Secret Keeper - Post Three

Everyone! I need your help!!

This morning I got a text from "A" saying that I'm running for student council and I need to get 100 friends to vote for me by the end of the day. Please, can you click this link and vote for Spencer Hastings?! It's really quick and easy and I would appreciate it so much. If I don't get 100 votes, "A" will spill one of my secrets!

You can leave a comment if you want to let me know that you voted. That way I'll know once 100 people have voted and I can stop freaking out. :) Thanks!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR ME!

On My Bookshelf (17)

(Originally by The Story Siren, as "In My Mailbox.") On My Bookshelf is used to share what books I bought, won, traded, received for review, or got from the library this week. It's to let you know what to expect for me to read/review next. (:

BOUGHT FROM BOOKSTORES:

Liar by Justine Larbalestier: Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have readers see-sawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare: After finding out that Jace is her brother and the Inquisitor is hunting for him, Clary Fray's hopes for a quiet life are put on hold as she finds herself back in battle against warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and her own father.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron: Dewey's story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director, Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility, (for a cat) and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.

WON FROM CONTESTS:

This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas: Olivia Peters is over the moon when her literary idol, the celebrated novelist and muchadored local priest Mark D. Brendan, offers to become her personal writing mentor. But when Father Mark’s enthusiasm for Olivia’s prose develops into something more, Olivia’s emotions quickly shift from wonder to confusion to despair. Exactly what game is Father Mark playing, and how on earth can she get out of it?

RECEIVED FOR REVIEW:

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti: Lani and Erin are older teens who share an interest in fortune-telling. Erin is less serious than Lani, who backed out of the popular crowd because she is more interested in things like environmental action than parties. Although the two girls have a deep bond that began in childhood, Lani’s true best friend is Blake, who fears his father will discover that he is gay. Erin is delighted when she starts dating Jason—one of many crushes she has shared with Lani—but when the three start hanging out together, Lani realizes that she and Jason are meant for each other.

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Title: Hate List
Author: Jennifer Brown
Published: September 2009 by Little, Brown Books

My Rating: 5 stars
Tags: YA | Realistic | School Shooting
Includes: Profanity, Murder, Sensuality

First Lines: [From the Garvin County Sun-Tribune, May 3, 2008, Reporter Angela Dash] The scene in the Garvin High School cafeteria, known as the Commons, is being described as "grim" by investigators who are working to identify the victims of a shooting spree that erupted Friday morning.

Valerie and her boyfriend Nick were always outcasts at school, not fitting in a certain group. So they started a "Hate List", basically a list of names and things that they hated. To Valerie, it was just a way to express her frustration of being bullied, but to Nick? It was a list of people for him to kill. Near the end of their junior year, Nick opens fire in the cafeteria, kills six students and injures many more. Valerie accidentally gets shot in the leg after jumping in front of a victim, and afterward Nick ends his own life with the gun. Even though Valerie wasn't the one who killed all of those students, it's what everyone else seems to think. Now, beginning her senior year at the same high school, Valerie must come to terms with what happened just a few months ago and learn to accept the past.

I honestly don't even know where to start. This riveting book was fascinating, absorbing, and so...raw. Obviously from the summary, it's not just a perky girly book to enjoy for the day - this one was really deep and emotional. It was depressing, but not to the point where the book wasn't enjoyable. Because as a reader, I got to see how much Valerie changed from the fragile person she was at the beginning, to the strong person at the end. I loved Valerie's character so much; she's on the list for my favorite fictional teens! Since she was Nick's girlfriend and helped write the "Hate List", everyone - reporters, friends, even her family - consider her guilty. But she wasn't! It was so infuriating and frustrating having her family practically shun her since they thought she deliberately wanted those students at her school dead. I found myself literally yelling at the book at times, with tears down my face, because I couldn't stand how close-minded and unforgiving her parents were.

From Page 318
We drove on in silence, Dad shaking his head every few seconds disgustedly. I stared at him, wondering how it was that we got to this place. How the same man who held his infant daughter and kissed her tiny face could one day be so determined to shut her out of his life, out of his heart.

The character development was insane! I can't believe this is Jennifer Brown's debut novel; it seems like she's been writing books for years. Each character had a different identity and personality, and I got to know them so well. I could really connect with Valerie, and even to her murderous boyfriend surprisingly! I'm not saying it's acceptable to just go and shoot someone who you despise, but reading flashbacks from Valerie's perspective of all of the mean bullying they went through together, I could sort of understand why he did it. The novel is deeply powerful and heart-wrenching - Valerie's pain, loss, and loneliness is displayed so perfectly on the pages. The book held my attention, but I do think it was a little bit too long. I think it could have been shortened some.

It's a wonderful novel about self-discovery and coping. I'm sure there are endless other themes you could pick out from the writing, too. I really wish there were more books written by this author, because I would read them in a heartbeat. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone; it's a masterpiece that blew me away.

Cover Thoughts: I love it. The black and gray, blurry picture looks depressing and fits the mood of the book perfectly. And I like the teardrop effect. Overall, the cover for this book can't get much better than it already is!

Book Supplied by: Bought at Borders.

Secret Keeper - Post Two

Thought I would give a quick update/explanation to those of you who don't quite understand the "Pretty Little Liars" game that I'm participating in, hosted by ABC Family.

I'm 1 out of 40 lucky people to get to play in this interactive and creative game. I received a free iPhone in the mail; it's actually "Spencer's" phone, since I'm playing as her character. In it, there are pictures, contacts from fictional characters in the series, text messages, etc. that all relate to her persona. It's so cute!

After I signed into Spencer's account on ABC Family's website, there was a message that said:

Welcome.

I see you've found your phone. Allow me to introduce myself. You can call me 'A'. Since Pretty Little Liars is premiering June 8 on ABC Family, I thought it would be fun to play this little game in order to kick off the show.

Here's how it works:

You've got 10 secrets. The goal of the game is to keep those 10 secrets from your three friends. You'll all meet as soon as you join the Facebook group. Watch your Facebook notifications. I'll be inviting you soon.

Now, about your phone. It's full of stuff you'll need later, so go ahead and start digging through it. It's yours.

You'll receive your first secret on Tuesday, and if you want to keep that secret, I suggest you do what I say. Remember, I know everything.

-A

I hope that explains it a little better than I did. So far, I've had to do one mission that took me awhile to figure out how to do. I'm sort of nervous that I won't be able to do all my missions and keep my secrets but we'll see! Stay tuned for the next post! :)

Waiting On Wednesday: A Little Wanting Song

This week's WoW book is A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley! It will be released on June 8, 2010.

Book Description:

Charlie Duskin loves music, and she knows she's good at it. But she only sings when she's alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus's Secondhand Record and CD Store. Charlie's mom and grandmother have both died, and this summer she's visiting her grandpa in the country, surrounded by ghosts and grieving family, and serving burgers to the local kids at the milk bar. She's got her iPod, her guitar, and all her recording equipment, but she wants more: A friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she's not entirely unspectacular.

Rose Butler lives next door to Charlie's grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway and hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend. She loves Luke but can't wait to leave their small country town. And she's figured out a way: she's won a scholarship to a science school in the city, and now she has to convince her parents to let her go. This is where Charlie comes in. Charlie, who lives in the city, and whom Rose has ignored for years. Charlie, who just might be Rose's ticket out. Told in alternating voices and filled with music, friendship, and romance, Charlie and Rose's "little wanting song" is about the kind of longing that begins as a heavy ache but ultimately makes us feel hopeful and wonderfully alive.

Wow this one sounds spectacular! I don't like the cover, but it's okay because the summary definitely over rules it. Can't wait to read this one. PUBLISHED ON JUNE 8, 2010!

Secret Keeper - Post One

A few days ago I got an email from ABC Family asking if I'd like to participate in their "Pretty Little Liars Secret Keeper Game". They had seen that I'm a fan of the book series by Sara Shepard, and I happily signed up. I didn't really know much about the game, other than I was playing the part of one of the four girls in the books and that we each have 10 secrets. The goal of the game is to be the last girl to not have her secrets revealed. Every day we'll have a mission to do, pretty exciting!

So today there was a package on my doorstep. After opening it, inside there was a black box and inside of that...dirt. Yep, that's right. A huge box of dirt with a note that said "Some secrets you have to dig for!" I reluctantly began to dig around inside the dirt and pulled out an iPhone! along with a secret item that I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say what yet - so I won't.

I signed onto facebook, too, and had a friend request from Alison (from the book)! She'll be the host of the game and will be in charge of telling us what our daily missions are. I'll keep you guys updated on this fun interactive game - it will last until June 18th I'm pretty sure.

The Gates

I saw a trailer for a new ABC Family Show that is airing in June. Now that LOST is over I don't know what to watch in my free time! :( But this one caught my attention, and I've never watched one of those vampire shows, so maybe I'll give this one a try. What do you guys think?

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Title: Lord of the Flies
Author: William Golding
Published: January 1959 by Capricorn Books

My Rating: 3.5 stars
Tags: Fiction | Classic | Thriller | Survival
Includes: Brief Profanity, Murder, Disturbing Scenes

First Lines: The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way toward the lagoon.

A plane, with a group of schoolboys inside, crashes onto a deserted island. One of the older boys, Ralph, becomes the leader since there are no adults who survived the plane crash. All is going well until one of the boys, Jack, shows up. He's the opposite of Ralph - aggressive, heartless, and a warrior. He is determined on becoming chief of the boys, and instead of making a priority of being rescued, all he cares about is hunting. The blissful freedom of the boys quickly escalates into a frenzied and unorganized chaos. Soon, it even leads to murder...

We read this book for my English class and from what everyone had told me, it was supposedly a horrible book. So I started it with very low expectations. I think the first chapter or two were pretty slow and kind of boring. From what I heard from all of my friends and parents, this was a very dark book. But so far, it was just about a bunch of boys running around naked since there were no adults on the island.

And then Jack came into the story. Wow, even though I didn't really like the author's writing style, he had a knack with character development. Each boy in the book had a different personality, characteristics, and appearance. I could easily visualize what each boy was like. I really liked Ralph and Piggy; they were the protagonists in the book and seemed to be the only ones who remained sane on the island. All of the other boys, led by the cruel Jack, became fierce hunters and murderers...it was scary! William Golding obviously thought long and hard while writing this book. My English class had long, interesting discussions analyzing parts of the book that I surprisingly contributed to! (I rarely add to the book talks during class - mostly because I say things that no one else agrees with). My biggest complaint about the book was the ending. It was abrupt and vague, and I was really disappointed at how the author ended his book.

Even though there were parts of the story that I thought dragged and could be left out, for the most part it read smoothly. Golding has a wide vocabulary, not to mention his detailed/gruesome death scenes, so I recommend the book for older teens and adults or people who are good at reading between the lines. I probably wouldn't have appreciated this book if I hadn't had help analyzing it from my teacher, but I suggest give it a try! I agree with my friends that this was a dark book, but I disagree that it was a bad one. I actually really enjoyed the book. I probably wouldn't read it again, but I'm glad that we had to read this one for school.

Cover Thoughts: Eh, I don't really care for it. I think the character they chose for the cover, Piggy, should be replaced by something else since he's not even the main character.

Book Supplied by: Read in my 10th grade English class.

Waiting On Wednesday: A Field Guide For Heartbreakers

This week's WoW book is A Field Guide For Heartbreakers by Kristen Tracy! It will be released on June 1, 2010.

Book Description:

When best friends Dessy and Veronica arrive in Prague for a prestigious writing workshop, their priorities diverge. Dessy, fragile from a recent breakup, has come to mend her broken heart by honing her craft. Veronica has just dumped her boyfriend and plans to blow off the workshop. She’d rather master a different subject—boys. Veronica gets right to work on her “man-wall”— one paper cutout for every hot-dude she meets— and embarks on her mission to cover a wall of their dorm by summer’s end. At times, Dessy thinks her friend might be a genius. At others, Veronica seems more like an agent of chaos. As if their love lives weren’t complicated enough, soon a homicidal suitemate is bent on killing Veronica and Dessy, and both girls are hiding secrets that could wreck their friendship. Well, no one ever said breaking hearts was a simple craft. . . .

Oh my goodness I must read this one! I don't personally like the title, but the cover definitely makes up for it. And that summary got me hooked! PUBLISHED ON JUNE 1, 2010!

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Title: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson
Published: May 2010 by Simon & Schuster

My Rating: 5 stars
Tags: YA | Realistic | Romance | Road Trip
Includes: Profanity, Sexuality

First Lines: I sat on the front steps on my house and watched the beige Subaru station wagon swing too quickly around the cul-de-sac. This was a rookie mistake, only made by countless FedEx guys.

Amy Curry's father died in a tragic car accident just three months ago. It's now the summer before her senior year, and her mom decided to move their family from California to Connecticut. Amy reluctantly stays home for a month, before driving up to Connecticut with her mother's friend's son, Roger. They were friends when they were little but haven't seen each other since. As they start the road trip across the U.S., Amy gets to know the incredibly cute and caring Roger and must finally face her father's death.

This is the best book that I've read this year....probably even one of my favorite books ever. Since this was a debut book, I had no idea what to expect from the author - and I must say that I was blown away! Put together romance, summer, a stellar road trip, some fantastic music, and a cute boy and you have an incredible story. The book was funny, cute, touching, heartwrenching, realistic, creative, etc. One of my favorite things about it was how the majority of the book was written just like a normal novel, but in between chapters there were postcards, music playlists, gas station receipts, and photographs. This made it really feel like I was there along for the ride with Amy and Roger. Their road trip felt so real and made me crave to experience my own.

From page 212
We could do anything-go anywhere-that we wanted. We were crossing America. We had a car and gas money and a destination. The road was open ahead of us. I looked at the rolling green hills passing by outside my window and saw my smile reflected in the side mirror.

Music played a pretty big role throughout the book and can I just say that Morgan Matson, the author, is probably my music soul-mate. Practically every band that was on Roger's playlist is on my iPod, and I loved her music taste. This made me enjoy the book even more. Roger is most likely my new favorite fictional guy. He's sensitive, funny, sweet, understanding, and oh yeah, cute! It was interesting watching he and Amy start to like each other; even though it was predictable that they would fall in love, it was completely adorable and so worth the read.

Just the summary in general got me interested in reading this. Who doesn't love a good road trip? I learned a lot of new things about the states they drove through, and the author's writing got me so interested in checking those places out. Speaking of which, Matson's writing was brilliant. She got me completely absorbed in the book and as soon as I finished reading the last line on the page, I wanted to flip to the beginning and start all over again. Her character development was flawless and I desperately didn't want the story to end. However, when it did, it left a smile on my face and a huge desire to have someone go on a road trip with me.

Cover Thoughts: I. freaking. love. this. cover. Everything about it makes me want to pick it up and see what's written inside. The cute couple holding hands and the girly font screams chick-lit.

Book Supplied by: Publisher for review.

Interview with author Angela Morrison

Today I'm proud to announce that I had the privilege of interviewing young-adult author Angela Morrison on Books Obsession! :)

About your writing: What inspired you to become an author?

I fell in love with writing as soon as I learned how to do it in first grade. My mom made up great bedtime stories, too. I made my own little books. It took me a long, long time to get to publish big ones.

How do you think your life would be different if you didn't write?

I'd be cranky ALL the time. I'm miserable when I don't write.

Can you tell us anything about a current project you're working on?

I've got two manuscripts with my agent--the sequel to TAKEN BY STORM, UNBROKEN CONNECTION (that Razorbill rejected when my editor left) and a historical romance called MY ONLY LOVE. Think good thoughts for me on those, okay? I hope to find a publisher for both soon. One of my bloggers started a FaceBook group for UNBROKEN CONNECTION. Join if you'd like to get updates on what's happening with it.

The project I'm revising right now is so much fun. I'm turning a time-slip adventure novel on it's head. I originally wrote TIME ASSASSINS for middle grade boys with a snarky boy protagonist, but the time assassin turned out so hot that it seemed like such a waste there was no one in the novel to fall in love with him. So I axed the snarky boy, and I'm rewriting the story with a Bronte-esque heroine. So it's turning out to be Jane Eyre meets the Terminator or Mad Max in the Middle Ages. (Mad Max works better because my assassin is nothing like a robot!) Crazy mix of times and ideas, but it's a blast to write and I think it will be quite a ride for the reader.

Do you have a certain writing routine or ritual?

I draft scenes by hand. I have to write with black Zebra medium point gel pens on unlined pink paper. It works best if I start scribbling when I first wake up and keep going until my hand or brain wears out. I have a kidney shaped lap desk so I can write in bed propped on feather pillows. Then I get up and type it up. And start all over again. Some days I draft about five pages; some days I get around twenty. I'm not good at multi-tasking. If I'm writing, I'm writing.

Favorite thing about being an author?

I love hearing from fans--especially teens. They are so exuberant and real. It makes my day whenever I get an email from someone who is dying for more about Michael and Leesie or cried at the end of SING ME TO SLEEP. I also love to visit high schools and meet aspiring writers. They inspire me so much.

About you: You're an advanced scuba diver, I read on your site. What's the best thing about diving? Favorite location you scuba dived at?

The best thing about scuba is it lets you enter another world--a secret, silent place only divers know about. Hands down the most amazing site we ever dove was Bloody Bay Wall at Little Cayman. That's why Michael keeps dreaming about it in TAKEN BY STORM.

What toppings do you like to put on your pizza?

I never get to eat pizza because I can't eat cheese. It gives me headaches. Isn't that tragic? When we lived in Switzerland, we used to get pizza from this small restaurant every Friday night. And I swear, it had nothing to do with how cute the Italian guy tossing pizza crusts in the air who greeted us when we walked in. We just got mozarella and fresh tomato sauce, but it was the best pizza I've ever eaten. They baked in a wood-fired brick oven while we watched. That was worth picking the cheese off and eating the crust and tomatoes. The tomatoes were sun sweet and tasted amazing. The crust crispy thin and fresh. Hmm. It makes me hungry just to think of it.

Favorite books or authors?

I'm a big Jane Austen geek. But I'm really into the Bronte's these days. I think my favorite is Charlotte's VILLETTE, but I also like Anne's AGNES GREY. I just reread JANE EYRE, and I was impressed with how much faith Charlotte pours into Jane. My favorite YA novel is THE BOOK THEIF by Markus Zusak.

Best song or band at the moment?

Right now my favorite performing group is the Amabile guys. If you haven't heard their recording of "Beth's Song," from SING ME TO SLEEP, hop over to my website for a taste and then you can buy it from iTunes--all the proceeds go to support the choir. Their youth girls' choir is recording "Take me Home," and will be releasing that on iTunes soon. I can't wait to hear it. And next month the guys are going to record the duet Derek and Beth sing at the Choral Olympics, "About You." I never, ever, ever thought a song I wrote would be out on iTunes.

Thank you so much for answering my questions Angela! Readers, if you haven't read one of her amazing books yet, you are missing out!

Waiting On Wednesday: Invisible Girl

This week's WoW book is Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone! It will be released on May 27, 2010.

Book Description:

When poor Boston girl Stephanie is abandoned by her abusive mother and taken in by Annie’s Beverly Hills family, she feels anything but home. Her dark complexion and accent stick out like a sore thumb in the golden-hued world of blondes and extravagance. These are girls who seem to live life in fastforward, while Stephanie is stuck on pause. Yet when a new rival moves to town, threatening Annie’s queen-bee status, Stephanie finds herself taking sides in a battle she never even knew existed, and that feeling invisible is a wound that can only be healed by standing up for who she is.

This one looks great, I wanna read it! Stephanie almost reminds me of Carmen from "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" books; anyone with me? PUBLISHED ON MAY 27, 2010!

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Title: The Dead-Tossed Waves
Author: Carrie Ryan
Published: March 2010 by Delacorte Books

My Rating: 4 stars
Tags: YA | Fiction | Zombies | Book Two
Includes: Sensuality, Violence, Disturbing Scenes

First Lines: The story goes that even after the Return they tried to keep the roller coasters going. They said it reminded them of the before time. When they didn't have to worry about people rising from the dead.

*This is the sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth.*

Gabry has always been cautious and smart. She lives inside the barrier of Vista, protected from the Mudo (the "Unconsecrated" as they're called in Book One which are basically zombies), with her mother. They're in charge of the lighthouse and killing Mudo that wash up on shore from the ocean. One night, her friends want to jump the barrier and explore the abandoned amusement park on the other side. Gabry reluctantly gives in to peer pressure, but only because her best friend's brother, Catcher, is there - who she likes. But something goes terribly wrong and the life that Gabry had before is completely shattered. She learns secrets from her mother's past; meets a boy who seems to already know her, and have feelings for her; and is constantly on the run from the Recruiters who want to capture her.

From page 189
Everything is wrong. Everything has changed. I've lied and broken rules and killed someone. I've broken my promises and failed. I don't know who I am anymore.

I'll just start out saying that I liked this book a whole lot more than the first one. The story introduces many new characters, and the author developed them wonderfully. Gabry alone is such a strong and courageous character - I really liked her. Even though she constantly reminds herself that everything is her fault, rolls in self-pity, blah blah blah...she's a really tough chick and I loved her. I liked how the book was a mix of genres, too. There was the suspense, of course, since Gabry lives in a world full of flesh-eating dead zombies. But there was also romance! With the inevitable love triangle - which kept my attention because I could never predict which guy Gabry would choose to be with. Catcher, her bestfriend's brother who she has grown up with her whole life? Or Elias, a stranger who seems to know her but truly cares about her?

The writing in this book was so deep and raw. I got to really dig in to Gabry's inner feelings and understand what she was going through so well. She changed a lot through the course of the novel. She's constantly surrounded by pain and death, yet is still able to find hope and happiness in light of it all.

The book overall really held my attention. The action-packed journey that Gabry experiences is nail-biting and suspenseful. Carrie Ryan did a fantastic job of describing the Mudo, I was practically living in Gabry's world with the scary zombies. One night after staying up late reading, I actually had a nightmare about them! I did have a lot of questions when the book kind of ended abruptly, but hopefully those will be answered in the third book, The Dark and Hollow Places.

From page 387
I see his nostrils flare the instant his senses ignite. And then his eyes go wide and his mouth opens, lips pulled back from his teeth. His moans are harsh and demanding as he claws at the air.

Cover Thoughts: Creepy, creepy, creepy! The washed out colors, text, picture - everything on this cover screams what this book is about. I really like it and think it's appropriate for the book.

Book Supplied by: ARC won from a contest.

Shadow Hills Sneak Peek

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus will be published in July 2010!

After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA -- a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died. Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach -- the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after -- seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills.

You can read Chapter One!! Just simply click here! No downloading, spam, virus, etc. It's free and simple to read online. :)

Saturday Spotlight - The O.W.L.

Saturday Spotlight is where I feature another book blogger, for you to check out! You should take a look at their site and leave a comment. (: [I got this meme from Kristen.]

Name: Jill
Age: 39
Blog Name: The O.W.L. Outrageously Wonderful Literature From the Middle Grades
URL: http://owlforya.blogspot.com

Share a little bit about yourself:
I'm a 7th grade English teacher and a mom of three. I enjoy reading (duh), going to antique stores and writing. I am currently working on my first novel!

How long have you been blogging and what made you want to start?
I've been blogging since late July/early Aug. I started blogging after one of my reading classes. We were talking a lot about technology and using it in the classroom. I thought maybe I could hook my kids into read more if I had a blog they could go to for book reviews. It took off from there.

What does your site have?
I'm currenly switching from a mostly YA blog to mostly a middle grade blog. I love YA, but I've found there aren't many MG blogs. I want to promote the fantastic books written for that age group.

What is your favorite thing about book blogging?
ONE - being able to talk as much as I want about books and no one rolls their eyes at me! TWO - finding new awesome books to bring back to my students. I've been exposed to so many books that my students now love - and I really believe I wouldn't have known about them if I didn't blog.

What are your favorite books and/or authors? What about genre in general?
I love Walter Dean Myers, S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. As far as genre I read almost all of them, so I can share them with my students. For "grown up" books I love forensic crime books.

Now for the random questions!

If you could have one wish, what would it be?

The serious wish would be a cure for cancer.
The fun wish - that I could have a library like Neil Gaiman's! Have you seen that thing?? Wow!
(I looked it up on Google...and I think you should too. Prepare to be amazed!)

Favorite Disney villain?
Probably Cinderella's stepmother.

What super power do you wish you could have?

That I could transport from one place to another. That would make my life so much easier. That and be able to move things with my mind. I could clean my house while sitting on the couch!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! Any of you who aren't followers of Jill's site yet - what are you waiting for!?

If you would like to be featured on a Saturday Spotlight post, shoot me an email at booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com

It doesn't matter how long you've been blogging - I'll interview anyone!

The Lucky Winners List!

I have finally tallied up all of the HUGE amounts of entries and randomly selected the winners to all of my blogoversary contests! Thanks so much for all of you that participated, and for the 100 new followers. :) I wish I could give everyone prizes, and I genuinely mean that, but unfortunately can't. So if you see your name on this list, be expecting an email from me! You'll have 4 days to get back to me before I pick a new winner. Thanks!

2 Winners of an ARC of "Incarceron":
Hannah from Book Wonderland
Chelley from Book Picks

Winner of "TMI":
Mandy from Mandy Can Read

Winner of "Local Girls":
Rebecca from Everything In Between

2 Winners of an ARC of "Nightshade":
Anna from Good Gone Girl
Elizabeth from Swords For Fighting

Winner of an ARC of "Sing Me To Sleep":
Carrie from In the Hammock

Winner of Awesome Swag:
Karla from Karla's Randomness

Waiting On Wednesday: God Is In the Pancakes

This week's WoW book is God Is In the Pancakes by Robin Epstein! It will be released on May 13, 2010.

Book Description:

Fifteen-year-old Grace Manning is a candy striper in a nursing home, and Mr. Sands is the one patient who makes the job bearable. He keeps up with her sarcasm, teaches her to play poker . . . and one day cheerfully asks her to help him die. At first Grace says no way, but as Mr. Sands’s disease progresses, she’s not so sure. Grace tries to avoid the wrenching decision by praying for a miracle, stuffing herself with pancakes, and running away from all feelings, including the new ones she has for her best friend Eric. But Mr. Sands is getting worse, and she can’t avoid him forever. Robin Epstein has delivered an incredibly engaging, thought-provoking debut YA novel, with all the snappy dialogue and attitude of the movie Juno.

Wow this sounds like a quirky but interesting book. Just the title alone captured my attention, and I really would like to check this one out. PUBLISHED ON MAY 13, 2010!

The winners of my blogoversary contests...

...will be posted in a few days. This weekend/beginning of next week will be very busy for me since I have a lot of projects for school to work on. But hopefully on Wednesday or Thursday I will post all of the winners for ALL of the contests. Thanks all for entering, and spreading the word about them. Check back in a couple of days to see if you won! (:

Saturday Spotlight - Pages

Saturday Spotlight is where I feature another book blogger, for you to check out! You should take a look at their site and leave a comment. (: [I got this meme from Kristen.]

Name: Kirthi
Age: 13
Blog Name: Pages
URL: http://the1bookblog.blogspot.com/

Share a little bit about yourself:

I'm a nerdy 7th grader who loves to read and write, and blog!

How long have you been blogging and what made you want to start?
I started blogging on exactly 10/15/08 and I started blogging because:

1. I wanted my own blog on the internet
2. I wanted to share my reads to others
3. I thought I was the only book blogger out there
4. I wanted to see my own printed words on the internet
5. I wanted to meet other people around the world.
   

What does your site have?
It has, of course, books reviews and occasionally movie reviews. Pages also includes interviews, random posts, News Around the Blogosphere posts and Weekly Wrap-Up posts.

What is your favorite thing about book blogging?

Interacting with other bloggers and learning about what they think about the books I read.

What are your favorite books and/or authors? What about genre in general?

Well, there's that cliche Harry Potter, Graceling, Shiver, City of Bones, and SO much more! I favor historical fiction and fantasy fiction over all the other genres, though I still enjoy them.

Now for the random questions!
What's the scariest dream you've ever had?

This may sound emo, but I had a dream that I was dying of hemophilia, though I had NO idea what hemophilia was.

Favorite chick-flick movie?

Don't think I've watched one.....

Best midnight snack?
Chocolate, who doesn't love chocolate (don't answer that :D)

Thanks for interviewing me, this was a load of fun to answer!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! Any of you who aren't followers of Kirthi's site yet - what are you waiting for!?

If you would like to be featured on a Saturday Spotlight post, shoot me an email at booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com

It doesn't matter how long you've been blogging - I'll interview anyone!