Thursday, May 16, 2013

Bookanistas Review: Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green

mood: daredevil-y

pandora/ipod: "cars" by gary numan

This week I'm reviewing Jacqueline Green's debut TRUTH OR DARE, which hit shelves on Tuesday. I was fortunate enough to read this contemporary mystery a few months ago when Jacqueline's editor at Poppy asked me to blurb it. So, I suppose, my blurb just about sums up my review...

"An intricate web of secrets and lies, retribution and revenge, that will keep you guessing until the very last page!" - Gretchen McNeil, author of TEN and POSSESS

Kidding, kidding. How about the full synopsis?

It all started on a whim: the game was a way for Tenley Reed to reclaim her popularity, a chance for perfect Caitlin “Angel” Thomas to prove she’s more than her Harvard application. Loner Sydney Morgan wasn’t even there; she was hiding behind her camera like usual. But when all three start receiving mysterious dares long after the party has ended, they’re forced to play along—or risk exposing their darkest secrets.

How far will Tenley, Caitlin and Sydney go to keep the truth from surfacing? And who’s behind this twisted game?

Set against the backdrop of Echo Bay, an isolated beach town haunted by misfortune, Truth or Dare is a highly charged debut that will keep readers in suspense from beginning to end.

I know, right? Exactly the kind of book I love. And actually, just the kind of book I'm writing now with the Don't Get Mad series, GET EVEN and GET DIRTY. So of course I loved it!

Basically, this book moves. From the opening chapters, establishing our main characters to the final, climactic scene, you desperately want to keep turning pages to find out what happens next. And as you all know by now, that's my favorite kind of novel. Tenley, Angel and Sydney have distinct voices, and distinct issues, all of which seem to involve the other girls, despite the fact that they are not and never have been friends. The mystery of who is behind the dares that keep popping up in their lives, threatening vial consequences if they are not followed to a "T" twists and turns, spotlighting one character, then another. At one point, you're absolutely positive you know who the antagonist is, only to change your mind three chapters later. Then again and again until your head is spinning.

And just when things seem completely wrapped up, one final twist will leave you begging for the earth to speed up, just so you can get your hands on the sequel, not due out until 2014.

Looking for a modern take on an old-fashioned thriller? TRUTH OR DARE won't disappoint. I dare you to read it!

(See what I did there?)

What else are the Bookanistas reading this week? Check it out!

Lenore Appelhans is blown away by REBOOT by Amy Tintera

Carrie Harris adores BEYOND DINOCALYPSE by Chuck Wendig -- with giveaway!

Tracy Banghart & Debra Driza join THE GIRL GUIDE by Christine Fonseca book blitz!

Corrine Jackson is stunned by BREAKING BEAUTIFUL by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Nikki Katz wonders at THE GRAVE WINNER by Lindsey Loucks

Gretchen McNeil talks TRUTH OR DARE by Jacqueline Green

Elana Johson admires INSOMNIA by Jenn Johannson

Tracey Neithercott celebrates THE YEAR OF SECRET ASSIGNMENTS by Jacqueline Moriarty

Katy Upperman fawns over FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK by Melina Marchetta

Rebecca Behrens is wowed by THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Off to RT 2013!

mood: anxious

pandora/ipod: "carried away" by passion pit

All packed (5 pairs of shoes and 4 dresses for just over 3 days...) and ready for today's flight to Kansas City for RT! I'll be tweeting per usual (hashtag #rt13) and shall try to take photos for a retrospective here next week.

But for now, check out this week's reviews from the Bookanistas!!!

Jessica Love covets the cover of THE LOST PLANET by Rachel Searles
Tracey Neithercott is pepped about PIVOT POINT by Kasie West
Shari Arnold marvels at THE REECE MALCOM LIST by Amy Spaulding
Nikki Katz delves into SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY by Susan Dennard
Katy Uppermanraves about some recent reads

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Bookanistas Links!

mood: sore

pandora/ipod: "sexy back" by justin timberlake

No reviews from me this week, but enjoy the reviews by these amazing Bookanistas!

Katy Upperman ponders LOVE AND OTHER PERISHABLE ITEMS by Laura Buzo

Kimberly Sabatini wonders at WHEN YOU WERE HERE by Daisy Whitney

Elana Johson falls for THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green

Tracy Banghart loves LACRIMOSA by Christine Fonseca

Corrine Jackson adores the ARCADIA BELL series by Jenn Bennett

Rebecca Behrens delves into CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein

Lenore Appelhans raves about THE RULES by Stacey Kade

Stasia Ward Kehoe wraps up National Poetry Month with THE POETRY TEACHER’S BOOK OF LISTS by Sylvia Vardell

Christine Fonseca celebrates UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi

Jessica Love hails THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE by Jennifer E. Smith

Shannon Messenger discusses some recent reads

Friday, April 19, 2013

Going to BEA or ComiCon?

mood: wanderlust

pandora/ipod: "holiday road" by lindsey buckingham

Do you remember those 3:59 T-shirts I have? Let me refresh your memory...

Awesome, right?

I've got a bunch of them and I want you to have them. And wear them. Specifically at BEA, ALA, RT, RWA or ComiCon. Hell, or any other convention or conference. The idea is getting the shirt - and the book - out there.

So, pitch yourself to me!

If you're going to one of these events in 2013, pitch yourself as a human billboard! Right here, in the comments to this post. Tell me where you're going and when you'll wear the shirt. I'll be picking winners based on your pitch, so be prepared to whore yourself out. Er, I mean... Well, I guess that's exactly what I mean!

Shirts come in Ladies XL (fits me perfectly, and as you know, I'm a busty, chubster) and Mens Large. I have limited quantities of both, so the sooner you pitch yourself, the sooner I can put a shirt aside for you.

This is an honor system kind of thing for the most part, but I do ask that you (a) take photos of yourself wearing the shirt at the convention you're attending and (b) tweet about it with the hashtag #359. Plus, I'll be picking my favorite photos for special swag!

That's it! Let the pitching begin!!!!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Bookanistas Review: UNREMEMERED

mood: forgetful

pandora/ipod: "if you leave" by omd

I'm back with another Bookanistas review. FINALLY! It feels so good to be reading and reviewing books again, especially when (a) they are awesome and (b) they are written by a good friend. UNREMEMEBRED by Jessica Brody hits both of these points.

Here's the Goodreads blurb:

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

From popular young adult author Jessica Brody comes a compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

Killer, right? It is, just as Jessica pitched it when she first told me about the book, a YA Jason Bourne. And that is exactly what you get with UNREMEMBERED - the sharp, witty voice you've come to love in Jessica's other books like 52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER rolled into a non-stop thrill ride.

From the moment you open to the first chapter, the story is off and running. Sera wakes up in the middle of the ocean after a devastating plane crash. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She doesn't even know her name (they call her Violet due to her unusual purple eyes). But this isn't just amnesia, Sera has seemingly no memory of life at all - she doesn't know what cars are, or food, or, life.

As she enters the foster system, things get even weirder. Sera has an amazing capacity for numbers, a brain that works almost like a computer. And then there's a mysterious boy named Zen who shows up seemingly out of nowhere, and he knows her real name - Seraphina.

At this point, I have to be really careful about spoilers. Like any good thriller, the twists and turns make it an exciting read, because you never know what's coming. Is Zen who he claims to be? What is going on with Sera's tattoo? Was she a passenger on that plane that crashed or perhaps the cause of it?

You'd better make sure you start this book on a lazy Saturday afternoon when you have no plans for the day because you literally cannot put UNREMEMBERED down once you pick it up. As a writer and fan of twisty-turny mysteries, I can say without a doubt this is one of my new faves in the genre.

Want to see what else the Bookanistas are reading? Also, we have some new Bookanistas to introduce!

FIRST…Jessica Love welcomes our FIVE NEW BOOKANISTAS!

Carrie Harris croons about THE COLLECTOR by Victoria Scott (YA Paranormal Romance)

Corrine Jackson adores CONFESSIONS OF AN ANGRY GIRL by Louise Rozett (YA Contemporary Romance)

Shelli Johannes-Wells hails HYSTERIA by Megan Miranda (YA Contemporary)

Stasia Ward Kehoe celebrates YALSA’s TEEN LIT DAY

Nikki Katz raves about ROOTLESS by Chris Howard (SF/Dystopian)

Gretchen McNeil adores UNREMEMBERED by Jessica Brody (YA Paranormal Romance)

Rebecca Behrens and Tracey Neithercott share why they’re excited to be newbie Bookanistas

Monday, April 15, 2013

3:59 ARC REQUESTS!!!!

mood: foggy

pandora/ipod: "the promise" by when in rome

It's that time again!

3:59 ARCs will start going out to reviewers soon, so now is your chance to get on board! Just fill out this form, and I'll be sending all requests to my publicist at HarperCollins (who will decide where the ARCs go.)

In addition, there's a GIVEAWAY!!!! I'll be picking one (1) lucky winner at random who will get:

(a) a signed ARC of 3:59
(b) a limited edition 3:59 T-shirt

Enter by filling out the ARC request form. One (1) entry per person. Giveaway open internationally (though my publisher may not be sending ARCs outside the US and Canada). Contest closes Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Bookanistas Recommend...

mood: sleepy

pandora/ipod: "the mother we share" by chvrches

Looking for your next read? We've got a lot of book love for you today. Check it out:

Corrine Jackson is swept away by SUCH A RUSH by Jennifer Echols (YA Contemporary)

Christine Fonseca interviews THE LIES THAT BIND authors Lisa & Laura Roecker

Elana Johnson celebrates THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass (YA SF/Dystopian

Stasia Ward Kehoe parties with the Academy of American Poets on POEM IN YOUR POCKET DAY

Jessica Love is wowed by WHERE THINGS COME BACK by John Corey Whaley (YA Contemporary)

Tracy Banghart delves into THE HOST (book & movie) by Stephenie Meyer (SF/Dystopian)

Katy Upperman discusses Erica Lorraine Scheidt’s USES FOR BOYS (YA Contemporary)

Thursday, April 4, 2013

YA Scavenger Hunt - Winter 2013!

mood: sneaky

pandora/ipod: "lucky 13" by the smashing pumpkins

The Winter 2013 YA Scavenger Hunt is OVER!

Thank you so much for hunting! I hope you win.

See you for the next one!

Monday, April 1, 2013

YA Scavenger Hunt 2013 Stars THURSDAY!

mood: BASEBALL

pandora/ipod: BASEBALL

Here is the much anticipated author reveal for the upcoming Spring YA Scavenger Hunt 2013! Freaking exciting, right? The hunt starts on Thursday April 4th at noon PST and ends on Sunday April 7th also at noon PST. Along with the grand prizes which include a book from every author on my team, I'm giving away one of my last ARCs of my Fall 2013 release 3:59!

My bonus material is going to be a scene from 3:59, so you'll want to check that out fo' shizzle.

Excited? You should be. Leave a comment below to let me know which authors/books you are most excited to read more about! I'll pick 5 commentors at random to win signed 3:59 bookmarks!

See you on the hunt!