Book Review: The Snowball Effect by Holly Nicole Hoxter

18 year old Lainey Pike is reeling from three recent deaths in her family including her mother’s suicide. Unsure about what to do with her future, Lainey pushes away her long-term boyfriend and high school friends, immersing herself in the care of her troubled 5 year old brother with her estranged older sister and hanging out with "slurpee guy".

I think Lainey’s voice is done extraordinarily well. As someone who experienced a similar spate of deaths in the family when I was 19, I can vouch for the authenticity of Lainey’s prickliness. The bitchy way she dealt with her boyfriend, poor, understanding Riley, was a lot like they way I treated my college roommate freshman year (poor, understanding Lua – thank you for putting up with me!). I really loved Lainey’s realization that certain people come into your life for a particular reason, and not all relationships need to endure for you to grow and to get something out of them. The novel also ended on a perfect note, which definitely warmed up my feelings towards it.

What I wasn’t so crazy about was the lack of a strong narrative arc. Instead we get a series of episodes, which realistic as they were, started to get boring after a while. Also, Lainey went off on far too many tangents for my taste – most where she related past events in far more detail than I really thought necessary (such as listing what she had done for each of her 18 birthdays!!).

It’s definitely not flashy, but if you like deep explorations of character and don’t mind an absence of urgent, driving plot, then you’ll probably find THE SNOWBALL EFFECT to be as ultimately rewarding as I did.

THE SNOWBALL EFFECT was released recently in hardcover. Find out more about it on the author’s website.

Book Review: The Eternal Kiss (Anthology)

I’ve never read TWILIGHT or any other paranormal romance featuring a vampire (unless you count BLOOD SUCKING FIENDS by Christopher Moore, which is more comedy than romance). Somehow, the thought of reading a whole novel featuring vampires just doesn’t appeal to me. So when I saw this anthology, featuring 13 vampire tales of blood and desire from some of the best known YA authors writing today, I thought I could at least give it a try since short stories aren't as big of a commitment as novels.

The stories are a real mix of genres, so it does serve as a good intro into vamp fiction. I won’t cover every story here, just a few standouts.

Undead Is Very Hot Right Now by Sarah Brennan, about a boy band featuring a vampire, was my favorite by far of all the stories. I adored the comedic tone, the voice, the characters (especially Faye, the manager) and could totally see this as a TV show. I am very eager to read Brennan’s other work now.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black, about a girl who stays drunk to avoid the bloodlust that will turn her into a vampire if she can't hold out for 80 days, had the best world building of all the stories in my opinion and I’d definitely be interested in a longer work featuring coldtown, although this episode felt complete. I really liked all the details Black was able to weave in – very clever.

Sword Point by Maria V. Snyder introduces Ava, a human teen obsessed with fencing (the sport, not the crime) and her experiences at an exclusive training club which is more than seems at first. I liked how Snyder worked in the mythology so effortlessly and how I got a very good sense of Ava’s character in such a short time.

Falling to Ash by Karen Mahoney is one of those short stories that feels like a excerpt of a longer work (maybe it is?). I really liked the main character, Moth, a fairly new vampire, and I enjoyed her encounter with a vampire hunter’s hot son. It made me want more.

The Thirteenth Step by Libba Bray falls more in the horror genre and reminded me very much of Bluebeard – with the whole don’t look in the room you’ve been told not to enter, or else (though the endings differ). The main character Lauren, who answered an ad to be an assistant at a drug rescue program, was a bit too clueless for my taste – much like stereotypical movie horror heroines, but I did like the atmosphere.

Other Boys by Cassandra Clare is the second short story by Clare I’ve read (after her contribution to GEEKTASTIC) and I have to say that I really like her style. It's about a teen girl who is not allowed to date sneaking out with a boy who says he's a vampire. Reviewers that devour vamp fiction say they find the plot twist too obvious here, but as a newbie, I found it satisfying.

All in all, it was definitely interesting reading. I might even want to read a whole novel in the genre now.

THE ETERNAL KISS is available in paperback now. Find out more about it at the publisher’s website.

Tuesday (100) = Picture of Emmy

Oooh...guess what? Yep. MORE cats in a box.

They really do spend most of their time in boxes...

Book Review and Series Giveaway: Airhead by Meg Cabot

Confession: This is my first Meg Cabot novel. I know. I can’t believe it either. I always meant to read one, but I just never did. Until AIRHEAD came along with its irresistible premise: 16 year old brainiac Emerson Watts is involved in an accident in the presence of teen modeling sensation Nikki Howard, and when she wakes up, she wakes up in Nikki’s body. Now Em can get any guy she wants, except the one she wants: her best friend and video game buddy Christopher.

AIRHEAD is just the kind of light, fun read I needed after reading Ellen Hopkins’ TRICKS. Meg’s voice on her blog has always seemed effortless to me – like chatting with a really witty, laid back friend – and that effortlessness is clearly on display here. Even with all the high-tech trappings, the story and prose just flow, never seeming at all forced.

I mean, ok, the build-up to the reveal of why exactly Em is now in Nikki’s body is agonizingly slow, and there’s no real resolution of any of the conflicts presented (Em vs the Stark Media empire for example) in this installment – because this book is set-up for the next two in the series, BEING NIKKI (out in paperback now) and RUNAWAY (coming in hardcover April 20th). But I was so charmed by the writing and the characters that I have no problem coming back for more. (In fact, I will be reading those other two novels this month).



I really liked getting inside Em’s head and experiencing her reactions to the sudden changes in her life. Still, the standout character for me was Lulu Collins, the BFF of the model formerly living in Nikki’s body. Lulu may be hilariously clueless about a lot of things, but she’s also sweet, well-meaning and full of wisdom in areas where Em is in way over her head.

So, if you’re not yet acquainted with this series, you’re in luck! I have two AIRHEAD prize packs to give away today to readers in the US. The prize pack includes paperback copies of both AIRHEAD and BEING NIKKI to prepare you for the RUNAWAY release. To enter, just tell me this in the comments: If you HAD to wake up in the body of any celebrity, whose life would you prefer? Would you keep on living as them as if nothing happened? Or would you make some changes? I’ll keep the giveaway open until Monday April 19th at 11:59 pm CST.

Oh and find out more about the series at the official Airhead series website!

24 Hour Readathon Reading List

For the first time, I signed up to read during the 24 hour readathon that will take place on April 10th! Now, I doubt I will actually read more than half that time, but it'll be fun to try!

I did participate in MotherReader's 48 hour readathon 2 years ago (and I was a cheerleader last year), and I learned from experience to pick short books to make myself feel like I am accomplishing something.

And I have a bunch of books that fit the bill! Here's what is in my readathon reading pile at the moment:

1. JUMPED by Rita Williams-Garcia [YA, 168 pages]
2. TETHERED by Amy MacKinnon [Adult, 257 pages]
3. THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE by David Cristofano [Adult, 241 pages]
4. THE VAMPIRE IS JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU by Vlad Mezrich [YA, 176 pages]
5. ESCAPE UNDER THE FOREVER SKY by Eve Yohalem [MG, 214 pages]
6. BEWARE, PRINCESS ELIZABETH by Carolyn Meyer [YA, 214 pages]
7. THE BLONDE OF THE JOKE by Bennett Madison [YA, 259 pages]
8. FUNNY BUSINESS ed. by Leonard S. Marcus [Non-fic, 209 pages]
9. STOLEN by Lucy Christopher [YA, 300 pages]
10. THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. by Kate Messner [MG, 195 pages]

So what do you think of my mix? Too ambitious? Not varied enough? Or just right?

Book Review: Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

A powerful, gritty novel in verse that shares the stories of five teens looking for love but ending up in Las Vegas, turning tricks.

This was my first venture into reading Ellen Hopkins, though I’ve heard all the praise and even had her novels on my shelves for years. I just wasn’t sure I’d take to a novel in verse or the controversial subject matter.

And yes, TRICKS is hard core. Hopkins doesn’t sanitize or shy away from the hard truths of what prostitution entails, but she doesn’t get into gratuitous detail either. And she doesn’t preach – she tells cautionary tales. She doesn’t say “gambling is bad, don’t do it,” but she shows clearly what the consequences could be for a teen who gets addicted to gambling (and it’s not pretty). And the best part is that she makes the characters compelling and the tales compulsively readable (yes – even in verse).

Though each of the five main characters all deserved sympathy for their terrible situations, my heart went out most to Ginger, Eden and Seth – all characters seriously betrayed by their own families. With a prostitute mother who wasn’t above selling her own children for cash, Ginger had it by far the worst, and it wasn’t hard to see why she felt she had to do the things she did. Eden’s fanatically religious parents sent her to a punishment camp for falling in love, and Seth’s father kicked him out for being gay. Cole and Whitney were somewhat less sympathetic because they both made really bad choices, which put them in positions where it was easy to let predators take advantage of them.

I do wonder though if it was really necessary to alternate the stories throughout the novel instead of just making these 5 short stories. There wasn’t enough overlap between the tales to justify the disorientation I felt each time one voice abruptly left off and another began. Sometimes it took me a moment to realize which of the five teens I was reading about. The current structure does well though in luring you in, I’ll give it that. The first pages are all about love and searching for self identity and then slowly the interweaving narratives get darker and darker. Of course by that time, you are invested in the characters and are willing to endure much unpleasantness to follow them to the depths of hell.

TRICKS is out now in hardcover. Find out more about it at the author’s website.

I am giving away a copy of TRICKS signed by Ellen herself in my presence. To enter to win (open internationally), comment at my Bologna recap post.

How to Win Followers and Influence Fellow Book Bloggers

10 hot tips for a pimpin' book blog:

1. Write all positive, interchangeable reviews. For example:

[Name of Book] was a compelling, gripping read. The characters were relatable, fully realized, and nuanced. I especially like the [adjective] of [name of character]. The plot was [laudatory adjective] and kept me enthralled through all [#] pages, making this a riveting page-turner of the highest caliber. I would recommend this to all fans of [genre].

If you always use this template, think of the time you can save writing your review! But make sure you include one really quotable quote – wouldn’t it be awesome to be name-checked in the paperback release?

Oh and of course, you can also save time by just copying the publisher summary – no matter that it is about 12 times longer than your actual review.

2. If you’re not really a positive person, you can also take the opposite approach: major snark! The best is when you read snarky reviews of a book on another blog and then request it from the publisher so you can outsnark all the snarksters. Bonus points if you insult the author and list their home phone number. Authors love to get prank calls!

3. Can’t be bothered to write reviews at all? That’s ok! Just do a weekly post listing all the fabulous review books you’ve been sent. And hey, don’t think of it as bragging or spreading blogger envy…it’s still free publicity right?

4. Another way to avoid writing those pesky reviews but still post a lot is to participate in memes. Just one or two is NOT enough. You want to post at least once a day right? Or maybe even 3 times a day to show everyone what a serious blogger you are? Because of course everyone is interested in what you ate for breakfast, what color your personality is, or that you have two fluffy white cats.

5. Author interviews allow you to incorporate meaningful bookish content on your blog, but who wants to invest all that time in actually researching the specific author? A great short-cut is to ask every author the same exact things – and make sure you ask a lot of questions (25+) and make them really obvious like “Where did you get your inspiration?” or really banal like “What’s your favorite type of mushroom?”. The more obvious the question, the more likely the author has answered them before. Then they just have to cut and paste! Everyone wins!

6. If you want a ton of loyal followers, overload on contests. Make it so you have to be a follower to enter your contest and then make those people work hard for their prize – the more hoops they have to jump through for extra entries the better. It helps you weed out those lazy entrants who don’t deserve to win anyway.

7. Speaking of contests – they don’t have to be for books that you’ve read and want to recommend because you think they deserve a wider audience. Let your blog be used as a billboard for anyone willing to donate a book, good or not.

8. Want to increase your blog hits? Stir up drama! Write discussion posts that are inflammatory in some way to get the comments hopping. Pose as an anonymous troll and insult yourself. See who comes to your defense – those are your true friends.

9. Speaking of comments…if you really want to get the cream of the crop and not just any riffraff “great post” comment, sign up for a commenting platform that makes your reader have to sign up for it too in order to comment. Additionally, make sure to enable comment moderation AND word verification. The more time it takes for a reader to comment, the more it shows they really care.

10. Take this post seriously ;)

Anyone have any other great tips they'd like to add that I might have missed? Let's hear 'em in the comments!

International Book Blogger Mentor Program Featured Bloggers (1)

Yes, the International Book Blogger Mentor Program is up and running! All March mentees should have gotten their books by now, and today I am introducing the February mentees and mentors.

First up we have Audrey at Brizmus Blogs Books who lived in France but is moving to Japan right about now. Audrey chose 3 books from my pile including MAGIC UNDER GLASS by Jacyln Dolamore which she gave a very positive review. I thought it brought across very well why she enjoyed it. Here's an excerpt:

MAGIC UNDER GLASS a love story like no other, and I have always been a sap for forbidden, strange love. Nim, a lowly trouser girl, and Erris, a fairy prince, are so different, and yet their circumstances are so similar that it is easy to see how their friendship, as it develops, easily turned into love. I fell hard for them both, and I couldn't stop turning the pages, practically praying that things would work out for them.

So if you like passionate reviews, Audrey's is a great one to check out and subscribe to! I'm sure she'll also be sharing stories from her new life in Japan very soon - just like she's been doing with her life in France on her personal blog.

Because I had such overwhelming response to the IBBMP, I solicited blogger mentors and author sponsors to help me out. (See my IBBMP FAQ if you are interested!)

The wonderful Trish of Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? was my first blogger mentor volunteer and I paired her up with Marjolein of The Netherlands.

Marjolein has been book blogging at MarjoleinBookBlog since April 2008 (same as me!), and really wanted some help with layout and promotion. Trish seems to have given her some great advice! She also received 3 books from Trish as part of the program and reviewed THE ROSE OF SEBASTOPOL by Katherine McMahon. Here's an excerpt:

Overall [THE ROSE OF SEBASTOPOL is] a very interesting historical novel, very well written and romantic, and a lovely cover too as a cherry on top!

Marjolein's reviews are concise and fun to read. She'd love it if you stopped by! ETA: Her second review, of Thrity Umrigar's THE WEIGHT OF HEAVEN, is also up!

I was thrilled when the amazing AS King agreed to be IBBMP's first author sponsor, especially since I adore her debut so much. I paired her up with Ruby from the Philippines who blogs at Ruby Loves Adventure. In addition to her own book, DUST OF 100 DOGS, which Ruby reviews here, AS King sent her three other YA favorites. And I was also thrilled that Ruby loved D100D! Here's a excerpt of her review:

[DUST OF 100 DOGS] is a must read. I would never have picked up this book if it wasn't recommended to me and I'm more than happy that it was recommended. A friend of mine who I loaned the book to was asking if this was going be the next movie blockbuster. I just hope it will be, as the concept of the book was utterly awesome.

Ruby's reviews are very honest and amusing. Show her some love!

If you would like to be part of the International Book Blogger Mentor Program, see my IBBMP FAQ for all the details on how to apply!

Tuesday (99) = Picture of Emmy

More cats in a box:

It's nice that they are learning how to share!

6 Things I learned in Bologna + 2 Book Giveaway

Last week I went to Bologna, Italy to attend the SCBWI pre-Bologna symposium and the Children’s Book Fair. Here are a few things l learned:

1. Lauren Oliver (author of BEFORE I FALL) should sing on Broadway

I am beginning to suspect that Lauren is the Meryl Streep of publishing. You know, the type that can do everything (including walking in 6 inch heels), and do it enviously well? As we walked the streets of Bologna, Lauren broke into a rousing rendition of the The Little Mermaid’s Part of Your World and we sang Part of Your World (Reprise) together. Then we sat in her hotel lobby and drank French tea (packaged in cashmere sachets) while Daniel regaled us with stories of his childhood chasing rats (don’t ask).

Another day, Daniel, Ann and I met Lauren for dinner together with her agents Stephen Barbara (a rock star of publishing) and Hannah Gordon Brown. It was excellent food and conversation (see Lauren’s recap) if not a tiny bit frustrating to be sitting at a table with 2 of the 3 people in the whole world (besides Lauren) who have read Lauren’s forthcoming dystopia DELIRIUM and listen to them rave about it when I won’t get to read it for such a loooooong time. She did share some tidbits on her WIP (a middle grade fantasy) and it sounds amazing (of course)!

Lauren Oliver, me and Stephen Barbara

2. Some 12 year olds are not as innocent and sheltered as we would hope

Author Ellen Hopkins spoke at the SCBWI symposium and shared letters from her readers that would break your heart. She advised us not to write down to teens. Don’t sanitize your stories. YA is a hungry market, and what they hunger for is authenticity.

Ellen shared a startling statistic that she became aware of while researching TRICKS – the average age of a prostitute in the US is 12 years old. Not every 12 year old comes from a happy family, and even those who do may feel empty inside, and yearn for someone to understand what they are going through.

Ellen’s not afraid to court controversy in order to give her readers what they want. She talked about how Karin the Librarian won an author visit with her for her school in Norman, Oklahoma and how a parent forced the school to cancel the event on the eve of banned books week (the venue was changed). The story was picked up by the national news media, and sales of Ellen’s books soared.

Me and Ellen Hopkins

3. Richard Peck can do a hell of a “mean teacher” face

Author Richard Peck also spoke to us at the SCBWI symposium, and told us the reason he got into writing fiction at the age of 37 was because he realized he wasn’t reaching students the way he wanted to by being a teacher. Was it because his students were terrified of him? His “mean teacher” face does rival the famous author photo of Shel Silverstein…so it’s possible!

Here are a few nuggets of his wisdom:

- Stories should move in a straight line with hope at the end.

- Make your character jump in the deep end…you can protect or create a character, not both.

- Dialogue is best written standing up – it improves the pace. Get up and act out every one of your scenes.

- No one ever grows up in a group.

Richard’s new book, coming in October 2010, is called THREE QUARTERS DEAD. It is paranormal horror, a deadly serious story about those two inter-reacting killers: distracted driving and peer-group allegiance, a story about a girl with a cell phone in one hand and the steering wheel in the other.

4. You never know who you’ll see walking around the Bologna fair

Two years ago, Scott Westerfeld was the author-to-spot. This year, I saw Cassie Clare and Kristin Cashore. Though I didn’t get to chat with Cassie, Ann and I spent a few minutes with Kristin at her Italian publisher’s stand. When I gave her my card, she said she knew my blog (*squee*) and she tucked in into this fab photo album she had with her FULL of pictures of her new nieces.

5. If you want books, you better stay until the last day

Reps at the Bologna fair are so busy, they actually have appointments on the last day (unlike in Frankfurt). I saw beautiful copies of AS King’s PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ, Linda Gerber’s TRANCE, and Lesley Hauge’s NOMANSLAND, and I had to walk away from them. I did, however, get a copy of Mary Hooper’s new one FALLEN GRACE and Maggie Stiefvater’s LINGER.

6. Even though Italy & Germany are both part of the EU, you still need a passport to fly by plane between them

Well, not that Germany cares, since I managed to fly to Italy with no problem whatsoever. But when Ann took the earlier flight on Thursday, she called to tell me that they had checked her passport 3 times, and that Lufthansa reps told her one could absolutely NOT fly without a passport. So, I spent my last day in Italy on a train to Florence to visit the US consulate. I got to pay $100 to get an emergency passport with 3 months of validity (which of course means more headache later, when I have to get a whole new passport and German residence permit). The kicker? I was not asked even ONCE for my passport at the airport and boarded my flight without incident. Next time? I’ll bring my passport no matter what.

And guess what I have for you?!

I have a signed hardcover of Lauren Oliver's BEFORE I FALL and a signed hardcover of Ellen Hopkins TRICKS for one lucky reader anywhere in the world!

This contest will remain open until April 3o, 2010 at 11:59 PM CST. To enter, just leave a comment on this post that lets me know you've read at least some of it. "Filler" comments (i.e. "I want to win") will not be accepted as a contest entry. I'd also appreciate it if you'd tweet a link or post this contest in your blog sidebar. Thanks for spreading the word, and good luck!