I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder
Ava and Jackson fell in love without really trying. They had a connection that not even their friends understood. Then Jackson died in a tragic accident that Ava feels responsible for. This is the story of what happens after Jackson dies, and Ava realizes that just when she thinks she can’t possibly go on without him, Jackson comes back.
Girls, this is a love story that any teen can relate to. I mean, wouldn’t it be amazing to have your first true love return to you as a ghost so you would never have to live without him? Think again! Ava soon realizes that maybe being haunted by the boy you love isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. No holding hands. No dates. No secrets. What kind of boyfriend is that? Its only later that Ava realizes Jackson isn’t there to haunt her, but to help her move forward without him, in LIFE.
Class of 2008 first-time author Lisa Schroeder writes an intriguing story of love, friendship, and the meaning of forgiveness. This novel is written in verse (poetry!) and is a beautiful read. Teen readers, I know what you’re thinking and it’s probably something like this, “Poetry? You must be kidding. I HATE poems!” Well, believe me, I am no poetry lover by any means, and frankly the idea of reading one giant poem really wasn’t at the top of my list, but let me tell you, you will love it. The story reads like a novel and I promise you will finish it faster than anything else you’ve read. Who knew poetry could be so entertaining!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
CONTEST! READ BELOW!
The Queen of Cool by Cecil Castellucci
Libby Brin is the most popular girl in her hip Los Angeles high school. Her parents let her do just about anything she wants, she dates the hottest guy in school, and has access to all the money she wants to spend on clothes. But she is incredibly bored. Libby decides its time to take a hold of her life and do something, anything, different. She signs on as an intern at the Los Angeles Zoo where she becomes friends with the most unlikely of people: Tina (better known as “Tiny”) a little person who seems to have life on a leash, and Sheldon, a quiet genius with bad skin. Her popular friends have a big problem with Libby working at the zoo; she is too busy with her job to hang out with them every day. With a little help from her new friends, Libby learns that there is more to life than shopping and partying and that maybe she isn’t all that bad a person after all. But will her popular friends accept the new Libby? Or will she have to give up the life she knew in order to live the life she dreams of?
Cecil Castellucci has written an easy to read, fun, and thought provoking teen novel in The Queen of Cool, that I highly recommend for reader’s ages 14+. There are some scenes that involve teen parties, relationships, and language that may be inappropriate for younger readers. This book deals with the question nearly every teen has to face at some point in her life; is she becoming the person she wants to be or being the person her friends expect her to be? Libby feels as though she is losing everything that was once important to her – including her boyfriend - only to realize that she was never all that happy with what she had to begin with. The ending of this novel is sweet, real, and just what teens need to be reminded of as they travel through their own journeys of self- discovery.
Teen readers, if you are interested in winning a free copy of The Queen of Cool, leave me a comment about the problems with popularity in school. A winner will be chosen at random and the book will be sent to you. Happy reading!
The Queen of Cool by Cecil Castellucci
Libby Brin is the most popular girl in her hip Los Angeles high school. Her parents let her do just about anything she wants, she dates the hottest guy in school, and has access to all the money she wants to spend on clothes. But she is incredibly bored. Libby decides its time to take a hold of her life and do something, anything, different. She signs on as an intern at the Los Angeles Zoo where she becomes friends with the most unlikely of people: Tina (better known as “Tiny”) a little person who seems to have life on a leash, and Sheldon, a quiet genius with bad skin. Her popular friends have a big problem with Libby working at the zoo; she is too busy with her job to hang out with them every day. With a little help from her new friends, Libby learns that there is more to life than shopping and partying and that maybe she isn’t all that bad a person after all. But will her popular friends accept the new Libby? Or will she have to give up the life she knew in order to live the life she dreams of?
Cecil Castellucci has written an easy to read, fun, and thought provoking teen novel in The Queen of Cool, that I highly recommend for reader’s ages 14+. There are some scenes that involve teen parties, relationships, and language that may be inappropriate for younger readers. This book deals with the question nearly every teen has to face at some point in her life; is she becoming the person she wants to be or being the person her friends expect her to be? Libby feels as though she is losing everything that was once important to her – including her boyfriend - only to realize that she was never all that happy with what she had to begin with. The ending of this novel is sweet, real, and just what teens need to be reminded of as they travel through their own journeys of self- discovery.
Teen readers, if you are interested in winning a free copy of The Queen of Cool, leave me a comment about the problems with popularity in school. A winner will be chosen at random and the book will be sent to you. Happy reading!
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Aislinn is just your average high school junior- somewhat popular, cute, and oh yeah, she can see faeries. Aislinn has had this ability since she can remember, and she has known the rules her grandmother taught her for that long as well: 1. Don’t stare at invisible faeries, 2. Don’t speak to invisible faeries, and 3. Don’t ever attract their attention. These rules have kept Aislinn safe her entire life, until she meets Keenan.
After years of living amongst the faeries and going unnoticed, Aislinn is suddenly being tracked and she doesn’t know what they want. She is terrified to tell her grandmother about the trackers for fear she will then be kept inside where she is safe. That means not seeing Seth, her best friend and secret crush. After some thought, Aislinn breaks another of her grandmother’s rules and tells Seth about her “Sight” and the faeries that live around them. With his help, Aislinn discovers she is being sought after by the Summer King, Keenan. He believes Aislinn just may be the girl he has spent the last five centuries searching for, his Summer Queen. Only problem is, Aislinn doesn’t want to become a fairy and leave her world, and Seth, behind. But without her, Keenan will never regain his full powers and his wicked mother, the Winter Queen, will rule the Earth. Eventually, under the Winter Queen’s rule, all mortals and faeries will die. It’s now up to Aislinn to save them. Will she lose Seth and her grandmother in the process? Can she really be the Summer Queen?
After hearing so many great things about this book I just had to read it myself, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Wicked Lovely is a fast paced, easy read that I just couldn’t put down. The characters are lovable for their intensity, their love, and their honesty. Aislinn’s struggle to keep
her mortal life and her fear of ignoring who she is destined to be is heart-
wrenching and captivating. The relationships between Aislinn and Seth, and Aislinn and Keenan, are intense and full of the passion of young love and hope. Melissa Marr’s writing is so descriptive, that as a reader you can imagine the wonderful smells of wildflowers and sunshine that Aislinn experiences every time she is near Keenan. You can feel the determination Keenan has for his own personal success in finding his Queen. And you can definitely feel the intense fear and hatred in the Winter Queen’s character. I would recommend this book to all YA readers, but especially those who love fantasy novels. You will love it! The story of the faeries and Keenan continues in Marr’s follow-up novel, Ink Exchange.
In the back of the paperback copy of Wicked Lovely you will find some “Extras” on author Melissa Marr. They include “6 Intriguing Facts about Melissa Marr”, “Chatting with Melissa Marr”, “A Wicked Lovely Playlist”, and “Melissa Marr’s Reading List”. You can read more questions and answers about Melissa Marr at her fansite: http://www.wickedlovely.com/
Aislinn is just your average high school junior- somewhat popular, cute, and oh yeah, she can see faeries. Aislinn has had this ability since she can remember, and she has known the rules her grandmother taught her for that long as well: 1. Don’t stare at invisible faeries, 2. Don’t speak to invisible faeries, and 3. Don’t ever attract their attention. These rules have kept Aislinn safe her entire life, until she meets Keenan.
After years of living amongst the faeries and going unnoticed, Aislinn is suddenly being tracked and she doesn’t know what they want. She is terrified to tell her grandmother about the trackers for fear she will then be kept inside where she is safe. That means not seeing Seth, her best friend and secret crush. After some thought, Aislinn breaks another of her grandmother’s rules and tells Seth about her “Sight” and the faeries that live around them. With his help, Aislinn discovers she is being sought after by the Summer King, Keenan. He believes Aislinn just may be the girl he has spent the last five centuries searching for, his Summer Queen. Only problem is, Aislinn doesn’t want to become a fairy and leave her world, and Seth, behind. But without her, Keenan will never regain his full powers and his wicked mother, the Winter Queen, will rule the Earth. Eventually, under the Winter Queen’s rule, all mortals and faeries will die. It’s now up to Aislinn to save them. Will she lose Seth and her grandmother in the process? Can she really be the Summer Queen?
After hearing so many great things about this book I just had to read it myself, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Wicked Lovely is a fast paced, easy read that I just couldn’t put down. The characters are lovable for their intensity, their love, and their honesty. Aislinn’s struggle to keep
her mortal life and her fear of ignoring who she is destined to be is heart-
wrenching and captivating. The relationships between Aislinn and Seth, and Aislinn and Keenan, are intense and full of the passion of young love and hope. Melissa Marr’s writing is so descriptive, that as a reader you can imagine the wonderful smells of wildflowers and sunshine that Aislinn experiences every time she is near Keenan. You can feel the determination Keenan has for his own personal success in finding his Queen. And you can definitely feel the intense fear and hatred in the Winter Queen’s character. I would recommend this book to all YA readers, but especially those who love fantasy novels. You will love it! The story of the faeries and Keenan continues in Marr’s follow-up novel, Ink Exchange.
In the back of the paperback copy of Wicked Lovely you will find some “Extras” on author Melissa Marr. They include “6 Intriguing Facts about Melissa Marr”, “Chatting with Melissa Marr”, “A Wicked Lovely Playlist”, and “Melissa Marr’s Reading List”. You can read more questions and answers about Melissa Marr at her fansite: http://www.wickedlovely.com/
Monday, June 2, 2008
Writer's Insecurities
Last November, with a little encouragement, I signed on for my first NaNoWriMo. I didn't expect much of myself since writing a novel was really just a fantasy I'd had since childhood. Afterall, I am a mom, mother and a full time teacher, so how the heck was I going to write 50,000 words in 30 days? Anyhow, I jumped in with both feet and boy did I have fun!
Fast forward to today. I sit before you with my 60,000+ words and don't have a clue what to do with it. I think the prospect of revising and editing it is even more daunting than sitting down and writing the ideas on paper (well, ok, more like on Word). I have barely even touched the so-called "work in progress" since around Christmas time when I had two weeks off from school. Today is my first official day off from school for the summer. I have no major vacations planned this year, my kids are old enough to entertain themselves much of the time, and I have no serious work to get done for the upcoming school year. So what is holding me back from my writing? Me!
Anyone else ever get to this point and just give up? I'd hate to see my work just take up folder space in my laptop and never do anything with it. But at the same time, how do you wrap your mind around the fact that most of what I wrote is probably garbage and it will probably take me a lot longer to revise the story than it did to write it?
HELP!
I need your encouragement, advice, and cyber-space hand holding to help me through this. I have the next 7 weeks or so to focus myself and get the job done. What step should I take first?
Your friend in fiction,
Emily
Fast forward to today. I sit before you with my 60,000+ words and don't have a clue what to do with it. I think the prospect of revising and editing it is even more daunting than sitting down and writing the ideas on paper (well, ok, more like on Word). I have barely even touched the so-called "work in progress" since around Christmas time when I had two weeks off from school. Today is my first official day off from school for the summer. I have no major vacations planned this year, my kids are old enough to entertain themselves much of the time, and I have no serious work to get done for the upcoming school year. So what is holding me back from my writing? Me!
Anyone else ever get to this point and just give up? I'd hate to see my work just take up folder space in my laptop and never do anything with it. But at the same time, how do you wrap your mind around the fact that most of what I wrote is probably garbage and it will probably take me a lot longer to revise the story than it did to write it?
HELP!
I need your encouragement, advice, and cyber-space hand holding to help me through this. I have the next 7 weeks or so to focus myself and get the job done. What step should I take first?
Your friend in fiction,
Emily
Read My Lips by Teri Brown
Check out this great trailer for a new book READ MY LIPS by class of 2008 author Teri Brown. I think it looks incredible and can't wait to read it myself! Let me know what you think by posting your thoughts on the trailer here.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR1mndok5SY
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