Super Awesome Contest

From now, July 30, to August 31, you can win awesome prizes if you buy the book Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert! If you do, send a picture of you and the book or the receipt to: lauren51990 AT aol DOT com and you will be entered.

Instead of one person getting all the prizes, we have decided to mix it up. We have a list from ten books sold to fifty or more sold...meaning:

-ten entries (one winner out of those)

-fifteen entries (one winner out of those, except if you already won)

And it continues on, so if you buy the book soon you get entered more, but if you win once, you can't win again. If we don't get to at least fifty books, you may or may not get a shot to win the remaining prizes. We'll figure out that out later. If we don't reach that point, we MIGHT put all entries in and give someone the remaining prizes, but don't quote me. We'll see how it goes. So buy the book yourself, buy it for someone you know (holidays are fast approaching) or get people to buy it. You just might win!

Below are the prizes being donated and how many books that need to be sold before you can win them...as well as who donated the prize. This is an international contest so buy buy buy!

10 Books Sold

-Castration Celebration (Hardcover) from Alea (http://www.aleapopculture.blogspot.com/)

-Bloom by Elizabeth Scott from Kimberly Derting, author of The Body Finder (http://www.kimberlyderting.com/)

-MTV Diary book from Rachael (http://www.thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/)

15 Books Sold

-The Forest of Hands and Teeth from Rachael (http://www.thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/)

-Need by Carrie Jones (hardcover) by Jen Nadol (author of The Mark) (www.jennadolbooks.com)

-High Court Bracelet (Melissa Marr) from James (http://bookchicclub.blogspot.com/)

20 Books Sold

-The Summoning (paperback and SIGNED) by Kelley Armstrong from James (www.bookchicclub.blogspot.com

- Ruined: a Ghost Story (Paula Morris) ARC from Rachael (http://www.thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/)

-Nothing but Ghosts from Tirzah (www.thecompulsivereader.blogspot.com)

30 Books Sold

-Hush Hush (ARC) by Becca Fitzpatrick from Lauren (www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com)

-$15 Amazon gift certificate from Sarah (www.greenbeanteenqueen.com)

-Fade by Lisa McMann from Jen Nadol (author of The Mark) (http://www.jennadolbooks.com )

40 Books Sold

- How it Ends (ARC) by Laura Wiess from Rachael (http://www.thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/)

-Ballads prize pack from Lauren (need to figure out what to add still, but I’ll make it as fun as I can) (www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com)

-Paperback Novel of Winner’s Choice from Shalonda (www.shalondasblog.blogspot.com)

50 + More Books Sold

- Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (signed paperback) from James (http://bookchicclub.blogspot.com/)

-Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr (unsigned paperback) from James (http://bookchicclub.blogspot.com/)

-$20 gift card from Barnes n Noble from Fantastic Book Review (www.fantasticbookreview.blogspot.com)

Feeling Overwhelmed???

One thing that I've heard (and said) repeatedly is, "I'm so behind on reviews!" Usually soon after comes a reading slump.

Before you get to that point, I suggest you take a little ME time.

Some of you may be wondering the reason for this post and its timing. Well, if you look at my archives this month, you'll not find many posts. The reason for this being that I've taken some ME time this July.

Summer is quickly unwinding for me, and I decided to devote a little time to myself and the people I love most (my family and my fiance).

That said, I have been reading, and there will be reviews posted soon. However, I decided it better to post the reviews on my own time rather than enforce deadlines upon myself (just so you know publicists don't send deadlines with ARCs because they understand that we reviewers also attend school or work; and for that, I thank them kindly).

I hope I haven't disappointed anyone with my lack of posting this month. I figured that rather than getting myself in a reading slump, and possibly not enjoying blogging (which I absolutely LOVE), I should spend the remainder of my summer having fun, sleeping in, and going with the flow.

After this weekend, I will be back to regularly scheduling posts and reviews (not that I ever write more than 4 a month) and of course, commenting on YOUR blogs!

Until then, I think I'll go bowling and reward myself with some cheesecake!

Waiting on Wednesday (July 29)

How It Ends

Laura Wiess

MTV

Wait will be over August 4 (Less than a week!)

Summary (from Amazon): All Hanna's wanted since sophomore year is Seth. She's gone out with other guys, even gained a rep for being a flirt, all the while hoping cool, guitar-playing Seth will choose her. Then she gets him -- but their relationship is hurtful, stormy and critical, not at all what Hanna thinks a perfect love should be. Bewildered by Seth's treatment of her and in need of understanding, Hanna decides to fulfill her school's community service requirement by spending time with Helen, her terminally ill neighbor, who she's turned to for comfort and wisdom throughout her life. But illness has changed Helen into someone Hanna hardly knows, and her home is not the refuge it once was. Feeling more alone than ever, Hanna gets drawn into an audiobook the older woman is listening to, a fierce, unsettling love story of passion, sacrifice, and devotion. Hanna's fascinated by the idea that such all-encompassing love can truly exist, and without her even realizing it, the story begins to change her.

Until the day when the story becomes all too real...and Hanna's world is spun off its axis by its shattering, irrevocable conclusion.

Why I want this book so badly: I bought Laura's other books after seeing them on several ALA lists, but have yet to read them. I've heard she is a remarkable writer, and this story sounds like one I will remember for a long time to come. Plus, after reading that summary, how can you not be intrigued?

In My Mailbox (July 26)

In My Mailbox is hosted each week by The Story Siren and was created by Alea "Pop Culture Junkie".

Now onto my new reads from the past two weeks!

Borrowed From the Library:

Hollywood & Maine by Allison Whittenberg

November Blues by Sharon Draper

Just Another Hero by Sharon Draper

Hollywood is Like High School with Money by Zoey Dean

Response by Paul Volponi

Kendra by Coe Booth

In My Mailbox (for review, unless noted):

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins (from a contest!)

Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure by Larry Smith

DupliKate by Cherry Cheva

Secret Society by Tom Dolby

Surprisingly, I did not purchase any books. Of course, that took a LOT of restraint!

What new reads did you get???

It's Not You, It's Me by Kerry Cohen Hoffman

It's Not You, It's Me

Kerry Cohen Hoffman

Delacorte

Published June 9, 2009

Summary: Zoe has found her first love. All seems perfect, until Henry dumps her. Told over a period of thirty-one days, It's Not You, It's Me shares with readers Zoe's plan to win back Henry's affection.

Review: After reading several unfavorable for reviews for It's Not You, It's Me, I was unsure of what to expect. While I was not blown away by this book, I really enjoyed it.

The plot of this book (girl loses boy, girl tries to win boy back) may seem familiar; however, this book is anything but typical. Zoe's plan to make Henry miss her includes multiple hilarious stunts, actions, and outfits. Not only will they make you laugh, but you'll also feel Zoe's embarrassment.

Kerry Cohen Hoffman's writing is clear and her characterization is crisp. Zoe truly is your girl next door experiencing her first bit of heartbreak. Although her actions are sometimes on the verge of desperate, her pain showed throughout, which made Zoe an easily relatable character. In addition, secondary characters, like Zoe's teacher, shine throughout the novel.

It's Not You, It's Me is a cute, short read. As this novel deals with the loss of a first love, it is relevant to today's teens. Kerry Cohen Hoffman has created a well written, fast paced novel with an important message that will put a smile on readers' faces.

Score: 7-Good, enjoyable, but not great

*Don't forget to enter for your chance to win my hardcover copy of It's Not You, It's Me.

Win 2 Books!

It's time for another contest, and this time I'm giving away 2 books!

Gorgeous (ARC) by Rachel Vail

It's Not You, It's Me (HC) by Kerry Cohen Hoffman

To be entered, simply leave a comment (sorry, no extra entries this time). The contest will end at 11:59 PM on Saturday, August 1. The winner will be announced on the blog Monday, August 3.

This contest is only open to those in the US and Canada.

Who's a Liar?

Recently I joined Susan's Color Me Brown challenge. I became so excited looking for YA books by authors of color or featuring main characters of color, and now have a HUGE stack of books for the challenge in my closet.

Due to recent conversations about the cover of Liar by Justine Larbalestier, I feel that this challenge has become even more important. I applaud authors like Justine Larbalestier and Paul Volponi who showcase characters of diverse races. And while I admire Justine, I must say, "Shame, shame" to Bloomsbury for choosing not to put a Black girl on the cover of a book about a Black girl.

Bloomsbury's response was that they believed the character was lying about her race. I don't believe that at all. What? Are we back in the days of Imitation of Life? I understand that a compulsive liar would be an unreliable source for most things. But race? Come on!

I have wanted to read Liar for sometime now, and I still plan to read it to support Justine. Why should she be hurt by a publisher's unwise decision?

But honestly people, we need to prove publishers like Bloomsbury wrong. Books featuring characters of color on the cover can and do sell.

I urge you to join in Susan's challenge. If challenges are not your thing, read and review a book by Mitali Perkins, Coe Booth, Walter Dean Myers, Paul Volponi, or Justine (among many others). Let's show them that in the YA community we celebrate and appreciate diversity and hopefully Justine will get the paperback cover for which she is hoping. One that reflects the book.

Thank you so much Justine for speaking up. I'm sure it was not easy to speak out against your publisher's decision; however, your efforts are not in vain.

For more more thoughts on this, be sure to check out Colleen Mondor's post. In her post, she includes contact information for those who wish to express their disappointment to Bloomsbury. Be sure to also read posts by Editorial Anonymous and Taste Life Twice.

Decatur Book Festival Author Richelle Mead

I'm counting down the days until the 2009 AJC Decatur Book Festival. 44, yes, told you I was counting! So until then, once a week, I will post something about one of the authors appearing at DBF. This may be a book review, a quote, an interview, etc.

Today's DBF author is Richelle Mead, who I am SO excited to meet!

This video is courtesy of Penguin Readers. Enjoy!

Waiting on Wednesday (July 22)

This is my first WOW post in months! And while there are TONS of books that I am excited about, I decided that in my future WOW posts, I will focus on books releasing within the next two months. So onto this week's selection:

The Cupcake Queen

Heather Hepler

Dutton Juvenile

Wait will be over September 17!

Summary (from Amazon): A confection of a novel, combining big city sophistication with small town charm.

When her mother moves them from the city to a small town to open up a cupcake bakery, Penny’s life isn’t what she expected. Her father has stayed behind, and Mom isn’t talking about what the future holds for their family. And then there’s Charity, the girl who plays mean pranks almost daily. There are also bright spots in Hog’s Hollow—like Tally, an expert in Rock Paper Scissors, and Marcus, the boy who is always running on the beach. But just when it looks as though Penny is settling in, her parents ask her to make a choice that will turn everything upside down again. A sweet novel about love, creativity, and accepting life’s unexpected turns.

Why do I want this book so badly: From the summary, the characters sound so vividly painted, and from my previous reviews, you all know I LOVE great characters. Also, I am interested to find out more about the relationship between Penny's parents. Plus, look at that cover! I love cupcakes and those look so delicious! Finally, I think I've only seen this book featured on a couple of blogs, and I love to root for lesser known novels, especially those that sound as fantastic as this one!

Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Contests and Updates

I am long overdue for a contest, so I will be posting one next week! In the meantime, check out these fabulous contests:

Sarah of Sarah's Random Musings is celebrating 150 followers (congrats Sarah) by giving away a copy of Shiver ! This one ends July 31.

Lee Verday is giving away an ARC of his wife, Jessica's upcoming novel The Hollow! This is going to be one amazing book, so be sure to enter. This contest ends July 26.

Also, I have joined Goodreads (I may be the last person on earth to do so), so if you're already a member, friend me! I'm simply listed as Shalonda, but my Blogger pic is there, so I'm easy to find.

And finally, I was given some blogger awards from Amelia, Senfaye, Sasha, Vanessa (Not Nessie), and Juju. Since they were given away a little while ago, I will not pass them on, nor put up the buttons. In the future, I will do a much better job with keeping up with and sharing blogger awards. So thank you to these five awesome bloggers for acknowledging me!

Taking On a Challenge

Susan of Black-Eyed Susan and Color Online has created a new challenge and I'm joining in!

From now until August 30, those who choose to accept this challenge will "commit to reading and reviewing YA literature by and about characters of color".

I have never participated in any challenges (mostly due to lack of time), but I am totally up for this one. My August review calendar is absolutely slammed, but I feel so passionate about this challenge that I am willing to give up my TV and Twitter time to add some culturally diverse books to this month's TBR pile.

I'm hoping that other YA bloggers will join in. I mean even if you only read and review one book by or about characters of color, that's a start!

For more information about the challenge, check out Susan's Color Me Brown post.

In My Mailbox (July 12)

Pretty laid back week in books, which is great because I have A LOT of catching up to do!

Purchased:

Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee

The Year My Sister Got Lucky by Aimee Friedman

The Devouring by Simon Holt

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Borrowed from the library:

Touch by Francine Prose

Testimony by Anita Shreve

In My Mailbox is hosted weekly at The Story Siren and was created by Alea (Pop Culture Junkie).

Spotlight on Megan Frazer

Today I am thrilled to welcome Megan Frazer, debut author of Secrets of Truth and Beauty, which actually releases today!

S: Dara, the main character in Secrets of Truth and Beauty, is a former beauty pageant contestant. Do you have any previous pageant experience?

M: No, not at all. But I have been fascinated by the pageant world for a long time. When I was around ten years old, my very-sporty friends and I went to see The Nutcracker and we sat behind Little Miss New Hampshire, and we were all rabidly curious. We grilled this poor girl, but she seemed to handle it well. As I got older, the child pageant world seemed less glamorous and more creepy.

S: Secrets of Truth and Beauty is your debut novel. What has been the most exciting aspect leading up to its release?

M: It's been really exciting to meet other writers, be it in person or online. I've met up with other YA and MG writers in Maine, which has been fantastic. I'm also part of the Debs, and it has been so wonderful to share successes and challenges. It's so cool that all over the country (the world, actually), there are people going through the same thing as me.

S: As a school librarian, what are the top 5 books you recommend to your students?

M: I like the way you phrased this! Asking my top 5 favorites would be impossible, but this I can do:

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart -- This book is perfect for girls, but especially smart girls who like to challenge the status quo (like Frankie herself).

John Green -- my personal favorite is An Abundance of Katherines, but I do try to figure out what the particular student is looking for at that moment. Usually once I get them to take one, they come back for the rest, and I always have the best discussions with students about them. There are no easy answers in his work, and he makes readers think.

It's Kind of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini -- Drug stories like The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Ellen Hopkins are always very popular. I feel like this book is in that vein, but goes in other directions, too. Plus, teens really like that he started writing as a teen and that this book was based on his own experiences.

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray -- This is my go-to suggestion for kids looking for something after the Twilight series. Now I know there is a backlash for comparing any book with a paranormal element to Twilight, but part of being a librarian is teasing out what it is that someone liked about one book so you can recommend a new one. I feel like both series combine the paranormal with a wonderful sense of drama, and do find that teens who like one, also like the other.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers and The Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr -- I am totally cheating by combining these two, but I use them for the same purpose. First of all I love both of these books. But what makes them great as a librarian is that I can give them to any reader from a reluctant reader right through to the devours-ten-books-a-week reader. They are both high interest (a teen in prison! a 13 year old girl caught having sex by her dad!), but also very literary. Neither simply glances the surface of the serious issues they cover. They are both wonderful.

S: What inspires you most during the writing process?

M: Once I am in a story, my mind keeps firing. Things I see, read, or otherwise experience will make me see my work in progress in a new light and give me good ideas.

Fill in the blanks:

The autobiography I would be most curious to read would be written by Dorothy Parker (but this is definitely one of those ask me on a different day and get a different answer kind of questions).

The weirdest food combination I enjoy is goat cheese and chocolate! I just made these truffles for my launch party, and they are surprisingly delicious.

The song title that best describes my life is "32 Flavors" by Ani DiFranco.

Secrets of Truth and Beauty is a must read for everyone! Okay, it's probably skews more to girls, but I do think that the theme of family is universal.

Thank you Megan for participating in the Q & A, and I hope you have a wonderful release day!

For more information about Megan and/or Secrets of Truth and Beauty, visit her website.

In My Mailbox (July 5)

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! It has been a rather busy week (summer school, my parents are in town, meeting up with blogger buddies), which is why I have not posted since Sunday.

Now onto this week's In My Mailbox!

For Review:

Ash by Malinda Lo

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Purchased:

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith

Not Anything by Carmen Rodrigues

Killer: Pretty Little Liars # 6 by Sara Shephard

From a dear friend:

Hancock Park by Isabel Kaplan

Beautiful World by Anastasia Hollings

Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner

Gorgeous by Rachel Vail

Sloane Sisters by Anna Carey

Switch by Carol Snow

Top 8 by Katie Finn

The Debs: Love, Lies, and Texas Dips by Susan McBride

In My Mailbox is hosted weekly at The Story Siren and was created by Alea (Pop Culture Junkie).