James Patterson YA Prize Pack

CONTEST CLOSED

I am very excited for the opportunity to give away a couple of seriously massive prize packs in honor of the paperback release of Max, the latest novel in James Patterson's Maximum Ride series.

ENTER TO WIN A SET OF JAMES PATTERSON PAGETURNERS!

MAXIMUM RIDE – IF SHE LIVES, THE WORLD LIVES, IT’S THAT SIMPLE.

Read “MAX” - the newest book in the bestselling Maximum Ride series. On sale in paperback 09/01/09!

Still reeling from their most recent adventure, Maximum Ride and the rest of the flock must head out to sea to uncover the secret behind a brand new series of disasters - fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii, hundreds of ships are being destroyed. As if that weren't enough, they're also being tracked by a criminal mastermind with, oh yeah, an army of mercenaries. Can the flock save themselves and the ocean, and the whole world, from utter destruction?

(2) lucky winners will receive:

• Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
• Maximum Ride: School's Out - Forever
• Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports
• Maximum Ride: The Final Warning
• Maximum Ride: Max
• Maximum Ride: Manga
• The Dangerous Days of Daniel X
• Daniel X: Watch the Skies

The Fine Print:
The Maximum Ride: Max Promotion is open to legal US residents who are at least 13 years of age as of August 24, 2009. There will be two prizes for each Promotion. Each prize consists of the following eight (8) books: Maximum Ride: Max (paperback); Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (paperback); Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever (paperback); Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (paperback); Maximum Ride: The Final Warning (paperback); Maximum Ride: Manga (paperback); The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (paperback); and Daniel X: Watch the Skies (hardcover). The approximate retail value of each prize is $72.00. Winners will be confirmed on or about September 28, 2009 by email. Prizes will only be shipped to confirmed winners with addresses in the US. Prizes will be shipped within 30 days after a selected entrant is confirmed as a winner.

Contest ends 9/20/09, at 9 p.m. PST.

Renember, you must complete the form to be entered. If you have any questions about this promotion, see my contest policy or contact me and ask away.

Meridian by Amber Kizer is Munch-Worthy

Half-human, half-angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.

Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate’s tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home—and Meridian’s body explodes in pain.

Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she’s a danger to her family and hustled off to her great-aunt’s house in Revelation, Colorado. It’s there that she learns that she is a Fenestra—the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. But Meridian and her sworn protector and love, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos.

Hmm, sounds unique, does it not? And the summary does intrigue me, despite the fact that I think it's a poorly written summary. I'm all for interspecies mixing in young adult fiction (angels count as a species, right? Anyway, you know what I mean) becuase, well, it's interesting, even more so if it hasn't been done before. And I don't think I've ever read a book dedicated to the half-human, half-angel mix.

(Of course, I do remember that a certain fantastic trilogy has two half-human, half-angels, but since the books aren't entirely dedicated to the strange combo, I still count Meridian as one of the first.)

The cover's not bad either, with a sad looking girl surrounded by a combination of roses and skulls. Definitely an interesting choice.

And I kind of wonder why her name is Meridian, anyway.

Released August 11, 2009 from Delacorte Books for Young Readers.

A mini-Fashion Show

Yay for my first ever video made especially for The Book Muncher. I hope you enjoy. It's a sort of fashion show, with lots of my commentary. And guess who stars as the model?

Ignore any strange noises in the background. I made this video when people were still installing carpet in our house.

Max by James Patterson

Performing air shows for the delight of crowds below in some of the world’s most polluted cities is not Maximum Ride’s idea of a good time or a safe activity for the flock—but she does it anyway. She wants to do all she can to help her mother, Dr. Martinez, in her crusade to better the world, in the form of the Coalition to Stop the Madness, or CSM. But every good-intentioned person faces enemies, and in this case, Max’s new adversary is a formidable and ruthless one with an army of mechanical mercenaries at his command. Despite many new allies, Max doesn’t know who to trust, and when hiding proves futile, Max knows it’s time to get to the root of the issue. The only problem is, she doesn’t know how the strange deaths of millions of fish, ships mysteriously capsizing, CSM, and the flock are all connected. But Max better get a move on soon, because the fate of the flock—and possibly the whole world—rides on it.

I really was not planning to read this book after my immense disappointment in The Final Warning, but part of me was curious to see what would happen to the flock next. In Max, nothing significantly changes from the previous books; Max is as stubborn and sarcastic as ever, Fang is still dark and mysterious, and the flock is yet again up to its same old antics but on a different adventure. The plot has lots of twists and turns, as is to be expected from an action-thriller writer. While fans of the earlier Maximum Ride books will enjoy Max, the fifth installment, I was dismayed by the lack of progress. I completely understand that Patterson is a very commercial author and that he needs to pen an exciting plot to keep his many readers interested, but action alone does not make a novel. The characters are insufficiently developed; you’d think y the fifth part of the series, Max and the flock would be as real as you are me, but that isn’t quite the case. And the plot, though fast-paced and enthralling, is a bit all over the place. Sometimes Max and the flock seem to weasel their way out of situations too quickly, and others, details are revealed that the reader is confused as to how it connects to the rest of the story. The only part of this novel I can truly applaud is Max and Fang’s relationship, which I had to wait four books for to happen. But aside from that, I kept waiting for something huge to occur that never did, not even the “saving the world” part. Again, I know Patterson is a commercial writer, but as much as I love Max (and particularly Fang), this story needs to conclude soon with some real answers.

Dedicated Patterson and Maximum Ride readers are sure to enjoy this latest installment. This series will also be enjoyed by fans of And Then Everything Unraveled by Jennifer Sturman and Daylight Runner by Oisín McGann.

Rating: 3.25

Review copy from Big Honcho Media

The Lost Sister by Megan Kelley Hall

Ever since the disappearance of her half-sister Cordelia, Maddie Crane has been wracked with guilt and plagued by nightmares of that fateful night that forced Cordelia to flee. Even when she transfers to a boarding school in Maine, far from her hometown in Hawthorne, Massachusetts, Maddie can’t escapt from the blame she’s pinned on herself. Although Maddie will take the guild any day over facing the demons she’s left at home, she knows she can’t hide forever, especially after receiving news of her mother’s cancer—and the tarot card for Death from an unknown sender. And so she returns to Hawthorne, to a home torn apart by her sister’s disappearance, to a town scarred by dangerous memories and filled with sinister secrets. Maddie realizes that it’s time to start cleaning up the whole mess, but what she doesn’t know is that this mess may have moved beyond her control and into the hands of someone—or something—far more cruel.

The Lost Sister is the sequel to Sisters of Misery we’ve all been looking for, but while it does address many of the questions its prequel left unanswered, the novel was not quite as spectacular as I thought it’d be. Let me make this clear, The Lost Sister is without a doubt a thrilling story filled with danger, the scandal of recently uncovered secrets, and the mystical wonder of witchcraft and extrasensory perception. But as enthralling as the story is, I often felt the characters were mere puppets of the plot instead of people within a story. Maddie and a select few other characters do experience some growth, but none of these characters ever felt quite real to me. In all actuality, the spirit sightings and other unexplainable events were more believable than the characters. This is because although Hall does a fantastic job of making this novel’s plot exciting and unpredictable, she didn’t dedicate the same care to developing her characters. I didn’t know them and could hardly relate to them most of the time. This doesn’t make the story bad; in fact, I found this story quite enjoyable. But I did find it a little odd that there were so many loose ends left untied by this novel’s finish even though the story just felt like it was over. The Lost Sister could’ve been greater had it been refined better, but it is still a good read and a page turner.

Fans of Hall’s debut Sisters of Misery will not want to miss its sequel The Lost Sister. Hall’s writing is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Swoon by Nina Malkin, Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn, Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz, and Revealers by Amanda Marrone.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from publisher Kensington

Fallen by Kate Lauren is Munch-Worthy

Seventeen-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history.

It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again . . . and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is.

Fallen angels and reincarnation, need I say much more? Seriously, I love the idea of immortal love, it's so obviously romantic, but so interesting as well.

And the cover! Goodness, it took a while to track down on Google, but my, is it alluring or what? It's dark, gorgeous, and makes me think of despair...in a good way, I hope. It kind of reminds me of the band Evanescence, who has an album coincidentally also titled Fallen.



See the resemblance? No? Well, the cover art of both do have similar colors at least. I'm not that crazy.

I don't even mind that much that this sounds kind of like The Immortals series by Alyson Noël.

Releases December 8, 2009 from Delacorte Books for Young Readers .

You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith

Emma Healy has resigned herself to the fact that she’s the only normal person among her family of extraordinary scholars. She’s had years of experience being the odd one out, of feeling like she doesn’t totally belong. And she doesn’t know why, but she’s always felt like a part of her is somehow missing.

Her shy but intelligent neighbor Peter Finnigan feels more at home with Emma’s family of academics than he ever has is his own house. As much as he’d like to, Peter can’t spend every minute of the day in the Healy’s house, but with little other friends, he spends most of his time alone with his books and maps, dreaming of escape.

Opportunity presents itself when Emma finds the birth certificate of her unknown twin brother—and a death certificate dated two days later. Now that she knows which part of her has been missing, Emma feels the need to visit her dead brother’s grave to greet the twin she never knew. Chance and impulse invites Peter, desperate to see the world, along for the ride. And so these two loners make their way from upstate New York to Emma’s birthplace in North Carolina in an old and technically stolen vehicle, picking up a stray three-legged dog and trying to figure out what exactly they’re looking for. Along the way, they’ll learn about themselves and each other, and maybe even figure out how to make themselves whole again.

Read the rest of my review at Young Adult Enchanting Reviews.

Rating: 4.0

Review copy from publisher Simon & Schuster through YA Enchanting Reviews

Crash Into Me by Albert Borris

Owen, Frank, Audrey, and Jin-Ae are practically strangers. They only have one thing in common: a desire to die. It’s how they all met online in the first place, to start a suicide club. All their previous attempts have failed, but this time, they won’t.

These four teens have formed a pact and made a plan. Together they will escape from home and embark on a cross-country road trip. They will visit the graves or sites of famous celebrity suicides, and at the end of their journey in Death Valley, they will each end their lives. At least that’s that plan. But as the teens spend more hours together, becoming closer with each secret they reveal, things start to get sidetracked, and several of the new friends start to doubt they can follow through with the promise they made—loyalty to the pact. And each must figure out for themselves if suicide is really the only option.

Read the rest of my review at Young Adult Enchanting Reviews.

Rating: 3.5

Review copy from publisher Simon & Schuster through YA Enchanting Reviews

How to Buy a Love of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson

To everyone else, Carley Wells seems to be stuck going nowhere. But Carley’s just living her not ambitious life. She can’t help but be unmotivated by her tutor’s SAT flashcards, her mother’s desperate desire for her to lost weight, and her crazy English teacher’s assignments. All Carley really cares about is finding the quirks in life and Hunter Cay, the beautiful boy who doesn’t mind her imperfections. Unfortunately, Carley won’t stay that way if her parents have anything to do about it. In a flash of inspiration, they decide to have a book commissioned, a story tailored just for Carley so she’ll have to love it, to cure her distaste for the written word. However unenthusiastically, Carley agrees. Enter Bree McEnroy, struggling writer personified. Carley doubts she and Bree could have anything in common, but the more time they spend together trying to develop a story to Carley’s tastes, the more she realizes that everyone has flaws, even if they’re too afraid to admit it, even if they try to hide or flee from them. Bree has them, Carley has them, and even Hunter, the boy Carley wanted to believe was perfect, has them too. And she finally understands that stories are more than just words on paper. Now, she only hopes she’s not too late to save Hunter or herself.

From the very first paragraph, How to Buy a Love of Reading is defined by Gibson’s distinctive writing. Her voice is frank and witty in all the right places and undoubtedly breathes life into her most important characters, namely Carley, Hunter, and Bree. These three are genuine people who struggle with valid problems readers can relate to on some level. Despite some boring sections, I was completely absorbed in these characters, their thoughts, emotions, fears, and despairs. These characters, I truly cared about by the story’s end. There’s just something about Gibson’s writing that makes the story so real. But real also means complex, and complicated this novel was. It goes beyond the countless minor characters I can never keep track of and the occasional dull passage I usually find in the adult novels I venture to read. How to Buy a Love of Reading explores the stories of real life, the delicate lies and truths they contain, and what happens when the story becomes more real than your life. It contains friendship, love, loyalty, and what happens when those bonds start to evolve or fray. Despite the protagonist being an adolescent, this is not a young adult book, not just because of its advanced vocabulary and content; there are layers to this story that require much pondering, more than most YA novels require. I’m not sure if I “[fell] in love with reading all over again” as the jacket flap promised me, since an avid reader always loves reading, but I’m certain I fell in love with Gibson’s writing and this story.

How to Buy a Love of Reading will be best understood by pensive teens and the adult audience. I can’t wait to see what Gibson writes next and hope she might stray into the young adult genre, although another adult title would be lovely as well.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from publisher Penguin

Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley

Emily wants to start the summer with a bang, so she throws a party the night her parents leave for vacation. The party is unceremoniously interrupted by bad news: the plane her parents were on has crashed, and there are no survivors. Now, all that’s left of them is a hastily scribbled message on a tray table from Emily’s mom reading “Emily please forgive me.” Struck with grief and baffled by her mother’s mysterious apology, Emily’s life is a huge mess, and when she moves in with her aunt who lives in New York City, Emily has an entire new world to adjust to. Emily tries her best to assimilate, forget, and move on. She’s accepted into the popular crowd and captures the interest of Owen, the hottest guy in school. But forgetting might not be the answer or even an option since reminders are everywhere. It’ll take Emily’s untraditional new family, a chemistry partner who’s more like Emily than she thinks, and a whole lot of courage for Emily to face the truth and ultimately heal.

Lipstick Apology is a pretty interesting and original story idea that expresses age-old concepts such as family and forgiveness in a fresh way. The death of Emily’s parents is what this novel centers on, but the story is less about grief and learning to let go than it is about forgiveness and healing. On one hand, I was seriously confused why Emily never seemed to mourn her dad and how her grieving was actually a rather minor part of the story; on the other, I don’t think I’ve read another book that promotes forgiveness so effectively. Jabaley has actually given me and entire new perspective on forgiving, which I appreciate. However sweet the story or message was, though, the mechanics of this novel could have been better. It seemed strange to me how Emily desired to be popular while she also wanted to be kind and generous; in fact, the whole popularity angle was really unnecessary and insignificant to the novel, and I don’t even know why it was included. Emily’s dealing with her parents’ deaths was also somewhat unusual. Sometimes, I didn’t even understand Emily’s character at all, but I’ll just chalk it up to adolescence (hers, not mine). Most of the other characters would have been improved as well, with the exception of Emily’s Aunt Jolie, who was well-written and realistic. Despite the mediocre characters and predictable plot, I genuinely enjoyed Lipstick Apology because its story and message is so sweet.

Lipstick Apology is not too bad for a debut, and I look forward to seeing what Jabaley has in store next. This novel will be enjoyed by fans of The Day I Killed James by Catherine Ryan Hyde, And Then Everything Unraveled by Jennifer Sturman , and One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from publisher Penguin

Waiting to Score by J.E. MacLeod

New kid Zachary Chase is not like other hockey players, or so he’s been told. All his teammates in Haletown seem to be jerks, but Zack prefers to be a gentleman. And while his fellow players’ main hobbies besides the sport are basically partying, drinking, and hooking up, Zach is intelligent and would rather read. It’s no wonder the biggest bully Mac, captain of the hockey team, has something against Zack. Most of Zack’s classmates don’t know what to make of him either, the new hockey player who defies stereotypes. But Zack doesn’t really care what other people think and instead focuses on defining his own life and getting Jane, the girl who’s caught his eye. Whether he likes it or not, Zack can’t be on the outside forever, and soon he’ll find himself entangled in a web of drama and past secrets that may be more than he can fix.

For a debut novel, Waiting to Score is very ambitious. It touches but does not dwell on a multitude of topics not limited to but including stereotypes, bullies, drinking, and parental pressure. While it’s true that teens have to deal daily with all these issues and more, attempting to address all of them does not allow sufficient page space to be dedicated to discussing each individual topic and just overwhelms the story. In addition, protagonist Zack is unrealistic in that he seems to have no or very tiny flaws; yes, he has to deal with his deceased father’s mixed legacy and Mac’s taunting, but he’s also attractive, smart, and protective of the females close to him. Besides that, Waiting to Score was an interesting and moderately well written story. Despite Zack’s near perfection, this novel is realistic form a psychological standpoint. Zack struggles to find out what he wants from life while others attempt to influence his future and decisions. Ex-friends Jane and Mona deal with self-blame and regret over a scarring event from the past. Even if there’s a lot that could’ve been added or altered to improve this novel, Waiting to Score is a quick and enjoyable read.

Though not entirely sports-centered, fans of athletics-dominated books such as The Legend of Mickey Tussler by Frank Nappi and Screwball by Keri Mikulski will like Waiting to Score. Readers who liked King of the Screwups by K.L. Going and Sprout by Dale Peck will also enjoy this novel.

Rating: 3.5

Review copy from author J.E. MacLeod

The Tear Collector by Patrick Jones is Munch-Worthy

Fans of urban fantasy should prepare for a new kind of vampire–one that feeds off of tears instead of blood. Descended from an ancient line of creatures that gain their energy from human tears, Cassandra Gray depends on human sorrow to live. Only Cass has grown tired of living this life and wants to live like a human, especially now that she's met someone worth fighting for.

The summary is disappointingly short, but it's enough to pique my interest. Lately, I've been reading lots of fantasy, and one of the vampire theories is that they need to feed off blood (or tears in this case) for human emotions. I'd love to see where Jones is going with this. Plus, there's bound to be romance in this novel too.

Besides, just look at the cover. Doesn't it make the book look so yummy

Releases September 1, 2009 from Walker Books for Young Readers.

The Comeback by Marlene Perez

It seems like Sophie Donnelly has everything. She’s one of the most popular girls at Kennedy High and has an equally popular not to mention super hot boyfriend, handfuls of cool friends, and a practically guaranteed lead in the school production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. But then Kennedy High acquires a new student Angie Vogel, and before Sophie can say “break a leg” and literally mean it, this blonde intruder swoops in and steals everything Sophie considers precious—first her golden role, then her golden boyfriend and the golden glow of being most popular. But this drama queen is not going down without a catfight, and it’s about time everyone learned, particularly that Angie girl, who the spotlight rightfully belongs to.

The Comeback didn’t hold much promise for me at first but ended up charming me anyway. Sophie is your typical overdramatic teen, a little more catty and selfish than she realizes and a little too outspoken and honest for her own good. There’s something undeniably endearing about her character despite her all-consuming and sometimes desperate desire to be the top of the social food chain. It’s probably because all of us have felt some degree of Sophie’s jealousy before. I was a little put off by how Angie was portrayed at first as a devil in blonde’s clothing until I realized that Sophie was letting jealousy cloud her mind, and that made the story and Sophie’s character more realistic. I really enjoyed Sophie’s dramatic (pardon the pun) character growth as well as the somewhat predictable but still sweet romance that’s integral to Sophie’s progress. Most of the lesser characters were developed only enough to play their short role, and a couple of them were just a bit unrealistic, but Sophie’s surprising believability more than made up for that. The Comeback is a quick and cute book that will leave readers grinning.

The Comeback is a good pick for a weekend or sunny day. This book will be enjoyed by teen girls who also liked Love on Cue by Catherine Hapka, Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph, and My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from publisher Scholastic

Attention UK Readers

Are you interested in reading Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick? Do you live in the UK? Then you are one lucky person.

I was recently notified about a pretty awesome contest on BellaAndEdward.com in which you can win (1) of (3) signed ARCs of Hush, Hush by Becca Firtzpatrick, but only if you live in the UK.

Unfortunately, I don't live there, so I can't enter.

I generally don't post about other people's contests, but this is a sort of compensation for my not holding international contests. And I'm pretty sure I have at least one British reader. So, once again, if you are a UK resident, go enter the contest!

Full details and rules here:
http://www.bellaandedward.com/index.php?subaction=showcomments&id=1249985677&archive=&start_from=&ucat=5

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

For Grace, wolves have always held a certain fascination, a certain magic, particularly her yellow-eyed wolf that she’s watched for six years. Little does she know that he’s been watching her too, her protector from afar. Little does she know that her wolf doesn’t actually disappear for the summer like she thought, but spends the warmest season as the human he once was, Sam. Fate brings Grace and Sam together, but they must fight against all odds to stay that way. When humanity is as fragile as a drop in temperature, Grace and Same must find away to protect themselves and their love from the forces that threaten to tear them apart.

Stifvater weaves a fantastically beautiful paranormal romance in Shiver. This novel’s strength by far is its unique and alluring plot with characters that are surprisingly realistic despite the unusually circumstances in which they’re placed. Both Maggie and Sam are outcasts in their own way, each clinging to a seemingly impossible, at least in their present, remnant of the past. I think that’s what makes them so perfect together and so interesting to read about, that and the fact that they are so obviously in love, even when they’re two separate species. The reader will get swept up in the exciting world Stiefvater has created, both for the mysticism inspired by Sam’s paranormal species, which Stiefvater explains remarkably well, and hope that these star-crossed lovers will survive the winter, literally. This novel is so much more than just a really good romance, though. It’s about finding identity, doing the right thing even when it’s the hardest, and the everlasting power of love. Shiver is the kind of book I love to get lost in because its story is just so sweet, sexy, romantic, and heartwarming; overall, it’s a book that will make all readers sigh in happiness.

Shiver will be enjoyed by all teen readers, particularly fans of Sea Change by Aimee Friedman, Evermore by Alyson Noël, Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange both by Melissa Marr, Need by Carrie Jones, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. I can’t wait to read Stiefvater’s other novels, Lament and Ballad, and whatever else she has to come.

Rating: 4.75

Review copy from publisher Scholastic

Win Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin

CONTEST CLOSED

Want to win Sean Beaudoin's latest young adult book? Well, you've come to the right place.

Sophie Blue started wearing a black skirt and Midnight Noir lipstick on her last birthday. It was also the day her father disappeared. Or spontaneously combusted. Which is sort of bad timing, since a Popsicle truck with tinted windows has started circling the house.

Kenny Fade is a basketball god. His sneakers cost more than his Jeep. He's the guy all the ladies (and their mommas) want. Bad.

Sophie Blue and Kenny Fade don't have a thing in common. Aside from being reasonably sure they're losing their minds.

Acclaimed author Sean Beaudoin's wildly innovative novel combines uproarious humor with enough plot twists to fill a tube sock. Part thriller, part darkly comic philosophical discussion, and accompanied by a comic book insert, Fade to Blue is a whip-smart romp that keeps readers guessing until the last paragraph.

(1) lucky winner will receive Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin.

Other details:

• US mailing addresses only.
• Contest ends 8/28/09, at 9 p.m. PST.

Remember, you must complete the form to be entered. If you have any questions about this contest, see my contest policy, or contact me and ask away.

Who's RAD? Sean Beaudoin!

Everybody welcome Sean Beaudoin, author of Going Nowhere Faster and the recently released Fade to Blue, which I'll be sure to check out soon since it just sounds so funny.

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Random Q&A:

If you could go back in time (or forward), what would you want to witness/experience? This can be an event in history, for example.
This question seems familiar for some reason. It’s sort of like I went back in time and am answering it again. But I don’t think it’s what I would have chosen. I read a book recently about the Hawaiian Islands before Captain Cook “discovered” them (making them the Sandwich Islands). So, maybe I’d go back there in 1770.

What is your favorite onomatopoeia?
Sizzle.

If you could live during any time period, which would it be?
Fifties Manhattan so I could go see Charlie Parker play at a little club on 52nd Street. Also, so I could tie up Wolfman Jack and stuff him in a trunk and then become the first national radio DJ instead.

What color best describes your personality and why?
Faded blue. Despite the fact that I have absolutely nothing to complain about, and am publicly proclaimed enemy of whining, I tend to be a bit of a pessimist.

A genie decides to grant you three wishes. What are they?
1. Allow cats to talk.
2. Make music edible.
3. Let me write a book without vampires that sells like a book full of vampires.

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the guest blog:

I realized I was truly neurotic this morning when I went to pick the next book I was going to read. They tend to sit in a big stack in the corner by my desk. I sort of had an inkling of what it was going to be, found it, and then discarded it because of the cover. Mainly the fact that it wasn’t the book’s original art, but a “movie edition” one, where this perfectly innocent book had been on shelves for at least 30 years with its unassuming cover, and suddenly was re-released with the face of a method-acting Leonardo DiCaprio splashed all over it. I mean, it somehow seems insulting to have Leo and Kate Winslet in this backlit embrace and the words NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE beneath them as if that were an enticement. Of course, the author has long since deceased, so it really isn’t a compromise for him, but I couldn’t help but feel he’d have been displeased that this was the ultimate fate of something he’d worked seven years of his life to get down on paper. So, I didn’t read it and chose something else. A book with just text and a name on the front. No grinning Travolta’s or menaced Julia Roberts running toward the subway station. Say what you like about the Kindle, but it does sort of alleviate this problem.

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Thanks Sean for that funny (and oddly true) post. Don't forget to visit him online at his website: http://www.seanbeaudoin.com/ and read his latest book, Fade to Blue.

Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe is Munch-Worthy

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….

I love ghost stories, and this one sounds like it's going to be a sweet combination between high school spats, dealing with loss, and romance. Plus the title and the cover are really cute.

Releases September 15, 2009 from Henry Holt and Co.

Ruined: a Ghost Story by Paula Morris

Rebecca Brown is none too happy to be staying in New Orleans while her father is away on business. True, there is a sort of beauty to the city despite the lasting effects of Hurricane Katrina, but that hardly makes up for the fact that Rebecca has to live with crazy, voodoo-obsessed Aunt Claudia, who’s not even her real aunt at all, and attend a prep school with snooty rich girls who care more about who you’re related to than your personality. Rebecca couldn’t feel more out of place, especially since the only people who willingly talk to her are Anton Grey, a gorgeous and conflicted boy Aunt Claudia warns Rebecca to stay away from, and Lisette, a sweet and somewhat secretive girl Rebecca meets one night at Lafayette Cemetery, another forbidden place. The only catch is that Anton belongs to the same elite circle as the snootiest girls from Rebecca’s prep school, and Lisette is a ghost. It turns out there’s more to New Orleans than Rebecca could ever have imagined, including an ancient curse connecting Lisette, Anton, the snooty prep school girls, and even Rebecca in ways they never thought possible.

Ruined is first and foremost a ghost story, and a pretty good one at that. Morris makes this ghost story unique by incorporating history, culture, and the supernatural. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of voodoo, the history of the city of New Orleans, and the relatively strict social structure of the old-line families such an Anton’s. Morris portrays the historical, social, and supernatural aspects of this novel so well, which is why I liked the plot so much. However, in her characters, Morris falters. I felt somewhat detached from protagonist Rebecca throughout the whole novel; she wasn’t developed enough to be independent of the plot, and her actions within the plot did little to define her. None of the rest of the characters were sufficiently developed either. I particularly would have liked to learn more about Lisette and Anton; both remained mysteries to me. It isn’t so much their histories or personal stories I’m concerned with, but rather their intimate feelings which I never felt were quite revealed. I commend Morris for making Ruined with such a realistic plot, even with supernatural occurrences, but this novel was not as spectacular as it could have been had Morris successfully broken thought the wall between her characters’ outer selves and innermost thoughts.

Ruined will likely be enjoyed by those who also liked Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell, Sea Change by Aimee Friedman, and Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from publisher Scholastic

How It Ends by Laura Wiess

Hanna used to be an optimistic and cheerful girl, the kind who loved spending time with her aging neighbor Helen and looked for happy endings everywhere. Now, Hanna’s in high school, and all she wants is a life, particularly, a life including Seth. When she finally gets Seth, he’s not entirely who she thought he was, and their relationship isn’t the perfect one she thought it would be. Yet, despite the fighting and hurt, Hanna stays by Seth, because she hasn’t completely lost her faith in happy endings. But caring for her ill neighbor Helen for her school’s community service requirement might take care of that. Helen’s home isn’t the place of happiness it used to be in Hanna’s childhood, and the audiobook Hanna’s supposed to play for Helen is unsettling to say the least. Hanna gradually finds herself drawn into the book’s powerful love story until its shocking conclusion shakes her world and makes her question her own relationships and love itself.

How It Ends is a unique coming of age tale that explores the most fundamental human bonds. Wiess does an excellent job touching on all the different kinds of relationships people can have from family to friendship and beyond. It’s difficult to state exactly what Wiess has accomplished in this novel through that except for a few basics such as “there are good guys and bad guys” and “you eventually have to realize that a doomed relationship won’t work.” I also can’t really say if this is an ultimately happy or sad book because it has its share of sweet sections in addition to the depressing ones. As for the actual story, or stories I should say, I was drawn to both Hanna’s and Helen’s tales. There were the necessary ingredients like angst, mystery, and teenage rebellion to make Hanna’s story true to life, and I continually rooted for her despite her tendency to make poor decisions. I actually liked Helen’s story more than Hanna’s because it was slightly more interesting, but both their stories only prove that every relationship has its ups and downs, its good moments and bad. How It Ends as a novel is similar in that respect because there are passages that are boring as well as the sweetest moments that make the reader hope for the best.

How It Ends is a story that needs to be thought out and is not for readers looking for an immediately meaningful story. I recommend this novel to fans of A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian, One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin, Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee, and anything by Sarah Dessen or Deb Caletti.

Rating: 3.5

Review copy from publisher MTV Books

Nothing in Particular, but...

So, I am currently living in a hotel. Why? Well, when our house flooded, it was worse than we thought (water damage). Why am I telling you this? Because I am very frustrated by my lack of computer access. This hotel has free (albeit slow) WiFi, as does the nearby B&N and Starbucks, but my poor iPod Touch just doesn't have all the capabilities of a normal desktop computer.

Also, I just noticed that on my Summer Guilty Pleasure Giveaway, the choices for the Follower category does not include a "I do not follow The Book Muncher" option, and even if that field is optional, if you don't select otherwise, your answer will automatically show up in my spreadsheat as the first option. Since this is due to my own lack of foresight, anyone who doesn't follow my blog and entered that contest will get an extra entry anyway.

I have quite a few more contests coming up, but since I can't create new forms for them on my iPod's Safari browser, let's hope I find a real computer soon.

Who's RAD? Hannah Friedman!

And we're back from a semi-vacation from RAD with debut author Hannah Friedman, a very funny young woman and recent Yale graduate (TBM oozes jealousy) who has chronicled her teen years in a memoir titled, Everything Sucks: Losing My Mind and Finding Myself in a High School Quest for Cool.

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Random Q&A:

What color best describes your personality and why?
Is Rainbow Sherbert a color? I love all those swirly patterns... I'm a huge fan of art in all of its forms, and I like to fill my days with as much reading, writing, music-making, and window-shades-closed boogying as possible. I'm a mess of contradictions and can be indecisive in addition to passionate about creating and learning, so I like the idea that I'm more than one color wrapped into one.

Describe yourself in 3 words.
I am Hannah.

If you had a t-shirt that could say anything (as in printed on it), what would it say?
Flagrant Self Promotion

Complete the sentence: The last thing that ever crossed my mind was ___.
…I should probably answer those fun blog questions instead of continuing to sit here painting my toe-nails sparkly blue. Hey, is my favorite color sparkly blue? Remember that retainer I had that was sparkly blue? Who designs sparkly blue retainers...?

If you had a superpower, what would it be?
It's a tossup between invisibility and the power to freeze time. If I get a Harry Potter-esque invisibility cloak that I can share with my friends then I'd probably go with that one. Lots of mischief to be made. On the other hand, I don't think I'd ever have a problem meeting writing deadlines if I could freeze the clock. Hmm…and here comes that indecision again.

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the guest blog:

Hello all! So here's the deal: my book includes a live monkey, a dead friend, sex, drugs, SATs, a national scandal, a diet disaster, and all the rest of that fantastic awkwardness that makes our teenage years so deliciously angst-ridden. I wrote this book because it wasn't around for me to read it. It includes everything I wish I had known growing up but was too afraid to ask about.

I knew all about perfect rich girls with designer purses and cocaine habits from sexy movie and TV portrayals of teenagers who are played by 26 year old 80 lb. actresses, but I didn't need to hear about those girls. I wanted to hear about the girl who was so nervous about her first kiss that she nearly fell over, and the girl who felt like such a freak she was sure she'd never fit in anywhere, the girl who pretended, who worried, who wondered about the purpose of education and her place in the world and how to shave your pubes without getting those gross little red bumps. And I didn't find that girl in any of the books I read. So I wrote this one.

Some things you might be wondering about: Amelia the monkey is still alive (mostly) at the ripe old age of 42. Her vision is probably that of an old woman wearing sunglasses through an evening fog, but she still manages to get around spryly enough to hide behind doorways and lunge out at my toes whenever I am carrying something particularly heavy/spiky/hot.

What's next for me? Well, I'm glad you asked. Because to be perfectly honest I'm f***ing terrified. All my college friends have these fancy "real jobs" with "real paychecks" and some sort of magical "health insurance" dealie where you get your anti-depressants and eyeglasses for free. Sometimes I feel like it's something I should look into. But another part of me longs for the freedom of the artist, and entertains the ridiculous notion that sometime soon I'll get paid gobs of money (gobs of chocolate or gobs of kittens would also be acceptable,) to sit around squeezing out my ideas. To that end, I encourage you to check out some of my youtube experimenting, and possibly even get involved with video collaborations! It's a very exciting interactive creative platform which has allowed me to do what I love without the aggravation of going into cold sweats before I enter an audition room... seriously, just check it out. I'm kind of funny.

Please do let me know if you guys have any questions. You can reach me at writinghannah@me.com, and if you like the book I encourage you to write an Amazon.com review, because otherwise in order to get enough money to move out of my parent's basement I'm going to have to go to law school or something. And seriously, would even a large gob of kittens (which I would estimate to be approximately 300 kittens,) soothe the trauma of having to write constitutional law papers instead of hilariously candid and self-indulgent memoir chapters temporarily titled things like "the verge of virginity"??? You tell me. Really, tell me. Go to writinghannah.blogspot.com. And buy the book while you're at it. Thanks so much for your support.

Much love & laughter,

Hannah Friedman

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Well, I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did, and I hope you visit Hannah online at her website: http://hannahfriedman.com/, her blog: http://www.writinghannah.blogspot.com/, or Twitter: http://twitter.com/writinghannah. And don't forget to check out her Newsweek article that I'm sure all teens nearing college decisions will appreciate.

And, of course, don't forget to read Hannah's memoir, Everything Sucks, 'cause it's true, lots of things do.

Summer Guilty Pleasure Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED

So, I am in bad need ot clearing some space on my bookshelves, and since I found two summery reads just begging to be given away, I decided to hold a contest. We might as well celebrate summer while we still can.

The books to be given away are:

Summer Girls (Hailey Abbott)
The A-List: Hollywood Royalty (Zoey Dean)

There will be (1) winner for each book.

As you noticed, extra entries are back. Now that I'm using Google Docs, I'm hoping the extra entries will be easier to keep track of. I appreciate your honesty in filling out the form.

Other details:

• US mailing addresses only.
• Contest ends 8/17/09, at 9 p.m. PST.

Remember, you can only be entered for one book and you must complete the form. If you have any questions about this contest, see my contest policy, or contact me and ask away.

Diva without a Cause by Grace Dent

Sixteen-year-old Shiraz Bailey Wood is not a chav. So what if she likes fake gold jewelry and hoodies? So what if the school she attends has been unfortunately nicknamed Superchav Academy? Just because she’s poor doesn’t mean she should be insulted as working class trash, but she doesn’t really know how she can change her situation. When a strict new English teacher sees potential in Shiraz, she dares to hope that there’s more to like that troublemaking and minimum wage. But as Shiraz’s situation goes from bad to worse with her best friend practically dumping her and a falling out between her mother and sister, it seems everything is trying to discourage her from reaching for her dreams. Can this sweet and authentic girl find a way to rise above her situation?

Diva without a Cause, formerly inaccurately titled Diary of a Chav, is told in sometimes funny diary entries form the perspective of a working class British teen. As an American reader, I was somewhat confused by the unfamiliar British slang and put off by the poor grammar, although I assume the lingo is part of “keeping it real.” That seems to be a big part of Shiraz’s mentality, but unfortunately, that was one of the only real desires I could pinpoint for her character, and getting to the bottom of the “real” Shiraz was an entirely difficult task. Despite diary entries being traditionally deposits for someone’s most innermost thoughts, I rarely felt like I was inside Shiraz’s private life. The majority of the time, I felt like I was listening to an overdramatic gossiper, which did more to annoy me than maintain my interest. Poor characters aside, I did enjoy this unusual portrayal of working class culture because even if I don’t agree with all of their values, as displayed primarily by Shiraz’s mother, I recognize them as authentic and universal, not just localized in London. At the same time, though, I was kind of disappointed there was no real statement made about these ideas, unless they speak for themselves; for example, Shiraz’s mom think the way to live a comfortable life is to marry a rich man, not to get an education and a good job, and while Shiraz does seem to want to continue with her schooling, nothing further is said on the matter. The feminist within me is disgusted and Shiraz’s own sister’s feminist opinions to nothing to negate that. I really don’t know what Dent was trying to accomplish with this novel, as the theme of rising above one’s situation is rather feeble within this novel. I’m quite disappointed, because I was looking for a fast, fun read that Diva without a Cause didn’t live up to.

Diva without a Cause is enjoyable enough and may be liked by fans of the more gritty Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert and The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees. I only reluctantly look forward to this novel’s sequel Posh and Prejudice because the continuation of Shiraz’s story actually has potential.

Rating: 3.25

Review copy from personal collection

Buy Ballads: Huge Giveaway/More Winners!

(copied from Shooting Stars Mag)

Buy Ballads Campaign:

From now, July 30, to August 31, you can win awesome prizes if you buy the book Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert. If you do, send a picture of you and the book or the receipt to here: lauren51990@aol.com and you will be entered.

Instead of one person getting all the prizes however we have decided to mix it up. We have a list from ten books sold to fifty or more sold...meaning:

-ten entries (one winner out of those)

-fifteen entries (one winner out of those, except if you already won)

And it continues on, so if you buy the book soon you get entered more, but if you win once you can't win again. If we don't get to at least fifty books, you may or may not get a shot to win the remaining prizes. We'll figure out that out later. If we don't reach that point, we MIGHT put all entries in and give someone the remaining prizes, but don't quote me. We'll see how it goes. So buy the book yourself, buy it for someone you know (holidays are fast approaching) or get people to buy it. You just might win.

This is an international contest so buy buy buy!

For full details and a list of all the prizes, please visit Shooting Stars Mag.

(You guys better enter! I donated some of those books!)

The Diamonds by Ted Michael

Every girl and even some boys at the private Bennington School on Long Island wishes to be a Diamond, but unfortunately for these wishers, there are only four Diamonds: ringleaders and model of perfection Clarissa, hilarious boy magnet Priya, übersmart Lili, and Marni. Marni doesn’t really know how she ended up among the ranks of the most powerful and popular girls at her school, but she wouldn’t trade being a Diamond for anything, because popularity makes everything easier. Unfortunately, it also makes life a lot harder when Marni becomes involved with Clarissa’s ex-boyfriend Anderson: when Clarissa finds out, she uses her Diamond authority to make Marni the most unpopular girl at Bennington overnight. When the remaining Diamonds transform Bennington’s mock trial club into the Diamond Court, a pseudo-justice system the Diamonds use to exact revenge on those who displease them, Marni finally has enough. She gathers an unruly, mismatched army to spark a revolution against the Diamonds’ reign of terror, but the odds are stacked against Marni because there’s only one way to cut a diamond—with another.

The Diamonds is not another guilty pleasure about spoiled rich private school girls in NYC like Gossip Girl or The Elite. I was afraid it would be and was not looking forward to another one of those series. This novel may start out something like that, with wealthy popular girls living the life, but the story quickly becomes more twisted. The Diamonds does have the necessary ingredients of a guilty pleasure, with power struggles and backstabbing galore, but the crucial inclusion of a democratic system elevates this novel above Gossip Girl and the like. Democracy is cleverly juxtaposed with the Diamonds’ perverted sense of justice and increasingly monarchial rule. It’s interesting to see how this high school scene plays out like a political battlefield. This made the story so thrilling and even a bit educational to read. Marni’s character was also enjoyable to read about as her struggles are quite realistic, but I was somewhat disappointed that the other Diamonds were so cold and cruel that they were no longer believable. This novel touches on many themes, such as social equality, love, and friendship, and although I felt some of these could’ve been expanded upon, The Diamonds was overall a very satisfying read and impressive debut.

This novel will appeal to both fans of guilty pleasures and those interested in democracy and justice, as well as those that enjoyed Poison Ivy by Amy Goldman Koss.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from publisher Random House