The Lost Saint Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to Dawn and Taylor. I mailed out your copies of The Lost Saint, along with the nail polish this afternoon. Enjoy!

Liar

I love it when formats of books catch me off guard by straying from the common. Even better when they leave me thinking about the events, still trying to work them out in my mind after I have turned the last page. Liar by Justine Larbalestier definitely fits that description. I actually had to go back and reread the last pages as the full impact was settling in so I could try to analyze the possibilities.

I first heard about the book when there was all the controversy about the front cover and its mismatch to the actual main character. Last summer in my YA Lit class my professor had read it and was telling the class about the way the book is set up. I was intrigued by how she said the book was divided into three sections: Telling the Truth, Telling the True Truth, and The Actual Real Truth. She explained how the narrator and main character is up front about being a liar, as the title also makes clear.

I had just read Inexcusable and was still in awe about what I can remember as my first experience with an unreliable narrator and a commenter had recommended Liar, so I clicked right over to Amazon to get my own copy. Yet, since I was trying really hard to have more control with my book expenses I pre-ordered a paperback copy that just arrived in December. Right about that time I saw Jennifer Hubbard's post about unreliable narrators that re-ignited my curiosity to want to read the book soon, being able to go back and read her full post was another motivator since I did not want to spoil anything by reading the post first.

I find it very hard to review this book without giving away too much. What I will reiterate is that I loved that it gave ample opportunities to be an active reader. From the first pages I was questioning everything that Micah said, wondering what type of information was going to be lies. Was the lie that she told classmates on the first day at her new school really even true or was she lying about the lies she told? Did she really even know Zach as she described? Were classmates really talking about her so much? I was wondering whether it was the little details or major pieces of information that would be lies or if anything and everything was fair game for a lie in the book.

Going in knowing this aspect made me constantly cross evaluate the new information that I was reading. I know that if I were to reread multiple times, there would always be more to consider and unearth. I won't say what the ending was, but I am going to mention about how it was not what I expected, so stop reading if you do not want to know anything about the ending. All along, I thought that the events were leading up to a trauma that would make everything else make sense - a reason for the lies, a nice, tight ending. Instead, I was left with possibilities and a lot to ponder, which made me appreciate Larbalestier's author's craft even more. More than anything, I wished that I had a friend who had read it in order to call right away to debrief.

Right now the bargain hardcover is selling for $6.78. I definitely recommend getting a copy while they last! On another note, I had not realized before that the author is married to Scott Westerfeld. My students absolutely love his books! I haven't read any of them, but I have stocked the classroom library with them as I have seen my students' enthusiasm for them grow and am planning on reading Leviathan as my first ever in the steampunk genre.

Look what will be released in June?

I was just curious to see if Lisa Schroeder had anything new coming out, and saw this title for June 2011. I have loved her books so much that I clicked pre-order before even reading what it is about! Later I realized that Amazon does not have a description of the book yet anyway, but Lisa Schroeder's site does. I was also able to find from one of her blog post comments that it IS a novel in verse. I am even more excited because I love the flow of her writing in verse!

It will come out about a month after I have finished the regular school year and a little ways into my 5 weeks of doctoral summer school. It will be such a nice treat!

Will Work for Prom Dress

Though I was not instantly hooked with the first few pages of Aimee Ferris' Will Work For Prom Dress, once I was a couple of chapters in, I could not wait to take advantage of any free moment to continue reading. In the novel Quigley tells the story of following her best friend's schemes during their senior year in order to raise money for their dream prom dresses. Even though Anne's mom is a well-known fashion designer, she would rather buy a dress. Quigley often asks herself why she continues following along with Anne's plans that often leave her feeling humiliated, but one job ends up being something to look forward to.

When Anne initially mentions that they will be models for one of her mom's design classes, Quigley is skeptical, especially when almost everyone chooses Anne as their model. Yet, there is Xander, the only one who chooses Quigley, talented with fabric but horrible at drawing what he pictures in his mind. He and Quigley make a great team. She can see his designs and transfer them to paper as he imagines them. Quigley is hopeful that he might be interested in her, but then David, a boy at school who has always annoyed her starts showing interest as well.

Anne convinces Quigley that David is the sure chance of having a date to the prom and leaves Quigley doubting whether or not Xander could really be interested in her. Events happen to shake up both girls' lives as they try to navigate discovering who they are during their senior year.

As a teacher, I always notice when there are school scenes that do not seem to match my reality of how schools work, so there was an instance where the way a teacher handled an incident did not seem realistic. Yet, other scenarios, such as trying to truly want to do what is right but meeting the challenges of decisions in the gray areas and the consequences of eventual actions resonated with real life. I also enjoyed the contrast between Quigley's and Anne's personalities and lifestyles, as well as watching their friendship continue to emerge throughout the book.

I absolutely love the fun cover of the book, and I can't wait to book talk it on Monday. Many of my students would enjoy the book, but I am especially excited for one particular 8th grader. She has had dreams of being a fashion designer since I first started being her teacher in 6th grade (and I think her dream was already solidly established at that time). She also enjoys romances, so this book will be a perfect fit for her. I know that the fun cover will also draw her in and that she will enjoy catching glimpses into the design world as well as a character who is seeking her artistic style.

On a side note, I just realized that Aimee Ferris was a member of the Class of 2k7. I have enjoyed a lot of books from the different classes of debut authors, and I look forward to going back and reading Ferris' debut novel.

The book will be released on February 8th, and it is available for pre-order right now, including on Kindle.

*ARC provided by the publisher

The Lost Saint Giveaway

I am thrilled to announce that Egmont has provided me with two copies of Bree Despain's The Lost Saint, along with blue nail polish to giveaway to two lucky readers. I absolutely loved both of Despain's Dark Divine novels, and I can't wait for her to publish another one.

The giveaway is open to anyone within the US who is at least 13 years old. I will randomly choose two readers who fill out the form and mail the books out on January 31st. After the giveaway I will delete the all of the addresses. 

Good luck! I am excited for whoever wins since its the type of book that I would love to win.

Other Words for Love

Lorraine Zago Rosenthal's Other Words for Love was my first 2011 Debut Author Challenge read of the year. I pre-ordered it at the start of the month, and eagerly awaited it to be delivered to my Kindle earlier this week. Even though my goal is to start going to bed by 10:00 every night, even on the weekends, good books always become an obstacle to sticking to that plan. I had read a little bit of the book earlier in the week, but once I got going on it, I did not want to put it down moving my bedtime last night to early morning!

The back of the book gives away events pretty far into the book explaining that Ariadne starts dating her new friend's gorgeous and charming cousin but that a tragedy in his family leads him to pull away and her wondering what the whole relationship meant. It also alludes to the fact that Ari's family gets concerned with her losing herself.

The description caught my attention, but I had no idea just how complex the different layers of the story would be. There are multiple characters and family dynamics explored that provide comparisons and contrasts to each other. While Ariadne's story takes center stage, there is plenty about the other characters to prompt a lot of thought-provoking discussions. Rosenthal wove the tale with different events coming together in fascinating ways - sometimes heartwarming, other times heart wrenching!

What an amazing debut novel. The book spans multiple years in Ariadne's life and throughout the book her growth and strength shines through. I loved seeing her come into her own and gain a better understanding of herself and her world. I would love to read more about Ari as she continues her journey. I was happy to see that on Amazon there is currently only one more copy left until they order more, since it was such a rewarding read.

While reading I was also thinking that it would be fun to pair up with I Now Pronounce You Someone Else, adding an additional layer to the discussion about searching for oneself. Then for familial expectations, it would match up well with two other books that I reviewed recently, Bitter Melon and Drought. 

On a side note, I am loving my Kindle more and more all the time. One aspect that I think I will always miss more than anything is not being able to look at the beautiful glossy covers. Fortunately I can see them on-line, but it is not quite the same as holding them in my hand and seeing them in person!

*2011 Debut Author Challenge Book 1/12

When the Stars Go Blue

I have loved checking in at Free Book Friday and Free Book Friday Teens since I heard about them. Though I had never won a book, I got many ideas for books to buy and add to my wish list. That all changed back in December when I actually won my first book, and I was thrilled to get an autographed copy of Caridad Ferrer's When the Stars Go Blue. I fell in love with Ferrer's writing when I read her first two books (Adiós to my Old Life and It's Not About the Accent), and I had not realized that she had another book out until I saw the post. It was all I could do to patiently wait for winners to be selected, rather than going instantly to Amazon, especially with the beautiful cover!

Once again, I loved Ferrer's style of writing and the voice of the first person narration. Soledad Reyes has been dancing since her childhood years, a therapeutic escape from some traumatizing events early on in her life. Almost ready to graduate from high school, she has big dreams to save up money before heading to New York City to audition for dance companies. But then Jonathan comes along, opening her up to a whole new world of performance thrills of drum and bugle corps. Although the rest of this particular group is all male, this year they need a female dancer to bring their rendition of Carmen to life. Even though it is a complete change of pace, Soledad jumps right in, loving the experience as well as her time with Jonathan.

I was also getting swept away in Soledad and Jonathan's romance. Yet, there was a foreboding on the back cover, "But in an uncanny echo of the story they perform every evening, an unexpected competitor for Soledad's affections appears. One explosive encounter later, Soledad finds not only her relationship with Jonathan threatened but their entire future as a professional dancer in jeopardy." As they were getting ready to go on tour, I wanted to learn more about Carmen. I did a quick web search and was horrified to see that Don José, the equivalent to Soledad's Jonathan, murders her out of jealousy in the end!

What?! my thoughts screamed. There's absolutely no way Jonathan would do that! I was calmed by thinking back to Alyson Noel's quote on the first pages of the book, "an ending that will make you swoon." With relief I went back to the book wondering just what twists Ferrer had in mind, and let's just say I was so surprised. Though there had been some thoughts coming to mind about how the events might go, I was not anywhere near exactly how it all ended up. Such a great book!

You can see more about the book and an interview with Ferrer on the Free Book Friday Teens post.

Drought

I was thrilled to see that Pam Bachorz had another novel coming out after I enjoyed her first book Candor this summer. Just as Candor's cover mesmerized me, Drought's cover pulled me. I like how both covers have a color in sections that stands out.

I rang in the new year with Drought. I was having a New Year's slumber party with the girls. While they were watching one of the movies we rented for the second time, I decided to read, intending to go to bed right after 12 'o clock. Little did I know, Drought would be too gripping. The official start of 2011 came and went, both girls fell asleep, and I was enthralled. No matter how tired I was, I just could not put it down. This point comes fairly early in the book, as I stayed awake even though I did not read the last page until 4:30 in the morning. Only on break would that be possible, so it is a good thing I did not hold off on reading it until I was back in school!

Ruby has lived with her mother and the Congregation for about 200 years. Enslaved by Darwin West and the Overseers who work for him so that the Congregants remain under his control, Ruby spends her days with a cup and a spoon scraping any drops of water she can find into her cup to fill her quota. Right after the Congregation started Ruby's mom lied to Darwin, telling him that the special healing water they had needed to be harvested this way by Otto's followers in order to protect the truth that it was really Otto's blood mixed with the water.

Though Otto is Ruby's father, she has never met him. He left before she was born, leaving 4 viles of blood that her mom was able to drop into the water for years. Luckily for her, by the time they finally ran out, they realized that Ruby's blood was also special.

Years of back-breaking work and cruelty have Ruby wishing she could go into the outside world, rather than being stuck as if it were 1812 and struggling. However, the Congregation's leaders refuse to try to overturn Darwin's control. They say they must endure and patiently wait until Otto returns to save them all. An opportunity arises for Ruby when a new Overseer is different. She is shocked to begin forming a relationship with him, but he is more kind and promises that he would be able to take her away and keep her safe. Yet, that would mean abandoning the Congregation and taking away the healing power of her blood.

Heart beating quickly and stomach in knots, I kept turning the pages, anticipating finally seeing what type of an ending Bachorz had waiting for her readers. I was wishing that Ruby would just leave but knew how deep her commitment to the Congregation ran.

The farther I read into the book, I started to think back to Bitter Melon. It should have been an obvious connection from the beginning, but since the genres were so different, it escaped my notice at first. The books would be perfect to read together, discussing issues of making decisions weighing needs/wants of self vs. family and community, navigating feelings, and discovering true intentions/motivations of others. Individually, each book lends to ample discussion, but together the discussions would achieve an even higher level of depth.

Originally, I was more excited about the premise of Candor as compared to my initial thoughts of Drought, but it ended up that Drought was even more gripping. It will be released on January 25, and I highly recommend it.

*ARC copy provided by the publisher

2011 Reads

This year I will try something new and write the number of books I have read during the year next to the title as well as the month I read it. I debated just writing the titles in a numbered list by month, but I think I like having the books in alphabetical order.

Allen, Elise
Populazzi - Book 29: July

Bachorz, Pam
Drought - Book 1: January

Blazanin, Jan
A and L Do Summer - Book 21: May

Bodeen, S. A.
The Gardener - Book 13: April

Brice, Amanda
Codename: Dancer - Book 19: May

Cach, Lisa
Wake Unto Me - Book 14: April

Castle, Jennifer
The Beginning of After - Book 31: August

Crowley, Cath
Graffiti Moon - Book 36: December

Dessen, Sarah
Someone Like You - Book 18: May

DeStefano, Lauren - Book 23: June
Wither

Echols, Jennifer
Love Story Book 30: July

Eulberg, Elizabeth
Prom and Prejudice - Book 11: March

Feagan, Robert
Arctic Thunder - Book 23: June

Ferrer, Caridad
When the Stars Go Blue - Book 2: January

Ferris, Aimee
Will Work For Prom Dress - Book 4: January

Golding, William
Lord of the Flies - Book 28: July

Heasley, Gwendolyn
Where I Belong - Book 12: March

Hoover, PJ
Solstice - Book 33: August

Jabaley, Jennifer
Crush Control - Book 22: May

Kittle, Katrina
Reasons to Be Happy - Book 35: September

Larbalestier, Justine
Liar - Book 5: January

Maldonado, Torrey
Secret Saturdays - Book 7: February

Marcus, Kimberly
Exposed - Book 27: July

McCafferty, Megan
Bumped - Book 17: April

Myers, Walter Dean
Carmen - Book 15: April

Monir, Alexandra
Timeless - Book 10: March

Myracle, Lauren
Shine - Book 8: February

Ostow, Micol
Family - Book 20: May


Pennypacker, Sara
Clementine and the Family Meeting - Book 34: September


Ray, Michelle
Falling for Hamlet - Book 26: July

Rosenthal, Lorraine Zago
Other Words For Love - Book 3: January

Rumley, Crickett
Never Sit Down in a Hoop Skirt - Book 32: August

Schroeder, Lisa
The Day Before - Book 25: June

Shusterman, Neal
Unwind - Book 24: June

Sepetys, Ruta
Between Shades of Grey - Book 16: April

Sternberg, Hannah
Queens of All the Earth - Book 37: December

Stevenson, Sarah Jamila
The Latte Rebellion - Book 9: February

Zahler, Diane
A True Princess - Book 6: February