Kick Back and Enjoy a Rollicking Good Time in WHAT I REMEMBER by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas

Kylie wakes up in Mexico the morning of graduation, miles away from home where she is scheduled to give the valedictorian speech later that day. As Kylie remembers the previous 24 hours, she learns more about life and herself than the last four years at school taught her.

Here's your quickie synopsis: Just before her graduation from La Jolla's exclusive Freiburg Academy, valedictorian and scholarship student Kylie Flores inadvertently ends up in Ensenada, Mexico, with Max, one of the most popular boys in school, where, in twenty-four jam-packed hours, their lives dramatically change.

At first glance, you may think this is a stereotypical "last day of school" type of book. But the authors bring a lot more than that to the table. First of all, The alternating points of view gave the story more depth. There were some characters that I wouldn't have liked at face value. But, seeing their point of view helped me to sympathize with, or at least understand them, and grow to like them. Mostly, though, the characters were all interesting and fully formed, not stock characters. Kylie is an unexpected feisty little firecracker. Max is also deeper than you would expect, with issues of his own, even with being the most popular senior in school.

In addition to the fun, realistic characters, the action kept me laughing all the way through. It reads very much like an action movie, which is funny, since Kylie is an action movie screenwriter. And she makes blatant references to it, while the action is happening. You'd think that wouldn't work, but it actually does. As Kylie and Max get deeper and deeper into their predicament, the more fun I had being immersed in it. I feel like I was trapped in Ensendad, Mexico for a few days!

I had a great time. FROM WHAT I REMEMBER brought back all the fun times from my own high school days. (Okay, so maybe not the kidnapping or the armed criminals, but you know, lots of other stuff...)

You'll get a kick out of it too, trust me!

I'm so sad that I can't post a trailer for you, but I couldn't find one. :( The only one I found was posted by a student for English class, and I sometimes will post those, but this one had the cast from That 70's Show in it and I didn't like it.) Sorry! Check out the authors' website here.

Nicholas Sparks. SAFE HAVEN

Katie moves to the small southern town of Southport, North Carolina with the goal of making a fresh start. Alex, owner of the general store, notices Katie seems quiet and scared when she comes in to purchase her few essential items every week. She's obviously been through sometime traumatic and seems to be hiding. Katie warms up to Alex's acts of kindness towards her, but is still nervous to get too close.

Katie begins to love her new life in Southport. But as she grows to love Alex, she must decide whether or not to let Alex completely into her life or to keep the dark secrets hidden and risk losing him forever.


If you've read a Nicholas Sparks book before, you know that it typically involves romance and tears. This does both, although I was pleasantly surprised that it also included a good amount of suspense in the second half. Additionally, I loved the way he shifts points of view throughout the main characters, so you really get into their head. It kept me anxiously flipping through the pages to get to the end.

A good storyteller creates characters you care about enough to continue reading. Sparks does that here. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. He definitely pulls the heartstrings, as he usually does.

Alexandra Bracken. THE DARKEST MINDS

Ruby was taken away from her parents at ten-years-old and brought to a "reform camp" with hundreds of other kids with special abilities. A sickness has killed of most of the children in America, and those who escaped the sickness are left with something scarier than death. They have abilities they cannot control. Adults are so frightened that they round up all the kids they can and lock them in these reform camps.

What about the parents? Many are scared enough of their own children that they gladly give them to the government. Others try to hide them or go on the run. Some even form resistance leagues to try to save the children.

When Ruby turns sixteen, someone from the rescue league rescues her from the camp, but no one can rescue her previous "normal" existence. She thought leaving the camp would be the answer to her prayers, but life outside the camp and the choices she must make are even more frightening.

Wow! This is one of the best books I've read in a while! It grabs you from the first page and does NOT let go until the very last sentence! Then, it leaves you with deep longing for the next installment!

Check out the killer trailer! How can you watch this & want the book immediately!?

Cat Patrick. REVIVED

I was drawn to this book because I adored Cat Patrick's first book FORGOTTEN so much. (I even interviewed her about the premise.) If you enjoyed FORGOTTEN, you will love this one too!

Daisy is part of a unique program. When she was four-years-old, she was in a school bus accident. The bus skidded off the road into the water and all the kids were proclaimed dead. But in reality, about twenty of the kids were rescued and given a drug called Revive, which brought them back to life.

Since she was an orphan before the accident, Daisy lives with two agents from the secret government program. They monitor her and are seen as her parents to the outside world. Also, if Daisy gets into an accident, they are there to "revive" her. She's died five times already. Death begins to take on a different meaning for Daisy than for other people.

Each time she dies, the "family" must relocate, for obvious reasons. She takes on a different last name each time, but she's able to retain her first name, which gives her some consistency in her life. Daisy doesn't get to attached to people in each new location, because she knows she may not stay long. But this latest move to Omaha, Nebraska is different. Daisy becomes really close with two new people in her life. She also begins to uncover a mystery about the Revive program. She learns some dangerous facts about the organization that she's trusted with her life since she was four. 

The novel is an intriguing and unique mix of realistic fiction, science fiction and romance. It has some wonderful, endearing main characters. I couldn't put it down. I really loved it!

The brilliant execution of such a completely original idea is what I loved about FORGOTTEN and here it is again. Also, as with FORGOTTEN, REVIVED brings up fascinating ideas and questions. Just think about the moral dilemmas inherit in being able to revive people. In the book, the serum costs a million dollars. You see all of the issues attached to that? Why would it be right to revive some people and not others? You see the boatload of questions a reading group could have with this novel??

What a talented writer! I'm a huge fan and cannot wait for another book!

For more about Cat Patrick, check out her website, Twitter and Facebook account. You won't be disappointed with either of her books!

Megan Miranda. FRACTURE

"A lot can happen in eleven minutes."

I heard about this intriguing novel at a TLA author panel. It only took a few minutes for the author to rope me in. I'm sure it will be the same for you, once you read more.

Delaney fell into a crack in a frozen lake. She remained unconscious for eleven minutes before she was rescued by her best friend. After several days in a coma, she wakes up. Miraculously, she has no brain damage.

But her brain is changed. Delaney discovers she has an unusual "gift" of sensing when someone is about to die. She is pulled towards the person from across a room or even from across town. She is baffled by what's going on, and she doesn't tell anyone because she fears she'll be called crazy.

Then she meets Troy, an older boy who has a similar talent. She connects with him. But as she gets to know him, she realizes that he has a dark side that frightens her. What does she really know about Troy? Why does he seem to always be hanging around when people die?

The premise hooked me, but the nonstop tension and mystery kept me furiously flipping pages to the very end! You would think that after nearly dying that one's life would be a breeze afterwards. But the experience caused fractures throughout Delaney's entire life. Her relationship with her mother is in trouble, along with her relationship with her best friend. Delaney has to figure out how to live after getting her life back.

Megan Miranda has written a stellar first novel! The characters of Delaney and Decker are realistic and memorable. She depicts Delaney's struggles and emotions with such power and feeling. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Read more about Megan Miranda at her website. Looks like we have a sequel coming from Delaney's best friend's point of view called VENGEANCE. Cool!

Connect with the author and other fans at the FRACTURE page on Facebook.

Terra Elan McVoy. BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS **Giveaway!! ***

I'm thrilled to be a part of the blog tour arranged by Literary Logistics for Terra Elan McVoy's new release BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS. (keep reading for your chance at a free copy of the book!!) I adored PURE, one of McVoy's previous books, so I was eager to dive into this one. 

Charlotte spends most of her time with boys. She manages and writes songs for a band made up entirely of boys. She has a best friend who's a boy and she studies with another boy. She has never had feelings for any of them until a new boy joins the band. She is suddenly aware that he isn't like the other guys. She isn't sure how to handle the electricity between them.

On top of those new feelings, her best guy friend suddenly begins acting strange and then proceeds to disappear from her life. It's hurtful because they were so close. All this time Charlotte loved how easy it was being friends with boys, particularly considering how some girl friends act.  But lately, the boys are confusing her more and more. What's a girl to do? Being friends with boys may not be so easy anymore.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fun book! I remembered some of the qualities I love about McVoy's writing. Her characters are so relatable. Plus, she has a way of perfectly indicating a characters feelings not only with laser sharp dialogue, but also with facial expressions. She has a way of making a scene multi-layered in a way that I really admire.

Also, I want to point out something that I'm not sure other people notice. Most of the main characters names matched their personalities perfectly. I'm not sure I can explain this other than to say that I like the character development right down to the accurate naming of each person. I realize that names can have different connotations for different people. But for me - every single one of these names fit right. I don't necessarily always notice that. But I did here. In addition to the naming, each character feels rich and wonderful.

I enjoyed spending time with Charlotte and all of her boys. The relationship issues between Charlotte, the different boys, and the girls rang true. I related to many of the challenges that came up. I also fell into the same pitfalls as a teen. It was nice to see Charlotte become confident enough to stop worrying about what the popular girls thought of her and to thrive at being herself. I cheered for her as she found and developed the musician within her, and you will too!

Enjoy this wonderful summer read. You will be inspired. You may even wish you could be friends with a few of these characters yourself. I know I do!

And now for a few words from the author Terra Elan McVoy about being friends with boys. She is sharing the top 10 reasons why being friends with boys is different from being friends with girls. I get the pleasure of sharing reason #9 with you right here: 

Differences Between Being Friends With Boys, and Being Friends with Girls 
Terra Elan McVoy Blog Tour 2012

Ever since my novel, Being Friends With Boys was released, I’ve been asked a lot about friendships between guys and girls. Is it possible, for one thing (duh, yes), and how is being friends with boys different than being friends with girls. I happen to be very lucky to have had friendships with both guys and girls all through middle- and high school, and continue to have fantastic friendships with men (and women) to this day. Though I think the value and intensity of guy/girl friendships and girl/girl friendships are definitely equal, there certainly are some differences. Follow my blog tour to read a few of my thoughts on how being friends with boys isn’t quite the same as being friends with girls!

9. It’s easy to confuse liking someone as a friend for liking them another way. For me, this is the biggest problem with being friends with boys. The things we look for in friendship are so, so similar to what we want in a romantic relationship: he makes you laugh, she’s a good listener, you enjoy doing things together, he inspires and challenges you, she remembers things about you, etc. Pretty much the only difference between good friends and good romances is the whole physical fireworks part. So sometimes, especially at the beginning of a friendship, it’s easy to confuse the “Holy cow I really dig this person,” for “Holy cow I want to make out with this person.” Hopefully, if you are truly good friends, there’s room for this confusion in your relationship, and if one or the other of you goes through the mix-up (or even if you both do for awhile), you can work together and get beyond it.

So dear readers, do you agree with Terra? Have you had trouble distinguishing between liking someone and LIKING someone? Can girls and guys really be friends? Of course, this is a centuries old debate. But many women and men make it work quite well. I think it's much harder as a teen, though, having encountered some of these "confusions" myself as a teen. What do you think?

**And now for the chance at a FREE copy of BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS to enjoy for yourself! * * * * Just simply share with us in the comments your opinion of #9 (confusing liking for LIKING). Tell us whatever you'd like. Perhaps you have a funny story about this type of confusion. Or maybe you absolutely KNOW that Girls and Guys CANNOT be friends and that those crazies who claim to be friends are merely lying to themselves. Or maybe you think that OF COURSE they can be friends and why are the rest of us even wasting time asking??

Comment by midnight July 1st. I will then randomly select one of you to receive the prize of a hardback copy of BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS!!  Go forth and comment!

Connect with the book in the following places:
Goodreads   Terra's Website    Terra's Twitter    
Blog Tour Stops   Lit Logistics

Lisa McMann. CRYER'S CROSS

Cryer's Cross has a unique setting and an interesting main character. The town has a population of 212, which means that our main character Kendall attends a one room high school with only 24 students in all four grades. When one teen girl disappears, it makes a huge impact on such a small community. Foul play is such a rare occurrence. The whole town searches for Tiffany, but after five days there are still no clues and no suspects.

Kendall returns to school and tries to get back into her normal routine, which is a little different from your typical teen. She's OCD, so she likes things just right and in order. Fortunately, this trait may help her solve the mystery of Tiffany's disappearance, because she picks up clues that others miss. When someone close to her disappears, she becomes even more intent on solving they mystery.

I really enjoyed this mystery. It has a touch of romance and a rich sense of setting. I felt at home in this small town. Kendall and her friends and family are interesting and likeable characters. In fact, they really make the book, since there wasn't as much action as you might expect for a mystery. It's also a little creepy (in a good way!) and a lot suspenseful! You'll most likely want to read it in one sitting.

One little note about character names. One character's name is Jacian. Even though the character tells us how to pronounce it, it doesn't feel right to me. I went several pages having trouble pronouncing it in my head. So, I made my own pronunciation and then I was able to go smoothly throughout the rest of the book. Character names that are hard to pronounce annoy me. But, I got over it here. At least we got the character telling us how to pronounce it, which is helpful for sure.

Lisa Mcmann's WAKE trilogy has been popular in my library, so I plan to read those too.

Check out Lisa McMann's websites and her other books here.
You'll get an idea of the creepy-factor when you watch the trailer:

Deb Caletti. THE STORY OF US

Cricket has just graduated high school, but is still pondering if she’s going away to college. She is torn between spreading her wings or staying home. In addition to her life being at a crossroads, two relationships in her life are also evolving. Cricket has just told her longtime boyfriend, Janssen, that she isn’t sure about their future. Plus, her mother is getting married. Her mother has been at the threshold of marriage twice before just before suddenly ditching those previous boyfriends. Cricket feels anxious for her mother. She hopes this marriage will work. Cricket, her brother Ben, and their mother go stay at a bed and breakfast for the wedding. They meet up with extended family, as well as her future family members.

Deb Caletti is really stretching her legs in this novel. It feels more complex than her books. She uses an interesting technique to tell the story of Cricket and Janssen. Since Cricket is separated from him, she writes him letters. Their love story is revealed through these letters as she is telling him how she got to this point in their relationship. The novel is told in alternating chapters between her letters and the events leading up to the wedding.

The novel is character driven, as expected from Deb Caletti. It’s contemplative and philosophical. I felt Cricket’s ambivalence to moving on with her life. I vividly remember that point in my life when I had moved out of my family home and needed to take that next step. I feel Cricket’s trepidation about leaving her family and her entire life.

I continue to love Deb Caletti’s writing. She brilliantly picks just the right word at the right time. Again, I have beautiful quotes to share:

Doesn’t this perfectly capture that feeling when you've just graduated high school:

“Gavin said, you could be anyone now that you graduated? You could sit inside the warm, familiar room of someone’s idea of you. Or you could step out the front door and see if they’d been right, or wrong, all along.”

So insightful:

“Egos were hungry things. Like Ben and Janssen, you could feed it breakfast, and a half hour later it would want pizza. You could start out using and end up being used, and by the time I got back up to the house, Amy and Hailey seemed full and happy, and I felt nothing but empty and exhausted.”

My favorite:

“Stories are what you have when the place is gone and the dried-up roses have crumbled and the ring is lost and that old car is finally junked. Stories are where the meaning ends up.”

THE STORY OF US is beautiful, insightful and thoughtful book. Check out Deb Caletti and her other books here. I really loved STAY and THE FORTUNES OF INDIGO SKYE

Sophie Flack. BUNHEADS

Hannah is living out her dream dancing for the prestigious Manhattan Ballet company. Ever since she was a little girl, she's sacrificed and worked diligently to work her way up to this point. She's enjoyed every minute of it. Her daily life consists of rehearsals and multiple perfomances, as well as yoga and pilates workouts. She lives and breathes for her dancing career. She is is currently dancing in the corps de ballet, meaning she isn't a soloist, so she works even more diligently hoping to be promoted to star.

One rare night off, Hannah visits her cousin's West Village restaurant to eat dinner where she meets handsome Jacob. She falls for his verve and his excitement about exploring everything the world has to offer. He wants to learn Italian to watch Fellini movies without subtitles. He's majoring in philosophy and art history and ecology.

Jacob and Hannah hit it off right away, but Hannah has a strict schedule and she has to cancel on Jacob often. Jacob is patient, but Hannah realizes that he won't wait on her forever. She must decide what her true priorities are before it's too late.

I've always been fascinated by the world of ballet. I took ballet briefly as a young girl (didn't we all?), but I don't really remember much. I've always considered it such a beautiful art. But I realize the strength involved too. Ballet dancers are a curious combination of strength and beauty. I love the details about being a dancer that this book offers. The author was a dancer for nine years with the New York City Ballet, so this is an accurate account of the daily life of a dancer.

Intellectually, one knows that being a dancer takes a lot of work, but to read about the day to day schedule of a ballet dancer is something different. I realize now how much these dancers really give up to live this life. Also, the toll that the schedule takes on their bodies is enormous, particularly considering that they do not nourish themselves like an athlete would. They actually try to do so much on so little food. It's amazing and a little frightening.

I really enjoyed the book. It's a well written, fascinating look into the inner workings of a ballet company. For more about the author check our her website here.

Erin Morgenstern. THE NIGHT CIRCUS

"Someone needs to tell those tales...There's magic in that. It's in the listener, and for each and every ear it will be different, and it will affect them in ways they can never predict. From the mundane to the profound. You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words."

Wow, truer words were never spoken! Isn't that why we read? And before books, isn't that why we listened to stories? Clearly, it's my favorite quote from THE NIGHT CIRCUS, and I highlighted quite a few.

THE NIGHT CIRCUS is more of an experience, than a story. Although it does have a story, otherwise you wouldn't keep reading. In fact, as evidenced above - even the characters realize the significance of storytelling.

The Night Circus arrives without warning or promotion. It opens every day at nightfall. It is like no other circus you've ever seen. When you enter, you experience the grandest of adventures, the dreamiest of dreams, and you will want to come back again and again.

The circus began as one man's dream. Then he gathered the most amazing entertainers, illusionists and creators in the world. It became a world-wide phenomenon. But lurking behind the circus are secrets and illusions even bigger than those going on in the performances. How long will the secrets remain hidden?

As I mentioned, this book is an experience! You will enjoy every minute of the circus, the intrigue, as well as the mystery and romance. It's so well written. The characters are unforgettable. I loved spending time in this fantastical, completely original world.

THE NIGHT CIRCUS won an ALEX award at this year's ALA Book Awards. Go here for the author's website.
Also, check out the trailer below:

Nina Lacour. THE DISENCHANTMENTS

Colby and Bev, life-long best friends, are bucking the college trend after graduation. Instead, they plan to travel across Europe and experience all the places they've dreamed about for years. But first, they have a short tour with their band, The Disenchantments. Colby is the only guy, and isn't officially in the band. Bev is the lead singer, Alexa is the drummer and Meg is the bassist. Colby is the roadie/best friend/driver.

They load up in Colby's uncle's VW Bus and head up the coast from San Francisco towards Portland on a road trip tour. They stop along the way for several gigs. At the end of the tour, Colby and Bev will leave for Europe, Meg will go to college, and Alexa will finish her last year in high school. The trip is their last hurrah before splitting up. But as they begin the trip, Colby gets news from Bev that shatters his plans. He no longer has any idea what's in his future. He doesn't even know if he can continue on the road trip, much less continue on to Europe.

I enjoyed this adventure for several reasons. First of all, each of the characters are amazingly talented and intriguing in their own way. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them. Next, I love the way the author takes an ordinary scene and and makes it come so alive with fabulous characters and witty dialogue. Lastly, the author brilliantly evokes two dichotomous moods throughout the book. You feel how the four friends are loving every minute of being together. You feel their depth of friendship and history together. Yet, you also feel their melancholy about having to part at the end of the trip. They feel the pressure of growing up and making big "life" decisions.

Overall, it's a rocking coming of age adventure with meaningful friendships and delightful characters!

It appears that Nina Lacour is a fairly new published author. I'm definitely looking forward to more from her. Her website is here. Check out the cool book trailer below:

Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. Beautiful Creatures

Ethan lives in uncomplicated, boring Gatlin County, South Carolina. Things haven't changed much since the Civil War, or as the locals call it the "War between the States." Ethan figures things there will never be any surprises, and he can't wait to get out of there after graduation.
However, as he puts it,

"Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
I never even saw it coming."

Now how could you not be intrigued with a beginning like that?
I was immediately drawn in by this multi-layered story. Ethan lives in a town with a rich history. People know their lineage back to the Civil War, some even know theirs back to the Revolutionary War. Ethan begins having mysterious dreams of a girl and an intense desire to save her but not being able to. He feels a strong connection to her, even though he has no idea who the girl is.

When a Lena moves into town, people aren't exactly welcoming. She's the niece of the neighborhood recluse. No one is fond of old Macon Ravenwood. They think he's crazy. So, in this small, close knit town, if you aren't just like everyone else, if you are a little different, you are not welcome.

However, Ethan is drawn to Lena. He isn't sure why until he begins to realize that she is the girl in his dreams. They have a connection. He begins to spend time with her even though his friends give him a hard time. The more he gets to know her, the more he realizes that she has some pretty big secrets. The secrets involve her family, his family and the history of the town.

I loved this book. The characters are rich, the setting is thick with texture, and the plot is quick and delightful! It literally kept me up many nights! There is a sequel and third book out too!
Check out the trailer:

Elizabeth Scott. AS I WAKE

I've read almost all of Elizabeth Scott's books, and lately I've noticed she's branching off into some unusual territory. (Check out my other reviews here.) This one reminds me of GRACE, because it's so inventive.

Ava wakes up with no memory of who she is, where she is, or anything about her past. Her "mom" tells her that she was in an accident and has lost her memory. But when Ava goes to sleep, she dreams of another place - a place that seems more real that where she is now. After she is re-acquainted with her "friends," she begins dreaming of them in this other world. She wakes up in one place, then wakes up in another. Which world is real? Who is the real Ava? And why does she have this heavy sense of fear while everyone else seems so carefree. The mystery really gets complicated when a boy called Morgan finds her one day and tells her that he knew they would find each other again.

This is one of those books that brings up way more questions than it answers. I'm not saying that the plot isn't resolved, because it is for the most part. But I'm saying that all these other questions come up while exploring this plot.
For example, what if there are multiple worlds and therefore multiple people exactly like us in these worlds. I begin to wonder things like...

• Would you have different personalities in other worlds?
• How would you survive in different worlds, within different societal challenges?
• Would you be drawn to he same people? 
• Would you love the same?
• Would your ambitions and desires be the same?
• and the mother of all questions - Would your fate be the same? Would you die in the same manner, at the same age?

Anyway, Elizabeth Scott continues to impress! The book is a combination thriller, science fiction, and love story all at once, believe it or not! Click below to read a little about the story behind the story and this idea of modal realism from her website:

Elizabeth Scott via kwout

Alex Flinn. CLOAKED

I'm really impressed by the diversity of genres that Alex Flinn writes in, as well as the quality of writing in all of those different areas. Her more serious books, like FADE TO BLACK and BREATHING UNDERWATER are memorable years after reading them. But the more lighthearted books are just as memorable. BEASTLY was the first book she wrote with a fairy tale inspiration. Then A KISS IN TIME followed.

CLOAKED is an adventurous, joy ride! Johnny is an average shoe repair guy working in his family's shop in the lobby of a South Beach resort. His father was a shoe repair guy, and his grandfather was a shoe repair guy. Pretty exciting, right? Yeah, that's what Johnny thinks too. When the Alorian princess comes to stay at the resort, Johnny hopes to get a glance of her to add a little adventure to his life.

But, Johnny gets way more than glimpse of Victoriana. His wish of adventure is granted when she asks him to save her brother who's been abducted. The only catch is that her brother will be difficult to locate, since he was turned into a frog. And he's somewhere in Miami. But, if he's able to bring her brother back, then Victoriana will marry him and he'll be rich beyond his wildest dreams. Johnny decides to go on the quest armed with a magical cloak that Victoriana claims will transport him anywhere he wishes.

Surprises abound in this adventure! Johnny discovers secrets about witches, giants and animals who used to be human. He also gets quite a shock to learn that his best friend was keeping a magical secret from him.

I loved the combination of new ideas coupled with classics that felt familiar, such as The Frog Prince and The Elves and the Shoemaker. Plus, there are some more obscure fairy tales that intrigued me enough to want to know more. Luckily, the Author's Note in the back answered my questions. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter that referenced a particular fairly tale were a nice touch and gave you a little foreshadowing at times. You will enjoy the ride in CLOAKED!

By the way, I was able to get Alex Flinn's autograph at ALA in June, so I couldn't help but show off the picture of us. I've wanted to meet her for years, so that's while my smile is so big that my face can barely contain it!

Also, check out the book trailer for CLOAKED:
And her newly designed website for all of her other great books!

Sarah Mlynowski. TEN THINGS WE DID (and probably shouldn't have)

This is one of those books that feels like a girls night out. It feels like you're hanging out with some girlfriends and you're all telling funny stories and enjoying yourself immensely. I really had a great time reading it! It also took me back to high school and some of the things that I did and shouldn't have, which I'll refrain from posting here to the public domain to protect the innocent. :)

The story begins with April becoming the luckiest teen on the planet. Her mom lives in Paris with her new husband and April's brother. April lives with her dad and his new wife. However, her dad gets a job promotion in Ohio. April doesn't want to move to Ohio in the middle of her junior year. She has a lot of friends and a great boyfriend. So, she begs her father to let her stay with her long-time friend, Vi. After some tricky negotiations, her father reluctantly agrees. Little does he know that Vi's mom will be traveling for a few months starring in the play version of Mary Poppins. So...that leaves Vi and April living alone as teens.

Here are a few highlights of the "ten things" they did and probably shouldn't have:

#4 Bought a hot tub
#8 Threw a crazy party
#9 Hosted the Mr Teen Universe contest

As you can imagine, they have a lot of fun. But they also learn a lot. April realizes that Vi has been dealing with a lot more adult responsibilities than a teen should. Does April want to take that stuff on? Or does she wish she could just live with her parents again an enjoy being a teen a while longer? In the meantime, they adopt an adorable cat, hang out in a hot tub called Hula and have a few parties.

This is laugh out loud funny, a little bittersweet, and has a ton of memorable characters! You won't want to miss this one.

I wasn't too surprised that I would have so much fun reading this when I realized what other books I had read by Sarah Mlynowski. Click here to see them. She has a knack for coming up with unique ideas. GIMME A CALL was completely unique and brilliant, while HOW TO BE BAD is one of my all-time fun-fests!
Check out more about this fabulous author here.

Jessica Martinez. VIRTUOSITY

Carmen Bianchi is a seventeen-year-old violin prodigy. Her life has consisted of practicing, going to lessons and winning competitions. The only "normal" part is her friendship with her tutor, Heidi. This suits Carmen fine, since the biggest competition of her life is coming soon and if she wins it, she'll be set for life. Winning the Guarneri would garner prestige, a world tour, and money, but it would also successfully push her past child-prodigy status to successful career violinist.

A few weeks before the semifinals, Jessica decides to spy on her toughest competitor, Jeremy King. She waits outside of the the symphony hall to get a glimpse of him after rehearsal. When he comes out, she's shocked to see that he no longer resembles his publicity photos in the least. He's grown up. Annoyingly, she finds herself attracted to him. He notices her too.

They begin emailing each other and then go on a date. Carmen is torn. He's her competition. She's supposed to hate him. They're supposed to hate each other. Only one person can win the Guarneri. If they continue to see each other, how would it feel afterwards she wins? But she is drawn to him. They are so much alike and no one understands her like he does. Then her mom tells her that Jeremy doesn't really like her at all. He's trying to mess with her mind. Carmen ends the relationship. But not before Jeremy asks her a difficult question that messes with her desire to win.

The pressure from her mom, the pressure from Jeremy, the expectations she puts on herself all build up until Carmen isn't sure she knows who she is anymore.

I loved this! The moody, longing atmosphere kept me coming back. Whenever I put it down, I couldn't wait to get back to it. I love the connection between Carmen and Jeremy. I loved the insights into the mind of a violinist. I could feel the pressure and expectations on Carmen, as much as if they were on myself.

This is the first novel from Jessica Martinez. What an exciting new YA author! While reading this, I had to wonder if she was a musician, since the knowledge seemed authentic. Lo and behold, she was! You can find out more about her here!

My copy is an advance copy. The book is due out in October. Put it on your "to read" list. You won't regret it!

Louise Rennison. WITHERING TIGHTS

The best way to describe this is what a HOOT!! (No pun intended with the owl on the cover!) You've probably heard of Louise Rennison and her Georgia Nicholson books, with ANGUS, THONGS AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING being the first one, and a Printz Honor Book!
 
This new character created by Rennison is hysterical! Although, she's really not trying to be. The story is set in Yorkshire, England where Tallulah Casey is attending summer drama school to avoid camping with her brother. She  is hoping to discover her artistic abilities, meet some new friends and maybe even have a go at romance (or at the very least, experience her first kiss.)


This is a witty, laugh out loud story about Tallulah and a quirky cast of characters that you won't soon forget! The setting is completely new to me. The school is located in the English countryside. I mean - country! There is a funny scene on Tallulah's first day when she tells the local girl, Ruby, that she's going to check out the shops. Well, she returns in about five minutes, because there are no shops. It's literally a one-horse town! But Ruby didn't say anything, she just sent her off on her way.

Another thing new for me was the Yorkshire dialect that the local people used. I could hear the British accent and inflection the entire time, but sometimes the dialect of the locals confused me. But normally, I was fine. I love the airy, breezy inflection in most of the speech. For example, doesn't "I'll pop around after school"  sound so much more fun than "I'll meet you after school." And doesn't "Oh, just give it a go" make anything sound way easier than it probably is? Finally, my favorite has to be, "Do you fancy a ride in my car?"

Overall, the dialogue and story is hysterically funny! I ask you - where else would a character break into Irish Dancing when she's nervous?? Nowhere else but in a Louise Rennison novel.

You will enjoy this, but be warned. Don't be in a quiet place, because you will giggle loudly!

Suzanne Collins. THE HUNGER GAMES

I know, I know...I'm the last person on the planet to finally read THE HUNGER GAMES. Here's the deal. I ordered it for the middle school library I was at when it came out. I planned to read it, since I loved GREGOR and this new book by Collins was already receiving so much buzz in Libraryland. I even began reading it. But the whole idea of fighting to the death just turned me off. Frankly, it didn't appeal to me at all. And there are so many more books to read, that I just declined.

Since then, I've heard so many people rave about it and now it's even becoming a movie. Alas, I finally read it. And yes, it's as good as everyone says. I couldn't put it down. It kept me up at night.

For those few left who haven't read it. Here's the summary:
The setting is sometime in the future and all that's left of North America is a country called Panem. There are 12 Districts and a central district called the Capitol. Years before, the districts rebelled against the Capitol, so now to be continually punished, each district has to give up one boy and one girl to compete in the Hunger Games. The two children are chosen randomly through a drawing, called the reaping. The game itself is brutal. The contestants are put in this arena to fight to the death. The winner is then given a life of luxury and fame for the remainder of their life.

The characters and action are what made the book so appealing. Katniss is the female character. Her younger sister's name is pulled at the reaping, but she volunteers to go in her place. Peeta, the boy who is chosen, has an interesting connection to Katniss. Through the story, we learn more about Katniss's past with her hunting partner, how the death of her father transformed her life and how she may actually have the skills to win the game.

The action wasn't as gruesome as you might imagine. Although the fact the the entire world is watching the games is a little disconcerting, even more so since it's mandatory to watch. Sadly, there are elements of our current society that make the idea of watching this as entertainment not so far-fetched. What I really appreciated was the hunting and survival skills that Katniss needed to use. It reminds you of how important those skills really are when you're in life or death situations. But there were also a lot of mind games, so it was really fascinating.

Overall, it's though-provoking, moving, sad and action-packed!

If you haven't read it yet, it really is a book you won't soon forget. Now I'm really excited about the movie!

Here's a pretty cool fan-made trailer I found.

Rachel Cohn & David Levithan. DASH & LILY'S BOOK OF DARES

It's Christmastime in New York City. Dash is left home alone, and he likes it that way. He fooled his divorced parents, because they never talk to each other. He told his mom he was staying with his dad and vice-versa.

Lily is also home alone, sort of. Her older brother is also home from college for the holidays. Their parents went to Fiji for the honeymoon they couldn't afford back when they got married.

They are complete strangers. Until...

Dash is perusing his favorite indie bookstore when he finds a red journal hiding among his favorite author's books. He grabs the journal and notices "do you dare" written in sharpie on the front of the notebook. The note on the first page describes clues for him. This sends him on a scavenger hunt around the store. Then the final directions have him depositing the notebook with the clerk at the front of the store.

Lily picks up the notebook and reads the message left for her, and this is how DASH AND LILY'S BOOK OF DARES begins. Dash and Lily get to know each other through a string of clues and dares. The dares are simply enough. Dash has to go into the biggest toy store in New York the day before Christmas. Lily has to listen to an obscure indie/punk band at a nearby club. But with each notebook entry the two become closer and yet are afraid that when they finally meet that perhaps they won't live up to each other's expectations.

This was inventive, witty and adventurous. I loved how the chapters were written in alternating points of view. The audio version seemed to being this alive a little more, since I literally go to listen to different voices.* The characters were original and intriguing! Lily's extended family is a hoot! Dash and his friend Boomer have a fun relationship. I can't say how much I love this book! Really, it's a must read.

*The audio version is spectacular! The actors (Ryan Gesell & Tara Sands) really brought these characters to life!

As a bonus, check out the video below of the authors reading from the book at the STRAND (the bookstore, which is featured in the book) on the day the book came out. Very Cool!

Melissa Kantor. THE DARLINGS ARE FOREVER

I loved Melissa Kantor's previous books, so I was excited to read this one. The Darlings are Victoria, Natalya and Jane - three best friends. They've known each other forever, having gone to the same K-8th school together. But now the girls are freshman in high school going to three different schools. Jane is an actress and got accepted to the performing arts school. Natalya earned an academic scholarship at a rigorous prep school. Victoria is attending a private school where she is trying to live up to her older sister's reputation.

The girls have their own challenges to deal with: Victoria's dad is running for political office, so the entire family is under scrutiny, Natalya is finding the girls at her school challenging, and Jane is having trouble in love. So, the fact that they aren't getting to see each other very much is difficult because they need each other, but when they do see each other, they notice that they are growing and changing. They each have their own fears to overcome. It helps them to remember that they agreed to live by Jane's grandmother's yearly toast to them, "May you always do what you're afraid of doing.

This is a wonderful new series filled with romance, adventure, humor and friendship. The characters are smart, sweet and funny! I loved it & look forward to the next book!