Teen Readers' Diary: February 2013

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (2/23/13)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga's Reviews to know more about this weekly meme.

Won

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Prodigy by Marie Lu
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Three weeks ago, I won these lovelies from a bestsellers contest hosted by The Book Depository Affiliates (@BDAffiliates). They arrived in the mail last week and I have already devoured two of them. Both are so good and delish!

Bought

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

This was the last copy I spotted at NBS SM North last week. I am so glad I impulsively bought it or I would have had to wait for another week for a copy.

I finished it in two days (during my commutes). I got two words for y'all: CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

And I'm sure all you Filipino fans are as excited as we are for Tahereh Mafi's book signing event on March 2nd at NBS Glorietta 1. The fact that it's only a week away gets us even more pumped up! See you there :D

Lastly, keep your eyes peeled for a contest anytime this week or after the event. One of us is turning eighteen so it will be a special one.

What books did you get this week? Please feel free to leave a link of your post in the comments.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Guest Post: Cristina Daley

Hello everyone! It's February 12,2013 and we are not just celebrating my Dad's birthday *coughs* but also the birth of a new book from Cristina Daley...*tan-ta-dadan* RADIANT! And I'm proud to introduce to you this book as well as the very approachable and sweet(yeah :D) author who gives us her inspiration about Radiant. Have fun reading!

Christina Daley made her first book with neighborhood friends when she was four years old. They "wrote" out some semblance of lettering with crayons, cut up a cardboard box for the cover, and bound it all together with clear adhesive tape. It was brilliant.

Quite a few years later, Christina is trying her hand at writing "real" books. She lives in Dallas, Texas, with a pet plant named Herb.

Blog ||Twitter || Facebook || Goodreads

What is your inspiration in writing Radiant?

Thanks for having me on the blog today! I'm so glad to be here and to talk about Radiant and my inspiration for writing it.

A few years ago, I was actually writing another book called Seranfyll, which is a middle grade fantasy that I published in 2011. When I got about 20 pages into Seranfyll, I ran out of ideas and set the story aside.

Meanwhile, I had read some random science articles that weren't related to each other. One was about comets and some were about health. I can't remember where the possessing idea came from, but I started to wonder what it would be like if a person nearly died and was then possessed by something that wasn't a ghost or an alien.

And a lot of the characters in Radiant reflect real people. For instance, Mary's mother is based on about four or five women I've met over the years, and Mary's grandmother is actually a lot like my own mother. Emma's based on a lovely black lady who's friends with my mom, and George has stories from a couple of Vietnam War veterans that I know. Ben looks like a musician I admire, and Carter (the jerk one) is the conglomeration of several guys I knew in high school (although they weren't jerks to me personally).

The story for Radiant grew from there and I finished writing the first draft in about three weeks. About a year later, I had come across other inspiration for Seranfyll and finished writing that book as well.

And that's a little bit about how Radiant came about :) Thanks again for letting me visit today, and I hope everyone will check it out. Happy reading!

Title: Radiant

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Author: Christina Daley

Release date: February 12, 2013

(Ages 13+) Mary is part Vietnamese. Carter is a complete jerk. Normally, they don't talk much.

But when Mary's in an accident on the way to school one morning, Carter nearly dies saving her life. The doctors say his chances of living are slim, and Mary's feeling the full weight of survivor's guilt.

However, Carter's back at school in a matter of days, as if nothing had happened. Although, he is a little "glitchy," and he's developed a sudden and intense interest in Mary. She thinks he's suffering from major brain trauma from the accident. Or that he's been possessed.

As it so happens, Carter really is possessed. And the thing controlling him is having the time of its life learning to be human.

Featuring a diverse cast of characters, RADIANT is a funny "paranormal-lite" story about being human, being in love, and being healed.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Dark Promise Tour+Giveaway(INT)

Dark Promise by Sophia Bennett

Release date: July 28,2012

Publisher: Valknut Press,LLC

eBook: 176 pages

Synopsis: Rylie has it all - great friends, dream boy, loving family. But on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, her perfect little world shatters. A stranger claiming to be her real mother appears with a secret: Rylie is a faery whose powers will be unleashed on her birthday. Captured and forced into a new life, Rylie struggles to keep everything she loves and discovers a terrifying truth: some promises cannot be broken.

Amazon || BN

Top 10 Guest Post: Rylie’s point of view.

1. Favorite movie/actor/actress?

I love movies. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is definitely my favorite actor hands down. Actress is a little harder, but if I can only choose one I guess I’d pick Emma Watson. And my favorite movie right now is The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

2. Favorite song/singer?

Adele. Rumor has it. That girl can sing!

3. Favorite place you would love to visit?

Anywhere near the ocean. I’ve always been drawn to the water…which is funny since I’m not a water faery, but the sea is just so calming. At least until Mother Nature gets angry, then watch out!

4. One item you cannot live without?

Glamour. I know that’s not really an item, but without it I couldn’t hide who I really am.

5. Who would you like to meet?(dead or alive)

Adele for sure. Although, I would probably pass out and miss the whole thing.

6. Favorite hobby?

Singing.

7. Guilty pleasure?

Chocolate explosion ice cream! I could eat that three times a day.

8. Favorite author and/book?

I’m not much of a reader. I know. I know. I did really enjoy The Giver though. I had to read it for school, and it stuck with me.

9. Do you collect anything?

I do. I collect charms for my bracelet from Adam.

10. Favorite color?

Teal. Yes, I know that’s the color of Kallan’s eyes, but it’s always been my favorite.

Author Bio

My name is Talia Jager and I am an author. My passion is to write young adult books. I have been writing... well, forever. I can't remember a time when I wasn't carrying around a notebook or thinking up stories in my head.

I distinctly remember in high school hiding my writing notebook under my class work and writing during class - teacher thought I was taking notes. And at night, when I was supposed to be sleeping, I'd be hiding under the covers with a notebook, pen, and flashlight.

Now, as an adult, I have a laptop that I do most of my writing on. However, I do have a notebook in the car, and another in my bedroom, just in case I come up with a great story idea when I'm not in front of the computer.

Besides writing, I love to read. Getting lost in another world is an awesome feeling. I also like to play games (both video and board), scrapbook, rollerblade, and travel. Most of all I love to spend time with my family. I am happily married to a wonderful man who supports my writing. We have six beautiful children who bring me happiness every day.

Follow her on these sites: Website││Twitter|| Facebook

Author Bio

Julia crane is the author of the Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination. Although she’s spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

Follow her on these sites: Website││Twitter|| Facebook

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Saturday, February 2, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (2/2/13)

Gifted/Won

Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

Bought

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (READ AND LOVED THIS TO BITS)

Glass by Ellen Hopkins

Special thanks to Mr. Alexander Gordon Smith, Peggy of Pawing Through Books and my mother for her undying support.

What books did you get this week? Please feel free to leave a link of your post in the comments.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Book Highlight: Farsighted series by Emily Chand

Alex Kosmitoras's life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead broke and insanely overprotective, and... oh yeah, he's blind.

Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, an enticing new girl comes to their small Midwest town all the way from India. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to "see" the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they suggest Simmi is in mortal danger.

With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex embarks on his journey to change the future.

Amazon † BN

Simmi Shergill's life is a mess. Her powers of psychic feeling are on the fritz, and Grandon Township's sudden population boom has brought quite a few unsavory characters to town. She also looks like an over-blown balloon in her size 14 pants, but not even starving herself seems to be helping.

At least she has Alex, the boyfriend who loves her so much he'd do anything for her. Last summer, he even risked his life to protect her from the mysterious boy everyone was convinced wanted to kill her.

Just one problem: she's not so sure she feels the same way. Is Alex really the man of her dreams? Why can't she stop fixating on her would-be killer, Dax? Part of her wants to run screaming in the other direction whenever Dax is around, while the other part longs to run into his embrace, no matter whom she'd hurt or what she'd risk.

Simmi's loyalty is on the line. Whom will she choose—the blind seer who loves her, or the charming telekinetic with "bad idea" written all over him? Emotions run high in the tension-packed book two of the Farsighted series.

Amazon † BN

Other books in the series...

About The Author...

From an early age, Emlyn Chand has counted books among her best friends. She loves to hear and tell stories and emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). Her affinity for the written word extends to absolutely every area of her life: she has published three novels and three children’s books with plans for many more of each, leads a classics book group with almost five-hundred members, and, of course, runs the whole shebang at Novel Publicity.

The book that changed Emlyn’s life is Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crocket Johnson. It opened her eyes to the world that could exist if only she was willing to create it—a lesson she has never forgotten. While she enjoys all types of novels, her greatest loves are literary fiction and YA. She’s best known for her Farsighted series and is developing a slow but steady following for the Bird Brain Books. She’s eager to see how her women’s fiction novel, Torn Together, will be received by the reading masses.

Website † Facebook † GoodReads † Twitter † Blog

Make sure to check out the FARSIGHTED & OPEN HEART blog tour kicking off Monday, February 4th!

http://gcrpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/01/emlynchandtourS.html

GRAND PRIZE: Kindle or Nook -- Winners choice!

New YA Releases: February 1st-8th

February is one of my favorite months of the year! Aside from the fact that it's my birthday month (I'm turning 18 this year heee!), there are SO MANY AWESOME BOOKS releasing in the next four weeks.

Some of the titles on my wishlist like Unravel Me, The Indigo Spell and Scarlet will be out in the span of 28 days. That's crazy! And exciting in every sense of the word.