October 29 - Maureen Johnson

On October 29th, Maureen Johnson visited the last stop on her month-long book tour for The Name of the Star, and that stop happened to be at a Chapters (the big box bookstore in Canada) in the city I live in. *big shocked face* I first heard about this at the beginning of the month, around the 5th, and I was surprised. The last two events I was at were in Burnaby, closer to Vancouver. This was huge. And of course I got there early. It's Maureen Johnson, she's kind of a big deal. Right?

Well, yes, to a certain crowd. My best guess would be about 40 to 50 people showed up. It was a little awkward, tucked in an odd corner of bookcases with a podium for her to stand at. Then we had to move to the front of the store for the signing part, which sort of meant the people who had to stand were first in line to get books signed. Fair trade, I suppose. And the bookstore wasn't prepared for the number of people that actually showed up. I think they put out about 2 dozen chairs then went back for more. *sigh* This is exactly why I want to work at a bookstore: everything would look awesome for book signings with lots of chairs. I also don't think the event was advertised enough. I saw more than a few Twitter comments Saturday morning going, "I didn't know Maureen Johnson was in Vancouver/Surrey/BC, I have to cancel my afternoon plans now so I can go."

Remember Maureen's tweet from Friday night that said "free shirt for anyone who brings Nanaimo bars?" It's possible I started that by saying we should give her Nanaimo bars instead of throwing a sandwich her way. So I brought her some (it was only fair). And so did about 6 other people, plus the one girl who brought maple syrup. So I have a "YA Saves" shirt now (which I'll give away the next time I hold a giveaway, it's a Large but a bit snug on me, I think I'll be buying one that actually fits me). I also have magnets but I'm keeping those. Magnets are fun. :)

And the crowd was awesome, full of avid listeners and readers and Nerdfighters and YouTube/vloggers. And a girl in front of me with a VidCon shirt. I wish I knew who the vloggers were, cause I'd watch their videos. Maybe that's why there were only about 50 people, because Maureen fills a niche market and that market is full of Nerdfighters. Honestly, I expected a 100+ crowd like at the Smart Chicks event.

So, here's Maureen. And the rocket shelf of Tintin books. ;)

Maureen was awesome, eccentric and abstract and so interesting to just listen to. She sort of goes off on tangents and eventually gets back to your question if you remind her because she might forget it entirely. One girl had Let It Snow, the anthology she did with John Green and Lauren Myracle, and Maureen moved closer and closer, asking the girl if John's story was the best. And asking her. And asking her. And Maureen denied sending John dirty jokes during his live shows on YouTube (see his recent live show reading of chapter 1 of The Fault in Our Stars).

I hope Maureen comes back. I think she said this was her first time coming to Canada as part of a book tour (sorry if I'm wrong) and I hope her publisher books more Canadian dates for her next tour. Oh, and Maureen said there will be 2 more books in the series for The Name of the Star (the second has a title that I've forgotten) and that she's working on the third Suite Scarlett book. Which people enjoyed hearing. :)

I haven't read any of Maureen's books yet, but I'll be starting with The Name of the Star before moving on to the e-book of 13 Little Blue Envelopes that I've had for months. :)

Well, I have no idea when my next event post will be, so keep an eye out. All future events I attend in the foreseeable future will be in BC (unless you, gentle readers, are willing to pay for gas or plane tickets).

Me on In My Mailbox (44)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

The signing yesterday with Maureen Johnson was so cool. Check back on Monday for an event recap post. :) Do you know how refreshing it is to go to a book signing for a fairly big name author (in my mind) and only have to drive 20 minutes from where you live? It's amazing.

The rest of my weekend was so busy. Signing at 2pm, book swap/trade with local bloggers afterwards, dinner with RL friends at 5:30pm, Sunday breakfast out for my sister's birthday, and a movie with my mom (we saw Anonymous, the English lit major in me just had to go). Now, to relax until Jeyn Roberts' book launch on Thursday (maybe).

I also started my Hallowe'en re-reading of books I have that rank high in creepiness and spookiness: Dia Reeves' Bleeding Violet and Slice of Cherry, Brenna Yovanoff's The Replacement and The Space Between, Michele Jaffe's Rosebush (not spooky, more of a thriller/mystery, but still good), and Ransom Riggs' Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I also re-read Tara Kelly's Harmonic Feedback this week in honour of Amplified's release

Received from the author:
The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen (I'm a huge supporter of some fairly-lesser-known YA authors, like Tara Kelly (love Tara's books). Melissa is another. Her first book was funny and romantic and interesting and not what I expected, so I gushed on Twitter. I don't think she expected it. A lot of authors don't expect gushing on Twitter. I didn't expect it when she offered to send me an ARC of her next book. People, if you're looking for a book to tide you over while you wait for Stephanie Perkins' Isla and the Happily Ever After, go get Falling in Love with English Boys now and Truth or Dare in mid-February. Trust me.)

Bought:
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Reckoning by Lili St. Crow (I caved. It was there, out early, tempting me. :) )
Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor and Jim Di Bartolo (paperback version)

Received to review: (not pictured because I forgot to stick it in)
Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (sent by Hachette Book Group Canada, thanks to them for sending it.)

Borrowed/traded for: 
A Million Suns by Beth Revis (borrowed from Caitlin)
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood (borrowed from Caitlin)
So Much Closer by Suzanne Colsanti (an ARC copy I got from Jenny at Dreaming of Books. I got the e-book from the library, but I'm not really in the mood for e-books these days. The next three are ARC copies I got from Jenny as well.)
Wildefire by Karsten Knight
Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney
Abandon by Meg Cabot

Borrowed from the library:
There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff (e-book)

To review: Fateful, Beautiful Chaos, The Name of the Star, Reckoning, The Pledge, Legend (I read this back in August, but I'll be reading it again soon for review-purposes), Shattered Souls, On a Dark Wing, Unraveling Isobel, A Million Suns, Born Wicked, Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse, and The Fine Art of Truth or Dare (I devoured this book the day it arrived, but I'll be reading it again when I write my review (like with Legend)).

A quick note to new bloggers: please don't assume if you gush that an author will just offer to send you ARCs. Don't assume that it will happen to you. I gush daily about multiple authors and their books, and to be honest, them saying thank you is good enough for me. Gush because you love books, not because you're looking for freebies (because you'll come off as a jerk that no one will want to deal with).

Me on Dark Inside

Title: Dark Inside
Author: Jeyn Roberts
Release Date: November 1, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs. Now it’s our turn. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everday people into hunters, killers, crazies. As Mason endures a last vigil at his mother's hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she’s about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of the police, who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the watching crowd. These four teens are on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging on to love and meaning wherever it can be found, this is a journey into the heart of darkness – but also a journey to find each other and a place of safety.

It took 13 pages for this book to freak me out, and 22 for it to really freak me out and stop reading until it was light out and the people around were awake to keep me from screaming that this book might come true.

It's shocking and freaky and creepy in the outrageously possible sort of way. I imagine people get weird if they live in New York or Los Angeles and they read a book or see a movie where their home it blasted into nothingness. This book did that for me. I live not far from Vancouver, BC, and the idea of a massive earthquake stretching from California to Alaska, totally ruining the area in between, it makes me lose sleep. So many people here are on the edges of their seats, waiting for the next 'big earthquake' to hit and rip the city into two pieces.

So much of this book kept me interested, kept me coming back to it, kept me reading even though it was after the sun went down and the darkness creeped me out even more. There are so many questions in my head, and so many new fears.

This book calls into question humanity as we know it, what we think we are capable of as human beings, what might be hidden under the surface. There are stories of the dark side of humanity, stories of people just losing their minds, but what if most of the population suddenly lost their morals and values? What if an earthquake ripped us apart? What if we had to struggle to survive, run for our lives, scavenge day to day and hope we survived every time the sun rose?

What is Nothing? Who is Nothing? Will anyone survive?

Jeyn Roberts' debut novel will reach deep into the hearts of readers and squeeze tight, not letting go even after the book ends. And the chill down their spines? That will stay with readers for a long time.

(I received an e-galley of this book in the S&S Galley Grab newsletter.)

Me on A Short Letter to the Author (2)

Dear Tara Kelly,

Your new book Amplified came out on Tuesday. Late Monday night on Twitter, you were kind of freaking out because lots of stores had it in stock and you said it didn't happen with your first book, Harmonic Feedback.

I first read Harmonic Feedback last November, 6 months after the release date. It was a borrow from the library (that I actually put a hold on for, so don't think I didn't want to read it). I think I remember reading a blog post about how your first release day wasn't like other authors, how there wasn't a lot of fanfare or publicity. I'll admit, initially, I didn't think I'd enjoy your book as much as I did. Contemporary YA doesn't fill a lot of space in my bookcase, not unless it can reach out and make me feel something beyond "that was a good story."

Tara, it reached out and made me feel something.

I found myself slipping into Drea's shoes as I read page after page. I could relate to her in some ways more than others (we moved right before I started high school, so I understood the first day at a new school/first day back from summer break situation). I couldn't relate to her in terms of her ADHD and Aspeger's, in terms of how much of a struggle it can be when the world didn't work the way she wished it would, when she wished people would be honest and say what they meant instead of lying to her or making fun of her without her knowing, but after a while I did understand her.

It was a library borrow 11 months ago, it was a library borrow in June when I saw it and (possibly) dove for it on the shelf, and it was a buy in September (I ordered it online). I ordered Amplified online, too (as far as I can tell, no bookstore up here has it on the shelf yet, but don't take it personally, it's Canada).

I've been waiting for Amplified for months, back when it had a different title, way back before it had a cover (the yellow cover with the girl standing on the amp is gorgeous, by the way). Apparently, I added it to my list on Goodreads almost 10 months ago.

So, Tara, I guess I'm trying to say thank you for your books, even though I've only read one of them so far. Thank you for Drea, because she's made of pure awesome. Thank you for writing about music, because it's something I love (even though I can barely play the piano and can't sing to save my life). Thank you for writing about the hard stuff, about the lives of teenagers who don't live in comfy homes in the 'burbs with both parents and 2.8 kids (plus the white picket fence and a dog), about the teens who do drugs and get kicked out of school because not writing about them won't make them go away.

You've gotten some flack for Harmonic Feedback, some nasty e-mails, recently some pretty bad ones. It's not fair that these people/internet trolls attack you personally. I wish I could take their abuse for you so you wouldn't have to read their words.

I wish I could drive down to Seattle and see you in November, finally meet you in person, get my books signed, but I can't. One day.

Never stop writing, Tara, because I'll read it. And, to be honest, I get a kick out of reading "critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly" when I expand the book description for Amplified on Goodreads. Do you? ;)

Yours,

Lindsay

Me on Waiting on Wednesday (49)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: Above
Author: Leah Bobet
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic imprint)

From Goodreads:

An extraordinary debut urban fantasy about dangers outside and in.

"Above pulls off that rare trick of being convincing and utterly magical at the same time."
- Emma Donoghue, NYT bestselling author of ROOM

"Leah Bobet's ABOVE is that rarest of creatures, combining the outspoken honesty of a good first novel with the craft of a seasoned professional." - Elizabeth Bear, Hugo Award-winning author of DUST

Matthew has loved Ariel from the moment he found her in the tunnels, her bee's wings falling away. They live in Safe, an underground refuge for those fleeing the city Above--like Whisper, who speaks to ghosts, and Jack Flash, who can shoot lightning from his fingers.

But one terrifying night, an old enemy invades Safe with an army of shadows, and only Matthew, Ariel, and a few friends escape Above. As Matthew unravels the mystery of Safe's history and the shadows' attack, he realizes he must find a way to remake his home--not just for himself, but for Ariel, who needs him more than ever before.

ABOVE is the debut of an amazing new voice.

Up until about 8pm last night, my initial pick for this week was A Million Suns by Beth Revis, but since Caitlin is letting me borrow it on Saturday, it felt like cheating. Also, I didn't want to wait a week to feature this cover.

So, yeah. The cover is gorgeous. So gorgeous. And her wings are awesome, not bird wings like angels, not butterfly wings like stereotypical faeries, not flowers like Aprilynne Pike's Wings series (which I do enjoy, it's a very cute and sweet series). Plus Leah's a Canadian author, and I'm all about plugging Canadian authors that write compelling-sounding books. ;) Doesn't the book sound awesome? This might have to be added to my 'will punch a lion in the face for this book' list.

Me on Between the Sea and Sky

Title: Between the Sea and Sky
Author: Jaclyn Dolamore
Release Date: October 25, 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Publishing

For as long as Esmerine can remember, she's longed to join her older sister as a siren, the highest calling a mermaid can have. But when Dosia runs away to the mainland, Esmerine goes after her, searching for her. Using magic to turn her tail into a pair of legs, she unsteadily makes her way into the capital city. There, she finds an old childhood friend, Alandare, a young man who belongs to a race of winged people. As the two band together to search for her sister, they rekindle their friendship, and ignite emotions for a love so great, it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air.

A sweet and magical story, a tale of young love and fantasy, of discovering our purpose, who we are meant to be and the journey to discover that truth. The characters were interesting, the plot moved along smoothly, and nothing was ever easy for a mermaid longing to return to the sea, with her sister, without her old friend.

There's something about this book that calls to the hopeless romantic in me, the part of me that adores love stories and magic and mermaids and winged people (not angels, people with wings). It reminds me of legends and fairy tales and magical possibilities.

Esmerine thinks she'll be happy as a siren, with her sister, but when her sister disappears, there's nothing to keep her grounded, no one who understands her. She doesn't run to Alandare, but she needs his help, his knowledge of the human world. Maybe a little of the friendship they had years ago.

They're not necessarily star-crossed, but they were close, separated by her mermaid's tail and his wings. Her new legs are unsteady, her feet filled with pain, and the human world is something that confuses and bothers her. Going from a world filled with water to one filled with dust and stairs and chamber pots can be rather dramatic.

An intriguing journey of a young mermaid searching for something, this book is bound to delight fans of fairy tales and fantasy, readers of the author's first book Magic Under Glass and Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken.

(I borrowed an advance copy of this book from a friend.)

Me on In My Mailbox (43)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

Hi. :) It's been an interesting year of blogging, I'll say that. So many books have shocked me, surprised me, horrified me, made me laugh, made me cry, made me hope and dream and wish that I was a teenager again if only for these books. Every day I'm surprised at how awesome book bloggers are, how they can come together because they love books and they believe that they have the power to change people's minds and opinions of the world, how they introduce children to strange new worlds and characters different than themselves. I want to hug everyone I've met, either from comments or on Twitter or at the few book events I've been to this past year. You're all so amazing. :)

Next weekend is Maureen Johnson's signing (2pm on the 29th), and at 7pm on November 3rd there's a launch party for Jeyn Roberts and her book Dark Inside (which will scare the crap out of you). I'm not sure about the second one. Maybe. Only because the author's from Vancouver. And because the book was creepy.

Received to review from HarlequinTeen through NetGalley:
On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane (Apparently, I'm now on their auto-request list. Good thing they're not holding me not finishing Crave against me.)

Found a link on Twitter for the S&S Galley Grab:
Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook (spotted the link on Twitter on Monday, so excited to read this, Eileen lives up here in BC and is so funny to listen to when she talks about books and writing)

Borrowed from the library:
So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti (e-book)

To review: Fateful, The Pledge, Shattered Souls, Tempest, Unraveling Isobel, On a Dark Wing, and Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse. I've also been picking books for the now My Choice Review Week (I should've asked on Twitter). Suggest some random published books I can find at the library, people. How hard is that? ;)

Me on The Night Circus

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Publisher: Doubleday Canada (Random House Canada imprint)

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents in an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

Behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway - a duel between two young magicians, trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, the two magicians tumble headfirst into love.

But true love or not, the game must play out.

Fantastical, enchanting, The Night Circus draws you in, wraps itself around you, envelops you in black and white until you can do nothing but breathe in the magic and the wonder. It dances behind your eyelids. So many possibilities, so many truths and secrets, so much mystery like stars in the night sky. So much magic it's hard to breathe.

These are glimpses in time, not just Celia and Marco but their masters, the circus owner, the contortionist, the fortune teller, the red-headed twins. These are snippits and snatches of their lives, of the circus, of the magic of the circus and the dreams it brings to life.

So enchanting, yes, but also so dark and dangerous. The game must be played, events must play out. The masters have to heart, no affection for their pupils, no desire beyond winning and moving onto the next round with new competitors. But will Celia and Marco prove them wrong? Will Le Cirque des Rêves be the difference?

The Night Circus crept into my head and came to life the way few books have, the way Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone enchanted me, the way Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me fractured my heart.

I have been left at a loss for words. Whatever I could say would be dull and tarnished words next to the glorious bonfire that is this book. The Night Circus is storytelling in its purest form, in its most wonderful and fantastical. When I finished this book, I was overcome with the urge to cry, without rhyme nor reason. My greatest desire is to curl up with this book on the floor of a dark room, sleep for a hundred years, and dream as many dreams as I can. This book will be one I will take with me for the rest of my life.

(I won a copy of this book on Twitter.)

Me on Waiting on Wednesday (48)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: Clockwork Prince
Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (S&S imprint)

From Goodreads:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends. 

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

I imagine this cover has appeared on almost everyone's blog already, but it hasn't on mine. Not yet. ;) It feels weird, knowing that I first read Cassie's books about a year ago. So much has changed since then. But I still want to read her books. :)

Me on Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Title: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer
Author: Lish McBride
Release Date: October 12, 2010
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Sam has a pretty normal life for a college dropout working at a fast-food place, but it's better than nothing. He's doing all right, until a prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak. Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam learns he's a necromancer too, but with latent powers, and his worst nightmare wants to join forces. Or else. With a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily, he lives in Seattle where there as many paranormal types as there are coffee places. But with all his new friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?

This book was funny, interesting, it kept me reading and flipping the page. Lots of twists and turns and unexpected characters. So much fun to read, another welcome edition to the 'horror/humour' genre.

I loved Sam. He was trying to make the best of his dropping out of college, then tried to make the best out of a bad situation once Douglas finds him and tries to lure him 'over to the dark side,' as it were. Sam's the quintessential maybe slacker hero working a garbage job who had something happen to him that no one could control and then ended up involved in the dark side of town that only the right people know exist. He's just trying to get back to normal, trying to fix everything, trying to figure it all out.

Then come the chapters that aren't in Sam's point of view, the third person parts that cover Douglas and his less than moral activities, Brid and her imprisonment at the hands of a rouge and his new master, Ramon and his journey to help Sam when everything goes to hell. It added another layer, the background to Sam's journey up in the foreground of the book.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer is funny, maybe scary, and so awesome. It's a journey for Sam, a way for him to learn the truth, to learn about himself, to learn that it's possible to be more than just a dropout flipping burgers and working the register. Sometimes you live life and it isn't what you thought it would be but it works for the moment, and then life throws you a curve (or a potato) and you learn the truth: you're meant for so much more than you imagined.

(I borrowed this book from the public library.)

Me on A Short Letter to the Author (1)

This letter the first in a series of posts. More will be written, but there will be no schedule. :)

Dear Brenna Yovanoff,

Today is October 15, 2011. Your new book, The Space Between, comes out in thirty-two days. Today I read an advance copy of that book.

I find I have so many words I could give you about this book, words to give back to you in exchange to the ones you have given me late last night in the dark hours after midnight and this afternoon in the autumn sunshine, but it is hard to write the words that matter most when my eyes fill with tears and my heart jumps up to be the lump in my throat. I feel different after reading this book, so much more than I was expecting.

Perhaps, one day, I will find the words, but for now I have only these and I hope they will be enough. Thank you for this book, Brenna. Thank you so much.

Yours,

Lindsay

Me on Will Punch a Lion in the Face for Books

No books this week. Oh, well. It happens. It gives me the chance to bring up something new. :) Technically, I did get book mail, but it was my ARC of Daughter of Smoke & Bone coming back to me after I sent it to Abby (she lives near Boston). And she got it signed when Laini Taylor was there at the end of September. :) (Future review books are listed at the bottom of the post, like I do at the end of IMM posts.)

There are some books you really want to read. Like really really really want to read. I've dubbed this my 'will punch a lion in the face for' book list. Past books on this list included Lola and the Boy Next Door (which was amazing), Shatter Me (which totally broke me), and Sweet Venom. Current books include Amplified, Pandemonium, Clockwork Prince, Isla and the Happily Ever After (I think Stephanie Perkins is still working on the book, which is good news), and The Fine Art of Truth or Dare.

I want this book so bad. So so bad. I loved Falling in Love with English Boys (Anna and Lola fans, you guys need to look up these books). Come on, people. Who doesn't love quirky, funny, contemporary YA these days? And they're in paperback (or at least Truth or Dare will be on February 16th). (I also love pre-emptive gushing on Twitter and finding out the author DM-ed me all surprised that I'm so excited to read it 4 or 5 or 6 months before the release date. Hi, Melissa. :) )

I want to start a thing. On Twitter, use the hashtag #willpunchalionintheface and share what books you would honestly punch a lion in the face for. Or a tiger. Or a dragon. Or the president. Whatever your limit, stick it in the hashtag. Examples include "#willpunchalionintheface for Lauren Oliver's Lisel & Po" and "#willpunchanelephantinthetrunk for Andrea Cremer's Bloodrose." I was talking to Kathy on Twitter the other day and she said her #willpunchalionintheface book list includes Immortal City. I agree, that book sounds so awesome, and will be a future WoW post once the cover is finalized. :)

So, go forth, loyal blog readers. Comment away, use the hashtag on Twitter, or even write up your own blog post. Share your impatience and willingness to punch lions in their faces. ;) Or whatever other animal you have a personal vendetta against.

(It's not personal between me and the lions. I picked lions just because.)

To review: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, Tempest Rising, Fateful, Dark Inside (maybe), The Space Between, The Pledge, Shattered Souls, Tempest, and Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse (another maybe). No one's put in any suggestions for the week of you guys pick what I review, so I'll be picking the books and you guys will just have to read them. It'll be a mix of library books and books I own but haven't reviewed yet. (I DNF-ed Crave this past week, so there won't be a review. I just couldn't get into it. Once I spot it at the library I'll give it another shot.)

I've been thinking of doing a Hallowe'en YA horror readathon, maybe over the weekend and not actually on the 31st (Hallowe'en is on a Monday this year, how stupid). I mostly just want to re-read The Replacement and The Space Between and Bleeding Violet and Slice of Cherry on a night where spookiness is required by law. ;)

(I've also been watching a lot of Vlogbrothers videos on YouTube. So funny.)

Me on Audition

Title: Audition
Author: Stasia Ward Kehoe
Release Date: October 13, 2011
Publisher: Viking (Penguin imprint)

When sixteen-year-old Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's lonely, until she falls into Remington's arms, a fellow dancer and choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being his muse, but as she discovers a hidden passion for writing, she begins to question whether or not she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? Is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more?

Audition is honest and heartfelt, the story of a young girl suddenly in a bigger city than she's used to, enrolled in a more advanced ballet school, intrigued by an older guy who looks at her and finds a 'dance muse.' Emotional, inspiring, and surprisingly visual, Stasia Ward Kehoe has crafted an amazing verse novel.

I agree with the general consensus that verse novels have a way of getting straight to the heart of the book, to the raw emotional core of the narrator. With prose, there's so much extra that isn't needed in poetry, like knowing which way characters are moving and who said what over and over. Bogging down poetry with 'he said/she said' is useless and foolish. Verse novels give us a lyrical and almost romantic interpretation of a story, metaphor and allusion and personification littering each page, filling each line when quite often each line contains
only
one
word. (See what I did there?)

I'll admit, dance is not a big part of my life currently, or even when I was a child, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate Sara's story and struggle to keep all the pieces of herself that she seems to give away with each step, each turn, each plié or pirouette. She's sixteen. Who really, honestly, knows what they want in life at sixteen? Who isn't drawn to older guys who share the same creative background, who understands the struggles to stay healthy, to rehearse day after week after month, who knows the drive to be the best and to one day shine on stage? Can you honestly say you'd turn away the chance to have some kind of connection with that person?

Stasia Ward Kehoe has given us a heartbreaking, emotional, and honest book about the struggle of a young ballet student and all the many struggles she goes through. A must read for loyal fans of verse novels, books about the arts, and contemporary YA.

(I received an advance copy of this book to review from Penguin Canada.)

Me on Waiting on Wednesday (47)

Waiting on Wednesday is weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: Incarnate
Author: Jodi Meadows
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins

From Goodreads:

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

This sure does sound like an interesting book, sort of like the Aeon Flux movie (not the MTV show from the 90's).

Me on Past Perfect

Title: Past Perfect
Author: Leila Sales
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse (S&S imprint)

All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, enjoy the air-conditioned mall, and get over her ex-boyfriend, Ezra. But it's back to the Essex Historical Colonial Village for another summer (yes, really), which sucks even more when she finds out Ezra works there now, too, when makes moving on a lot more complicated. Maybe Chelsea should've known better than to think a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past.

Amusing and heartfelt and thoughtful, Leila Sales gives readers a character who wants to move on with her life, who doesn't want to be trapped by the past every summer, but she can't seem to move on if she doesn't learn. An intriguing look at friendship and teenage romance while looking at perceptions of history, how we look at history in the 21st century, and how wearing long dresses in the summertime really sucks.

A historical reenactment village. When was the last time you visited one of those and you weren't 8 and on one of those family vacations when your dad drove all of you around in a car packed with suitcases? It's such an unexpected setting, something you don't come across unless you live somewhere with historical significance.

Chelsea was refreshing, totally flawed, stuck in different pasts, the Colonial past, her own past of working at Essex year after year, and her past with Ezra. Sometimes I wanted to stop her talking and tell her to stop and think. She wanted to move on, but she couldn't when she kept focusing on what went wrong in the past.

An interesting book. Not necessarily the sort of book I would read, but an interesting story nonetheless. Seems like it would suit fans of the author's previous book, Mostly Good Girls, perhaps other loyal contemporary YA readers of Sarah Dessen.

(I found an e-galley of this book in the Simon & Schuster Galley Grab newsletter.)

Me on In My Mailbox (42)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. :)

The lunch in Seattle on Tuesday was so cool, but the rest of the week was a wash. So sick. Every cold settles in my sinuses and causes so much pain, then moves down into my lungs and I cough forever. From Wednesday to Friday I stayed in my sick cave (bedroom), read Anna and Lola, and watched YouTube videos of John and Hank Green playing video games. They're rather addictive, those videos, because I love watching people play video games and talk about whatever instead of playing them myself. Plus they're just so funny. :)

I'm not heading down to the HarperTeen Dark Days tour stop on Wednesday. Something's come up for that morning that I have to go to. And gas would be a pain in the butt. So, yeah, not going, which sucks. Especially for Ashelynn, since I was going to get Fateful signed for her. But Maureen Johnson's supposedly coming here on the 29th. And Scott Westerfeld on the 11th (I'm not going, I've only read the Uglies series, but I believe Caitlin is going). And James Dashner on the 26th (debating whether or not to go, I was intrigued by The Maze Runner).

Bought:
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (So excited for the finished copy. My review can be found here. :) Look at it next to its book-sister Anna. And of course, it arrived when I was down in Seattle. At least it was something nice to come home to.)

Received to review from Macmillan through NetGalley:
Tempest by Julie Cross (Very excited to read this in the next 50 days. I wish it was a paper ARC but sometimes beggars can't be choosy. I saw on Twitter during the week that the release date has been changed to January 17, 2012.)

Found in the S&S Galley Grab:
Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse by Lucas Klauss
Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts (this one's hidden in the adult e-galley list, and I had no idea it's out on November 1st)

Borrowed from the library:
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan
Still Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
The Trust by Tom Dolby
The Liar Society by Laura & Lisa Roecker
Afterlife by Claudia Gray
Love Story by Jennifer Echols
Battle of the Bands by K.L. Denman (e-book)
Thunderbowl by Lesley Choyce (e-book)

I also got some bookmarks from the awesome Tara Kelly for her new book Amplified coming out on October 25th. I want this book so bad.

To review: Audition, Crave, The Space Between, Shattered Souls, The Pledge, Fateful, A Long, Long Sleep, Dark Inside, Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse, and Tempest. What else do you think I should review? Go suggest a book for the Readers Choice Week. If no one suggests anything, I'll end up picking random books that I haven't reviewed yet. Like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Because I'm making a list, so it might turn into Lindsay's Choice Review Week if you're not careful. ;)

And I might be taking down the Book Borrow/Swap/Trade tab up at the top. No one's all that interested so I might end up just donating the books to the library or to a charity.

Me on Tris & Izzie

Title: Tris & Izzie
Author: Mette Ivie Harrison
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA

A modern day twist of the German fairy tale "Tristan and Isolde," Mette Ivie Harrison give us the story of Izzie, a young girl with a perfect boyfriend and loyal best friend, but everything goes wrong when Izzie takes the potion meant for her friend and accidentally falls in love with a new guy at their school. While this book is filled to the brim with magic, secrets, and danger, something was lacking character-wise for me and it kept me from enjoying this book more.

What initially drew me to this book was the fairy tale Harrison drew from. Fairy tale retellings have a way of being just as magical as the original, and this was. Magic options, witches, monsters, magical enemies, sorcerers and healers. There is nothing lacking in the fantasy element.

Unfortunately, what had a habit of putting me off was certain characters and their choices. Because Izzie is the narrator, I connected with her far more than others, but that's because we're only given her opinions of them. Mark is her awesome boyfriend, Branna is her best friend. But Izzie couldn't see what was right in front of her face at times. She's clueless to the feelings of those close to her, and sometimes makes rash decisions that would often turn her life into a huge smoking crater.

The language also didn't agree with me. At times it felt too simple, too obvious, too just describing actions or surroundings. On the first page, I started to edit in my head, pick which words I would take out and imagine how I would phrase the sentence. That's not a good sign. At other points, the language felt dated and stilted

I wanted to love this book as much as I love the cover, but it fell flat for me in terms of characters and language. Perhaps this book would fit with a younger teen reading audience, thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds. The idea was amazing, the magic and fairy tale elements were sound, but the characters brought it down for me.

(I received this book from EgmontUSA through NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing it.)

October 4 - Tahereh Mafi in Seattle

Three weeks ago (the day I went downtown for the launch of The Night Circus, actually), I got an e-mail from HarperCollins inviting me and a friend to lunch in downtown Seattle with Tahereh Mafi as a pre-publication event for Shatter Me. At a loss for who to take (my sister wouldn't be interested, Ashelynn doesn't live nearby, my real life friends would've gone for free food), I mentioned it to Caitlin over at WhatchYAReading.net and she said she'd come. So we went, crossing the border and driving what Google claimed was 2 and a half hours but was more like 3 hours (because we stopped a couple of times) down to Seattle and a super posh Italian restaurant. Tahereh assured us it was a lunch for book bloggers, that other book bloggers would be there for us to talk to and gush about books with.

Honestly, I just wanted to meet her, maybe get a picture with her (I forgot, my bad, I'm a dork), maybe get her to sign my ARC (which she did), and listen to her talk. I'm a simple kind of girl. In July after a signing I had dinner at a table with Mindi Scott, Mandy Hubbard, and Gen Crewel and just listened to them talk about writing and publishing. I was happy enough to listen. :)

I feel bad because I don't have pictures and I have no notes. Most of this is because Tahereh wanted to get to know us. She said she wanted to talk to book bloggers because we go to signings and conventions and review and help market books for free. And it's all because we adore books and authors and world-building and characters and everything that make books awesome.

So we spent lunch talking about books we like and books we weren't huge fans of, why we started blogging in the first place. She thought we were awesome for driving down. I thought she was awesome for seeing us at lunch then meeting booksellers later in the evening with her editor.

I leave you with one picture, because honestly, after spending almost 6 hours in a car all sick and stuffed up and about ready to beat my head against something because the sinus pain was so bad, it made me smile.

Thank you, Tahereh. :)

Me on Carrier of the Mark

Title: Carrier of the Mark
Author: Leigh Fallon
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen (HC imprint)

When Megan arrives in Ireland, everything in her life oddly falls into place. After growing up in the US, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new town and new school, complete with uniform. She makes some new friends and finds herself drawn to someone in particular, the darkly handsome Adam. But then Megan discovered the reason for the connection is ties to a fate sealed long ago - and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their destruction.

Carrier of the Mark was mysterious and magical, sweet and new, and intrigued me with its twist on Ireland and mythology more than the romance (but the romance didn't hurt). Megan's feeling at home in Ireland but out of sorts around Adam and his family, curious about the stories of magic and mystery, curious why he can't stop staring at her.

I adore stories drawn from mythology, be they Celtic or Greek or Roman, and this satisfied the historical and international part of my brain. Ireland was gorgeous when I was there in 2008, always sunny and green, and I always had the feeling there was something going on under the rolling hills, hidden under the rocks of the Giant's Causeway, lost deep inside the huge mound of Newgrange. What appealed to me was the lack of US setting. Call me crazy, but not all YA books take place in the US. Variety is very much appreciated.

It wasn't until the end that I realized that a lot of different events happened in this book, that I'd just read 300+ pages of Megan telling me the story of what happened to her after she and her dad moved to Ireland. I liked Megan's voice, and I would've enjoyed more of it, perhaps more of her internal thoughts and how she really felt about the situation. I did enjoy the book, don't get me wrong, but perhaps there was a bit too much exposition and not enough 'what does Megan feel right now' for my tastes.

I'm starting to wonder about romantic situations in YA books. Most times, there's a love triangle or there's an instant connection. Done right, I enjoy both. In terms of the instant connection, it works when you drag it out a bit longer, have them at odds for longer, maybe have them fight a little, build the tension (this is just my opinion, don't take this as a huge jab at the author because it's not, I'm actually glad that while there is an instant connection nothing happens until a good-sized chunk into the book).

This book left me intrigued for what happens next and hungry for more mythology. I'll gladly read the rest of the trilogy.

(I received a copy from HarperCollins Canada for the purpose of reviewing it.)

Me on Waiting on Wednedsay (46)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: Hemlock
Author: Kathleen Peacock
Release Date: Summer 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegan (HC imprint)

From Goodreads:

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

The cover came out on Monday over at YA Highway, so I had to feature it this week. I also had to feature it because Kathleen is a Canadian author. I love it when I discover new YA authors from Canada. :) Plus this book looks to satisfy the part of my reader's soul that adores werewolf books.

Me on Lola and the Boy Next Door

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: September 29, 2011
Publisher: Dutton (Penguin imprint)

Lola Nolan is a budding designer who doesn't believe in fashion. She believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit - more sparkly, more fun, more wild - the better. Even though her style is outrageous, she's a devoted daughter and friend with big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to the hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins return to the neighbourhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

So many expectations were met for me with this book. I wanted humour, I wanted struggle, I wanted confusion, I wanted awesome friends, I wanted love and romance. I wanted to breathe in the realism and believability. And I did. Reading this book made me happy, it made me smile and laugh and fall in love with all the characters.

This book was another journey, a journey for Lola. Her life is a perfect as she could want it, not counting the fact that her two dads don't really care for her older rocker boyfriend. Everything's wonderful, until the Bell twins move back in next door. Until she sees Calliope. Until she sees Cricket. The second she sees him, the structure holding up her perfect life crumbles and a whole mess of hidden parts are revealed, meaning Lola has to confront some harsh truths before she can move on.

I loved Lola. She was quirky and unique, completely comfortable with wearing outrageous clothes and costumes and wigs. I wish I had a friend like Lola when I was in high school. And it didn't hurt that her best friend's name was Lindsey (even though it's spelled differently). And Cricket was surprising but so sweet. After Perkins' last love interest, everyone knew this one had to be just as sweet and normal and amazing and perfect and flawed. And the gifted inventor part makes him so cool.

Books where the main character already has a boyfriend or girlfriend are rare. I didn't mind Max. What teen girl doesn't want an older hot rocker boyfriend? Sure, the age difference might make some parents a bit uneasy (her 17 to his 22), but it happens. So do overprotective parents who don't want their teenage daughter dating a guy who smokes and plays in a band and has tattoos and can totally take advantage of her.

The cameos of Anna and St. Clair. They could've been gimmicky, they could've been random glimpses, but here they were side characters that connected everything in this book to Perkins' first book. They were just as I remembered: sweet, funny, thoughtful, and totally in love.

Quirky, outrageously fun and outrageously complicated, Lola and the Boy Next Door gives Stephanie Perkins fans another helping of what made us fall in love with her in 2010. A unique girl, an adorably sweet guy, interesting friends and family, and more twists and surprises than you can shake a stick at. Or a book. Or a purple wig.

(I purchased this book, but this review is based off of an advance copy I borrowed from a friend/book review blogger. She dangled the carrot in front of my nose, and this time I took a nibble. I'll still be reading my finished copy when it arrives. And I have to mention that while the release date up top says September 29, it doesn't "officially" come out in Canada until October 4.)

October 1 - Smart Chicks Kick It Tour

Last year, a group of YA authors toured and picked the cities they visited. This year, they're doing it again, and I headed out on a Saturday afternoon to the BC stop. :) I love when authors come here.

The authors appearing in Burnaby were Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Beth Revis, Margaret Stohl, and Sara Zarr. I so wish some of the other authors appearing at other tour stops were there, and honestly, I could've gone down to the Seattle stop today to see Richelle Mead and Melissa de la Cruz and Rachel Vincent (and others), but considering I'm going down to Seattle on the 4th to meet Tahereh Mafi and again on the 12th for Kiersten White, Claudia Gray, Anna Carey, and Anna Garvey, and maybe in November to see Tara Kelly and get my copy of Amplified, I'll need a border break. And a wallet break.

Also, it was my mom's birthday this past Wednesday and she loves Kelley Armstrong's urban fantasy series, so this was the perfect present opportunity. :)

I took my copy of Across the Universe, bought Spell Bound (for my mom) and the Enthralled anthology (for me). I didn't want to haul every single book I have written by all the authors to the bookstore because it would've hurt me and them (me carrying and them signing). Plus the anthology has stories by most of them in it. (Sorry to Sara Zarr, I'll read your books now, I promise.)

I tweeted before and during the signing, but here's a bit of a recap for everyone who wasn't there. Plus pictures. I'm sorry I didn't tweet more during the event but my phone was dying. At the end I wanted to get one last picture looking down the table at everyone signing books but my battery wouldn't let me.

And hello to Jenny and Alita and the other bloggers who were there (plus that nice girl from Vancouver Island who was in line behind me, I forgot your name but I gave you one of my cards so with any luck you'll see this). Sometimes I think Caitlin and I are the only ones, but that's because I only know Caitlin. ;)

And here they are (from left to right, Margie, Melissa, Kelley, Jen, Beth, and Sara). :) They're all so funny and willing to answer the strangest questions. There was some giveaway fun, Jen gave away an ARC of Every Other Day (which I've read and enjoyed, thanks to NetGalley), and Kelley sort of gave away an ARC of The Calling (she's promised to mail one to someone who got a trivia question right).

There were the standard questions about writing process, music tastes while writing, advice for writing and for finding an agent, whether or not the authors outline or just write from the seat of their pants. You've all heard stuff like this, you've read it online, you don't need me repeating it.

Plus there was a thrilling round of Marry, Shag, or Kiss if you're under 17 ;), or Pitch Over a Cliff. So much fun. Here are some of mine. Beautiful Creatures/Darkness: marry Ethan, shag Link, pitch Ridley or Sarafine over a cliff. Wicked Lovely: marry Seth, and shag Seth, pitch Keenan over a cliff. Across the Universe: marry Elder, shag Harley, and pitch Eldest over a cliff (duh).

Here's Melissa and Jen signing with Sara sitting in the middle. She's probably looking out at the crowd. I figure maybe 100 people were there. They didn't beat April when 550+ people showed up to see Cassie Clare and Holly Black, but the crowd was just as enthusiastic. And I gushed a bit about Every Other Day to Jen. ;)

I love Margie's glasses. They're so cool, and she pulls them off. Sorry this last picture is blurry. Camera phone fail. ;)

In short, this event was so much fun. I hope more YA authors make their way out here. The response is always positive. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (41)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

The Smart Chicks stop was awesome. :) And in a few days I get to meet Tahereh Mafi (and Caitlin meets her again, I'm so jealous of her ComicCon-ing). :D The border crossing and the drive will be all worth it once we get down there. Of course, this means I have to read Shatter Me for the third time. What a struggle. ;) I found out this past week from Tahereh that Canada's getting the paperback 'international edition' of Shatter Me (like with Fateful) and so I'm torn. I've pre-ordered the hardcover, but I've been debating whether or not to cancel it and get the paperback instead. What would you do, wonderful readers??

Plus the adorable little business cards I got from Moo.com arrived. They're awesome and I'm glad they arrived before the lunch. Now I can hand them out to other bloggers and professional-type people and be all fancy instead of an over-excited book nerd.

Also, if I met you at the Smart Chicks signing, you were so lucky because right now I sound like I've been smoking a pack a day for 20 years. *head-desk* It's possible I caught the cold my mom brought home from a weekend in Whistler, but it's also possible I somehow picked up some sore throat thing. I'm currently self-medicating with tea and lemon throat lozenges. Cross your fingers that I don't lose my voice.

Bought:
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (my review here; such a gorgeous cover, check out Michelle's blog for an awesome contest ending Oct 4th)
Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions edited by Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr

Borrowed from the library (I actually got these last Sunday, but last week's post was huge so I saved them for this week):
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick (e-book)
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (e-book)
A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan (e-book)
How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan (e-book) (already read and enjoyed)

To review: Crave, Crossed, The Pledge, The Space Between, Shattered Souls (which I got back from Caitlin who really liked it so that's promising), Audition, Fateful, and Tempest Rising. I'm thinking of reviewing A Long, Long Sleep and Ashes, I don't know. What other books do you want me to review? Remember to send in your suggestions for the Readers Choice Review Week. :)