Review: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

April 20, 2013 by 1 Comment

Out of the EasyTitle: Out of the Easy

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Publisher: Philomel Books

Release Date: February 12th, 2013

Interest: Historical Fiction / Author

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads): 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.

Ruta Sepetys is a wonderful writer and Out of the Easy is proof that she’s only getting better.  I was completely sucked into Josie’s world and didn’t want to stop reading.  One of the things I love the most about this sophomore release is that even though it’s historical fiction, I felt like I was reading something contemporary.  I typically have a difficult time enjoying historical fiction, and that simply wasn’t the case when I was reading Out of the Easy.

I love that this book is set in 1950s New Orleans.  The atmosphere Ruta Sepetys created is outstanding and made me feel like I was living every moment with Josie.  I don’t know if I’ve ever really considered visiting New Orleans, but I want to now!  I enjoyed how the setting affected the character development and voices of characters other than Josie.  Josie is originally from Detroit and that early mid-west upbringing never really left her.  New Orleans almost felt like another character in the novel.

Speaking of characters, I will admit that I had a difficult time keeping track of such a big cast of characters.  That’s really my own complaint with Out of the Easy because it kept me from getting to know some of them better like I would have appreciated.  I really wanted to get to know Jesse better than I did, and I think I would have if a few characters weren’t as involved in the storyline.

Josie is a smart, witty, and fun character to read.  I don’t envy her life, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching her try to rise above it.  She doesn’t want the life her mother leads.  She doesn’t want to continue cleaning up the brothel.  She’s incredibly smart and motivated.  It’s obvious that she has the potential to go places and leave New Orleans behind, but she still has to jump the hurdles that are keeping her from getting what she wants.  I loved the mystery in the story, but I loved wondering if Josie would achieve her goals even more.

I definitely recommend reading Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys.  She’s truly a gifted writer and I can’t wait to read what she has in store for us next!

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Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

April 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Eleanor & ParkTitle: Eleanor & Park

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Release Date: February 26th, 2013

Interest: Positive reviews / Historical fiction

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads):

“Bono met his wife in high school,” Park says.
“So did Jerry Lee Lewis,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be,” she says, “we’re sixteen.”
“What about Romeo and Juliet?”
“Shallow, confused, then dead.”
”I love you,” Park says.
“Wherefore art thou,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be.”

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

I’m really tempted to simply write, “Eleanor & Park is fabulous. You must read it now!” and leave it at that.  I’m not, however, because I really want to gush over everything I love about it.

I felt such an array of emotions while reading Rainbow Rowell’s YA debut.  I laughed plenty of times, and I think I teared up just as many times as I laughed.  Eleanor and Park come alive on the page and I couldn’t help but love them.  There were so many times that I wanted to hug Eleanor.  She needs lots of hugs.  Park is absolutely adorable and so real.  And his parents?!  I ended up loving them big time.

Something that surprised me about Eleanor & Park is that it’s written in third person.  I didn’t even realize it at first because it’s *that* well done.  I never felt like I was reading it as an outsider; I always knew exactly how Eleanor and Park felt.  I’m often turned off by books written in third person because it distracts me.  The characters in third person novels don’t always stick with me, but that’s not the case with Eleanor and Park.  Rainbow Rowell wrote third person the way it should be written.

I love that Eleanor & Park is a love story, but it’s not an overly mushy love story.  It’s a love story that’s sweet and tender.  It’s even bittersweet at times.  But it’s also a story about self-discovery and opening up.  Both and Eleanor and Park are discovering who they are, and they’re discovering it through each other and through their relationship.  Park doesn’t need to be like his friends and who his father wants him to be.  Eleanor discovers what a family really is and how to love herself.  Really, Eleanor & Park is simply perfect and you need to read it.

I have Eleanor & Park labeled as historical fiction since it takes place in 1986.  It’s awful labeling that time period as historical fiction, but for today’s teens, that is historical fiction.  There isn’t a big moment in history taking place in this book, but there are plenty of 80s allusions present that I’m sure many of my students will wonder about.

To sum this up, Eleanor & Park is already a favorite of 2013.  There’s no doubt in my mind about that.  Rainbow Rowell can’t write another YA novel fast enough because I want to read everything she writes.  Thankfully she has some adult/new adult novels out that I can read.

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Book Trailer Thursday (104)–Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

April 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I read Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell in one sitting the other day, and I’m still loving it and thinking about it.  Sigh.  I’m extra happy that not only is there a book trailer for this debut, but that there’s four!  They’re mini trailers with some excellent quotes from the book.  I hope you enjoy them!

Eleanor & ParkSummary (From Goodreads):

“Bono met his wife in high school,” Park says.
“So did Jerry Lee Lewis,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be,” she says, “we’re sixteen.”
“What about Romeo and Juliet?”
“Shallow, confused, then dead.”
”I love you,” Park says.
“Wherefore art thou,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be.”

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

Filed Under: Book Trailer Thursday Tagged With: , , , ,

Top Ten Tuesday: 2013 Debuts

January 15, 2013 by 9 Comments

toptentuesday-New

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

I can’t say that these ten 2013 debuts are the ones I want to read the most, but they are ten that stand out.  Quite simply, there are way too many debut author book releases every year to choose ten that I’m looking forward to the most.  Which debut titles are you excited about?

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith (Goodreads)–

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

Wild Awake

Transparent by Natalie Whipple (Goodreads)–

Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.

An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults.

After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn’t giving up that easily.

Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.

Transparent

Fault Line by Christa Desir (Goodreads)–Ben could date anyone he wants, but he only has eyes for the new girl — sarcastic free-spirit, Ani. Luckily for Ben, Ani wants him too. She’s everything Ben could ever imagine. Everything he could ever want.

But that all changes after the party. The one Ben misses. The one Ani goes to alone.

Now Ani isn’t the girl she used to be, and Ben can’t sort out the truth from the lies. What really happened, and who is to blame?

Ben wants to help her, but she refuses to be helped. The more she pushes Ben away, the more he wonders if there’s anything he can do to save the girl he loves.

Fault Line

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger (Goodreads)–A broken past and a divided future can’t stop the electric connection of two teens in this “charged and romantic” (Becca Fitzpatrick), lush novel.

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

Let the Sky Fall

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan (Goodreads)–Tim Macbeth is a 17-year-old albino and a recent transfer to the prestigious Irving School, where the motto is, “Enter here to be and find a friend.” Tim does not expect to find a friend; all he really wants to do is escape his senior year unnoticed. Despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the quintessential “it” girl, Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving’s most popular boy. To Tim’s surprise, Vanessa is into him, too, and she can kiss her social status goodbye if anyone finds out. Tim and Vanessa enter into a clandestine relationship, but looming over them is the Tragedy Paper, Irving’s version of a senior year thesis, assigned by the school’s least forgiving teacher.

The story unfolds from two alternating viewpoints: Tim, the tragic, love-struck figure, and Duncan, a current senior, who uncovers the truth behind Tim and Vanessa’s story and will consequently produce the greatest Tragedy Paper in Irving’s history.

The Tragedy Paper

Prophecy by Ellen Oh (Goodreads)–The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms… is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope…

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

Prophecy

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

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

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

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

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

Linked

The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf (Goodreads)–A laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine.

When you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her from dealing with what’s really wrong.

I almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No way. Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me differently, and I would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed herself with breast cancer during biology.”

But Izzy’s sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going all hot and cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case scenario, but when the worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a different story altogether—and there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help her through the insanity.

The Symptoms of My Insanity

Bruised by Sarah Skilton (Goodreads)–When Imogen, a sixteen-year-old black belt in Tae Kwon Do, freezes during a holdup at a local diner, the gunman is shot and killed by the police, and she blames herself for his death. Before the shooting, she believed that her black belt made her stronger than everyone else — more responsible, more capable. But now her sense of self has been challenged and she must rebuild her life, a process that includes redefining her relationship with her family and navigating first love with the boy who was at the diner with her during the shootout. With action, romance, and a complex heroine, Bruised introduces a vibrant new voice to the young adult world — full of dark humor and hard truths.

Bruised

The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan (Goodreads)–After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.

In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.

And Grayson has gone missing.

No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.

Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.

The Beautiful and the Cursed

Filed Under: So Many Lists..., Top Ten Tuesday, Upcoming Releases Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Book Trailer Thursday (95)–Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

January 10, 2013 by 1 Comment

I’ve been reading tons of rave reviews for Seraphina, so I’ve been looking forward to reading it.  I even bought myself a copy with one of my Christmas gift cards.  I like the cover, the concept, and the book trailer.  I started reading Rachel Hartman’s debut the other day, though, and I think Seraphina is better suited for a weekend when I’m not distracted.  So far it’s pretty dense, but it’s interesting.  Have you read it yet?  I’d love to know what you think!

SeraphinaSummary (From Goodreads): Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina’s tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they’ve turned the final page.

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

Reading Gaps

December 30, 2012 by 8 Comments

This month both Cindy Minnich at Charting By the Stars and Donalyn Miller at The Nerdy Book Club posted about reading gaps.  I’ve posted about my literary Achilles heel this year, which is similar to both of these posts.  Since posting about my own reading gaps, I’ve read quite a few fantasy novels and loved them.  I’m still sticking with my 2012 challenge to read more fantasy and science fiction, but I’ve decided to add to that challenge for 2013.

It’s my goal in 2013 to read more historical fiction and LGBT fiction.

Eleanor & ParkI can’t explain why I’m not more drawn to historical fiction, especially since I’m a history minor.  I love American history.  I love the 1920s.  I’ve even bought quite a few historical fiction YA novels to add to my class library because I have students who enjoy reading that genre.  But for some reason I don’t make time to read it myself.  This year I read and loved Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood.  The Diviners by Libba Bray wasn’t my favorite, but I still enjoyed reading it.  So maybe I need historical fiction with a magical twist?  Even though I don’t like thinking of the 80s as historical fiction, it is for our teens right now.  Besides Eleanor and Park (which I know I’ll enjoy) and Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal, are there other YA novels that take place in the 80s or around that time and have been written recently?  I like reading historical fiction that feels contemporary, even though that’s kind of backwards.

Here are some historical fiction novels I’d like to read in 2013:

I Am JI love contemporary realistic fiction, so reading more LGBT fiction really shouldn’t be a difficult challenge for me.  I think this is a gap for me simply because I haven’t made a strong enough effort to read more of these novels.  It has nothing to do with not liking novels with LGBT issues or characters.  I want to read more of these books because I know I have students who need these stories.  I just read Ask the Passengers by A.S. King and absolutely loved it.  Every Day by David Levithan wasn’t my favorite for a few reasons, but I love how he wrote A as a character who understands love outside of gender and sex.  I’ve been wanting to read I Am J for I don’t know how long.  If you have any suggestions for me, I’d love to have them.  I’ve already moved The Miseducation of Cameron Post to the top of my reading pile not only because I’ve been wanting to read it, but also because it’s a Morris shortlist contender.

Here are some LGBT fiction novels I’d like to read in 2013:

 

Filed Under: So Many Lists..., Teaching :) Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , , , ,

Waiting on Wednesday–Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

November 7, 2012 by 14 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.  It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.

This book looks absolutely fantastic.  Plus, I’ve already been reading rave reviews from some very trusted bloggers and friends.  First love?  Misfits?  I’m in!  I hope I can find a copy at NCTE! :)

Title & Author: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Release Date: March 5th, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Summary (From Goodreads):

“Bono met his wife in high school,” Park says.
“So did Jerry Lee Lewis,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be,” she says, “we’re sixteen.”
“What about Romeo and Juliet?”
“Shallow, confused, then dead.”
”I love you,” Park says.
“Wherefore art thou,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be.”

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

Filed Under: Upcoming Releases, Waiting on Wednesday Tagged With: , , ,

Blog Tour: Jepp, Who Defied the Stars + Giveaway

September 26, 2012 by 11 Comments

I’m excited to tell you about a new title Hyperion is releasing on October 9th, 2012.  If you enjoy historical fiction and/or books based on true stories, then you’ll want to check out Jepp, Who Defied the Stars by Katherine Marsh. I hope you like the guest post as much I do! :)

Summary (From Goodreads):

Fate:
Is it written in the stars from the moment we are born?
Or is it a bendable thing that we can shape with our own hands?
Jepp of Astraveld needs to know.
He left his countryside home on the empty promise of a stranger, only to become a captive in a luxurious prison: Coudenberg Palace, the royal court of the Spanish Infanta. Nobody warned Jepp that as a court dwarf, daily injustices would become his seemingly unshakable fate. If the humiliations were his alone, perhaps he could endure them; but it breaks Jepp’s heart to see his friend Lia suffer.
After Jepp and Lia attempt a daring escape from the palace, Jepp is imprisoned again, alone in a cage. Now, spirited across Europe in a kidnapper’s carriage, Jepp fears where his unfortunate stars may lead him. But he can’t even begin to imagine the brilliant and eccentric new master–a man devoted to uncovering the secrets of the stars–who awaits him. Or the girl who will help him mend his heart and unearth the long-buried secrets of his past.
Masterfully written, grippingly paced, and inspired by real historical characters, “Jepp, Who Defied the Stars “is the tale of an extraordinary hero and his inspiring quest to become the master of his own destiny.

Author Guest Post: Katherine Marsh

 Greetings, YA Love readers and thank you, Sarah!

 From the time I was a kid, I’ve always loved history—in part because there are so many strange, yet true, stories that really happened. My new novel, Jepp, Who Defied the Stars, is based on a bunch of odd yet real stories from the 16thcentury. I discovered the character of Jepp when I was reading about the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. Brahe was one of the most accomplished stargazers of his day but he was also a very odd guy. He lived on an isolated island where he’d built his own futuristic castle, wore a copper nose (he lost his real one in a duel) and kept a beer-drinking moose as a pet. He also had a dwarf jester named Jepp.

 When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the paintings of dwarfs who lived at royal courts, serving as attendants and entertainers. They were both insiders, who saw the inner workings of the court, and outsiders, whose physical differences marked them as “others.” But there was almost nothing in the historical record about Jepp beyond that he was Brahe’s jester and sat at his feet. I decided to give him a story, one based on the real lives of court dwarfs.

 I was lucky to find two great sources of historical material to draw from. The first was a fascinating book called The Lives of Dwarfs: Their Journey from Public Curiosity toward Social Liberation by Betty Adelson. Adelson’s comprehensive and fascinating history enlightened me to the indignities that many court dwarfs suffered. Both treasured as possessions and treated as playthings, they were dressed up as birds and animals, forced to put on mock weddings, and even hidden in pies so they could burst out to surprise the court (an act that Jepp ends up having to perform).

 My second source was Diego Velazquez, a 17th century Spanish artist who painted a series of portraits of court dwarfs. It was these paintings that intrigued me as a kid and if you take a look at Las Meninas or Portrait of Sebastian de Morra you can see why. Velazquez captures the dignity, intelligence, and even anger of his dwarf subjects. His paintings gave me a window into how Jepp, and the court dwarfs he interacts with in my story, must have felt about their lives and treatment.

 Finally, after I had written a draft of my book, I gave it to a reader who also happens to be a dwarf. I wanted to make sure he found my portrayal accurate. There were so many things I wanted to get right—for example, the daily challenges of navigating a world constructed for people several feet taller. My reader not only gave me confidence in my portrayal of Jepp but helped me nail down such details as whether childbirth and mobility can be issues for dwarfs (answer: they can).

 The amazing thing I discovered as I wrote Jepp’s story is that his life as a court dwarf has a lot of similarities with that of an average 21st century teenager. The feeling of people thinking they know you because of what you look like. The feeling of being an outsider. The feeling of the world underestimating you. Even the feeling of finding people who are like you and how intense those friendships and relationships can be. Jepp’s story is ultimately less the tale of a court dwarf, than a universal tale about finding friends, falling in love and ultimately growing up to be the person you want to be.

About the Author

For more, check out katherinemarsh.com or follow me on twitter @MarshKatherine or on facebook/katherinemarshauthor

 Bio: I’m the author of the upcoming historical YA novel Jepp, Who Defied the Stars (out October 9th!), the Edgar-award winning The Night Tourist, and a sequel, The Twilight Prisoner (read if you like ghosts, New York City history, and Greek myths).

A few interesting facts about me: I used to write for Rolling Stone magazine, I’ve been a high school English teacher, and I have no sense of direction—thank god for the invention of the GPS!

 Giveaway Details
One lucky winner will win a copy of Jepp, Who Defied the Stars courtesy of the publisher.
One entry per person.
Open to the United States & Canada only.
Must be 13 years or older.
To enter, please leave a comment below.  No extra entries required.
Feel free to leave your Twitter name so I can tweet the winner.
Giveaway ends October 12th, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST.
Winners will be contacted via email and/or Twitter.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, Contests and Giveaways, Upcoming Releases Tagged With: , , , , ,

Review: The Diviners by Libba Bray

September 24, 2012 by 1 Comment

Title: The Diviners

Author: Libba Bray

Publisher:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: September 18th, 2012

Interest: Historical Fiction / Supernatural / Ghosts

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads): Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City–and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult–also known as “The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies.”
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer–if he doesn’t catch her first.

I’ve never read any of Libba Bray’s books before, but after watching the trailer for her newest book, The Diviners, I knew I had to read it.  The 1920s is one of my favorite time periods, and I love a good ghostly mystery.  It’s exciting when books like The Diviners release in the fall because the setting and tone fits the fall weather perfectly, especially if you choose to read this on a dark, stormy night ;)

In a nutshell, I enjoyed The Diviners and I’ll read the sequel.  The story is engaging, and the characters are interesting.  Unfortunately, the writing itself kept me from enjoying Libba Bray’s new novel as much as I hoped to.

My first roadblock was Evie’s constant 1920s slang.  It’s important to make the language fit the time period when writing historical fiction, but the heavy use left me with the impression that Bray wanted to show she did research.  When it becomes that distracting, then it’s not done very well.  Evie uses the slang the most, which fits her character wanting to be a Flapper; she’s trendy, vivacious, and energetic.

The biggest roadblock is the constant jump from character to character.  I love reading novels with multiple points of view; I love reading novels written in third person which switch between characters.  Libba Bray included too many characters and didn’t write them cohesively.  The Diviners would have benefited from a set up like Neal Shusterman’s Unwind where each character jump is marked by a section header with the character’s name.  While reading I had a better understanding and visual of the setting than the characters, so it was hard to figure out right away which character was the new focus.  Considering the amount of details written into the story, I expected to have a better picture of Evie.  I kept picturing her like a little girl, not an older teenager.  Think Shirley Temple.  Maybe it’s how naive she is, or because so many people around her keep treating her like a child, but I had a really hard time visualizing her.  The only character I could picture clearly was Memphis and he has significantly fewer scenes than Evie.  I found Memphis and his brother Isiah to be two of the most interesting characters in The Diviners.

On a more positive note, the suspense and mystery is excellent in The Diviners.  So many scenes had me holding me breath and racing to get to the next page.  I love it when an author builds up the suspense like that because it keeps me reading and engaged.  The degree of creepiness is perfect.  None of the scenes are too graphic (for me) and they’re not too scary either.  Libba Bray has included an excellent blend of creepy, mystery, and humor.

Even though the writing didn’t work out as well for me as I wanted it to, I still think The Diviners is worth reading.  It’s awfully long at over 570 pages, so some of my students may be wary of reading it.  I hope the second book cuts down on the overwritten scenes and is clearer when switching characters.  I especially hope to learn more about what the purpose of the Diviners is going to be.  We met them, and we know their abilities, but it will be great to know how they might all come together.

Book Pairing: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

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