February Release - Trafficked by Kim Purcell

I hope you're not getting bored of these and they are actually helping you find new books to read. If you're like me and you don't always get new releases the moment they come out, at least you can add them to your TBR list! (Mine is so long right now I don't think I'm ever going to get through it....)

Such a gritty, realistic cover!

My Pick: Trafficked, By Kim Purcell
Release Date: February 16th

Hannah believes she's being brought from Moldova to Los Angeles to become a nanny for a Russian family, but her American dream quickly spirals into a nightmare. 

The Platonovs force Hannah to work sixteen-hour days, won't let her leave the house, and seem to have a lot of secrets - from Hannah and from each other.

Stranded in a foreign land with false documents, no money, and nobody who can help her, Hannah must find a way to save herself from her new status as a modern-day slave or risk losing the one thing she has left: her life.


 This is going to be so exciting! From the first moment I heard about it I knew I'd want to read it. It's sort of the perfect anti-Valentine's Day book, so if you're sick of all the loveydoveyness this week you should definitely stock up on books like this! It tackles a topic ripped straight from the headlines, bringing real-life horror to its pages and readers in a way that is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

The cast of character look set to strike us at our very core - the villains, particularly Paavo and Lillian, represent evil at its purest; Hannah is a believable and sympathetic protagonist, but she is also strong-willed and determined to escape her dire situation. And just to make it reach out to you even more, there is even a nice boy for you to fall for. However, he's not the typical drop-dead gorgeous, save-the-day YA hero - of course he isn't, in a book like this, and before you start getting ideas, no, he's not the bad-boy turned good who could be Hannah's risky way out. Colin is a normal American teenager who has problems and insecurities of his own. His frustrations with his parents contrasts with Hannah's constant struggle to keep her mind and body intact. He provides secret friendship and romance, but as the plot thickens and the tension heightens you know love isn't going to make everything okay for Hannah.

I'd watch out for this one, guys!

Allie

NB: this book is definitely not be appropriate for younger teens, as it contains themes of human trafficking and modern slavery, scenes in brothels and of abuse, and general other content that should only be read by the over-15 age group or very mature readers.

Waiting On Wednesday #8 - Above by Leah Bobet

'Waiting On' Wednesday is a meme borrowed from Jill at Breaking the Spine.

All I can say is: SPEECHLESS.
Simple, and stunning. I especially
love the golden colour...*sigh*

Today's book: Above by Leah Bobet
Publication date: April 1st, 2012  (Finally, one we don't have to wait too long for!)

Sumary from Goodreads: Matthew has loved Ariel from the moment he found her in the tunnels, her bee's wings falling away. They live in Safe, an underground refuge for those fleeing the city Above--like Whisper, who speaks to ghosts, and Jack Flash, who can shoot lightning from his fingers.
But one terrifying night, an old enemy invades Safe with an army of shadows, and only Matthew, Ariel, and a few friends escape Above. As Matthew unravels the mystery of Safe's history and the shadows' attack, he realizes he must find a way to remake his home--not just for himself, but for Ariel, who needs him more than ever before.

OK, you might not have heard too much about this one. But Waiting On Wednesday isn't just about those books that have been outrageously hyped and are walking that fine line between being totally unbelievable in a good way, and being totally unbelievable in a very, very bad way. I bet I'm not the only one but there who misses the days when discovering a new book that you hadn't heard of before that turned out to be incredible (as happened to me with Revolution, which quickly became and remains my favourite book ever). Maybe 'Above' can be the next one of those books....(except of course you ha a leetle bit of warning from me. But only so you can save up your money to buy it, of course.)

'Above' is gorgeously imagined -- the story of an underground community where a man with electricity in his fingertips or a girl who can shapeshift into a bee, can hide away, and what happens when those people are forced into the world, our world, Above. It has real things to say about insiders vs. outsiders, safety vs. risk, and how much we can be responsible for one another. And the romance between Matthew and Airel looks set to be gentle, slow, and beautiful - just the kind of break you might need from the undoubtedly amazing but slightly fast-paced romances that grace many YA novels right - while being surrounded by the gut-wrenching exit from Safe and the terror and adrenaline that comes with it for these misfits, these freaks that have been exiled from the only place they knew that held refuge for them.

I for one will be adding this to my TBR pile at the first opportunity!

Allie

February Release - The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin

I've actually started to really enjoy hearing about these new books! I hope you have, too.

Hmm, I have mixed feelings about
the cover, but it's very intriguing.

My Pick: The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin
Release Date: February 1st

Erin Saldin's The Girls of No Return is a lacerating young adult debut about girls, knives, and redemption.

The Alice Marshall School, set within a glorious 2-million acre wilderness area, is a place where teenage girls are sent to escape their histories and themselves. 

Lida Wallace has tried to negate herself in every way possible. At Alice Marshall, she meets Elsa Boone, Jules, and Gia Longchamps, whose glamour entrances the entire camp. As the girls prepare for a wilderness trek, Lida is both thrilled and terrified to be chosen as Gia's friend. Everyone has their secrets – the “Things” they try to protect; and when those come out, the knives do as well.


This book is by a new author, but seems like a book that could have been written by someone with many published books behind her belt. This novel's main plot concerns the implications, complications, and intricacies of friendship, while the story itself is a very real glimpse into what many teens face, the feeling of being abandoned, un-loved, alone, broken and hurting are (unfortunately) common realities. It's nice to see that romance takes a back seat (in fact, it barely appears at all) so that the real people and their problems can get some limelight for a change.

The premise is very unique, and while I myself have a few qualms (the main character's name for instance, but that's just personal preference, and since I have very little knowledge of care systems in America I'm hoping the reasons why places such as Alice Marshall are set up and used will be explained) but in terms of characters, all the usual suspects are there: the lost and misunderstood main character, the tough girl, the girl that wants to be everyone's friend and the girl that is so cool that you know she's bad news. If it lives up to expectations, it's going mto be gripping, thrilling, and utterly engrossing.

Allie

NB: this book contains themes of self-harm, abandonment, teen angst and criminality, so readers should take care when deciding if they will be able to handle the content or not.

February Releases!!

All right, here's a random post from me - another New Releases batch, but this time for February! Special picks to come :)

The Girls Of No Return by Erin Saldin - February 1

The Boy On Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone - February 1

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale - February 2

Beneath A Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson - February 2

This One Time With Julia by David Lampson - February 2

The Rivals by Daisy Whitney - February 6

DJ Rising by Love Maia - February 6

The Miseducation Of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth - February 7

Dead To You by Lisa McMann - February 7

Two Truths And A Lie by Sara Shepard - February 7

The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols - February 7

In Too Deep by Amanda Grace - February 8

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley - February 14

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour - February 16

The Fine Art Of Truth Or Dare by Melissa Jensen - February 16

Trafficked by Kim Purcell - February 16

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby - February 28

January Release: Try Not To Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard

All right, time for a special January Release post!

Very intriguing, isn't it?

My Pick:  Try Not To Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Release Date: January 19th

Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die, as sixteen-year-old Ryan discovers in the year following his suicide attempt. Despite his mother’s anxious hovering and the rumors at school, he’s trying to forget the darkness from which he has escaped. But it doesn’t help that he’s still hiding guilty secrets, or that he longs for a girl who may not return his feelings. Then he befriends Nicki, who is using psychics to seek contact with her dead father. This unlikely friendship thaws Ryan to the point where he can face the worst in himself. He and Nicki confide in one another the things they never thought they’d tell anyone—but their confessions are trickier than they seem, and the fallout tests the bound of friendship and forgiveness.

At last a YA romance that really seems to have a unique plot, as well as a male viewpoint, with plenty of dark themes and characters, but also a little bit of hope thrown in there for good measure. The plot looks set to be physically complex and emotionally tough, but sometimes it's the things about a novel that make you want to stop that also make you want to keep reading. I love the premise of the story, and if I'm lucky enough to get my hands on it anytime soon I'm sure I won't be able to put it down. 

Even the title promises mystery, suspense, and drama, as well as tentative friendship and the relatively new experiences it will be for the characters to let others in. Although I do generally prefer bright colours on covers, considering the topics and material included in this book, it does give a taster of what's to come.


I don't know about you, but I'd be looking out for this one!


Allie

January Release: Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

Better not be getting sick of these, dear non-existent readers...because I'm scheduling a whole lot of them. 

A very simple cover, but it also gets the
simplicity of the story across very well

My Pick: Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic
Release Date: January 17th

Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life. 
Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go.

But before he does, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.




Warning: definite tearfest ahead.

I honestly don't know if I'm even going to be able to get past the first page of this book. Megan Bostic shows no remorse in letting us know it's going to be a sad book - and not just that, but it's going to be philosophical, melancholy, hopeful, and crushing.

I’m a sporadically emotional reader. I'm unpredictable. I read My Sister's Keeper without shedding a single tear; instead I was left hollow inside, like some girl who can't express herself properly and is reduced to feeling the echoes of sadness and pain and God knows what else instead. I cry at songs and movies, not books. (See the end of Eragon and The Chronicles of Narnia for examples. Not the actual move endings, the music!) But this seems like it's going to be really hardcore stuff. I'll either have to be in a really pessimistic mood only looking to go deeper or else completely prepared for the onslaught that this novel will bring. It's going to be one of those rare books that are so hard to read that every once in a while I'll just have to take a step back and put it down until I'm ready to read again. This book is going to be all about what you'd do if you knew you didn't have long left; and as much as people like to pretend that's not a hard thing to think about, it is. It so is.

But I've been assured the writing in this book is fantastic and no one can believe it's a debut novel; let's just hope all that hard-hitting material is worth it


Allie

January Release: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Hehe, I really am having fun with these...you should know I haven't read anything except extracts from them, so my opinion is based half on what I have read and half on other reviews, with both positive and negative ones taken into account.

Warning: POSSIBLE TEAR-FEST AHEAD!

Hmm. This cover was not what I expected,
but it does pave the way for readers going in
without concentrating on the illness-related
aspects of the story. 

My Pick: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Release Date: 10th January

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too - post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer-kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.


A few thoughts hit me when I first heard about this book. That it would be deeply thought-provoking. That it was undeniably intriguing. That everyone knew it was going to be intensely emotional.

And despite not having read it yet and not being able to read it for a while, I think this book will be for anyone who is strong enough to cope with the issues of serious, life-threatening illness - possible terminal illness - hope in a hopeless situation, and attachment to characters that you know are hanging precariously in the balance. Having been affected by illness that means constant medical care and regular hospital visits are the norm, I can already sympathise with the characters.

Hazel's life is on hold. The support group thing? Very realistic. The meeting the boy of your dreams at support group thing? In your dreams...but it does provide a strong basis for the plot, which is mainly character-led, and as far as I know contains a lot of philosophy, rediscovery and new discoveries, thinking about both life and death, and contemplating something that affects many more than it should in this world; people suffering with cancer, their families, their friends, their pasts and their futures, and how they may seek to find some semblance of normality while dealing with this shocking and remorseless disease.

My advice is have the Kleenex at the ready, folks.

Allie

January Release: Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala

Yes, another one of these posts. God knows Tora will probably kill me for it, but since I am going to absent for large parts of this year I've decided to make the time I have to blog count.

I'm not sure how much of the story
it conveys, but the cover really
catches your eye, doesn't it?

My Pick: Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala
Release Date: January 3rd

Joy Delamere is suffocating... 
From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.  Joy can take his words - tender words, cruel words - until the night they go too far. 

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late. 

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

Well, this certainly is more my style. I love the idea of using the homeless network as a plot device, and later, the base for most of the characters in a book. And speaking of characters, we already know we're going to hate Asher, but it will be interesting to see what we think of Creed. I for one already love his name, and I mean; "If you ever need help, you know where to find me" - Hello? Who wouldn't love that?! And I love how we know the relationship between Joy and Creed is going to happen, but it will take an agonisingly long time to get there, as each character refuses to give in to the other, but in that it-really-is-for-both-our-own-good kind of way. It makes me itch in excitement just thinking about reading it. 

There's also May and Santos - the former a product of the streets with a drug-addict Mom, and the latter taking Joy - or Triste  as she's known on the streets - under his wing. This really is a character-run story, but the plots will always be looming in the background; abusive Asher searching for her, her parents going out of their minds, the danger of the street threatening to overtake all Joy has worked for, from her health to her new-found half-life. We know it's going to end in confrontation, but it'll be the journey that takes us there that all our expectations will ride on.

(Hope I haven't added to the hype too much...)

Allie

(It should also be noted that this story is not for anyone younger than their mid-teens, as this book contains swearing, violence, drug use, theft, and reference to abuse and prostitution. Definitely not an easy read, so you should stay away from it unless you can look past each of those themes.)                                                                                                

January Release: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

So, time for a January Release post! These will be a bit like Waiting on Wednesday, only published much closer to their release date.

A simple but sweet cover

My Pick: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler 

Release date: January 3rd

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances… a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life…and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

 It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last…

I'm not usually one for pure romances, like this one first appeared to be. But on further inspection you can see that it's about more than teenage love; it's about rediscovery, about all sorts of emotions, about the past and about the future, and most of all it's about how life throws things your way that you're never going to be prepared for. 

The characters are well-rounded and believable; there's Hudson, who used to be an ice-skater, but after her parents' divorce she gave it up and now only secretly skates on Lake Erie, when she's not making cupcakes or helping her mom and brother at the diner they run. Then there's Josh; a hockey player who could seem stereotypical, but from other reviews I've read he seems to be a very likeable character who doesn't have it all, but has a lot to gain. Their story isn't just cute, it's believable, and I'm sure this will be a good read for anyone looking for a fun, but not overly simple or boring story.

The summary makes it seem  like a less remarkable story than I hope it will be, but we'll just have to wait and see. Perhaps it will be a good first venture into this very romantic setting - being so used to dystopian and adventure, I know I might take a while to adjust to this kind of plot, but I'm willing to give it a try!

Allie

Books for January (AKA Random Boringly-titled Book Post...)

Well, you can guess who it is already, can't you?

Time for some of the most anticipated YA releases of January! I will try to post these most months, and track down as wide a variety of books as I can. Later, I might do individual posts on some of my favourites, but for now here's just a brief list of the main titles I've found:

Addison Blakely: Confessions Of  A PK by Betsy St. Amant - January 1

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler - January 3

Black Boy White School by Brian F. Walker - January 3

Cracked by K.M. Walton - January 3

Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom - January 10

Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala - January 3

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald - January 24

The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams - January 3

Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler - January 5

Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani - January 17

The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith - January 2

The Darlings In Love (The Darlings #2) by Melissa Kantor - January 10

What Boys Really Want by Pete Hautman - January 1

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green - January 10

The Queen Of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker - January 2

Try Not To Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard - January 19

 Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman - December 27, 2011 (OK, this one's cheating, but I didn't know about it until today, and come on, it's Daniel Handler! I thought I might as well put it in, and besides, you can use it if you're taking part in the YA Contemporary Challenge 2012.)

Winter's Kiss by Jennifer Echols and Catherine Hapka - January 3

Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic - January 17

Fracture by Megan Miranda - January 17

Allie

Book Review 7 - Wintercraft, by Jenna Burtenshaw

I first read this a while ago, long before I was considering books for review, and though I enjoyed it, I didn't get around to reading it for a second time until very recently! I hadn't heard of it at all, and basically picked it up at the library because I liked the sound of the blurb and the cover looked pretty cool....To me, it was less YA fantasy and more general fantasy, but I think maybe I'm just too used to reading American YA fiction...

This is one example of a book
where the cover really makes a
difference - it's gorgeous, and
really intriguing!

Anyway. The book's protagonist, Kate Winters, lives in a world where people and their communities are isolated, fearful, and ruled over from afar by the mysterious High Council. The country is in the midst of a war that seems to have been going on for ever, and to 'help' the war effort, the High Council send out wardens to take people from their homes and families. No one knows when they'll strike - ten years ago, they took Kate's parents.

When the wardens return to Kate's hometown, her uncle Artemis is one of the prisoners taken by the wardens onto the Night Train - but she has other problems to be worried about, what with her being hunted when she finds out she is one of the Skilled; a person cursed with the ability to see both the living and the dead. Along with her friend Edgar, she must run from one of the most feared men alive: the terrifying and sinister Silas Dane.

(OK, so I may be a little prejudiced towards Silas. How dare Jenna Burtenshaw sully the name of the best vampire character EVER? I mean the Silas from The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, by the way. But I digress.) Add to that an ancient book called Wintercraft, and a setting that becomes a character in itself (the cities and the country are very vividly described and easy to imagine), and you have a combination of storylines that, given the relatively short length of the book compared to most other YA fiction, create a world that pulls you in from the very first page.

Within just a few chapters you have been given enough information, and yet there is enough with-held, to make you very curious about the history of this fantasy world and its characters. Some scenes early on in the book make you think the book is darker than it is, and indeed it does return to this tone later on, but you shouldn't be discouraged if you don't think it's your kind of thing. There is something for everyone in Wintercraft. The plot takes unexpected twists and turns at every corner, but still manages to have a steadiness to it. With so much mystery involved, it's important that it doesn't meander, and Jenna Burtenshaw's writing suits this planned style - she is a very skilled storyteller, especially in her description.

It did have it's downfalls, though, and they are obvious enough to really bring down the standard of what could otherwise be an outstanding story.

First, and most importantly: I didn't bond with most of the characters. Kate is a little bit too tame for me, and though there are times when she is required to be very courageous, it felt fake. She didn't jump off the page and it affected my desire to finish the story (though I am glad I persevered!) and Edgar, especially, got on my nerves - which isn't something that often happens for me - and I found myself wishing Jenna Burtenshaw had created a stronger secondary character. He did grow on me, but it impacts on a story when a character feels so out of place for so long like it did in this book. However, Silas (and his bird) is such an intriguing and complicated character that his ability to keep you guessing really keeps the reality of the story alive. The other criticism I'd have for Wintercraft is that it's pace was sometimes too slow even for me.

Over all, I think there was a lot of potential in Wintercraft that sadly wasn't utilised - though I also think that it's a very good start to a series that I will definitely be picking up again sometime in the future.

Writing: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5 (but only because Silas is worth a point and a half all by himself!)
Plot: 4/5
Impact: 2.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
In less than five words: fantasy, SILAS!, mysterious, intriguing, promising.

Allie

Waiting On Wednesday #6 - Lies Beneath, by Anne Greenwood Brown

Meme borrowed from Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Today's book: Lies Beneath, by Anne Greenwood Brown

Publication Date: June 12th, 2012 (Soooo far away...)

Summary from Goodreads: Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy.

But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistible good looks and charm on unsuspecting girls.

Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

What a brilliant premise! Completely unique. There hasn't been a good mermaid book on the YA scene in a while, let alone one with MURDEROUS MERMAIDS, and a MALE PROTAGANIST! Eeks!

From what I've heard, it really does live up to expectations - I have a feeling that the will-they-won't-they element that appears in it will have me on tenterhooks. There's a real obstacle stopping Calder and Lily being together, and if Anne Greenwood Brown utilises this in the way I hope she does, you really won't know what's going to happen.

Speaking of the author, she's likes the Coronas and Damien Rice and Franz Ferdinand! Score, sister! What's not to love? Really can't wait for this one.

Allie

Waiting On Wednesday #5 - The Lost Princess, by Galaxy Craze

Meme originally by Jill at her blog Breaking the Spine.

This Wednesday's Chosen Book: Well, see the title of this post, but just to clarify, yes, Galaxy Craze is a person....
Release Date: May 8th, 2012 (the only bad thing about doing WoW posts is finding out how loooong we'll have to wait to actually read the books!)

Look at this cover! Isn't it stunning? I love how eye-catching  and contrasting it is. I'll give you the Goodreads summary to read after you absorb the gorgeousness of it.

Happily ever after is a thing of the past. 

The year is 2090. 

England is a barren land. Food is rationed. Oil has decimated the oceans. The people are restless. 

A ruthless revolutionary enacts a plan to destroy the royal family, and in a moment, the king is dead. His heiress, Princess Mary, and her brother, Jamie, have been abducted, and no one knows their fate. Princess Eliza Windsor barely escapes, and finds herself scared and lost in London's dangerous streets. 

With a mind for revenge and the safe recovery of her siblings, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. There she is tempted by her first taste of independence -- and true love. Ultimately she must summon her courage and fight to ensure that she does not become... The Last Princess.

How amazing does this sound? Like historical fiction...only future-fiction. It's pretty unique in it's premise of featuring a royal family as the main characters against a backdrop of the classic dystopian scenario. I can't wait to find out how a tale of love and looking out for your family (while being a PRINCESS) can be intertwined with the danger and information needed to keep you hooked on a story like this - with so many dystopian novels round now 9and so many of them being brilliant, more to the point) it's important to stand out from the crowd, and from what I've heard so far about The Last Princess, it's doing it's job pretty well....

So, what are you Waiting On this Wednesday?

Allie

Spooky, scary, supernatural....

(I promise I promise I promise I won't do any more Halloween-themed posts...)

All right, so this post will basically do what it says on the tin. And I know Tora hates when I do those kinds of posts, but c'mon, I couldn't resist. Lately I've seen so many books around that could be classed as Hallowe'en-ish that I just have to do a post about them. I won't bore you for long though (unless you are a book-fan, in which case, WELCOME! and I hope you enjoy the post.) I'm going to do one of my favourite spooky/scary/supernatural books from both children's novels and YA books.

First up, taking the prize for (Funniest) Spooky Kids' book(s):  Debi Gliori's Strega Borgia Chronicles (to give it it's proper title). 

There are two trilogies; the 'Pure Dead' trilogy, and the 'Deep' trilogy. The books take place in the magnificent StregaSchloss (what a name for a house!) and features the Strega-Borgia family; Signor Luciano, Signora Baci, and the children, Titus, Pandora, Damp, and later, Nieve. They are bizarre and hilarious character who come to life very easily - the books are hilarious and action-packed. Think the Addams Family, but kids under 12 will probably get the most enjoyment out of it. 

Oh, and did I mention the cryogenically frozen Strega-Nonna, and the monsters Ffup, Sab, and Tock? (Better mention Multitudina the Illiterat too lest she bite my ear off...)

And now, taking the award for YA Supernatural/Scary/Spooky book for this Hallowe'en....

(OK, so it'a not so much a single book, as an author.)

L.J. Smith, you may take your bow!

Her books, especially the Night World series, feature the classic portrayal of vampires, but crossed with elements of romance, and of course set in our modern-day world. She also wrote the Vampire Diaries (that TV show...you know the one, with the AMAZINGLY HUNKY vampire brothers? Ha. I knew that would get your attention...! But it's true.) which I have read, though I have to say I don't like those ones as much. (No offence, AMAZINGLY HUNKY vampire brothers who feature in the series.)

I'm definitely not a massive vampire fan, but they are my guilty pleasure, now revealed to the world. And, in a perfect twist of fate, there's probably a copy of one of her books in every library in the world, thanks to the recent craze -started-by-the-book-which-shall-not-be-named, so there's no excuse for not trying them.

Anyway, I better go now before twinsister dearest murders me* for mentioning the v-word on the blog.

*runs* 

Allie

*with a knife in the drawing room! We're so playing Cluedo tomorrow. And that will be the end of the Hallowe'en festivities. I swear I'm not into it as much as my recent posts have made out. It's just I've gone on a blogging binge and it happened to occur around this time of year...

Right. I claim to be a writer. Ummm....not so sure of that....

I mean, an aspiring writer. But that makes me sound like one of the many millions of people around the world who say they're going to write a book but never do.

Believe me, I am going to be doing my utmost to write a full-length novel worthy of publishing. I have tried already, but I have time (unless I get caught in a hit and run or something tomorrow. Which would not be good. But let's not tempt fate.) and apparently I should be focusing on getting smaller stuff finished (which, I have to admit is very good advice. HEED IT! The satisfaction of finishing something smaller helps in the long run. Or so I'm told.)

(I may repeat again; neither Tora nor I are published authors, except if you count via the internet or competitions. We are in-progress writers, we are artists, we are supernovas (or at least she is. Me, on the other hand...) and everything in between (that's more like it! I must remember to add that to my 'About Me' section) but we are also learning, and we will get there. Or at least she will. Probably before me.Because Tora is too amazing to not do something utterly brilliant...possibly by this time next week. If she hasn't already.)

(Wow, the twinsisterly love is really flowing here today.)

(As is the use of brackets.)

The poor, understated, underused, humble bracket. Remember when you first learn how to use them, and they are...simply addictive? And then they gradually fall into disuse...but never fear, BRACKETS OF THE WORLD! YOU ARE SAFE HERE!

Just in case they can't hear lowercase letters.

I'd put in a picture of a bracket but that would be going overboard.

(Read: No I am not obsessed, just bored, and trying to sound vaguely interesting. Even if that means sounding slightly hyper and very, very insane. More so than usual.)

*breathes sigh of relief*

I needed that. Rant over, readers.

Back to the world of sandpaper, apple tarts, wrong ingredients, door stoppers, strange songs, sleep deprivation, and doing whatever else we students are supposed to do. Studenting?

I mean, studying!

LOOK! A RAINBOW! *points*

*runs*

Allie

Random blog post, because it's a better use of my time than making homemade bunny ears.

Don't ask. Just. Don't.

So, I should have something to say, shouldn't I?

Ummmm...

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Well, I'm sitting here with my laptop in front of me trying to write, and failing, because MY CREATIVITY HAS BEEN SQUASHED OUT OF ME BY THE MONSTER THEY CALL ENDLESS STUDYING, and blogging seemed like the only other reasonable thing to do with the little time online I have right now.

I wish I had something exciting to write about. L;ike the awesome Kiersten White over at her blog Kiersten Writes (see what she did there?! LOVE IT). Where she is not afraid to post pictures of herself  posing with fishes or self-deprecating posts comparing herself to the other writers she has met on her book tour (Bad Kiersten!!) or even having very public conversations with her Laptop. Where the laptop actually answers for itself.

Oh, how I wish I was like that.

Or even like Tahereh Mafi over at Grab A Pen/Stir Your Tea (the latter's the bit that shows up on the URL. Decided I'd just slap it onto the link there in case it's the actual name of the blog instead of Grab a Pen which comes up on my favourites list.) who has just received copies of her book Shatter Me (Which I did a Waiting-On Wednesday post about, if you remember, loyal readers who may not exist) and is feeling a little bit weepy....well, I would be too, wouldn't you?! Weepy in a good way, I mean. Not weepy as in cry your heart out over The Notebook or My Sister's Keeper because you feel like doing nothing else with your life. 9I'm sure they're great movies. But just not my style. (Point of interest about me: I don't cry at books, or movies. Ever. Never have, probably never will. I HAVE A HEART OF STONE. *wails*)

Or maybe even Veronica Roth....(SORRY SORRY SORRY I haven't read Divergent yet, but I will be soon. Promise.) over at her website and blog, where she's just moved to ROMANIA (Not on the blog. Like, seriously, actually MOVED TO ROMANIA.) among many other exciting things.

< - A version of the Divergent cover. Isn't it jaw-droppingly, amazingly, absolutely stunning?! If I sdee this anywhere, I'm buying it. Immediately.

I think that's enough links for now. Slash-things-I'm-pointing-out-because-they-point-out-exactly-what-a terrible-and-boring-blogger-I-am.

I think I've self-indulged for long enough now. Hopefully karma won't kill me because I've just accidently-on=purpose promoted some of my favourite blogs by some people who are truly brilliant (at least, this is what I'm led to believe. I've never met any of them. Either THEIR BLOGS LIE!

or:

If any of the authors I have mentioned want to come over and oh...my...lord... I'mgoingtohyperventilateatthethoughofitsoI'dbetterstopnow.

Allie

Wow. I sure did use capital letters to their full effect in that post.

Hey, the reason I listen to the radio while doing homework is to make sure WW3 doesn't break out while I'm busy concentrating on chemistry calculations.

I hope you all enjoyed Tora's appearance during the week - and yes, I know her posts are more interesting than mine.

(I'm thinking it was a good idea for my twinsister to not talk about manga. Because if she did she would publicly berate me for not reading as many of them as I should be. For anyone who's interested, I'm currently trying to get through the utterly fluffy and my-guilty-pleasure-of-the-manga-world, Mars. But don't ask me to give you detailed information about it. I just like the drawings.)

By the way, while she's been away, Tora married Matthew, as in Matthew of the Gospels in the Bible, and had two sons. Mark, who became one of the other Gospel writers, and James, who I have to say is clearly underachieving compared to the rest of his prolific family.

Anyway, neither of us have been able to blog lately because of school and many, many other commitments, but I'll try to schedule some posts soon just to keep you going. And, by the way, it would be great if anyone who's been reading this could comment, so we could know for sure you're here!

Today, I finally got to the library for the first time in nearly three weeks. It was like a light in the darkness. An exodus to the Promised Land. Autumns leaves swept through the door and swirled in the air around me before being laid carefully on the ground before me to comfort my tired feet. Books and fellow book-readers cried my name in praise and choirs of angels swung down from heaven-

OK. So it wasn't exactly like that.

It was more like me noticing - hallelujah! - that there were new books on the shelves (I can literally tell if there's a single book out of place by now.) and that there were just waiting for me to pick them up and take them home...I could turn it into an In My Mailbox post, but I can't be bothered to take all the (undoubtedly pretty) pictures and upload them. So, in a brief summary; Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (a series which Tora despises for certain unmentionable - no, not that! - reasons, but which I can't seem to help but love), Passion, by Lauren Kate (OK, so I've cheated myself out owning the third book as well as the first two with this one. But I couldn't wait any longer!), TimeRiders Day of the Predator and The Doomsday Code by Alex Scarrow 9isn't that just the best name ever?), Jane Austen Stole My Boyfriend, by Cora Harrison (I own I was Jane Austen's Best Friend. I was given an uncorrected book proof actually, so I got to read it before a lot of other people, but I had to wait forever to get the sequel...) and several others I now do not have time to mention.

Au rev- well, actually, I can't spell that version of goodbye, so you're going to have to puit up with me sticking to plain old English. Until next time, citizens of the blogosphere!

Allie

You know I've been trying to read Skullduggery Pleasant, Tora...

Any vampires that sparkle are clearly fairies.

(Well? Did that sound more like a Tora-titled post?)

I've been watching a lot of movies lately. Too many. Although, really there isn't such a thing...Especially musicals. And now I can't get the songs out of my head. Even when I'm supposed to be working through my mountains of work. When I'm online, there should be an advantage to being a fast typer (aside from the fact that any keyboard I use protests vehemently to my incessant hammering) but I never seem to have enough time, ever.

Time. Healer of all wounds my- Well, never mind that. But needless to say it's tendency to run away with itself gets on my nerves. But you know how it is...the show must go on. You don't need to hear my complaining about how little time I have to do stuff. (Although, mentioning it does give me a chance to tell you about one of my favourite books ever - The New Policeman by Kate Thompson. Awesome, awesome book. Vivid, funny, and full of Irish mythical people and legends Tír na n'Óg here I come! Hey, I might even do a review of it next time I get around to re-reading it...)

Not sure how many of you will be reading this, but I haven't posted in a while, so I decided I'd better do something to show y'all I'm still alive....

Current Book: Specials, by Scott Westerfield - this author was recommended to me by a friend, but since I couldn't get my hands on Leviathan (Don't worry, I know it's supposed to be brilliant, and I'm in the process of tracking it down!) I found The Uglies series to get me through while I wait. So far it looks good - it's pure dystopian, which I can only read in small doses (Needless to say it took me a long time to build myself up to read Catching Fire, and - I know, I know, everyone shall shun me for this - I haven't read Mockingjay yet...sorry fellow Hunger Games fans!) though I do love it. Something to do with my constant state of pessimsim and depression, apparently. Too many apocalyptic thoughts are bad for the system. 

Current Playlist: Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell, and, er, did I mention Joni Mitchell? I am a self-confessed folk and alternative rock addict, and I've sort of been raised on old music like this, so it only seems natural that I've got one of her albums on constant repeat right now. I'll move onto something else for a while soon, but her songs are so inspiring I doubt I'll be back to stay away for long. My current favourite is definitely Woodstock...so ethereal...

Current Colour: Probably the same as usual. I don't spend so much time thinking about my favourite colours...although colours around me, now that's a different story. There was something bright, bright green I saw recently that I loved...but now I can't think what it was. 

Current Favourite TV Show: The Big Bang Theory! Thank the Lord for boxsets! Several straight hours of Sheldon have cheered me right up about my own state of geekiness. (Who says I don't do anything constructive on weekends?)

Current Book Wishlist: Still so many. To finish reading Matched by Ally Condie (to cut a long story short, I treated the bookshop rather like a library that day, but I did, unfortunately, have to go eventually. Though I was not kicked out, no matter what anyone tells you!), to get some of the fantastic YA books that everyone's talking about at the moment, and also to get a few of those less publicised novels that I haven't seen anywhere yet...including Joe Craig's Lifters! (edit- which I have just been informed isn't even out yet...the publication date was moved back to the end of September? GASPETH! What am I going to do now??)

Current Needs: to find twinsister dearest, wherever she has disappeared off to, to make the pile of work waiting for me as soon as the weekend's over vanish, and to find something sweet to eat...

Current Bane of My Existence: my internet connection, which is being decidedly dodgy at this moment. 

Current Objects Around Me: several CDs, random sheets of paper, random pens, game and DVD boxes, the night sky out the window. 

Currently Thinking: I better schedule some posts just in case I disappear for a while again...

Allie

And, by the way, Tora, I do read books for myself. I also just like to write reviews about those books. (Read: I write reviews when I've got writer's block for my normal form of writing. Just in case any of you readers didn't figure that out already...and as you can see I get writer's block often. Not a good sign. But what else can I do?) 

Story Jamming and SftW...

The new logo - the site got
majorly revamped
a while ago!

Just promoting a site of some friends of mine...Stories From The Web (SftW) are an organisation who run a fantastic website and some other projects encouraging kids and teenagers to read and write. And it's not just the old 'Reading is something everyone has to do' or 'Write because it'll help you at school' stuff, either. (Which, in my experience, doesn't actually help, but that's another blog-post-slash-rant entirely.)

They have activities and kick-starts which develop imagination and the desire to read, but as well as trying to get children to read and write more, they provide a place for kids who are already writers and readers to express themselves. That's the main reason why I love it. Because sometimes kids find it hard to say that they like to read or write, and they need somewhere to start off and get feedback. I know I did. Now I'm completely confident in what I want to do, and Stories From The Web was one of the first places where I felt like that.

The lovely team there moderate and create new things for members all the time - you can just send in your work, everything from stories to poetry to reviews  - or you can take part in the competitions, discussions, polls, read the author interviews and look at the advice section (Another of my favourite parts - they have everything, from podcasts byAli Sparkes to tips from everyone from Malorie Blackman to Anthony Horowitz to Maggie Stiefvater, and so many more I could mention, but you'll have to go on the site to find otu because it would take me all day to list them here!) - and put an incredible amount of work into the site. They are also very, very cool to boot.

The website is a safe online environment with different sections for different ages groups, and if there are any young readers of this blog (who haven't been scared away by our insanity) I urge you to GO CHECK IT OUT - NOW!  Last year it became a members only site, but it can be accessed through libraries (there's a list of which ones signed up and everything for you!) and schools, and the blog is open to everyone. Stories From The Web really helped me when I was writing first, and it really deserves to be more widely known.

Here's the all important link  for the Stories From the Web Blog. from there you can find out everything you need to know (that I haven't told you already) - I hope you take some time to look around.

Which brings me onto another part of Stories From The Web - Story Jamming. It's a brand new spin-off site - where some of SftW's members post chapters of stories they've written based on a Story Start by author Emily Diamand. Every week the new chapters will be put up, and I'd really appreciate if y'all could help get if off the ground. You can email the team if you want to join in for the next round, so it's well worth a look. You can read the first chapters, and see Emily Diamand's Story Jamming blog here!

Anyway, enough of my rambling - I'm sure you have plenty of links to follow...

And no, that was not a hint at all. No way.

Allie

And, oh my Lord, I have just posted twice in one day? It really must be Christmas after all...

Book Review - The Year The Gypsies Came, by Linzi Glass

Isn't the cover pretty?  It's ever so
exotic, but also peaceful-looking.

Sorry for the lapse in posts, everyone! I've written a few reviews for you to keep the blog alive while we try to get back into the swing of things again.

I first read this book a few years ago. I didn't really know what to expect (it was Glass's debut novel, and the cover doesn't give too much away) but I knew I wanted to read it. I hadn't heard of it at all, but that didn't matter. I've read my copy so many times by now - it's one of those books that will just keep temtping you back. Not because its a fantastically paranormal YA romance, or a roller coaster action adventure, but because it's a simple story with many layers, dealing with soemthing that has been dealt with in many books and in many people's real lives, woven together with lyrical words clearly coming from a very talented writer. It's understated, detailed and powerful, and will imprint its memory on you from the very first read.

Set in 1960s South Africa with a backdrop of harsh apartheid and spreading urbanisation, it tells the story of Emily Iris and her family - her affluent parents and her older sister Sarah, whom she idolizes. They have nightwatchman, Buza, an old wise black man; he is the mnost intelligent and knowing character in the book, and yet he has the least power and influence. His tales of Zulu warriors and old myths and legends help Emily get through the days - her parents have a stormy relationship, their screaming matches often causing Emily to hide out in Sarah's room as they wait out the fights, or retreat to the garden where Buza resides.
When things get really bad, her parents invite complete strangers to stay with them, as though ths mooth exterior that must be created to keep up appearances will somehow become deeper and more permanant and mend the cracks that are so obvious when the huge house is filled with echoes of arguments and frosty silences.

In this novel the guests are a family of travellers, a man and a woman, a menagerie of exotic possessions, animals and stories, and their two sons, Otis and Streak. Emily forms a friendship with Streak, but a devastating and tragic event changes the course of Emily's life, and that of every person around her.
Linzi Glass provides plenty of vivid descriptions and relatable anecdotes, little incidents that mkae you stop and think and re read the lines she has just portrayed to you. The book is colourful and so easy to imagine, she might as well have filled the pages with pictures and not words. The writing can sometimes seem detached and distant, but otherwise, it's a pleasure to read. I personally especially enjoy reading Buza's tales, which are as deeply researched as they are provacative. I think that's the main message of this book; it's thought-provoking, and struck a chord with me, for many reasons, but firstly and most prominently, it struck me as an excellent book, written by a master storyteller.

For me if there is one downfall, it's that of the characters, who for me are sometimes just unrealistic and hard to like, (but I do have a favouite - Buza) and  it does have the earmarks of a debut, and perhaps Linzi Glass would have changed some elements or small parts of it, as I'm sure any published writer would if they had a chance to edit their novel after it had been released, but over all I think it's great, and though it may not be for everyone, it's defintiely worth just trying it. You never know, it may appeal to you even if other books of its genre haven't.

Re-readability: 4.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5
In five words: thought provoking, beautiful, dream-like, lyrical.

Allie