Book Trailer Thursday (109)–Icons by Margaret Stohl

May 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I’m a big fan of the Beautiful Creatures series, so I was thrilled when I found out that Margaret Stohl was branching out and writing her own book.  One of the things I love best about the Beautiful Creatures series is that I never felt like two authors wrote it.  I’m really curious to find out if the writing in Icons is similar to the writing in Beautiful Creatures or if it will be completely different.  The premise is really intriguing and I love the gender neutral cover.  Also, Icons released this week on May 7th!

IconsSummary (From Goodreads):

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol’s family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn’t know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside — safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can’t avoid.

She’s different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador’s privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn’t a coincidence. It’s a conspiracy.

Within the Icon’s reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions — which they’ve always thought to be their greatest weaknesses — may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts — in order to save the future.

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Book Trailer Thursday (108)–The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

May 2, 2013 by 1 Comment

I’ve been reading good reviews for Rick Yancey’s The 5th Wave and these mini trailers make me want to read it even more.  I kind of like that publishers are putting together multiple book trailers to advertise a single book.  Do  you think there will be a 4th book trailer made before the May 7th book release?

The 5th WaveSummary (From Goodreads):

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

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

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

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Audiobook Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

April 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Prodigy audiobookTitle: Prodigy

Author: Marie Lu

Narrators: Steven Kaplan & Mariel Stern

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Release Date: January 29th, 2013

Interest: Series

Source: Audiobook purchased via Audible

Summary (From Goodreads): June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action.

Audiobook Review: I really enjoyed listening to Steven Kaplan and Mariel Stern narrate Prodigy by Marie Lu.  I’ve decided that I like male audiobook narrators more than female narrators, and I’m not entirely sure why, but it holds true with Steven Kaplan narrating Day’s parts.  He does a nice job differentiating between the characters, even more so than Mariel Stern did.  I liked Mariel Stern for the part of June because she has almost a lilt to her voice that sounds right for June.  The audiobook is a little over ten hours long, but it felt like it went faster than that.  I didn’t listen to Legend, so I’m not sure how I’ll read the third book in this trilogy.  I liked the audio enough that I’d be happy reading it that way.

Book Review: Prodigy picks up right where Legend left off.  I had a hard time getting into it when I was reading it in the traditional sense, which is why I switched to the audiobook.  I don’t know why I was having a hard time reading it because once I started the audio I was really into the story.

We learn a lot more about June and Day and the world is developed even more.  I liked getting more information about Anden, the Republic, and the Patriots.  I’m actually kind of torn about Anden because I didn’t want to like him, but I really do.  He and June spend more time together in Prodigy and their interactions add a great level of intensity to the story.  June and Day are more a part than together in Prodigy, but it made the scenes where they are together even more enjoyable to read.  There’s lots of angst between them in this book.

I didn’t love Prodigy which makes me feel like the only person in the book world who didn’t love it.  I can’t even put my finger on what it was missing.  A few parts kind of dragged, and it just wasn’t as good as Legend.  The end of book is what really saved it for me.  There’s lots of action and excitement towards the end.  The actual ending, however, just about broke my heart.  I have NO idea what to expect in the last book.  I’m hoping that something will miraculously change so the story ends the way I want it to, but right now, I’m not so sure.  What an emotional ending.

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Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

February 5, 2013 by 1 Comment

Unravel MeTitle: Unravel Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: February 5th, 2013

Interest: Series

Source: ARC gifted from friend

 

 

Summary (Goodreads):

tick, tick, tick, tick, tick
it’s almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She’s finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam’s life.

Unravel Me is exhilarating and a nice follow up to Shatter Me, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations.  Since I’m torn about my feelings for this sequel, I’m breaking it down into what worked and what didn’t work for me.

What Worked for Me:

  • Tahereh Mafi once again stunned me with her beautiful, one of a kind, lyrical writing.  Her writing style is so original, I could be handed a page a page from one of her books without knowing the title or author and I’d be able to identify it.  There aren’t as many strike outs in Unravel Me, but the sections that are tell us so much more since there are so much fewer.  I think it would be an excellent way to teach the idea of revision during a writing unit.
  • Here are a couple of my favorite passages from the ARC **Note–Since these are from the ARC, they are subject to change**
    • “Synonyms know each other like old colleagues, like a set of friends who’ve seen the world together.  They swap stories, reminisce about their origins and forget that though they are similar, they are entirely different, and though they share a certain set of attributes, one can never be the other.  Because a quiet night is not the same as a silent one, a firm man is not the same as a steady one, and a bright light is not the same as a brilliant one because the way they wedge themselves into a sentence changes everything.”
    • “I wonder at my incapacity for easy banter, smooth conversation, empty words to fill awkward moments.  I don’t have a closet filled with umms and ellipses ready to insert at the beginnings and ends of sentences.  I don’t know how to be a verb, an adverb, any kind of modifier.  I’m a noun through and through.”

    Isn’t her writing fantastic!  Not only do these two sections create clear images, they’re sections that I’d love to use in my classroom when discussing writing and grammar.  Tahereh Mafi has such a wonderful way with words.

  • Many of the characters in Unravel Me have been developed so much more; I really like the depth.  We learn so much more about Adam’s ability and past (there are some Ohmygosh! moments).  Kenji and Castle are developed in such a way that I kept wavering between liking them and questioning their motives.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

  • I had a really difficult time liking Juliette in Unravel Me.  I understand that she’s still adjusting to being around and trusting people, but I lost my patience with her being so doubtful all the time.  It felt like her only care/focus in this book was making a love interest decision and coming to grips with her power.  There’s was too much drama between her and Adam and Warner.  I love drama, don’t get me wrong, but scene after scene of it annoyed me.
  • Unravel Me is 465 pages long and not that much really happened, at least in regards to situations outside of Juliette/Adam/Warner.  It’s exciting to learn more about characters’ powers and abilities and backgrounds, but I wanted to see more happen with the war.  So much time and focus was dedicated to Juliette being insecure and battling her emotions.  I just needed something more, something with more substance.
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Book Trailer Thursday (93)–Legend & Prodigy by Marie Lu

December 13, 2012 by 2 Comments

This book trailer is more of a “combo” trailer than an individual trailer for Prodigy, and I have no idea if an individual trailer for Prodigy will be made, but I like how both books are combined in this trailer.  I like this angle of advertising because it allows readers who haven’t started the trilogy the chance to see what the story is about and where it’s going.

Yesterday I saw someone tweeting about the Prodigy trailer which is why I was looking it up.  I’m not sure if that person was watching this trailer or another one, but either way the comment made applies.  The person tweeting mentioned that she thought Day is Asian, which he is.   Since Day is of Asian descent, shouldn’t the actor portraying him in the trailer be as well?  This is timely considering the article from The Hub (YALSA) that just released on Monday.  Any thoughts on this?  Is this another example of whitewashing?

LegendSummary of Legend (From Goodreads): What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

ProdigySummary of Prodigy (From Goodreads): June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action.

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Book Trailer Thursday (92)

December 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I decided to keep the book titles out of the blog post title since I’m featuring two titles; the post title becomes too long when I include both.  Little, Brown posted the trailer for Zom-B by Darren Shan on Facebook, which is where I discovered the trailer.  After watching that trailer, I saw the trailer for Adaptation by Malinda Lo, so I guess this post is offering some Little, Brown love :)

Summary of Zom-B (From Goodreads): When news reports start appearing of a zombie outbreak in Ireland, B’s racist father thinks it’s a joke– but even if it isn’t, he figures, it’s ok to lose a few Irish.
B doesn’t fully buy into Dad’s racism, but figures it’s easier to go along with it than to risk the fights and abuse that will surely follow sticking up for Muslims, blacks, or immigrants. And when dodging his fists doesn’t work, B doesn’t hesitate to take the piss out of kids at school with a few slaps or cruel remarks.
That is, until zombies attack the school. B is forced on a mad dash through the serpentine corridors of high school, making allegiances with anyone with enough gall to fight off their pursuers.

 

Summary of Adaptation (From Goodreads): Reese can’t remember anything from the time between the accident and the day she woke up almost a month later. She only knows one thing: She’s different now.

Across North America, flocks of birds hurl themselves into airplanes, causing at least a dozen to crash. Thousands of people die. Fearing terrorism, the United States government grounds all flights, and millions of travelers are stranded.

Reese and her debate team partner and longtime crush David are in Arizona when it happens. Everyone knows the world will never be the same. On their drive home to San Francisco, along a stretch of empty highway at night in the middle of Nevada, a bird flies into their headlights. The car flips over. When they wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won’t tell them what happened, where they are—or how they’ve been miraculously healed.

Things become even stranger when Reese returns home. San Francisco feels like a different place with police enforcing curfew, hazmat teams collecting dead birds, and a strange presence that seems to be following her. When Reese unexpectedly collides with the beautiful Amber Gray, her search for the truth is forced in an entirely new direction—and threatens to expose a vast global conspiracy that the government has worked for decades to keep secret.

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Some Ilsa J. Bick Love via Student Book Reviews

November 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment

When I was going through my YA Lit students’ book reviews to form this post, I didn’t realize at first that the two I chose were both for books written by Ilsa J. Bick.  Once I realized that, I decided to stick with these two reviews since I haven’t reviewed either book on my blog and also because both books are so vastly different.

Title: Drowning Instinct

Author: Ilsa J. Bick

Student Reviewer: Felicia

Summary (From Goodreads): There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.)

Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire.

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain… magnetism.

And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)

Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.

Student Review:

Drowning Instinct is definitely a great book; I could never put it down and wanted to read it anytime I could. This book is good because everything seems so real and you see a teacher student relationship at a different level. This book explains how people can fall in love no matter what age and Mr. Anderson never took Jenna for granted and never tried to hurt her. I liked this book because it’s not the typical “creepy” old guy trying date a younger girl. Mr. Anderson liked Jenna for who she was and not her age. He made sure he was careful and made sure they didn’t get caught or get in trouble. This book was also different in a good way because in the beginning of the book it starts off with a good beginning and explains why she is using a tape recorder to tell her story. I personally loved Jenna as a character because I understood her and could relate to her. I also loved this book because I got so connected with their relationship they had, and the way Ilsa J. Bick wrote it made it seem so realistic. Drowning Instinct has a very well matched cover to the book and I really like when the covers of books go along with the story.

There weren’t very many negative things in this book besides how serious Jenna’s life was.  It seemed like five different YA novels put into one book. Another main thing I didn’t like was that this book almost made it seem alright for Jenna and Mr. Anderson to have such a serious relationship. I don’t think its anywhere near right for people to have relationships like that and this book kind of made me change my mind about that and I don’t really like that because it’s illegal.

Drowning Instinct is very far from being even close to bad. Ilsa J. Bick gets you so connected with the characters and you don’t want to put it down. This book teaches you a very good lesson about love and trust. I suggest everyone read it if you haven’t!

Title: Ashes

Author: Ilsa J. Bick

Student Reviewer: Noah

Summary (From Goodreads):

It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling post-apocalyptic novel about a world that could become ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.

Student Review:

At first I was rather reluctant to read this book. At the time I had a lot of school work and didn’t have time to read. Truth be told,I was just being lazy. I read the first chapter and set the book down. Though I believe it was Epictetus that once said, “No great thing is created suddenly.” This quote rings very true with Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick.

Though I wasn’t gripped at the beginning of the novel I quickly became absorbed in the story of Alex, a teenage girl with a brain tumor and the camping skills to keep her alive. The book quickly changed from being a “What’s going to happen next?” book to a “What’s going to happen next?!?!” and after that I was hooked like an addict.

With it being a survive the zombies (Changed) and survive the wild book (And I do love these types of novels) I was exultant to find out that it wasn’t the whole premise of the novel. There was an element of romance which was quite refreshing in this story.

I warn the people like me, with very vivid and active imaginations, that this book is very horrid at points and can be rather disturbing due to amazing description. However, I still request that you read this book because it is brilliantly written and planned, and I do believe you would enjoy this novel.

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2013 Sophomore Reading Challenge

November 25, 2012 by 5 Comments

Shanyn from Chick Loves Lit started the Sophomore Reading Challenge this year, but unfortunately I didn’t participate like I wanted to.  Thankfully she’s running it again this year, so I’m making sure to participate!  I love reading books by debut authors, so it’s exciting to read their sophomore releases as well.

Go here for all of Shanyn’s challenge guidelines.

We’re challenged to read at least 10 sophomore releases.  Here’s my list of 10 (as of right now)…

1. Revel by Maurissa Guibord (Goodreads)

Debut: Warped

Releases: 2/12/13

There’s an island off the coast of Maine that’s not on any modern map.

Shrouded in mist and protected by a deadly reef, Trespass Island is home to a community of people who guard the island and its secrets from outsiders. Seventeen-year-old Delia grew up in Kansas, but has come here in search of her family and answers to her questions: Why didn’t her mother ever talk about Trespass Island? Why did she fear the open water? But Delia’s not welcome and soon finds herself enmeshed in a frightening and supernatural world where ancient Greek symbols adorn the buildings and secret ceremonies take place on the beach at night.

Sean Gunn, a handsome young lobsterman, befriends Delia and seems willing to risk his life to protect her. But it’s Jax, the coldly elusive young man she meets at the water’s edge, who finally makes Delia understand the real dangers of life on the island. Delia is going to have to fight to survive. Because there are monsters here. And no one ever leaves Trespass alive.

2. Star Cursed (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #2) by Jessica Spotswood (Goodreads)

Debut: Born Wicked

Releases: 6/18/13

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate’s friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn’t want to be a weapon, and she doesn’t want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood’s schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she’ll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess’s quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.

3. Hysteria by Megan Miranda (Goodreads)

Debut: Fracture

Releases: 2/5/13

After stabbing and killing her boyfriend, sixteen-year-old Mallory, who has no memory of the event, is sent away to a boarding school to escape the gossip and threats, but someone or something is following her.

4. Vortex (Insignia #2) by S.J. Kincaid (Goodreads)

Debut: Insignia

Releases: 7/2/13

The impossible was just the beginning. Now in their second year as superhuman government weapons-in-training at the Pentagonal Spire, Tom Raines and his friends are mid-level cadets in the elite combat corps known as the Intrasolar Forces. But as training intensifies and a moment arrives that could make or break his entire career, Tom’s loyalties are again put to the test.

Encouraged to betray his ideals and friendships for the sake of his country, Tom is convinced there must be another way. And the more aware he becomes of the corruption surrounding him, the more determined he becomes to fight it, even if he sabotages his own future in the process.

Drawn into a power struggle more dramatic than he has ever faced before, Tom stays a hyperintelligent step ahead of everyone, like the exceptional gamer he is—or so he believes. But when he learns that he and his friends have unwittingly made the most grievous error imaginable, Tom must find a way to outwit an enemy so nefarious that victory seems hopeless. Will his idealism and bravado cost him everything—and everyone that matters to him?

Filled with action and intelligence, camaraderie and humor, the second book in S.J. Kincaid’s futuristic World War III Insignia trilogy continues to explore fascinating and timely questions about power, politics, technology, loyalty, and friendship.

5. Prodigy by Marie Lu (Legend #2) (Goodreads)

Debut: Legend

Releases: 1/29/13

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—-June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

6. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys (Goodreads)

Debut: Between Shades of Gray

Releases: 2/13/13

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

7. Who Needs Magic? (Magic #2) by Kathy McCullough (Goodreads)

Debut: Don’t Expect Magic

Releases: 7/9/13

No summary available

8. Empty by K.M. Walton (Goodreads)

Debut: Cracked

Releases: 1/1/13

Dell is used to disappointment. Ever since her dad left, it’s been one let down after another. But no one—not even her best friend—gets all the pain she’s going through. So Dell hides behind self-deprecating jokes and forced smiles.

Then the one person she trusts betrays her. Dell is beyond devastated. Without anyone to turn to for comfort, her depression and self-loathing spin out of control. But just how far will she go to make all of the heartbreak and name-calling stop?

9. Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) (No cover art yet) by Leigh Bardugo (Goodreads)

Debut: Shadow and Bone

Releases: 6/4/13

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

10. All That Was Lost by Trish Doller (final title & cover coming soon) (Goodreads)

Debut: Something Like Normal

Releases: 10/2013

Callie is skilled in the art of leaving. She and her mother have crisscrossed the country for more than a decade, on the run since the day her mother–who suffers from borderline personality disorder–abducted her. When her mom is arrested, Callie is reunited in Tarpon Springs, Florida, with a father she doesn’t remember. There Callie must learn to navigate the life of a normal 17-year-old girl–one that includes friends, guys, and an extended Greek American family she never knew existed. But a childhood secret and her mother’s reappearance threaten the tentative security of her new life, and Callie must choose between staying and leaving–and what she’s willing to leave behind.

Filed Under: Sophomore Reading Challenge 2013, Upcoming Releases Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Book Trailer Thursday (89)–Reached by Ally Condie

November 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

My students are really excited about the release of Ally Condie’s final book in the Matched trilogy.  Is anyone else excited about the release of Reached?!

Summary (From Goodreads): After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times-bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.

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Book Trailer Thursday (85)–What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang

October 18, 2012 by 1 Comment

What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang released on September 18th from HaperCollins.  I’m becoming more of a sci-fi fan, and this one sounds especially interesting.  The summary reminds me a little bit of Neal Shusterman’s Unwind.  Have any of you read this yet?  I’d love to know what you think!

Summary (From Goodreads):

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

Filed Under: 2012 Debut Author Challenge, Book Trailer Thursday Tagged With: , , , , ,
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