In The Next Room

Review Elsewhere: The Bungalow by Sarah Jio

2012-02-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

"A balmy dose of romance and history, The Bungalow provides further proof of Jio’s unique and wonderful talent."

Click here to read the rest of my review.

Author Interview with Amanda Grace

2012-01-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

How different is it writing more serious novels like But I Love Him and In Too Deep in comparison to your lighter fare under the name Mandy Hubbard, like You Wish? Do you write one type of novel followed by the other, or do you get into a mood and write several more serious books in a row?

I usually have to switch back and forth to accommodate deadlines. I wrote the initial draft of BUT I LOVE HIM just a couple of weeks before PRADA & PREJUDICE sold, and then I had to dive back into that. I don’t have much trouble alternating on two extremes, but when they’re a bit closer (RIPPLE is also serious) it can be harder. Sometimes I don’t even realize I’m using the wrong character names and have to do a find and replace.

Most often, authors tackle the subject of rape from the perspective of a survivor in a way that demonizes the rapist, what made you want to take on this issue in such a unique way?

I’m really fascinated by character who choose to lie, for one reason or another. HARMLESS by Dana Reinhardt is a book like that. Two girls lie about what they were doing one night to avoid getting caught for something fairly minor—but their lie spirals. I know books like this one can be frustrating for the reader—telling the truth is such an obvious choice, and right for moral reasons. It’s fun to explore a character who makes the wrong choices.

Have you ever experienced a rumour spiraling out of control?

Hmm. Certainly not to this extent. I was misunderstood, in general, in high school. I was shy and awkward but desperately wanted others to think I was effortlessly cool, and the result was not talking to a lot of people but pretending I didn’t care, and that made people actually think I was a snob, at times. It’s so easy to be misunderstood in high school, when we don’t have the life experience to see beyond the surface.

Getting Caught, a novel that you co-wrote with Cyn Balog, was recently published in ebook only format. What made you go this route as a traditionally published author? Can we expect anymore e-book releases from either Amanda Grace or Mandy Hubbard in the future?

Getting Caught was such an insanely fun project for me to write, and Cyn and I had a blast working together! It’s contemporary, fun, and centered around friendship, which is a hard sell in this market. We decided to explore the ebook-only idea because I think that’s just the best platform for a book that might be considered “too quiet” to break out in traditional publishing.

What are you reading and writing habits like?

If I’m not on deadline, I tend to write about an hour a day, alternating between fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, my fingers can barely keep up with what’s spewing out, and sort of tinkering and re-reading things. I definitely discover the story as I go, even when it is plotted out in advance. Twists and turns present themselves as I write. For reading, I tend to fill most of my reading time with full manuscripts. I tend to feel guilty knowing writers are oh-so-patiently waiting for my response, and then pulling open a published book and reading that instead. I went from reading about 75 books a year to more like 25 when I became an agent.

What are some of your favourite books you've read so far in late 2011/early 2012?

Right now I am reading A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL by Suzanne Young and loving it. I’m really excited to dive into BITTERSWEET By Sarah Ockler next. Earlier this year, I fell in love with REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly. And I had the pleasure of reading another e-pubbed amazon book, CROSS MY HEART by Katie Klein, and it’s freaking amazing.

Amanda Grace is a pen name for Young Adult author Mandy Hubbard (PRADA AND PREJUDICE, YOU WISH). She lives near Seattle, Washington, with her husband and young daughter. She is also a literary agent for D4EO Literary Agency.

Thanks so much to Amanda/Mandy for stopping by In The Next Room! To learn more about her novels, including In Too Deep, stop by her website. Click here to read my review of Ripple. Click here to check out the other stops on this tour.

Author Interview with emily m. danforth

2012-01-23T00:10:00.000-07:00

On your website you describe The Miseducation of Cameron Post as being about, among many things, "A girl named Jane Fonda and the hollowed compartment in her prosthetic leg." is there anyway you can elaborate on this without spoilers? If not, what else makes the novel so unexpected?

Well, that “synopsis” on my website is a bit cheeky, I suppose, and also maybe a little misleading, out of context, because it’s really built around Flannery O’Connor’s belief (one that I very much share) that “a story is a way to say something that can’t be said any other way, and it takes every word in the story to do so…a statement would be inadequate; so when anyone asks what a story is about, the only proper thing is to tell him to read the story.” I know that’s not a particularly satisfying answer, but I think it’s true: if I could have gotten at everything I wanted to get at in The Miseducation of Cameron Post with just a statement or a synopsis then I wouldn’t have needed to write a novel, right? So, you know, keeping all of that in mind: Jane Fonda is a character who appears in the second half (really, third act) of the novel. And no, she’s not the Jane Fonda—as in famous film actress, activist, fitness guru, and daughter of Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda—but certainly the Jane in my novel recognizes that her name, which, in most ways, is quite plain (plain-Jane), has this whole strange celebrity connection.

Jane is one of Cameron’s fellow “disciples” at God’s Promise, which is an evangelical boarding school and conversion therapy center Cameron’s Aunt Ruth sends her to when she finds out that Cam has been romantically involved with a girl from their church. (The novel goes into great detail about just what religiously informed conversion therapy is, but for our purposes here I’ll just say that it’s intended to fix the “sexually broken” (ie: anyone not exhibiting traditionally accepted gender and sexual identity traits). As you might imagine, a place like this has many strict rules and regulations and so its “disciples” (the teenagers sent there, some of them against their wills) have many secrets amongst them. In fact, the novel, as a whole, is very much about secrets and how the process of sharing those secrets (or not), and just how and to whom one shares one’s secrets, comes to shape the characters profiled within, especially Cameron.

As you mention above, Jane Fonda has a prosthetic leg and she does have a compartment she’s built within it to hide things, and some of those things are very much forbidden at God’s Promise. But this kind of hiding is also an echo of an earlier series of moments in the novel with Cameron, who before being sent to God’s Promise often stole small things and glued them to the inside of a huge Victorian dollhouse she keeps in her bedroom. Cameron’s an orphan, so the dollhouse, an elaborate construction built for her by her father, is imbued with all kinds of meaning.

Anyway, back to Jane: she’s a veteran of God’s Promise, she’s been around, is a little older than Cameron, and she’s absolutely unafraid to be exactly who she is, which is something Cameron isn’t yet sure how to do (partly, maybe mostly, because she’s just not yet sure just who she is). Jane is strange and complicated and, I hope, sometimes funny, and she plays a vital role in Cameron’s development, and her “big decision” at the end of the novel. It’s important for Cameron to realize that her own “sad story” is just one of many sad stories, and maybe not even all that unusual or tragic when she compares it to those of her fellow disciples.

You were born and raised in Miles City, Montana, the same place that Cameron ends up after her parents die, did you draw a lot of inspiration from your own life in telling this story?

Cameron is actually from Miles City, too; she’s also born and raised there in the novel. (It’s her Aunt Ruth who moves there to be with her (from Florida) after her parents’ die). Unquestionably my own childhood and adolescence in eastern Montana informed the sense of place in the novel: it’s cowboy country, big sky country (as the state tourism board would have it, though really, the sky is huge out there, just enormous), and lots of the folks who live there are very connected to the land, if not by profession then by passion or necessity.

There are less than a million people in the entire state, but it’s also the fourth largest state in the country, so even if you’ve never been there (and I recommend visiting—go to Glacier National Park, you won’t regret it) you can probably imagine the vastness of the land, the immense expanse of the prairie, and the way all of that “big sky” informs your daily life as a Montanan, even if you live in town, as Cam does. Also, the novel explores the often provincial social customs of a small western ranch town—the fairs, the festivals, the dances and parades—and what it’s like to “participate” in all of those events when you feel like an outsider, which Cam often does, both because she’s an orphan and because she’s a girl who “likes girls.”

Miles City is "best known for its Bucking Horse Sale"; what is emily m. danforth best known for?

Hmmm. Well, I suppose I’d like to be best known for my fiction. But, at this point, among close friends and family, anyway, I’m probably best known for my uncanny ability to impersonate a squirrel eating a cracker and my prowess at the board game Clue®. I’m tough. So long as I get to be Mr. Green, anyway: I’m nearly unbeatable.

What are five things the reader should know about Cameron?

1. She’s brave if not always entirely sure of how to direct that bravery.
2. She has a thing for dollhouse-dioramas (read the book to learn more about that).
3. She’s seen a lot of movies, many of them a whole bunch of times. You might even call her a film-buff, though she’d probably laugh at that.
4. She’s curious about the world and her place in it.
5. She’s ultimately a real romantic, even if she often gets sort of awkward and sarcastic to cover that up.

Lastly, because I have to ask, as a professor of literature, why does your name always seem to appear in complete lowercase?

Honestly: because I like the way it looks. It’s a visual thing. It has absolutely nothing to do with my academic position. I love the lowercase e + lowercase m combo, those curves like sloping hills. That’s all. It’s not an e. e. cummings tribute (though cummings is great) or a political statement. I like the way it looks and have been writing it lowercase since junior high (maybe before that, even).

emily was born and raised in Miles City, Montana, a town best known for its Bucking Horse Sale-which was once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for hosting the most intoxicated people, per capita, of any US event. She obsessively collects erasers, large-letter linen postcards from the 1940s, snow-globes, and neologisms. (She has an iced-coffee addiction, too.)

Thanks so much to Emily for stopping by In The Next Room! To learn more about her debut novel, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, stop by her website. Click here to check out the other stops on this tour.

Sequels I'm Lusting Over

2012-01-17T22:50:00.004-07:00

In which I make up my own theme and only list nine titles

2012 is officially the year of the sequel. These are a couple I'm excited about, one of which I've already read, Hallowed, and another I'm in the progress of reading, Pandemonium, but that doesn't make them any less exciting as sequels.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton
A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Fever by Lauren DeStefano
Rebel Heart by Moira Young
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (It counts, right?) Postponed, so this will be on my 2013 list instead :)

And yup, they are all YA because YA seems to love its sequels in a way that the majority of the adult fiction I read (pretty much contemporary) doesn't. There's also a ton of interesting sequels coming out for books I haven't read the earlier novels for, so they've missed out on this list. Honestly, I think one of my goals this year should be to start fewer series! I hate having to wait. Or maybe read some more series that are already complete, that was the nice thing about delving into Westerfeld last year, and I plan to read at least one more series by him this year. There are also a few series I started this year that I'm not sure I will continue, which feels weird or unfinished but if I didn't really love the first book I figure I should cut my losses, especially considering middle books are notorious for their cliffhanger endings.

How do you feel about series? Any sequels you're absurdly excited for this year?

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

2012-01-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

Release Date: September 15th, 2011
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover
Source: TLC Book Tours
Buy It: Book Depository

When John and Ricky's son dies just 57 hours after he is born they try to return to their lives, but their marriage and their family have never been quite as intact as they pretended and soon a terrible secret emerges with implications that reach far into their past and threaten their future.

If the title of this novel, The Grief of Others, doesn't state it clearly enough- this is not a happy book. What it is instead is an emotional, deep, and moving tale of tragedy, loss, and light struggling to emerge from darkness.

From the beginning, I found myself entranced by Cohen's story, the complex emotional intricacies it dissects and develops. But the problem was that the story seemed to end far before the novel did. After about a third, possibly half, way into the book, the magic faded. There was a lot of time spent on a flashback to an event, a summer at the beach, that I felt I was already familiar with from the way it had been referenced previously, and having to spend all this time reading about it didn't add anything new to the story and lost my attention from The Grief of Others in a way that it never recovered from.

As beautiful, rich but with a sharp edge, as Cohen's writing is, there were times when I found it didn't fit quite right for the story. For example, sometimes the language was a bit too advance for the characters, like when in the context of Biscuit thinking of somebody's voice it is described as "a water voice, trickling and eddying and cool." when I wasn't convinced the ten year girl would really know (and use in normal thought) the word eddying. Or other times when obscure brands are mentioned, cookies I had never heard of or supplies to do with set design, language that doesn't add anything to the story but rather detracts by jarring the reader out of the novel with their confusion.

Overall, I was enchanted by Cohen's writing but found the storytelling itself lacking at times. In the end I find myself conflicted over The Grief of Others, because as difficult as it was to finish it started with a beautiful flourish. Although this is a book I'm unlikely to recommend, it has still left me admiring Cohen's way with words and I am potentially willing to try another book by her in the future.

Review Elsewhere: A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

2012-01-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

"Sheehan’s writing is lyrical and strong, the symbolism is beautiful, and the character struggles are raw and emotional. Her teenage voice felt genuine, and many of the issues Rose faced could be applied to contemporary times as well. "

Click here to read the rest of my review.

2012 Reading Goals

2012-01-12T21:47:00.006-07:00

I'm kinda late with this but I wasn't really reading when 2011 ended. Now that I am again I figure it's a good time to think about what I want to read this upcoming year.

Read at least 5 books of poetry
Read at least 5 collections of short stories
Read at least 2 plays
Read at least 5 novels in verse (I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder; )
Read at least 5 non-fiction books
Read at least 5 classics
Read at least 5 memoirs

Some specifics:

Read a book by Laurie Halse Anderson
Read a book by Sarah Addison Allen
~~Read a book by Lauren Oliver~~ (Pandemonium)
Read Matched by Ally Condie
Read a book by Kelley Armstrong
Read a book by John Green
Read The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
Read Waking Storms by Sarah Porter
~~Read a series by Scott Westerfeld~~ (Peeps; The Last Days)
Read a book by Maile Meloy
~~Read a book by Stephanie Perkins~~ (Anna and the French Kiss; Lola and the Boy Next Door)
Read Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Read a book by Kristen Hubbard
Read The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
Read a book by Haruki Murakami
Read a book by Donna Freitas
Read a book by Amy Reed
Read a book by Laura Kasischke
Read a book by Sarah Dessen
~~Read a book by Courtney Summers~~ (Cracked Up To Be; Some Girls Are)
Read a book by Sarah Ockler
Read a book by José Saramego

Well there they are. I don't plan to check back to this list often but I figure it can't hurt to have some inspiration if I feel like I can't find anything to read. Do you have any 2012 reading goals? Or anything I absolutely must add to my list?

2011 Reads

2012-01-01T18:47:00.004-07:00

January

The Metropolis Case- Matthew Gallaway (January 4 2011) + Author Interview
The Memory Palace- Mira Bartok (January 6 2011)
The Lotus Eaters- Tatjana Soli (January 8 2011) + Author Guest Post
The Mother Who Stayed- Laura Furman (January 9 2011)
XVI- Julia Karr (January 10 2011)
Henry's Demons- Patrick Cockburn and Henry Cockburn (January 12 2011)
The Girl in The Green Raincoat- Laura Lippman (January 12 2011)
Crazy Beautiful- Lauren Bartaz-Logsted (January 13 2011)
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand- Helen Simonson (January 13 2011)
Twelve- Nick McDonell (January 14 2011)
An Exclusive Love- Johanna Adorjan (January 15 2011)
Angry Young Man- Chris Lynch (January 15 2011)
Cryer's Cross- Lisa McMann (January 16 2011)
The Woman in White- Wilkie Collins (January 17 2011)
Once Dead, Twice Shy- Kim Harrison (January 18 2011) Audiobook
Super Sad True Love Story- Gary Shteyngart (January 19 2011)
Cloaked- Alex Flinn (January 19 2011)
Under the Mercy Trees- Heather Newton (January 20 2011) + Author Interview
Darkness Becomes Her- Kelly Keaton (January 21 2011)
Small Wars- Sadie Jones (January 23 2011)
Bride of New France- Suzanne Desrochers (January 24 2011)
Early to Death, Early to Rise- Kim Harrison (January 26 2011) Audiobook
History of a Suicide: My Sister's Unfinished Life- Jill Bialosky (January 26 2011)
Wench- Dolen Perkins-Valdez (January 27 2011)
Lonely: Learning to Live with Solitude- Emily White (January 29 2011) + Author Guest Post
Revolution: The Year I Fell in Love and Went to Join The War- Deb Olin Unferth (January 30 2011)

February

So Much Pretty- Cara Hoffman (February 1 2011)
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running- Haruki Murakami (February 2 2011) Audiobook
Half in Love: Surviving the Legacy of Suicide- Linda Gray Sexton (February 2 2011) + Author Guest Post
Beatrice & Virgil- Yann Martel (February 3 2011)
The Lover's Dictionary- David Levithan (February 3 2011)
The Tempest- William Shakespeare (February 4 2011)
Shadow Tag- Louise Erdrich (February 5 2011)
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love- Raymond Carver (February 5 2011)
The Dream of Perpetual Motion- Dexter Palmer (February 6 2011)
Delirium- Lauren Oliver (February 8 2011)
The Properties of Water- Hannah Roberts McKinnon (February 9 2011)
The Paris Wife- Paula McLain (February 12 2011)
Beastly- Alex Flinn (February 13 2011)
Where She Went- Gayle Forman (February 15 2011)
I Am The Messenger- Markus Zusak (February 17 2011) Audiobook
The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus- Margaret Atwood (February 18 2011) Audiobook
The Fifth Servant- Kenneth Wishnia (February 19 2011)
Oliver Twist- Charles Dickens (February 20 2011)
The Other Life- Ellen Meister (February 20 2011) + Author Interview
Between Shades of Gray- Ruta Sepetys (February 21 2011)
What Comes After- Steve Watkins (February 22 2011)
The Source of All Things- Tracy Ross (February 23 2011)
The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus- Sonya Sones (February 24 2011)
Bumped- Megan McCafferty (February 25 2011)
So Much For That- Lionel Shriver (February 26 2011)
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother- Amy Chua (February 28 2011)

March

The Postmistress- Sarah Blake (March 1 2011)
Die for Me- Amy Plum (March 2 2011)
Wither- Lauren DeStefano (March 4 2011)
Lysistrata- Aristophanes (March 5 2011)
The Raising- Laura Kasischke (March 5 2011) + Author Guest Post
The House on Salt Hay Road- Carin Clevidence (March 8 2011)
The Uncoupling- Meg Wolitzer (March 10 2011)
This Gorgeous Game- Donna Freitas (March 11 2011)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Milan Kundera (March 12 2011)
As Long as the Rivers Flow- James Bartleman (March 13 2011)
Imaginary Logic- Rodney Jones (March 15 2011)
The Needle- Jennifer Grotz (March 16 2011)
Is- Anne Simpson (March 17 2011)
Boyfriends with Girlfriends- Alex Sanchez (March 18 2011)
The Long Goodbye- Meghan O'Rourke (March 18 2011)
A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman- Margaret Drabble (March 19 2011)
New Selected Poems: 1984-2004- Carol Ann Duffy (March 20 2011)
The Beauty of Humanity Movement- Camilla Gibb (March 22 2011)
The Running Dream- Wendelin Van Draanen (March 23 2011)
The Gathering- Kelley Armstrong (March 25 2011)
Hotel Iris- Yoko Ogawa (March 26 2011)
Blood Magic- Tessa Gratton (March 27 2011)
Nobel Genes- Rune Michaels (March 27 2011)
House Rules- Jodi Picoult (March 29 2011) Audiobook
A Fierce Radiance- Lauren Belfer (March 29 2011)
The Adults: A Novel- Alison Espach (March 31 2011)

April

Underground: A Novel- Antanas Sileika (April 2 2011)
Double Shadow- Carl Phillips (April 3 2011)
Better Living Through Plastic Explosives- Zsuzsi Gartner (April 4 2011)
The Summoning- Kelley Armstrong (April 4 2011)
Stay- Deb Caletti (April 5 2011)
The Awakening- Kelley Armstrong (April 6 2011)
Wake- Lisa McMann (April 7 2011) Audiobook
The Reckoning- Kelley Armstrong (April 7 2011)
The Lipstick Laws- Amy Holder (April 8 2011)
The Pun Also Rises- John Pollack (April 9 2011) + Author Guest Post
Fade- Lisa McMann (April 10 2011) Audiobook
Small Mechanics- Lorna Crozier (April 11 2011)
Separate Kingdoms- Valerie Laken (April 11 2011)
Small Memories- José Saramago (April 13 2011)
Bees: Nature's Little Wonders- Candace Savage (April 16 2011)
Wrecker- Summer Wood (April 18 2011) + Author Interview
Folk- Jacob McArthur Mooney (April 19 2011)
The Sky is Everywhere- Jandy Nelson (April 22 2011)
Bird in a Box- Andrea Davis Pinkney (April 22 2011)
Two Kisses for Maddy- Matthew Logelin (April 24 2011)
Anatomy of a Disappearance- Hisham Matar (April 25 2011)
Promise Not To Tell- Jennifer McMahon (April 25 2011)
Russian Winter- Daphne Kalotay (April 28 2011)
Origami Dove- Susan Musgrave (April 28 2011)
The Peach Keeper- Sarah Addison Allen (April 29 2011)
Far To Go- Alison Pick (April 30 2011)

May

Island of Lost Girls- Jennifer McMahon (May 1 2011)
Between Here and Forever- Elizabeth Scott (May 2 2011)
Skinny- Diana Spechler (May 3 2011)
Gone- Lisa McMann (May 4 2011)
Abandon- Meg Cabot (May 5 2011)
Long Drive Home- Will Allison (May 6 2011)
Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps- Dave Isay (May 8 2011)
Don't Breathe a Word- Jennifer McMahon (May 10 2011)
Paper Garden- Molly Peacock (May 14 2011)
The Council of Dads- Bruce Feiler (May 23 2011)
The Violets of March- Sarah Jio (May 24 2011)
Divergent- Veronica Roth (May 24 2011)
Something Deadly This Way Comes- Kim Harrison (May 31 2011)

June

The Filter Bubble- Eli Pariser (June 1 2011)
With or Without You- Brian Farrey (June 4 2011)
I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl- Kelle Groom (June 5 2011)
The Day Before- Lisa Schroeder (June 14 2011)
Sometimes It Happens- Lauren Barnholdt (June 15 2011)
When God Was a Rabbit- Sarah Winman (June 16 2011) + Author Guest Post
Creep- Jennifer Hillier (June 16 2011)
Ashes, Ashes- Jo Treggiari (June 19 2011) + Author Guest Post
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- Ann Brashares (June 19 2011)
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood- Ann Brashares (June 20 2011)
Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood- Ann Brashares (June 21 2011)
Once Every Never- Lesley Livingston (June 23 2011)
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood- Ann Brashares (June 24 2011)
Sisterhood Everlasting- Ann Brashares (June 25 2011)
The Lying Game- Sara Shepard (June 27 2011) Audiobook
Thoughts Without Cigarettes- Oscar Hijuelos (June 27 2011)

July

Breaking Up With God- Sarah Sentilles (July 1 2011)
Noah Barleywater Runs Away- John Boyne (July 3 2011)
Down From Cascom Mountain- Ann Joslin Williams (July 8 2011)
The London Train- Tessa Hadley (July 10 2011)
Stone Arabia- Dana Spiotta (July 10 2011)
The Secret Lives of the Four Wives- Lola Shuneyin (July 11 2011)
Blood and Flowers- Penny Blubaugh (July 13 2011)
Before I Go To Sleep- S.J. Watson (July 13 2011)
Everything We Ever Wanted- Sara Shepard (July 14 2011)
Love Begins in Winter- Simon Van Booy (July 15 2011)
Holy Ghost Girl- Donna Johnson (July 15 2011)
Close Your Eyes- Amanda Eyre Ward (July 16 2011)
The Rules of the Tunnel- Ned Zeman (July 18 2011)
Want To Go Private?- Sarah Darrer Littman (July 19 2011)
Across the Universe- Beth Revis (July 19 2011)
Forgotten- Cat Patrick (July 20 2011)
Vaclav and Lena- Haley Tanner (July 20 2011)
Subject Seven- James A. Moore (July 23 2011)
Unearthly- Cynthia Hand (July 25 2011) Audiobook
Blood Red Road- Moira Young (July 26 2011)
Tunnel Vision- Susan Shaw (July 26 2011)

August

Centuries of June- Keith Donohue (August 1 2011)
What Language Is- John McWhorter (August 6 2011)
The Book of Lies- Mary Horlock (August 7 2011)
The Secret Lives of People in Love- Simon Van Booy (August 8 2011)
Beauty Queens- Libba Bray (August 9 2011) Audiobook
Possession- Elana Johnson (August 9 2011)
Everything Beautiful Began After- Simon Van Booy (August 11 2011)
Gluten-Free, Hassle Free- Marlisa Brown (August 11 2011)
Paramita, Little Black- Suzanne Robertson (August 12 2011)
Don't Kill the Birthday Girl- Sandra Beasley (August 13 2011)
The Zoo in Winter- Polina Barskova (August 14 2011)
The Diviner's Tale- Bradford Morrow (August 15 2011) Audiobook
Addicted: Notes From the Belly of the Beast- edited by Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane (August 16 2011)
Lost Voices- Sarah Porter (August 17 2011) Audiobook
Vital Signs- Tessa McWatt (August 18 2011)
Ripple- Mandy Hubbard (August 18 2011)
Forgive My Fins- Tera Lynn Childs (August 19 2011)
Stork- Wendy Delsol (August 19 2011) Audiobook
Once a Witch- Carolyn MacCullough (August 21 2011) Audiobook
Fins Are Forever- Tera Lynn Childs (August 21 2011)
Hereafter- Tara Hudson (August 22 2011) Audiobook
Always a Witch- Carolyn MacCullough (August 23 2011)
Sharks in the Rivers- Ada Limón (August 23 2011)
Will Grayson, Will Grayson- John Green and David Levithan (August 24 2011) Audiobook
Life as We Knew It- Susan Beth Pfeffer (August 25 2011) Audiobook
The Dead and the Gone- Susan Beth Pfeffer (August 26 2011) Audiobook
This World We Live In- Susan Beth Pfeffer (August 26 2011) Audiobook
Wherever You Go- Joan Leegant (August 27 2011) + Author Guest Post
Along For The Ride- Sarah Dessen (August 29 2011) Audiobook
Insatiable- Meg Cabot (August 31 2011) Audiobook

September

Overbite- Meg Cabot (September 3 2011) Audiobook
Irma Voth- Miriam Toews (September 4 2011)
The Accident- Linwood Barclay (September 5 2011)
Exposed- Kimberly Marcus (September 5 2011)
Cold Kiss- Amy Garvey (September 6 2011)
The Secret Hour- Scott Westerfeld (September 8 2011) Audiobook
Frost- Wendy Delsol (September 9 2011)
Touching Darkness- Scott Westerfeld (September 10 2011) Audiobook
Blue Noon- Scott Westerfeld (September 13 2011) Audiobook
Uglies- Scott Westerfeld (September 15 2011) Audiobook
Swing Low- Miriam Toews (September 18 2011)
Pretties- Scott Westerfeld (September 19 2011) Audiobook
Specials- Scott Westerfeld (September 23 2011) Audiobook

October

Extras- Scott Westerfeld (October 3 2011) Audiobook
A Long, Long Sleep- Anna Sheehan (October 5 2011) Audiobook
The Grief of Others- Leah Hager Cohen (October 9 2011)
Half-Blood Blues- Esi Edugyan (October 12 2011)
Mr. Fox- Helen Oyeyemi (October 16 2011) Audiobook
Waiting For Robert Capa- Susana Fortes (October 20 2011)
Prized- Caragh M. O'Brien (October 22 2011)
Practical Jean- Trevor Cole (October 22 2011)
TruthBeauty- Alison Nordstrom (October 23 2011)
Liesl & Po- Lauren Oliver (October 27 2011)
Lark- Tracey Porter (October 28 2011)
Love Alone- Emmanuel Kattan (October 30 2011)

November

Fracture- Megan Miranda (November 9 2011)
Tankborn- Karen Sandler (November 11 2011)
The Wild Book- Margarita Engle (November 12 2011)
Hallowed- Cynthia Hand (November 14 2011)
The Night Circus- Erin Morgenstern (November 18 2011) Audiobook
Audition- Stasia Ward Kehoe (November 19 2011)
Every You, Every Me- David Levithan (November 19 2011)
Tortured- Caragh M. O'Brien (November 21 2011)
May B.- Caroline Starr Rose (November 23 2011)

December
N/A

Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld

2011-12-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with YA dystopia after reading The Hunger Games, but as trend-setting as that novel was, it was certainly not the first and I often heard reference to the Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld. After enjoying my first experience with Westerfeld's writing when I listened to his Midnighters Series on audiobook, I decided to finally pick up the series I'd been meaning to read for the last year. Although I owned the set in paperback, Westerfeld's books definitely make for exciting audio and that is how I experienced them. Like I usually do when reviewing a series at once, these mini reviews will avoid any spoilers for any of the books which means I won't refer to specifics for the latter books.

The first book in the trilogy (+one, since the final book was added later and features mainly different characters) is Uglies. It begins with Tally, a girl whose life is about to change- she's nearly sixteen and on her birthday she'll finally get the chance to turn Pretty. Once she does, she'll get to live in another city full of people who have been turned gorgeous through surgical operations, and Tally will be one of them. While waiting anxiously for that moment (after all, her best friend is already on the other side) Tally becomes friends with Shay. Only Shay isn't quite so sure that being Pretty is everything Tally believes it to be, and when Shay runs away rather than face the operation the authorities leave her with one choice: find Shay and turn her in, or she will stay an Ugly forever.

Uglies was a great introduction to this series, and I was instantly impressed by the creativity and genius of Westerfeld again. While the Midnighters books were strict science fiction, this series is dystopia, and he is just as brilliant in this genre as he was in the former. One of the things I loved about Tally was how she didn't start off aware of all the issues in her world, she was completely excited about turning Pretty, just like most people would be, and it was only over time that she realized that it might not be quite the paradise she has been lead to believe. Tally is a relateable everygir.

I also enjoyed her complex relationship with Shay. For me that was the biggest difference between these books and Midnighters- that I actually enjoyed and rooted for the characters whereas in my first try with Westerfeld I often found them unlikable and so I was definitely a fan of the voice in these first three books despite not at all enjoying the narrator of the audio books I listened to, who sounded a bit stoned or tired in a way that occasionally made me disconnect from the stories.

After the intensity of Uglies I had high hopes for the sequel, Pretties, and this was shockingly one of those series where the second book actually gets better. It is such an original and riveting look into the genius and complexity of the world Westerfeld has created and really provides an opportunity to get to know it better. Not only does the book answer the questions I'd had lingering from Uglies, but Pretties proves just how easy it can be to change a person in a way that is eerie in its realism. It didn't hurt that it also introduced my favourite character in the series, the absolutely charming Zane.

Tally's final adventure comes in Specials, and although it didn't quite live up to Pretties it was infinitely better than Blue Noon the final book in the Midnighters' Series. It is refreshing to know that Westerfeld can infact write an ending that doesn't make me want to throw the book across the room (although then he goes and doesn't leave it alone by writing an entirely unplanned fourth book in this "trilogy").

Specials was even creepier than Pretties and it is definitely a bleak book. The use of cutting made me a bit uncomfortable at times and it is probably not a novel for those who are concerned by triggers. I guess with all the originality that Westerfeld shows in creating these worlds, I would have hoped for something a little more innovating than cutting to be used in the book. There are many strong parallels in the novels between Tally's World and Our World, but unfortunately cutting didn't work for me that way. My other issue with the book was that Tally's relationship choice felt more out of default than love, but overall Specials was a delightfully creepy story and a perfect conclusion to an original and ground-breaking series.

Only it wasn't the conclusion, because Westerfeld went and wrote a fourth novel, Extras, which features an entirely different protagonist several years later. Now the problem with the book is that viewed as a continuation of the Uglies Series, it was a let down. But viewed as a standalone Extras works much better. That because so much has changed since Specials ended it really felt like a different world and the transition was a bit awkward for me. I also didn't love the new set of characters nearly as much as the old ones, though it was great to see some familiar faces eventually and find out what they had been up to.

Ultimately, the Uglies Series is an exciting, page-turning, innovative one and I can fully understand why it was such a trend-setter. Although Westerfeld's characters can be hit or miss for me, I did enjoy the main set featured in the first three books and the changes they went through. As a conclusion to the series, Extras was lacklustre, but it did provide an interesting storyline on its own. Overall, Westerfeld has an amazing and brilliant mind, and he has only left me wanting to read more of his books. Having read seven novels by him in 2011, I'm excited that there are still many more for me to pick up in 2012.

My (Unintended) Hiatus

2011-12-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

So this blog has been pretty dead lately! And there's a good reason for that: it's a book blog, and I haven't been reading much these days. I have three major excuses:

NaNoWriMo (I won! And am now editing my novel)
Thesis (Apparently finishing a masters is a lot of work)
Health (Despite having been diagnosed with celiac several months back and going gluten free, my iron has actually gone down even further and I fainted early this week)

Right now #2 and #3 are taking priority, and as much as I'm hoping to get to #1 it is definitely on the back burner until I finish my masters. Unfortunately, so is this blog. I'm hoping to update as much as I can and continue to read when I get the chance, but my thesis is due March 1st so I suspect I will be pretty busy till then! Just wanted to elaborate on my absence and explain what is going on and that I hope to be back regularly as soon as I can.

Happy December and Happy Reading Everyone.

Review Elsewhere: May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

2011-12-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

"Ultimately, May B. is a moving story of survival – a quick book to read, but the memory of it will last much longer."

Click here to read the rest of my review (Scroll to second half of article).

Irrelevant side note: I absolutely love this cover! Perfect for middle grade but with enough ambiguity to it that an older reader could pick it up, I think the art work is lovely.

Review Elsewhere: Exposed by Kimberly Marcus

2011-12-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

"An emotional and powerful novel told in verse, Exposed is both raw and poetic in style; there is a lyrical nature to Marcus’ writing that makes it beautiful and compelling to read."

Click here to read the rest of my review.

2012 Sophomore Reading Challenge

2011-11-29T23:00:00.001-07:00

I was looking across reading challenges I might enjoy in 2012 and came across this one. It is hosted by Chick Loves Lit, and it'll give me a chance to pick up second books by authors I enjoyed, or try out some I missed the first time around. You can click here to sign up.

What: Reading books by authors with their second MG or YA published in 2012
When: January 1st 2012-January 31st 2013
Level: Read at least ten books by sophomore MG/YA authors

Read:

Here's my tentative list so far:

A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Fever by Lauren DeStefano
Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard
Try Not To Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard
Revived by Cat Patrick

I have already read the following titles: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Midnighters Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld

2011-11-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

The Midnighters Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld includes The Secret Hour, Touching Darkness, and Blue Noon. As I occasionally do on this blog I've decided to combine my reviews of these books into one post, sharing thoughts general enough that they will avoid spoilers for any of the novels.

Over the last year or two, Scott Westerfeld has been one of those authors I always intend to read and yet never managed to pick up. So when I was in need of a new audiobook I decided it was the perfect time to test out his Midnighters Trilogy and experience his writing firsthand. I already owned the Uglies Series but I needed a break from dystopia and the creepy premise of The Secret Hour caught my eye.

The Midnighters Trilogy takes place in Bixby, Oklahoma, a place where every evening at midnight the town belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a few people, who call themselves the Midnighters, know about this secret hour and are free to move around during it when the rest of the world is frozen. Each of them has their own special power which is strongest during the secret hour, and each of them has one thing in common: they were born at exactly midnight. When The Secret Hour begins Jessica Day has just moved to Bixby and immediately Rex, the seer of the group, recognizes the midnight aura on her. However, it soon becomes clear that Jessica is not an ordinary Midnighter and something about her scares the dark creatures very much, and they will do anything to stop her before she can figure out what exactly her special power is.

The entire series, but especially The Secret Hour is driven far more by plot than character development. In many cases I would have found this frustrating, but Westerfeld is so imaginative in his world-building that I instead found myself appreciating the story he had created even if most of the characters were either unlikable or simply boring when it came to their personalities. That said, there are definitely moments, like when Jessica first discovers the secret hour, that are beautiful in their dreamlike qualities.

The second Midnighters book, Touching Darkness, wasn't quite as awe-inspiring as the first for me, I still enjoyed it but having gotten familiar with the world and characters in the first book, this one felt a lot less meaty in comparison. I did like the storyline, but there was more romance in this book than The Secret Hour and I didn't connect with it as well as I hoped. Touching Darkness delves deeper into the interpersonal relationships between the Midnighters and so readers who appreciate that component of a story may actually prefer this novel to its prequel. My own problem was that I think it is actually the characters I have issues with, I don't like any of them, except maybe Jessica a bit, and while that didn't bother me in the first book they seemed to get increasingly whiny in this one.

Where Westerfeld really excels is with the history and myth behind the Midnighters, of which there is plenty but ultimately, I found the main storyline of Touching Darkness certainly kept my attention better than the subplots.

The final book in the Midnighters trilogy is Blue Noon, and I can definitely tell you that if this had been my first book by Westerfeld I doubt I would have picked up any subsequent novels. That's because it seems as if the book goes for shock rather than coherence. I don't need every little piece of the story tied up for me but a big twist is thrown into the mix near the very end of a Trilogy only to have it leave the characters all sorta just floating, and after so much time with them I really wanted more closure. To be honest, I feel like the way things ended in Blue Noon was really more annoying than surprising, because it was really a case where I was left going really? However, while it could be argued that at least it got a reaction out of me I'd still have preferred a positive one.

Ultimately I'm glad I read the Midnighters Trilogy. Westerfeld has created an incredible and unique world, and I am amazed to have gotten a small glimpse into his complex mind. This trilogy definitely left me wanting to try other books by Westerfeld, but as much as I enjoyed The Secret Hour in particular, I remain skeptical of his ability to wrap up a series in a way that doesn't make me want to throw the book across the room.

The Secret Hour:
Release Date: February 19th, 2004         Pages: 304
Source: Audiobook                                  Buy the Book
Touching Darkness:
Release Date: March 1st, 2005         Pages: 336
Source: Audiobook                                Buy the Book
Blue Noon:
Release Date: February 28th, 2006         Pages: 352
Source: Audiobook                                 Buy the Book

Review Elsewhere: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

2011-11-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

"Lauren Oliver has completely won me over as a reader—she could write a restaurant menu or instructions for installing a television and I would rush to the store to buy it."

Click here to read the rest of my review.

Overbite by Meg Cabot

2011-11-24T10:00:00.001-07:00

Note: This review contains no spoilers of Overbite, but does contain spoilers of the first book in the series, Insatiable, a review of which can be found here.

Overbite by Meg Cabot

Release Date: July 5th, 2011
Pages: 278
Format: Hardcover and Audiobook
Publisher: William Morrow
Narrator: Emily Bauer
Source: Publisher and Personal Shelf
Buy It: Book Depository
Also By This Author: Prom Nights From Hell; Abandon

Meena is now working for the Palatine, a demon-hunting organization, despite having Lucien Antonescu, son of Dracula, for an ex-boyfriend. She knows convincing her co-workers—including Alaric Wulf—that vampires can be redeemed won’t be easy, especially when a deadly threat begins endangering the lives of both the Palatine and Meena's friends and family.

I enjoyed Insatiable enough to be curious about its sequel Overbite, but unfortunately this one fell flat for me. It seemed like everything Cabot was mocking in the first book, she took seriously in this one. You know all that wonderful snark I talked in Insatiable? Yeah, it's gone. And I missed it. A lot. The result is that Overbite becomes a fairly generic paranormal romance and without the sharp wit that made Insatiable enjoyable I often found myself bored and disinterested while reading Overbite.

Overbite was nearly half the length of Insatiable but the book actually felt longer, and not in a good way, even though it often seemed quite rushed. That said, I didn't really mind how rushed the storytelling was, because the story itself was predictable and cliche. Everything Meena mocks in Insatiable suddenly becomes the norm in Overbite and it bothered me how easily she gave up a lot of backbone that made her so feisty.

Lucien also became really weird and creepy, even for a vampire, in this book and it felt like Cabot was introducing a brand new character rather than developing an old one. Everything from the plot, to the character development to the ending of the book felt hasty. The ending in particular came out of nowhere and Meena's decisions seemed to contradict with everything she'd spent two books emphasizing. Overall a disappointment, I cannot see myself continuing the Insatiable series following Overbite.

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

2011-11-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Release Date: June 8th, 2010
Pages: 451
Format: Paperback and Audiobook
Publisher: William Morrow
Narrator: Emily Bauer
Source: Publisher and Personal Shelf
Buy It: Book Depository
Also By This Author: Prom Nights From Hell; Abandon

Meena Harper knows how you're going to die, but even her precognition can't prepare her for what happens when she meets Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side... a dark side an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would like to see him dead for.

Although I've dabbled with Meg Cabot before but Insatiable was my first time picking up one of her adult titles and I was curious to see how it would compare to her YA. Well, in comparison to her YA paranormal romance title Abandon, Insatiable definitely pumps up the romance, the violence, and even the length of the book. However, more isn't always better and this was one of those cases where I did wish certain elements had been scaled back quickly and not quite so far over the top. Still, while it's no secret I'm usually not a fan of vampires, I did enjoy Cabot's snarky twist on the topic: a main character who is sick of hearing about vampires, only to find out she's dating one.

The story itself flowed smoothly, and although I got very sick of hearing the name "Meena Harper" repeated again and again on audiobook, it managed to keep me interested the entire time. Insatiable was also another one of those books where I couldn't have cared less about the love interest it seems female readers are supposed to swoon over, in this case Lucien, but I definitely appreciated the underdog in this story, Alaric who is a vampire-hunter. Cabot also includes some charming side characters, and often got some chuckles out of me when it came to Meena's neighbours and co-workers. The tiny details that make a character unique and interesting is something Cabot is incredibly talented at. I also really enjoyed the sarcastic tone of the book.

Although not perfect for me, Insatiable is an entertaining book that I'd certainly recommend to readers interested in a paranormal romance with a touch of bite.^*

*pun totally intended

Double Take (1)

2011-11-22T21:32:00.001-07:00

I've seen plenty of features like this around so usually when I stumble across a duplicate it's already been shared, but this is a new one I just noticed. I found it interesting that they are both new releases, one is a YA 2011, and the other Adult 2012. Both are debuts, however the cover for Forgotten is from the UK edition. I find the girl with the red hair particularly striking.

The Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davey (Harlequin) VS. Forgotten by Cat Patrick (Egmont Books Ltd)

I prefer first cover in this case, I find Forgotten a little odd, the girl is in colour except for her back. They've also manipulated the photo to add higher sleeves to the dress and over-contrasted the hair. I like the vivid sky in the Davey title as well.

Here's the original image for comparison:

And another one from the same shoot I found:

Have you seen any cover doubles around lately? Out of these two, do you have a favourite?

It's Monday, what are you reading? (16)

2011-11-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

Hosted by The Book Journey

I got a decent amount of reading done this week by picking up mostly short books. Still, it feels nice to have finished something! Plus, I'm actually catching up on NaNoWriMo, I was planning to give up but now it would be foolish not to finish, so hopefully I can.

Last week I finished reading:
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

I was really excited about the opportunity to read this book before it was released, but what I didn't really think about was the fact that now I have to wait EVEN LONGER to read the final novel in the trilogy. This one was intense and well-written but ugh that ending has me so annoyed at Clara. Hopefully she redeems herself.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I'd been listening to this audio for awhile but finally finished it up this week, and absolutely adored it. Jim Dale is an amazing reader, and Morgenstern has written an incredible, beautiful, dark and magical story. I keep seeing positive reviews on this book and you can expect another one of those on my blog in the future.

Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe

I like novels in verse, and I always find it interesting to read about things outside my normal life, in this case a teen that gets a scholarship for ballet school. I started off really enjoying the book, but by the end the main character, Sara, was both getting on my nerves and not making sense. She makes some pretty major decisions that are mostly floated over in a way that I don't think can be blamed on the format.

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

Creepy and unexpected compared to what I've read by Levithan before, I didn't a hundred percent connect with this book but I think it's one that would have been better if I was reading it actually as a teen when you are maybe dealing with more of the darkness and issues brought up in the book. The photographs were honestly kinda meh to me, I mean it's interesting the way that the book was written, inspired by photographs and never knowing which one was going to be sent next, but I guess I expected the photos themselves to be more remarkable and while they work in the context of the book I'm not sure how intriguing I would have found them on their own.

What I plan to read this week:
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

My new audio adventure! So adorable and I love the narrator for this one as well. I was waiting for hype to die down to read this but then Lola was released and it started all over again so I figured might as well give it a try. And so far I'm about a third in and I love it.

A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead

Just starting this interesting non-fiction, hopefully I can finish it in time for the book tour date. I'm pretty sure I won't have time to finish it this week, but well, miracles can happen right?

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

Another novel in verse I noticed I had from Netgalley. It's a 2012 debut but I decided to read it now anyway. I'm really enjoying it and out of the three novels in verse I've read recently it is certainly my favourite so far. The format really captures the hesitancy of the narrator, and that cover is gorgeous! I bet the finished copy is going to look amazing.

Eating Dirt by Charlotte Gill

Whoops. Sorta forgot about this one last week. I'm actually loving the book itself, it's just one of those books, maybe cause it's non-fiction- memoir but with a lot of information included- that you enjoy when you're reading but when you put it down you don't get this instantaneous urge to pick it up again. Anyway if I have time I'd definitely love to read the rest this week.

What are you reading this Monday?

In My Mailbox (October 30th-November 19th 2011)

2011-11-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

Well I'm really behind on this meme! I spent the last two weekends away and have some catching up to do, but luckily it's not too long because this hasn't really been a book-heavy month.

October 30th- November 5th
{For Review}

Camp Nine by Vivienne Schiffer (TLC Tours)
First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci (Unsolicited) (Scholastic Canada)
iBoy by Kevin Brooks (Unsolicited) (Scholastic Canada)
Cow: A Bovine Biography by Florian Werner (D&M Publishers)

The first book looks incredibly powerful and I am hoping to read it soon. The middle two books are outside of what I would normally read, but may be interesting. The final one is so unique and interesting and I can't wait to find out what kind of impact the cow has had historically- kinda the perfect book to read while living in cattle country!

{Gifts}

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

Thanks so much to Ambur for the awesome amazing birthday books! I'm so excited to finally own my own lovely hardcover copy of Birthmarked and the LHA is one I've been wanting to read for awhile and now have the perfect excuse.

November 6th-12th
{For Review}

The Doll by Daphne du Maurier (TLC Book Tours)

Never read anything by this author before, but I know she's a classic, so I'm intrigued to try this lesser known book by her.

November 13th-19th
{For Review}

Matched by Ally Condie (Penguin Canada)
Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver (ARC) (Harper Collins Canada)

I ended up with two copies of Crossed by none of its prequel, so I was really glad when Matched arrived this week and will be curious to try out the series. I've already read and absolutely adored Liesl & Po so there will be a review soon- even the ARC is gorgeous but I'm definitely purchasing myself a finished copy!

What's been in your mailbox lately?

Review Elsewhere: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

2011-11-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

"Contemporary Young Adult writer Sarah Dessen is one of those authors who is just reliable; her novels are consistent in their strong female main characters, relatable stories and settings, interesting subplots, and family drama. Her 2009 release Along for the Ride provides all of the above in an easy-to-read package."

Click here to read the rest of my review.

2012 Debut Author Challenge

2011-11-18T20:10:00.005-07:00

Hosted by The Story Siren, I really enjoyed participating in this challenge in 2011 because it encouraged me to pick up books by new authors, many of which I really loved. You can click here to sign up.

What: Reading young adult books by authors debuting in 2012
When: January 1st 2012-January 31st 2013
Level: Read at least twelve books by debut YA authors

I've already cheated and suspect there will be a couple more I read before the official start date, but these are the tentative titles, I'll be updating this page as well once the challenge officially begins.

Read:

The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes (Review)
The Edumacation of Jay Baker by Jay Clark (Review)
--
--

To Read:

After the Snow by S.D. Crockett
Slide by Jill Hathaway
Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Córdova
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Tempest by Julie Cross
Above by Leah Bobet
The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf
What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen
Trafficked by Kim Purcell
All These Lives by Sarah Wylie
Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield
The Girls of No Return by Erin Salden
Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani
Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
Splintered by A.G. Howard
Chained by Lynne Kelly
False Memory by Dan Krokos
The Glimpse by Claire Merle
Cracked by K.M. Walton

Read before challenge start date: Fracture by Megan Miranda, May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

Author Megan Bostic on This Or That

2011-11-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Author Megan Bostic picks her preferences:

E-book or hardcopy? Definitely hardcopy. I’ve not yet gone the way of the e-book. I still like to turn pages.
Paperback or hardcover? Paperback. I don’t feel as guilty spilling on them, doggy earring them, or bending them at the bind.
Coffee or tea? I could not live without coffee. Well, I could, but someone might have to die.
Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate. Vanilla is too flavorless. If I’m having dessert, I want it decadent.
TV or film? Film. I only watch TV on Netflix now, and I have a hard time finding shows I want to watch.
Walk or run? Walk. Running should be outlawed.
Morning or evening? Evening. Even though I wake up early, I’m not officially a “morning” person.
Cats or dogs? Can I choose neither? My allergies keep me from being an animal lover. If I had to choose though, Cats definitely. I love their aloofness.
Beach or pool? The beach. I love sitting beneath the sun digging my toes through the sand.
Pen or pencil? Pen. Not even sure when I last used a pencil.
Hot or cold? Hot. I hate to be cold. No matter how hot it gets in the summer, I never complain, because I know what’s coming in a matter of weeks. Brrr.
Age seventeen or eighteen? Seventeen was a much better year for me. Carefree, no worries. Eighteen is a different story.

Megan loves the color black, monkeys, and is a notorious Facebook addict. She’s a proud member of The Class of 2K12 and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. You can also find her on Twitter, Goodreads, Jacketflap, and anywhere else cool authors hang out.

Thanks so much to Megan for stopping by In The Next Room! To learn more about her debut novel, Never Eighteen, stop by her website. Click here to check out the other stops on this tour.

Last Survivors Series by Susan Beth Pfeffer

2011-11-15T08:00:00.003-07:00

I have decided to combine my reviews of the three novels so far in the Last Survivors Series by Susan Beth Pfeffer- Life As We Knew It, The Dead and the Gone, and This World We Live In- into one review. However I am vague enough that you are able to read the complete review without spoiling any of the novels.

Life As We Knew It is the perfect title for a book where the world ends. Well not quite, but a meteor does hit the moon and while everyone thinks it's not going to be a big deal, but that turns out to be far from the truth. The tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that follow are only the beginning, all chronicled in the diary of a teenage girl named Miranda who struggles for survival along with her mother and two brothers in the face of limited food and water and an increasingly destructive outside world.

Life As We Knew It is the kind of book that envelops the reader, taking you into a world that one instant looks exactly like your own before turning it on its head in an incredibly terrifying and breath-taking away. What made the novel so unique was how you get to see the damage unfold, making it different than many post-apocalyptic novels, like Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari, which usually begin long after the destruction has begun.

With Life As We Knew It Pfeffer tells a story that is both horrible and utterly human, about what good people will do under desperate circumstances- especially when it comes to family. Miranda, like most of her family, are less interesting as characters than they are as a mechanism for telling a riveting tale that will keep your heart pounding till the last page. However, in a way that works, because it is instantly clear to the reader that they could be anyone and that is what makes it scariest of all.

The incredibly intense feeling that Life As We Knew It left in me was why I was so excited to pick up its sequel, The Dead and the Gone, only to find out that the book is actually told over a similar period of time from a different perspective that doesn't involve Miranda and her family at all. Instead, it is the story of Alex, a Puerto Rican teenage Catholic boy living in New York City with his two young sisters and whose parents don't come home when the meteor hits. Forced to care for them under increasingly worse circumstances, Alex struggles for their survival as well as having to decide whether or not to leave the city- and risk never seeing his parents again- or stay, and risk all three of their lives.

Unlike its prequel, The Dead and the Gone is written in the third person and it's not a format I enjoyed as much. Possibly this has something to do with audiobook narrators, as I didn't particularly enjoy the reader for this book in the series, but mostly I think it is a result of the lack of tension felt from that perspective. With Miranda's story, I constantly felt on edge about what was going to happen next, but possibly because the reader already had a good idea about the environmental disasters going on from the first book, I just didn't feel the same excitement for this story.

The Dead and the Gone is also an incredibly religious story in comparison to its predecessor, and in a way I found that made it less accessible and universal. It also means that Alex faces some moral dilemmas not shared by Miranda and which I wasn't entirely convinced about; like breaking into the apartment of a tenant that has gone on holiday and is clearly not coming back, when you have no food to feed your family. Ultimately, Alex just isn't relateable in the same way that Miranda was and despite being so excited for The Dead and the Gone, I just wanted more from this book and unfortunately the longer I let it settle in and percolate, the more dissatisfied I feel with it.

The original Last Survivors Trilogy- which is now supposed to be expanded on- finishes with This World We Live In, a novel once again from Miranda's diary perspective, but which brings the characters from the first two books together when Alex is among a group of people who show up at Miranda's family's doorstep. Unfortunately, I found This World We Live In to be an incredibly disappointing finale in a way that left me regretting having read past Life As We Knew It, which ended quite satisfactorily, in the trilogy; although I must admit I am hopeful enough, and these books are quick enough reads, that I would likely pick up a future addition to the series.

Most of my issues with the novel would contain important spoilers, but basically Alex comes across as pretty unlikable which made me not particularly care how things turned out for him, and the majority of the characters seem to go a bit crazy by the end of the book. For a book where most of the time things seem to be getting better, it is like all of a sudden the author changed her mind and threw every negative event possible at the characters (Mockingjay anyone?) I was also pretty sick of this audiobook narrator by about halfway through, as well as getting impatient with the story, so I ended up finishing my hard copy of the novel. I was really hoping to end on the same kind of high note that Last Survivors began with, and though I did appreciate the return to the diary format, This World We Live In was just not the grand finale that a series beginning with as great a book as Life As We Knew It deserves.

Life As We Knew It:
Release Date: October 1st, 2006                Pages: 360
Source: Audiobook and Review Copy From Publisher                           Buy the Book
The Dead and the Gone:
Release Date: June 1st, 2008          Pages: 321
Source: Audiobook and Review Copy From Publisher                        Buy the Book
This World We Live In:
Release Date: April 1st, 2010          Pages: 239
Source: Audiobook and Review Copy From Publisher                  Buy the Book

Review Elsewhere: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

2011-11-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

"Although I have loved books by both John Green (Looking for Alaska) and David Levithan (The Lover’s Dictionary) separately, together they simply blew me away with a story that is heart-warming, hilarious, and completely honest. "

Click here to read the rest of my review.

It's Monday, what are you reading? (15)

2011-11-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

Hosted by The Book Journey

I'm back! This last week turned into a bit of an unintended hiatus- I was home in Montreal visiting family, plus I've been trying to do nanowrimo (argh, failing so hard!) and I didn't even finish reading any books the week before this past one so there was no point in doing one of these updates. Although I'm still majorly behind on reviews. Yikes, I know. But I think I needed a blog break anyway, just to make sure it doesn't start to feel like work. I suspect reading will be minimal for the rest of the month as well, especially if I want to get anywhere near "winning" with my novel but I am back home in Alberta and hopefully will have some time for updates and commenting again.

Two weeks ago I finished reading:
Nothing! I know, horrible eh?

Last week I finished reading:
Fracture by Megan Miranda

A 2012 debut, I'd seen this compared a lot to books like If I Stay but it actually has this paranormal element to it that I didn't expect. It was a good read, although not the kind of book I'd be likely to pick up a second time, I did enjoy and the author can definitely tell a riveting tale.

Tankborn by Karen Sandler

I'd seen such a rave review of this on The Lost Entwife that I decided to try it even though I am a little over-saturated with dystopia at the moment and I don't really like the cover. However, I LOVE the book. Wow, such a complex and incredible setting, plus it was nice to see the author use people of colour in her story since that seems to be quite rare in the genre.

The Wild Book by Margarita Engle

I actually really enjoy novels-in-verse when they are done well, but this one felt like not quite a book. I'm not sure if that's because it's middle-grade (I thought it was YA when I picked it up, but it's definitely not), but I wanted a lot more from the story, it felt more like an outline with a few places filled in than a complete and rich novel.

What I plan to read this week:
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Nearly done this one and loving it, so intense. The prequel, Unearthly was a surprise hit with me earlier this year so I was so excited to see this on Netgalley and am going to be incredibly impatient for the final book!

Eating Dirt by Charlotte Gill

I read almost half of this while waiting nearly 4 hours at the doctor's office last Monday but haven't really picked it up since. I love Gill's writing but I do find it goes off on tangents at times, there is a lot of history involved and so far there are definitely times where I wanted a little less of that, and a little more about what it is like being a tree-planter, and the unique communities tree planters have, etc. Like I said though, the writing is beautiful and I hope I get the chance to finish it this week.

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

One final book incase I have time, I started this two weeks ago but left it in Alberta when I went home so I definitely want to pick it up again soon. I love Levithan but I am finding there is too much of the strike-through technique used in the small portion (about 10%) that I've read so far. I understand its purpose and can appreciate it when it's used sparingly like in Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, but if it happens too much it does start to feel a little gimmicky. Hopefully that won't be the case once I really get into the book.

What are you reading this Monday?

November Giveaway Hop

2011-11-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

With the end of 2011 approaching way to fast, I decided to make this giveaway to give you the chance to win one of my favourite books from 2010- just incase you missed out the first time around. The winner will be able to pick between Looking for Alaska by John Green and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This is an international giveaway assuming that the Book Depository ships to you for free. This is also my first time testing out Rafflecopter so hopefully it works as awesomely as it seems to for most people.

Click here to stop by the rest of the hop!

Author Interview with Caragh M. O'Brien

2011-11-04T16:47:00.000-06:00

The title of the first book in the series, Birthmarked, is both literal and highly symbolic, is the meaning of Prized also so complex? Are there any hints you can give about its origin?

Let me first say, Zoe, you’re so nice to have me by for a visit during my blog tour. Thank you for such an interesting variety of questions. They’ve really encouraged me to ponder.

As for titles, I struggle with them, so I’m glad you think these work. The best titles invite someone to read the book and then take on resonance once the reader is further into the story. A member of the art team at Macmillan, Anne Diebel, came up with “Birthmarked” after I’d already suggested two hundred possibilities that didn’t work, like “The Baby Quota” and “The Freckle Code.” For “Prized,” I tried for a concept at the center of the novel, where girls are valued because of their scarcity. If you’re a girl, that might sound like a good thing, but there is a lot of unfairness when one group of people is prized over another, and the title matches how complicated things get for Gaia.

Did you always want to be a writer or was it something you discovered later in life?

This question is surprisingly difficult to answer because “be a writer” means two different things to me. I started keeping a journal in 7th grade and read everything I could get my hands on, so I was a writer in the real sense of the word long before it occurred to me that I could try to be a writer for my job. That discovery happened my senior year in college. Then life continued, you know. I’ve always written regardless of what other jobs I’ve had, and now with the Birthmarked trilogy, I’m a writer for my job, too.

How did teaching high school impact the kind of young adult book you decided to write?

Teaching undoubtedly helped my writing because I witnessed my students first-hand when they grappled with issues of injustice, so I knew they’d be drawn to complex moral stakes in a novel. I also gained a clear sense of how quickly readers can become bored, and how unforgiving they are once that happens, so I wanted to write a book that would be fun to read with a fast pace, adventure, and unexpected twists. Being with teens daily convinced me I never have to hold back in any way just because some of my readers are chronologically younger than I am. I hope Gaia captures a little of the bravery and resourcefulness I knew in so many of my students.

How would you describe Prized in ten words or less?

Ha! Here goes:
Gaia fights a matriarchy, guys, the environment, and her heart.

Any hints about what we can expect in Promised? (I had to ask!)

I’m deep into the 7th draft of Promised right now, and it goes to copy edits at the end of October, so it’s very much on my mind. You’re the first one who’s asked about it online, actually. I suppose the third book is what happens when the first two books collide. Yes. That’s what it is. It’s pretty intense, with some heartache and a bit of gore. My favorite things.

Prized Code #12: O

Caragh M. O'Brien is the author of BIRTHMARKED and PRIZED, two novels in a dystopia trilogy which will end in 2012 with PROMISED. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ms. O'Brien was educated at Williams College and earned her MA from Johns Hopkins University. She has resigned from teaching high school English in order to write full-time.

Thanks so much to Caragh for stopping by In The Next Room! To learn more about her dystopia trilogy, stop by her website. To visit the rest of the stops on this book tour, click here.

Practical Jean by Trevor Cole

2011-11-03T19:27:00.000-06:00

Practical Jean by Trevor Cole

Release Date: September 21st, 2010
Pages: 320
Format: Advance Reader Copy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: TLC Book Tours
Buy It: Book Depository

Jean is an ordinary, small-town woman with the usual challenges of middle age who sees her mother go through the final devastating months of cancer, and realizes that her fondest wish is to protect her dearest friends from the indignities of aging and illness. And that's when she decides to kill them . . .

Unfortunately this book wasn't quite for me. The satire was well done, not the over-the-top kind that gets on my nerves like Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart, but although I found moments entertaining I never quite bought into the initial premise. It seemed that perhaps Cole didn't spend enough time setting up the story, and I never really believed that Jean would kill all these people without thinking twice. While Cole gave her an interesting (and entertaining) reason for doing so, her progression into crazy wasn't quite believable and so it was hard to fathom that she would be okay with murder, even if she didn't want her friends to have to age. Perhaps if she was murdering somebody else she would potentially have to care for in their old age, like her husband, it would make more sense than killing off her closest friends, who she wouldn't have been responsible for, just because she loved them.

Another problem I had with the book was that I didn't care about Jean in the first place- her whole sob story about how her mom treated her and how nobody understands her art, none of it was expressed in a way that garnered any sympathy for me so I spent most of Practical Jean more frustrated with her than anything. I didn't even dislike her necessarily, she just annoyed me. There was also a strategically given speech by Jean that felt contrived instead of letting the story unfold naturally. Ultimately, Practical Jean is a novel with an interesting premise, but its execution and main character failed to capture my interest.

Waiting For Robert Capa by Susana Fortes

2011-11-02T20:08:00.000-06:00

Waiting For Robert Capa by Susana Fortes

Release Date: September 27th 2011 (Published in Spanish June 2009)
Pages: 208
Format: Advance Reader Copy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Translator: Adriana V. Lopez
Source: TLC Book Tours
Buy It: Book Depository

A novel of love, war, and art, based on the turbulent real-life romance of legendary photojournalists Gerda Taro and Robert Capa who documented the Spanish Civil War.

Love, war and photography, now those are topics that got me excited for this novel based on true events, but unfortunately they didn't quite add up the way I hoped. The first quarter or so of Waiting For Robert Capa moved slowly, but the language itself was so lovely that even if Fortes wasn't quite catching my interest, I was enjoying the lyricalness of her storytelling. However, once the novelty wore off, I found myself often bored and frustrated with the story. There was a lot of name-dropping, and that included mentions of individuals that while real, aren't incredibly well-known these days and that I regularly had to look up. The annoying part of this was that often names were used when it would have sufficed to say 'the man' or 'the woman' because the individual only appears in one sentence of the entire novel.

By around midway through Waiting For Robert Capa had come to a conclusion: novels about real people aren't quite my thing, as I was having many of the same issues I had earlier this year with The Paris Wife by Paula McLain occur again and perhaps they are a symptom of this type of book? What I am referring to is a lovely but detached writing, so that I never connect to the story. Both books also felt alternatively very slow, or very rushed, depending on which events they lingered on or hurried over. I wonder if I was more familiar with the history behind the these stories I would understand better why the authors did this, but ultimately I found that often things I found most interesting were hardly touched on. In Waiting For Robert Capa this included Gerda's history before coming to France, and Robert's experiences after the war as well as his relationship with his Jewish identity.

Ultimately Waiting For Robert Capa was written with lovely language, but those words told a story that I had difficulty connecting to and which often bored me, however a reader who enjoys novels from the perspectives of real people may find more to appreciate in Fortes' storytelling than I did.

It's Monday, what are you reading? (14)

2011-10-31T00:07:00.002-06:00

Hosted by The Book Journey

I actually loved all of the books I read this week, which was a refreshing change as I seem to be picking up quite a few that aren't quite as delicious as I would have hoped lately. Not sure exactly how much reading I'll manage this week as I have an insane amount to do and I think I might try doing NaNoWriMo, but I'll manage my best.

Last week I finished reading:

Liesel and Po by Lauren Oliver

Loved loved loved this, incredibly whimsical and of course Lauren Oliver's writing is amazing. I know it's intended as a middle grade, but it's appropriate for anybody because it's so wonderful. I definitely need to purchase a hardcopy in the future.

Lark by Tracey Porter

I didn't realize this had the fantastical element it did (ghost girl) but it worked in a spooky and heartbreaking way. This is a little slip of a book but it definitely left an impact, I just wanted a little more from the ending.

Love Alone by Emmanuel Kattan

Just finished this earlier tonight, so many quotable bits. It was kinda Milan Kundera meets Simon Van Booy and the result is an incredibly beautiful but slightly twisted love child. I may have to test my rusty French and pick up Kattan's other novel in its original language.

What I plan to read this week:

Eating Dirt by Charlotte Gill

I didn't get a chance to start this memoir about tree planting yet but perhaps this will be its lucky week?

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

I was insanely excited when the latest Levithan- with pictures!- showed up in my mailbox so of course I am totally skipping ahead on my reading list to dig into this dark and creepy tale; not quite classic Levithan from Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Boy Meets Boy but I am certainly intrigued.

A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead

I was really looking forward to this historical fiction set during WW2, and then two copies showed up in the past week, so now I have double the reason to read it! Plus, it's for an upcoming book tour.

What are you reading this Monday?

P.S. It's officially my 23rd birthday now. EEEK.

In My Mailbox (October 23rd-29th 2011)

2011-10-30T11:38:00.001-06:00

Hosted by The Story Siren

Wonderful batch of books this week. I'm insanely excited to read The Tiger's Wife which for some reason I still haven't managed to so I definitely plant to get to that soon. Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking broke my heart when I read it (review here) and Blue Nights deals with the death of her daughter so I imagine it'll be just as tragic and I'll have to make sure I'm not already feeling down when I read it. As somebody doing their masters with plants of course I am excited about a plant book- Untamed Garden. World War II fascinates me and I especially love a story about inspiring women so I was really excited about A Train In Winter, so excited I apparently got it from two sources! The Chronicles of Harris Burdick looks absolutely gorgeous, as does the Fred Herzog photography book and overall I just can't wait to dig into these gems.

{For Review}

Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales by Chris Van Allsburg (Thomas Allen)
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber (Thomas Allen)
A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead (ARC) (TLC Book Tours)
Chosen by Chandra Hoffman (TLC Book Tours)
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Unsolicited) (Scholastic Canada)
Fred Herzog: Photographs (D&M Publishers)
A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead (Random House Canada)
Untamed Garden by Sonia Day (Random House Canada)
Blue Nights by Joan Didion (Random House Canada)
The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht (Random House Canada)

Have you read any of these books? What was in your mailbox this week?

Always A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

2011-10-29T08:49:00.000-06:00

Note: This review contains no spoilers of Always A Witch, but does contain spoilers of the first book in the series, Once A Witch, a review of which can be found here.

Always A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Release Date: August 1st, 2011
Pages: 288
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Source: Publisher
Buy It: Book Depository

When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past where she soon finds herself disguised as a Knight family maid.

Although I enjoyed Once A Witch I wasn't entirely blown away, but with its follow up MacCullough definitely appears to have found her groove. I was intrigued when I learned that Always A Witch was going to take place mostly a century earlier in time, especially since MacCullough's contemporary world felt so believable but luckily, MacCullough has a knack for setting and I was once again transported. Plus, with the absence of a love interest I didn't particularly enjoy for most of the novel and a whole new cast of creepy evil characters the result was a sequel I actually enjoyed more than the first book in the series.

Everything I enjoyed about Once A Witch was just better in Always A Witch, the plot was more enticing, the characters more creative, even the writing seemed to flow better. It was also nice that although Tamsin's story is a "series" it is in fact only two books, and this one wraps up the telling quite nicely. That said, although I preferred the sequel, I don't think it would work great as a standalone and that you really need to read Once A Witch to fully appreciate it's followup. I also appreciated the confidence Tamsin had gained from the first half of the story, I felt MacCullough did a great job with her growth as a person and it was nice to see a main female character who wasn't always relying on a man.

My favourite parts about Always A Witch were definitely the villians! La Spider and Liam Knight were both incredibly spooky characters and it was interesting to see how they compared to their distant relative Allistar- who I actually found some sympathy for in this portion of the story. Overall, Always A Witch is definitely the second half of a story not a complete tale on its own, but it was also enchanting and thrilling in a way that surpasses its prequel and that readers looking for a story that is more action and less romance are certain to enjoy.

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

2011-10-28T18:54:00.001-06:00

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Release Date: June 7th 2011
Pages: 404
Format: E-Book and Audiobook
Publisher: HarperCollins
Narrator: Emily Eiden
Source: Netgalley and Personal Shelf
Buy It: Book Depository

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she’s dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she’s trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

I'm on the fence about Hereafter- I guess you could say I'm midway between two worlds (okay bad joke, I know). There were aspects of the novel I enjoyed and others that I felt were lacking. Amelia was pretty passive and timid, and I had a hard time believing that it took her so long to become curious about what had happened to her, what her life was, how she died. I just felt like with nothing to do all day she might have started wondering about these questions sooner.

The other problem I had besides the waif of a main character, was the whole relationship between a ghost and a human component, and the fact that the human seems to have so little issue with it. I mean, isn't it just fundamentally creepy to be making out with a dead girl?

What I did appreciate was that for once the girl was the supernatural being (and she saved the boy! even if she spent the rest of the novel afterwards being the one in need of saving) and there was no love triangle at all, both aspects which made Hereafter refreshing compared to many paranormals. I also enjoyed Hudson's writing, this is a debut but she manages to cultivate the creepy and ominous feeling you want out of a ghost story especially since I listened to it on audiobook. Ultimately, I'm not entirely sure if I'll read the rest of the trilogy, it depends on if the synopsis for the next book catchers my attention. Even though I wanted more backbone from the main character, I did enjoy the mystery component of Hereafter and I would definitely consider reading another novel by Hudson in the future.

Author Interview with Mary O'Connell

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

Answer in 140 characters or less.

1. Where did the inspiration for The Sharp Time come from?

The tendencies of people to look away instead of helping someone in need. An alternate title for The Sharp Time: Against Complicity.

2. What is your writing process like?

Fast! Fast! Fast! I have three kids. aged 12, 10, and 3, so I have to write when I can and not let the hours slip away in a daydreamy haze.

3. Your first publication was a collection of short stories and now eight years later you have written a YA novel, what caused the change? Do you see more YA in your future?

I loved hearing from teenagers who found the adolescent voices in my collection authentic. I’m working away on my next YA novel right now.

4. If you could go back in time and tell your teenage self anything, what would it be?

It gets better.

5. What 2011 releases are you really looking forward to or have enjoyed so far?

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, The Marriage Proposal by Jeffrey Eugenides, Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro.

Thank you Zoe! I’m pretty inexperienced at tweeting, but these were great questions!

Mary O'Connell is a graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop and the author of the short story collection, LIVING WITH SAINTS. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in several literary magazines, and she is the recipient of a James Michener Fellowship and a Chicago Tribune Nelson Algren Award. THE SHARP TIME is her first novel.

Thanks so much to Mary for stopping by In The Next Room! To learn more about her debut novel, The Sharp Time, stop by her website.

Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi

2011-10-27T19:54:00.000-06:00

Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi

Release Date: June 3rd, 2011
Pages: 336
Format: Advance Reader Copy and Audiobook
Publisher: Penguin Canada
Source: Publisher and Personal Shelf
Narrator: Carole Boyd
Buy It: Book Depository

It’s an ordinary afternoon in 1938 for the celebrated American novelist Mr. Fox, hard at work in the study of his suburban home – until his long-absent muse Mary Foxe (beautiful, British and 100% imaginary) wanders in. Mr Fox has a predilection for murdering his heroines. Mary is determined to change his ways. And so she challenges him to join her in stories of their own devising, and the result is an exploration of love like no other.

I had a hard time putting my thoughts together for this book in a way that reminded me greatly of the short story collection Better Living Through Plastic Explosives by Zsuzsi Gartner because when the truth of the matter is, Mr. Fox was simply not the book for me. Oyeyemi method of storytelling felt too disjointed, there were individual stories that worked on their own but often the endings felt abrupt and I'd be confusedly thrown into a new scenario. I honestly had a hard time following the narrative and the portions of the book I enjoyed most were those that were "real" and took place between Mr. Fox and Mary Foxe as opposed to the stories they tell each other.

When I first began reading it I found Mr. Fox strange but intrigued, Oyeyemi's language is articulate and elegant in a way. Unfortunately, as the book progressed it just befuddled me to the point that by the end I was severely disliking it. I listened to the book on audio which had a lovely narrator but only emphasized the disconnect between sections of the novel.

From the reviews I have seen of Mr. Fox this seems to be a love-it-or-leave-it type of book with most people falling under Oyeyemi's spell but unfortunately for me the most magical moment was when it was over and I could pick up a novel better suited to my own taste.

Waiting on Wednesday: Slide

2011-10-26T10:00:00.001-06:00

There are plenty of exciting YA debuts happening in 2012, but one in particular caught my eye and that is Slide by Jill Hathaway. The premise of Slide just sounds so intense and original, plus standalones are always refreshing in a sea of series. Slide will be published March 27th 2012 by Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins.

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Everything We Ever Wanted by Sara Shepard

2011-10-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

Everything We Ever Wanted is an adult novel by Sara Shepard, the author of Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game series. I'd only had one experience with Shepard previous to this novel when I read The Lying Game, so I was definitely interested to see if she maintained the same mystery and suspense I loved in The Lying Game, but hopefully with a more satisfying conclusion.

Everything We Ever Wanted is the story of a family that should have the perfect life. Sylvie is at the centre of the Bates-McAllister clan, but having recently lost her husband she has also discovered that she may not have known him as well as she thought she did. When the novel begins her world is changed when a phone call lets her know that her adopted son Scott may have played a role in the suicide of one of his students. Scott has lead a complex life, having been adopted at a year and a half old and being of mixed race in a community where White rules. Sylvie's biological son is Charles, and he envies Scott, feeling like he will never live up to the expectations his father set for him. Charles has recently married Joanna, a woman who grew up in a world very different from the Bates-McAllisters, and wonders if she will every truly belong.

It's always interesting to read an author's crossover into another genre, and since Shepard is known for her young adult fiction- although she has published one previous adult novel in 2009, The Visibles- I was curious to see if her adult fiction would vary significantly, or if it would be similar but with older characters. In reality, Everything We Ever Wanted is very different than The Lying Game, but both are easy to read, taken place predominately in a wealthy world, and are filled with suspense and secrets of the most delicious kind. The characters in Everything We Ever Wanted are unique although not entirely likable, but I could appreciate the complicated struggles and decisions Sylvie faced with regards to her sons.

Although the ending of Everything We Ever Wanted was rushed, it is definitely a stand-alone novel which I appreciated. The novel is quick-paced and full of suspense, but with a little more dimension to the story than The Lying Game, although the major mystery was less crucial to the plot. I definitely think that it is a novel worth picking up by older fans of Shepard's YA work. Like Shepard's young adult fiction, Everything We Ever Wanted is a dramatic tale about privileged individuals and the darkness that lurks beneath the shiny exterior, the difference is that not only are the characters older but they are also slightly more complex. However, like The Lying Game, Everything We Ever Wanted kept me interested the whole time I was reading, but disappointed in the ending.

Release Date: October 11th 2011
Pages: 352
Buy the Book
Source: Netgalley

Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

2011-10-25T19:02:00.000-06:00

Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Release Date: September 14th, 2009
Pages: 312
Format: Paperback and Audiobook
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Source: Publisher and Personal Shelf
Narrator: Hannah Friedman
Buy It: Book Depository

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared.

At its core, Once A Witch is a charming, light-hearted story about a girl who just doesn't belong. On one hand she has to deal with the fact that all of her family has Talent except her, but even when she is away at school the truth about her family remains a secret making it difficult for her to connect with others. Although MacCullough uses a paranormal vehicle to tell her story, I think that Tamsin's struggles would be easy for many teenagers to relate to. Most of us have to deal with parental expectations and the plans they may have for us even before we are born, for Tamsin those feelings are only intensified. That's what I enjoyed about Once A Witch, how authentic Tamsin was.

Although the plot of Once A Witch didn't completely blow me away, I did enjoy the MacCullough's storytelling and found her writing easy to read (or listen to, as I listened to this book on audio), smooth and clear. Tamsin's desire to prove herself is tangible, and she was definitely the character that stood out for me in the novel. There were some interesting and quirky secondary characters, Tamsin's room-mate at boarding school and family members in particular, that added dimension to the story. The love interest was okay, but to be honest the whole related aspect- even if it is quite distant- still made me a little uncomfortable! Personally, the entire marrying within the "Family" seemed a bit medieval for a contemporary novel.

Overall, I enjoyed Once A Witch and although the storyline itself didn't completely shock me, the characterization and relatable twist on the paranormal was certainly refreshing and I am definitely interested in picking up the second book in this series, Always A Witch.

It's Monday, what are you reading? (13)

2011-10-23T23:39:00.002-06:00

Hosted by The Book Journey

Thank you Readathon! Click here to see my updates, but suffice it to say it was incredibly awesome and refreshing to spend so much time reading. It made up for the minimal reading I've been doing the rest of the week as I work on my thesis lit review, trying to have another paper completed by Friday which I should manage no problem though I've got lab work and whatnot going on as well.

Last week I finished reading:

Waiting for Robert Capa by Susana Fortes

I've pretty much decided that perhaps novels about real people aren't quite my thing, even if they are written with lovely language. I didn't connect with The Paris Wife earlier this year, and Hemmingway actually makes a couple guest appearances in this one as well (which had a bit too much name-dropping for my liking), and I didn't connect with this either sadly.

Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien

Okay, so wow, that was different than Birthmarked, but I loved it all the same. I wish the two novels had been connected a little better, at times I wasn't quite convinced it was the same Gaia in both of them, but I once again loved O'Brien's world building and I can't wait to read the final book in the trilogy!

Practical Jean by Trevor Cole

Another book that wasn't quite for me, the satire was well done at least not over the top like I found Super Sad True Love Story to be for example, but my problem was I never quite believed that Jean would kill all these people without thinking twice. I mean, I understood her reasoning but it didn't quite seem as if she was crazy enough to be okay with murder even if she didn't want her friends to have to age.

TruthBeauty by Alison Nordstrom

Absolutely breathtaking photographs complimented by interesting essays on the pictorialism and photography, I learned a lot but considering the book was put out by the Vancouver gallery, by a Canadian publisher, I was a little disappointed there were sections on Australia and Czech but not Canada.

What I plan to read this week:
Love Alone by Emmanuel Kattan

Former lovers reunite and turn homicidal? Count me in.

Liesel and Po by Lauren Oliver

So it's now or never for this one because my e-galley is about to expire! I really really want to read it so, well, I've got to make that happen this week.

Eating Dirt by Charlotte Gill

A memoir about tree-planting, and of course the plant-loving environmental nerd in me would be interested no matter what, but I've also heard it's incredibly well written. Can't wait to find out firsthand.

What are you reading this Monday?

In My Mailbox (October 16th-22nd 2011)

2011-10-23T20:55:00.000-06:00

Hosted by The Story Siren

Awesome batch of books this week. I was incredibly excited about the ones in the top row, there are only very limited copies of the Murakami going out and the kind people at Random House let me have one as a birthday present! Plus, I thought I had missed out on Waking Storms but the publicist found another copy she had tucked away. I've actually already read Frost and Practical Jean already- I guess I couldn't wait to get started on these goodies.

{For Review}

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (Random House Canada)

Frost by Wendy Delsol (Candlewick)
Waking Storms by Sarah Porter (Thomas Allen)
Without Tess by Marcella Pixley (D&M Publishers)
The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas (D&M Publishers)
Practical Jean by Trevor Cole (TLC Book Tours)

What's in your mailbox?

Dewey 24 Hour Readathon October 2011: Master Post

2011-10-22T08:42:00.014-06:00

So as I said yesterday I'm going to be updating my progress all from one post. It's 8:25 am here now and I'm awake and ready to start reading! Technically the read-a-thon started two and a half hours ago but well, I wasn't getting up quite that early. I figure this is still a pretty good weekend start.

Even though it's technically the third hour of the readathon I figure I'll go ahead and do my introduction post!

Readathon Update 1:

1)Where are you reading from today?
My couch mostly I suspect! Which is located in my apartment in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada where I live with my wonderful boyfriend while I complete my master's in biology.

2)Three random facts about me…
I'm turning 23 at the end the month, by which I mean I'm a twin born on Halloween.
I have a pet hamster named Rolie. She's cute. Here she is:

I basically stopped reading for four years during my undergrad, and I am so so glad to have found this wonderful online book community and joined back in!

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
Based on my post from yesterday, ten. Of course that is overly optimistic but I think picking and choosing what I am in the mood to read will be key, so I have a nice wide variety selected.

4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
Not really, I'll be happy if I finish at least two books since I'm a third through one already. If I read for four to six hours that'll be a huge improvement over a normal weekend, plus I'm going to shut my laptop while I'm reading and hopefully not get distracted. My biggest problem is the internet! So if I'm updating too often it'll mean I'm not reading. If you don't see me around for many challenges that's why.

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
This is my first time! Wish me luck!

Readathon Update 2 (8:42 AM-10:00 AM):

I’ve read 80 pages and finished 0 books
I’ve read for 1 hour and 18 minutes

I'm just having a little cereal and getting back to reading. I started with Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien and I'm loving it but think I may take a break and start another book. Even my boyfriend has gotten in on the action, I have my own at-home cheerleader. When I went to write my intro post he asked me, aren't you supposed to be reading? Yup, yup I am.

Readathon Update 3 (10:22 AM-11:37 AM):

I’ve read 176 pages and finished 0 books
I’ve read for 2 hour and 33 minutes

I read another 86 pages of Prized as well as the first 10 pages of Love Alone by Emmanuel Kattan, while sipping lemon ginger tea. Then I needed a shower and now it's noon and I'm planning to get back to Prized, I only have 70 pages left and it's getting intense! Hopefully I'll be able to list my first finished book of the day by the next update. For those of you already on book 3, wow, I'm impressed. Also I believe I have totally abandoned any thesis plans for the day, this is just too much fun! Thanks to the people who have commented to support me :)

Readathon Update 4 (12:22 PM-1:18 PM):

I’ve read 246 pages and finished 1 book
I’ve read for 3 hour and 29 minutes

Finished Prized! Yay, one book down. I'm just starting two others, Love Alone and also Practical Jean by Trevor Cole. They're both for upcoming book tours and if I can finish at least one today I'd be ecstatic. Anyway back to reading I go!

Readathon Update 5 (1:41 PM-2:34 PM):

I’ve read 304 pages and finished 1 book
I’ve read for 4 hour and 22 minutes

So I totally had a nap. Maybe it was sitting on the couch all day but I was exhausted. But I figured I'd do an update before I got back to reading. I've mostly been focused on Practical Jean and made a decent dent in that. Anyway it's 3:45 now and I'm happy to have passed the 300 mark, maybe I'll make it to 500 today? I don't really have a specific goal in mind though it would be nice to finish a second book. I need to participate in these more often, so much fun! Thanks to everyone who has stopped by my blog to cheer :)

Readathon Update 6 (3:50 PM-5:10 PM):

I’ve read 392 pages and finished 1 book
I’ve read for 5 hour and 42 minutes

I read about twenty more pages of Practical Jean before taking a break with something a bit light, the photography book TruthBeauty edited by Alison Nordstrom, there are essays in it but there are also large photographs and it's a gorgeous book to look at (even if I found a typo that is driving me mad!) and enjoyed the first chapter (up to page 64) of that. At least I know if all else fails I should be able to finish that book this evening! At the moment I'm waiting for chicken to defrost so I can cook dinner, so I'll probably do a little more reading then take a break while we eat. I've been snacking all day while reading and I definitely need a proper meal for supper!

Readathon Update 7 (7:17 PM):

I’ve read 402 pages and finished 1 book
I’ve read for 5 hour and 52 minutes

So I'm done supper (balsamic glazed chicken, corn, mashed potatoes and green beans) and it's back to reading I go! Okay, I also watched Project Runway, during which I read ten more pages (I counted it as ten minutes since I wasn't really reading most of the sixty). However I had to update because a) it's a couple hours later, and b) I passed the 400 mark! It honestly feels like I haven't done that much reading today, maybe because I've only finished one book, but I guess 400 pages is still quite a lot. Since I've decided to take today off from thesis-related things I still have at least 4 hours left which gives me the potential to bring that number up significantly if I don't get distracted. Happy reading everyone!

Readathon Update 8 (7:30 PM-9:00 PM):

I’ve read 494 pages and finished 1 book
I’ve read for 7 hours and 22 minutes

Just popping in to say I'm back on reading track although getting sleepy. Still switching back and forth between TruthBeauty and Practical Jean- maybe I can finish both today? That's over 200 more pages but I can fantasize....

Final Readathon Update (9:10 PM-11:59 PM):

I’ve read 670 pages and finished 2 books
I’ve read for 9 hours and 11 minutes

Well I think this readathon is ending at midnight in my time zone since I still have to do lots of thesis writing. I managed to finish two books, Prized and Practical Jean and read over 600 pages. I've also nearly finished TruthBeauty and began Love Alone though I didn't get very far. Overall it was a great day and I'll definitely be participating again! Thank you to everyone who stopped by, and if you were participating in the readathon I hope it went wonderfully for you as well :)

Dewey 24 Hour Readathon October 2011

2011-10-21T19:09:00.000-06:00

Having made the decision (approximately an hour ago) to participate in the readathon, of course I got all excited and had to pick out a stack of books for tomorrow. I aimed for an eclectic mix so I don't get bored of any one type and although I am definitely not reading them all, hopefully I'll get a chance to finish at least one or two!

The stack of wonderfulness contains:

Love Alone by Emmanuel Kattan (More of a literary novel for an upcoming book tour)
Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien (About a third into this one and loving it, so it'll be first to be picked up tomorrow!)
Waking Storms by Sarah Porter (Not released till next year but I loved the first book so I'm excited for this. Plus, mermaids!)
Practical Jean by Trevor Cole (This one is a bit of a satire, it's also for an upcoming tour, I figure if I need some dark humour I'll start it)
The Apothecary by Maile Meloy (I'd been planning on the audio but I didn't like the narrator but I love Meloy's short stories so of course I have to try this.)
Invisible Strings by Jim Moore (Poetry for when I feel the need to feel like I've actually finished a book)
Eating Dirt by Charlotte Gill (My non-fiction choice for the day, about tree-planting)
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (I'll be listening to the audio)
TruthBeauty by Alison Nordstrom (Art book for when I need some pictures)
Not Pictured: Liesel and Po by Lauren Oliver (MG on my e-reader!)

So ten books... yeah so not happening, but it was fun picking out what I would read under the most optimistic of circumstances if I had one of those Harry Potter watches that let me rewind time so I could spend hours and hours reading. Also, the incredibly ugly couch in the background is where I'll be doing most of my reading cause it sure is comfy.

And the reason I won't be participating the whole time is actually another stack of reading I have to do:

Yay Thesis Reading/Writing

Are you participating in tomorrow's read-a-thon? If so, what books do you plan to pick up?

Also I promise this is my last read-a-thon related post that isn't my read-a-thon post. That'll be up tomorrow when I finally start reading so it's not cluttered with all my idealism and I don't have to get depressed by the lack of reading I've done every time I open it to edit and see the picture of my stack of books!

To Readathon or Not to Readathon?

2011-10-21T17:37:00.000-06:00

So I have tentatively decided to sign myself up! I will not be reading the full 24 hours as I need to maintain a decent sleep schedule, but I am making the plan to read lots and lots tomorrow before I go back to massive amounts of thesis-writing. Again, I may bow out if I get too stressed about school but I'm going to start the day (uhem, not six am like my start time, but when I wake up) with the full intention to participate. If I do I'm going to keep my posting down to one post that I'll regularly update throughout the day since I find it unmanageable and a bit annoying when bloggers post every ten minutes. Anyway, wish me luck, this is something I have seen happen many times and never joined in before I am excited and hopefully some day in the future I can do the full on participation that I admire.

Click here to join, are you participating? Let me know any helpful hints if you have them!

Frost by Wendy Delsol

2011-10-21T08:00:00.003-06:00

Note: This review contains no spoilers of Frost, but does contain spoilers of the first book in the series, Stork, a review of which can be found here.

Frost by Wendy Delsol

Release Date: October 11th, 2011
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Publisher
Buy It: Book Depository

Katla Leblanc is delighted when all signs point to a busy and peaceful Christmas. But Katla’s wintry wish unexpectedly turns into the snowstorm of the century, drawing the attention of Brigid, a gorgeous environmental researcher with an unusual interest in Katla’s boyfriend, Jack.

Personally, I went into reading Frost having loved its predecessor, Stork, so much I figured it was basically impossible to top. In reality, I found that to be the case, but that doesn't mean Frost wasn't also an enjoyable, hilarious, and exciting book- it just wasn't quite another Stork for me. That said, my high expectations didn't stop from thoroughly enjoying Frost and I once again loved Delsol's writing which is hilarious and engaging.

My major problem with Frost is that it had too many subplots. One storyline would get introduced, and then placed on the back burner for most of the book, for example what happened to Hulda. I love that Delsol had so many great ideas but I think the novel would have felt a little less overwhelmed if a couple of them had been pared back. I also found the climax to be quite rushed, as I was reading I couldn't believe how few pages were left when it began to happen and the events themselves unfolded very quickly.

That said, there was still plenty I loved about Frost. Brigid was pretty much the perfect villain; her evil was palpable. I also loved how Delsol drew inspiration from an obscure (at least to me) fairytale and I felt the connection worked terrifically for the story. There also seemed to be less references to brand name clothing which I appreciated. There were also plenty of hilarious moments and the novel is full of Katla's wonderful witticisms like "Coworkers, I decided, were like bullets, best when blank."

Ultimately, as much as I enjoyed Frost it wasn't quite the novel I hoped for, as it focuses far more on the Bridget/Jack/Katla dynamic than on the Stork Society that was at the center of the first novel. Still, by the end of the book all the events have fallen into place in a way that is quite intense and leaves the reader eager for the final book in the trilogy. Even though I didn't love Frost as much as Stork I am incredibly excited for what comes next and hopeful the series will end on a high note; I know that whatever the next book contains Delsol is certain to provide rich characters, humour, and an exciting story and that is certainly something I am looking forward to.

Review Elsewhere: The Accident by Linwood Barclay

2011-10-20T22:35:00.000-06:00

"Barclay tells a smart thriller, one full of excitement but also contains a cast of believable characters with unexpected depth. The Accident is a riveting and well-written mystery, both timely and shocking in the issues it explores and with plenty of twists that will have the reader’s heart pounding to the last page."

Click here to read the rest of my review (scroll midway down the page).

Review Elsewhere: The Diviner's Tale by Bradford Morrow

2011-10-20T22:26:00.003-06:00

"The Diviner’s Tale has all the potential to be a quietly disturbing mystery, but unfortunately the most mysterious part about it is how it manages to be over 300 pages without really saying much at all — at least it does so with nice language."

Click here to read the rest of my review.

Giveaway Winner: Banned Books Hop

2011-10-20T09:57:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the delay in getting this posted, I had some technical issues but here it is.

The winner of the Banned Books Giveaway Hop is:

Kandee Kane (kennedycrazidraw)

Kandee selected The Hunger Games. They have been contacted and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by for their support and look forward to new giveaways soon!

Waiting on Wednesday: Pandemonium

2011-10-19T14:34:00.000-06:00

I loved Delirium when I read it earlier this year (see my review here) so of course I am very excited for the sequel, Pandemonium. Although 2012 is definitely going to be a year of many sequels, this is one I particularly looking forward to! Unfortunately I'll have to wait til March 6th 2012. The ending of Delirium was just so intense! Also Alex better be okay or Lauren Oliver is going to have some explaining to do!

Blame my excitement for all the exclamation points, I just can't wait for this book.

Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free.

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again.

Full of danger, forbidden romance, and exquisite writing, Lauren Oliver’s sequel to Delirium races forward at a breathtaking pace and is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes action of The Hunger Games and the bittersweet love story of Romeo & Juliet.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Stork by Wendy Delsol

2011-10-19T11:40:00.002-06:00

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Release Date: October 12th, 2010
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback and Audiobook
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Source: Publisher and Personal Shelf
Buy It: Book Depository

16-year-old Katla moves from L.A. to Minnesota after her parents divorce and is inducted into the Stork Society, where women pair up unborn babies with would-be mothers. Complicating things further is Jack, the gorgeous, brooding farm boy who seems fascinated with Katla—when he's not being rude and distant.

To be honest, I was skeptical of the premise of this book. I mean, Stork- like the birds that deliver babies? Really, Delsol, really? Yes, really, and in the most intriguing and well-written way you can imagine, a fantastic twist on an old myth that is totally original. In fact, not only is Stork one of the best books I've read in 2011 but it was also incredibly hilarious to the point that I was often laughing out loud while reading, as well as being a touching story about a teenage girl in extraordinary circumstances. What I absolutely loved about this book was Katla, Wendy Delsol has a great sense of humour the way she writes Katla is snarky yet approachable and her sarcastic wit makes her one of those characters I truly wish were a real person. And she does feel real, the way she interacts with the people around her makes her easy to imagine and despite the fantastical element of the story I really felt like Katla could walk right off the page.

Of course, I have to share a few of Katla's quips, like how when she sees two people engaging in slightly too much PDA she says "Honestly, a start-of-game Jenga tower didn’t touch at that many points." or when describing the colour of a room she's just entered she say it "was painted eggplant, a bold statement, and just as difficult to decorate with as it was to make palatable. I was impressed". The only times Katla lost me was when there was excessive name-dropping, as she is a true fashionista and is often mentioning the brands of various articles of clothing in a way a fashion-ignorant person like myself could not really appreciate, and although it mostly fit within the story it did occasionally detract from the magical world Delsol had created.

Stork is one of those books that truly sparkles and one I know I'll go back and reread when I need a pick-me-up. I really have only positive things to say about this novel and I really hope you'll consider picking it up. The audiobook version is also great, it is read by Julia Whelan who I loved for Lost Voices and impresses equally here. Ultimately, Stork is a wonderful story which is accessible for young teens, old teens, or teens at heart and I will be certainly be picking up anything and everything Delsol publishes in the future but I am especially excited for the sequel, Frost.

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

2011-10-18T09:00:00.001-06:00

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Release Date: July 21st, 2011
Pages: 260
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin
Source: Publisher
Buy It: Book Depository

Lexi has a dark secret: she's a siren, a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. Each night she must swim, or the pain is unbearable. Trying to keep others safe, Lexi has no friends and no boyfriend because the last time she fell in love, he ended up dead. But now there's a new boy at school...

After loving Lost Voices by Sarah Porter I decided to dive* headfirst into the mermaid craze and picked up Ripple, another novel with a dark twist on sirens in which the main character is a teenage girl who was involved in the death of her first love. From the first page it is obvious how heavy Lexi's guilt is, and although we all aren't capable of killing men with our voices, the burden she feels over something she had no way of knowing is incredibly relateable. Everyone makes mistakes, but Lexi is still a young girl and the pain and emotion Hubbard captures in her is absolutely heart-breaking at times.

My major problem with Ripple is although it appears to contain a love triangle- not my favourite to begin with- one of the boys catching Lexi's eye was completely unlikable and not even slightly desirable. I realize he had something Lexi craved deeply and could change her life forever, but it is hard to imagine she could even consider picking him. I loved the shocking ending but I wish that up til that point there had been a little more to catch the reader's interest so that I felt more than simply 'good riddance' when the book was over.

What's incredibly refreshing about Ripple is that it is a standalone novel. Yup, you heard me right. It seems like every book these days, especially those with a touch of paranormal in them, is part of a series and I am so glad Hubbard limited herself to one book to tell this story. The result is that although short, Ripple is completely satisfying story-wise and full of twists and turns you won't see coming with an ending that is quite rewarding. I really enjoyed Hubbard's writing and was disappointed when I checked out the synopses for her first two novels- You Wish and Prada and Prejudice- neither of which really caught my eye. Luckily, it turns out she also publishes YA on serious issues under the name Amanda Grace including But I Love Him and the upcoming release In Too Deep, both of which I will definitely be checking out.

Hubbard's writing is smooth, flows nicely and is easy to read and I loved her unique spin on the mythology involved in the story. This is a great book to just devour in a lazy afternoon. In the midst of a sea* of paranormal, Ripple is a book that still manages to stand out because of the strong connection the reader forms with Lexi, a flawed and believable protagonist that Hubbard takes on an emotional journey.

*These puns were completely and totally on purpose. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

2011-10-17T19:53:00.001-06:00

Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

Release Date: June 16th, 2011
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Thomas Allen
Source: Publisher
Buy It: Book Depository

Paris, 1940. A brilliant jazz musician, Hiero, is arrested by the Nazis and never heard from again. He is twenty years old. He is a German citizen. And he is black.

Fifty years later, his friend and fellow musician, Sid, must relive that unforgettable time, revealing the friendships, love affairs and treacheries that sealed Hiero’s fate.

In some ways, completely unrelated to the content of the novel, Half Blood Blues reminds me slightly of Blood Red Road by Moira young- and not just because of the gore in the title. The two books are both written in dialect, a fact which is in some ways responsible for their slow starts, but once the reader becomes fully immersed it is impossible not to fall in love with the story.

Part of what surprised me about Half Blood Blues was the fact that for a historical book, one with a story told mainly in the past, it isn't just about the history: at its core Edugyan's novel is truly human. This humanity comes mainly from the character of Sid, his voice as the narrator felt so genuine I find it difficult to imagine what Edugyan's other novels are like, how can she tell any other stories when this one felt so real? The musicians that make up the group Sid is a part of are each unique and believable and in Half Blood Blues each of them tells their own story: the solider's son who believes in music, the Jew with the aryan appearance, the young prodigy. Mingled into the story are real people and events so that the novel reminded me slightly of The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, a book where it is hard to know where the truth ends and the imagination begins precisely.

Although Half Blood Blues has been nominated for many awards such as the Booker, the Giller and the Governor General's, it is not so overly literary as to be inaccessible. Once the reader becomes accustomed to Sid's voice, the story itself is approachable and easy to read. Still, it is not a novel to be taken lightly and it deals heavily with issues of race, such as the hierarchy of blacks in Nazi Germany, that most are unfamiliar with but which I found fascinating. In the end, Half Blood Blues provides a powerful message about jealously, betrayal and friendship in incredibly difficult times; and it is certainly not the last book by Edugyan that I will be reading.

It's Monday, what are you reading? (12)

2011-10-16T23:54:00.001-06:00

Hosted by The Book Journey

It was an okay reading week, spent most of my time designing my blog instead of reading books for it but I'm happy with the end result of that. Plus, I had a review book for a tour that I was not at all enjoying and it's a relief to get it out of the way. Hopefully I'll spend more time reading this upcoming week and I have quite a few 'rewards' in store for when I finish my book tour books for the moment.

Last week I finished reading:
Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

I really enjoyed this and can see why it was nominated for so many prizes, it's an incredibly unique and well-written story and let me in on a piece of history that is often-neglected. Edugyan's makes Sid's voice so believable I'm pretty curious to read another book by her and see how it compares.

Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi

So at first I thought this book was strange but okay, but as it progressed it just confused and lost me and I'm afraid by the end I really disliked it. It was just too complicated for me.

What I plan to read this week:
Waiting for Robert Capa by Susana Fortes

I'm about a quarter into this one and the writing is lovely although sometimes overly literary by which I mean verging on pretentious. It's a short book of only about 200 pages so hopefully I'll finish it in the next day or two.

Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien

Eeek! Once I finish Robert Capa this is totally going to be my reward. I'm so excited to be hosting the author on my blog and I loved Birthmarked, the first book in the series, incredibly. Can't wait to devour this!

Liesel and Po by Lauren Oliver

Only two weeks left on my e-galley and since Delirium was one of my favourite books this year I definitely have to read this one. Oliver is an incredibly multi-talented lady and I've heard fantastic things about this magical tale.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I was actually planning to listen to another audiobook, The Apothecary by Maile Meloy, which I'd really been looking forward to. As soon as I started it I knew that I was going to stick to print as I did not enjoy the narrator at all. Which gives me a chance to start on this already-incredibly-popular recent release. I own the print edition as well and it is absolutely gorgeous. I've only just started it but I'm already in love. Plus, a British narrator!

What are you reading this Monday?

In My Mailbox (October 9th-15th 2011)

2011-10-15T20:09:00.001-06:00

Hosted by The Story Siren

An awesome batch of books this week as ones I had been waiting on for over a month finally arrived... twice. I am really excited by all of these but especially the Taylor, the Winterson and the Levithan. The Atlantic Coast is gorgeous and I know reading it is going to have me lusting hardcore over Nova Scotia. Be still my heart, only seven more months!

{For Review}

The Shattering by Karen Healey (x3) (Little Brown, For Younger Readers)
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (x2) (Little Brown, For Younger Readers)
Shut Out by Kody Keplinger (x2) (Little Brown, For Younger Readers)
Reckless by Cornelia Funke (x2) (Little Brown, For Younger Readers)
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson (Random House Canada)
Every You, Every Me by David Levithan (Random House Canada)
The Atlantic Coast: A Natural History by Harry Thurston (D&M Publishers)

What was in your mailbox this week?

Vital Signs by Tessa McWatt

2011-10-15T15:28:00.004-06:00

Vital Signs by Tessa McWatt

Release Date: July 26th, 2011
Pages: 176
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Random House Canada
Source: Publisher
Buy It: Book Depository

Anna, Mike's beautiful and self-possessed wife, begins to mangle her sentences as a result of a brain aneurysm that could kill her at any moment. In his panic to show his wife that she has been his entire universe, will Mike finally confess all the ways in which he rebelled against her power over him, the way he betrayed her?

Vital Signs is a short novel but Tessa McWatt manages to say a lot, in a quiet and thought-provoking way. What is happening to Anna is terrifying, but the book makes the reader think, is it really so bad for Anna or it is worse for her husband? These sort of questions and the consequences of diseases that impact the mind on marriage reminded me of Still Alice by Lisa Genova in the moving way that the novel tackles them. In a way, Mike often seems more concerned about himself even while caring for his wife- he worries about his own guilt as opposed to what telling Anna the truth may do to her. Not that he shouldn't be honest, but as the book shows, not everything is always what it seems, including a happy marriage.

The relationships between Mike and Anna and their children was also interesting and I think that part also reminded me of Still Alice because McWatt shows how three different personalities may react to the same circumstances. I found the story of the middle daughter, Charlotte, who is strong and stubborn but very concerned with appearance particularly touching. Mike himself is not a likable individual but his story is an emotional one. Although I read the book nearly two months ago, I stand by my first notes after finishing when I made an odd comparison of Vital Signs as being what happens when Genova's Still Alice meets Hisham Matar's Anatomy of a Disappearance because of the quiet, serious, and thoughtful way it tackles relationships and brain illness.

My only complaint about Vital Signs is the pictograms included throughout. I (sorta) understand what their purpose is but I didn't particularly appreciate them and found their occurrence fairly random and prone to disrupting the flow of the book. Maybe they would have had more impact for a more visual person but I found them distracting.

Vital Signs is a powerful story with profound character depth, and although it is the first book I have read by McWatt her subtle, intelligent, and thoughtful writing has gotten my attention and I will certainly be reading more by this talented Canadian author in the future.

I redesigned my blog...

2011-10-14T10:13:00.002-06:00

...all by myself!

Very proud of the way things have turned out and although it has been many hours of work I am thinking I am pretty much done for now. I even have a cute icon for my mailbox posts and for once a button I actually like! So please, take my button:

<center><a href="http://inthenextroom.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v132/zoedm/finalblogbutton.png"/></a></center>

Plus, now that I have my own button I am thinking swapping with other bloggers is a good idea, so let me know if that interests you.

I decided to combine some of my other loves besides reading into the layout, purple which is one of my two favourite colours (along with red, but I thought it made for a more cheerful blog) and flowers, as I am currently doing my masters in plant genetics so although I don't actually work with these specific flowers (pansies, incase you are curious), I do work with flowering plants.

Here's a sneak peek at my new design, but of course you should stop by the blog if you're reading this from a feed and check it out firsthand.

What do you think of In The Next Room's new look?

Review Elsewhere: Blood Red Road by Moira Young

2011-10-13T11:13:00.000-06:00

"Although Blood Red Road falls more into the post-apocalyptic genre than dystopia, it is certain to be appreciated by fans of The Hunger Games for its strong (yet imperfect) heroine, quietly growing romance, and adventure-like feel."

Click here to read the rest of my review.

Holy Ghost Girl by Donna Johnson

2011-10-13T08:00:00.006-06:00

Holy Ghost Girl by Donna Johnson is a memoir so unbelievable, that if it wasn't non-fiction I don't know if I would have believed it was true. Johnson was only three years old when her mother joined brother David Terrell and his Evangelical tent revivalist movement, a group that tours from city to city preaching in large tents similar to a circus. The circus comparison is apt considering a lot of went on under and surrounding the tent was just as hectic- healings and secret children and cults- and Johnson's family was all part of its inner circle of faith and deception.

Holy Ghost Girl takes place over the sixties and seventies, and Johnson does a pretty good job of telling the story considering she was a kid for most of it. As extravagant and insane as the life of David Terrell is (he's still preaching these days), what I found most interesting was what life was like for Johnson herself. Her own story is the one she is most qualified to tell, and at times I felt she got bogged down by events she couldn't remember or wasn't there for. I appreciate filling in the gaps, but at the same time it left holes where I wanted to know more- mainly how her experiences and very unusual childhood impacted her life later on, a topic that was skimmed over at times. Johnson's writing is clear and easy to read but I often felt an emotional detachment from the story, despite being interested in the premise.

Ultimately, Holy Ghost Girl provides a riveting look into a culture that will be completely unfamiliar to most, and although it wasn't a perfect fit for me as a reader, it certainly has a lot to offer on a controversial and unique topic.

Release Date: October 13th 2011
Pages: 288
Buy the Book
Source:

This review was a part of TLC Book Tours. Click here to read what other tour hosts thought. For the purpose of this review I was provided with a copy of the book which did not require a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are completely my own.

Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

2011-10-11T23:12:00.004-06:00

Release Date: July 4th, 2011

Pages: 304

Format: Hardcover and Audiobook

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Narrator: Julia Whelan

Source: Publisher and Personal Shelf

Buy It: Book Depository

When Luce is assaulted on the cliffs near an Alaskan village, she expects to die when she tumbles into the icy water below. Instead, she transforms into a mermaid. Luce is thrilled with her new life—until she discovers the catch.

Lost Voices is actually the first novel to get me interested in the mermaid trend that has been happening YA literature, I picked it up before I even read (and loved) Forgive My Fins and Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs, but suffice it to say that if Lost Voices had disappointed me it's unlikely I would have gone 'swimming' for more mermaid tales right afterwards. As it was I picked up Ripple by Mandy Hubbard the same day I finished devouring Lost Voices and these fish-tailed beings are certainly on my radar now.

What I loved so much about Lost Voices was its darkness, in that way Hubbard's novel resembles it far more closely than Childs' cheerful story, these are not Disney mermaids Porter writes about. Instead, Luce joins a group of sirens, each of whom died terribly and at a young age. So, although Lost Voices is intended for a YA audience, the violence and other abuse such as an attempted rape mean it is definitely more suitable for the older age range. Why did I love this awful darkness? Because it makes Luce and the other mermaids rich and complex creatures, the result of a unique mythology, their stories may be sad but by bringing them together Porter gives them a kind of shared happy ending.

The setting of Lost Voices is also extremely unusual, Porter really brings the cold Alaskan sea to life and gives the reader a strong visual idea of the area where Luce and the other mermaids live. One of Porter's strengths is definitely description, and in particular the portions of the novel where the girls sing. When I realized the storyline was heavily centered around music, I was nervous for tacky rhyming poetry, but the songs the mermaids sing are without words and yet Porter's language truly brings them to life.

I listened to Lost Voices on audiobook, and this format makes it very obvious when a portion of a novel drags but I never got distracted while listening to the book. I thought the narrator, Julia Whelan, did a fantastic job- although I wasn't totally convinced by her Russian accent- and I really hope she reads the upcoming books. Although it has been nearly two months between finishing the book and writing this review, Lost Voices is a novel that has grown, not diminished in strength, leaving me eager for the second book in the trilogy, Waking Storms, which is due to be released July 2012. Fortunately, although the novel ends with a clear opening for a second book, it still provides resolution of enough of the story that I wasn't left dissatisfied. As a sidenote, I'm also excited to see that the cover of the second book features a mermaid with short hair like Luce has as it fits the story much better.

With her debut novel, Porter took me into a dark and twisted world, cold and deep as the ocean, but through it all there was a sharp and piercing song, leaving me with a chill and a memory I will not soon forget, it is a book which speaks the unheard words of Lost Voices.

Addicted: Notes from the Belly of the Beast edited by Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane

2011-10-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

Addicted: Notes from the Belly of the Beast edited by Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane

Release Date: September 1st, 2001
Pages: 192
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Greystone Books
Source: Library
Buy It: Book Depository
Also By Author: Small Mechanics (Lorna Crozier)

Addicted is an anthology of personal essays devoted to a subject close--often way too close--to the hearts of the writers involved. That is their addictions, be it to booze, cigarettes, heroin, or self-destruction in general.

Although I was drawn to Addicted because of how much I loved Lorna Crozier's poetry collection Small Mechanics, each of the ten authors in this collection of essays completely blew me away. With the exception of Crozier, whose father and husband were alcoholics, each writer is struggling with a life-consuming, and potentially life-ending, addiction. The majority of the collection- seven of the ten essays- focuses on alcoholism, with six of the writers being recovered alcoholics themselves, for as Crozier writes, in our culture alcohol "remains the common drug of choice. It is, after all, legal and easy to get."

Addicted also asks some interesting questions about the connection between addiction and creativity, as well as offering a heartfelt warning to the next generation of writers who may be tempted to rely on substance abuse for inspiration. The writers in this collection are powerfully open and honest, they share not only their stories, but also their names. Many of them talk about the role family history played in their addictions, in "My Father, Myself" Marnie Woodrow writes "My father drank too much and, for a time, so did I. Something made him continue to drink; something made me pause halfway along the path." Perhaps by sharing their stories these authors have made somebody else pause on the downward spiral into the darkness.

For me, the standout of Addicted was definitely "Junkie" where Stephen Reid discusses his heroin addiction, one that began when a pedophile first injected him with morphine, seducing him. Interestingly, Reid is the husband of Canadian poet Susan Musgrave and he appears quite often in her recent collection, Origami Dove. However, he is also a famed bank robber (he's currently in prison, as a documentary I saw informed me) as well as an author in his own right. His story, "Junkie" is incredibly smart and funny and absolutely heart-breaking. Writing about the man who took his innocence, Reid says "It is not what Paul took from me, it is what I kept: the lie that the key to the gates to paradise was a filled syringe." Later, in a statement which could apply to any addiction, he adds: "There is a Zen-like irony in the junkie slang "to fix." A shot of heroin doesn't fix anything: heroin only gives shelter to that which is broken."

As Patrick Lane writes in the afterword regarding addicts: "Some of us will make it, some of us won't, but we sing our heats out anyway. We sing as hard as we can." Addicted is a strong and complex voice singing the stories of addicts loud and clear. It is completely honest and completely memorable, as well as a must-read for young writers everywhere.

It's Monday, what are you reading? (11)

2011-10-09T23:30:00.002-06:00

This meme is hosted at Book Journey

Well, all I can say is it sure is nice to finally be reading again, even if it isn't vast amounts. I'm also making changes to the way I write reviews (basically cutting summaries except for a sentence or two highlighted at the beginning) and it's already been a huge stress relief. I feel confident I can finally catch up on reviews at some point... hopefully by the end of 2011. And hopefully the only reason for that isn't that I will have hardly read anything to review!

Last week I finished reading:

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

Although technically the final book in the Uglies series this was pretty much a standalone after the fact novel. And if I think about it that way, it was not bad. As a continuation of the Uglies series? Kinda a letdown.

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Wow, this one really surprised me. I thought it was more a fairytale retelling but it's actually a soft sci fi, definitely would recommend to fans of Across the Universe and although I enjoyed the whole book, the ending in particular really hit me. I will definitely pick up whatever Sheehan writes next, and I'm glad to see from interviews with her that although she may write "companions" set in the same universe, she wants every book in a series to be able to work as a standalone as well and be read in any order. I love that.

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

I was pretty sure I'd never finish this one as I had been reading it two and a half weeks. And Sunday at 11:15pm I did. So that's good. I didn't hate it, Cohen's writing is quite lovely, but about 2/3 in I got bored. I also could live without the last chapter. Just.... no.

What I plan to read this week:

Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

This seems to be THE novel to read this year, what with it having been short listed for the Giller and the Booker. I'm only a chapter in but quite intrigued, hopefully the dialect/language used in the book isn't too overwhelming and I can get immersed easily.

Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi

I'm about a third done this book on audio, it's for an upcoming tour and the cover definitely caught my eye. The story is intriguing and quite strange, reminds me a little of Centuries of June by Keith Donohue in that way, I'm not quite sure what to think of it yet and I will be interested to see how it comes together in the end.

Waiting For Robert Capa by Susana Fortes

I'm feeling optimistic! This book has been on my TBR list for quite awhile now and with WW2 history, photography, and love, it is something I am really excited to read and just haven't gotten a chance yet. It's not too long so I'm hoping I get a chance to at least make a dent in it this week. Plus, it'll mean I'm all caught up on book tours for October which would be nice.

What are you reading this Monday?

In My Mailbox (October 9th-15th 2011)

2011-10-09T11:57:00.000-06:00

A small but lovely week for my mailbox. I've already read the Shepard and a review will be up at the end of October. I haven't read anything by Perkins but I've heard such great things I can't wait to dig into her books.

{For Review}

Lola and the Boy Next-Door by Stephanie Perkins (Penguin Canada)
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (Penguin Canada)
Everything We Ever Wanted by Sara Shepard (TLC Tours)
Love Alone by Emmanuel Kartan (Thomas Allen)

What was in your mailbox this week?

Irma Voth by Miriam Toews

2011-10-08T19:09:00.002-06:00

Irma Voth by Miriam Toews

Release Date: April 5th, 2011
Pages: 272
Format: ARC
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: TLC Book Tours
Buy It: Book Depository

Irma Voth follows a young Mennonite woman who carries a terrible family secret with her on a remarkable journey to survival and redemption.

Irma Voth was my first time reading a book by Canadian darling Miriam Toews, although A Complicated Kindness was often mentioned when I was in high school, and I was definitely interested in finding out more about her take on Mennonite culture, an issue she is uniquely posed to address because she grew up living it. The novel itself is a complex, although not particularly lengthy, story of its namesake's life. Other characters play pivotal roles in Irma Voth but ultimately everything comes back to Irma and one terrible secret, a hidden guilt she has held onto for many years.

If Irma Voth was judged solely as a coming-of-age story, without the unique context that the Mennonite religion provides (of course this is impossible and purely theoretical), I am not sure how much of a lasting impression it would have made. Irma's position within the Mennonite community is what makes the novel interesting, but oftentimes it felt almost like a crutch. I wanted a story that was slightly more universal in flavour, a little more emotional- like the memoir of her father's life by Toews I read after this book, Swing Low- and a little less rigid.

Neither the characters nor the Mexican setting really came alive for me in this book and the result was a novel which although interesting, felt clinical in its execution. Based on Irma Voth I am unlikely to pick up another novel by Toews in the near future, but her insight into Mennonite culture has caught my attention and after learning more about it in Swing Low I hope that Toews someday publishes a memoir of her own life.

Do you summarize?

2011-10-08T16:18:00.002-06:00

Lately I've come to realize that writing reviews is a lot more stressful and full of pressure than it should be. As somebody who prides myself on my writing ability, I find myself spending a lot of time making sure the review is perfect. Although I enjoy writing reviews and sharing my thoughts- there's one thing I don't enjoy and that is summaries! Having to come up with a unique plot summary for each book I review honestly is the most time-consuming part of writing reviews for me and the least-enjoyable.

So I had a thought. Plenty of big blogs just use a summary already available like the one from Goodreads. Why not me? I think this would allow me to focus on the personal part of the review and you'd still have an easily accessible synopsis so you know what I am talking about. I think this will make writing reviews a lot more fun for me.

Anyway, I am curious on your thoughts so I'm including a mini poll. Please let me know what you think, it's anonymous and I'd really love to get some feedback on this issue. Feel free to comment as well about your own thoughts.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Thanks for your feedback!

Review Elsewhere: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

2011-10-06T21:53:00.001-06:00

"Think Lord of the Flies meets America’s Next Top Model and you’ll have just a small idea of the wonderful comedic absurdity of this novel, which includes the appropriate commercial breaks using products featured in the story as well as fact sheets about each contestant (with comments from the sponsors)."

Click here to read the rest of my review.

Possession by Elana Johnson

2011-10-05T14:38:00.001-06:00

Oh Possession, debut novel by Elana Johnson, how I wanted to love you. Your incredibly gorgeous cover and interesting premise drew me, but ultimately I abandoned you after about a hundred pages of confusing and rushed action without context. Still, I thought perhaps I had judged you too harshly and returned to you two months later, making it to the very end while continuing to wish I had left what we had alone.

Dystopia is one of my favourite genres, so I was drawn to this story of a girl, Vi, who lives in a world where every action is controlled by the Thinkers. But Vi is a rebel, and she can't help breaking the rules, and is caught and sent to prison to be fixed. Apart from her lifelong friend and love Zenn, she ends up cellmates with the charming Jag and the two of them escape and go on the run, but Zenn remains in the back of Vi's mind- is she ready to leave him, and everything else she knew, behind? Or is there another way out of the controlling life she has always known?

Vi is a tough main character, hardcore in a way that reminded me of Ari from Darkness Becomes Her, only then she would suddenly have an emotional breakdown. Plus, the constant obsession with thinking about her own and other peoples' hair was just annoying. Although Vi has two love interests, I was indifferent to which one she ended up with because neither of them felt very real. A lot of the character development in Possession seemed superficial to me, and it is definitely a plot-based story. When it came to the plot though, despite being quick-paced and action-packed, I often had a hard time getting involved in the story because I was confused about what was going on. Often I felt thrust into a world with no understanding of how it became that way, so that I had many of the same world-building issues that I had with Bumped by Megan McCafferty. Maybe the novel simply moved too fast for the reader to really grasp the world it was set in, but although Johnson had some unique ideas I really wanted them to be flushed out more.

I wanted things to work out between Possession and I, but even the ending, although gasp-worthy, left me puzzeled, in a way making the entire book feel slightly pointless. I wanted things to be different Possession, but we never had the connection I craved and your action-filled content still left me longing for complex characters and a believable world. Your story left me confused, but the one thing I am sure about is that whatever I thought we could have, Possession, it was simply not meant to be. I just know there is someone else out there that can appreciate you in ways I never could.

Release Date: June 7th, 2011
Pages: 416
Source: Simon and Schuster Galley Grab
Buy the Book

Author Mary Lindsey on Naming Characters

2011-10-05T14:12:00.004-06:00

Character Names: Horace (Race) and Maude (Maddi)

Naming characters in Shattered Souls was complicated because Intercessors (both Speakers and Protectors) keep their names throughout multiple lifetimes. Many were inducted centuries ago, so I needed older names.

I wanted my characters (except the timeless Alden) to have names so dated, that they would be inclined to change them in modern times.

The naming of Horace and Maude came easily compared to others. My parents had me pretty late in life, just as their parents had done. That gave me World War I-era grandparents and great-grandparents who born in the1870’s.

Horace and Maude from Shattered Souls were named after my great-grandparents, Horace and Hettie McLain. (I believe they still spelled the name MacLean). The name Hettie was too cute, so I snagged the middle name, Maude, and used that instead.

Below are pictures of my great-grandparents from 1896 (at least that’s the date on the photos). The originals are too big to fit in my scanner and since there is glass, I had to take the photo from an angle to avoid glare.

Meet my great-grandparents, Horace and Maude:

Thank you so much, Zoe, for having me on your blog today and for hosting this stop on the Teen {Book} Scene Shattered Souls Blog Tour.

Mary Lindsey's debut young adult novel, SHATTERED SOULS, is scheduled for release December 8, 2011 from Philomel/Penguin. Having received a B.A. in English literature with a minor in drama from the University of Houston, she currently teaches acting to children and teens at a private studio in Houston, Texas. Mary lives with her husband, three kids, two dogs, her daughter's pet rats, an Australian Bearded Dragon, and dozens of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.

Thanks so much to Mary for stopping by In The Next Room! To learn more about her debut novel, Shattered Souls, stop by her website. Click here to check out the other stops on this tour.

It's Monday, what are you reading? (10)

2011-10-02T22:58:00.000-06:00

This meme is hosted at Book Journey

Last week I finished reading:
Nothing! Two major scholarship application deadlines, two drafts of a paper that I'm hoping will be submitted for publication this week and one very bad sickness that has made all of the above extra difficult and that's about all I could handle this week. I'm giving myself a bit of a break this upcoming week to enjoy some reading in the evenings though so I'm hopeful I'll get a couple finished. Definitely want to read the ones I had been planning to this week (click here). Hopefully I'll be back with a proper post next Monday. Happy reading everyone!

In My Mailbox (September 25th-October 1st 2011)

2011-10-01T17:23:00.001-06:00

Very busy mailbox this week, although it came in basically two big chunks, one from Thomas Allen and one from Penguin Canada. Excited for all these books and I can't wait to read and review them. There's a few too many for me to talk about individually but there are many I am really looking forward to. Plus, one I had really been looking forward to finally arrived from Abebooks.com where I purchased it after being unable to find it anywhere! Hopefully I have more time this upcoming week as while I am writing this I still haven't finished a single book this week!

Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett (Two Copies) (Thomas Allen)
Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Thomas Allen)
Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan (Thomas Allen)
Record Collecting For Girls by Courtney E. Smith (Unsolicited) (Thomas Allen)
Poisoned House by Michael Ford (Unsolicited) (Thomas Allen)
Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm (ARC) (Unsolicited) (Thomas Allen)
Mister Death's Blue-Eye Girls by Mary Downing Hahn (ARC) (Thomas Allen)
Radiate by Marley Gibson (ARC) (Thomas Allen)
Traitor's Son by Hilari Bell (ARC) (Thomas Allen)

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides (Random House Canada)
Underdogs by Markus Zusak (Scholastic Canada)
As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott (Penguin Canada)
TruthBeauty by Alison Nordstrom (D&M Publishers)
Crossed by Ally Condie (ARC) (Second Copy) (Penguin Canada)
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff (ARC) (Penguin Canada)
The Apothecary by Maile Meloy (ARC) (Penguin Canada)
Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian (Scholastic Canada)

{Bought}

An Hour in Paradise by Joan Leegant

What was in your mailbox this week?

Author Trinity Faegen on the Top Ten Places She Can’t Write (She's Tried)

2011-09-29T09:00:00.000-06:00

Top Ten Places I Can’t Write (I know because I tried)

10. Swimming pool: I spend so much time making sure no one can see my hairy legs, or that side car of ice cream I had with my apple pie, which is now making my belly way too jolly, I’m then burning up, so have to lose the cover-up and get in the water, after which the whole process begins again. Words written: Zero.

9. Starbucks: There is only one in my town, and as soon as I get settled, with ear buds in, laptop on, book loaded, someone I know walks in and I’m chatting away, instead of writing. If no one familiar comes in, I strike up a convo with strangers. Also spend $15 on additional products such as lemon pound cake and old coffee grounds I may someday use when I someday plant a garden, which I now need to Google how to grow tomatoes in west Texas. Oh, and look, those kids are playing Scrabble. Words written: Zero. Scrabble score: 211

8. Airplanes: Whomever is behind me is reading every word I write, which has become the worst drivel I’ve ever produced and my humiliation knows no bounds. Alternatively, I’m writing something sexy and my over-the-shoulder reader looks like my Grandma, or my ten-year-old niece. There is also beverage service and possible snacks to consider. Words written: 100, but later deleted, so final count: Zero.

7. Backyard: There are wasps in summer, it’s too cold in winter. I’m also distracted by how badly I need new patio furniture. A trip to Lowes ensues. Word count: Zero.

6. Kitchen table: There is food, which I feel compelled to organize, rearrange, cook, eat, or throw out. Words written: Zero. Calories consumed: 1,900

5. Mother-in-law’s: Yeah. No. Words written: -1,000 after I delete the sexy times because I realize she may read it someday.

4. Writer Conferences: I’m always inspired and enthusiastic at a writer conference. All those panels of editors and agents, talking about what’s selling, and successful authors talking about How To Write. Unfortunately, it’s also when I see my writing friends in real life, so all downtime is spent over coffee, or hanging out in the lobby, or eating delicious expensive food at beautiful restaurants, while talking about kids and books and the meaning of life. Time in my hotel room is limited to showering and sleeping. Word count: Zero Face Time: Priceless

3. Doctor’s office: If I don’t take the netbook, I’ll be waiting over an hour, wishing I had it because I could have gotten some words in. If I do take the netbook, I’ll see the doctor within five minutes of sitting down. Truthfully, doctor visits are typically stressful, so writing anything is a stretch. Word count: Zero Articles read in People: 6

2. Boats: My mom and I went on a river cruise through Germany last December, stopping along the way at wee, quaint villages to go to the Christmas markets. The ship was small, intimate and beautiful. Also filled with fun, interesting people, several who liked to hang out in the ship’s library. I had moderate success working on revisions, but it was a little distracting when we passed towering cliffs with castles perched up there, in the snow, with snow falling, and hot chocolate in the lounge, and a cute steward who liked to chat about Romania. Recently, I took an Alaskan cruise with my husband. As if. Word count: Zero Castles: 15 Bears: 1

1. After surgery: Valium and hydrocodone are not conducive to creative process. Not taking them means pain, which is also not helpful. On the upside, the hazy drug effect means you don’t really care. Words written: Zero

All to say, the only place I actually manage to get significant writing done is at home, in my office, at my desk, headphones on, with all my random, comfortable things and books around.

Thank you for having me here, Zoë!

Trinity Faegen wasn’t always a writer. She had an illustrious career as a Campus Cop in college, led many children astray as a camp counselor, and decorated Christmas trees for sweet, and notsosweet, little old ladies. She loves metal and rock, the Rocky mountains, chocolate cake and college football. She hates sappy stuff and hypocrites. Mostly, though, she loves to write.

Trinity lives in the outback of Texas with her husband and a mean cat.

Thanks so much to Trinity for stopping by In The Next Room! To learn more about her debut novel, The Mephisto Covenant, stop by her website. Click here to check out the other stops on this tour.

Review Elsewhere: Tunnel Vision by Susan Shaw

2011-09-29T00:18:00.001-06:00

"Tunnel Vision had a riveting premise, an exciting beginning and a shocking, although not ultimately rewarding, ending. But over two hundred pages of dull writing left me looking for a light at the end of tunnel… and not in a good way."

Click here to read the rest of my review.

Author Joan Leegant on Inspiration

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

I’m one of those fiction writers who doesn’t plan the story out ahead of time. Instead, I’ll conjure some characters and a setting and follow them to see what they do and where they take me. I might have a dim sense of their struggles and passions, what might be driving them, but I try not to think about that too much before I start writing. Otherwise the story tends to come out as too engineered; there’s no room for surprise, for letting the characters develop the way they need to develop, not the way I might want them to develop.

With Wherever You Go, I knew only two things when I started the book: that I wanted to write a novel set in Israel and that I wanted to write about young Americans in Israel. I’ve spent a lot of my adult life either in Israel – since 2007, I’ve been teaching in Tel Aviv a semester each year—or thinking or reading or worrying about Israel. So it was a natural place for me to explore through fiction. I came up with 3 Americans, all in the country for different reasons. Finding the characters sounds straightforward, but coming up with those particular characters took several years. Though the character Yona is the first one you meet in the book, she was the last one I wrote. For a long time, I had another woman in her place, a holdover from an early draft that had a very different tone and an entirely different storyline. Eventually I realized that the first woman didn’t belong in the book; she wasn’t a fit. I had to send her back to her own story and find someone else. When I found Yona, the novel began to fall into place.

Not surprisingly, my characters took me straight into the heart of the West Bank and the contentious matter of the settlement cause. I’m very interested in people who attach themselves to causes, who live for “the movement,” whatever that movement might be—and that’s what I wanted to explore in the book. What draws people to causes, especially ones that involve violence? How much is ideology and how much is psychology? The power of such fierce attachments was something I first became aware of when I was a student during the Vietnam war. There were anti-war protests and feminism and all kinds of radical movements sweeping the US then. People who exhibit that kind of revolutionary fervor fascinate me.

I’m also very interested in religion and how embracing a religious discipline can save a person, but can also destroy a person. This was something I explored in the book through the character of Mark Greenglass, who’s lost his religious passion when the book opens and doesn’t know why. I didn’t know why either, so I had to write the book to find out. That’s one of the pleasures of writing fiction that you don’t plan out ahead of time. You get to find out what happens the same way a reader does: by discovering it as you go.

Joan Leegant is the author of WHEREVER YOU GO, and AN HOUR IN PARADISE. Formerly an attorney, she taught at Harvard University for eight years. Since 2007, she has lived half the year in Tel Aviv where she is the visiting writer at Bar-Ilan University and lectures for the U.S. State Department. When not in Israel she lives in Newton, Massachusetts.

Thanks so much to Joan for taking the time to stop by In The Next Room. You can find my review of her beautiful yet horrifying novel, Wherever You Go, here. To connect with Joan, visit her website, http://www.joanleegant.com/.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

2011-09-27T09:00:00.014-06:00

Surprisingly, in many ways Unearthly by Cynthia Hand was another Vaclav and Lena, despite the fact that the books have basically nothing in common except both were mailbox surprises that I wouldn't usually read, but made an exception, and ended up really glad I did.

Unearthly is the first in a trilogy about Clara Gardner, a normal teenage girl, except the part where she's a quarter angel a fact that makes her stronger, more beautiful, and more talented than all the humans that surround her. It also means her life revolves around a purpose, a reason she was born, the only problem is that Clara has to figure out what it is from her visions of forest fires and a handsome boy. The result is that her family moves to a new town, so she can get close to the mysterious stranger from her prophecy, only it turns out he is already plenty close with his serious girlfriend. It doesn't help that Clara keeps getting distracted by Tucker, the handsome yet annoying Southern boy who won't leave her alone. Ultimately, Clara has a choice to make, and its consequences are more complex than she could ever fathom.

Okay- let's just stop and take count for a moment:

Paranormal Romance ✓
Angels ✓
Love Triangle ✓

These are the three major components that were standing in my way of loving Unearthly, and somehow, Hand's wonderful writing meant I was able to get over all three. And yes, I realize #1 is kinda the combination of #2 and #3, but that's besides the point (I mean, it is possible to have Angels and a Love Triangle but not an Angel in a Love Triangle, so I'm holding onto that distinction). The point is, this is not a book I'd like, and yet I did.

What makes Unearthly such an anomaly is not only the incredibly adorable love interest- Tucker has all the masculine charm and blunder of Quince from Forgive My Fins, plus a Southern accent which really came to life since I listened to the audiobook- but simply good, strong, clear writing so that even though Clara's life was extreme, a lot of the issues she faced were realistic teenage ones. The truth is, regardless of if you are part angel or not, parents keep secrets, friends make plans without you, boys you like ignore you, and sometimes you just want to fit in even if it means dulling down your shine (literally, in Clara's case as she has to dye her sparkly hair).

Without being heavy on the religion, Hand manages a unique and interesting backstory for Clara and the rest of her kind, and I am definitely interested in finding out more as the story develops. Plus, despite being part of a series Unearthly works quite well on its own, with a fun twist at the end I definitely didn't see coming. I also liked how this wasn't a story about a girl magically discovering powers, but rather figuring out how to manage them, which makes it unique from many paranormal stories out there.

Ultimately, Unearthly wasn't the cliche book I thought it would be but instead a unique and engaging spin on a paranormal being dealing with normal teenage life- although I tend to avoid angel storylines, I make have to rethink my opinion when encountered with other books in the future. The second novel in the Unearthly Trilogy, Hallowed, will be released January 24th 2012 and this time, you can bet I won't be hesitant to pick it up.

Release Date: January 4th, 2011
Pages: 435
Source: ARC From Publisher / Audiobook
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Guest Review: Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald

2011-09-26T09:00:00.004-06:00

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots is about Jenna, a vegetarian with some extreme eco-ideals. To avoid being stuck in Florida with her mother and grandmother for the summer, as her parents planned, she concocts some plans of her own. These plans involve going to stay with her godmother, Susie, her new husband, and her stepdaughter in Canada. While there, Jenna learns how to deal with nature, unfriendly new acquaintances, and she finds a survival guide, which she applies to surviving the woes of being a teenager, as well as the wilderness.

This may seem like just a light summer read, but it is so much more than that. The characters are real, and pretty awesome...once they start to actually let Jenna in...at first, they were pretty mean to her. All in all though, I thought that Abby McDonald did an amazing job at making all of the characters so realistic. They had real problems, and they actually spoke like real people too. It’s always nice when characters don’t speak like robots...I hate when dialogue doesn’t seem natural, but with Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots, Abby pulls of the dialogue perfectly. I especially liked that she didn’t try and make the kids have weird lingo just because Jenna went up to Canada...we aren’t that different you know. :P

I also loved the evolution of relationships. Fiona, Susie’s stepdaughter, was such a bag to her at first, but as the book went on, she started to open up, and she realized that if she kept treating everyone so poorly...she wouldn’t have any friends left. Jenna was the one to point that out to her, and I loved that, it showed Jenna’s growth, and I loved that she was also sticking up for her godmother, Susie. Fiona actually turned out to be an alright character...which kind of surprised me. Oh, and the boys...well, they were definitely jerks at first...jerks or just plain oblivious, but I liked how Jenna didn’t give up. She’s persistent if nothing else, and she made sure they gave her a chance to show that she wasn’t a snob who looked down upon the small-town hicks as they referred to themselves. I especially liked Ethan and Reeve, for two completely different reasons, but I don’t want you to be spoiled, so I’ll let you read it and see if you like them, too.

I really liked Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots. I think it’s a great book to pick up for a summer read, or one to pick up when you’re feeling like you want something a bit different because Jenna isn’t your typical YA heroine, and this isn’t your typical light and fluffy read. It broaches on some serious topics, but it doesn’t really dwell on them, mostly it just reminds you that they’re there. This story also reminds you that you don’t have to always do everything to the extreme. Jenna learns that throughout this story. She sees that her extreme ideals don’t fit everywhere, and that sometimes you have to make adjustments to what you believe because not every situation is black and white. I think that people who enjoy contemporary stories, but prefer character development to romance, would love this one. There is romance, but I think this story is more about Jenna’s growth with a bit of romance thrown in. ;)

Release Date: April 13th, 2010
Pages: 304
Source: ARC From Publisher
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This book was reviewed by Ambur from Burning Impossibly Bright- you can check out more of her awesome book reviews here. Thanks Ambur, this sounds like a fun and spunky book that I look forward to reading someday!