Cover Judge

Cover Judge is a semi-weekly feature (I'm human, I forget, sue me) that spotlights the covers of upcoming YA novels. I know the people say "you can't judge a book by its cover," but with covers as pretty as these, it's hard not to.

The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell

Release: April 17, 2012

Summary:

It’s a long way from Baltimore to Oklahoma Territory. But Zora Stewart will go any distance to put the tragic events of her sixteenth summer behind her. So this city girl heads to the tiny frontier town of West Glory to help her young widowed aunt keep her homestead going.

When another Baltimorean shows up in West Glory, Zora couldn’t be more surprised. Theo de la Croix made the long trip out west hoping to court Zora, whom he has long admired from afar.

But Zora has developed an attraction to a rather less respectable fellow: Emerson Birch, a rough-mannered young “sooner” whose fertile land is coveted.

As Zora begins to suspect that there may be more than luck behind Emerson’s good land, she discovers an extraordinary, astonishing power of her own: the ability to sense water under the parched earth. When her aunt hires her out as a “springsweet” to advise other settlers where to dig their wells, Zora feels the burden of holding the key to something so essential to survival in this unforgiving land.

Even more, she finds herself longing for love the way the prairie thirsts for water. Maybe, in the wildness of the territories, Zora can finally move beyond simply surviving and start living.

Cover: I liked the cover for The Vespertine well enough. Pretty dress, nice sepia tone, an all around nice cover. If I saw it in a bookstore, I'd probably pick it up and leaf through it. The Springsweet's cover, on the other hand, I adore. For some reason, I have a deep love of pretty dresses in grassy fields. (You should see my senior portraits.) Thus, the cover for The Springsweet is right down my alley. The contrast between luxury and nature is stunning, in my opinion.  Speaking of contrast...I love how different the two covers are in this series. In The Vespertine's cover, Zora is running and fearful. In this cover, she looks strong, peaceful, and free. The wide open blue sky contributes to this sense of freedom and possibility. Though I've never read The Vespertine, I assume that this change in attitude fits the direction of the story in this new book. 

Top Ten Books I Want To Reread

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Booksish. Every week, bloggers around the blogosphere post their top ten list in response to a prompt. This week, the the theme is Top Ten Books I Want To Reread (which, I'd like to add, is perfect for me!).

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I think I've gushed over this book enough. I love it, the end.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Jane Austen is my favorite author of all time, and Pride and Prejudice is by far my favorite of her novels. Everything about it is simply lovely. It makes me sad that I haven't found time to reread it in over a year and a half. Next school break, I will most definitely be curling up with this one.

3. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Oh, Forever, how I love you so. Over the course of the series, I slowly grew to love all of the characters. In Shiver, I was unsure of Isabel. In Linger, I started liking her more, but wasn't a big fan of Cole. In Forever, I loved all of them, and it made me love this book all the more. I want to reread Forever simply to spend more time with these wonderful characters. I miss them!

4. The entire Summer series by Jenny Han

Another book with lovely characters! Not to mention one of the best atmospheres in YA! I adore these books. The writing is so beautiful and poignant, I just get lost in it.

5. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

The plot in this book is fabulous. The interludes from the murderer/pedophile's point of view were completely chilling. Plus there's the romance. Jay is so swoon-worthy.

6. Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

It's been a few years since I first read Fixing Delilah. I'm sad to admit that I don't remember a great deal of the plot's specifics. I just remember falling in love with everything about it. This is another book I'm going to have to reread next time I get some free time.

7. Sea by Heidi R. Kling

Ah, Sea! I am head-over-heels in love with this book. Anytime I see orange Converse, sea turtles, hear of a natural disaster - anything really - I immediately want to reread Sea.

8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

With the upcoming movie adaption, The Hunger Games is everywhere. Magazine covers, the MTV music awards, local libraries, Twitter - the series is hot, hot, hot. Having not read the book in at least three years, all the hype has made me want to pick up the book again and refresh my memory. 

9. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

For one reason or another, this book came up in my AP Language class today. As soon as I heard "Gatsby," my intense love for The Great Gatsby came flooding back. I know a lot of people aren't a fan of it (I blame junior English), but I simply adore it. 

10. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

I read this one in sixth grade for Readers Workshop. Seeing as that was nearly six years ago, I definitely think it's time for a little refresher. All I remember is the adorable little girl and a great deal of mystery. Oh, and how I carried the book around with me for days, reading whenever I got a chance because I had to find out what happened.

What books do you want to reread?

Top Ten Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday, book bloggers all over the blogosphere post a top ten list in response to a topic chosen by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is " Top Ten Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me."

Let me just say that this is the perfect topic for me. Last year was insane school-wise and I fell way behind on my reading. I'm still playing catch up to read all of the books "everyone has read." Here are my top ten (in no particular order):

1. The Iron King by Julia Kagawa
I have had this book on my shelf since its release when Erica from The Book Cellar basically told me I had to read it. I think I got about twenty pages in before school took over. Ever since, Erica and other bloggers have been needling me to finish it. This is one of those books that I truly feel as though everyone has read it but me.

2. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
So many people (my sister included) have raved about this book to me. Yet, for some reason or another, I still haven't read it. Maybe someday...

3. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
My sister and best friend read this years ago. They both loved it and told me to read it, but I just never got around to it. Recently I've been hearing more and more talk about it in the blogosphere and from other teens at my school. I used to think it was just a book my sister and friend liked, but now I'm starting to feel like everyone has read it. I really need to dig Jenna's copy out of our garage!

4. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
People always look at me wide-eyed when I say I haven't read this one. Probably because I am now a high school senior and Cather in the Rye is usually required reading for juniors. My teacher, however, can't stand Holden and decided not to teach it. Everyone I know who's read it, however,  loves him. As soon as I have some free time again, I'm definitely picking up this one.

5. Anything by Cassie Claire
No, I haven't read any of her book. No, I don't plan on it. There just not my thing, sorry.

6. Anything by Scott Westerfield
Again, this is one of those wildly popular authors whose books most YA fans have read and loved. When I was in middle school, I had a number of people pitch Uglies to me. I'm fairly sure all of my friends read it. The books just never really appealed to me though. Sorry.

7. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
This is another one of those books that was wildly popular in middle school. I kind of did my own thing in middle school as far as reading goes, hence my starting my blog. Maybe one day I'll go back and read this series, but it don't see that happening anytime soon. They're huge and my free time is little.

8. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Like I said, I didn't really read the standard childhood books growing up. I just read Harry Potter this past summer.

9. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
I've never read anything by Pearce, but I really want to! I've heard so many rave reviews about this one.

10. Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
I met Lisa a few summers ago at Heidi R Kling's release party for Sea where she told me about her upcoming release. A few weeks later it exploded in the blogosphere. The amount of buzz was insane. People loved it. I have copy in my room right now, but I just haven't gotten around to reading it.

Now it's your turn. What books do you feel like everyone has read but you?

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Release: February 1, 2011

Source: Purchased

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Two summers ago I read Lauren Oliver’s debut, Before I Fall, on the recommendation of, oh, about a hundred bloggers. You’ll notice that I never reviewed the book. That’s because I really just didn’t like it and didn’t know why. Then a few weeks later my sister read the book and loved it, so I figured maybe I just didn’t click with the main character. After all, she was far more like my sister than me. Yes, that was probably it.

When Delirium came out, it was once again met with a great deal of praise from other bloggers. People just love Oliver’s books. Obviously I was missing something, so I picked up Delirium and decided to give it a shot.

Sadly, I once again was not a big fan. Despite how great of a person Oliver is (I met her at TAC and BEA in 2010), I just cannot seem to get into her books. Once again, I’m not really sure why.

This time I could relate more to the main character. Lena was shy and studious and respectful, much like me. I also loved the concept of Delirium: love being viewed as a disease. Plus, unlike other dystopians, there was much more semblance between Lena’s world and our own. All signs pointed to a great read that was right down my ally.

Yet, I couldn’t get into the story. From the get go I could see where the book was headed. I had a general idea of how it would end (all dystopians are similar in that regard) and as the book progressed I could see the various plot points coming. Only, it took forever for the story to get there. The pages dragged on and on and on, approaching a twist I already was expecting. It made me antsy and a little frustrated with Lena. If I could see this coming, surely she should too.

Now, I would like to say that there was a lot of good in this book: good characters, good scenes, good writing. On more than one occasion I found myself while reading a particularly lovely scene or stopping to reread a particularly beautiful line. Oliver is a talented writer; that is undeniable. The real issue was that these good parts were often separated by ten or twenty pages of long, descriptive prose that made my eyes cross.

So, once again, it seems that Oliver’s book and I are not compatible. Still, I know I’ll probably end up reading Pandemonium when it comes out. Like I said, Oliver has a lot of talent and there’s great potential in Lena’s story. I don’t think I’m quite ready to give up on either of them.

Hopefully, if you give Delirium a chance, you end up liking it more than me.

3 stars

All These Things I've Done Winner

Hi there readers!

 I'm happy to announce that my first attempt at using Rafflecopter went swimmingly. I think I am in love. Not only did it take care of all of the entries and make creating the form uber easy, it also picked the winner for me. So much love!

 That said, the winner of the All These Things I've Done giveaway is...

 #22 - Sayomay!

I've sent you an email notifying you that you won and need a response ASAP so I can get the book out to you. (The one issue with Rafflecopter is that it does not collect mailing addresses.)

Congratulations! 

All These Things I've Done Giveaway

To me, there are very few things scarier than a world without coffee. I'm not addicted, per say, but the thought of no coffee whatsoever is a scary one. A very scary one, indeed.

Well, that's just the kind of world in which Gabrielle Zevin's new book, All These Things I've Done, is set. 

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Intrigued? I hope so!

I've got a copy of All These Things I've Done to giveaway to one lucky blog reader.

For this giveaway, I'm going to be giving Rafflecopter a try. In case you don't know what Rafflecopter is, it's a cool new website for hosting giveaways. Seeing as this is my first time using it, I don't know too much about it, but it does seem to be pretty handy. Hopefully all goes well! (If not, bear with me.) Good luck, everyone!

Taylor Swift Speak Now Tour

I know this is a book blog. And I know I usually don't post about personal stuff unless it's book-related.

Well, today is going to be an exception to that norm, because last night was one of the greatest nights of my life. I went to Taylor Swift's Speak Now concert.

It. Was. Enchanting.

I've never seen or experienced anything quite like it. I'm not really even sure how to describe the concert. (Magical, maybe?) So, rather than gushing to about it, I'm going to show you.

Enjoy, fellow Swift fans!

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Release: April 26, 2011

Source: Purchased

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back. But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid. Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away... especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most. But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Abandon snuck up on me, and I was surprised how much I ended up liking it. I say this because, initially, I had no intention of reading it. It’s not that I don’t like Meg Cabot or her writing – I’m a big fan of her Airhead series – I just wasn’t sure I wanted to read yet another paranormal love story that didn’t seem to have much of a hook.

In the end, it was Cabot who convinced me to give Abandon a shot. At the This Is Teen event in San Francisco, she captured my attention while talking about how, ever since high school, she'd wanted to “update” the myth of Persephone. When she later revealed that this was the premise behind Abandon, I knew I had to read it.

After reading the first two pages, which serve as a prologue of sorts, I knew I was going to enjoy Abandon. Cabot is a master at weaving words together, producing a novel that is captivating to read. Pierce had a sincere voice with just the right touch of wit and irony; I simply could not get enough of it.

What really made Pierce such an interesting main character, though, was her troubled past. When the novel starts, she is just beginning her new life in Isla Huesos and the story of how she ended up there is only alluded to. Cabot builds this twisted back story through anecdotes, flashbacks, and sly references, allowing the reader to put the pieces together.

The mystery of that alone was enough to keep me flipping pages, though John definitely helped. His surly, pessimistic character was the perfect balance to Pierce’s sincerity. The scenes in which the two confronted each other were some of my favorites. Their chemistry, combined with the mystery of Pierce’s past, made Abandon a captivating read.

I’d love to leave my review here, to say that I was enthralled by this book and loved it to bits. But, sadly, I rarely get what I want. There was one little thing that really hurt my opinion of the overall book. Actually, it’s kind of a big thing: the climax.

After a startling realization, Peirce is whisked off to safety before anything truly exciting can happen. The whole novel seemed to be building towards a great, exciting climax, a worthy end to Pierce and John’s twisted love story. I was incredibly disappointed to find that this was not the case.

Since Abandon is the first in a series (as I discovered later on), I guess I’ll get my dramatic ending eventually. I just wish I didn’t have to wait for a whole other book (or two or three) to see it happen.

Slightly disappointing ending aside, I found Abandon to be a pleasant surprise. It’s got romance, mystery, Greek mythology – a little bit of everything, all mixed together perfectly.

4 stars!

September Commenter Contest

Recently I've noticed more and more bloggers hosting "Monthly Commenter Contests." The idea is, in my opinion, a fabulous one. Bloggers put lots of time and energy into updating their blogs, and comments are a lovely way to get feedback on our work and keep us motivated. The contests are also a way to thank all of our readers for, well, reading our blogs.

That in mind, I've decided to jump on the bandwagon and being hosting monthly commenter contests, starting with September.

Just as on other blogs, only thoughtful comments left on posts from the month of September will be counted. (By thoughtful comments I mean something other than "Great review," "I'll have to check this one out," or "Great blog! I recently started a book blog and you can find it here.")

Because of the number of international readers I have, this contest will be open internationally.

Before I get to the prize, I have one last rule. When you leave a comment, please make sure you're either logged in on a Google account or leave your name and email. Anonymous comments and those left without any contact info will not be counted.

Okay, onto the prize. This month, one lucky commenter will win...

...an ARC of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare and an Infernal Devices notebook!

Special thanks to Emily's Reading Room, the blog where I first saw this idea.