How Ally Carter Made My Day

Before I get to the mind-blowingly awesome news Ally Carter released today, I first want to mention the recent resurgence of my love for YA and books and blogging.

This past weekend was hell. The kind of hell induced by a large final project that consumes your life and deprives you of sleep. Of course, there was an upside to this hell: my project was a redesign of this here blog. I started from scratch, building a new website with PHP, HTML, and the aid of Twitter Bootstrap.

As I said, it was hell. Setting up the website meant spending a disgusting amount of time weeding through old posts, revising old reviews, re-examining my blog's structure, changing every comma and quotation mark and dash, and other equally tedious tasks. Yet, as bad as this was, when I was going through my old posts, I found myself falling in love with blogging and reading and reviewing all over again. I had forgotten the thrill of reading a good book and how one can convey that love through reviews.

Fortunately, this epiphany occurred a week before the semester ends and I head home for Winter Break. Meaning I will have six glorious weeks of reading and blogging.  How exciting is that?

For me, it is pretty damn exciting.

Almost as exciting as this announcement from Ally Carter.

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

Oh yes, Ally Carter has written a cross-over novella. With Hale. And Macey. And Kat. And Aunt Abbey. AND it is free.

It is too much awesome to handle, especially when one realizes this means Ally will have THREE books out in 2013 (Heist Society 3, Gallagher Girls 6, and now Double Crossed). I can barely contain my excitement!

Well, that is all for today. I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday. See you soon!

A Word on Emails + How to Contact Me

A few months ago, I posted about how, due to the large number of emails I receive each week, I would no longer be responding to those review requests I would not be accepting.

Odds are, if you emailed me in the past two month,s you never received a response from me and took it as me not having any interest in your book.

That is not the case.

Since starting school, I experienced an incredible decrease in the volume of emails I received on my blog account. I took it as the book community realizing I had started college and respecting the fact that I was a) far busier than I expected and b) adjusting to a new school.

And then I noticed my spam folder full of "mail delivery errors."

And then I heard talk that someone had sent me an email I never received.

And then I realized Gmail, at some point, developed a glitch in the forwarding system I had set up.

In other words, I have 300+ alerts in my spam folder that emails failed to forward, meaning 300+ people emailed me and never received a response. That, quite honestly, is horrifying.

I am so, so sorry to anyone who has emailed me in these past few months. When Gmail attempted to forward the emails to my other account, it deleted the originals, so now all I have are error messages with snippets of the original emails. At this point, there is not much I can do about those emails. They are, much to my dismay, gone.

Again, I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. I cannot fix what happened, all I can do is look forward. I believe I have fixed the problem now. That being said:

If you sent an email and are still interested in working with me, please resend.

OR

Fill out this form, and I will get in contact with you ASAP.

For these next few weeks, I will be responding to all of my emails. If you do not receive a response within a week, please fill out the form.

Thank you for your patience. Again, my sincerest apologies.

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone Blog Tour

I am so happy to be able to host a stop on Tamara Ireland Stone's blog tour for her debut novel, Time Between Us, which is out this month. This book has been on my wishlist for quite some time, and I have been enjoying sneaking pages between classes over the past week. My review will be up soon, but you don't have to wait until then to get a taste of Time Between Us. As a part of the tour, I have an excerpt from the novel. I hope you enjoy it!

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett’s unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna’s life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility. As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate—and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together.

Excerpt

san francisco, california

Even from this distance I can see how young he looks. Younger than the first time I saw him.

He and his friends have been skating around Lafayette Park for the last couple of hours, and now they’re sprawled across the grass, downing Gatorades and passing around a bag of Doritos.

“Excuse me.”

Eight sixteen-year-old heads spin in my direction, looking confused, then curious.

“Are you Bennett?” I ask and wait for him to nod, even though I’m sure it’s him. I’d know him anywhere. “Can I speak with you for a moment? In private?”

He knits his eyebrows together, but then he stands up and flips his skateboard over to keep it from rolling down the hill. I catch him looking back at his friends and shrugging as he follows me to the closest bench. He sits at the opposite end, as far away from me as possible.

Everything about him is so similar, so familiar, that I almost scoot over to close the distance, like I would have done so naturally when I was younger. But sixteen years have come between us, and that’s enough to keep me on my side of the bench.

“Hi.” My voice shakes, and I twist a curly strand of hair around my finger before catching myself and returning my hand to my sides, pressing both palms into the wooden slats.

“Ummm . . . Hi?” he says. He studies me through the uncomfortable silence. “I’m sorry, am I supposed to know you or something?”

My instinct is to say yes, but I stop myself, press my lips together, and shake my head instead. He doesn’t know me. Not yet. “I’m Anna. Here.” I reach into my bag, pull out the sealed white envelope, and smile as I hold it out to him.

He takes the letter and turns it over a few times.

“I thought it would be safer to explain in writing.” My next words are the most important. After all my practice, I should have this part perfected, but I think through each word in my head again, just to be sure. “It’s too easy for me to say the wrong thing today, and if I do, we may never meet at all.”

His head springs up, and he stares at me, wide-eyed. No one’s ever said anything like that to him before, and with that one statement, he knows that I’m in on his secret.

“I’d better go.” I stand up. “Read that when you’re alone, okay?” I leave him on the bench and walk back down the hill. I keep my eyes glued to a single sailboat skimming across the San Francisco Bay so
I won’t turn around. After years of agonizing over this moment, I expect to feel relieved, but I don’t—I just miss him all over again.

What I just did could change everything, or it could change nothing. But I have to try. I’ve got nothing to lose. If my plan doesn’t work, my life will remain the same: Safe. Comfortable. Perfectly average.

But that wasn’t the life I originally chose.

From Time Between Us © 2012 by Tamara Ireland Stone Reprinted by Permission of Disney•Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group LLC. All Rights Reserved.

For more information on Time Between Us and Tamara Ireland Stone, visit Stone on the web, Facebook, and Twitter.

Also Hitting Shelves Today

Oh, hello there again.

It just came to my attention that I left a book off my list of titles hitting shelves today. Remember how I said only a few books have made me cry? Well, the co-author of this releases, Jenny Han, may not have made me cry, but she certainly played games with my heart. Her Summer series is one of my all-time favorites, and I am so happy to see she has another series coming out. Plus, the series is co-written with Siobhan Vivian, who is said to be wonderful.

I have already read Burn for Burn (in fact, I was working on my review last night), and I would definitely recommend it, especially if you liked John Tucker Must Die.

Enjoy!

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Hitting Shelves Today

Of all of the books I have read in my lifetime, only a handful have made me cry. Today, two of the authors responsible for making me cry, Libba Bray and Maggie Stiefvater, have new series beginning. One is set in the roaring '20s, the other in small town, and both promise to be full of chilling supernatural twists.

Ergo, if you are anything like me, you are probably already planning on rushing to the bookstore at some point in your day. And if you are not, hopefully these summaries will convince you that you really do need to make your way to your local bookstore.

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

Hopefully you are squeeing with excitement after reading both of those summaries. (I know I am!) I hope you have a wonderful, book-filled day!

Oh, hello there!

Ahoy fair blog followers!

It's lovely to see you again. I just wanted to take a moment to apologize for the recent silence on my end. At the end of August, I began my first year of college. And while it has been an amazing experience thus far, it has also consumed all of my time.

As of Tuesday, I have finally picked my classes, and should have my schedule nailed down by the end of the week. Which, ladies and gentlemen, means I should be able to work out a posting schedule by next week!

Now, I cannot promise I will posting as frequently as I have in the past. But I can promise I will update the blog whenever I get the chance. So, please, bear with me. 

Thank you for your continued support!

P.S. If you have not read If I Lie by Corry Jackson, I would highly recommend it. A review will be up soon, but I wouldn't wait until then to get a copy!

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Release: May 1, 2012

Others in the Series: Graceling and Fire

Source: Purchased

The long-awaited companion to New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

With her much-anticipated third book, Kristin Cashore returns readers to the Graceling realm. Eight years have passed since Graceling’s Katsa and Po rid the kingdom of Monsea of the monstrous King Leck. Now, Leck’s daughter, Bitterblue, sits on the throne. But, as she’s slowly learning, possessing the throne and ruling the kingdom are two very different things.

Readers meet Bitterblue right as the young queen begins her journey to truly know, and rule, the kingdom she has been entrusted with. Terrorized as a child and burdened with great responsibility at a young age, Bitterblue proves to be a fascinating protagonist. She is timid but brave, quiet but cunning, and innocent but embittered. Like the rest of her kingdom, she bears the scars of Leck’s reign. Only, unlike the rest of the kingdom, she refuses to have the secrets and pain of those years brushed under the rug.

And so, Bitterblue – and readers – are taken on a whirlwind journey to find truth in a world poisoned by lies.

Compared to Fire and Graceling, Bitterblue is rather low-concept. The plot rolls along seemingly idly, occasionally bumping over a twist or secret. Though I knew the novel was approaching some great secret – Cashore is known for her intricate plots – I spent the majority of the book thinking very little of the plot. Instead, my attention was focused on Bitterblue’s growth as an individual and as a queen; Saf and Teddy’s seemingly nefarious plans; the advisors’ odd behaviors; and the going ons of Katsa, Po, Giddon, and the rest of the Council. In short, I simply enjoyed being in the Graceling Realm again.

In Bitterblue, Cashore introduces readers to a different kind of leading lady. Unlike Katsa and Fire, she is not gifted in some extraordinary way (other than ruling a kingdom, of course), is not off on some wild adventure, and generally does not engage in any kind of combat. Her greatest weapon is not her looks or her brawn, it is her mind. Over the course of the novel, Bitterblue proves to be a cunning young woman time and time again, solving difficult ciphers and piecing together difficult puzzles.

The most intriguing of these puzzles being Leck’s reign. Bitterblue’s detective work and the small clues hidden throughout the castle provided numerous surprises, often leaving me trying to piece together the true history of the kingdom. Of course, Cashore found the perfect way to weave all of these loose ends together in an intriguing and surprisingly fitting ending.

My solitary complaint about this novel is that Bitterblue did not end up with Giddon, even if they were never intended to be a romantic pairing. There was a spark there, one I hoped and prayed Cashore would nurture. But, alas, no such thing happened.

As to whom Bitterblue ultimately ends up with, you will have to read to find that out.

Fire has met its match in Bitterblue. Equal parts charming, inventive, and intriguing, Bitterblue is sure to enchant readers, whether they are old fans of the Graceling series or just discover it.

5 stars!

P.S. For those of you who, like me, preferred Fire to Graceling, do not fret. Just as Katsa and Po’s story plays a role in Bitterblue’s, so does Fire’s. I promise it will not disappoint.