Harmony Book Reviews

In 9 hours, my childhood ends.

2011-07-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

Some people are going to roll their eyes and scoff at this post. I feel sorry for the ones that do because they are clearly missing out on something truly amazing.

In less than 12 hours, my childhood will officially be over. Sure, I'm almost 17 so many would say it's been over for a long time but in 12 hours, the series that I grew up with, the series that got me through so many things, will end. Forever. No more books. No more movies. Yes, there's Pottermore but that's not the same.

Almost all of the characters I've loved for the past ten years will die. The rest will end their adventures I've followed so slowly.

Harry Potter has been a huge part of my life since the time I was in kindergarten. I was 6 years old and had 2 best friends. My one friend introduced the other two of us to Harry Potter. Every recess throughout the entire year we'd run around yelling random spells, using sticks as our wands. I was always Ron because my one friend refused to be a guy. I still remember how much trouble the two of us had pronouncing names like "Dumbledore" and "Hermione". Our school teachers even began referring to us as "The Trio".

I bought the first 3 books because my cousin from Florida said they were cool and I wanted to be just like him. It took me a while but once I got into them, I devoured them. Again. And again.I threw Order of the Phoenix at the wall and bawled when Sirius died. I wrote Remus and Tonks fanfiction as I waited for years as I waited for the final book to release. I forced my mom to take me to Kmart at midnight to buy the last book and put up with cranky salesclerks going "Harry Potter is so stupid" and "I'd never let my kid watch it!"

When I was 7, my cousin came over to spend the night. She was a few years older than me and therefore, everything she did was cool. She brought Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, on VHS (yeah, that long ago), and put it in. I remember being captivated to stay up, even after she fell asleep, and periodically waking her up to go "Is this part scary?! I'm scared!" until she finally gave up and shut it off for the night.

I've watched Prisoner of Azkaban, my all-time favorite movie, so many times that I can recite the lines. My friends and I, the original three of us, have attempted to watch all of them in a row more times than I can count. I saw Deathly Hallows Part 1 in the theaters multiple times, something I've never done for any other movie.

At one point, my life was covered in pictures of the cast. I ran a (very bad) fansite. I wrote fanfiction. I read fanfiction. I had dreams about the characters.

And now, in just 9 mere hours, it's all over. Sure, I can reread the books, watch the movies again, but it's never going to be the same.

All of those years, my childhood, it's officially ending.

And I'm not really sure how I feel about it.

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

2011-07-05T19:12:00.001-07:00

Title: Tempest Rising

Author: Tracy Deebs

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Summary:

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her-and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

My Thoughts:

Tempest Rising is a fantastic and original addition to the paranormal market. Deebs created a world and story that is believable and magical at the same time.

I was expecting a semi-cliche mermaid romance but Tempest Rising is far from that. It was nice to read about a character that KNOWS about mermaids, rather than spending half of a novel waiting for her to figure it out. Because of that, more of the novel was spent on developing the world and I loved that. The setting was easily my favorite thing about the novel. Deebs did so well at describing everything clearly without overdescribing and I really felt transported into the world.

I also loved that there was a love triangle where both of the guys were decent. There was no tall, dark, and broody boy in this story, which was a nice change. The romance doesn't overtake the story but it adds nicely to it.

Deebs took this story to places that I did not expect it to go. There were a few moments where I went "No, that won't actually be real" but then it WAS. I love when novels surprise me like that!

Overall, I really enjoyed Tempest Rising and I highly recommend it. I am hoping for a sequel sometime soon!

The A Circuit by Catherine Hapka and Georgina Bloomberg

2011-06-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

Title: The A Circuit

Author: Catherine Hapka and Georgina Bloomberg

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Summary:
The A Circuit is the top of the top when it comes to horse shows. It's a world with its own rules and superprivileged lifestyles. Teens travel the circuit all year, showing horses that cost as much as some homes.

Tommi, Kate, and Zara are all elite competitors on the circuit, but they come from totally different backgrounds. Tommi is a billionaire heiress trying to prove she has real talent (not just deep bank accounts). Kate puts the working in working student-every win has been paid for with hours of cleaning stalls. She's used to the grueling schedule, but Fitz, the barn's resident hot guy, is about to become a major distraction. And then there's Zara. She's the wild child of a famous rockstar, but she's ready to take riding seriously. Can a party girl really change her ways?

Readers who enjoy peeking into the elite world of Gossip Girl or The A-List will feel right at home in this new series with its friendships, drama, and privilege set against the backdrop of competitive horseback riding.

My Thoughts: They were right in comparing The A Circuit to Gossip Girl and The A-List. The A Circuit is full of rich girl drama and not a whole lot of substance, while still pulling the reader in.

The A Circuit is the perfect book for a quick read, especially if you love horses. It's very easy to get sucked into the world of horses and between the three main characters, there is someone for everyone to relate to. Even though I prefer barrel-racing and pole-bending to jumping and hunters, I still loved reading about the competition and the shows. Since Georgina Bloomberg is (or was, maybe) a competitor herself, everything is well-described and accurate, which makes it easy for those who don't know much about horses to still follow the story.

However, while I did honestly enjoy the story, there were a few things I had issues with. First off all, I read somewhere that this was for readers "beginning to grow out of the Canterwood Crest series" and while I do think that this series will appear to Canterwood Crest fans, I also feel like that is not necessarily for the younger fans. There is some drug usage and drinking that don't really serve a purpose and while I do realize that those things happen, I felt like it was just there to make the story more hip. Aside from that, there was some dialogue that made me roll my eyes because no one talks like that, ever.

Overall, though, I definitely enjoyed the A Circuit. It's not meant to be some in-depth and lifechanging book and it's not. It is a quick read and perfect for reluctant readers (especially horse lovers) or just the reader looking for something that's not heavy and dark. I definitely recommend it to other horselovers and will be looking forward to the next book in

Flawless Ruins by Kieryn Nicolas

2011-06-20T16:37:00.001-07:00

Title: Flawless Ruins

Author: Kieryn Nicolas

Publisher: Echelon Press

Summary:

In 2238 life in America is finally perfect. The Wars are over and the CommWall is in place, blocking communication with what remains of other continents. The women are content to have great education, choice careers, and glamorous hair. Best of all, when every girl turns seventeen she's given her Like; an adorable, perfect spouse tailor-made just for her. Everyone looks forward to the day she gets her Like, and Morgan Waters is no exception—until she accidentally stays out past curfew and stumbles across someone who appears to be a Like but claims to be a man. Morgan's perfect world crumbles around her in the midst of a forbidden romance, forcing her to deal with the realization that her life may not be so flawless after all.

My Thoughts: Flawless Ruins is just...flawless! I may be a little biased, as I was given the opportunity to critique a draft of it and help Kieryn make it so amazing but even previous versions were addicting.

There's other novels out there following a similar idea but Kieryn's version is exceptional. Her characters are unique and well-developed and the plot is fast paced and constantly leaving you at the edge of your seat. There were multiple times when I thought I had things figured out but the novel took me by surprise. The world that Kieryn built is so foreign yet realistic at the same time that it was almost scary. What if this is how our world ends up?

The characters were, by far, my favorite thing in the novel. I was extremely impressed by the emotion exposed by the characters, as well as their ability to change and grow with the novel. Plus, there was a certain boy I may have been crushing on. Morgan is one of my favorite female lead characters and I loved watching her grow with the story.

Overall, Flawless Ruins is probably one of the best novels I've read in a while. I highly recommend picking up a copy!

Suzanne Young Guest Blog!

2011-06-15T18:58:00.001-07:00

Today, as part of the A Need So Beautiful Tour, Suzanne Young has stopped by to talk about the difference between writing A Need So Beautiful and The Naughty List Series!

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My first series, THE NAUGHTY LIST, was a ton of fun to write. My family and I would sometimes call out funny phrases like Great Caesar’s Ghost! for my character to say while we were at the dinner table. And although TNL had some sad moments, it was overall a very enjoyable experience.

A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL was very different in that I held on to the idea for a while, twisting it in my head, writing random scenes here and there and then telling my husband about it. It was a very personal story to me, the idea of a stranger being there to help you through a crisis, leaving you wondering if it was real at all. I loved the idea of this girl having the choice to give up everything or fight for her life. aNsB was definitely not dinner conversation. I wrote it very alone, very peacefully—sometimes crying.

But both experiences of writing stayed true to the mood I was conveying with the stories. Maybe I’m a method writer?

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See the post below this for my review of A Need so Beautiful, out this month! Also be sure to check out this trailer:

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

2011-06-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

Title: A Need So Beautiful
Author: Suzanne Young
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Summary:

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be forgotten.

Charlotte's best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she's cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what's really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become—her mark on this earth, her very existence—is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny—no matter how dark the consequences?

My Thoughts:

A Need So Beautiful is a very unique and very thoughtful novel. While it was not quite as gripping and emotional I was expecting based on the reviews I saw, it has left me thinking, even hours after finishing it, which is definite sign it was a good book.

Before I get to the things I loved, I just want to mention the things I didn't. First of all, I never really connected with the story - for most of the book, I couldn't feel the emotion, like many other readers said they did. I also never connected with the characters - I didn't feel like her best friend or Harlin were developed enough and I feel like Harlin especially could have added much more to the story.

That said, this was definitely one of the most thoughtful books I've read in a long time. It's a bit of a "quiet" book. There's a little action in it but it mostly focuses on internal changes and emotion and just gives the reader quite a bit to think about. I love the idea behind the Forgotten, even though it's horribly sad.

Even though I never attached to the book, there is just something drawing my mind back to it, making me think about it, and I love that. It's really hard to explain but there is just something really beautiful about this book. (Besides the cover, I mean!)

This is definitely a big change change from The Naughty List series but I loved it and I can't wait to read more of Suzanne Young's books!

Clarity by Kim Harrington

2011-05-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Title: Clarity

Author: Kim Harrington

Publisher: Point

Summary:

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

My Thoughts: Clarity took me by surprise. I figured "Oh, this will be a nice short book" and what I got was something I could NOT put down. (Seriously, I was reading this in the ER while I got blood drawn & such.)

Clarity is a short novel but it's very well-rounded. There's a paranormal element but it's a realistic one (aka no vampires or witches or werewolves), there's a romantic subplot but it's not overpowering, there's a lot of focus on family relationships, particularly between Clare and her brother, which is something I LOVE to see in novels, and there's the mystery/suspense aspect of the novel. Basically, Clarity has everything.

It was so refreshing to read a novel that didn't need a hundred pages of backstory and just jumped right into the plot.

My favorite thing about Clarity was the fact it kept me guessing. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. I felt like I was solving the mystery right along with Clare and I really connected to her and her emotions, whether she was trying to catch a murdered or figure out her boy situation. The emotional pull to Clare really kept me intrigued in the novel.

Overall, I definitely recommend Clarity. I was ecstatic to find out there's going to be a Book 2 and I can't wait to read it! Fans of The Body Finder will definitely love this one as well.

Guest post from Ramona Wray

2011-05-09T17:28:00.001-07:00

Ramona has been kind enough to stop by with a lovely guest post about her novel, Hex: A Witch and Angel Tale.

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Hi guys. As some of you might know, I was born and raised in Romania. Now, my country has a rich folklore when it comes to things that can go bump in the night. But I chose to write about witches, as opposed to vampires, faeries, strigoi, and so on. So why witches? Well, for starters, I wanted to write about someone alive. Someone whom I could put in the middle of an ordinary setting. Give her a life, a family, friends. Make her likable. (So I would've struggled to write a vampire that could fit this particular bill). On the other hand, in Romania, witches are quite notorious characters. People fear them. People seek their services. Counsel. Advice (and yes, they pay for it). Witches walk in both worlds - they're human, but they have extraordinary powers. They can bring on or get rid of sickness. They can make or break a couple. They can tell fortunes. And they can cast the most horrific curses that live on for generations. Personally, I never met one of these illustrious women (because they're always women), but I grew up listening to these stories and, of course, I was always fascinated. A witch was like Wonder Woman-meets The Halliwell sisters-meets Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil. Amazingly powerful. Cunning. Unstoppable. So, as a little girl (a very dorky little girl), I spent my fair share of time thinking about witches.

Then, a couple of years ago, I was watching Bewitched and it just occurred to me: I should write about a witch. And so, I did. Hope you like my Lily :-) Happy reading.

Hex, a Witch and Angel Tale by Ramona Wray

2011-04-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Title: Hex, a Witch and Angel Tale
Author: Ramona Wray
Publisher: CreateSpace
Summary: Like most girls at Rosemound High School, seventeen-year-old Lily Crane is acutely aware of Ryder Kingscott. Hands down the cutest guy in school, Ryder is cool, mysterious, and utterly untouchable…especially for Lily. For when she touches someone, Lily instantly learns all about their lives. And while such a skill might seem nifty, in truth it is wrecking Lily’s life. So she is shocked when Ryder asks her out — and even more shocked to discover he has a rival. Lucian Bell is the gorgeous new kid who can’t take his eyes off of Lily. Being pursued by two hotties should make a girl happy, but Lily is skeptical. The boys act as if they’ve met before, hating each other with a passion that could only be rooted in a dark, dangerous past. A past full of terrible secrets. The kind of secrets that could get a girl killed.

My Thoughts: Hex is a novel that's hard to write a review of because, on one hand, there were quite a few things I had problems with and yet, on the other hand, it kept me fully captivated, despite being sick in bed with pneumonia, which is not an easy feat.

My main issue with the novel was that a lot of it felt very cliché. Even the summary is very similiar to a variety of other novels out there - the guy a girl's been crushing on finally takes an interest in her and suddenly another boy shows up too and chaos errupts. However, I decided to look past that because 1.) I felt like the witch aspect of the novel would make it a little more interesting and I wanted to know what kind of secrets were being kept. Many of the clichés I was worried about did show up, like the relationship between Ryder and Lily. There were also many times I wanted to slap Lily for being so ridiculous.

Another thing that bothered me was that there were a few sexual scenes that were just very awkward. I felt like they didn't quite fit in with the novel and they definitely took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting them and the way they fit into the Lily/Ryder relationship just made me want to slap one of them.

However, these things aside, I really found myself enjoying Hex. There were quite a few things that kept me intrigued and guessing, especially when I thought I'd figured everything out. I love when novels do that. Ryder and Lucian are both much more complex than they seem to be and I didn't figure out who was good and who was bad until the very last page, which still took me by surprise.

I think that fans of Fallen by Lauren Kate will definitely enjoy this one. It's not for someone looking for a completely original paranormal but if you want a fun but captivating read, definitely give Hex a try. Personally, I'll be looking for future novels by Ms. Wray - I think there's room for nothing but improvement in her writing and I can't wait to see it!

I'm Home!

2011-04-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

This is kind of a belated post but I'm back from Guatemala! For those that didn't know I was gone (I had so much to do before I left, I never got around to putting a post up), I was in Guatemala from March 25-April 3 on a school trip. It was quite honestly the BEST thing I've ever done. Ever. Words can't even describe how amazing it was. But, I thought maybe some pictures could do it better than I could.

When we got to the school, an assembly type thing was held. Most of the classes performed difference dances for us that depicted the traditional Guatemalan lifestyle. The Bilingual Secretary students, pictured above, welcomed us first in English, then in Spanish, and then in Quiché, which is the language of the native local Indians, which was extremely cool. We spent a lot of our time working with their class and helping them with their English.

The above is just a shot of the school from the second level. The center is where the students have their gym class, recess, and free time. The school is a work in progress - they're working on adding another level and a few other buildings to it.
The night we arrived in the town we'd be staying at, there was a Quinceañera, a girl's 15th birthday which is a HUGE deal in their culture, at the hotel we were staying at. It was an honor for us to be invited and even though it was really long and involved a lot of people speaking things I didn't understand, it was also REALLY cool. The cake in the picture was made by the girl's MOM.

We also took a detour to the ancient Mayan ruins, which made the history geek in me fangirl. The top photo is where they used to sacrifice to virgins, the second picture is the view BEFORE we hiked way up HIGHER, and the bottom is me standing where they used to play their ancient sports. Our host is an anthropologist (I think that's what they're called, anywhere) so he knew TONS. It was awesome.
At the end of our week, we took a trip to Panajachel on Lake Atitlan, which is THE most gorgeous place I've seen in my entire life. The photo above was taken from along the road. You can see the volcano in the background with the steam coming out of it. SO beautiful.

Before we left the school, we went around to say our goodbyes to all of the classroom. This is me with either the second or third grade class. All of the kids were so great - we couldn't walk through the halls without a bunch of them running out of class and clinging to us. The teachers were great about it, too.
We had our own personal cook, whose house we went to every night for dinner. One night, she made tomales (sp?) for dinner. They're a traditional food and take FOREVER to make and are usually saved for special occasions. They're also possibly the best thing I've ever tasted.
After the students left each day, we spent the afternoon painting their classrooms. We put different designs in each of them, along with Bible verses above their boards.

So that's a glimpse in to my trip! It was absolutely the most amazing 10 days of my lives and I did NOT want to come back to the States. I'm still craving the perfect weather and the people and the amazing things that we did every day. I'm most definitely planning on going back, hopefully to teach English someday.

I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who helped me make it on that trip, whether it was through the T-shirt promotion, blog promotion, or just a general donation. There is absolutely no way I could've gotten there without that support! So thank you so much!

2011-04-07T14:29:00.001-07:00

Some Awesome Giveaways!

2011-03-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert, is my all-time favorite book. It's the book that changed my life and I love it so much.

My friend, Lauren of Shooting Stars Mag, also adores the book and is doing her fair share to promote it, including some AWESOME contests.

You can win some great things so go HERE to check it out!

Ordinary Beauty Cover!

2011-03-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite authors, Laura Wiess revealed the cover of her upcoming novel, Ordinary Beauty last week. I don't know a lot about this book but I have to say, the cover is absolutely BREATHTAKING. It's probably one of my favorite covers this year.

Gorgeous, right? I absolutely cannot wait to read this one. I've adored all of Laura's previous books and I have no doubt that this one will be absolutely haunting and breathtaking. For more info about Laura and her books, check out her website.

Recently In the Mail...

2011-03-04T15:59:00.000-08:00

I've received some fantastic-looking books in the mail recently but with work and my trip, it's likely that I won't get to them very soon. They all look awesome, though, and I wanted to tell everyone about them.

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson. This one releases in May and I am so excited to read it! It sounds both hilarious and heartfelt AND it takes place in Italy...does it get much better than that?!

Divergent by Veronica Roth. This one showed up unexpectedly and even though I'd heard others talking about it, I hadn't paid much attention to the hype. But after reading the back cover, I am officially psyched to read this!

Haunted by Joy Preble. I accepted this from the publisher because it looks fantastic. The cover is so haunting and pretty. I haven't read the first novel, Dreaming Anastasia, but I plan to before I read this.

Love, Love, Love. This is comprised of two novels, Language of Love and Cupidity, both Simon Romantic Comedies, which I love. I can't wait to read these, especially Language of Love, which is Deborah's first novel.

Sean Griswold's Head and The Royal Treatment by Lindsey Leavitt. Both of these came from their publisher's and I'm super-excited for both. Sean Griswold's Head is Lindsey's first YA novel and The Royal Treatment is the sequel to Princess for Hire. I absolutely adore Lindsey's writing so I can't wait to read these two!

Has anyone read any of these? Or have you received any books you're super excited for?

Suzanne Selfors Interview!

2011-02-27T16:19:00.001-08:00

Your newest novel, Mad Love, deals with a variety of subjects, from writing a book to mythology to mental illness to just being a teenage girl. What inspired you to combine everything in one novel? Was there any one part that was harder or easier to write than the rest?

When I step back and think about it, yes, I did cram a lot into this book. But that wasn't planned. I didn't decide that this was going to be my "issues" book or anything like that. The story grew as I got to know my main character. She has a very complicated life. And I liked the complexity of her situation. There wasn't an easy part to the writing but I will say that Errol, the Cupid character, was the hardest part to write. He wanted to take over the book. I had to keep reminding myself that this was Alice's story. I think I may give Errol his own book one of these days.

As I mentioned, Cupid and mythology play a role in the novel. Is mythology something that's always intrigued you? Do you have a favorite myth?I love mythology. It was my favorite class in high school. It always seeps into my novels. In Coffeehouse Angel, I re-imagined the messenger god, Hermes. In my first adult novel, Daughters of Crete, which was published overseas, I re-imagined the myth of Ariadne and Theseus. And now, in Mad Love, I'm playing with Cupid.

My favorite myth would have to be Daedalus and his winged escape from the labyrinth.

In the novel, Alice's mother is a best-selling romance author and Alice attempts to write her own romance novel. Was it ever difficult or weird to write about writing as a major plot point?
I had fun with that. You see, I know some romance writers and we often talk about how much the genre is made fun of. How people think it's easy to write romance because it's just a formula, etc. I even used to think some of those things. But the truth is, writing is hard, period. Whether you're writing sci fi, kids' novels, mysteries, romances, whatever. It's hard to take a story from beginning to end with 300 pages in between. In Mad Love, I poke fun at the false notions about romance writing, and I try to shed some light on the truth.

You write for both middle grade and teen readers. Do you have a favorite? What has been the main difference in writing for the two age groups?

They are completely different worlds. I love middle grade because those books are all about adventure. I can do anything! And I do. With the teen novels, there has to be some sort of romantic tension. That's trickier for me to write.

What are you working on now? What can readers expect from you next?

Next up is Smells Like Treasure, my sequel to kids' book Smells Like Dog, in May this year. And I'm currently writing my next teen novel, out in 2012. It's a fairy tale.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

2011-02-21T16:44:00.001-08:00

Title: Clockwork Angel

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster)

Summary:

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My Thoughts: I expected to absolutely ADORE Clockwork Angel - afterall, I did a little dance when I snagged a copy (and there are various authors that were witness to this) - and I did. It was so different from what I was expecting but oh so good at the same time.

A good part of the first half of the novel involves a lot of world-building and setting up the plot. This doesn't mean that nothing happens because a lot does, but once you reach the middle of the book, you hit Clare's writing at its finest. I dare you to put the book down once you hit page 300!

The plot...whoa. So different from what I was expecting and yet, I also felt like it was perfect. There were so many plot twists that I did not see coming and I was on the edge of my seat for the last quarter of the book. The ending completely shocked me and the very ending left me begging for Book 2.

Character-wise, I think I love this cast of characters even better than those in Mortal Instruments, which is saying a lot because I LOVE Jace. But oh, the cast of characters in Clockwork Angel is just so unique and they all contrast each other so well. Even the minor characters have distinct personalities and I LOVE that. Each character is so complex and I'm definitely looking forward to spending more time with them and learning more about them. Then, there's Jem and Will...honestly, I adore both of them. At this point, I think it's impossible to choose between them and I love their relationship with each other and how they contrast each other so well. I'm particularly intrigued by Will - I can't wait to find out his secrets!

One of the great things about Clockwork Angel is that you can enjoy it without having read the Mortal Instruments but if you have read the Mortal Instruments, it's almost like you're an insider to some secrets within the book. For example, the character Magnus Bane makes an appearance in Clockwork Angel and he's an important minor character in Mortal Instruments, so it's really interesting to see his character years before that takes place.

Overall, Clockwork Angel did nothing but impress me. It's landed a spot in my all-time favorite books and I can't wait for Book 2. Obviously if you enjoyed Clare's previous books, you'll love this. But, even if you haven't read the Mortal Instruments, definitely give this one a shot! It's worth every penny!

Are Mermaids Real? Guest blog by Hélène Boudreau

2011-02-15T04:52:00.000-08:00

Today, I have author Hélène Boudreau here to talk about whether or not mermaids exist. For more info about her novel, Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings, check out my review.

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Are Mermaids Real?

That is the question, isn’t it? Or, at least the question I hope to answer in this blog post. Well…the scientist in me is pretty sure that there aren’t pods of pesco-sapiens floating around the seven seas but the ‘kid’s writer’ side of my brain isn’t so sure. So, for the sake of argument, and purely for my entertainment (and hopefully yours), let’s review the evidence from all angles.

Pros: what evidence is there that mer-people actually DO exist?

1. A popular theory of evolution involves the idea that all life forms originated from a watery stew called the Primordial Soup. (Mmm…sounds tasty.) Apparently, a bunch of molecules swam around in a liquid suspension, bumped into each other randomly and somehow organized themselves in such a way to support life. So, if humans got their watery beginning this way, what’s to say that there wasn’t a stray branch on the evolutionary tree? Hm?
2. Humans cry salty tears and sweat salty sweat—just like ocean water. Co-inky-dink? I think not.
3. Apparently, humans are the only land animals that can consciously hold their breath. We have a descended larynx like walruses and sea lions, making it easier to block water from flooding our lungs. The evidence does not lie! I read it on the interwebz, after all.

Cons: what evidence is there that mer-people DO NOT exist?

1. Because Youtube says so:

However, IF mer-people actually ARE real, I have a couple of questions for them:

1. What is your preferred mode of communication? Shellphones? (just kidding…) But seriously, do you squeak high-pitched squeals like dolphins or do you use hand gestures? Oh! Can you teach me how to swear in Mermish?
2. There are millions of hits for ‘mermaids’ on Google so why don’t you have a book deal by now? Want me to hook you up with my agent?
3. Boxers or briefs?

So, what about you? Do you have any theories for or against the existence of Real Mermaids? Feel free to share!

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Hélène Boudreau is the author of REAL MERMAIDS DON’T WEAR TOE RINGS. She’s never spotted a real mermaid in the wild but the writer in her thinks they are just as plausible as seahorses, flying fish and electric eels.

In a fun promotion, Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky is offering signed Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings bookplates with proof of purchase. More info HERE.

*You can find Hélène on Twitter, Facebook and on her Website.

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors + CONTEST

2011-02-14T04:42:00.000-08:00

Title: Mad Love

Author: Suzanne Selfors

Publisher: Walker Books

Summary:

When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother-and she needs one fast.

That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth-that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.

My Thoughts: Mad Love was...everything I wasn't expecting, which is both good and bad.

Mad Love is much more than a fun Valentine's Day story. With the exception of Cupid playing a major role, it's not exactly a very Valentine's Day-y read. In fact, it's not a very light read at all. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing because Mad Love weaves together some very important topics and brings a mythological tale to life as a subplot, all while keeping the book realistic.

One thing I loved about Mad Love is that it tackled the issue of mental illness and another disease without becoming an "issue" book or a depressing read. Both were weaved into the story in a way that did not hog the plot while also bringing attention to the matter. That's something that is not usually done well in YA and I think that Selfors did a fantastic job of it.

I also loved the role that writing played in the novel. Alice, who has never written anything in her life, has to attempt to write the next greatest romance novel. As a writer, it was entertaining to watch someone attempt to write a book based on how they think it's done and all of the attempts she made.

The range of characters in the story was great - I don't think there was a single stereotypical character in there. Some characters provided comic relief, others propelled the angst and some did both.

However, the downside to a novel with so many original characters and subplots is that sometimes, I really wanted more and felt like they weren't all fully developed. Since the over-all novel was so well-written, it didn't take too much away from the story, though.

If you're looking for a unique and captivating novel, check out Mad Love!

CONTEST:
The publisher has generously offered not only a hardcover of Mad Love but also a paperback of Suzanne's previous novel, COFFEEHOUSE ANGEL. (Which I loved!)

To Enter:
-Must have a US address
-Must be 13 or older.

-Leave a comment on this post either commenting on my review or letting me know why you want to win.

Ends: February 28th

Bitter Melon by Cara Chow

2011-02-11T17:00:00.001-08:00

Title: Bitter Melon

Author: Cara Chow

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary:

Frances, a Chinese-American student at an academically competitive school in San Francisco, has always had it drilled into her to be obedient to her mother and to be a straight-A student so that she can go to Med school. But is being a doctor what she wants? It has never even occurred to Frances to question her own feelings and desires until she accidentally winds up in speech class and finds herself with a hidden talent. Does she dare to challenge the mother who has sacrificed everything for her? Set in the 1980s.

My Thoughts: It's a bit of an understatement to say I liked Bitter Melon. I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed it, much more than I thought I would. It made me think and gave me insight to something that I'd never really thought about, which is something I really love in a book.

To be honest, I'd never given much thought to Chinese-American students and how smart they tend to be. In my tiny little town, I don't think there's a single Chinese-American student at my school so it was just something that never came on to my radar. This book, however, put things into total perspective. It tackled an issue that seems to be very prominent in society without being preachy or whiny.

Bitter Melon is a truly dynamic book - it does not just focus on academics or the mother-daughter relationship or any other particular thing. Instead, it weaves in the high standards Frances is expected to meet and maintain with things that your every day teen faces, like relationships with boy and self-esteem. Each subplot is fully developed and woven together to create a story that's hard to put down.

Frances is a character that everyone is going to be able to relate to and a character that I really admire. Her determination really struck a chord with me and while I don't want to give anything away, I was really proud of her by the end of the novel. Obviously the Chinese culture plays a part in this and honestly, the culture difference shocked me. I'd never really given any thought to how different nationalities within the US live and the little things were just...wow. However, that insight to Chinese culture also added insight to the characters of Frances' mom and their family friends and why they did the things they did. As I said, Bitter Melon is dynamic and everything works together.

Overall, I highly recommend this one. I had trouble putting it down and it's perfect for when you don't want to read a dark issue book but need something more than a fluff read. It's a book that I'm sure is definitely going to mean something to Chinese-Americans but will also relate to all other teens as well. So if you see a copy in the store, be sure to pick it up!

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

2011-02-07T15:51:00.001-08:00

Title: Shift

Author: Jeri Smith Ready

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary:

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

My Thoughts: Shade was my favorite paranormal of 2010 and I basically idolize Jeri Smith Ready (seriously, if you love paranormal and music, read her adult books!), so I had huge expectations for Shift. So huge, in fact, that once I actually had a copy of the book, I was afraid to read it for fear of being disappointed.

But, of course, Jeri is a genius and I had no reason to worry because well, Shift ROCKS. Hard. I read it when I was sick and wanted to do nothing but sleep and yet it still managed to make me never, ever want to put it down.

Okay, fangirling aside now. (Maybe)

Shift picks up a little bit after Shade leaves off, with Aura still caught between her feelings for Logan and Zachary and Logan basically stuck between shade and ghost. Logan wants to be with Aura, even though he can't touch her, Aura's trying to move on, and Zachary is gorgeous, er, I mean, wants Aura for himself. However, unlike in Shade, there's a few unseen twists that makes this love triangle into more of a love...pentagon, which sounds kind of ridiculous but actually brings out a lot of emotion and lets the reader see other sides of the story.

Aside from the romantic twists, Shift is full of all different kinds of plot twists. Sometimes the reader is expecting them or at least something similar, sometimes the reader isn't. Either way, it pretty much guarantees the book isn't going to be put down. I don't want to say anything else about that because I don't want to spoil it.

One of my favorite things about Shift is that even though it's the second book in a series, it doesn't feel like the second book in a series. What I mean by that is a lot of the time, Book 2 just feels like an extension of Book 1 and is just carrying the characters along to Book 3 with no real plot, no real ending. But Shift is fully developed and the ending is wrapped up nicely while still leaving the reader with enough questions to make them want the next book RIGHT NOW.

I also love how we get to see the different sides of various characters in the story, especially Logan's brothers. And Zachary's accent. And I love reading about the music and the stars and everything else that filters into making Shift stand out from all of the other paranormal books out there. And I love Zachary.

And...I could go on all day. The point is, I LOVE THIS BOOK.

If there's one book you pre-order all year, it should be SHIFT. It's truly refreshing and is definitely going to surpass everyone's expectations. If you haven't read Shade, then you're truly missing out and need to order it ASAP!

Teen Chick Lit

2011-02-07T15:19:00.001-08:00

I just wrote a post over at the YA Lit Six that I think many of my readers here will enjoy! Check it out!

Guatemala Update #2

2011-02-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

(For new followers of my blog, you can view this post, which explains my Guatemala trip and the various fundraisers I was/am doing.)

It's official! My passport came in the mail today and our plane tickets have been purchased! In 6 weeks and 5 days, I will be boarding a plane to head to Joyabaj, Guatemala. I'm starting to get really excited and nervous too!

Unfortunately, I still have a lot to do before then, like raise another $800. I'm applying for a few jobs, so cross your fingers that I'll get one(!), but that still won't be enough.

I am also still offering all of the opportunities from my first post.

-Advertising on my blog is still $5 for two weeks.
-Critiques are $10-$15, depending on the novel length. (I can provide references for this as well.)
-There is still some room left on the shirts but I am designing them TODAY. This is a great promo opportunity for your book but if you're interested, please contact me TODAY.
-Finally, if you aren't interested in any of these options but would still like to help me meet my goal, there is still a Paypal button in the corner of my blog.

I also want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone that has helped me so far. I wouldn't have made it this far without your support. Every little bit does make a difference and I really believe that we'll be making a HUGE difference in the lives of the people we're going to meet. We're basically the first American students to EVER visit this school and we're going to be doing all sorts of community service projects. We're also taking over laptops and other supplies for the students, things that they'd normally never have. I think this is going to be a life-changing experience for everyone involved.

Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris

2011-01-26T16:23:00.001-08:00

Title: Will Work for Prom Dress

Author: Aimee Ferris

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary:

Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann's Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because - hey - who doesn't want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date?

But the prom costs money - lots of money - and even though the girls could easily have Ann's mom design their dresses (she's only Victoria Parisi, one of the most famous designers in the world), Ann insists that they pay their own way. And that's how Quigley gets stuck making artistic topping masterpieces on frozen pizzas canvases, before becoming a live model for Ms. Parisi's fashion design class, where she meets Zander.

He's cute, and cool, and funny, with a killer design sensibility (even if he can't sketch). But is he too good to be true? And what about David, the hot, talented artist at school, who's also kind of a jerk, but won't leave Quigley alone? And Ann - she started the Betterment Plan to improve Quigley and herself, but it seems like it's ripping their friendship to shreds.

This road to the prom dream may just end in disaster.

My Thoughts: I will admit to being pleasantly surprised by Will Work for Prom Dress. I was expecting some light, fluffy prom-themed novel and while Will Work for Prom Dress is fun, there is so much more to it than that.

Now, I don't want to give too many of the subplots away here but I thought they all worked perfectly and quite honestly, I was shocked by some of them. Particularly the one involving Zander. I love how there was fun subplots, like Dave's, but also more serious ones, like Zander's and Ann's relationship. It all balanced out to create a book that was fun but still had depth.

Character-wise...Well, I love Zander. He was sweet and flawed. Dave was also an interesting character, as was Ann's boyfriend, T-shirt. Each of them had their own quirks and flaws. Ann and Quigley both had distinct personalities and contrasted each other nicely. The situations they got themselves into were usually rather amusing.
In fact, a lot of the novel was amusing - I found myself cracking up more than once.

The ending was unexpected but cute, which I liked.

Overall, Will Work for Prom Dress is more than a typical fluff novel but is still perfect for that Valentine's Day or pre-prom read. It's entertaining and will most likely bring a smile to your face. Highly recommended.

3rd Blogoversary!

2011-01-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

Wow. Yesterday was my 3rd blogoversary and I nearly forgot about it in the middle of midterm madness.

I cannot believe it's been THREE years.

That, to me, is amazing.

So much has changed since I started blogging...everything is different now and I'm glad I began when I did.

Usually, I go all out to celebrate my blogoversary but this year, it's just not possible. I did want to take the time to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone that reads this blogger, to every author or publicist who has ever sent me a book, and to all of the friends I've made since blogging. It's been a great experience.

Next year, I promise, I'll go all out!

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau

2011-01-22T17:11:00.001-08:00

Title: Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings

Author: Helene Boudreau

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Summary:

Freak of nature takes on a whole new meaning...

If she hadn't been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to get into a relaxing bathtub after a stressful day of shopping for tankinis and come out with scales and a tail?

Most. Embarrassing. Moment. Ever.

Jade soon discovers she inherited her mermaid tendencies from her mom. But if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown?

Jade is determined to find out. So how does a plus-size, aqua-phobic mer-girl go about doing that exactly? And how will Jade ever be able to explain her secret to her best friend, Cori, and to her crush, Luke?

This summer is about to get a lot more interesting...

My Thoughts: Oh, how I love this book! It's most definitely something I would have ate up in a heartbeat as a tween. It's cute, spunky, and original and there's mermaids...what more could a girl ask for?

From the first page, I was hooked. Jade's narrative was captivating from the beginning. She tells things as it is and the situations she gets herself into, like getting her first period in a dressing room, will make readers laugh and sympathize with her. One thing I loved about Jade is that she wasn't depicted as being the perfect skinny girl - she has some issues with her weight and while it's not made into a huge part of the novel, I know it will allow some younger readers to see more of themselves in her.

One of the things I love about middle grade is that because middle graders are more...flexible...then YA readers, things don't need to be quite as developed. If this had been a YA, it would have been expected that the romance and friendships and the whole mermaid thing was more developed and realistic. But, it's MG and because of that, it works. The romance is kept light, the friendships are realistic, and the mermaid thing is done in a way that it's realistic enough.

I also love how deeper issues, such as her mom's drowning, were mixed in to balance out the fluff. Everything worked out nicely, making this a perfect quick reader.

Overall, I highly recommend Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings. It's a great MG book and will appeal to some YA readers as well.

Last Post of 2010!

2010-12-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

As I'm writing this, there's about 26 hours left in 2010. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in a chair at my grandma's attempting to hold back tears and remember good things that had happened in 2009 and making plans to make 2010 better.

Unfortunately, 2010 began with tears (over something that know seems so stupid I want to slap myself) and, well, it didn't get much better than that.

I'm not one to write personal posts on this blog or, well, anything not related to books, really, because for one, my parents are strict about things like that and two, my life isn't all that exciting. But, I can safely say that 2010 sucked for me. A lot of it was that normal teenage crap...boy drama, friend drama, family drama...all of that lovely stuff that comes from being a teenager but a lot of it was more than that, like coming sososooo close to losing my little brother, who just happens to be the most important person in the entire world to me. (It's been months and he's okay now but I can barely even think about it without tearing up. I love that kid.)

I also have a habit of taking on more than I can handle, procrastinating, and then stressing about it until it becomes a health problem, and I did that a LOT this year. I set super-high expectations for myself every year and this year I did more than normal. For example, I'm taking 10 classes this year and at least 2 of them are honors classes and others require a LOT of reading/writing. That alone is hard work but then I decided that I needed to be perfect, that every single grade I got had to be at least a 95. The result was a lot of stress and growing hatred for classes I originally adored.

I also started or continued a lot of projects this year...this blog, PAYA, Brightly Woven Fan, a sekrit project for an author, a teen advisory board for my library, and I attempted a few others. Every time someone asked me to do something, I said yes. Because of that, EVERYTHING suffered, including this blog, which makes me sad, because I feel so strongly about some of the projects I started.

That said, when 2010 decided to be good to me, it was REALLY good to me. 2010 brought the first annual PAYA Festival which was just...fantastic. Words can't even describe how I felt about it. I'd worked for so long and so hard to pull it off and it was just amazing. I feel no shame in admitting I was really proud of myself that night.

2010 also brought ALA, which was my first major book conference. Those three days can also be referred to as some of the best days of my life. I can honestly say I've never enjoyed myself as much as I did at ALA. I met some of the most amazing people I've met in my life and so many authors that I look up to - Stephanie Kuehnert, Laurie Halse Anderson, Elizabeth Scott, Ellen Hopkins, Jeri Smith-Ready, etcetc - and got to hang out with James (of Book Chic) and Tiff (aka the best librarian in the world) and it was just SO MUCH FUN.

I also got a car (that I can't drive yet).

Those three things are honestly the only amazing things I can remember about 2010 and I still have a lot of leftover feelings about the bad things, so tomorrow I will be writing a long letter about all of everything I hated then I'm going to burn it and move on. Hopefully it won't be too hard to make 2011 better than that.

Normally, I would spend tonight and tomorrow writing a very long list of resolutions and goals for 2011 but, I realized that might be my problem. My expectations are always set too high. So, my one and only resolution for 2011 is just to live and enjoy life. It's time for me to quit wishing things were different and wanting to be more and have more and just ENJOY IT.

How did 2010 treat you? What are your resolutions? Anything you're looking forward to in 2011?

End of 2010 Survey!

2010-12-30T17:39:00.000-08:00

I'm stealing this from Jamie at the Perpetual Page Turner.

1. Best book of 2010? Oh geez, this is hard...for paranormal, I'll have to say Shade by Jeri-Smith Ready and for contemporary, it's a tie between Sea by Heidi Kling and Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala. Oh! And Last Sacrifice. <3 Ooh! or Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore! Or...well, let's just say there were a LOT of awesome 2010 books!

2. Worst book of 2010? Hmm....does A Tale of Two Cities count? I had to read it for history class and it was horrid.

3. Most Disappointing Book of 2010? I have no clue. I don't tend to finish books that I'm not loving and there wasn't any book that I was looking forward to that I remember disappointing me.

4. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2010? Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready! I accepted the pitch from the publicist because I generally like paranormal, then pushed it up on my list when I found out I'd be meeting Jeri at ALA. I ended up staying awake to read it on the way down to D.C. instead of reading like I'd planned too.

5. Book you recommended to people most in 2010? Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert. If you've been following my blog/Twitter for long, you know that's my all-time favorite book. I'm constantly telling people to buy it and my answer to "What's your favorite book?" or "Do you have any book suggestions?" is ALWAYS Ballads!

6. Best series you discovered in 2010? Vampire Academy! I know, I know, I was late! But I read these books this summer and could NOT put them down. I FLEW through the first 4 and begged for the 5th and was the first to get the final one from my library. I'm a total Dimitri fangirl!

7. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2010? Jeri Smith Ready! I absolutely ADORE her now and a bunch of Tenners, like Amy Brecount White, Holly Cupala, etcetc.

8. Most hilarious read of 2010? This is a tough question! I'd have to say...probably The DUFF by Kody Keplinger. I adore that book so much!

9. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2010? Last Sacrifice, hands down! Crescendo was great too - I read both of them straight through!

10. Book you most anticipated in 2010? Last Sacrifice, for sure!

11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2010? This is so hard because there's SO many fantastic covers out there...I'd have to say SEA by Heidi Kling. I love the blues!

12. Most memorable character in 2010? Dimitri, most definitely. <3 style="font-weight: bold;">13. Most beautifully written book in 2010? Tell Me a Secret by Heidi Cupala, for sure.

14. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2010? Oh lord, this is HARD. I really want to say Ballads of Suburbia because my god, that book changed my life, but I read that last year. So...I don't know! There were some great books that made me think but I can't think of any that hit me quite as hard as Ballads did last year.

15. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2010 to finally read? Vampire Academy! Oh, those books are SO amazing! Also, Sweethearts by Sara Zarr!

Holiday Hiatus!

2010-12-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to let you know I'm taking a short break for the holidays. I'll be back in 2011 with a bunch of new features.

I'm looking for someone that can make me a layout so if that's you, send me an email! harmonybookreviews[at]yahoo[dot]com.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everyone!

Harmony

Enticing Sites and A Giveaway

2010-12-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

I absolutely adored Entice and Bloomsbury USA has a very fun Facebook fanpage set up here. They have some great extras so if you enjoy the series, definitely check out out. Also check out the trailer, which I've embedded below.

Finally, Bloomsbury has graciously offered ONE copy of ENTICE for someone to win in a giveaway.

Rules:

1.) Leave a comment below and tell me why you want Entice.

2.) "Like" the NeedPixies site on Facebook and tell me in your comment for an extra entry.

US ONLY. No P.O. boxes.

Ends January 10th.

Entice by Carrie Jones

2010-12-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

Title: Entice

Author: Carrie Jones

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Summary:

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that's not quite how things have worked out. For starters, well, Nick is dead. Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla? And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't turned into just any pixie. . . She's Astley's queen.

My Thoughts:

Until I read ENTICE, I forgot how much I adored this series. It's fun and scary and romantic and has a spunky kick-butt main character and I just can't get enough.

Entice is the third book in the series and due to that, it's almost like a continuation of CAPTIVATE. That's not necessarily a bad thing because we get to a lot of answers and a lot more questions but don't expect a definite conclusion of the story. Another thing about Entice is that a lot of the plot involved Zara trying to get to Nick, failing, and then putting more people in danger. It happened so many times that in that aspect, it was predictable.

What I absolutely LOVED about Entice is that we got to learn a lot more about the characters. Issie, Dev, and Cassidy all become more developed as the importance of their roles increase. And Astley...oh, Astley. I love him. He is so dimensional and bad and I should hate him but he's actually rather sweet. I love how we got to see more of the different sides of him - the good, the bad, and the heartbreaking. I like Zara too, particularly her kick-butt-ness but she annoyed me at times. We also get introduced to more pixie characters and I'm excited to hear more from them.

Overall, Entice was a fabulous edition to the series. I flew through it and I cannot wait for Book 4!

Books Make Great Christmas Presents: Realistic Fiction

2010-12-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

Below you'll find a bunch of my all-time favorite realistic fiction books that would make great gifts!

1.) Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert
Perfect For: Older teens and some adults
Why It's A Great Gift - Ballads of Suburbia is my all-time favorite book. It's one that I continue to recommend over and over even though I first read it over a year ago. If my house burnt down, my signed copy of BALLADS is one of the first things I'd grab. Which is all to say - Ballads of Suburbia is a thought-provoking, emotional, honest, AMAZING book. It sugarcoats NOTHING and is just the perfect book for anyone.

2.) Beautiful by Amy Reed
Perfect For: older teens
Why It's A Great Gift - Beautiful is along the lines of Ballads of Suburbia in that it talks about drugs and suicide. However, it's much shorter and not quite as hardcore. It'd be the perfect gift for a teen that loved Ballads or isn't quite ready to read something as hardcore as Ballads.

3.) After by Amy Efaw

Perfect For - Teens, even some adults, with open minds

Why It's A Great Gift - After covers some sensitive material - babies being left in dumpsters. Even more sensitive is the fact that the mom of the baby is a teenager and claims to not know she's pregnant. It's a topic that most people have strong opinions about but After does a great job of showing the OTHER side to the story. Because of that, After is a great read for a teen that wants to be challenged.

4.) The Snowball Effect by Holly Nicole Hoxter
Perfect For - Teens
Why It's a Great Gift - It's great for teens that enjoy their romance but want something with a little more substance. It's fun and cute but also well-written and not at all a fluffy novel. Plus, it's got "Snowball" in the title.

5.) Break by Hannah Moskowitz
Perfect For - Teens, especially boys
Why It's A Great Gift - Honestly, there is no other book like Break out there. It's quick-paced and heartbreakingly honest. The main character is a boy that is on a mission to break all of his bones. While that may sound disturbing, I guarantee you'll be so sucked into the book you won't think so. It's the perfect book for boys, especially reluctant readers.

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

2010-12-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

Title: The Lost Saint

Author: Bree Despain

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary: The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved mother. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desparate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung. Readers, raveous for more Grace and Daniel, will be itching to sink their teeth into The Lost Saint.

My Thoughts: The Dark Divine was one of my favorite books of 2009, so you can imagine how excited I was to read The Lost Saint. And, quite honestly, it went above my expectations.

The Lost Saint is like many other 2nd-in-a-trilogy books in that it develops the characters and leaves behind much of the intense romance that just flows along nicely. For someone, like me, who lives for the heartbreaking romantic scenes, this can be bad. But, Despain did a great job of turning The Lost Saint into much more than a romance story and still keeping the romance-lovers happy.

I love how the characters evolved in this story. Grace is not the perfect pastor's daughter anymore and Daniel isn't some tortured soul that thinks he's not good enough. The range of supporting characters grows as well. The plot also takes a few turns that I definitely did not see coming and I loved it.

The Lost Saint adds so much to the tale of Grace and Daniel. Fans of The Dark Divine are sure to love it. I can't wait for the final installment!

I've included the book trailer below. I'm not usually into book trailers but this one is outstanding. If you aren't excited for The Lost Saint yet, this is sure to get you there!

Book Discussion: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

2010-12-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

Book Discussion is going to be a new, occassional feature I have here where instead of reviewing a popular book, we can have a discussion about it. Spoilers ARE allowed so please be aware when you read the post and reader interaction is encouraged!

Today, I'd like to discuss Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick which is, of course, the sequel to Hush Hush. It released in October and I finally had the chance to read it two days ago. I literally read it in one night, I dropped EVERYTHING until I finished it.

Obviously, I was a fan of HUSH HUSH. I felt that it was compelling and I was definitely sucked into the tale. It was the first angel book I read and I loved it. I saw where the people who hated it because of Patch were coming from but I don't think the author was promoting that we all go find creepy boyfriends. Really, without Patch, the book would have been crap. Yes, he's not the ideal boy but his creep-factor added a LOT to the book.

Crescendo was...intense. I honestly thought that Patch was the bad guy. I really did. I didn't want it to be but all of the signs were pointing to him. So when it ended up being Rixon, I was completely SHOCKED. Also, the whole thing with her dad was incredible. The last page left my mouth hanging out.

I love how Nora grew as a character. She wasn't one of those characters that just went along with whatever her bf said, even if her instinct said to run. She stood up for herself.

I want the next installment NOW. What's going to happen to Patch? How long until the archangels find him? What are the Nephilim (if I spelled that right) going to do to the fallen angels?

What did you guys think of the book? Love it, hate it? What do you think is going to happen in the next installment?

Update on Guatemala

2010-12-04T10:30:00.001-08:00

As I posted about a few days ago, I have the opportunity to go on a trip to Guatemala. It's the trip of a lifetime and I'm absolutely ecstatic to be going.

Unfortunately, I just found out that the first payment, which is due the beginning of January, is double the amount I was expecting. If I don't get that first payment in, I'm unable to go on the trip. EDIT: I made the first payment!!! But I am still short on money to get my passport, which I need ASAP, and more payments will be due soon!So I'm asking anyone who's willing to please help me get there. Any contributition, whether it's $5 or $10 or more, puts me that much closer to being able to go. In addition, I'm still offering the services mentioned in my previous post and if anyone has anything else they'd like to me to do, please contact me.

I've added a "Donate Now" button on my side bar that takes you directly to Paypal if you're interested.

Thank you!

Harmony

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

2010-12-02T11:08:00.001-08:00

Title: Siren

Author: Tricia Rayburn

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything--the dark, heights, the ocean--but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is until Justine goes cliff diving one night near the family's vacation house in Winter Harbor, Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Vanessa's parents want to work through the tragedy by returning to their everyday lives back in Boston, but Vanessa can't help feeling that her sister's death was more than an accident. After discovering that Justine never applied to colleges, and that she was secretly in a relationship with longtime family friend Caleb Carmichael, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor to seek some answers.

But when Vanessa learns that Caleb has been missing since Justine's death, she and Caleb's older brother, Simon, join forces to try to find him, and in the process, their childhood friendship blossoms into something more.
Soon it's not just Vanessa who is afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes home to a string of fatal, water-related accidents . . . in which all the victims are found grinning from ear to ear.

As Vanessa and Simon probe further into the connections between Justine's death and the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance, and that will change her life forever.

My Thoughts: This was the first book I read by Tricia Rayburn and the first book I've ever read about sirens and I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. I had high expectations going into this book and thought I knew what to expect but what I got was something completely different. Something unique with a lot of potential.

I loved the world that was built. It was the perfect book to read when it was snowing and I was dreaming of summer. I could easily picture the town and the places that the characters went, especially the one diner. I also loved how the truth about the sirens came out and all of the quirky things connected to that were revealed.

Unfortunately, I couldn't really connect with the characters. I couldn't feel the emotion coming through, even in some of the more emotional scenes. I felt like we only get a slight glimpse into the characters. I could never figure out why Vanessa felt so attached the Simon and because of that, their relationship fell flat.

However, this is the first in a series and I think that as the series continues, the characters will become more and more alive. I feel like this could develop into a series that everyone is excited for and I can't wait to read more by Rayburn!

BMGCP: It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder

2010-12-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite middle-grade books is It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder (who also happens to be one of my favorite authors.) It's fun, cute, and the perfect read for any time of the year. Tweens, particularly girls, are sure to fall in love with the story and lucky for them, a companion will be coming out next year.

Other Options:
Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne. I reviewed this book back on my old blog and it's still a favorite of mine. It's great for any tween and even better for those tweens that are starting to become weight-conscious.

The Wedding Planner's Daughter (and sequels) by Coleen Murtagh Paratore. I fell in love with this series a few years ago and even though I'm technically to old to enjoy it now, I still find myself waiting for the sequels. These books are laugh-out-loud funny and a quick read. Paratore's other book, The Funeral Director's Son, is a great pick for boys as well.

Help Me Get to Guatemala!

2010-12-01T10:01:00.000-08:00

The opportunity to travel to the small, mountainous town of Joyabaj, Guatemala with a few of my classmates has recently been presented to me. It's an amazing opportunity, one that could potentially be life-changing, and I'm EXTREMLY excited to be going. We spend 10 days there, going to school with the teens to learn and teach, do community service in the afternoon, go to one of the famous markets, and explore ancient Mayan ruins.

(This is the school we'll be attending.)

Unfortunately, the trip is rather expensive and the deal with my parents was that if I wanted to go, I had to pay for it myself. I had to get creative with my ways of raising money, so I've come up with these services.

For Authors:

1.) I'm having shirts printed up to promote books. These shirts will be worn by me and at least 4 of my friends in all different parts of Pennsylvania and other states. I've done this before with websites and businesses and it provides a great conversation piece where the person wearing the shirt can talk about the books and spread the word.

For a donation of $10, I'll have the title of your book and your name ("Book X by XYZ") on the back of all the shirts. For a donation of $30, I'll print the cover of your book and any other info you want (like the date it releases, etc) on the front of ONE shirt.

I'll be doing my best to create a design that is eye-catching and benefits everyone a great deal.

2.) Advertising on my blog. I'm offering advertising spots for countdowns, covers, or any other blog gadgets I can add to my sidebar for $5 for two weeks. I average over 1,200 views each month so quite a few people would be viewing the advertisement.

For Everyone Else:

1.) Manuscript Critiques. Critiquing manuscripts is one of my favorite things to do and for a donation of $15, I will critique a manuscript up to 80,000 words. For a donation of $20, I'll critique a larger wordcount. My critiques are an over-all critique where I comment on things such as characterization, plot, dialogue, realistic-ness, slow parts, and anything that you'd like me to focus on. I am very thorough with my critiques but I do not focus on line-by-line.

If you're interested in any of these or would like more information, please email me at harmonybookreviews[at]yahoo[dot]com.

The Lost Saint Giveaway!

2010-11-23T11:44:00.001-08:00

The eagerly awaited sequel to The Dark Divine releases next month but in the meantime, I have a copy of the coveted ARCs to give away! (A review with my thoughts will be coming soon but let me just say that it's AWESOME!)

To Enter:

Leave a comment with your email.

Extra entry for being a follower. (Tell me so in your comment.)

Ends December 7th.

US entries only!

BMGCP: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

2010-11-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

One of my all-time favorite books is Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken and I think that any fantasy fan will agree that it's amazing. There's plenty of magic and battles but also romance which makes it perfect for every reader. Even better, if you buy a copy now, you can be entered to win a bunch of things.

Other Options: Other by Karen Kincy, for the paranormal fan looking for something new, and any book by Tamora Pierce for the fantasy fan.

BMGCP: The Clearing by Heather Davis

2010-11-18T12:51:00.000-08:00

As Day One of Books Make Great Christmas Presents, I'm featuring one of my favorite historical and time-travel books, The Clearing by Heather Davis.

The Clearing is both historical and a time-travel novel. It's short and once you start the story it's hard to put down, making it ideal for reluctant readers. I think adult fans of The Time Traveler's Wife would also enjoy it. My full review is here.

Alternative: Lady Macbeth's Daughter by Lisa Klien. It's a great historical romance for the historical fan. One of my all-time favorites.

Books Make Great Christmas Presents

2010-11-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is my favorite type of year. In my house, we celebrate starting...well, now. My grandma just decorated her house because we celebrate Christmas with my little cousins at Thanksgiving.

I love buying presents. I feel the need to buy things for EVERYONE and I put a TON of thought into each gift. 90% of the gifts I give are either homemade (not necessarily by me) or books. Books make amazing Christmas presents. But, sometimes, it's hard to decide what ones to buy.

That's why I'll be running a feature between now and Christmas featuring different books that would be great Christmas gifts for absolutely everyone.

In the meantime, what are your favorite books to give as gifts?

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

2010-11-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

Title: Fixing Delilah

Author: Sarah Ockler

Publisher: Little, Brown

Summary: Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.

She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

Rich with emotion, Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story of family, love, and self-discovery.

My Thoughts: I absolutely adored Sarah Ockler's previous novel, Twenty Boy Summer, and I was eagerly looking forward to Fixing Delilah so when I picked up a copy at ALA, I was ecstatic.

Fixing Delilah captivated me from the first page. It picks up at a spot where it's impossible to not wonder what's happening and that alone keeps you flipping the pages. Each chapter presents you with new questions and unncertainities. What really happened? Why does no one speak of her grandma? I was so into finding out what the answers were, that I barely put the book down.

One of the many things that makes Ockler an amazing author is her ability to effectively write complicated and realistic relationships. The relationships between Delilah and her mom, her mom and her aunt, Delilah and her not-boyfriend, Delilah and her friends, her mom and her grandma and everyone else are each so well-written and the core of the entire book. Each of the characters themselves are like real people - there's no perfect boy or good-two-shoes girl in Fixing Delilah. The story honestly and accurately tells the story of a broken family and does it very, very well.

Fixing Delilah did not disappoint and Miss Ockler is certainly earning her place as an author to look out for.

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

2010-11-09T13:18:00.001-08:00

Title: The Duff

Author: Kody Keplinger

Publisher: Poppy

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

My Thoughts: You're either going to love or hate The Duff. I loved it.

My favorite thing about the story is the characters, Bianca and Wesley especially. Most books feature characters that the reader can relate to and sympathize with. Not Keplinger. These characters are people you're going to want to hate. Wesley is your typical player that everyone who isn't sleeping with him loves to hate and Bianca is sarcastic and cynical, sometimes to the point where she's downright mean. Neither of them are people I would want as friends. But man, they totally ROCK the story. It's so realistic because these are REAL characters. They have multiple sides to them, just like real people do, and there's just something about them that makes you want to keep reading.

Keplinger kept the plot upbeat while also tackling some tougher subjects. There's a lot of dry humor in the story, which I loved. However, there's also some tough subjects presented - self-image, divorce, drunk parents, etc - and Keplinger did a good job of handling them. I felt like more time could have been spent on them but in my opinion, this wasn't necessarily a heavy issue book. The issue of self-image was the most heavily tackled, considering the book is called the DUFF or, The Designated Ugly Fat Friend, and Keplinger's take on it is unique and not necessarily what the reader would expect.

There were times when The Duff truly surprised me. I thought I knew what Bianca was going to do and then the book took a completely different route. I loved that, as well as the intense scenes between Wesley and Bianca.

Overall, I absolutely adored The Duff. I wish that certain parts had been developed slightly more but even so, it managed to keep me up half the night until I finished reading. I am thoroughly looking forward to whatever Keplinger comes up with next!

4 Things

2010-11-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

1.) Yes, I've been a little MIA lately. School is insane. I have no clue why I took 9 classes, especially when half of them are honors courses or require extensive writing. Insane.

2.) I finally revealed a secret project I've been working on for a loong time! Check it out here! There's even a contest for spreading the word.

3.) The 2010 Fall PAYA Auctions have started! There's a bunch of signed books up right now, including a signed copy of Will Grayson Will Grayson, and all of them would be FANTASTIC Christmas presents. The proceeds go to libraries so go bid!

4.) I started a writing blog. It's time for me to step up with my writing, so instead of just occassionally blogging about it here, I'm now on Wordpress. Head on over to read about my NaNoWriMo book!

Rae by Chelsea Rae Swiggett

2010-11-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

Title: Rae (a Louder than Words memoir)

Author: Chelsea Rae Swiggett

Rating: 9.5/10

Publisher: HCI

Summary:

Rae is beyond socially awkward.

Since she was a little girl, Rae Swiggett knew something was different about her. The sound of planes flying overhead could spark a panic attack. Being called on in class was enough to push her over the edge. She feared the unknown, life, death, people . . . even fear itself.

By the time she reached ninth grade, Rae was muddling through life in relative silence, convinced everyone was mocking her, judging her, picking her apart, bit by little bit. Rae knew she couldn't keep going on this way. She knew something had to give.

'It's a game of catch-22 I constantly play with myself. If I keep acting normal, I hope one day I will be, but every time I try, I just let myself down. I'm so entirely sick of this game.'

My Thoughts: Before I begin my review I want to point out that yes, I do know Chelsea. Yes, I consider her a friend and yes, I did meet her in person before I read her memoir. However, my friendship with Chelsea is not reflected in this review. I tried very hard to keep my friendship with Chelsea and my opinions of Rae separated.

I didn't need to worry, though, because Chelsea is a dang good writer. Out of all the Louder than Words books I've read, hers is by far the best - you can tell that writing is her passion, what she lives and breathes. I've often found memoirs hard to read because they tend to not flow as well as fiction but Rae was an exception. I often found myself getting lost in the prose and cheering for Rae and forgetting that I was, in fact, reading a true story.

Rae is also an incredibly easy book to relate to because even though it may not be on such a severe level, I'm sure we've all had anxiety about an upcoming moment or found ourselves feeling like everyone was staring at us. Chelsea's story does not stop there, though, and I definitely think it's a story everyone should read. It's not heartbreaking and probably won't give you an "Oh my god, I can't believe that happened! That poor girl!" reaction, but it will definitely give some insight, perhaps to yourself or someone you know, and, at the core, it's just a good book.

My one complaint is that at times, I lost track of the timeline. I also would've liked to see some events expanded on and perhaps more of a push on the importance of writing and books in her life. But, I also realize there was a strict word-count rule and deadline.

Overall, bravo to Chelsea for writing such a fantastic debut!

MG in a Week Fail

2010-10-01T10:29:00.001-07:00

On Monday and Tuesday, I did great. I was exhausted but I made my wordcount and all was well.

On Wednesday, I got grounded, which meant no computer Wednesday or Thursday. No computer = no writing. I could've handwritten, yes, but I can't handwrite 5k and I would've had to retype in.

Today, I thought about finishing it. I'm at 11k. But, in reality, there's no way I can write 15k in one day.

I'm also feeling pretty crummy and just want to curl up and read.

So, MG in a Week was a fail due to my being grounded. Otherwise, I'm positive I would have made it.

Next week, I'm making it my goal to finish the book, so it will be MG in a little over a week. I think I'll try it again in a few weeks, because I came up with a few awesome book ideas yesterday that I REALLY wanna get started on.

MGinaWeek: Day Two

2010-09-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

I.am.exhausted. Who knew writing could be so mentally exhausting? I made my goal of 5k by 12:30ish again today but I didn't take nearly as many breaks and I really had to push myself through the last 1k. But, I made it. With 600 extra words to boot.

I'm not going to be able to write tomorrow morning and honestly, I'm not sure where I'm going with the story. I have approximately 15k to write and while I know how the story ends and a few things in between, I'm not sure if I can stretch those things that far. If it comes down to it, I guess I can start adding in a bunch of adjectives. ;)

Today's WC: 5602
Total WC: 10695

MGinaWeek: Day One

2010-09-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day in my crazy plan of writing a middle-grade novel in a week.

I can proudly say that I rocked it. I began writing around 9:30 and by 12:30, I was finished. I wrote using Write or Die set on Gentle and Forgiving modes in 10 minute bursts. Every ten minutes I was able to get out 480-600 words. I took breaks inbetween where I'd get a drink, update my twitter, check a few posts, and then get back to work. It worked pretty well. I really hope I can keep that pace up the rest of the week.

My mind is completely exhausted at this point, though, so I'm going to relax and start an awesome book. Or maybe I'll reread an old favorite. I'm not sure yet. I'd like to do a little outlining before bed, just a few notes about the chapters I plan to write tomorrow, so it's on my mind when I go to sleep.

Today's Goal: 5000
Today's Wordcount: 5092

Hush by Eishes Chayil

2010-09-27T09:55:00.001-07:00

Title: Hush
Author: Eishes Chayil
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Rating: 9/10
Summary:
Inside the closed community of Borough Park, where most Chassidim live, the rules of life are very clear, determined by an ancient script written thousands of years before down to the last detail—and abuse has never been a part of it. But when thirteen-year-old Gittel learns of the abuse her best friend has suffered at the hands of her own family member, the adults in her community try to persuade Gittel, and themselves, that nothing happened. Forced to remain silent, Gittel begins to question everything she was raised to believe.

A richly detailed and nuanced book, one of both humor and depth, understanding and horror, this story explains a complex world that remains an echo of its past, and illuminates the conflict between yesterday's traditions and today's reality.

My Thoughts: Hush is a completely original, completely heart-breaking novel. I praise the author for writing such an eye-opening novel.

The beginning of Hush is a little slow and confusing at first, though mostly because I wasn't sure what some of the words meant. But once the story picks up, it's impossible to put down.

It was heartbreaking to read about the guilt and silence that the main character endured and it sickens me to think the people reacted the way they did. Some of the things they're taught about the non-Jews are so unfamiliar to me and it's hard to believe that people really believe those things and also kind of sad. The narrator is so honest and raw about telling everything that it's really hard to put the book down.

Overall, I highly highly recommend Hush!

I Interrupt Your Regular Posts....

2010-09-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

...for a week of writing-related posts.

You see, I've come up with this insane idea that I'm going to write a book this week. Not just start a rough draft but to start and finish one. It might be a crazy idea, I might not be able to do it, but I'm going to try my hardest.

My idea is a MG so I'm going to shoot for 25k, which breaks down to 5k a day. That's on the low side for MG but I always write short rough drafts so it's a good goal for me.

My plan is this - do school in the morning, probably for an hour or so, then write. A few days of the week I have hour-long class chats I have to attend so I'll take breaks for them. One of the things I love about cyber-school is that I don't have to sit in a classroom for eight hours a day and I have the opportunity to work ahead, which I did. Otherwise, I know there's no way I'd be able to even attempt this. I'll write until I hit 5k or until 3:30, depending on how the day goes.

Today, I'm just outlining and brainstorming ideas, as well as reading posts on writing to get me inspired.

Tomorrow, I begin.

I can't wait. :)

Ivy Devlin Interview

2010-09-22T13:26:00.001-07:00

Ivy Devlin is the author of Low Red Moon, a new YA paranormal murder mystery. She's graciously taken time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for us. Check out my review of Low Red Moon below this post!
----

What gave you the original idea for Low Red Moon? Do you feel that Avery and Ben's story is complete or will there be a sequel?

I was inspired by Little Red Riding Hood! I thought "What if...?" and just went from there :-) As for Ben and Avery, I hope there's more to their story...

The YA market seems to be saturated with paranormal romance. Did you ever think about that while you were writing? What do you think sets Low Red Moon apart from all the other paranormal romance out there?

I agree that YA and paranormal seem to go hand in hand these days, but I didn't think about that when I wrote Low Red Moon--it was a story I felt I had to tell!

As far as what makes Low Red Moon different, I've been told my werewolves are very different! But more than that, I think what Avery goes through, and how she gets through it, is different. Not knowing a lot about YA paranormal, I didn't think of "rules" to follow or anything like that.

Name five of your favorite paranormal books and your 5 favorite paranormal boys.

I actually haven't read much YA paranormal, but I'm fond of Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Blood series, which I think is a very cool take on vampires, and I like Cassandra Clare's books a lot as well.

If you had to choose one song to describe Low Red Moon, what would it be?

Low Red Moon by Belly, of course! (It's what gave me the title!)

If you could bring one of your characters to life, which one would it be and what would you do?

I don't think I want to bring any of them to life, actually--they're all pretty complicated and I like to take things nice and easy :-)

What are you working on now? What can we expect from you next?

I've got a few things rattling around....

In your opinion, what's the easiest and hardest thing about writing paranormal?

I think it's all easy in the beginning--and then really hard when you have to start tearing up what you wrote and rewriting it. (Does that make sense?)

What advice do you have for aspiring writers, particularly those writing paranormal?

Go for it!

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

2010-09-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

Title: Low Red Moon

Author: Ivy Devlin

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Rating: 7.5/10

Summary:

The only thing Avery Hood can remember about the night her parents died is that she saw silver—deadly silver, moving inhumanly fast. As much as she wants to remember who killed them, she can't, and there's nothing left to do but try to piece her life back together. Then Avery meets the new boy in school—Ben, mysterious and beautiful, with whom she feels a connection like nothing she's ever experienced. When Ben reveals he's a werewolf, Avery still trusts him—at first. Then she sees that sometimes his eyes flash inhuman silver. And she learns that she's not the only one who can't remember the night her parents died.Part murder mystery, part grief narrative, and part heart-stopping, headlong romance, Low Red Moon is a must-read for teen paranormal fans

My Thoughts: Low Red Moon had a lot of potential. It could've been a fantastic novel that combined a murder mystery with paranormal romance. Unfortunately, I felt that it fell a bit short.

My main problem with Low Red Moon was that it's such a short novel. There really wasn't any room for much development of any kind in the novel, particularly in the romance. That left it feeling like Ben could have been replaced with any paranormal guy and it felt like a number of those "girl falls for a guy because he's hot and intriguing, guy has no personality" romances. While that occassionally works, I felt like this story had the potential to be so much more. I would have loved to see Ben developed more and a true romance actually take place.

However, while Low Red Moon wasn't as amazing as I would have liked, there were some good parts to it. For one, the murder mystery was well done. It really kept me guessing as to who the murderer was and I didn't figure it out until right before Avery did. The werewolves in the story were also rather unique.

Overall, Low Red Moon and Ivy Devlin definitely have potential. If you really enjoy paranormal romance, definitely give this one a try. I look forward to seeing more of Ivy Devlin!

Supporting Your Favorite Authors

2010-09-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

One thing I've been thinking about lately is what else I can do to support the authors I love and promote the books I adore. Sure, there are the basics - buy the book, post your review, and tell your librarian about it - but after you've done that, what else can you do? I can't buy 50 copies of every book I love. Sometimes I'm not even able to buy one. But, I still want to support the author and help their book sell like crazy because it's amazing.

So, authors, what can we, as bloggers and readers, do to help support and promote you and your book(s)?

The Haunted by Jessica Verday

2010-09-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

Title: The Haunted
Author: Jessica Verday
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: 7.5/10
Summary:
An impossible truth. An impossible love.

After a summer spent reclaiming her sanity and trying to forget the boy she fell in love with--the boy who must not exist, cannot exist, because she knows that he is dead--Abbey returns to Sleepy Hollow, ready to leave the ghosts of her past behind. She throws herself into her schoolwork, her perfume-making, and her friendship with Ben, her cute and funny lab partner, who just might be her ticket to getting over Caspian once and for all.

But Abbey can never get over Caspian, and Caspian has no choice but to return to her side, for Caspian is a Shade, and Abbey is his destiny. They are tied not only to each other, but also to the town of Sleepy Hollow, and to the famous legend that binds their fates--a legend whose dark truths they are only beginning to guess....

My Thoughts: After finishing The Haunted, I'm left with mixed opinions, just as I was with The Hollow. On one hand, I absolutely the storyline and I'm a total Caspian fangirl but, on the other hand, I feel like the novel could be cut in half.

The Haunted has an extremely slow start. I felt like the first half of the book could almost be condensed into fifty or so pages because while a lot of it was re-introducing the characters and the story, a lot of it just dragged on for too long. I also felt like, once again, the characters never fully developed. We spend half of the novel waiting for Caspian but once he shows up, we never get to know him well. The minor but still important characters also never seemed to develop fully and I feel like the story could've been improved if we did get to see and understand them more.

That said, once the story finally picks up, it's hard to put down. The story takes some turns that readers will never expect, especially near the end. The tension and romance also picks up, which I loved. Verday managed to keep it realistic without being overly sexual or creepy (those that read The Hollow will understand the creepy part) but still keeping tension. I am officially rooting for Caspian! The ending, as I mentioned, is completely unexpected and will leave readers wanting the next installment NOW.

Overall, The Haunted was an improvement on The Hollow and I'm looking forward to Book 3!

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

2010-09-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

Michelle Jaffe
December 7, 2010

Instead of celebrating Memorial Day weekend on the Jersey Shore, Jane is in the hospital surrounded by teddy bears, trying to piece together what happened last night. One minute she was at a party, wearing fairy wings and cuddling with her boyfriend. The next, she was lying near-dead in a rosebush after a hit-and-run.
Everyone believes it was an accident, despite the phone threats Jane swears were real. But the truth is a thorny thing. As Jane's boyfriend, friends, and admirers come to visit, more memories surface. Not just from the party, but from deeper in her past . . . including the night her best friend Bonnie died.

With nearly everyone in her life a suspect now, Jane must unravel the mystery before her killer attacks again. Along the way, she's forced to examine the consequences of her life choices in this compulsively readable thriller.

-----

Thrillers usually aren't my thing - I'm too easily scared - but this sounds absolutely amazing. It also seems like it'll be a nice refresher from all the paranormal "thrillers". The cover is absolutely gorgeous, as well. Creepy, though!

Vampire Diaries Season 2 Premiere!

2010-09-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

I rarely watch TV. We only have one in our house and it's usually being claimed by my brother or dad and there's just nothing on that I care about. Nothing, that is, except for Vampire Diaries. When Thursday rolls around, I fight for the TV. This past Thursday, which was the Season Two premiere, was no different. I absolutely adore this show! Unfortunately, none of my friends watch it so I have no one to discuss it with, so I thought I'd post about it here.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

What did you guys think? I don't think it was the best episode but there was certainly a lot of twists I didn't see coming! And Damon, ahh, I felt so bad for him! Kathryn and her "I never loved you. It was always Stefan" speech. I think she was just saying that to set Damon against Stefan, though.

I can't believe Damon killed Elena's brother, even though he was wearing the ring. I'm interested to see how that affects the Damon/Elena relationship. It's not like she can totally avoid him...

The ending...whoa! Is Caroline actually dead or did she still have vampire blood in her?

What's going to happen next week??

The Clearing by Heather Davis

2010-09-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Title: The Clearing

Author: Heather Davis

Rating: 9/10

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Summary:
In this bittersweet romance, two teens living decades apart form a bond that will change their lives forever.

Amy is drawn to the misty, mysterious clearing behind her Aunt Mae’s place because it looks like the perfect place to hide from life. A place to block out the pain of her last relationship, to avoid the kids in her new town, to stop dwelling on what her future holds after high school.

Then, she meets a boy lurking in the mist—Henry. Henry is different from any other guy Amy has ever known. And after several meetings in the clearing, she’s starting to fall for him.

But Amy is stunned when she finds out just how different Henry really is. Because on his side of the clearing, it’s still 1944. By some miracle, Henry and his family are stuck in the past, staving off the tragedy that will strike them in the future. Amy’s crossing over to Henry’s side brings him more happiness than he’s ever known—but her presence also threatens to destroy his safe existence.

In The Clearing, author Heather Davis crafts a tender and poignant tale about falling in love, finding strength, and having the courage to make your own destiny—a perfect book to slip into and hide away for awhile.

My Thoughts: The Clearing is like no other book I've ever read. It was sweet, romantic, clever, heartbreaking, and so many other adjectives. I couldn't put it down and the ending left me with tears in my eyes.

I loved how Davis combined history and present-day without adding any vampires or werewolves or magic in there. Well, I can't say no magic because I guess certain elements ARE impossible, but not the magic we usually see in books, if you want to call it that. It's just kind of...there. And it works. And I loved it.

The plot managed to be completely realistic, yet completely original, at the same time. Davis did a fabulous job at making the impossible realistic and I loved that. She created characters that are easy to love and a few to hate, as well as a romance sure to break your heart. As I mentioned, the world-building was fantastic and that, along with the romance, really just brought everything together.

The ending, while almost expected, brought tears to my eyes. It's a fantastic ending to a fantastic novel and will leave you wanting to start all over again.

Overall, I highly recommend this one!

Calling All Brightly Woven Fans!

2010-09-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

If you've read and loved Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken and want to possibly help with a sekrit project, please send an email to harmonybookreviews[at]yahoo[dot]com ASAP!

Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

2010-09-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

Title: Whisper
Author: Phoebe Kitanidis
Publisher: Balzer and Bray (Harper Collins)
Rating: 8/10
Summary:

I'd love a cup of coffee. . . . I wish she didn't hide how pretty she is. . . . I hope she didn't find out what Ben said about her. . . . I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin. . . .

Joy is used to Hearing Whispers. She's used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people's deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good—to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people's lives—especially Joy's—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears Jessica Whisper I want to kill my Hearing dead, and kill me too if that's what it takes, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car, and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.

Whisper is an exhilarating debut novel from talented newcomer Phoebe Kitanidis.

My Thoughts: There are so many unique and awesome books releasing this year and Whisper is definitely one of them! Kitanidis combined supernatural powers, a little romance, and sister relationships to create a book that's sure to keep you entertained.

Whisper was a little slow to start but once I grew attached to the characters, I didn't want to put it down. Kitanidis did an incredible job at showing the complex relationship between the two sisters. In fact, she did a superb job with all of the relationships in the book, whether it was the mother/daughter relationship, the sister/sister relationship, or any of the other many relationships in the book. I also loved the variety of characters in the book, even though I really wanted to slap some of the supporting characters for being so ridiculous sometimes.

Overall, I recommend Whisper for those loving paranormal but sick of vampires and werewolves.

Grace by Elizabeth Scott

2010-08-31T14:23:00.001-07:00

Title: Grace

Author: Elizabeth Scott

Rating: 9/10

Publisher: Dutton

Summary:Grace was raised to be an Angel, a herald of death by suicide bomb. But she refuses to die for the cause, and now Grace is on the run, daring to dream of freedom. In search of a border she may never reach, she travels among malevolent soldiers on a decrepit train crawling through the desert. Accompanied by the mysterious Kerr, Grace struggles to be invisible, but the fear of discovery looms large as she recalls the history and events that delivered her uncertain fate.
Told in spare, powerful prose by acclaimed author Elizabeth Scott, this tale of a dystopian near future will haunt readers long after they've reached the final page.

My Thoughts: Grace is extremely different from Elizabeth Scott's previous novels. Instead of being realistic fiction, it's dystopian. There is no light and fun romance, as found in many of Scott's novels. Open the pages of Grace and you will find a much darker story about a girl with a desperation to live.

Grace was raised knowing she'd die murdering others. She knew it would be her job, her destiny. But then, she decides that she just doesn't want to die, that there has to be something else out there for her, and she finds herself pretending to be someone else, her life depending on a complete stranger, and running for her life. Once the book starts, the desperation for Grace to be okay and get out alive never stops. I was sitting at the edge of my seat, holding my breath, as I read the novel.

I did find a few faults in the book, however. For one, I found myself slightly confused at certain points, trying to keep the Angels and the People and who was who and allied with who straight. I was also hoping the end was longer but maybe the fact I didn't want the story to end is a good thing.

Overall, though, I highly recommend Grace. It's a fantastic novel that is sure to throw some twists you won't see coming and introduce characters you can't help but connect with. If you're looking for something different than what's out there, this is your book.

It comes out September 16 and I suggest you get a copy when you can!

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

2010-08-25T02:00:00.000-07:00

Anna and the French Kiss

Stephanie Perkins

December 2nd, 2010

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris until she meets ƒtienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna and readers have long awaited?

-------------------

I decided it was time to take a break from the paranormal and feature something realistic. I found out about this at ALA, when James kept talking about getting a copy. Little did I know that I'd actually heard about the book before. In fact, I followed the author on Twitter! So when I got home, I looked it up and I must say, it looks fantastic. I always love good, old-fashioned romance with real characters and real boys (not fallen angels or anything) and it looks like this will be just that! December, come faster!

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

2010-08-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

Halo

Alexandra Adornetto

August 31st, 2010

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Is love a great enough power against evil?

---------------

Ooooh, angels! They're one of my favorite aspects of YA paranormal, one that I haven't read a lot about. It'll be interesting to read about not one but three of them, along with a romance! Luckily, we don't have long to wait. (And isn't the cover GORGEOUS?!)

Censorship and YA

2010-08-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

Today, I found this blog post when Ellen tweeted about it. As I read it, and a few other posts, I became more and more appalled. For those that don't know, Ellen Hopkins was scheduled to attend the Humble TeenLitFest in 2011 but was UNINVITED when "several" (five? six?) parents and ONE librarian decided to raise a fuss. Without ever having read any of Ellen's books, the superintendent decided to UNINVITE her. Without reading one of her books. Because ONE librarian and "several" parents decided her books were "inappropriate" for ALL the teens attending the festival.

Anyway see the problem here? 1.) You don't just UNINVITE someone to something like that and 2.) Why is the superintendent going on the opinion of ONE librarian?

It's absolutely, positively absurd. CRAZY. Because you know what?

NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL ME WHAT TO READ. NO ONE. My parents don't even tell me what I'm allowed to read yet ONE person whom most of the teens have probably never even met has the right to decide what ALL of them are allowed to read?

Ellen's books can be hard to read, I'll admit. They are not necessarily for the younger readers. But they are by no means "bad" books. They're REAL. They cover topics TEENS DEAL WITH EVERYDAY. They do NOT encourage teens to do anything bad. If anything, they shine the light and show teens WHY certain decisions are bad. (Example - Crank. Every day, we hear "drugs are bad, stay away from drugs" and maybe that will sink in for some of us and be enough but Crank? Crank shows exactly WHY not to do drugs, the repercussions of doing drugs, the good and the bad, and everything in between. It's the reality teens need to read.)

But, as I said, maybe some teens aren't ready to read about that yet. I understand and respect that, as I'm sure Ellen and everyone else does. But here's the thing - it's up to the parent and the teen to decide that. It's NOT up ONE random STRANGER to make that decision for EVERYONE.

Okay, okay, you get my point. But you don't live in Houston so why should you care? Well, I don't live in Houston either. This particular event isn't affecting me at all. I won't be there whether or not Ellen is.

This is only the beginning of the fight though. These things happen every day, all over. Books are being pulled from libraries for being written by gay teens, parents are causing a fuss all over about various books for various reasons. Teens are being deprived the chance to read books that could potentially change their lives because one or two or three adults decide books are not "appropriate" for ANYONE. It needs to stop, now. And the only way that's going to happen is if we, as the readers, the teens, the authors, and everyone else, step up, spread the word, and take a stand. THAT's why it matters to me.

Teens are not as stupid as parents seem to think. We have eyes, we have ears. We see the world as it is. Taking books away from us is not "protecting" us. If anything, it's doing the opposite. If you don't think a book is appropriate for YOUR teen, don't let them read it. But you don't know what I'M capable of comprehending and understanding, you don't know what I'M going through, you don't know what books are going to affect ME. So stop trying to take them away!

Tera Lynn Childs, Melissa de la Cruz, and Pete Hautman have taken a stand. Ellen Hopkins most definitely has. Now it's up to us.

MIA Harmony

2010-08-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know I'm not going to be blogging much, if at all, this week. The PAYA Festival is this Saturday and I'm going to be supersuper busy preparing.

I hope to see some of you there! There's still time to register for the workshops!

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

2010-08-11T02:00:00.000-07:00

Nightshade
Andrea Cremer
October 19, 2010

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

------

Once again, isn't this cover GORGEOUS?! I looove the shades of purple in it. Love. I really wanted to get a copy of this at ALA but by the time I got there, they'd run out of ARCs. The summary makes it sound so good, though. It definitely seems to be a unique spin on werewolves and maybe even a love triangle?

Spotlight an Old Review: Chill by Deborah Reber

2010-08-06T02:00:00.000-07:00

Over the past two+ years, I've reviewed a LOT of books. I've decided to start "featuring" an old review every week or so. Feel free to join in!

If you’re anything like me, you’ve had to deal with stress over things like getting a huge assignment done on time, looking perfect for the school dance, and dealing with friend and family drama. You may even start your day at six in the morning and end it at midnight, trying to keep up with all 200 of your Facebook friends, as well as keep your grades up, and deal with everything else that comes with being a teenager...(To read more of the review click here)

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

2010-08-04T02:00:00.000-07:00

I used to do the occassional WoW before I switched over to Blogger. With so many awesome books coming out, I decided it was time to start up again! So, today, I present you with:

Paranormalcy

Kiersten White
August 31st, 2010

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.
-----------------------------------------

Okay, tell me that cover doesn't catch your eye! It has to be one of THE most gorgeous covers I've ever seen. That alone is enough to make me lust over this book! Besides the cover, the summary sounds fantastic as well. It's paranormal, obviously, but it sounds really original! I can't wait to check this one out!

Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt

2010-08-03T02:00:00.000-07:00

Author: Lindsey Leavitt

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Rating: 8.5/10

Summary: When an immaculately dressed woman steps out of an iridescent bubble and asks you if you'd like to become a substitute princess, do you

a) run

b) faint

c) say Yes!

For Desi Bascomb, who's been longing for a bit of glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C--that is, once she can stop pinching herself. As her new agent Meredith explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula "Royal Rouge," she can transform temporarily into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?

Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you perform a ceremonial dance you don't know? Or when a princess's conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off--and you know she would want you to change his mind?

In this hilarious, winning debut, one girl's dream of glamour transforms into something bigger: the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.

My Thoughts: You know how sometimes you just need that short, fun, feel-good book that may be too young for you? Princess for Hire is that book. It's also the perfect book to give to your younger sister or cousin or that 6th grader on the bus with no friends. Basically, Princess for Hire is just a book that you should read.

Desi is a character I couldn't help but love. I mean, the poor girl wears a groundhog costume as a job! And while not all of us have an attorney for a dad, I imagine most of us have had a "best friend" turn on us and a crush that makes us feel all fuzzy inside. On that note, there's a piece of Desi in all of us, which makes the story so much fun because we've all been in her shoes. Well, maybe not in her shoes because I don't think any of us have found ourselves thrown into the a princess's life before but, you never know!

Desi's realistic-ness aside, the plot of Princess for Hire was great as well. Even though it's been compared to Ella Enchanted and the Princess Diaries, I found it to be 110% unique. I will admit that at first, I thought it was going to end up being cheesy but it ended up being everything but cheesy. Like Kay Cassidy's The Cinderella Society, Princess for Hire is a little bit of empowering, along with fun and light. Many of the situations that Desi found herself in also made me laugh out loud. The various personalities of the royal families also added humor and depth to the story.

I truly enjoyed Princess for Hire and I recommend it to anyone looking for a light, fun read!

Writing Blogs I Heart

2010-08-02T02:58:00.000-07:00

I follow a lot of blogs. I haven't had time to read a lot of blogs. (My Google Reader has a couple thousand unread posts, at the moment.) There are a few blogs that I make sure I look at frequently, however. These tend to be writing blogs.

Author2Author - This follows 5 YA authors as they talk about various aspects of writing and publishing. They're all at different stages of their careers (Lisa Schroeder has 4 books out and some of the others don't have agents yet) so there's always an interesting variety of posts.

Kelsey Sutton's blog is full of fun writing info and she also finishes off each post with links to other writing-related posts that I may overlook. Plus, Kelsey is just plain cool and one of my critique girls, so there's no way I can just not read her blog. It's rather new, though, so you should go follow her!

Teens Writing for Teens - I don't remember to read this as often as I'd like but basically, it's a group of teens writing about writing. They have some pretty awesome advice, too.

Finally, there's a new blog on the block - the YA Lit Six. It's another brainchild of mine and, as the title suggests, there's six of us writing about writing. We have a pretty eclectic group, with the except we're all under 21 and we're all girls. But, we have two published authors, a few querying, and a few working on rough drafts. I post on Mondays so be sure to check it out!

My Favorite Music: Part 1

2010-07-31T02:29:00.000-07:00

Aside from books, one of my favorite things in the whole world is music. I'm terrible at playing it and I can't sing to save my life but I always have music playing. If there was ever a day that passed without me listening to music, I'm not sure what would happen. I've got a pretty eclectic taste, ranging from bands like Nirvana and Social Distortion to Taylor Swift and Miranda Cosgrove to Skillet and Hey Monday. The Beatles are too bad either.

I plan on starting to review/talk about my favorite cds and any new music I find but first, I wanted to share some of my favorite songs/bands.

Novocaine - Skyrocket Love. Skyrocket Love is one of my current favorite bands. I actually found them on Grooveshark, where they have an ad. As of right now, they have no album out but they have music on Youtube, including covers of various songs, and Grooveshark has five of their songs. I love them all but Novocaine is my favorite.

About a Girl - Nirvana. Stephanie Kuehnert is to blame for my Nirvana obsession. I love Nirvana. LoveloveloveLOVE Nirvana. It makes me sad that I'll never have the chance to see them perform live (not that my parents would ever let me a hundred miles near one of their concerts) because Kurt is, well, dead. I love almost all of their music but About a Girl is my favorite song. I'm not sure why, exactly, but it is.

The Middle - Jimmy Eat World. I've been addicted to this song ever since my friend Brooke sent me a tweet that said "Listen to this, it'll cheer you up." The lyrics are exactly what I need to get through a bad day sometimes and it's just an amazing song. I also adore Salt Sweat Sugar by Jimmy Eat World. (Psst, hey Brooke...it just takes some time...)

I'll stop there for now but look for a My Favorite Music: Part 2 sometime soon!

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

2010-07-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

Title: The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: Harpercollins
Rating: 9/10

Summary: Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

My Thoughts: I read this book back at the end of summer and now, in March, I still remember it. The Body Finder is that good.

From the first page, I was hooked. The Body Finder is so spooky, thrilling, and all-around entertaining that you just won't want to put it down. I read this in the summer, when the sun was shining bright, but man, I still felt chills while I was reading this, and my heart was racing as the end drew near and I was trying to figure out who The Killer was. The ending was absolutely FANTASTIC and completely unexpected.

The plot was the best part of the book. It was unique, fast-paced, and what kept you unable to put the book down. The characters were also completely unique and easy to relate to. The romance, while slow at first, is realistic. It adds a nice touch to the story while never taking over the plot. 100% Team Jay!

Overall, I highly recommend this debut and I look forward to reading more by Derting.

(Harmony's note: Yes, I wrote this review way back in March and never posted it. Sorry! But everything I said still stands - TBF *rocks*!)

Two Exciting Things!

2010-07-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

1.) I am now part of a group writing blog called the YA Lit Six. We're six girls blogging about writing six days a week. (I'm Monday!) So please check it out and follow!

2.) If you've been following my blog for a while, you've heard me mention PAYA before. If you haven't, it's a book organization I started to raise money and collect books for libraries across Pennsylvania. Our biggest fundraiser is a mere 25 days (!!!) away. EIGHTEEN authors will be joining together to sign books and present writing workshops. We'll also have a basket raffle (feauturing prize packs of your favorite books with cool goodies like prints from trailers and jewelry, as well as signed books from people like MEG CABOT).

There will be two writing workshops - the Listen and Critique workshop featuring six authors talking about writing then critiquing the first three pages of your WIP, and the Teens on Writing Workshop, led by published teens Kieryn Nicolas and Chelsea Swiggett. The Listen and Critique Workshop is currently $40 and the Teens on Writing is $10. To pre-register, send an email to bringya2pa[at]yahoo.com.

You can find more information on everything at bringya2pa.com.

I'm really excited for the festival and I hope to see everyone there!

The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez

2010-07-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

Title: The Red Umbrella
Author: Christina Gonzalez
Publisher: Random House
Rating: 10/10
Summary:
The Red Umbrella is the moving tale of a 14-year-old girl's journey from Cuba to America as part of Operation Pedro Pan—an organized exodus of more than 14,000 unaccompanied children, whose parents sent them away to escape Fidel Castro's revolution.

In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched.

As the revolution's impact becomes more oppressive, Lucía's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States—on their own.

Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl?

The Red Umbrella is a moving story of country, culture, family, and the true meaning of home.

My Thoughts: I must admit that I was completely and utterly impressed and blown away by The Red Umbrella. It was utter brilliance. I loved it and could not put it down.

I'd never heard much about Cuba and the Communist Revolution, except for a few paragraphs in my US History book. This didn't take away from the book, though. In fact, it added to it because I was intrigiued to find out more, not just about the characters but about the revolution itself. However, those that are familiar with the Revolution will still find the story extremely enjoyable, as Christina includes just the right amount of details to keep both parties happy.

The relationships between the characters were another thing I loved about the novel. Even though the setting and time period is different, I could still relate to the way Lucia regarded the others in the novel. Her little brother has to be one of the most adorable characters ever written about and I loved reading about their bond.
Overall, I highly, highly recommend this, even if historical isn't your thing. You won't regret it!

Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

2010-07-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Prada and Prejudice
Author: Mandy Hubbard
Publisher: Penguin
Rating: 7.5/10

Summary:
To impress the popular girls on a high school trip to London, klutzy Callie buys real Prada heels. But trying them on, she trips...conks her head...and wakes up in the year 1815!

There Callie meets Emily, who takes her in, mistaking her for a long-lost friend. As she spends time with Emily's family, Callie warms to them—particularly to Emily's cousin Alex, a hottie and a duke, if a tad arrogant.

But can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, and win Alex's heart, before her time in the past is up?

More Cabot than Ibbotson, Prada and Prejudice is a high-concept romantic comedy about finding friendship and love in the past in order to have happiness in the present.

My Thoughts: Prada and Prejudice is such a cute book! I wasn't really sure what to expect going into it because I wasn't sure how it was possible to pull of timetravel and still keep it cute and fun without making it cheesy and ridiculous. I'm still not sure how it is possible but Mandy Hubbard sure does!

I had so much fun reading Prada and Prejudice. Callie is such an easy character to relate to and some of her mistakes had me laughing out loud. I must admit, though, that Alex was my favorite character. Who DOESN'T love a charming Duke? While the book was ton of fun, there was also substance to it. I loved reading about an era I wasn't too familiar with. Plus, the problems Alex and Callie and the other character's face were intriguing as well. The ending was sweet and left me with a smile on my face as well.

Overall, if you're looking for a cute, fun, and short read this summer, Prada and Prejudice is your book!

ALA Recap: Saturday

2010-07-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to be able to attend my first-ever book conference, the American Library Association (ALA) conference this past June. Unfortunately, I was stuck with only my phone as a camera and, as a result, I have 0 decent pictures. But, I thought I'd do a write-up about my experience either way.

ALA technically started on Friday night but since my parents had turned my vacation into a family vacation, I spent Friday afternoon at the zoo and Friday night in Old Town, Alexandria. That was okay, though, because Old Town is one of my favorite places EVER. It's a very historic town and there's even original cobblestone streets. They even offer ghosts tours, though I've never been daring enough to take one - maybe next time! Anyway, Old Time is just GORGEOUS and you can walk down to the water front, where there's people doing all kinds of crazy things to make money. My little brother got a crocodile made out of a balloon.

Then, we went to Ben and Jerry's. Going to Ben and Jerry's has basically become tradition for me every time I go to Old Town. The last time I was there, I ordered a HUGE cone, that was literally bigger than my hand. This time, I just got a small Chocolate Therapy (which I talked about with the cute boy at the register!). It was delicious.

Anyway, the next day, Saturday, was ALA. This was my first ever conference and I was pretty nervous but also EXTREMELY excited. By the time we drove into Chinatown, where it was held, I was practically jumping in my seat. When the building (which was HUGE) came into view, I couldn't stop myself from texting James in excitement. (Seriously, guys, this building was the biggest building I've ever been inside. EVER.)

Since there was SO much going on that day, and I'd bore everyone to tears if I talked about everything, I'm just going to talk about some of the highlights of my day.

-My aunt and I registered then headed downstairs to find James. I ended up wandering around for a while because he kept moving but I did eventually find him. Our first stop was Malindo Lo's signing. I almost didn't buy myself a copy, then I realized a hardcover was only $5, so, of course, I had to buy a copy.

-After that, James and I got in line to see Kami and Margie, authors of Beautiful Creatures. Karen Kincy, author of OTHER (which is fantastic, btw), ended up in line behind us. Then Christina Diaz Gonzalez came by with Danielle Joseph (I think. I know Danielle was there but I think someone else was too?). We all chatted while we waited which made the line move a LOT faster.

-We stopped by the end of L.K. Madigan's signing, where I picked up a copy of The Mermaid's Mirror. My awesome librarian friend Tiff, Amy Brecount White, and Holly Cupala were also there. It was exciting to FINALLY meet Amy because I've talked to her online a lot and she's been super supportive of PAYA from the start. I didn't know Holly well but I must say she is one of the sweetest people I've ever met! (And she wears the cutest dresses!)

-James and I decided that we'd just stay in the exhibit hall for lunch so we went to what we thought was the only place to get food (it wasn't). I ended up paying $10 for a CHEESESTEAK. I almost cried. Seriously. $10. for a piece of bread, a slice of cheese, and crushed up steak slices. INSANE. We couldn't find a table without people and both of us were too shy to just sit down at a table with random people, so we ended up eating on the floor. Then I informed him that I NEEDED Starbucks so we went upstairs and waited in line for like half an hour just so I could get my Double Chocolate Chip Frap. (It was soooo worth it!!)

-We then went to the Laurie Halse Anderson signing. The line was INSANE and I can honestly say that if it had been anyone but Laurie, I would not have waited. But, it was LHA so I did. Cheryl Rainfield and her publicist stopped by while we were in line and we ended up talking to them for a while. Cheryl is so nice! I can't wait to read SCARS. At this point I was getting super-hyper because I was excited so I have a feeling James was ready to hit me over the head, just to get me to shut up. Anyway, I ended up buying a copy of Fever 1793 and getting an ARC of Forge (This made me SOOO happy, because CHAINS is my favorite LHA book.) When it was my turn, Laurie looked at me and went "Haven't I met you before?" and I was like "Yes! In Haverford" and she was like "Oh right! At the signing with Sarah and all the other authors." Then we chatted about the class I'd taken on her and how she really had put a lot of thought into the science tips and vocab included in Catalyst. She totally won me over, though, when she agreed that it was total crap when teachers made you write 9 sentences on a one sentence tip for a three page chapter.

-One of the things I was most looking forward to was meeting Stephanie Kuehnert. Ballads of Suburbia is my all-time favorite book and I was so psyched to finally meet Stephanie in person. By mid-afternoon, no one had seen her and I was starting to worry because a group of us were going out to dinner that night but I couldn't remember if I'd told Stephanie that the time had been changed. So James and I literally walked the entire hall looking for her. James had to leave at that point because he was going to another signing. Since he had to go on the metro, I ended up carrying around his bag of books too. Luckily, I ran into Tiff who was like "Oh, didn't you see Stephanie's tweet? She told you like two hours ago they were in the hotel room watching the World Cup".

-After that, my aunt and I decided to head out. We walked around Chinatown and went into a few shops. Then, it was finally time for dinner - which was what I'd been looking forward to for the whole day.

Tiff, James, Sarah, some other librarians and their husbands, Amy Brecount White, Holly Cupala, Stephanie Kuehnert, Jeri-Smith Ready, my aunt, and I all met at the Austin Grill for dinner. James and I were some of the first there so we went outside to wait for Stephanie and Jeri. I was really excited/nervous about meeting Stephanie and when she finally got there, I was totally fangirling on the inside. I think I acted pretty sane on the outside but seriously guys, it was like a Twi-hard meeting Stephenie Meyer. I wanted to jump up and down and squeal. Because let me say it again - Ballads of Suburbia is absolutely AMAZING. It changed my life and I was meeting the author of the amazingness. So yeah. I was absolutely ecstatic.

Since there were so many people at dinner, we basically got split into two tables - the librarians & husbands, then the authors, James, me, and my aunt. I sat between Stephanie and Jeri with my aunt and James across from us and then when Amy and Holly got there, they sat at the end of our table. Dinner was completely awesome. We talked about so much and it was just tons of fun. Stephanie and I talked about the Nirvana obsession she started for me and Columbia College Chicago, which is where she went and where I want to go. After hearing her talk about it, I want to go to Chicago. NOW. Then Jeri and I talked about Shade, which I had just finished reading the day before when I read it instead of sleeping in the car on the way down to DC. Amy and Stephanie are both coming to PAYA so we talked about that, too, and I managed to convince Jeri into coming up as well.

Unfortunately, at that point, it was getting late and my parents and brother were still at my aunt's so I had to leave before anyone else. I can honestly say that day was one of the best days of my life, though!

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

2010-07-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

Title: The Cinderella Society
Author: Kay Cassidy
Publisher: Egmont
Rating: 9/10

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Jess Parker survives by staying invisible. After nine schools in ten years, she's come to terms with life as a perpetual new girl, neither popular nor outcast. At Mt. Sterling High, Jess gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret club of the most popular girls in school, where makeovers are the first order of official business. But there's more to being a Cindy than just reinventing yourself from the outside, a concept lost on Jess as she dives tiara-first into creating a hot new look.

With a date with her popular crush and a chance to finally fit in, Jess's life seems to be a perfect fairy tale. That is until the Wickeds—led by Jess's archenemy—begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers her new sisterhood is about much more than who rules Mt. Sterling High School. It's a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys need Jess on special assignment. But when the mission threatens to destroy her new dream life, Jess is forced to choose between this dream realized and honoring the Sisterhood. What's a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?

My Thoughts: The Cinderella Society is one of the most original books I've read. At first, I was a little unsure about it because I've never been a fan of sororities and the Cindys are basically a highschool sorority. However, the more I read, the more I fell in love. I would love to have the opportunity to be in a group like that.

Jess is a character that I think most teenage girls will be able to relate to. She's definitely a girly character but she has a strong personality. You'll find parts of yourself and others in the supporting characters, both the good and bad ones.

I also love how Cassidy added elements about each character's lives that weren't necessarily happy but managed to still keep the book uplifting and light.

Overall, I highly recommend The Cinderella Society, especially for those that need a girl-power boost. I look forward to any future books by Kay Cassidy, whether in this series or not.

One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt

2010-07-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

Title: One Night That Changes Everything
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Eliza is in a full-blown panic. Her notebook has been stolen—the one that lists everything she wants but is afraid to go after. And the absolute worst person in the world has it: her ex-boyfriend, Cooper.

Like it’s not enough Cooper was lying to Eliza for their entire relationship, now he and his friends are blackmailing her. They’re giving her just one night to complete the most humiliating tasks on her list or they’ll post her secrets online—including the ones that aren’t just about her.

Eliza’s sure of only one thing: she isn’t going down without a fight. Cooper may have what’s left of her dignity, but she’s not the only one with something to hide …

A hilarious and sweet teen novel by Lauren Barnholdt, the author of two-way street

My Thoughts: One Night That Changes Everything is a book that I could absolutely not put down. I loved every minute of it. Barnholdt has created an absolutely unique story with characters that bounce off the pages. The idea of a notebook where you write down all of your fears is really intriguing from the start and I think a lot of girls, even guys, will be able to relate to Eliza's fears.

The story takes place over the course of one night but it's a very eventful night. There's never a dull moment in the story and it's nearly impossible to figure out what's going to happen next. The fears Eliza has to face are each so different from each other. Some will leave you laughing and others will leave you gasping.

My one complaint with the story is Eliza's friends. She goes on about how amazing they are but in reality...well, they seemed to be pretty crappy friends and that's not something she ever realizes. However, that could just be my personal opinion on what a "real friend" should act like. Otherwise, I adored the characters. Eliza is strong, indepenant, and funny. And Cooper...well, Cooper is Cooper. We'll just leave it at that.

If you're looking for a quick and fun summer read that has some depth, One Night That Changes Everything is your book!

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

2010-07-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

Title: Shade
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Rating: 9/10

Summary:
Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan’s band playing a crucial gig and Aura’s plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend’s life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan’s sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He’s gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and talk to ghosts.

This mysterious ability had always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because Dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn’t help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding — and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura’s relationship with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura’s heart . . . and clues to the secret of the Shift.

My Thoughts: Sick of cliche paranormal romances with werewolves and vampires but still loving paranormal and romance? Yeah, me too. That's why I loved Shade so much. It's paranormal and there's definitely romance, but it's anything but cliche and there's no vampires or werewolves to be found.

Smith-Ready combines music, legend, boys with very cute accents, with ghosts and romance and gives you a novel you will not be able to put down. Ghosts are something that are starting to become more and more popular in the YA genre but I guarantee the ghosts in Shade are nothing like you've ever seen before. I love how Smith-Ready brought together elements like the star positions and stonehedge to create an amazing paranormal element.

Another favorite part of the novel was the characters. Each character had a completely unique personality and added so much to the novel. There's Logan, who has a quick temper and often makes stupid decisions but can be loving and, even better, is in a band. There's also Zachary, who has an adorable accent and does the sweetest things. (Team Zach all the way!) Aura also has a distinct personality and even though she's very different from me, I loved her. The minor characters were also multi-sided and I never had the problem of not remembering who was who.

Overall, Shade was a fantastic novel. I'm desperately awaiting the sequel and I totally plan on reading Jeri's other novels!

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

2010-06-16T14:35:00.001-07:00

Title: The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: Harpercollins
Rating: 9/10

Summary: Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

My Thoughts: I read this book back at the end of summer and now, in March, I still remember it. The Body Finder is that good.

From the first page, I was hooked. The Body Finder is so spooky, thrilling, and all-around entertaining that you just won't want to put it down. I read this in the summer, when the sun was shining bright, but man, I still felt chills while I was reading this, and my heart was racing as the end drew near and I was trying to figure out who The Killer was. The ending was absolutely FANTASTIC and completely unexpected.

The plot was the best part of the book. It was unique, fast-paced, and what kept you unable to put the book down. The characters were also completely unique and easy to relate to. The romance, while slow at first, is realistic. It adds a nice touch to the story while never taking over the plot. 100% Team Jay!

Overall, I highly recommend this debut and I look forward to reading more by Derting.

I'm Back!

2010-06-13T09:41:00.001-07:00

My hiatus is officially OVER. It did go on much longer than I expected but I had so much going on with school and PAYA. But, I did get a bit of reading in during the time I was gone and I'm back and feeling refreshed and ready to jump back in.

Look for reviews and other content starting back up tomorrow!

Also, is anyone going to be at ALA?

2 Exciting Things!

2010-06-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

I'll be back to blogging regularly pretty soon but I have 2 things I think everyone should know about.

1.) The PAYA Festival is going to be August 21st in West Chester, PA. A full author list will be released in a month or so but I can tell you right now that it's going to be GREAT. There's also going to be a writing workshop. Check out the deets here.

2.) Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert, which is my all-time favorite book, is on Amazon for $4.86. Yes, people, LESS THAN FIVE DOLLARS. So I *highly* suggest you go buy it. Need some convincing? Here's my review. Now go buy it. You won't regret it. And, if you have a copy, buy one for a friend. I plan on ordering at least five!

Lauren Mechling on MY DARKLYNG

2010-06-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hello book (blog) lover!

Lauren Mechling, author of the Dream Girl books, here. I have hijacked Harmony's blog in order to convey some Very Important Information.

You might not know it by looks alone (no pink hair, no metal bar through my septum), but I've become a total hacker worthy of her own "Dragon Tattoo" installment. And I'm not just talking about how I've cracked the code and broken onto Harmony Book Reviews. My new book MY DARKLYNG, which I co-wrote with Laura Moser (my hilarious co-author on the "10th Grade Social Climber" books), is a YA thriller chockablock with multimedia awesomeness that will be appearing in serialized form on the awesome website Slate.com. The first installment runs today, and there will be more excitement every Friday for the rest of the summer. Also: it's free!

Slate is calling MY DARKLYNG its "juicy summer read for vampire lovers (and haters!)." It's about a normal 10th grade girl named Natalie Pollock whose own fiction addiction gets her into major trouble. She's been reading Fiona St. Claire's yummy "Dark Shadows" book series since middle school and when she sees a post on Fiona's blog about an open casting call for the model for the next book's cover, well, she can't resist. What she had thought was just a random field trip turns into a dark and terrible new-best-friendship, scarier and more thrilling than any of Fiona St. Claire's vampire novels.

MY DARKLYNG is different from anything you've ever read before--it's a first-of-its-kind story told in simultaneous platforms. Huh? you ask. Okay, so here's the deal: While you are perfectly free to follow the MY DARKLYNG chapters on Slate and leave it at that, we have been milking the magic world of the Internet for all its worth. Why limit a story to mere words? What about pictures and videos and weird Tweets and scary Facebook wall posts that bring texture to the story and bring the characters to life? With that in mind, we found real (and really awesome) teenagers to play our characters. Here's a picture:

Pretty, right? Expect to get to know these faces really well over the course of this book.

Without further ado, this is the Slate page that will host the chapters.

Here is Natalie's Facebook page--well worth "liking" so you can follow when weird things start happening on it.

Natalie's Twitter page is here.
Fiona's (the vampire writer) Twitter page is here.
Natalie's best friend Jenna tweets here.
James (the vampire model) tweets here.
And Fiona's loving sister Tilly uses this Twitter page.

Natalie and Jenna post Youtube videos here. Here's a sample video that shows them getting ready for the audition that will change their lives.

Now YOU can help make our great experiment in Internet fiction even more amazing. There is an upcoming scene that has a missing detail. We need to come up with a weird thing that Natalie's teacher Mr. Trachtenberg keeps in his briefcase. Again, we are desperately seeking A SUGGESTION FOR A WEIRD THING THAT A TEACHER TOTES AROUND IN HIS BRIEFCASE. Please write in your suggestions in the comments section. The winner will be chosen in a week and featured in MY DARKLYNG--if your answer is selected, it'll be like the story is actually winking at you from the screen.

I know this is all a bit much to wrap your head around. Sorry for any confusion--just read the first installment and take it from there. Please please post comments or send us emails telling us how you're finding the series. We can be reached by my website.

And if you find yourself feeling afraid, don't say I didn't warn you!

your humble hacker,
Lauren Mechling

PAYA Book Drive

2010-06-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you know about the book organization I started, PAYA, which is dedicated for raising money and collecting books for Pennsylvania libraries, which are in pretty desperate need after facing recent budget cuts.

We've started our latest fundraiser, which is a month-long book drive. We're currently collecting any and all books. YA or MG books in good condition will be donated to libraries and other books will be sold in a used book sale and the proceeds will go to the libraries.

So please, take the time to go through your books and get rid of any you don't want or will never read again. These libraries could really use it!

If you're interested in donating, send an email to bringya2pa[at]yahoo[dot]com or harmonybookreviews[at]yahoo[dot]com.

PAYA Spring 2010 Auctions

2010-04-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

The PAYA Spring 2010 Auctions began on Monday. For those who don't know, PAYA is something I started to raise money and collect books for Pennsylvania libraries. The auctions are one of our biggest fundraiser. They'll continue until May 14th, with new items being posted each Friday. Right now, there's a bunch of great items available, like:

-a FULL manuscript critique by author Jennifer Brown, currently under $30

-3 pairs of GORGEOUS earrings, all under $15 (two under $10!)

-Signed books by Janette Rallison, currently at $10

-A Marked-up copy of The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott (marked-up means she wrote notes in it!)

-Plus lots of other goodies!

Following weeks will be bringing items including more query and manuscript critiques, including one by an agent, a Skype visit with an author, an author site design package, and more!

All the money goes to help libraries across Pennsylvania so it would be really, really appreciated if everyone would go check it out!

Sid the Science Kid: The Trouble with Germs and A Cavity is a Hole in Your Tooth

2010-03-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

Sid the Science Kid: The Trouble with Germs (an I Can Read! Stage 1 book)
The Trouble With Germs breaks down the importance of washing hands as well as giving a small explanation of what exactly germs are. I do think this would be used as a learning tool in a classroom than a book for a child just learning to read as it's definitely more of a learning book than a book to keep a child reading. However, the very bright and 3-D-looking illustrations, as well as the simple breakdown of germs, make it the perfect book to be read in a classroom.

Sid the Science Kid: A Cavity is a Hole in Your Tooth (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 1 book)
A Cavity is a Hole in Your Tooth explains why it's so important to brush your teeth. It also explains the different kind of teeth you have and what the job of each kind is. As with the Trouble with Germs, I definitely recommend it as a learning tool in a classroom or perhaps in to a parent of a child that refuses to brush. My favorite thing about this book was the vibrant illustrations. They'll grab the attention of any young child. If you're looking for a book to teach children about teeth and brushing, this is definitely the book you want.

Update to Review Policy

2010-03-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I've updated my review policy. I now accept picture books for review. However, these reviews will be slightly different than my other reviews - I will be doing short reviews and posting two or three at a time. I'll be posting an example shortly.

As always, if you have any questions, please email me at harmonybookreviews[at]yahoo[dot]com.

PAYA Spring 2010 Auctions

2010-03-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most readers of my blog have heard about the project I started back in November - PAYA. If not, it's a project I started to raise money and collect books for PA libraries.

One of our major fundraisers is an online auction. Our first one was last November and it was successful. This time, I'm hoping to double the success. The next auctions will take place from April 9th - May 14th. If you're interested in offering an item, whether it's something you made, a manuscript critique, some books/cds you have lying around, whatever, please email me at harmonybookreviews[at]yahoo[dot]com or bringya2pa[at]yahoo[dot]com. General book donations are also accepted and highly appreciated.

For more info on PAYA and all the information on the auction, please go to bringya2pa.com

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White

2010-03-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

Title: Forget-Her-Nots
Author: Amy Brecount White
Publisher: Harpercollins
Rating: 8/10

Summary: (Taken from BN.com) Something—some power—is blooming inside Laurel. She can use flowers to do things. Like bringing back lost memories. Or helping her friends ace tests. Or making people fall in love.

Laurel suspects her newfound ability has something to do with an ancient family secret, one that her mother meant to share with Laurel when the time was right. But then time ran out.
Clues and signs and secret messages seem to be all around Laurel at Avondale School, where her mother had also boarded as a student. Can Laurel piece everything together quickly enough to control her power, which is growing more potent every day? Or will she set the stage for the most lovestruck, infamous prom in the history of the school?

My Thoughts: Forget-Her-Nots is, hands down, one of the most original books I've read in a long time. From the first page I was instantly drawn into the unique world that White creates and honestly, when the book ended, I was left hoping for more.

The characters were enjoyable to read about, though not completely unforgettable. However, as I mentioned above, it's the world White creates that drives the novel. The idea of flower magic is so unique and I loved how she created a world that was completely realistic with just a touch of magic. I never knew flowers could be so interesting! I really, truly hope that White returns to this world very soon because I would love to read more!

Overall, fantastic debut. I would definitely pick up a copy if you get the chance!

Spread the Flower Love Blog Tour!

2010-02-24T04:20:00.000-08:00

Today we have Amy Brecount White, author of the very sweet book, Forget-Her-Nots (review of which will be coming soon but I will say I loved it!). Enjoy and don't forget to comment!

Not-So-Romantic Flashbacks

Thanks for the flashback moments, Harmony! This was really fun, and I can exactly feel what I felt then. Weird, huh? I think teens have a hyper-awareness of the world around them, so you always remember your teen years vividly.

Authors have a similar hyper-awareness of the world and the desire to explore it. Most YA and MG authors, I think, could give you blow-by-blow accounts of the highlights and lowlights of their teen years. Here are a few of my most memorable romantic failures:

Biggest Romantic Blooper:

My very first kiss. I still feel bad thinking about this, because he was very earnest. He was a really good friend, and we decided to try the going out thing. We kissed – pleasant but no sparks – and then he called me “Darling.” I started laughing and couldn’t stop. Darling? Really? But I wish I hadn’t laughed. Not that much. He was pretty crushed.

Biggest Turnabout (aka Sadie Hawkins) FAIL:

So senior year, I finally got the guts to ask this guy to the turnabout dance, when the girls asked the guys. He was a total surfer dude, with blonde locks over his eyes and deep, dark brown eyes. I had admired him from afar for years. So I asked and he said yes, and we started moving baby steps closer. Until he decided to go see his dad in California and surf instead of going to the Turnabout Dance in a streamer- festooned gym in Dayton, Ohio, with me.
But all my girlfriends were going, so I asked another guy … and another … and another … and another. Fifth one said yes. (Almost everyone had a date already, so maybe I should have stopped at #4.) The dance was okay at best, but I was with my friends. Here’s the kicker. We left the after-party, and he took me home. If we kissed, I don’t remember.
Then, the jerk went back to the after-party without me!!! Grrrrr. I don’t think I ever spoke to him again.

Biggest Déjà vu Moment:

I dated “Tom’s” -- guys named Tom, I mean. My two serious high school boyfriends were both named Tom. Then I dated two more in college. Weird, huh? But I didn’t marry a Tom.

Biggest Dreamy Twilight Zone:

I’ve been out of high school for a long time, but I still dream I’m there at least once a month. Or friends from high school I haven’t seen in ages show up in my dreams. And sometimes I still dream about the first guy I truly loved.
Yup, his name was Tom.

Biggest Dorky Dancer Move:

It was our senior prom for college, and we were all decked out. I got a little too into the music and dancing and accidentally whomped my date on the nose. Instant bloody nose. It took, like, ten minutes for the blood to stop, and his shirt was a mess. But he still married me.

Thanks so much for having me, Harmony!

As part of the blog tour, I had to choose a flower to give to my readers. I chose to give you guys a yellow tulip. One of the meanings of a yellow tulip is friendship. I know I count a lot of you reading this as my friends and for those I don't talk to much, I would love to become friends with. YAY for the amazing groups of friends that reviewing has created. :)

(To learn more about what to do with this flower, please check out this post on Amy's blog.)

WILLOW out in Paperback!

2010-02-23T18:13:00.000-08:00

Willow by Julia Hoban, which you might remember as my 2nd favorite book of 2009, releases today in paperback. For those who haven't heard about it, here's the summary:

Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen-year- old Willow's parents drank too much wine and asked her to drive them home. They never made it—Willow lost control of the car and her parents died in the accident. Now she has left behind her old home, friends, and school, and blocks the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when Willow meets Guy, a boy as sensitive and complicated as she is, she begins an intense, life-changing relationship that turns her world upside down.

Told in an arresting, fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl's struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy's refusal to give up on her.

You can get the book from Barnes and Nobles, Borders, and Amazon for 8.99 and from Book Depository for 7.99, as well as other places. If you haven't read it yet, I highlyhighly recommend you do. It's a book you'll never forget. If you have read it, you know how amazing it is so please consider either buying yourself a copy if you don't have one or buy one for a friend. Remember, books make great gifts.

If anyone does buy a copy and emails me the receipt (harmonybookreviews[at]yahoo[dot]com), I'll send you a swag bag full of awesome goodies!

Blogging Hiatus

2010-02-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

I've decided to take a blogging hiatus. I don't know how long it will be...maybe a week, maybe two, maybe a month. I'm not sure. Blogging has become something I almost dread doing and I haven't been reading much which isn't how it's supposed to be. I'm hoping that if I don't feel like I *have* to read a certain book, I'll start being able to enjoy it as much as I used to. Plus, I really want to take a little time to focus on my writing and school right now.

Authors/publicists that have sent me books - Don't worry, the books you've sent me will get reviewed. If I have something scheduled with you, it will get posted.

I'll still be around, running the 1 ARC Tours and PAYA and answering emails and whatnot, I just won't be posting as much.

Harmony

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

2010-02-09T08:02:00.000-08:00

Title: Magic Under Glass
Author: Jaclyn Dolamore
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Rating: 9.5/10
Summary:Nimira is a foreign music-hall girl forced to dance for mere pennies. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing with a piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new and better life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets are beginning to stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumors swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry's involvement with a league of sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. Then Nimira discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman named Erris is trapped inside the clockwork automaton, waiting for someone to break his curse. The two fall into a love that seems hopeless, and breaking the curse becomes a race against time, as not just their love, but the fate of the entire magical world may be in peril.

My Thoughts: Magic Under Glass is an absolutely amazing book. The first few chapters, while vital to the story, are not that exciting but once the story picks up speed, it never stops.
I'll admit to having my doubts about the romance because I didn't think it was possibly to show affection and romance between a human girl and glass. But Dolamore pulled it off in such a way that felt so real. I could feel the pain and worry and affection between the two of them, to the point it nearly brought me to tears a few times. The fact that Erris was simply an automaton didn't take anything away from the romance - it simply added to it.

The world that Dolamore created is absolutely beautiful. I was completely swept into the story until the very last page was turned and then I just wanted to start all over.

Overall, I highlyhighly recommend this. I think I'm going to be breaking my no-hardcover rule to go buy this one!

Cover Comments: Despite all the controversy, I absolutely LOVE the cover. It's gorgeous. I never really picked up on the fact that Nim was extremely dark-skinned because I skim those parts so I never had a problem with it until it was pointed out to me.
FTC: Copy provided by publisher.

Guestblog: Claire from Dream Life by Lauren Mechling

2010-02-05T10:26:00.001-08:00

Today I have a special guest blog by the main character in Dream Life by Lauren Mechling. I haven't had a chance to read Dream Life yet but I read the first one and it was amazing. Enjoy!

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Greetings and salutations, book lovers! I’m Claire Voyante, the main character of Dream Life, Lauren Mechling’s rip-roaring detective novel (and no, it is not immodest to say that about a book you didn’t write but in which you star—I checked in one of my grandmother Kiki’s etiquette books).

Dream Life is all about what happened after I found out my best friend Becca had just joined a super-exclusive, centuries-old secret society called the Blue Moons. I figured out how to wiggle my way into the club, and, of course, much drama ensued. I warmly invite you to check Dream Life out—it’s available at select bookstores or an Internet site near you.

When Dream Girl, the first book in the series, came out, my creator Lauren fielded questions from bloggers and journalists. Lauren is currently underground working on a secret project so I offered to step in and relief pitch. I’m taking a page from Ann Landers's book and writing an advice column. The questions came from fans of the series. The answers came from the heart.

(Warning: I don't have a degree in psychotherapy--use at your own risk!)

Dear Claire,

I know you’re supposed to like nice guys – and I do in theory— but I always end up going for the ones who are super hard to read, the modern-day James Dean bad boy types who don’t call when they say they will. I’ll just obsess over them and sometime I even confront them and ask them if they’re mad at me. They usually look at me like I’m crazy and never talk to me again.

I think this might be a problem. Is it?

Sincerely,

Tassie Who Never Goes For The Super Friendly Type

Los Angeles

Dear TWNGFTSFT,

Yes. You have a problem. But you knew that already. Anybody writing to an imaginary person for advice knows that already.

Don’t worry—I can help you. I don’t have a magic abracadabra cure to rid you of your attraction to sulky jerks. But I can tell you that a lot of the guys who refuse to talk/smile/laugh/be nice are just weaklings who are afraid of calling because a conversation is a high-risk situation: after all, their inner emptiness might show through. And the nice guy types who have good manners and pockets full of jokes and can look you in the eye, well, they’re not necessarily as dorky as it may seem. I should know. I kiss one of those guys on the regular.

L’amour toujours!Claire

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Dream Life by Lauren Mechling -- Trailer from Richie Williams on Vimeo.

Undead Much by Stacey Jay

2010-02-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

Title: Undead Much
Author: Stacey Jay
Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)
Source: Publisher
Rating: 9/10

Summary: Megan Berry—Zombie Settler extraordinaire—just wants Pom Squad to trounce Cheer Team in this freakishly funny follow-up to You Are So Undead to Me. But someone's turning coma victims into settler-resistant über-zombies—and everyone thinks it's Megan's fault! Well, except for super-creepy male cheerleader Aaron. (Ew!)

Meg's also being stalked by a hot—albeit undead— seer named Cliff. Can Cliff's premonitions help Megan stop a zombies-on-ice deathscapade and discover who's really behind the coma-killer crusade before an entire army of undead rise up? And when Megan's boyfriend Ethan grows jealous of Cliff, will it end their intra-settler romance?

Stacey Jay's snarky teen-speak is "dead"-on and hysterical! Ally Carter better get used to the smell of grave dirt . . .

My Thoughts: I was a major fan of You Are So Undead To Me so I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of Undead Much. I started it as soon as it came in the mail with high hopes and, thankfully, I was not disappointed.

You Are So Undead to Me is such a fun read. It's full of LOL moments but also has the action and romance to make it more than "just a cute little book". All of the new challenges Megan faced kept me turning the pages. The ending twist completely threw me off and I never saw it coming.

All of the characters grew so much in this book. Megan and Ethan were both so much more developed and some of the supporting characters began to have their personalities defined. However, I do wish that some of the other characters had also been developed more.

Jay has, once again, created a book that will make the reader laugh, gasp, and not want to put the book down until the final page is turned. I can't wait for the next book!

February's Here!

2010-02-01T14:17:00.000-08:00

Wow. I can't believe we're already in the second month of the year! January completely flew by. I just wanted to say thanks again to all of the authors and bloggers that wrote guestblogs and to everyone that have entered contests and left comments. Some of the contests are still going on so be sure to enter the ones you've missed and comment on the guestblogs!

Regular posting will resume tomorrow!

Teen Book Choice of the Year

2010-01-31T15:44:00.001-08:00

I received this note in my inbox the other day and thought my readers might be interested:

Teenreads.com is again collaborating with the Children's Book Council (CBC) on the 2010 Teen Choice Book of the Year, offering teens an opportunity to share their five favorite books of 2009. The five titles that receive the most votes will serve as the finalists for the CBC’s 2010 Teen Choice Book of the Year.

A list of nominees can be found at http://www.teenreads.com/features/ccba_nominees_2010.asp, where readers also may find information on how to nominate other titles published in 2009. As the deadline for nominating books is fast approaching --- February 1, 2010.

Giveaway: Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

2010-01-31T14:54:00.000-08:00

Today, on the final day of my blogoversary, I'm giving away my favorite book of 2009 and possibly favorite book of all-time - Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert If you haven't read this book, you really should!!

To enter:
+1 leave a comment with your email
+1 for being a follower
+1 for tweeting/blogging (please leave a link!

Final Guestblog: Stephanie Kuehnert

2010-01-31T06:54:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe January is over already! Today's guest blog is by one of my all-time favorite writers, Stephanie Kuehnert. Both of her books, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone and Ballads of Suburbia, are AMAZING. (If you follow my on Twitter, you know how much I love Ballads.)

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I’ve been keeping a diary since I was seven and my mom got me the Beezus and Ramona diary since the Ramona books were some of my favorites. Back then my entries were pretty much limited to talking about the books and movies I’d gotten out of the library. I wrote stuff like, “I read Black Beauty. It was great!!! I love horses! I’m checking out the movie today.”

Of course as I got older my entries changed. I wrote about my problems with friends, my unrequited crushes, and all sort of confused feelings. When I had a hard time writing directly about my feelings, I wrote poems or short stories that expressed them. I also started making ‘zines. I was in high school in the early nineties when people were only starting to get email addresses and my internet usage was limited to AOL forums and chat rooms where I discussed punk bands and feminism. When I talk to teens about my ‘zines now, I compare them to an early form of blogging because that was what my ‘zines were at least—basically a journal that I distributed to the public. Sometimes I wrote reviews of books or music, but I’m not that great of a reviewer. To this day when I’m asked to write a blurb for a book or I love a book so much that I feel I have to blog about it, I anguish over the task because honestly my reviewing skills have not progressed that much past that Black Beauty review I wrote when I was seven. I admire all the book bloggers out there in a huge way because for some reason it is really hard for me to put that emotional response I have to a book or a song into words.

And yet, for some reason, I can rant for pages about emotional events that stir me. That is what I did a lot of in my ‘zines. I did it to the point that I made people uncomfortable and even lost some friends. I was brutally honest. I wrote about things that a lot of people didn’t want to talk about, things like abuse and self-injury and rape. Sometimes I felt like maybe I was oversharing, getting to personal, being too truthful, but I couldn’t help it. It was my firm belief that bad things continued to happen in our world because we didn’t talk about them, face them, and take action.

My early blogs were like my zines. I had a Diaryland site and I treated it like a diary. I purged my feelings in there and posted the writing I was working on. If you followed me back then, around 2000/2001 you would have been reading a very early version of my novel BALLADS OF SUBURBIA, except it was more like thinly veiled autobiography. I felt like it was anonymous. Only my closest friends and strangers read it. Then someone I knew in high school stumbled upon it and said some nasty things, so I shied away from blogging for awhile.

I started blogging again regular when I sold my first novel, I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE. I knew I was going to be published, knew fans of my writing would seek me out, and my blog would be public, so I wondered if I should tone things down. Maybe I should just write about my writing process or my books or benign things like my pets and the vacations I take. And if you visit my blog (stephaniekuehnert.blogspot.com), you will find some of these things. But you’ll also find my brutally honest truths. When one of my dear friends died, I wrote about him, raw and grieving and unfiltered. When I was overwhelmed by bad memories of it, I blogged about the abusive relationship I was in during my sophomore year of high school. When BALLADS OF SUBURBIA came out, my book that deals with self-injury, I wrote about my own battle with cutting. Sometimes I wonder if it is TMI, if I should censor myself, but I can’t. If you are familiar with my books, you know that I don’t hold back. I let my characters be raw and real. They swear, they do things they shouldn’t do, they get hurt, and they fight to survive. I believe in honesty. That’s what I wanted to read as a teen. I’ve always hated feeling lied to or feeling like things are being sugarcoated. So I can’t do it. Not in my fiction or in my blog. So maybe my blog is different from other YA authors’ blogs, maybe it gets a little too heavy at times (though I do try to balance it out with fun pictures), but I guess that’s just who I am and my blog reflects it.

What about you guys? Do you get personal in your blogs? Do you like blogs that get personal?

And again, three cheers for Harmony Book Reviews and all of the book blogs out there. Believe me, we need you, those of you who are better at describing books than “It was great! I love horses!”

Books to Swap/Sell

2010-01-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

I'm finally reaching the point where I *really* need to get rid of some books. So I've decided to sell all the books that I have bought myself or had from other swaps or anything like that. For ARCs, I ask that we either swap or you pay for shipping. If you're interested in anything below, please email harmonybookreviews@yahoo.com

For Sale:
*All books are $1 unless otherwise marked.

Girlfriends - Carmen Berry
The Cheat - Amy Goldman Koss
Cry of the Icemark - Stuart Holl (.50)
The Misfits - James Howe
Ella Enchanted (.50)
The Wanderer - Sharon Creech (.50)
A Question of Trust - Marion Bauer
Bearstone - Will Hobbs
The Fall - Garth Nix
Wonder's Promise - Joanna Campbell
If I Asked You, What Would You Say? - Eve Bunting (ex-library copy, hardcover, .50)
Hatching Magic - Ann Downer
Miracles on Maple Hill - Virginia Sorensen
A Time Apart - Diane Stanley
The Secret Life of Amanda K. Woods - Ann Cameron
The Fire Rose - Mercedes Lackey
Here on Earth - Alice Hoffman
Dear John - Nicholas Sparks
Phantom Stallion: Desert Dancer - Terri Farley (brand new, 2.50)
Chinese Cinderella (read once, like new, $2)

ARCs:
Break - Hannah Moskowitz
Ash - Malinda Lo
Hold Still - Nina LaCour
Peace Love and Baby Ducks - Lauren Myracle
Things Are Gonna Get Ugly - Hillary Homzie
Destroy All Cars - Blake Nelson
Beautiful Americans - Lucy Silag
Giving Up the V - Serena Robar
Lipstick Apology - Jennifer Jabaley
Hershey Herself - Cecilia Galante
Pysch Major Syndrome - Alicia Thompson
Talent - Zoey Dean
Freeze Frame - Heidi Ayarbe

If you're interested in any, please email me at harmonybookreviews[at]yahoo.com

Guestblog: Cherry Cheva

2010-01-29T15:48:00.001-08:00

Today's guestblog is by Cherry Cheva, who wrote one of the few books that made me crack up uncontrolabley. (It's called She's So Money - check it out).
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HAPPY TWO-YEAR BLOGOVERSARY TO HARMONY BOOK REVIEWS! And since this a BLOG and not a CHILD, I am sure these twos will NOT be terrible at all! Let us reflect on the awesomeness of Harmony, shall we?

1) Harmony is the mastermind behind the whole 1-ARC tour thing, which is like the greatest thing EVER. Seriously. When I first heard of this, it was all I could do not to jump out of my chair and go "That's genius!" In fact, I may have done that. I mean, it's such a ridiculously great idea that I have no idea why people haven't been doing it since the dark ages, except for the fact that in the dark ages, they didn't have mail, so how would one send the ARCs around, and did they even have books, because when was the printing press invented, and also, could anybody read? I'm bad with history. Anyway, I have been fortunate enough to join many other authors in having our ARCs sent around in this manner, and knowing that our limited number of review copies end up in so many more hands because of Harmony's work rules. RULES!

2) Harmony is also the name of a character from the Whedonverse. See: Buffy, Angel. This is awesome.

3) Harmony is something that sounds pretty when sung. See: Glee. Also awesome.

4) Harmony contains the word "harm" which perhaps sounds like a negative but is actually a neutral statement because what if you're doing harm to an EVIL person or thing, like Voldemort? Exactly.

5) Harmony also contains "mony" which is either half of the serviceably catchy 80s tune "Mony Mony" or just a very slightly misspelled "money" which is something that we can all use to buy more books. Thus, a positive.

6) Harmony can be rearranged to spell "hay morn." This conjures up images of a sunny beautiful day on a farm. This is pleasant. Harmony can also be rearranged to spell "may horn." This sounds sort of like the punchline to a dirty joke involving unicorns. Dirty jokes are good, and unicorns are just dandy. Unless you're team zombie, but I'm getting off topic.

7) Harmony is a book blogger, and book bloggers are heroes-- especially to us authors who don't have zillions of our publishers' marketing dollars being thrown at us every five seconds. Some of us don't get to have our books in every bookstore. Some of us aren't in any. But bloggers help our words reach readers who might not otherwise hear about us, and for this, we are bigtime grateful. I mean, blogging takes WORK. First of all, it's writing, which is hard enough to do anyway, but it's even harder to do on top of school and/or jobs and/or life's general activities and/or whatever else. PLUS, book reviewing also requires a massive amount of reading, which, sure, is fun and you were doing it anyway, which is why you started the blog in the first place, but then to spend time crafting a well-thought-out review, posting it up for the world to see, and then reacting to and interacting with that world as opinions and counteropinions fly in, not all of them necessarily positive? That's effort, people. That's effort and bravery and dedication, and for this, bloggers deserve not only polite, classy golf claps, but also a rousing standing ovation, and perhaps even some loud cheering and screaming and some rowdy throwing of chairs and starting of riots. Bloggers ROCK, y'all. They rock! So HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY TO HARMONY and kisses and hugs to book bloggers in general! :D Keep up the good work! *throws chair* (see, told you it was worth some chair-throwing) :)