In My Mailbox

Sarah Mail!

This week I bought:
Home is Where the Bark is by Kandy Shepherd
Into the Crossfire by Lisa Marie Rice
Forget You by Jennifer Echols

For review:
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (Amazon Vine)
Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Amazon Vine)
Forget You by Jennifer Echols (from publisher)

I also returned my refurbished Kindle and put in an order for a Kindle 3 in white. Won't get it until August 27th now but I still can't wait!

In My Mailbox is brought to you by The Story Siren and Pop Culture Junkie.

The Space Between Trees Contest Winner!

The winner of the autographed copy of Katie Williams' The Space Between Trees is...

Brooke G!

Congratulations Brooke! I'm going to email your information to the publisher and you should be getting your autographed book very soon. Thanks everyone for participating!

Review: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler is an intriguing look at what would happen if a seventeen year old girl suffering from anorexia was deemed one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. If she was in fact, named Famine.

Synopsis:
"Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world."
Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?
Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home—her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power—and the courage to fight her own inner demons? 

While I found this book a tad too short to really be able to dig into the story, I liked its brisk pace. From the moment Lisa unwittingly accepts the calling as Famine (an event she is sure she dreamed up) to the very end when she finally has a better understanding of what it means to be hungry and to face truly difficult eating decisions daily.

Lisa faces a Thin Voice each day as she decides what not to eat. She is helped in her sickness by her friend, Tammy, who is bulimic. There is one scene in particular, where Lisa (as Famine) watches while Tammy purges. It is horrifying but extremely realistic and scary. Kessler is a strong writer and her impressions of eating disorders and famine itself seem spot-on, both filled with humanity, hurt, and fear. However, I felt like there was a tad too much crammed into this slim novel. Famine, a huge topic all on its own, being pushed against eating disorders, another huge and delicate topic, well, it felt like too much. I couldn't really dig into either of Lisa's personas.

I liked the otherworldly aspect to the story, how Jackie Morse Kessler changed the typical YA eating disorder to something more unique but I needed something with a bit more heft. I also felt the ending was rather abrupt and too easy. However, this book definitely had some elements I enjoyed, particularly the glimpses of the other horsemen and their interactions with Famine. Perhaps there is humanity even in the worst of apocalypses.

Hunger was a quick read. It did not fully satisfy but it honestly didn't let me down either. Lisa definitely learned some important lessons throughout the book, even if they only skimmed the surface at times. Not a terrible book by any means but I certainly would have enjoyed a bit more!

Book reviewed from Amazon Vine.

Waiting on Wednesday

Rich and Mad by William Nicholson (September 14, 2010)

Maddie is a 16-year-old who likes a boy in her theater club.  But does he like her back?  Or is a more average boy, a kind boy who reads books, the one who might ultimately touch her heart?  A novel about a teen who learns that the best boyfriend might not be the cute boy you notice first.

(And don't go searching for the full synopsis because it contains spoilers, just FYI.)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Review: Rules to Rock By by Josh Farrar

Rules to Rock By, written by Josh Farrar, was a mixed bag. I enjoyed certain parts immensely, but other parts just didn't feel that authentic to me.

Synopsis: You'd never guess it now, but Annabelle Cabrera used to be a rock star. And not like her mom or dad called her a "total rock star" after she won a spelling bee or something. She was a real rock star, the bassist of Egg Mountain, the most popular band in the New York music scene. But when her parents uproot her from Brooklyn and move her to Rhode Island so they can record their own album, Annabelle feels lost. Starting a new band isn't as easy as she'd hoped, the school's rival band is a bunch of bullies, and her parents are so immersed in recording that they're completely neglecting Annabelle and her younger brother. How can Annabelle truly make herself heard?

Annabelle has just moved to Providence, Rhode Island, and she is not happy about it to say the least. Her music career is in the tubes all because her parents wanted to finally record their own album. Annabelle is determined to put a new band together, but that is a lot easier said than done, particularly when she isn't making any rocker friends. Annabelle just doesn't seem to be fitting in at her new school, and life at home is not any better because her parents barely seem to remember Annabelle and her younger brother, Xavier, are even around. They get fed chocolate chip pancakes more nights than not and lately, Xavier has been out of control, craving the attention he no longer gets because they do not live with their Abuela anymore.

This book is aimed for a tween audience, which I did not realize when I first started reading. Annabelle is merely twelve years old, entering sixth grade. Right away this story lacked some believability for me just because I could not imagine a twelve year old being part of some really, super popular band (ok, even though this happens in real life, I just didn't buy into it in this book.) Also, Annabelle didn't seem like a sixth grader to me at all. I'm not sure why or even how to explain why but she just didn't feel authentic at school. When she was acting up around her parents, ignoring her brother, or getting jealous of her new bandmates, I finally started to believe it a bit more, but it was never wholly true for me.

There is also the issue of bullying which comes up in this book quite a bit and again, didn't quite work for me. I realize bullying is an issue that is going on in schools across the nation constantly but especially given what I learned at the end regarding one of the boys who was bullied, and how an adult knew about it, I was just surprised the situation had gone on as long as it had.

What I liked most about this book was seeing Annabelle deal with a new situation, essentially alone because her parents were not exactly going to win the parents of the year award. She did what she could to find a new band, she tried to take care of her brother, and yeah, she acted bratty sometimes which made her character a lot more believable for me. She was homesick and she could see there were issues between her parents that she did not totally get. I liked Annabelle as a character so even when I couldn't completely buy into the situations she found herself in, at least I could enjoy her presence on the pages.

Maybe this book will work better for the intended audience. I really enjoy both YA and MG fiction so I was definitely excited to read it, but I guess the idea of a twelve year old becoming a rock star just didn't work for me the way it might for others.

Not a bad book by any means but a book I ended up skimming parts of because frankly, at times, I was bored and not interested enough in the surrounding characters to truly delve in. I will say however, I really enjoyed Annabelle's English teacher. He was a great supporting character and really made Annabelle think and work on her talents as a musician in ways she wasn't expecting.

ARC provided by Around the World Tours

Romance Roundup: July

Here are the romance books I ended up reviewing in July. I know I'm kind of late with this, but in case you are interested:

All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins
Bonds of Justice by Nalini Singh
Hot Finish by Erin McCarthy
Do You Take This Cop? by Beth Andrews
The Gift of Love anthology
My Dangerous Duke by Gaelen Foley
Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
The Search by Nora Roberts

Favorite book this month: All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins
Most disappointing book: My Dangerous Duke (blargh, this was awful!)

Did you read a good romance you want to recommend? Please do!

Review: Stork by Wendy Delsol

When I saw Abby (the) Librarian mention this book in one of her IMM posts, I wanted to read it! Stork by Wendy Delsol pulled me in immediately. It's different enough from most of the paranormal YA out there right now where I wasn't bored at all, but still tackles some of the same themes so that I think it will have a good audience with teens.

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Katla has just moved from Los Angeles to the sticks of Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, she learns to her horror that she’s a member of an ancient order of women who decide to whom certain babies will be born. Add to that Wade, the arrogant football star whom Katla regrettably fooled around with, and Jack, a gorgeous farm boy who initially seems to hate her. Soon Katla is having freaky dreams about a crying infant and learns that, as children, she and Jack shared a near-fatal, possibly mystical experience. Can Katla survive this major life makeover and find a dress for the homecoming dance? Drawing from Norse mythology and inspired by The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, debut author Wendy Delsol conceives an irreverent, highly entertaining novel about embracing change and the (baby) bumps along the way.

Part of the reason I wanted to read this book so badly was because it is set in Minnesota which is where I am from and yes, I love reading stories set in Minnesota. And it helps immensely that I really enjoyed Katla's voice! Kat definitely feels like the outsider in town (though as she learns, not for the reasons she thinks). She is used to the nice weather of California so Minnesota is definitely a shock for her. Her mother has recently started dating again and school is a nightmare, so really there is no place for her to escape. Until her head starts itching. Badly. The book jumps right into the itching in fact and you are left wondering what is going on?? I thought it was a great opening chapter, very different!

As Kat finds out, she is a member of the the Icelandic Stork Society, an ancient order of women with the powerful and unusual ability of matching unborn babies with the mother who is destined for them. Kat thinks it is an all a dream but as she is about to discover, dreams are yet another area where she does not have a safe haven.

Norse Falls is a magical place and I loved visiting it with Kat, seeing her start to better understand the town and maybe appreciate some of the differences it offered. I also like the friendships she slowly started forming. Penny in particular was a great character in this book! Supportive but also willing to take her own risks with Kat's help. 


I also loved the mythology of this book. I'm a total Norse fangirl, I admit. I find it so much more compelling than Greek mythology so I was excited to read about how Delsol uses some of that heritage in Stork. There is also a sweet romance between Kat and Jack, a boy from school. It had a few weird Bella Swan moments in it for me (such as when Kat is stalking Jack's parking space, trying to find him and why he's not at school) but Kat is mostly very different from Bella so I wasn't turned off by this. I figure, teenage girls do go to great lengths for the guys they like so it's actually a pretty normal teen girl characteristic. (And hey, I don't want to fess up to my own high school crush stalking.)

Stork was a great debut! I'm pretty sure, judging by the ending, that there may be more in store for Kat, and I'm ok with that. I'd love to read more about the Stork Society and the mysterious old women who populate it. When you meet Hulda, you're in for a riot of laughter. What a fabulous character!


I'm very glad I got the chance to read this one early. Wendy Delsol created a great character in Kat and I'd love to read more.

ARC reviewed from Around the World Tours


Other Stork Reviews: 
I Just Want To Sit Here and Read reviews Stork
Dreaming in Books reviews Stork

Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie is kept me hooked to the pages, from the beginning until the end. No easy feat for a girl who reads easily 15 books in a month.

Synopsis:
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

I was so excited when this arrived in my mailbox courtesy of a tour site. It's one of those books I've been hearing so much buzz about and I wanted to read it NOW. Well, I am pleased to say, that for me, this book was truly enjoyable. First I want to say, I've read a few reviews that give this book some comparison to Lois Lowry's The Giver (one of my favorite books of all time) and I will certainly agree there are some parallels (assigning of vocations, major ceremonies for major events, a society controlled by a higher power) but I also find it a great tribute to a book that captivated me from the first time I read it in fifth grade.

Cassia is nervous and excited for her Match Banquet. She has waited her entire lifetime (a mere seventeen years) to find out who her ideal mate will be. She is shocked to discover that her match is none other than her childhood friend, Xander. While Cassia is happy, she is also a bit sad that she will not get to discover and learn about someone new, experience the thrill of an unknown courtship like her friends. But she is satisfied until everything goes awry. When she puts her microcard into the machine to be read, she sees another flash face on after Xander's face. Ky Markham, another boy she has grown up with. What does this mean? How could the Officials make such an error?

Thus begins Cassia's journey and it is spellbinding. I read this book in under ten hours I think between getting it Saturday night and then finishing this afternoon. Cassia's struggle to understand her feelings is poignant and startling. There truly are no easy choices in this world, none whatsoever. Ky is so very different from Xander, but neither are bad guys. They are just that, different. But when you finally are forced to make a choice in a world where choices have been eliminated, how would you even begin to cope? Cassia does a great job, with mistakes and regrets along the way, but also true moments of understanding and hope for herself and her family.

I loved the use of poetry in this book. In Cassia's society, Society has deemed there be only a Hundred Poems, Hundred Songs, etc. So when Cassia's grandfather gives her Dylan Thomas' Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, her entire world is shifted. This poem is not one of the one hundred. It is a poem about fighting, about opposing authority and it changes Cassia's entire world. I am not a big fan of poetry. It's basically like giving me medicine. As an English major, I went through poetry abuse in undergrad and have not recovered. That said, the thought of a society where one's reading, one's very cultural has been culled down to a mere one hundred of anything scares me completely. I can't imagine losing the famous, the infamous, and the downright sometimes bad poetry that has been written throughout human history. That is the world Cassia is living in. A world where she cannot physically write. It is scary and it is written about in an amazing way that conveys that oppression so very well.

I also really liked the importance of storytelling that was conveyed in this book, whether through memories, poems, or legends. It is important to remember what has come before, to honor that, and I think Cassia is finally starting to understand that by book's end. And Ky makes wonderful use of storytelling but I won't spoil it for you!

I enjoyed the romance angle. Ally Condie is able to express falling in love with sparse words in simple ways that are in tune with the Society Cassia lives in. Here are a couple of my favorite passages (from the ARC version, not final:)

When I put the last rock on top of the pile, Ky puts his hand over mine. I do not pull it away. I do not want anything to fall and I like the feeling of his rough warm hand on top of mine with the cool smooth surface of the rocks underneath. Then I turn my hand slowly so that my palm is up and our fingers intertwine.

Later in the same scene...

We do not kiss. We do nothing but hold on and breathe, but still I know. I cannot go gently now. Not even for the sake of my parents.

Truly the star of this book is Cassia and how she faces the most unexpected thing in her world: choice. It is a riveting tale.

Did the book live up to all the hype? Maybe not quite. I recently found out that there is a second book planned which is good in theory but at the same time, I'm ready for stories to wrap-up in one book. I feel like this could have been a one book story if the author had taken the risk. But then again, maybe not. Maybe I'll be very pleasantly surprised by the next book and hopefully it will add even more to the story. I'm not totally ready to say good-bye to these characters so I cannot complain too much.

Also, the cover: utterly perfect for the book. I'm glad the author received such stellar cover treatment.

So yes, I was definitely hooked on Matched. It's got a strong dystopian vibe along with a forbidden romance but it also tackles tough issues that I think teens are facing such as freedom of choice and expression, learning to make decisions for themselves rather than having someone else do it for them. It may be set in an alternative world, but its messages are definitely identifiable for today's teens.

Matched is available November 30, 2010 from Dutton Books.

ARC provided by Around the World Tours.

Other reviews of Matched:
The Compulsive Reader reviews Matched
The Cozy Reader reviews Matched
Angieville reviews Matched

Release date: Forget You by Jennifer Echols

It's finally July 20, 2010 which means it is release day for Jennifer Echols' amazing book, Forget You!

If you're interested, you can read my review. And for those of you that haven't heard about this book yet:

WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . .  AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?  There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.  But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug. 

Go out and buy it! It's a fabulous YA romance.

In My Mailbox

Sarah Mail!

This picture of books is actually all my loot from RomCon last weekend. 50 books! I counted. I bought about 10 probably, maybe 12 but the rest were all free in various gift bags. Awesome!

This week, I received the following books in the mail:

Matched by Ally Condie (Around the World Tours)
Stork by Wendy Delsol (Around the World Tours)

Also, I bought a refurbished KINDLE!! And I bought and downloaded two books so far: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard and Liberating Lacey by Anne Calhoun (an erotic romance).

For review for my romance sites I received:
Burning Up, a paranormal anthology including stories from Nalini Singh and Meljean Brook
Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis
When You Least Expect It by Whitney Gaskell

And that's it for me this week! With my Kindle purchase, it's definitely been a more expensive week in books, but a good one!

Also, don't forget to enter my contest to win a copy of The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams! (Open to US and Canada.)

In My Mailbox is pioneered by Pop Culture Junkie and The Story Siren.

Review: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

I'll just say this right now, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson is officially on my top 10 of 2010 books. I adored this book from start to finish. I have a feeling this review may turn more gushy than anything so feel free to ask more relevant questions in the comments if you are interested in the book.

Synopsis: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew—just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road—diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards—this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

This is the kind of book I could read any time of the year and it would invoke the feeling of summer. Road trips, diners, unexpected detours, a budding romance. Everything amazing about summer, and everything rather painful about it too, is explored in this story.

Amy and Roger are strangers when they start this trip but by book's end, they have discovered quite a bit about each other, about their emotions, and how to deal with certain events in their lives. Both are dealing with painful heartbreak: Amy has recently lost her beloved father in a very devastating way. Roger is getting over the break-up with his girlfriend, Hadley, and he doesn't want to let her go. (Side note: I have seen the name Hadley in three books I've read recently. That's so bizarre!) Amy's mom has the road trip all planned out for them but Amy wants something else and she decides to do what she wants. Thus, the epic detour begins.

I have several favorite parts of this book. First, I love highway 50 in Nevada and the loneliest road in the world. It was such a stark and desolate part of their trip, but also very soothing. Secondly, I loved the stop in Colorado Springs because well, I live 40 minutes south of the Springs so it's nice to see an area I kind of know (not a native so not all that well) and can explore on my own. And mostly, I just loved the descriptions of the places they traveled to, how Matson does an amazing job of making this a visual feast for the mind. Seriously, I truly felt like I was sitting in the back seat of the Liberty they were driving and taking part in their journey. Matson does a brilliant job of invoking the scenery of the different states and making you feel like you're part of the trip.

I also loved the various playlists Roger created, the pictures and road trip notes that were part of the book too. It made it stand out in a positive way, just something a little bit different but perfect for a road trip book.

And really, what kept me reading more than anything was the emotional journey these characters went on. Their problems were not solved by book's end, thank goodness because I don't like that, but there was a sense of peace finally. And yeah, I was totally rooting for the romance between Amy and Roger, I admit it.

Basically this was the perfect read for me. I was engaged in the characters' problems, I liked the flashes of humor and whimsy that were added, and I loved the actual road trip these two went on. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is a book I cannot wait to book talk this fall. It will give students another flash of summer but will also having them turning the pages quickly. Utterly loved this book.

Other reviews of this book:
Abby the Librarian reviews Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
A Patchwork of Books reviews Amy & Roger's Epic Detour (the review that got me wanting to read this book)
Chick Lit Teens reviews Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
The Hiding Spot reviews Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Author Guest Post: Katie Williams

 Today I want to welcome author Katie Williams to my blog! I've been so fortunate to be part of her blog tour for her new book, The Space Between Trees. You can read my review here but I want to tell you a bit about Katie. (This is straight from her website so there are no mistakes from me.)

Katie Williams was born and raised in the small town of Okemos, Michigan, though a town is only as small as its library, and Katie “visited” many other places through reading. Like Evie, she was an awkward and sometimes lonely teenager. Unlike Evie, she wouldn’t lie to you. Or would she?

After high school, Katie studied English at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and figured out that she liked writing stories almost as much as she liked reading them. This led her to earn an MFA in creative writing from the generous Michener Center for Writers at University of Texas in Austin.

Katie currently lives in San Francisco, California, where she works as a writing instructor at Academy of Art University. She loves Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, cinnamon ice cream, orange cats, and her husband, Ulysses Loken.

And now for her guest post! Read on and enjoy! And please comment! And of course, visit the other stops along the blog tour because this is a book you will want to learn more about, I guarantee it.

Messed-up Mysteries

Because my new novel, The Space Between Trees, follows teenage girls on the trail of a killer, I’ve been asked by your delightfully discerning blog-mistress, Sarah, to talk about my mystery influences.  And like the culprit at the end of the mystery, I have a confession to make: I haven’t read a mystery novel in years.

Look at that!  Just like the culprit, I’m already lying to you!  It’s not that I haven’t read a mystery novel in years; it’s just that I haven’t read a proper mystery novel in years. Growing up, I read stacks of proper mysteries—Mary Higgins Clark, Walter Mosley, Jonathan Kellerman, and so on. Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None kept me up two nights straight—the first night for reading, the second because I was too scared to sleep. I loved the gauntlet the mystery story threw down: Figure this out!  Be clever! Be cleverer than the author! And I loved how tidy the endings all were, the questions answered, the clues figured out, the killer caught.

As I got older, though, I got tired of the tidiness of mysteries. After all, real life was hardly as neat as that, nor were real people. I found myself drawn to messed-up mysteries where the crime was never solved or it was solved right in the beginning, or where the focus wasn’t about whodunit so much as it was about the growth of the characters.  So today, my favorite mysteries might not even rightly be called mysteries—Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem, When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson, and the (sadly cancelled) TV series Veronica Mars by Rob Thomas.  I admire these stories because they take the suspense and sadness of the mystery genre and use it to explore what it means to be a person in this world. This exploration becomes especially poignant when the plot involves a murder—a person willfully taking another person out of this world.

Likewise, my novel, The Space Between Trees, might not rightly be called a mystery novel.  Yes, a murdered body is found in the opening chapter and, yes, a killer is caught in the final chapter. But the real detecting has to do with my narrator, Evie, who is grappling with the big questions: Can you can you be friends with someone who sometimes scares you?  What does it mean to be in love with a person who probably doesn’t love you back? Do you get to choose how others see you, and if you do, does this change who you truly are? To me, these are real mysteries, the mysteries that many of us are still struggling to solve.

Be sure and follow Katie Williams to the other stops on the blog tour!
Carrie's YA Bookshelf
Bookalicious Blog
WORD for teens Blog
Oh Hey What's Up Blog
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Mother Daughter Book Club
Park Avenue Princess
Bites Book Blog
Sarah's Random Musings
Write for a Reader Blog
Readers Welcome Here
Trisha's Book Blog
I Just Want to Sit Here and Read

And be sure to enter my giveaway for a SIGNED Copy of The Space Between Trees. (Open to US and Canadian residents only.)

The Space Between Trees Giveaway!

Chronicle Books has graciously agreed to give away a SIGNED copy of The Space Between Trees to one lucky winner! Not only will you get the chance to read this book but it will be signed by Katie Williams herself. How exciting is that, seriously?? All you have to do is fill out this form below. You have until Friday, July 30th, at midnight which is the last day of the blog tour.

Also, this contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only, sorry international readers. Someday I'll have something for you!

So please fill out the form below:

Review: The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams

The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams is one of those books I didn't quite expect to come out of the YA world but I was definitely intrigued by its premise and characters.

Synopsis:
Not your everyday coming-of-age novel
This story was supposed to be about Evie how she hasn't made a friend in years, how she tends to stretch the truth (especially about her so-called relationship with college drop-out Jonah Luks), and how she finally comes into her own once she learns to just be herself but it isn't. Because when her classmate Elizabeth "Zabet" McCabe's murdered body is found in the woods, everything changes and Evie's life is never the same again.

Evie is definitely an outsider at school. I wouldn't even label her an outcast because the fact of the matter is, no one really notices her. She drifts through school, eats lunch with the Whisperers where she makes up stories about local college drop-out, Jonah Luks. Evie delivers newspapers in the morning, tries to live peaceably with her mother, and in general really does not have much going for her it seems. However, her world changes dramatically when a fellow classmate, and a sort of childhood friend, Zabet, is found murdered in the very woods Evie frequents. Suddenly, Evie's world is shaken up and Evie must roll with the punches. She finally has a moment to shine because she used to know Zabet. This moment becomes a catalyst of great change, and great sorrow in her life because Evie forms a tentative friendship with Hadley, Zabet's best friend. They work together to solve Zabet's murder but things get very complicated.


This story is definitely a character study. Evie seems weak and almost personality-less when the story opens. She has to live for lies because she has nothing else in her life to cling. Her relationship with her mother is distant and weak, and the Whisperers at lunch hardly count as friends. Therefore she is the perfect mold for Hadley's rather tortured and hard personality. Hadley needs someone to cling to her, to follow her command. Evie is just grateful for this new friendship, however unlikely it was created. I would hesitate to call this a friendship to be honest. Rather, it seemed like an abusive relationship and it fit the dark tone of the book perfectly. Hadley emotionally abuses Evie and it is obvious as the story continues. But the part that will keep you reading is that Evie takes it because she has nowhere else to turn and some small part of her wants this attention, craves it.

This was such a different story for me. Ostensibly it is about the murder of a high school girl, but I was far more hooked on the complicated "friendship" that sprung up between Evie and Hadley. It is rife with trouble from the first tentative moment Evie tries to connect. And there again, I'm pulled into the story because I want Evie to connect with someone, I want her to find some modicum of happiness. Everyone deserves friends and a sense of happiness in life and I was really hoping Evie would find that.

I don't think, even by book's end, that Evie is happy, nor should she be really. But I felt like she really and truly grew up because of the murder of Zabet. It opened up her world in a whole new way and many of her innocent qualities were forced to go by the wayside. I totally and utterly disliked Hadley and her destructive personality but at the same time, I do recognize she was necessary for how the story moved. Evie would never have been reshaped by a less dynamic personality. And there were several layers to Hadley that had to be exposed in order for Evie to change.

This story both creeped me out and pulled me in and made me want to see something different for Evie. Author Katie Williams definitely has a way with words and she makes the murder and ensuing changes such a rollercoaster ride of emotions that I could not turn away. The ending in particular left me sad and angry but I think it had to end that way, somewhat discordantly and uneasily. This book is not a "happily-ever-after" ending story.

I honestly can't answer the question "Did you like this book?" because like is too easy to categorize. I was pulled into the story and it gripped me. This is not simply a murder mystery, this is the story of a how a young girl has to step up for something, even if it's not always the right something. Evie is a character I will not easily forget.

Read the first chapter below and please come back tomorrow when I will have a guest post from The Space Between Trees author Katie Williams, along with a contest!

The Space Between Trees   


Review copy provided by publisher for blog tour.

RomCon 2010 recap

So, RomCon proved to be a really fun event. I met SO MANY authors (probably more than readers even) and definitely met some readers too who were as passionate about the romance genre as me. So, here is a mini recap.

Friday:
I arrived at the hotel around 12:30ish and tried to check in, room not ready which I was prepared for. So I just hung out, visited the vendor hall. Then around 1:30 I was able to check in, wash up a bit, and prepare for my first event, which was a Q&A with various paranormal authors including NALINI SINGH and Christine Feehan and CL Clamp and others. While waiting for the elevator to go down to the event, who else was waiting but the amazing Nalini Singh, author of the Psy/Changeling and Archangel series. She is absolutely adorable, speaks with a wonderful accent (she is from New Zealand.) I got to ask her about her flight and what she has been up to. So yeah, private moment with Nalini Singh! Amazing.

Then I headed to the paranormal Q&A. I'm not a huge paranormal reader but since Nalini Singh was going to be there for that session, I decided to go. It was fun to hear more about her Psy world, and to hear from the other authors too.

After that was the ticketed event for the contemporary author tea with Susan Mallery, Brenda Novak, and Carly Phillips. I read both Susan Mallery and Brenda Novak. I haven't read Carly Phillips in several years but because of how fun and nice she was at the conference, I'm going to buy her new bachelor blog series when it comes out at the end of the month. She was truly a fun speaker!

Here I am with Susan Mallery, Brenda Novak, and Carly Phillips. It was a fun panel and great to hear about straight contemporary. It's my favorite romance genre and frankly, there are not enough good writers for it. I really liked hearing about why they still write straight contemps, even when the winds of change are still asking for more paranormal in romance.

Then, it was the true highlight of my day. My intimate chat with Nalini Singh. 16 readers got tickets to this event and it was amazing. We all sat in this small (slightly hot) room and got to just talk with Nalini. She had a lot to say and since we were all fangirls (not many men at this conference) of her books, well there was a lot of happiness in the room. She had several things to say about the Psy series that may be spoilery but I want to post them for posterity:

-She is working on revisions for Hawke's book, #10, and we will find out a lot about his backstory in it.
-No confirmation Sienna is his mate however.
-But Sascha will have her baby in Hawke's book and it will be a major scene in the book. Also, the baby will be both changeling and Psy and will be able to turn into a leopard while also having a special Psy ability which Ms. Singh only hinted at.
-Books 11 and 12 will feature male Psy as the heroes (and as a HUGE fan of Judd Lauren, I'm so excited by this!)
-Nalini would like to do a tangential book about the falcon shifters.

Nalini signed my copy of Caressed by Ice, Judd and Brenna's story, my favorite still of the series. She also signed my copy of Bonds of Justice, the newest in the series. I cannot recommend Nalini enough to readers. Even if you're burned out on paranormals like I am, I truly think you will enjoy her Psy/Changeling series. A little bit of sci-fi thrown in, lots of romance, and amazing characters. This is one amazing author who is sweet and personable and seems to truly enjoy her fans.

Nalini Singh and me! What a great moment. Since she lives in New Zealand, she doesn't exactly get to the states all the time for signings and she was one of the reasons I wanted to attend this conference.

The meal was lame and overly priced. Next year I want to bring a buddy if I go so we can go someplace else to eat. Also, the entertainment, Charming and Dash from the Renaissance faire, was lame-o. But after dinner was the blogger/reviewer party that I was specially invited to. It was great meeting new bloggers and getting more face time with authors. I talked with Julia Quinn for quite awhile and she is wonderful! Very supportive of libraries too. She showed me pictures of her kids, signed my book, and of course, took a picture with me!

I feel kind of bad because I don't actually read her books anymore. After the Bridgertons, I got really bored with her books. However, if she was to ever do another signing, I'd so be there because she was just that much fun to talk to. At the party, we all got a great bag filled with books and other party goodies. It was amazing! Unfortunately I don't really remember the bloggers blogs I talked to, so that's kind of lame of me.

Then I went back to my hotel room and slept, honest too goodness, I was tired. Unfortunately, I sleep poorly in hotels so I didn't sleep well despite my exhaustion.

Saturday:
Saturday started off with a lame breakfast I had to pay $20.00. Note to self: next year if you attend, do not go with their meals! It was just like bagels and yogurt and juice. I'm serious! It was awful. I mean, for goodness sakes they couldn't even spring for doughnuts.

The first panel I went to on Saturday was actually a meet and greet with Harlequin. That was fun because we got to hear about the publishing side of Harlequin. I've been a big Harlequin fan for years and it was obvious to me from the panel that they really, truly care about their readers' input. Also, free books!

The next thing I attended was a historical event called Shock the Queen which was hilarious fun.

These are all authors: Jo Beverly, Delilah Marvelle, Deeanne Gist, um, Courtney Milan, Browyn Jameson, Anna Campbell, Hannah Howell, and i think a few I forgot. But basically they would read trivia from a certain time period and if you raised your hand and you got it right, you could move up a step. It was like a "Mother, May I?" type game. We were all lined up against the wall, hence why you can't seem me or any of the participants. If you were wrong, you got this card flashed that showed Queen Victoria with a shocked slash. Or something, I couldn't see it too quickly. It was great hearing all the trivia.

I also visited author alley during this time and FINALLY met one of my favorite romantic suspense authors, a woman I have been corresponding with for several years, Brenda Novak!

I ADORE this author! If you can ever get your hands on her Dundee, Idaho, series from Harlequin Superromance (which are now out of print unfortunately) I highly recommend them. They are straight contemporary. But, I do love her romantic suspense too. Her Dead series set in Mississippi is still my favorite. She also runs an awesome auction that raised 1 million dollars this year for juvenile diabetes, a cause that is near and dear to my heart since my brother was diagnosed when he was 11. I got to talk to her for quite a bit. She is as wonderful in person as online. Plus, I loved the dress she was wearing! I also met a new to me author, Judi Fennell, who writes a merman series which I bought and had her sign. I'm going to give them a try.

Then, there was a lunch break and at noon, was the signing. The signing was... odd. I've been to enough author signings where I know the procedure. But this was odd. The books we bought to have signed were on one side of the room, then the authors were behind this curtained off area, and they had no books at their tables. It would have made MUCH more sense to have books at their tables, get one signed, then go pay once you were all done. I got signed books from Courtney Milan (new to me), Carolyn Jewel, Susan Mallery, Julie James, Elizabeth Hoyt, Nalini Singh, Brenda Novak, Deanne Gist, and a few more I think I'm forgetting. But basically, good times. There were hardly any lines to talk with these authors, it was fantastic. I have to give major props to Julie James who talked to me for quite awhile and was fantastic! I have to say, she is a bit intimidating because she is well, completely put together gorgeous and I'm far from that. But she was so nice and I told her how much I loved her book this year and well, it was a love fest for me.

Elizabeth Hoyt and Julie James, two of my current favorite romance writers.

Susan Mallery, an absolutely wonderful person to talk with!

One part of the signing hall. Like I said, kind of odd set-up. See the lack of books on tables?

They also had these great cut-outs in the hall. I didn't stick my face in but they made me laugh...

Then after the signing, I went to the historical author tea which was fun. Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Hoyt, Jo Beverly, Anna Campbell, Hannah Howell, and I think that's it. But there was free books and this trivia challenge that was all kinds of fun. It was just great to mingle with them. Then after that was a contemporary author mix and mingle which turned out lame as all can be. We ended up sitting at two separate tables so I couldn't even talk to all the authors. And unfortunately Catherine Anderson was at my table and not only was she controlling but she was kind of mean! So very different from the books she writes which border on overly sweet half the time. I wasn't impressed with her at all.

Let's see, also on Saturday was the Book Blogger panel hosted by Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. It was fun to see how seriously everyone takes blogging, and they gave some tips for starting your own blog. I was inspired to grab plenty of books and bookmarks to give away in a contest later this week hopefully!

Then was dinner which was fortunately, better, entertainment wise because author Jo Beverly spoke. She is from England and has a wicked sense of humor and it showed! She was hilarious. The meal was awful however. Yet again, won't be buying their meals if I go back in the future.

After dinner was over around 8, 8:30ish, I went back up to my hotel to rest. I didn't really mingle much or attend any of the masquerades, sexcapade events because they just aren't my thing. But it was nice to lay down and relax and read, for me anyway!

Sunday:
Final day of the conference. My first event was an intimate chat with Brenda Novak which I thoroughly enjoyed. There weren't a ton of people, perhaps 10 or so, and you could tell that people were already starting to leave the conference. I don't think everyone stayed until Sunday. But Brenda was amazing and we go to talk about her villains a lot which I like since she crafts very psychotic individuals. It was just great to get that one-on-one time with her. She is gracious and smart and fun! All around awesome. Then came brunch and closing ceremonies which were mundane at best. But after that was the historical author mix and mingle led by Courtney Milan. At various tables, there were different authors and we had to go on a scavenger hunt by talking to the authors and finding out about their books and seeing if they had one of the five items on our list. It was a great opportunity for me to meet new historical authors. In fact, I met Delilah Marvelle whose upcoming 2011 books sound amazing! I cannot wait to read them. She was fun to meet and has scandalous twists to her stories. Go to her website and take a look at her covers, they are gorgeous! It was a really fun event, a great activity to engage both readers and writers. In other words, a total blast.

And that was it! After that was over, I left. I was exhausted and sleepy but I had a lot of fun! I think some things weren't adequately planned (such as the contemporary mix and mingle) while others were planned at the last minute (which you can read about on other blogs at the bottom.) But the atmosphere was very positive and it was a great experience to meet with all these authors and the READERS who are so passionate about romance, like I am. I would be inclined to go again, especially if the price remains relatively low. So yeah, all in all, a good time was had!

Other recaps:
Smart Bitches: Day One
Smart Bitches: Day Two
Dear Author: Day One
Dear Author: Day Two
Babbling About Books: Day One
Babbling About Books: Day Two

Some other minor ME news: These will hopefully be the last pictures you see with me wearing glasses because on Wednesday I'm getting Lasik! Also, I bought a refurbished Kindle today. I'm excited and nervous!

Review: Grace by Elizabeth Scott

Grace by Elizabeth Scott is really like nothing she has written before.

Synopsis: 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.

I knew from reading other reviews that I was in for an unexpected story by Elizabeth Scott and that is certainly true. This not her boy/girl type romances. It's all about choices and freedom, deciding whether to live or die.

I honestly hope to keep this review a little sparse because not only is the text sparse and almost a silent predator in the book, but I don't want to ruin anything. I enjoyed this story and seeing Elizabeth Scott out of her contemporary setting, but at the same time, I was expecting SO VERY MUCH, that in the end, I was left a bit letdown.

Grace has been taught death is her life. She learned from an early age that her only value is that she will die and take out someone connected to that infinite ruler, Keran Berj (which I must say, is kind of a totally awesome name. I kept repeating it in my head and outloud while reading. I don't even know why but it does inspire a type of fear.) But Grace decides, just as she should be dying, that she wants to live. Truly live, even if in the end that means she will be captured and killed by the enemy. SHE wants to make the choice, she wants that power for herself finally. Thus begins her journey.

This is a short and swift read. I was immediately pulled into Grace's struggle, her fears, her hatred of the enemy and even her slow understanding that the freedom being expressed on both sides is not true freedom. To have to believe for so long that death is your only calling is scary and sad and well, Grace is not exactly a happy character. I found her choices to be the natural product of the conditioning she had undergone for so long. She finally had the ability to break free and even knowing the risks, she did it anyway. Grace has a lot of courage.

The story is told in alternating scenes: flashbacks to some point in the past combined with an immersion into the present, the escape.

Yet again, Elizabeth Scott proves she is a master storyteller. Her writing skills are immense and are showcased very well on these pages. That being said, I didn't LOVE this story. I enjoyed it but ultimately it didn't leave all that much of a mark on me and I think part of that is because Grace always seemed so ethereal, not all that human to me despite all the human emotions she gained towards the end. She was a very distant character and this story to me read as if from a distance. That's not a bad thing, it just kept me from fully immersing myself into it.

However, it's a hot title this coming fall, releasing September 16, 2010, and it's a title you will want to read no matter what.

This ARC provided by Around the World Tours.

Other reviews of Grace:
Persnickety Snark reviews Grace
Not Enough Bookshelves reviews Grace
The Compulsive Reader reviews Grace

Heading to RomCon 2010!

Tomorrow I am heading off to Denver for RomCon 2010! It's a convention for romance readers and supporters. Authors will be there in spades including some of my favorites (Nalini Singh!! Elizabeth Hoyt!! Susan Mallery!! Lori Foster!!) and many more. I'm really excited. I've been reading romance since I was 14 so this is the culmination of a lot of years of fangirling.

I probably won't post too much over the weekend and I doubt I'll do a recap post either truth be told. I'm not good at recaps. If I think of enough things to say, I'll definitely try to make one, but no guarantees.

As of now I've been invited to an author tea for contemporary authors, an author tea with historical authors, an "intimate" chat with Lori Foster, and an "intimate" chat with Brenda Novak, one of my very favorite writers from way back in her Harlequin Superromance days! If you can get your hands on her early Dundee, Idaho, series, I highly recommend. There is also a blogger/reviewer party I'm attending Friday night.

So basically, I am psyched! This is my first major convention for something outside of work. Next year I'm hoping for BEA but believe me, this is a great conference in lieu of others this year. If you love romance like I do, well, it should be a blast (I hope!)

Anyway, if you plan on being there, let me know and maybe we can connect!

Waiting on Wednesday (romance edition)

Perfect Play by Jaci Burton, February 2011.

Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star, both on the field and in the bedroom. But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game…

For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara’s not interested in getting to know football’s most notorious playboy any better.

As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Tara’s life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick’s latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn’t intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.

But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind.

I LOVE sports heroes in my romances so I cannot wait for this book. Knowing the author, it's bound to be VERY hot. The only sports I like end up being in books in fact.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Review: The Duff by Kody Keplinger

The Duff by Kody Keplinger was a book I dived into and didn't stop reading. I was hooked on Bianca and Wesley's unconventional teenage romance.

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

The Duff is, as school hottie and womanizer Wesley Rush tells Bianca, the Designated Ugly Fat Friend, and in order to get into the good graces of Bianca's two hotter friends, Wesley is having a conversation with Bianca. But things go awry when Bianca kisses him. She regrets it instantly but if the kiss does one thing, it certainly makes her forget some of her troubles for awhile. When Bianca is paired up with Wesley for an English paper about The Scarlet Letter, kissing turns into something much more. "Friends with benefits" may be apt except Bianca does not consider him a friend.

Bianca and Wesley's relationship grows more complex as the story continues. Layers start to develop and form between them as they go from just a random hook-up to something more, something neither wants to articulate. The development of this relationship is riveting and kept me hooked on the story.

There are several other things going on in Bianca's life that contribute to her running to Wesley and one is her parents' divorce. I felt like the divorce angle was pretty well done for the story but my belief didn't quite work out when it came to her father's alcoholism. After falling off the sobriety track, it seems almost too easy for him to get back on and that has not been my experience with alcoholism. I guess for the sake of the story it was easier to have him committing easily to being sober again, but I didn't quite find that angle to be totally accurate. But then, I suppose sobriety is different for every one so I don't really have any evidence to back that up.

My one other qualm with this story is that I didn't really feel like Wesley's womanizing reputation came alive on the pages. Yes, Bianca told readers time and time again that he was willing to bed any girl in the vicinity, I didn't see him doing much besides flirting with girls in school, and let's be honest, flirting does not necessarily equate to a man whore. He was confident that he could get any girl he wanted, and he certainly reiterated that he never had to chase girls, but his reputation as the school playboy didn't quite, fully leap off the pages for me.

And a cover complaint: I actually prefer the version without the girl blowing bubble gum. It's too bad it was changed slightly.

But again, these are minor quibbles. On the whole, I really enjoyed this story. I liked seeing Bianca start to finally open up to someone, even if that person was someone she never expected to be honest with. I also really enjoyed her friendships with her two best friends, Casey and Jessica. These girls were really, really supportive of each other and that was refreshing to see. They were different in a lot of ways but their friendship felt honest and genuine on all sides. Bianca cared deeply for these girls and would go to the wall for them, just as they would for her.

And yes, there is plenty of sizzle between Bianca and Wesley. Not a graphic book but it certainly does not shy away from sex so it's probably better for your older teen readers. I liked the depiction of sex in this book too. It felt honest and real. Sex isn't always beautiful or done with a higher purpose. It's used to forget, to distract, and to numb pain and that worked both ways for Bianca and Wesley.

So yes, I enjoyed this story. I was really excited to see it in my mailbox on Friday and by Saturday night I had finished it. Kody Keplinger, bravo! I was hooked.

ARC received from Around the World Tours and from the publisher.

In My Mailbox

Sarah Mail!

Lots of fun stuff this week:

Bought:
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (on sale at Amazon for $6.80 for hardcover! Couldn't resist.)
Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
One Season of Summer by Julia London

In the Mail
Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala (from publisher for review)
Karma Bites by Stacy Kramer (Amazon Vine)
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler (Amazon Vine)
Veil of Night by Linda Howard (for review for Romance site)
Shadows of Midnight by Elizabeth Jennings (aka Lisa Marie Rice one of my fave erotic romance writers! Romance review site)
Atlantis Betrayed by Alyssa Day (romance review site)
Twice Tempted by a Rogue by Tessa Dare (romance review site)
A Hellion in Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries (romance review site)

Heavy on the romance this week but I really can't wait to dig into Tell Me a Secret! Hearing many good things about it.

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren with kudos to Pop Culture Junkie.

What about you? Did you have an excellent mailbox week?

Review: Mackenize Blue, books 1-3 by Tina Wells

Meet Mackenize Blue Carmichael, a seventh grader at Brookdale Academy. The school year is just starting and there are some big changes in store for Zee, not the least of which is that her best friend since kindergarten, Ally, is now living in Paris! But Zee is coping and making new friends. And of course, she has her trusty diary to write in. Unfortunately, that diary has gone missing! Did someone steal Zee's diary? And how will she ever win the Teen Sing competition if she is worried about all her secrets getting out?

Tina Wells starts this series off with laughter and typical seventh grade woes. Zee is a great main character. She is peppy and tries to see the best in everyone, even her least favorite classmate, Kathi. I really liked Zee's enthusiasm. She reminds me of the sixth and seventh graders I get in tours at the library. They aren't too cool yet to participate and to talk to me and just have fun at the library. That is Zee, full of fun and some angst of course. This was a really enjoyable start to the series and I was really fortunate that the I received books 1-3 because I wanted to keep reading after I finished this book.

In book two, The Secret Crush, Zee is busy planning the band's rock musical, an homage to Romeo and Juliet. Zee has really high hopes for the performance but it doesn't seem like her fellow band members are taking it as seriously. On top of it all, Zee is working very close with her crush, Landon, as they are both leads in the musical. Stress and more stress but Zee remains peppy and dedicated. But why do her friends seem so annoyed with her? She just wants the best for the band!

This is another quick and pleasant read. Zee remains in top form and I think her experiences with her friends will resonate with readers. She doesn't always know how to handle her friendships and gets confused when people are angry with her. This book details just how busy today's tweens are too. Rock musical practice, homework, school, long distance friendships, Zee is experiencing it all.

Friends Forever? is the newest release in the Mackenzie Blue series and this book takes the Brookdale Academy seventh graders away from their natural setting of school to a week long nature camp. Talk about out of their element! Cellphones aren't working, there is very limited internet use. These kids felt like they were living in the stone age and that kind of made me feel old because well, when I went to camps in elementary and junior high, I didn't have a cellphone and there wasn't even internet yet. But that aside, these kids are about to have a week of adventures. Ghost stories, the mountain man, friendship wars, and "becoming a woman" are all detailed in this new adventure.

I have to say, this was my favorite of the three. Zee really was out of her element so it was good to see her change a bit because well, she had too! Mostly though I just enjoyed the hijinks the seventh graders experienced.

The Mackenzie Blue series is marketed towards kids ages 8-12 according to the back of the books. That seems reasonable to me because these books are fairly innocent and will do well with those third and fourth graders who long to be "mature" seventh graders. My only minor complaint about these books is that even the problems are fairly unproblematic. Zee and her friends are privileged kids from what appears to be wealthy backgrounds. This could be off-putting to kids who don't come from the same background or who cannot understand the troubles of being in a singing competition versus having enough food to eat for the week. But I think, in the hands of the right audience these will do well. There are illustrations to go along with the story and I really enjoyed seeing Zee's facial expressions captured on the page. I also liked that there is a diverse cast of characters. Despite being from some wealthier backgrounds, there are kids of other races in these stories and I don't think that happens often enough in tween lit.

The use of IM and text speak will also resonate with the audience. Fortunately I am fluent enough in both chat and text speak to be able to read Zee and Ally's conversations but in case you aren't, there is a handy glossary in the back.

All in all, a fun series! I know I'm ready for more of Zee's adventures and drama. If you'd like to meet the cast of characters, I highly recommend checking out the Mackenzie Blue website. It's a good addition to the books.

Books reviewed from publisher provided copies.

Links of interest

While scanning various blogs today, I came across a few links of interest I wanted to share:

Shannon Hale's I know he loved me when he hocked a loagie in my face. One of my favorite points:

I'm determined not to use the "it means he likes you" excuse on my daughters. This is justifying a boy's bad behavior and requiring a girl to accept it and even be grateful for it. A boy should not have pulled your pigtail, honey, or pushed you down or thrown a rock at your head. End of story.

In the world of libraries, Wendy the Super Librarian has a state of the libraries address. Go. Read. Support your libraries. I cannot stress that enough because libraries are being cut off left and right across the nation. I face my own threat come November and fear I'll be laid off before I know it. Even though library use is going up more and more across the nation, it doesn't seem to matter.

Smart Bitches AND Dear Author are both giving away multiple copies of Erin McCarthy's August release. It was fabulous and I LOVE this series. Steamy and just awesome. But you only have 24 hours, so go enter!

And then there is the cover change for Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix. It's lost all cultural authenticity and now will look like every other YA  book on the market, and not in a good way.

So there you have it, a few things I wanted to pass on! Did you read something interesting today? Please share!

Month in review: June

Well, it's officially July! Who can believe it? I know I can't. Summer is just flying by and with it, so is my reading! So, here is what I read in June:

73. Hard and Fast by Erin McCarthy (6/5/10)
74. One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare (6/6/10)
75. The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (6/7/10)
76. Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy (6/9/10)**
77. Countdown by Deborah Wiles (6/11/10)
78. Kiss It by Erin Downing (6/15/10)
79. This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas (6/17/10)
80. The Gift of Love by Lori Foster, et al (6/19/10)
81. Bonds of Justice by Nalini Singh (6/20/10)
82. The Line by Terri Hall (6/20/10)
83. Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh (6/23/10)
84. One Night that Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt (6/24/10)
85. Aces Up by Lauren Barnholdt (6/26/10)
86. The Duff by Kody Keplinger (6/27/10)
87. Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh (6/28/10)**

Total books read: 15
Favorite book read: One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare
Disappointed: Kiss It by Erin Downing

I've made it into the 80s in terms of my reading but I'm definitely not hitting 200 at this rate. Maybe it's time to let that goal pass. :\ Well, here is to great July reading for all!