Manifest (Mystyx #1)

Title:  Manifest (Mystyx #1)

Author:  Artist Arthur

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: August 1, 2010

Received From:  Publisher in return for an honest review

When fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley moves to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs ...more When fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley moves to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs after living in New York City.But Lincoln is nothing like Krystal imagined. The weirdness begins when Ricky Watson starts confiding in her. He's cute, funny, a good listener—and everything she'd ever want—except that he was killed nearly a year ago. Krystal's ghost-whispering talents soon lead other "freaks" to her door—Sasha, a rich girl who can literally disappear, and Jake, who moves objects with his mind. All three share a distinctive birthmark in the shape of an M and, fittingly, call themselves the Mystyx. They set out to learn what really happened to Ricky, only to realize that they aren't the only ones with mysterious powers. But if Krystal succeeds in finding out the truth about Ricky's death, will she lose him for good?

When I first started reading this book I felt like it was very similar to the first book in the Mediator series by Meg Cabot but once the book really started going I was relieved to find out that the story was more original than I originally thought.

This story combines intrigue and paranormal elements to create a fun and different take on the paranormal. I loved Jake and Sasha, who provided much needed relief from Krystal's incessant whining. While I enjoyed the mystery of the book it was resolved and solved very quickly without much trouble.

By the end of the book we are left with the mystery of the Mystixs, but since this is a series I am sure it will be answered in the subsequent novels!

CSN Review!

Recently I was contacted by CSN stores to review one of their products. I chose to review a bookcase. I took a long time deciding what to review because there were so many different things but ultimately I decided on the Nexxt Talma Vertical Bookcase in Black  I chose this bookcase because it was different and I liked the style.


So I ordered the bookcase and was told to expect it by 7/22 but then I received an email saying I was going to receive it earlier than that. But I did not, which was fine because I received it on the day I was originally supposed to get it. 


When it came there was a large orange FRAGILE sticker on the box yet it was torn up. Whether that was the fault of CSN or UPS is unknown. But when I opened the box there was another box inside that was not messed up at all so that was a relief to me.

So my dad and I started to put it together it was relatively easy just basically doing the same thing over and over again. Until we got to the back of the bookshelf where you attach the long black slats (seen in the picture) to the back of the shelf so it is sturdy. The problem was that the holes on the slats did not match up with the holes on the back of the shelf. We double checked to make sure we had done everything correctly and we had. So we ended up just screwing the screws into the wood which was not much harder. But besides that it was not that hard to put together!

Here is the final product! One of the cool things about this bookshelf is that it holds up to 90 lbs so you can put a lot of stuff on it! Another cool thing is that if you fill it full of books it looks like a stack of books!


Thanks to CSN for letting me review this bookshelf! 

Epic Contests around the Blogosphere!

Ok, so I don't normally do this but i have found some great contests that I really want to win!



Win some highly anticipated ARCs such as Matched, Firelight, Torment, Extraordinary, Personal Demons, Halo, and the Duff!

Win some other highly anticipated ARCs such as Clockwork Angel, Sapphique, White Cat, Dracula in Love, Halo, and Paranormalcy!

And finally

Win some OTHER highly anticipated ARCs such as Clockwork Angel, Firelight, Halo, Paranormalcy, Personal Demons, The Replacement, and Torment

Epic contests right?

Sarah Beth Durst Author Interview

I recently read Ice by Sarah Beth Durst and absolutely loved it. Now it helps that my favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast, but I absolutely fell into the story. So today I have with me the author of that fantastic book         Sarah Beth Durst!                                                                      * Please describe Ice in 5 words or less

Beauty and the Beast meets Arctic adventure.  Okay, that's more than five.  How about: girl, true love, frozen North.

* Cassie goes through some really big mental changes, and has to go through so many difficulties to survive. What inspired you to create such a feisty and resilient character?

I love stories about girls who kick butt.  For one thing, I think they're fun.  For another, I think they're empowering.  When you read about girls like Alanna in the Tortall books by Tamora Pierce or Harimad-Sol in The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, you internalize the idea that you can achieve your dreams.

For this story in particular, I needed a VERY resilient character.  Cassie is alone in the Arctic and faces some pretty serious life-or-death situations.  It would have been a bummer if my protagonist had died halfway through the novel.  :)

*Definitely! Ice is a love story but it is more than that, what was the feeling you were trying to convey?

I wanted to show a specific kind of love: real love, the kind that takes work and sacrifice and requires life choices, the kind that changes you and causes you to grow up.

* Was there a defining point or time in your life when you realized you wanted to be an author?

Yes.  I was ten years old and reading authors like Tamora Pierce, Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, Diane Duane, and so forth, when I thought to myself, "I want to do this."  Picture a cartoon light bulb blinking on over my head.  It was that sudden.

*Wow, that is really cool! Those are some of the most inspiring authors to me as well. Is there a particular reason that you write Young Adult fiction?

It's what I love to read.  I think I'm drawn to the energy of it, as well as the sense of optimism that pervades a lot of it.  I believe it's important for writers to write the kinds of books that they love. 

* What do you hope people get from reading your books, especially Ice?

I hope they get a journey.  For however many hours it takes them to read, I hope they get the chance to plunge into another world and escape from whatever is hurting them in the real world.  People talk about escapism as if it's a bad thing, but I think it's a noble and important goal for a writer -- I want to cast a spell and take readers someplace else.

* Is there anything you can tell us about your upcoming book Enchanted Ivy which comes out in October?

Enchanted Ivy is a story about getting into college. You know, taking the campus tour, talking to the gargoyles, flirting with the were-tigers, riding the dragons...  I'm very, very, very excited about it!  It's set at Princeton, and it's about a 16-year-old girl named Lily who discovers a magical gate to a secret realm.

*Finally what is your advice for any aspiring authors?
Write what you love.  Finish what you write.  Don't wait for the muse.  And most importantly: don't give up!  I firmly believe that the most important trait a writer can have (beyond intelligence, eloquence, talent, sense of humor) is stubbornness.

Thanks for doing this interivew! 

Make sure to check out Ice as well as all her other books. A keep an eye out for Enchanted Ivy in October!

Find Sarah:

Website: http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/

Blog: http://sarahbethdurst.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @sarahbethdurst

Whisper

Title:  Whisper

Author:  Phoebe Kitanidis

Publisher:  Balzer and Bray

Release Date:  April 27, 2010

Received From:  ATWT

Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy hears a frightening whisper from Jessica's own mind, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.

From reading the synopsis I was expecting this book to be thrilling or scary.  It was neither, the frightening whisper I did not even realize had happened until Joy started freaking out.

The whisper thing was kind of cool, and the changes that Joy goes through during the book were executed well, but the book overall was not very interesting until the end which was way too short. The author could have stretched out the SPOILER longer. It was happening and then it was over. Also we did not get to dig into Jamie's past we just basically learned what he could do and that was it. But I guess there are going to be other books in the series so maybe they will explain it better. One thing that I did like was how Joy grew as a character. Without that I would have put the book down.

Basically the synopsis over dramatizes the story making it sound more harried and thrilling than it actually was. But the premise was cool, it was just not executed to my taste, the character growth saved it for me.

Book Extravaganza winner!

Wow! There was an amazing response to my Book Extravaganza contest! Over 100 people entered! I wish all of you could win but unfortunately I can only pick one winner! Also welcome to all my new followers! I hope you enjoy my blog. But don't forget to enter my other giveaway for The Pack by LM Preston.

The winner won:

an ARC of The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

some random swag

so finally the winner is...

Reading Angel!

I will send you an email later today but if you see this before then please email me your address at a_readers_adventure at yahoo dot com

If the winner does not respond within 48 hours I will be picking a new winner!

Congrats!

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June

Title:  The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June

Author:  Robin Benway

Publisher:  Razorbill

Release Date:  August 3, 2010

Received From:  ATWT

Three sisters, three extraordinary, life-changing powers!

I hugged my sisters and they fit against my sides like two jigsaw pieces that wou...more Three sisters, three extraordinary, life-changing powers!

Three sisters share a magical, unshakeable bond in this witty high-concept novel from the critically acclaimed author of Audrey, Wait! Around the time of their parents’ divorce, sisters April, May, and June recover special powers from childhood—powers that come in handy navigating the hell that is high school. Powers that help them cope with the hardest year of their lives. But could they have a greater purpose?

This is Robin's sophomore novel. Her first book Audry wait was amazing and loved by all! So I was really excited to read this book. But even though there is a great premise I felt that this book fell kind of flat.

I expected more world saving I guess. The story is basically about 3 sisters who learn that the most important thing is each other, and the plot is only thickened a little by the powers.

That being said each of the girl's were there own character, and they were very different, which I appreciated. Their relationships with each other and with the other characters were real and believable. Basically the characters kept me going in this novel, without that I would have hated this book, but because of the characters it made the book tolerable.

My Invisible Boyfriend and My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours

Title:  My Invisible Boyfriend (MIB)

Author:  Susie Day

Publisher:  Scholastic Press

Release Date:  April 1, 2010

Received From:  ATWT

Heidi has the perfect solution to her popularity problems - a fake boyfriend. She's even made him an Internet profile that makes him look like a motor...more Heidi has the perfect solution to her popularity problems - a fake boyfriend. She's even made him an Internet profile that makes him look like a motorcycle-riding, poetry reading bad boy. *swoon* Heidi's friends are so impressed they start emailing Heidi's fake boyfriend with their problems . . . including their problems with Heidi.
As if that weren't bad enough, a delicious and possibly single person called "A Real Boy" emails Heidi to say he knows the truth. Can Heidi escape from her world wide web of lies? Or will her chance at romance disappear faster than you can type gtg?

Title:  My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours (MFB)

Author:  Kristina Springer

Publisher:  Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Release Date:  August 31, 2010

Received From:  ATWT

Seventh grade was supposed to be fun, but Tori is having major drama with her BFF, Sienna. Sienna changed a lot over the summer on the first day of school she’s tan, confident, and full of stories about her new dreamy boyfriend. Tori knows that she’s totally making this guy up. So Tori invents her own fake boyfriend, who is better than Sienna’s in every way. Things are going great unless you count the whole lying-to-your-best-friend thing until everyone insists Tori and Sienna bring their boyfriends to the back-to-school dance.

I decided to review these two books together because they are so very similar, while one is a YA novel and the other is a MG novel there are many similarities and differences.

Similarities:

• Both deal with fake boyfriends made up because the MC feel jealous or like everyone has a boyfriend except them.
• Both fake boyfriends are perfect (I mean really, go big or go home) 
• Each of the girls get into huge trouble because of their fake boyfriends.
• Both of the books have strong characters.

Differences:

• MIB has a stronger plot, there are more twists and turns but that may be because it is a YA novel. Also there is the added intrigue of the mysterious letters from "A Real Boy." Also Heidi has a gingerbread man/ favorite TV star, that she talks to so it is more like a real boyfriend. 
• MFB deal primarily with the morals of lying to your friend about your fake boyfriend, even though Tori is convinced that Sienna also has a fake boyfriend she feels really bad about lying to her and so the rest of the book is focused on that.
• MFB deals more with friendship while MIB deals more with the logistics of having a fake boyfriend as well as the pitfalls in possibly having a real relationship.

In Conclusion:

• Both books are really good, and you can tell which one is YA and which is MG. Each book has their strengths and weaknesses.
• MIB has a better plot while MFB has more of  a moral to the story which is conducive to their various audiences. Both books were funny and I recommend them both!

MIB




MFB

(Has an adorable cover!)

Book Extravaganza!

Kristen from Bookworming in the 21st Century and Kate from The Neverending Shelf are hosting The Book Extravaganza!  To go see other giveaways that other blogs are holding just click on Bookworming in the 21st Century for MG and YA giveaways and The Neverending Shelf for adult book giveaways.

I have chosen to give away a book as well as some swag!

What you can win:

An ARC of The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan (A Companion to The Forest of Hands and Teeth)

A Swag pack containing some bookmarks, tattoos, and pins

Rules

Must live in the U.S. or be willing to pay shipping

Must be 13 or older

Must fill out this form before 6:00 EST on Sunday

Make sure to check out all of the other great giveaways this weekend as well! Some are even international!

 

The Dark Divine Trailer

Have you guys seen the trailer for The Dark Divine? It is really cool and Bree is hosting a contest to get more views. So check it out!

The Pack Giveaway!

Today I have a contest for you! You can win:

a free signed copy of The Pack a poster and a magnet 

·         You will also automatically get a free copy of the next book released by Phenomenal One Press, BANDITS that comes out Spring of next year.

Pretty good prize right! Well to enter fill out the form (To bring it down just click)

Rules

You must have a U.S. mailing address

You must be 13 or older

Ends July 21

Here is my review of the Pack

Thanks to Phenomenal Press for sending out the stuff for this contest!

The Pack

Title:  The Pack

Author:  LM Preston

Publisher:  Phenomenal Press

Release Date: August 1, 2010

Received From:  Publisher; in exchange for an honest review

Shamira is considered an outcast by most, but little do they know that Shamira is on a mission. Kids on Mars are disappearing, but Shamira decides to use the criminals most unlikely weapons against them, the very kids of which they have captured. In order to succeed, she is forced to trust another, something she is afraid to do. However, Valens her connection to the underworld of her enemy, proves to be a useful ally. Time is slipping, and so is her control on the power that resides within her. Yet, in order to save her brother's life she is willing to risk it all.

This is the second book of Preston's that I have read. This is her first YA book and I really enjoyed it, I even enjoyed it better than her first book, and it is always cool to see an author grow.

The Pack was definitely actions filled. While I had trouble getting into it, by page 13 I was hooked. I could not wait to see what would happen. Shamira was such a strong character, even with her disability she stood strong. In fact that may have even helped her. Valens was also an interesting character who showed a lot of growth throughout the novel. This story really touched me because I have a little brother and I know how I would feel if that happened to him.

The plot was very different and a cool idea. One of the problems I had with this book was the fact that at times it was kind of slow, but the action that was in-between was worth the wait. There were also some parts that were predictable but there were also some things I did not expect. Overall a good book!
(Make sure to look out for a contest for this book and some swag!)

here is the trailer as well!

The Forbidden Sea

Title: The Forbidden Sea

Author:  Sheila A. Nielson

Publisher:  Scholastic Press

Release Date:  July 1, 2010

Received From:  ATWT

When Adrianne comes face-to-face with the mermaid of Windwaithe Island, of whom she has heard terrible stories all her life, she is convinced the mermaid means to take her younger sister. Adrianne, fierce-willed and courageous, is determined to protect her sister from the mermaid, and her family from starvation. However, the mermaid continues to haunt Adrianne in her dreams and with her song.

Yet, when the islanders find out about Adrianne's encounters with the mermaid she is scorned, for this small and superstitious community believes the mermaid will bring devastation to the island if Adrianne does not give herself to the sea.

 I personally love mermaid books! And while there are not a whole bunch of mermaid books lately Forbidden Sea was a cool new look on mermaids, from an outsider (i.e. not a mermaid)

Adrianne was a really strong character, she put up with her aunt's junk and stayed strong for her family. The family drama in this book was very important. This book was written like a fairy tale, because the magic was not really the center of the novel, just a major hindrance. Adrianne is forced to make many different choices throughout the novel and many of them really surprised me based on what her family life was like.

It was really cool to see Adrianne grow throughout the novel and realize the mistakes she had made in the past. And while the ending was really surprising to me Adrianne's overall growth really made this book for me.

I wish this book had been a little longer and that more detail was put into the scenes so I could see them better in my mind. I also wish we could have seen more of what happened after the end of the book, because for me the book seemed to cut off and I wished it would have gone on a little further, so we could see what happened to her and her family.

Still Sucks to be Me

Title: Still Sucks to be Me: More All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton Smith, Teen Vampire (Sucks to be Me, #2)

Author:  Kimberly Pauley

Publisher:  Mirrorstone

Release Date:  May 10, 2010

Received From:  ATWT
Definite spoilers for the first book so beware! 

With vampire boyfriend George and best friend Serena by her side, Mina thought she had her whole life—or rather afterlife—ahead of her. But then Mina’s parents drop a bomb. They’re moving. To Louisiana. And not somewhere cool like New Orleans, but some teeny, tiny town where cheerleaders and jocks rule the school. Mina has to fake her death, change her name, and leave everything behind, including George and Serena. Not even the Vampire Council’s shape-shifting classes can cheer her up. Then Serena shows up on Mina’s doorstep with some news that sends Mina reeling. Mina may look a lot better with fangs, but her afterlife isn’t any less complicated!

I only read part of the first book, just enough to get the idea, before I tried this one. I did not read the whole first book because I found it boring. and I could not connect to the character in anyway.

I did read this whole book, I started connecting with Mina a little more, and while I did not get some references, from the first book, it was really ok. I liked all the different characters in this book, all of the personalities were different which was nice. It was also cool to see a different take on vampires for a change.

Parts of this book were still kind of boring but it was better than the first book. I still felt a kind of disconnect from Mina but it was better than in the previous novel.

The characters really made this book, I think I would have not liked it at all if the characters were not as vibrant and different.

ALA Books!

Last week I went on vacation with my family to Washington D.C., and while I saw so many cool things, my favorite part was Saturday. Which was when my mom and I went to ALA! I was so excited to go, and was kind of dissapointed that I only got to go for one day! I met so many cool people and saw so many cool authors! I also got some amazing books, this is the list of books that I got from ALA!

Unsigned
Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder (Harlequin Teen)
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (Feiwel and Friends) ( ARC)
Delcroix Academy; The Candidates by Inara Scott (Disney-Hyperon) (ARC)
The Memory Bank by Carolyn Coman and Rob Shepperson (Arthur A. Levine) (ARC)
Torment; Fallen #2 by Lauren Kate (Delacorte Books) (ARC)
The Wager by Donna Jo Napoli (Henry Holt) (ARC)
The Daykeeper's Grimoire; Prophecy of Days #1 by Christy Raedeke (Flux)
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride (Henry Holt) (ARC)
The Compound by S.A. Bodeen (Square Fish)
Savvy by Ingrid Law (Walden Media)
The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller (RazorBill) (ARC)
Dark Song by Gail Giles (Little Brown) (ARC)
Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin (Bloomsbury) (ARC)
The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (Bloomsbury) (ARC)
Diamonds for the Dead by Alan Orloff (Mystery Ink)
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass (Little Brown) (ARC)
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher (Dial) (ARC)
Return to Paradise; Leaving Paradise #2 by Simone Elkeles (Flux) (ARC)
Halt's Peril; Ranger's Apprentice #9 by John Flangan (Philomel) (ARC)
Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda (Hyperon) (ARC)
Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin (Dial) (ARC)
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (Philomel) (ARC)
Trackers by Patrick Carman (Scholastic)
No Such Thing As Dragons by Philip Reeve (Scholastic) (ARC)
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (RazorBill) (ARC)
Sphinx's Queen by Esther Friesner (Random House) (ARC)

Signed
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Little Brown)
Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Little Brown) (ARC)
Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund (HarperTeen) (ARC) !!!!!!!
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Scholastic)
Other by Karen Kincy (Flux)
The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni (Putnam) 2nd copy
Hold Still by Nina LaCour (Dutton)
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (Harper Teen)
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr (Harper Teen)
Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr (Harper Teen)
Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr (Harper Teen)

I got so many amazing books and I definitely encourage anyone to go if they can, I cannot believe that BEA is even bigger! I want to say a special thank you to all of the people who were working the booths! Everyone was so helpful and excited about books. They helped me find so many great books! Thanks!

(Special thanks to my brother for helping me set up the books for pictures)