Waiting On Wednesday: This Is So Not Happening, Getting Over Garrett Delaney and Masque of Red Death

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

This Is So Not Happening (He's So/She's So #3) by Kieran Scott

Hardcover: 256 pages

Release date: May 1st, 2012

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books

Goodreads Summary: After their long summer apart, Ally and Jake were hoping for a drama free senior year. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like things will work out that way...again. 

It turns out that Chloe is pregnant and says that Jake is the father. Hammond is pissed at his best friend, but mostly can't believe that Ally would stay with Jake. But Ally is tired of being apart from Jake and is willing to make it work. But that is easier said than done when Jake starts blowing Ally off to go to doctor's appointments with Chloe and Ally joins the school play and meets a new cute guy. 
But as graduation approaches, things get more complicated as new secrets come out and Ally realizes maybe Jake isn't the guy she thought he was. After everything they've been through can Ally and Jake get out of Orchard Hill with their relationship in tact?

I've read the first two books in this series and I must say Kieran Scott likes torturing her readers! Both books have ended with a cliffhanger and the one in He's So Not Worth It is frustrating. I can't believe I have to wait for 5 more months!

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald 

Hardcover: 336 pages

Release date: January 24th, 2012

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Goodreads summary: Can a twelve-step program help Sadie kick her unrequited crush for good? Abby McDonald serves up 
her trademark wit and wisdom in a hilarious new novel.


Seventeen-year-old Sadie is in love: epic, heartfelt, and utterly onesided. The object of her obsession - ahem, affection - is her best friend, Garrett Delaney, who has been oblivious to Sadie's
feelings ever since he sauntered into her life and wowed her with his passion for Proust (not to mention his deep-blue eyes). For two long, painful years, Sadie has been Garrett's constant companion, sharing his taste in everything from tragic Russian literature to art films to '80s indie rock
- all to no avail. But when Garrett leaves for a summer literary retreat, Sadie is sure that the absence will make his heart grow fonder - until he calls to say he's fallen in love. With some other girl! A
heartbroken Sadie realizes that she's finally had enough. It's time for total Garrett detox! Aided by a barista job, an eclectic crew of new friends (including the hunky chef, Josh), and a customized selfhelp
guide, Sadie embarks on a summer of personal reinvention full of laughter, mortifying meltdowns, and a double shot of love.

This sounds exactly like my kind of book. I've been on a roll with contemporary stories lately and I kind of sympathize with Sadie.

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Hardcover: 320 pages

Release date: April 24th, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Goodreads Summary: Everything is in ruins. 

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them. 


So what does Araby Worth have to live for? 


Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all. 


But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does. 


And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

I'm not sure if this is steampunk or dystopia. Either way, I love both genres and methinks the cover is pretty! Besides, I have a thing for Wills in YA books.

What are you anxiously waiting on this week? Just leave a comment of the link to your WoW post!

Book Review: Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Paperback: 518 pages

Release date: October 18th, 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Source: Bought

Amazon ││Goodreads

Goodreads Summary: Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What - or who - will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself - forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

It's been a month since I finished reading this book. 

Beautiful Chaos continues the story of the Mortal Ethan Wate and his love, the Caster Lena Duchannes. After surviving the happenings in the tunnels and claiming herself as both Light and Dark, Lena and the rest of Gatlin experiences near-apocalyptic events and must find a way to stop this while figuring out the Eighteenth Moon. 

The series at it's finest! As of now, this is my favorite one in the series. The book isn't that slow anymore, and the story line's just keep getting better and better. The authors did an amazing job on giving more background on supporting characters like Liv and John Breed. There's heartbreaking moments and more action within the book. The cliffhanger was a real shocker for me. It left me wanting, desiring, mad, crazy, insane for more! I couldn't get over with the end. I really hope that the fourth and last book would be more amazing and better than this one. 

The characters seemed more attached to me than it ever were. Link's even more cooler with his new Incubus powers. Ridley more evil and seductive in this book. All the Casters have their powers dangerously uncontrolled. The characters bump into a lot more mishap and a lot more chaos. The book also gets an in-depth story on the background of the Caster world, and of course, Lena's history. It's just so wonderful to be back on Gatlin, and feel so much magical? I thought so too. It seems to me that the readers of this book will crave for the fourth one, now that they've read the ending. For me, it just punched a hole into my stomach, leaving me crying and mad. 

I couldn't wait for the last book. The authors did an excellent, or may I say, perfect job on creating such a turn of events. I would really recommend this series, not just this book, to all YA fans. 

Completely smitten!!

Patrick

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. This feature allows bloggers to post about the books they bought, gotten from the library, and received for review.

It's Christmas break! That means two weeks of relaxation and freedom from school works. Finally I could read without feeling guilty.

For Review:

Lightbringer by K.D. Mcentire

The 58th Keeper by R.G. Bullet

Darkride by Laura Bradley Rede

Notes to Self by Avery Sawyer

Never Enough by Denise Jaden

Netgalley:

  

Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser

Halflings by Heather Burch

Won:

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Thank you so much to Jill Maxick of Prometheus Books, SilverHouse Books, Laura Bradley Rede, Laura Schaefer, Denise Jaden, NetGalley and Clara of The Library Page!

What did you guys get in the mailbox this week? 

Review: The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols

The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols

Paperback: 279 pages

Release date: June 26th, 2007

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Amazon ││The Book Depository ││ Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Summary: Cute, available, and one cabin over.... 

Lori lives for summertime on the lake. She spends all season wakeboarding, swimming, and hanging with her friends—including the two hotties in the house next door. With the Vader brothers, Lori's always been one of the guys. 


But while Lori and the "baby" brother, Adam, are inseparable friends, she can't deny a secret crush on Sean, the older Vader boy. This year Sean's been paying Lori a lot of attention, and not in a brotherly way. 


But just as Lori decides to prove to Sean she's girlfriend material, she realizes that her role as girlfriend to Adam may be even more important. And by trying so hard for the perfect summer romance, she could be going way overboard....

The Boys next door was my favorite book so far from the books of Ms. Jennifer that I’ve read. The story, I love it, I mean what can I say? It was really fun to read. Lori was funny, and just a normal girl who would do normal things to get the attention of the one she love, well more likely it was just a crush for Sean…or a wrong love/crush on a wrong person. The characters was awesome, especially the Vader Boys. Adam is the best friend of Lori, whom she doesn’t know had a crush on her, because she’s just into Sean. Then Sean is a suave, playful, relax boy who doesn’t seem to notice Lori as a girlfriend material for him. Adam is a kind of person who will do anything for Lori; he’s fun to be with, supportive and a true friend to Lori. I love the whole story, its twists that affect the fate of love between Lori, Adam and Sean, and how it all ends. 

All readers I highly recommend this book to be on your to-read pile. 

A Pre-Christmas Author Interview with Chantel Acevedo

Christmas is around the corner and I can already feel the chill and imagine the presents under the Christmas tree. Here in the Philippines we celebrate Christmas with a month long preparation decorating our house, attending Simbang Gabi and doing Christmas Caroling. It is also a red letter day for families and friends to bond together, so to make this first pre- Christmas post of Teen Readers’ Diary special we’ve invited the author of “Song of the Red Cloak” for a pre-Christmas author interview. Let us all welcome Chantel Acevedo!

About the Author: Chantel Acevedo's first novel, Love and Ghost Letters, won the Latino International Book  Historical Fiction and was a finalist for the Connecticut Book of the year. Having started her career as a high school English teacher, she holds an MFA from the University of Miami, and is currently an Associate Professor at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, where she lives with her husband and daughter. Song of the Red Cloak is her first novel for young adults.

Tell us about your book ‘Song of the Red Cloak’. What should we expect from it?

Galen is a 16 year old helot, or slave, in Ancient Sparta.  He's always longed to be free, and to wear the red cloak that is allowed only to Spartan citizens. When he hears talk of rebellion, Galen is tempted to join. But there's a catch. His best friend, Nikolas, is a Spartan prince. To join the rebellion would mean betraying his friend.  There's another catch--two girls, Korinna, a mysterious sibyl, and the beautiful but dangerous Zoi--have their own plans for Galen.

You can expect romance, adventure, a seriously scary monster, and a story about friendship in an ancient, yet really familiar world.

2.       What did inspire you to write your book?

I've always been interested in mythology and Ancient Greece. This story of two best friends from very different stations in life merged with what I'd learned about Spartan culture in my imagination.  Galen sort of came to me, fully formed.  

3.       Are you planning to write another YA Lit?

I'm working on the sequel to this book, SONG OF GLASS AND DUST. I'm sorry to say that SONG OF THE RED CLOAK ends on a cliffhanger!

4.       What are you doing when you’re not writing?

I teach Creative Writing at Auburn University, and edit a literary journal, THE SOUTHERN HUMANITIES REVIEW.  I also co-direct the Auburn Writers Conference.  That's the work end of things!  I have a beautiful five year old daughter, and another on the way, and a great husband--all of whom keep me busy.  

5.       Being an author is really an exciting work to do but can you imagine yourself doing other jobs?

Well, I taught high school for nearly a decade, and miss it a great deal. I've always wished I could start a school, or open a bookshop.  When I was in college, I toyed with the idea of becoming an anthropologist!  I guess I never had trouble imagining myself doing lots of different things, but truly, writing is where I'm most at home.

6.       Can you describe yourself in three words? Why did you choose these words?

Creative. Optimistic. Flexible.  I think these three qualities are related.  To be creative, you have to believe in your ability to invent, and believe in your own voice. At the same time, you have to be willing to bend, to take criticism, adjust, and get better.  And I don't mean creative solely in terms of writing.  People are creative in a million different ways!

7.       What is your favorite band? Why did you pick that band and how do they inspire you on your writing career?

The Beatles.  Hands down.  I learned so much about writing from listening to their music.  So many of their songs are stories, or are playing with language and sound in amazing ways.  I actually wrote a blog post about their influence on my writing!  Here's the link: http://yucababy.blogspot.com/2011/04/let-it-be.html

8.       Do you still believe in Santa Claus? Rudolph the red nose reindeer?

Of course I believe in Santa!  Santa Claus represents the spirit of giving, and there's nothing I like better than giving someone the perfect gift, whether it's a material thing or a helping hand.  As for Rudolph, well, why not?  He's certainly the reindeer with the most personality!

9.       What are the three things you wanted to receive this Christmas?

The truth is, I'm feeling very blessed this year, and don't need anything but what I'm already so thankful for--my friends and family, and their continued good health.  However, I'm human after all, and would LOVE a pair of brown boots I saw at the store the other day...

10   What is your most unforgettable Christmas experience?

Being a little kid, and waking up to all the toys Santa brought on December 25th. Nothing tops that. Well, except being a mom and watching my daughter wake up on Christmas morning. It's the sweetest thing in the world.

1   What does Christmas means to you?

Family, family, family! I live far from my extended family, and every Christmas we find a way to travel to them. I get to hang out with all my cousins, aunts and uncles, parents and grandparents.  There is nothing like it when we all get together.  We're a big, fat Cuban family and I love it!

12  Do you have any message to your fans/readers and to people who are aspiring to be someone like you?

To those who want to write, I'd say you need two things--lots of good books to read, and the will to sit in a chair and actually write!  Time and good books. Time and good books.  That's the recipe for making a writer.  As for fans, I'm so grateful for them.  So very appreciative.  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.  Or as Galen might say, "S'agapo!"

    Song of the Red Cloak is now available on

Amazon ││The Book Depository ││ Barnes & Noble