Saturday, June 30, 2012

[Meme] Gwenyth's Goodies (Stacking The Shelves) - June 29th 2012


Stacking The Shelves started at Tynag's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Due to more Blogger related drama I took a break from the Stacking the Shelves last week. Apparently some new bloggers took advantage of book grabbing at ALA and posted a video bragging about it and Hell was unleashed again. I didn't feel like stirring the fires by posting my final pile of BEA books, so I just skipped it all together.

So this week I am only going to share my purchases and books that came directly from the publishers. The final BEA books will be added to my Goodreads list and you can look at them there if you are really interested (when I finally get around to adding them all in).

From Publisher for Review:



From Edelweiss for Review:

Friday, June 29, 2012

[Review] Hey Canada by Vivien Bowers


Title: Hey Canada! 
Author: Vivian Bowers
Illustrator: Milan Pavlovic
Genre: children, non-fiction, reference, picture book
Format: Hardcover, 72 pages
Publication Date: May 8, 2012
Published By: Tundra Books
Source: Received from publisher for review and book tour.



Synopsis from Goodreads

Gran has decided that she is taking nine-year-old Alice and eight-year-old Cal on a road trip across Canada “before she’s old and creaky.” With a sparkling combination of poems, silly songs, tweets and blogs, the trio records the trip for readers everywhere to share. Starting in St. John’s Newfoundland, where they have a “find-it” list that includes a moose and an iceberg and going all the way to the Pacific Ocean, the gang in Hey Canada! offers a delightful way to learn about vast, varied, and surprising Canada.

The book combines narrative, poems, photos, comics about historical events such as the battle at Fortress Louisburg, maps (including provincial flags, birds, and flowers), in a lively, easily accessible format. Not only great fun to read, this is a valuable resource for young Canadians and for visitors across the country.



My Thoughts

This was a cute and quirky book about a grandmother who decides it's time for her grandchildren to explore Canada. They start at one end of Canada, and travel through each province and territory until they make it completely through the whole country.

I quite enjoyed reading this short book. It was an entertaining look at the country I live in, balanced well with facts, photographs, cartoon pictures and humor.


Some of the things I really liked about this book were the Hamster Update and Find It! features.


I had my son also read the book and we both agreed that we would like to see more actual photographs compared to the amount of cartoon drawings. My son also felt they book tried too hard to be funny and it didn't come across all the time. Also, I'm not sure if I missed it or not (I might have to do a re-read) but I don't believe it was ever clear where the grandmother and grandchildren lived themselves and where they were coming from when they arrived in Canada. That might have been fun to integrate into the story.

Overall I think it's a great book that children will enjoy that will help them learn more about Canada in a fun and interesting way. I suggest you pick it up for the child(ren) in your family to help them celebrate Canada Day this long weekend.


Author - Vivien Bowers
Website: http://www.vivienbowers.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/VivienBowers

Illustrator - Milan Pavlovic
Website: http://www.milanpavlovic.net/
Blog: http://mrstocca.blogspot.com/

My rating?

Thursday, June 28, 2012

[Guest Post] Andy Gavin on The Darkening Dream and a Giveaway

Sarah Englemann: Our Protagonist

Sarah thinks of herself as a normal seventeen year-old. Well that's not exactly true, she's pretty sure she's exceptional, but only when it comes to school and books. The rest of it: fitting in, boys, that doesn't come as easy.

And she certainly doesn't believe corpses can leave their graves and try to kill you!

But the undead can be convincing. Not to mention that she keeps having these horrible visions.
The bookish thing, that she gets from her father. And he isn't exactly Joe cool either‚ even if he is named Joseph. But things are clearer for him. He doesn't have to fit in, he's got his Rabbi cronies from the old world to hang with. But this is 1913, and Sarah's a modern woman. No way she's going to put up with corsets, no vote, and popping out a big brood.

Again, none of this takes into account what happens when something really old takes an interest in her. A sorcerer who was ancient when Sarah's people crossed out of Egypt has turned his evil eye her way. And Papa Joseph has his secrets too. Turns out the family wasn't the only thing he brought to Massachusetts from Europe. But he's sure all that is ancient history.

However the dead have all the time in the world. The vampire Nasir has been sent to sniff around. And he loves a good hunt.

To further complicate things, this is finally the year when Sarah meets that boy.

A Big Giveaway for The Darkening Dream

This week, through June 29th, Author Andy Gavin is running a big giveaway to celebrate his 99 cent promo sale.
The Darkening Dream Rafflecopter Giveaway
Tweet, like, follow, share, blog and grab a copy of his book to enter.

About The Darkening Dream

As the modern world establishes itself and pushes the supernatural into the shadows, the supernatural fights back.

An ominous vision and the discovery of a gruesome corpse lead Sarah and her friends into a terrifying encounter with a fledgling vampire in 1913 Salem, Massachusetts. Eager to prove themselves, the young heroes set out to track the evil to its source, never guessing that they will take on a conspiracy involving not only a 900-year vampire but also a demon-loving Puritan warlock, disgruntled Egyptian gods, and an immortal sorcerer, all on a quest to recover the holy trumpet of the Archangel Gabriel. Relying on the wisdom of a Greek vampire hunter, Sarah's rabbi father, and her own disturbing visions, Sarah must fight a millennia-old battle between unspeakable forces, where the ultimate prize might be Sarah herself.

The critics love it

"A vampire novel with actual bite." ~The Kirkus Reviews

"A gorgeously creepy, strangely humorous, and sincerely terrifying tale." ~Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

Read the first two sample chapters here.

Get your 99 cent copy of The Darkening Dream today on Amazon only.

About the Author


Andy Gavin is an unstoppable storyteller who studied for his Ph.D. at M.I.T. and founded video game developer Naughty Dog, Inc. at the age of fifteen, serving as co-president for two decades. There he created, produced, and directed over a dozen video games, including the award winning and best selling Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter franchises, selling over 40 million units worldwide. He sleeps little, reads novels and histories, watches media obsessively, travels, and of course, writes. Find out more here.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

[Meme] Waiting On Wednesday: Tiger Lily and Team Human



Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I don't know what's up with HarperCollins and their books of awesome, but quite a few of the new upcoming books I want are published by them. This week I have two to share with you that I cannot wait for!

Book One:

Title: Tiger Lily
Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: July 3, 2012

Synopsis:

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

Book Two:

Title: Team Human
Author: Justine Larabalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: July 3, 2012

Synopsis:

Just because Mel lives in New Whitby, a city founded by vampires, doesn't mean she knows any of the blood-drinking undead personally. They stay in their part of town; she says in hers. Until the day a vampire shows up at her high school. Worse yet, her best friend, Cathy, seems to be falling in love with him. It's up to Mel to save Cathy from a mistake she might regret for all eternity

On top of trying to help Cathy (whether she wants it or not), Mel is investigating a mysterious disappearance for another friend and discovering the attractions of a certain vampire wannabe. Combine all this with a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and touching.

Acclaimed authors Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan team up to create a witty and poignant story of cool vampires, warm friendships, and the changes that test the bonds of love.


What book are you waiting for right now?

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

[Meme] Teaser Tuesday - The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
4. Share the title and author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
"Sarah's breath burned in and out so hard her throat hurt. Her worldview churned around the inside of her skull. She tried to readjust and realign, to make sense of it. Now she knew, with total and complete certainty, that monsters were real."

This teaser is from The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin. I received a copy for an upcoming tour. It took me about 50 pages to get into it, but it's moving along much better now!

~ The Darkening Dream is the chilling new dark fantasy novel by Andy Gavin, creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter.

Even as the modern world pushes the supernatural aside in favor of science and steel, the old ways remain. God, demon, monster, and sorcerer alike plot to regain what was theirs.

1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is full of friends, books, and avoiding the pressure to choose a husband, until an ominous vision and the haunting call of an otherworldly trumpet shake her. When she stumbles across a gruesome corpse, she fears that her vision was more of a premonition. And when she sees the murdered boy moving through the crowd at an amusement park, Sarah is thrust into a dark battle she does not understand.

With the help of Alex, an attractive Greek immigrant who knows a startling amount about the undead, Sarah sets out to uncover the truth. Their quest takes them to the factory mills of Salem, on a midnight boat ride to spy on an eerie coastal lair, and back, unexpectedly, to their own homes. What can Alex’s elderly, vampire-hunting grandfather and Sarah’s own rabbi father tell them? And what do Sarah’s continuing visions reveal?

No less than Gabriel’s Trumpet, the tool that will announce the End of Days, is at stake, and the forces that have banded to recover it include a 900 year-old vampire, a trio of disgruntled Egyptian gods, and a demon-loving Puritan minister. At the center of this swirling cast is Sarah, who must fight a millennia-old battle against unspeakable forces, knowing the ultimate prize might be herself.~

Share your teaser with me!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

[Meme] Waiting On Wednesday: Once




Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Once
Author: Anna Carey
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: July 3, 2012

Synopsis:

Sixteen years have passed since a deadly virus wiped out most of the Earth’s population. After learning of the terrifying part she and her classmates were fated to play in the rebuilding of New America, eighteen-year-old Eve fled to the wilds and Califia, a haven for women determined to live outside the oppressive rule of the king of New America. However, her freedom came at a price: she was forced to leave Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. Eve quickly learns that Califia may not be as safe as it seems and soon finds herself in the City of Sand and the palace of the king. There she uncovers the real reason he was so intent on her capture, and the unbelievable role he intends her to fill. When she is finally reunited with Caleb, they will enact a plan as daring as it is dangerous. But will Eve once again risk everything—her freedom, her life—for love?

Brimming with danger and star-crossed romance, and featuring a vivid dystopian landscape, this electrifying follow-up to Eve, which bestselling author Lauren Kate called “a gripping, unforgettable adventure—and a fresh look at what it means to love” is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes adventure of The Hunger Games and the irresistible love story of Romeo and Juliet.

This book releases July 3rd and is the second book in the Eve series. Some might remember that although I liked the first book, Eve, I did not LOVE it...a lot was left wanting, especially with Eve's character. I have been informed by a few fellow bloggers that this second book is much better than the first, so I am willing to read it...especially since there are still so many unanswered questions!

The third book in the series, Rise, just recently had it's cover revealed, which seems such an unfair tease since the second one isn't even out yet!

What book are you waiting for right now?

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

[Meme] Teaser Tuesday - The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
4. Share the title and author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
"Or maybe somebody did this to her." He broke away, pacing the room in an attempt to get as far from the body as possible. "Eleven girls in eighty years. Don't tell me this was an accident."

This teaser is from The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter. I purchased this book a while ago when there was a Kobo ebook sale on, and after picking up a signed copy of Goddess Interrupted at BEA I figured I would give it a go! Plus as it happened to be in my Kobo app already when I finished False Memory it was very convenient for me.

~ EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.

NOW IT'S KATE'S TURN.

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.


Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.
~

Share your teaser with me!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

[Meme] Gwenyth's Goodies (Stacking The Shelves) - June 16th 2012

Stacking The Shelves started at Tynag's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

As mentioned last week, the box of doom finally arrived. I have bring the books home from work (where the box was delivered) in batches of 8-12. The box is not empty yet, so there will still be some to be posted next week!


Oh and on a side note, if FedEx offers to pack your books for you, and you are as OCD as me...don't let them. They just placed them in bags and tossed them into this giant box. I swear...


...not amused...

Here are the portion of books that made it home with me this week.

Autographed Copies:


   

Unsigned Galley Drops, Blogger Convention Goodies, Breakfast Books, and other events:


  

 



As well as a chapter sampler for Junot Diaz's This Is How I Lost Her (no cover)

From Publisher for Review:




Special Thanks:

I wanted to give a very special thanks to the staff, authors, and publishers that took the time to speak with me at length regarding their books/lines and how to work with them in the future. Their passion and willingness to work with bloggers was refreshing after some of the drama that has occurred over the past few months.

  • Brenda from Llewellyn who took the time to speak to me about their Flux line and give me a few hand-picked items she felt I would enjoy.
  • Multiple staff members and authors from Spencer Hill Press who took the time to talk to me about their YA offerings and select a few titles for me to try out.
  • Derry Wilkens from Sourcebooks who took the time out of her very busy meetings just so I could meet her in person after working with her through email for about a year. And to the lovely booth member who hunted me down that copy of Entice I was dying for!
  • To the friendly representative of Lorimer (sorry I didn't get your name or card!) who spoke to me about their new teen line and slipped me a "damaged" copy of an initial release to read.
  • To Amir Yassai and his booth mates who did an amazing job on the marketing and promotion for his self-published book, The Life Squad (which I thoroughly look forward to reading), and speaking to me about the book, the rest of the series, and plans to get more attention for his novel.
  • Author J.J. Johnson who shared with me how much she loves bloggers and she doesn't understand the reasoning behind some publishers not wanting to work with bloggers. We talked about some comments made at the Blogger's Convention about how soon bloggers and their reviews will be read and regarded more highly than critical reviews in magazines and newspapers. She was awesome!
  • And a very special thank you again to Scholastic for the amazing and very unique YA Theatre presentation gathering for upcoming releases. Although I was already well aware of 2 of the books that were presented (The Raven Boys and The Infinity Ring) it was wonderful to add some new books to my must read list (Endangered and Skinny) as well as see the videos and dramatizations that accompanied them. Also a big plus for letting me shake James Dashner's hand and gush over how much my son and I both loved his Maze Runner series...yup...I'm a nerd!
  • And so many more! Too many to list here!

That post was exhausting...I need a nap now...

What goodies did you receive this week?