tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73900194221004666682024-03-17T20:03:06.593-07:00Books ObsessionAshleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.comBlogger634125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-83774010544612085512012-03-14T11:37:00.002-07:002012-03-17T11:43:48.160-07:00Waiting On Wednesday: When You Open Your Eyes<span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/whenyouopenyoureyes.png" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5" />This week's WoW book is <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">When You Open Your Eyes</span> by Celeste Conway</span>! It will be released on March 20, 2012.<br /><br />SUMMARY: <span id="freeText4865045115402979089" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Tessa’s head over heels for Lucien, the son of a French diplomat. Sexy, artistic, and daring, he brings out a completely new side of her. With him, Tessa feels beautiful and exotic. So when Tessa’s strict father forbids her to see Lucien, she’s determined to keep their relationship a secret.But as Tessa gets caught up in Lucien, he becomes increasingly volatile. What she once found alluring about him now feels alarming. Tessa must figure out how far she’ll go for Lucien before she risks losing not just him, but everything she loves.</span><br /><br />This cover is catchy and it sounds like a nice read. PUBLISHED ON MARCH 20, 2012.</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-18184602231342089592012-02-15T16:26:00.000-08:002012-02-17T16:32:07.287-08:00Waiting On Wednesday: Double by Jenny Valentine<span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/double.png" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5" />This week's WoW book is <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Double</span> by Jenny Valentine</span>! It will be released on February 21, 2012.<br /><br />SUMMARY: </span><span id="freeText9810299534071445850" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;color:#000066;" ><span id="freeText12083789936181615060"><span id="freeText12289769413346373598"><span id="freeText10789870265260293937"><span id="freeText4329779773073831459"><span id="freeText1606212318608536745"><span id="freeText6658917861978230848" style="">When the sixteen-year-old runaway Chap is mistaken for a missing boy named Cassiel, his life changes dramatically. Chap takes on Cassiel's identity, gaining the family and friends he's always dreamed of having. But becoming someone else isn't as easy as he hoped--and Chap isn't the only one hiding a secret. As he teeters on the brink of discovery and begins to unravel the mystery behind Cassiel's disappearance, Chap realizes that he's in much deeper danger than he could have imagined. After all, you can't just steal a life and expect to get away with it. Award-winning author Jenny Valentine delivers an explosive mystery where dark secrets, betrayal, and loss pave the way for one teen's chance at redemption.</span><span id="freeText11800867287249401571" style=""></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />I haven't heard any talk about this book yet, but it sounds pretty interesting. PUBLISHED ON FEBRUARY 21, 2012.</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-86549640140353248322012-02-01T10:50:00.000-08:002012-02-01T10:50:00.362-08:00Waiting On Wednesday: Harbinger<span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/harbinger.png" align="left" hspace="5" vspace="5" />This week's WoW book is <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Harbinger</span> by Sara Wilson Etienne</span>! It will be released on February 2, 2012.<br /><br />SUMMARY: </span><span id="freeText9810299534071445850" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;color:#000066;" ><span id="freeText12083789936181615060"><span id="freeText12289769413346373598"><span id="freeText10789870265260293937"><span id="freeText4329779773073831459"><span id="freeText1606212318608536745">When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast. But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red. Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too. Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.<span id="freeText11800867287249401571" style=""></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />I absolutely love psychological thrillers! This one looks great and had many positive reviews; I'm excited to read it. PUBLISHED ON FEBRUARY 2, 2012.</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-60213231537942606632012-01-27T10:41:00.000-08:002012-01-27T12:09:32.099-08:00Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally<span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/catchingjordan.png" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="4" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Title: </span>Catching Jordan<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Author:</span> Miranda Kenneally<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Published:</span> December 2011 by Sourcebooks</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">My </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating:</span> 4.5 stars</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" > <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tags:</span> YA | Romance | Realistic | Football</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Includes:</span> </span><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Sexuality, Profanity</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First Lines:</span> <span style="color:#330099;">I once read that football was invented so people wouldn't notice summer ending. But I couldn't wait for summer vacation to end. I couldn't wait for football.</span></span><br /><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/45stars.png" /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span>Jordan Woods, a senior in high school, is the captain and quarterback of the football team. In fact, she's one of the best quarterbacks in the state of Tennessee! As Jordan tries to score a scholarship to her dream college, Alabama, she's also trying to gain respect from her father, who disapproves of her playing football. Jordan has always been 'one of the guys', constantly hanging out with her teammates and best friend, Sam Henry. But at the beginning of senior year a new guy comes to town and joins the football team. A very <i>cute</i> new guy, named Ty...who happens to be the quarterback at his old school. Can Jordan keep her head in the game and focus on leading her team, or will she be distracted by Ty, who just may be competing for her position and her heart?<br /><br />I have never been a fan of football nor have I ever seen a football game in my life. However, this book - with its mix of girls, football, romance, and friendship - I am definitely a fan of. Just because you aren't a sports fanatic doesn't mean that you can't enjoy this awesome book! Right away I liked Jordan's strong character. She has a tough exterior, but also has a sweet, emotional side buried deep within. I admired how she stood up for herself and was a willful, determined person.<br /><br />You would never have guessed that this is Kenneally's debut novel, because her writing is stunning! She has a way of weaving together words to create a flawless visual of what's happening in the story. It was almost exactly like watching a movie because I could imagine the characters and events so perfectly. The relationships in this story were probably one of my favorite things about the book. I liked seeing Jordan and Ty's fling quickly become romantic. Even though I think their steamy relationship happened way too soon, it was definitely believable and never felt forced. I loved the friendships between Jordan and her teammates, too! Henry, JJ, and Carter were typical high school boys, letting their pride and testosterone make decisions for them. But they were so sweet at times and protected Jordan when the need arose.<br /><br /><span style=" ;font-size:100%;color:#333399;" ><span style="color:#333399;"><span style="color:#330099;">From page 79</span></span></span><br /><span style=" ;font-size:100%;color:#333399;" ><span style="color:#333399;"><span style="color:#330099;">Flipping through the channels, I stop on ESPN as Henry sits down on the sofa cushion next to me. He slumps down and closes his eyes, and even though he was acting normal a couple of minutes ago, I can feel sadness radiating off him like steam rising from hot asphalt in summertime. </span></span></span><br /><br />The actual storyline itself was extremely predictable and I guessed right away what would happen, but I still really enjoyed reading it. The strong character ties were so realistic and there were some super cute scenes in the book. I would recommend reading this great debut novel, football lover or not!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Cover Thoughts: It's sweet and I'm so glad that the characters' faces are not showing, so that we can imagine what they look like instead.</span></div></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-64166227130842644612012-01-20T10:04:00.000-08:002012-01-20T11:46:15.385-08:00Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/shatterme.png" vspace="4" align="left" hspace="10" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Title: </span>Shatter Me<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Author:</span> Tahereh Mafi<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Published:</span> November 2011 by Harper Collins</span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">My </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating:</span> 5 stars</span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" > <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tags:</span> YA | Romance | Paranormal | Dystopia</span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Includes:</span> </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Sexuality, Violence, Profanity</span><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First Lines:</span> <span style="color:#330099;">I've been locked up for 264 days. I have nothing but a small notebook and a broken pen and the numbers in my head to keep me company. 1 window. 4 walls. 144 square feet of space. 26 letters in an alphabet I haven't spoken in 264 days of isolation.</span></span><br /><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/5stars.png" /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Juliette's touch is fatal. There's no explanation as to why but one thing's for sure: if she touches someone, the agonizing pain can quickly lead to their death. As society crumbles apart and civilization begins dying out, the Reestablishment takes charge. They lock up Juliette in a terrifying asylum, preventing her from human contact for 264 days. While diseases kill the population, crops cease to grow, animals are dying, and water is hard to find, all Juliette wants is a chance. To be touched. To be loved. But the Reestablishment seems to have made plans for her, to use her abnormal ability to their advantage in war. Juliette must choose to be their monstrous weapon or to fight back.<br /><br />Wow, this was truly unlike any book I've ever read! I fell in love with Juliette right away, instantly connecting to her personality and emotions. For a few chapters into the novel, not that much is explained. I liked that thrilling sense of mystery, and how the reader must figure out on their own for awhile what's going on. The horrifying, dystopian world that the author created was scary because it felt real and believable. In contrast to the crumbling world and its dying, weak inhabitants, Juliette was just the opposite. She was bold, brave, fierce. I greatly admired her and liked that she wasn't totally predictable - I never really knew what actions she'd do next. As for her special ability of having a fatal touch, it made the story so interesting and unique. It was definitely a brand new superhuman power that I've never come across before!<br /><br />The story progressed quickly and there was almost always nonstop action. The author lingered on scenes and settings just long enough to hold the attention of the reader and let them become accustomed to it, before introducing an entirely new setting. I never knew what to predict next. The novel kept me on my toes, absorbing all my time and attention. The character development was amazingly well-done for the main characters and not to mention all of the many secondary characters. The romance between Juliette and Adam was very believable and they had so much chemistry together. They were perfect for each other and the poetic prose during scenes with them just melted my heart. I can't wait to read the next book in the series and see how their strong relationship grows even more. This was an incredible, action-filled, and thrilling debut from an author to watch!<br /><br /><span style=";font-size:100%;color:#333399;" ><span style="color:#333399;"><span style="color:#330099;">From page 57<br />The air is crisp and cool. A refreshing bath of tangible nothing that stings my eyes and snaps at my skin. The sun is high today, blinding as it reflects the small patches of snow keeping the earth frozen. My eyes are pressed down by the weight of the bright light and I can't see through more than two slits, but the warm rays wash over my body like a jacket fitted to my form, like the hug of something greater than a human. I could stand still in this moment forever. For one infinite second I feel free. </span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Cover Thoughts: It's definitely eye-catching and pretty to look at. It also fits the trend that many new paranormal books have these days: gorgeous models in over-the-top dresses. However, it really doesn't have anything to do with the story; there's not even a scene in the book where Juliette wears a flouncy, white dress.<br /><br /></span></div></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-30827585934471954212012-01-18T09:57:00.000-08:002012-01-20T10:03:21.135-08:00Waiting On Wednesday: Forbidden<span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/forbidden.png" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5" />This week's WoW book is <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Forbidden</span> by Syrie and Ryan James</span>! It will be released on January 24, 2012.<br /><br />SUMMARY: </span><span id="freeText9810299534071445850" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;color:#000066;" ><span id="freeText12083789936181615060"><span id="freeText12289769413346373598"><span id="freeText10789870265260293937"><span id="freeText4329779773073831459"><span id="freeText1606212318608536745">She should not exist. He should not love her. Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she’s desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there’s no way she’s going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she’s been having or the creepy warnings that she’s in danger. Alec MacKenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn’t factored Claire into his plans... Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire’s unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her?</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Looks like a good, intriguing book! It sounds a little like the <span style="font-style: italic;">Hush, Hush</span> series which I loved. PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 24, 2012.</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-20459196520378981262012-01-11T17:02:00.000-08:002012-01-11T17:03:10.183-08:0017 Winners Announced! - End of the Year Madness Giveaway<div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/contests/endofyearmadnessbutton.png" /><br /><br />I hope that everyone liked my End of the Year Madness Giveaway! After over a month of planning and collaborating with authors, the actual contest itself seemed to be a huge success however I probably won't be having a giveaway this big again. Thank you to all the wonderful blog followers (new and old!) that entered. Now...here are the seventeen winners!<br /><br />First winner is: <a href="http://hopelovehappyendings.blogspot.com/">Ephrielle from Hope, Love, and Happy Endings</a>!<br />who won: <span style="font-style: italic;">The Mephisto Covenant</span> by Trinity Faegen, <span style="font-style: italic;">Babe in Boyland</span> by Jody Gehrman, <span style="font-style: italic;">Between </span>by Jessica Warman, and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Revenant </span>by Sonia Gensler<br /><br />Second winner is: <a href="http://thebookbasement.blogspot.com/">Sophia from The Book Basement</a>!<br />who won: <span style="font-style: italic;">Misfit </span>by Jon Skovron, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Lipstick Laws </span>by Amy Holder, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Through Her Eyes</span> by Jennifer Archer<br /><br />Third winner is: <a href="http://thebusybibliophile.com/">Andrea from The Busy Bibliophile</a>!<br />who won: <span style="font-style: italic;">Stupid Fast </span>by Geoff Herbach and <span style="font-style: italic;">Cold Kiss</span> by Amy Garvey<br /><br />Now for the fourteen winners who each won one book...<br /><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/Dani_Nguyen">Dani N</a> won <span style="font-style: italic;">You Are My Only</span> by Beth Kephart<br /><br /><a href="http://kapri-bookfanatics.blogspot.com/">Kapri from Book Fanatics</a> won the Holly Schindler SWAG pack<br /><br />Stacey E won <span style="font-style: italic;">Love Story</span> by Jennifer Echols<br /><br /><a href="http://thesepaperwings.blogspot.com/">Lauren from Paper Wings</a> won <span style="font-style: italic;">Shifting</span> by Bethany Wiggins<br /><br /><a href="http://annabellsbooknook.blogspot.com/">Ann M from Annabell's Book Nook</a> won<span style="font-style: italic;"> The Beginning of After</span> by Jennifer Castle<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pagesturnedlessonslearned.blogspot.com/">Amanda from Pages Turned</a> won <span style="font-style: italic;">Imaginary Girls</span> by Nova Ren Suma<br /><br />Pao P won <span style="font-style: italic;">Possess</span> by Gretchen McNeil<br /><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/miztrebor">Robert Z</a> won <span style="font-style: italic;">Witch Eyes</span> by Scott Tracey<br /><br />Tia S won <span style="font-style: italic;">Ripple</span> by Mandy Hubbard<br /><br /><a href="http://thelibrarylady38.blogspot.com/">Amy from The Library Lady</a> won <span style="font-style: italic;">OyMG</span> by Amy Fellner Dominy<br /><br />Victoria won the Stasia Ward Kehoe SWAG pack<br /><br /><a href="http://www.jenbigheart.com/">Jen from I Read Banned Books</a> won <span style="font-style: italic;">Deadly Cool</span> by Gemma Halliday<br /><br />Caitlyn Y won <span style="font-style: italic;">Darker Still </span>by Leanna Renee Hieber<br /><br /><a href="http://maidenveil.blogspot.com/">Maidenveil from Musings of a Reader Happy</a> won the assorted goodies SWAG pack<br /><br /><br />A big thank you again to everyone who entered the giveaway! I already sent out all the emails to the winners so please reply as soon as possible so that you can receive your prizes. Hope 2012 is a fantastic year for you all. :)<br /><br /></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-3038402809327659472012-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:002012-01-14T07:08:22.470-08:00YA Faeries & Fantasy Giveaway Hop<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/contests/faeriesandfantasygiveawayhoppicture.png" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">CONTEST CLOSED</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >The winner is... <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/karasmannequin">Kara D</a></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I absolutely love young adult fantasy books, so I of course signed up to participate in the <a href="http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2011/11/young-adult-faeries-fantasy-giveaway.html">Young Adult Faeries & Fantasy Giveaway Hop</a> hosted by <a href="http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/">I Am a Reader, Not a Writer</a> and <a href="http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/">vvb32reads</a>. If you're an old follower of my site, thank you so much! For those of you first timers, please check out my other posts; I have written tons of young adult book reviews, author interviews, and hold many giveaways! Thanks for taking the time to stop by my blog, be sure to visit the other blogs participating in this giveaway hop, too.<br /><br />Wanna know what the prize here at Books Obsession is?....<br /></div><br /><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/thefaeriering.png" vspace="5" align="right" hspace="5" />An ARC of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6715235-the-faerie-ring">The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton</a>!<br />Published September 27, 2011<br /><br /><span id="freeText13975360112384111407" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood. Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist. Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note:</span> This is a gently read ARC that unfortunately doesn't have the pretty cover art, but does have the amazing story inside! <a href="http://booksobsession.blogspot.com/2011/06/faerie-ring-by-kiki-hamilton.html">Click here to read my review.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Giveaway Details:</span><br />-The only requirement? Be a blog follower via GFC (Google Friend Connect).<br />-Open to U.S. residents only. (Sorry international friends!)<br />-Giveaway runs from Jan. 6th to Jan. 12th.<br />-One winner will be randomly selected and emailed.<br />-Fill out the form below to enter. Comments are very appreciated but won't count as entries.<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHBoUHdWZi1ZSGlmd0lKZWYtMUVCblE6MQ">Click here to fill out the entry form!</a></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span><noscript></noscript>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-9521124825815560602012-01-05T12:52:00.001-08:002012-01-05T12:52:52.682-08:00The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten<span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><br /><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/secretsisterhoodofheartbreakers.png" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="4" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Title: </span>The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Author:</span> Lynn Weingarten<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Published:</span> December 2011 by HarperTeen</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">My </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating:</span> 4.5 stars</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tags:</span> YA | Romance | Girls | Paranormal | Magic</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Includes:</span> </span><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">Sensuality, Profanity</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First Lines:</span> <span style="color:#330099;">In the beginning, there was Lucy Wrenn, standing all alone out in front of her school on the first day of sophomore year, with a seductive little message written on her stomach in Sharpie marker.</span></span><br /><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/45stars.png" /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />After spending an entire summer apart from her boyfriend Alex, Lucy is beyond excited to see him on the first day of school. What she wasn't expecting was that he was going to break up with her instead. Then along comes Olivia, a fierce senior who has a cure for Lucy's broken heart. All she has to do is make a guy fall in love with her within seven days, then break his heart and collect one of his teardrops. With the help of Olivia, her two friends, Gin and Liza, and a little magic, Lucy takes up their offer and embarks on becoming a Heartbreaker.<br /><br />Lucy was a girl blind with love. Her character was sweet and lovable, but my goodness she was NEEDY. After a few chapters reading about how in love with Alex she was and how impossible it would be to live life without him, I wanted to slap some sense into the young girl. Sure, heartbreak sucks but life goes on! However, if Lucy's character was different and she was actually very independent, then it would change the entire story. So even though at first it was annoying to see how desperate she was to get back with Alex, it really set the stage for the rest of the book. Lucy was relatable, realistic, and one determined girl. And even though the story was told in third person, I really grew to understand Lucy well and was put on a personal level with her.<br /><br />I adored Weingarten's beautiful writing! She wrote so vividly, including little details that most authors would overlook. Being able to read about the descriptive sights, sounds, smells, and tastes created a lively, clear visual. It really impressed me that she included all of the different senses to make it feel like I was actually in the book, too.<br /><br /><span style=" ;font-size:100%;color:#333399;"><span style="color:#333399;"><span style="color:#330099;">From page 62<br />Lucy stood near the front of the room looking for Alex. She had been waiting months for this, their first photo class together. She's spent hours and hours watching little movies in her head about it - she and Alex holding hands during lectures, she and Alex kissing secretly under that warm, red darkroom light surrounded by the harsh photo chemicals that would smell delicious to her because she was smelling them with him. </span></span></span><br /><br />The other characters in the story were also deeply developed and I'm crossing my fingers that there will be many scenes with them in the sequel! Tristan, Lucy's best friend, was one of my favorites and I definitely have a fictional crush on him. The three Heartbreakers themselves - Olivia, Liza, and Gin - were so much fun to read about and each had rich, memorable personas. I grew to have a strong opinion about each and every character in the book...don't even get me started about Alex. This was such a creative tale and I loved the mix of magic and realism. There were some really deep and thought-provoking scenes in the book, along with intriguing quotes (that I shamefully dog-eared) to reread again and again.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Cover Thoughts: Gorgeous! The cover itself is what initially drew me to the book and is so eye-catching. Plus, I <span style="font-style: italic;">love</span> how the picture of the girl blowing glitter completely relates to the story and is not just a pretty photograph.<br /><br /></span></div></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-44058142099329164332012-01-04T11:53:00.000-08:002012-01-04T11:53:27.008-08:00Waiting On Wednesday: The Fault In Our Stars<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><br />
<img align="left" hspace="5" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/thefaultinourstars.png" vspace="5" />This week's WoW book is <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Fault In Our Stars</span> by John Green</span>! It will be released on January 10, 2012.<br />
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SUMMARY: </span><span id="freeText9810299534071445850" style="color: #000066; font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><span id="freeText12083789936181615060"><span id="freeText12289769413346373598"><span id="freeText10789870265260293937"><span id="freeText4329779773073831459"><span id="freeText1606212318608536745">Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><br />
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I've heard marvelous things about John Green's writing so I'd love to check out this book! PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 10, 2012.</span><br />
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</span>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-6961557037732525392011-12-28T12:46:00.000-08:002011-12-28T12:46:00.143-08:00Author's Favorite Writer of the YearIn celebration of my "End of the Year Madness" event, I asked an author to share who her favorite writer of 2011 is.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>FAVORITE WRITER OF THE YEAR: AUTHOR PICK</b></div><br />
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<img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/julietimmortal.png" vspace="4" /><b><a href="http://www.jodygehrman.com/">Jody Gehrman</a>, author of <i>Babe In Boyland</i>: </b><br />
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My big discovery of 2011 is Stacey Jay, a writer who spins tales infused with humor and palpable atmosphere; you won’t be able to put her books down. She creates totally sexy love interests, too—fantasy-worthy-yet-somehow-believable men who pretty much leap off the page. I instantly adored her. I started with the first book in her Megan Berry, Zombie Settler series, <i>You Are So Undead to Me</i>. Technically this isn’t a 2011 release, but I read it this year, so I’m throwing it in. Loved this light, humorous take on the zombie genre—totally fresh and fun. Megan Berry has a voice that’s completely believable and I bonded with her from page one. Next I read <i>Dead on the Delta</i> (out this year, with a sequel out in 2012, <i>Blood on the Bayou</i>). This incredibly strange and original novel mixes killer fairies and a strong yet endearingly human heroine. Add not one but two steamy love interests and a swampy Louisiana setting, you get a super-charged recipe for reading-all-night. Her latest YA, <i>Juliet Immortal</i>, proves once again her knack for dreaming up delicious male characters. The guy in that, Ben, totally stole my heart; he made poor old Romeo look like a pathetic loser! So yeah, check out Stacey Jay. She’s fun, eclectic, and definitely a writer to watch.<br />
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<b><i>Jody Gehrman is participating in my huge <a href="http://booksobsession.blogspot.com/2011/12/end-of-year-madness-giveaway.html">End of the Year Madness Giveaway</a>, so be sure to enter for your chance to win her book!</i></b>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-8234657540318416392011-12-27T09:27:00.000-08:002011-12-27T09:27:00.688-08:00Authors Talk About the Class of 2k11In celebration of my "End of the Year Madness" event, I asked two authors to share what their favorite characters/books written in 2011 are. Not being able to simply pick one, they decided that all the books from the Class of 2k11 were worthy of making the cut!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>THE CLASS OF 2K11</b></div><br />
<img align="left" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/oymg.png" vspace="4" /><b><a href="http://amydominy.com/">Amy Fellner Dominy</a>, author of <i>OyMG</i>: </b><br />
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My Favorite Read of 2011: This is an incredible story. It’s about a girl who walks across the country, falls in love with a guy from Hell, slowly unravels into multiple personalities, takes a trip to Faerie land, stuffs her bra, gets mixed up in a zombie epidemic, makes an incredible cake to save her family, sneaks into the country illegally, ends up at an artist’s colony, saves an accused murderer, is told to get tattooed for sex, takes a pill to forget everything…oh, and there’s this guy who becomes stupid fast, and takes a bus trip to fulfill a dying friend’s wish.<br />
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(I told you it was incredible!) What I just described was the stories of The Class of 2k11. If you’ve never heard of 2k11, it’s a group of middle grade and young adult authors who all debuted with their first novels sometime during the past year. What you just read was a small taste from most of the books.<br />
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I have to come clean and admit that I’m a part of 2k11—so yeah, I’m slightly biased. But the many reviewers and bloggers out there are not and you’ll find a ton of fan favorites. I’ve listed the titles below, but you can go to the website to read more. http://www.classof2k11.com/ And while you do, be sure and check out next year’s class. The Class of 2k12 is looking pretty dang amazing. http://classof2k12.com/<br />
Happy Holidays and Merry Reading! <br />
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<b>The Class of 2k11 Books Mentioned Above:</b><br />
The Year We Were Famous, Carole Estby Dagg<br />
The Mephisto Covenant, Trinity Faegen<br />
Popular, Alisso Grosso<br />
The Faerie Ring, Kiki Hamilton<br />
The Lipstick Laws, Amy Holder<br />
Bad Taste in Boys, Carrie Harris<br />
The Sweetest Thing, Christina Mandelski<br />
Illegal, Bettina Restrepo<br />
Sparrow Road, Sheila O’Connor<br />
With A Name Like Love, Tess Hilmo<br />
XVI, Julia Karr<br />
Memento Nora, Angie Smibert<br />
Stupid Fast, Geoff Herbach<br />
The Pull of Gravity, Gae Polisner<br />
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<img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/thelipsticklaws.png" vspace="4" /><b><a href="http://www.amyholder.com/">Amy Holder</a>, author of <i>The Lipstick Laws</i>:</b><br />
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This year has been an amazing year for fabulous books, both debuts and new books from already loved authors. As a 2011 debut author myself, it's been an extra special, exciting year for me and my debut, THE LIPSTICK LAWS. One of the many perks of being involved in the book world is getting to know other authors and their stories. I had the pleasure of reading many 2011 debuts before they hit the shelves and entered the hearts, minds and imaginations of so many readers. Because of this, I have to say that some of my favorite books and characters of 2011 came from fellow 2011 debut authors in both the Class of 2k11 and the Elevensies. I have way too many favorites to list, but there have been characters for every type of reader to identify with and adore. From Kate Grable, the quirky zombie fighting heroine in BAD TASTE IN BOYS by Carrie Harris... to the dramatic clique and brilliant twist in Alissa Grosso's POPULAR... to Bettina Restrepo's beautifully written plight of an illegal immigrant named Nora in ILLEGAL... to Kiki Hamilton's enchanting portrayal of a pickpocket orphan named Tiki in THE FAERIE RING.... These are just some of the many characters from 2011 that have made me laugh, gasp, sympathize, reflect, and/or dream. I have been so inspired by my fellow authors and the amazing stories and characters that they've brought to life. I feel very grateful to know that my book has been in such wonderful company this year. And I'm looking forward to the new voices and characters of 2012 as well.<br />
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<b><i>Both of these authors (Amy Dominy and Amy Holder) are participating in my huge <a href="http://booksobsession.blogspot.com/2011/12/end-of-year-madness-giveaway.html">End of the Year Madness Giveaway</a>, so be sure to enter for your chance to win their books!</i></b>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-69880622782145407992011-12-26T10:56:00.000-08:002011-12-26T10:56:00.226-08:00Author's Favorite Character of the Year: Part 2In celebration of my "End of the Year Madness" event, I asked an author to share what her favorite character from books written in 2011 are.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>FAVORITE CHARACTER OF THE YEAR: AUTHOR PICK</b></div><br />
<img align="left" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/chime.png" vspace="4" /><b><a href="http://soniagensler.com/">Sonia Gensler</a>, author of <i>The Revenant</i>: </b><br />
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My favorite character in a book written this year has to be Eldric from CHIME. In a world of brooding bad boys, he’s a refreshing change. (Which isn’t to say that I don’t sometimes love brooding heroes – it’s just nice to find a character who is <i>nice</i> and yet still manages to be compelling.) Eldric is the new boy in town, and he lodges with the family of CHIME’s protagonist, Briony. Briony wants nothing to do with him – she’s got too much on her mind, what with feeling responsible for all her family’s problems, including her twin sister’s seemingly damaged mind. Briony also keeps secret the fact that she’s a witch. She can’t allow herself to trust Eldric and certainly doesn’t need the distraction of his charm and good looks. Eldric makes no secret of the fact that he thinks Briony is wonderful. So does he tempt and tease her? Turn warm and cold until she’s utterly confused? Relentlessly pursue her until she wearies and gives in? No. He offers friendship. He exhibits patience. He takes the time to learn about Briony’s hopes and fears, offers support, and gives her space when she needs it. Eldric has all these wonderful qualities and still manages to be incredibly sexy and mysterious. Who are your favorite YA romantic heroes who just happen to be <i>nice</i>? :)<br />
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<b><i>Sonia Gensler is participating in my huge <a href="http://booksobsession.blogspot.com/2011/12/end-of-year-madness-giveaway.html">End of the Year Madness Giveaway</a>, so be sure to enter for your chance to win her book!</i></b>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-87715163604437251602011-12-25T12:54:00.000-08:002011-12-25T12:54:00.081-08:00Stasia Ward Kehoe Guest Post<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><br />
In celebration of my "End of the Year Madness" event, author <a href="http://www.stasiawardkehoe.com/">Stasia Ward Kehoe</a> wrote a guest post about a fun book tour she participated in this year called <span style="font-style: italic;">Stages on Pages</span>.<br />
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<img align="left" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/audition.png" vspace="4" /></span><br />
<div face="verdana" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">FANGIRLING AUTHORS WHO ROCK AND SING AND PLAY VIOLIN CONCERTOS (LITERALLY)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Guest Post written by Stasia Ward Kehoe<br />
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Along with the excitement of lauching my debut novel, AUDITION (Viking/Penguin 10-13-11) this October, there has been incredible end-of-year madness for me involving a book tour I put together called STAGES ON PAGES (<a href="http://www.stagesonpages.com/" target="_blank">www.stagesonpages.com</a>). Since I grew up as a dancer and actress, I've always loved books about the performing arts. <img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/authors/stasiawardkehoe.png" vspace="4" />For the tour, I connected with authors who not only write YA about the arts but who ARE ACTUAL AWESOME PERFORMERS! And I came to learn that there are many ex-dancer/actor/musicians in the writing world. It's a tremendous tribe. We started the Stages on Pages tour in Los Angeles, meandered up to Seattle, made our way through New York, and finished in New Hampshire, sharing stories about our teen years as performers, and how we now write about rock music and violins, show choirs and ballet slippers. We had lots of laughs and some amazing creative moments. Here are just three:<br />
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--The amazingly talented violinist and VIRTUOSITY author <a href="http://www.jessicamartinez.com/" target="_blank">Jessica Martinez</a> jamming with guitar-playing ADIOS, NIRVANA author <a href="http://adiosnirvana.com/" target="_blank">Conrad Wesselhoeft </a> at A CHILDREN'S PLACE BOOKSTORE in Portland, OR. Two beautiful novels about very different string instruments and music styles, but both with incredible heart and soul. Great reads!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/authors/stagesonpagesauthor.png" /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">--Students from El Segundo Middle School acting out scenes from <a href="http://www.stasiawardkehoe.com/" target="_blank">AUDITION</a> (by me), POSSESS by <a href="http://www.gretchenmcneil.com/" target="_blank">Gretchen McNeil </a>(cuz, um, there's a choir scene), and MY LIFE, THE THEATER & OTHER TRAGEDIES (techies against actors, oh yeah!) by <a href="http://allenzadoff.com/" target="_blank">Allen Zadoff</a>. Best moment: When Allen told the kids in the audience that Gretchen would sing an opera song in ANY language they could name. Talk about glare-of-horror from Gretchen! Luckily, they picked French :)<br />
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<div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;">--Speaking to an audience of television performers, stage actors, musicians and dancers at Books of Wonder in New York City (whose owner, btw, is the most amazingly informed theater person I have ever met--he's in the middle of the picture surrounded by us writer-people). Plus, we played a new game I invented called Author Roulette. It involves authors and improv and book quotes--fun beyond measure and, well, quite potentially very embarassing.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/authors/stagesonpagesauthors.png" /><br />
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</span></div></div><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;">So, even if you are mired in madness right now, I suggest that, along with resolutions, you make at least one themed list of YA novels about things that fascinate you. The coolest part of all is that once you tell the world you're starting your list, the suggestions come pouring in. Of course, I recommend to you the terrific books by <a href="http://www.stagesonpages.com/" target="_blank">Stages on Pages </a>authors Elise Allen, Sheela Chari, Kim Culbertson, Danielle Joseph, Tara Kelly, Jessica Martinez, Gretchen McNeil, Rosanne Parry, Louise Spiegler, Sara Bennett Wealer, Conrad Wesselhoeft, and Allen Zadoff. But, thanks to some of the folks I ment on tour, I've also got THE FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB by Anthony John and Jennifer Donnelly's REVOLUTION sitting on my bedside table. Will I finish them before this mad year ends? We'll have to see. But, regardless, I'm in love with my list!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Stasia is participating in my huge <a href="http://booksobsession.blogspot.com/2011/12/end-of-year-madness-giveaway.html">End of the Year Madness Giveaway</a>, so be sure to enter for your chance to win a swag pack from her! It includes a signed poster, bookmarks, and ballerina sticky notes.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-10860925164036172162011-12-24T09:59:00.000-08:002011-12-24T09:59:00.104-08:00Jennifer Castle Guest Post<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In celebration of my "End of the Year Madness" event, author <a href="http://www.jennifercastle.com/">Jennifer Castle</a> wrote a guest post about her favorite book of 2011.</span><br />
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<img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/thebeginningofafter.png" vspace="4" /><span id="freeText11801573318851544848" style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429005-the-beginning-of-after"><i></i></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>My Favorite Book of 2011</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.jennifercastle.com/">Jennifer Castle</a>, author of <i>The Beginning of After</i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Choosing a favorite book of the year is usually tough for me, because I read a lot of different kinds of books and they all serve different purposes. How do I compare a juicy chick lit novel to a fascinating collection of non-fiction essays, when I loved them both? Ack! But not in 2011. There's one book that really floored me, and actually made me feel like I'd developed a secret love affair, because I kept looking for ways to sneak away and be alone with it. Once, I told my family I had an important errand to run, then drove to a supermarket parking lot and sat in the car, reading. What was the book? That would be Laini Taylor's <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img align="left" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/daughterofsmokeandbone.png" vspace="4" />I'm not afraid to admit, I'm kind of a snob when it comes to the actual writing in a novel. Even if a story has hooked me, it won't fully have my heart unless the telling of it is just gorgeous. I love me some poetry in my prose, where the words sparkle and sing and I re-read a sentence just to enjoy it again. The way Laini delivers that, in a totally accessible way, is amazing to me. Then there's the character thing. I need my characters to stay with me even when I'm not reading, to give me that giddy feeling of having just met the coolest new friend or -- even better -- an intriguing crush. (When readers tell me that Laurel and David from <i>The Beginning of After</i> seemed so real, they could really see and hear them, that they couldn't stop thinking about them, I take that as the highest possible compliment.) The characters in <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i> are like that for me; they're living-and-breathing real...freaky animal parts and all.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Laini Taylor's gift is to be able to weave these things together with incredible world-building and a killer story. If you write, then you know a great book will inspire your work -- just like all great art inspires other great art -- and that's what <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i> does for me. Laini, thanks for making 2011 a year where I went somewhere truly astonishing! Oh my. Just talking about it makes me want to go read it again. Will you excuse me? I...uh...have something very important to pick up at the store...</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jennifer is participating in my huge <a href="http://booksobsession.blogspot.com/2011/12/end-of-year-madness-giveaway.html">End of the Year Madness Giveaway</a>, so be sure to enter for your chance to win her book, <i>The Beginning of After.</i> </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-52843249264335311072011-12-23T11:48:00.000-08:002011-12-23T11:48:00.272-08:00Authors' Favorite Characters of the Year: Part 1In celebration of my "End of the Year Madness" event, I asked two authors to share what their favorite characters from books written in 2011 are.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>FAVORITE CHARACTERS OF THE YEAR: AUTHOR PICKS</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/thepullofgravity.png" vspace="4" /><b><a href="http://geoffherbach.com/">Geoff Herbach</a>, author of <i>Stupid Fast</i>:</b></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Hi my name is Geoff. I wrote the book <i>Stupid Fast</i>. It’s about a jumpy boy named Felton (people call him Squirrel Nut, poor guy, at least until he grows a lot and gets kind of scary big). My pal Gae Polisner wrote another piece of contemporary realism in the past year called <i>The Pull of Gravity</i>. It stars a kid named Nick who’s dad has left and who suffers from bad fevers (he hallucinates early in the book and climbs a water tower in his underpants). Since there aren’t that many books for young dudes, and I really want young dudes to read, I’m a huge fan of Nick and <i>The Pull of Gravity</i>. One of the things I really love about this book is that Nick is dealing with an enormous amount of guilt, not only for his relationship with his dad, but for a friend who suffered a debilitating disease and died (Nick sort of backed away from the kid, Scooter, in the year or so before his death). But Nick doesn’t talk about his guilt, he shows it through his actions, through his desire to make things right. He’s not entirely self-aware – he’s not sure what he believes – but he knows he has to do something. I think <i>The Pull of Gravity</i> is heartbreaking, funny, sweet, and very real. You’ll love Nick (and his pal Jaycee, the girl who gives him the courage to go on his quest).<br />
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<img align="left" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/youaremyonly.png" vspace="4" /><b><a href="http://beth-kephart.blogspot.com/">Beth Kephart</a>, author of <i>You Are My Only</i>: </b><br />
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I will confess to feeling awfully close to Emmy, the young mother who loses her baby in <i>You Are My Only</i>. I’ll never know how my own imagination found Emmy, or why I started to hear her story in the unusual way she wanted to tell it. But once I heard those first few words—<i>The baby is missing. The baby is not where I left her</i>—I couldn’t walk away. I know a whole lot about motherly love. I know something of despair. But Emmy was taking me places I’d never gone, and I felt haunted as I worked and wrote. I felt as if I had no choice but to follow. It never felt like I was writing Emmy. It only felt like I was listening and trying, as I listened, to protect this young woman, with her unorthodox intelligence and her enormous broken heart. And so there she is, in <i>You Are My Only</i>—speaking in her own rhythms, finding her own way, reminding me of what can happen when we sit back and surrender to our dreams and empathetic imaginations.<br />
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<b><i>Both of these authors (Geoff Herbach and Beth Kephart) are participating in my huge <a href="http://booksobsession.blogspot.com/2011/12/end-of-year-madness-giveaway.html">End of the Year Madness Giveaway</a>, so be sure to enter for your chance to win their books!</i></b>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-15051504248477975152011-12-22T15:50:00.000-08:002011-12-23T06:35:36.453-08:00Holly Schindler Guest Post<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
In celebration of my "End of the Year Madness" event, author <a href="http://hollyschindler.blogspot.com/">Holly Schindler</a> wrote a guest post about her favorite character from <i>Playing Hurt</i>.<br />
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<img align="left" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/playinghurt.png" vspace="4" /></span><span id="freeText11801573318851544848" style="color: black; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8492251-playing-hurt"><i></i></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div face="verdana" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">Clint - My Favorite Character from <i>Playing Hurt</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div face="verdana" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div face="verdana" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div face="verdana" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: small;">As an author, I know I’m fully fleshing out my characters when I start to like them. When they become people, instead of sentences on a page. When I see them every bit as clearly as I can see in my mind the living, breathing people I’ve met out and about in my hometown of Springfield, MO. The fleshing out of characters isn’t easy work, though. Just as it often takes time in real life to really get to know someone, it often takes multiple drafts until I finally feel as though I’ve “met” some of the characters in my books.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div><span style="font-size: small;">In PLAYING HURT, the YA I released this past March, I was the most pleasantly surprised to meet Clint—a character I didn’t get to interact with until the very last rewrite. Those of you who are familiar with the book are already frowning in confusion. “How could you not have met Clint until the last rewrite?” you’re asking. “He’s the love interest in your romance! Without Clint, you don’t even HAVE a love story!”</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div><span style="font-size: small;">True enough. The thing is, though, when I first started to write PLAYING HURT, my intention was to illustrate the difference between loving someone and being IN LOVE with someone. Chelsea was a girl involved with her hometown high school sweetheart (Gabe), who went on a vacation with her family after graduation, and found herself falling for a resort guide (Clint) in a way that she never fell for her boyfriend at home. </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<div><span style="font-size: small;"><img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/authors/hollyschindler.png" vspace="4" />Never did seem like the book had enough going on, though—I realized, just before the last rewrite, that it needed a subplot. That’s when I invented Chelsea’s sports history, when I made her an athlete…I got about a fourth of the way through that rewrite when I felt I needed to invent some backstory for Clint, as well…So I made him an athlete, too…But even that didn’t quite seem like enough.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div><span style="font-size: small;">The book (which I first drafted in around ‘04 or ’05) had always been told entirely from Chelsea’s POV. When I invented Clint’s backstory, though, I suddenly felt as though I needed to write from his POV, too. When I started writing chapters from his eyes, I felt I was finally, finally, FINALLY getting a chance to meet Clint—REALLY meet Clint, in a way I never had, even though I’d lived with the story for about five years at that point. I started to love him, as a character…and I think that my falling in love with him allowed my readers to fall, too…When the book released, I was absolutely thrilled to read blog reviews that claimed Clint was a completely “swoon-worthy” protagonist!</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div><span style="font-size: small;">It really is true, though—as an author, your own feelings for your characters bleed through into your story. Once you truly understand—even love—your characters, your readers have a better chance of loving them, too!</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Holly Schindler is participating in my huge <a href="http://booksobsession.blogspot.com/2011/12/end-of-year-madness-giveaway.html">End of the Year Madness Giveaway</a>, so be sure to enter for your chance to win a swag pack from her! It includes a signed bookplate, signed bookmark, and button.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-43308203495989886482011-12-21T12:29:00.000-08:002011-12-21T14:37:35.328-08:00Authors' Favorite Books of the Year: Part 1<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><br />
In celebration of my "End of the Year Madness" event, I asked two authors</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"> to share what their favorite books written in 2011 are.</span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">: AUTHOR PICKS</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><img align="left" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/codenamedancer.png" vspace="4" /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.gemmahalliday.com/">Gemma Halliday</a>, author of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Deadly Cool</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></div></div><br />
One of my favorite young adult books that I’ve read this year has to be CODENAME: DANCER by Amanda Brice. First off, it’s set in the world of ballet dancers, which, to someone who took dance classes all through her tween years, is way fun. There’s just something so glamorous about ballet dancers to me. I mean, what’s better than sparkly tutu’s, right? But then Brice adds in the twists of a reality TV dance show, a super hot-guy dancer partner, and a thrilling mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. I read this whole book in one sitting and am eagerly awaiting the sequel, POINTE OF NO RETURN! P.S. I’m not the only one who enjoyed this book, either. Romantic Times magazine named it an Indie Hot Pick in the December 2011 issue, and it is nominated for a Cybil award for young adult literature!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div><img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/divergent.png" vspace="4" /><b> </b><br />
<b><a href="http://bethanywiggins.com/">Bethany Wiggins</a>, author of <i>Shifting</i>:</b><br />
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<div>For Ashley's amazing "End of the Year Madness," <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(THANKS FOR INCLUDING ME ASHLEY!)</span> I was invited to gush about a 2011 book I loved. So, I tried to pick just one book from the many I read this year. But I can't. CAN'T I tell you!!! Why? There are <i>two</i> books that are so amazing, so gripping, so <i>envy-inducing</i>, I still think about them, months after I read them. They are the kind of books a writer like me reads and thinks, "Holy crap. I WISH I WROTE THAT!" What are these two little book beauties? The first is Veronica Roth's DIVERGENT. Absolute perfection. That woman is a gifted story-teller. The second is Franny Billingsly's CHIME. Again, absolute perfection. That woman is a word genius. GENIUS! So if you're looking for writing geniuses, or genius writers, go read their books.<br />
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<b><i>Both of these authors (Gemma Halliday and Bethany Wiggins) are participating in my huge <a href="http://booksobsession.blogspot.com/2011/12/end-of-year-madness-giveaway.html">End of the Year Madness Giveaway</a>, so be sure to enter for your chance to win their books!</i></b></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-23677370140989440382011-12-21T00:01:00.000-08:002011-12-30T18:41:55.434-08:00Mid-Winter's Eve Giveaway Hop<div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">CONTEST CLOSED!</span></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Winner is...</span></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://sweetsouthernhome.wordpress.com/">Carrie A</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! To celebrate the holidays, I'm participating in the <a href="http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2011/10/mid-winters-eve-giveaway-hop.html">Mid-Winter's Eve Giveaway Hop</a> hosted by <a href="http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/">I Am a Reader, Not a Writer</a> and <a href="http://oasisforya.blogspot.com/">Oasis for YA</a>. If you're an old follower of my site, thank you so much! For those of you first timers, please check out my other posts; I have written tons of young adult book reviews, author interviews, and have lots of giveaways! Thanks for taking the time to stop by my blog; be sure to visit the other blogs participating in this giveaway hop, too.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><img align="right" hspace="5" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/discoveryofwitches.png" vspace="5" /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8667848-a-discovery-of-witches"><i>A Discovery of Witches</i></a> by Deborah Harkness</div><div style="text-align: left;">Paperback publication on December 27, 2011</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<span id="freeText871569780147799222" style="color: #073763;">Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Giveaway Details:</span><br />
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-The only requirement? Be a blog follower via GFC (Google Friend Connect).</div><div style="text-align: left;">-Open to U.S. residents only.</div><div style="text-align: left;">-Giveaway runs from Dec. 21st to Dec. 27th.</div><div style="text-align: left;">-Fill out the form linked below to enter. Comments are very appreciated and count as an extra entry. Also, you'll gain some extra entries by sharing about my giveaway.</div><div style="text-align: left;">-One random winner will be announced on this post & emailed the next day.</div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGRMWjhnS3NTUkZqYmhOSE92RzBzdlE6MQ">Click here to fill out the entry form!</a></span><br />
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</div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-38992218516249431852011-12-20T10:25:00.000-08:002012-01-04T11:54:45.474-08:00End of the Year Madness Giveaway<div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/contests/endofyearmadnessbutton.png" /><br />
<textarea cols="13" id="code-source" name="code-source" rows="3"><center><a href="http://booksobsession.blogspot.com/2011/12/end-of-year-madness-giveaway.html"><img border="0" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/contests/endofyearmadnessbutton.png"/></a></center></textarea><br />
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</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">CONTEST CLOSED</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">This year has been a fantastic year of books, authors, and amazing debuts! To celebrate, I'm having the biggest giveaway that I've ever held before. Why celebrate? IT'S CHRISTMASTIME! I've been in the giving mood, want to share fabulous 2011 books, and also want to thank all of my lovely blog followers who continue to stick around. I've compiled 20 young adult books that were published this year to be given away by their authors to you!<br />
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Here's what's up for grabs... <br />
(click a title below the picture to see its Goodreads page)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8730372-the-lipstick-laws">The Lipstick Laws</a> by Amy Holder</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10535171-the-mephisto-covenant">The Mephisto Covenant</a> by Trinity Faegen</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9639243-stupid-fast">Stupid Fast</a> by Geoff Herbach</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429033-deadly-cool">Deadly Cool</a> by Gemma Halliday</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429015-cold-kiss">Cold Kiss</a> by Amy Garvey</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8101452-babe-in-boyland">Babe in Boyland</a> by Jody Gehrman</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10421534-you-are-my-only">You Are My Only</a> by Beth Kephart</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10397655-between">Between</a> by Jessica Warman</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428110-through-her-eyes">Through Her Eyes</a> by Jennifer Archer</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7912474-ripple">Ripple</a> by Mandy Hubbard</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10224627-shifting">Shifting</a> by Bethany Wiggins</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8419552-oymg">OyMG</a> by Amy Fellner Dominy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6936365-the-revenant">The Revenant</a> by Sonia Gensler</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8603765-imaginary-girls">Imaginary Girls</a> by Nova Ren Suma</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6933135-witch-eyes">Witch Eyes</a> by Scott Tracey</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11165849-love-story">Love Story</a> by Jennifer Echols</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429005-the-beginning-of-after">The Beginning of After</a> by Jennifer Castle</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10805989-misfit">Misfit</a> by Jon Skovron</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8673931-possess">Possess</a> by Gretchen McNeil</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10841336-darker-still">Darker Still</a> by Leanna Renee Hieber</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">AND ALSO THREE SWAG PACKS!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10637301-audition">Audition</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> by Stasia Ward Kehoe swag prize: signed poster, signed bookmark, and ballerina sticky notes</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8492251-playing-hurt">Playing Hurt</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> by Holly Schindler swag prize: signed bookplate, signed bookmark, and button</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;">Aaaaaand a VERY awesome, huge swag prize of an assortment of author/book goodies that I've been collecting: 6 bookmarks (some signed), temporary tattoos, signed postcard, stickers, pin-back button, and chapter samplers from young adult books </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br style="color: red;" /><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">There will be<b> seventeen (17)</b></span><b style="color: red;"> winners! This is my biggest giveaway in Books Obsession history!</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: red;">First</span> winner gets to choose <span style="color: red;">four</span> books.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: red;">Second</span> winner gets to choose <span style="color: red;">three</span> books.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: red;">Third </span>winner gets to choose <span style="color: red;">two</span> books.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: red;">Fourteen</span> winners get to choose <span style="color: red;">one</span> book or swag prize.</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Giveaway Details:</span><br />
-The only requirement? Be a blog follower via GFC (Google Friend Connect).<br />
-Open to U.S. residents only.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"> -Giveaway runs from December 20th to January 3rd.</span><br />
-Fill out the form linked below to enter. Comments are very appreciated and count as an extra entry. Also, you'll gain some extra entries by sharing about my giveaway.<br />
-17 random winners will be chosen & emailed. Everyone will have 1 week to reply before new winners are chosen. <br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEwyb1VRM2o2U3E5VUk4MEJXXzVIY3c6MQ">Click here to fill out the form!</a></span></span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com104tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-85771567534140557242011-12-07T14:56:00.000-08:002011-12-07T14:56:30.136-08:00Waiting On Wednesday: Flyaway<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><br />
<img align="left" hspace="5" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/flyaway.png" vspace="5" />This week's WoW book is <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Flyaway</span> by Helen Landalf</span>! It will be released on December 19, 2011.<br />
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SUMMARY: </span><span id="freeText9810299534071445850" style="color: #000066; font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><span id="freeText12083789936181615060"><span id="freeText12289769413346373598"><span id="freeText10789870265260293937"><span id="freeText4329779773073831459">Fifteen-year-old Stevie Calhoun is used to taking care of herself. But one night, her mom, who works as an exotic dancer in a downtown Seattle nightclub, never comes home. That’s the night Stevie’s life turns upside down. It’s the night that kicks off an extraordinary summer: the summer Stevie has to stay with her annoyingly perfect Aunt Mindy; the summer she learns to care for injured and abandoned birds; the summer she gets to know Alan, the meanest guy in high school. But most of all, it’s the summer she finds out the truth about Mom. <i>Flyaway</i> is the story of a teen girl’s struggle to hold on to what she’s always believed, even as her world spins out of control.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><br />
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I think that this one sounds pretty interesting. I like a good, realistic fiction book that's not like all the others. PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 19, 2011.</span><br />
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</span>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-69828482867865892192011-12-02T00:00:00.000-08:002011-12-08T14:40:51.861-08:00Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop<div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />
<img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/contests/holidaygiveawayhoppicture.png" /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span><br />
<div style="color: red;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">CONTEST CLOSED!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The winner is entry #118, Christine A., who chose <i>Favorite</i> by Karen McQuestion. </span></div><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />
I can't believe it's already December! This year is just flying by and the holidays are right around the corner. To celebrate, I'm participating in the <a href="http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-lovers-holiday-giveaway-hop.html">Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop</a> hosted by <a href="http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/">I Am a Reader, Not a Writer</a> and <a href="http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/">Kid Lit Frenzy</a>. If you're an old follower of my site, thank you so much! For those of you first timers, please check out my other posts; I have written tons of young adult book reviews, author interviews, and if you come back later in the month there will be a HUGE giveaway! Thanks for taking the time to stop by my blog, be sure to visit the other blogs participating in this giveaway hop, too.<br />
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Here's what's up for grabs...<br />
(click a title below to see its Goodreads page)<br />
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<img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/contests/holidaygiveawayhopbooks.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8535449-moonglass">Moonglass</a> by Jessi Kirby (ARC)<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9468234-i-m-not-her">I'm Not Her</a> by Janet Gurtler (Paperback)<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7178805-favorite">Favorite</a> by Karen McQuestion (ARC)<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8419552-oymg">OyMG</a> by Amy Fellner Dominy (Signed Hardcover)<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9858517-all-these-things-i-ve-done">All These Things I've Done</a> by Gabrielle Zevin (ARC)<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8887261-the-lucky-kind">The Lucky Kind</a> by Alyssa B. Sheinmel (Signed ARC)<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/544891.Beastly">Beastly</a> by Alex Flinn (Paperback)<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428139-the-big-crunch">The Big Crunch</a> by Pete Hautman (ARC)<br />
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</span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Note: These have all been read and reviewed by me & are gently used.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">One</span> winner will win <span style="font-weight: bold;">one</span> of these books! With eight very different YA titles to choose from, I'm sure there's a little bit of something here for everyone.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Giveaway Details:</span><br />
-The only requirement? Be a blog follower via GFC (Google Friend Connect).<br />
-Open to U.S. residents only. (Christmas shopping for friends and family is wearing a hole in my wallet. Sorry international friends!)<br />
-Giveaway runs from Dec. 2nd to Dec. 6th.<br />
-Fill out the form below to enter. Comments are very appreciated but won't count as entries.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;">-Winner will be announced on this post & emailed the next day.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="655" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dEVZcWdpMm9iejZqeXh2cWk5VXpHQnc6MQ" width="460">&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;</iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><br />
If you can't see the form above...<br />
</span><span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEVZcWdpMm9iejZqeXh2cWk5VXpHQnc6MQ">Click here to fill out the form to enter!</a></span><br />
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</span></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-39761655390720407292011-12-01T12:06:00.001-08:002011-12-02T04:04:08.892-08:00Debutante of the Month: Miranda Kenneally<div face="verdana" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">de·but</span><br />
-noun: </span><span style="font-size: small;">A person's first appearance or performance in a particular role.</span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">Welcome to author Miranda Kenneally's debutante ball...</span></div><div face="verdana" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/debs/mirandakenneallydress.png" /> <img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/debs/mirandakenneallyman.png" /></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Miranda Kenneally enters the ballroom wearing a whimsical hello kitty dress. Escorting her is actor Sam Worthington.<br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">And now (mostly) ladies and (a few) gentlemen, I introduce to you...Miranda Kenneally! *cue applause* This new author in the literature realm is debuting this month with her book </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9888775-catching-jordan">Catching Jordan</a></span><span style="font-size: small;">.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img align="left" hspace="10" src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/catchingjordan.png" vspace="4" /></span><br />
<div style="color: #073763;"><span id="freeText7867909847720725883" style="font-size: small;">What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.</span></div></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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As guests begin entering for the party, the DJ gets to work!</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<img border="0" height="0" src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEzMjAwNzg2Nzg2NTYmcHQ9MTMyMDA3ODY4Mjk4NCZwPTY5NDMwMSZkPSZnPTEmbz**ZGQ*NTUwZWIxYWI*MWYxOGJh/MWJlMzBjOTUzZmI4ZSZvZj*w.gif" style="height: 0px; visibility: hidden; width: 0px;" width="0" /></span><br />
<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; visibility: visible; width: 450px;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><object height="250" width="450"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/mp3player_new.swf"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="flashvars" value="config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indimusic.us%2Fext%2Fpc%2Fconfig_black_noautostart.xml&mywidth=450&myheight=250&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.playlistproject.net%2Fpl.php%3Fplaylist%3D88531903%26t%3D1320078673&wid=os"><embed style="width:450px; visibility:visible; height:250px;" allowscriptaccess="never" src="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/mp3player_new.swf" flashvars="config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indimusic.us%2Fext%2Fpc%2Fconfig_black_noautostart.xml&mywidth=450&myheight=250&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.playlistproject.net%2Fpl.php%3Fplaylist%3D88531903%26t%3D1320078673&wid=os" name="mp3player" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" border="0" height="250" width="450"> </object></span></div></div><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The setting of your party: If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? </span>Australia. I’ve always wanted to visit the Great Barrier Reef and the Outback, and after reading all of Melina Marchetta’s books, I’m dying to visit Australia.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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The guest list: Who are the top three authors (dead or alive) that you would like to meet? </span>JK Rowling, Sarah Dessen, and Orson Scott Card.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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The menu: What do you consider your "brain food", the snacks that kept you going while you wrote your novel? </span>Mexican food! Nearly every weekend, I go out for chips and queso and margaritas and think about my plots and characters.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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The deb's high heels: If you could step into someone else's shoes for a day, who would it be and why? </span>Author/editor David Levithan. I would love to see and read the manuscripts that come across his desk every day.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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The table centerpiece: What's the #1 thing that you can't go anywhere without? </span>Caffeine in my bloodstream! I’m sort of addicted. Can caffeine be a centerpiece? Hmm. The other thing I can’t go anywhere without is a wifi signal, and I don’t think that can be a centerpiece either. :)<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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Now it's time for the debutante and her date to share their first dance! What song has stuck with you through life? </span>“Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney. It really is the perfect, heartfelt song.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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We have a special guest tonight at the ball...Jordan from<span style="font-style: italic;"> Catching Jordan</span>! Jordan, what was your favorite scene from the novel you starred in?</span> Probably the scene in home ec class, where my best friend Henry and I are told we’re “married” and have to take care of an electronic baby for an entire week. Henry is the mom and I’m the dad. Thanks for having me at the ball, but dances aren’t really my thing. I’m gonna go to Jiffy Burger for a milkshake now. Bye!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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The heartfelt speech: How has the publishing process changed you? What have you learned from your experiences? </span>I’ve always gone after my dreams and done what I’ve wanted to do, but publishing is probably the biggest thing I’ve ever done. When I first started seriously writing, I think a lot of people around me were skeptical. I don’t think everyone necessarily believed I could get published. I’m so glad I stuck with it. I think that’s the biggest takeaway about publishing – you just never know what’s possible until you put yourself out there.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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The future: Now that you are officially introduced to society, what's next? Do you plan to write another book?</span> Yes! I’m working on two companions to Catching Jordan: <span style="font-style: italic;">Playing Parker</span> (fall 2012) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Bad, Bad Thing </span>(spring 2013). <span style="font-style: italic;">Parker</span> is about a girl who falls for the coach of the school baseball team, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Bad, Bad </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Thing</span> is about a girl who can’t get over the roll she played in helping her best friend to get an abortion. Also, I’m the editor of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Dear Teen Me</span> anthology, to be published in fall 2012.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">To finish up this debutante ball, Miranda is letting me host a fun contest! One of you lucky blog readers will get the chance to name a character in her next book <span style="font-style: italic;">Bad, Bad Thing</span>.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Contest Details:</span><br />
Ends on December 31. Open internationally.<br />
Two extra entries to those of you that spread the word about this interview & contest (via twitter, facebook, blog post, sidebar, etc).<br />
One winner will be randomly picked and emailed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Fill out the form linked below to enter; comments are very appreciated but don't count as entries.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHNSYXR5RWFuaGU5ZlRmQ0JWQnpGWHc6MQ">Click here to fill out the entry form!</a></span><br />
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FIND MIRANDA ONLINE: <a href="http://mirandakenneally.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4506073.Miranda_Kenneally">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/MirandaKennealy">Twitter</a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-46457499718097037452011-11-30T13:00:00.000-08:002011-11-30T13:01:10.470-08:00Waiting On Wednesday: Still Waters<span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span style=""><span style=""><span style=""><br /><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/stillwaters.png" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5" /><span>This week's WoW book is </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Still Waters</span> by Emma Carlson Berne</span><span>! It will be released on December 20, 2011.</span><br /><br />SUMMARY: </span></span></span></span><span id="freeText9810299534071445850" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span id="freeText12083789936181615060" style=""><span id="freeText12289769413346373598" style=""><span id="freeText10789870265260293937" style=""><span id="freeText4329779773073831459" style="">Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He’s leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they’ll never forget. But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit...off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someone's been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn’t seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin’s dark side, and her own safety. Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span style=""><span style=""><span style=""><br /><br />This one sounds and looks SO good! PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 20, 2011.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7390019422100466668.post-20496663628933609112011-11-25T11:19:00.000-08:002011-11-25T11:22:22.328-08:00OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy<span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/books/oymg.png" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="4" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Title: </span>OyMG<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Author:</span> Amy Fellner Dominy<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Published:</span><span> May 2011 by </span>Walker & Company<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">My </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating:</span> 3.5 stars<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tags:</span> YA | Romance | Religion | Realistic<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Includes:</span> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Sensuality<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First Lines:</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">I love to argue. I'll argue about anything - school uniforms, raising the driving age, or ear hair. I can be for something or against it - doesn't matter. That's why my speech coach says I'm such a natural.</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww26/booksobsession/35stars.png" /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span>The summer before ninth grade starts, Ellie wants more than anything to go to the private and exclusive Benedict's high school. But because her family doesn't have the money to pay for tuition, she must rely on winning a scholarship from the Christian Society Speech and Performing Arts summer camp. The only problem? Ellie is Jewish, and the sponsor of the private scholarship is Christian, with negative feelings towards Jews. Ellie decides to hide her Jewish identity and try to blend in with the other Christians at camp in order to win the money for her dream school.<br /><br />This was a really fun, quick read with an interesting story line. Ellie was a likable character who loved to talk and share her opinion about things. I had never read a book dealing with debates/Speech tournaments so it was interesting learning more about it and seeing how the students prepared for their oratories. I also really enjoyed the mix of Jewish and Christian beliefs and practices. I grew more familiar with the Jewish religion, thanks to Ellie's crazy grandpa Zeydeh. His character was so humorous and I could imagine him perfectly throughout the story. In fact, the character development for all of the characters was spot on and I grew to know them all well.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">From page 175<br />"It's a miracle is what it is. My heart is singing, Ellie. Even my liver is doing a dance." Then he pulled out of my grasp and started stepping side to side, in a Jewish dance step. I glanced at Devon, but he stood there, watching and grinning. Encouraged, Zeydeh snapped his fingers, lifted his elbows like two chicken wings, and sang nonsense words in his off-key voice.</span></span><br /><br />Another leading role in the book was Devon, Ellie's love interest, who also happens to be the grandson of Mrs. Yeats, the lady in charge of the private scholarship to Benedict's. Even though Devon seemed arrogant and always won the debates, he was a softy and I liked him. His and Ellie's relationship flowed naturally and was very appropriate for their age. I'm so used to reading mature YA books with some steamy romance scenes, so this was a nice, innocent change since the two kids are only about to enter high school. I got some good laughs and kicks out of this book, and the author did a wonderful job incorporating religion and debating in the story. It's not a book that I'll remember for a long time or will leave a big impression on me, but it was definitely cute and enjoyable.<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Cover Thoughts: </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Err.. I think it makes the book look way more juvenile than it really is.<br /><br /></span></div></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08651632799594666997noreply@blogger.com1