Top Ten Books On My TBR List For Winter

After taking a break for a few weeks, I am once again participating in Top Ten Tuesday. As a part of this weekly feature, book bloggers all across the blogosphere post a list of ten books in response to a prompt selected by The Broke and the Bookish. To find out more about the meme and see a list of upcoming topics, visit The Broke and the Bookish.

This week, the topic is "Top Ten Book on my TBR List for Winter." Half of the list is winter releases I want to read and the other is books that are sitting in my TBR pile to be read over winter break.

1. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
The cover of this book is what initially caught my attention. Since then, I have heard numerous positive comments about the book. Needless to say, I am rather intrigued.

2. Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
Hello, this is the final installment in the Nightshade trilogy! As soon as I can get my hands on a copy, I am reading it.

3. Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton
Angelfire was one of my favorite surprise finds of the past year and I am very excited to read more of Ellie's story.

4. The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen
The summary describes this book as "Pretty in Pink meets Anna and the French Kiss in this charming romantic comedy." Um..yes, please!


5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
It has been far too long since I last read this. When I have some free time over break, I will most definitely be picking it up.

6. Emma by Jane Austen
Outside of Pride and Prejudice, I have read very little of Jane Austen's work. I am about twenty pages into this one, but have had little time to sit down and read it. Christmas break should afford me some reading time.

7. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Yet another classic I have read about 20 pages of and then been forced to abandon due to a lack of time. Have I mentioned how excited I am for break?

8. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
I fear if I do not pick this one up soon, Erica from The Book Cellar X will stop talking to me. It has been sitting in my TBR pile for far too long.

9. There's No Place Like Home by Jen Calonita
Secrets of my Hollywood Life was one of the very first YA book I ever read. I feel terrible that this final book has been sitting, collecting dust, in my TBR pile for months.

10. Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Marie Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
I am counting these books as one because they were both recommended to me by my favorite English teacher. I have read part of both books and loved them, but never got around to finishing them because of, you guessed it, school. When I have free time over break I am going to finish both.

I must say, after making this list, I am quite excited for winter to be here. I have a feeling it will be a great time for reading. What books are you looking forward to?

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Release: November 15, 2011

Source: Purchased

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

I hate to give out negative reviews, especially those that are lukewarm, but I guess I’ll be breaking that rule today. The Pledge was…blah. It wasn’t so much that there was something wrong with the book or the writing or the characters, they were all perfectly fine. The plot was interesting enough, the society unique. Still, I found it difficult to connect with the novel. The main character Charlie was not incredibly memorable. She was perfectly average with some redeeming qualities, but not enough to make me feel particularly invested in her or her life.

More importantly, I felt the novel was highly lack in, well, details. Derting relies heavily on the reader’s abilities of assumption and deduction. Facts aren’t presented, rather implied. Often, I had no idea who was talking and found myself skimming ahead to figure out what exactly was going on. Had this simply been an issue with dialogue, I probably would not have been so perturbed. Unfortunately, there was often a lack of defined details concerning major pieces of the plot. For example, Charlie can understand all of the languages spoken in Ludania, not simply the standard Englaise and her vendor class’ language. Though this talent that plays a huge role in the plot, it is merely touched upon briefly in the beginning and is never outright introduced. Likewise, I found the details concerning her sister incredibly hazy. She doesn’t talk and apparently has powers, which randomly appear midway through the novel (mentioned only offhandedly) and then are forgotten for quite some time.

Of course, there were a few redeeming qualities. The parts concerning the queen and her reign were incredibly interesting. In fact, when it came time for the climax, I found myself, for once, gripped by Charlie’s story. However, an odd twist at the end (never really explained, of course) significantly reduced my enjoyment of the dramatic moment.

In short, I would have preferred it if The Pledge had been more heavily-centered around the queen, rather than Charlie, a rather lackluster protagonist. All of my initial excitement was for naught; I will not be picking up the next installment in this series.

2 stars

The Iron Knight Blog Tour

Today I am very happy to be hosting a stop on the The Iron Knight blog tour. Here is a bit about the final installment in Julie Kagawa's New York Times best-selling The Iron Fey series:

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

As a part of the blog tour, each stop was given a special excerpt from The Iron Knight. This "excerpt scavenger hunt" will give readers the chance to read entire passages of The Iron Knight in pieces. All you have to do is follow the stops each day. You can find the entire list of stops here.

I am rather fond of my excerpt, as it includes Grimalkin. Because, hello, he is a (sarcastic) talking cat. What is not to love?

He lifted a front paw and began washing it, scrubbing it over his ears. “There is…one…who might know the way to becoming human,” he continued, much too nonchalantly. “A seer, in the wildest regions of the Nevernever. But the way to the seer is twisted and tangled, and once you step off the path, you will never find it again.”

“Right, and you just happen to know the way, don’t you?” Puck interjected, but Grimalkin ignored him. “Come on, cat, we all know where this is going. Name your price, so we can agree and get on the road already.”

“Price?” Grimalkin looked up, and his eyes gleamed. “How well you seem to know me,” he mused in a voice I didn’t like at all. “You think this is some simple request, that I guide you to the seer and that will be all. You have no idea what you are asking, what lies ahead, for all of us.”

Be sure to stop by Bite My Books tomorrow for the next stop on the tour.

Happy Thanksgiving!

In my house, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without
"A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving."

Today is Thanksgiving for us Americans, a day when families (and friends) come together to share a meal and give thanks for all of their blessing. Wherever you are today - with friends or family, at school or at home - I want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.

This year, I am most thankful for having my entire family at home. My father just returned home after spending seven weeks in LA and Seattle, training for a new job, and my sister is home from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for the first time in months. It's so nice having everyone home, healthy and safe.

I am also thankful for all of the wonderful books I have read this year, all of the great authors I have met, all of the opportunities I have had, and all of you, my loyal readers who never cease to amaze me. I am so, so grateful for being able to share my three loves - reading, writing, and ranting - with all of you. Thank you for reading my blog!

There are so many other things I am thankful for, but I don't want to keep you from your cooking and eating, so I'll leave it there. I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving with the people you love.

Now, as the Gilmore girls say, go eat n' eat n' eat n' eat!

Swoon/Swear Giveway

In addition to the wonderful guest post from Sin and Dice, I also have signed copies of Swoon and Swear by Nina Malkin to giveaway! All of this is, of course, in celebration of the recent release of Swear, the sequel to Swoon.

A promise broken. A bond betrayed.

It’s been six months since ghost-turned golem Sinclair Youngblood Powers confessed his love, stole Dice's heart, and disappeared from Swoon, perhaps from existence. Despite the hurt, Dice has been moving steadily toward ordinary. Dreams of Sin still plague and pleasure her sleep, and the mark of Sin's love remains on her skin, still sore. But Dice has been throwing herself into music, finding solace in song and sometimes even in the arms of her band mate, Tosh. Life seems almost…normal. The last thing Dice wants is to mess with anything remotely supernatural. But when her best friend’s boyfriend goes missing, Dice has no choice but to become very much involved. She knows that his disappearance was no accident, and it somehow has everything to do with Sin. Because Dice can feel it: Sin is back. And the promises and deceptions he left in his wake have returned to haunt him.

What do you do when an oath of devotion threatens to destroy the one you love?

Intrigued? Well, I hope so, because now you have a chance to enter to win your very own signed copies of Swoon and Swear.


Rules of entry:

• Fill out the form HERE
• All entries must be received by midnight PST on Friday, Dec. 2
• Open to US only
• Entrants must be 13 years of age or older
• Entrants must follow Chick Lit Teens
• One entry per person
• Entrants should read Chick Lit Teens' official contest rules before entering

Good luck, everyone!

Character Chat: Sin and Dice

Today I have a guest post from Dice and Sin, the main characters from Swoon and Swear by Nina Malkin. In honor of the release of Swear and the contest I'm hosting, Sin and Dice decided to put together a special play list exclusively for Chick Lit Teens. Thanks for stopping by, guys!

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The Official Sin & Dice Swear Play List

Now that SWEAR, the sequel to SWOON, is officially out in book form—as opposed to us actually going through this stuff—we could relax and have fun assembling these personal playlists. We retraced our story from start to finish and found tunage to convey what we were thinking and feeling at the time. The result is two distinct sonic tasting menus to the action and emotions that unfold in SWEAR. Blues music is basic to our story but we didn’t load our lists with blues. On the flip, we avoided tons of currently popular records you already know. Lots of this stuff is new to us, too—we googled our feelings and discovered songs that went with them. It is emotional — but for comic relief, check out the hairdos and outfits in some of the videos! Sin’s list is the testost-o-rama of harp-heavy rage and braggadocio you’d expect, but it’s also fraught with confusion and, yeah, tenderness. Dice’s is definitely on the girlie side but chock full of attitude too. Plus, we’ve got to thank our friend Rony Corcos for her awesome rendition of “You Throw the Dice.” If you like it as much as we do, get a free download for your own personal playlist by emailing your request to nina@ninamalkin.com. Swoon on! — Candice “Dice” Moskow & Sinclair “Sin” Powers

SIN’s Personal Playlist…

• “Purgatory,” Iron Maiden (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNVlXEAnW50)
•  “Mr. Hangman,” The Stone Foxes (http://youtu.be/TuY0SKBX9Wg)
•  “Run for Your Life,” the Beatles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv_Y1kbZbJA)
•  “I Want You Back,” Hoodoo Gurus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izkd-ND-gW4)
•  “Here Comes Sickness,” Mudhoney (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bGI7Jol22w)
•  “Unchain My Heart,” Ray Charles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA_s3VbSHLA)
•  “Rubberband Man,” the Spinners (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jte7Jhii4e0)
•  “Come on in This House,” Junior Wells (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A79YZUvLy-Y)
•  “Reunited,” Peaches & Herb (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGQi9mz4upo)
•  “Blood and Roses,” Smithereens (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqML7WbOun8)
•  “White Wedding,” Billy Idol (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgFh4RHgn0A)

DICE’s Personal Playlist… 

• “Throw the Dice,” Rony Crocus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qoln2P5fEdY)
• “Ruby,” Dave Rawlings Machine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbo-RNw1Nu0)
• “Someone New,” Eskobar feat. Heather Nova (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rayIckOBmo)
• “Spoonful” — Howlin’ Wolf (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyfgb9sDT1I)
• “Who’s That Girl,” Eurythmics (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5iDKWV6Chg)
• “I Want You Back,” Jackson 5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_5hQ8cEE7Q)
• “Graduation Day,” Chris Isaak (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFsAp6S_ND8)
• “Dark Side of the Moon,” Pink Floyd (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLOth-BuCNY)
• “Set Your Head on Fire,” Black Box Revelation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyoJRD1nnHE)
• “Poison Girl,” Chris Whitley (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNtUvbtIwl0)
• “Woodstock,” Joni Mitchell (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6IDoxi9QsE)

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Now that you've seen their playlists, head on over to enter for a chance to win Swoon and Swear so you can learn even more about Sin and Dice.

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Release: October 4, 2011

Others in the Series: Hush, Hush and Crescendo

Source: Purchased

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

When it comes to this series, I tend to have a pattern: I read one of the books, love it, and then lose my excitement by the time the next book comes out. It happened with  Crescendo, and now it has happened with Silence. Just as with Crescendo, once I read it, I ended up enjoying it. I think all the buzz just makes me cynical.

As with most series, I forgot a lot about the events that preceded this novel. Fortunately, so had Nora. I must admit it was quite fun bumbling along with a narrator with amnesia when I too was suffering from a memory lapse. Talk about relatability!

Another bonus of Nora having her memories stolen was that she got to re-meet Patch and fall for him all over again. And this time, I did too. In Hush, Hush, I wasn't the biggest fan of Patch. Yes, he was mysterious and dark, but he was a little too much of a bad boy. This time around, Fitzpatrick found the perfect blend of bad boy danger/aloofness and genuine humanity. Paired with Nora's new confidence and strong-willed personality, the couple's new romance was wonderful. A great improvement, in my opinion.

And, of course, Fitzpatrick found a way to throw in a twist at the end - one I definitely hadn't seen coming. I just wish the moment had been a tad bit more climactic. In a sense, there were two climaxes, neither of which was incredibly heart pounding.

No matter, I though it was a great ending to an all around lovely series. Only...it wasn't the ending. A few days before Silence's release, Simon & Schuster announced that they would be publishing a fourth (and final?) book in the series. Seeing as how nicely Silence tied everything up, I am not quite sure what to think of the announcement. Most likely, I will say I'm not going to read it, but end up buying it anyway. It' s just my relationship with the series.

4 stars

A Parade of Winners

Whoa there! How is November already half over? Seeing as we're so far into the month, I should probably announce some contest winners.

First up, the winners of the Audition bookmark giveaway are...

Jessi Puryear,

Amanda Tew, 

and Jill of The O.W.L!

Next, the two lucky winners who will receive a finished copy of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's Beautiful Creature are...

Donnas

and Melissa W!

And finally, the winner of the October commenter contest, who has won a copy of Deception be Lee Nichols, is...

Claire!

Congratulations to all the winners! Please email me your mailing info as soon as possible so that I can get your prizes out to you.

P.S. For those of you who didn't win, be sure to check back soon (like, oh, this Monday) for more contests.

The Hunger Games Trailer

Every social network has been abuzz today with news of The Hunger Games trailer's release. I mean, come on, it's THE HUNGER GAMES!

If you haven't seen it or (like me) just want to watch it again, here is the full trailer:

 

Wow! I for one could not be happier with the trailer. (Well, that is not entirely true, but I doubt they are going to recast Cinna.) 

Before I saw this, I had quite a few doubts about the movie. After all, Hollywood is not exactly the most trustworthy when it comes to adapting bestsellers to the big screen. Based on this trailer, The Hunger Games may just be the exception to this rule. The cast (minus Cinna) looks great. I am particularly fond of the casting of Liam Hemsworth as Gale, especially since I have long been on Team Gale. The winner of best casting, however, has to go to Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. Her transformation from blonde haired beauty to poor District 12 resident is marvelous. 

Still, my favorite part of the trailer would have to be the scenery. District 12, as well as the surrounding hunting area, looks just as I had pictured it. The same goes for the brief glimpses of the arena and the training area. 

What a marvelous trailer - I cannot wait to see the movie in all of its glory!  

Cover Judge

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

Endlessly by Kiersten White

Release: July 24, 2012

Synopsis: 

The third book in the Paranormalcy trilogy.

The final chapter of Evie’s adventures. Old friends, new ones, all wrapped up in impossible decisions. And some ball gowns. Because what’s a life of normal and paranormal drama without a ball gown or two?

Cover: Wow. Just wow.  Kiersten White has been blessed with some gorgeous, dramatic covers for this series. Of all the covers, this one has to be my favorite.First of all, do you see the purple? I love, love, love the purple. It's moody and gorgeous and just a tad bit royal. And speaking of royal...that dress! Much like the dress on the cover of Paranormalcy, it is a pretty dress, but pretty in a unique way. Kind of like her hair. I don't know anyone with hair that blonde (or that pretty). A simply gorgeous cover all in all. I cannot wait to have this one on my shelf!

A Reminder from Miss Manners

Well, hello there, all you lovely blog readers. I hope you are enjoying this fine fall day - or winter day, depending on where you are located.

As a new season begins, I thought I would pop in and give a little refresher on some basic blogging etiquette.

In this crazy new world of blogging and social media, it can be hard to keep all the rules straight. One rule that everyone should know, though, is that there is a time and a place for everything. Review requests, publicizing your book, sharing your blog - all these magnificent things have their proper place, which is not on a social network.

Now, now, I have no problem with you tweeting about your book. Please do! It is a great joy to see new titles, covers and release news popping up on my Facebook and Twitter feeds. But, please, keep that on your own profile. Don't send me review requests via Twitter or Facebook. It really is not polite. Nor is it effective, as I will not respond. In fact, I will probably mentally black list you and your book.

I can hear all you authors now, lamenting that you have tried email and no one responds back. For that I apologize. Times are hectic and I cannot always respond to every review request, as I'm sure is the case for many of my fellow book bloggers. Rather than becoming petulant, though, why not view it as a good thing? Maybe not all of us responded zealously or immediately. That sucks, I know. But, in all honesty, it probably is a good thing. It would serve you much better to have someone who is genuinely excited about your book review it or host an interview or giveaway. Just like with publishing a novel, sometimes you have to incur rejections before you can find the right place for your book, the place where it can get all the love it deserves.

Once you find this right place, please do not tell me by posting about your book all over my blog's Facebook page. I get alerted when this happens, and then I will delete the posts and block you. That page is for my blog readers, readers who want to see what I have to say about books. Since I have never read your book or (most likely) heard about it, it does not fall under this category. Sorry, but that is just the way it is. If you don't like it, go make your own Facebook page where you can post to your heart's content.

Bloggers, don't think this rule is only for authors. I am talking to you too. I would not go on your Facebook page and spam you with links to my blog, so please show me the same respect. We are all in this blogging world together. The least we can do is maintain some etiquette.

I would also suggest noting that blog comments promoting your book and/or blog are not much appreciated either. They too will be deleted. If you really want me to like you, leave a thoughtful comment, not an advertisement.

Oh, advertising, such a touchy subject. As of late, it seems the newest craze is advertising anything and everything one posts on their blog on GoodReads.

Don't do it.

Just don't. I won't respond - partly because I am not interested and partly because your "invite" blurs together with the 40+ others I get every week. Sending profuse notifications will most likely result in my blocking you.

Right  about now, a handful of you are probably giving me an indignant look. One that says, "it is hard to get readers. I put so much time into my blog. You don't understand. Who are you to tell me how to go about promoting my hard work?" To you I say, I do understand. It is hard getting readers and keeping an active blog. I have been a blogger for nearly four years, this is not news to me. Sometimes I wish I could get more followers, more readers, more hits. When this happens, rather than spamming other people, I go write more content. I read another book. I do something productive and hope that it pays off. And it almost always does.

So step away from that post button and go write something new for your blog, something that will make me want to come back. Or, if you're an author, go send out more requests via email, so you can find the bloggers who care about your book and can do it justice.

Thank you and have a charming day!

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Release: October 18, 2011

Source: Purchased

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

As a child, I was enchanted by horses. Whether I was watching them from afar or riding on one’s back, I was utterly mystified by them. Of all the things I loved about horses, my favorite was their fierce bonds with their owners. At the barn where I rode off and on throughout my adolescence, there were a handful of long-term riders who were completely devoted to their mounts and vice versa. When I watched these people ride, I felt as though I was witnessing something incredibly rare and entirely magical.

Maggie Steifvater captured this relationship perfectly in The Scorpio Races, capturing my heart as a result.

Of course, the relationship I’m talking about is not technically between a horse and a rider. The creatures at the heart of this magical story are not gentle ponies or powerful thoroughbreds. Rather, they are the cappail uisce, a mythological breed of carnivorous horses that emerge from the sea every November. Equal parts terrifying and captivating, these ferocious beasts gave the novel a feel unlike anything I have encountered before.

Much to my surprise, the Scorpio Races were not the main focus of the novel. Rather, Stiefvater focused on developing the island of Thisby and its inhabitants. The island very well may be as magical as the creatures that emerge from the seas around it. Every character, every custom, every delectable pastry was described and developed beautifully. I quickly found myself lost in Thisby, as excited to simply be there as to be following the course of the novel.

It is truly difficult to put my feelings into words. The Scorpio Races was, quite simply, a masterful creation on all levels.

5 stars!

Happy NaNoWriMo!

Happy November, my lovely blog readers!

The start of November means a lot of things for me: my Stanford application is officially in, fall has finally arrived in California, we're one month closer to Christmas, and most importantly, National Novel Writing Month is here!

Is anyone else as excited as I am?

For those of you who are wondering what National Novel Writing Month is, it is a one-month writing challenge. The concept is simple: 30 days, 50k words. Meeting the goal, however, is not quite as simple.

This will be my fourth year participating in NaNoWriMo. Though I've never won, I've always come within 5,000-2,000 words of the 50k word goal. (Well, except for 2009, when I was forced to quit early on in the month because of school. But whatever.) Maybe this year will be the year, or maybe it won't be. All I know is I cannot wait to get started tonight.

Good luck to all my fellow NaNoWriMo participants!

P.S. My username on the site is ChickLitTeens (easy to remember, no?), so feel free to add me.