Dec 30, 2011

Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop - Winners

Congratulations goes to...


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Emails have been sent to the winners! Thank you all for entering and if you didn't win, I hope you still check out the books and covet that banned books pin.

Tempest Audio Winner

Congratulations goes to...


a Rafflecopter giveaway

You have one an audio book of Tempest by Julie Cross! I hope you enjoy and be sure to thank Macmillan Audio when you get the chance. Thank you all for entering!

Dec 26, 2011

Best of 2011 - Four Favorites Giveaway

This year is quickly coming to an end and it seems like my reading pile is only growing. Luckily, I read some awesome books in 2011. So, here I am sharing them with you and giving everyone a chance to win. All book cover photos will take you to the Goodreads page.

Dec 24, 2011

Merry Christmas from I Read Banned Books

From our house to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas! It has been a year full of blessings and good times. I hope you are able to say the same. I hope everyone has a joyous holiday filled with family, friends, and laughter. 

xo, 

~Jen

Dec 20, 2011

Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop

Welcome to the Mid-Winters Eve Blog Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Oasis For YA! If this is the first time you have been to I Read Banned Books, welcome! I hope you come back around for YA book and fest news. I have great library resources including must have info about banned and challenged books. Take a look at the tabs below and mosey around. I will keep this hop nice and easy for you. Follow and do the extras if you like. Yes, I do check to see if you are following. Let's get to it! 

For a list of other bloggers participating, go HERE. All photos will take you to Goodreads page. 

Giveaway #1
Banned Books Pin - The Color Purple with Howl

#ALAMW12 - Dallas, January 20 - 24, 2012 (Meetup Details)

If you didn't already know, Texas rocks! Not only do we have one of the largest library associations, TLA, and the best conference we also get to host #ALAMid12. Join us in Dallas on January 20-24, 2012! All of your favorite vendors and book exhibitors will be there. Here is some info:

Dallas Convention Center
Exhibit Hall pass - $25

Exhibit Hours:
Friday, January 20th, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Saturday, January 21st, 9:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday, January 22nd, 9:00am – 5:00pm
Monday, January 23rd, 9:00am – 2:00pm

LIST of authors

Youth Media Awards: The 2012 award winners will be announced at 7:45 a.m. CT, Monday, January 23rd.

ALAMid12 on Facebook and Twitter
Get your blog buttons HERE

What happens at ALA? Check out my blog posts from ALA Annual HERE and HERE.

TX author related events:
Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels - Reception at booth #1102 in the Exhibit Hall. Saturday, 3:00pm - 4:00pm. Attending are Jessica Lee Anderson, P.J. Hoover, Jo Whittemore, K.A. Holt, and Jeanette Larson.

YA panel - Wild About YA Romance - in the PopTop stage on Sunday from 12:30pm -1:45pm, hosted by RWA. The panel will include Heather Burch, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Rachel Hawthorne, Sophie Jordan, and Trinity Faegan. There'll be a booksigning afterwards.

If you are attending, we would love to see you! We will be meeting FRIDAY NIGHT, JANUARY 20th at Campisi's at 1520 Elm Street - 8:30pm. (exhibit hall closes at 7:30pm that night). This is an all ages location that serves alcohol. Let us know if you want to meet up. Feel free to bring a partner or friend.

*UPDATE* 
There are currently 70 people who have RSVPd. Don't worry, they know we are coming and I have a room set up for us. Just say ALA, TX Bloggers, or "I'm with that big party." Bring your business cards and get ready to mingle with bloggers, authors, publishers, and all around book lovers. 

Also, I hope you bought your YA Saves shirt from Maureen Johnson so you can sport it on Sunday during ALAMid. That is the day John Green is speaking in the auditorium. What is #YASaves? Catch up here. All of the proceeds from the sales will be going to Reading Is Fundamental. The Freedom To Read Foundation is hosting John Green on Sunday at the Dallas Public Library. Make a donation to attend. Details HERE

See you soon!

Dec 16, 2011

Road Trip Giveaway - Audio of Tempest by Julie Cross

My Holiday break starts....NOW! My family is all packed up for our big drive to Oklahoma. One thing I cannot live without on a car ride (even a 15 minute trip) is an audio book. I am a huge audio fan and no road trip is complete without a great book to listen to.

Today, I have one just for you! One lucky winner will win Tempest by Julia Cross on audio. Big round of applause to Macmillan Audio for the chance to win. These little guys aren't cheap. I encourage the winner to share with neighbors, family, and friends. I read and reviewed Tempest and loved it. This book will be huge so make sure you make room for it.

Take a listen to an excerpt from Tempest:


Dec 15, 2011

Review - Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom

Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom
January 10th, 2012 from Disney Hyperion

Justina isn't the prom type, but she has promised her best friend, Ian, that she would go. Lately, Ian is looking a little fetching and Justina thinks it's about time to end her no kissing streak. They have both danced around the subject of getting together and Justina thinks the prom is the perfect opportunity to lay it all out there. Things don't exactly go her way and she ends up jumping out of a moving car and limping to 7-11 at 6am...with no date. How she gets there is a whirlwind ride full of mishaps, misunderstandings, and the wrong boys putting on the moves.

Dec 13, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday - Counting Backwards by Laura Lascarso

Counting Backwards by Laura Lascarso
August 14th, 2012 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Three weeks ago I tried to run away from home. Now all I want is to go back.

When troubled Taylor Truwell is caught with a stolen car and lands in court for resisting arrest, her father convinces the judge of an alternative to punishment: treatment in a juvenile psychiatric correctional facility. Sunny Meadows is anything but the easy way out, and Taylor has to fight hard just to hold on to her sanity as she battles her parents, her therapist, and vicious fellow patients. But even as Taylor struggles to hold on to her stubborn former self, she finds herself relenting as she lets in two unlikely friends-Margo, a former child star and arsonist, and AJ, a mysterious boy who doesn't speak. In this striking debut, Laura Lascarso weaves together a powerful story of anger and self-destruction, hope and love.

Holy awesome cover! This seriously drew me from the first second I saw it. I wasn't surprised to learn that a psych ward would be the setting. Yikes! This debut sounds totally captivating and I absolutely can't wait to read.

Add to Goodreads

Dec 12, 2011

Guest Post: Meet Me On the Paisley Roof with Murray Tillman

I am happy to be a part of the Paisley Roof blog tour and host Murray Tillman, author of Meet Me On the Paisley Roof. Today, he'll be talking his publication journey. First, let's learn a little more about Paisley Roof.
Trussell Jones has a problem. He is crazy in love with a beautiful girl named Ellen. The problem? He has no car. His stepmother, who believes that she is spiritually connected to Queen Victoria, won't let him drive. Furthermore, she is afraid Trussell is trying to kill her. Not to be overlooked is the fact that Trussell is being pursued by a gang of armed redneck motorcycle hoods, while his neighbors are preoccupied with changing visions of St. Francis. Just another heartwarming tale of a boy in love with a girl? Hardly. 

Dec 9, 2011

One Word Reviews: The Downside of Being Up, Solstice, Small Town Sinners, and Every You, Every Me

I know, I know...a one word review just doesn't do the book justice. True, but I have fully reviewed all of these titles and the links to those reviews are linked with the photos. One Word Reviews is simply just a tease to get you thinking about a book. Maybe it is a title that you have skipped over or haven't seen before. Regardless, here you are:

Ha-FREAKING-larious


HOTTTTT

Dec 8, 2011

Blog Tour Review - Tempest by Julie Cross (+Giveaway Link & Teaser)


I am happy to be a part of the Tempest blog tour put together by Books Complete Me & Once Upon a Twilight! I was darn lucky to get a signed copy of Tempest at ALA this summer and meet author Julie Cross. Everyone has been buzzing about this book ever since. So, here is my review, a teaser from the book, and a chance to win 1 of 5 signed copies!

Tempest by Julie Cross
January 17, 2012 from St. Martin Griffin

Synopsis:
The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.


Review:
For nineteen-year old Jackson, time travel doesn't seem to have many benefits. He can't go into the future and get winning Lotto numbers. He can't see who will win the next World Series. Why? Poor Jackson can only go into the past. And at first, only a few minutes into the past. Not very exciting, huh? Jackson and his friend Adam (a total genius) have been calculating what his (in)abilities all mean. After a terrifying break-in where his girlfriend Holly is murdered, he jumps two years back to 2007...and he can't seem to get back.

Dec 6, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday - Fall From Grace by Charles Benoit

Fall From Grace by Charles Benoit
May 8th, 2012 from HarperTeen

Grace always has a plan. There’s her plan to get famous, her plan to get rich, and—above all—her plan to have fun.

Sawyer has plenty of plans too. Plans made for him by his mother, his father, his girlfriend. Maybe they aren’t his plans, but they are plans.

When Sawyer meets Grace, he wonders if he should come up with a few plans himself. Plans about what he actually wants to be, plans to speak his own mind for a change, plans to maybe help Grace with a little art theft.

Wait a minute—plans to what?



I listened to YOU on audio very recently and just loved it. I met Charles at the Austin Teen Book Festival last year and I so wish I read YOU sooner. He has been very generous with his time and donation of books to this blog and I am a big fan! The synopsis of this book is hilarious! Where in the heck did art theft come from? I HAVE to read in order to find out.... The cover is pretty interesting too. Shattered glass or something else? Do those blue eyes belong to Grace or Sawyer? So many questions...a must read for me!

Add to Goodreads

Dec 5, 2011

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
December 6, 2011 from Margaret K. McElderry Books

The hunt is still on for Mortmain, the man who is organizing an army of clockwork monsters to destroy all Shadowhunters, and the stakes are heating up. After the break in and loss of a Pysix, the control over the Institute hangs in the balance. The Council has ordered Charlotte and the young Shadowhunters, Will and Jem, to hunt down the dangerous man and end the terror before more lives are lost. Tessa joins the hunt even though she is not a Shadowhunter. In fact, she isn't exactly sure what she is. Not a mundane. Not a warlock. Nephilim, maybe? Finding Mortmain isn't easy, he is always one step ahead of the Shadowhunters and knows their every move. How is this possible?

Quick Dystopian Reviews - The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch & The Predicteds by Christine Seifert

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
September 1st, 2011 by Scholastic Books

Fifteen-year-old Stephen is a scavenger with his father after The Collapse. America is left in shambles and pickings are slim. After a terrible accident and a string of good luck (which isn't recognized right away), the two find themselves in a small village that has survived The Collapse. He has to learn to be social, be a part of a community, and learn to trust. Not everyone is worth trusting, but he finds friendship in the unlikeliest of places. When the secluded village is threatened, Stephen must decide where he fits in and what is worth fighting for.

Could not love Stephen even more! His voice and devotion to his father was the best part of the book. I'm not gonna lie, the cover and title led me to believe there would be zombies and vast descriptions of people dying and the world crumbling. My disappointment was short-lived after I met Stephen. I didn't need no stinkin' zombies! I has content with watching him break out of his shell, learn to trust, and be the hero I wanted him to be. Strong plot driven read with diverse characters. Fantastic book!

Dec 4, 2011

In My Mailbox

IMM is a meme brought to us from The Story Siren. Basically, it's a good way to add books on to your TBR pile, get a head's up on what is coming soon, and to totally brag. Let's get real... ;) All cover photos will take you to the Goodreads page.

For Review:

In Honor by Jessi Kirby
May 8th, 212 from Simon & Schuster

Begged, borrowed, or stole:
How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain


Dec 2, 2011

My Good News - YART Social Media Manager

A few weeks ago I was appointed the Social Media Manager for the Texas Library Association's Young Adult Round Table! This is a newly created position and I'm happy to be chosen to get their social networking going. The purpose of the Young Adult Round Table is to promote and to improve library services for young adults in Texas. YART sponsors the Texas Lone Star Reading List, the Tayshas High School Reading List, the Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List, and the Young Adult Reading Incentives Award. YART also co-sponsors TT4L (Texas Teens for Libraries) and the YART-Linworth Publishing/LMC TLA Conference Stipend.

I have talked about the Lone Star and Tayshas Reading Lists often right here on my blog. They are a go to reference of what Texas school and public librarians think the best books of the year are. They recently released the 2012 lists and the selection is outstanding and diverse. Not in Texas? Still a great list of titles that any young adult, and not so young adult, would love.

If you are on Facebook, YART could use some Likes on the new Page. Here, we will post book and author news, book recommendations, festivals and conventions updates, and news about the annual TLA conference in April. YART is also on Twitter at @yartxla

Thanks and happy reading!

More information about YART

Dec 1, 2011

Audio Review - You by Charles Benoit

You by Charles Benoit
August 24th, 2010 from HarperTeen

Synopsis:
This wasn't the way it was supposed to go.

You're just a typical fifteen-year-old sophomore, an average guy named Kyle Chase. This can't be happening to you. But then, how do you explain all the blood? How do you explain how you got here in the first place?

There had to have been signs, had to have been some clues it was coming. Did you miss them, or ignore them? Maybe if you can figure out where it all went wrong, you can still make it right. Or is it already too late? Think fast, Kyle. Time's running out. How did this happen?


Review:
You is the story of a boy who is quiet, misunderstood, and eventually at wits end. The beginning of this book sets us up for heartbreak by giving us a glimpse into how everything will end. The journey to that ending is a look into the life of just an average kid who is a bit restless and prone to finding trouble around every corner.