Aug 29, 2012

Review: Hidden (Firelight #3) by Sophie Jordan

Hidden (Firelight #3) by Sophie Jordan
September 11th, 2012 from HarperTeen

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....


Can you see the tear silently fall from my eye from where you're sitting? No? Well, it's there. Trust me. This is one series where me and my now thirteen-year old fought over. Each time we got an early copy, we fought over who would read first. For the record, I lost every time. There aren't many books where we see eye to eye, let alone an entire series. 

Aug 28, 2012

Cover Reveal: Winger by Andrew Smtih

Are you sick of me saying it yet? I effing love Andrew Smith! Seriously, one of my favorite authors. He can write a truly twisted tale like The Marbury Lens  and it's highly anticipated sequel Passenger, then blow your mind with a coming of age contemporary like Stick. Both were, and still are, tops in my book and I recommend them in the library just about every day. So when Andrew started talking about Winger by S&S earlier this year, his fans, including moi, have been waiting patiently for the cover. And now, it's here! Too good not to share:
Totally different from his other three books, and I love it! On his blog, Andrew has filled us in about this boy. Here is the offish synopsis:

Aug 27, 2012

Book Trailer Premiere - The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin

I am thrilled to host the premiere of the The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy book trailer today! I'm a huge fan of Nikki's, and all of Austin had a blast at her huge, and I mean huge, book release party last Saturday. Pop on over HERE for some pictures,  but here are my two fave.

 
What is Splendid Academy about? 

When Lorelei's old school mysteriously burns down, a new one appears practically overnight: Splendid Academy. Rock-climbing walls on the playground and golden bowls of candy on every desk? Gourmet meals in the cafeteria, served by waiters? Optional homework and two recess periods a day? It's every kids's dream.

But Lorelei and her new friend Andrew are pretty sure it's too good to be true. Together they uncover a sinister mystery, one with their teacher, the beautiful Ms. Morrigan, at the very center.

Then Andrew disappears. Lorelei has to save him, even if that means facing a past she'd like to forget – and taking on a teacher who's a real witch.

What Lorelei and Andrew discover chills their bones – and might even pick them clean! 

Nikki's husband is a seriously talented photographer and his brilliance can be seen here. Take a look! 
The trailer is exactly what this book is about! I love the pictures of kids eating the colorful food. It makes me hungry now, but it really does depict what happens in the story. 

Read my review HERE and WIN a copy too! 
Add to Goodreads
You can find Loftin at her website
Check out Dave Wilson Photography

Aug 24, 2012

Review: The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin (+Giveaway)

The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin
August 21, 2012 from Razorbill

When Lorelei's old school mysteriously burns down, a new one appears practically overnight: Splendid Academy. Rock-climbing walls on the playground and golden bowls of candy on every desk? Gourmet meals in the cafeteria, served by waiters? Optional homework and two recess periods a day? It's every kids's dream.

But Lorelei and her new friend Andrew are pretty sure it's too good to be true. Together they uncover a sinister mystery, one with their teacher, the beautiful Ms. Morrigan, at the very center.

Then Andrew disappears. Lorelei has to save him, even if that means facing a past she'd like to forget – and taking on a teacher who's a real witch.

What Lorelei and Andrew discover chills their bones – and might even pick them clean!

Aug 21, 2012

Austin Teen Book Festival - 2012 (+Meetup)

If you didn't already know, Texas is pretty bad-a when it comes to literary events. Austin Teen Book Festival is one of my favorite events of the year! I have been lucky enough to be involved in some capacity for three out of the four years, and this year has been a blast running PR and media. Below is the scoop in order for you to have a good time and see all that you can see. First, check out the awesome poster made by  my coworker Trina Bolfing from Westbank Community Library made for us this year!
Yes, you can copy it and post on your blog! Yes, you can print it out and hang in your classroom, library, or wherever you want! Now, let's get to some details of fest day:

The festival is FREE for everyone! No registration required, just show up!

WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 9:30am – 5pm
OPEN DOOR: Come when you can, and try to attend all day because you won’t want to miss the fun!
WHERE: The Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd. Austin, TX 78704
PARKING: Palmer Events Center Parking Garage: $7

Aug 20, 2012

Giveaway: Signed Across the Universe Swag

Holt, Revis, & Hoover
Earlier this month, Beth Revis came to BookPeople for a talk and signing with two of our local authors, PJ Hoover and K.A. Holt (whom I love!). Check out this quick interview with BookPeople's Teen Press Corp. Beth was kind enough to sign some swag so I could giveaway here and at my library. So, today I have FIVE sets of postcards, signed bookmarks, and bookplates for five lucky winners.

Aug 16, 2012

Cover Reveal: Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
January 22nd, 2013 from Egmont USA

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.


Check out the Prologue:

One week earlier . . .

Nine letters. Two words. He refused to think of them as a name. With detached objectivity, his steady hands set the thin white paper, with its evenly spaced black lettering, to the side.

Aug 7, 2012

Guest Post: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (+Giveaway)

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
July 31st, 2012 from Harlequin Teen

I am thrilled to have Katie McGarry on the blog talking about a personal experience that . Welcome, Katie:

When I was in second grade, a friend of mine invited me to play at her house. After a few minutes of playing school, she asked if I would like to see her dog. Being a dog lover, my answer, of course, was yes.

My memory begins to get fuzzy after that and no, it’s not because I’m looking back at the event from my thirties. I repressed the memory of being attacked by her dog.

I had a couple of vague, hazy memories from after the attack: my sister staring at me as I rested on the couch in our living room, my parents calling the doctor, me lying on the hospital bed. My first clear memories are of standing in my room, lifting my dress and staring at the bandage on my right side. My mom told me I had been bitten by a dog, but I didn’t remember it.

How can I even begin to describe what it’s like? I’d go to school and this was the scene that played out:

A group of kids gathered around me as I took off my winter coat.

Kids: You were bit by a dog.

Aug 3, 2012

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Prologue & Five Book Giveaway)


Jennifer Lynn Barnes has a new book, Nobody, coming out January 22nd, 2013. The cover will be revealed here on August 16th along with other Texas bloggers. *tips hat* To get everyone ready for the reveal, I am thrilled to share the Prologue of Nobody and host an awesome giveaway!

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Prologue

One week earlier . . .

Nine letters. Two words. He refused to think of them as a name. With detached objectivity, his steady hands set the thin white paper, with its evenly spaced black lettering, to the side.

He’d done this before.

One, Two, Three . . .

He’d do this again. More needles, more knives. More evenly spaced black letters that carved themselves, blood-red, into the recesses of his mind.

The only way you can make a difference in this world is to kill.

From the moment he’d opened the envelope and see the name, the pictures; from the moment he’d committed those nine letters to memory, the outcome had been a foregone conclusion. His target had been marked. Death was coming.

So be it.


Add to Goodreads
You can find Barnes at her website
Come back August 16th for the Nobody cover reveal!
Click Read More to go to the giveaway...

Aug 2, 2012

Review: Counting Backwards by Laura Lascarso (+Interview & Giveaway)

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

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.

You've seen that cover and thought to yourself, "What is wrong with that girl?" I thought the same thing and that is exactly why I wanted to read this book. We meet Taylor as she is checking into a psychiatric facility  after a failed runaway attempt. As you can guess, Taylor isn't too thrilled about being there. Even though she was absolutely miserable living with her alcoholic mother, home was better than this place. She gets on the wrong side of some female patients and just when she is at her breaking point, she befriends a feisty girl named Margo. I liked Margo and it took me a bit to try to figure out her character. I didn't know if she was going to go all Girl Interrupted on me. She was a bit of a comedic break in this sometimes gut wrenching story. Without Margo's friendship, I'm not sure how Taylor would have gotten through some of the rough times in that place.