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UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Hi everyone! This site will be back up soon after a major overhaul. Stay tuned! =)

Latest

Don’t Write Me Off Just Yet…

This site under (major) reconstruction. Sit tight and stay tuned for some big surprises and the greatest comeback since… leg warmers? Okay!

Waiting on Wednesday: Week 15

I have to pull myself out of this self-imposed hiatus without reason to post this long overdue Waiting on Wednesday, because I’ve been waiting impatiently for Maggie Stiefvater to put up the image… so here goes – the cover and first paragraph of LINGER:

grace

This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one.

Just a few months ago, it was Sam who was the mythical creature. His was the disease we couldn’t cure. His was the good-bye that meant the most. He had the body that was a mystery, too strange and wonderful and terrifying to comprehend.

But now it is spring. With the heat, the remaining wolves will soon be falling out of their wolf pelts and back into their human bodies. Sam stays Sam, and Cole stays Cole, and it’s only me who’s not firmly in my own skin.

——–

Are you crazy with wanting or what? PREORDER IT NOW!

Coming soon… my LONG OVERDUE review of Shiver. Oy…

Jukebox Junkies: Dia Reeves

Welcome to the very first edition of Jukebox Junkies!

Since it’s Halloween, please welcome Dia Reeves, author of Bleeding Violet (January 2010, Simon Pulse), as she shares her SpoOoOoky Playlist (she ain’t kidding – that sh*t gave me goosebumps).

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Sometimes before I write, I listen to certain songs to get me in the proper mood. I have a specific playlist for this called Spooky Sh*t (since I write spooky stuff, that’s almost always the mood I need to get into). Anyway, here’s a small sampling of songs from my Spooky Sh*t playlist:

Outside David Bowie [iTunes] (a song, but also the album’s title; the whole album is a treasure trove of nightmarish sounding songs with names like Heart’s Filthy Lesson, We Prick You, and The Voyeur of Utter Destruction (As Beauty); highly recommended)

The Great Gig in the Sky – Pink Floyd [iTunes] (almost the whole song is this woman screaming—freaky but oddly soulful; and just a side note, if you haven’t listened to Pink Floyd’s album, The Dark Side of the Moon, while watching The Wizard of Oz, please do so; The Great Gig in the Sky corresponds with Dorothy getting caught in the tornado—so awesome)

Strange Fruit – Billie Holiday [iTunes] (a scary jazz song about how white Southerners used to hang black folk from trees and nobody seemed to really mind—except the black folk, of course).

Alice – The Cocteau Twins [iTunes] (the freakiest thing about this song is that I don’t know what they’re saying—I’m not even sure it’s in English; plus it sounds vaguely operatic, and opera is very scary)

Vertebrae By Vertebrae – Björk [iTunes] (I have no idea what this song is about, but what it sounds like it’s about gives me the creeps; I always imagine bugs inching up my spine; and speaking of bugs…)

Bugs – Pearl Jam [iTunes] (features Eddie Vedder chanting obsessively about bugs over the accordion from hell; I wonder if I’ll ever be famous enough to write something as completely insane as this song is and get away with it)

How to Disappear Completely – Radiohead [iTunes](“I’m not here, this isn’t happening”—I’m always curious about what is happening, but I’m too frightened of the answer to ever think about it too deeply)

Poems – Tricky (Tricky’s got a couple of spooky ones, but this is his magnum opus of spooky songs; if your worst nightmare had a theme song, it would sound like Poems)

So those are some of the spookier tunes on my playlist. If anyone knows of any others, let me know—I’m always in the market for spooky. 😉

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Bleeding Violet is the story of a girl suffering from manic-induced hallucinations who discovers that not every strange thing she sees is imaginary, especially after she flees to Portero–an East Texas town where magic and monsters are frighteningly real.

When she’s not out manning space missions for NASA and scaring little children, Dia spends her time tweeting naughty stuff and reading and writing eleventy billion books, though usually not at the same time.

You can visit her website or follow her on Twitter, if you dare.

AUTHORS AND BLOGGERS: If you would like to be a part of Jukebox Junkies, email me at mya [dot] rooney [at] gmail [dot] com!

YA Celebs Playlist 2 – Fall 2009

FALL-AUTUMN

Right, so we’re already well into the fall (and probably even winter, for a lot of people), and this post was supposed to be up about a month ago. Heh. Major Myafail there, folks. My apologies.

But for now, here’s my second very special YA Celebs Playlist, where I got to ask a host of authors and bloggers one not-so-simple question:

“What’s your fall anthem of choice?”

Their answers? See and hear for yourselves! [links lead to iTunes, unless otherwise specified]

1. Something’s Missing – John Mayer

“When summer fades, I always feel nostalgic for the city nights/sunshine/mellowed out part of me that is already fading along with it. Of course, that energy is replaced with this crisp back-to-school intensity, which is all about renewal and possibility. The part of “Something’s Missing” that captures the overall feeling of this time of year is:

“When autumn comes

It doesn’t ask

It just walks in where it left you last

You never know when it starts

Until there’s fog inside the glass around your summer heart.”

Takes my breath away, that.”

Susane Colasanti, author of WHEN IT HAPPENS, TAKE ME THERE, and WAITING FOR YOU. Her latest, SOMETHING LIKE FATE (Viking), is due out in May 2010

2. Heartbreak Beat – Psychedelic Furs

“[This is] the song that reminds me most of fall… I don’t have any particular reason for this strange association except that I played it incessantly (on cassette tape! now I’m dating myself!) one summer and fall. When I hear it, I think of the beach (I spent my teenage years in Southern California), suntan lotion, parties, boys, bonfires, denim mini-skirts, an armful of bangles a la Madonna, and that magical blend of fear, euphoria, and promise and that is being a teenager.”

Michelle Zink, author of PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS (Hachette), Book 1 in the eponymous trilogy

3. Gold Digger – Glee Cast

“I watched the video with this song, not kidding, about fifty times in the first two days after I downloaded it. It is ah-mazing. Completely wonderful, way more addictive than the original version.”

Jordyn from Ten Cent Notes

4. Peaches – The Presidents of the United States of America

“When I think of going back to school, I think of [this song]. I think the song came out in 1995, but I remember it constantly playing on the radio the summer of 1996, right before I started my junior year of high school. “Peaches” brings back great memories. Tanning at the lake, driving around town with friends with the music up and the windows down, and doing the whole back-to-school-shopping thing.”

Becca Fitzpatrick, author of HUSH, HUSH (Simon & Schuster)

5. It’s My Life / Confessions, Pt. II – Glee Cast

“Right now I can’t stop listening to [this]!  I swear I listened to it, like, 50 times within 24 hours of seeing the episode.  I just can’t stop playing it over and over.”

Chelsea M. Campbell, author of  THE RISE OF RENEGADE X (Egmont USA), out May 2010

6. Go the Distance – Roger Bart (OST Hercules)

“Yeah, I picked an old musical song. Judge me. But it is SO my jam. And have you heard this song? IT IS SO INSPIRATIONAL. It tells you that you CAN GO THE DISTANCE and BE STRONG. Just like in the fall you have to be strong to get through the fall to Christmas happy time! Or something like that.”

Khyrinthia from Frenetic Reader

7. More Than This – The Cure

“It’s music full of ethereal longing, and like autumn slips into my blood, this song slips into my brain. It’s the kind of song that thins the veil between possible and impossible- it’s perfect to watch leaves change by, or to write by- or if I’m very very lucky, both.”

Saundra Mitchell, author of SHADOWED SUMMER

8. Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap (OST 500 Days of Summer)

“Every time I hear it I just smile. Can’t you imagine driving around on a fall day listening to this? I can :D”

Alea from Pop Culture Junkie

9. Nightswimming – REM

“It’s not exactly an anthem, but [it] always evokes end-of-the-season happy-sadness for me: “September’s coming soon/I’m pining for the moon…” It also reminds me of certain silver-lit swim with a very special boy. (I married him.)”

Megan McCafferty, author of the bestselling Jessica Darling series (Crown)

10. Send It On – Disney’s Friends for Change

“Since I just launched LivingYourFive.com with fellow authors Alyson Noel, Tera Lynn Childs and Becca Fitzpatrick–dedicated to changing our world one person and one “Five” at a time–the song’s wonderful message of paying it forward and making a difference (and its beautiful harmonies) definitely make Send It On my anthem for Fall 2009.”

Kay Cassidy, author of the THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY (Egmont USA), due out in April 2010

11. Fireflies – Owl City

“I think it’s whimsical with an electric pop attitude lol”

Yan from Books by Their Cover

12. Don’t Stop Believing – Glee Cast

“Because when you’ve got a special ability, you just have to believe. (That’s so corny!)”

Lisa McMann, author of WAKE & FADE, part of the Dreamcatcher trilogy. GONE, the final installment (Simon & Schuster), will be released in February 2010

13. The Last Good Day of the Year – Cousteau

“When Autumn rolls around I always have to think of [this]. I think the music and lyrics fit the fall mood so well – kind of a meloncholy that winter is approaching and this still pretty warm day with the sun shining through the trees that are losing their leaves could very probably be the last good day of the year (from a weather perspective).”

Lenore from Presenting Lenore

14. Sally’s Song – Amy Lee

As Halloween approaches, this song goes into heavy rotation on my iPod. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a gloomy autumn evening.

Sarah Cross, author of Dull Boy (Dutton)

15. Autumn (from “The Four Seasons”) – Vivaldi OR Under My Bed – Meiko

“I think Autumn from “The Four Seasons” because it obviously reminds me of autumn, and I just like Under My Bed by Meiko, it is a beautiful song!”

Senfaye from A Maze of Books

16. We’re Going To Be Friends – The White Stripes

“I love this song because it’s about the start of the school year and it also has such a sweet nostalgic feel to it. I also love Jack Johnson’s version that they played in Curious George.”

Heidi R. Kling, author of the 2010 release SEA (Penguin/Putnam)

17. The Boys of Summer – Don Henley

“My all-time favorite end of summer song… The Ataris version doesn’t suck either. It takes me back to one particular summer (let’s not name the year, it makes me feel old) that I remember with particular fondness, but it’s kind of a melancholy song. And, honestly, melancholy is one of my favorite emotions.”

Trish Doller, author of MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY and all-round purveyor of awesome, represented by kt literary

18. Black Roses Red – Alana Grace

“It’s appropriately beautiful and a little bittersweet to usher in my favorite season: autumn! The singer has an amazing voice, the lyrics are wonderful, and there’s just something melancholic about it. I can totally listen to this song while standing in a field of golden leaves!”

Steph Su from Steph Su Reads

19. Windmills – Toad the Wet Sprocket

“Okay, it’s totally maudlin, but it feels like fall to me. Listen when you’re feeling mellow.”

Melissa Walker, author of Lovestruck Summer (Harper Teen) and the Violet series

20. I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas

“There’s just something about that song that lifts my spirits and it makes me want to throw my hair down and dance till the my muscles ache and remind me that I’m getting old. xD

In all seriousness, its probably the beat that makes me want to do that but I love it nonetheless. And the Pulse 87 remix version even better. Which is by David Guetta. But thats for another time.”

Mitali Dave from Alley of Books

21. School Anthem – MC Paul Barman

“Well I love the fall and get kinda romantic and misty about autumn weather and the color of the changing leaves, but I hated school with a fiery passion. So I’ll go with an anti-school anthem, actually called “School Anthem” by MC Paul Barman, the greatest Jewish rapper of all time.

Sample lyric: “I’ll let a mystery gas out of my blistery ass / Just to disrupt the misery of history class.” I’m sorry, but that is a hilarious line and it pretty much sums up how I felt about high school. And sadly college wasn’t that much better. As Paul says, “I found college awkward / Another teacher, same old chalkboard.”

It’s on YouTube with a very boring video, but the song is killer. [Click the link above!]”

Josh Berk, author of THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN (Knopf), due out in 2010

22. You Picked Me – A Fine Frenzy

“Lovely.”

Korianne from Korianne Speaks

23. Breathe Me – Sia

“It reminds me of Ever and Damen and especially how she felt at the end of BLUE MOON when she realized what she’d done! A reader actually made an EVERMORE video using this song and sent it on to me and I thought it was perfect!”

Alyson Noel, author of the Immortals series, including EVERMORE & BLUE MOON. SHADOWLAND (St. Martin’s), the third installment, is due out on Nov. 17.

24. Anything But Mine – Kenny Chesney

“I’m not usually a huge fan of country music, but this is probably the most beautiful and heartbreaking end-of-the-summer song ever.  I could write a whole book about the imagery in this song.  Maybe I will one day!”

Kody Keplinger, author of THE DUFF, coming out in 2010

25. Fifteen – Taylor Swift

“I picked that song because it’s about the first day of school. XD”

Kate from Read This Book

26. Somewhere A Clock is Ticking – Snow Patrol OR When Your Heart Stops Beating –  +44

“I have the very Shiveresque end of summer song — it’s very ominous: “A Clock is Ticking” by Snow Patrol. (it’s on the Shiver playlist). But if we’re just talking what’s blasting out of my car as an end of summer song, definitely +44 “When Your Heart Stops Beating.” For some reason this song is really desperate end of summer to me (though more appropriate for James of BALLAD, my October book, than my Shiver people.)”

Maggie Stiefvater, author of BALLAD & LAMENT, as well as the bestselling SHIVER. The sequel LINGER (Scholastic) will be out July 2010

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I hope you all enjoyed the playlist, and find lots of new things to add to your playlist!

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce a new feature to you, titled Jukebox Junkies, featuring a plethora of playlists from your favorite authors, bloggers, publicists, groupies, editors and many other fascinating personalities from the publishing industry.

If you fit into any of the above categories, and would like to do a special playlist for this new, exciting feature, please contact me at mya [dot] rooney [at] gmail [dot] com

And watch out for the first playlist this Halloween with a very special guest! =)

And we return in 5…4…3…

SO THIS IS THE WEEK I’M GOING TO RETURN…

Don’t laugh. I’m serious.

Watch out for guest posts, a new playlist (FINALLY), readathon updates (which I’m currently in the middle of), all-new WoWs, and above all, the 136272532 reviews I currently owe you.

I know I fail… BUT NOT FOR LONG! MUAHAHAHAHA! LET THE SHOW BEGIN!

PS How’s everyone doing? =D

Waiting on Wednesday: Week 14

So it just occurred to me that my scheduled post didn’t go up last week. Here’s me, making up for it.

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Wish – Alexandra Bullen

(out January 2010 from Point)

For broken-hearted Olivia Larsen, nothing can change the fact that her twin sister, Violet, is gone… until a mysterious, beautiful gown arrives on her doorstep. The dress doesn’t just look magical; it is magical. It has the power to grant her one wish, and the only thing Olivia wants is her sister back.

With Violet again by her side, both girls get a second chance at life. And as the sisters soon discover, they have two more dresses-and two more wishes left. But magic can’t solve everything, and Olivia is forced to confront her ghosts to learn how to laugh, love, and live again.

In a breathtaking debut from Alexandra Bullen, WISH asks the question: If you could have anything, what would you wish for?

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The Secret Year – Jennifer Hubbard

(out January 2010 from Viking Children’s Books)

For the past year, Colt has been sneaking out, late at night, to meet Julia. And they have a reason to keep their relationship secret. For one, it’s supposed to be and meaningless, no strings-attatched sort of thing. And for another, Julia has a boyfriend from someone of her own “status.” Julia and Colt come from two opposite worlds (though it’s not to the point where Julia and Colt mirror Romeo and Juliet). Whenever they see each other at school, they pretend that they have no idea who the other is. It is only at night when the two can truly connect. But then Julia dies. And Colt is left in confusion with how to deal with his grief for a girl who know one knows he knows.

Until he’s given her journal by the one person who has figured the deception out. During a year, Colt reads through Julia’s diary, (which is written to him). The Secret Year reveals the stories of Julia and Colt’s past and the journey of grieving and living.

——

aaaaand what just might be my favorite cover/synopsis combination of the upcoming year…

The Rise of Renegade X – Chelsea Campbell

(out May 2010 from Egmont USA)

Sixteen-year-old Damien Locke has a plan: major in messing with people at the local supervillain university and become a professional evil genius, just like his supervillain mom. But when he discovers the shameful secret she’s been hiding all these years, that the one night stand that spawned him was actually with a superhero, everything gets messed up. His father’s too moral for his own good, so when he finds out Damien exists, he actually wants him to come live with him and his goody-goody superhero family. Damien gets shipped off to stay with them in their suburban hellhole, and he only has six weeks to prove he’s not a hero in any way, or else he’s stuck living with them for the rest of his life, or until he turns eighteen, whichever comes first.

To get out of this mess, Damien has to survive his dad’s “flying lessons” that involve throwing him off the tallest building in the city—despite his nearly debilitating fear of heights—thwart the eccentric teen scientist who insists she’s his sidekick, and keep his supervillain girlfriend from finding out the truth. But when Damien uncovers a dastardly plot to turn all the superheroes into mindless zombie slaves, a plan hatched by his own mom, he discovers he cares about his new family more than he thought. Now he has to choose: go back to his life of villainy and let his family become zombies, or stand up to his mom and become a real hero.

——

Phew, man. How on earth am I going to afford everything next year? What are YOU waiting for?

Things you should know…

… firstly, yes, I’m a total idiot for not posting enough reviews. And then doing one and screwing up the main character’s surname. Life happened and then… yeah. Long story. Let’s not go there, and just keep our fingers crossed that I get my sh*t together in good time.

Secondly, a HUGE standing ovation for Chelsea and Steph, both fantastic book bloggers and lovely ladies who are now officially represented as authors! Go over and congratulate them on this huge achievement, and bug them for the story of “The Call”.

Next up, I was featured recently at Persnickety Snark, along with a slew of fantastic bloggers from around the world. Go read more about life as a book blogger from the middle of nowheresville, and check out where everyone else is reporting from. I was quite surprised and awed at most of them!

And finally, before I sign off and try to reorganize, here’s an open letter from the wonderful Danielle Joseph, whose ’09 release Shrinking Violet is about to go on back order. Remember, you can enter a contest at her blog to win a gift certificate to a bookstore of your choice.

“SAVE SHRINKING VIOLET!
Help Tere keep her voice!
Shrinking Violet is about an extremely shy high school senior trying to find her voice and reach her dream of becoming a DJ, despite the obstacles that stand in her way.
The book is about to go on back order and in order for more copies to be printed, more people have to place orders for the book.

Read more about Shrinking Violet:
High school senior Teresa Adams is so painfully shy that she dreads speaking to anyone in the hallways or getting called on in class. But in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks out doing mock broadcasts for Miami’s hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up at The SLAM, Tere surprises herself by blossoming behind the mike into confident, sexy Sweet T to everyone’s shock, she’s a hit! Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ’s awesome taste in music. But when The SLAM announces asongwriting contest, and a prom date with Sweet T is the grand prize, Sweet T’s dream could turn into Tere’s worst nightmare. . . .
Praise for Shrinking Violet:
  • “Bella, eat your heart out. Tere is the girl every young woman truly wants to be. . . . Brilliant work, Danielle Joseph.” –Ellen Hopkins, New York Times bestselling author of Identical
  • “Danielle Joseph takes readers into the glamorous world of Top 40 radio, with a character who is both funny and relatable. Readers will cheer when Tere finds her voice!” –Alex Flinn, author of BreathingUnderwater and A Kiss in Time
  • “A funny, romantic, and truly inspirational Cinderella tale for any teen who’s ever been shy, loved music, or dreamed of going to the ball. Wait, that’s pretty much everybody.” -Gaby Triana, author of The Temptress Four
So here’s how you can help:
Please tell anyone that you think might be interested to place an order now before it’s too late. Guys, girls, grandmas. grandpas, you’re never too old to read humorous teen fiction!
I’m also running a contest for those that want to have some fun! There will be four winners, each receiving a $25 gift certificate to iTunes or the bookstore of their choice.

So how can you win?
1. Post a review of Shrinking Violet on Amazon.com or B &N.com 2 points
2 Blog, Tweet or Facebook about the Save Shrinking Violet Campaign 1 point for each mention
3. Take a picture of yourself wearing a sweater and mimicking the book’s cover (you must have the book in the photo too). 2 points

Contest begins at 11pm on Thursday, September 24, 2009 and ends at 11pm on Thurday, October 15, 2009.
After you enter, you can either email me at danielle@daniellejoseph.com or leave me a comment on my blog at http://daniellejoseph.livejournal. com/ under the entry, Save Shrinking Violet!
Much love,
Danielle Joseph”

Goddess Boot Camp – Tera Lynn Childs

WARNING: This review is FILLED with spoilers, so if you haven’t read Oh. My. Gods. yet, I suggest you look away now!

Summary:

Phoebe recently discovered she’s a descendent of Nike (the goddess, not the shoe), and now she’s finding out that supernatural powers come with a crazy learning curve. Her new stepfather, headmaster of the Academy for descendants of Greek gods, has enrolled her in Dynamotheos Development Camp—aka Goddess Boot Camp—with a bunch of ten-year-olds for the summer. Embarrassing as that is, hopefully it’ll help her get control of her powers in time to pass the test of the gods, continue training hard enough to qualify for the Pythian Games (the only sporting event bigger than the Olympics), and enjoy her godly boyfriend, Griffin, all while avoiding getting smoted for accidental misuse of powers!

It’s another fast-paced myth-inspired heroine’s quest that’s sure to bring out the goddess in anyone.

Review:

Move over Princess Mia, there’s a new misfit in town. And she prefers running shoes over tiaras.

Yes, it’s time for another edition of the wonderful world of Phoebe Kitanidis Castro (Thanks for catching that! Clearly, someone needs to proofread her reviews more closely), and her exciting life on the Greek island of Perfopolis. When we last saw Phoebe and the gang, she’d just decided to take another year in school and train for the Pythian Games, and also acclimatize herself as a newly-discovered descendant of Nike. Not to mention, to spend some extra time with her new, ultra-hot boyfriend Griffin, and try to get in some bonding time with her new buds Nicole and Troy. Phew!

It certainly isn’t going to be a piece of cake, though. For one, Phoebe’s home alone with wicked stepsister Stella. Who also happens to be one of her trainers at boot camp. Which happens to be filled with lots of overeager tween girls. And, on top of all of that, Griffin’s up to something secret with his ex Adara. And you know that never bodes well…

What I love most about Tera Lynn Childs’ writing is that it carries all that fun feel of teenage within, without losing or skimming over any of the authenticity of Greek history and the Greek lifestyle. You can taste, smell, feel, and see everything as if you’re right there on the Mediterranean coastline, with the white sand under your feet. Lovely!

It’s a good light read with lots of laugh-out-loud moments and even a few heartbreaking ones. Phoebe’s finally found her footing, and it’s now time to figure out how to deal with her new life, instead of floundering about. Her relationships develop, both at home and away, and the results aren’t always pretty.

The only issue I had here was the addition of some new characters and storylines without any real resolution to them all. I couldn’t quite digest the significance of Xander, in all brooding, dark glory… and there were things about Phoebe’s dad that just never made any sense in the end.

But I told myself there was going to be another book, of course, and I’d just have to wait and see… so, I went to go check when the next book was going to be out, and OMGs there isn’t one planned yet!

But… but… but I have so many questions! There’s so many loose ends to tie! I can’t be left hanging like this!

There’s still a lot of riddles to Nicole and Griffin’s past. And, man, I’m still staunchly on Team Troy, so I need that boy to get his happy ending. Is my love affair with this series over? Most certainly not.

So please, pretty please, go out and buy this and the prequel… and help me beg TLC to write another part to the series! =D

Rating: 3-crowns

BBAW: Feeding My Addictions

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So I’m going to be honest here: I never fall for a book with one review or mention alone. This is, of course, not counting the times when Alea praises Lovestruck Summer, Going Too Far, The Season and Willow so much that she begins to sound like a broken record. You point and laugh, until you realize, “Oh, snap. She has a point,” and then vow never to question her taste.

But aside from extreme cases like that, I’m a hard nut to crack (emphasis on nut). I need a wave of overwhelming positive reviews all over the internetz before I can say to myself, “Hmm, okay Mya, time to stop thinking and rethinking this, and import those darned books.”

Which, usually, leaves a heavy dent in my already meagre wallet. Unless some awesome bloggers go above and beyond and help a poor, flagging international book-junkie out.

So I’m going to take this moment and thank ALL OF YOU – every single one – who reviewed the following two wonderful, fantastical books and made me opt for them. Because I wouldn’t have heard of them otherwise, and I’m so glad I did.

Perfect Chemistry – Simone Elkeles

Good girl, bad boy. White girl, latino boy. Rich girl, poor boy. Has there ever been such a perfect romance written especially for young adults? I can’t remember. A solid favorite all around, and with good reason!

If I Stay – Gayle Forman

This one still makes me feel philosophical enough to sit down and write pages and pages of thoughts and questions in my journal. Heck, it actually makes me write in the journal, period. Was there anyone who didn’t like this book?

Here’s a different question for the comments, though. I’m curious: has there ever been a book that was so hyped that you went out and got it, but then felt let down? Why?

Waiting on Wednesday: Week 13

This week I’m excited to feature two awesome books that I’ve been holding out on WoW-ing because I knew their covers would be awesome. And they are. Plus one awesome new cover for a book I’ve already WoW-ed, simply because that new cover is really and truly WOW! So without further ado:

Some Girls Are – Courtney Summers

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard–falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome. And just like the other members of this all girl clique, she was both feared and revered by the students of Hallowell High… that is until vicious rumors about her and her best friend’s boyfriend start going around. Now she’s been “frozen out” and her ex-friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth, and the bullying is getting more intense by the day.
Out of desperation, she takes solace in the companionship of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship–and eventually romance–doesn’t come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina makes amends for her past, a bond begins to form, while threats from the Fearsome Foursome are poised to break them both.

——

Harmonic Feedback – Tara Kelly

Doctors have pinned 16-year-old Drea Horvath with everything from ADHD to Asperger’s Syndrome. She has an obsession with sound design, a tendency to blurt out whatever she’s thinking, and a problem making friends, but likes to think of this as following her own rhythm in a confusing world.

Drea is hesitant to befriend purple-haired Naomi Quinn, her teenage neighbor with a kamikaze personality. But Naomi is the first person to treat her like she isn’t a world class dork. Then there’s Justin Rocca, the sexy and persistent boy in her film class. If she’s learned anything from her mom, it’s that boys are trouble.

When Drea discovers Naomi’s love for drums and Justin’s piano prodigy status, the three form a trip-hop band and a friendship that will challenge everything Drea thought she knew about herself and the world around her.

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The Mark – Jen Nadol

I WoW-ed this a while ago, but the cover has changed from good to BRILLIANT after a lookalike problem. Back then, I said that this was going to be a huge hit when it came out (which isn’t until next year – boo!), and I’m definitely reiterating that with this cover!

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So that’s that. I’m lusting after all of these covers, and the words inside them even more! Publishers, authors, book-fairies… anyone want to hook a nice old reviewer up? =D

What are YOU waiting for?