Wednesday, October 28, 2009

"Waiting On" Wednesday (43)

Heist Society by Ally Carter
February 9, 2010
Hyperion

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just
on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history-or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Cover Remake Contest

I did these cover remakes for Cindy's contest . . . Enjoy. I had fun making them. I suggest entering it!


Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Deathday Letter by Shaun David Hutchinson Cover!

I really like this cover, I love that the background has texture to it and the smiley face on the envelope! I really like it!

PS: I know Karen Healey's cover has been about, but I don't think it's *final* yet, so I'm waiting to post it.

Monday, October 19, 2009

On The Outside: Lauren Strasnick

Lauren Strasnick is the debut author of the soon-to-be-release novel, Nothing Like You, tomorrow! She's also part of the class of 2k9! You can visit her at her website here.

~~~

I'm terrible with titles! Just terrible. But the funny thing about this book is that the title came to me quite quickly - half way through the first draft. I had originally called the book "Holly Holy", which is the title of a Neil Diamond song that follows my narrator, Holly, throughout the book, consoling her in times of crisis. My publisher, though, thought "Holly Holy" might mislead potential readers - that it had the ring of religious satire (it does, doesn't it?!). It's also nearly impossible to say! Try saying it now, out loud, ten times and quick! Total mouthful!

My lovely editor, Anica Rissi, then suggested NOTHING LIKE YOU. It's a line pulled straight from the novel, and does a much better job of conveying the overall tone of the book, I think. It's also much easier to say! Nothing Like You... rolls off the tongue, does it not? ;)

The cover is the creation of three talented folks at Simon Pulse: Editor Anica, cover designer Cara Petrus, and photographer Matteo Trisolini. They chose to go model-free, and instead shot a series of still-life scenes from a small toolshed/clubhouse in the book called The Shack. In the full wrap around image you see much more: an open futon with rumpled sheets, a pair of sneakers kicked off, a pair of underwear tossed onto the futon. Then designer Cara pulled together all the images, and added that gorgeous cursive lettering, and there you have it - a cover, born! What I especially love is how vibrant the colors are - it almost looks like an illustration! AND Cara Petrus's perfect penmanship! *Sigh*

~~~

Thanks Lauren!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

Title: The Cinderella Society
Author: Kay Cassidy
Publisher: Egmont USA
Reading Level: YA, 12+
Publication Date: April 13, 2010
Pages: 320
My Edition: ARC

Amazon Page

Cover Rating: C-
Book Rating: A

Plot - 19/20
Characters - 16/20
Writing - 17/20
Originality - 20/20
Entertainment - 10/10
Recommendation - 10/10
Total: 92/100

Summary:
When the Prom Queen becomes your fairy godmother…

Sixteen year old Jess Parker gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join a secret society of popular girls where makeover fantasies become reality. But there’s more to membership in The Cinderella Society than meets the eye. Being a Cindy means reinventing yourself from the inside out, a concept lost on Jess as she dives tiara-first into creating a hot new look.

Be careful what you wish for.

Jess’s transformation wins her the heart of the Varsity quarterback and a shot at uber-popularity. Until the Wickeds–led by Jess’s arch enemy–begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers the real force behind her exclusive society. It’s a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys in power need Jess on special assignment. When the mission threatens to destroy her dream life come true, Jess is forced to choose between living a fairy tale and honoring the Sisterhood… and herself. What’s a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn’t want to wear it anymore?

Review:
The Cinderella Society was unlike anything I have ever read before. It was unique and deeply inspirational like Kay Cassidy herself. The Cinderella Society might be a novel about the mean girls taking avantage of the weak kids. But it was also a novel about a girl finding herself and living to the potential of herself and helping take the mean girls down. It was simply extroadinary!

The beginning was a very nice start to a series. It began excellent and was a nice start up for the rest of the novel; showing what a bit of what it was like for Jess at school and dealing with her arch-enemy Lexy, but it wasn't strung along. It was the perfect amount to see what it was like and then we were blown into the world of the Cindy's (the good girls). The Cindy's are pretty much a group of high school girls who are saints. But the Cindy's aren't just in this town the book takes place in. The Cindy's are worldwide. The Cindy's help the kids who aren't the apart of anything from the Wickeds (the mean girls). It's completely original and highly enjoyably.

The one little problem with The Cinderella Society is that I don't think we got to see Jess in her homelife enough. I think if we had we would of been able to really relate to Jess more and view her as more realistic and deep. So other then seeing a bit more in Jess's life and maybe some of the other characters, I really had no problem with the novel.

The writing was great, the plot was fantastic, it was original, entertaining, and deeply inspirational. A wonderful debut novel with encouragement to be the best you can possibly be, a very true novel that will be loved.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Notice:

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to say something really quick. I'm completely behind on my email, and I know pretty much everyone who emails me reads my blog, so I just wanted to do a blog post to everyone awaiting email replies from me. I've been pretty busy, extremely tired (like bedtime at nine o'clock tired!), and I'm a bit sick now too.

And while I'm somewhat on the subject, and yes I know some of you hate those posts of why I haven't been posting and all, and I'm pretty sure you've noticed the emptiness of my blog for the last week or so, but the truth is that ever since school started I haven't been able to finish a book, that might be a reason, but the reason also might be that ever since I finished reading FIRE by Kristin Cashore, which just blew me away, no book has really come to my attention and I haven't been able to keep reading it. Yes, FIRE was that good. So anybody want to suggest anything to me? Like a book that would make it so I don't want to stop reading? My goodreads page is in the linkbar above my header. And thanks in advance. Like really, I know if I just read a book that can excite me again like FIRE did, I'd be back in my reading habit again.

Thanks, my faithful readers. I can't wait to get back in the groove of things again.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

I'll Just Stop in Here to Say . . .

. . . HAPPY BIRTHDAY KHY!
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You are made of AWESOME!

Have a fantastic birthday!!!!

Love ya!

Friday, October 2, 2009

Winner of FIRE by Kristin Cashore!

I had a total of 41 entrants and 77 entries! I total success I think!

I used random.org to determine the winner, sadly the winner didn't leave an email address I could reach her at, and I specifically said to leave an email address in the post or else they would be deleted from the contest, I'm sorry to say it. So I had to pick a new winner, and they happened to be:
Shawna Lewis!

Congratulations Shawna you have won a signed finished copy of FIRE by Kristin Cashore! I will be emailing you before tomorrow and you have before the end of the weekend to email me back with an address so the publisher can get the book out to you!

Now, I asked what you could do if you were named Fire, I had a blast reading the fantastic answers and they made me laugh, which is what I was going for!

Shawna answered:
If my name was fire it would suit me because I have such a enter fire burning bright all the time so Fire fit me Perfect that or Sunshine!!

And a few others I enjoyed.

Chelsie said:
If my name were fire, I could go to your school and burn all your homework. Or torch some crabby teacher's butts... whichever would make you less stressed =P

Sara said:
If my name was Fire, I'd cause a lot of accidental fire alarms when my friends come running after me (trying to catch up because I'm a fast walker) yelling my name. People would see them running and yelling "Fire!" and think there was a real fire... :)

Thao said:
If my name was Fire... if someone ever accidently sit on me, my friends can tell that person, "you're on Fire"

Julie Ke said:
If my name was Fire, I would dye my hair three different colors of fiery red, and learn how to fire dance.

Of course they were all great, you can click here to read them all.

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus Cover!

I really love this cover! It's great! I love the colors, the flame, and the font, I would pick it up in an instant!