Into the Mystic: 2014

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Who R U Really? blog tour

Welcome to my stop on the Who R U Really? Blog Tour! Read my review first and then keep scrolling for a chance to win a free copy of this book!

Book: Who R U Really?

Author: Margo Kelly

Publication Date: September 18, 2014

Publisher: Merit Press

Source: Blog tour

My rating: A

Status in my library: On order!!!

Thea’s overprotective parents are driving her insane. They invade her privacy, ask too many questions, and restrict her online time so severely that Thea feels she has no life at all. When she discovers a new role-playing game online, Thea breaks the rules by staying up late to play. She’s living a double life: on one hand, the obedient daughter; on the other, a girl slipping deeper into darkness. In the world of the game, Thea falls under the spell of Kit, an older boy whose smarts and savvy can’t defeat his loneliness and near-suicidal despair. As Kit draws soft-hearted Thea into his drama, she creates a full plate of cover stories for her parents and then even her friends.
Soon, Thea is all alone in the dark world with Kit, who worries her more and more, but also seems to be the only person who really “gets” her. Is he frightening, the way he seems sometimes, or only terribly sad? Should Thea fear Kit, or pity him? And now, Kit wants to come out of the screen and bring Thea into his real-life world. As much as she suspects that this is wrong, Thea is powerless to resist Kit’s allure, and hurtles toward the same dark fate her parents feared most. Ripped from a true-life story of Internet stalking, Who R U Really? will excite you and scare you, as Thea’s life spins out of control.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

The Book Depository * Merit Press

First impression

OMG! I have to start monitoring my 16 year old on social media a LOT more! No, nix that. I need to cancel all her use of social media.

What’s the Story?

This book is a major cautionary tale that should hit it’s target group right in the gut! At times, it was a little pedantic, which is what cost it the + on the A, but as I got further into the book, I found myself so engrossed in the plot and all the red herrings about who the perpetrator was that I completely ignored that and just turned the pages as fast as possible.

As a parent, this book scared me. A lot. Because even though as an adult I could see all the times that Thea was giving out too much information, I don’t know one high school girl who couldn’t be talked into giving out this same kind of information. The 16 year old in my home thinks that EVERY SINGLE RELATIONSHIP is the real deal and has a “special, MTB connection”. She would definitely give out this kind of information. In a heartbeat.

The only thing I didn’t like about this novel is that Thea was sooooooo stupid! I just wanted to shake her and smack some sense into her, but see the paragraph above. She had to be written that way because that is the reality of a teenager now. It didn’t keep me from wanting to strangle her though. I was just so glad that she had such good friends..

When I closed this book, I felt both relieved and scared to death. We have become so used to using all forms of social media that I think we all forget just how dangerous it can be, especially when it’s being used by teenagers who have such limited experience with life and bad people. I think this is a very timely novel that could give readers just the wakeup call they need.

This book is on my book order for my library and I plan to start handing it out to kids as much as possible when it comes in.

Soundtrack: The Stalker version

Death Cab for Cutie “I Will Possess Your Heart”

Denmark + Winter “Every Breath You Take” (cover of The Police)

The Beatles “Run for Your Life”

Alpha Rev “I Will Come”

Kylie Minogue “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”

The final grade

My final grade for this book is an A. It was a real page-turner that definitely scared the crap out of me as a mom and an educator. Hopefully, it will scare the crap out of its intended audience as well.

Praise for the book:
“Kelly’s first novel is a suspenseful page-turner with multiple suspects, a little bit of romance, and a strong but not overbearing message.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Suspenseful novel that’s guaranteed to give readers goosebumps–particularly as events heat up toward the end. A good choice for families to read together.” –School Library Journal

“Who R U Really? is a fantastically creepy book that is surprisingly realistic and totally engrossing…. Once I opened it, I couldn’t close it. Who R U Really is a satisfyingly unique YA thriller that left me guessing up until almost the very last page…. This book is very realistic and I really enjoyed the writing style.” –Tempest Books

“Based on actual events, the story should be required reading for all teens.” –VOYA Magazine

Author Margo Kelly
Margo Kelly is a native of the Northwest and currently resides in Idaho. A veteran public speaker, she is now actively pursuing her love of writing. Who R U Really? is her first novel. Margo welcomes the opportunities to speak to youth groups, library groups, and book clubs.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

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Sunday, April 27, 2014

It's Not The Fault in Our Stars, the Fault is in My Stupidity

Book: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Publisher: Dutton Books

Source: Purchased on my Nook

My grade: Can you really grade a novel like this? An A+ seems so trite and meaningless.

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Initial reaction

::wiping tears and snot off my face from ugly crying::

Cover story

This cover is perfection. As is the book that lies within. You really can judge the book by it’s cover this time. And why don’t all books have covers this great???

What’s the Story?

By now, everyone out there knows about this book and you’re probably wondering what took me so long to get around to it. I’ll tell you in one word:

CANCER

I don’t do cancer books. Why? See my initial reaction. But the girls at school have all been horrified by my refusal to read this book, so I caved. Also, I knew I’d want to see the movie and I had to prepare myself.

This book was amazing and if you haven’t read it, don’t wait any longer. In other words, don’t be dumb and stubborn like me. Will you ugly cry too? Probably. But some stories are just worth it.

I don’t need to continue to wax poetic about this book. I’ll just say that this is the book that John Green was born to write. And now I’ll move on to my soundtrack.

Soundtrack

I stole some of these from the actual movie soundtrack, but just a couple. You will notice that the Swedish rap song is decidedly missing. This is a good thing.

Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson

Unfold by Jason Mraz

Heaven by Moonlight & Caterpillars

Not About Angels by Birdy

A Thousand Years by Christina Perry

The Final Grade

Just go read this. And then go see the movie on June 6^th. And buy a case of Kleenex before you start.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Giant catch-up post #1

I think that everyone knows by now that I am really, really behind on reviews for this blog. I have been reading, I'm just having a hard time sitting down to write reviews. Mostly because my 6 year old has decided to re-grow her umbilical cord. But anyway........

What I want to do for a couple of days is give you some very short reviews of some of the books I've been reading that I really enjoyed. So, without further ado, here is the first one:

Books that you should read right away

Book: Fangirl byRainbow Rowell

It’s Rainbow Rowell. I don’t really need to say anything else, but if you have not read this book, drop everything that you’re doing, feed your kids cereal for dinner and sit down and read this book. I really liked Eleanor and Park, but I ADORED Fangirl. One of my favorite reads of 2013, this book needs to go on your bucket list, people!

Book: Notable byMarni Bates

Marni Bates has won me over! This little set of novels, the Smith High series, was just great! You can read one without reading the others, but it’s nice to read them all in order. I didn’t really think I would like Notable because it was about Chelsea, the mean girl. But this may have been my favorite one! It had this crazy story line that reminded me a lot of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Plus, this light-hearted fun novel is what saved me from my Allegiant depression. Just sayin’………

Book: For DarknessShows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

This is one of the loveliest books I’ve ever read. Ever. It is a re-telling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, and I love the way the author was able to capture the feeling of an Austen novel while still making the story her own. I could not put this book down. It was a beautiful, heart-wrenching story that made me smile and cry and it dealt with all those topics Austen addresses so well like class and prejudice. Just go read it, ‘kay?

Book: The InfiniteMoment of Us by Lauren Myracle

This book did not have some grand plot, but what it did have is a truthful and sometimes heart-wrenching look at growing up and first love. There were some bad reviews for this one, but personally, I think that Lauren Myracle beautifully captured that rush and naiveté of first love. I felt the butterflies in my stomach with Wren! The characters were immature at times, but that’s what 18 year olds are like, right? I sure was. I just thought this book was very touching.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Wild Cards are now my favorite type......

Book: Wild Cards

Author: Simone Elkeles

Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (Bloomsbury)

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Date: Now available

My grade: A+ with extra credit for swoon

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

Initial reaction

I am now and forever a Simone Elkeles believer!!

Cover story

Everyone who reads this blog knows how I feel about kissing covers. Blech! I like the colors and I like the models, but I hate the kissing pose. If I were reading a real copy of this book, I would have to put War and Peace or something on the outside of it. Just sayin’……

What’s the Story?

So, Derek is sort of a bad boy sort and gets kicked out of his private school. His dad is in the Navy and is currently on a submarine. So Derek is stuck with his very ditzy, very young and apparently newly pregnant stepmom. Who has decided to go back home to Chicago. What she fails to tell Derek is that she has been estranged from her father for about 10 years and she left behind a younger sister who is now Derek’s age. See where this is going?

I’m not sure how she did it, but Simone Elkeles made me feel something for every damn character in this book. I even felt some pain for the distant father and the snooty grandmother. For reals. Any author that can make you sympathize with every character in the book is gooooooood. And believe me when I tell you that Simone Elkeles is good!

At first I was afraid that this was going to be a Catching Jordan 2.0, but it wasn’t like that at all. For one thing, there are many more issues being dealt with in this novel. Deaths of parents, people running away, broken relationships. This book was a lot more serious. Yet, I never felt bogged down in angst or anything. It was just enough serious stuff to make for good tension in the novel without feeling like I was reading a tragedy. Or a Nicholas Sparks novel.

Now, let’s face it. One of the reasons people love Simone Elkeles is because girlfriend knows how to write steamy. Holy cold showers! This one was steamy. I think I could actually see steam rising from my Nook as I read it! It wasn’t as explicit as an adult romance novel, but I would definitely steer older teens to this one. I’m pretty sure this is one of the reasons that Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction have become hot items in my library since they first came in to my library a few weeks ago. Yeah, Simone Elkeles has it going on in the romance department.

But this story was so multi-faceted with all the different family and relationship dynamics going on that it would have been fabulous even without the hottie bad boy. (But don’t ever take out the hottie bad boy please, Simone, kay?) It’s always wonderful to see families heal and reconnect and I was in love with the whole family by the time this was finished.

There was also a really cool twist at the end that I loved and even though the ending seemed a little far-fetched, it wasn’t nearly as much of a stretch as say, a half-vampire mutant baby, so I was ok with it. By that point, I just wanted to see some happily ever afters, ya know?

I loved this book and I think I’m going to have to follow the advice of the girls who come into my library and check out Elkeles’ first series of books. But I should probably go buy a small fire extinguisher first.

The Soundtrack

Poison and Wine by The Civil Wars

Beautiful Disaster by Jon McLaughlin

Better Man by James Morrison

Come Home by One Republic ft. Sara Bareilles

Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran

The Final Grade

My final grade for this book is an A+. I’m going to go all fangirl now whenever I see a new Simone Elkeles novel!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

This Book Stole Another Little Piece of My Heart

Book: Another Little Piece of My Heart

Author: Tracey Martin

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Date: Available now

My grade: A+

What if your devastating break-up became this summer’s hit single? In this rock-and-roll retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, music can either bring you together or tear you apart.

At her dying mother’s request, Claire dumps Jared, the only boy she’s ever loved. Left with a broken family and a broken heart, Claire is furious when she discovers that her biggest regret became Jared’s big break. While Jared is catapulted into rock-star status, another piece of Claire’s heart crumbles every time his song plays on the radio.

The summer after her senior year, it’s been months since the big break-up, and Claire is just trying to keep her head down and make it through a tense trip to the beach with her family. But when Jared shows up, and old feelings reignite, can Claire and Jared let go of the past? Or will they be stuck singing the same old refrain?

Initial reaction

Can I just pretend I haven’t read this so I can start all over from the beginning and experience it again for the first time????

Cover story

It’s ok. I don’t love it or hate it. I DID however, like the title! In fact, this Janis Joplin song is what caught my eye on this one. I love Janis and I like the way the author used the title from a sixties musician when it was a story about kids who are musicians that like sixties music…..wow. Talk about your run-on sentence. But still. The title worked in so many ways for this one. I think a nice psychedelic cover would have been cool also, but what do I know? I don’t get paid the big bucks to make these covers……

What’s the story?

The first thing that attracted me to this book was the Janis Joplin title. But when I read the description and saw that it was a Jane Austen retelling, I was sold! This is loosely based on Persuasion, Jane Austen’s final completed novel.

I loved this book. I seriously loved it. I read it over a week ago and I still keep thinking about it. So here’s the story: Claire is sort of the black sheep of her family. (Totally identified with that one!) Her parents are very wealthy and they run in some high class society circles. Claire, however, does not buy into all of that. She makes friends with Jared, whose mom is divorced and they live in a small house and they are not wealthy. Eventually, Claire and Jared start dating. They bond over music (The Beatles!!!) and he teaches her how to play guitar. But Claire’s parents keep pressuring her. And when Claire’s mother is dying of cancer, Claire gives in and breaks up with Jared to make her dying mother happy. He takes off for the summer and the next time she hears from him, it is through a hit song on the radio. One that he wrote. About a rich girl who broke his heart because she thought she was better than him.

Great setup, right? And it was well-executed. I felt Claire’s pain acutely in the beginning of the novel. And when she runs into him unexpectedly in New Hampshire after graduation, things really start to get fun! Now the tables have turned and Claire’s family is in financial trouble while Jared is making tons of money on his heartbreak song. What follows is a hilarious, if sometimes frustrating, comedy of manners with lots of near-misses and dumb decisions until everything comes together at the end.

Now, I know that there are going to be people who will give this a negative review because they will be upset that Claire and Jared didn’t just come right out and talk to each other. Do you remember when you were a teenager? Or not even just a teenager? When you had been hurt by someone you love? Did you open yourself up and spill all the truth or did you play around the edges? Because that’s what a lot of us do. It’s easy to stand on the sidelines and give advice, but I can remember well doing exactly what Claire and Jared do. And it must be pretty commonplace or else there wouldn’t be so, so many stories that make use of this trope. Even the Bard uses it. Just think of all the misconceptions and issues that arise in Much Ado About Nothing because of people not being straightforward! So to the naysayers, I just want to point out that if it was okay with Shakespeare, I think it’s ok with me. : )

On a side note, I have not been able to find this book as an actual book, only as an e-book. Am I missing something here? Because that is very disappointing! I want this book for my library, dammit!

In spite of my occasional frustration with the characters, I loved this book. It was a cute, sweet little story that was so much fun to read! The characters reminded me a lot of myself and my friends in high school, so that made it even better. If you like music and you like Jane Austen and you like comedies of manners, you can’t go wrong with Another Little Piece of My Heart. Just be prepared because this book left me with a raging book hangover and it was hard to extract myself from the story!

The Soundtrack

Well, Janis Joplin, duh! What’s really cool is that Tracey Martin put her own soundtrack at the end of the book! I’m only taking a couple of her songs though.

Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin

Piece of My Heart by Erma Franklin (Aretha’s sister who actually performed the original of this song!)

Thinking of You by Katy Perry

You’re the First, the Last, My Everything by Joshua Radin

1234 by The Plain White T’s

Love Comes Tumbling Down by Matt Nathanson

Here, There and Everywhere by The Beatles

The Final Grade

My final grade for this one is an A+. I loved this book. I can’t stop thinking about the story and I think this may be one of my favorites for the year.

Monday, January 6, 2014

The Offering Blog Tour

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Kimberly Derting’s fabulous book, The Offering! I will be posting my review of the book later this week, but for today, I have a playlist for you! Created by none other than Kimberly Derting! Woo hoo!! Enjoy the playlist and make sure you read this series! I LOVE it!

1. Let The Rain by Sara Bareilles

This line says it all: “And if I were fearless, then I'd speak my truth.”

2. The Lion The Beast The Beat by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

I love the overall feel of this song, and the lyrics:

“It's time to meet your maker;

Make the road your undertaker.”

3. Don’t Lose Yourself by Laura Veirs and The Saltbreakers

This song reminds me of Charlie’s struggle with Sabara. The opening lines are:

“I felt my vocal chords weakening;

I felt my concave thoughts;

I felt my voluntary blindness;

For staring straight into the sun.”

4. The Divide by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

To me this just gives an overall feel of Charlie’s journey in THE OFFERING.

5. Whispers in the Dark by Mumford & Sons

I can’t help thinking of Aron and Brooklynn when I hear this song.

6. This is War by Thirty Seconds To Mars

This song was a pretty obvious fit for a book about a war brewing:

“To the edge of the earth;
It's a brave new world;
From the last to the first.”

7. Devil’s Backbone by The Civil Wars

There’s a pretty gruesome scene in the aftermath of a village’s slaughter, and this song captures the feel I was going for.

8. Kings and Queens by Thirty Seconds To Mars

Another song that fits the overall feel of the battle scenes.

“We were the kings and queens of promise. We were the victims of ourselves.”

9. Save My Life by ZZ Ward

This is totally meant to be a love song, but I hear it as Charlie’s anthem to Sabara in the final act:

“Save my life, set me free,
These lonely nights are haunting me,
Cut me out from the cold,
This young heart is getting old”

10. Run the World (Girls) by Beyonce

And then, of course, Beyonce reminding us that, yes, girls indeed do run the world ;)

You can listen to the entire Spotify playlist on playlist.net: http://playlists.net/the-offering

The Offering by Kimberly Derting

True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy.

Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks.

When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom.

But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost.

Praise for The Offering

“This was a truly epic ending to the series.” –Crystal Perkins, Goodreads Review

“The final book in Kimberly Derting’s Pledge trilogy is a thrilling conclusion. I was immediately swept up into it and powered right through. It was pretty much what I wanted with a few surprises along the way.” –Krys at Bibliopunkk Reads

Author Kimberly Derting

Kimberly Derting is the author of the BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, and THE TAKING (coming April 2014 from HarperTeen). She lives in the Seattle area, with her husband and three children, who often find the outrageous things they say either in the pages of her books or posted on Twitter or Facebook for the entire world to see.

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/21/14

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

January 2nd

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer – Guest Post
Curse of the Bibliophile – Interview
talk supe – Spotlight
Nori’s Closet – Spotlight
Terri’s Book Addiction – Review
Flutters and Flails – Review

January 3rd

Much Ado About Books - Spotlight
Katies Books - Interview
Lili Lost in a Book – Review
kimberlyfaye reads – Spotlight

January 4th

Cuzinlogic – Interview
paranormal book club – Spotlight
Little Bookworm Reviews – Review

January 6th

Frankie’s Bookshelf – Review
Loving Lit – Review
A Dream Within A Dream – Review
Dear, Restless Reader – Review
A Backwards Story – Spotlight
Once Upon a YA Book – Spotlight

January 7th

Ali’s Books – Spotlight
Ex Libris – Review
Just a Booklover – Review
Into the Mystic – Playlist
The Young Folks – Review

January 8th

Reader Girls – Review
Lena Sledge’s Blog – Character Interview
Writer’s Alley – Spotlight
Walking on Bookshelves – Review
Proud Book Nerd – Review
Dee’s Reads – Interview

January 9th

manda-rae reads a lot – Review
Tressa’s Wishful Endings – Interview
Book Jems – Review
Spiced Latte Reads – Review
BookHounds YA – Interview

January 10th

Bonnie Gets A Say – Interview
Addicted Readers - Review
The Cover Contessa – Interview
Fic Fare – Review

January 11th

Townsend House – Review

January 13th

Library of a Book Witch – Review
Mythical Books – Interview
Whatever You Can Still Betray – Spotilght
Scribbler’s Sojourn - Spotlight

January 14th

Colorimetry – Review + Interview
Bloggin’ ’bout Books – Review
Once Upon a Moonlight Review… – Spotlight
Pika Pages – Spotlight

January 15th

Reading In Twilight – Interview
Howling Books and Design – Spotlight
Coffee and Characters – Review

January 16th

Crossroad Readers – Interview
Between Printed Pages – Spotlight
Crossroad Reviews – Review
Amethyst Daydreams – Spotlight

January 17th

Christy’s Cozy Corners – Spotlight
Rex Robot Reviews – Spotlight
Good Choice Reading – Review