Random Chalk Talk

Free Reads!!!

2012-01-26T21:18:00.008-05:00

Who doesn't love free, right?! Here are some great freebies from amazon for your Kindle! Click on the titles to take you right to the books on Amazon!

(Don't forget... if you don't have a Kindle it's okay! You can download the app on your phone here or download Kindle for PC! Check that out here).

Rippler by Cidney Swanson

Samantha Ruiz has a freak gene that makes her turn invisible, or ripple. She can’t control it, and it’s getting worse. Afraid of becoming a lab-rat, Sam keeps her ability secret, until fellow runner Will Baker sees her vanish into thin air. Will promises secrecy and help, and Sam begins to fall in love.

Together, the two discover there are worse things than being a scientific curiosity. Someone’s been killing people who possess Sam's gene. A mysterious man from France sends letters that offer hope for safety, but also reveal a sinister connection with Nazi experiments.

The more time Sam spends with Will, the less she can imagine life without him. When Sam uncovers secrets from her past, she must choose between keeping Will in her life or keeping Will safe.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (Preview) by James Patterson

Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he's got an ace plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off: With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class-5,000 points! Running in the hallway-10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm-50,000 points! But when Rafe's game starts to catch up with him, he'll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he's finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he's been avoiding.

Beasts and BFFs by Shannon Delaney

A Bonus 13 to Life Prequel Story.

Meet Jessie Gillmansen as she realizes that things might not be what they seem in the town of Junction.

And many thanks to Master Magician Chad Crews for coming to Belton Middle School and pumping up my students about many great authors like Edgar Allan Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle!! If you live in an area where he can travel to you, teachers, GET HIM!! Greatest show... magic and literature from a former Science teacher. Here are some free reads from those great guys!!

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe's Complete Poetical Works

The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe Volume 1

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe Volume 2

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe Volume 3

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge

The Return of Sherlock Holmes

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Bram Stoker

The Lady of the Shroud

Dracula's Guest

Dracula

Mary Shelley

Frankenstein

Harry Houdini

The Miracle Mongers, and Expose

Happy New Year... and It's Monday! What are you reading?

2012-01-02T19:50:00.008-05:00

Now that you have all picked your jaws up off of the floor because there is a post... let's get on to the good stuff! My friends Kellee and Jen from Teach Mentor Text have gotten be back to the blogging world. I have been reading like crazy, but I just haven't gotten around to posting. So be ready for some posts!!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Previous Book Adventures...
There are so many great books that I have read and cannot wait to share with you all. Here are just a few of them:
The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Upcoming Book Adventures....
I am currently reading two YA books. I started The Pledge by Kimberly Derting the other day and will probably finish with it tomorrow so be looking for the review soon. Just like her others, this is yet another of my favorites! The other book that I got in the mail just this weekend was Jennifer Hubbard's latest novel Try Not to Breathe.

I also got the new Stephen King book, 11/22/63, for Christmas and cannot wait to get into it. I love the premise behind the book and don't think that it will freak me out like It or some of his others! I also got The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg, The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by various authors (this is the book where they took the pictures and wrote the stories they thought were being told within them) and the portfolio pictures from the novel. I have a great unit worked up with all of this that I cannot wait to dive into! I will be posting more on it later.

I also have this desire to read Mary Shelly's Frankenstein thanks to BrainPOP! Their featured video today was about it and my six year old watched the video and we talked about it for a while. She is completely fascinated by it, but I just don't think that I will put that one on her bookshelf quite yet! Maybe I can find some younger versions!

And....
I am a new fan of Pixel of Ink and today's freebie is one that all YA readers will enjoy! Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey!

Visit HERE to get it for FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! We all love those freebies!

So... what are you reading this week? Make sure to let me know!!

Review & Giveaway: Populazzi by Elise Allen

2011-08-24T20:33:00.003-04:00

Populazzi by Elise Allen

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

# of Pages: Hardcover, 400

Publisher: Harcourt

Cara has never been one of those girls: confident, self-possessed, and always ready with the perfect thing to say. A girl at the very top of the popularity tower. One of the Populazzi.

Now, junior year could change everything. Cara’s moving to a new school, and her best friend urges her to seize the moment—with the help of the Ladder. Its rungs are relationships, and if Cara transforms into the perfect girlfriend for guys ever-higher on the tower, she’ll reach the ultimate goal: Supreme Populazzi.

The Ladder seems like a lighthearted social experiment, a straight climb up, but it quickly becomes gnarled and twisted. And when everything goes wrong, only the most audacious act Cara can think of has a chance of setting things even a little bit right.

Looking back now, there are so many things that I would change if I could go back and do high school over again. I would not care what the “Populazzi” thought about me and be confident (much like I am now). Cara has that opportunity. She is starting over at a new school and, along with her best friend Claudia’s help, she has a new leash on life and a way to become the top of the ladder…. The Populazzi. The most popular. The group everyone else only wishes they could be a part of. To Cara, the project of climbing the social ladder seems like an easy thing, but not something that she isn’t going to invest much time and effort in. She lacks that confidence. Things quickly change.

I have to say that I thought that this was going to be another one of those cutsie books where the main character is striving to be popular and faces the challenges… blah, blah, blah. How wrong I was! I laughed, was heartbroken at times and fell completely in love with the characters in this novel. Cara and Claudia remind me a lot of my best friend and I (one is the more reserved of the two…. Not me!!) but yet they balance each other out perfectly. Simply stated, I loved Archer. He is my kind of guy and was very well written throughout the novel. While the plot was a typical plot for this story line, it was completely enjoyable and I know that my students will love it as much as I did. Oh… and the tension at the end- DANG!! J Elise Alan is definitely an author to watch out for!

Visit Elise HERE to find out more about her books, writing and lots of other cool stuff!

Now it is time for you to WIN a copy! If you are a US resident, fill out the form below to enter. The contest will end on September 2, 2011!

Been Reading A Lot of Childrens Books...

2011-08-02T21:00:00.002-04:00

To get ready for this year with my read alouds and the like, I have been reading a lot of children's picture books. I thought that I would just post some of them here so that you can check them out too! Enjoy...

Butterfly Tree by Sandra Markle

About H ummingbirds: A Guide for Children
by Cathryn Sill

Ladder t o the Moon by Maya Soetoro-Ng

The P ink House by Kate Salley Palmer

Turquoise Boy: A Navajo Legend by Terri Cohlene

Older Brother, Younger Brother: A Korean Folktale by Nina Jaffee

A World of Words: An ABC of Quotations by Tobi Tobias

H is for Hero: A Military Family Alphabet by Devin Scillian

Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

2011-07-31T21:28:00.003-04:00

Hourglass (Hourglass #1)

by Myra McEntire

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

I can’t tell you how excited I was to finally get my hands on this book. I had been reading so many wonderful reviews, chatting with Myra on twitter about the writing and getting her updates and hearing from my friends who had read it. Disappointment was nowhere near me when I finished…. Unless you want to count the disappointment I had that the next book wasn’t waiting on me to read!

Emerson just wants to be a normal teenager… whatever that is. The only problem is she sees dead people. Not in the Sixth Sense idea though. Her parents were killed in an accident right after she started seeing these strange beings and it all went downhill from there. Her brother has tried everything that he can to help her, but it is only when the mysterious Michael shows up that Emerson starts to feel that maybe she isn’t as crazy as she has thought that she was.

Myra McEntire has created a universe where we can travel back in time or to the future, see rips (those “dead people”) and create matter with our bare hands… if we have the right genes. The creativity behind this amazing debut novel kept me glued to the pages the entire read. I loved Emersons quirks and how she had to figure out who she was while falling in love with Michael. Of course… nothing comes easy!

Make sure (before or after you read it) you visit Myra’s blog HERE and follow her on Twitter for fun facts and updates (@MyraMcEntire). Also, make sure to check out the Ash to Nash tour that Myra McEntire, Victoria Schwab (author of The Near Witch) and Beth Revis (author of Across the Universe) will all be going from Ashville to Nashville. Check it all out HERE. I will be visiting them in Spartanburg, SC next Friday night!

Happy reading everyone!!

Winner of Notebook Giveaway

2011-07-20T00:01:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Kathleen for a great post and writing challenge! If you missed it, check it out here. Now for the winner...

Sarah H.

Thank you to everyone who entered, commented and took the challenge. I hope that you are all continuing to write and challenge yourself!

Review: Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley

2011-07-19T21:16:00.003-04:00

Crush Control

by Jennifer Jabaley

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pages: Paperback, 318

Publisher: RazorBill

Willow has spent most of her life as her mother's sidekick in a popular Las Vegas hypnotism show. So when she and her mom move back to their sleepy southern hometown to start over, she thinks she's in for a life of quiet normalcy. Except that her new life turns out to be anything but, when she kinda sorta hypnotizes Quinton, the hottest guy on the football team, to fall madly, deeply, head over heels in love with her. But what started out as an innocent way to make her best friend, Max, jealous soon gets way out of hand, and Willow begins to wonder if the mind - and more importantly, the heart - is something you can really control.

Crush Control was a delightfully funny book with such a good message. Willow moves back to Georgia in hopes of creating a more balanced life. Moving back will put her close to her close to her grandparents but more importantly, closer to her best friend Max. When she and her mom move back she finds her life turned more upside down than it has ever been to date. I love the honesty in Willow’s character. I could completely relate to her being in love with her best friend all the while trying to figure out what to do to get his attention. Her friendships with Georgia and Mia completely balanced her life (even though she didn’t know it at the time) and were so integral to her finding out who she really is.

Love makes you do crazy things. Willow found that out the hard way and had to eventually rely on her friend Georgia to help her out. I laughed so hard at their antics as they tried to find a solution to the problem and the extensive measures they took. My best friend and I have done some crazy things in my time, but I assure you that she and I have never bought a voodoo doll! I couldn’t put this one down because I wanted to see how Willow was going to get out of the mess she was in then! In the end, Willow learned that trying to be something you are not created to be gets you nowhere but deeper in the holes we dig daily!

A little about the author…

Born in New York and raised in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Jennifer Jabaley is a graduate of James Madison University and Southern College of Optometry. She began writing in 2006 and tries to manage optometry, writing and motherhood. She lives in Blue Ridge, Georgia with her husband and two children.

Visit Jennifer HERE, follow her on Twitter (@JenniferJabaley) and see her Facebook page HERE.

Happy reading everyone :)

Review: Sidekicks by Dan Santat

2011-07-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

Sidekicks

by Dan Santat

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: Paperback, 224

Publisher: Arthur A Levine Books (Scholastic)

Look up in the sky! It's a BOLD new graphic novel about SUPERHERO PETS!

Captain Amazing, superhero and savior of Metro City, is getting old. He's out all hours battling arch-villains, catching thieves, and helping little old ladies cross the street. He doesn't even have time for his house full of pets. He needs - a SIDEKICK!

Captain Amazing's four pets agree. But each one of them thinks HE should get the sidekick spot - and a chance for one-on-one time with the Captain. Get ready for sibling rivalry royale as pets with superpowers duke it out for the one thing they all want - a super family.

Who doesn’t love a good superhero? In this fun loving, action packed graphic novel Dan Santat (creator of the Disney animated series “The Replacements”) gives us an insider’s view of a superhero and the search for a sidekick that is going on. Captain Amazing feels that he is getting too old for this superhero bit and is in search for what he doesn’t know is right in front of him. Meanwhile his beloved pets (Roscoe, Fluffy and Shifty… and later Manny) are trying to find their own superpowers and rid Metro City of the evil. I have to say my favorite character was Shifty the chameleon! His antics and side-kickiness were what made the book for me. Never under estimate the power of the little guys!! Sidekicks is a quick read which will keep you on the edge of your seat as Captain Amazing’s pets fight crime and make you wonder what your pets do on the weekends!!

In My Mailbox (46)

2011-07-17T00:01:00.001-04:00

So.... it has been quite a while since I have posted an IMM and I am WAY behind! So this one is going to look really good, but I may not have anything else for a while... who knows! I hope you are all enjoying the summer and staying cool in all of this record breaking heat.

Find a good book and go to the pool (or just stay indoors and enjoy the AC!). Maybe you will see some here that will interest you too. Happy reading everyone!!

For Review:

A Storm Called Katrina by Myron Uhlberg

The Cruisers #2: Checkmate by Walter Dean Meyers

Ravenwood by Andrew Peters

Bad Island by Doug TenNapel (review here)

Cleopatra’s Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter

Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

From Willa, With Love by Colleen Murtagh Paratore

Unfriended: A Top 8 Novel by Katie Finn

Sidekicks by Dan Santat

Dark Souls by Paula Morris

The Empire of Gut and Bone (Norumbegan Quartet #3) by MT Anderson

Bought:

127 Hours: Between A Rock and A Hard Place by Aron Ralston

Running for My Life: My Journey in the Game of Football and Beyond by Warrick Dunn

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews

A Little Bit Wicked by Kristin Chenoweth

These were bought to replace or fill my classroom shelves:

If I Stay by Gayle Forman (review here)

The Secret Year by Jennifer R Hubbard (review here)

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (review here)

Won:

Write (or Is That "Right"?) Every Time: Cool Ways to Improve Your English by Lottie Stride
from Donna at Bites

Review: Bad Island by Doug TenNapel

2011-07-16T22:13:00.003-04:00

Bad Island

by Doug TenNapel

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: Hardback, 224

Publisher: Graphix (Scholastic)

Something on this island is up to no good . . .

When Reese is forced to go on a boating trip with his family, the last thing he expects is to be shipwrecked on an island-especially one teeming with weird plants and animals. But what starts out as simply a bad vacation turns into a terrible one, as the castaways must find a way to escape while dodging the island's dangerous inhabitants. With few resources and a mysterious entity on the hunt, each secret unlocked could save them . . . or spell their doom. One thing Reese knows for sure: This is one Bad Island.

I am not usually one to read graphic novels but I have been given some to review so I wanted to branch out and get into this genre. And I was not disappointed with this one. Bad Island tells of two seemingly unrelated stories of a world thousands of years ago where a son left to fight in a war despite his father’s desires for him to stay behind and a present day son who is struggling to find himself as a part of his family. I don’t know if TenNapel set out for the relationship parallel to play such a major role in the story, but to me it did. When you read novels, pictures are often left up to the reader to create based on the words the author uses. This is not the case (obviously) with graphic novels and I found that I really liked that. Reese (the teenage son) and his sister Janie were able to help their parents and seeing the author’s interpretation in pictures was great. Janie and her pet snake made me laugh (out loud) on quite a few occasions! Overall, I really enjoyed this one and will be reading TenNapel’s other graphic novel (Ghostopolis) soon.

Visit Dough TenNapel HERE.

Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

2011-07-15T21:36:00.003-04:00

Mockingjay

by Suzanne Collins

Genre: YA Dystopian

Pages: Hardcover, 447

Publisher: Scholastic

My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.

From the very opening pages of the novel I was completely sucked in just as I was with the others, but this one was the final chapter so I tried to stretch it out and make it last. Just like with the Harry Potter series, I did not want this series to end. However, when it did I was left completely satisfied. This series has literally taken me through every emotion imaginable. From laughter to sadness, empathy to pure hatred, every emotion has been a part of this series for me. Suzanne Collins is a masterful genius whom not many can compare.

As I read about the future that Collins created for her characters, I found myself loving the references to what the world was like before Panem. I even thought about what impact our decisions we are making now on the future. Who knows if she was trying to do this (make us think) but the subtle things that are laced within the action packed plot made me do just that. While the other books focused on the Games and their impact on the districts, the final book in the series saw the revolution and the actual effects of the Games on every district and the Capital. When I read the first two books I really didn’t know who was going to come out alive in the end and what was going to happen. I loved the fact that yes, there was a “love” triangle in the series, it wasn’t the focus. I like how Robin DeJarnett described it in her review. A LOYALTY triangle is the best way to describe their relationship. Katniss, Peeta and Gale do love each other in their own ways, but I truly believe that Katniss’ only love is her sister Prim (as does Robin J). The trio will remain loyal to each other in every sense but they aren’t having a mushy, lovey-dovey romance. That is graciously appreciated by me. I believe that sometimes the love story takes the readers eyes off the real story.

If there were any novel I wish to have an alternate point of view from it would be this one. Peeta or Gale it wouldn’t matter. I would just like to see from the outside looking in so to speak. We know what was going through Katniss’ mind and can see what her reasoning is behind her decisions (even if they confuse us sometimes) but seeing the events from an alternate view point would shine light on what others were seeing in the same instances. With that said, if it never happens I am okay too.

Although I am sad to see this series end, again, I think that it ends perfectly. Through intense action, pure characters, amazing plot and pure creative genius Suzanne Collins has created a universe which I will continue to think about, write about and model writing after. I hope to use this book with my class next year as a reading and writing tool. I just need a class set of the first novel!!

Run out and read this series now if you haven’t already! You will not be disappointed!!

The end is here... and I am Sad :(

2011-07-14T00:01:00.002-04:00

I remember the very first time I even picked up a Harry Potter book. The first one had just come out and I bought it for my sister for her birthday. She set it aside and while I was looking for something to give my mind a rest from the craziness of college, I picked it up. A few hours later I was done and absolutely dying for the next one. As the years progressed, I waited for every book release (the first few were not as big and chaotic as the last few), dressed up in costume as characters, had late night conversations about the books with a wide variety of people, went to movie premieres (even went to one with my best friend the night before she got married because she had to see it before she went on her honeymoon) and have taken my students to see the movies in rented out theaters. And now it all comes to an end.

We have read (and reread multiple times in many cases) these novels which have brought in so many readers who would have never picked up a book before and even watched as the books and movies were challenged because they promoted witchcraft. I will be going to see the movie with you all and no matter where we are seeing it, we are all in this together. I am sure I will cry and have already warned my husband that it will be an "ugly cry" and have tissues packed. Before we all take one last trek to the theater to see our beloved Harry I invite you to sit back and reflect over the past few years with me.

Let me know if you are going to see the movie and where you are located so we can all sympathize with each other.

Review: Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

2011-07-13T22:42:00.004-04:00

Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction

Pages: Hardcover, 390

Publisher: Scholastic

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, Aunwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol.

As with the first novel in this trilogy, I could not put this one down. Katniss is yet again faced with her fears of making the right decisions and how they will impact her future, whatever that may be. She knows that she has feelings for both Peeta and Gale and these emotions are tested greatly through her reentry into the games.

The description within these novels is what hooks me even more as I read. The way Collins describes the outfits, what the district looks like, how the wind blows or whatever it is allows the reader to visualize exactly what she sees. I have these novels on audio too and I loved going back and listening to parts that I had just read so that I could close my eyes and put myself right there with Katniss. Collins also has a way of dropping little hints, or nuggets, along that when they pop back up in future chapters you find yourself remembering that seemingly obsolete detail and seeing its importance to the plot when it resurfaces. I love that. I am a details person so I notice things that some see as insignificant and later laugh and say, “see?! I told you!!” Those things add so much to these novels. Katniss, Peeta and the other characters (like our lovely Haymitch) prove to leave us desperate for more and yet sad because we know it will be the end. This series is a definite keeper and I will be using it a good deal within my classroom.

When I read the last Harry Potter book I procrastinated so very much because I just didn’t want it to end. I think I am going to be the same way with Mockingjay. Happy reading all.

Read my review of The Hunger Games HERE.

Visit Suzanne Collins HERE.

Find more stuff from Scholastic about The Hunger Games HERE.

AND

Visit The Hob HERE for more info on the books and the movie!!

Thirteen Reasons Why Giveaway Winners :)

2011-07-12T22:31:00.003-04:00

Candice J.

and

Amy from BackseatReader

Congrats to you both and enjoy the novel!!

Review: My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

2011-07-11T20:53:00.004-04:00

My Life Undecided

Jessica Brody

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pages: Hardcover, 320 pages

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, Giroux (BYR)

This is probably one of the funniest gooks I have read in a while. Brooklyn reminds me of a few of my students all rolled into one and maybe that helps me understand her more and laugh harder. I think that we have all had at least one moment in our lives when we wish that someone else would make the decisions for us. My husband and I constantly have this argument when trying to decide where to eat when we go out! Brooklyn, however, has a great idea… start a blog and let others make the decisions for her! Being 15 is rough on its own but when you add fickle best friends, a mysterious new guy (who just happens to show up at the right time) and the mess of a burnt down house complete with community service, I think you might take alternate routes for decision making too.

Jessica Brody has written a book that I think all teen girls will love. Even the broody types because we can all see a little of ourselves somewhere in Brooklyn. I laughed out loud at some parts and my five year old couldn’t stop laughing at me and that is a testament of good writing. I could identify with the character. You will not be disappointed with this great read!

Visit Jessica here, follow her on Twitter (@jessicabrody) , and visit her on Facebook here. Jessica has also created a website for My Life Undecided which is just amazing! Check it out here!!

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

2011-07-06T21:58:00.001-04:00

Where She Went (If I Stay #2)

Gayle Forman

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
Pages: Hardcover, 264 pages
Publisher: Dutton

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

The sequel to such an amazing first book definitely did not disappoint. While written in a completely different voice and in a different style, the story of Mia and Adam was again opened for readers to explore. As with If I Stay, I could not put this one down. I read it in just a few hours. I loved hearing from Adam and seeing (again through those amazing flashbacks) what happened in the three years since we last left the characters. Seeing both Mia and Adam adults who are dealing with the issues that a rock star and a world renowned musician are faced with, was wonderful for me as a reader. Often I am left wondering, “What happened to these characters?” So many questions were answered with this novel and new stories were opened as well.

As much as I loved the ending of If I Stay and wanted it to go on, it really could have ended there and Forman could have let my imagination go wild. I am so glad she didn’t though because she has done a much better job than my brain ever could. The theme of family and its importance is still prevalent in this novel, but in a different context. Both Adam and Mia are figuring out who they are and who their family is. We all know that blood does not make us family and within every family (no matter what the dynamics) there will always be drama, misunderstandings, hurt feelings and unconditional love. That is what I loved so much. They were both trying to find that all this time without each other and then in one night… could things change for them? Have they found their balance after all these years? Go read it and see!

Read my review of If I Stay here and you can also find Gayle’s information there for contact!

Review: In It to Win It by Morgan Kearns

2011-07-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

A tiny break from YA to pump up a pal!!

In It to Win It
Morgan Kearns

Genre: Romance
Pages: Paperback, 304 pages
Publisher: Goodnight Publishing

Sportscaster 'Plain Jane' Alexander was a late bloomer. Back in the day, she blended into the background, content to watch from the sidelines while Grayson Pierce soaked up the spotlight. Content until he broke her heart. Bitter, hurt and angry Jane did the college thing, came out of her shell, and never looked back. Grayson loves baseball. It was his pastime in high school, his passion in college, and now ... his career. However baseball isn't the only thing in Grayson's heart. The problem is that Grayson has the reputation as a bad-boy. He likes fast cars and loose women and expensive liquor. All things that make him deplorable in Jane's eyes, throw in his hot and cold attitude and she is ready to scream. When the promise of an exclusive interview brings a very reluctant Jane to Grayson's home, she realizes that not everything is as it appears.

How often do you get to text the author of a book the day you get it in the mail… signed by her? Not too often for me, but in this case I got to do just that. I am so honored to consider Morgan one of my great friends and promise not to have too much bias in this review… maybe!

I think that we can all relate to being someone who feels looked over by the hot guy. Jane Alexander experiences the same thing only hers comes back to face her high school problems when she least expects it. She has recreated herself and avoided Grayson Pierce up until now, but it seems that fate has something else in mind for Jane. Grayson seems to be your typical self-obsessed jock yet Jane can see a different side of him and yearns to let everyone else see that. Every time she sees a redeeming quality within him, he does something to shoot it down and remind her why she has avoided him all these years.

The plot, characters, twists and turns and especially the romance are sure to keep you turning page after page until you get to the end and are dying for more. In Morgan’s second novel you are left with a great sense of who the characters are and feel as if they are your long lost friends just as you did with her debut novel Fade to Black. Another great read!!

You can purchase Morgan’s book HERE and she will even sign it!! Enjoy all!

Review/Writing Challenge/Giveaway: In Transit by Kathleen Gerard

2011-07-04T00:01:00.003-04:00

In Transit

Kathleen Gerard

Genre: Adult Suspense

Pages: Hardback, 283

Publisher: Five Star

Can a rookie cop survive the men who cross her path in the NYPD?

When a psychic in a shopping mall tells Rita Del Vecchio that she is "destined for greatness," and she will "marry a man in uniform," the restless, wet-behind-the-ears, 22 year-old decides to finally take control of her life. Rita sets out on a quest to become a New York City Police Officer. But can a spry, feisty, single woman thrive in the gritty world of New York's Finest?

Leaving behind the suburbs of New Jersey and a job as an under-tipped waitress, Rita Del Vecchio hangs up her apron and ballet slippers for a bullet-proof vest. But will she wear it? And if she does, will it protect her on the mean streets of Manhattan? Can it also protect her from Cupid’s arrows if they should land amiss?

Rita is assigned to the New York City Transit Police Squad and gets more than she bargained for. Riding the Lexington Avenue Subway Line, Rita winds up meeting not one man in uniform, but many. Whom will she love?

Rita Del Vecchio is probably one of my new favorite characters. She’s a tough as nails girl who goes through the craziness life offers her and winds up finding herself in one of the least likely places... herself! This fast-paced novel kept me on my toes the entire read and I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Multiple points of view tell us the story and that was great because we are able to see all sides of the story. There were parts where I wanted to scream at Rita for things that I as a reader knew about and that is a testament of great writing!

Being from the south, I don’t know much about the NYPD and this book definitely taught me some. Although there are many things that are particular to NY it was refreshing to read a plot that gives us insight into something we all probably know is there and yet don’t discuss: corruption, abuse and power. These topics are gracefully addressed though Kathleen’s plot and resolved within it. Kathleen’s fresh writing brings many things to light while keeping readers on their toes to see what is going to happen next with Rita. All in all, a great read that I am sure you will enjoy too!

I am lucky enough to have Kathleen herself today with a guest post and even a writing challenge!! Make sure you check out the bottom too. Without further ado…

Celebrate Independence Day Through Writing

You never know how a writer is born or where a story will come from...

Are you familiar with the work of suspense/thriller writer Mary Higgins Clark? She has had a long career and has written more than 40 books that have gone to become International Best Sellers. She used to live in my town. I was ten years-old when her first novel was released, Where are the Children? She set the book right in our hometown - even used the local lake as the crime scene. It was so exciting to know that this woman, who lived only a few blocks away, had followed her dream of becoming a published author and had shaped that dream into a reality.

Her success encouraged me to keep writing stories of my own. For more than 20 years, I have written and contributed short fiction and essays to magazines and anthologies and several of my plays have been staged and performed regionally and off-Broadway. Recently, my first novel was published, IN TRANSIT. It's a woman-in-jeopardy story about Rita Del Vecchio, a rather naive 20-something girl from New Jersey who feels stalled in her life. When a psychic in a shopping mall tells her that she is "destined for greatness" and she will "marry a man in uniform," it sets her on a course to take the NYPD exam. She ultimately becomes a New York City Transit Police Officer, patrolling the subway system. She does meet a man in uniform--she meets many men, actually--but will she marry the right man in uniform? You'll have to read the book to learn more...

Real life has always served as a springboard for me in writing fiction. Rita, the protagonist of IN TRANSIT, is very loosely based on a friend I've had since high school who did become a New York City Transit Cop. When she was in her early 20s, she sat for the New York City Police Exam and when she passed, she gave up her job as an early childhood educator (and her second job as a waitress) and completely transformed her life. I found her story so amazing that I took that premise and used it as a launch pad for my novel, IN TRANSIT. I took the preliminary facts of my friend's life and skewed the variables until I created a fictionalized, much more dramatic world than the one my friend was actually living.

That's what writing is - it's paying attention to the stories of peoples' lives...and everyone has a story. If you listen to people, really listen, they will tell you their stories. And your job, if you're a fiction writer, is to try to give meaning and form to those stories - by taking creative liberties. In the case of my novel, IN TRANSIT, I let my imagination lead me into a story that snowballs into something much more ominous and harrowing than Rita ever expected... innocence gone astray; secrets, lies and double lives; and how sometimes the choices we make have life-altering consequences.

Writing Challenge: Think about the people in your own life. What do you know about them - are they courageous, successful; are they heroes or are they riddled with failure? What stories have they told you? What stories have you heard about them, even through the grape vine? What don't you know about them that you wish you did? If you mine that terrain, there might be a great story waiting to be told. Start by writing what you know about a person or place and then let your imagination fill in the gaps of what you don't know...You'll be surprised at where things might lead.

To learn more about Kathleen Gerard and the story-behind-the-story of IN TRANSIT---and Kathleen's writing process--be sure to tune in to the cyber-book tour, stopping daily at different book blogs throughout the month of July... Check it out here!

Now that you have a challenge, don’t you need somewhere to start writing? I think so!! Fill out THIS FORM to be entered to win a classy notebook created by yours truly to keep all of your thoughts in. Leave comments too and let me know who popped into your head as you read Kathleen’s challenge. They will be bonuses!! Good luck and happy writing!!

The Map of Time Winners

2011-07-02T22:10:00.002-04:00

I am lucky enough to announce that I have not one, but TWO winners for Felix J. Palma's The Map of Time. Using Random.org to select the winners, congrats go out to...

Nan

and

Kayla L

Congratulations to both of you. I have sent you both an email!

Don't forget that I have another giveaway going on right now for Jay Ashers novel Thirteen Reasons Why that ends on July 7th. Check it out here.

Happy reading :)