Sharon Loves Books and Cats

Tell Me A Secret by Holly Cupala. Review and International contest

2010-03-16T11:40:00.006-04:00

Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala
Publication date: 6/22/10, Harperteen
FTC: received arc from publisher
Rating: 5 purrs!

Summary:

Tell me a secret, and I'll tell you one…

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda’s death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister’s world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.

Then two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears. Stripped of her former life, Miranda must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister’s demons and her own.

Thoughts:

Have you ever read a book that made you want to leap into its pages and throw cats at the characters? No, well I guarantee that Tell Me A Secret will change that. I can't remember the last time a book pissed me off so much. I don't mean this in a negative way. Sometimes it is good when a book pisses you off. I gave Tell Me a Secret 5 purrs because I cannot remember the last time I became so emotionally invested in a book. I experienced anger, sadness, and happiness at different periods throughout the book. I even found myself getting a little teary eyed a couple of times (actually cried like a baby shhh...).

Miranda is such a well written character that you cannot help but react emotionally. The loss of her sister Xanda leads her to make some very stupid choices. One of which is ditching a long-time friend to become besties with the ultimate mean girl. Looking for a replacement for her sister, Miranda instead winds up pregnant and friendless. There were time when I wanted to throw a cat at Miranda for being so stupid, but alas I loved her too much to stay mad at her. Miranda was impossible for me now to like because she was so strong. I don't think I could have handled her situation as well as she did.

It also doesn't help Miranda that her family is completely dysfunctional. Miranda basically has no one to help her through her pregnancy until she meets a new friend at work. I thought that the issue of teen pregnancy was handled rather well in Tell Me a Secret. Miranda considers her baby to be a replacement on sorts for his dead sister, but the author never shies away from the negatives of being a teen mom. Miranda's pregnancy is never romanticized nor glamorized.

Miranda's relationship with her family is very complex. Her mother is a judgmental bitch and her father is emotionally distant. However, as Miranda's pregnancy progresses her relationship with her family changes drastically. By the end of the story they come to an understanding of sorts. Though I honestly don't know how Miranda could ever forgive her mother for some of the things she did.

I could go on and on about how amazing this book was, but I don't want to bore you all. Tell Me a Secret was a real page turner. The pacing and format of it was perfect. I was never bored or confused by anything that was happening. I pretty much picked Tell Me a Secret up and didn't put it down again until I was finished.

I enjoyed Tell Me a Secret so much, that I have decided to host an international contest for my arc.

Rules:

All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me about a literary character that pissed you off. It can be from any type of book and not just young adult. Must leave your email address.

The fine print:

contest open worldwide until 4/3/10
leave email address in comments
winner has 48 hours to contact me or I pick someone new
must follow the rules or your entry won't count

extra entries:

+2 tweeting
+3 followers old and new
+2 sidebar or blog post

Prize pack contest winner

2010-03-15T10:25:00.005-04:00

I'm catching on all of my contest winners this week. Stay tuned for later in the week to see who won my Before I Fall and Strand Books contests.

The Winner for my latest Penguin Prize Pack contests:

Little Miss Red winner is Haleyknitz
Incarceron winner is Kelsey of Just Blinded Book Reviews
Vlad contest winner is Kelsey O.

I will email to winners within the next 24 hours and they have 48 hours to respond or I will pick new winners.

Huge contest

2010-03-14T09:37:00.000-04:00

You can find my Before I Fall purchase contest here.

In My Mailbox: I slept with my arcs and I liked it.

2010-03-06T12:39:00.003-05:00

I decided to go with a vlog and silly Alea inspired blog title this week. FYI: sleeping next to cats and arc is VERY uncomfortable!

Books mentioned:

1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

2. Rash by Pete Hautman

3. Heist Society by Ally Carter

4. A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard

5. Contagious by Scott Sigler

6. Pure by Karen Krossing

7. Unearthly Asylum by P.J. Bracegirdle

8. The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell

9. Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala

10. Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

11. Wayfarer by R.J. Anderson

12. Lies by Michael Grant

Contest: Prize Pack #3 Vlad Tod

2010-03-02T15:24:00.006-05:00

You can find the second prize pack here.

My third and final prize pack is for finished copies of the first three books Vlad Tod books (Eighth Grade Sucks, Ninth Grade Slays, Tenth Grade Bleeds) and an ARC of the fourth book (Eleventh Grade Burns) all by Heather Brewer, a Vlad Tod tote bag, and Vlad Tod buttons.

Check out the really cool trailer to learn more about this series. Fill out the form below it to enter this contest. Open until 3/15/10, U.S only and no P.O. boxes.

Contest: Prize Pack #2 Little Miss Red

2010-03-02T15:10:00.008-05:00

You can find the first prize pack contest here.

This prize pack includes a finished paperback of Little Miss Red by Robin Palmer and a book t-shirt (size s or m)

Contest up until 3/15/10, U.S. Resident only and no P.O. boxes.

Fill out the form below to enter

Contest: Prize Pack #1 Incarceron

2010-03-02T14:45:00.009-05:00

I'm hosting a cool contest for the lovely folks at Penguin. This is the first of two prize packs that one lucky U.S. citizen can win. This prize package includes, a finished hardback of Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, a matching bookmark, and poster.

About Incarceron:

Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ...

Fill out the form below to enter. Contest ends 3/15/10, U.S. only and no P.O. boxes.

Before I Fall release day!

2010-03-02T11:44:00.003-05:00

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver comes out today! Don't forget about my HUGE contest of awesome. If you are buying a copy just send me proof by email to be entered in the contest. Check out the rules and prize buckets here.

If you still aren't convinced check out some of these glowing reviews:

"BEFORE I FALL is a must-read." from Sara of The Hiding Spot.
"You have to get this one - but be warned - you will not be the same after reading it. " from Bookshipper.
"BEFORE I FALL is thought provoking, gripping, intense, and wonderfully written." from Reading is Bliss.

My own glowing review will be coming up within the next week.

2010-03-01T20:13:00.001-05:00

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28 Days of Winter Escapes Day 26: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

2010-02-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

I'm super excited to be a part of the 28 Days of Winter Escapes tour because I get to host the spot for one of the best books I have read in a long time, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. Click here to view the official contest page.

Before I Fall

LAUREN OLIVER

Which book would you pick to curl up with in front of a fire on a winter day?

A stack of them! Matilda by Roald Dahl, the book I used to reread religiously every time I was sick; Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, another book I have read about a dozen times; anything by Dickens, particularly The Pickwick Papers if you want to giggle or David Copperfield if you plan on being snowed in for a looong time; His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman; The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo; an Agatha Christie mystery; Vanity Fair, by Thackeray (again, more for a week long blizzard than a snow day).

Would you want to know which day would be your last?

Oof! That’s a tough one. On the one hand, there’s the danger that if you don’t know, you might frivol away your final day worrying about minutiae—or going out to dinner with a particularly annoying relative you only see once every few years, or just sitting at home watching reruns of Glee on Hulu and noshing on frozen pizza (not that that would be so terrible. . . )

On the other hand, there’s the danger that if you do know, you’ll spend your last day worrying about how little time remains to you, rather than just really embracing your final moments and enjoying yourself fully.

But yes, I think ultimately I would want to know, because I would want to assemble all of my closest family and friends at a big, yummy Italian restaurant, where I would eat bread and pasta and flourless chocolate cake to my heart’s content, and tell every single person in my life how much he/she means to me, and laugh and cry and hug and just bask in feeling loved and connected.

Is Cupid Day based on something that happened in your own life?

Definitely. My high school actually had a Cupid Day every year (as far as I know, they still do), although my friends have pointed out that we exchanged carnations, not roses as they do in the book. Otherwise, the principle was essentially the same: About a week before Cupid Day (which was scheduled to fall as close to Valentine’s Day as possible), students would purchase “valograms” for their friends (notes that would be delivered along with a colored carnation). Just as they do in the book, people totally freaked out about how many flowers they could expect. Every year before Cupid Day, people extracted frantic promises from their semi-friends and quasi-boyfriends, an immense school wide barter: If you send me a flower, I’ll send you a flower, etc. For one day, people’s social currency—in essence, their popularity—would be proudly on display in the form of a large bouquet of cheap carnations.

If a student did not receive a single valogram—I assume all valogram requests were vetted or processed through the administration somehow—the principal’s office would actually send one to that student. Receiving a valogram from the administration was widely regarded as a fate worse than death.

Did you have a core group of girlfriends in high school? How did they influence your life?

Wow, that’s another tough one. The first part is easy; yes, I did have a core group of girlfriends from high school, and there are four of us (Jackie, Laura, Lauren, Deirdre) who are still best friends. Recently we were all reunited for my birthday party—Deirdre even drove down from Maine to attend! I know that by saying there are four of us, I invite comparisons to the group of best friends in Before I Fall, so I have to quickly clarify that my friends and I are much, much nicer than Sam and her three BFFs! Although certain details of the main characters were, of course, influenced by my real-life best friends (my friend Deirdre loves the color green, just like Elody in Before I Fall, and my friend Laura used to pick me up for school every day and take me to Dunkin’ Donuts, where we would both get a large hazelnut, no sugar, extra cream, just like the girls do in the book), Sam, Elody, Ally, and Lindsay are otherwise fictitious.

What is truthful to my experience, however, is the way that the girls feel about one another. My best friends are the core and the center of my life; my sense of self and place and purpose is built around them, to a large degree, just like a tree grows concentric layers, or rings, outward as it ages. My best friends are my inner rings, I guess you would say. They have influenced my life in every way because they have influenced who I am, and how I relate to the world. They have known me and been there for all the major events of my life—through temper tantrums and broken hearts, through my parents’ divorce, through college, through more broken hearts, through the death of my deepest, deepest love, through fights with my family and reconciliations and deep uncertainties about my career, myself, my future—and throughout everything, miraculously, they have brought me continuous joy.

I believe that fundamentally, everyone looks to be recognized and seen for his or her “real” self. Everyone wants to be truly known; it is impossible to feel loved without simultaneously feeling known. My friends have allowed me to feel known and, as a result, loved.

It’s funny. The four of us are very different, but in many ways we complement one another perfectly. A long time ago we each assigned ourselves one of the elements: I’m Fire, Deirdre is Earth, Jackie is Air, Laura is Water. This summer, Deirdre and I got matching Earth, Air, Fire, Water tattoos on our backs. (Jackie and Laura have always been tat-free, so we didn’t force them to go in on it.) I have ten tattoos, but I think that might be my favorite.

What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?

The best advice is really the simplest: write! Write every single day, without exception, even if you just manage to get down a few hundred words. Writing is difficult and not writing is easy—but the best writers really are, I think, the most disciplined. Writing is just like every other pursuit on the planet, from piano playing to Sudoku to cooking: the only way to get better at it is to practice.

I also think it helps to read widely and voraciously. Even books you hate will teach you something (even if the something is a long list of What Never to Do When You Write). Writing is, essentially, problem solving. How can I get Carrie to meet Ryan in a realistic way? How can I write dialogue that’s believable? Would Megan ever slap her older sister in the face? Everything I’ve ever read has helped me solve at least one problem.

The last piece of advice I have is to try and suspend the critical voices—whether they come from external sources (parents, teachers), or from the inner critic in all of us—that would tell you writing is unfeasible, overly competitive, a dying industry, blah blah blah. Yawn. Negative people are so boring! Avoid them at all costs. I recently found a quote I really responded to: Judgment is the enemy of invention. So true. So write without allowing yourself or anyone else to judge the merits of your work. There will be plenty of time for that later, when you’re published and the reviews start rolling in!

Before I Fall Spotted In The Wild!

2010-02-25T20:15:00.003-05:00

I went to Barnes and Noble the other night to redeem for b-day gift card and look what I spotted on the New Releases teen shelf:

Yup. That is Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver right next to Gone. It isn't due out for another week or so but my store had them out early. This means that you guys can go pick up a copy now and enter my HUGE contest. Click here for details.

Spread the Flowers Love Blog Tour

2010-02-23T09:47:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday, Sharon!! Sweet basil, white bellflowers, sage, and scarlet poppies for you!

When people ask me what my novel is about, I say “magic flowers.” They usually assume then that it’s fantasy or perhaps science fiction. I’ve seen it categorized as both, even though it’s not really either. I’d like to make a case for another category that I haven’t heard applied to many YA novels: magic realism.

If you haven’t heard the term, magic realism is pretty much the way it sounds: magic drawn out of a realistic world. In Forget-Her-Nots, I strove to make the setting of Avondale, the climate of Virginia, the flowers, and their bloom times reflect the real world. No, Avondale doesn’t actually exist anywhere other than in my head, but it could.

So writers of magic realism take entirely realistic scenes and inject elements of magic. In Forget-Her-Nots, the flowers have magical powers that can awaken emotions and change lives. To stay real, I based the flower powers on how people have imagined and interpreted flowers in the past. I drew from ancient Greek myths, Shakespeare’s plays, and the Victorian language of flowers to create the list of flower meanings you can find on my website (www.amybrecountwhite.com) or in the back of the novel. So there is an historical basis for my magic.

What I find fascinating about magic realism is that it challenges us to rethink our preconceived notions about the real world. Flowers do have a certain magic. If they didn’t, why would we include them at nearly every important celebration or rite of passage in our lives, especially for girls? Next time someone presents you with flowers, open yourself up to the possibility of magic. You never know.

One article* I read says that magic realism “rediscovers ‘the charm of the object’ [i.e. a flower] by looking in a fresh, childlike way … with such attentiveness and intensity that it … once again becomes a sources of awe and wonder.” In other words, if you look at something very carefully and with fresh eyes, it can be transformed. It no longer seems ordinary, but extraordinary. That’s what I’d love for all my readers to experience the next time they gaze at a bloom.

For the uber-geeks, like me and Mitali Dave, some superb writers of magic realism are Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, and Toni Morrison. I highly recommend them all.

Thanks for reading and thanks to Sharon for hosting!

* http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/hamilton/iac/magic/magic_primer.pdf

As part of the tour, I get to pick out some flowers for you guys to collection. I picked Tall Sunflowers because they are pretty and tall. I admire sunflowers because they stick out among all the other smaller flowers. Sunflowers demand your attention. I can relate to this because I am also tall and also like attention.The meaning of Tall Sunflowers is haughtiness. One definition of haughty is; very proud. I wanted to share this flower with you all because I think that you should all stand tall and proud. Imitate Tall Sunflowers and channel you fierceness!

In My Mailbox

2010-02-21T11:15:00.004-05:00

for review:

both of these showed up randomly

Dream of Night by Heather Henson

Everlasting by Angie Frazer

bookmooch/pbs:

Castaways by Brian Keene

Virtual War by Gloria Skurynski

Battle Royale Vol. 4 by Takami Koushun

purchased:

WE by John Dickinson

ZOMBIE edited by Christopher Golden

Xisle by Steve Augarde- an early b-day gift from lovesSam. Thank you! :D

for arc tour:

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles- check out the tour site here.

won in a contest:

My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King

2010-02-17T13:36:00.003-05:00

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King

Publication date: 2/1/09, Flux.

Rating: 4.5 purrs of 100 cats

Summary:

In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with the dust of one hundred dogs, dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body -- with her memories intact.

Now she's a contemporary American teenager and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica.

Thoughts:

Yay this book was awefreakingsome!

The Dust of 100 Dogs was a Cybils awards finalist and it easy to see why. This book is written so well it deserves to be on many more best lists. I know that It is definitely on mine now. What makes this book so great? I'm glad you asked because I'm about ready to burst.

My favorite thing about The Dust of 100 Dogs was the usual and insanely (trust me it is insane) unique plot. I have never read a book like this before. I just got lost in Emer/Saffron's story. Her personality literally leaps out of the pages. I especially loved how Saffron would daydream about ripping the eyes out of people who annoyed her. I know that sounds very brutal, but it was actually quite funny! I never imaged that I could find such a crazy and violent so endearing. There is just something about her that is so darn lovable. Thought I might just be afraid of her who knows.

Another thing that I loved about this book was the format. I've mentioned on here numerous times before how much I love books with alternating viewpoints. The Dust of 100 Dogs starts off from Saffron's pov which was great. But after a hundred pages or so we finally get to see things from Emer's point of view. Emer's story was far and away the most enjoyable part for me. I think that her story alone would have been enough to make this just a good book. However the combination of the two stories is what made this an awefreakingsome book.

I also liked the little pages of dog facts in between the chapters. If you really pay attention to these you will see that they usually have something to do with what is about to happen next. A.S. King seems to know a lot about dogs and probably almost as much as I know about cats. I have to respect my fellow animals lovers.

The only thing keeping this book from getting a purrfect score was the creepy guy that kept popping up every once in a while. Seriously this guy was creepy with a capital CREEP. I thought that it was also a little bit out of place in a young adult novel. I also had minor issues with the ending. I'm not sure if this was because I didn't want the book to end, or that the ending felt somehow rushed. I honestly think I was just sad to no longer be a part of Emer's world.

With a market currently filled with dozens of paranormal books The Dust of 100 Dogs provided a welcome and refreshing change. The Dust of 100 Dogs is the kind of book that reminds you why you love reading in the first place. Add it you tour tbr pile asap!

The Torture Myself By Reading Popular Books That I'm Not At All Interested In And Will Probably Make Me Want To Die Challenge

2010-02-16T21:35:00.012-05:00

The titles pretty much explains it all. I've decided to challenge myself attempting to read popular ya titles that I'm convinced that I'm going to hate. Last updated 2/18/10

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer *sob*
Shiver by Maggie Stiefaver
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riodarn
Evernight by Claudia Gray
Jessica's Guide to Dating the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith
Gossip Girl #1 by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray- suggested by Rebecca
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia- suggested by Carol and Beth
Witch and Wizard by James Patterson- suggested by Carol.
The Dark Divine- suggested by Sab.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini- suggested by Rebecca, Lenore, and Kelly

Some suggestions that I've already read: Hush Hush by Becca Fiztpatrick and Need by Carrie Jones.

In My Strand Bags

2010-02-15T11:15:00.003-05:00

I celebrated my birthday early yesterday with a trip to Strand Books with my mom and brother.

Glimmerglass Jenna black

Cat Paradise by Yuji Iwahara vol. 1

Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan

Dark Life by Kat Falls

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman

Everlasting by Angie Frazier

Veracity by Laura Bynum

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

World War Z by Max Brooks

HUGE Before I Fall purchase contest!

2010-02-14T00:00:00.006-05:00

Welcome to the very special sekrit contest that I have been working on for the past month. This contest was inspired by Reviewerx's Dust of 100 Dogs contest.

Here is my story: A couple of months ago I received an arc in the mail of Before I Fall by debut authors Lauren Oliver. I started it and immediately fell in love with the story. It was not only the best book I read last year, but one of the best books I have ever read. I wanted to do something more than just posting a review and gushing about it on twitter. I thought back to the above contest and thought it would be perfect to do something similar for Before I Fall.

Before I Fall summary:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

What you need to do: pre-order or buy Before I Fall and email me sharonluvscats@gmail.com with proof of your purchase. A picture of your receipt, a screenshot of your pre-order/purchase, or a pictures of yourself with the finish copy (no arcs obviously) will do. I'm going to trust you guys on this to do the right thing. If you cheat my zombie kittehs will come and get you anyway! *meow nomnom*

People that donated prizes are also free to enter this contest. If anyone else would like to throw anything into the prize bucket email me sharonluvscats@gmail.com

What the winners get:

US prize-the first winner wins: $55 in bookstore gift cards ($10 any store, $25 amazon, and $20 barnes), signed bookmarks from Amy Brecount White, language of flowers book, Forget-me-not postcards, $15 itunes giftcard, two swag filled envelopes, Strand books canvas bag and bookmarks, signed copy of Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, signed copy of The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong, Ghost Girl and Ghost Girl Homecoming by Tonya Hurley, Love and Peaches by Jodi Lynn, Anderson, arc of Demon Chick. arc of Devil's Kiss, and

Halfway Through the Grave by Jeaniene Frost.

US prize-the second winner wins: $25 indiebound giftcard, one swag envelope, signed copy of Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma, Miss Match by Erynn Mangum, Time of the Witches by Anna Myers, arc of The Dark Divine by Bree Despain, and Yan Yans or pocky treats, and an arc of Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves.

International. prize*- choice of one paperback novel from Book Depo, one book under $20 for Book Depo, one swag envelope,arc of Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev, copy of UK edition of Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

*Update #1: I'm starting a special prize bucket for non-U.S. residents. If your overseas (or in Canada which really isn't overseas) and would like to donate please email me sharonluvscats@gmail.com

Many thanks to Shelly, James, Yan, Karin, Lauren, Regie, Nova, Chelsea, Amy, Carrie, Shesten, Catie, Kristi, Zoe, Stephanie, Elise, Kate, Carol, Adele, Sam, and myself for donating prizes! Remember, if you'd like to donate something on enter the contest email me sharonluvscats@gmail.com

end date:

The contest starts today and ends in one month on March 14th. Good luck!

Waiting on Wednesday: Zombie books! nomnom

2010-02-10T11:04:00.003-05:00

Flu by Wayne Simmons (4/1/10, UK) :

"There's a nasty flu going round. An epidemic, they call it. The posters say to cover your mouth when you sneeze, and throw away the tissue. But such simple measures won't stop this flu. Because when you catch the flu, armed police come and lock you in your house to die alone. When you catch this flu, it kills you in days. And when you catch this flu, two hours after it's killed you, your eyelids snap open again..."Flu" is a pacey, terrifying, frighteningly real zombie horror story." I will be buying this on bookdepo when it comes out! What an awesome cover!

Zombie: An Anthology of the Undead by Various (2/18/10, UK):

"The 21st century has brought an explosion of interest in zombie stories. George A. Romero may have spawned the last century's "modern" zombie story with Night of the Living Dead, but four decades have passed since then. So what accounts for the current zombie craze? That is the question that the contributors to Zombie were asked to ruminate upon while writing the stories in this volume. Do we turn to tales of intimacy with death to deal with its constant presence in our media and our lives? Do zombie stories provide a way to process our feelings about the horrors of war and torture? Or is it merely that death is the final frontier available to us in this new millennium, and we cannot help but explore? Stoker-award-winning author Christopher Golden has assembled an all-original anthology of zombie stories from an eclectic array of today's hottest writers: this is a wildly diverse and entertaining collection - the Last Word on the Undead." I found this on Book Chick City blog. Her reviews made this sound so good that I pre-ordered it on bookdepo.

How To Be a Zombie by Amy Gray (7/13/10, Candlewick):

"So you’re a zombie. What now? Slow down — and flesh out the life of the mindless with this essential guide for the newly undead.

The vacant stare, the shambling gait, the sense that you’re falling apart — adjusting to "life" as a zombie takes a little getting used to. And what’s with the sudden obsession with brains? Time to get your outstretched hands on this comprehensive handbook spelling out all things z-o-m-b-i-e.

* identify your zombie archetype, figure out if you’re dating a zombie, and savor the joy of brains (or alternative foods when necessary)
* learn how to "pass" among the living, brush up on zombie fashion and etiquette, discover decor for the decaying, and check out some awesome tunes to eat brains by
* explore zombies in literature, films, and novels — and learn the truth about rumored celebrity zombies
* attention span getting shorter? Enjoy mini graphic novels on how to evade zombie hunters, take a zombie road trip, and"who do that voodoo"
* and much, much more guaranteed to make a trendy — if creepy and vacuous — creature proud!" This sounds like it could be rather fun.

Rot&Ruin by Jonathan Maberry (9/7/10, S&S):

"A teenager grows up in a post-apocalypic, zombie-infested America in Jonathan Maberry's Rot & Ruin." Ok now much of a summary but this is Jonathan's first ya book and someone gave it a raving review on Goodreads.com

Zombies vs. Unicorns by Various (9/14/10, Margaret K. McElderry Books):

"Edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, this tongue-in-cheek teen anthology asks the question: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn?" Um yes so I would pretty much sell my soul for a copy of this one right now.

Feed by Mira Grant (5/1/10, Orbit):

"The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them." Dope with a capital D!

Contest updates

2010-02-08T11:11:00.002-05:00

I'm going to be announcing my Strand and Inside Out contest winners later this week. Just don't want you guys to think I forgot you!

Birthday Wishlist

2010-02-08T09:48:00.003-05:00

I have a big birthday coming up in another 15 days. I'm turning another decade older! I'll leave it to you guys to figure out what age I'm turning. I'm not announcing it on here. :P I'm going down to the city with my brother to frolic around and do some shopping. I figured I mine as well create a wishlist.

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins. Strand sometimes gets finished copies early so hopefully this one will be there!

Heist Society by Ally Carter. This is a case of "buy this book because I love the cover-itis."

Sing Me to Sleep by Angels Morrison. Another book I'm praying is there early

Bad Faith by Gillian Philip. No trip to Strand is complete without a dystopian novel!

Veracity by Laura Bynum

Zombocalypse NOW by Matt Youngmark. This just looks like a lot of fun!

Are there any other titles that should be on my birthday wishlist? Feel free to list them in your comments.

Changes coming to Sharon Loves Books and Cats

2010-02-07T10:06:00.003-05:00

There are changes coming to Sharon Loves Books and Cats. I updated my review policy page this morning to reflect some of these changes. The biggest change of all involves the types of books reviewed on this blog.

I'm cutting back on the number of arcs I accept or purchase at Strand. This are several reasons for this. First of all, I'm tired of reading and reviewing books on a schedule. I'm a moody reader and I cannot just read a book because it is next in line. This type of reading and reviewing has not been working out for me lately. The second reason is that I'm kind of tired of the whole competitive nature of this type of blogging. Sometimes it almost feels like a popularity contest to see who will get the most high damn arcs. Simply put, I'm sick of it.

From now on I'm going to read and review whatever books I feel like. I will still except some arcs if they are for books on my very specific wishlist.

This is how I'm doing things from now on because I feel that it will work better for me. I'm not standing in judgment of bloggers who choose to do things differently. I've merely decided to do things differently so please do not feel that I am judging any of you!

Speculative Fiction Challenge 2010

2010-02-04T12:08:00.004-05:00

Addicted level- 12 books:

*to read, read, read and reviewed

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Veracity by Laura Bynum
Battle Royale Vol. 1. by Koushun Takami
Bad Faith by Gillian Philip
The Hunger Game #3 by Suzanne Collins
Zombies Vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and others
The Lord of the Sand of Time by Issui Ogawa
Lies by Michael Grant
This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen*
Split by Stefan Petrucha

In My Mailbox

2010-01-30T10:19:00.003-05:00

Finally a new IMM post. It has been a slow two weeks but I got some new stuff this week.

for review:

I got some totally random books from Scholastic

Mister Monday and Lord Sunday by Garth Nix

Runaway by Meg Cabot

From HMH-

Living Hell by Catherine Jinks

The Boneshaker by Kate Milford

bookmooch, pbs, bookfairies, or bought;

Rush by Jonathan Friesen

Hybrids by David Thorpe

Escape From Genopolis by Tess Berry-Hart

Dystopian Challenge @ Parajunkee's View

2010-01-29T20:19:00.002-05:00

Level 2 challenge 10 books:

Feed by M.T. Anderson
Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick
Dark Life by Kat Falls
Birthmarked by Caragh O'brien
The Kindling (Fire-Us #1) by Jennifer Armstrong
Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes
The Goodness Gene by Sonia Levitin
Fearless by Tim Lott
Hybrids by David Thorpe
X-isle by Steve Augarde

Waiting on Wednesday: Nomansland

2010-01-27T12:19:00.002-05:00

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

Publication date: 6/22/10, Henry Holt and Co.

Summary:

Sometime in the future, a lonely, windswept island is populated solely by women. Among these

women is a group of teenaged Trackers—expert equestrians and archers—whose job is to protect their shores from the enemy. The enemy, they’ve been told, is men. When these girls come upon a partially buried home from the distant past, they are fascinated by the strange objects—high-heeled shoes, teen magazines, make-up—found there. What are they to make of these mysterious things? And what does it mean for their strict society where friendship is forbidden and rules must be obeyed—at all costs?

Thoughts:

Wow! First of all, I am totally in love with that cover. Secondly, the plot just sounds cool. It sounds like a very thought provoking read. Three cheers for Team Dystopian!

Sharon Loves Books and Cats

Tell Me A Secret by Holly Cupala. Review and International contest

Prize pack contest winner

Huge contest

In My Mailbox: I slept with my arcs and I liked it.

Contest: Prize Pack #3 Vlad Tod

Contest: Prize Pack #2 Little Miss Red

Contest: Prize Pack #1 Incarceron

Before I Fall release day!

28 Days of Winter Escapes Day 26: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall Spotted In The Wild!

Spread the Flowers Love Blog Tour

In My Mailbox

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King

The Torture Myself By Reading Popular Books That I'm Not At All Interested In And Will Probably Make Me Want To Die Challenge

In My Strand Bags

*HUGE* Before I Fall purchase contest!

Waiting on Wednesday: Zombie books! *nomnom*

Contest updates

Birthday Wishlist

Changes coming to Sharon Loves Books and Cats

Speculative Fiction Challenge 2010

In My Mailbox

Dystopian Challenge @ Parajunkee's View

Waiting on Wednesday: Nomansland

HUGE Before I Fall purchase contest!

Waiting on Wednesday: Zombie books! nomnom