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By: Monica Zepeda,
on 12/2/2012
Title: Long Lankin Author: Lindsey Barraclough Publisher: Candlewick Publication Date: July 10, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0763658083 464 pp. ARC provided by publisher I started reading this book just before Halloween, right when I was in the mood for a good scare. Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough tells the story of Cora and her sister Mimi. They are sent to live with their crochety Auntie Ida in
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 9/9/2012
Title: Send Me a Sign Author: Tiffany Schmidt Publisher: Walker Childrens Publication Date: October 2, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0802728401 384 pp. ARC from publisher via Netgalley I chose this title mostly because it was available on Netgalley when I needed something to read. I didn't know anything about it beforehand and I thought I'd give it chapter or two. Well, I read the whole thing. It's a
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 7/1/2012
"I'm glad I'm off the grid." <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal.dotm 0 0 1 111 637 Mouse, Mouse & Duque 5 1 782 12.0 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria;
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 6/22/2012
Title: The Little Woods Author: McCormick Templeman Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Publication Date: July 10, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0375869433 336 pp. ARC from publisher via Netgalley I was looking forward to a good YA mystery when I chose The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman. The protagonist, Cally Wood, decides to go to hoity-toity boarding school St. Bede's Academy because her sister
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By: Caroline Starr Rose,
on 5/28/2012
Have you read these books? One lucky commenter will win a packet of Apocalypsies and Class of 2k12 bookmarks. Let's get a discussion going!
The Wicked and the Just - J. Anderson Coats
Cecily’s father moves her to Wales where she must put up with her brazen servant, Gwinny, where every interaction between the girls is loaded with more meaning than Cecily initially understands, where heartache on both sides forges a shaky unity, and where the unflinching storyline cannot leave the reader unchanged.
Love & Leftovers - Sarah Tregay
Yanked from home by her mother when her parents’ marriage crumbles and longing to understand love, Marcie embarks on an exploration of boys, friendship, affection, passion, and understanding in this smartly written verse novel.
Scarlet - A. C. Gaughen
Robin Hood’s right-hand man, Will Scarlet, is recast as a delightfully complex girl, who’s feisty and fierce and secretly loves Rob -- rollicking fun!
Chained - Lynne Kelly
I couldn’t resist letting CHAINED speak for itself:
"This must be what Ne Min meant about being brave. Never in my life have I been so afraid, but here I stand."
Under the Never Sky - Veronica Rossi
A sweeping glimpse of a dystopian world that is equally strong in story and style, Rossi’s characters force readers to examine the difference between living life and merely existing.
A Voice for Kanzas - Debra MacArthur
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 5/19/2012
Title: Something Like Normal Author: Trish Doller Publisher: Bloomsbury Publication Date: June 19, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-1599908441 224 pp. ARC from publisher via Netgalley Every once in awhile, I'll read a book that's so damn good, I wish I'd written it. Last year, that book was Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. This year, it's Something Like Normal by Trish Doller. Something Like
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 4/28/2012
"No one better touch my cells!" Oh, April, why have you flown by so quickly? It seems as though I was just settling into you and now we must say good-bye. I did get a good amount reading in, though. I read A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont and Something Like Normal by Trish Doller (review pending). I even finished reading Peter Pan (remember, Project Gutenberg is a goldmine for free public
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 4/21/2012
Title: A Breath of Eyre Author: Eve Marie Mont Publisher: KTeen Publication Date: March 27, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0758269485 352 pp. Purchased ebook via bn.com I was totally excited about Eve Marie Mont's debut YA novel, A Breath of Eyre. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite novels, but I'm okay with taking liberties with it. Jasper Fforde has a ton of fun riffing on it in The Eyre Affair. A
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 4/6/2012
Title: Weclome Caller, This Is Chloe Author: Shelley Coriell Publisher: Amulet Books Publication Date: May 1, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-1419701917 320 pp. Â ARC from publisher via Netgalley <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal.dotm 0 0 1 336 1918 Mouse, Mouse & Duque 15 3 2355 12.0 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 3/30/2012
"Maybe I should learn archery..." Here we are at March already. Wow. Let's take a moment for the end of the first quarter of 2012. *moment* Alrighty, then. March was a big reading month for me, mostly due to The Hunger Games. I read the first book last year, but I plowed through Catching Fire and Mockingjay this month before I saw the movie. (I intended to write a blog post about the movie
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 3/16/2012
Title: Someone Else's Life Author: Katie Dale Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers Publication Date: February 14, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0385740654 464 pp. ARC from publisher via Netgalley I was really intrigued by this book. The basic plot starts with Rosie, a young woman in England, who watches her mother Trudie slowly die from Huntington's disease. What's worse for Rosie is that
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 2/26/2012
Title: Cinder Author: Marissa Meyer Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Publication Date: January 3, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0312641894 400 pp. Reading copy via local library With one of the most eye-catching covers in awhile, coupled with an awesome concept, Cinder was high on my list of must-reads for 2012. I'm happy to report that it's just as fun as I thought it would be. Cinder takes the
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 12/2/2011
Wow, the year's almost over and the 2011 Debut Author Challenge will soon be completed. It's been a great year of reading and next week I'll share my completely unscientific choices for the 2012 Debut Author Challenge. (Of course I'm doing it again. I'm hooked.) Last month I read and reviewed The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. In other reading news, I also managed to finish
By: Caroline Starr Rose,
on 11/16/2011
I'm participating in the Story Siren's Debut Author Challenge. The guidelines are below:
CHALLENGE OBJECTIVE
To read and review a minimum of twelve young adult or middle grade debut novels between the dates of January 1, 2012 - January 31, 2013.*
*The 2013 extension is so that December Debuts can be read and count toward the challenge.
RULES AND GUIDELINES
You must have a blog to post your reviews or be a member of Goodreads.
Your blog must be written in English.
Deadline to join is May 31, 2012.
BOOK GUIDELINES
Must be a young adult or middle grade title.
Must be the author’s YA or MG debut, released in 2012.
If an author has a previous novel published for adults or children, they can still qualify for the challenge.
If an author has a previous YA or MG title, they do not qualify for the challenge.
As many of you know, I've run monthly One Sentence Debut Reviews, covering three books each month (technically, I've only done 10/12 months, but you get the idea). Next year, for sanity purposes, I will lump my debut reads into three posts for spring, summer, and fall releases. I will continue to give away bookmarks/swag for books debuting in 2012.
Anyone else participating this year?
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 11/4/2011
It rained this morning, I'm wearing my favorite red sweater, and I'm drinking a bigass cup of coffee. Fall is very much in the air. The year has zoomed by, but I've managed to keep on track with the Debut Author Challenge. Last month, I read and reviewed Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (and guys, seriously, read this book). And I'm almost done with The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 10/21/2011
Title: Between Shades of Gray Author: Ruta Sepetys Publisher: Philomel Publication Date: March 22, 2011 ISBN-13: 978-0399254123 344 pp. Reading copy purchased at SCBWI conference I've read several really awesome books this year because of the Debut Author Challenge, but none have affected me as deeply as Between Shades of Gray. Lina is a fifteen year old art student in Lithuania during the
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 10/7/2011
September went by in a flash, but I stayed on course and read Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard. I also read half of the remarkably fun How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen, and I hope I get to finish that soon. And I've started Rupta Sepetys' Between Shades of Gray, a heart-wrenching story about Stalin's forced deportation of a Lithuanian girl and her family to
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 9/3/2011
I am happy to report that I am caught up for the Debut Author Challenge! I have read eight books by new authors this year, plus the bonus anthology Teeth: Vampire Tales. I even started the nonfiction book Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell. Life has been good. What I didn't get a chance to do was my own version of summer reading, which meant reading poetry, plays, and graphic novels. You know,
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 8/11/2011
It's been a busy, busy summer. Summer reading is going on full swing and I've probably read over 100 picture books. But that's not quite the Debut Author Challenge, is it? I did read Through Her Eyes, which hasn't gotten the buzz of some other new releases and really should be a must read. I also read Wildefire, which was muy caliente and another must read. So I'm caught up for the year, which
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 7/29/2011
Title: WildefireAuthor: Karsten KnightPublisher: Simon & SchusterPublication Date: July 26, 2011ISBN-13: 978-1442421172400 pp.Advanced reading copy via Galley GrabWowohwowohwowohwow.Wildefire grabs you by the throat and doesn't let you go. There's action! Untimely death! Cute boys! Crazy-ass sisters! (not necessarily in that order)Ashline and her big sis Eve were adopted from an Polynesian
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 7/7/2011
Summer has officially started and I managed half of my reading goals for June. As reviewed here, I did finish Possession by Elana Johnson, but I didn't get to reading a play for the month. (I checked out Invention of Love by Tom Stoppard, and it still sits forlornly on my bookshelf.)I've started Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer, which I'm really enjoying. The book review will be up soon. This,
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 6/13/2011
Title: PossessionAuthor: Elana JohnsonPublisher: Simon PulsePublication Date: June 7, 2011ISBN-13: 978-1442421257416 pp.Reading copy from publisher via Galley GrabI don't give stars for my reviews, but if I did, I'd give 3 out of 5 for Possession by Elana Johnson. It fell in the middle for me ... somewhere between Across the Universe by Beth Revis, which I L-O-V-E-D and Bumped by Megan McCafferty
By: Caroline Starr Rose,
on 6/13/2011
Enter to win a 2k11/Elevensie bookmark swag pack by leaving a comment below.
Don't forget about entering to win a signed copy of THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY. Both contests close Wednesday, 15 June.
The Sweetest Thing - Christina Mandelski
Sheridan's father's reality tv show changes her world, her cake business, and her understanding of love as she comes to terms with the bitter and the sweet things in her life.
OyMG - Amy Fellner Dominy
Debate dynamo Ellie grapples with faith, bigotry, boys, grandparents, the perfect matzo ball soup recipe, and staying true to herself when it counts most.
Never Eighteen - Megan Bostic
In the last stages of terminal cancer, Austin lives for the moment by mending fences in his own life and allowing others to begin the process for themselves in this intense, spare read.
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 5/22/2011
Title: EntwinedAuthor: Heather DixonPublisher: Greenwillow BooksPublication Date: March 29, 2011ISBN-13: 9780062001030480 pp.Reading copy from local libraryThere's romance and then there's Romance. Lower case "r" romance is what most people think of when they think of the word, which is pretty much anything the new Old Spice guy offers you in one of his commercials. (You know, walks on the beach,
By: Monica Zepeda,
on 5/4/2011
Well, all the catching up that I did in March didn't last through April. I've started on Entwined by Heather Dixon, which I'm enjoying. (I also started Delirium by Lauren Oliver, even though it's not part of the challenge.)But I never finished reading Bumped by Megan McCafferty.I hadn't really come up with a book review policy when I started the challenge, but last month I realized I needed to
I've wanted to read Chained ever since Mike featured it at PM!
It's wonderful, Matt! Ask your library to get a copy.
I just finished SCARLET a couple of days ago--really enjoyed it! You and I have a lot of the same books on our readings lists. :-)
Wasn't it fun? I read it while I was sick, and it was a wonderful distraction.
This is a great list for my 6th grader. Thanks! She liked Under the Never Sky.
Good! There's a lot of variety here.