You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover...Or Can You?

Parties and Potions by Sarah Mlynowski

I've read these books since they first came out and I absolutely love them. When book three, Spells and Sleeping Bags, came out last year I thought that it was the final book in the Magic in Manhattan series. Imagine my surprise when I saw that Mlynowski was writing a fourth. I can't wait to read the latest installment and see what new wild antics Rachel is up to.

Synopsis (courtesy of Amazon.com):
Perfect hair, cute clothes, healthy tans—life’s a breeze when you’re a witch! Even special witchcraft classes Rachel agrees to attend with Miri turn out to be fun. The sisters meet other teen witches just like them—who knew? Everyone’s preparing for a magical party called a Samsorta—a debutante ball for witches. And it wouldn’t be a ball without warlocks. Cute ones. Like Adam, who wants to slow dance with Rachel, and ski with her in the Rockies—on a school night! Of course, Rachel is madly in love with her boyfriend, Raf. So why can’t she bring herself to tell Adam—funny, charming Adam—that Raf exists?Rachel knows Raf likes her. Maybe even, gulp, loves her. But Raf doesn’t know her secret. Unlike Adam, Raf doesn’t know who she really is. And she can never tell him. Or can she?

Cover:
These covers are always so fun. The bright colors and animations capture the spirit of the books fantastically.

Envy by Anna Godbersen

Okay confession, I don't actually read the Luxe series. When the original book came out I was ecstatic. Historical fiction is my favorite genre, followed shortly by mystery. The series seemed to have both, it seemed to be a perfect fit. When I read the first book though, I found it a little too Gossip Girl for my taste. But now, a year later, I'm considering giving the series another try.

Synopsis (courtesy of Amazon.com):

Jealous whispers.
Old rivalries.
New betrayals.
Two months after Elizabeth Holland's dramatic homecoming, Manhattan eagerly awaits her return to the pinnacle of society. When Elizabeth refuses to rejoin her sister Diana's side, however, those watching New York's favorite family begin to suspect that all is not as it seems behind the stately doors of No. 17 Gramercy Park South.
Farther uptown, Henry and Penelope Schoonmaker are the city's most celebrated couple. But despite the glittering diamond ring on Penelope's finger, the newlyweds share little more than scorn for each other. And while the newspapers call Penelope's social-climbing best friend, Carolina Broad, an heiress, her fortune—and her fame—are anything but secure, especially now that one of society's darlings is slipping tales to the eager press.
In this next thrilling installment of Anna Godbersen's bestselling Luxe series, Manhattan's most envied residents appear to have everything they desire: Wealth. Beauty. Happiness. But sometimes the most practiced smiles hide the most scandalous secrets. . . .

Cover:

The real reason behind this cover choice? The dress! Every book in this series has such a magnificent dress on the cover. Whoever the designer is is absolutely amazing. They are works of art. If I could only own one dress in my life I'd want it to be one of the dresses on the cover of these books.

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren. The basic idea is that everyone does a weekly post about what books they received that week.

The Rule of Won by Stefan Petrucha

"The secret of The Rule of Won is simple, yet its power has been suppressed for generations. The universe is one of infinite abundance—ask, and you shall receive.
Umm, yeah right. Meet Caleb Dunne, slacker extraordinaire. Caleb prefers to glide through life with the minimal amount of effort, so he isn’t too jazzed when his overachieving girlfriend, Vicky, convinces him to join a new school club based on a controversial book, The Rule of Won. Slackers don’t join school clubs, do they? As The Rule gains popularity, though, the club members start to gain power within the school. From dark posts on the club’s online message board to all-out threats in the hallways, it becomes apparent that the group is getting out of control. For slacker Caleb, though, the only thing worse than doing something is not doing something."

I'd never heard of this book before author, Stefan Petrucha, contacted me to review it. But after reading some of the other reviews on the Internet I have to say, I'm really interested. The concept is fantastic and I'm sure the book will be too.

Teen Inc. by Stefan Petrucha

"Legally, a corporation is a person, so why shouldn’t they be able to adopt a child? Fourteen year old Jaiden’s family is a corporation and his home is an office building. When his parents are killed in an accident caused by a faulty piece of equipment manufactured by NECorp, the company adopts him and raises him in its headquarters. Now as a teenager, Jaiden, is longing for a normal life—attending high school, living in a house, having a girlfriend—and is starting to rebel in search of it. With the help of his new friend, Jenny, he uncovers some disturbing and scandalous information about NECorp and must make the tough decision to stay loyal to his “family” or to follow his instincts."

When this book first came out I was excited to read it. With my long list of books to be read though I never got a chance to. Petrucha was nice enough to send me a copy of Teen Inc. along with The Rule of Won.

Authors and publishers if you're interested in having me review a book of yours feel free to send an email to ChickLitTeens@gmail.com. I will happily accept ARCs.

Winners

The winners (chosen at random) of the three fabulous books are:

Rima's Book Journal - Bad Kitty

Tay-Toe - The Debs

Carmen T - The Squad: Perfect Cover

Rima, Tay and Carmen please send me your information by 5:00 pm PST this Sunday, November 30, or you'll forfeit your prizes.

Thanks to everyone who entered! I'd like to give a special thanks to Paradox who made me this fantastic banner:

Study Series Transittions to YA

As many of you may have seen the Study series (Poison Study, Magic Study and Fire Study) are among some of my all time favorite books. The series has it all, magic, romance, action. Yet they have never really taken off with the YA crowd. Most of this is due to the fact that they are classified as a "romance" series.Needless to say that is a major turnoff for most teens. I know it was for me, when I first started reading them, I was a little weary. But to my surprise I found that they were more adventure and mystery than romance.It seems that the publisher has figured this out to, because finally the books are making the transition from romance to YA. However as of yet I don't believe there are plans to transition the third book, Fire Study, to YA, as it is the most adult of the three books.
The new classification calls for new covers. Check them out:

You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover...Or Can You?

Warriors: Power of Three #5: Long Shadows

The Warriors series by Erin Hunter is not YA, it's middle grade. However I still love them. They are one of my only guilty pleasures. I started reading them when they first came out, back when I was in elementary school, and have continued on ever since. The latest book, the fifth installment in the third series, comes out later this week and I couldn't help but feature it.

Release:

November 25, 2008

Synopsis (Courtesy of Amazon.com):

The Clans are in turmoil. ShadowClan has turned its back on StarClan and pledged to follow the dark predictions of Sol, the strange cat who foretold the solar eclipse. But not all the cats have lost faith in their warrior ancestors. . . .
Jaypaw is convinced that StarClan still holds an important place in the warrior code, and his search for answers leads him far back into the past, farther back than even StarClan can remember. Lionblaze, tortured by violent dreams and bloody visions, wishes he had never been prophesied to be one of the three but to turn his back on his littermates would be the ultimate betrayal. And Hollyleaf is terrified that once the Clans lose their faith, the warrior code will fall apart. She's willing to fight tooth and nail to preserve it—whatever the cost.
And when murder stalks into the heart of ThunderClan, the cats realize that the darkest shadows don't always lie outside the territory.

Cover:

I have to say, with each new book the covers get better and better. Whoever designs the covers for the series is amazing. I love the emotion in the cat's eyes and the way the light shines in the background. This cover is definitely one of my favorites of the series.

The King's Rose

For those of you who didn't know this, I love historical fiction. My favorite subject, by far, is the Tudor family. So when I saw this book I practically fell out of my chair. It feels like ages since I've seen a YA novel about the Tudors. The King's Rose is definitely high on my list.

Release:

March 19, 2009

Synopsis (Courtesy of Amazon.com):

Life in the court of King Henry VIII is a complex game. When fifteen-year-old Catherine Howard catches the king’s eye, she quickly transforms from pawn to queen. But even luxury beyond imagination loses its luster as young Catherine finds her life—and her heart—threatened by the needs of an aging king and a family hungry for power. Will their agendas deliver Catherine to the same fate as her infamous cousin, Anne Boleyn—sacrificed at the altar of family ambition?
Engaging historical fiction with a throbbing YA heartbeat, this thrilling novel will draw readers into the intrigues and dangers of the Tudor court.

Cover:

Wow! Just wow! The girl's dress is absolutely amazing and the red rose, genius. It immediately draws your eye to the book. This cover is one of my favorites for historical fiction.

Privileged (How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls)

Synopsis (Courtesy of Amazon.com):
Recent Yale graduate Megan Smith comes to Manhattan with big plans for a career in journalism and even bigger student loan debt: $75,000. When she flails at her trashy tabloid job, she's given an escape hatch: tutor seventeen-year-old identical twins Rose and Sage Baker--yes, the infamous Baker heiresses of Palm Beach, Florida, best known for their massive fortunes and their penchant for drunkenly flashing the paparazzi -- and get their SAT scores up enough to get into Duke. Impossible job -- yes. But if she succeeds, her student debts are history. Unfortunately for Megan, the Baker twins aren't about to curtail their busy social schedules for basic algebra. And they certainly aren't thrilled to have to sit down for a study session with dowdy Megan. Megan quickly discovers that if she's going to get her money, she'll have to learn her Pucci from her Prada. And if she can look the part, maybe, just maybe, she can teach the girls something along the way.

Privileged offers a unique look at the relationships we develop in life. The three main characters, Megan, Sage and Rose, all have their own troubled relationships. Throughout the course of the novel they are all forced to face these problems, as well as the problems in their new relationships.
The main character, Megan Smith, will capture your attention from the beginning with her blend of humor, talent, and bad luck. The change in Megan, both emotionally and physically, from her arrival at Palm Beach to when she departs for New York is remarkable. With the first person view you get to see every subtle change in Megan’s personality and live through the ups and downs of her life with her.
What gives the novel even more a flare is the Baker twins, Sage and Rose. They’re personalities are so wild that you can’t help but love them. However what really catches your attention is their unique relationship with each other. Both girls have their own problems to work through, all of them stemming from their parents early death. Seeing the two discover and accept themselves, and each other, is a moving experience.
Privileged is a wonderful read full of lovable characters and lessons we can all benefit from.

4 Stars!

PG-13 (Reader Discretion Advised)

Privileged was originally published as How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls. The CW purchased rights to the novel and turned it into a new TV series, titled "Privileged". Tune in every Tuesday night at 9 p.m. for a new episode.

You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover...Or Can You?

This is a new weekly meme for the blog, each week I will be featuring one (or two, possibly three) covers for upcoming books. This week's title(s) are:

Betraying Season

This is one of my most anticipated releases of 2009. This sequel to Bewitching Season focuses on Pen rather than Persy. Considering how great Bewitching Season was, Betraying Season is sure to be a hit.

Synopsis (courtesy of Amazon.com):

Penelope (Pen) Leland has come to Ireland to study magic and prove to herself that she is as good a witch as her twin sister, Persy. But when the dashing Niall Keating begins to pay her court, she can’t help being distracted from her studies. Little does Pen know, Niall is acting upon orders from his sorceress mother. And although it starts as a sham, Niall actually falls deeply in love with Pen, and she with him. But even if he halts his mother’s evil plan, will Pen be able to forgive him for trying to seduce her into a plot? And what of Pen’s magic, which seems to be increasingly powerful?

Cover:

I'm completely in love with this cover! It is, by far, my favorite of the two. The dress is so pretty and the contrast between her purple sash and the green background is eye catching. It is both flirtatious and mysterious, much like the book promises to be.

Prada and Prejudice

I first heard about Prada and Prejudice early in June when stumbled across Many Hubbard's LiveJournal. When she told me about P&P I was completely amazed, the story sounds AMAZING! It has been awhile since I've seen such a fresh blend of the modern world and Jane Austen. I can't wait to read this book.

Synopsis (courtesy of AmandaHubbard.com):
Callie falls head over heels—literally…
and wakes up in Austen-Era England !
Fifteen-year-old Callie buys a pair of real Prada pumps to impress the cool crowd on a school trip to London . Goodbye, Callie the clumsy geek-girl, hello popularity! But before she knows what’s hit her, Callie wobbles, trips, conks her head… and wakes up in the year 1815!
She stumbles about until she meets the kind-hearted Emily, who takes Callie in, mistaking her for a long-lost friend. Sparks soon fly between Callie and Emily’s cousin, Alex, the maddeningly handsome—though totally arrogant—Duke of Harksbury. Too bad he seems to have something sinister up his ruffled sleeve…
From face-planting off velvet piano benches and hiding behind claw-foot couches to streaking through the estate halls wearing nothing but an itchy blanket, Callie’s curiosity about Alex creates all kinds of trouble.
But the grandfather clock is ticking on her 19th Century shenanigans. Can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, win a kiss from Alex, and prove to herself that she’s more than just a loud-mouth klutz before her time there is up?

Cover:
This cover captures the essence of the book so well. I love the swirls on the cover and haphazzard tea cup. It blends the modern world (her jeans and heels) with the Regency period (the tea cup).

Book Blowout

During the month of November I’ll be giving away three fantastic books all signed by the author:
The Squad Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe
The Debs by Susan McBride

To be entered for a chance to win one of the three books all you have to do is leave a comment with your name and email. The contest will end Friday, November 21 at 12:00 midnight PST and the winners will be announced the following day.

Extra Entries:
+1 for every comment you leave on any posts after this one
+1 for every person you refer to the contest (make sure they mention your name)
+1 if you mention or put a link to the contest on your site
+2 if you design a banner for Chick Lit Teens

Good Luck!