A Great Holiday Gift

Congratulations to the fabulously talented Lisa Desrochers!

Contest Winner - Happy Holidays #2 & #3

Two more of my Happy Holiday Contests have now officially come to a close.

I'm excited to be giving away a signed copy of Laurie Halse Anderson's fabulously written novel, Chains, a National Book Award Finalist. After using the Research Randomizer, the winner is...

Lea. Check out her blog, YA Book Queen.

And...I'm giving away Michael Sussman's Otto Grows Down, one of my favorite picture books. After using the Research Randomizer, the winner is...

g.g.

Congrats to both of you! I've sent you an email.

Holiday Break Reading Challenge

The Holiday Break Reading Challenge is hosted by Karin @ Karin's Book Nook. Karin's created a blog specifically for the challenge. You can find it (and sign up!) by clicking here.

Here are the guidelines as set by Karin:

1) Anyone can participate. I'm focusing on teachers and students, but if you want to cram a little extra reading in during the holiday season, please join us.

2) The Reading Challenge is designed to be self-paced. I will ask for you to set a goal for the number of books you want to read, but if you don't reach the goal - no big deal. This is for fun.

3) You don't have to provide a list of books you plan to read in advance. You can, but it isn't required. My mood determines what I read so I usually don't stick to a list. If I can't do it, I don't want to force others to do it.

4) The Holiday Break Reading Challenge corresponds with my time off from school. So, it starts on Friday, December 18, 2009 andends on Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 at Midnight.

5) I'll have a section set up on the blog for reviews. Please link your reviews of the books you complete during the challenge.

6) Everyday there a new "Challenge" will be posted. These "Challenges" are designed to help you get to know other bloggers, talk about what you are reading, and share information about books. A new Mr. Linky (if I can figure it out) will be used in each post to record everyone's responses.

7) HERE IS THE BIG ONE! At least one prize will be given out everyday during the Reading Challenge. This might be a book, a bookmark, or other swag. No specifics lined up yet.

8) Be sure to follow the Reading Challenge on Twitter. New challenges and prize information will be announced there, too.

9. Grab the button to put on your blog.

So here's my list, the 8 books I'm going to read during the holiday break. I'm hoping to get through more than just these, but these are the ones on the top of my pile.

1. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire

2. Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

3. Lucky by Alice Sebold

4. Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo

5. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

6. Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

7. Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

8. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Loving The Lovely Bones

For a long time, I think I was the only person in publishing who hadn't read The Lovely Bones. No more. I finished it after this morning's train ride and am ready to see the movie (Can Peter Jackson please be the director for all books to film?).

When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didn't happen.

In the sweet, untroubled voice of a precocious teenage girl, Susie relates the awful events of her death and her own adjustment to the strange new place she finds herself. It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets.

With love, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie watches her family as they cope with their grief, her father embarks on a search for the killer, her sister undertakes a feat of amazing daring, her little brother builds a fort in her honor and begin the difficult process of healing.

Anyone who hasn't read this fantastic novel needs to. I can't help hope the movie holds up!

Travis Chase: The Next Jack Bauer

I’m not a fan of thrillers – never have been. I’m that person in the office that can still look at hundreds of thriller queries and just not get the good ones. (Hence why I’m also that person in the office, passing thriller queries to someone else and asking “What do you think?”)

I just don’t read thrillers. I’ve read 1 James Patterson novel (he writes thrillers right?), and I can’t even remember the title. And I read it in the name of teaching, for a homeroom student who was struggling with his independent reading project and had chosen said Patterson novel and needed help writing an essay. I started out trying to help without reading the book and realized it’d be easier and faster to read the book so I knew what I was talking about. (We worked on that essay for two weeks after school and went through multiple drafts, but said student got his first A- on an English paper.)

But I kept hearing good things about Patrick Lee’s upcoming debut novel, a supernatural thriller called The Breach, and I’ll try just about anything once. So I set my mind to it that I would read it. Then some of Patrick’s writing happened to move its way through my inbox, and I caught myself getting sucked into a document I was only supposed to print. (Oops.)

And when I found myself headed home without a book to read on the train ride home, I knew it was time. I borrowed the ARC from the oh-so-benevolent mean and sharkly and oh-so-fabulous agent extraordinaire, Janet Reid. And –

Wow.

I devoured The Breach in an evening, and suddenly find myself wondering – what have I been missing by avoiding these things called “thrillers”?

Here’s the book description:

Travis Chase. Ex-con. Ex-cop. The next action thriller hero.

Deep in the remote Alaskan wilderness, Travis Chase stumbles upon a terrifying mystery – a 747 has crashed, no rescue crews are in sight, and no one heard it go down. Even worse, among the bodies is the First Lady of the United States – and she’s left a cryptic note alluding to “Tangent.” When Travis sees hostages held at gunpoint, he must do whatever he can to rescue the prisoners…and uncover the secret of Tangent.

The hero – Travis Chase? I’m in love (yeah, move over Prince Brigan, I found another fictional hero to add to my unrealistic expectations in men). But more than that I liked and respected Travis right from the beginning. I empathized with him and wanted him to be successful. Almost immediately he became a hero I could – and had to – root for. He’s complex, fallible, imperfect, and real. He comes to life within the first two pages.

From pages 4-5:

There was pressure to go back home of course…What future did he see for himself up north, two thousand miles from his family? What future did he see among them? Even to the few who could understand and forgive what he’d done, he’d always be the brother who spent half of his twenties and all of his thirties in prison. Twenty years from now, in the eyes of the next generation, he’d be that guy. That uncle. You could only get so free.

Seriously. This is a Must Read for anyone who likes thrillers and also likes supernatural and science fiction elements. I love am terrified of the mean and sharkly Janet Reid and now I love Patrick Lee. I've just added Travis Chase to my list of series which I have to buy as soon as they come out.

Check out the trailer and pick up a copy of The Breach on 12/29!

Contest Winner - Happy Holidays #1

My Lauren Myracle contest has now officially come to a close and I'm excited to be giving away a signed copy of her fabulously fun novel, Peace Love and Baby Ducks. After using the Research Randomizer, the winner is...

Lisa Dez a fabulous YA writer whose manuscript Personal Demons is an obsession of mine. Seriously, I love her characters. Check out her blog HERE.

Congratulations Lisa! I'm sending this book out to you this afternoon :)

Holiday Giveaway #4 - Otto Grows Down

So I hadn't planned on any more giveaways this holiday season (I though three was a pretty good number), but then I happened to get my hands on an extra copy of the fabulous picture book Otto Grows Down by Michael Sussman and illustrated by Scott Magoon, which would be a great gift for anyone with children in the family (or I won't tell if you decide to keep it, because um, hey picture books just make you feel warm and sparkly sometimes).

Otto has just one birthday wish: that his new baby sister Anna had never been born. And it comes true when the days suddenly start moving in reverse. But now, instead of growing up, Otto's growing DOWN. He's getting younger every minute and in danger of disappearing entirely. Can he turn things around before it's too late—for Anna and himself?

CONTEST

All you have to do is comment below and include your email address so I know how to contact you. Enter by midnight on December 20th. I'll send it out immediately on the 21st, and you should have it before Christmas.

Extra entries:

+1 New followers

+2 If you're already a follower

+1 Linking to my contest on your blog, twitter, etc. Include links. (up to 5)

+3 For posting about my contest on your blog. (Must be actual post)

+2 Add me to your blog roll

+3 for referring someone to the contest

+3 for being the person referred

Better Late than Never

A blog I follow YA HIGHWAY did their "Road Trip Wednesday" yesterday and asked:

1) What are the three best books you've read this year?

2) If you could meet one author (living or dead), who would it be?

3) What book are you most looking forward to in 2010?

Though I'm a day late (and seriously, I apologize that my blog content has been kind of lacking lately, but this whole end of the year thing is coming up fast!), I had to participate. In 2008, I quit my job, left a 3 year engagement (but kept the dress), rented a 16 ft truck, and drove across the country from San Diego to Pennsylvania with four dogs. And in 2009 I found myself working my up from intern to junior agent at a literary agency, getting free books (!), and falling in love with my new career.

So, 2009 has been a big year for me - a great year - and I've been introduced to so many fantastic people and fantastic books.

1) The three best books I read this year?

I can't just pick three. I've been introduced to too many amazing books! Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater changed my life, Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta left me breathless, How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins had me on the edge of my seat and screaming, and Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers kept me up at night. If I have to play favorites, these are my top five reads this year. And Columbine by Dave Cullen has a special place in my heart .

2) If Icould meet one author (living or dead)?

Alan Paton because Cry the Beloved Country was the first book that sucked me in, held me spellbound, made me laugh and cry, and kept me tossing and turning every night for months after that first read. It was also the first book I read over and over again until not even duct tape could hold the binding together.

3) What book am I most looking forward to in 2010?

Be prepared. There are a lot. Obviously I've already pre-ordered the third book in the Hunger Games Series - and don't think that will stop me from trying to get an ARC! I can't wait for Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers (even though I already read it because I can't wait to read it again!). I'm dying for Melina Marchetta's Finnikin of the Rock which I've been tempted to import from Australia since it's already out there. And of course, I can't wait for The Duff by teen author and awesome gal Kody Keplinger.

Holiday Giveaway #3 - The Dark Divine

After attending a holiday/celebratory party at Egmont, I snagged a copy of the ARC for Bree Despain's The Dark Divine which comes out at the end of this month (I just love this cover).

A prodigal son

A dangerous love

A deadly secret . . .

I Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel's dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.

To read an excerpt, click HERE.

CONTEST

I'm giving away a signed copy of The Dark Divine to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is comment below and include your email address so I know how to contact you. Enter by midnight on December 30th.

Extra entries:
+1 New followers
+2 If you're already a follower
+1 Linking to my contest on your blog, twitter, etc. Include links. (up to 5)
+3 For posting about my contest on your blog. (Must be actual post)
+2 Add me to your blog roll
+3 for referring someone to the contest
+3 for being the person referred

Beautiful Creatures

“Some loves are meant to be…others are cursed.

There were no surprises in Gatlin County. At least, that’s what I thought. 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 love big epic love stories, especially ones where the author(s) creates an intricate world with an elaborate history I can yearn to know more about. And that's exactly what Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl did with their debut novel Beautiful Creatures.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen,

and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

To me, what makes Beautiful Creatures stand out is the Southern Gothic elements in the story, the fact that the setting of Gatlin - the town, it's history and culture - plays such a huge role in the characters and their personalities and the actual plot of the story. Because of the incredible world building and the unique aspects of southern culture which are so important in Beautiful Creatures, each of the characters, even minor ones, quickly come alive and stand out against other characters within the paranormal YA genre.

And no punches are pulled. It was easy to get sucked into Ethan's voice and his world, and the suspense and the twists just keep coming for all 600 pages.

Make sure you check out Little Brown's Beautiful Creatures Website, which includes a map of Gatlin!

Happy End of 2009

I can't believe how fast the year has flown by. But the holiday countdowns have already started. The lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center is tonight, the School Library Journal has listed the Best Books of 2009. (Hate List and When You Reach Me just jumped higher on my TBR list.) And NYT just posted their 10 Best Books of 2009 list (and I can't wait to get my hands on Jeanette Walls' Half Broke Horses).

In honor of the blistery cold weather (keep in mind I spent 10 years living in Miami and San Diego) and the fact that 2009 was a better year for me than 2008 (cross your fingers, I want that upward trend to continue), here's my cold ninja picture from the streets of DC before Obama's inauguration.

Contest Winner - Better Part of Darkness

My Kelly Gay contest has now officially come to a close and I'm excited to be giving away her fabulous debut novel, Better Part of Darkness which just came out from Pocket Books on November 24th. After using the Research Randomizer, the winner is...

Raelena at ThroughtheHaze Reads

Congratulations! I've sent you an email. Send me your address within the next 48 hours so I can ship your new book!

If you like all things paranormal...

Check out the 1st Annual Urban Fantasy Cover Art Awards at All Things Urban Fantasy. Abigail has gotten nominations for the best young adult and adult paranormal/urban fantasy covers, and you can vote right now for your favorites.

Happy Holidays GIVEAWAY #2: Chains

I recently had the good fortune to see Laurie Halse Anderson at a book signing at the Doylestown Bookshop, and in addition to Wintergirls, I picked up a discounted copy of the 2008 National Book Award Finalist Chains and had her sign it for me.

If an entire nation could seek its freedom, why not a girl?

As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight … for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccable researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.

To read an excerpt, click HERE.

CONTEST

I'm giving away a signed copy of Chains to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is comment below and include your email address so I know how to contact you. Enter by midnight on December 20th.

Extra entries:
+1 New followers
+2 If you're already a follower
+1 Linking to my contest on your blog, twitter, etc. Include links. (up to 5)
+3 For posting about my contest on your blog. (Must be actual post)
+2 Add me to your blog roll
+3 for referring someone to the contest
+3 for being the person referred