This is a post for all of you who write YA in addition to reading it.
Would you like to be a part of a critique group?

Kate, a fellow book blogger, posted about this a couple weeks ago.  We had a group of five up until this Saturday when two people dropped out because of the time commitment.  So now the group is down to three.  Would any of you like to join us?

In summary (as Kate posted):

• We write YA and are looking for fellow YA writers
• Kate lives in the UK while Chessie and I live in the US, but we are open to doing this with anybody, no matter where you live.  We will probably talk via email and Skype (although you MUST be English speaking/writing).
• We are looking for people who can handle an honest criticism (we're not evil about it, though).
• We are looking for people who will do the same as above with us.
  

Release Date: July 26, 2011
Published By: Harper Teen

A mini review because I really shouldn't be online.  In fact, for the next three weeks, I will be posting less on my blog.  And for everyone who has commented recently -- since last Tuesday I believe -- I promise I will get back to you eventually.  After August 19th, I will have more time.

Supernaturally by Kiersten White


Five Things to Love about This Book:

1. Evie's Humor - it wasn't as prevalent as it was in Paranormalcy (I think because Supernaturally is a bit heavier in tone in general) but it was still there, and I was still laughing at how incredibly awesome Evie is.  Her personality is captured wonderfully.

2. Evie/Lend - Because it was cute in Paranormalcy but grew to unexpected depths of sweetness in this book.

3. The Villain - Definitely didn't expect what happened... A character who's very well developed and I think, cleverer than the villain in Paranormalcy.  Also more desperate... and promising more trouble for the next book, Endlessly.

4. Same Cast of Characters/Intriguing Paranormal World - If you loved Arianna/David/Raquel/Lend/Carlee/Steve & others, you'll be delighted to know that they're in Supernaturally and just as awesome as before.  If you loved Kiersten White's roller coaster of a paranormal world, you'll love the new details she added in Supernaturally... like fossegrims and sylphs...

5. Character Journey - Like I said, darker book because Evie's trying to find out where she belongs.  It's not the same plot as Paranormalcy but it's still captivating.

Three Things I Wish Were Done Differently:

1. Reth - He had far too few appearances.  I wanted more of him.  (I wonder what that says about me... That I wanted more of the creepy faery stalker guy.)

2. Pacing - Paranormalcy was paced better than Supernaturally... but I think that's also because of the different plots... which in the end determine which book you like better.

3. More Mystery - There was still an edge of mystery and suspense to Supernaturally but not as much as was in Paranormalcy.  Again, another side effect of being more character oriented this time around.

Hah, I was trying to go for even lists, but that was impossible.  I couldn't think of anything else I wished were done differently because I loved this book.  Granted, I liked Paranormalcy better--I'm usually less a fan of the character stories--but Supernaturally was still a great read.  It definitely wasn't a disappointing sequel and I'm looking forward to seeing how things play out in Endlessly.

Release Date: August 30, 2011
Published by: Simon Pulse

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Sometimes sorry isn't enough....


Ten Likes/Dislikes:


1. (--) Em, the protagonist - Oh, man I disliked her.  I was tempted to stop reading because of her.  She was selfish and made such stupid choices.  And honestly?  I can't even say much about her personality because I couldn't really find a reason to like her.  At first she's annoyed with her best friend--though there's very little reason, from what I could tell; yeah, Gabby stopped paying as much attention as before, but then at the end of their phone conversation (at the beginning of the book), she says she wants to sleep over at Em's... which makes Em's annoyance trivial in my opinion.  And if Em goes on and on about how many things she and Gabby have done together and how they're such great best friends, why on earth is Em so unbelievably disloyal?!  Besides all that, Em is also not assertive and bemoans her situation way too much for my liking.
2. (+) Side Characters - The side characters are not that well developed per say, but they get the job done.  It felt like high school on repeat.  I wasn't particularly attached to any of them either, but again, I thought that they, in combination with the descriptions of Ascension, really set the scene.  Chase is somewhere between protagonist and side character, but I almost wish that he were the protagonist rather than Em.  Even though he too does stupid stuff and I didn't quite like his character, I liked him more than Em.
3. (+/-) The Idea - Okay, the idea is kind of cool with karma and the Furies... but it went too far / was hard to believe.  Yeah, all the kids did something stupid, but haven't we all done something we regret?  And have we all paid such drastic prices for them?  This scenario offers no chance for maturation and character growth and realization.
4. (+) Unexpected Ending - I was angry for a bit regarding who the punishments were doled out to, but then the ending came along, and I was happy again.  And besides that little occurrence, I didn't know what to expect as to what would happen to Em... and what did happen shocked me but still fit in with the rest of story.  I thought it was pretty appropriate.  If the story had been a little longer, Em might have grown on me more.  (She does get better later on in the story.  Maybe after 200 pages.)
5. (+) The Writing - The writing was really fluid.  It was a good balance of character thought/perspective and action, and it was easy to slip into what was happening to Em and Chase.  Funny that Lauren Kate is an author who blurbed the book, because I'd actually say their third person perspective writing is pretty similar.
6. (+) Pacing - The best part of the story in my opinion.  YA is filled with hits and misses in regards to pacing, but this one worked for me.  I didn't put the book down because it flowed pretty well and the tension kept increasing.  My only complaint would be the first two chapters--they were clogged down with backstory and had very little happen (both characters are getting ready for a party).
7. (+/-) The Villains - So you know who the villains are... and you have an inkling for what they could do based off the prologue... so you do feel they're dangerous... and yet I didn't feel as threatened by them as I thought I would.  The explanation for why they do what they do was completely unsatisfying for me.  And their names and appearances?  Okay, maybe it was supposed to be one of those situations where you don't expect such cruelty from delicate? things, but when I read about the Furies, I already feel like something bad will happen so I don't need that whole "things are not what they seem" type.  I want to know why.  I want to really feel their power.  And in both cases, the book was lackluster.
8. (--) The Action - There's plenty of action when the story gets going... but the things that actually happen seem so trivial!  This is my complaint about the whole book---basically too much high school drama!  Too much of the high school perspective.  It was like a contemporary novel that decided it wanted to explain its students's misery with a paranormal element... but it didn't have the touching, emotional development of a contemporary and it lacked the magical or creepy edge that a paranormal would have.
9. (--) Unbelievable - I probably already wrote about how unbelievable parts of this story were... but it gets its own category because I think that one of the key aspects in writing a paranormal is making sure that it's believable... (or at least established well).  And that didn't happen for me here.
10. (+) The Cover - I like this cover a lot because the red hair is a really good image for fury.  It also features arguably the most important character: Ty.  Plus, it's just pretty.  It doesn't tell you all that much about the book, but in combination with the summary, I feel like the cover provides good symbolism.

Part of my criticism may stem from the fact that the BEA accounts I read all said that the excerpt Elizabeth Miles read from Fury made it sound awesome.  I enjoyed it... but not as much as I had hoped I would.

Follow Friday is a meme hosted by parajunkee.com and alisoncanread.com (as you can see ;)).

Name three authors who you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking either about their books or get advice for writing from.


1. Kristin Cashore, author of Fire and Graceling.

2. Richelle Mead, author of the Vampire Academy series + other adult series

3. Tie: Andrea Cremer, author of Nightshade, or Ally Condie, author of Matched.

I love all of their books... and all of these authors have very different writing styles which constantly amaze me.  I have dog-eared a lot of pages in their books because even though I've read a scene maybe ten times and know exactly what the book says, the words still affect me.  And I wish to God that my writing could hold that much sway with others.  I would buy/read anything these authors wrote.



Book Blogger Hop (2), a meme hosted by www.crazy-for-books.com:

What is the one genre you wish you could get into but just can't?

You know... I was thinking about it but there isn't all that much in YA that I don't like to read... except for maybe nonfiction YA, which I'm not sure there is a lot of.  I read more of a few genres than others but really, I'm not all exclusive.  Except for experimental types... but that's not really a genre within YA and has only a few select books in the adult section anyways.

Basically I don't read non-fiction all that often and the "experimental" genre, but honestly I don't wish I could get into that stuff.  I just don't like it and I don't know enough people who read that for me to want to read it myself.

Also, classics aren't a genre... but I do wish I read more classics/enjoyed them more.  (Or at least what are typically considered classics...)

Sorry, guys.  I meant to post the results yesterday but lost track of time.

100 Follower Giveaway:

Prize Pack #1 winner is: Latisha Depoortere at #299

Since there's some kind of YA crush tournament thing going on right now, I figured I'd post about my top ten YA crushes :).  They're not in any particular order.

1. Dimitri Belikov from the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

Ooh, goodness.  He's intense and kind and older (aka way more mature than guys my age).  He's a trained fighter which means his body has got to be amazing.  He has a strict honor code and a respect for life that few in the Vampire Academy world seem to have.  Bonus points for being Russian and probably having an incredibly sexy foreign accent (when he wants, that is; I'm not sure Rose ever noted an accent while he spoke English).  What isn't there to like about him (except for the creepy Strigoi time)?  Even the slight loss of control he occasionally has is incredibly sexy 'cause it's when he's sexually frustrated about his and Rose's situation ;).

[Edit: Truthfully, I like Adrian (from Bloodlines/Frostbite) now more than Dimitri and would probably include him over Dimitri.]

2. Patch aka 'Jev' from the Hush, Hush saga by Becca Fitzpatrick

I actually have never met somebody who I'd consider 'a bad boy' in real life.  Hush, Hush was literally my first novel / experience with that kind of guy... and I thought it was sexy not really knowing what to expect.  Tall, dark, and mysterious... and caring, though that's buried deep.  I sort of like how he takes control of situations quickly and is sure of himself--except for when it gets to be a bit much (as in Crescendo).  Only other complaint: Jev?  Did not see that coming re: Patch's actual name.

[Edit: Patch is no longer on my list.]

3. Renier Laroche from the Nightshade trilogy by Andrea Cremer

Sorry, guys, but he's so much sexier than Shay.  He's a reformed player who's also got a bit of a romantic side in him, mentioning Chaucer and Shakespeare to Calla as an explanation for their mutual attraction, and is definitely up for a good time.  Again with the tall, dark, buff description but Ren is stronger and also much less of a jerk and bad boy than Patch is.  He's seen what an ass his father is and has taken great pains not to be like him (with Calla, that is).  He wants Calla as his equal in a Guardian world where alpha females aren't as respected as the males.  He sounds like a great guy--caring and loyal and loving, actually sacrificing so much in the name of love (though he had been a player before).

[Edit: Ren is no longer on my list.]

4. Harry Potter (yup, you got that right) by JK Rowling :)

I definitely had a crush on Harry Potter.  Yeah, yeah, he has a giant temper issue and is a bit of a jerk wad for thinking that it's okay for him to sacrifice himself but not let his friends sacrifice themselves for him.  But he's also loyal and kind and usually has the best of intentions.  He's also selfless, a tad awkward, and unbelievably brave....  Nowadays you get all these YA books that describe the girl protag. looking up into the hero's eyes... but there's something so much sweeter about his eyes being like his mother's.  And I've also always been a sucker for green eyes ;).  Plus, the fact that he was gangly to start with but then grows up slowly but surely makes him feel so much more real... That in itself is its own brand of sexy for me. And and and his intelligence is actually shown.

5. Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare

I'm pretty much anti-Jace, anti-Will.  They're jerks to Clary and Tessa too often for me to feel the connection between the two...Whereas Jem is a beautiful, strange, and haunted boy who plays the violin.  He's incredibly intense and is kind to Tessa throughout Clockwork Angel.  He has had a rough past but that has not made him one bit less determined to fight evil and to enjoy life as best as he can.  Though his illness limits the amount of time he has left, he doesn't seem like a cripple to me. In fact, his disease seems like his only vulnerability, while the rest of him is all charm and light. I also really like his unusual looks and have no complaint with the model they chose for the cover ;).

6. Damon from the Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith


Second bad boy I read about.  Damon starts off a little creepy in both the books and the TV show (really creepy in the books), but he grew on me.  In the books and TV show, he's not afraid to live it up a little since he's a vampire.  Of the two Salvatore brothers, he's the one who doesn't mope around and is also very confident. The few kind acts he does are generally directed towards Elena. But he's also so.... redeemable. Has so much potential, that is.  Because even when Damon is being mean and spiteful, there's a part of him that's not really into it.  He's the bad boy who doesn't always know what he wants.  The bad boy who's a little bit broken and vulnerable beneath it all.  I think there was an metaphor in Shadow Souls? or maybe The Return? that said that Damon kept his innermost secrets and vulnerabilities (represented by a little child, mind you) chained to a rock in his mind.  That's just... so incredibly sad.  He's also way more fun to be around than do-gooder/always serious Stefan.

7. Lucius Vladescu from the Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

(The guy to the right looks a bit too vulnerable for Lucius... except for maybe one of the last scenes.  But he also looked hot enough to be Lucius so I thought I'd post it anyways.)

Incredibly arrogant and wealthy and entitled and controlling... And yet that confidence looks good on him.  He also likes the curves in Jessica's body rather than preferring her to look like a stick (as in most YA novels).  He is a gentleman, holding out her chair for her.  Chivalrous.  [I get really happy whenever anybody is polite because it feels like fewer people are nowadays.  But that's a topic for another time].  Lucius isn't afraid to challenge Jessica and is also incredibly smart in his own right.  And vulnerable because he still wants to have a chance at being normal.... and protective.  And even gruesome, given the things he does and almost does at the end.  But he's afraid and that vulnerability--that scene at the end of the book--was so wonderful.  A great contrast to the confidence and charm he always seems to exude.

[Edit: I don't remember enough of this book to tell you whether I'd keep Lucius on this list.]

8. Prince Brigandell from Fire by Kristin Cashore

Man, oh man.  I love the last couple of scenes with Fire and Brigan together, especially when he's so vulnerable.  It was heart-wrenching to see a guy who's been forced to grow up so quickly, forced to take on the duties of the Commander of the army and fight for his life against one of the most dangerous monsters of all, forced to shield himself against any and everybody, break down and cry, thinking that the war and so much more was his fault.  So beneath that frosty exterior that Fire first senses from him is a boy-man who's not always as sure as he looks.  And he already has a child despite how young he is!  But still he's a kind and caring and responsible father and sibling.  And deadly.  He became Commander for a reason.  I just really love the way all this came together in his character.  I'd like to rub my hand along his stubble like Fire does ;P.

9. Wes from the Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

He's the kind of guy who feels like a next door neighbor type but I've never had the privilege of having someone that hot live near me.  Tortured artist?  I've never even met someone who's that great at art... but lord, one of the sexiest things for me at least is when a guy lets his inner passion show... which is what Wes does with his art.  He's also kind and humble and understanding.  Honestly, he feels like every girl's dream guy come to life.  The only complaint I'd have is the tattoo... Even though the heart in hand artwork is made into a big deal in the book and I understand why he has it, I still don't like any sort of tattoo on a guy.

10. James from Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie (Books of Faerie #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

Move over, Sam (from the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy).  James is the much better romantic interest.  He's also a bit emo and artistic with his musical ability on the bagpipes (and more) and his tendency to write all over his hands, but his character transcends the pages of the book more for me than Sam.  James is incredibly loyal to Deirdre though Lord knows why (she's a bit annoying and she hurt him in the past) and Nuala.  He is also smart and charming.  It hurt to see how he would tell jokes just to diffuse situations with Deirdre and to be that guy, you know?  And even though part of the story line has him running out to meet Death every night, he still seems bright--I can see why Nuala. would often comment that his music glowed.  His soul seems like it'd glow, he's that passionate.  So sexy.

I tried tracing a pattern here-- I'm not sure there is one (except for maybe liking the super confident guys with sensitive spots :D).  I've got some resident bad boys, some fighters, some guys with temper issues and sensitive streaks, some older, and one 'next-door-neighbor' kind of sweet guy in the mix.  Maybe the truth lies in that I think they're all larger than life.  And that is a measure of the author's skill.  Thank you, authors, for creating such awesome characters.

Who are your YA crushes?  Do you share any of mine?  Do you have any ideal actors who'd portray your guy/girl?

** Also, none of the images shown are mine.  I just found them via Google so I owe credit to whoever posted these!  Especially the public Deviant Art photo of Lucius... Thanks!!

Release Date: August 9th, 2011
(thank you to netGalley!)
Published by: Candlewick Press

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss.

Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten sub-basement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now her parents and her first love are long dead, and Rose -- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire -- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat.

Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existance, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes -- or be left without any future at all.

Ten Likes/Dislikes:

1. (+) Rose, the protagonist - One of the characters comments that hanging out with Rose is "easy."  It's true.  She doesn't have a particularly assertive personality, but she's nice and shy and tries to understand the world that she's now been thrust into.  I mostly empathized with her because of her situation--everyone she loves is gone by the time she wakes up and she's constantly tired (and anorexic-looking).  She uses her art as a means of viewing and understanding the people around her, and you can tell that she's brilliant at it... and that she has the potential to realize this about herself.  Stay with her (try not to get too frustrated with her disparaging comments) and watch her mature--she'll grow on you.
2. (+) World-building - Lots and lots of details to this story that I love.  The Dark Times and the careful history Ms. Sheehan has created for them... planetary expansion and hover cars and stass tubes to pass the time and teenagers using words like comm and sky to say 'understand' and 'cool' and alien DNA offspring and corpses made into machines and man-made islands... so, so much.  Developed enough to intrigue you but with potential for more.  Well done.
3. (+) Emotional Journey - This is pretty much the driving force of the story.  What Rose has to undergo to realize who she is.  What she's gone through in her past... and why that could affect her future. She has to mature a lot.  She gains a sense of self-worth, which others have destroyed for her, and learns how to cope with problems the normal way and not avoid them.  I still got frustrated with Rose--beware, if you read: Rose does blame herself unnecessarily--but in the end, the fact that those feelings had been so ingrained in her only makes the journey that much more touching.
4. (+) Side Characters - Rose doesn't talk to a lot of people... so then the people who are in her life are people she's really close with... which I really liked because I felt like I knew the characters (well, except for maybe the bomb Ms. Sheehan drops on you at the end-ish) and thought that they were well-developed.
5. (+) Romance - At first, it seems like Rose and Brendan are going to have a typical YA romance with the girl obsessing about the guys's eyes and whatnot... but she doesn't.  I'm not going to say why-- there's so much more to the story.  Rose is also getting over Xavier, her ex boyfriend.... Ultimately what really makes the romance shine is the twist Ms. Sheehan throws at you, skewing your whole perspective on Xavier & Brendan.  It was so unexpected... and weird... but unique enough that I loved it.
6. (--) Multi-perspectives - There were two perspectives--Rose's and the Plasticine's, aka the villain's accomplice of sorts.  I don't think that having that second perspective was helpful at all.  For one, the Plasticine can't feel anything so seeing into its thoughts did not help character development.  Two, the Plasticine sections were mostly repetitions, telling us that yes, the principal was unavailable and that it had to go after Rose.  And three, it didn't really build any suspense.  I understand that that was probably the main intention of the author, but I just couldn't get into it.  And I most certainly did not feel how dangerous the Plasticine was from the perspective.  More full-blown scenes with the Plasticine would have been better.
7. (--) Not Quite What I Expected - When I first read the summary, I thought there'd be more fantasy to it... More adventure... and when the first paragraph and title call Sleeping Beauty to mind, I thought there'd be that sort of sparkle to the story.  Instead it was sort of haunting ... much more of an emotional and character-oriented story than I expected.  I like those kind of stories... but not as much as I like a bit of action.  And as much as I liked seeing Rose develop, I also felt incredibly frustrated with her.  When a protagonist constantly belittles herself and does little about it, it's hard to not feel frustrated.
8. (+) The Writing - For a sci-fi, fantasy-esque world, there weren't too many descriptions that bogged me down.  In fact, I loved the details Ms. Sheehan included... and honestly, it was just easy to slip into Rose's perspective.  Only a few times did I slip up and I already wrote about why that was.
9. (--) The Pacing - My issue with pacing here is that the first attack on Rose happens pretty early... and then there's nothing for like 100 pages... and then yet again, at the end, everything picks up.  Granted, there is an explanation for why the attacks happen when they do but I honestly would've enjoyed it more if they were more constant... it would've kept me more hooked and made the Plasticine threat more real.
10. (+/-) The Cover - This cover is actually really pretty and drew my eyes... but after having read the book, it makes me wonder why on earth this is its cover.  Just because Rose is the protagonist's name?  But Rose is really nothing in comparison to what they could've done... like emphasizing Rose in the stass tube.

Lately I've been reading a lot of adult historical romance novels which is why I'm a little more behind than usual on posting reviews of YA novels.  And now, by no means am I well-versed in romance novels, but I've found a few things in them that I think should really be applied more often to YA work.

1. Multi Perspective tension

There are plenty of YA novels out there with multi perspectives, but most of them are different from what you'd find in romance novels.  For instance, Melissa Marr and Melissa de la Cruz are pretty popular YA authors who use multi perspectives in their works.  However, theirs is used more for character maturation and  development of their fantasy worlds, showing you how a Faery ruler or a Blue Blood would think.  On the other hand, the tension in romance novels with multi perspectives is more often because the character doesn't know what the other one is thinking.  Invariably both tensions stem from the same difference in how the characters perceive the world and how they're perceived, but while perspectives by Marr and de la Cruz focus more on the character, I feel like romance novels use this tension to emphasize the character's actions and the imminent resolution you want for the romantic interests.  I wish I could read a book with this type of tension or with both types mixed together.  One YA novel that I've read lately that's done this well is Witchlanders by Lena Coakley.  Ms. Coakley doesn't just use the multi perspectives to show the difference in how a Baen might think from a Witchlander; she also used it to create tension between Ryder and Falpian and what Ryder will think of Falpian's actions.

2. More Hate-love Stories

When I say this, I mean pure hatred.  Something that happened that truly sets the romantic interests apart.  YA is pretty much filled with romance, but this type is rarer than I'd like.  I recently read Unveiled by Courtney Milan, and I loved it because Margaret truly had reason to hate Ash, and it was incredibly sweet to see how his personality slowly undid that hatred.  This is just a generality too-- I mean I would love more romance that happens between people with a shared past.  More often than not, it happens when the protag. meets someone new, but am I the only one who thinks that having that shared past--that extra obstacle to overcome--makes the romance that much more compelling?  It shows us a piece of the protag's personality and allows for character maturation as we see what he/she did then and what he/she does now.

3. Pacing


This is one of the issues I find most inconsistent in YA but can not complain about in romance novels.  Maybe it's because I know exactly what the outcome will be in romance novels... or maybe it's just because their plots climb steadily all throughout... but I have yet to put down a romance novel that I've started to read.  I think a part of this is the short, clipped sentences that romance novels often have (exception being the actual sex/make-out scenes which are much more expanded).  Those sentences are so different from those created by the YA fantasy author who feels the need to describe anything and everything.  (I'm not going to give an example of that one because that'd be mean).  Point is: romance novels are easy to read because of their wonderful pacing.  I wish I could say the same of some YA novels.

4. Stories that can also be expanded on while still feeling complete.


There are a bunch of YA novels that are like this but not nearly enough.  So many of them leave you hanging with such utterly...unsatisfying! cliffhangers.  I know that some people really enjoy cliffhangers, but I'm not one of them.  I like that romance novels end but can still have more to them--like how some of them become series by taking a character in a previous book and having him/her experience their own dizzying journey. I really wish that more YA authors of series would make its book feel complete on its own (but with still enough potential for expansion).

5. Covers don't matter.  Blurbs don't really matter.

Since I'm new to the historical romance novels, I don't really know a lot of the famous authors so the blurbs are meaningless.  And the covers?  Well, they all look alike.  In regards to YA... I don't really buy books based off the blurbs either and while I love the variety of covers that I find in YA, it also makes me sad to think that I, along with many others, may be missing out on a fantastic novel because I didn't like its cover and didn't bother to look at it.  I wish there was a way to get over that barrier.  I can stop judging a book by its cover... but I also buy my books on Amazon now so that's less of an issue than before.  The only other way I can see is to read many, many book reviews from the rest of you :).

What do you think?  Do you agree/disagree with what I've found?  Do you read romance novels?  Can you think of other things that should be applied to YA novels more often?


(Or... want to recommend some historical romance novels to me ;)?)

Follow Friday is a meme hosted by Rachel at www.parajunkee.com.


What do I do when I am not reading?


Well, it depends really on the time of the year.  This summer, I'm taking a MCAT prep class and a CSUN physics course (+ lab) which eat up about eight hours of the day.  I try to read during my spare time so I can keep this blog running, but when I'm not reading, I'm writing or trying to catch up with all my homework or exercising or daydreaming :D.


I didn't plan my summer so well / didn't think that it would be this tough/time-consuming.  Fall is much better though :).  I mean yes, I'd still get homework from my college professors, but I'd also be surrounded by my friends... and would undoubtedly be having much more fun.  Too many things go in at college to describe in one post ;).
----


Book Blogger Help is a meme hosted by www.crazy-for-books.com.  This week’s question comes from Veronica who blogs at: Read Books, Have Fun.
How/Where do you get your books? Do you buy them or go to the library? Is there a certain website you use like paperbackswap?
I used to get my books from Borders until two summers ago, when I was going to be a freshman and my college offered its students free Amazon Prime membership.  That meant free 2-day shipping and 40% or something like that off practically all the hard-covers that I wanted.  And of course, there's the cheaper option of buying Used books from Amazon.  So ever since then, I've been an Amazon addict.  Pretty much all my spending costs are from there :D.


What about you :)?

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that occurs here; we bloggers post about the books that we'd really like to read now :).

This week's choice is Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Release Date: August 23, 2011

The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy. 

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning. 

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

The Vampire Academy series is one of my favorite series.  Richelle Mead creates such superb characters and fantasy worlds.  I won an ARC of this from another blog a month ago, but I still haven't received it, which makes me think that it's not actually coming.  I don't know if that's the blogger's fault or if the book got lost in the mail, but either way, it just makes me anticipate Bloodlines more.

What're you waiting on this Wednesday?

Release Date: August 1, 2011
(Thank you to netGalley!)
Published by: Abrams

Misfit by Jon Skovron

Jael Thompson has never really fit in. She’s changed schools too many times to count. The only family she’s ever known is her father, a bitter ex-priest who never lets her date and insists she attend the strictest Catholic school in Seattle. And her mother—well, she was a five thousand year old demon. That doesn’t exactly help. 

But on her sixteenth birthday, her father gives her a present that brings about some unexpected changes. Some of the changes, like strange and wonderful powers and the cute skater boy with a knack for science, are awesome. But others, like the homicidal demon seeking revenge on her family? Not so much. 

Steeped in mythology, this is an epic tale of a heroine who balances old world with new, science with magic, and the terrifying depths of the underworld with the ordinary halls of high school.

Ten Likes/Dislikes:

1. (+) Jael, the protagonist - A strong female protagonist coming into herself.  It's hard not to sympathize with Jael when you see the sort of relationship she has with her father and how lonely she is after all the years of them moving around.  She's also got a lot of snark and is pretty loyal and brave.
2. (+) World-building - My absolute favorite part of this book.  Why?  Because the world Mr. Skovron creates is so incredibly open.  What does it mean to be a demon?  A god?  What's Hell like?  Heaven?  Does it exist?  Are the boundaries between good and evil that defined?  Do your beliefs sway your actions or is it the other way around?  But it's more than all the questions that float around--he establishes what his version of Hell is and what demon powers entail and what their limits are.  I am also extremely glad that I took a Bible literature course because I feel like I appreciate the extra effort Mr. Skovron must have put into creating all these little details.  The names of the characters for one, and the power laden in them, the past coming to life.... (As a side note, no, you don't need to be familiar with the Bible; it made me happy though to recognize Dagon, Astarte/Ashtoreth, Samson, etc.)
3. (+) Other Characters - A lot of the characters were complex and developed well.  I particularly enjoyed reading about the relationship Jael has with her father and how that evolves over time.  Mr. Skovron really uses his character's pasts to show how layered they are.  Even Jael's teachers have things to hide.  My least favorite though was Britt, her best friend.  That's not to say that Britt isn't complex--she definitely acts one way on the outside and has so much more on the inside--but she's just so selfish and her choices irritated me.
4. (+) The Romance - I once said to my friends that I thought that the sexiest thing was seeing a guy's passionate side come out.  Pretty much as soon as I read Rob rambling on to Jael about how science and magic aren't all that different, I liked him as a romantic interest (though when I read skater-boy in the summary, I didn't think I would like him).  I like that he and Jael establish a tenuous friendship of sorts before Jael gets her demon powers.  And I like that this romance wasn't too overpowering; it was on the side, and their banter is easy and free.  I would've liked to know more about Rob, but I think that there will be more books and hopefully they'll include more background on him.
5. (+) Mix of Past & Present - Sometimes there were alternating chapters of past and present.  At first, I wondered if the book was going to be a multi-perspective one, but then it got cleared up--Jael sees visions of the past with her father and mother: how they met, what they did before her mom got pregnant with her, etc.  I really liked that Mr. Skovron added in the past because it not only made his characters more complex but it also showed Jael a taste of what her own powers would be like once she embraced them.
6. (+/-) The Writing - The negative aspect to this stems from my personal preference.  I deeply dislike third person present perspectives, and there is very little that can sway me from that path because they always feel too jarring and remind me that I'm just reading about the protagonist rather than experiencing things with her.  But, at the same time, it's unfair of me to immediately dismiss the writing because of that so I'd like to call attention to certain aspects I did enjoy.  For instance, the descriptions were nice, never too lengthy and rather ripe with imagery.  And the dialogue just flowed from page to page--that was probably the best part.  It broke up the disjointed feel that I got from third person present and sucked me into Jael's world.
7. (+) Complete - No cliffhanger ending.  You know who the villain is, you know Jael will face him off, etc. etc. - the novel felt complete, and these types are always my favorite because you can still tell that there is potential for a sequel.  I can appreciate the symmetry of it all too.  At the end, she's embracing her powers while at the beginning, she's struggling with her hair, a relic from her mother and the side of herself she doesn't yet know or understand.  I like that the book had that full cycle since the core of it is truly about Jael coming into herself.
8. (+/-) The Villain - I'm conflicted as to how I felt about this.  On one hand, you know who the villain is and feel his threat early on, especially after seeing visions from the past... but on the other, it's hard to think that Jael is in any real trouble when you see the magnitude of her powers coming to light.  I also would have really liked to understand the villain more.  Was there something in his past that provoked the hatred of half-breeds?  The power play and purity argument felt a little unexplored.
9. (+) Pacing - There wasn't a single time I stopped reading.  The tension keeps climbing and the climax pays off at the end so I'd say it was pretty evenly paced.
10. (+) The Cover/Grunge Design Inside - I like the simplicity of the cover.  The colors are really symbolic and balance each other nicely.  The curly text looks nice... and the inside of the book!  Well, I wished that I had not been reading an e-galley.  I'm not usually a fan of the designs inside books (sometimes they get so girly!  and irritating!) but I really liked the grunge-y feel to this one.  I wonder if they'll print it on special paper too, sort of like Andrea Cremer's Nightshade and the torn-edge papers.

Misfit has a well-established and extremely captivating fantasy world full of surprises that are sure to entertain.  (Because really, who would have ever expected a character to say, "are you jealous of a telepathic goat?")

So a while back, there was a discussion as to why bloggers don't post book trailers in their reviews.  I have several responses to this and would like to hear what you guys also have to say.

1. Sometimes it takes the publisher too long to post a book trailer.

If you're going to make a book trailer, it has to be worth it... and how can it be worth it if it comes out like a week before the book's release?  That may work as "teasers" for really popular books but certainly not for all.  And even with the popular books, where are the trailers?!  Take Supernaturally by Kiersten White and Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer as examples.  Both are by authors I love and are sequels to NYT Bestselling books... and yet no trailers.  Andrea Cremer introduces Wolfsbane here and Kiersten White has taken over the HarperTeen Youtube channel Q&A wise, but neither of these books have trailers even though both Paranormalcy and Nightshade had trailers.  I don't know if that means the publishers aren't going to make one or if they just haven't posted them yet, but if publishers wanted bloggers to use the book trailers, then they have to also be consistent and get them done early.

My Suggestions for Improvement:
A. Release the book cover/summary at the same time as the book trailer.  Granted, this means that publishers have to get things out quicker, but I hope this happens one day.  The cover has the visual aspect down.  Not impressed by that? You'd look down at the summary, the written aspect.  Still not quite convinced?  Look at the trailer, the combo of visual and written.  And what could be more powerful than having all three together?

B. Get Goodreads to start posting links to the book trailers up by the summaries.  I think I have seen a few videos before on a book's page, but it's not like Amazon where you have to scroll down past the video section to find the summary.  There the videos are prominent and accessible.  But to me having a book trailer posted on Amazon is less worthwhile than Goodreads; when you're looking at a book on Amazon, you're that much closer to buying the book already, which also means that something else likely prompted you to that decision whereas on Goodreads, you're there to find out more information about the book and author and whatnot.... so having a book trailer there makes it accessible to all and not just posted on the author's website where only the most devoted fans will see it.  (Another giant problem).

2. Book Trailers don't capture the feel of the book correctly.


In my honest opinion... there are few successful book trailers.  This happens for a variety of reasons such as:

A. When the Voice-over has the wrong "feel" to it:

In my opinion, most book trailers would probably be best without voice-overs.  One of the things that I have to commend Stephenie Meyer for was not describing what Bella looked like; that made it easier for other girls to slip into Bella's place.  Same theme here.  Having a voice-over is sort of jarring and reminds me at least that I'm not the one experiencing this, that I'm not actually there.

B. When the Music Doesn't Fit the Novel:

Okay, so in place of a voice-over, some book trailers have music playing during the video, and sometimes the music doesn't fit the theme of the novel.  Take this book trailer for Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton. This book has Gothic themes.  Why on earth is that music playing?  It undermines some of the novel's power.



Exception:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake.  This is a horror book but with light, almost comical music that contrasts the summary so well that it works for me.


C. When Book Trailers Fail to Tell You Anything about the Novel:

This comes in many forms.  There are some trailers out there that are basically just an exploration of the book's cover... and the one I have to show you is a very short scene made as a trailer for The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan.  First off... what?!  That was so creepy and definitely made me recoil from my computer rather than check out Goodreads or Amazon for the book.  Secondly... what does it even tell you about the book?  Okay, the protag is going to have a creepy encounter with an old lady... and will then run away with a man.  Clearly that's not what this book is about.  Thirdly... if you're going to use a scene for the trailer, why not actually develop it?  Or develop it enough that we're not left confused but instead left with questions that we want answered?  Ten seconds is hardly enough time to do that.


D. Random WTF Moments


I saw this book trailer for Dark Eden by Patrick Carman the other day and was almost impressed.... until the end.  If the author didn't do that creepy eyebrow lift/that wasn't included in the video, I might have actually bought the book because it seemed intriguing... But that little moment froze me from my impulse.


After complaining about trailers, let me show you some that I think were actually done well.

1. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

This is actually only a teaser trailer and not the full book trailer but I love it.  Even if it's not action heavy, there's something so powerful in the words they chose to put to screen and the way some of them are crossed off really show the protag battling with her emotions.  Plus, it also tells you that it has a paranormal bent with its not human thing.


2. Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

So I hadn't read the summary in full when I watched the trailer.  Now the book is in my Amazon cart.  Why?  This video has such a creepy feel to it but one that makes me think about the town's secrets and the sort of things the protag will discover.  (I could've done without the 'help me' whisper at the end, but that wasn't too bad).  I'm a sucker for these kind of thrillers, and this video is an example of one that nails them.


3. The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker

Again, I hadn't read the summary before I saw this trailer... but I love the mysterious aspect to it.  I love the typewriter being the overlying music.  I love that it tells me everything I need to know.  The inherent danger, the dead best friend, the love triangle, etc.  Incredibly well done.


4. Starcrossed by Josie Angelini

Clearly if this wasn't a good book trailer, it wouldn't have gotten 27,000 hits in one day.



I would love to see what you guys think.  Have you ever bought a book because of its trailer?  Do you include trailers in your reviews?  Would you like to see them closer to the release date or released earlier with the covers?  Do you have suggestions for publishers regarding trailers?  

I'd love to see some other successful ones.  I'm currently subscribed to the HarperTeen, Simonschustervideos, and PenguinTeen Youtube channels, and honestly?  Haven't seen all that many memorable ones.  Recently, that is.  I only took a look at their recent uploads.

Also... the trailers are by no means reflections of the authors.  Just wanted to say that.

Follow Friday is a meme hosted by Rachel at www.parajunkee.com.  This is my first time participating.

What is the worst book you've ever read and actually finished?

My question is... why would I finish it if I hated the book?  I could force myself but that wouldn't be very much fun, now would it?  So this question then makes me think of books I had to read for school - Yalo & Little Mountain by Elias Khoury, Beloved by Toni Morrison, The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.... lots and lots of books that are considered classics but that I really didn't like.

I'm not sure if some of you would have read those novels so I'll adapt the question.

What's a book that you've read recently that you couldn't finish?

I have two so far this year.  Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando & Eona by Allison Goodman.  I got to page 40 or so of Ms. Altebrando's novel but was bored and couldn't continue.  I tried reading the first few pages of Eona but there were so many fantasy aspects to the world that I didn't know so I didn't want to continue reading something I wouldn't understand... at least not without reading the first book, Eon.

What about you?

Release Date: June 21, 2011
Published by: Hyperion

This isn't a YA title, but since it's by Melissa de la Cruz, a popular YA author, I thought some of you would be interested.

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

From the author of the highly addictive and bestselling Blue Bloods series, with almost 3 million copies sold, comes a new novel, Melissa de la Cruz's first for adults, featuring a family of formidable and beguiling witches. 

The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache. 

For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them. 

With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil.

Ten Likes/Dislikes:

1. (+) Freya & Ingrid, the protagonists - I write that they're both the protagonists because it felt like they both got equal screen time so to speak (unlike Joanna, who we also see the world through, but her presence is less... notable in my opinion at least).  They're both strong females with equally strong wills.  While Freya is impulsive, senses what others feel, and likes to breathe life into parties, Ingrid prefers the quieter life, but don't be mistaken--they're both very likable and their powers are extraordinary.  It was great to see North Hampton and its inhabitants through both of their eyes.
2. (+) Multiple Points of View - Most of the times, I don't actually like multiple points of view.  More often than not, I like one of the characters better than the rest and wish I could just read the book from that person's point of view.  Even though that also happened here, I was still pleased with the multiple POVs because Melissa de la Cruz really used them well.  She established such great suspense in both unlocking the details about the Restriction/the fantasy world and what was happening to North Hampton.
3. (+) The Romance - Well, it is an adult novel so you have some descriptive scenes... but it didn't feel cheap at all; it was slow building and had a mysterious bent to it, at least where Freya was concerned. Ingrid also had her share coming for her when she least expected it.  Altogether very well-written.
4. (+) World-building - I loved how she used the magic each character held as a way of marking their personalities.  I love how open her fantasy world is with the Fallen and gods and goddesses.  I loved the small scenes she inserted about the Blue Bloods.  I don't want to ruin any of the details for you, but one thing is for certain: it's definitely different than anything I've read this summer.  Well, exception being Wildefire but it too has that original bent to it.  Historical fiction and mythology combined in small doses throughout the novel (except at the end).
5. (+) The Other Characters - Wow.  Although I sometimes felt that there were too many details about the more trivial characters, I still think that Ms. de la Cruz developed her characters well.  And did a freaking amazing job with their complexity.  I definitely did not see the transformation coming for some of them but once it did, the details she put into establishing the 'cover' for the characters were astounding and made it clear that she excels in character building.
6. (--) Info-dump - Directly related to my point below.  She had done such a great job slowly establishing the world... until the end with the massive info-dump that I had to reread to fully understand.
7. (--) The Ending - No, no, no.  This is an issue I'll talk about in pacing, but while the ending was a nice surprise, it came way too quickly.  Given that Ms. de la Cruz spent the whole novel slowly building up to this point, it would seem fair that it would get equal attention.  Instead it felt rushed and the epilogue?  Okay, I already knew there was going to be a second book, and while I'm not a fan of cliffhangers, it would've probably been better to have one than to put that in the epilogue.  Or at least not tie up all the loose ends she established in the book with such a tidy bow.
8. (+) The Writing - Even if I didn't like the ending, I loved the writing.  Melissa de la Cruz does a great job with imagery and it's easy to slip into her fantasy worlds.  Also, though I think that the pacing could have been done better, she does a good job of keeping you on edge--that is to say, she's one of the queens of cliffhangers at the end of chapters that make you want to keep reading on to find out more.  And individual scenes, like the romance scenes, were especially well-written.
9. (--) Pacing - As you may have already seen from what I said on the ending, the pacing is pretty uneven in this book.  The first chapter and prologue were awesome... and then came the slower, multi-perspective narratives that slowed down the momentum she had built.  And the prologue?  It took so long for some sort of connection to form and almost lost its importance in the midst of all the details that she kept establishing.  Yes, there was a lot of tension and yes, it was gradually leading to the end... but it all felt like a sinusoidal function--high at the beginning, slow, slow, getting better, climbing, hit its peak, and bam already decreasing.  (And yes, I just comparing pacing in a novel to math.)  I just think it could have been done better.
10. (--) The Cover - I think the cover is really aesthetically pleasing.  The colors are nicely contrasted against each other... but now after reading the book -- what does it have to do with anything?  It doesn't tell you anything about the book.  And that eye is freaking me out a little; I have no clue what they were trying to do with that.

Despite my deep dislike of the ending, I would still recommend this novel to others.  It had great romance, wonderfully complex characters, and a fantasy world better, in my opinion, than the one she established in her Blue Bloods series.

This review is also a part of Review Appreciation Day, a meme hosted by Cait at the Cait Files.  This week's theme is magic.  Make sure to check it out!