Teen Author Carnival, Book Expo America, and This Is Teen Launch Recap

The fourth week of May was a very busy week for me in the way of book events, as I'm sure it was for all the other book bloggers who came to NYC. Why? Well, mostly for the reasons I will list below! (There are other reasons, but they're much less interesting than the ones I will tell you about).

Teen Author Carnival (TAC)

Monday, the 23rd marked the third annual Teen Author Carnival. What is TAC, you ask? Why, it's basically a bunch of YA authors gathering for a series of panels and then signing lots of books. Sounds fun, right? Well, it was!






Unfortunately, I was only able to attend two of the panels, since two panels were scheduled for each time slot and I am as of yet unable to clone myself to be at two places at once. Also, I was having so much fun listening to the panels and talking to cool people that I forgot to take many pictures. But I did meet and chat with lots of wonderful authors and other bookish people, get lots of books signed, as well as snatch up a bunch of swag, including a highly coveted Mara Dyer t-shirt.

Book Expo America (BEA)

BEA is one of the two largest book conventions in the US, and therefore gets a wide attendance from people all over the world. I doubt I could even begin to list all of the book bloggers who came in to NYC for BEA. And as I'm sure that there are already so many BEA recap posts floating all over the internet, I thought I'd share some pictures but keep mine short (or as short as I can).






Things I did at BEA:

• get lots of books signed
• snagged a bunch of ARCs that I wanted
• took a bunch of swag
• met lots of book bloggers and authors
• chatted with publicists I knew and met some new ones as well
• advertised extensively for The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
• encouraged people to wait in line to get books signed by Jocelyn Davies, Marianna Baer, and Mary E. Pearson
• squeal a little every time I saw Lenore from Presenting Lenore
• thought I almost dislocated my left shoulder from carrying the weight of many of my books there
• accidentally got extra copies of the same book either because I had forgotten I'd gotten a copy earlier or because I grabbed the ARC and then went to the author's signing (see way below)

Things I did not do at BEA (either because I forgot or didn't have time):

• attend Mary E. Pearson's book signing even though I really, really wanted to
• eat real food (don't worry, I ate plenty of junk food snacks!)
• say hello to Laini Taylor (author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone) for Cat Valente (author of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making)
• realize that I was talking to Daniel Handler a.k.a. Lemony Snicket 
• take any pictures on Thursday, the last day of BEA, because I had left my memory card at home instead of putting it back in my camera

So, I'm sure many of you noticed the last entry on my list of things done at BEA. I bet you're wondering what on earth I am going to do with all these extra books, and if you were thinking contest, then you were right!

CONTEST CLOSED

The only catch is, I'm not going to tell you what specifically is in this prize pack. I want it to be more of a pleasant surprise. Here's what I will tell you is in it:

• 1 signed, final copy
• 1 signed ARC
• 6 other (highly coveted) ARCs
• a tote bag
• bookmarks (some signed)
• postcards
• buttons
• lots and lots of other swag

To enter this contest, please fill out this form:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFJDSS16YU9oWWNqY1B0Zk9JblYxWlE6MQ

I do ask that those who did attend BEA not enter this contest, as I would like to give this prize pack to someone who wouldn't have the opportunity to get these books and swag on their own. 

Other details:

• US mailing addresses only.
• Contest ends 6/17/11, at 9 p.m. EST.

Remember, you must complete the form to be entered, and only one form submission per person will be counted. If you have any questions about this contest, see my contest policy, or contact me and ask away.

This Is Teen Launch

On Thursday evening, I headed over to the Scholastic building for the This Is Teen launch party. In addition to lots and lots of bloggers, there were three fabulous Scholastic authors in attendance: Meg Cabot, Maggie Stiefvater, and Libba Bray. And with personalities such as these, you know it's going to be a fantastic event, which it most certainly was.






I was thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with each of these fabulous as well as their wonderful publicists. I also had a brief fangirl moment when I met Aimee Friedman, another Scholastic author and editor extraordinaire (in addition to David Levithan and Lisa Ann Sandell). I may have let it slip several times that the Scholastic building is my dream place of residence employment.

What can I say? The busy week might have been getting to me by then....

Win Cut by Patricia McCormick

CONTEST CLOSED

In honor of its 10th Anniversary release, I am giving away a couple of copies of Cut by Patricia McCormick!

A tingle arced across my scalp. The floor tipped up at me and my body spiraled away. Then I was on the ceiling looking down, waiting to see what would happen next.

Callie cuts herself. Never too deep, never enough to die. But enough to feel the pain. Enough to feel the scream inside. Now she’s at Sea Pines, a “residential treatment facility” filled with girls struggling with problems of their own. Callie doesn’t want to have anything to do with them. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with anyone. She won’t even speak. But Callie can only stay silent for so long…

More info available at http://www.facebook.com/thisisteen and http://www.pattymccormick.com/

(2) lucky winners will receive Cut by Patricia McCormick
courtesy of Big Honcho Media



Other details:

• US mailing addresses only.
• Contest ends 6/15/11, at 9 p.m. EST.

Remember, you must complete the form to be entered, and only one form submission per person will be counted. If you have any questions about this contest, see my contest policy, or contact me and ask away.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

What happens when a plane full of beauty queens crashes on a desolate desert island? Do they keep practicing their routines so they’ll be in peak form by the time they’re rescued, or do they start developing some survival skills? These girls are really torn between perfecting dance routines and the drive for basic necessities such as food. Most of them have faith that they will be promptly rescued and brought back to civilization, but the what if nags at the back of all of their minds. Their situation takes a turn for the more bizarre with the appearance of some sexy pirates and the discovery of the secret headquarters of The Corporation, the sponsor of these beauty queens’ pageant, on their temporary island home. Is there some kind of evil underlying conspiracy at work? You bet there is! The only question is whether these girls are up for a whole new kind of competition…

Beauty pageants, political and corporate corruption, and reality TV pirates meet feminism in Bray’s hilarious yet poignant Beauty Queens. Ordinarily this combination would make little sense, but Bray makes it all work beautifully. Her characters are strange yet realistic and the many ridiculous situations she devises are perfectly balanced with more serious moments. It’s very clear that Beauty Queens is a novel with an agenda, and I say that with some trepidation because I know that some readers are turned off by such obvious messages. However, Bray’s messages are part of why I enjoyed this novel so immensely. Bray is able to poke fun at some pretty messed up situations, like dysfunctional families, the more close minded strains of political ideology, and personal greed, in a way that makes them more approachable for readers without necessarily condemning or condoning them. The most meaningful aspect of this novel, though, is in the discussion of beauty and what it means to be female.  Gender encompasses so many important topics, and Bray touches on many of these in such a sensitive and open manner. Its hilarity, brilliance, and present day relevance make Beauty Queens a novel that truly should be read and will be enjoyed by everyone.

I wholeheartedly recommend Beauty Queens to especially teen girls as well as to all readers who enjoy Bray’s writing or liked the Avery Sisters trilogy by Rachel Vail and Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian.

Rating: 5.0

Review copy from publisher Scholastic

The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski

Sheridan Wells’ life revolves around cake. She loves decorating cakes. It’s the one thing that she is truly passionate about and what calms her down in times of stress. But unfortunately, there are other things in life aside from cake, like the fact that her mother left years ago, her father’s obsession with getting a cooking show, and her glaring lack of boyfriend. So Sheridan does what any girl would do in her situation—she comes up with a plan. Basically, she’s going to find her mom, convince her to come back home, and prevent her dad from moving to New York for a cooking show, all to bring her family back together. But with a couple of boys and previously unknown family history in the mix, Sheridan’s plans are going to go far from smoothly. Sheridan may be Cake Girl, the superhero of cake decorating, but can she save the mess that’s been made of her life?

I started reading The Sweetest Thing expecting a cute yet meaningful romance in the vein of Sarah Dessen. When I started reading, I was initially disappointed because I was not immediately sympathetic or empathetic towards protagonist Sheridan. I found it a little difficult to adjust to the realities of her life with a famous chef for a dad, an absentee mother, and a wacky but endearing grandmother; however, once I did, I quite enjoyed the story, in fact much more than I thought I would, based on my first impressions. Mandelski is able to convey such depth of emotion in Sheridan’s character that the reader can truly feel as Sheridan does with each new difficulty she encounters. That as well as the inevitable romance is what ultimately won me over. There is just something so, well, sweet about this book that will make readers laugh, cry, and smile. This is a good, if not great, romantic story with a cake decorating twist, but I see a lot of potential in Mandelski’s writing, and I look forward to see what she comes out with next.

The Sweetest Thing is sure to be enjoyed by Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti fans. Readers who also liked A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian and For Keeps by Natasha Friend will also want to take a look at this book.

Rating: 4.0

Review copy from publisher EgmontUSA

Cut by Patricia McCormick

Callie cuts herself. It’s never that deep though; the point isn’t to irrevocably harm herself. Sometimes, she doesn’t even know why she cuts, but usually it’s just to feel the pain and the accompanying release. But cutting is the reason that she’s at Sea Pines, which is a nicer name for the loony bin. She’s surrounded by girls with problems of their own. Callie would rather just be on her own. She’d rather have as little to do with these girls as possible. She’ll do what she’s told, but she refuses to even speak. Does Callie even want to get better? After finding her own voice, she’ll see that maybe that’s just what she needs.

Cut is a very short book that is packed full of some very serious topics, including issues with confidence, dysfunctional relationships, and, most notably, self harm. I didn’t read this Cut for its characters or plot, though these were well done, but rather for its discussion of these serious topics. This is without a doubt a very serious novel that delves into some of the reasons that can drive people to such extreme behaviors. Yet McCormick manages to handle these issues delicately so as to not overwhelm the reader. Some of the emotions that Callie deals with are horrifyingly deep and painful, but I never felt like it was too much. I am very grateful for that, because otherwise, Cut would have been a very difficult book to get through. I’m not saying that this is a breezy read either, because Callie’s story is such a sad one, but McCormick tells it with such sensitivity and grace. It’s also nice to see a positive, or at least not overly negative despite the treatment facility’s nickname of “Sick Minds”, portrayal of the mental health system. Cut is one of those few books that so clearly states that it’s okay not to be okay, and that there are always people who want to help.

Cut is a fantastic novel for any reader who has ever felt not okay. Readers who felt that Break by Hannah Moskowitz and Purge by Sarah Darer Littman really resonated with them will also want to check this book out.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from Big Honcho Media

Another Week of Many Book Events

Contrary to what the title of this post would suggest, it wasn't so much a week as it was a weekend. Last weekend to be specific. Yes, the three events I attended were crammed into an approximately 30 hour period. (Not spread out over one whole week).

Last Friday, I took a brief break from moving into my temporary summer housing to trek downtown with Mitali from Alley of Books. We arrived slightly late to the Diversity in YA panel, where we were saved from having to stand the entire time by a sympathetic Malinda Lo.

For those of you not familiar with the Diversity in YA, it's a website and series of events organized by authors Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon basically to talk about and promote diversity in fiction. Friday's panel consisted of authors Chris Beam, David Levithan, Malinda Lo, and Jacqueline Woodson and was moderated by Cindy Pon.

panelists Malinda Lo, Chris Beam, Jacqueline Woodson and David Levithan and moderator Cindy Pon

The panel was a lot of fun, and, of course, I got to chat with some pretty cool people, most notably the Community Manager of Book Country (a relatively new online writing community of epic proportions), another very cool person who will only be 8 floors above me this summer while I'm at my internship, as well as Malinda Lo.

Then, on Saturday, I made my way down to Books of Wonder for Diversity in YA's second NYC event. The panel was about twice the size than that of the day before, including Matt de la Peña, Malinda Lo, Kekla Magoon, Neesha Meminger, Cindy Pon, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, and Jacqueline Woodson. The panel was a little lengthy, if I dare say so, but there were a lot of important topics covered. I'd say that attending these two Diversity in YA events has definitely given me a little more perspective on the relationship between diversity and the publishing industry.

in which you can barely see panelists Jacqueline Woodson, Kekla Magoon, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Malinda Lo, Neesha Meminger, Cindy Pon, and Matt de la Peña

Aside from all the wonderful panelists, I had the pleasure of seeing Kelsey from The Book Scout, Steph from Steph Su Reads, as well as author Lindsay Leavitt, among others.

After the wonderfulness of Diversity in YA, I made me way to Brooklyn for a book signing for Alyssa Sheinmel. This was a much smaller and quieter event than the aforementioned ones, but it was still just as enjoyable. Alyssa read two sections from her newest novel, The Lucky Kind, answered some questions from the audience (primarily from her sister Courtney Sheinmel), and then signed books.

Alyssa Shienmel reads from The Lucky Kind

And that was my week(end) of fantastic book events!

Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

Life on Dune Island is always the same. For Anna, that means summer after summer of hanging out at the beach, scooping ice cream, and seeing friends. Anna can’t really complain, though, because it’s not too bad a way to spend summers, but ever since her best friends Sam and Caroline realized that they were more than just friends, Anna has just felt like a third wheel. And though she wishes them every happiness, she’s sick of it. But then she meets Will, a sweet guy from New York who’s here on vacation with his family. Anna knows Will’s just a tourist and that he’ll be leaving at the end of the summer, but she falls for him anyway. Anna has never felt about anyone the way she feels about Will, but as the summer winds down, she’ll face one of the hardest decisions of her life. Will their separation be too much to bear and should she just get it over with, or should she make the most of what little time they have left?

Sixteenth Summer is a sweet and innocent read perfect for the summer season. Sometimes I actually avoid books that are advertised as summer reads because while they are lots of fun, they’re usually without much substance. Sixteenth Summer, however, isn’t quite typical. Yes, there is the nearly all consuming romantic relationship between Anna and Will that drives much of the story. However, this book is also about family, belonging, and learning to love oneself; these other aspects are worth noting even though the emphasis of the story is mainly on Anna’s relationship with Will. What I really appreciated about this central romance was its innocence; I feel like many other romantic beach reads are much more mature in their content, so it’s nice to see the other side of the coin. Dalton has done a spectacular job in portraying Anna and Will’s relationship; the difficulties that they deal with are complex yet easy to understand, and Anna’s corresponding indecision over how to deal with their relationship makes her feel even more realistic rather than wishy-washy. With vivid characters and, of course, the perfect summery backdrop, Dalton’s young adult debut is a fun, quick, and meaningful read.

Sixteenth Summer will be enjoyed by readers who also liked The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, Cruel Summer by Alyson Noël, and Sea Change by Aimee Friedman.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab

The Summer Before Boys by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Julia and Eliza are best friends. Technically, Julia is Eliza’s aunt, but since they’re practically the same age, they just tell everyone that they’re cousins. This summer, Julia’s mother is serving in the National Guard and her father is too busy with his job, so Julia gets to stay with her Aunt (technically sister) and Eliza. And at first it’s great. Spending time with Eliza at the resort just up the hill is the perfect way to distract Julia from her worries about her mother’s safety. And it’s fun, all the laughing and hiking and make-believe. But then everything changes with boys. Neither girl is prepared for what a single boy will do to their friendship, but in finding out, they’ll discover the things that really matter most.

The Summer Before Boys is a sweet and poignant middle grade coming of age novel. Lately, I haven’t found myself reading much middle grade, partly because it’s been a little while since I considered myself part of that age group, but The Summer Before Boys is the perfect example of why I shouldn’t neglect middle grade in my reading list. For me, the only thing that defined this novel as middle grade was the age and maturity of protagonist Julia. As a preteen, she’s just beginning to discover the novelty of boys, and she doesn’t quite know how to manage boys, friends, and family. Older teens may find Julia’s youngness a little difficult to personally relate to, but I found her character to be completely endearing. I could empathize with her struggles and her feeling that no one really understood. But what truly elevated this novel above middle grade status for me was Baskin’s writing. The sophistication in the way she tells Julia’s story is what makes this novel appropriate for older readers. Julia’s story is interspersed with flashbacks as well as facts and anecdotes about women in US military history. These little asides added so much depth to Julia’s character and made her much easier to understand. I was truly moved by this story, and I think that The Summer Before Boys has the power to affect all readers as well.

The Summer Before Boys will be enjoyed by fans of The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer and The Darlings Are Forever by Melissa Kantor.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab

The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky

Louise Lambert is just your ordinary seventh grader with a passion for vintage clothing. When she receives an elaborate invitation to a private vintage sale, she goes along, thinking she’ll fine a dress for her school formal. Instead, trying on a beautiful pink gown somehow transports her to a hundred years into the past and onto a luxurious cruise ship. At first Louise is thrilled. Everyone thinks that she is a glamorous movie star named Alice Baxter instead of a slightly awkward twelve-year-old, and she gets to wear opulent gowns every day!  What more could a girl want? But then Louise finds out what ship she’s actually on, and everything changes, because Louise is on the infamous Titanic. Can Louise save herself and her new friends aboard the ship, or all they all fated to be victims of the inevitably sinking ship?

The Time-Traveling Fashionista is a simply adorable middle grade novel that combines vintage fashion and time travel. I don’t think you can get much more unique than that! Fortunately, Turetsky delivers a wonderfully sweet story along with these great ideas. Initially, I didn’t find Louise’s character to be particularly well drawn, but I soon grew to like her, especially as she showed her determination to help as many people as possible on the Titanic. I just love how Turetsky shows a fascinating part of history through the eyes of a modern day preteen; readers get to see a historical event from a unique perspective that is probably easier for them to relate to than a textbook. Aside from the actual story, The Time-Traveling Fashionista includes full color illustrations. Usually I’m a little wary of books with illustrations, but I loved Sandra Suy’s drawings. Aside from being just gorgeous, they help the reader visualize Louise on her adventures. Overall, this is a thoroughly entertaining if not particularly deep story that exposes readers to the finer parts of vintage fashion as well as a unique moment in history.

The Time-Traveling Fashionista will be enjoyed by fans of Wish and Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from publisher Little, Brown

A Week of Many Book Events

Last week was a week of lots of book events. And boy am I regretting putting off posting about them until now! Because I went to 4 events last week! And therefore, I have lots of pictures and commentary to share.

On Tuesday, I arrived 3 hours early for a book signing at Books of Wonder. Why, you ask? Well, since the signing was for Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, and Lauren Destefano, of course I had to arrive early to beat the crowds. And it was packed in there! Everyone was squished together to see these three fabulous authors.

Lauren Destefano, Cassandra Clare, and Holly Black

Holly, Cassie, and Lauren each talked a bit about their newest books, read, and answered some Q&A. Here's a little video of Cassie reading from The Clockwork Prince:

In all, this was one heck of an event. I got books signed, snagged a bunch of awesome swag, and got to chat with so many lovely people, including Lauren Destefano, her editor, Amy from The Pages of Brooks, Vania from VLC Productions, and many, many others.

me and Lauren Destefano

Then, on Thursday, I found myself at the cutest little tea salon for the launch party for Bianca Turetsky's The Time-Traveling Fashionista. In addition to the cucumber sandwiches, scones, and miniature desserts, there was great company and conversation with my friends Mitali from The Alley of Books and Genna from Reading, Writing, and the World of Words, the lovely and fashionable author Bianca herself, as well as her publicist, editor, and agent.

Me, Bianca Turetsky, and one of the sketches from the book

While I was there, I also picked up an extra signed copy of The Time-Traveling Fashionista to give away here, so if you want your own copy, please enter below!

CONTEST CLOSED

(1) lucky winner will receive a signed copy of The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky and a Time-Traveling Fashionista luggage tag

Fill out the form to enter:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDl3QjdaVVpoVDB4VGZoemNNZGtNd1E6MQ

Other details:

• US mailing addresses only.
• Contest ends 5/30/11, at 9 p.m. EST.

Remember, you must complete the form to be entered, and only one form submission per person will be counted. If you have any questions about this contest, see my contest policy, or contact me and ask away.

Then on Sunday, I went to two different events. First I went to Books of Wonder (again), this time to see Gary Schmidt, Maryrose Wood, and Barry Hoffman.

Gary Schmidt, Maryrose Wood, and Barry Hoffman

Each read from his/her book and then there was an extensive Q&A session. Sadly, because it was Mother's Day, there wasn't a huge turnout, but I know I had a great time (Maryrose in particular is a fantastic reader).

In the evening, I made my way to Brooklyn for Susane Colasanti's first Barnes & Noble event ever! The turnout for this event was also quite modest due to the holiday, but Susane still made the most of it with a fabulous reading and some really great Q&A.

Susane Colasanti at her first B&N event

I had a lovely time chatting with my friend Mitali from The Alley of Books, Susane's publicist, and the lovely Susane herself. And I made off with some cute postcards featuring the covers of Susane's earlier books.

Mitali, Susane, and me

And that finally brings this exhausting post to a close!

Everfound by Neal Shusterman

It could be the end of the world as they know it. Even though Mary Hightower has yet to be awakened from her glass coffin, her accomplices are doing their best to serve her and her grand plans—bringing the entire world into Everlost. And so Mary’s loyal followers reap new souls by preventing recently deceased children from getting where they were going and ultimately “saving” them. At least, that’s how Mary sees it. But not everyone agrees with her, and it soon becomes apparent that Mary’s crew will have more than just familiar enemies to deal with. Can the dissenters put aside their differences to fight against Mary, or will she be successful in orchestrating her vision of a worldwide Armageddon?

I have to say that I quite enjoyed Everlost and Everwild, but I was completely blown away by Everfound. This conclusion to Shusterman’s spectacular Skinjacker trilogy was its longest and most memorable installment by far. There is so much danger and drama already in the world of Everlost, as detailed in the first two books of the trilogy, but Shusterman introduces many new and exciting complications. There are whole hosts of new Afterlights to be reckoned with, new vortexes and objects with formidable powers, and new ties between Everlost and the real world. The sheer amount of imagination evident in Shusterman’s writing simply astounds me; I doubt many other writers could incorporate bodily possession of animals, physically living within two worlds, and a prophetic jukebox into a story as skillfully and realistically as Shusterman does in Everfound. What’s even more impressive is how he does this while maintaining completely believable if eccentric characters and situations. This trilogy was such a pleasure to read that I am truly sad that it is coming to a close. It’s an epic story of life, love, and death that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very satisfying end.

I most definitely recommend the Skinjacker trilogy to any fans of fantasy and especially to readers who enjoyed reading Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot by Andrew Auseon and the Escape from Furnace series by Alexander Gordon Smith.

Rating: 4.75

Review copy from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab

Stay by Deb Caletti

Clara thought her relationship with Christian would be perfect, because he seemed perfect. He seemed the perfect gentleman, the perfect boyfriend. But the intensity of their relationship may be too much for the both of them. The longer that they are together, the more that Clara realizes that there is a darker side to Christian that drives him into jealous rages. And while Clara undoubtedly still cares for him, she’s also a little afraid. She can’t stay with Christian forever, but she may be underestimating how far he will go to make sure she won’t leave him. Even after she leaves for the summer without telling anyone where she is, she can’t shake the feeling that it’s only a matter of time before he finds her again.

Stay is a chilling and deeply emotional story about a girl who is the object of an obsession. This isn’t really a story that you read for the plot, because it’s pretty clear what will happen throughout the course of the story.  This does not take away from the masterpiece of Caletti’s writing, though. There is just something so detailed and almost lyrical about Caletti’s style that draws the reader in and emphasizes the underlying emotion of Clara’s story. The joy, the pain, and, most of all, the fear that Clara experiences are so powerfully conveyed. There were times that I really didn’t want to keep reading, because Christian’s character was just so disturbing, yet I did, because of the writing and the strength of Clara’s character. This is one of those books that tears you apart and then heals you; it’s a vicarious experience that is painful and difficult but so important for the scarier human traits it exposes. Stay is one of the more jarring but still beautiful works by Caletti, and I hope its darker nature will not discourage readers from delving into its complexities.

Fans of Caletti’s writing in Wild Roses and The Nature of Jade will appreciate Stay, as will readers who also enjoyed This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas and Stolen by Lucy Christopher.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab

Win A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

CONTEST CLOSED

I'm going to let you guys in on a little secret: I am a big fan of fantasy. Okay, so maybe that's not really a secret at all; after all, I have a lot of favorite books that are fantasies. But I still get really excited when I stumble upon new fantasy books that sound really great, namely, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. So, if you're like me and love fantasy (even if it's not technically YA), here's your chance to win a great book!

A Discover of Witches begins on a late September afternoon when Diana Bishop, a bright, young historian studying amidst the ancient stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian library, calls up a medieval manuscript of alchemical illustrations. As soon as she picks it up Diana realizes that the book—Ashmole 782—is an enchanted object of untold power. As it turns out, Diana is not only a first-rate scholar of seventeenth- century chemistry but also a descendant of a long and distinguished line…of witches. She’s spent her adult life distancing herself from her supernatural destiny, and after a quick look at Ashmole 782 she sends the book back to the stacks and her magical history with it.

However, Diana isn’t the only one who has noticed that the manuscript has resurfaced, and her discovery immediately sets the fantastical underworld stirring. It soon becomes apparent that Ashmole 782 is a coveted treasure that’s been lost for centuries and Diana is the first and only being that has met the terms of its spell. Soon she finds herself beset by members of all three magical species—daemons, witches, and vampires—who swarm upon Oxford, seeking the text. She finds a crucial ally in Matthew Clairmont, a dashing geneticist and a vampire, whose preeminence in his field has been achieved after years upon years upon years of study. The two team up despite an age-old enmity between their species, becoming closer over candlelit dinners, supernatural yoga classes, and a trip to Matthew’s ancestral home (well, castle) in southern France.

As their challenges grow, so do Diana’s powers, and together she and Matthew must battle the forces rallying against them to unlock the secrets of a manuscript whose pages promise clues to a mysterious past and uncertain future. Equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense, A Discover of Witches is a mesmerizing and addictive read.

(1) lucky winner will receive A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and a set of buttons
courtesy of Penguin Group

Other details:

• US mailing addresses only.
• Contest ends 5/18/11, at 9 p.m. EST.

Remember, you must complete the form to be entered, and only one form submission per person will be counted. If you have any questions about this contest, see my contest policy, or contact me and ask away.

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

Ginny Blackstone thought all her European adventures were over. She thought they ended when her backpack and the last little blue envelope from her deceased aunt were stolen. She’s almost content to stay at home and force herself to write her college admissions essays—almost. Part of her is not ready to give up this freedom, so when a stranger in London contacts her regarding the whereabouts of the last letter, Ginny doesn’t hesitate to jump on a plane across the Atlantic. More than anything, Ginny just wants to find out where the last letter takes her and preserve her connection with her beloved aunt. But what’s in store for her is so far from her expectations. Ginny’s new journey will be like no other.

Though 13 Little Blue Envelopes was originally intended as a standalone novel, I enjoyed its follow up The Last Little Blue Envelope very much. I’m usually annoyed when standalones turn into long, drawn out series, because I then feel obligated to read all of them if I enjoyed the first. However, with Johnson, I would be more than happy to read another one of Ginny’s European adventures. This just goes to show the immense skill of Johnson’s writing and storytelling. Even though it takes a little while to get into The Last Little Blue Envelope, I kept reading on because I loved the depth and realism of Ginny’s character and because I knew my persistence would be rewarded. Johnson never fails to create a diverse and believable set of characters who find themselves in unique situations yet still much deal with basic themes such as family, friendship, and love. I think this is the reason why I have loved every book that I’ve read by Johnson. Her stories are both exotic and perfectly ordinary, and the writing is always consistently beautiful and satisfying.

Fans of 13 Little Blue Envelopes will not want to miss its belated sequel in The Last Little Blue Envelope, nor will readers who enjoyed Suite Scarlett, also by Maureen Johnson, and North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from NetGalley 

Tale of a book signing with Jenny Han

So last Tuesday, I found myself once again at Books of Wonder for an event. It was Jenny Han's launch party for her newly released, We'll Always Have Summer, the last in her Summer trilogy! And, like most of the other book events that I go to, it was lots of fun!

Mitali from Alley of Books and I arrived fashionably early. We couldn't really figure out the format of the event (as there were no chairs), but that worry was quickly disregarded when we discovered a congregation of people, who coincidentally are a lot of the people who I will be working with this summer! That's right, we found a bunch of the lovely Macmillan ladies. I'm sure they're not nearly as excited to have me there for the summer than I am to be working with them (and they were plenty excited so...)!

The fact that Jenny started the event with signing books was a little bit disorienting, but that gave lots of time for mingling. And since the turnout was so great, there was a lot of mingling to be done. I met so many new and interesting people from a variety of publishers and literary agencies, found some publicists I already new through reviewing, as well as chatted up a couple of authors, namely Melissa Walker and Coe Booth.

The lovely and hilarious Jenny Han

Jenny reads from We'll Always Have Summer

The signing was briefly interrupted for Jenny to do a short reading. Then we all went back to our mingling. As well as partaking of the delicious (and homemade!) cupcakes that Jenny brought for her launch.

Oh, and did I mention that Melissa was rocking the Pajants? Those Pajants, from the Twitterhood of the Traveling Pajants which I recently spotted at another event? As you can not very well see from this picture, the back of the Pajants have been wonderfully decorated by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Oliver, and Courtney Sheinmel.

A back view of the Pajants, as worn by Melissa Walker

Sadly, this was my only signing for the week because the second event that I was planning on going to, one for Maureen Johnson, had been cancelled. My appetite for book signings was not quite sated, but at least it was appeased by the marvelousness of Jenny Han's spectacular launch party!