Kale. I have no idea why Jordan gave in to his lame attempts at courting her. He was not very smart and not a good person. Even after he did something horrible, Jordan just still went on with him. Jordan just clearly hung out with people she didn't like, because she was simply too nice to say so. It was perfect to have such a mix of characters though, because you can't love everyone or hate everyone. There was a nice balance of both.
I did like quite a bit of this book though. A lot happens to Jordan and in her life. I liked that this was a realistic look at a teen girl's life. Jordan wasn't perfect, she wasn't super smart or super pretty or super popular. She lived in a small town and life just happened. Really all the stories from the people around her were more excitement filled, but her story wove them all together. If you get a chance to read this one make sure you do. I always love how real Deb Caletti's books are so make sure you check them out.
First Line:
"People ask me all the time what having Vince MacKenzie for a father was like."
Favorite Lines:
"It can be exhausting eating a meal cooked by a man. With a woman, it's all Ho hum, pass the beans. A guy, you have to act like he just built the Taj Mahal."
Sunday, January 15, 2012
In My Mailbox #117
In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren
For Review:
Thanks to HarperCollins and Penguin and Little, Brown
Bought:
(also got a copy for a friend)
I also bought four art prints from DeviantArt.com Any look familiar?
Won:
Friday, December 23, 2011
Books I am looking forward to next year and Happy Holidays!
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!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Review: An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
Rating: 4.5 stars
Cover Rating: 3.5 stars (Interesting, but meh...cover didn't make me pick it up.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: August 14, 2008
Publisher: Speak
Page Count: 228 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Colin Singelton was just dumped by his 19th Katherine. This was one he really loved and so he is considerably upset. He doesn't understand why he is such a Dumpee and all the Katherine's are Dumpers. Colin is a prodigy, not a genius, but he figures his Eureka moment has come when he decides to develop a formula(based on his experience with The Katherines) that will be able to determine and predict any relationship between two people. He comes to this while his friend Hassan and him are on a road trip. They stop in a town called Gutshot to sight-see, but they end up staying and finding out a lot more about themselves as they interview the residences of the town.
This book was quite humorous. Colin Singleton is amusingly, socially awkward, which makes for entertaining situations. Hassan was sort of a jerk sometimes, but that's just how his personality is. He always has to look out for Colin after Colin gets dumped but yet another Katherine, and Hassan always has to let Colin know when he's being uninteresting. Colin will often go off on tangents about facts he finds fascinating, but that make other people's eyes gloss over. I really liked how we got to hear about each of the Katherines, it's strangely fascinating that one person (fictional or not) could date 19 people with the same first name. It's madness. I really enjoyed the footnotes too, footnotes add a certain something to a fun novel. The math parts didn't make a whole heck of a lot of sense too me, but there were visuals that most people will be able to understand. I really enjoyed this book and you can tell it was written by a complete nerd. Just the way the characters are with each other, they are smart and that let's them be cleverly sarcastic and sort of confuse everyone, nerd-like. This book remind me a lot of Julie Halpern's writing. She has the same clever, fun and intelligent characters, that flawlessly fit together. Make sure if you haven't read this book yet, you put it on you pile to read soon.
If you want to join my online goodreads bookgroup and discuss it for August you can join here.
First Line:
"The morning after noted child prodigy Colin Singleton graduated from high school and got dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, he took a bath."
Favorite Lines:
"Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they'll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back."
"'...AkhhhhEchhhAhhhh. Kahhh. Ehhhhhh. Wow. Wow. Man. It's like French-kissing a dragon.'"
Colin Singelton was just dumped by his 19th Katherine. This was one he really loved and so he is considerably upset. He doesn't understand why he is such a Dumpee and all the Katherine's are Dumpers. Colin is a prodigy, not a genius, but he figures his Eureka moment has come when he decides to develop a formula(based on his experience with The Katherines) that will be able to determine and predict any relationship between two people. He comes to this while his friend Hassan and him are on a road trip. They stop in a town called Gutshot to sight-see, but they end up staying and finding out a lot more about themselves as they interview the residences of the town.
This book was quite humorous. Colin Singleton is amusingly, socially awkward, which makes for entertaining situations. Hassan was sort of a jerk sometimes, but that's just how his personality is. He always has to look out for Colin after Colin gets dumped but yet another Katherine, and Hassan always has to let Colin know when he's being uninteresting. Colin will often go off on tangents about facts he finds fascinating, but that make other people's eyes gloss over. I really liked how we got to hear about each of the Katherines, it's strangely fascinating that one person (fictional or not) could date 19 people with the same first name. It's madness. I really enjoyed the footnotes too, footnotes add a certain something to a fun novel. The math parts didn't make a whole heck of a lot of sense too me, but there were visuals that most people will be able to understand. I really enjoyed this book and you can tell it was written by a complete nerd. Just the way the characters are with each other, they are smart and that let's them be cleverly sarcastic and sort of confuse everyone, nerd-like. This book remind me a lot of Julie Halpern's writing. She has the same clever, fun and intelligent characters, that flawlessly fit together. Make sure if you haven't read this book yet, you put it on you pile to read soon.
If you want to join my online goodreads bookgroup and discuss it for August you can join here.
First Line:
"The morning after noted child prodigy Colin Singleton graduated from high school and got dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, he took a bath."
Favorite Lines:
"Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they'll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back."
"'...AkhhhhEchhhAhhhh. Kahhh. Ehhhhhh. Wow. Wow. Man. It's like French-kissing a dragon.'"
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Review: Zombicorns - John Green
Rating: 4 stars (Hard to rate, because we were never supposed to read this like this...or maybe ever.)
Cover Rating: 4 stars (haha gross...)
Genre:Young Adult
Publication Date: January, 2011
Publisher: John Green
Page Count: 72 p.
You can check out your own copy here.
Mia is one of the last few people on Earth not obsessed with corn. Mia's life sort of sucks, but she is humorous and finds a friend in Caroline and her adopted dog Mr. President.
So this isn't really a review at all, not that they ever really are reviews, but still. This book was not necessarily meant to come to us in this form which is something that must be taken in to consideration. That said, it was freakin' awesome! One of my favorite parts of this book were when Mia and Caroline were talking about book titles for their Anthropological Zombie study. Some titles they came up with were "What to Expect When You're Expecting a Zombie Apocalypse" and "The Care and Feeding of Contemporary Zombies". I though that was just great. I also liked that they had the idea to do a sociological investigation when there is so little hope left in the world. I think Mia should have been a male though. While I was reading this, I just kept picturing the narrator as male, I'm not really sure why. Maybe the mannerism? It could also be just the simple fact that John Green is male, so I just assume he is going to write from that perspective. I don't know. This was a fast read and I really enjoyed it even though it was horrible in a few ways. If you have a minute or two, just read it. It had a lot of funny and good parts and there are shocking things that happen. Oh and just in case you didn't look at the bottom of the cover, this has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with Unicorns, they aren't even mentioned.
First Line:
"Pre-zombification, my father was already obsessed with corn."
Favorite Line:
"He took a minute to die, and it was the smilingest minute I'd ever seen from him." (really I just love the word smilingest!)
Mia is one of the last few people on Earth not obsessed with corn. Mia's life sort of sucks, but she is humorous and finds a friend in Caroline and her adopted dog Mr. President.
So this isn't really a review at all, not that they ever really are reviews, but still. This book was not necessarily meant to come to us in this form which is something that must be taken in to consideration. That said, it was freakin' awesome! One of my favorite parts of this book were when Mia and Caroline were talking about book titles for their Anthropological Zombie study. Some titles they came up with were "What to Expect When You're Expecting a Zombie Apocalypse" and "The Care and Feeding of Contemporary Zombies". I though that was just great. I also liked that they had the idea to do a sociological investigation when there is so little hope left in the world. I think Mia should have been a male though. While I was reading this, I just kept picturing the narrator as male, I'm not really sure why. Maybe the mannerism? It could also be just the simple fact that John Green is male, so I just assume he is going to write from that perspective. I don't know. This was a fast read and I really enjoyed it even though it was horrible in a few ways. If you have a minute or two, just read it. It had a lot of funny and good parts and there are shocking things that happen. Oh and just in case you didn't look at the bottom of the cover, this has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with Unicorns, they aren't even mentioned.
First Line:
"Pre-zombification, my father was already obsessed with corn."
Favorite Line:
"He took a minute to die, and it was the smilingest minute I'd ever seen from him." (really I just love the word smilingest!)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
In My Mailbox #83
In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren
For Review:
From Shadow Mountain Publishing
The Hourglass Door - Lisa Mangum
The Golden Spiral - Lisa Magnum
From Amazon Vine
Here Lies Bridget - Paige Harbison
Dark Water - Laura McNeal
Kat, Incorrigible - Stephanie Burgis (my review)
From Penguin
Imaginary Girls - Nova Ren Suma
Luminous - Dawn Metcalf
Dreamland Social Club - Tara Altebrando
From Shadow Mountain Publishing
The Hourglass Door - Lisa Mangum
The Golden Spiral - Lisa Magnum
From Amazon Vine
Here Lies Bridget - Paige Harbison
Dark Water - Laura McNeal
Kat, Incorrigible - Stephanie Burgis (my review)
From Penguin
Imaginary Girls - Nova Ren Suma
Luminous - Dawn Metcalf
Dreamland Social Club - Tara Altebrando
From HarperCollins
Bough/Swapped:
Gifts and Swag:
My friend Aya just got back from Japan and brought me some really cute Tabi socks.
I got some awesome signed swag from Hannah Mozkowitz and Lisa & Laura Roecker. Thanks!
I also got two more tees from Threadless. They are a little see-through though :( I'll just have to wear a tank underneath :)
So that's what I got this week, what did you all get?
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Some YA Holiday novels
I figured since tis the season... I would post a few book recommendations of Holiday books to help get you in the mood and through all your many family gatherings ;) Now, I haven't read all of these, but they sound pretty great. Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments. ENJOY!
Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today's bestselling teen authors John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.
Glittering white snowflakes. The handsome blond ski instructor. The sparkle on a cashmere skirt. Hot cocoa and kisses in front of a crackling fire. The holiday season is the ESSENCE of magic...and romance. Four of today's bestselling teen authors -- Melissa de la Cruz ), Aimee Friedman, Hailey Abbott, and Nina Malkin -- bring us delectable tales of love and lust and holiday cheers (and tears) in this one-of-a-kind collection that teens will devour faster than a plate of Christmas cookies.
The picturesque mountain ski lodge is the perfect place to spend winter break... if you have a boyfriend! Otherwise, that cozy leather couch in front of the crackling fire looks a lot less inviting. Good thing that there are lots of cute, blond, sweater-wearing ski instructors around to choose from...
This fun, sweet tale of holiday romance on the slopes is the perfect wintertime read!
Two Exes. One holiday adventure.
Merry Ex-Mas?
Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa.
Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau — a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend.
It'll take more than a Christmas miracle for Lila and Beau to overcome their differences and find their fugitive brothers. But could a journey destined for disaster help these polar opposites fall in love...all over again?
“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions? Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.
Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today's bestselling teen authors John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.
Glittering white snowflakes. The handsome blond ski instructor. The sparkle on a cashmere skirt. Hot cocoa and kisses in front of a crackling fire. The holiday season is the ESSENCE of magic...and romance. Four of today's bestselling teen authors -- Melissa de la Cruz ), Aimee Friedman, Hailey Abbott, and Nina Malkin -- bring us delectable tales of love and lust and holiday cheers (and tears) in this one-of-a-kind collection that teens will devour faster than a plate of Christmas cookies.
The picturesque mountain ski lodge is the perfect place to spend winter break... if you have a boyfriend! Otherwise, that cozy leather couch in front of the crackling fire looks a lot less inviting. Good thing that there are lots of cute, blond, sweater-wearing ski instructors around to choose from...
This fun, sweet tale of holiday romance on the slopes is the perfect wintertime read!
Merry Ex-Mas?
Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa.
Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau — a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend.
It'll take more than a Christmas miracle for Lila and Beau to overcome their differences and find their fugitive brothers. But could a journey destined for disaster help these polar opposites fall in love...all over again?
“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions? Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
French Revolution Saturday
So some of you my be following John and Hank Green (vlogbrothers) on youtube. For those of you who aren't you really should be they are funny and insightful. They have recently decided to do some educational videos. I thought I would share with you John's current videos on the French Revolution. I recently read the book Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, and it has made me very interested int he history of it. John Green does not disappoint. Happy viewing!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
In My Mailbox #43
In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren
Bought/Swapped:
The Boy Book - E. Lockhart
Fly on the Wall - E. Lockhart
Fire Will Fall - Carol Plum-Ucci
School of Possibilities - Seita Parkkola
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know - Sonya Sones
Sweethearts - Sara Zarr
Oh. My. Gods. - Tera Lynn Childs
Sweethearts - Sara Zarr
Oh. My. Gods. - Tera Lynn Childs
LoveSick - Jake Coburn
Prada & Prejudice - Mandy Hubbard
The Other Boy - Hailey Abbott
Cut - Patricia McCormick
Jay's Journal - Anonymous
Margaux with and X - Ron Koertge
Heart is Not a Size - Beth Kephart
The Nature of Jade - Deb Calletti (my review)
The Boyfriend List - E.Lockhart
Nightlight - Harvard Lampoon
Wild Roses - Deb Caletti
Honey, Baby, Sweetheart - Deb Caletti
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - Stephenie Meyer
A Match Made in High School - Kristin Walker
Twisted - Laurie Halse Anderson
A Map of the Known World - Lisa Ann Sandell
Janes in Love - Cecil Castelluci
The Plain Janes - Cecil Castelluci
Boy Toy - Barry Lyga
For Review:
Sunshine - Robin McKinley (Thanks Penguin)
This Means War - Ellen Wittlinger (Thanks Simon & Schuster)
Stalker Girl - Rosemary Graham
Vampire High:Sophmore Year - Douglas Rees
These last two my dad brought up for me from a book store near him.
What did you all get?
Sunday, April 25, 2010
In My Mailbox #39
In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren
Bought/swapped:
1. MysteryEmily the Strange: 13 years old. Able to leap tall buildings, probably, if she felt like it. More likely to be napping with her four black cats; or cobbling together a particle accelerator out of lint, lentils, and safety pins; or rocking out on drums/ guitar/saxophone/zither; or painting a swirling feral sewer mural; or forcing someone to say "swirling feral sewer mural" 13 times fast . . . and pointing and laughing.
2. A beautiful golem
3. Souped-up slingshots
4. Four black cats
5. Amnesia
6. Calamity Poker
7. Angry ponies
8. A shady truant officer
9. Top-13 lists
10. A sandstorm generator
11. DoppelgÄngers
12. A secret mission
13. Earwigs
Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan
One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.
Wonderland finally seems as if it's getting back to normal. Queen Alyss is back on the throne, and reunited with her childhood sweetheart, Dodge. But the fight for Wonderland is far from over. King Arch, in nearby Boarderland, is conniving to overthrow everything for which Alyss and her friends have fought so hard. Even worse, King Arch has found an ally in the recently returned Redd, who has been biding her time and gathering new and evil assassins in the Catacombs of Paris. With enemies circling and danger looming, someone close to Alyss lets her down-and threatens the future of Wonderland forever.
To Carley Wells, words are the enemy: the countless SAT lists from her tutor, the “fifty-seven pounds overweight” assessment from her personal trainer, and most of all, the “confidential” Getting To Know You assignment from her insane English teacher (whose literary terminology lessons include “Backstory is Afterbirth” and “Setting is Nobody’s Slut”). When he tells her parents that she’s answered “What is your favorite book?” with “Never met one I liked,” they become determined to fix what he calls her “intellectual impoverishment.” They will commission a book to be written for Carley that she’ll have to love—one that will impress her teacher and the whole town of Fox Glen with their family’s devotion to the arts. They will be patrons—the Medicis of Long Island. They will buy their daughter The Love Of Reading.
Impossible though it is for Carley to imagine ever loving words, she is in love with a young bibliophile who cares about them more than anything. Anything, that is, but a good bottle of scotch. Hunter Cay, Carley’s best friend and Fox Glen’s resident golden boy, is becoming a stranger to her as he drowns himself in F. Scott Fitzgerald, booze, and Vicodin.
When the Wellses move writer Bree McEnroy—author of a failed meta-novel about Odysseus’s voyages through the Internet—into their mansion to write Carley’s book, Carley’s sole interest in the project is its potential to distract Hunter from drinking and give them something to share. Instead, as Hunter’s behavior becomes erratic and dangerous, she finds herself drawn into the fictional world Bree has created and begins to understand for the first time the power of stories—those we read, those we want to believe in, and most of all, those we tell ourselves about ourselves. Stories powerful enough to destroy a person.
Or save her.
Impossible though it is for Carley to imagine ever loving words, she is in love with a young bibliophile who cares about them more than anything. Anything, that is, but a good bottle of scotch. Hunter Cay, Carley’s best friend and Fox Glen’s resident golden boy, is becoming a stranger to her as he drowns himself in F. Scott Fitzgerald, booze, and Vicodin.
When the Wellses move writer Bree McEnroy—author of a failed meta-novel about Odysseus’s voyages through the Internet—into their mansion to write Carley’s book, Carley’s sole interest in the project is its potential to distract Hunter from drinking and give them something to share. Instead, as Hunter’s behavior becomes erratic and dangerous, she finds herself drawn into the fictional world Bree has created and begins to understand for the first time the power of stories—those we read, those we want to believe in, and most of all, those we tell ourselves about ourselves. Stories powerful enough to destroy a person.
Or save her.
Born with a port-wine stain birthmark covering her entire right cheek, Terra Rose Cooper is ready to leave her stifling, small Washington town where everyone knows her for her face. With her critical, reproachful father and an obese mother who turns to food to deflect her father's verbal attacks, home life for Terra isn't so great either. Fueled by her artistic desires, she plans to escape to an East Coast college, thinking this is her true path. When her father intercepts her acceptance letter, Terra is pushed off-course, and she is forced to confront her deepest insecurities. After an ironically fortuitous car accident, Terra meets Jacob, a handsome but odd goth Chinese boy who was adopted from China as a toddler. Jacob immediately understands Terra's battle with feeling different. When Terra's older brother invites her and her mother to visit him in Shanghai, Jacob and his mother also join them on their journey, where they all not only confront the truth about themselves, but also realize their own true beauty.
...if your best friend were plotting the annihilation of a small, furry neighborhood poodle? Or if your parents up and moved to an Outward Bound-type survival camp in the middle of the desert? How about if your grandmother bought you new bras and underwear -- and you actually thought they were a teensy bit, umm, sexy?
Most people would not react well.
Tess Whistle's junior year of high school is off to a fairly bizarre start. One might even say her life is spiraling out of control. But with her sense of humor firmly intact and her first real boyfriend on her arm, Tess is dealing with the ridiculous twists quite well, thankyouverymuch.
Just wait until her shoes explode.
How I Found the Perfect Dress - Maryrose Wood
On a bike tour of Ireland last summer, Morgan Rawlinson fell for Colin, the hunky guide, and entered a portal that turned her into the goddess Morganne. Now she’s back to her painfully normal life and her relationship with Colin has fizzled to the occasional e-mail…until he writes saying he’s coming to Connecticut—just in time for the prom.
But when he arrives, he’s exhausted. It seems that when Morgan crossed the portal as Morganne, a spell was cast on Colin. In his dreams he’s being forced to dance ’til dawn with the faeries, who want to boogie with him for eternity. Somehow she has to break the spell on her date, help plan the prom, and find the perfect dress. Oh, what a night…
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre - Amanda Grange
Amanda Grange's style and wit bring readers back to Jane Austen's timeless storytelling, but always from a very unique and unusual perspective, and now Grange is back with an exciting and completely new take on Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre starts where Pride and Prejudice ends and introduces a dark family curse so perfectly that the result is a delightfully thrilling, spine-chilling, breathtaking read. A dark, poignant and visionary continuation of Austen's beloved story, this tale is full of danger, darkness and immortal love.
Life, After - Sarah Darer Littman
Everything changes for Dani and her family when a truck loaded with explosives detonates outside the AMIA building in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing her beloved aunt and unborn cousin. Because of the ensuing political upheaval, economic hardship, and emotional toll, Dani's family moves to the U.S. It is a terrifying place--new school, new language, new hardships--and Dani's angry father is turning into a stranger, more so everyday. Just when Dani thinks she is about to lose it, she befriends Jessica, one of the girls who has been cruelly teasing her since she arrived.
It is the most unlikely of friendships. Jessica is wealthy, groomed, spoiled. But Jessica has a past that only Dani can understand. She lost her father in 9/11. It is a friendship that allows them both to heal in unexpected and surprising ways, and changes them and their families forever.
Won: from The Story Siren
Tender Morsels - Margo Lanagan
Tender Morsels is a dark and vivid story, set in two worlds and worrying at the border between them. Liga lives modestly in her own personal heaven, a world given to her in exchange for her earthly life. Her two daughters grow up in this soft place, protected from the violence that once harmed their mother. But the real world cannot be denied forever—magicked men and wild bears break down the borders of Liga’s refuge. Now, having known Heaven, how will these three women survive in a world where beauty and brutality lie side by side?
Title links bring you to GoodReads pages, Author links bring you to their website. What did everyone else get this past week?
Most people would not react well.
Tess Whistle's junior year of high school is off to a fairly bizarre start. One might even say her life is spiraling out of control. But with her sense of humor firmly intact and her first real boyfriend on her arm, Tess is dealing with the ridiculous twists quite well, thankyouverymuch.
Just wait until her shoes explode.
How I Found the Perfect Dress - Maryrose Wood
On a bike tour of Ireland last summer, Morgan Rawlinson fell for Colin, the hunky guide, and entered a portal that turned her into the goddess Morganne. Now she’s back to her painfully normal life and her relationship with Colin has fizzled to the occasional e-mail…until he writes saying he’s coming to Connecticut—just in time for the prom.
But when he arrives, he’s exhausted. It seems that when Morgan crossed the portal as Morganne, a spell was cast on Colin. In his dreams he’s being forced to dance ’til dawn with the faeries, who want to boogie with him for eternity. Somehow she has to break the spell on her date, help plan the prom, and find the perfect dress. Oh, what a night…
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre - Amanda Grange
Amanda Grange's style and wit bring readers back to Jane Austen's timeless storytelling, but always from a very unique and unusual perspective, and now Grange is back with an exciting and completely new take on Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre starts where Pride and Prejudice ends and introduces a dark family curse so perfectly that the result is a delightfully thrilling, spine-chilling, breathtaking read. A dark, poignant and visionary continuation of Austen's beloved story, this tale is full of danger, darkness and immortal love.
Life, After - Sarah Darer Littman
Everything changes for Dani and her family when a truck loaded with explosives detonates outside the AMIA building in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing her beloved aunt and unborn cousin. Because of the ensuing political upheaval, economic hardship, and emotional toll, Dani's family moves to the U.S. It is a terrifying place--new school, new language, new hardships--and Dani's angry father is turning into a stranger, more so everyday. Just when Dani thinks she is about to lose it, she befriends Jessica, one of the girls who has been cruelly teasing her since she arrived.
It is the most unlikely of friendships. Jessica is wealthy, groomed, spoiled. But Jessica has a past that only Dani can understand. She lost her father in 9/11. It is a friendship that allows them both to heal in unexpected and surprising ways, and changes them and their families forever.
Won: from The Story Siren
Tender Morsels - Margo Lanagan
Tender Morsels is a dark and vivid story, set in two worlds and worrying at the border between them. Liga lives modestly in her own personal heaven, a world given to her in exchange for her earthly life. Her two daughters grow up in this soft place, protected from the violence that once harmed their mother. But the real world cannot be denied forever—magicked men and wild bears break down the borders of Liga’s refuge. Now, having known Heaven, how will these three women survive in a world where beauty and brutality lie side by side?
Title links bring you to GoodReads pages, Author links bring you to their website. What did everyone else get this past week?
Sunday, March 21, 2010
In My Mailbox #34
In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren
Bought/Swapped:
How to Ditch Your Fairy - Justine Larbalestier
Welcome to New Avalon, where everyone has a personal fairy. Charlie's is a parking fairy. Problem is she's fourteen, can't drive, and doesn't want to. She hates her fairy. How to Ditch Your Fairy is the tale of her quest to ditch it and get a better one such as her best friend's clothes-shopping fairy or her worst enemy's all-boys-will-like-you fairy.
Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink
Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents’ deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.
Lia and Alice don’t know whom they can trust.
They just know they can’t trust each other.
Keeping You a Secret - Julie Anne Peters
Expectations. A girl meets a guy, falls in love, gets married, has sex, not necessarily in that order. Holland Jaeger is living up to the expectations. But when she meets Cece, the course of her life is changed forever. She falls in love with this girl—this out-and-proud lesbian.Holland Holland Holland
The Notebook Girls
An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
When it comes to relationships, everyone has a type. Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. He has dated--and been dumped by--19 Katherines. In the wake of The K-19 Debacle, Colin--an anagram-obsessed washed-up child prodigy--heads out on a road trip with his overweight, Judge Judy-loving friend Hassan. With 10,000 dollars in his pocket and a feral hog on his trail, Colin is on a mission to prove a mathematical theorem he hopes will predict the future of any relationship (and conceivably win the girl).
Looking for Alaska - John Green
Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words--and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.
Need - Carrie Jones
Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.
Pirates - Celia Rees
The true and remarkable adventures of Minerva Sharpe & Nancy Kington, Female Pyrates. What would make two young women take to the high seas and a life of piracy? Nancy Kington is the daughter of a rich merchant, Minerva Sharpe a slave on her father’s plantation. Divided by birth and fortune, together these two find friendship and break the bounds of gender, race and social position to follow their own destiny.
Okay, so I have already read the last two but alas! I want to read them many times more and now I may. What did everyone else get this week? hmmmmm......
All summaries taken from authors websites Trailer taken from Michelle's website and I believe VLC Productions (Vania)! Thanks!
Bought/Swapped:
How to Ditch Your Fairy - Justine Larbalestier
Welcome to New Avalon, where everyone has a personal fairy. Charlie's is a parking fairy. Problem is she's fourteen, can't drive, and doesn't want to. She hates her fairy. How to Ditch Your Fairy is the tale of her quest to ditch it and get a better one such as her best friend's clothes-shopping fairy or her worst enemy's all-boys-will-like-you fairy.
Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink
Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents’ deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.
Lia and Alice don’t know whom they can trust.
They just know they can’t trust each other.
Keeping You a Secret - Julie Anne Peters
Expectations. A girl meets a guy, falls in love, gets married, has sex, not necessarily in that order. Holland Jaeger is living up to the expectations. But when she meets Cece, the course of her life is changed forever. She falls in love with this girl—this out-and-proud lesbian.
The Notebook Girls
An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
When it comes to relationships, everyone has a type. Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. He has dated--and been dumped by--19 Katherines. In the wake of The K-19 Debacle, Colin--an anagram-obsessed washed-up child prodigy--heads out on a road trip with his overweight, Judge Judy-loving friend Hassan. With 10,000 dollars in his pocket and a feral hog on his trail, Colin is on a mission to prove a mathematical theorem he hopes will predict the future of any relationship (and conceivably win the girl).
Looking for Alaska - John Green
Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words--and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.
Need - Carrie Jones
Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.
Pirates - Celia Rees
The true and remarkable adventures of Minerva Sharpe & Nancy Kington, Female Pyrates. What would make two young women take to the high seas and a life of piracy? Nancy Kington is the daughter of a rich merchant, Minerva Sharpe a slave on her father’s plantation. Divided by birth and fortune, together these two find friendship and break the bounds of gender, race and social position to follow their own destiny.
Okay, so I have already read the last two but alas! I want to read them many times more and now I may. What did everyone else get this week? hmmmmm......
All summaries taken from authors websites Trailer taken from Michelle's website and I believe VLC Productions (Vania)! Thanks!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
In My Mailbox #30
In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story SirenWon:
The Secret Life of Prince Charming - Deb Caletti
won from Sarah
Maybe it was wrong, or maybe impossible, but I wanted the truth to be one thing. One solid thing. Quinn is surrounded by women who have had their hearts broken. Between her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother, Quinn hears nothing but cautionary tales. She tries to be an optimist–after all, she's the dependable one, the girl who never makes foolish choices. But when she is abruptly and unceremoniously dumped, Quinn starts to think maybe there are no good men after all. It doesn't help that she's gingerly handling a renewed relationship with her formerly absent father. He's a little bit of a lot of things: charming, selfish, eccentric, lazy...but he's her dad, and Quinn's just happy to have him around again. Until she realizes how horribly he's treated the many women in his life, how he's stolen more than just their hearts. Determined to, for once, take action in her life, Quinn joins forces with the stepsister she's never met and the little sister she'll do anything to protect. Together, they set out to right her father's wrongs...and in doing so, begin to uncover what they're really looking for: the truth. Once again, Deb Caletti has created a motley crew of lovably flawed characters who bond over the shared experiences of fear, love, pain, and joy–in other words, real life.
Bought:
ARC of Numbers - Rachel Ward
‘Since her mother’s death, fifteen-year-old Jem has kept a secret. When her eyes meet someone else’s, a number pops into her head - the date on which they will die. Knowing that nothing lasts forever, Jem avoids relationships, but when she meets a boy called Spider, and they plan a day out together, her life takes a new twist and turn. Waiting for the London Eye, she sees everyone in the queue has the same number - something terrible is going to happen.’
Sweet Little Lies - Lauren Conrad
How Sweet it is? Jane Roberts was the average girl next door until she and her best friend, Scarlett Harp, landed their own reality show, L.A. Candy. Now the girls have an all-access pass to Hollywood's hottest everything. But there's more to life on camera than just parties and shopping. . . . When racy photos of Jane are leaked to the press, she finds herself at the center of a tabloid scandal. She turns to her co-star Madison Parker for help, unaware that Madison is scheming behind the scenes. She might be Jane's shoulder to cry on, but does Madison really have Jane's back? Scarlett's working on a scandal of her own. She's fallen for someone who's strictly off-limits—which means Scarlett has a big secret to keep . . . from the L.A. Candy cameras, the paparazzi staking out her apartment, even from her best friend. Of course, nothing stays secret for long for the stars of the newest hit TV series, and all this drama couldn't be better for ratings. But can Jane survive another season in the spotlight?
Thirst Vol. 1 & 2 - Christopher Pike
Alisa has been in control of her urges for the five thousand years she has been a vampire. She feeds but does not kill, and she lives her life on the fringe to maintain her secret. But when her creator returns to hunt her, she must break her own rules in order to survive. Her quest leads her to Ray. He is the only person who can help her; he also has every reason to fear her. Alisa must get closer to him to ensure her immortality. But as she begins to fall in love with Ray, suddenly there is more at stake than her own life....
Killing Mr. Griffin - Lois Duncan
The plan was only to scare their English teacher... They never actually intended to kill Mr. Griffin. But sometimes plans go wrong.
Locked in Time - Lois Duncan
Nore arrives at her stepmother's Louisiana plantation to find her new family odd and an aura of evil and mystery about the place.
The two Lois Duncan books I found at a new little book store that opened up in our mall called The Oops Outlet. I'm pretty excited they had some cool older books.
So what did you all get this week?
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