Young Adult Books

Now that BEA is officially here, the excitement is starting to grow! I'm so excited to talk with everyone about books and to meet new and old friends! I'll be sharing my tips each week until the big event! The last few things to talk about:Phone: The wireless in the building is terrible - it will eat your battery. Double check that you have your charger because you WILL need it! Also think about taking the wireless capabilities off of your phone for the day. It will save your battery - somewhat. Manners: Don't forget these at home. It's hard when there are so many people, but we're all book people and we all just want to talk about books. Treat everyone with respect and don't push your way through. Fun: Have a blast there! It's meant to be fun. Yes it can be exhausting, but it's also like Christmas - getting to meet so many awesome people and talk about so many books!Get your face out there: It's a week away! A lot of peoples' names I might not recognize, but I know your blog name. Add your blog name to your name tag. Add a photo of yourself to your blog:This is me, say Hi if you see me, and I'll promise to do the same!

Corrigan, Eirann. Accomplice. 1 August 2010, Scholastic Press.Living on the east coast, Finn and Chloe are afraid that their high school academics are not good enough for them to get into elite colleges. After seeing a news item about a girl who was abducted and held for months by kidnappers and then got into the college of their choice, they come up with an elaborate plan-- Chloe will disappear for a while, Finn will help "find" her, and they will both not only get accepted into whatever college they want, but will get scholarship money. Their plan goes well, and Chloe is hiding in Finn's grandmother's house. Chloe's family and friends are understandably upset, especially when she is gone long enough for the local lake to be dragged. When her boyfriend, Dean, becomes a "person of interest" and is later arrested, Finn starts to question their plan and wants to back out, but Chloe wants to stick with it. In the end, their plan costs them more than they get out of it.Strengths: This is a well-paced, unique thriller with a fantastic cover. I think that this will go over very well with my middle school students who always want murder mysteries. Weaknesses: I've never understood the whole "elite college" thing, and my daughter got in to three different colleges, so the whole premise seemed unlikely to me, but then (thankfully) I don't live on the east coast! Martin, Ann M. Better to Wish (Family Tree #1)30 April 2013, Scholastic PressE ARC from Netgalley.comAbby is looking back at her life in the year 2022, when she is 100 years old. In anecdotal chapters, she recalls various scenes from her life that made an impact on her. Raised by a controlling father and a sad, frail mother, Abby and her sister Rose live in a small coastal town and get along as best they can. Strengths: Historical events such as the Great Depression and WWII effect Abby, and details of everyday life are nicely portrayed.Weaknesses: This was possibly the most depressing historical fiction book I've come across. Whatever bad things could happen, did happen. The poor mother. She suffers the father's abuse, has multiple miscarriages, finally has a baby boy who is "feeble-minded" and is sent to an institution and eventually dies. At least Abby manages to break free from her family, but the whole book made me too sad to think about handing it to a student. I was surprised at Martin-- Picky Reader adored the Doll Family books, which are a bit happier!Another review of this at Secrets and Sharing Soda.You Know It's Time For School To Be Over When: I tell a teacher "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." When the students start to arrive at this time of year, I need to be hunting them down for overdues, not hooking up an LCD projector to a computer, expecially when two days ago I suggested to the same teacher that I could give her better service with a little more advance notice. She replied that it's not always possible to plan. Really? Because I got in to school at 4:30, and you're rolling in at 7:30, so that's not really the thing to say to make me want to help you.I'm normally not that cranky.

US // UKI'll be honest and admit that I've never been a fan of the new UK covers for this series, not since the very first Divergent cover that was the same as the US one. The re-releases have never caught my eye and I don't think they capture the essence or excitement of the series, which the US covers manage do so well. So already my vote goes with the US cover - sorry, UK!I much prefer everything about the US cover for Allegiant, especially the title font, main image and bright colours. Even the tagline is better, though it's good to see that the UK cover actually has one as often that's something left off our covers. I do like the blue of the UK cover, though I think the feathers look out of place and like they've just been plonked there using Photoshop. Our UK covers have always disappointed me and I'm not entirely sure why the decision was made to re-release them and deviate from the US jackets. It's a shame!So, which do you prefer? Do you agree with me about the UK covers?

Heidi Acosta was born on Long Island, New York. Moving around a lot when she was younger, she has lived in New York, Arizona, New York (again), Washington, Georgia, and Florida, in that order. Each place offered her something special, but she will always consider New York her home. Heidi started writing as soon as [...]

The Kill Order by James Dashner 327 pages Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers Publication Date: August 14th 2012 Source: Library Add it on Goodreads Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, the sun flares hit the earth and destroyed the world mankind took for granted. Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there's something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, It's mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees. Mark and Trina are convinced there's a way to save those left from descending into madness. And they're determined to find it - if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you're worth more dead than alive. I'm a big fan of James Dashner's the Maze Runner trilogy so I was super excited when he announced that he was writing a prequel to the series! Of course, in classic Julia fashion, I didn't actually get around to reading the prequel till 8 months after it was published. Hehe. But the good news is, I finally did read it and I definitely think that if you're a fan of TMRT you should read it too! The Kill Order is set several months after solar flares have hit earth and destroyed most of society and the world as we know it. Mark and Trina are two of the lucky few survivors left on earth. Unfortunately, the solar flares were just the beginning of their problems. Now they have to face a deadly disease, one that turns people insane and is mutating at an alarming rate. Together, with a band of other rag tag survivors, Mark and Trina have to discover the source of the virus before it takes them down. The Kill Order was a fast-paced thrill ride. If you've read James Dashner's other books then you're already familiar with his style of writing; short chapters, cliff hangers, and lots of action. An added bonus of The Kill Order was that it had a lot of flashbacks which, though unexpected, ended up becoming my favorite part of the novel. These flashbacks told all about how Mark and Trina survived the original solar flare incident and personally I feel like the Kill Order could have been an even better novel if it was simply based around the characters living through and surviving directly after the solar flares instead of focusing on the Flare virus. The Kill Order was great, but I found myself pushing through the present tense chapters just to get to Mark's flashbacks. In my opinion those chapters were packed with twice as much suspense and intrigue as the rest of the novel. I just love a good heart pounding survival story! However, I can definitely see why James Dashner had this prequel center around the Flare virus since that was more of a focal point for the Maze Runner trilogy as a whole. The characters of The Kill Order were pretty standard. However, I don't read James Dashner stories for the characters, I read them to get swept up in an adventure. That being said, I really did love Alec, a super badass military veteran with a heart of gold. No one does badass characters quite like James Dashner! None of the other characters really stood out to me, but that didn't matter because the story and plot were engrossing enough to keep me hooked. For a prequel I felt like The Kill Order was an enjoyable read. It wasn't super fantastic, but it definitely answered some of the questions I had about the Maze Runner trilogy and that's what prequels are all about. If you're a fan of James Dashner and this series then I would give it a read! Julia :)

The Girl With the Iron Touch (The Steampunk Chronicles #3) by Kady Cross Hardcover, 384 pages Expected Publication: May 28th, 2013 by Harlequin TEEN Source: NetGalley In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives. With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin. Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine. To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has.... I have really been enjoying this series a lot and have read them each year diligently before they are released (that never happens, I almost ALWAYS fall behind). I love the world created in the books and the setting. The last book took place in America and in this one we are back in London. Surprisingly I loved the American setting in the last book, but I still found myself happy to be back in London. Not only that, but Jack Dandy is in London and that is a character that I love to read about! Now that description hints at a love triangle. Well, more than hints, and there's not really one. Finley already knows who her heart belongs to and the person who it doesn't belong to is someone she still cares about but he also understands that she's made her decision. There's not really any drama concerning them anymore. The previous books seemed to focus on Finley more and in this one Emily was much more center stage. We still know what's going on with Finley and all that, but Emily is the one kidnapped and we see everything she goes through and just get to know her better. She's a really strong and kick butt character and I loved getting to know her better. I love all the characters in this series. Finley is great and I loved where the romance started to go in this one. Not a new turn or anything, it just moves forward. And Griffin has some major issues to deal with but I felt like we barely touched on them and that will be the focus of the next book. Sam has grown as a character in finding to accept himself. In this book Jasper is pretty absent. When he was there, he wasn't really there. That made me sad and I hope that we see more of him in the next book and that he might find his HEA. And Jack Dandy, oh I think Jack Dandy is my most favorite character of all! It might be that lovely cockney accent (faked accent?) or his terminology and mannerisms, but he is a character I would love to read more about! We see that Jack may end up with his own HEA... but that's yet to be seen, just my prediction. Because my lovelies, there's a new character introduced in this book and my lips are sealed! You must just wait to meet her yourself! The steampunk aspects of this series are pretty great. For the most part I really love them. The things that bug me a tad are that there's some rather 'convenient' devices so they can get in touch (like cell phones, but not) and some other inventions that just seemed a bit out of place and felt more convenient than anything. It's not a big issue for me though. The plot of this one moves along rather quickly. I was surprised at ho

You don't just luck into things as much as you would like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it is friendships or opportunities. Attribution Barbara Bush

So there is a totally awesome chat happening at Figment tonight with YA authors Elizabeth Norris (Unraveling and Unbreakable) and Brodi Ashton (Everneath and Everbound), plus Balzer + Bray editor Kristen Rens. They will be taking questions about life as a published author. How neat is that? Here’s the little blurb from Figment about it:  Living the Dream: Real Talk About Life as a Published Author These days, writers aren’t just writers. They’re also social media mavens, seasoned public speakers, and one-person publicity machines. And they still have to find time to write! What’s life really like for a successful, published author? Join us on Figment on Thursday, May 23 at 7:00 p.m. ET to find out! We’ll be hosting a live chat with authors Elizabeth Norris (Unraveling and Unbreakable) and Brodi Ashton (Everneath and Everbound) — plus special guest Kristin Rens, editor at the HarperCollins imprint, Balzer + Bray. I know I definitely am going to try to make it – it sounds awesome. So maybe I will see you there :) They’ll be taking your questions! Related posts: Reminder: Chat with Nick James TONIGHT Everbound by Brodi Ashton Book Review Cassandra Clare Video Chat!

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa Blood of Eden #2 Publisher: Harlequin Teen Release Date: April 30, 2013 Pages: 416 Source: Publisher Buy the Book: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository Rating: 5 stars Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally. Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike. The Eternity Cure was a worthy sequel to The Immortal Rules. Enticing and thrilling, there is an everhigher climb to a heightening of stakes throughout the book. Julie Kagawa keeps proving herself as an author and The Eternity Cure is the best work by her yet. The Immortal Rules captivated me with it’s original premise and snarky main character and The Eternity Cure only built on those qualities. Allison remains a fantastic main character who is completely witty. The return of other characters from book 1 was a real treat as well – I won’t say who, as that would spoil, but Julie Kagawa surprised me at every turn. It was like a big fiesta at times. The plot in this one is SO good. It definitely did not go where I was expecting and Julie Kagawa managed to keep me surprised at ever turn. There were only a few pieces I was able to pick up before they happened, but how they happened managed to shock me even more than just figuring them out I think. Also, Julie Kagawa writes some fierce action scenes. They are one of the best parts of her books. The ending is an absolute killer – I was so emotionally involved in the book by this point that I was gasping and getting the chills at the complete turn Kagawa throws at readers. I CANNOT wait for book 3. The Eternity Cure had me absolutely riveted – I was stuck to my chair and did not want to put it down the entire time. Related posts: Waiting on Wednesday 184 – The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa Book Review The Eternity Cure Tour: Sarren + Giveaway

Ride with Me by Ruthie Knox Published: February 13, 2012 by Loveswept Source: ebook gifted from a friend In this fun, scorching-hot eBook original romance by Ruthie Knox, a cross-country bike adventure takes a detour into unexplored passion. As readers will discover, Ride with Me is not about the bike! When Lexie Marshall places an ad for a cycling companion, she hopes to find someone friendly and fun to cross the TransAmerica Trail with. Instead, she gets Tom Geiger—a lean, sexy loner whose bad attitude threatens to spoil the adventure she’s spent years planning. Roped into the cycling equivalent of a blind date by his sister, Tom doesn’t want to ride with a chatty, go-by-the-map kind of woman, and he certainly doesn’t want to want her. Too bad the sight of Lexie with a bike between her thighs really turns his crank. Even Tom’s stubborn determination to keep Lexie at a distance can’t stop a kiss from leading to endless nights of hotter-than-hot sex. But when the wild ride ends, where will they go next? [goodreads] This book took me by total surprise! Based on this cover and that description above, I was expecting a light, fun adult romance set along a bike trail across the US. What I got was a captivating story with many layers, and characters that left me thinking about them long after this adventure ended. With just under 200 pages, I was able to read this story in a day, but that's not due to the short length; it was because I literally could not put it down. Between the humor and wit, alongside the adventure and romance, I was completely inside this story from cover to cover. Tom's sister insists that he find a riding companion to make the trek across the TransAmerica trail, traveling west to east by bike. He's a loner though, and he has reasons for being kept to himself. Five years ago his world was turned upside down, which caused him to retreat physically and emotionally. Venturing out on the open road with his bicycle took on a whole new perspective for himself, so the last thing he wanted to do was share that road with someone else. Lexie has been planning this bike trip for most of her life. After all, it's how her parents met and fell in love. She's a school teacher who is spending her summer biking it across the country. Lexie is looking for a riding companion for safety reasons, someone to share a tent next to hers at the road side campgrounds, and be there in case of a flat. These two characters end up at the starting line, with very different agendas, and embark on a journey that will change their paths, both figuratively and purposefully. I don't know much about cycling, but Ruthie Knox describes things as though I was an experienced rider myself. I never felt lost or confused, always able to imagine exactly what was happening in bike terms. The ease of her writing carried over into the witty banter between Lexie and Tom. At first these two characters want nothing to do with the other, but as the miles edge on, so do their feelings for one another. The portrait that Knox creates is beautifully set against the American highways, stretching across the Rocky Mountains and into the Great Plains. The scenery was beautiful to witness through her words, but it felt believable through the characters interpretations of it. My favorite moments lie in the complexity of both Lexie and Tom. I was not expecting this much depth in an adult romance. Their personalities that challenged one another really took me by surprise, but it was a pleasant surprise that matched this story so well. I am still amazed that Knox was able to fit so much depth and complexity into a tight fit story, and made it work so so well. Trust me when I say you want to read this book. Look past that cheesy cover, and believe me when I say it's a story that will surprise you. I am now on a quest to read more by this fabulous author. This particular story is the epitome of what I love so much in a contem