Yes, Lauren, Teach This Gay Boy How To Edit His Closet!

October 5, 2010
Lauren Conrad Style
By: Lauren Conrad
HarperCollins
Hardcover; 224 pages
From Good Reads:
In her first-ever style guide, Lauren offers tips on how to create your own unique look, shares her favorite sources of inspiration, and identifies the absolute must-haves for any fashionista's wardrobe. Along the way, she examines her fashion evolution, from California-casual teen to camera-ready style icon and clothing designer. From beauty advice and hair secrets to how to shop vintage or find the perfect T-shirt, Lauren Conrad Style unlocks the mysteries of being effortlessly chic. With Lauren's guidance, you'll look and feel stylish every day.

Brent’s opinion:
     I don’t know about you guys, but I adore Lauren Conrad. From what I’ve seen, she’s uber polite and sweet and gorgeous. And I’m a big fan of her YA novels. And, here at The Naughty Book Kitties, we are straight girls, gay boys, and big-time fashionistas, so I have to mention LC’s new style  guide!
Besides reading YA, my other passions include watching bad reality fashion shows, reading Teen Vogue, and making a back-up plan of being a fashion PR person if my dream of working in the publishing industry don’t work out (ahaha!) I was super excited to read LC Style, and anything with Lauren’s name on it is enough for me to love it.
     The book had tons, and tons, of great info. and how-to stuff on organizing your closet, packing for a business trip, dressing for an interview, and stuff like that! One of my favorite things was how Lauren would show how you can take one dress and transform it into five different looks with just playing with accessories. And the pictures? There were some great photos along with the text.


     See? It’s not just words, it’s pictures! Which definitely helped me understand what Lauren had to say better. Besides that, there was some great info. on how to tell real vintage from fake-looking, which wash of jeans goes good with what, and how to pack for a trip. I definitely could’ve used this book before I went to Florida! There’s actually a whole section dedicated to traveling. Also accompanied with great photos.


    
     One of my favorite parts of this book is when Lauren goes into detail about work and dressing. And how to dress for interviews and things. She says that there are certain parts of your body that should never see your office (and I agree!): your lower back, your upper back, your cleavage, and your toes. LC also goes into detail about how to  transition from work-to-club that’s pretty interesting.

 
    Lauren has a look, one of the best looks out there. It’s California-Office-Chic, and everyone (including me!) wants in on how to perfect it, and even develop our own “looks.” I looooved this style guide, and I think a lot of people will, regardless if you like her teen novels or not. My mommy saw me reading and asked to borrow when I was done (Hehe! The pro’s of having a gay son: he  has all the fashion-advice you need.)

Forget You, High School. Whoop Us.

Released: August 31, 2010
Title: The Ivy
By: Lauren Kunze & Rina Onur
Greenwillow Books
Hardcover; 320 pages
From Good Reads:
Freshman year at Harvard--glamorous parties, blossoming friendships, steamy romances, and scandalous secrets. Skip the campus tour and get right to the good stuff: classes are for scoping guys (and their Facebook profiles), not taking notes. The library is for study dates (the medieval history stacks get a lot of action), not studying. And success is a 4.0 GPA... plus getting into the most exclusive parties. How will Callie--a California girl with brains, beauty, and big dreams--and her three roommates survive?
Get admitted to The Ivy, the first book in a provocative new series about the world of the Ivy League.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     I love it, I love it. Gossip Girl-esque novels, Ivy League schools, rich daddies, hot Lacrosse players, Russian Literature majors. All the elements of my perfect guilty read! The Ivy was a mix between Sex and the City and Gilmore Girls, so to say I loved it would be the least!
     When soccer-player, blonde-beauty Callie arrives at Harvard her freshman year, she doesn’t know what to expect. She certainly doesn’t expect to end things with her long-distance boyfriend, or to fall for four (4!!!) different Harv-boys. Or to form frenemies with gorgeous, intimidating, intelligent girls whose daddies have deemed them with shopping trips to Paris every other weekend, and ponies, and endless mounds of Christian Louboutins. Callie doesn’t know what’s going to come of her first year at Harvard, but she does know that whatever happens is going to be fun, drama-filled, and catty.
      The MC, Callie, is one very easy to connect with. I loved her for innocence,  and for her daring-ness, as well. For the mix of the two, which made her all the more real and believable. Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur did a great job making the perfect character for this book of college and craziness. Callie wasn’t out-of-control to the point of trashiness, and she wasn’t  sweet to the point of being an innocent Christian girl. She was just straight-up!
     Even though, by both my review and the synopsis, it seems as though The Ivy is about partying, it’s not. I mean, yeah, there are fun and flirty elements and shiz, but it goes way deeper than that. Everyone has secrets, some more deep than others. Lauren and Rina pulled off writing about a girl, who for the longest time, doesn’t know who she was, where she was going, or who was accompanying her. Who just cared about the now. Which is something we should all do!
    I’m so freakin’ ready for college, and reading The Ivy just made me jealous of the people already there. (And omagawd. Is that cover not too, too cute? Don't you love it, though?)

Are Harmony And I Really Having A Cat Fight?

Yes we are! Harmony of Radiant Reads and I are having a bitch-fit over who’s better: Zombies or Unicorns. I, being the loving, sweet, fun cheerleader gay dude am TEAM UNICORN. Harmony, on the other hand,  has been disastrously mislead and sucked in by TEAM ZOMBIE.

Me: Welcome, Harmony! How are you, my dear? How are those unicorns of yours?

Harmony: I'm awesome, Brent, how you doing? And those unicorns got eaten. BY Zombies.

Me: Oh, really? The zombies ate the unicorns? See, I told you zombies were vicious. And not even the attractive kind of "vicious" like vampires. But no, we're not getting into that. We're here to  discuss the beauty of unicorns, not vampires!

Harmony: The beauty of unicorns? I thought we were talking about lame horses with horns that can't do anything and that's why they're extinct. Huh. As for Zombies, they're vicious in the badass kind of way, which is much cooler.

Me: Can't do anything? Uh, did you not read Meg Cabot's story in Zombies Vs. Unicorns? That pony with  horns did plenty!

Harmony: Can't kill a zombie! Mostly since they're already dead. Which is the awesome part about them! Killing unicorns is easy, they're living (must BE pretty easy, hence the extinction)

Me: WE'RE PRETTIER. Team Unicorn is all fab in our glitter. What do YOU guys wear? Huh?

Harmony: Hun, too much glitter will just make you sneeze. We wear awesome clothing that wrap around us! Don't you see all the singers wrapping chains/metal/cloth around themselves? Where do you think they got that? ZOMBIES!

Me: Where do I think they got it? The trash bin on Fourth Street. That's where! Don't worry, Team Unicorn and I will sell you some of our hand-sewn clothing. All profits go to charity, since we're so sweet!

Harmony: How are Unicorns gonna sew? You don't have hands! Unicorns BUTTAH.

Me: Bahaha! Did you just say....  buttah? That's my word! See, everyone: Team Zombie steals!

Harmony: We don't STEAL, we BORROW. And while we're speaking of clothes, who dresses up as a Unicorn for Costume parties? No one!

Me: Exactly my point! The beauty of a Unicorn is unattainable, and so no one even attempts to recreate it. And you know? Holly Black is on Team Unicorn! THE Holly Black! And who does Team Zombie have? 50-cent writers?

Harmony: No one WANTS to recreate it. 50-cent writers? BAHA! We have Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Carrie Ryan, and Scott Westerfeld! Can't get awesomer than that!

Me: Team Unicorn's writers are hotter. Can't whoop us!

Harmony: Total LIES. Speaking of whooping, Zombies could totally whoop Unicorns BLIND-FOLDED. Just eat their rains and done!

Me: Did you just say "Just eat their rains and done!"? Harmony, you forgot the "B" in "Brains." Real smart, you represent Team Zombie well!

Harmony: Urgh, it's a TYPO. No wonder your team Unicorn, annoying perfectionist.

Me: This conersation is overrrrr! But first, let me rap. Awwwww, youuuuu, suckah zombies ain't got nothing meeeee from ya clothes to ya hair you are so so so greasy. Blah blah blah Team Unicorn all the way, five six seven eight! You dirty, you dirty, you really, really dirty. Say somethinnnnnn'. Can't whoop us, dawwwg.

Harmony: I lied. THAT'S why Unicorns are extinct.

Me: I love you, Harmony, I really do, but: you have to go. Your pyschoticness is rubbing off on my readers. Hah!

As you can see, being TEAM ZOMBIE is a terrible, terrible psychological condition, and we can only hope that Harmony makes it to rehab! (Hey Harmony, while you’re there, get Lindsay Lohan’s autograph for me!)

You Buttah.

Released: September 21, 2010
Title: Dead Beautiful
Author: Yvonne Woon
Disney-Hyperion
Hardcover; 480 pages
From Good Reads:
After Renee Winters discovers her parents lying dead in California’s Redwood Forest in what appears to be a strange double murder, her grandfather sends her off to Gottfried Academy in Maine, a remote and mysterious high school dedicated to philosophy, “crude sciences,” and Latin: the Language of the Dead. It’s here she meets Dante, a dark and elusive student to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they get to know each other better, Dante can’t seem to control his attraction either, and their desires gradually deepen into a complex and dangerous romance. Dangerous because Dante is hiding a frightening secret. A secret so terrible, it has him fearing for Renee’s life.  Dante’s not the only one with secrets, though. Turns out Gottfried Academy has a few of its own... Like, how come students keep disappearing? Why are the prefect-like Monitors creeping around campus during the night? And what exactly are the Headmistress and Professors really up to? Renee is determined to find out why. Dead Beautiful is both a compelling romance and thought-provoking read, bringing shocking new meaning to life, death, love, and the nature of the soul.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     I really do not know why in the hell I was compelled to pick up this book, but I do know I’m glad I did. The cover is ehh, the synopsis makes me yell “TWILIGHT!” and I really had no interest in picking this up. But, one day last week, I had an urge to read something  macabre, and Dead Beautiful seemed like the  perfect pick, so I said “Oh what the hell….”
     Dead Beautiful opens with the death of two people: Renee’s parents. Left in the hands of her grandfather, this 16-year-old California-girl is shipped off halfway across the country, to a prestigious, mysterious boarding school, Gottfried in Maine. While there, she notices a common thread in a slew of deaths,  and starts to fall  for some hot, sexy, dark dude, named Dante.  (Oh, it is every book-reader’s dream to have a lover who’s named after a classic writer.  You know it.) As Renee works to uncover both the secrets of Dante and the secrets of Gottfried, she wonders if her life is anything she thought it was.
     I know, that was like a tw0-dollah K-Mart description, but this book is hard to explain. There’re some interesting plot-twists and such that I can’t really give away without spoiling the book for you, so you’ll just have to deal with K-Mart. (Haha! Eee, right? I friggin’ hate K-Mart. It’s dirty. I will go to Walmart, but we gon’ fight if you try to get me to K-Mart.) Before I started reading Dead Beautiful, I was like “This shit is Twilight made over with a girl in a dirty cloak on the front cover” But it’s totally not! Dead Beautiful was very original in terms of, like, characters and plot and whatever.
     Did I enjoy Dead Beautiful? Yes. Did I love it? No. It just didn’t have the right elements in a novel to make me love it. For 1) I had a hard time connecting with the MC, Renee. She seemed stolid, and clichéd. I just couldn’t sympathize with her. For 2) The book was dragged out. It took me 300 pages into the book for me to get engrossed in the storyline. It could have been told in 150- pages, rather than 400 pages of some long-ass rambling. I’m not saying this book is terrible, because it’s not! It’s definitely enjoyable, but not so much lovable. I don’t really know if I’ll be reading anything else from this author….

In My Mailbox (September 25, 2010)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

 

For Review:
Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel  Cohn and David Levithan (I love Rachel/David novels. They’re great, and I’m uber-excited to get a sneak peak at their October release!)

Bought:
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (The cover is stunning, so I had to buy a finished copy, because the ARC doesn’t do it justice, and I love supporting the publishing industry!)

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (Got the sequel last week, so I have to read this first one! My best friend, Em, loved this one, and I trust her opinion more than anyone’s!)

For a Giveaway:
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer ARC (Yeah, boy! Who wants this? Raise yah hands in  the ayer, because I’m giving it away in a contest!)

And then, just when I thought my Saturday couldn’t get any better…



The UPS guy (who’s creepy, BTW) brings me Lauren Conrad’s new fashion style-advice book! I love Lauren Conrad and her teen novels, and I’m super gay, so of course I want to know how to dress like her. Huge, huge thanks to the fabulous people at HarperCollins…

And today’s Saturday, and I love Saturdays, so why the hell not go ahead and include a picture of the sweet-sweetness brownies I made to celebrate my love for Saturdays?  I know, they look terrible, but I TRIED MY BEST! OKAY???


 

Xoxo, go kiss a boy, start a
rumor, cause some trouble,
read a book, BE NAUGHTY!


Brent

Whoa, She Got Killt!

Released: June 8, 2010
Title: Wanted
Author: Sara Shepard
HarperTeen
Hardcover: 261 pages
From Good Reads:
In Rosewood, majestic estates sprawl for acres, and Tiffany toggle bracelets dangle from every girl's wrist. But not all that glitters is gold, and the town harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine—like the truth about what really happened the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing. . . .  Back in middle school, Ali plucked Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer from obscurity and turned them into the beautiful, popular girls everyone wanted to be. Ali was the best friend they ever had. But she also made them do terrible things and taunted them with their worst secrets. Now, three years later, all their questions about Ali have finally been answered and they can put this awful chapter of their lives behind them. Or so they think.  Not every story has a happy ending, especially when four pretty little liars have done so many wicked things. In the dramatic conclusion of Sara Shepard's bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer could get everything they've ever wanted—unless A has one more horrifying twist in store.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     So, I have a new “Don’t start a series until the last book is out” policy, and I’m so glad it went into effect before I read Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars series.  I would have gone insane had I not been able to read the novels back-to-back.  By the time I reached the eighth, and final, novel in the series, I was more in love with the characters and their suspense than a gay boy to his designer wallet and plaid Sperry Topsiders.
     Wanted picks up right where we left off with Heartless, wondering who in the hell killed Ali, who in the hell Courtney is, who in the hell A is, why in the hell A is texting our four Pretty Little Liars, and why in the hell is this writing so damn good.  Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily are trying to dig up the secrets Ali left behind, and uncover the truth Courtney is hinting now.  And trying to cover up secrets of their own. All while trying to live the lives of fabulous Ivy League-bound girls.
     There is soooo much I love about this series, and Wanted, but most of all, I love the characters. Over the course of eight books and 1,600 pages, I grew to love Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily. I read them when they were funny, I read them when they were sad, I read them when they were bitchy, and I read them when they were scared as fuck! These characters and I have been through so much together. LOL. Going into Wanted, I was so scared I was gonna lose one! I mean, this series is a little creepy and unexpected, so you never know who’s gonna die or what’s gonna happen!
     I read Wanted with a goal: to find out what really happened to Ali, and who’s really stalking these girls. I wanted answers, and I was gonna be pissed if I didn’t get them. Luckily, I did get answers! And boy, were they complex ones. The plot twists in Wanted were more unexpected than I could’ve ever imagined, and I was very, very pleased with the finale to my new favorite series. :)

#####

There Will Always Be Times When You Feel as Though the World Wishes You Were Dead

Julie Anne Peters is one of my favorite writers. She’s unafraid to speak about topics  people may categorize as “inappropriate for teens.” Sexuality, bullying, suicide, Julie’s written it all.  And today she’s here to share an article she found that speaks out about bullycide.


Julie Anne Peters is the author of 17 books for young adults and children. Her YA novel, Luna, was a National Book Award finalist, a Colorado Book Award winner, and an American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults. Her other books include Define “Normal,” Keeping You a Secret, Between Mom and Jo, and Rage: A Love Story. Her newest YA novel is By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead. Ms. Peters is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Pen America, the Authors Guild, and the Colorado Authors’ League. She lives in Wheat Ridge, Colorado with her partner, Sherri Leggett. More information about the author and her books can be found on the Web at:  www.JulieAnnePeters.com

While I was researching my novel about bullycide, BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, I'LL BE DEAD, I ran across this powerful piece written by Kate. It said everything I would've liked to say to anyone considering suicide. I hope it speaks to you the same way it did to me.

For you, 

There will always be times when you feel as though the world wishes you were dead, and everyone seems to be either ignoring you, or has abandoned you. There will be times when you wonder why exactly you have been placed upon this earth, and times when you cannot, for the life of you, understand why the people around you do and feel as they say they do. 

There will be times when you cannot bring yourself to believe any good thing that anyone else tells you, and times when your memories haunt you, filling you with so much pain you feel you are just about to burst with it. And there will be times when you feel as though everyone is out to get you, for some reason or another. 

And then, there are the times when you feel nothing, when you care about nothing, when all you wish to do is fall upon a bed and sleep for a thousand years. There are times when you cannot find the energy to do anything at all, and you tell yourself that you are lazy, and you are stupid, and you shouldn't even bother to try and do anything, because all you are going to do is fail. 

But you would be wrong. 

All through these times, you will believe the worst, or some version of things that is close to the worst. You will believe the things people tell you in anger and hatred and despair; and ignore the things told you in happiness and love and friendship. You cannot explain why; you can't understand it yourself. It just is. 

But you would still be wrong. 

No matter what times you happen to be going through, you may feel as though things will never get better. And people will only be kidding you if they tell you that things will always be better than this. With every person who tells you things are going to get better one day very soon, you doubt what they say even more. You believe, even stronger than before, that things are never going to get any better than this. 

Again, you would be wrong. 

No, things will not always be better. We do not live in a utopian world, we do not live in paradise or heaven or any place that is even close to that. Yes, there will always be horrors in life, things that most everyone would cringe to have to face. And yes, there will always be events that bring your world crashing down around you. 

But that is not all there is to this world. 

There is the joy of receiving the perfect gift from someone you love, the warmth of being held in the arms of a friend, the laughter shared over some joke or another, the happiness in seeing you've made someone else smile. There is the satisfaction of knowing you've made someone’s day that little bit brighter, the wonder of holding a newly born kitten in your arms, and the delight in just being in the presence of those you cherish. 

There may be times when you feel as though you may never smile again. 

But there are also times when you feel as though nothing could wipe the broad grin off your face. 

For all the times that the sun sets upon your world, the sun will rise the same amount of times, in all of its glorious splendor, forever reminding us of the light that counteracts the dark. 

For without sorrow, there would be no joy. 
Without darkness, there would be no light. 
And without hatred, there would be no love.

 It's almost impossible for a person to deal with serious thoughts of suicide alone. During crisis, part of you might want to die, but another part of you — if even a small part — wants to live.

As far as counseling, if you're not in school and you're uninsured, please realize there are options. You can look in the local phone book for mental health care providers or centers that accept patients on a sliding fee scale, or on a fee-for-service basis.

In any case, you can be proud for reaching out to get help dealing with this difficult issue. Please continue to reach out and get the help you deserve. Through this, it might help to remind yourself about that part of you that wants to live.

Please hang in there.

(Excerpted from Kate at Sheroes…)

I Think James Kli$e Totally Just Ripped Ke$ha Off…

Released: September 1, 2010
Title: Love Drugged
Author: James Kli$e
Paperback: 312 pages
Flux (I love Flux books!)
From Good Reads:
Fifteen-year old Jamie Bates has a fail-safe strategy for surviving high school: fit in. Keep a low profile. And, above all, protect his biggest secret—he’s gay. So when a classmate discovers the truth, a terrified Jamie decides it’s time to change. After accepting flirtatious advances from Celia, the richest and most beautiful girl in school, Jamie steals an experimental new drug that’s supposed to “cure” his attraction to guys. At first, Jamie thinks he’s finally on track to living a “normal” life. But at what cost? As the drug’s side effects worsen and his relationship with Celia heats up, Jamie begins to realize that lying and using could shatter the fragile world of deception that he’s created—and hurt the people closest to him.  A star-crossed romance with humor and heart, Love Drugged explores the consequences of a life constructed almost entirely of lies . . . especially the lies we tell ourselves.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     Flux has grown into one of my favorite YA publishers, and I’m always uber-excited to see what their newest batch of books are. You know, only book-addicts have favorite publishers, and a lot of my blogging friends and I get into long debates about this. And I’m always “Team Flux! Can’t whoop us, Harper! Say somethin’, Simon and Schuster!” Why? Because their covers are gorgeous, and the books have ridiculous amounts of creativity. With a title like “Love Drugged” and a cover that looks like somebody (Madea) broke outta rehab, you can’t say you wouldn’t wanna check more of their stuff out.
     Jamie Bates just wants to fit in, as does every other teenager in the world. But, unlike every other teenager in the world, he has a secret to protect—he’s gay. When, accidentally, someone at his school finds out, Jamie decides it’s time for a change. Good, right? He’s gonna come out and be all fabulous and happy, right? Hah, no. Jamie wants to convert to being straight. With the aide of a little blue pill (omg, I think the pill was blue… I’m gonna feel like an idiot if someone’s like “Actually, Brent, on page 39 the pill was described as pink” and then I’ll be like “FUCK sensory details, okay?”)
     I loved the idea of this novel. The whole thing of letting a pill define your identity was intriguing  enough, without the rehab cover that I love sososo much.
     As the book went on, I kind of started to hate the MC, Jamie. Not because he was a whiny bitch, or he murdered kittens, or anything like that, but for the obvious reasons. He hated being gay so much he took pills to suppress his attraction to men. And that’s like, my pet-peeve. People who’re like, “You think I like being gay? You think I like being outcasted?”  Uhm, I don’t know about you, but I have freaking gay parties. I would nevereverever wanna be straight. It sounds too boring. And Jamie was like the epitome of I-don’t-wanna-be-gay-this-sucks. And I just feel ehh towards those type of characters. Because I use to be like that, like in eighth grade. (OMG, I also loved Sarah Palin back  then. WTF? Was I high?!) But it was important to the story for Jamie to feel that way,  and my grin was from ear to ear when he realized he should start having gay parties (like me!). The coming-of-age theme was done perfectly. :)
     Besides the main focus being Jamie and him finding his true self, I loved the supporting characters. They were probably my second favorite thing about Love Drugged. The faux-relationship Jamie builds with the rich, attractive, sweet local girl, Celia, was written very well. I loved seeing how, you know, Celia started to get really, really serious, and Jamie was still battling the fact that Celia didn’t have a di—you know what it is. And Jamie’s best friend, Wes. Omg. I hated this kid at the start of this novel. “That’s so gay. That’s so gay.” We was about to get hostile up in here. And in Jamie’s descriptions of Wes, he always put-off the feeling that Wes would react terribly if he knew Jamie was gay. At the end, Jamie FINALLY (!!!!) gave Wes the chance, and I was as pleased as Jamie with the outcome.
     I really, really (no, really) enjoyed Love Drugged. It  wasn’t really all that emotional, but it was smart, funny, and original. And seriously? Any book that is ever named after a Ke$ha song will automatically get a spot on my favorite’s shelf.

Dang, girl!

Released: September 7, 2010
Title: Dark Song
Author: Gail Giles
Hardcover: 304 pages
Little, Brown
From Good Reads:
Mark said he heard the dark song when he creeped houses. The song the predator's heart sings when it hears the heart of the prey. I heard it now. Mark said it had always been in me. Lurking. Waiting for me to hear. Ames is not the person she was a few months ago. Her father lost his job, and her family is crumbling apart. Now, all she has is Marc. Marc, who loves her more than anything. Marc, who owns a gun collection. And he'll stop at nothing--even using his guns--to get what he wants. Ames feels her parents have betrayed her with their lies and self-absorption, but is she prepared to make the ultimate betrayal against them?

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     My English teacher is huge Gail Giles friend, and had been insisting that I read one of her novels. I kept pushing it off, and pushing it off. I mean, so many books, so little time, right? I completely forgot Gail was on my check-this-shit-out list, until I saw that she had a new book, Dark Song, on a couple of my favorite bloggers’ sites (Hi Eleni! Love you, girl.)  These bloggers didn’t seem to love Dark Song, but I decided to give it more than a glance, because of my teachers’ recommendation (I deserve extra-credit!) And I’m so glad I did. :) They say ones’ trash is another’s treasure, right?
     Dark Song manages to cover many different social issues, which was my main reason for reading (and loving!) it. Stuff like, family, losing wealth, friendships, fake bitches, abusive relationships (I’m a huuuuge believer in WOMEN’S RIGHTS! Omg, don’t even get me started, because this review will turn in to a Sarah Palin rant), teen rebellion, and drugzzz.  That’s a lot, right? I was very, very interested in seeing if Gail—or any writer, for that matter—could pull off writing so many topics in the span of one plot, one slew of characters, and 300 pages. She did, and she did it damn good!
     The mc of Dark Song is one that can easily be found as annoying, but isn’t. Because we get to see her motives. Like, I think that if anyone else wrote Ames’s story, I’d hate her. I’d think “Ugh, she’s so whiny and bratty.” But the story is told so close to Ames that we see why she does the stuff she does. Like Krisina of Ellen Hopkins’ CRANK trilogy! Kristina  does some pretty messed up shit, but we still sympathize and grow to love Kristina. That’s how I felt with Ames. Seeing her get lost in this urge for rebellion she felt was emotional, and you could see the worry lines across my forehead as I read this book in the span of an hour, in biology (Hehe, suck it, Mr. B! I ain’t  doing homework, I’m reading!)
     Have we all read Dreamland by Sarah Dessen? Yes we have. Remember how much you hated Rogers? Yeah, I hated Ames’s boyfriend/life-ruiner/abuser even more. Because he was the epitome of everything I hate in a guy. For one, he sagged. Uh uh, honey. If you sag, BYE! Here’s my philosophy: if ya boyfriend sags, he’s a cheater! I read the first page where Marc is introduced and was like, “Oh, no. No. Someone needs to pull his pants up. It ain’t cute.” For two, he was not sweet, nice, or funny. I am sorry, but if you’re not at least one of  those three, you gots’ to leave. And for three, he threatened Ames!!! Oh, yes he did. Ohhh, I wanted to put him in a room with Madea.
    Gail’s writing was easy for me to fall in love with. She writes simple, poetic descriptions that my eyes have a taste for. 

K-Mart or Prada? Writer or Fake?

So, we’ve all notice a trend lately in the book world: celebrities writing tongue-in-chic YA novels. Lauren Conrad did it with her debut, L.A. Candy, which landed on the New York Times bestselling list for 25 straight weeks. She continued that with L.A. Candy’s sequel, Sweet Little Lies. A lot of people had differing opinions of Lauren’s books. Some thought they were filth, and some enjoyed them. I, personally, loved them, and can’t wait for the third in the series, Sugar and Spice, which comes out October.

A couple of weeks ago, I got an advance copy of Hilary Duff’s YA debut in the mail, Elixir, which comes out in October. I didn’t even know about it until opening the package!

Now, we all know Lauren and Hilary and all of these other celebs aren’t actually writing these books. Their simply coming up with ideas and then selling those ideas to a publisher, who then hire people to write these books which will have “LAUREN CONRAD” or “HILARY DUFF” or some other celebrity hugely printed on the cover. Just for good marketing and sales and shiz. I think it’s great our favorite publishers are making bank off these books…. even if it is only because they wear a celebrity’s name. But, I wanted some other peoples' opinions, so I went to my favorite bloggers…

Melina of Reading Vacation 

Well, this is a little embarrassing, but I never heard of a ghost writer until you mentioned it.  My parents explained it a little more and now I think I understand.  So, let's get this straight.  There are people who are famous for things like acting, singing, or being in reality shows who are publishing best sellers.  The thing is, the books are actually written by real authors behind the scenes.  Good book or bad book, they become best sellers because they have the celebrity's name on them.

That's just WRONG!  I know the publisher wants to make money, but they are lying by putting the celebrity's name as the author.  I am a follow-the-rules kind of girl, so something like this just plain rubs me the wrong way.  It's sort of a slap-in-the-face to REAL authors and for sure to the actual ghostwriter.

I saw you tweet something about an author who was writing something like 200 books a year.  Um, I don't think so.  They have got to be using a whole team of ghost writers. 
Now that I know about this, I can't picture myself wanting to read ANY books that are most likely written by ghost writers.  Even if the books get great reviews, I wouldn't want to be a part of it.  I'm a bit of a goody-goody.

Jami of YA Addict 
I am not a fan of celebrity novels. It's not that I don't want celebrities writing. If they can write a fabulous story, then more power to them. But that is the thing, they are NOT writing these stories. They are getting paid to say it's their novel for the purpose of sales. Let's face it, their name sells. But it shouldn't be that way. Many writers out there have a true passion. They eat, drink and sleep writing. They pour everything they have into their craft. And how many of those writers are struggling to get picked up by a publisher?
Even the already published authors don't have it as easy as these celebrities. I have read some great novels by established authors that NEED a sequel, yet some of those authors haven't been picked up for a sequel (at least not yet). Meanwhile, Tyra Banks lands a three book deal before anything is ever written? Am I missing something here?

I haven't read anything from Lauren Conrad or any other celebrity, and I don't plan to. I'm sure they have decent stories; I bet they hire fabulous ghostwriters. That is some koolaid I refuse to sip on. I would rather spend my time and money on a story that was written by an author with a true passion for her/his work.



James of Book Chic
I actually don't mind it so much. At least, in the case of Hilary Duff, I'm really excited because I love anything she does. I'm excited to give her novel a try; it looks really interesting and seems like she probably put more work and thought into it than Lauren Conrad did (she basically wrote a fictionalized version of her life). I haven't yet read either or any celeb YA book, but I am excited to try.

I do realize of course that it does suck that they're taking up the NYT Bestseller list, but I'm hoping that their fans read their books and while waiting for the next, go on the search for more books like it that are written by the average author. I hope that reading a celeb YA book will open them up to other books and expand their horizon. I think they can definitely do some good.

 
Kristi of The Story Siren
Let’s face it, celebrities have an established fan base... Lauren Conrad, Hillary Duff... girls are going to buy their books not even caring what they are about because of the name on the cover. And that is awesome. People buying books period is awesome. The revenue from those books is going to give publishing houses the opportunity to publish more books... essentially giving an author a chance that might not have had one otherwise.

As far as the issue of ghost writers. It doesn’t bother me at all. Do you think that Francine Pascal wrote every Sweet Valley High book, she didn’t. Do you think that Cecily von Ziegesar writes every Gossip Girl novel, not even. That doesn’t make them in any less good.

I haven’t read any of Lauren’s books or Hillary’s book, but it’s not from a lack of interest. There are just so many good books out there, there isn’t enough time in the day to read them all!

 
Eleni of LaFemme Readers
Oh my darling Brent! What a great question. I honestly had no idea that these celebrities had ghost writers!? My ignorant self actually thought they wrote these books. But now thinking about it, when would they find time with their acting careers? I didn't have a problem with celebrities writing books, I mean now a days it seems like everyone is doing it. However, knowing someone else is busting their butt to give credit to a celebrity, annoys me. If Hilary Duff really wanted to write Elixir, sit down and do it. Don't make a ghost writer do the work for you, that's just laziness in my eyes.

At the same time, I understand why publishers are taking this route. Celebrities, such as Hilary Duff and Lauren Conrad, attract young adults. I, for one, liked watching The Hills, when Lauren was still on it. So, of course I am curious to see what her series is about. I have yet to read it, but to be honest the only reason I wanted to was to see her creative, writing ability. Now, that it might be someone else's work I'm not as interested. I feel like that person is getting robbed, it should be their name on NY Times Best Seller list.

I've also recently heard that Tyra Banks was going to write a Young Adult series. Or should I say ghost write it? I'm not a huge fan of her, even though I did enjoy some episodes of her talk show. Knowing she wants to write a Young Adult book makes me nauseous. I mean haven't we had enough of her top model TV show. I mean the first book is called 'Modelland' can't she write about something else? Anyways, I might be ranting right now but most likely I'll contradict myself by picking books up by ghost writing non-celebrities. At the end of the day, my curiosity gets the best of me! :)

End Results:
Pro-Celeb Novels: 3; Brent, James, and Kristi
Anti-Celeb Novels: 2;Melina and Jami
Switzerland: 1; Eleni

That’s what we think! But,

what about you?

In My Mailbox (September 17, 2010)

In May Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

For Review:



Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting (A HUGE xoxo to Melissa of HarperTeen!)

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (I’m so excited for this one! Ellen Hopkins blurbed about it, and the storyline seems beautiful! Thanks to Casey of Random House!)

I Am J by Cris Beam (I’m so happy I got this! It’s about a trans teen, and you know me, I’m very curious about trans people. A super huge thanks to the fabulousness that is Little, Brown’s publicity department.)

Dark Song by Gail Giles (I just  finished this one, and loved it! Thanks to Sara of Little, Brown, yo.)

Some updates:

Despite rumors, I am not quitting blogging. I’ve had a blast talking about what I love, YA, with you guys, and I don’t see an end for The Naughty Book Kitties anywhere near!

Have you followed me on Twitter, yet? You should: @NaughtyBlogging

Oh, and guess what? I'm gon' be in the December issue of VOYA! Cool, right? I don't even remember what in the hell I wrote for them, I just remember it was something about banned books.

Nobody does it better,

Brent

If You Like Unicorns, This Book Is NOT For You, Because There Are NO Unicorns!

Released: August 31, 2010
Title: Paranormalcy
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Hardcover: 352 pages
From GoodReads:
Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie's always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.  Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures. So much for normal.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     The pre-pub buzz for this book was insane, so I knew not reading it wasn’t an option. That, and the cover, had me sold. And when I actually read the summary, I knew it was my new favorite book. Even before reading it. LOL. My friends told me great things about Paranormalcy, so I expected a lot out of it. And it—magically—exceeded my expectations.
     Evelyn (Evie for short) has worked for the International Paranormal Containment Agency for as long as she can remember. It’s her life, fighting and tagging Vampires and Werewolves by day, and chilling with her mermaid best friend, Alisha, watching teen gossip shows by night. (Don’t lie! You know you watch those shows too! With your mermaid bff!) Evie’s never been able to achieve her dream: being normal. She has no hope, really, what with having a Faerie ex-boyfriend and Shape-Shifting crush. That’s bleeping paranormal to the t! And Evie’s life gets even farther from normal when the paranormals she’s worked hard to tag and capture start mysteriously dying, and the Faeries start prophesizing about her…
     I haven’t head as much reading a YA book as I did with Paranormalcy in a loo-ooong time. Evie is very, very easy to relate to, and quite funny. I enjoyed getting to know her as the novel progressed. Seriously, dude, she’s funny. You know Sophie Mercer from Hex Hall? Yeah, she’s just as funny! Actually, when discussing Paranormalcy with Rachel Hawkins on Twitter, she agreed that Sophie and Evie would be bffs fo’ lifeee. I loved how Evie was just fun. I mean, we’re all teens (well, mostly, I have adult readers haha) and we all just wanna have fun. And Evie wanted love: what all teens want! (Omg, off topic, but guess what? I saw two of my ex-boyfriends holding hands the other day! It kinda makes me mad when I dated the both of them. But whatever. They buttah.) Evie was spunky and funny to point where we see her as believable and real. I can’t wait to get to know her better as Kiersten continues the series. :)
     Paranormalcy is very, very original and creative. I love the idea of an International Paranormal Containment Agency, and the diverse cast of characters are ones new and tasty to the YA readership. Evie’s love interests are pretty complex, themselves! Kiersten wrote a novel where, throughout the story’s entirety, we root for one character, yet when we near the end, we feel a pang of sympathy towards the other! Aprilynne Pike blurbed about Paranormalcy, saying “The two paranormals who vie for Evie’s affections both had their own victory; one won Evie’s heart and the other one mine.” True that, Aprilynne! Now, having finished Paranormalcy, I’m torn between the two sexy paranormals.
     Paranormalcy is a fun-loving, sweet, romantic, deadly (oh, oxymorons!) YA debut. I have nothing but praise for the writing, characters, and plotline. I see why Paranormalcy debuted on the NYT Bestselling list the first week it hit shelves.

Cover: Five Stars!
Characters: Five Stars!
Plot: Five Stars!
Ending: Five Stars!
Originality: Five Stars!


I have to do this, I have to include this song in my review! *Clasps hands over ears, voices scream in the crazy gays boys head*

No, Dragons Getting It On Isn’t Awkward At All! Oh, And Ke$sha, What're YOU Doing Here?

Released: September 8, 2010
Title: Firelight
Author: Sophie Jordan
Published: HarperTeen
Hardcover: 323 pages
From GoodReads:
With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
      Okay, let’s be honest: dragons are kind of nerdy. In seventh grade, while my friends and I were obsessed with vampires, the boys with Pokemon lunch boxes would talk about “Eragon!” and  “Lord of the Rings!” and shit, and I was always like, “Eee, get a life.” (Gosh, I was a diva.) If you would’ve told me “In Fall 2010 you’re gonna read a novel about dragons and love it,” I woulda replied “Boy, you buttah.”
      Firelight is a wonderful new start to a bright series following Jacinda, a member of a draki clan, who’re descendants of dragons, with the ability to shift form into humans. Jacinda is a jem among them, with the rare ability to breathe fire. Once she finds out her clan has not-so-sweet plans for her future, her and her mother and sister rush to live among the world, as humans. But making the shift from draki to mortal isn’t that easy…. and especially not when that guy Jacinda’s totally crushing on is a dragon-hunter, awakening her inner-draki. Damnit….
     Jacinda is fluid, fierce, and relatable. But most of all, fierce! I’m big on women’s rights,  so I love this new trend of strong female protagonists, and while Jacinda might be following this trend, she’s very unlike other strong female protagonists. First of all, she’s selfless. Everything she does is either out of love for her family, or love for someone else. And I liked that, as the novel progressed, we see Jacinda growing more independent and self-respecting. The choices become about what she wants. Not what anyone else wants. And I respect that. I see so many girls—my friends, girls at school, in books—that follow the life plan their parents set up for them, verbatim. And it pisses me off!
      The greatest part of any story is the love. And that’s definitely true for Firelight! The indecisiveness of Jacinda when confronted with her deepening relationship with Will felt natural and real, like push-and-pull, yin-and-yang. The ending broke my heart, and I WANT THE SEQUEL + A HAPPY ENDING DANG IT.
      Firelight isn’t Sophie Jordan’s first published novel… She’s actually already well-known in the romance world, and you can definitely tell from reading Firelight! The writing was emotional and the tension was strong, more so than the average YA. I was surprised that, by the end, I was so on edge with Jacinda and the crew I  got a headache. Which is a good thing!

A Slow Suicide; Never Meant To Leave You

So, today I have my friend Alex to share some of his poetry on suicide! Alex is a legit aspiring verse novelist, and I freakin’ love his stuff. Enjoy…

A Slow Suicide
The sun was shining
in the distance,
I couldn’t feel the light.
I was drifting away
with all my resistance,
falling on a cold
dark
night.
I was living my life
in a fast
pace,
never left behind
a
trace.
Running fast
towards a great
collide, and
standing
still
in a slow
suicide.

Never Meant To Leave You
I never knew my life would become
so out of touch, and words
must have went
unspoken
You tried to save this fast
sinking
heart,
but I slipped
right through your hands.
I left you b r o k e n.
Healing moves slow
when the mind is set
on the past.
You were always willing to run,
wipe
          away
the
blood.
You took a deep b r e a t h
and stood their
strong.
But I was pulling you through a forest
of thorns, and
sinking
mud.
Forgiving myself
has been a heavy cross
to shoulder.
I look in the mirror, a reflection
of someone I used
to be.
I tried to make it back around
to that saving place,
but I was lost
far,
and you slipped away
from me.
I never meant to leave you.
I wonder how our lives
would have been different,
would we still be
together?
If I would have never discovered
how it feels, and if I had never
s w a l l o w e d
a bottle 
of
pills. 

Alex Henry, born in 1983, resident of Houma, Louisiana, started writing at a young age.

He enjoys reading poetry and verse novels, and is currently working on his own novel in verse. He has been greatly inspired by Ellen Hopkins and Carol Lynch Williams.

Ellen Hopkins on Writing, Her Daughter, and Censorship!

I had the privilege of interviewing one of my favorite writers and my idol, Ellen Hopkins. Ellen is very well-known for writing on topics that need to be written about: sexuality, drug abuse, addiction, prostitution. Recently, she was disinvited from the Houston Teen Book Festival because a few librarians and parents were scared Ellen would corrupt their children. (Pretend I’m not saying this, children cover your ears: Fuck you Houston librarian! Damn mother fucking Republican, say somethin’! Can’t whoop us!)  Ellen is the reason some writers, like Melissa de la Cruz, have canceled on the Houston Teen Book Festival,  and she’s working hard against censorship against YA! If you haven’t read any of her novels, I highly suggest you do.

Out of all the books you've written, which do you think is the most powerful?
Probably Tricks. It's five POV characters, and all their stories are very different, but it would be hard to say whose is the toughest. Three of those stories, BTW, are rooted in reality, all readers' stories.
And which has been challenged/banned the most?
I'm not sure, because I don't hear about all the challenges, but just by virtue of its being around the longest, probably Crank.
Does it hurt to have all of these librarians, *glares at Houston Teen Book Festival*, see you as a some kind of corrupter of children? It can't feel good...
It doesn't really hurt my feelings. However, I really don't understand it. I'm starting to think, in the wake of all this controversy, that it's not only the content of my books they're afraid of, it's my ideas. Wow. Who knew I was so powerful? I just want to give my readers great stories, and hopefully convince them to choose a positive path.
Even after all of this challenging and banning and controversy, do you ever doubt what you write?
No way. These stories pour from me. I believe in a higher power, and think I was meant to do what I do, to write what I write. Few enough authors are willing to tackle these issues, but so many readers need them.
What are you most proud of yourself for?
I guess for finding a place I so definitely belonged within the world of publishing. I've always been a storyteller, and to have found a way for my stories to speak to so many readers is humbling. And BTW, midst the latest controversy, I'm afraid a lot of people don't find me "humble." I don't believe success has gone to my head. But if I feel something is worth fighting for, I don't back away.
What does your daughter think of your CRANK series? Does she have any opposition to you writing it?
When I started the book, she was in prison and still coming down from six years of meth use. She wasn't particularly happy about it then. But by the time she got out, clean, she began to see how much good the book was doing. She's good with it now, and gave me more of the scenes you'll find in Glass.
What keeps you writing? What's your motivation?
Easy. I love what I do. Getting paid to do it is icing. I'm all about the cake.
What's the worst thing about being disinvited from the Houston Teen Book Festival? The humiliation, the fact that those kids' books are being censored, what's the worst?
The worst thing is that kids hungry to see their favorite authors will be denied that. Although, at least a couple of us very well may turn up at a different event in Houston in the spring. Still working out those details. Will let you know when they're confirmed.
Out of all of your novels, which one has been the most difficult to write?
The hardest was Glass because it illustrates the deepest part of "Kristina's" addiction. That was the worst time of my life. There were pages I had to come back to  after putting them away for a while.
Are you ever going to stop writing about the topics that NEED to be written just because of what a librarian or teacher says?
Ahem. Me? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Thanks, so much, Ellen! It’s an honor to live in 2010, having access to the beautiful truths that you write.

Ellen’s Website

Ellen on Facebook

Ellen on Twitter

Ellen's latest book: Fallout, out today.

If You Dig Hot Guys In Eye-Liner, This Book Is For YOU!

Released: August 31, 2010
Title: Nevermore
Author: Kelly Creagh
Publisher: Athenum
Hardcover: 528 pages
From GoodReads:
Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.  Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.
His life depends on it

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     Whenever I tell people I’m from Kentucky, they immediately think of cows and boots. Uhm, no. I most definitely do not live with cows, and whoever actually wears cowboy boots is no friend of mine. That being said, I’m  always  uber glad to hear writers from Kentucky make it big with mainstream YA publishing houses! I was browsing through one of my favorite blogs, LaFemme Readers, when I saw the spooky, thrilling cover of Nevermore. Moving my eyes slowly down the computer screen, I saw that Eleni of LaFemme Readers thought very highly of Nevermore, so it immediately got bumped-up on my TBR list.  Well, then I glanced through the writers website, and it said she was from and worked at the Louisville Public Library, so I was like,  “Hell yeah, Kelly, gotta represent!”
      Nevermore is about a girl—a cheerleader!—named Isobel, who’s growing tired of her life. Same friends, same family, same routine. Isobel needs a change. But she doesn’t know what to expect when her usual crowd is thrown out of her life, replaced by that quiet, creepy dude, Varen. Forced to work on an English project together, Isobel and Varen must actually, like, spend time together and get to know each other a bit more intimately. And what Isobel finds is that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. And Edgar Allan Poe, the classic American writer, may be the root of it all.
     Isobel is cool and all, but she didn’t capture my sympathy or heart. VAREN DID. Seriously, y’all, Varen’s freaking hot. Just like Eleni asked, isn’t his name hot?! He’s like, a nice bad boy, who makes your heart ache with love (lust! We are teenagers!)  You know Patch from Hush, Hush? Yeah, he can suck it, because you’ll love Varen more. Isobel hit it big, because Varen is sweet and sexy.
     The whole fantasy-part of Nevermore was pretty damn creative. I love how it’s all based on dreams, writing, creativity, and going crazy. And throwing Edgar Allan Poe to the mix only made it better! Kelly ties Edgar in as a supporting character, and it’s interesting to see this alternative.  I love reading a book and being able to immediately tell what the inspiration was. I could do that with Nevermore. :) It’s easy to identify Poe as a big inspiration to the characters and plotline. That's how I determine whether a novel is really great. If I can tell the inspiration.
       Nevermore has got to be one of my favorite 2010 debuts. It has all the components of  an amazing YA novel. A sympathetic, fun main character; a sexy, dark dude; a perfectly-paced plotline; a classic-inspired story arc; and a damn good love story! The only thing Nevermore is missing? A spot on the NYT Bestselling list.

Cover: Five Stars!
Characters: Five Stars1
Plot: Four Stars!
Ending: Five Stars!
Originality: Four Stars!

In My Mailbox + Week In Links (September 12, 2010)

In May Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Week In Links is hosted by ME! It’s where you post about interesting and cool stuff from other bloggers! Share the love. (And your ass better quote me on that shit!)

For Review:


Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (Thanks to Kim from HarperTeen!)

The Ivy by Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur (Thanks to Melissa from HarperTeen!)

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh (Thanks to my home biscuit Paul from Simon & Schuster, yo.)

Week In Links:

I was interviewed by Jami of YA Addict, I freaking love her!

Shay Doran posted the second episode to Shadow Days!

Literary Agent Rachelle Gardner posted about acquisitions meetings!

Sarah Ockler wrote about what censorship teaches kids!

You know I love you,

Brent

Gays, Goths, and Ghosts GTS-ing!

Released: March 2007

Title: Vintage

Author: Steve Berman

Publisher: Lethe Press

Paperback: 200 pages

Synopsis:
In a small New Jersey town, a lonely teen walking along a highway one autumn evening meets the boy of his dreams, a boy who happens to have died decades ago and haunts the road. Awkward crushes, both bitter and sweet, lead him to face youthful dreams and childish fears. With a cast of offbeat friends, antiques, and Ouija boards, Vintage offers readers a memorable blend of dark humor, chills and love. Vintage was finalist for the 2008 Andre Norton Award for best young adult speculative fiction by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and in the category of Best Novel for the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards!

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
       Steve Berman is the freaking shiz. The coolest 23-year-old I know! And I knew, before even reading Vintage, that awesomeness would transpire into his writing (he threatened to write about me and fat boys! Eww, right?) And after finishing Vintage, it was confirmed! Both Steve and his writing are equally supah fly.
        So, the main character in Vintage is unnamed. Hmm. How in the hell am I supposed to write a review without mentioning his name?! Uhhh, let’s make up one for him? We gon’ call him J-Wow! I love the name J-Wow, so yeah. Anyways, J-Wow is a very lonely, very macabre teen, living with his aunt in a small New Jersey town. After creeping on someone’s funeral one evening with his best friend, Trace, he walks along a quiet road. And he meets himself a boy! A cute one, too. But,  as he soon finds out, this boy, Josh, is dead. And he has been for fifty or so years. Fuck, right? J-Wow just had to fall in love with a ghost…
      I liked J-Wow! A lot! At first, I was like “Are you serious? A depressed gay kid?” But it wasn’t that J-Wow was a depressed gay kid, just lonely. (Oh, aren’t we all.) He felt real, and it only helped that he was cast with the perfect crew of friends. Trace and all them fit into the story well. You know how in your group of friends there’s a lot of diversity, but you all are also very similar to each other? Yeah, that’s definitely the case for J-Wow’s crew. They kinda creeped me out, but then I was like, “Oh, what the hell. They’re just characters.”
       Vintage was a lot of different things. It was scary as fuck; it was sorta weird; it was original, definitely (read: crazy); and freaking ghosts have sex in this book! I’m totally serious! Like, J-Wow actually does it with a ghost. Hehe, and it’s not even that awkward, really.


Cover: I’m not even gonna go there.
Characters: Five Stars! (You get you some, J-Wow!)
Plot: Four Stars!
Originality: Five Stars!
Ending: Five Stars!

Oh, and Steve is currently

looking for a lover. If you're

interested, email me and I

will set you up! LOLOLOL.

Shay Freakin’ Doran From Nightshade Made Me A Video!

Omg.

So you guys know how I totally love Nightshade by Andrea Cremer, right? And how Shay Doran is my lover? Yeah, well Shay is so in love with me he even made me a video! Hehe, Calla, I gawt your man.

 

Shay sent me a beautiful flower (the one on the cover of Nightshade), wrapped in the ripped pages of a book!

Isn’t he sweet?

You see how he's sitting on his bed? Hehe, I wonder what he's thinking...

Shay’s first episode is below!

Awesome, right?

Shay’s Facebook

Shay’s Blog