Waiting on Wednesday(62)

Title: Halo
Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Date: August 31, 2010Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

I am so excited for this book. The cover is gorgeous and it sounds awesome.

Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter

Rating:
Characters: 18/20
Plot: 19/20
Originality: 18/20
Writing: 19/20
Recommendation: 19/20
Overall: 93/100 or A
Source: Publisher
When Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn’t know was that the serious, real-life danger would start during her junior year of high school. But that’s exactly what happened two months ago when she faced off against an ancient terrorist organization dead set on kidnapping her.
Now the danger follows her everywhere and even Cammie “The Chameleon” can’t hide. When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most-trusted allies is actually a rogue double-agent Cammie no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers—or even her own heart.
In this fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series, the Gallagher Girls must hack, spy, steal, and lie their way to the truth as they go searching for answers, recognizing that the key to Cammie’s future may lie deep in the past....
The characters all have amazing strength in them and are full of talents. I love how fun this series is to read, because I can relate to each one of the characters in a way. Zach is also very swoon worthy, and you get to learn more about him in this book. Only the Good Spy Young is full of action scenes and also lots of humor. The hilarious quotes and conversations make me love this series. There are so many random twists and turns in Only the Good Spy Young, which weren't as predictable as the other books. That you will be unsure of what will happen next. For each question that is answered, another question is put forth. Carter's books are one of kind and unlike anything that I have read. I can't wait for the next book that is in this series. I mean the cliffhangers in these books, kill me. For those of you, that haven't read the Gallagher Girl books, I suggest that you pick them up. They are fun books that have pieces of depth in them.

Winners for Birthday Contests!

Deception Winner: Jeremy West
Winner of Shade, Fallen, and Epitiah Road: Liz A.
Winner of Crazy, Hunger, Adios Nirvana, and The Education of Bet(Judged by Devyn Burton): Yan Lin
Some Girls Are Winner: Liz A.
Winner of The Deathday Letter, The Replacement, Dirty Little Secret, Darklight, and Ballad from Mega Palooza Giveaway: Jeff West
Winner of Virals, Sisters Red, Marcelo in the Real World, Kisses and Lies, and Heist Society from Mega Palooza Giveaway: Lena
Winner of Girl Stay In The Pictue, Courage in Patience, The Rock and The River, The Homeschool Liberation League, and Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have from Mega Palooza Giveaway: Debbie
I'll send out the books soon... All the winners(but Yan) were picked by Random.org. Congrats to those that won.

In My Mailbox (Week of June 27th)

Books For Review:
The Replacement by Breanna Yovanoff
Vials by Kathy Reich
You Wish by Mandy Hubbard
Grace by Elizabeth Scott
The Julian Games by Adele Grifin
Dust City by Robert Paul Weston
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
The Space between Trees by Katie Williams

Guest Post from Kody Keplinger

I have the one and only Kody Keplinger. She is the author of The DUFF and is amazing. Here is her most memorable birthday...
The Birthday From Outer Space
When I was a kid, I had a sick obsession with aliens. The green kind with funny shaped heads and three fingers on each hand. I had aliens on my notebooks, my trapper-keeper, my T-shirts. I was an alien for Halloween, I had an alien key chain, and I even had a set of stuff animal aliens. It was a big deal to me. Like I said – obsessed.
So when my eighth birthday rolled around, my mom proposed a plan. We were living in a cabin by the river then, and we had a huge backyard for the first time in my life. She suggested we put that yard to use and have a birthday party – a real one with friends from school instead of just the family. Of course, I was completely on board with this.
I invited twenty of my closest friends and carefully selected my outfit. At eight, not only was I obsessed with aliens, but I was also a fashionista. After finding the perfect outfit, I was ready for my party, which Mom was planning with almost frightening enthusiasm. She made gift bags for the guests and decorated the picnic tables in our backyard with balloons. Then, just before everyone started to arrive, Mom showed me the cake.
It had an alien on it!!! I was so excited. An alien driving a convertible, to be exact.
But let’s back up. My eighth birthday was already my best birthday ever for one reason. Two weeks earlier, my grandmother had surprised me by bringing over her gift to me – a feisty yellow Labrador puppy named Bowser. Getting my first dog already made the year spectacular, but this party was icing on the alien-themed-cake.
Finally, my friends started to arrive. Me and the other third-graders ran around the yard, laughing and popping balloons while Bowser chased us and Mom sat up the bobbing-for-applies game. By the way, I suck at bobbing for apples. You have no idea.
After a few games, it was present time. My friends gathered around as I opened gift after super awesome gift. The big present (aside from my puppy of course) was a brand new bike (which said puppy later chewed the seat off of – sigh). It was amazing and fun, and my eight-year-old crush gave me the TY beanie baby unicorn I’d been wanting, so I was sure that was true love.
And then the moment came. CAKE TIME!!! I waited for my mother’s boyfriend to walk out of the house carrying my birthday cake, but instead . . . an alien walked out the back door.
Gasp!
Okay, not a real alien. Duh. But it looked like an alien! It was really my mom’s boyfriend – we all knew that – but he’d put on my old Halloween mask and dressed in all black and green, looking just like the alien on my birthday cake. My friends laughed and clapped as the alien presented the cake to me, and I felt like the coolest kid ever.
A few hours later, everyone but my best friend, Molly, had gone. Molly’s grandmother lived just down the road from our cabin., so we spent the rest of the evening riding our bikes up and down the gravel road, talking about all the fun things that had happened that day, with Bowser chasing our tires and barking at us when we got too far ahead. It was like a scene from a sweet Disney movie.
I’ve never forgotten that birthday. Tons of other little girls get big backyard parties. Ones bigger than mine with more people and more presents. But my eighth birthday was truly out of this world.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZOE AND SARAH!!!!

Guest Vlog from Melissa Walker

Melissa Walker is an amazing author and was nice enough to make a vlog. She also run Before You Were Hot and I Heart Daily, which are fantastic websites. Anyways, I'll let Melissa talk about her sixteenth birthday...

It's my Birthday...

I am now 19... I am getting older.
Image from Brenna.

Guest Post with Mindi Scott

Mindi Scott is the author of Freefall, which comes out in October. I am very excited for it. I have met her once and she was very sweet and adorable. Anyways, here is her post of her memorable birthdays...

When Sarah asked if I would write this post, she gave me the prompt of my nineteenth birthday or my most memorable birthday.
Piece of (birthday) cake! I thought. I’ve had 32 birthdays so far. Surely, I can come up with a good one to write about!
So I thought back to my 19th. On that day, my boyfriend and I ended up on the same volleyball team. Every time I’d miss a shot, he’d complain. After one too many of those outbursts, I walked out mid-game and cried in the bathroom about my depressing oldness and my boyfriend’s obnoxiousness while he and my best friend had a heated argument in the hallway.
Clearly, birthday #19 is not worth remembering. And yet . . . I do remember it.
On my 7th birthday, my big party was canceled because my mom had an emergency illness and was hospitalized. Later that week, some of the girls brought in presents for me, but one of them told me that her mom said I didn’t deserve presents because my mom had been rude and canceled the party at the last minute.
Like, wow, right?
My Sweet 16 was the year my sister (who was ten) called out my boyfriend for bringing me just a card. “It’s her sixteenth birthday and you didn’t even get her a present? What kind of boyfriend are you?”
I got to spend a portion of the afternoon sitting on a lawn chair under my great-grandpa’s carport trying to get my boyfriend stop to crying.
Good times.
What else was there? For my 21st birthday, I went out to Seattle nightclubs for the first time ever. But the guy I’d brought wanted to sit just at the table all night. He told me I should dance with my coworkers because he wasn’t in the mood. Naturally, he later got upset with me for doing so.

And then for my 30th in Las Vegas, I got dressed up all glamorous to go out dancing at a fancy club. As luck would have it, all the clubs we tried to go to were closed for the night. The one that we finally found open decided to close right when we showed up. The city that never sleeps totally SHUT DOWN on my birthday!
As you can see, many of my “memorable” birthdays kind of suck. The other twenty-seven, though? They’re probably tied for my best because they were drama-free and I got to spend time with friends and family just having food, dessert, and presents.
My birthday this coming October happens to be two days before FREEFALL’s release. Which means that it’s going to be memorable no matter what happens. I just hope it ends up being the good kind of memorable!
Happy birthday to you, Sarah and Zoe!

Mega Palooza Giveaway

My Birthday is tomorrow, meaning that I should probably give away some books. That way, I will have more room for new books. There will be 3 winners of 5 books... so enter.
Here are the books in the contest:
1. Virals by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs (ARC)
2. The Deathday Letter by Shaun Hutchinson (ARC)
3. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (ARC)
4. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (ARC)
5. Dirty Little Secrets by C. J. Omololu (ARC)
6. Darklight by Lesley Livingston (ARC)
7. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork (HB)
8. The Homeschool Liberation League by Lucy Frank (HB)
9. Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff (HB)
10. The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon (HB)
11. Kisses and Lies by Lauren Henderson (ARC)
12. Courage in Patience: A Story of Hope for Those Who Have Endured Abuse by Beth Fehlbaum (PB)
13. Girl Stays in the Picture by Melissa de la Cruz (HB)
14. Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater (PB)
15. Heist Society by Ally Carter (HB)
Fill out the form below to enter... Contest ends on the 28th at midnight. Open international.

Guest Post From Victoria Schwab

Victoria Schwab is the author of the Near Witch, which comes out from Hyperion next year. I have wanted it for a while. I find her to be an amazing person to talk to, because she has such a deep grasp of the world and the many amazing things in it. Anyways, I hope you enjoy her guest post about her nineteenth birthday.
It took me a few moments to think of when I was 19. Not because it was long ago (I'm only 22), but because so much has happened.
When I was 22, I sold a book.
When I was 21, I went on sub, didn't sell, and wrote a second book.
When I was 20, I wrote my first book and signed with Agent Awesome (Amy Tipton).
When I turned 19...I hadn't written anything. That's a lie. When I was 19, I'd written poetry (mostly bad, existentialist poetry) and then been nudged into screenwriting by a teacher, but I hadn't yet discovered novel-length fiction. The longest piece I'd written was 5 pages.
When I turned 19, I had no idea what I wanted to write. I knew I wanted to write, I've wanted to write since 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12...etc, but I didn't know what, or how. I was just this little ball of ambition, jumping from Physics, to Stage Design, to Japanese Culture, to Art History. I had no grounding. I felt lost. And at the time all I wanted was a path, just like the kind on airplanes, the ones that light up and tell you you're going the right way. I kept looking around, waiting for my little blinking lights. And there weren't any.
But then, shortly after my birthday, I went to a reading on campus. Kelly Link. And sometime between sitting down in the small reading room, and leaving, I knew what I wanted to do. I didn't even want to go to the reading. I was swamped with work. I almost didn't go.
Little decisions change lives. My 19th birthday, and the subsequent year, wasn't the BIGGEST year of my life if biggest means big things happening, but it was a time of many small decisions that added up. It was my chance to explore, to test and taste and grow. I think too often we feel the need to fill our lives with big decisions, when really the small ones are most often the ones that pave the way. Those paths, like on airplanes, are made up of small, spaced dots. My 19th year was, too.

Teaser Tuesday or when I edit a book.

A short line, but I love it.
She is covered with scars on the outside and I am full of them with all the pain of regret and fear that I gathered these last few years..

Palooza Giveaway #3

Courtney Summers was kind enough to offer a signed copy of Some Girls Are for a contest. It was one of my favorite books from last year. Here is a bit about the book...
Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.
Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.
Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.
Anyways to enter the contest, fill out the form below by June 28th. Also Canada and US addresses only...

Guest Post from the author Sarah Ockler...

I have an amazing guest post from my name twin, Sarah Ockler. She is the author of Twenty Boy Summer and Fixing Deliliah Hannaford. I also got to have dinner with her and Khy, while I was in New York. So, here is a sweet birthday story from her...
Birthdays are usually a time of celebration, especially when you're a teen and birthdays are still associated with milestones like getting a driver's license and buying your own tickets for an R-rated movie. :-) But some birthdays don't come with cake and confetti. Sometimes, turning another year older brings a day marked with reflection, worry, and maybe even loneliness.
For me, turning eighteen was like that. I was excited that I could finally vote and be considered an "adult" (because back then I thought being an adult was much cooler than it actually is), but the truth is, my life was a red hot mess. After a series of unfortunate incidents during the summer after high school graduation, I was on extremely fragile terms with my mother, and I wasn't even speaking to my father. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I'd just shipped off to college into a dorm room with three other girls who were 1) sophomores, 2) complete strangers, and 3) already best friends with one another. My own best friend was still in high school, and she and I were currently on the "hating each other" side of our regularly scheduled "hating each other / being inseparable soul mates" cycle. My other friends were spread out all over the place. And my non-boyfriend was pretty much... well, just what you'd expect from a non-boyfriend. I didn't know my assigned roommates at all, and though they seemed nice enough, I was just too shy and scared to be sociable. In the week since we'd all squeezed our lives into a dorm room the approximate size of a minivan, I'd done everything I could to avoid being home.
So there I was on my eighteenth birthday, finally out of high school and into college, my whole academic career ahead of me, my whole future wide open... and I'd never felt so lonely in all my life.
My parents lived less than an hour away, so my family decided to get together at my uncle's place to celebrate my birthday. I was already dreading the whole thing because I was kind of too old for birthday parties -- I mean, I knew there wouldn't be a Care Bear cake or a clown making balloon animals or hot dogs on the grill or anything else I loved about previous parties. To further complicated things, I was still struggling to figure out where I belonged after leaving home, and my dad and I were each still busy pretending the other didn't exist. The last thing I wanted to do was pass the hours of my first grown-up birthday with some forced family fun where everyone put on party hats and pretended like everything was just dandy when it soooo wasn't. It was like the anti-dandy, actually.
I also didn't want to hole up in my dorm room all day, and I didn't have anywhere else to go. So I accepted the family invite and struggled through the dandy-less birthday party at my uncle's, which went down pretty much as expected. I don't even remember whether we had cake, and if there was singing, it was certainly flat. The whole thing made me sadder than I already was. I remember leaving, walking out to my car and thinking, who *are* these people, and where do I fit in? Do I fit in anywhere? Does it get any better than this? What is the POINT?
I dragged myself back home to the dorms, which I'd taken to calling "home" even though it didn't really feel that way. As I climbed the stairs to my floor, carrying a few sad birthday cards and hastily-bought presents under my arm, I tried to think of a way I could sneak in unnoticed. I didn't want to tell my roommates where I was, or that my family seemed to be falling apart, or even that it was my birthday in the first place. I just wanted to stash the cards under my bed and crawl into the blankets and wish the whole day away.
When I got into my room, I set my stuff down and headed for my desk, thinking I could lose myself in a mountain of homework. But there, on top of all my books, was a cake. "Happy Birthday, Sarah!" it said, bright pink letters on white frosting. There were helium balloons tied to my chair. And from the other end of the room, my three total stranger roommates smiled and wished me a happy day.
I never asked how they found out about my birthday. It didn't matter. It only mattered that with that one simple gesture, they made me feel at home on a day when I thought I had no place to call home anymore. Soon after, things got better with my family. Dad and I started talking again. I found my groove at school. Ditched the non-boyfriend. Got a job. Started figuring things out. I won't say that the cake changed my life, but it definitely changed my eighteenth birthday. And it gave me a second chance -- a new perspective on things. Sometimes, that's all we need.
A little extra cake never hurts, either. :-)
To Zoe and Sarah, my hair twin and my name twin, whether this birthday is a loud and happy celebration or a time of quiet reflection, I hope it's a special day for each of you. Happy birthday, my friends.
XOXO
Sarah

In My Mailbox(Week of June 20th)

Books:
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
God is in the Pancakes by Robin Epstien
High Before Homeroom by Maya Sloan

Guest Post from Erica at The Book Cellarx

Today, I have Erica of The Book Cellarx! I hope you enjoy her story.
Every year we turn a year older, and we always try to celebrate in some special way. I’ve done different things each year, from the zoo, to celebrating at my house, and more. One birthday sticks out in my mind. I had all my friends over for a party on my 12th birthday, and we headed to Chucke Cheese. I know, I’m way too old for that place – but I love it. I still go there, almost every year on my birthday and they give me a crown. I’m a kid at heart. After that, we headed over to the mall for a scavenger hunt. We split into two teams. We each received a disposable camera and a list of things to take pictures of. With that, we were off.
I remember the first thing we did was get a picture with a mannequin, but we didn’t want a normal one, so we headed to the kids department of Boston Store. We also modeled some perfume bottles there. The next picture we went to get was for the best granny getup. We searched through several stores, but none of them seemed just right. We finally found our outfit in this store with all sorts of older clothes. We found this awful orange skirt and top set that had leave-like cutouts hanging off of it all over and a weird hat. It strangely reminded me something that Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter would wear…
We also had to get a picture of a hat. There were 3 of us girls on my team, and we each grabbed a hat. I remember I got this little pink hat, that reminded me of something a prim and proper lady would wear. My other friend – a hat with this awful gaudy pink bow. My cousin grabbed this huge red had that was a cone with a huge circle on top. Another challenge was to get a picture in one of the rides in the middle of the mall. My friend, cousin and I are all very tall, so cramming one of us into a ride was a challenge, but we did it!
My favorite point of the day came next. I have a wee bit of a Pirates of the Caribbean obsession, so naturally my mother put an item on the list to deal with it. We saw a golden opportunity for a picture – a cut out of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow. We went to take a picture with it, with all of us girls kissing him on the cheek, and the store employer came running out of the store screaming at us, “NO PICTURES IN THE MALL” Scared, we ran off, as there was a mall security guard right there. We never did get our picture… so we hunted down a poster later – but it was not the same.
So that’s my birthday story. Happy birthday Sarah and Zoe! I hope you both have absolutely stellar birthdays! Wishing you all the best.

Palooza Music for June 19th

This song was picked Devyn Burton. It is very catchy and has Brits!

Palooza Contest #2

Adios Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft
Crazy by Han Nolan
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

This contest is open internationally till Midnight on June 28th

Just fill out the form below.

Palooza Music for June 18th

This was my favorite band when I was 14. My music taste has changed a bit since then.

Guest Post from Kristi of The Story Siren

I have the pleasure of hosting a guest post from the amazing Kristi. She is a blogging idol and is a totally awesome person. I rarely talk to people that have such a great hear and spirit. Anyways, I will let her talk, because she has a list and I like lists...
I’m so excited to be guesting at Sarah’s blog today for her awesometastic birthday bash! I can’t believe you are 19! That makes me feel incredibly old. I absolutely love celebrating birthdays. I still get excited for my birthday every year, even though I 'should' have grown out of it years ago. But birthdays are special days, and I hope, Sarah, that yours is more special than most.
I wish I had a birthday story to tell that would be semi-entertaining, but sadly most of my birthdays were rather big duds. Except for maybe my 21st birthday, but this isn’t really the time or place to talk about that one. It’s also a little embarrassing, so we’ll just forget I even mentioned that.... okay moving on....
Sarah’s birthday! Exciting stuff! You know, Sarah is a truly an awesome person. Not only does she have the superhero power of speed-reading (I am not even kidding, have you ever seen how many books this girl reads, like three a day, I kid you not!) but she has one of the most optimistic and passionate attitudes! When she has more reason that most people to complain about life in general. It’s contagious..... SHE’s contagious . I cannot help but laugh and smile when I talk to this girl.
So Sarah, for your 19th birthday I wish for you:
1. More books that you can ever read.
2. A long fulfilling life of happiness and love.
3. An unlimited supply of Doctor Who episodes.
4. An invitation of admission from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.
5. An iPod full of all your favorite songs
6. A get out of ‘writer’s block’ free card. (reusable!)
7. For all your dreams to come true
Blow out the candles and make a wish!
Thanks so much for being you. The world is a much better place with you in it! I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I wish I could be there with you to celebrate it!

Guest Post from Holly Cupala, author of Tell Me A Secret

Today, I have the amazing Holly Cupala. Holly's birthday is on the 2oth and her Book Birthday for Tell Me A Secret is on the 22th. I am excited to have another June girl and also that her book is finally coming out. I have met Holly several times and she is always sweet. Anyways I let her tell you a story of romance in France.
First of all, Happy Birthday to Sarah and Zoe, and thank you for inviting me to celebrate in Birthday Palooza! My birthday (and my book’s) are next week!
Sarah asked for my most memorable birthday…so I’ll tell you about one that sticks in my mind to this day. Summer Solstice, the south of France, amazing boy…but wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.
I saved up my entire senior year of high school for my French teacher’s biannual trip to France—and there we were, in Nice, on my eighteenth birthday. It was the night of the Solstice Festival, where a crazy mélange of people from all over the world who had come to party and celebrate summer.
I was a bit nerdy and shy back then, but my friends on the trip had dressed me up and taken me to a club—red-lit and smoky and completely packed because of the festival. My friends paired off, and I ended up in the bathroom line.
That’s when a French girl leaned over to me and said, in English, “My brother thinks you’re cute.”
I looked over and there was this…well, he was…brown eyes, very nice smile…I was completely blushing. (And maybe a little of this memory played into a certain scene in TELL ME A SECRET…?)
I said, “I think he’s cute, too.”
And for some goofy reason, I thought he wouldn’t understand me (maybe because it was his sister who had talked to me). But then…he said, “Thank you.” Whoa.
I’ll spare you some of the details of attraction here, but they invited me to sit down with them. Here’s how our conversation went:
Him: Tell me something in French. Me: No, no. My French is not good.Him: Something. Anything.Me: No, I'm embarrassed. I only know a little French.Him: Please? (Probably with some flirtatious blinking in there.) Me: What do you want me to say?Him: Say…say ‘I love you.’Me: Okay. Je t’aime. He was quiet for a moment, and said, "Je t’aime aussi.” (Sheesh! French guys!) Then he leaned across the table and kissed me.
So we ended up going for a walk on the beach and looking at the stars. By this time my friends were trashed, but I was in the midst of something entirely magical. I was not American, he was not French. We were not yet in France, and the Cote d'Azur and Nice. We were in our own world. Kisses followed.
He and his friends drove me back to the hotel—he gave me his coat because I was cold. We hugged goodbye. I forgot to get his address and he forgot to get mine, but I’ll pretty much never forget Guilliame. So…yes, it was a memorable birthday.
Sarah and Zoe, I hope yours are memorable as well!

Palooza Music for June 17th

Just for Zoe!

Happy Birthday, Zoe!

Happy Birthday Zoe!

I got some of your other BFFs for a photo.

Contest for the Palooza #1

The Prize:

Fallen by Lauren Kate (HB)

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready (ARC)

Epitaph Road by David Patneaude(ARC)

How to enter:

Fill the form out below by June 28th at Midnight.

Palooza Music for June 16th

Today is from a musical. My favorite musical ever, which is Spring Awakening.
Here is Those You've Known with Jonathan Groff, John Gallagher Jr, and Lea Michelle. *stares at Jonathon Groff*

And the other is All That's Known. This one mixes with Across the Universe, which I love.

Guest Post from Kimberly Derting, author of The Body Finder

Today, I have the pleasure of presenting a guest post from the Kimberly Derting. Her book, The Body Finder is one of my favorite books ever. She is also a local author which makes her more awesome, because I randomly run into her at signings and such. She is also very sweet and awesome. Anyways, here is her favorite Birthday memory. I hope you enjoy.
MY FAVORITE BIRTHDAY MEMORY
Okay, so this was a lot harder than it sounds! It would have been SO easy for me to just describe my 13th or my 16th, or maybe even my 21st birthday to keep my true age somewhat a mystery, but if I’m being honest, my favorite birthday memory was my 40th birthday party! In my defense, though, it was very, very, very recent! Did I mention very???
So, why was my 40th birthday so great you ask? You’re probably thinking that I went on some exotic vacation where I was served umbrella drinks, or that I got something really sparkly that can cut glass. Nope! Although, now that I think about it, what the heck?!?!
The reason this party was so great was because, not only was I turning 40, but my daughter was turning 21! Yeah, that’s right I got to be there the first time she ever tasted alcohol…HAHA! And because the stars so perfectly aligned for this once in a lifetime moment, we decided to celebrate our birthdays together!
And even though it wasn’t an actual surprise party, there were several surprises in store for me: Like this:


And this:

But the highlight of the night, with the exception of having my friends and family there to celebrate my special day (blah blah blah), was the main event!!!
Today, I have the amazing K
Mother V. Daughter Guitar Hero Showdown!
My husband had it all setup, with 1st and 2nd (aka. Last) place trophies even! After all of the smack-talk leading up to the duel, we would finally crown the true and undisputed Guitar Hero Queen! I practiced and practiced (*cue the Eye of the Tiger song*) until my fingers bled…well maybe not bled, but at least until I got bored or had other things to do. My daughter DIDN’T PRACTICE AT ALL! So you probably know where this story is going, right? Wrong!!!
She kicked my ass…and she probably would have with her eyes closed. My husband even made her play on the hard level, while I played on medium…but it didn’t matter. It. Was. A. Massacre! So now, when anyone asks how I got my trophy, I just tell them that I took 2nd place in a Guitar Hero contest! My party, my story!!!
Thanks for the post, Kim!
Enter a comment below with your email and I will send you a swag pack, including awesome stickers for The Body Finder.

Palooza Music for June 15th

I bring you a video from one of my favorite band, The Hush Sound. I hope you enjoy Red Wine...

and their other song You are the Moon. This is not their video, but everyone love Neville, right? Plus I love the piano.

Palooza Music for June 14th

Zoe and I decided that every Palooza needs music... so we will be posting a music video a day. Today I present Secret and Three Wishes by The Pierces. I found this song, becaue my mom's madien name is Pierce and I tend to google werid things.The Pierces are a New York based band. The principle members are sisters, Katherine and Alison Pierce. I hope you enjoy.

Guest Post for Zoe from Zoe's Book Review

I present a guest post from my co-conspirator Zoe, I hope you enjoy!
I was reading the guest post that Sarah wrote for me and it made me cry. Why is this, you ask? It is because of who Sarah is to me. Sarah (or Sarahbear, as some prefer to call her) is my best friend. She is like an elder sister to me, because I can go to her with everything. We text nonstop, when we aren’t texting we are on skype or twitter talking to each other.
Sarah was my first blog follower way back in 2008, and I was her first blog follower. I remember going into the blogging world totally blind to what was going on and a bunch of books that are now some of my favorites. I remember emailing Sarah and thinking “Wow. This person is so awesome. I bet they are the ultimate book guru. I mean, they read 300 books in a year!?”
If someone told me that the great book guru Sarah would become the person I confide in with my blogging, writing, and sometimes personal stuff I would have probably thought you were crazy. I didn’t believe that I would make such strong friends over the internet.
When I am feeling like crap, Sarah is always there to cheer me up. I admire how strong she is and how she handles her illness, she is truly my idol. Her and I have our fair share of obsessions that we share. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Glee, Spring Awakening, other musicals, Harry Potter, Doctor Horribles Sing-Along Blog, and Doctor Who. She was the one who introduced me to Doctor Who, which is a lovely TV-show.
I’m looking forward to continue talking to you nonstop, Sarah. I want you to be one of the ones there when I publish my first book and I want to be there when you finally publish the crazy amazing book that I am still waiting for the ending of. Happy 19th birthday, you deserve to have a beyond amazing day. We finally get to meet this summer, and I could not be happier. Happy Birthday, BFF!

An Introduction of Sorts...

Zoe for Zoe's Book Review and I both have Birthdays that are a little over a week apart. My Birthday is on June 25th and Zoe's birthday is on the 17th. We will both be having contest, lots of guest post, and a few reviews for our Birthday Palooza, and there will be post everyday. The Palooza will be going on from today to June 28th.
I hope that you are all ready for some fun and enjoy our Birthday Palooza.

Deception by Lee Nichols

Rating:

Characters: 19/20

Plot: 20/20

Originality: 19/20

Writing: 19/20

Recommendation: 19/20

Overall: 96/100 or A

Source: Publisher

Emma Vaile's parents leave on a mysterious buisness trip. She decides to start being a rellious teen. She enjoys the first few weeks of her Junior year, until her best friend ditches her and ignores her. The cops also crash a party and Emma finds herself in the hands of Bennet Stern, who is her new guardian. It doesn't help that he used to be her hugest crush. He takes her on a plane to his musem-like maison in New England.
Emma settle in after enrolling at Thatcher Academy. She begins making friends with the popular crowd. But she is having these strange vision that are haunting her. Emma has these memories of Thatcher that she can't explain, as if she is returning to a place that she has never been to. Emma doesn't trust anyone anymore—except maybe Bennett. But he's about to reveal a ghostly secret to Emma. One that will explain the visions . . . and make Emma fear for her life.
I love Emma. She is such a great character with such life even when she is sad. Bennet was so amazing. I love him, because he is so supportive and sweet, even though he seems to be moody and brooding. I also love the new things that are known as ghostkeepers. Their powers were very awesome. I also liked all of the history that the book had. It made it seem more realistic and interesting. The plot of Deception was full of actions and I never knew what was going to happen next in the book. Deception was also full of orginality and I loved falling into the world that I loved. Nichols is an amazing writer that has a future in writing. Her books was magical and amazing. I would reccomend this book to anyone that is looking for a fun paranormal read. Deception is magical and one of a kind.

Bloomsbury was awesome enough to offer a copy to giveaway. Fill out the form below to enter. US and Canada only. Ends on June 28th.

In My Mailbox(Week of June 13th)

Bought:
A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler
Prophecy of Days by Christy Raedake
Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
The Ghost of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer
For Review:
13 to Life by Shannon Delany
Molly's Cue by Alison Acheson
Adios Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft (Duplicate)
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland (Duplicate)
Crazy by Han Nolan (Duplicate)
The Meremaid's Mirror by LK Madigan (Duplicate)
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler (Duplicate)
The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (Duplicate)

Bloggiesta Goals!

It is Bloggiesta Time and I have a lot that I need to do this Weekend. Thanks to finals and such I am a bit behind on the blogosphere. Here is what I want to do:
1. Write reviews!
2. Make a Review and Author Archieve
3. New Layout(Maybe, I am attached to my current one, but a few people though I should change it up...)
4. Make a giveaway policy and a privacy information policy
5. Write Interview Questions/Ask for interviews
6. Send Links to my amazing contacts.
7. Read my Googlereader
8. Write Post for Zoe.
9. Post reviews on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads
10. Update blog role and stuff.
11. Catch up with Blogging Buddies.
I think that is all. I missed a day to The Sims 3... so I will work like a mad man tomorrow.

Books from BEA and New York City

BEA Video Part One

BEA Video Part Two

Books:
Sea by Heidi R Kling * **
I am J by Cris Beam ***
Drakula ***
Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin ** ***
Dark Song by Gail Giles ***
The Witches' Kitchen by Allen Williams ***
The DUFF by Kody Keplinger * ** ***
Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney ***
Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan ***
You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin ***
A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story by Linda Sue Park
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
Radiance by Alyson Noel **
Hush by Eishes Chayil
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft
Annexed by Sharon Dogar
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Tyger Tyger: A Goblin Wars Book by Kersten Hamilton
The Aristobrats by Jennifer Solow
The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff (I also got two posters of this book!)
Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work by Tim Gunn ** ***
The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Tangled by Carolyn Mackler **
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Spy Killer by L. Ron Hubbard
Dead Is Just a Rumor by Marlene Perez
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles **
Hero by Mike Lupica
Rich and Mad by William Nicholson
Invisible Things by Jenny Davidson **
Matched by Ally Condie
Things I Know About Love by Kate Le Vann
Meanicures by Catherine Clark
Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart
Grace by Elizabeth Scott **
Virgin Territory by James Lecesne
Fixing Delilah Hannaford by Sarah Ockler ** ***
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff ***
Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert * **
Red Moon Rising by Peter Moore
Death by Denim by Linda Gerber * **
Delirium by Lauren Oliver **
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler * **
Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker * **
Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown * **
Plain Kate by Erin Bow **
FOR THE WIN by Cory Doctorow * **
My Invisible Boyfriend by Susie Day *
Sisters in Sanity by Gayle Forman *
Fat Vampire: A Never Coming of Age Story by Adam Rex **
Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales ***
Virals by Kathy Reichs
The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell **
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer **
Notes from the Blender by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund **
Zombies vs. Unicorns Edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier **
Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
The Daughters Break the Rules by Joanna Philbin
Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan
Vordak the Incomprehensible: How to Grow Up and Rule the World by Scott Seegert
The Limit by Kristen Landon
Scumble by Ingrid Law
On the Blue Comet by Rosemary Wells and Bagram Ibatoulline

* Bought or Brought with me
** Signed
*** Duplicate or fore Zoe
Those are all of the books I got. I also got lots of swag. Also I was asked by a few people to put in my Retail Value for all of the books I got. It comes to a stunning: $1149.27, which was more then the cost of the hotel that my mom and I stayed in and one of our airplane tickets. It also doesn't include tax, which would be over $100 in Washington and all of the books that my mom got for herself. Hope you enjoyed this post.

Happy Release Day for Sea!

Khy, Erica, Zoe, Vaina, Sarah Ockler, and I made this awesome colab video about SEA LOVE! I hope you enjoy it. Sea is such a great book and I adore it.

Waiting on Wednesday (61)

Title: Girl Parts
Author: John Cusick
Publisher: Candlewick
Date: August 10, 2010
David and Charlie are opposites. David has a million friends, online and off. Charlie is a soulful outsider, off the grid completely. But neither feels close to anybody. When David’s parents present him with a hot Companion bot designed to encourage healthy bonds and treat his “dissociative disorder,” he can’t get enough of luscious redheaded Rose — and he can’t get it soon. Companions come with strict intimacy protocols, and whenever he tries anything, David gets an electric shock. Parted from the boy she was built to love, Rose turns to Charlie, who finds he can open up, knowing Rose isn’t real. With Charlie’s help, the ideal “companion” is about to become her own best friend. In a stunning and hilarious debut, John Cusick takes rollicking aim at internet culture and our craving for meaningful connection in an uberconnected world.
This is a book that I really want. It sounds interesting and I love the cover. The trailer is pretty awesome too.

Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev

Rating:
Characters: 18/20
Plot: 18/20
Originality: 19/20
Writing: 18/20
Recommendation: 18/20
Overall: 91/100 or A
Source: Publisher
When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?
Lisa Manchev creates another amazing book. Perchance to Dream is stronger then Eyes likes Stars, because you get to see the characters again as they go on an epic adventure. Bertie may be in a love triangle, but she is still full of humor and her spunky attitude. Nate is still sweet, while Ariel is mysterious dreamy. Sedna gains more depth. The plot of Perchance to Dream is spirited and fun. It is also fast paced and engrossing. Perchance to Dream is so original that I can't wait for the next book. Mantchev is an astounding writer. Her wordplay is so much fun and the descriptions are glorious. I would recommend this book to fans of Eyes Like Stars and anyone that is looking for a fun series.

Winners!

Winner of the Nancy Drew Prize Pack is: Katelyn (The Bookshelf Sophisticate)
Winner of the swag packs are: Hannah S, Spunky Reader, and Laina.
If you won the swag pack, send me your address. Thanks so much for all the entries.

Finals are done!

Sorry for the lack of posting this last week. I had finals and it was full of a lot of work. I still have two tiny projects to turn in. Anyways, regular posting will go back to normal tomorrow.

Fat Vampire

I am so excited for this book. Kind of an odd trailer...
I will now go back into my Studying Cave... Stupid Finals and SATs!

Waiting on Wednesday (60)

Title: Ascendant

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Publisher: Harperteen

Date: September 28, 2010

Now a fully trained unicorn hunter, Astrid Llewelyn is learning that she can’t solve all her problems with a bow and arrow. Her boyfriend has left Rome, the Cloisters is in dire financial straits, her best friend’s powers are mysteriously disintegrating, and her hope of becoming a scientist seems to be nothing but an impossible dream. So when she’s given the opportunity to leave the Cloisters and use her skills as part of a scientific quest to discover the Remedy, Astrid leaps at the chance. Finally, she can have exactly what she wants—or can she? At Gordian headquarters deep in France, Astrid begins to question everything she had believed: her love for Giovanni, her loyalty to the Cloisters, and—most of all—her duty as a hunter. Should Astrid be saving the world from killer unicorns or saving unicorns from the world?

I loved the first book. I got this at BEA and can't wait to read it!

Books Read In May 2010

47. Claire De Lune by Christine Johnson
48. This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas
49. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
50. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
51. Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
52. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
53. Only The Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
54. Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
55. Hiest Society by Ally Carter
56. Fixing Deliliah Hannaford by Sarah Ockler
57. Grace by Elizabeth Scott

Reviews posted from these books: 6 of these books so far, a few are planned to be posted later.
Books from Library: 0 books
Books for Review: 10books
Books borrowed: 0 books
My Favorite: The DUFF, Fixing Deliliah Hannaford, and Grace. These books were all so amazing. I read them all in one day and found them addicting.
My Least Favorite: I really liked all of these books. Claire De Lune could have been a bit better...
Challenge Update:100+ Reading Challenge: 57 read. 43 books left
Debut Authors '10: 19 read 31 books left
Dystopian Challenge: 10 read