Teaser Tuesday (November 30)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"Fairy's side note: Mortal girls will overlook a pinata full of faults if a guy is considerate enough to be handsome."

-My Unfair Godmother, page 8, by Janette Rallison

(This is an ARC edition, quotes/page numbers are subject to change)

I'm only a few pages into this one and I've already had a few laughing fits.

Book Review: Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe

This review contains clearly marked spoilers

Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over "breathers". Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody... and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.
But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass's whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.
As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim's life, she's surprised to realize he's not so bad — and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance... (From Goodreads)

This book has been on my to-read list for quite a long time, so I was ecstatic when I won a copy from Kristen of Bookworming in the 21st century!

Cass is an outcast, and has been since middle school. Of course, it's hard to fit in when you can talk to ghosts, and get the dirt on all of your classmates. I suppose people might be nicer if she didn't use that dirt against said classmates, but where would the fun be in that. When the student council VP, Tim, starts paying attention to Cass, she's justified in her suspicions. Really, he just hopes that Cass can help him connect with his deceased mother, even though it may not help him move on emotionally.

Crewe did a great job with the ghost aspect of this book. Once it became clear that ghosts remain until they can accomplish some sort of unfinished business, I started to wonder why Cass's sister had returned as a ghost. I have my theories, but this issue isn't really resolved in the book.

This paragraph contains spoilers, so if you haven't read the book skip this paragraph!

As the book drew to a close I was really worried that Crewe was going to fall into the YA cliche of making the two main characters end up together, despite neither of them being in the right place emotionally for one. So, I was relieved when that didn't happen! It's obvious that the two care for each other, but Tim really needs to focus on some counseling to help him deal with the grief of losing his mother.

(end of spoilers)

Overall, I thought that this was a good paranormal, and a quick read. I haven't heard anything about a sequel, but I still have my fingers crossed. While this book wrapped up nicely, there's still more I'd like to read about.

Give Up the Ghost
By Megan Crewe
Published by Henry Holt and Co.
256 Pages
Rating: B

Waiting On Wednesday (November 24)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Published by Razorbill
Release Date: January 11, 2011

I'm pretty sure that everyone is excited about this one! I also just noticed the release date is 1/11/11 :)

Teaser Tuesday (November 23)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"Fourteen of us won't be flying to Tonks's parents'. There will be seven Harry Potters moving through the skies tonight, each of them with a companion, each pair heading for a different safe house."

-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, pg 48, by J.K. Rowling

2011 Debut Author Challenge

It's time again to sign up for The Debut Author Challenge, hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! I participated in the 2010 challenge, and as a result I read a bunch of great books by new authors.

The Rules: To participate you are required to read a minimum of 12 books by debut authors in the YA/MG genres. You don't have to be a blogger to participate, nor do you need to have a blog written in English. If you want more information, click here.

Titles in blue link to their reviews here when clicked

My Picks:

January:
The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
Across the Universe by Beth Revis

February:

Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris
Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

March
Human .4 by Mike Lancaster
The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker

May
Flawless by Lara Chapman
Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

June
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Never Sit Down in a Hoopskirt, and Other Things I Learned in Southern Belle Hell by Cricket Rumley

July
Bad Taste in Boys Carrie Harris

August
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Book Review: The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell

Sixteen-year-old Damien Locke has a plan: major in messing with people at the local supervillain university and become a professional evil genius, just like his supervillain mom. But when he discovers the shameful secret she's been hiding all these years, that the one-night stand that spawned him was actually with a superhero, everything gets messed up. His father's too mo ...moreSixteen-year-old Damien Locke has a plan: major in messing with people at the local supervillain university and become a professional evil genius, just like his supervillain mom. But when he discovers the shameful secret she's been hiding all these years, that the one-night stand that spawned him was actually with a superhero, everything gets messed up. His father's too moral for his own good, so when he finds out Damien exists, he actually wants him to come live with him and his goody-goody superhero family. Damien gets shipped off to stay with them in their suburban hellhole, and he has only six weeks to prove he's not a hero in any way, or else he's stuck living with them for the rest of his life, or until he turns eighteen, whichever comes first. (From Goodreads)

I'd heard good things about Campbell's debut before I picked it up, but nothing could have prepared me for what I read. The Rise of Renegade X was an action-packed, hilarious look at the son of a notorious mad scientist, and a superhero.

Damien was a great character. He was the perfect mix of snark, and insecurities about his identity. He was raised by his villain mother, but after discovering that he was the result of her one-night stand with a superhero, his villain status is thrown in jeopardy. Of course, it's pretty obvious that Damien isn't 100% villainous...he sets moths loose in a butterfly exhibit, and orchestrates a black plague scare. His mom and dad strike a deal, and soon Damien is off to live with his new superhero family. While there he experiences what it's like on the other side, and learns quite a bit about himself. There are also the super girls in Damien's life. There's Kat, the shapeshifter, and his ex-girlfriend, and there's Sarah, who is more than she seems.

I really enjoyed Campbell's fresh take on the superhero genre. You rarely get to read a book from a villain's perspective (or half-villain). I loved that she depicted a world in which villains aren't always evil, nor heroes perfect. For example, Damien's mom, Marianna (Mistress of Mayhem) loves Damien. Conversely, Damien's father, Gordon, gets frustrated with him. I mean, who honestly thinks that supervillains are horrible, and evil all the time?

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! I couldn't put it down, and it kept me laughing throughout. I can't wait for more from Campbell.

The Rise of Renegade X
By Chelsea Campbell
Published by EgmontUSA
352 Pages
Rating: A

*Also, thanks to all my followers! I reached 400 this week, and was super excited about it. Check back sometime in the next two weeks for a thank you contest.

Waiting On Wednesday (November 17)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris

Planning for prom’s supposed to be fun—the dress, the accessories, the devastatingly handsome date—but Quigley Johnson never thought that agreeing to her best friend Ann’s Betterment Plan would ruin her life!

After a series of bizarre part-time jobs, the prospect of being a live model for a fashion-design class has Quigley ready to throw in the towel, until she meets Zander. He may not be able to sketch, but he’s smoking hot, cool and funny, and every outfit he creates might as well be made for her. But is he too good to be true? Then there’s David, the self-professed “Art King” whose competitiveness has always meant cutting Quigley down, until he sets his sights on making her his prom date and “Art Queen.” And this preparation for the formal was supposed to make Quigley and Ann even closer, but it’s tearing them apart! How will Quigley make it to prom, when she’s barely making it through high school?

Published by EgmontUSA
Release Date: February 8, 2011

Teaser Tuesday (November 16)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"I had been bounced through the foster care system my whole life, until that fateful day when I was eight. I'd gotten tired of waiting for my newest foster mom to take me to the library, so I decided to go by myself."

Paranormalcy, page 13, by Kiersten White

In My Mailbox (November 14)

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. All of the synopses you see below were found on Goodreads. Here are the books I got this week...

I didn't get anything new this week, but I found a few old favorites tucked away on my bookshelf. I also realized I never posted the books that I picked up during a library sale in October!

Book Sale -

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there's the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Mrs. ("The") Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.

The Dashwood Sisters' Secrets of Love by Rosie Rushton

The Walker sisters have always lived a privileged life in their beloved Holly House in Sussex. Even though their father, Max Walker, has left the family to live with his new macrobiotic-food-obsessed trophy wife, Pandora, he has always doted on his girls. But then one day, reality crashes down around them when Max has a heart attack and passes away, uncovering the truth that he was knee deep in debt. The Walkers discover that their home is actually in Pandora's name and she decides she wants it back. So the family has to uproot their lives and move to the seaside town of Norfolk in an old cottage. What happens then?

A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson

For nineteen-year-old Harriet Morton, life in 1912 Cambridge is as dry and dull as a biscuit. Her stuffy father and her opressive aunt Louisa allow her only one outlet: ballet. When a Russian ballet master comes to class searching for dancers to fill the corps of his ballet company before their South American tour, Harriet’s world changes. Defying her father’s wishes and narrowly escaping the clutches of the man who wishes to marry her, Harriet sneaks off to join the ballet on their journey to the Amazon. There, in the wild, lush jungle, they perform Swan Lake in grand opera houses for the wealthy and culture-deprived rubber barons, and Harriet meets Rom Verney, the handsome and mysterious British exile who owns the most ornate opera house. Utterly enchanted by both the exotic surroundings and by Rom’s affections, Harriet is swept away by her new life, completely unaware that her father and would-be finacé have begun to track her down. . .

Books I rediscovered:

Dear America Series -
In September of 1996, Scholastic launched a new historical fiction series entitled DEAR AMERICA. Since that time the series has become highly popular prompting Scholastic to launch three companion series (MY NAME IS AMERICA, MY AMERICA, and THE ROYAL DIARIES) and the rest, as they say, is history.

In more than two dozen novels for DEAR AMERICA, the contributing authors have chosen important events or periods of American history and written about those times through the eyes of a young girl. Fact and fiction join together in the DEAR AMERICA diaries to give a unique perspective to the glorious, and sometimes not so glorious, moments in America's past. The young girls in this series are from all different backgrounds and each has a different story to tell. The novels also contain an "Historical Notes" section at the end that provides facts, photos, and other material highlighting the actual events that inspired their fictional stories.

I'm also debating rereading Deathly Hallows before I see the movie this week...

Book Review: The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green

*This review contains SOME spoilers, but the spoilers revealed don't ruin the plot/story.

When Erin Channing's favorite aunt dies, Erin is bequeathed a pink crystal ball and a set of five cryptic instructions. Grant, Aunt Kiki (aka Aunt Kooky) always lived "outside the box." But now Erin's two best friends, Samantha and Lindsay, are convinced that the pink crystal ball holds the key to Erin's future--and perhaps their own.

Part of Around the World ARC Tours

The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball was a fun read. I really enjoyed the characters, and thought they were realistic. Erin is the stick-to-the-book girl, Lindsay is the super nice one, and Samantha is the pretty one. Sounds pretty typical, right? Green did a good job of making the characters of the group unique in their designated roles. For example, Lindsay (super nice) is a reformed mean girl, who is now the victim of the new mean girl. I thought that was a nice twist, and something you don't really see in YA books. Basically, there are always mean girls in YA lit, but they rarely ever see the err of their ways. I just about died when Jesse told Erin that she didn't think outside of the box. It was the perfect thing to say to her, and his intent wasn't malicious. This was also when I officially connected with Erin. I will say that the reader never finds out if Erin does make it into the group for the Italy trip, it's implied, but you don't see happen. I personally enjoyed that aspect of the ending. I don't always need to see things to happen, and it was nice to give the reader the freedom to create their own ending for Erin.

As much as I enjoyed some parts of the book, the last scene left me with mixed feelings. The beauty of Erin's use of the crystal ball was that she had to figure out what the rules/powers were. Samantha's wish, however, sort of ruined the magic for me. Yes, I think that it fit her personality, but her wish should have been more meaningful. My other issue was that I really dislike it when there are meticulous descriptions of people/their outfits. That happened a few times in this one, and I just find it jarring, and unnecessary. All I need is a vague description, and my imagination can do the rest.

Overall, it was a cute, enjoyable read. I'll definitely have to pick up more from Green

The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball
By Risa Green
Published by Sourcebooks Fire
320 Pages
Rating: C

Waiting on Wednesday (November 10)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Human .4 by Mike Lancaster

The Millgrove talent show has the same performances as any other small town — a cheesy ventriloquist, off-key karaoke singers, and bad dance routines. But after Kyle Straker is hypnotized as part of his friend’s mysterious new act, Millgrove will never be the same again.

When Kyle and the other volunteers awaken, the entire audience, the entire town, and possibly the entire world, is frozen still. Telephones, radios, televisions, and computers no longer work— only a strange language flashes across the screens. When everybody
suddenly wakes up, it becomes clear that they have changed—and that Kyle is now an outsider, one of the 0.4.

Is Kyle still under hypnosis, or is this chilling new world real? Will he awaken from a dream to roars of laughter, or is there something much more sinister happening?

One of the last of his kind, Kyle records his story on a series of cassette tapes, describing the shift, and what it means for the future of mankind.

Published by Egmont USA
Release Date: March 8, 2011

Teaser Tuesday (November 9)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"You would think it'd be easy to get alone with a person after she's dead. Not Paige."
-Give Up the Ghost, Page 1, by Megan Crewe

Avalon High Previews

I'll be honest, I haven't been interested in a new Disney Channel movie since I was a pre-teen. When I saw the preview for the adaptation of Meg Cabot's book, I actually thought to myself, "I'm going to watch that". Watch the preview below, and tune in this friday, November 12!

In My Mailbox (November 7)

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. All of the synopses you see below were found on Goodreads. Here are the books I got this week...

When Erin Channing's favorite aunt dies, Erin is bequeathed a pink crystal ball and a set of five cryptic instructions. Grant, Aunt Kiki (aka Aunt Kooky) always lived "outside the box." But now Erin's two best friends, Samantha and Lindsay, are convinced that the pink crystal ball holds the key to Erin's future--and perhaps their own.

Part of Around the World ARC Tours









What did you get this week?

Mini-Reviews: The Reckoning, Generation Dead, You Wish, Maybe This Time

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

What a great end to the Darkest Powers series! It was full of action, and suspense, and delved deeper into each of their powers. I personally enjoyed seeing more of what it meant to be a werewolf. It certainly wasn't pretty, but I think it helped Chloe understand Derek a bit more. Plus, dare I say it, Tori actually seemed to mature a little. Unfortunately, the ending didn't really give me the closure I wanted. So, I'm hoping that Armstrong might give the characters a cameo in her newest series. I have to say, this is probably one of the most consistent series of books that I've read. I enjoyed each book equally, and the second book didn't feel like filler.

Rating: B

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

You know how people went to see District 9 expecting a scary sci-fi film, and instead watched a film that was more of a subtle comment on society and human nature? Well, that's exactly what happened to me with this book. Scary, brain-eating zombies? Not here, my friend. After kids die, they come back to life...they aren't exactly the same as when they were alive, but it's clear that they aren't the mindless creatures seen in horror films. Quite honestly, it was more a book about intolerance, and the fear of things people don't understand. Still, I didn't love this book. It may have been my lack of connection to the main character, or problems with the writing itself. There was something that just didn't flow, and that is keeping me from giving it a higher rating.

Rating: C

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

This book was so cute, and fluffy! Much like Kayla, I can't even remember the birthday wishes that I've made over the year. If they started coming true, however, I'd probably have a bit of a meltdown. While I sympathized with Kayla, I always thought that she definitely could have turned things around for herself. Instead of complaining about her workaholic mother, or secretly pining for her best friend's boyfriend, she could have actually tried communicating with them. I suppose that was just a sign of Kayla's immaturity at the start of the book.

There's something about Hubbard's writing that I love, though. She's becoming one of my go-to authors when I need a good laugh, and both of her books have done that. Her upcoming book looks a bit darker, and I'm excited for that, too. I'm just too impatient to wait until July.

Rating: C+

Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie

This wasn't your typical Crusie book. It still contained some romance, and her unique brand of humor, but there was a paranormal aspect to it. My ghost-loving self rejoiced! It's also the first book in quite some time that Crusie has written solo. I've enjoyed the books that she's co-written, but my favorite books written by her have been done solo.

Andie was sarcastic, stubborn, and fun. She was a great character, and I found it easy to like her. Her interactions with Alice brought a lot of laughs, and I enjoyed watching the kids open up to her. There were some serious moments, too. Possession, hauntings, death, and all this is happening in a house where kids live.

Rating: B

Waiting on Wednesday (November 3)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Trapped by Michael Northrop

The Breakfast Club meets The Blizzard of the Century: A young adult suspense novel from PW Flying Start author Michael Northrop.

Scotty and his friends Pete and Tommy are among the last kids waiting to get picked up at their high school. The snow has been coming down for hours, and it's starting to look like no one is coming for them. As the snow piles higher, their teacher Mr. Gossell leaves them behind to seek help--and disappears into the drifts outside. Now the seven remaining students are on their own, with no food and no electricity, facing a night of sleeping on classroom floors. Will their friendships survive the night . . . and will THEY?

Published by Scholastic
Release Date: January 1, 2011

Teaser Tuesday (November 2)

What is Teaser Tuesday?

It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

Sixteen-year-old Damien Locke has a plan: major in messing with people at the local supervillain university and become a professional evil genius, just like his supervillain mom. But when he discovers the shameful secret she's been hiding all these years, that the one-night stand that spawned him was actually with a superhero, everything gets messed up. His father's too mo ...more
"My mom's a mad scientist. It's a lot like being a regular scientist, except without worrying about legal or moral limitations, and it's a common profession for the scientifically inclined supervillain."

-The Rise of Renegade X, Page 5, by Chelsea Campbell

I'm only 60 pages in, but I'm loving this one so far!