Book Review: The Dead Boys by Royce Buckingham

The Dead Boys by Royce Buckingham 

Release Date: September 2, 2010
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Age Group: Young Adult 
Pages: 208
Editions: Kindle| Nook
Overall:♥♥♥♥

In the desert town of Richland, Washington, there stands a giant sycamore tree. Horribly mutated by nuclear waste, it feeds on the life energy of boys that it snags with its living roots. And when Teddy Matthews moves to town, the tree trains its sights on its next victim.
From the start, Teddy knows something is very wrong with Richland—every kid he meets disappears before his eyes. A trip to the cemetery confirms that these boys are actually dead and trying to lure him to the tree. But that knowledge is no help when Teddy is swept into the tree's world, a dark version of Richland from which there is no escape . . .

Giving thanks....Contest!

Hey Everybody! Happy Thanksgiving!I just wanted to thank you all for everything, blogging has become a fun part of my life, I LOVE it and being part of this truly awesome community filled with awesome bloggers , authors, and publishers. I appreciate every comment and every follower. I mean what would i do without you guys! So as my thank you I'm having a contest to celebrate my 1 year blogoversary and 1000+followers. hope you enjoy! THANK U ALL for everything!!<333

::Prizes::

 winner chooses 3 (2011) YA Novels of their choice from this LIST

**just remember it has to be 2011**

Book Review: Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

Release Date: October 5th 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Age Group: Young Adult 
Pages:  288
Editions: Kindle| Nook  
Overall: ♥♥♥♥
Source: Publisher

The higher you aim, the farther you fall….
It’s Violet’s junior year at the Westfield School. She thought she’d be focusing on getting straight As, editing the lit mag, and figuring out how to talk to boys without choking on her own saliva. Instead, she’s just trying to hold it together in the face of cutthroat academics, her crush’s new girlfriend, and the sense that things are going irreversibly wrong with her best friend, Katie.
When Katie starts making choices that Violet can’t even begin to fathom, Violet has no idea how to set things right between them. Westfield girls are trained for success—but how can Violet keep her junior year from being one huge, epic failure?

Waiting on Wedsday(55)

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 (click titles or pics to go to the books goodreads pages)

"TEASER TUESDAYS": Vixen by Jillian Larkin

"TEASER TUESDAYS"!

So, here’s the idea: Every Tuesday, check out the posts here at SHOULD BE READING for the “Teaser Tuesdays” weekly event!

Winner of Shadow Hills and signed poster!

The winner of Shadow Hills and signed poster is:

Marnise T

Congrats winners!!! Marnise, I've sent your info to the SH team leader! Your prize should be getting to you soon :D


BIG Thank You to all those that entered this contest i really appreciate it <3
See the answers to the trivia questions HERE!

now the new Shadow Hills paperback cover!!




it's it...eye catching. It looks wicked awesome! lol :D
**BTW i loved this book!**

Book Review: Branded (Fall of Angels, #1) by Keary Taylor(blog tour)

Branded (Fall of Angels, #1) by Keary Taylor

Release Date:  March 4th 2010
Publisher: CreateSpace
Age Group: Young Adult 
Pages: 374
Editions: Kindle| Nook
Overall: ♥♥♥♥

Jessica’s had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she’s a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.

But when two men she can’t ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn’t be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will puller her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear.

Author Interview: Ivy Devlin

 

I reviewed LOW RED MOON a little while ago here on the blog (read my review), and really enjoyed it, so I was happy to welcome Ivy Devlin here today.

About Ivy:

Ivy Devlin is the pseudonym of a popular and critically acclaimed author of teen fiction. With Low Red Moon and the Ivy Devlin name, she makes her paranormal fiction debut. Ivy lives in Virginia, USA.

Visit Ivy around the web here: Website |Twitter | Facebook

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Book Review: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff(blog tour)

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff 

Release Date: September 21st 2010
Publisher: Razorbill
Age Group: Young Adult 
Pages: 352
Editions: Kindle| Nook | Audio Book 
Overall: ♥♥♥♥½   

Mackie is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. 

He is a Replacement — left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world. 

Mackie would give anything to live among us. He just wants to play bass guitar and find out more about an oddly intriguing girl named Tate.

But when Tate’s baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. 

He must face the dark creatures of the slag heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Book Review: The Mermaid's Pendant by LeAnn Neal Reilly(blog tour)

The Mermaid's Pendant by LeAnn Neal Reilly

Release Date: March 8th 2010
Publisher: Zephon Books
Age Group: Adult 
Pages: 586
Editions: Kindle
Overall: ♥♥♥½    

Inspired by the beloved classic The Little Mermaid, THE MERMAID'S PENDANT is a modern fairy tale about growing up and discovering who you are -- and what you believe in. At times lyrical, this novel is a fantastic journey filled with magic, myth, romance, and adventure. Four years after John Wilkerson claims the mermaid Tamarind for his wife, they have an idyllic marriage that depends on a talisman that she crafted on their island paradise. But Tamarind learns a painful truth: it takes more than legs to live on land and more than magic to sustain a bond. When the talisman breaks, she and John are forced to rely on themselves instead of magic. Three wise women play key roles in the young lovers' journey to mature love. Ana, Tamarind's aging mentor, casts spells and performs seductions to keep the lovers apart. Valerie, an ex-pat jewelry maker cum fairy godmother, works her own magic to bring them together. Lucy, their widowed neighbor, grounds the couple in the realities of marriage, parenting, and family. THE MERMAID'S PENDANT is a story for anyone who has ever believed in the transforming power of love.

Book Review:The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey, #2) by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey, #2) by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: August 1, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult 
Pages:  304
Series: Iron Fey #2
Editions: Kindle| Nook | Audio Book 
Overall: ♥♥♥♥½    

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

SHADOW HILLS Cover Reveal Puzzle Piece + Contest

I reviewed SHADOW HILLS a little while ago here on the blog (read my review), and as part of the Shadow Hills Street Team, I present you the a little cover reveal piece of the paperback cover of Shadow Hills! I know we all anxious to see it!

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Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

Release Date: July 2010
Publisher: Egmont USA
Age Group: Young Adult 
Pages:   400
Series: Shadow Hills #1
Editions: Kindle

After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA -- a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died.

Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach -- the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after -- seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills. 

Book Trailer:

To find out more about this series and its author, visit the following links:

-See the book on Goodreads Shadow Hills

-Visit Anastasia around the web here: Website| Twitter| Facebook | Blog 

• Order “Shadow Hills” on Amazon
• Order “Shadow Hills” on Book Depository
• Order “Shadow Hills” on Barnes and Noble
• Order “Shadow Hills” on IndieBound

...Now I present you the puzzle piece!

It leaves to the imagination but you can check out www.novelthoughtsblog.com & http://bloggers-heart-books.blogspot.com blog to see another puzzle piece and  get your two trivia questions.

You can also find the next pieces of the puzzle along with another trivia question here today at Katie's(http://www.sophistikatied.blogspot.com)

Also check out: http://theserpentinelibrary.blogspot.com & thelifeofateenlibrarian.blogspot.com tomorrow for another piece of the cover puzzle!

--

Now for the contest! 

You can win a signed poster and a hardcover copy of SH

you MUST answer the trivia question it doesn't have to be correct BUT if there is more an one person who answers correctly I will use a random number generator to pick from the correct guessers. Good Luck!

::Contest Details::

• to enter, please fill out the form below
• entrants must be 13 years of age or older
• contest deadline is November 20, 2010
• contest open US residents only.(no PO boxes)*
• check out my Contest Policy/Privacy Policy

(Please enter through form and not comments, thanks!)

!! FILL THIS FORM OUT TO ENTER !!

Blog Tour: Excerpt scene from Branded(Fall of Angels, #1) + Giveaway

Today, Keary Taylor is here sharing an excerpt scene from her novel Branded(Fall of Angels, #1). Along with this awesome scene is a chance for you to win a copy of Branded(Fall of Angels, #1)! Enjoy~

--Now a Scene from Branded--

As soon as I walked through the door I was confronted with what I had been trying so hard to avoid.  All the Valentines’ candy and gifts were set up right as you entered, red and pink streaked throughout the building.  I had nothing against Valentine’s Day itself.  It was the chubby cheeked, pink little cherubs that smiled up at me from the heart shaped cardboard boxes of chocolates I hated.  Each of them stared up at me like some cruel joke someone was trying to play on me and I certainly did not think it funny.  I heard the sounds of mocking and demented laughter building up from inside of me, a reminder that I could never escape the angels of judgment.

Cover Reveal: Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker

Melissa Walker just revealed the cover for Small Town Sinners! I'm so thrilled to help her show some cover love. You guys, this book is seriously awesome, loved it. loved it. loved it! I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it, thank you Kate @ Bloomsbury!

You can visit Melissa's site, www.melissacwalker.com or follow her on Twitter: @melissacwalker

 

 Now i present you the cover of Small Town Sinners!!

*Melissa will be writing a cover story so look out for that one on her website.

 

 

 

"Lacey Anne Byer is a perennial good girl and lifelong member of the House of Enlightenment, the Evangelical church in her small town. With her driver's license in hand and the chance to try out for a lead role in Hell House, her church's annual haunted house of sin, Lacey's junior year is looking promising. But when a cute new stranger comes to town, something begins to stir inside her. Ty Davis doesn't know the sweet, shy Lacey Anne Byer everyone else does. With Ty, Lacey could reinvent herself. As her feelings for Ty make Lacey test her boundaries, events surrounding Hell House make her question her religion.

Melissa Walker has crafted the perfect balance of engrossing, thought-provoking topics and relatable, likable characters. Set against the backdrop of extreme religion, Small Town Sinners is foremost a universal story of first love and finding yourself, and it will stay with readers long after the last page."

 

Small Town Sinners will be hitting the shelves July 19, 2011! 

Waiting on Wedsday(54)

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 (click titles or pics to go to the books goodreads pages)

YA Love Triangle Week - Team Peeta vs. Gale

OK so you guys remember when i posted a little something about YA love Triangle week. Well it's finally here and today is our day(Rebecca and I) supporting Team Peeta and Gale! so make sure you all vote, read our "arguments" because we had fun writing them. Hope you enjoy it! <== HEAD OVER THERE

 --

YA Love Triangle Week

(from Amber of Down the Rabbit Hole)

Introduction:

Author Interview: Daisy Whitney(blog tour)

Right Now I'm reading THE MOCKINGBIRDS, which I'm really enjoying . I am excited to welcome Author Daisy Whitney!!

About Daisy:     

By day, Daisy Whitney is a producer, on-air correspondent, podcaster and raconteur in the new media business. At night, she writes novels for teens and THE MOCKINGBIRDS is her debut. Little, Brown will publish it in fall 2010. When Daisy's not inventing fictional high school worlds, she can be found somewhere north of San Francisco walking her adorable dog, watching online TV with her fabulous husband or playing with her fantastic kids.  A graduate of Brown University, she believes in shoes, chocolate chip cookies and karma.  You can follow her writing blog and new media adventures at DaisyWhitney.com 

                                        

                                            

Visit Daisy around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
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What is your favorite part about being a producer, journalist and author? How do you do it all?!

I love the people I interact with and work with as a producer and journalist as well as the chance to learn something new every day. As for being an author - I adore writing and believe in the suspension of disbelief. Hence, my need to write!

The Mockingbirds is set in a boarding school. If you could be a teen again and go to any boarding school in the world, where would you go and why?

I don’t know that I’d want to! But if I HAD to, I’d go to boarding school in Paris.

Which of your supporting characters in The Mockingbirds needs their own novella? 

Maia! She’s tough and witty and could hold her own as a storyteller.

What is some of your favorite Contemp lit? Would you say any of it influenced your writing at all?

I think Gayle Forman is the bomb! I love IF I STAY and her upcoming novel WHERE SHE WENT. Courtney Summers’ work was my inspiration to write YA in the first place, so I strongly urge everyone to read her novels. I also am pretty crazy about Stephanie Perkins’ upcoming debut ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS.

I had so many good things about Anna, I'm desperate to read it.

In a previous interview you mention you have dog, Violet. What can you tell us about her? We love dogs here(and cats)! Lol

Violet is my soulmate! I love her! She is a lab-border collie mix, she loves to fetch tennis balls, she has the softest coat in the world and she is quite cuddly.

aww give Violet a big hug for me.Thanks for stopping by Daisy!  

Also on Daisy's blog, she discusses her inspiration for THE MOCKINGBIRDS.  

THE MOCKINGBIRDS by Daisy Whitney

Release Date: November 2010
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult 
Pages:   352
Series:The Mockingbirds #1
Editions: Kindle

Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.

In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.

Book Trailer:

• Order “The Mockingbirds” on Amazon
• Order “The Mockingbirds” on Borders
• Order “The Mockingbirds” on Barnes and Noble
• Order “The Mockingbirds” on IndieBound

*Interview courtesy of Teen Book Scene