My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea. It's to highlight the books on hold at the library. I usually have 20-40 items checked out at the library and another 20 items on hold.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
What's on My Holds List (41)
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Top Ten Tuesday
This week's meme is Top Ten Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet. There's a lot of series, I need to go back and finish, but these are the one I'm still waiting to read. Man there's just not enough time to read everything I want to read!
- meme from The Broke and the Bookish
1. Summer I Turned Pretty
2. The Girl is Murder
3. Maze Runner
4. Billionaire's Curse
5. Legacy
6. Warrior Princess
7. Shatter Me
8. Death Cloud
9. Wondrous Strange
10. Angels in Pink
Game Set Match Cover Reveal
Game. Set. Match. Synopsis: Told from rotating points of view, GAME. SET. MATCH., is a 'new adult' novel about three girls with one goal: to be the best tennis player in the world. It comes out May 1st.
Nestled along the coastline of North Carolina, the Outer Banks Tennis Academy is the best elite tennis training facility in the world. Head Coach, Dominic Kingston has assembled some of the finest talent in the sport. From the game's biggest stars to athletes scraping and clawing to achieve their dreams, OBX is full of ego, drama and romance. Only the strong survive in this pressure cooker of competition, on and off the court.
Penny Harrison, the biggest rising star in tennis, is determined to win the French Open and beat her rival, the world’s number one player, Zina Lutrova. There’s just one problem, the only person who’s ever been able to shake her laser-like focus is her new training partner. Alex Russell, tennis’s resident bad boy, is at OBX recovering from a knee injury suffered after he crashed his motorcycle (with an Aussie supermodel on the back). He's hoping to regain his former place at the top of men’s tennis and Penny’s heart, while he’s at it.
Tennis is all Jasmine Randazzo has ever known. Her parents have seven Grand Slam championships between them and she’s desperate to live up to their legacy. Her best friend is Teddy Harrison, Penny’s twin brother, and that’s all they’ve ever been, friends. Then one stupid, alcohol-laced kiss makes everything super awkward just as she as she starts prepping for the biggest junior tournament of the year, the Outer Banks Classic.
The Classic is what draws Indiana Gaffney out of the hole she crawled into after her mom’s death. Even though she’s new to OBX, a win at the Classic is definitely possible. She has a big serve and killer forehand, but the rest of her game isn’t quite up to scratch and it doesn’t help that Jasmine Randazzo and her little minions are stuck-up bitches or that Jack Harrison, Penny’s agent and oldest brother, is too hot for words, not to mention way too old for her.
Who will rise? Who will fall?
Thoughts from the Author:
My cover artist is the INCREDIBLE Erin Fitzsimmons, who also designed (and redesigned) the covers for Lauren Oliver's Delirium series! I love how it focuses on the girl, because the girls are truly the heart of this series, plus the couple really looks like Penny and Alex, one of the three couples featured in the OBX series. That's one of my pet peeves, when the models don't look anything like the characters! And of course, the kiss, because really, who doesn't a love a little kissing?! I adore the title treatment. The yellow brightening to the green brings out a fun tennis color scheme. So yes, lots of love from my end, but I fully admit, I may be a little biased.
We want to know YOUR thoughts - tweet about the Cover Reveal with #OBXers
Goodreads link for Game. Set. Match: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16082871-game-set-match
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, March 4, 2013
Review: Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood
*Comes out April 9th*
Hallie and Grace have just had their world turned upside down - again. Their father died, after he left them for another woman. When he remarried and had a new baby, he tore up his old will and didn't get around to making a new one.
Now, everything his current wife inherits everything. There are no funds for college and their house now belongs to their stepmother. She's giving them two weeks to vacate the premises.
Hallie, the eldest, is devastated. Grace, the practical one, attempts to fit the pieces of their lives back together. When a distant relative offers up a guest cottage, the sisters find themselves moving to Beverly Hills.
Hallie can't believe her good fortune. She falls in love with a musician, finds a set of friends, and hopes to break into the acting world. Grace meets a friend in high school while secretly pining away for Theo. Even though he's connected to her stepmother, she thought they might have had a moment - before she ruined it. Can the two sisters make the most of their new home?
My Thoughts: It it's truth universally known that I'm addicted to Jane Austen inspired novels. As a result, I couldn't wait to read this adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Luckily, a copy found it's way to me, thanks to the author and the publisher and to twitter.
While McDonald as updated and modernized the story, it's the same fantastic story of two sisters learning to live after the death of their father. There are differences, for example the sisters are been switched in ages. They still have a stormy relationship. I love their exchanges as they're pure sisters. They fight but their loyal to each other. I love the new touches to the story. I love the Hollywood setting. I love the moment when Hallie stands up for herself in a bar.
I think this book might do for Jane Austen books as Clueless did for me - give new readers an introduction to her world. For those who aren't looking for a Jane Austen read, I think the cover and then the story will draw them in - it's a fun, romantic, drama filled read!
Cover Thoughts: Love it! I'm guessing this is Grace and Parker (The sisters' mother is black and their father was white)
Source: ARC from the Publisher
Sunday, March 3, 2013
100 years ago today...
On Monday, March 3, 1913 5,000 women marched together down Pennsylvania Avenue - united in the fight to achieve voting rights. In a fight that began in Seneca Falls, NY in 1848, the fight was long and hard. It wasn't until 7 years later that their hard work would finally pay off and women would earn the right to vote.
Check out more photos from the parade. Isn't is inspiring???
Saturday, March 2, 2013
UNREMEMBERED Blog Tour: Guest Post
I'm SUPER happy to be a part of this tour as I adore Jessica's books. Her previous books are funny, sweet, and charming. This one is a little....different (but not in a bad way) I was lucky enough to find Unremembered in the mail a few months ago. Check out my thoughts on this fantastic book.
Brains, Brawns, and Beauty: Creating the “Perfect” Sci-Fi Heroine
But in my mind, the answer is easy. She’s Jason Bourne meets Sydney Bristow meets Heidi Klum. The perfect blend of brawns, beauty, and brains. And I had more fun creating her than any of my other characters.
Poll:
Brains, Brawns, and Beauty: Creating the “Perfect” Sci-Fi Heroine
By Jessica Brody
“Okay,” Cody says, his voice serious. “First of all, don’t talk to random people in bus stations. It’s sketchy. Especially given your . . . well, celebrity status.”
“She asked me about the bus to San Francisco.”
“And secondly,”he continues, ignoring me, “and probably more important, um, hello? You speak Portuguese?”
“I don’t know.”
“How could you not know? I heard you back there.”
“Heard me what?”
“Speaking Portuguese,” he clarifies, sounding exasperated. “To that woman.”I glance over his shoulder at the young woman in the blue dress. She’s taken the seat I just vacated.
I think back to our conversation, suddenly hearing it differently in my memory.
“Você sabe quando o ônibus para São Francisco chega?”“
Cinco e quarenta e cinco.”
“I speak Portuguese?” I repeat Cody’s question.
“It would appear so.”
Some parents like
to live vicariously through their children. I like to live vicariously through
my book characters. In 52 Reasons to Hate
My Father, I got to be a spoiled heiress, in My Life Undecided, I got to put all the decisions in my life up to
a vote on the internet and now in Unremembered,
I get to speak foreign languages, solve complex math problems in my head, run
faster than a car, look like a supermodel, and read an entire book in less than
three minutes.
Who is Seraphina? That is the question of
the day.
But in my mind, the answer is easy. She’s Jason Bourne meets Sydney Bristow meets Heidi Klum. The perfect blend of brawns, beauty, and brains. And I had more fun creating her than any of my other characters.
The scene above is
when Seraphina first learns that she can speak Portuguese. Other languages will
soon follow. As well as other unique skills. Just the idea of writing a story
about a girl with superhuman abilities who gets to discover them along the way (because she has lost all memories of
who she is) was such an exciting idea for me.
I mean, how many of
us have ever fantasized about accidentally
stumbling upon some mad skill we didn’t know we had. For me, personally,
every time I try out a new sport, I’m convinced that I’m going to turn out to
be some hidden prodigy that the U.S. Olympics team has been waiting to find for
centuries. I’ll pick up a tennis racket, take one swing and reveal myself as
the next Serena Williams. Or I’ll take a single ballet class and the next day a
scout from the New York City ballet will be knocking at my door, wondering
where I’ve been all his life.
Sadly, however,
that has yet to happen. I’m not deterred, though! After all, I haven’t tried every sport. And once I do, I’m fully
prepared to start up again with musical instruments.
But I know, I know,
enough about me, the boring writer. Back to the book!
When I first sat
down to brainstorm Seraphina as a character and what kind of abilities she has
hidden, I went nuts. I’m talking total geek out moments complete with squeals
and girlish giggles.
My list of
“abilities” was like pages long. And each one made me giddier than the last. Of
course, not all of these skills made
it into the final book. Some of them—like flying and invisibility—were a bit
much and sadly had to go. (Perhaps saved for my next trilogy.)
Nonetheless, I had
a blast creating Seraphina in my mind. I got to take pieces from all my
favorite kick-ass characters and blend them together. I literally set out to
create the “perfect” human being.
Then came the hard
part.
Going beyond the simple act of cutting and
pasting together the perfect heroine and actually placing my amalgamation within a story. Giving her real emotions
and real reactions and real conflicts. This was the part of the process when I
got to ask the more serious questions. Questions like: “What would your life be
like if you were perfect? And “What is perfection?”
Is it having the
highest IQ? The prettiest face? The strongest muscles? All of the above? And
what if the price for all those perfections was your own freedom? Your own free
will? Suddenly life doesn’t seem so perfect anymore, does, it?
And how far can you
push perfection before you reach the edge of humanity? Is it possible to modify
someone to the point where they fall off that edge?
But yeah, back to
the “fun” part. Here’s where we do a nod back to My Life Undecided and poll the audience. Which of Seraphina’s
traits would you most like to have?
Vote below!
And I hope you
enjoy the book!
survey software
Cool Links:
Friday, March 1, 2013
National Eating Disorder Awareness Week
Did you know?
"Everybody Knows Somebody. Eating disorders don’t discriminate. They affect people of all ages, gender and demographics. In the U.S., approximately 20 million women and 10 million men are battling an eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder. Visit NEDAwareness.org to find out how you can make a difference" ~ NEDA
Eating disorders are a serious dangerous matter. As a YA Librarian, I know that reading a book can change someone's life. One book might be able to open a teen's eyes. Writing about eating disorders can be tricky - too heavy handed and it will turn teens off from the book. There are books that have weight has the main topic and books where its a side story. Are they enough? I can think of a handful of good books that talk about weight. Do they matter? While books can be a great tool to help open a teen's eye, it's not just about books.
There's so much pressure on young girls from society to be rail thin - movies, models, singers. The whole entertainment world creates a culture of thinking that's detrimental to women. Clothing sizes change, helping to perpetuate this idealism. You can go from a size 8 to 12 in an instant from shopping in one day. Does it depress you? When you shop and see the size zero clothes in abundance and one in a larger size does it make you sad or angry? I'll admit that going from size to size in different stores can be frustrating, but I'm also happy when I can fit into a size 8 in a store.
Honesty, there are women in Hollywood it hurts to look at. I feel like someone could snap their arm just as easily as snapping a twig. I want to force them to eat something - why is eating looked down upon in Hollywood? I loved how Jennifer Lawrence talks about eating. I love food and I'm always wondering what I'm going to eat next. Why do we hold up standards of beauty which doesn't allow for normal eating? Why do we keep this mentality in our culture? How can we change it?
Can we take back this thought that being skinny makes you perfect, better, or beautiful??? How can women (and men) start changing the way they see themselves - that weight doesn't define a person. Your actions, your personality, yourself defines your person.
PS: I talk about weighty books over at my other blog today.
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