Trailer: 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

In case you guys haven't seen the fantastic trailer for Jessica Brody's new book, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, I thought I would share it here:



What did you guys think of the trailer? I loved it and the book is just as awesome! My review will be up next week and don't forget to order it if you haven't yet! It comes out July 3rd :)

Being America’s favorite heiress is a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it. 
Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.
Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteen birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.
In a hilarious “comedy of heiress” about family, forgiveness, good intentions, and best of all, second chances, Lexi learns that love can be unconditional, money can be immaterial, and, regardless of age, everyone needs a little saving. And although she might have 52 reasons to hate her father, she only needs one reason to love him.

Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

This book had been recommended to me so many times by all my real life friends and blogger friends. I had attempted to read this book once before and got about 100 pages in before returning it to it's owner (I had borrowed it for months). I just couldn't get into it the first time but so many people adore this series that I couldn't just give up. So last year I bought my own copy and early this year I decided I would read the entire series and continue with Bloodlines. One book a month.

When I picked this book up for the second time I have to say that once again it didn't completely capture me. I found myself putting it down after reading 10 or 20 pages at a time. Because of this it took me about a week to read it but by the end I was completely engaged.

Rose and Lissa were as close as best friends can be. You can genuinly see that they would do anything for each other. That was one aspect I really liked. Surprisingly though, I fell in love with the secondary characters. Mason was such a perfect friend to Rose. He was protective and adorable at the same time. Mason also had me laughing whenever he opened his mouth. I don't think Rose realizes how much he truly cares for her. My other favorite character was Christian. I know there are a lot of people who didn't trust him in the beginning but that was not the case for me. I could see how you would be wary of him at first but for me that feeling wore off quickly and became one of, YAY Christian!


For the overall plot of the book I was expecting so much more action. Don't ask me why. Did I read the book would be action packed somewhere? Nope, but that was what I was picturing in my head. Instead it was more boarding school problems with a huge dark twist. The Strigoi were creepy and there was a mystery surrounding the main story. I really liked the mystery aspect. The romance was there but not the main plot of the story. There was a lot of talk about it but it wasn't really seen as much, although the sexy scenes were truly sexy.


Overall I thought it was an okay book. Something a bit different  from what I was expecting, so maybe that is why I didn't enjoy it as much. But I will be continuing with the series. I've heard it gets a lot better with each book and I'm excited for the rest of the series.


3.5 stars

Blog Tour (Guest Post): Writings From the Heart with Beth Ann Masarik

Today we have Beth Ann Masarik here to talk about a new anthology. I personally think what all of these authors are doing is wonderful. So without further ado, welcome Beth! :)

***

Writing, for most of us authors I think, is a form of therapy.  I know for me it is.  In fact, a lot of times when I go through depression, or am not feeling well physically, I pour myself into my writing.  That is one of the many reasons why it was so important for me to put out the anthology, Writings From the Heart: Stories and Poetry From Around the World.  All the proceeds from this book, will go to the pediatric cardiology unit at the Cohen Children’s Medical Center of NY. 

1 Million children each year are diagnosed with congenital heart disease.  Often times, when a child is hospitalized, the parent or parents will stay overnight with them and read them stories.  It is my hope, that should one of the parents of those children pick up this anthology, that it might lift their spirits.  Each story and poem in this collection is a personal story from each individual author and poet. 

I’d like to leave you with some thoughts from one of the anthology contributors, Danny Barbare:
“I started writing as a sort of therapy and I haven’t stopped since. I’ve been writing for about 31 years. I like to share my writing mostly through publications, but I also enjoy sharing it by reading it or reciting it in front of others. I have written in many ways over the years, and my writing has changed. Only my love for it has not. As far as the anthology goes, since I too have struggled with some form of health, though mostly depression, I find great comfort in knowing I might help others with medical conditions by bringing a little light to their day. After all, you know pretty well you’re not going to get rich writing poetry, but you can I think really make a difference in society as a whole.”

Thank you for having me on your blog today, Audris! You can purchase the anthology in any format through Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon. 

About Writings From the Heart:

30 short stories and poems make up this unique anthology. Authors and poets from around the world joined together for one cause; to raise awareness of congenital heart disease in children. All proceeds from this collection will go to the Adult Congenital Heart Program at Cohen Children's Medical Center of NY for education and research in this area.

About the editor, Beth Ann Masarik:

Beth Ann Masarik was born on Long Island, NY in the year 1984 with an over-active imagination. She used to love playing make-believe games, and now loves creating her own fantasy worlds. Masarik has been writing since she was 15 years old, and had her first newspaper article published in her high school newspaper in her sophomore year. She has taken several creative writing classes, and started writing her very first novel in college, and is currently searching for the right literary agent. Aside from writing novels, Masarik enjoys bowling, gaming, and role playing online. She enjoys reading fantasy novels written by Richelle Mead, L.J. Smith, and J.K. Rowling, and looks to them for role models.

To follow Beth, and for more information on the anthology, please visit her website and blog at www.bethannmasarik.com and www.bahbammymusings.wordpress.com

Waiting on Wednesday: Taken by Erin Bowman

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends...and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive. 
Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

*Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the spine*

I know that this doesn't come out until 2013...but come on guys! THIS. IS. AWESOME. Let's take a minute to appreciate the cover. The colors look incredible together and the whole thing just creates a truly breathtaking image. Now, moving on to the synopsis? It sounds like something I haven't read about before. A unique story line. I also love that it has to do more with guys, because most dystopians are centered around girls and their story. Every now and then I love to read a book with a male point of view and this seems to be just the thing I want to read next. Too bad we will have to wait until April next year! The wait is killing me!

Teaser: 52 Reasons to Hate My Father

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 My Teaser:

"'These jobs are slightly less glamorous. Minimum-wage-type stuff. Intended to teach you something about life. To show you how the other half lives.'
'What other half?' I snarl.
'The other half that doesn't receive a five-hundred-thousand-dollar Mercedes convertible and then crash it into a convenience store the next day.'"

I started this one yesterday and I am loving it! I love the concept of the book. A girl having to work a different job each week for 52 weeks to earn her trust fund? It is definitely keeping my interest :) Every Jessica Brody book I've read, I have loved so if you haven't read one yet I suggest you start with this one!

Guest Post: Jen Ryland/ YA Romantics

Today we have the awesome Jen from YA Romantics here on the blog!

***

Happy Blogoversary, YA Bookmark!

I was thrilled when Audris asked me to write a guest post on summer reading. To me, summer and reading go together like cookies and milk. When I was a kid, I spent my summers either reading or swimming. So to me, summer means the smell of chlorine, my wet hair dripping down my back as I walked home from the pool in my flip-flops, and spending lots of long, lazy afternoons lying in the sun with a book.

Here's a list of some YA books that really capture the carefree spirit of summer:

The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han

Yes, the love triangle in this series caused me a lot of angst. But this book does such a wonderful job of evoking the magic of spending the summer at a beach house. I loved Belly's evolution over three books from awkward young girl to confident woman.

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

This poignant book is about a teenage girl spending a last summer with her family at their lake house after her father is diagnosed with a terminal illness. I wrote in my review that "Second Chance Summer beautifully captures the way that some summers are perfect little worlds all their own, with beautiful moments and sad moments and the realization that, as another summer draws to an end, time is passing."

Along For the Ride and This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

A lot of Sarah Dessen's books take place in the summer. For kids and teens, summer is that transitional time between school years when so much can happen: huge growth spurts, friends made or lost, and surprising summer romances. 

In Along For the Ride, the main character spends the summer before college with her father, her stepmother, and their new baby in a small seaside town. There's a disastrous hook-up, mean girls who might not be so mean, and a boy with a mysterious secret.

In This Lullaby, the main character is also about to head off to college in the fall. So she's decided that she doesn't want any messy romantic entanglements, especially not with an endearingly quirky boy who is absolutely and completely wrong for her. Or is he?

My Life Next Door  by Huntley Fitzpatrick

This book takes place one summer in a coastal Connecticut town. Sam is used to being the perfect politician's daughter, so she knows that she'll have to keep her scandalous summer romance under wraps. But scandal has a way of surfacing during political campaigns, and Sam will be forced to choose between love and family.

Thanks so much for inviting me over to your blog!  I hope you and your readers will share some favorite summer reads with me in comments!

***

These all sound like great summer books. I have both the Sarah Dessen ones and The Summer I Turned Pretty. Although I have yet to read any of them. Guess I better get reading! :) Thank you for being here!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Raven Boys

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of theShiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

*hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine*

I haven't read any of Maggie's other books (although I do own them) but I am dying to get my hands on a copy of The Raven Boys. The concept of this book has me completely enthralled and just look at that cover! Love it! I can't wait for this one.


What do you guys think? What are you waiting for this week?

One Year Today!

A year ago today I acted on a random instinct and created this blog. I never thought it would get to where it's at today and I'm so glad for all the people I have met in this past year. This book blogging community is truly amazing :)

So, for my blogoversary I have been hosting guest posts and giveaways ALL month! In case you have missed anything, just check out the list below:

• Gone Reading Giveaway
• Guest post and giveaway with Laura Ellen
• Guest post and giveaway with Devri Walls
• My Heart for Yours Giveaway plus $20 gift card

Go check all those giveaways out! Next week there will be one more giveaway so don't forget to come back :)

Cover Reveal and Excerpt: All the Broken Pieces

What if your life wasn’t your own? Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

 ***

Now here is an exclusive excerpt:

Olivia reached up, feeling the tender spots on her head. Her fingers brushed across a row of—were those little ridges made of metal?

“Careful. The staples are almost ready to come out, but it’s still going to be sore for a while.”

Staples?!Her stomach rolled. I have staples in my head? She lowered her now-shaking hand. “Can I get a mirror?”

Mom looked at Dad, then back at her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not until you’ve healed a little more.”

Mom patted Olivia’s leg. “You just relax. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

The two of them left the room, but when Mom swung the door closed, it didn’t latch. Olivia could hear their voices in the hall.

“I still think we should…” She couldn’t make out the rest of Dad’s muffled words. “…know if I can do this.”

“…late for that,” Mom said. “We’d lose everything, including…” Her voice faded as they got farther away. “…have to move.”

Olivia could tell the conversation was tense, but the words were impossible to decipher now. Holding a hand in front of her face, she turned it back and forth. A plastic tube ran from her arm to a machine next to her bed. She peeked into her nightgown and stared in horror at the long red stripe running down her chest.

Sick.

You’re alive. You shouldn’t be thinking about looks.

Lowering her hand, she scanned the room. I wonder how my face looks. From the way Dad stared at me, plus the fact Mom won’t let me see a mirror, it must be bad.

Brains are more important than looks.

That’s what ugly people say.

Olivia put her hands on her head and squeezed. “Stop it,” she whispered to her arguing thoughts, hysteria bubbling up and squeezing the air from her lungs. What was happening to her? Why didn’t she recognize her parents or know where she was? Who she was? Tears ran warm trails down her cheeks. “Just make it all stop.”

What do you guys think? I really like this cover. It seems to really represent what the book is about, with the two different people within her.


All the Broken Pieces, by Cindi Madsen is available for pre-order on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! 

Blogoversary Giveaway: My Heart for Yours

Today I have an awesome giveaway for you guys provided by Stephanie Campbell, author of  Grounding Quinn  and My Heart for Yours. If you guys haven't checked out her books you are definitely missing out! For the giveaway you can win a copy of My Heart for Yours and a $20 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble!

For Tobin and Delia, everything was always equal. 
A bargain, a trade, a deal to be struck.
A kiss for a kiss.Your shirt for mine.Break my heart, I’ll break yours.
Their disastrous split was no different. Tobin’s spent the last year pretending Delia never existed, and Delia’s been in D.C., pretending to be anything but the country girl that she is.
When tragedy brings her back to town, Tobin and Delia realize that time apart hasn't healed either one of them. But staying away from each other is harder than they imagined, especially in small town Louisiana, and old feelings are quickly brought back to the surface.
In the mess they’ve created, is there anything to be salvaged of a love that they both thought would be forever?

To enter all you need to do is fill out the rafflecopter form below. This is my first time using it so let me know how you guys like it!

- Must be 13 or older to enter

- Winner will have 72 hours to respond 

- Giveaway ends 7/1/12

-US only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? by The Buried Life

An illustrated collection of answers to the age-old question, "What do you want to do before you die? "as posed by four twenty-something guys known as "The Buried Life." In 2006, four regular guys--Ben, Dave, Duncan, and Jonnie--made a "bucket list" of 100 things they wanted to do before they died. Five years later, with an MTV platform and 1.2 million Facebook followers, they've turned their attention to crossing off their list item #19: Write a Bestselling Book. "What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? "is an illustrated collection of real people's dreams. Two hundred moving, imaginative, amusing, and thought-provoking goals are brought to life through original illustrations. Peppered throughout are stories of the boys' own journey. Readers will find something to take away--touching stories, nuggets of wisdom--on every page. This is an inspirational book for a new generation: visual and sassy, lighthearted but substantive, encouraging without being preachy.

If you guys haven't heard about the awesomeness that these four boys are responsible for then let me tell you a little bit about them. They are a group of guys who came together because they wanted to do things in life. So they came up with a list of 100 things they wanted to do before they died. One thing led to another and suddenly they had their own show, which in my opinion was the highest quality show MTV has ever had. Not only do they cross items off their list but for each thing they cross of their list they help a random person accomplish something from their personal list.

I preordered this book the moment I heard it was being released. The Buried Life boys signed every single copy that was preordered and I was so excited when I opened up my book to the signatures. That was about the extent of what I knew about the book. It seemed like such a different experience and I didn't know what to expect but let me tell you, I really enjoyed it.

The boys asked a bunch of their followers what they wanted to do before they died. Once the answers started piling in they went to some of their favorite artists and asked them to take the statements and create interpretations of them. In the end what the reader gets is truly a work of art. It is essentially pieces of art put together into a book.

I loved reading about what people wanted to do before their lives were over. Some were as simple as, "Before I die I would like a second chance" while others are a bit more complicated, "I want to air-drop thousands of flowers on Times Square". I could even see some of you readers and writers saying these things, "I want to write a book and catch someone in a cafe or on a park bench reading it". I think there is something for everyone in this book, something we can relate to.

Throughout the book I enjoyed reading the background stories of how each of the boys came to form The Buried Life. They talk about the things they were doing before and they really are just normal guys that were tired of sitting around and decided to do something about it. There is some humor throughout the book and I caught myself laughing at some of the wishes. If you guys are looking for a feel-good, inspirational read that will leave you feeling light and make you want to go out and do something, I suggest you pick up a copy of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die.

5/5 stars

Daemon Invasion Signing Recap

So on Wednesday (June 13th) Tiffany and I got to go to Jennifer Armentrout's signing in Orlando. I can officially say that it has been one of my absolute favorite signings. I had SO much fun! A huge plus was that I also got to meet Pepe and Sztella. In case anyone doesn't already know, they are the cover models for the Lux series (Obsidian, Onyx). They were absolutely adorable and so sweet!

When they first arrived they all answered some of our questions in a Q and A session. There were a lot of points that were touched on and I was tweeting some of the questions and answers. Here are the main points:

• All the filming that they have done will be for three separate trailers. The first one will be released July 1st but there will be a teaser (because we need some Daemon and Katy soon).
• The 4th and 5th books in the Lux series will be in alternating points of view. Going back and forth between Daemon and Katy.
• Dee will find her true love in the series :)
• About her Half-Blood series when asked what team Jennifer was she said she couldn't decide, one day Seth (WOOT!), and one day Aiden.

Jennifer signed my copies of Obsidian, Pure and the arc of Onyx (she handed out arcs of the second novel in the series)! 

And I know you guys want this, so here are Pepe and Sztella. They were so nice, and they signed all the copies of Obsidian and Onyx as well!

This was before the signing, while we were anxiously awaiting their arrival. There was some AWESOME swag at the signing. Seriously guys, Jennifer goes all out with her swag! We even got some guitar picks.

 Tiffany and I were so lucky to get pictures with Jennifer, Pepe and Sztella!

And because I know you guys will NEVER get enough of Pepe:

I had so much fun!!! I hope Jennifer decides to come back when she does her next tour! And I hope she tours in the west coast as well so all you lovely bloggers out there can meet her too!

Guest Post and Giveaway: Devri Walls

Devri Walls lives in Kuna Idaho with her husband and two kids. She has worked as a music teacher and currently, a preschool teacher. She majored in theater and her love of a story still drives her today. Thankfully, she has finally found an outlet for all the voices in her head. Her first novel, Wings of Arian, will be released on Amazon May of 2012.  Find her on Twitter, Facebook on her blog; www.writingmyfuture.com and goodreads.    

Ahhhhhhh, summer!! The time of year where the kids are out of school, the temperatures soar, and swimming is the activity of the day. Summer is also my favorite time to write. I don’t have to work, thank heavens! My schedule has mellowed out to almost nothing, and staying up late doesn’t hurt anyone.


So what are my plans this summer? Well, I plan to do some serious house organization. (Yes, I know- BORING!) Take the kids to the pool. (And sneak in some writing time on the side. My laptop will survive poolside right?) Maybe visit the park. (Laptop in tow) Family vacation to a cabin in the mountains. (Laptop attached to hip) And when the kids make me nuts I will run away to my favorite coffee shop with my….. Oh my gosh, I have a problem!!
Alright fine, I admit it. THAT is what I will be doing this summer. Writing, writing and well, writing. I have a lot to do guys, cut me some slack! I have to finish book two in the Solus trilogy, Wings of Tavea. And get the first rough done on book three, Wings of Nestor. I can totally do it, right?


And then of course there must be some reading time involved here! What do I have on my list for this summer? I have already purchased Tracey Garvis-Graves On the Island and it is waiting on my Kindle for a perfect summers night. Out of my usual genre but the reviews are so good, I had to get it! I am really looking forward to reading Matthew Merrick’s Shift. Oh, and Kristen Cashore’s, Bitterblue. I have been waiting for that one for a while! And I really need to read the last book in the Eragon series. (Between you and me though, I am still mad that they turned the last book into two books. This is my way of rebelling! Harsh right, I totally showed Christopher Paolini!)


So guys, what about you? What is on your reading list this summer? Or what else do you think should be on mine? 

___________________________________________________________

You can find Devri here:

Blog: http://writingmyfuture.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ - !/DevriWalls

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13517384-wings-of-arian

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wings-Trilogy-Paranormal-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B007WMYJ7E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336615334&sr=8-1

___________________________________________________________

Thank you Devri for being here! Now, on to the giveaway!

Kiora thought she had never heard a lie until she was sixteen. But she was wrong. Her entire existence was based on nothing but. She thought that evil did not exist. Lie. That magic was not real. Lie. And that the land of Meros was all there was. One more lie.
With Aleric telling her that evil is knocking on the door and that she is the only one who can stop them she has a choice to make. Refuse, or start the wildest most painful ride of her life. She reluctantly dips her toe into her new existence of magic and threads, dragons and shapeshifters, and the person who wants to take control of it all: the evil Dralazar. 
However, this journey was never meant to be hers alone. She will be accompanied by a Protector. To her disbelief, and utter irritation they name the hotheaded, stubborn, non -magical, (albeit gorgeous) Prince Emane. They will have to trust each other with their lives, but right now Kiora would settle for a non hostile conversation. 
And now it comes down to this, If you had never heard a lie, would you know when you heard one? Is knowing good from evil innate? Kiora finds herself having to decide who lives and who dies on those very questions.

One lucky winner will get an e-book copy of Wings of Arian and two other winners will each get a signed bookmark for her book. 
To enter just leave summer reading suggestions in the comments below. What should we be reading this summer? :)

Giveaway ends on June 30th.

Waiting on Wednesday: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. 
It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").
But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.
Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

An accident prone goody two shoes? A trip to LONDON? Wild parties and a dash of romance?! I want. This book sounds like a really cute romance. The premise gives off a fun vibe and I love the colors in the cover. The pastel pinks, yellows, blues and purples go well together to create a cute, eye catching cover. Overall I can't wait to get my hands on it!


What do you guys think? Leave links to what you are waiting for this week! :) 

Review: The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

Seraphina has been alive since the 1300's, made immortal when the boy she was beginning to love back then, Cyrus, saved her from death with a strange liquid - a method of alchemy that lets them swap bodies with any human being. But now, in modern day America, Sera has decided that she can no longer bear the weight of stealing people's lives so she can keep living on. So she decides to run away from Cyrus and end her stolen existence once and for all. Her plan goes awry when she accidentally takes the body of a dying teenager and feels forced to take over her life. When the lines between Sera and Kailey's identity begin to blur, Sera finds a reason to desire to live once more. But she can't shake the guilt of having taken Kailey's life, even if she was dying. And what if Cyrus finds her?

This is the kind of book that you pick up and devour in one sitting.  The idea of alchemy being used to create immortals had me hooked from the very beginning. It's something that I have yet to read a lot about in young adult and was really taken by surprise.

When Seraphina dies in the arms of Cyrus he decides it is time to put his father's studies to use and uses an alchemy potion to transfer her soul into a different body. Through out all the years that Sera and Cyrus have been together they have been switching bodies in order to stay alive. Sera has never been in the body of someone so young since she switched out of her own 13 year old body. So when she accidentally lands in the body of a 16 year old, what is she supposed to do? The girls Sera is used to taking over are usually alone in the world but this time there are friends and a very loving and caring family watching her every move.

Sera tries to blend in and figure out how teens this day act since she never really got to be a teenager. I loved seeing her attempts at fitting in. I know I would never be able to take someone's place. I would be so lost, panic and would most likely blow my cover. But Sera picked up her new life quickly and learned to fit in. And throughout the story you can tell that she puts those around her before herself. She will do anything to protect the new family and friends that have been given to her.

If you are looking for a great (in an evil way of course) villain, Cyrus is the one. Cyrus is such a manipulative, restrictive and selfish character. In his mind all that matters is that he isn't left alone. Sera needs to be by his side for the rest of eternity and that is that. When Sera decides to leave him I was at the edge of my seat, rooting for her all the way. Of course Cyrus isn't going to sit back and watch her leave, and that is where the action begins.

The writing in this book was amazing. It is almost magical the way the story is told. I was sucked into this incredible story and found myself completely in love with the way Avery Williams wrote it. The language was fantastic. The ending was so devastating and I just need to know what's going to happen next! If you are looking for a great reincarnation story I suggest you pick this one. It's fast paced and will have you wanting more.

5/5 stars

Guest Post with Laura Ellen & Giveaway

There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.
Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer. This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else.

It’s (almost) Summer!

Hi! My name is Laura Ellen and I am the author of Blind Spot, a YA thriller that releases in October. To help celebrate the one year blogoversary of YA Bookmark I am guest posting today about some of my favorite things about summer!

First of all I want to say – Happy Blogoversary to YA Bookmark! WOOT! It is not easy to keep a blog up – especially in the summer  so congrats and thanks for having me!

For me, summer means hanging out in the sun, listening to music, and reading tons of books. My book tastes tend to be lighter in the summer – I like quick reads with lots of mystery and romance. Reading something heavy-issue or super literary in the summer is like wearing a heavy jacket when it is eighty degrees. It’s just too much. So I like the edge-of-your-seat, can’t-put-it down thrillers and mysteries and romances.

I’m sure a big part of this goes back to when I was growing up, spending summers at my grandparents’ house on Hoods Canal in Washington State. I’d quickly work my way through my grandma’s paperbacks. She had a lot of gothic mysteries –the ones where the main character was always a woman, an orphan in some way, who inherits a big old manor from some unknown benefactor or relative, and when she arrives she meets a dark, mysterious dude who she’s drawn to even though he seems dangerous and guilty of some crime . . . Oh I used to eat those up! Some books I am looking forward to reading this summer are:

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard and Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf – and one I have already read, but totally LOVED and recommend is: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown.

In addition to sun, music and books, summer for me also means yummy smells. My favorites are coconut, pineapple, strawberry lemonade and watermelon. In fact, Bath and Body Works has a new fragrance – Aruba Coconut – that I cannot get enough of already!

Hmmm…..

Maybe I’ll throw a travel-size lotion of it into a swag pack along with some watermelon bubble gum and a few of my BLIND SPOT bookmarks as a ‘YA Bookmark Summer Survival’ giveaway. How does that sound?

Let us know what you plan on reading this summer and what your favorite summer thing is and you could win! Thanks for having me! Happy summer everyone and thanks for having me YA Bookmark 

---Laura Ellen author of Blind Spot

www.lauraellenbooks.com

A New Face on the Blog

Hi everyone,
        I'm Tiffany, Audris's new co-blogger. My name has been on the blog as her co-blogger for a while now, but I haven't had much time to invest myself in the blog because of school, but now school is out for the summer! So, I want to help out on the blog. I'll be writing reviews for a lot of the books I'm planning on reading this summer and doing other little things on the blog. I love reading books and I also love talking about the books I read after I finish them. Hopefully this will make other people want to pick up some of the books I review and read it themselves. Currently I've been reading a lot of dystopian books. I'm in love with the dystopian genre, but then again, who isn't? My list of books to be read this summer is already pretty big and it will keep on growing, so expect to see my name around pretty often! I hope everyone enjoys my posts and likes having me around!

Interview: Author Emmy Laybourne

Today I have Emmy Laybourne, the author of Monument 14, here on the blog. She was nice enough to answer some of my questions, I hope you enjoy! You can check out my review of Monument 14 here.

1. We get to meet so many different characters in Monument 14, which one was your favorite to write?

Max! Max, Max, Max. Really, I'm considering writing Max's life story. It would be a portrait of the underbelly of a small Colorado town, from the POV of one small, towheaded first grader with a cowlick and a good memory.

2. Which character did you find the hardest to write?

Hmmm, that's a more difficult question. I think Sahalia was the most difficult. I really empathize with where she is. She's on the edge of being a woman, and feels like a woman, but is still also a kid and is very vulnerable. I didn't like what happened to her in the book. It's hard when you create characters that you really love, to let bad things happen to them, but of course, you have to let the story unfold with it's own force. Even when it's a destructive force.

3. The idea of a bunch of kids being stuck in a Walmart type store with no adults is very interesting. What made you want to write this story?

You know, almost every time I'm in a big store I think about stockpiling food and survival supplies! Maybe it's the combination of the vast quantity of the food/supplies, the lighting and the concrete bunker-feel to the stores themselves! The idea was right there for me, just waiting for me to pluck it up and write it!

4. When writing, do you block out everything else or do you listen to music and/or snack? If so, what type of music do you enjoy listening to?

I have a killer station on Pandora that I used for writing Monument 14. It's Classical Radiohead + Explosions in the Sky + Sigur Ros. It was hugely important to me when writing but now, when any one of the songs come on the radio - I suddenly feel like I'm in danger!

5. Since summer is quickly approaching, are there any books coming out this summer that you are really looking forward to?

Well, you know, I'm on tour with the Fierce Reads girls so I'm really excited about their books. I feel like we four can really lift each other up and help get the word out! Those books are:

Of Poseidon - Anna Banks

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

and

Struck - Jennifer Bosworth

Audris, I think you're awesome! Thanks for having me on your blog!  You can check out the other stops on my blog tour at:emmylaybourne.com

_______

Thanks for being here! :)

Waiting on Wednesday: Ten by Gretchen McNeil

And their doom comes swiftly.
It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.
But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.
Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off the from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

*Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine*
September could not get here any faster. This is probably my most anticipated book of the year (right there along with A Fractured Light, Unwholly and This is Not a Test). An island with a serial killer? I need this book! The premise sounds amazing. Now can we just take a minute and appreciate the awesomeness that is this cover? It is simple, yet really captures the eye. I can't wait to add this to my books read. What do you guys think and let me know what you are waiting for!

Review: Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.
Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.
But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.
Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong. 
In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

If you guys have been reading my blog for a while you'll know that I'm always looking for a great survival story. Teens trapped somewhere with few or no adults trying to survive?! That is definitely my kind of book! Those stories always pull my attention, sadly, they usually don't keep it. So I've searched and tried new books until I came across Monument 14. While I was excited (because I mean, come on! who doesn't think about natural disasters and the end of the world? It is 2012 after all), I went into it a bit skeptical, but WOW was I surprised! This is one of the few survival stories that I have truly enjoyed!


I think the possibility of natural disasters occurring and how unpredictable they are is what makes this premise so exciting and scary. The story takes place 12 years into the future, in the year 2024. Disaster strikes and leaves fourteen kids trapped in a Greenway (Walmart type store) with no adults. The technology in this future is different from what we are used to. It all revolves around these tablets and a network. So when the network goes down they have no way to communicate with anyone.


Picking up this book I thought it was going to be more about the events occurring on the outside, like the natural events, the mega tsunamis, hailstorms, chemical spills and other disasters but it was surprisingly more about the characters. There are so many characters in Monument 14 and I loved every single one and what each one brought to the story. There aren't a lot of young adult books narrated guys but this one did it very well. Dean writes everything in a journal and the story is told through that journal. The little kids were a sort of relief for me.  Even though he is kind of strange I really enjoyed seeing the events through his point of view. After intense and scary moments one of them would say something that just brought things back a bit and they were just so cute! The twins were probably my favorite. I just loved the way they looked up to some of the older teens, especially Dean. The older teens are trying to bring normalcy to this terrible situation and I understood that. Imagine being trapped with 6 elementary school kids with nothing to do, I know they would drive me insane! All the characters go through changes and there is great character development. Especially one of the characters, Sahalia. She goes through incredible growth as a person and I was so proud in the end.


The story itself was captivating and had me hooked from the very beginning. It starts off with a major hailstorm and from there all the events pile on to create this action packed read. So much happens within the first few pages that leaves you wanting to read the whole story as fast as possible. I did not want to put it down! There were some slow moments but the whole story turns when a chemical spill occurs and leaves no one safe. The only safe place is their safe haven they've created in the Greenway. From there things pick up even more and I didn't put it down until the very last page. The ending had me feeling so many emotions and I became attached to all the characters. Monument 14 definitely leaves you wanting more. I can't wait for the second book! You will definitely want to pick this one up!

There is also a short story that goes along with monument 14 that you can find here.

And if you need more convincing just watch the awesome trailer: