The Army of Ten

It should come as no surprise to any of my readers that I am a BIG fan of Gretchen McNeil.  I read her first book, Possess, and LOVED IT!  

Trying to match the cover, not sure I got it quite right....


Gretchen's sophomore novel, Ten, is set to hit shelves September 18 and in honor of her upcoming release Gretchen has set up a great contest.  Coined The Army of Ten, there are five different levels of participation and five different ways to win some amazing prizes, including bookmarks, signed books, gift cards, and even a chance to have your name in the aknowledgements of Gretchen's third book, 3:59! 

Want more information?  Watch Gretchen's video!



Still here!?  What are you waiting for, head over to  The Army of Ten right now!



Top Ten Tuesday 8/28/2012: Bookish Confessions

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

This week we're confessing our bookish dirty secret.  Our little cheats, habits, and shameful behaviours.

1.  Sometimes I go back and change my star ratings. 

After I finish a book I always go on goodreads and immediately mark it as finished and give it a star rating.  But then after reading other reviews and talking to people about the book sometimes my mind will be swayed and I'll change my star rating (usually lower).  I think I initially rate books too high and other people's opinions change my mind.

2.  I totally judge books by their covers.

If the cover doesn't grab my attention the chances of me reading it are pretty slim.  It has to get good enough reviews for the book to really stand out to convince me to buy it.

3.  I am a drama fiend.

I'll admit it, I love to read super snarky reviews and all of the bat-shit crazy comment wars that ensue.  I secretly love reading about authors losing their shit on reviewers or people fighting over arcs or journalists making sweeping assumptions about the book blogging community.  What can I say, I'm a Libra!

4.  I buy way more books than I can ever hope to actually read.

I love to go book shopping the way other women go clothes and shoes shopping.  I have such excitement for ALL THE NEW RELEASES!  and I go out and buy them but then get bogged down and never get around to reading them.  It really stresses me out because I feel like they all deserve to be read but I'm just too slow.

5.  I suck at netgalley.

See above.  I get so excited for new books and when I see them on netgalley and I get into a frothing frenzy and request all the books...then never read them.  o.O

6.  I don't trust anybody with my books.

I hate lending my books to people because I always get them back completely trashed!  It's so annoying and completely disrespectful and I really hate it (URGH!).

7.  I am a book peeker.

Whenever I see someone reading in public I try and surreptitiously figure out what they're reading, but I think I've been caught a few times. 

8.  I'm not a real fan 

I tell people I'm a Jane Austen fan, but I've only read Pride and Prejudice.  I don't know what is wrong with me

8.  I have a secret desire to be a writer, but I think people judge me for it.

I'm really afraid to talk about my desire to be an author, because then I get this reaction:



And it makes me feel like shit.

9.  People in my life constantly make fun of me about my reading habit.

I get a lot of flack for how much I enjoy reading and other nerdy things, such as video games and obscure movies, and I have to admit it makes me feel pretty bad sometimes. 

So those are my bookish confessions, what are some of yours?  Post in the comments!

Friday Face Off Cover Reveal: This is What Happy Looks Like

Friday Face Off is a meme hosted by one of my favorite book bloggers Misty over at The Book Rat.  Usually this meme focuses on different cover designs for the same book and decides which is better for the story.  I wanted to take this meme and add a little twist to it today by discussing a cover reveal!

Jennifer E. Smith is the queen of long titles!  Her book, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, has an adorable title and cover.  Her upcoming book, This is What Happy Looks Like, follows in suit.

These books aren't a series, but the covers look SO cute together!  I love the premise for both books and I really want to read them.  This is What Happy Looks Like comes out April 2013, and I'm really excited!

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Published September 2009 by Simon Pulse
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
This is Alice.
She was taken by Ray five years ago.
She thought she knew how her story would end.
She was wrong.

Review:  I can't really say I liked this book, because who really does like a book about such a horrible topic? However Scott treated this subject well, and while she didn't shy away from the graphic and horrific aspects of the story, she did it in a way that doesn't exploit or glamorize the situation. It's raw, dirty, and painful.

The best part of Living Dead Girl is the writing style.  I normally don't care too much about writing style, but in this case it's what makes the novel.  It's almost like reading poetry and I feel like it really lends to the narrative.  I can completely understand Alice and why she thinks the way she does and why she can't "just escape".  The mental and physical abuse has completely drained her will to live.  Alice has comes to believe that she deserves to live with her captor.  I think fans of Ellen Hopkins books will really like Living Dead Girl.

Overall Living Dead Girl is a very dark story about a young girl's horrifying kidnapping that could have easily felt exploitative but was handled very well.  It is a heart breaking story that will haunt you for a long time.  Sidenote:  I would say that this book is for mature teen and adult readers only. 

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Published in 2006 by Ember
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be—and where the next great band is playing.

Told in alternating chapters, teeming with music references, humor, angst, and endearing side characters, this is a love story you’ll wish were your very own. Working together for the first time, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have combined forces to create a book that is sure to grab readers of all ages and never let them go.

Review:  Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is the first book written by the duo Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, and it has a witty, punk rock feel that makes it a quick yet poignant read.  It has that same kind of teenage expectation and excitement you get from The Breakfast Club and My So Called Life. (For serious though, there's enough angst to fill the grand canyon and ride a boat across it). There's plenty of teenage antics and some sexy times, but there's also a deeper context too.  It's a story where two strangers can come together and have an immediate connection and share parts of themselves that they usually keep bottled inside.  It's about letting go of the past and realizing that this time, with this person, it doesn't have to be that way again.

Summer Wrap Up Read-a-Thon Update #3 and WINNER!

Well the read-a-thon is officially over and I don't know about you, but I had a blast!  First let's get to the most important thing, the winner of the giveaway.  I want to extend a hearty congratulations to:

Christina Marie Madison @BiblioThoughts

YAY!  So if you could email me your mailing address asap I'll get your ARC in the mail! 

Now, on to what I read during this challenge.  I rocked it out during the beginning of the week, but then kind of slack on the last few days so I only read three full books, finished two that I had been working on, and one manga.

This read-a-thon was a blast and I'm really glad I was able to host a challenge.  It's the first time I've ever hosted anything on my blog and I really want to do more now.  I hope everyone had a great summer and now on to the fall read-a-thons (amiright!?).

Summer Wrap Up Read-a-Thon Update #2

Since my last update I have finished Bumped by Megan McCafferty and I'm 50% through Thumped, also by Megan McCafferty.  Hey, I figured I should read the ARC before I give it away.  Speaking of the giveaway, I've had some fantastic entries so far!  All of the puzzles have been great fun but boy are some of them really hard!  If you're still interested in the giveaway it's not too late to sign up for the read-a-thon and enter! 

Summer Wrap Up Read-a-Thon Challenge: Book Puzzle

Good morning everyone and welcome to the start of day four of the Summer Wrap Up Read-a-Thon hosted by Jude @In Between Writing and Reading and Jennifer@Some Like It Paranormal.  If you haven't signed up yet there is still time to head over here and join in. 

For this challenge I'm excited to be doing one of my favorite posts, a book puzzle.  All you have to do is create a series of photos and images that visually represent a book title, kind of like a Rebus puzzle.  For example:

The

This puzzle is The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.  I did another puzzle post a while ago for a different challenge if you'd like to see another example.

Now it's your turn!  Get creative and post your own challenge on your blog.  Once you've created your own post come back here and add it to the linky below.  Don't forget to check out other people's puzzles, they are so much fun!

There is a prize for participating in this challenge too!  For everyone who creates their own puzzle post you can fill out the rafflecopter form below to be entered in a drawing to win an ARC of Thumped by Megan McCafferty! (This giveaway is open to the US (sorry international friends!) and will run until 11:59pm August 12th).

From Goodreads

THE CONCLUSION TO ONE OF THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT NOVELS OF LAST YEAR

It’s been thirty-five weeks since twin sisters Harmony and Melody went their separate ways. And now their story has become irresistible: twins separated at birth, each due to deliver twins…on the same day!

Married to Ram and living in Goodside, Harmony spends her time trying to fit back into the community she once believed in. But she can’t forget about Jondoe, the guy she fell for under the strangest of circumstances.

To her adoring fans, Melody has achieved everything: a major contract and a coupling with the hottest bump prospect around. But this image is costing her the one guy she really wants.

The girls’ every move is analyzed by millions of fans eagerly counting down to “Double Double Due Date.” They’re two of the most powerful teen girls on the planet, and they could do only one thing to make them even more famous:

Tell the truth.

a Rafflecopter giveaway!

Summer Wrap Up Read-a-Thon Update #1

So far for the challenge I've finished Harbinger by Sarah Wilson Etienne and I'm about 30% finished with Bumped by Megan McCafferty.  My goal for this challenge is to finished Bumped and Thumped by Megan McCafferty and start If I Stay by Gale Forman (the F book in my A-Z challenge).

I wanted to do a couple of the challenges with this post too.

Wicked Summer Cover Challenge @ Wickedly Bookish

So I'm using this read-a-thon to try and read as many of my netgalley ARCs as possible for my Review Copy Clean Up challenge.  Unfortunately, none of my books have a summer theme, so the closest I could get are these goggles on the cover of Innocent Darkness.  They kind of look like steampunk sunglasses, right?

Rewrite the Synopsis @ Skyway Avenue

If I Stay by Gale Forman

Talented musician Mia doesn't remember the accident that killed her family and left her hovering somewhere between life and death.  Now she must make a choice, and time is running out.  Should she follow her family into the unknown, or risk even more if she stays?

Hotter than Summer @ Book Lovers Review

Prince Kai from Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I just love Asian princes!  Kai is adorable and smart and awesome and I love him. 

Prince Po from Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Ah, what is it about princes?  Po is totally awesome.  He's totally charming and has faults and insecurities that just add to that charm.  I'm almost afraid to read Fire because I can't imagine how any love interest could be better.

Cover Love Challenge @ Falling for YA

My top 5 favorite covers from the summer releases are:

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Off the Shelf #21

Hello everyone and welcome to Off the Shelf!  This is my way of sharing any new books I receive or buy as well as let you all know what my reading plans are for the week and what I hope to get off my TBR shelf.



Hey everyone!  This week is an exciting week because I've finished a couple books AND the Summer Wrap Up Read-a-Thon started this weekend!  The read-a-thon runs all week (you still have time to sign up!) and I'll be hosting a challenge tomorrow morning, so be sure to check back then.

Finished Reading

I finally finished Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne!  I've been working on this one for my A-Z challenge for a while and I have to admit it was kind of weird.  Parts of it were fantastic, but I think it suffered from try-hard syndrome.  It just tried too hard to be too many things.

I got kind of bored with Harbinger so I took a break and read An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.  It's SO cute!  I loved all of the math (I did take 9 math courses in college).  It's really great and I was LOLing pretty hard.

Currently Reading

Bumped by Megan McCafferty.  This is pretty dang weird so far.  I really like the writing style, but the story?  Yeah not sold on that one.

Up Next 

Thumped by Megan McCafferty.  I won this ARC on goodreads (thanks Harper!).  This is part of my Review Copy Cleanup Challenge and it will have a special part in my post for tomorrow (you'll have to check and see!).



Review Copy Cleanup!



So I've been hunting for a theme for August and came across the Review Copy Cleanup challenge hosted by Books, Biscuits, and Tea and Nyx Book Reviews.  The goals of this challenge are simple, read as many review copies that you can.  For me, I'm a bit of a netgalley addict so I really could use this challenge to motivate me.

So here are the books I hope to read this month!    

August 2012 New Reads

Hey everyone, here are some of the YA books and debuts set for August 2012.  This isn't a complete list, just some of the ones I'm interested in.  I hope this list will help feed your readers!

August 2

Survive by Alex Morel
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  This looks like it will have some interesting points on why people are suicidal and what they will do to survive.  I hope it won't just be about surviving the elements and will go into surviving yourself.






August 7

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake
#2 in the Anna series

Why I'm Excited: I read Anna Dressed in Blood last year and LOVED it.  Girl of Nightmares is one of my most anticipated 2012 releases and you better believe I'm buying it the day it comes out :)

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
#1 in the Glitch series
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  Reason 1:  Cover.  Reason 2:  Very cool premise.  The only thing I'm worried about is the potential for a love triangle.  Why does there always have to be a love triangle!?  I hope this won't happen.

The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin

Why I'm Excited:  Storm chasers!  I loved Twister as a kid and I've always had a secret desire to drive around chasing tornadoes.  I am also very interested to see how the author handles alcoholism and the different ways that family members can abandon each other.

Thrones of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
#1 in the Throne of Glass series
DAC

Why I'm Excited: This sounds a little bit like The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones mixed together.  I am a little worried it will have too much of a focus on the romantic aspect, but I hope it will be as bad ass as I think it will be.





August 8

Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear
#1 in the Aether Chronicles
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  Steampunk fairies!  I love this cover and I love steampunk, so I think it will be really fun.






August 14

The Kill Order by James Dashner
#0 in The Maze Runner series

Why I'm Excited:  I've heard so much about The Maze Runner, so I'm very interested in a prequel.  It looks like it will be a full book too, not just a novella, so that's awesome.

The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent

Why I'm Excited:  COVER!  Also London!  Museums!  Monsters!  Steampunk Love Interest! 







August 16

The Trechery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long
DAC

Why I'm Excited: This sounds really cool, like a haunted forest story.  I hope it is dark and spooky.  Plus I love the title, very cool!







August 21

Beautiful Lies by Jessica Warman

Why I'm Excited:  Psychically linked identical twins.  Sounds awesome!

Heaven by Alexandra Adornetto
#3 in the Halo series

Why I'm Excited:  That cover is beautiful!  I haven't read these books and I hear they suck but you gotta love the cover.  I will probably read these at some point though just to make up my own mind.

The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
#3 in the Lorien Legacy Trilogy

Why I'm Excited:  I really liked the I am Number Four movie, so I'm very excited to read this series.  I hope to start it soon :)

The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  I'm not a huge middle grade reader, but this one sounds so cute!  It definitely sounds like something I would have read in middle school, so I really want to check it out.

Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel
#2 in The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein

Why I'm Excited:  The first book is in the works to becoming a movie (they just have a director first so no news if this is really going to happen) but just the fact that there is movie buzz piqued my interest in the story.






August 28

Defiance by C.J. Redwine
#1 in the Defiance series
DAC

Why I'm Excited: I love the idea of the main character fighting society and learning how to survive and going against her gender's role.  I think this will be a really cool adventure story and I think there will (hopefully) be some fun romantic antics as well.

Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon
#1 in the PERSEFoNE
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  Computer hacking girl!  Yay!  I love books about girls with computer skills (maybe because I'm an electrical engineer, but I love technology savvy females).  This sounds like a totally awesome sci-fi thriller, and doesn't get too hung up on the romantic aspects.

Embers and Echoes by Karsten Knight
#2 in the Wildfire series

Why I'm Excited:  I love the concept for this series.  I love stories about gods and goddesses and I love the fact that is isn't a Greek mythology, but a Polynesian one (awesome!).

Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh
#2 in the Nevermore series

Why I'm Excited:  I read Nevermore last year and fell in LOVE.  This is one of my most highly anticipated books of 2012 and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.  DO WANT NOW.

The Lost Girl Sangu Mandanna
DAC

Why I'm Excited:  I gotta admit this concept is weird.  I really want to read it just so I can see how the author handles it.  I do love the setting (India) and I think it will be great to get some more cultural diversity up in YA.