Teaser Tuesday (March 15)

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.

"Little was right. Before I'd realized that I might be in danger for the crime of being a poor singer, Hamish and Mercy had returned"

-The Education of Bet, Page 79, by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

In My Mailbox (January 2)

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...

Christmas Gifts:

The Ghost and the Goth
After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck here in spirit form with no sign of the big, bright light coming to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser/outcast type who hates the social elite. He alone can see and hear her, but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.

Can they get over their mutual distrust—and this weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Love is all you need...or is it? Penny's about to find out in this wonderful debut.

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows - no more. It's a personal choice...and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born; The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways...which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like...

Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors

Two Juliets, both alike in desperation...

Mimi Wallingford, of the famous Wallingford actors, wishes to be anywhere but onstage for the final performance of Romeo and Juliet. Acting isn't for her, even if her family's future relies on it. Being transproted to Shakespeare's Verona wasn't what she had in mind either, but when the magical ashes clear, she's suddenly not in Manhattan anymore-and her heartthrob costar, Troy Summer, is along for the ride.

After Mimi befriends the real Juliet Capulet, she just can't allow the play to reach the tragic end that she and Troy have acted out countless times before. But, if saving Juliet means changing the greatest love story of all time, will Mimi and Troy ever make it back to Broadway?

The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

When Will and Bet were four, tragic circumstances brought them to the same house, to be raised by a wealthy gentleman as brother and sister. Now sixteen, they’ve both enjoyed a privileged upbringing thus far. But not all is well in their household. Because she’s a girl, Bet’s world is contained within the walls of their grand home, her education limited to the rudiments of reading, writing, arithmetic, and sewing. Will’s world is much larger. He is allowed—forced, in his case—to go to school. Neither is happy.

So Bet comes up with a plan and persuades Will to give it a try: They’ll switch places. She’ll go to school as Will. Will can live as he chooses. But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Fairest of All by Serena Valentino
For anyone who’s seen Walt Disney’s Snow White, you’ll know that the Wicked Queen is one evil woman! After all, it’s not everyone who wants to cut out their teenage step-daughter’s heart and have it delivered back in a locked keepsake box. (And even if this sort of thing is a common urge, we don’t know many people who have acted upon it.)

Now, for the first time, we’ll examine the life of the Wicked Queen and find out just what it is that makes her so nasty. Here’s a hint: the creepy-looking man in the magic mirror is not just some random spooky visage—and he just might have something to do with the Queen’s wicked ways!

Author Interview: Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Lauren Baratz-Logsted is the author of numerous adult, YA, and kids books. Her newest YA novel, The Twin's Daughter, was released on September 1st.

1. First off, thank you Lauren for stopping by and answering a few interview questions! Can you tell us a little bit about your writing, and your journey to getting published?

That would involve me writing a whole book - that is one big question! Here's the Cliff Notes version: I left my day job of 11 years in 1994 to take a chance on myself as a writer. It took me nearly eight years and seven novels written before I sold the sixth, The Thin Pink Line, as part of a two-book deal. I've now sold a total of 23 books for adults, teens and young children, 18 of which have been published at the time of this writing. While waiting to get published I paid the bills by being a freelance editor, book reviewer, sort-of librarian and window washer.

2. Describe your new book, The Twin's Daughter in a few sentences

It's set in Victorian England and is about a teenage girl who discovers that her wealthy mother has an identical twin who was raised in the workhouse. It's a combination of suspense, romance and mystery...and I hope readers will enjoy it!

3. The Twin's Daughter is a bit different from everything else you've written, what inspired you to write a YA mystery/thriller?

It's actually not as much of a departure as it might seem at first glance. A few years ago I had an adult novel published, Vertigo, that was set in Victorian England and that would also fall under the heading of suspense. In the case of The Twin's Daughter, I knew I wanted to write a book about twins but from the point of view of the daughter of one of those twins. and the idea I had - without giving any secrets away! - would only work in an era that would not have our technological advances. So back to Victorian England I went.

4. Without spoiling any readers, there was quite a big twist at the end (I know that I was surprised). Did you know from the start of the novel how everything was going to end for the various characters?

I'm glad to have surprised you. In fact, with the first draft of the book, while the last lines were the same, the thing you're talking about was totally different. I think it worked fine that way too but I hope it works better as it is: with all the twists in the road - hopefully! - being as shocking to the reader as they are to Lucy.

5. Do you have anything in the works currently?

I'm always working on something. My next YA novel, due out next year, is called The Middle March. It's about a contemporary teen who develops an unusual relationship with the classic novel Little Women. I'm currently waiting to do the edits on that one and in the meantime I'm percolating on another YA idea as well as another series for young children.

6. What's the most recent book that you've read and enjoyed?

I absolutely adored the adult novel Between Friends by Kristy Kiernan. For anyone who at all enjoys the novels of Jodi Picoult, Kristy Kiernan is the author to read.

7. Anything else you'd like to add?

I don't think I've said anything here yet that's either offensive or something I could get arrested for, so I think I'll just leave it at...Thank you!

Learn more about the author at her website: http://www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com/

Check out my interview of The Twin's Daughter here

Book Review: The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day... a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And the transformation in Aunt Helen is indeed remarkable. But when Helen begins to imitate her sister in every way, even Lucy isn't sure at times which twin is which. Can Helen really be trusted, or does her sweet face mask a chilling agenda?
Filled with shocking twists and turns, The Twin's Daughter is an engrossing gothic novel of betrayal, jealousy, and treacherous secrets that will keep you guessing to the very end. (From Goodreads)

The Twin's Daughter was a suspenseful read, with the perfect amount romance and history thrown in. When I first leanred about the book, I knew I would enjoy it. Who doesn't want to read about twin's separated at birth, especially when class, money, and murder are involved.

I loved reading the book from Lucy's perspective. She's young, privileged, and sheltered. So, it's fascinating to see what she picks up on, and what she overlooks because of her age. For example, she's unable to understand some of the more scandalous occurrences in the house. I also found the class/etiquette differences between Aliese and Helen to be interesting. Aliese doesn't want Helen to be seen by her upper class neighbors until she's been educated. Helen, on the other hand, is comfortable sharing with Lucy the facts of reproduction and puberty. While Lucy's mother didn't give her any indication about what would happen, Helen explained it to her without shame. Of course, I need to mention Kit. He's the son of Lucy's neighbors, and he's got a bit of an adventurous streak. Watching Lucy grow to love him was a nice touch to the story. The mystery also threw me for a loop, too. Honestly, I felt sure that I knew who the murderer was, and boy was I wrong! I doubt anyone will be able to guess which character is the culprite, and their intentions behind the crime.

While I enjoyed all of the time learning about the characters, the action doesn't start until about halfway through the book. I know that some leaders may grow impatient, so I wanted to mention it. It never dragged for me, but my reading pace definitely picked up once I hit the middle of the story.

Overall, Baratz-Logsted did an excellent job in creating her mystery. The romance, suspense, and description of the gap between the wealthy and the poor meshed together extremely well. I can't wait for more from her, and there are a couple of her previous works (The Education of Bet, and Crazy Beautiful) are going on my "to read" list.

The Twin's Daughter
By Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Published by Bloomsbury USA
Rating: B

Thanks to Kate at Bloomsbury for the chance to read this one!

Check back tomorrow for an interview with the author.

Teaser Tuesday (September 7)

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

"When they returned to England, they brought you home with them. They placed me in an orphanage."

-The Twin's Daughter, page 15, by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

*This page number is based on an ARC edition, and is subject to change .

Waiting on Wednesday (September 1)

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

The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day... a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And the transformation in Aunt Helen is indeed remarkable. But when Helen begins to imitate her sister in every way, even Lucy isn't sure at times which twin is which. Can Helen really be trusted, or does her sweet face mask a chilling agenda?
Filled with shocking twists and turns, The Twin's Daughter is an engrossing gothic novel of betrayal, jealousy, and treacherous secrets that will keep you guessing to the very end. (From Goodreads)

Release Date: August 31, 2010
Published by: Bloomsbury

*Technically this was released yesterday, so happy belated book birthday!

In My Mailbox (August 29)

In my mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Here are the books I got this week...

For Review:

Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Romance Edited by Trisha Telep

If you can possibly thirst for more mysterious metaphysical accounts of love, Trisha Telep has organized some of the greatest and most thrilling tales of paranormal paramours since The Eternal Kiss. She presents the acclaimed literary talent of thirteen unique authors, creating a collection of stories that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of every soul who dares to read them. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, vampires, and fallen angels drive the plot of these riveting romances.Kiss Me Deadly includes the exceptional writings of several authors, including: - Sarah Rees Brennan (faeries) - Becca Fitzpatrick (angels) - Caitlin Kittredge (witches) - Karen Mahoney (vampires: sequel to story from The Eternal Kiss) - Daniel Marks (ghost kids) - Justine Musk (sorcerers) - Diana Peterfreund (unicorns) - Michelle Rowen (demons) - Carrie Ryan (zombies) - Maggie Stiefvater (werewolves) - Rachel Vincent (banshees) - Daniel Waters (zombies) - Michelle Zink (gothic ghosts).
From Goodreads

*Thanks to Nicole from Running Press for this one

The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day... a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And the transformation in Aunt Helen is indeed remarkable. But when Helen begins to imitate her sister in every way, even Lucy isn't sure at times which twin is which. Can Helen really be trusted, or does her sweet face mask a chilling agenda?
Filled with shocking twists and turns, The Twin's Daughter is an engrossing gothic novel of betrayal, jealousy, and treacherous secrets that will keep you guessing to the very end. (From Goodreads)

Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa M. Klein

The greatest unsolved mystery of American history--what happened to all the colonists who landed on Roanoke Island in 1587? This novel traces the fortunes and misfortunes of one Cate Archer, banished to Virginia by a jealous Queen Elizabeth because of her dalliance with Sir Walter Ralegh. What will be her fate in this dangerous New World? (From Goodreads)


*Thanks to Kate from Bloomsbury for both of these! Look for their reviews and author interviews/guest posts in late September and Early October.



Bought

Mockingjay (Hunger Games 3) by Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. (From Goodreads)

Woo, this one was dark and intense. Enjoyed it immensely, though.