Fresh Fiction Review: 29 Dates

I really enjoyed this YA novel by Melissa de la Crus on dating, family pressure, and being sent to a new country for school.

I reviewed it for Fresh Fiction; read my thoughts on this book here. 

Blog Tour: Vigilante

ABOUT VIGILANTE:

A brutally honest, uncompromising story about a teen girl who decides to take matters into her own hands. 

It's senior year, and Hadley and her best friend, Magda, should be starting the year together. Instead, Magda is dead and Hadley is alone. Raped at a party the year before and humiliated, Magda was driven to take her own life and Hadley is forced to see her friend's attackers in the classroom every day. Devastated, enraged and needing an outlet for her grief, Hadley decides to get a little justice of her own. 

Donning a pink ski mask and fueled by anger, Hadley goes after each of the guys one by one, planning to strip them of their dignity and social status the way they did to Magda. As the legend of the pink-masked Vigilante begins to take on a life of its own, Hadley's revenge takes a turn for the dangerous. Could her need for vengeance lead her down a path she can't turn back from?

LINKS: Amazon | BN | Indiebound

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I think it's the perfect book to start a conversation about women and how they can help other women, how they can learn to protect themselves, and how shaming other women isn't right. I felt terrible for Magda and how the world turned on her. I love the idea of Hadley and her new sisterhood. I love how they helped each other out, on several occasions. I liked the idea of the Pink Vigilante, going after guys the law couldn't - but at the same time, I didn't always agree with her decisions. I know that I don't have those fighting skills - but this book makes me want to change that. I loved the romance of this book. I loved the friendship between Hadley and Zoe. I love how this book made girls feel powerful, in control of their lives, able to help others, and fight back. I really loved the addition of Detective Diane, she was powerful and yet her hands were tied at times. I love how she taught the classes and how she spoke at the school. The ending threw me, I wasn't expecting that! Vigilante is a powerful read about friendship, grief, death, healing, and getting a little of your own back. 

ABOUT KADY CROSS:
Kady Cross is a pseudonym for USA Today bestselling author Kathryn Smith. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and a pride of cats. She likes singing with Rock Band on the 360, British guys, Vietnamese food, and makeup (she’s hopelessly addicted to YouTube makeup tutorials!). When she’s not writing Kady likes to catch up on her favorite TV shows, read a good book or make her own cosmetics.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

3/20: The Irish Banana Review - Makeup Looks

3/21: The Fake Steph - Looks From Books

3/22: Megnificent Books - Review

3/23: Bibliobuli YA - Q&A

3/24: The Book Return - Review

Week 2:

3/27: Such A Novel Idea - Playlist

3/28: Books Are Love - Review

3/29: YA Book Nerd - Review

3/30: BCS Reviews - Review

3/31: Avid Reader - Top 10 Vigilantes

Giveaway:

3 Finished Copies of VIGILANTE (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BEA Recap: Book Bags

Getting Bags at BEA is always fun - there are SO many great ones each year.
Plus they're great conversation starters in line. People ask and rave about bags.
This year I didn't collect too many, but here are a few I did snag

So many interesting books on this one. 

I feel smarter carrying this one.

The cutest bag!

Very light, perfect for taking books to the beach

The best BEA bag - lots of pockets for all my things

Plus, it didn't weight down my shoulders.

Sure cute kids bag! Both sides are adorable

BEA Recap: 2015

I went to BEA this year with a library BFF. We took the train in SUPER early to be there on time. 

It was worth it of course. 

I started with the Harlequin Teen breakfast with this fantastic authors pictured above. Both authors and Harlequin people stopped by each table and chatted for a few minutes. We learned about several upcoming books (including a horror book crossed with the Little House series).  I'm super excited for Legacy of Kings but the others look fantastic too!

Sightings from the day include:

Raj from the Big Bang Theory

The actor from the Social Network (who played Zuckerberg) 

The adult Harlequin authors hard at work signing for the masses. 

That's Susan Mallery in the middle, of Fool's Gold fame. Love this series.

A fun book, similar to one from my childhood.

We headed for the hotel. Here's our sunset view. 

We ate dinner at a diner in the hotel - with this cute tea lights. 

I had hot chocolate French toast.

After a short rest, we ventured out into the city again.

Our Drinks:

Our Bedtime view

Day 2:

We got early for tickets. The shuttles from the hotel to the conference center were amazingly great and very helpful. It was another day of chatting with people in lines.

 There were some amazing books on Friday - and lots of amazing authors. I seriously wanted to clone myself because there was no way to see them all. 

The ones I didn't take home with me, I will stalk my public library for them. Also I was happy to learn about some new books.

Cool sign at the Sourcebooks booth

I was first in line for Brad Meltzer. 

This NEVER happens. And it was pretty cool. I saw him last year too, which is great.

Finally after a fantastic meeting with Meg Cabot, we left for the day.

The train ride back was uneventful until we finally stopped for diner.

Where I had this delicious meal. 

All in all, a fantastic two days. 

Other posts for BEA 15 will include, Books, Bags, and Author Moments. So be sure to check those out. 

Review: Captive

* Blackcoat Rebellion Book 2 *

Kitty Doe's been living a lie. Every time she opens her mouth, Kitty finds herself in trouble. It's not easy pretending to be someone else.

After a fight with her fake fiance, Kitty finds herself accused of treason and sent to Elsewhere.

Life in Elsewhere isn't logical and everyone must lookout for themselves. With no one to trust, Kitty must do what she can in order to survive and get her revenge. 

My Thoughts: A fantastic follow-up to Pawn left me on the edge of my seat through secrets revealed, plot twists, lies, betrayals, and the truth. This book played with my emotions through the ups and downs of people fighting for their lives all the while death, love, friendship, and loyalty hung in the balance. I can't wait to read what happens next! 

Cover Thoughts: Great
Source: My Library

Overall Thought: An excellent sequel that left me breathless for the conclusion of the trilogy

Harlequin Teen Breakfast: BEA Recap 1

I attended the second annual blogger breakfast and it was just as great as last year. Here are the authors (unfortunately, Dawn Metcalf was stuck with a train problem and didn't make it to the breakfast, but I did catch up with her right after her book signing.)

And their books:

Here's a horrible picture of them on stage as they were introduced and then they came around to each table and chatted for 5 fives (along with the great team from Harlequin Teen)

In Acquiring Books: The editors talked about what they look for in a book - something has to hook them on an emotional level. 

Cover Secrets: At Harlequin Teen, each author fills out a fact sheet that helps get the cover design started. Many factors/divisions of the staff have to come together on the cover. The Cover Designers might have nailed it, but if the Marketing Department doesn't like it, things could get changed or if the Sales Department shops it around and a major bookseller doesn't like the cover, it will also need to be redone.

They also asked what helps bloggers out and were very sweet in offering guest posts and getting us in the touch with the authors. 

The Authors:

Robin: Lies We Tell Ourselves
Talked about the research she did - checking out memoirs and interviews. Such a different story than what I was expecting when the book was first described - a great idea. 
Fun Fact: Lisa W (part of the fab Harlequin Teen Team) is on the cover of the book.

Adi: Let Get Lost

Wrote the book from perspectives the main character meets along the way and then at the end, we hear from the MC. He learned about the character as he wrote the perspectives. Did some road trips, but not this exact one. He coaches basketball. Speaks three languages. Likes multiple perspectives. Next book (out next summer) is about a boy girl friendship turned romance. 

Jennifer: Stone Cold Touch
Gargoyles and romance. The gargoyles are safe when in stone form, but they're Guardian angels. People at my table gushed over her books. I'm adding these to my TBR pile. 

Alexandra: Ghost Houses

Alex was lucky enough to do some research in England - in old houses. We talked about our love for England, British accents on guys *swoon*, and ghost stories.

Julie: Talon
Dragons and more. We talked about the dragon BEA hunt

Here is the awesome promo car in the Harlequin Booth

Here are the goodies in our swag bag (and I seriously Love that bag)

A fun notebook and pen, Lies We Tell Ourselves, a chapter sampler of Let's Get Lost, Ghost House, and Talon.

Review: Girl with the Iron Touch

 * Book 3 in the Steampunk Chronicles Series *  

After coming back from New York, Finely and Emily are annoyed with the boys. Something's bothering Griffin, but he refuses to share his troubles. Sam's having a hard time sharing his feelings with Emily. None of that matters when Emily is kidnapped.

Without jumping to conclusions, the gang fears their old enemy has somehow returned. While they don't understand how that's possible, all of them will do anything in their power to bring Emily back.

Can they defeat their greatest enemy - again?

My Thoughts: I really enjoy this series for the friendship, the action, and the romance. I love the four main characters - how they're different form everyone else, their sense of loyalty, and their desire to do the right thing. While I like the mechanics on the series, the automatons raise numerous ethical questions. I can't wait until the next book to see how it all ends.

Cover Thoughts: Fabulous

Source: My Library 

Review: Pawn

Kitty's testing didn't go has planned. Now she has to spend the rest of her life making up for the fact that she's unworthy.  Her boyfriend urges her to let them runaway together, but Kitty doesn't want to spoil his chances at being someone in society.

So she slips away and joins the oldest profession. Upon her first night, there's a bidding for her. The person who wins has the power to change her life. He's offered her the chance of a lifetime - to become the Prime Minister's niece: Lila Hart.

Lila died under mysterious circumstances. While it's easy to change someone's face, the eyes are difficult. Kitty has the right shade of blue eyes, making her perfect for the job. She can live her life as is, or she can rise in power.

She doesn't hesitate in making the choice to become Lila, but once she's in the palace, Kitty learns that each choice could be her last. She's never lived in a more dangerous setting, where her every move is watched and weighed. Can she be who they want her to become?

My Thoughts: I devoured this book - loving the dystopian vibe. I love the love story between Kitty and Benjy and their obstacles at being together. I love the danger, the action, the secrets, and the threats from the family. I enjoyed reading the plot twists and uncovering more details about this horrific powerful family. I like Kitty finding her way at Lila, but never forgetting her past. I can't wait to read the second book.

Cover Thoughts: Interesting
Source: My Library

Review: Indelible

Joy sees a mysterious cute stranger across the dance floor; someone she shouldn't be able to see. When he notices her, everything changes.  He attempts to make her unable to see him, but he fails.

Instead, he marks her as his property. Now, Joy sees monsters everywhere. They're giving her messages and she has no idea what's happening.

She soon learns she's supposed to give the messages to Ink. When he marked her, she became his property. Now she needs to pretend to care about him and to help him with his jobs. Joy must open her heart and make their relationship believable or it will be the death of both of them.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed the start of a new paranormal series. I really liked Joy and her family as they struggled with changes in their lives. I liked her BFF - their moments together were funny and relieved some of the tension. I liked Ink and his sister. She was a little over-the-top in a good way. I fully confess there were a few scenes that I had to skim due to my personal fear of knives. A fun read with a unique world and a great romance.

Cover Thoughts: Pretty and meaningful
Source: From the author for review
Coming Soon: July 30th

BEA: Harlequin Teen Blogger Breakfast

On Wednesday morning, I was lucky enough to attend the Harlequin Teen blogger breakfast.

Here's the room set up:

And a snapshot of the tables with books: 

The panel featured: Elizabeth Scott (Heartbeat), Julie Kagawa (Eternity Cure), Katie McGarry (Dare You To), and Amanda Sun (Ink)

Each of the author spoke about her book. Then they (along with the editors for Harlequin Teen) sat at each table for five minutes. We chatted over breakfast, had books signed, and mingled with our tables. 

As a librarian blogger, it's interested to watch the dynamics of the room. The YA blogger community is tight. So many hugs happened. So much excitement to see everyone. It was refreshing and sweet. 

At our table: 

Editors/Publishers talked about Netgalley and how what they look for when approving bloggers. They take a look at the whole first page of your blog - checking for over 100 followers, a few comments on posts to see the interaction, and how often your blog.  It was interesting to hear what they determined successful in order to gain access to e-galleys. 

We talked about negative reviews vs critical reviews and RESPECT. There was talk about the author/blogger relationship in regards to RESPECT.

We talked about how we got into blogging.

Elizabeth Scott talked about her inspiration for her book - how her husband reads the obituaries and pointed one out to her. She saw a very short one about a pregnant woman who died. She had a what if moment - what if the baby survived while the mother didn't....and that became Heartbeat.

Julie Kagawa talked about her hobbies - creating clay dragon figures.

Katie McGarry talked about switching it up with the golden boy falling for the bad girl. 

Amanda Sun talked about her love for Japan and her mission to bring more hot Asian boys to YA Lit. She spend time in Japan and made Ink come alive so much, it's like taking a trip to Japan yourself. Plus, she loves food - which you'll find in her book.

It was a fabulous way to start off the morning! 

Speak Out: Speechless

Speechless is in my TBR pile! I've heard such awesome things about it. Have you heard about it? The cover is so simple - yet so interesting. It makes me curious. It's the perfect book for Bully Awareness Month. Read it and pass it along, I know I'm going to!

About the book

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can’t keep a secret.

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast – and nearly got someone killed.

Chelsea has taken a vow of silence – to learn to keep her mouth shut and to stop hurting anyone else. There’s strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way. Including a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive her… if only she can forgive herself.

Harlequin Teen has teamed up with Love is Louder (a project of the Jed Foundation, MTV, and actress Brittany Snow) for the release and the book will feature a back page with information about the movement.

Watch the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sek2jvzSRKM

About Love is Louder:

Love is Louder was started by The Jed Foundation, MTV and Brittany Snow to support anyone feeling mistreated, misunderstood or alone. It’s hundreds of thousands of people just like you who have turned this idea into a movement.  A movement of all types of people who have come together to raise the volume around the message that love and support are louder than any internal or external voice that brings us down.

Individuals, communities, schools and organizations have embraced Love is Louder as a way to address with issues like bullying, negative self-image, discrimination, loneliness and depression.  Even as we work to stop negative words and actions that hurt us, we can strengthen our abilities to cope with hard times, focus on the positive, support the people around us and reach out for help if we need it.

Find out more: http://www.loveislouder.com

CT Author Trail: Kady Cross

The Otis Library has been participating in the Connecticut Author Trail since it started 4 years ago. This year, Kady Cross was our author. 

Kady writes three different types of books with three different publishers. She uses different voices for each name, which allows her to write for different ages, without worrying that fans will find her older books.  She also writes under Kate Cross and Kate Locke.

With Harlequin Teen, she writes under Kady Cross. (Reviews of Girl in the Steel Corset and Girl in a Clockwork Collar).  She hopes the Steampunk Chronciles will have 5 books in the series. The next book will be about Emily, with her on the cover and maybe we her robot cat! I can't wait to see that cover (and of course read the book!) She uses a book on Victorian inventions and her husband (a science buff) for ideas on how to incorporate technology into this fabulous series.

She grew up in Nova Scotia, out in the middle of nowhere. A bookmobile would come around, which was fabulous. Bags of books were brought home and devoured.

Kady knew she liked writing when she was 8 and her teacher read her story aloud to her classmates. Everyone laughed in all the right spots and she thought, I could get used to this. Kady started writing her first romance at the age of 10, which was set in the deep south. She used to write stories for her classmates for their required silent reading period during school hours.

In her mid 20s, she quit her job and went back to school. Her boyfriend (now husband) encouraged her to write a book. When she finished it, she sent it to 4 publishing houses. Avon offered her a two book deal.

It was a GREAT night filled with lots of laughter and fun!

Here's our Room Set up: 
Dessert Table

 
Close Up of cookies

Chocolate Cameo:

 

The Book Table:

                                                  

The Swag:

Review: Girl in the Clockwork Collar

 * Book 2 in the Steampunk Chronicles series*

Following the ending to the first book, Griffin, Finely, Sam, and Emily travel to New York City to rescue their friend Jasper. While Jasper never talked about his past, he's kept a large secret from his friends.

Jasper got himself mixed up with scoundrels and mixed up in love. Now those scoundrels are threatening to harm the girl he used to (and probably could again) love. They want him to locate the item he stole.

Unfortunately for him, he broke the item into several pieces. Now he has to go all over the city recovering said item, hoping that Ming isn't ill treated, while pretending that he's going to come out of this situation alive and well.

Meanwhile, the other four do their best to help uncover the truth about Jasper's disappearance and the people he's hanging out with again.

My Thoughts: I'm LOVING this series. As soon as I finished the first book, I immediately devoured this book too. I loved the change in setting and looking at New York City in a different light. I loved Finely's strength to infiltrate a gang without causing too much suspicion. I'm impressed by her snark and attitude. I liked how she stood up to Dalton - not showing her fear and not giving in to him. I enjoyed the moments of banter between her and Jasper, but I loved the moments between her and Griffin. I can't wait for more books in this series!

Cover Thoughts: Great - I love the necklace
Source: BEA - from Harlequin!

Review: Girl in the Steel Corset

Finley Jayne isn't normal; she has something dark inside her. Something that lets her heal faster. Something that lets her use more strength than she should possess. Something that gets her into trouble at times.

When the son of her employer starts to make moves on her, she rebuffs him once. When he keeps pushing the issue, she knocks him unconscious.  She flees the scene, knowing that she'll never get a reference.

As she's running down the street, she comes in contact with a vehicle. Griffin King is behind the wheel and the Duke takes her in. He can see the darkness within her, but he's not scared. He's the leader of a band of misfits and he thinks Finley will fit in perfectly.

Plus, he's in danger himself. Someone and something is coming after him. Griffin will need everyone around him to help him. There's something about Finley's eyes, something he can't turn away from.Could he be able to help her?

My Thoughts: I devoured this book, hungry for more. I hope there's plenty planned in this series. I just adored the steampunk angle. I love Victorian London. The setting was perfect. The machines fit in perfectly with the story, allowing for a fantastic blend of history and science fiction.
I enjoyed the two sides of Finely - the normal side and the side where she doesn't take crap from anyone. Griffin is the perfect male hero, dark and brooding but sweet. I adored Emily. I liked her tentative friendship with Finely. I admired her brains and her mechanical abilities. I liked Sam, but it did take me some time to come around to him. I liked Jasper.  I came to love this band of misfits and I can't wait to read many more books in this series!

Cover Thoughts: Gorgeous!
Source: my friend Jess from I Read to Relax - thanks Jess!

Fun Fact: Kady Cross is coming to my library TODAY! I'm super excited!!

BEA recap: Wednesday (part 3)

I'm still trying to remember everyone I met and everything I saw that looked awesome - it's pretty hard. BEA is my favorite book moments of the year. I look forward to it each yet. I love meeting people who love books as much as I do! 


I love meeting bloggers, who's blogs I read. I love meeting new to me bloggers. I love seeing librarian friends and meeting new librarian friends. I like chatting with the publishers and finding out more about their upcoming books.  I love looking at the book covers on the walls of the booths. 


On Wednesday, I got to the center around 8:15. The tickets for the events I wanted were all taken.


It was a day of lines. After going to a few favorite booths, I headed to the autograph table to meet Sarah Maas and get a copy of Throne of Glass. The line had already started and it got HUGE.

 After meeting her, I went to the Harlequin teen line, which was also really long. But I started reading Throne of Glass (and it's AWESOME! Seriously - you want to keep your eyes out for this book in August!!!!)

Harlequin had some great authors:

After the Harlequin Line, I went over to the Penguin booth and got in line for Marie Lu. While waiting I saw this cover -

which looks awesome! I missed the ball which you can stand inside, but from the pictures, it looked really cool. 

I met Marie Lu at the Penguin party the night before. I can't tell you how happy I was to get Prodigy. I seriously loved Legend. 

 I walked around checking out various booths. I ran into Sarah MacLean - who I adore. She was signing
11 Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart. I got a copy for the library's collection.

Then I headed to the autograph table where I met Jon Sczieska and Tim Green. They were both really nice. Then I stood in line for Tim Green's sports book. He was super sweet.

After that, I waited in line for Keep Holding On and to see Susane Colasanti one last time. 

After that, it was time to leave. I really loved talking to so many people about books, learning about books, and having books to take back to the library for summer reading prizes. I was tired, hungry, and my feet hurt badly. It was nice to get home to my husband and puppy. I'm already looking forward to next year!

Here's the books from Day 2:

 Books I can't wait to read

 Books I can't wait to read

 Books to be added to the library collection

Summer Reading Prizes that will delight our patrons!