2013 Releases for the TBR List: Doubles/Parallels

Way belated post, but here's the fifth (and final planned) installment of the 2013 Releases for the TBR List series. Previous lists: contemporary, space, sci-fi, and dystopia.

Looking through the 2013 YA releases, I noticed that there were quite a few titles that deal with doubles (either in the form of clones, lookalikes, etc.) or parallel (i.e. also doubled) timelines (such as alternate universes/realities).

Pivot Point - Kasie West

February 12th, 2013 | HarperTeen

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Been hearing loads of great things about Kasie West's writing, so definitely excited to check this one out. 

Just Like Fate - Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young

August 27th, 2013 | Simon Pulse

Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life.

The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending...

Tandem - Anna Jarzab

October 8th 2013 | Delacorte

Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

The first book in the Many-Worlds Trilogy, Tandem is a riveting saga of love and betrayal set in parallel universes in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems.

I really enjoyed Anna Jarzab's All Unquiet Things (reviewed); it even ranked on my Top 10 of 2010 post way back when. Definitely interested in checking out her newer stuff.  

Linked- Imogen Howson

June 11th, 2013 | Simon & Schuster

Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere. 

Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes. 

Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed. 

Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world. 

Riveting, thought-provoking and utterly compelling, Linked will make you question what it really means to be human.

The Originals - Cat Patrick

May 7th, 2013 | Little, Brown

17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

Imposter - Susanne Winnacker

May 28th, 2013 | Razorbill

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again. 

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

Parallel - Lauren Miller

May 14th, 2013 | HarperTeen

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

2013 Releases for the TBR List: Dystopia

Fourth installment of the 2013 Releases for the TBR List series. Seems fitting to follow up the post on sci-fi reads with one on dystopian reads. For more information, also check out parts one (contemporary) and two (space).

This post has actually been saved as a draft for months now, but didn't get around to finishing and completing it until now. To recap quickly: links lead to Goodreads, where the synopsis descriptions are also pulled from. If you have any opinions on any of these books, or any other recommendations, do drop a note in the comments section below!

Reboot - Amy Tintera

May 7th, 2013 | HarperTeen

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

This one has been receiving a lot of buzz recently, and I've had my eye on it for awhile, after spotting it at the local Indigo bookstore.

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey

May 7th, 2013 | Putnam Juvenile

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Another one that's been the object of a lot of hype this year. Had the same release date as Amy Tintera's Reboot.

In the After - Demitria Lunetta

June 25th, 2013 | Harper Teen

They hear the most silent of footsteps.

They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

Rush - Eve Silver

June 11th, 2013 | Katherine Tegen

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

The Program - Suzanne Young

April 30th, 2013 | Simon Pulse

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Of Beast and Beauty - Stacey Jay

July 23rd, 2013 | Delacorte

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

2013 Releases for the TBR List: Sci-Fi

This is the third installment of the 2013 Releases for the TBR List series. For more information, check out parts one (contemporary) & two (space). Following a feature on YA novels that take place in space, it seems only natural (see below, first one on the list is titled The Naturals) to progress to science fiction.

Same as before, books showcased here are either standalones or the first in new series. Links direct to Goodreads, where the book descriptions are also pulled from. If you have any particular or additional recommendations, please do drop a note in the comments section!

The Naturals - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

November 5th, 2013 | Disney-Hyperion

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.

Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

All Our Yesterdays - Cristin Terrill

September 3rd, 2013 | Disney-Hyperion

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. 

Mila 2.0 - Debra Driza

March 12, 2013 | Katherine Tegen Books

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past—that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

The Testing - Joelle Charbonneau

June 4th, 2013 | Houghton Mifflin

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same? 

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. 

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one. 

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

When We Wake - Karen Healey

March 5th, 2013 | Little, Brown

Sixteen-year-old Tegan is just like every other girl living in 2027—she's happiest when playing the guitar, she's falling in love for the first time, and she's joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world: environmental collapse, social discrimination, and political injustice.

But on what should have been the best day of Tegan's life, she dies—and wakes up a hundred years later, locked in a government facility with no idea what happened.

The future isn't all she had hoped it would be, and when appalling secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: Does she keep her head down and survive, or fight for a better world?

Control - Lydia Kang

December 26th, 2013 | Dial

When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn't even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts, and her own grit, Zel must find a way to get her sister back from the kidnappers who think a powerful secret is encoded in Dyl’s DNA.

A spiraling, intense, romantic story set in 2150—in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms—this is about the human genetic “mistakes” that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes.

2013 Releases for the TBR List: Contemporary

I could probably count on one hand the number of YA novels I've read in 2013 (sad, right?). But by the looks of it, there have been some awesome releases in 2013, so over the next couple of days, I'm running a series of compilations of 2013 YA releases that look worthwhile to be added to the TBR list. Just a heads up, the books that'll be featured will either be standalones or the first in series. If you have any particular recommendations, drop a note in the comments section!

Without further ado, let's get started with Contemporary (in no particular order; links lead to Goodreads, where the descriptions are also pulled from):

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

September 10th, 2013 | St. Martin's Press

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

This one's been getting a ton of hype recently, and I've been seeing it around despite being basically (metaphorically) under a rock (in regards to YA), so definitely curious to check it out. And Eleanor & Park was a NYT Bestseller, so.

The Milk of Birds - Sylvia Whitman

April 16th, 2013 | Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Know that there are many words behind the few on this paper...

Fifteen-year-old Nawra lives in Darfur, Sudan, in a camp for refugees displaced by the Janjaweed’s trail of murder and destruction. Nawra cannot read or write, but when a nonprofit organization called Save the Girls pairs her with an American donor, Nawra dictates her thank-you letters. Putting her experiences into words begins to free her from her devastating past—and to brighten the path to her future.

K. C. is an American teenager from Richmond, Virginia, who hates reading and writing—or anything that smacks of school. But as Nawra pours grief and joy into her letters, she inspires K. C. to see beyond her own struggles. And as K. C. opens her heart in her responses to Nawra, she becomes both a dedicated friend and a passionate activist for Darfur.

In this poetic tale of unlikely sisterhood, debut author Sylvia Whitman captures the friendship between two girls who teach each other compassion and share a remarkable bond that bridges two continents.

Out of Nowhere - Maria Padian

February 12th, 2013 | Knopf Books for Young Readers

At Maquoit High School, Tom Bouchard has it made: captain and star of the soccer team, boyfriend to one of the prettiest, most popular girls, and third in his class, likely to have his pick of any college, if he ever bothers filling out his applications. But life in his idyllic small Maine town quickly gets turned upside down after the events of 9/11. 

Enniston has become a “secondary migration” location for Somali refugees, who are seeking a better life after their country was destroyed by war—they can no longer go home. Tom hasn’t thought much about his Somali classmates until four of them join the soccer team, including Saeed. He comes out of nowhere on the field to make impossible shots, and suddenly the team is winning, dominating even; but when Saeed’s eligibility is questioned and Tom screws up in a big way, he’s left to grapple with a culture he doesn’t understand and take responsibility for his actions. Saeed and his family came out of nowhere and vanish just as quickly. And Tom may find himself going nowhere, too, if he doesn’t start trying to get somewhere.

My Life After Now - Jessica Verdi

April 2nd, 2013 | Sourcebooks Fire

Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it's all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of.

And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family?

Now her life is completely different...every moment is a gift. Because now she might not have many moments left.

Ketchup Clouds - Annabel Pitcher

November 2012 | Orion

Secrets, romance, murder and lies: Zoe shares a terrible secret in a letter to a stranger on death row in this second novel from the author of the bestselling debut, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece.

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret—a dark and terrible secret that she can't confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder.

Full of heartache yet humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can—in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal.

What a title! Concept sounds very unique and intriguing as well. 

OCD Love Story - Corey Ann Haydu

July 23rd, 2013 | Simon Pulse

When Bea meets Beck, she knows instantly that he’s her kind of crazy. Sweet, strong, kinda-messed-up Beck understands her like no one else can. He makes her feel almost normal. He makes her feel like she could fall in love again.

But despite her feelings for Beck, Bea can’t stop thinking about someone else: a guy who is gorgeous and magnetic... and has no idea Bea even exists. But Bea knows a lot about him. She spends a lot of time watching him. She has a journal full of notes. Some might even say she’s obsessed.

Bea tells herself she’s got it all under control. But this isn’t a choice, it’s a compulsion. The truth is, she’s breaking down...and she might end up breaking her own heart.

Since You Asked - Maurene Goo

June 25th, 2013 | Scholastic

A humorous, debut novel about a Korean-American teenager who accidentally lands her own column in her high school newspaper, and proceeds to rant her way through the school year while struggling to reconcile the traditional Korean values of her parents with contemporary American culture.

It's been a while...

It's been a while since a lot of things. Since I've updated this blog (nearly a year!), since I've really had time to read consistently, since I've been as plugged in to the YA blogosphere.

Went for a walk with a friend one night last week, and we stumbled upon a secondhand bookstore. And then I found this gem for only $1! Double Spell by Janet Lunn, first published by Penguin back in 1968. I remembered reading this as a child (which would've been in the late '90s/early 2000s), so it was super exciting to find a copy still in really good condition and for so cheap.

So I think I'm going to try to get back into a pattern of reading frequently, one book at a time. And maybe this blog will see a bit of a revival in the coming days...

So what books from your childhood are you still nostalgic for?

Go-To Books

There are a few books/authors whose work I tend to find myself drawn back to, time and again. Books that I'll re-read (although rarely from cover to cover again, mind you), flipping open to any page or to a particularly memorable scene. Sometimes just for fun, sometimes when I'm bored, sometimes when I need a bit of comfort. Does anyone else do that, re-read segments of books?

Off the top of my head, some that are among the more frequently revisited: the Harry Potter series, the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, Crimson Hero, Little Women, The Hunger Games series... 

The photo above was taken earlier this summer at a hostel in London, England. There was a book exchange bookshelf in the lobby, and it was kind of cool to see all the well-traveled books there, left behind by unknown travelers. Browsed through Catching Fire as I charged my phone for a bit - it was a bit surreal, to be engrossed in a familiar book with a very different packaging. 

How about you, what're your go-to reads whose worlds you visit again and again?

Wanted: Book Recommendations

Hello there, Blogosphere! It's been a while, hasn't it? The past couple of months have been insane, from finishing up the semester to exploring a foreign continent. It's been a grand adventure for sure.

Looking back at my Top 10 of 2011 and Top 10 of 2010 posts recently, I realized that, as sad as it sounds, as of right now I haven't read enough books for pleasure this year to do such a post. So - since I'm heading home for a bit of a break soon, I'm hoping to get in some quality reading time.

But looking at all the offerings available, I'm at a bit of a loss - where should I start? What books (recent or classics) should I devour this upcoming month? Which novels have been absolutely standout and really resonated with you? What stories have kept you up into the wee hours of night, unable to leave the fictional world the words created?

Cheers!

Giveaway: My Life Undecided

Hard to believe that it's already October and cool Autumn days are here once again. Coloured leaves, layered clothing and piping hot chocolate... despite the cooler weather, Fall is still a pretty awesome season. So... giveaway time! In collaboration with Zeitghost Media, Lucid Conspiracy is pleased to present a giveaway for a copy of My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody!PLEASE READ THIS! MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

Okay, maybe that was a bit melodramatic, but I’m sorry, I’m feeling a bit melodramatic at the moment.

Here’s the deal. My name is Brooklyn Pierce, I’m fifteen years old, and I am decisionally challenged. Seriously, I can’t remember the last good decision I made. I can remember plenty of crappy ones though. Including that party I threw when my parents were out of town that accidentally burned down a model home. Yeah, not my finest moment, for sure.

But see, that’s why I started a blog. To enlist readers to make my decisions for me. That’s right. I gave up. Threw in the towel. I let someone else be the one to decide which book I read for English. Or whether or not I accepted an invitation to join the debate team from that cute-in-a-dorky-sort-of-way guy who gave me the Heimlich Maneuver in the cafeteria. (Note to self: Chew the melon before swallowing it.) I even let them decide who I dated!

Well, it turns out there are some things in life you simply can’t choose or have chosen for you—like who you fall in love with. And now everything’s more screwed up than ever.

But don’t take my word for it, read the book and decide for yourself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream in frustration. Or maybe that’s just me. After all, it’s my life.

Contest open to US & Canada [mailing addresses] and runs until October 15th, 11:59pm EST. First entry is a freebie.

ENTER HERE

Submit your entry here, and good luck! Check out Jessica Brody's site or the book site for more info.

Word on the Street 2011

Sunday, September 25th was The Word on the Street, an annual national book & magazine festival that celebrates literacy and the written word. (WOTS site) It was pretty cool last year (Yann Martel had a presentation!), so J (who went with me last year too) and I decided to check it out again this year.

We went earlier in the afternoon this time around, and it was definitely a lot more packed, as we were there during peak hours.
^ Look, it's the HarperCollins booth! Not sure if you guys can tell from the photo, but there are cover promos for Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (set for release November 2011) and Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon (October 2011), among others.
Overall, it was a pretty cool festival!

Did any of you guys check it out/what did you think?

Giveaway: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

Catherynne M. Valente's first novel for young readers The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is now available from Macmillan Children's. After you've checked out the super-duper trailer above, be sure to pop by Macmillan's page for the book, as well as Catherynne's site and blog.

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn?t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

If that sounds like a book you'd like to win, then enter the giveaway (hosted in collaboration with Zeitghost Media)! Contest is open to mailing address in the US & Canada, and will run until June 30th, 2011 noon EST. Go here to enter. Good luck!

ENTER HERE

Launching Across The Universe

(Image by Jeremy)

So you may remember my excitement last Wednesday when I WoWed Beth's Revis' Across The Universe. Well, today brings us the day of the launch, woohoo!

In celebration of that, let's have some awesome Across the Universe-themed goodies :)

Let's start off with an interview with the awesome author Beth Revis:

How much fun is that interactive video? I love how the interview feels very personal and professional - definitely amps up the excitement for Across The Universe. So of course the next logical step would be to check out the book trailer:

How haunting is that narration? I think Lauren Ambrose did a beautiful job with the voice and emotion behind the words. Check out the official Across the Universe website and explore the Godspeed - I think it's especially cool how there's a produce greenhouse & everything is grown there - self-sustaining!

Still not hooked yet? Then check out io9 to read the first 111 pages of Across the Universe (they'll be available from 11:11am to 11:11pm EST today)!

Across the Universe's web presence:

Facebook fanpage } { Website

Beth Revis' web presence:

Website } { Blog } { Twitter

Penguin's web presence:

Website } { Twitter } { Facebook fanpage

See you across the universe! :)

Behemoth Books

So I've been noticing what seems to be turning into a trend in YA lit these days: long books.

Is it just me, or does it feel like there are more and more 400-page-plus books coming out recently? Some examples that come to mind off the top of my head would be Beautiful Creatures, Before I Fall, The Eternal Ones, Nightshade, etc. There are also a few in the 350-400 page range that are also rather hefty, such as The Dark Divine, Brightly Woven, etc.

Now, one of the general unspoken tidbits about writing is that there's no set word count - write it in as many or as few words as it takes to tell the story.

There are books that do this brilliantly. For example, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire (hehe, had to bring it up -Mockingjay tomorrow!) are decently sized books - but every page, every word feels necessary. The plot, the language, the characters - everything keeps the reader completely entranced. The Harry Potter books got pretty hefty by the end, but they're still amazing reads and hugely popular.

Unfortunately this doesn't always seem to be the case. Honestly, it feels like a recurring observation in many of my reviews now, the fact that some books are simply unncessarily long. I'm not going to into naming specific examples and calling anybody out here, but some scenes just feel like the book could've done without. Others, backstory and setting up the scene takes the first hundred pages or so. Seriously? Just get to the story already.

Has anyone else been finding this recently, books being longer than they need to be?

What's Your Font?

I'm curious - how do you guys feel about fonts?

For me, there're specific fonts that I've simply come to associate with certain books or franchises. I'm sure the obvious ones come to mind for you guys as well - Harry Potter, the Twilight series, etc. all have very distinctive ones.

A little more subtle, the interior text of books often have unique fonts as well. Those favoured series that are often read seem to convey a certain personality through their specific respective fonts, each rounded loop, each serifed stem, each sloping line.

Unfortunately I don't know the fonts of these books off-hand (perhaps you do?), but there are a few that stick out particularly. Gail Carson Levine's fractured fairy tale books always seem to contain the same font, and I've come to have a fond spot for the innocent yet regal letters. Ann Brashares' The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series has one specific typeset throughout the novels, another one for opening chapter quotes, and then each Tibby, Bridget, Lena and Carmen have associated "handwriting"s. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Jaclyn Moriarty's characters (especially in The Year of Secret Assignments) have different writing as well.

Awhile ago I remember opening an MG book and literally thinking, "Oh my gosh, wow, it's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - font!"

How about you, do fonts play a role in your reading experience? Do you find yourself attached to a few in particular, or associate them with where you first saw them? What's your font?!

Book Blogs =/= Homework Help

This is an issue I've been meaning to blog about for some time now. Let's face it - it's kind of cool to see what keywords people are using in search engines and such to end up at your blog.

But lately I've been noticing a very disturbing trend. For some time now, search phrases such as:

"North of Beautiful Characters"
"North of Beautiful themes"
"Candor book themes"
"What is the setting of [North of Beautiful] [Candor] [All Unquiet Things] [Bad Girls Don't Die] etc."
"What is the theme of [book title]"

and those are simply a few examples of a huge slew of queries that somehow lead here. Themes, setting, literary devices, characters, you name it. A few book titles seem to pop up especially much - perhaps they're being used in schools?

And then last month I got these two comments - in quick succession, no less - by an anonymous commenter: "HELP!!! What is Carter's last name?????" and "PLEASE I NEED HELP!!!! WHAT IS CARTER'S LAST NAME????"

But two particular search terms yesterday - from different search engines - really take the cake. "summary on the novel bad girls don't die that i can turn in to my teacher for a book report" and "summary on the novel bad girls don't die that i can hand in to my teacher as a report". Really, people, really? This is kind of appalling. I mean, have you no shame? To go around and attempt to commit such plagiarism... wow.

Have you guys been finding such a trend lately as well? How do you feel about it?

Twist Ties & Polka Dots

Semi - impromptu photoshoot today, which was nice, because it gave me the illusion that I was actually getting something done rather than just chillaxing the days away until second semester starts. The concept I was going for this time was a "stationary motion - creating lines of movement through body language" type of motif. You guys be the judge: what do you think?

Some days I really wish I had models at my beck and call to work with - it does get tedious trying to be both in front of and behind the camera, at the same time. It would be so fab to get to try different angles and shutter speeds, etc. Maybe someday, right?

On another note, are these darling bubble polka-dot shorts adorable or what? Too bad it's the middle of winter and there's mountains of snow piled high outside. Which basically equates to: way-to-cold-for-shorts season. Talk about bad timing; you know that feeling you get, the craving to wear something in particular, even though the temperature/weather is all wrong for it? So beat.

So recently I found out that The Reader by Bernhard Schlink has been made into a movie. I'd actually picked up a copy of the book second-hand at the library in early August. (Alright, alright, so maybe I'd gotten it because the cover photograph was intriguing - a sort of aged, vintage feel.) Anyway, after the move, all my books were still packed in boxes and I read The Reader and it was quite the deep, insightful read. Definitely thought-provoking. (Although I do wonder how much was lost in translation...) And better yet, Kate Winslet plays Hanna in the movie! I watched the trailer, and she isn't quite what I'd envisioned Hanna to be like (slightly more stocky, coarser hair, etc.) but it's Kate Winslet so I'm sure she's probably brilliant. Have you seen the movie yet?

Even more recently, I found out that this book is actually on the IBO's list of potential books that schools are allowed to choose! Unfortunately, mine didn't; but still, it was quite the You know you're in IB when... moment. In my defense though, I didn't know it was an IB-allowed book when I read it. ;)

In fact, I haven't done much reading at all lately. Any suggestions of recent good books?