Book Expo America - Day 2

Day 2 at Book Expo America was even more busy and crazy than Day 1. My friends were going to the Author Breakfast that morning but I wanted to do some things that started at 9 AM so I went to wait to be let into the exhibit hall again.

There seemed to be more people there on this day. I went right to the Cassandra Clare Clockwork Prince cover reveal. I was lucky to be there in time to get a t-shirt and chapter sampler. The cover is amazing-



I went right after and got in the insanely long line for Lauren Oliver. She`s so nice, and funny. It was awesome to meet her.

I heard that Lola and The Boy Next Door was available so I went to ask but sadly missed it. I got so many amazing books though that I can`t complain. I have to say that the people from Penguin are super nice.

This is the day that I started to notice some less than nice behaviour. People cut into lines, pushed others, and things like that. I was in a line and actually had people get in front of me. I am usually pretty shy and didn't really say anything but there were a few situations that resulted in me not getting books I had waited in line for an hour for. I was surprised that people would act like this.

Erin Morgenstern's book The Night Circus is being buzzed about right now. I am excited to read it. They gave us a little chocolate mouse with the book when she signed them. I thought that was a cute touch.

The books I got on Day 2 are:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Future of Us by Jay Asher, Carolyn Mackler
Crossed by Ally Condie
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Clockwork Prince sampler by Cassandra Clare (it's bout 3 chapters)
Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
The Apothecary by Maile Meloy
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
Saving June by Hannah Harrington
Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
Inside Out by Maria V Snyder

We decided to put a large suitcase in the checked baggage area overnight to keep all our books. I would do this again. It helps if you want to go see some of NYC after and don't want to carry all your books with you.

Book Expo America - Day 1

I was recently able to attend Book Expo America. It was my first time attending an event such as this. The whole experience was amazing, overwhelming, and so much fun. I can't wait to go back next year. I am going to split my posts into 3 - one for each day I was there.

I arrived into New York City on the Sunday. Monday there wasn't a whole lot going on at BEA so we got our passes early and took a look around. Tuesday is when it officially started.

The first thing I noticed was how BIG the Javits Center is. It's huge and there was a lot of construction going on at the time.

We lined up to be allowed into the exhibit hall (with a whole lot of other people). I was super excited already and couldn't wait to get in. I loved being able to chat with people while in line. I met quite a few fellow book lovers and I have to say that was one of the highlights.

I immediately lost my friends in the crowd and ended wandering around by myself for awhile. We didn't pick a meeting spot so luckily they knew where I would be at 11 am so they met up with me there. I highly recommend picking a meeting spot as it is very easy to lose your group.

My first book at BEA was Variant. I made sure to remember because it was the FIRST book I got.

My first autograph session was for Fateful.

One of the things that made me squeal and super excited was seeing the cover of Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter. The cover is so gorgeous. I want to read this book NOW!



I ended up going to the BEA YA Buzz panel. They highlighted a few books: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Carrier of the Mark, Au Revoir Crazy European Chick, and Down the Mysterly River.

I really enjoyed the panel. It was fun, informative and I was really looking forward to hearing more about The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. I left wanting a few of the books.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was one of my "Must Gets" at BEA and I knew that they would have a few ARCs available at this panel. I was lucky enough to snag one. Michelle Hodkin happened to be sitting right behind me during the panel so I was able to get her to sign it. Michelle is so sweet, funny and I was excited to have met her. She wrote the cutest thing in my book -



I devoured MARA on my long bus ride home and I LOVE it. It's amazing. I can't wait to review it.

The books I got on day one are -

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
Fateful by Claudia Gray
The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Variant by Robison Wells
Pure by Julianna Baggott
Between by Jessica Warman
The Predicteds by Christine Seifert
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

I left Day 1 with a bunch of books, very tired and eager to start again tomorrow morning!

Lauren DeStefano Contest...

If you've read Wither you may be interested in this contest Lauren is currently having. It ends Tuesday so enter right away.

It's for an ARC of Wither AND Fever!

Visit here for all the details on how to enter -

http://www.laurendestefano.com/blog/?p=121

Good luck everyone!

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell
Release Date – April 26, 2011
Publisher – HarperTeen
Pages - 409
My Rating- 7.5/10

Here is the synopsis from Good Reads

Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream.

This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined.

With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City's most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw.

I reviewed the first book - The Carrie Diaries - you can read that here. There will be spoilers (minor) from the first book in this review.

I was psyched when I read the name Samantha Jones at the end of the last book. I am a huge Sex and the City fan so I was excited to see the other girls and not just Carrie.

Samantha and Miranda are in this book. I am happy to say that they felt like the Samantha and Miranda I remember from the show, just younger and less experienced.

As a fan of the show it’s hard not to pick out the discrepancies between the show and the book. There are things that happen in this books that would contradict things that happened in the show. It’s best if you try to read it without thinking about the show at all. I can’t compare it to the Sex and the City book as I haven’t read it, but maybe it’s more in line with that.

The writing style in this book is exactly like the first one. I think it’s straight forward and there are few surprises. It’s one of those books that would be nice to read on the beach in the summer.

I was happy to finally see Carrie meet Charlotte at the end of the book and wish we would have had more of her in the book.

I LOVE New York. One of my favourite things about this book was getting to hear about the shops, restaurants, and attractions that Carrie visits. It felt like such a huge part of the story. New York was almost a character in the TV show and that carries over to the novels.

If you liked the first book, or are a fan of the TV show I think you’ll enjoy this one. It’s fun to see the girls we love from Sex and the City as teenagers and I hope there is a third so we can actually “meet” Charlotte.

Torment by Lauren Kate

Torment by Lauren Kate
Release Date – September 28, 2010
Publisher – Delacorte
Pages - 452
My Rating- 7/10

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Hell on earth. That's what it's like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel. It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts - immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students -Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn't told her everything. He's hiding something - something dangerous. What if Daniel's version of the past isn't actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else? The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series . . . where love never dies

I had read and reviewed Fallen ( see that review here ) so I was very happy when my library had the second book available right away when I was done the first one.

This book takes place in a “school” Shoreline instead of Sword and Cross. The landscape and school are very different and it made for a nice change in the story. I loved the descriptions of the coastline and the water. It seems like a beautiful school to attend.

Luce in this book was more headstrong than in Fallen. She didn’t want to listen to anything Daniel asked her to do. She also put herself in danger quite a bit as a result of this. I like that she acted on her own and was not just listening to Daniel when he was giving her so little information, however she often just seemed to be doing it out of spite. I had a harder time liking her this time around. I did like that she was learning more about the Angel world and what her capabilities are. I am curious how strong she actually is, and what it means for her and Daniel’s love story.

Daniel remains Daniel. He doesn’t give Luce a lot of information as he is not able to. Since he is not in the book a whole lot we don’t really get to learn that much about him. I am hoping this does change in the 3rd book. I like him and would love to know more. Cam also remains as mysterious as in the previous book.

There are quite a few new characters that we meet in this novel. Miles and Shelby are the two that stood out. I love Miles. I think there is more to him than what was given away in this book. I also liked Shelby a lot and am looking forward to seeing her interact with Arriane (who continues to be awesome) in the next book.

I have to mention the one moment I really liked - Thanksgiving Dinner. It was the BEST.THANKSGIVING.EVER. It was so funny, awkward and unreal. It was a stand out moment in the book for me. It was nice to see everyone come together.

The end left on a cliff-hanger and it ended just when it was getting really interesting. I am looking forward to seeing how much Luce is able to find out in the next book and ultimately who she chooses - Daniel, Cam or even someone else!

This has nothing to do with the book itself, but the cover is really beautiful.

If you liked the first one, this one will leave you wanting even more.

Waiting on Wednesday - Possession

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is Possession by Elana Johnson

Here is the Goodreads synopsis -

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

I am on a huge dystopian kick right now. This sounds fantastic and the cover is beautiful.

Expected release date is June 7th, 2011.

Character Interview - Henry from The Goddess Test

I recently was given the opportunity to ask Henry from Aimee Carter's The Goddess Test some questions. Hopefully he'll intrigue you enough to want to learn more about him..he's pretty swoon-worthy!

Thanks for stopping by Henry. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I'm afraid I am not certain what you would like to know. I am King of the Underworld and rule over the dead, making decisions about their afterlife when they are incapable of doing so themselves or when their beliefs demand they be judged. My work is grim, but it is necessary, and I take my responsibilities quite seriously. I've been married before, and I vastly prefer dogs to cats. Contrary to the way I am depicted in popular culture, I am not a villain, and instead I spend much of my time in solitude in the Underworld.

What is the best part about being the ruler of the Underworld? The worst?

The best is the satisfaction of knowing that I have given these people the afterlife they believe they deserve. Life on the surface can be hard, but underneath, one gets what one believes they deserve. The worst is the disconnect from the rest of the world and my family. I do not have the opportunity to see them as much as I would like to.

As a God you have powers. What power do you most enjoy using?

It is not so much a question of enjoyment as it is necessity. The power I use most frequently is the ability to appear at will in any spot I am already familiar with. It makes ruling over such a vast territory much easier.

I am sure you’ve heard the expression “When hell freezes over”. Would it be possible to actually make hell freeze over?

I despise that word, 'hell'. It is an inaccurate portrayal of the Underworld as a whole, though there are some sections that resemble the stereotype. Then again, there are also sections of the Underworld full of snow. To answer your question, it is not in my power to change what the dead perceive, so no, one cannot make hell freeze over.

How did you obtain Cerberus? Was he a gift?

Yes, he was a gift from my brother, though I would not call it 'obtaining'. We've a partnership rather than an ownership, and he is my dearest friend.

What were you thinking when you first saw Kate?

I have seen Kate many times throughout her life, and my thoughts were always about her protection. Given what happened to the others girls, I knew it was paramount to ensure her security above all else. During my first conversation with her, I was spellbound by her willingness to help a girl who had been cruel to her. That is a rare trait, and it was my first inkling that perhaps Kate was different. That perhaps she had it in her to pass the tests no one else had survived.

Is there anything you would have changed about your first meeting with her?

Perhaps I would have brought an extra jacket for her comfort.

What would you say is your biggest regret?

My relationship with Persephone.

Describe the following people in one word

Kate- Selfless
Diana- Stubborn
Ava- Exuberant
James- Calculating
Calliope- Lonely
Ella- Strong

If you were able to select another “profession” other than Ruler of the Underworld which one would you choose?

I would prefer to spend my time reading. Perhaps a librarian.

What book would we find beside your bed?

The classics. I've a particular fondness for Shakespeare and, I must admit, Jane Austen.

What 3 things would you want with you if you were stranded some where?

It would be quite unlikely for me to be stranded somewhere, but I would prefer three good books above all else.

What do you consider your best trait? Your worst?

I believe my best trait to be my loyalty and my worst to be the distance I put between myself and others despite how I might feel about them. Showing my emotions does not come easily to me.

Last question - by popular demand from my friends- Boxes or briefs?

I couldn't possibly say.