In Your Room

In Your Room
Jordanna Fraiberg
Razorbill
$8.99 USD
October 2008
FTC: This is my book. I am not being compensated for reviewing this book.

Characters 15/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 15/20
Cover 18/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 86% B

Total rating: 12+

Summary: (Amazon)
Molly and Charlie have fallen head over heels in love—even though they’ve never met Molly is a fashion-conscious city girl in L.A. Charlie is an earthy, mountain-biking dude from Boulder, Colorado. Each of them has big plans with their respective friends for the summer—until they discover that their parents decided to swap houses!
Luckily there’s no amount of homesickness that a bit of snooping can’t cure. Charlie and Molly begin crawling under beds and poking around in closets to find out a little more about each other—and they like what they find.
Can Charlie and Molly’s long-distance romance survive jealousy, misunderstandings—and the thousand miles between them?

My Thoughts:
This book was nothing that I expected. I felt the characters were well developed but that there was no variety. I don’t think everyone could easily make a connection with this book. When I saw that it was compared to the MTV Show, Room Raiders, I was super excited. Whoever came up with that connection though must have never seen the show. It was nothing like it at all.

The plot was a nice change to the typical boy-meets-girl stuff we see. I thought it was fairly well developed for the difficulty of the plot.

I recommend this book to younger teen romance fans.

Quotes:
Here is a random quote I found by turning to a random page:

Tell me more about the stars.

Beautiful Americans

Beautiful Americans
Lucy Silag
Razor bill
$16.99 Hardback US
January 2009
FTC: This is my book that I bought. I did not receive it from the author or publisher.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 18/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 98% A

Sexual content: 10/20
Violence: 0/20
Drugs: 5/20
Underage drinking: 15/20
Swearing: 10/20
Total rating: 15+

Summary: (goodreads)
What happens in Paris...
Secrets--PJ's deep blue eyes and angelic long blond hair conceal a truth that's anything but. Will her dark past stay where it belongs in the backwoods of Vermont, or haunt her in the city of light?

Passion--Always the good girl, Olivia plans to twirl her way to the top of the Parisian ballet scene. But that's not supposed to include dancing on a table all night...or stumbling into the arms of the wrong boy.

Lies--With his emo-trendy bedhead, hilarious comebacks and Southern drawl, Zack could win over anyone. Too bad he's after the only one who's forbidden...

Scandal--All Alex wants from Paris is to nab that berry-red Dior coat and seduce the perfect penny-loafer-wearing boy - and Alex always gets what she wants. But will her scheming pay off? Or is she risking more than she knows...?

Alex, Olivia, Zack and PJ are spending a year at the prestigious Lycée de Monceau in the sparkling city of Paris. This is their chance to sip cafe au lait in Le Marais, throw secret parties in their host families' Versailles-size apartments, and have the time of their lives. But when the secrets they thought they left behind come out, everything could be ruined…

My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book! I had seen a few reviews that were not so great but I like to be my own judge. I feel that I can be a bit over critical of books so for me to love one its for real.

There were so many characters in this book and they were all so unique. I found a part of myself in each and every one of them!

The plot was very unique too. Come on, foreign exchange AMERICAN students? Not something we really ever read about! We should though because it was super fun. I have the sequel in my TBR pile and I don’t know how I’ll wait for its turn! What a cliff hanger!

I recommend this book to all of my readers! Give it a try!!

Quotes:
Here is a random quote (or 2) I found opening to a random page:

“What were they taking pictures of?”

“Leave her alone!” I yell as people heckle her.

Tenner

Today Heidi R. Kling, author of Sea is here to chat.

1. What has been the most exciting part of getting published?
Honestly? Everything. Each new thing is more exciting than the last.

2. How long did it take you to get published?
That depends how you look at it. When I got serious about the business side of it (going to conferences, agent searching--) it happened rather quickly--but I have both my BA and my MFA in creative writing, so I've been working toward this goal a very long time.

3. Were you faced with rejection at first? How did you handle it?
Rejection is terrible. I handled it like most people do--with lots of whining. ;) Then I brushed the pity off and got back to work. You can't give up if you want to achieve your goal.

4. Where did you get your ideas for this book?
SEA was inspired by my husband's real life volunteer trips to Indonesia after the tsunami.

5. What do you think or hope readers will gain from your novel?
A heightened sense of awareness about their world. The appreciation that the human spirit can rise above tragedy. That there is always an underlying hope even in the darkest corners.

6. When writing do you outline or just begin?
I just begin. I sort of do a broad outline now for projects, because otherwise I end up on endless tangents that are fun to write, but that editors don't like so much. :)

7. What authors inspire you?
L.K. Madigan's debut novel Flash Burnout was crazy awesome. I found early inspiration in John Green's Looking for Alaska and Laurie Halse Andersons's Speak. Maggie Stiefvater's massive amounts of creative energy inspires me to believe I can take on more than I originally thought. I love YA and YA authors--to me they all have this youthful spirit and energy that is contagious.

8. Complete this: While writing this book I learned...
That writing a novel that will sell takes a lot of heart. I think you aren't totally in love with your project, the reader can feel that. Don't be afraid to fall in love along with your characters--don't be afraid to be disappointed when they are; feel fear when they do. You're on this journey together.

9. Complete this: You should buy my novel because...
It's awesome? Hee. I don't know. If you like love stories, if you like exploring deeper issues, if you like exotic settings. If you are a sucker for romance and hope and Big Life Things then you'd probably like it. Also, it has a pretty nice cover. :)


Thanks for having me, Ashley!

Thank you Heidi! You all should check out Sea :) I know I will be :)

Skeleton Creek Series

Skeleton Creek and Ghost in the Machine
Patrick Carman
Scholastic
$14.99 each
February and November 2009
FTC: I received these books from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review with no compensation.

Characters 18/20
Plot 18/20
Setting 16/20
Cover 15/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 85% B

Total rating: 13+ for creep factors

Summary: (Amazon)
Ryan McCray and Sarah Fincher wonder how Skeleton Creek, OR, received its name. Research takes them on a nighttime expedition to a mechanical dredge, where Ryan breaks his leg. The teens think the dredge is haunted by Joe Bush, a miner killed there. The book is interspersed with Sarah's videos, which can be accessed on the Internet. The mystery remains to be solved; sequels are guaranteed.

My Thoughts:
I will start right off and say I was not a fan. I did not like the bouncing between online and book. I want to be able to sit down and read a book all the way through without having to go online. I also felt the plot left much to be desired. It was unique but not full.

It was cool that is was set in Oregon since not many books are! I’m an Oregon girl (by birth not choice) so the publicity is kind of cool. No I’ve never heard of a Skeleton Creek though ;)

I recommend this to mystery and creepy book fans.

Quotes:
Here is a random quote from each book I found by opening to a random page:

When he saw me, dad sat me on his lap and touched my knees with a cold dishrag from the kitchen sink.

I had turned the light off so it was totally dark except for the light from my

Wednesday Wishlist

Before, After, and Somebody in Between
by Jeannine Garsee

Summary: (Barnes and Noble)

My sympathy fades as Chardonnay twists around to spread her lips in a demented grin. Her long yellow teeth probably haven’t seen a toothbrush in months. I take a chance and smile back, and what do I get? A pudgy middle finger jabbed under my nose.

My next thought is: Wow. I may not even survive homeroom.

One hour into her first day of tenth grade, Martha Kowalski knows she’s really in trouble. The school bully, Chardonnay, has already threatened her life—and at home, things are even worse. Martha’s mom, fresh out of rehab, is shacking up with an obnoxious jerk in a neighborhood that can only be described as a “ghetto.”

More than anything she’s ever wanted, Martha wants to play the cello. But even music becomes dangerous to her health—because nothing is what it seems in this place. With her mother’s willpower dissolving, Martha watches helplessly as her own dreams slip further away.

But in an exhilarating twist that would stun even Cinderella, everything changes. A wealthy lawyer invites her into his family’s home and Martha is given a chance to start over. The warm, caring Brinkmans treat Martha like one of the family and even though it feels so right, she knows they can’t be as perfect as they seem. And she knows that this fairy tale can’t last forever…

Why: It sounds unique and I hardly know anyone who has read it!

Fun

Here is a fun survey I took :)

01: What author do you own the most books by?
Zoey Dean. I have most of the A-List
02: What book do you own the most copies of?
None
03: Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Um no?
04: What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Eric (Sp?) from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Can you say ADORABLE
05: What book have you read the most times in your life?
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume 4 times
06: What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
Not sure… The Wanderer or Harry Potter
07: What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
Oh goodness. It was so bad I don’t remember the title but I can picture the cover.
08: What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Is this even a serious question?
09: If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
Tiger Eyes. Its amazing. I don’t loan out my copy, that’s how dear it is to me.
10: Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for 'Literature?
Eh, everyone durrr. No seriously if you get published your awesome. An award doesn’t make you any better.
11: What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
The Naughty List
12: What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
The A List Series
13: Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
None that I can recall
14: What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?
Say what?
15: What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
The Iliad. It just sucked so I struggled. It wasn’t hard just not what I wanted to comprehend.
16: What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?
Haven’t read or seen Shakespeare to be honest.
17: Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
Um what the hell does this have to do with books?
18: Roth or Updike?
I am confused…
19: David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
Uh… this is getting dumb
20: Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
ummmmm
21: Austen or Eliot?
Have read neither but I’ll say Austen
22: What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
none
23: What is your favorite novel?
Tiger Eyes
24: Play?
none
25: Poem?
The ones Lex writes
26; Essay?
none
27: Short story?
Again… NADA
28: Work of nonfiction?
Diary of Anne Frank
29: Who is your favorite writer?
Hahaha funny joke! Oh, were you serious?
30: Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
You all will stone me, but Stephanie Meyer. Her writing is no better than most yet she gets all this hype.
31: What is your desert island book?
Cant I take all?
32: And… what are you reading right now?
Heartless Sara Shepard
Perfect You Elizabeth Scott

My Soul to Save Contest

No Must Monday today, instead I am hosting a contest!

The publisher says US addresses only and no PO Boxes

Three (3) winners will receive:
Book #2 in the Soul Screamers series: My Soul to Save

The contest ends 2/9/2010

CHECK OUT THE BOOK TRAILERhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XAEKAXRN8E

VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEBSITEhttp://www.soulscreamers.com

ABOUT THE RELEASE
When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks on stage and Kaylee doesn’t wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can’t cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad’s ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend’s loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls for a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can’t possibly understand.

Kaylee can’t let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk….

Soul Screamers: The last thing you hear before you die.

To enter:

comment

follow +1

blog post +5

Sing me To Sleep Contest

I am giving away a signed copy of Sing Me to Sleep!

This contest is open to US and Canada only.

The contest ends 2/5/2010

+1 comment
+1 follow
+5 blog post
+5 each new follower you bring me