I do accept books (only young adult) to be reviewed from big/small publishers or from any authors. I do not accept E-books. I also love to do interviews, giveaways, guest posts, or participate in blog tours. Do not hesitate to email me at katieb206@gmail.com
Rating System!
A: Amazing! Go buy it because it is totally worth it. B: Pretty good book. Some flaws but definitely give it a shot. C: Okay but not a book for me. Maybe check it out from your library before buying it. D: Really bad. Maybe check it out from your library but don't waste your money. F: Horrible. Don't even bother reading it.
I read so many great books this May. I am no longer in my reading slump from last month and I am now tearing through my books. I love summer time. I can't wait to see how many books I manage to read this June. =]
I also read 7 adult books that I loved. I am really getting into the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and the Night Huntress series. I don't read many adult books anymore but I am in love with those two series. So in total I read 22 books this month. That might be a new record for me. I will have to see if I can beat it now.
Also, I wanted to thanks Brenda Pandos, the author of the Emerald Talisman, for an award that she has presented me. A part of my review is now published in her book and I am so excited. I loved the book and I am so honored to have a part of my review in it.
Kristina McBride is the debut author of The Tension Of Opposites which was released on May 25 from Egmont USA!
KBB: Why did you decide to write a novel for young adults?
KM: I was a high school English teacher for eight years before I had my first child and decided to stay home to be a mom (and write!). The first manuscript I wrote was for adults, but it had two teen characters. The scenes with those two teens came most naturally to me, and when I began my second manuscript (because no agents were interested in that first one), I flipped to YA without much thought.
KBB: What do you consider the hardest part of writing?
KM: Revision. I do an awful lot of it.
KBB: Do you have any must-haves while you are writing?
KM: Quiet. A comfortable seat. And my netbook.
KBB: I noticed a change in the cover for The Tension of Opposites. Are you pleased with how it turned out?
KM: I am so in love with my cover! Egmont has done a wonderful job portraying the eerie vibe of Noelle’s kidnapping, and the sense of being trapped. And I love the picture of the girl at the top. I also think it’s so cool that the pictures are two frames in a filmstrip, as my main character, Tessa is an avid photographer.
KBB: Are any of your characters based on people you know?
KM: While no characters are completely based on anyone I know, there are several details that I pulled from my own life. The most prominent is certainly that my Grandpa Lou owned an old-school Nikon and loved taking pictures. Another that comes directly to mind is that, like Tessa, my best friend in high school dreamed of owning a yellow Jeep.
KBB: Do you have anything in common with your main character, Tessa?
KM: Like Tessa, I was pretty shy and quiet in high school, and didn’t get super involved in things. But, unlike her, I had a base of strong girl friends, who I am still super close with today . . . many years later.
KBB: Do you have a favorite young adult book that you would recommend?
KM: I don’t think there is any possible way for me to answer this question by giving you the name of one book! I love Laurie Halse Anderson, Jay Asher, Sarah Dessen, and John Green. I’m a member of the Class of 2k10, and through class ARC tours, I’ve read some amazing books from this group of 23 debut authors.
KBB: Just for fun, what is your most embarrassing moment? It doesn’t have to be related to writing but it can be.
KM: I cringe when I think back to the days when I was first trying to land an agent. My first query letter (the letter you send to hook an agent) was so incredibly terrible. And I was persistent. I think I sent that baby out to every agent who represented suspense/thriller. Thankfully, I learned from my mistakes and wrote a stronger query for my next manuscript, and then a stronger one yet for manuscript number three, the one that finally landed me my totally awesome agent, Alyssa Eisner Henkin. Through the process, the one thing I learned is that you have to be persistent if you want to make things happen in life.
KBB: Thanks so much for the interview Kristina. I can't wait to read The Tension Of Opposites. I have heard nothing but great things about it. =]
Readers if you want to know more about The Tension Of Opposites or Kristina you can check her out around the web.
Please ignore the two previous posts. I am trying to schedule posts for my vacation but the formatting is odd so I had to check how they turned out but then had to remove them. Don't worry, they will be back up later this week.
First off I want to say thank you to everyone who entered my contests. I had tons of entries and I was sad that not everyone could win something. I guess that just means that I will have to have more contests in the future for people who didn't win. =]
Now for the winners.
The winner of Beautiful Creatures is Hailley!
The winner of The Six Rules Of Maybe is Mandy!
The winner of White Cat and swag is Amber Skye!
The winner of This Is Me From Now On and goodie bag is Mariah!
The winner of Radiant Shadows is Anna!
I will be emailing all of the winners shortly and they have 48 hours to get back to me before I pick new winners. Thanks again to everyone who entered and don't forget that there is still a couple days left to enter my giveaway for Amy & Roger's Epic Detour.
I wanted to let everyone know about a change in the end dates for the contests. All the contests that were set to end on May 30 will now end tonight at midnight and the winners will be announced tomorrow, May 30. I know it's totally random but it makes things easier for me with my vacation coming up. If you haven't entered yet, go do that!
In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It is a list of what books you have received over the previous week, either for review, from the library, from the bookstore, or from trades. =]
It was a slow week but still good. I love Meg Cabot so I cannot wait to read Insatiable. I have heard that it is really good. Also, I want to thank Jennifer Murgia for sending me a copy of Angel Star. I love books about angels and plan on reading this one as soon as possible.
Oh and this will be my last IMM for a couple weeks because I am going out of town next Friday. I don't know how much internet access I will have but I will post more about that later this week.
Book: What Curiosity Kills (The Turning #1)
Author: Helen Ellis
Published: May 1, 2010 from Sourcebooks Fire
My edition/number of pages: Hardcover/288
Age group: Young Adult
Source: Publisher
Series?: Yes, first book.
Mary Richards is a normal sixteen-year-old girl living in Manhattan. Well, almost normal. She goes to private school on the Upper East Side, having been saved from a life of squalor by an adoptive family. But she’s also slowly transforming into a cat.
Struggling to hide her physical metamorphosis, Mary discovers that she isn’t alone. A whole race of cat people prowls the streets of Manhattan at night, including Mary’s long-time crush, Nick.
Aside from heightened feline senses, hanging out with Nick is the best thing about discovering her inner kitty. But Mary’s transformation is special and could decide the outcome of a citywide turf war. She must decide whether to embrace her powerful feline side and become a pack leader or go back to being a normal teenage girl. Can she land on her feet or will curiosity be her downfall?
summary from Goodreads.com
What Curiosity Kills is the first book in a new series by Helen Ellis and while it was definitely unique it's not something I will be checking out. The first book was enough for me to realize that I am just not interested.
Mary is turning into a cat. She doesn't know how or why but she knows that her crush, Nick, is helping her. He is finally showing interest in her and she is not going to let him slip away. Too bad her sister is terrified of cats and wants Mary's problem fixed. What's even worse is that there are other forces trying to keep Mary from even being human again.
So, the premise for What Curiosity Kills was beyond interesting. The bad part was that the book did not live up to it. And there were parts of the book where I was grossed out. I was not into the whole turning into a cat thing and mice were involved. Eww! Also, I was super confused part of the time. I didn't get the point of the book and there didn't seem to be a straight plot line.
Then there were the characters. Mary and Nick's relationship came out of nowhere and the part with Ling Ling was odd. I didn't get why everyone was attracted to Nick. It would have been better if the characters were more developed so that I could actually understand some of their motives.
Overall, What Curiosity Kills is the start to a series that some might enjoy but not me. I have to recommend checking this one out from your library if you are still interested.
First line: I wanted to scream for help, but pain like fire ants had found me.
A fable of a terrifying near future by critically acclaimed author Elizabeth Scott.
Grace was raised to be an Angel, a herald of death by suicide bomb. But she refuses to die for the cause, and now Grace is on the run, daring to dream of freedom. In search of a border she may never reach, she travels among malevolent soldiers on a decrepit train crawling through the desert. Accompanied by the mysterious Kerr, Grace struggles to be invisible, but the fear of discovery looms large as she recalls the history and events that delivered her uncertain fate.
Told in spare, powerful prose, this tale of a dystopian near future will haunt readers long after they've reached the final page.
I really don't think I need to say anything about why I picked this as my Waiting On Wednesday. It's dystopian and it's written by Elizabeth Scott. What more do you need to know? =]
It started out as a harmless prank. But soon enough, spiritualism was the fastest growing movement of the nineteenth century, and Maggie Fox was trapped in a life of deceit.
When I started We Hear The Dead I had high hopes. I had read great reviews for it and I was very intrigued by the premise. Sadly, it wasn't as good as I had hoped or expected.
Maggie Fox and her younger sister, Kate, didn't mean to create a new religion with a harmless prank but they did. The spiritualist movement began with them and grew to be much more popular than anyone expected. Maggie and Kate made their living with these spirit circles. All that changed when Maggie met Elisha Kent Kane. He wasn't like the other suitors in many ways but in one way especially. He wanted Maggie to give it all up for him. Would she do it or would she choose her family over her love?
Like I said, the premise was great. Something unique and intriguing. I love history so of course it appealed to me. And at first I was really into it. The first part of the book was great but once Elisha entered the picture it got kind of boring. There was a lot of time spent sitting around waiting for him and it didn't seem necessary. Towards the end it picked up again but there were times when I didn't want to continue.
Another thing that bugged me was Maggie. She seemed very immature and she spent a lot of the time crying. She talked about feminism some but she herself waited around on Elisha forever. And he is a whole different matter. From the moment he met Maggie he wanted to change her and that is not love, in my opinion. The only character in the book that I really liked was Kate and she didn't even have that big of a part. I wanted to know more about her.
Overall, We Hear The Dead was a good book that could have been so much better. The spirit rapping part was great but it was overshadowed by Maggie and Elisha's relationship. The topic of the spiritualist movement was fantastic and if you enjoy history as much as I do then I recommend it for that alone. Otherwise, this might be one to check out from you library.
First line: I began the deception when I was too young to know right from wrong.
When having money is all that matters, what happens when you lose it all?
Perfect, picturesque Orchard Hill. It was the last thing Ally Ryan saw in the rear-view mirror as her mother drove them out of town and away from the shame of the scandal her father caused when his hedge fund went south and practically bankrupted all their friends -- friends that liked having trust funds and new cars, and that didn't like constant reminders that they had been swindled. So it was adios, Orchard Hill. Thanks for nothing.
Now, two years later, Ally's mother has landed a job back at the site of their downfall. So instead of Ally's new low-key, happy life, it'll be back into the snake pit with the likes of Shannen Moore and Hammond Ross.
But then there's Jake Graydon. Handsome, wealthy, bored Jake Graydon. He moved to town after Ally left and knows nothing of her scandal, but does know that he likes her. And she likes him. So off into the sunset they can go, right? Too bad Jake's friends have a problem with his new crush since it would make Ally happy. And if anyone deserves to be unhappy, it's Ally Ryan.
Ally was hoping to have left all the drama in the past, but some things just can't be forgotten. Isn't there more to life than money?
*****
She's So Dead To Us is the first in a new trilogy from Kieran Scott. Kieran Scott also writes the Private series under the name Kate Brian and I love that series. Sadly, She's So Dead To Us doesn't live up to that series, though it was pretty good and shows promise for the next book.
Ally Ryan hasn't seen or spoken to her friends from Orchard Hill since the night she left. She doesn't know what to expect when she sees them again but she never thought they would shun her. Turns out, they all hate her for what her father did. All except Jake Graydon. Jake never knew Ally before she moved away and he sure wants to get to know her now but how can he do that when all his friends are doing their best to keep them apart?
The story in She's So Dead To Us was okay. It was kind of predictable but not too bad. Because it was a Kieran Scott book, I had no trouble getting into it but I would have liked something a bit more original. It did a good job of setting up for the next book though. Especially with the ending. Chick-lit books don't normally have cliffhanger endings but this one sure did.
The worst thing about She's So Dead To Us were the characters. Ally was the only good one. She was brave and funny and I just really liked her. Sadly, the same cannot be said of Jake. He was a spineless weenie. He liked Ally but her wouldn't talk to her in public because of his friends. And that was not even the worst thing he did. And the Cresties confused me. I didn't get why some of them hated Ally and others didn't. The Idiot Twins were the best! They were hilarious. I hope for more of them in the next book and hopefully some better character development.
Overall, fans of Kieran Scott won't be disappointed with She's So Dead To Us. It seems like a promising start to her new trilogy and I can't wait for more. =]
In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It is a list of what books you have received over the previous week, either for review, from the library, from the bookstore, or from trades. =]
That was my week in books and it was pretty awesome. I got some books for review that I have been dying to read and I got a ton from trades and the handy dandy bookstore. I caved and bought some books but that is it for now. I have to start saving my money for my vacation next month. =]
Book: Picture The Dead by Adele Griffin, Illustrated by Lisa Brown
Release date: May 1, 2010
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
From: Publisher
Summary:
Jennie’s connection with her twin brother, Toby, grew stronger after he died in 1864. Now Jennie must rely on her ability to communicate with the dead to find out what has happened to her beloved fiance, Will, while he was off at war. The army says he died honorably in battle. His brother confides that he became a violent criminal and died in a prison camp. Jennie begins to doubt that anyone is telling her the truth.
This intriguing combination of historical romance, paranormal thriller, and clever mystery is illustrated by bestselling artist Lisa Brown. The unique visuals originated from real Civil War daguerreotypes that were transformed into eerie mementos for Jennie’s scrapbook.
With the help of a spiritualist photographer, the spirit of her dead fiance, and the clues she discovers and keeps in her scrapbook, Jennie must put together the pieces of this mystery before she loses her home, her fortune, and possibly her life.
*****
I love ghost stories. They are something new to me and so they are still unique. I haven't read very many but Picture The Dead ranks high among the ones that I have read and makes me very interested in reading more.
Jennie Lovell does not have an easy life. After being orphaned, she and her twin, Toby, are forced to live with their Aunt Clara and Uncle Henry. Things aren't too terrible though because Will and Quinn are there. Things get even better when Jennie falls in love with Will and he ask her to marry him. All that changes though when all three boys join up and are sent to fight in the civil war. Quinn is the only one who makes it home alive. But Will is still there and his ghost is trying to tell Jennie something. Will she find out what it is before it's too late?
Like I said, I haven't read many ghost stories so I didn't really know what to expect. At first it was kind of creepy but the ghosts were friendly so it got better. The mystery of what Will was trying to tell Jennie was what kept me reading. I never would have guessed it. The book was definitely a quick read and not just because of the plot. There were pictures and letters in the book that were very cool and they sped the book up a bit. It wasn't just words like most YA books.
The characters were only okay to me. I liked Jennie but she was almost obsessed with the ghost which seemed to blind her to what was right in front of her. I did like that she wasn't whiny or snotty though. She grew up in a wealthy household but she was friends with the servants and actually cared for them. It was nice. Quinn, on the other hand, confused me most of the book. I understood him more at the end.
Overall, Picture The Dead is just a really good book. If you are a fan of ghost stories, check it out. Well, even if you are not a fan, I recommend it. And who knows, maybe it will make you a fan! =]
I don't normally mention things other than books on my blog but I just had to make an exception for the Pretty Little Liars TV show. And technically it's based on a book series so it kind of counts. =]
I have been a fan of this book series since the very beginning and I have gotten a ton of my friends into it too. It's such a good series and I never know what is going to happen next in the books. So far there are 7 books in the series but the 8th and final book comes out the same day that the TV show premieres. I will definitely be buying a copy of that one as soon as it hits shelves and hopefully getting a group together to watch the premiere.
I have seen a ton of different trailers for the show lately but I thought I would post the character trailers so people who haven't read the books will have an idea of who each girl is.
Aria:
Emily:
Spencer:
Hanna:
I seriously cannot wait for this show. What about you guys? Will you be watching?
Her whole life, Alexia Garcia has been told that she looks just like pop star Kari Kingsley, and one day when Alexia’s photo filters through the Internet, she’s offered a job to be Kari’s double. This would seem like the opportunity of a lifetime, but Alexia’s mother has always warned her against celebrities.
Rebelliously, Alexia flies off to L.A. and gets immersed in a celebrity life. Not only does she have to get used to getting anything she wants, she romances the hottest lead singer on the charts, and finds out that her own father is a singing legend. Through it all, Alexia must stay true to herself, which is hard to do when you are pretending to be somebody else!
*****
My Double Life is one of the cutest books I have ever read. I hate to say it but it's my first ever Janette Rallison book. After reading this one I am disappointed in myself that I haven't read her others. Luckily I own most of them and will have the chance to read them this summer!
Alexia was such an awesome character. She grew up poor and when she was given the chance to be Kari's body double she took it. She knew the money could help her pay for college but she had another reason for taking the job. Obviously, I am not going to tell you what that reason was. Alexia was funny, smart, and really just a good person. Kari, on the other hand, had some problems but I liked seeing the development of her character. It was also very realistic because most celebrities have problems like hers. Both of the girls were great and they were especially great together.
The plot wasn't the best but I still love it. I had a hard time putting the book down once I started it because I wanted to know how everything worked out. Plus, there were quite a few funny scenes where I couldn't help but laugh. The story was perfect.
Overall, My Double Life is a great book for any chick-lit lovers. There was some deeper meaning to the story but it's pretty much just a fun book. Right in time for summer! =]
by Meg Cabot
by Jennifer Murgia (SIGNED!!)
by Angela Morrison (already read)
by Kate Brian
by Emily Cassel
by Sunny (already read)
by Sunny (already read)
by JR Ward (can't wait to read!)
by Celia Rees
by Lee Nichols (already read!)
by ED Baker
by Marianne Curley
by Melissa Senate
by Jackson Pearce
by Sue Wyshynski
by Ellen Hopkins
by Ellen Hopkins
by Justin Kramon
by Alyxandra Harvey
by Richelle Mead
by Katie Finn
by Lily Archer
by Suzanne Harper
by Susane Colasanti
by CK Kelly Martin
by Hailey Abbott, Melissa de la Cruz, Nina Malkin, and Aimee Friedman
by Irene Latham
by Robin Epstein
by Sarah Mlynowski
by Jeaniene Frost
by Elizabeth Chandler
