Archive for May, 2009

Starting a new feature on the blog called “Friday Plugs” where I’ll share with you some of my favorite blog posts around the Internet from the past week! Let’s be honest, on Fridays I’m much too lazy to come up with some actual content of my own. So enjoy the other blogs out there!

Judy Blume writes about her mother and the Planned Parenthood email controversy @ Judy’s Blog.

Scott Westerfeld shares the UK and US covers of his next novel, Leviathan @ westerblog (So looking forward to that by the way!).

Colleen Mondor discusses books as being the windows to brand new worlds and seeking donations for GuysLitWire @ Chasing Ray.

Melissa Walker takes a look at the gorgeous cover of Evermore by Alyson Noel @ readergirlz.

Enjoy the link love!

Just read about one of Disney’s newest animated movies over at The Shady Glade. (Thanks for sharing, I didn’t even know about this!)

OMG! It looks pretty good, and now I am getting even more excited for summer movies. I am absolutely anticipating UP! from Disney and looking forward to seeing it in 3D. I’ll never grow up.

Tere Adams is shy. So shy that she can barely speak to her classmates and teachers, and becomes extremely anxious when placed in any situation where she is the center of attention. Her love for music helps her get through the days, and by night, alone in her bedroom, she becomes her alter-ego Sweet T, hip radio DJ. Through a chance encounter at her stepfather’s radio station, Sweet T is brought to life, and Tere is forced to confront her fears and her dreams when a date with Sweet T–at the prom–is offered as the prize for a songwriting contest. Can Tere overcome her shyness, understand her rough relationship with her mother, get to know cool cutie Gavin, and pull through for her reveal at the prom? Pick up a copy of Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph and you’ll find out what happens.

Shrinking Violet is a story about self confidence and relationships. Tere is so painfully shy that you want to cringe at her interactions with her classmates. Joseph has written this novel so that you feel her awkwardness and her anxiety. She gives you the background for Tere’s issues with her confidence–single mother, weight and image issues, very little mental support system–and you understand where the character is coming from. Joseph wrote her characters well, drawing you in and making you feel for them, which is always the mark of a good book. My only complaint about this one was that it was predictable–anyone who reads Shrinking Violet will know what I mean, but the end of the book was no big surprise. However,  that didn’t make me want to stop reading! I recommend this one for anyone who wants a quick read that will leave you with a big smile on your face at the end. It’s definitely a “feel-good” novel.

Check out Danielle Joseph’s web site at: http://www.daniellejoseph.com.

Meg Cabot blogs about Judy Blume and Planned Parenthood

Judy Blume, revered author of such classics as Blubber and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, recently participated in an email campaign for Planned Parenthood, asking people to donate in honor of Mother’s Day. The response? Hate/flame mail! Here’s the thing–no matter what your personal beliefs regarding birth control, abortion, etc., is it ever really right to target someone and inflict hostility and pain because of their beliefs? There is still free speech in this country, right?

This is an issue of importance to women of ALL ages, especially teenagers and young adults, because no matter what your religious beliefs, no matter what your family has taught you, you are discovering sex during this period, one way or another. You may or may not be having it, but someone you know will, and everyone will, and should, have a informed, knowledgeable opinion on this issue.

I don’t have enough time to write about this now, but I wanted to share this with the rest of the world (what little of you are reading this!) and hope to spread the word for Judy’s cause, and the millions of women that have benefitted from Planned Parenthood.

The summer season will be beginning soon in the northern hemisphere, high schools and colleges will be releasing their prisoners, er, students, and many young people across the world will suddenly find themselves with a lot more of that glorious thing called free time.

So what do you do? I hope one of the many fun and exciting things you may do this summer is pick up a new (or new to you) book! Here are some of my recommendations for non-required summer reading:

New releases

Melissa Walker’s Lovestruck Summer–Have you read Walker’s Violet books? If not, go do so immediately, and then pick up Lovestruck Summer (or the other way around works as well!) I haven’t read Lovestruck Summer yet, but I thoroughly enjoyed Violet on the Runway and its sequels, and anticipate Melissa Walker’s new book will model (haha, get it?) after her previous successful novels, keeping her fun and fresh voice. Lovestruck Summer is the story of Quinn, spending her summer in Austin on a music internship–and it looks to me like drama and romance ensue!

Meg Cabot’s Being Nikki–And what about Airhead by Meg Cabot yet? I hope you’ve read that by now, because it’s sequel, Being Nikki, is surely going to be a hit this spring/summer. In Airhead we met Emerson Watts, tomboy turned model by a weird accident and scientific experiment. In Being Nikki, Emerson continues to deal with the consequences that came after her experimental surgery, plus the pros (and the cons) of being an insanely famous supermodel. I enjoy this series of Cabot’s because it is refreshingly different from her other work, and laughingly unique in its story (brain transplant?!?), but almost freakishly believable. Being Nikki was released today, so be sure to get your copy!

Older favorites

Maureen Johnson’s Girl at Sea or 13 Little Blue Envelopes–These two books by Maureen Johnson are great stories of summer adventures away from home. Mix in a mystery (why did Ginny’s aunt leave her these 13 envelopes and what exactly is Clio’s dad looking for in the Mediterranean?), romance, and a whole lot of comedy (have you read Maureen Johnson’s blog? she is the queen of YA comedy), and you’ve got 2 to-die-for summer vacations you’ll be wishing you were on!

John Green’s An Abundance of Katherines–Colin has dated 19 Katherines during his 18 years of existence. After graduating high school, he takes a revelatory road trip with his best friend, when they end up in Gutshot, Tennessee for the summer, gaining much more than they bargained for, along with a great deal of self-discovery. I recommend this one for anyone who’s ever considered a summer road trip: do it, and do it now! John Green’s style of soft, quirky humor, with a touch of inspiration and seriousness gives this book a whole lot of meaning and feel-good-ness and laugh out loud moments.

I’ll be posting more recommendations as summer draws near! Keep your eyes open. Thanks for reading!

(I’ll be posting my own poetry here occasionally–it’s my favorite form of expression and I enjoy sharing my thoughts. I encourage others to do the same!)

Not For Me

Walking steadily along this path
   chosen for me by better people
Sometimes I pause and take a
   breath, wonder where it is I’m
   going, exactly
But they don’t like questions, so I
   keep my thoughts tucked inside
   and I pad along slowly
Moving purposefully toward the
   end I don’t know, but that I’ve
   prepared for my whole life

Sometimes, I live my life for everyone but me.

Fans of Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange will enjoy this next book in Melissa Marr’s Tales of Faerie series. Fragile Eternity is technically the sequel to Wicked Lovely, but I wouldn’t recommend reading this without having read Ink Exchange (a companion novel)–while FE really has nothing to do with IE, you really will gain a lot of insight into a few of the background characters that appear in FE, including Niall, by reading IE.

In FE, we return to Aislinn (Ash), Seth, and Keenan, just as summer begins, a season after Aislinn became a faery and the Summer Queen to Keenan’s King. Love triangle drama ensues–Ash love Seth but feels drawn to Keenan as the summer season plays with their emotions. The big questions in this book are: What exactly does Ash feel for Keenan, is it true feeling or just the effect of summer, and what’s Seth going to do about it?

As summer draws near, emotions fly high and fall low as the summer monarchs attempt to come to terms with their newly restored court, their feelings, and with eternity. Seth also deals with his frustrations at his own mortality and his growing bond with his friend (and newly reigning king of the Dark Court), Niall. Donia (Keenan’s love before Ash came to town) also tries to come to terms with her newly found role as Winter Queen and Keenan’s repeated betrayals.

FE mainly focuses on Seth and his attempt to find a way to truly be with Ash, but the conflicts of the other characters (including the introduction of Sorcha, queen of the High Court) make for a great bit of additional backstory and depth.

Does Seth succeed at gaining what he desires? Will Ash fall for Keenan as summer pulls her in? Make sure to pick up Fragile Eternity and find out!

I have to say, I have been loving this series of books by Melissa Marr. The world and its characters are fascinating and deep. My only gripe is Keenan–after 3 books I still feel like I don’t quite understand him or his motives. But for any fan of fantasy and romance, especially fans of Holly Black’s books, will enjoy the Tales of Faerie!