The Bookologist

Create A Cover! FREEZE

Sunday, August 30, 2009 | | 1 comments

I found this from the lovely Story Siren

CREATE YOUR DEBUT YA COVER

1 – Go to “Fake Name Generator” or click http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/

The name that appears is your author name.

2 – Go to “Random Word Generator” or clickhttp://www.websitestyle.com/parser/randomword.shtml

The word listed under “Random Verb” is your title.

3 – Go to “FlickrCC” or click http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php

Type your title into the search box. The first photo that contains a person is your cover.

4 – Use Photoshop, Picnik, or similar to put it all together. Be sure to crop and/or zoom in.

5 – Post it to your site along with this text.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Saturday, August 29, 2009 | Labels: Review | 3 comments

Title: Along for the Ride
Author: Sarah Dessen
Pages: 383
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Publication Date: June 16, 2009

"You know, if you don't know how to ride a bike, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Eli said.
"I can ride a bike," I said. "I just...I haven't had the opportunity in a while."

Riding a bike is only one of the many things Auden’s missed out on. Even before her parent’s divorce, she was cast in the role of little adult, never making waves, focusing on academics to please her demanding mother.

Now she’s spending the summer before college in the tiny little beach town of Colby with her father and his new wife and baby. A job in a trendy boutique introduces her into the world of girls, their friendships, conversations, romances. And then there’s Eli, an intriguing loner. A former star on the bike circuit and fellow insomniac, Eli introduces Auden to the nocturnal world of Colby. Together they embark on a quest : For Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to put a tragic episode behind him. combine two lonely people with a charming beach town and an endless supply of long summer nights, and just about anything can happen.

All I have to say for this book, was that it was truly amazing! Auden had a unique personality, that was only amplified by her surroundings. Eli, on the other hand, was a cute, down-to-earth guy. All he wanted was to be treated normally; and Auden DID treat him normal. I think that's what made her more noticeable to him. Their adventure together was about everything; love, happiness, grief, sadness...everything and anything!

The book was written beautifully. It was smooth and kept me flipping the pages to see what would happen. Colby and the locals there, only made the book, all the more beautiful.

Another thing I noticed, was the relationship and the personalities of the secondary characters. They were all different (in a good way!) and had a history together. They were all connected and Dessen definitely created the back-story efficiently. I didn't even notice that I knew all of the characters until the end of the book!

Along for the Ride is a great read! You will feel many different emotions and it will bring all kinds of reactions from you! That's what it did to me. I hope you like it as much as I did!

Cover: Photobucket

Writing:

Ending:

Overall:

Have questions about this book? Email me! bookreviewsya@yahoo.com

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 | Labels: Review | 0 comments

Title: Ghost Girl
Author: Tonya Hurley
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (August 1, 2008)
Pages: 336 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult

SOMETIMES HIGH SCHOOL REALLY IS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is. Even worse; she's dead. And all because of a guy and a gummy bear.

The plot for this book seemed a bit choppy but also smooth. This was my first time reading a book by Tonya Hurley. I was not so sure if I really liked the book or not, I mean just from the look, it looks great.

The characters, Charlotte she was somehow a unique character, she had some unique parts of her personality, not like Petula, another character, who was SUPER stereotypical. I mean super stereotypical. I really didn't like Petula. Without being said, she was just not a good character that Tonya developed. I think she could have changed her a little.

Overall this book was okay, not too bad, not too great. I was expecting something a bit better. The cover of the book really persuades you to buy it, the cover is very unique. The size, the outside look of the pages, the loosy design, it's an awesome cover, but the inside is what disappointed me.

Cover:

Writing:

Ending:

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Author Interview: Maggie Stiefvater

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 | Labels: Author Interview | 0 comments

All of my life decisions have been based around my inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you're a waitress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which I've tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists, musicians, and artists (I've made my living as one of these since I was 22).

I now live an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia, with my charmingly straight-laced husband, two small kids, two neurotic dogs, one criminally insane cat, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki.

I'm an avid reader, an award-winning colored pencil artist, and play several musical instruments, including the Celtic harp, the piano, and the bagpipes. I also mak

e great cocktail party conversation. She wrote this from perspective, it's from her website

Please welcome Maggie Stiefvater!

Who inspired you to become an author?

Ha! Answering this question would mean that I could ever remember a time when I didn’t want to write, which I can’t. I have authors that I look up to -- I very much admire Diana Wynne Jones & Jane Yolen’s long careers, for instance -- but that came after I had already been writing (bad) novels for years.

How old were you when you started to write?

Oops, already sort of answered this question. I wrote stories as soon as I could write, but I got serious about publishing when I was 16. I sent quite a few terrible novels and messy queries off to publishers around then. Quite embarrassing, looking back on it, actually . . . poor editors . . .

What's one thing you’re really proud of?
I’m actually really proud of myself for getting over my fear of crowds and public speaking. I used to be a terrible introvert, absolutely petrified to talk to people at parties. I was pretty much only able to be in front of crowds if I had an instrument to hide behind. But now I’m quite happily flying all over the place for Scholastic, doing public speaking and readings. It was a gradual process all through college and afterwards, but now I really don’t have a bit of nerves, no matter how big the crowd. *phew*

Who are your favorite authors?

I really love The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and I am just starting an ARC of her next one, Her Fearful Symmetry. I mentioned Diana Wynne Jones, but also Susan Cooper, and Melina Marchetta.

Do you have any advice for the young writers who want to become an author?

Read. Constantly. Read what’s selling well in the genre you want to write. Read industry blogs too. There’s so much easy information out there available for nothing that there’s no excuse for being an idiot. You can get published young, but you can’t use it as an excuse. I have a few starting links on my website (www.maggiestiefvater.com).

Do you have any must haves while your writing?
Music. I can’t write without it playing. Not Maggie-rocking-out music, either. It has to be a playlist I’ve carefully put together for my novel, or all I can think about is doing laundry or making cookie dough or running around the house or checking emails . . . anything but sitting down and focusing.

Did you base any of your character in Shiver on any real people?

I base all my characters on real people -- it’s just a question of how many real people go into each one. I will say that Sam and Grace are like me and my husband -- only I’m more like Sam and my husband is more like Grace. Sort of. I like to start with a kernel of truth and then expand hugely on it into someone new.

Thanks Maggie!

Blog Roll

Monday, August 24, 2009 | Labels: Blog Roll | 0 comments

Blogs alphabetically:

A Life Bound By Books

A Passion for Books

A Place For Wicked Good Books

Bloody Bookaholic
Book Butterfly, The

Book Scout, The

Book Shopaholic, The
Bookette, The

Books At Midnight

Books By Their Cover

Bookworming in the 21st Century

Fantastic Book Review

Good Golly Miss Molly
Green Bean Teen Queen

Hiding Spot, The

Juiciliciousss Reviews
Just Blinded Book Reviews
Just Your Typical Book Blog

Karin's Book Nook

Katie's Book Blog

Laina Has Too Much Spare Time
Late Bloomer Online
Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf
Lateiner Gang Book Review Spot

Neverending Shelf, The

Page Flipper, The
Page Turners

Penultimate Page

Pure Imagination

Ramblings of a Bibliophile
Ramblings Of a Teenage Bookworm
Read This Book
Reader's Adventure, A

Reading Inspires
Reveire Media
Reversing The Monotony
Reviews Of A Bookaholic

Sharon Loves Books and Cats
Shut Up! I'm Reading
Shooting Stars Mag

Sophistikatied Reviews

Steph Su Reads
Stop, Drop and Read!
Story Siren, The

Sweet Bonjour, The

Tainted Poet, The
Tales of a Ravenous Reader
Tattooed Books
Teens Read?
Teens Read and Write
That Chick That Reads
TV and Book Addict

Undercover Book Lover (Not Really), The

What Bri Reads
Word for Teens

YA Book Nerd
YA Book Queen
YA Book Realm
YA Reads
Yay! Reads

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥Princess Bookie♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

If you'd like to be added, please email me at bookreviewsya@yahoo.com with your blog title and blog URL. Subject line: Blog Roll.

In My Mailbox (1)

Saturday, August 22, 2009 | Labels: In My Mailbox | 18 comments

This will be my first IMM post. IMM is created by Kristi from The Story Siren. I didn't get a lot but I also didn't get too little.

For this IMM post, I'll have a format:

~The Book- Author~
Why I borrowed/bought the book

Sloane Sisters - Anna Carey
I saw a review from The Story Siren, and it seemed really interesting. I know this book was published long time ago, but I don't really get what's new all the time, I read whatever I want to read (if I haven't read it yet)

The A-List - Zoey Dean
I wanted to try out a new series. I heard it's kind of like The Clique.

Ribblestrop - Andy Mulligan
The blurb was really alluring... it seems like a crazy, and random book. I forgot, the author is coming to the country I live in, so I might get a few copies and get it signed.

Glass -Ellen Hopkins- Borrowed
I like verses/poems. :)

Crank - Ellen Hopkins- Borrowed
The same reason for Glass

Cracked Up To Be - Courtney Summers- Borrowed

I really don't know why I checked this book out.

VAMPS - Nancy Collins
The cover looks too good!

Ghostgirl - Tonya Hurley
The whole look of the book seemed cool :D

Well, that's it! What did you get in yours?

Prophecy Of The Sisters by Michelle Zink

Friday, August 21, 2009 | Labels: Review | 4 comments

Title: Prophecy Of The Sisters
Author: Michelle Zink
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers; 1 edition (August 1, 2009)
Pages: 352 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult

An Ancient Prophecy Divides Two Sisters--

ONE GOOD...

ONE EVIL...

WHO WILL PREVAIL?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, they find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' death, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alica don't know who they can trust. They just know they can't trust each other.
MICHELLE ZINK takes readers on an unforgettable journey in her page-turning debut novel.

Prophecy Of The Sister's is a book you can never forget reading. I was so engrossed with the book. Michelle Zink had written this book so perfect that she absorbs you in. From the start to the end it was just a book you could never stop reading. The whole book was just extraordianary.

Michelle Zink executed the plot with great, outstanding skill. The plot was flawless, it was perfect. Everything just clicked. The plot was more than excellent. She has a gift in writing, that only a few authors have. Her writing just blended so well with the whole idea.

In the book, I thought Lia was the one who kept trying and running in all the events and conflicts that happened. To me it looked like she was the only one *busy* (as in trying and trying). The tattoo mark, the book, all these things that Lia encountered, she was the one who was trying to solve each and everything. I really liked how Madame Berrier helped Lia a lot. She was the one who helped Lia solved the things needed to be. She had some background knowledge with Lia's problems, or such as the figuring out what prophecy is/mean. With Alice, she must fight. She has to beat Alice.

Overall Michelle Zink delievers a prophecy inlcuding defeat and hate. With a fantastic plot, fantastic characters, fantastic setting, it's a fantastic novel.

Author Interview: Jennifer Jabaley

Thursday, August 20, 2009 | Labels: Author Interview | 0 comments

Born in New York and raised in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Jennifer Jabaley is a graduate of James Madison University and Southern College of Optometry. She began writing in 2006 and tries to manage optometry, writing and motherhood. She lives in Blue Ridge, Georgia with her husband and two children. (from her webiste)

Please welcome Jennifer Jabaley, author of Lipstick Apology!

What inspired you to write Lipstick Apology?

I was inspired to write Lipstick Apology after a phone call with my sister. She was getting ready to go on a trip and it was the first time she was leaving her children. Since I'm the legal guardian in the event of their death, she kept calling me the night before the trip to tell me things "in case the plane went down" It became a little absurd and after the seventh call I said to my husband, "If the plane was going down, she'd whip out her lipstick and scrawl on a tray table the children's bedtime routine." And then I thought, hey, that is a great idea for a book - a note on a tray table.

Are you somewhat the same of different with Emily Carson?

No, I don't think there is too much of me in Emily. I think Emily has insecurities and desires to fit in and be popular like most teenage girls. But fortunately I never had to deal with the loss of parents or a strange apology or moving to a new city.

Where do you usually write?

I like to write at the kitchen table, although if it's loud in the house, I'll retreat upstairs to my office.

Do you have anything you need when you write?

Well, I write longhand, so I use a spiral bound notebook and a gel pen. I also need caffeine and silence.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

I have so many favorite authors! Just to mention a few: Sarah Dessen, Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Weiner, Emily Giffin, Carolyn Mackler, Sarah Mylnowski

What's some good advice for those young writers out there?

The best advice I ever heard was to find an idea that really excites you. You will be spending an awful long time with those characters and that plot, so you have a much better chance at completion of a manuscript if you truly love the story.

Are you planning to write other books?

Right now I'm working on an adult chick lit novel.
-----------------------------------
Thank you Jennifer!

Features

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 | Labels: Features

Cover-Catch

Check out the latest amazing, stunning, beautiful, and gorgeous young adult book covers soon to be released!

Sneaking Around Goodreads

Showcasing a couple of novels that have been discovered through sneaking around Goodreads. Books shown aren't released yet. Check out their pretty covers and intriguing synopsis!

Blogger Blooms

Highlights of recently discovered young adult book blogs by me. These blogs aren't exactly all new, they can be all old as well.

Upcoming Releases

Be on radar and know what's releasing every month! Check out the young adult books that are coming out soon.

Paperback Covers

Look at some of the new, changed paperback covers from their original hardcover release!

Books up for Trade

I have quite a lot of books up for trade and are just sitting on my bookshelf. Visit the page in case you might see something you'd like to trade.

Contest over at Steph Su Reads! :)

Monday, August 17, 2009 | | 0 comments

Right now there is a contest going on at Steph Su Reads to win an ARC of Hush, Hush. It is opened internationally and it ends on the 28th of August. Join Now!!!! Click here

technorati claim

Saturday, August 15, 2009 | | 0 comments

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Author Inteview: Danielle Joseph

Thursday, August 6, 2009 | Labels: Author Interview | 5 comments

This is my second author interview on this blog, so I decided to interview Danielle Joesph, I was so happy that I interviewed her, her book Shrinking Violet is really good!

What inspired you to write Shrinking Violet?

I was inspired to write Shrinking Violet for two reasons. First off, I wanted to write a book about something I have passion for: music. I love music and can't live without it. I worked in radio so the setting was chosen first. Then the character of Tere came to mind. Just because you are shy does not mean that you can't dream of doing something in the public eye and that is how the two came together. Tere strives to be a DJ but can she overcome her fears and obstacles to reach her goal?

Have you always wanted to become an author?

I have wanted to be an author ever since my first grade teacher introduced the class to writing. I couldn't believe that I could write whatever I wanted. Basically I was hooked after I wrote my first novel in first grade. I still have that picture book today!

How are you and Tere alike and how are you different?

Tere and I both love music, reach for our goals and don't let anything stand in our way. We are also both shy. However, I will say I was not nearly as shy as Tere.

What are you most proud of?

I'm really proud of my kids for being themselves (even my baby).

What's your all time favorite book?

This is such a hard question to answer because I have been influenced by so many books over the years. I will say that Tunes for Bears to Dance To by Robert Cormier was one of my favorite novels to teach because it was so powerful and touching in a simplistic way.

What's the scariest thing you've ever done?

One of the scariest things I ever did was a couple of years ago when I went on a zip line in Cancun but it was so exhilarating at the same time!

What's your favorite piece of advice for young writers?

One of the things I like to tell young writers is to be yourself. Just write. Don't let other people or society tell you what you should put down on paper. Writing comes from within and if you love what you are doing, you will succeed. Also, listen. We can't do that enough as writers. Listen to your peers, listen to your audience and listen to those around you.

Are you planning to write anymore books?

Yes, I plan on writing lots. You can look out for my next young adult novel, Indigo Blues. It's scheduled to be released summer 2010 from Flux Books. It's told in two points of view, in which a songwriter's hit tune tells the world about his break-up with his girlfriend, but the two have no concept how much their lives are going to change.

Thanks for interviewing me!

I thank Danielle Joseph for sharing some of her time to answer my questions, authors can be so busy sometimes that they have no time. Danielle Joesph was so kind that she actually did! Thanks so much!

Author Interview: Tracy Lynn

Labels: Author Interview | 3 comments

This is my first author interview on this blog, so I decided to interview Tracy Lynn, I was so happy that I interviewed her, her story ONE OF US from GEEKTASTIC is one of the best anthologies in the book!

What inspired you to become a writer?

I've always wanted to write... For as long as I've been able to write! Along the way, certain books and authors inspired nd pushed me to continue. Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three, Ray Bradbury, Thomas Hardy... And I had a really good teacher in elementary school who had me write stories and bind them into books. She showed me what was possible.

Did you always want to write about Geeks?

ONE OF US is a story I have wanted to write since I was 13. I've always thought a 'crossover' of the two cultures would be funny. There's at least one 'geek' in each of my books... In Rx, it's the character Meera.

Is GEEKTASTIC your first anthology?

Yep! But hopefully not the last...

How did it feel like collaborating with other authors from GEEKTASTIC?

We didn't exactly collaborate, though of course Holly and Cecil worked with me to make ONE OF US a better story. Great editors, both of them. I had only met about half the writers before the project. But the book launch party was a great reunion...or convention. :) It was a lot of fun to meet everyone, bowl (it was at a bowling alley), and talk about our writing.

What do you see as your strengths and weaknesses as an author?

I'm still a little young. That's a weakness--my writing needs a bit more depth and maturity. Every year I can feel myself improving, but the subtler nuances and aspects of human life are just entering into my work. Another big weakness is impatience. I want to throw the words up on the page and have it be perfect. And they're not! They need time, editing, and reflection.
I think my strengths include dialogue and humor. I'm pretty good at those.

Lastly, Do you have any upcoming books or anthologies?

Argh! Not soon enough! My agent is 'shopping around' a fantasy series about one of my favorite subjects--and my college major--Ancient Egypt. And I'm dipping my toes into the world of graphic novels... But I just had a baby and things have slowed a little bit for the last few months. :) They will pick up again real soon...

In the meantime, read my backlist! :) Rx and Snow!

Thanks so much Tracy Lynn, I appreciate it! Thanks for using some time for this interview :-)

My Almost Epic Summer by Adele Griffin

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 | | 0 comments

Title: My Almost Epic Summer
Author: Adele Griffin
Publisher: Speak (May 1, 2008)
Pages: 176 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult

Irene's got big dreams—someday she'll own a sun-kissed salon in L.A. where her specialty will be recreating the hairstyles of famous literary heroines. And it's a good thing she has dreams, since reality is harsh. She's just been fired from her mom's beauty salon for her tear-jerking shampooing technique, and is forced to take the only other job she can find—babysitting. Now she's stuck at the beach entertaining kids while everyone else is having a glamorous summer.Will she ever get a life?

Then she meets Starla, a mind-bogglingly beautiful lifeguard whose diva attitude, dangerous obsessions, male admirers and cringe-worthy blog supply Irene with enough real-life drama and romance to fill a book. Amidst the complicated friendships, inconvenient crushes and occupational mishaps that seem to define this summer, Irene suddenly and unexpectedly finds that the countdown to real life is over and her fate is in her hands. from book reads

This book was a light read. It was an okay book. It's great how she used "almost epic." In the book she gets fired from a salon, and now she has to babysit! Which means she's stuck with the children, that's a very good summer. It seemed like Irene was to much of a drama queen to me, well in some parts.

My favorite part is when she babysits Evan and Lainie Prior. She goes with them to the beach and Evan almost drowns. She really wants that time of her life over. In the beach, Irene meets a life guard, Starla, that's the time when she really wants that time over...

As you get deeper into the book, you will understand the "almost epic" Guess... Will something good happen for it to be an "ALMOST epic summer" .... maybe....

This book was okay, I guess it's not great but not bad either, if your wanting to read a fast-light book, then go ahead and read this!

Cover: Photobucket

Writing:

Ending:

Overall: < Photobucket

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Archives

Create A Cover! FREEZE

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Author Interview: Maggie Stiefvater

Blog Roll

In My Mailbox (1)

Prophecy Of The Sisters by Michelle Zink

Author Interview: Jennifer Jabaley

Features

Contest over at Steph Su Reads! :)

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Author Inteview: Danielle Joseph

Author Interview: Tracy Lynn

My Almost Epic Summer by Adele Griffin

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