Saturday, January 05, 2013

Nobody + Every Other Day Giveaway!



Hi guys! Let’s start 2013 with a treat. Thanks to Karen from Media Masters Publicity and Egmont USA, I have two books up for grabs.

Nobody (hardcover)
January 22, 2013

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

Every Other Day (paperback)
January 22, 2013

Every other day, Kali D’Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She argues with her father. She’s human.

And then every day in between . . . she’s something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her, and unfortunately she’ll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive . . . and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

About the Author:

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.


Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She was awarded a Fulbright to do post-graduate work at Cambridge, and then returned to the states, where she is hard at work on her PhD.

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A Letter from Me: Thanks + Promises!

Source: Ayonnette


Dear Lovely Readers,

Better late than never! 

I’ll start by saying Happy New Year! A lot of things have been going on in my life and I admit that ‘real life does get in the way of blogging.’ I was engaged in a two-day special work, a family visit, shopping spree and of course, the constant what’s-happening-with-my-thesis episodes. A lot of people say that there’s more to life than THIS (blogging) but blogging has become a permanent part of my life, too. So, no, I’m not abandoning this blog. No. Matter. How. Busy. I. Get.

Here are some milestones for 2012:

1286 readers – thank you!
193655 pageviews
Dystopian Domination II and III

I’d like to thank you for still being here AND for still reading this despite my absence. I’d also like to thank the person who pushed and believed that I can blog, Brodie from Eleusinian Mysteries, my book blogging sister, Kai from Amaterasu Reads, my mentee and challenge co-host (who is willing to try the Mentorship Project with me and who makes the most detailed and organized spreadsheets ever) Dianne from Oops! I Read a Book Again, and the amazing Filipina YA bloggers for making not only the PBT tours possible but also our Christmas Party: Louisse from The Soul Sisters, Dani from Book Whales, Dea from Teen Readers Diary (for bookish chats on campus – whenever we run into each other), Michelle and Nicole from The Twins Read (who are my new affiliates and who are so FUN to talk to on Twitter), Cai from Blackplume, Michelle from Michelle Shouts Random and all the sweet bloggers I’ve emailed, talked to, tweeted. Special thanks to these amazing authors: Elizabeth Richards, Kiki Hamilton, Kate Evangelista, Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman, Karen Amanda Hooper and Phoebe Kitanidis!

Thank you to all the authors and publishers who have been so generous and patient with my reading pace: Christine from Harper Collins, my favorite Aussie publicists - Jen from Hardie Grant Egmont, Claire from Fremantle Press and Charlotte and Sarah from Pan Macmillan Australia, Andrew from Pan Macmillan Asia, Ksenia from Macmillan (who is made of awesome), Candice from DJC Communications, Zondervan, Kathryn from Roaring Brook Press, Alexis, Leah and Alexis (there are 2 of them) from Tor Teen, Molly from ZOVA Books, Heather and Elana from Entangled Teen, Amanda from Strange Chemistry, Victoria from Orchard Books, Spencer Hill Press, Karen from Media Masters Publicity, Harlequin Teen, Harper Voyager, Laura from Faber & Faber, Kerry Sparks and Running Press Kids, Beatrice and Sally from Pan Macmillan UK, Patricia from Puffin Ireland, Lauren from Random House, Jenn from Egmont UK, Bridget from Marshall Cavendish, Chafie Press, and  Simon & Schuster UK.

I’ll be graduating in March. Well, technically the ceremony in April. AFTER that, I’ll be able to blog like my normal blogger self. :) But there will also be new memes, features and events so stick around!



Saturday, December 29, 2012

Review: V is for Virgin by Kelly Oram



Book Description via Gooreads:

Ebook, 360 pages
December 11, 2012, Bluefields

When Val Jensen gets dumped for her decision to stay a virgin until marriage, the nasty breakup goes viral on YouTube, making her the latest internet sensation.

After days of ridicule from her peers, Val starts a school-wide campaign to rally support for her cause. She meant to make a statement, but she never dreamed the entire nation would get caught up in the controversy.

As if becoming nationally recognized as “Virgin Val” isn’t enough, Val’s already hectic life starts to spin wildly out of control when bad boy Kyle Hamilton, lead singer for the hit rock band Tralse, decides to take her abstinence as a personal challenge.

How can a girl stay true to herself when this year’s Sexiest Man Alive is doing everything in his power to win her over?

Source: Kelly Oram (Thank you!!)

My Thoughts:

Post-breakup with Zach, Valerie stood up for what she believed in, took all the bashing and all the insults, stood her ground and survived the chaos that was her life. She dealt with weakening relationships, sharp words of other people that cut her like knife and the overall pressure and expectation from her. I liked her very much as a character. She was strong, determined and filled with hope and energy. She was a force of nature – unstoppable. She took what other people labeled her – Virgin Val – and turned it into something positive. Under the principle, ‘if you can’t beat them, join them,’ Val gave Huntington High a virgin who remained a virgin all throughout the year. More importantly, she started the V is for Virgin campaign which encouraged virgins to wait until they are ready before having sex and allowed couples to join the Abstinence Challenge.

The sexual tension between Val and Kyle was palpable. It reminded me of the tension that Echo and Noah from Pushing the Limits experienced. I really enjoyed reading about their banter, fights and flirting. Kyle was determined to make Virgin Val fall in love with him, more sexually less emotionally, however, our heroine was also determined to not fall into his trap. Kyle’s natural charm and tempting ways were making it difficult for her to resist. The author did an amazing job developing their relationship. From the first meeting, there was an instant zing in the air, a live wire connecting them. There was undeniable chemistry – one that was so natural that it thrived even in their fights.

Kyle Hamilton was gorgeous and tempting in so many ways and he knew it. He had a tough, seductive side and a soft, charming one although I barely saw the latter. I liked reading about him, especially when his soft side comes to the surface. Kyle Hamilton was more than just hit songs and innuendo – he was a good guy underneath it all.

The pacing was good. I was never bored with it. Every page was a treat and I welcomed every twist with open arms. I admit that I’ve never read a YA like this before. V is for Virgin went beyond the value of virginity as it highlighted the weight of being able to make your own choices for yourself. I’ve never had this much fun reading a YA contemporary since The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.

The ending broke my heart and glued it back together again. Oram knew how to make me ache and how to make me smile. I must admit that I’ve become attached to Val (and to the boys in her life.) I was hoping Kyle would finally be able to let go of the idea that ‘waiting sucks’ and just be with his girl. When they’re together, they scream chemistry.

V is for Virgin is a refreshing treat of contemporary goodness with a balance of humor, sarcasm, tension, romance and fierceness that will satisfy readers. As delicious as The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, this lovely standalone will take you on a journey that you won’t get tired of. I highly recommend this to YA contemporary and romance readers!

Rating:

 5 Cupids = Eternal book love. 
I will never, ever, ever forget this book. I highly recommend this!



Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Mentorship Project for New Filipino YA/MG Book Bloggers!


Kai from Amaterasu Reads and I want to share everything that we’ve learned in our almost-3-years of blogging to my fellow bloggers. This led to the Mentorship Project. Here’s the idea, we will tour my best to help new Filipino bloggers for three months. However, how the project runs depends on the mentor. Kai and I have different ways.

The project (according to yours truly) will follow an outline that I made:

  • Common Mistakes in Blogging 
  • The Balanced Review 
  • Review Style 
  • Communicating with Authors and Publishers 
  • Blogging Ethics 
  • Layout and Branding 
  • Consistency 
  • Memes and Features 
  • Interviews 
  • Hosting Blog Events

I will be an avid reader of his/her blog posts, keeping track of my mentee’s progress as a blogger. As a final test to prove that my mentee has learned from me, he/she will co-host a week-long feature/mini event with me. Of course, there are other possible perks which I will not disclose here. (It’s a secret.)

From January 1 to March 31, I will mentor a fellow Filipina and schoolmate:

Mentee Profile

Name: Dianne

Blog: Oops! I Read a Book Again (which is her second blog)

Blogging Experience: She has been blogging about movies and Korean dramas for so long. From time to time, she would blog about books, too. I’m one of the people who encouraged her to start a separate blog for YA book blogging.

To join the Mentorship Project you must be:

  • A Filipino, preferably someone who lives in Metro Manila (so we can have meet-ups) but most of the time, things will be done via email and Twitter. 
  • A Young Adult/New Adult/Middle Grade book blogger. 
  • A person who has been blogging for less than 6 months. 
  • A person who can take criticism and can consider suggestions and tips.

If you want to give the Mentorship Project a try, fill out this form: