In My Mailbox (October 31, 2010)

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

For Review:

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Thanks to S&S and HarperTeen!




Gifts:

Wanderlust by Lucy Silag, from Lucy Silag!

Isn’t so cool how she signed it in French? It is!

Happy Halloween, my loves!

Today, it is OKAY to dress like a major hoe!

Jumpstart The World Review + Giveaway

Released: October 12, 2010

Jumpstart The World
Catherine Ryan Hyde

Hardcover; 192 pages
KNOPF

Elle is a loner. She doesn’t need people. Which is a good thing, because she’s on her own: she had to move into her own apartment so her mother’s boyfriend won’t have to deal with her.

Then she meets Frank, the guy who lives next door. He’s older and has a girlfriend, but Elle can’t stop thinking about him. Frank isn’t like anyone Elle has ever met. He listens to her. He’s gentle. And Elle is falling for him, hard.

But Frank is different in a way that Elle was never prepared for: he’s transgender. And when Elle learns the truth, her world is turned upside down.  Now she’ll have to search inside herself to find not only the true meaning of friendship but her own role in jumpstarting the world.

Tender, honest, and compassionate, Jumpstart the World is a stunning story to make you laugh, cry, and honor the power of love.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     It’s Catherine Ryan Hyde, dawg! I don’t even have to say anything. Her name on a book is enough for me to say “Oh, I’m  for sure gonna read that.” Because she’s developed into one of my favorite writers—and she’s quite an awesome person, too! I was super excited to read JUMPSTART THE WORLD, Catherine’s latest LGBT novel.
     JUMPSTART opens with a fifteen-year-old girl, Elle, moving into a new apartment. Paid for by her mother. Left to start a new year at a brand new school, Elle knows no one except the dude who lives nearby, who offers to help with packing. Frank.
     After her mother leaves Elle to the silence of her new apartment, she befriends Frank, eventually chopping a big deal of her hair off. Making her hair style similar to Frank’s. Not to her own, benefit, though. On her first day of school, she sees the word “QUEER” tattooed to her locker. As you can see, KIDS ARE MEAN ASS BITCHES Elle doesn’t really fit in at school.
     But she soon makes friends with an interesting, fun crowd. The gay kids. And Frank, the guy she kinda sorta started to crush on, is a part of this group. He fits into the transgender niche.
     First of all, let me show you the exact thoughts that ran through my head as I finished JUMPSTART: Omigod. Omigod. *Squee* I love Catherine so freakin’ much. She’s awesome. Her books are awesome. JUMPSTART was awesome. But why in the hell is there a cat on the cover? Major turn-off. But whatever. Omg. Catherine writes great characters. She’s awesome. Wait I already said that like five times. Whatever. Elle was so great. Frank was great. Everyone was great. Except for the MEAN ASS KIDS WHO WROTE “QUEER” ON ELLE’S LOCKER. I loved Catherine’s characters in this one. I always love her characters, but especially this one. And omg she can  write a damn good theme like a mofo! Hey did I mention I love Catherine?
     See? Yeah, that was some pretty major rambling going on all up in my head. I can’t even begin to try to turn that into a review. This is like a non-review. It’s like a confession of love. I luffed everything about it. The characters, the message, the symbolism. I really don’t see how anyone could’ve written a better trans YA novel.
     I liked seeing how Elle was this angry, hurt girl at the beginning, and then as she met these people—and became friends with them—she just looked at everything differently. You know, after she herself gets ostracized she looks at the world from her friend’s point-of-view, and realizes what a fucked-up place we live in (because we do! Ha ha!). Elle had to learn about caring for other people, outside of ourselves, and I think Catherine writes in such a way that the reader actually learns these things along with Elle. That’s one of the best things I think a writer can give his or her readers. A lesson to learn along with his/her characters.

I have one finished copy of JUMPSTART THE WORLD to give away (huge thanks to the Teen Book Scene and KNOPF!)

All you have to do is fill out THIS FORM to enter!

Good luck, dawg!

Get A Map

Released: October 26, 2010
Misguided Angel
Melissa de  la Cruz

Hyperion
Hardcover; 256 pages

After inheriting the dark Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler fled to Florence with her forbidden love, Jack. Now the two of them must embark on the mission Schuyler was destined to complete: to find and protect the five remaining gates that guard the earth from Lucifer, lord of the Silver Bloods.

Back in New York, Mimi has been elected Regent of a crumbling coven. Struggling with her heartache over the loss of Kingsley and with her overwhelming desire to destroy Jack, she must focus all of her energy on a perilous new threat. Vampires are being abducted and their captors are planning to burn them alive online…for all the world to see. Help arrives in the form of Deming Chen, a Venator from Shanghai, who must untangle the web of deceptions before the killers strike again.

As the young vampires struggle for the survival of the coven, they uncover a deadly secret, a truth first discovered by Schuyler’s mother during the Renaissance but kept buried for centuries. And as the Blue Blood enclave weakens yet further, fate leads Schuyler to a terrible choice that will ultimately map the destiny of her heart

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     It’s here, it’s here! The fifth BLUE BLOODS novel!
     Melissa de la Cruz is my literary god. Her books are among my favorites—The Au Pairs; Girl Stays In The Picture; Blue Bloods—I’m never, ever disappointed with her writing. I fell in love with her books four years ago, when I was a sixth-grader! It was Christmas break when I came across BLUE BLOODS, and I was amazed by how I could get so caught up in a book. So, Mel is definitely the one that instilled my passion for YA lit. :]
     The year-long wait for the latest in the BLUE BLOODS series is one that always kills me. I mean, for real dawg, that’s a whole twelve months. That’s longer than pregnancy! You’re damn right that when October comes, I am ready to devote 12 hours of my night to reading the latest in the series. (Though, for the record, I read MISGUIDED ANGEL in 2.5 hours.)
     MISGUIDED ANGEL opens right where THE VAN ALEN LEGACY leaves off. Schuyler, who inherited the Van Alen Legacy, trying to locate and protect the five gates that guard the world from Lucifer with her totally-forbidden uber-hot lover, Jack. And then there’s Mimi, in New York, trying to rule over a crumbling coven. And then there’s Super-Cool-Super-Mysterious-New-Character, trying to solve one damn intriguing mystery.
     MISGUIDED ANGEL was more of action-y book. Yeah, all of the BLUE BLOODS book are action-filled, but MISGUIDED ANGEL especially. In THE VAN ALEN LEGACY, a lot of questions about Schuyler’s—and the Blue Bloods’—past was revealed, and it was quite a lot of info. to take in. The fact that we get a break from all that with MISGUIDED ANGEL was very nice.  We can only handle so much plot-reveal, right?
      One of my favorite things about this one—we’re introduced to a new character! In THE VAN ALEN LEGACY, we said goodbye to Bliss. Bliss was one of my characters, and I’m glad she’s getting her own series (April 2012, by the way). But the BLUE BLOODS series has always told the story of three characters, and it wouldn’t have seem right to only get Mimi’s and Schuyler’s side this go-around.
Anyway, about this new character. Don’t wanna give too much away, but her name’s Deming Chen, and she’s a venator from Shanghai (I totally killt that spelling). I really, really liked her, and can’t wait to read more about her in the future books.
     Overall, I loved MISGUIDED ANGEL. I mean, duh, right? I’ve never been disappointed with a BLUE BLOODS novel.

Alex Talks About 2011 (No, bitches, we're not gonna die on 12/12/12)

Hey, loves. Today I have Alexander B of Electrifying Reviews here to guest post. Enjoy! XO, Brent

So my friend Brent here asked me to do a guest post. Since he was so, so desperate, I decided I would do him this small favor, since he has done some for me in the past. And because he is straight-up fabulous. So I decided it would be cool to show you 10 books I am excited to read in 2011.


10. Haven by Kristi Cook

Violet McKenna isn't a normal girl with normal teenage issues; she has more to contend with than most people could handle. Violet thought she was just crazy when she had a vivid vision of her dad's murder. Her life started falling apart when her premonition came true. She's had flashes of other events too. The problem was nobody believed her until she found a new school: Winterhaven. At Winterhaven, Violet finally feels like she belongs. She quickly finds a close group of friends and discovers that they too have psychic 'gifts'--as do all the students at Winterhaven. But as soon as she feels settled she discovers the most intriguing and alluring boy she has ever met, and things quickly go awry. As the attraction between them grows, intense visions of the boy's death start to haunt her. In her premonitions the secret he is unwilling to share begins to reveal itself. And to Violet's horror, she learns that their destinies are intertwined in a critical--and deadly--way.

I don’t know what about this book makes me want to read it so bad. The cover isn’t spectacular, and the description doesn’t stand out too much from some other books, but I am just dying to read it.

9. Midnight by L.J. Smith

The vampire love triangle that spawned hundreds of thousands of fans-and inspired a hit television show-concludes in this powerful final volume of The Vampire Diaries. In Midnight, golden girl Elena Gilbert is back from the Dark Dimension, having successfully freed her vampire boyfriend Stefan Salvatore from imprisonment. Saving Stefan had an unlikely consequence: his vampire brother Damon Salvatore has become a mortal. While the trio reels from this latest twist, they must still deal with the demons that have taken over Elena's hometown, Fell's Church. As in every L.J. Smith novel, no matter how dark the night, there is always a happy ending. MIDNIGHT takes Elena, Stefan, and Damon to their darkest moments yet...Danger, romance, and paranormal mystery will keep readers fascinated with this captivating finale to the New York Times bestselling series.

This is the eighth book in the Vampire Diaries series. Technically, it is the third book in the Return trilogy, but that is pretty much just a continuation of the original series. There is also another trilogy called The Hunters starting next year. I loved the original four books, but the Return books are kinda shitty. But she is still one of my favorite authors, so I’ll read anything she ever puts out.

8. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Sexy cover and look at the stars! It’s about space, which is cool. It’s like an alien dystopian romance. How original is that! I don’t know to much about it, besides the fact that it looks effing amazing!

7. Father of Lies by Ann Turner

This novel is about the nature of evil, set in a depressing time. It is in Salem, Massachusetts, when the witchcraft cases took place. The girl Lidda is bi-polar, which can become symptomatic at puberty. So she can have hallucinations. There may be a demon possessing her. When she observes the other Salem girls, she believes they are lying.

It is about the Salem witch trials! I plan to write a book about the a decedent of some of the Salem witches, so this will be cool to read. The cover is beautiful, if you couldn’t tell.

6. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

Elves and faeries and iron tattoos! It looks so, so good! And it is a Flux book, which I love… even though I have never read any of them. But they are still fierce!

5. Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity "Claire" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch an object and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Claire's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case — but Claire is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Claire's brother — who has supernatural gifts of his own — becomes the prime suspect, and Claire can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Claire must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Super pretty cover and sounds really cool! It’s a fresh idea, and I can’t wait to read it. It does make me wonder how long the YA publishers are going to be able to get away with just slapping a pretty girl on the front of a book as a cover, however.

4. Shadowspell by Jenna Black

The Erlking and his pack of murderous minions have descended upon Avalon. The smoldering and deadly Erlking has his sights set on Dana and her rare Faeriewalker powers—but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?

LOVE THIS COVER! SO SO SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO MUCH! It has a deer on it! I kill those! Anyway, the first book was pretty good, though it lacked deer, and I really want to see where the story goes in this one. I’m pretty sure it will go well.

3. Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs

On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mer girl, true, but signing the renunciation paperwork will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being human thing once and for all.
Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer-bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form, when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?
The seafoam on the surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up. Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her dreams?

The first book got me out of a really tough time in my life, and I love Tera! She is the sweetest thing! The cover has a fin on it. That’s fucking epic. I love mermaids, they’re another creature I wish I was.

2. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.
A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.
While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember

This one looks great! Courtney is the only author I have ever met, and I even got to meet her horse, dogs, boyfriend, and mom. They were all great. She should probably find a way to get me an ARC. It looks so action-y.

1. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

Hello, did you not see the cover? If that didn’t make your mouth water, the description will! Polygamy… yay! There was a period of my life where I wanted to be Mormon, so I can relate. I love reading and hearing about polygamy… I am obviously a freak.

So those are some awesome books I am looking forward to in 2011. There are tons more, but the descriptions and covers haven’t been released yet. This was fun, Brent. Let me know if you get too desperate again. ;)

DEMONGLASS Re-Create A Cover Contest!

Here at the Naughty Book Kitties, we (read: my audience and I) are huge fans of Rachel Hawkins’s and her YA debut, HEX HALL. I’ma be straight up: that shit was dope!

I was so excited to read the second novel in the HEX HALL trilogy, DEMONGLASS. This book was even doper, dawg. And the cover? EVEN DOPER-ER!



Now, do you really want to wait a full five months to read this epicly hilarious and uber badass sequel? No. You don’t.

What can you do to get the book way sooner than March? Enter my contest, of course! One winner will get an advance reader’s copy of DEMONGLASS.

What you have to do:

Design a fine, fresh, fierce (like Katy Pery!) new cover for DEMONGLASS.

Just email me the cover you come up with, at naughtybookkittens@gmail.com

Contest rules:

• US addresses only
• One entry per person
• No nudity, or sexually explicit language
• That last bullet was a complete joke. You know we LIVE for nudity and sexually explicit language here!
• Be creative! Work hard, do ya homework, and win this book!
• All covers must be emailed to me no later than November 5th

Right after I receive all entries, I’ll post the covers on here for YOU, my readers, to vote on! I’ll then take the top five and move them on to ROUND TWO, where the winner will then be voted on again. :]

Good luck, dawg!

I’m In Love

Yes, I am, and no, his name isn’t Zach or Tom or Alex, and no, he isn’t tan at all. (BYE, right? You gotta be bronzed.)

This past week, I read both of Lauren Oliver’s novels, BEFORE I FALL and DELIRIUM. And I fell in love.

Lauren’s writing was so beautiful I had to blink twice to see if I was fo’real fo’real reading a book, rather than thumbing through that ratty ole world art book I’ve worn down so much.

I can’t even describe how obsessed I am with these two novels. If you haven’t already read BEFORE I FALL, you must. And come February, you better be the first in line to buy DELIRIUM.

New & Upcoming Releases

There are tons of great books coming out in the coming weeks, and I want to make sure you guys know  about them!

~October~

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer 10/19/10

Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz 10/26/10

The Fledgling Handbook by P.C. Cast 10/26/10

Beautiful Darkness by K. Garcia and M. Stohl 10/12/10

Elixir by Hilary Duff 10/12/10

Sugar and Spice by Lauren Conrad 10/12/10

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King 10/12/10

Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde 10/12/10

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by R. Cohn and D. Levithan 10/12/10

Hear Me, Hear Me

I have way too much shit to post about and mention to you guys, so I’m just gonna get it all done and over with here.

Catherine Ryan Hyde, my fabulous friend and one ah-masing writer, made a video of all of her readers with  her books. (I’m even in  it!) Catherine’s still looking for more photos, so that she can make another video! If you’re as in love with Catherine’s writing as I am, send her a picture of yourself with one of her books at ryanhyde(at)cryanhyde(dot)com!

Another thing, the cover for STOLEN NIGHTS, Rebecca Maizel’s sequel to her debut, INFINITE DAYS, has been revealed. This beautiful cover got me even more excited to read STOLEN NIGHTS. ‘Tis beautiful, no?




On Monday, the JUMPSTART THE WORLD blog tour starts up! You excited? You should be. The first stop will be at Kari from A Good Addiction, and Catherine Ryan Hyde will be interviewed. So, don’t forget to stop by!


BTW, I have updated the ‘About’ page! Go check it out. I have a few awesome blurbs on there, too. ;-)

Oh, and I have something super fly to show you guys! You know how Andrea Cremer’s debut novel, NIGHTSHADE, comes out in three days? And you know how one of the main characters, Shay Doran, has a Facebook page now? Well, since Shay and I are totally getting married, he drew a portrait of me! Take a look…
Awesome, no? Don’t ya wish ya husband was as talented (and fictional!) as mine?

Xoxo,
Brent

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares

Released: October 26, 2010

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares
Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Hardcover; 272 pages
KNOPF

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     My feelings for this book could easily take up 2,000 words. But they could also take up 3 words, easily. I loved it. Both Rachel Cohn and David Levithan are fabulous writers, and their October release, Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, continued that fabulosity.  They do many things so well, it’s hard to say why I loved it. I just did. The setting, though, comes to mind, first.
     Cohn and Levithan do setting so, so well. In each of their novels, the setting almost becomes a character, in and of itself. Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares is set in Manhattan, and they write it in a way where it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever read about. Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares is a trip through the most fun, intimate book stores in The City. The Strand! Ah, you lucky book people in The City. And the two main characters! You’ll love them.
      The book opens with Dash, spending his Christmas break parent-free and wandering through The City. In The Strand, he finds a red moleskin notebook. Opening it, he reads a list of dares, leading him to Lily, a single girl  looking for a boyfriend (oh, honey, aren’t we all). Dash and Lily pass the notebook back and forth through The City, completing each other’s dares. (Like, rubbing Pedophile Santa’s belly. Uhm, BYE! I wouldn’t do that for NOBODY!) Throughout the book, Dash and Lily are brought together through these crazy dares.
      It’s just so so so so so so so CUH-YUTE—the romance!  Reading Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, I felt like the best friend hooking them up. The alternating chapters made me feel intimate and close to both Dash and Lily. Their voices were distinct, and spoke loudly to me. They both had their issues, and they both had their quirks. They just belonged together! I can’t really go into more detail about them without giving you the whole book, so you just have to read it. 
     Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares was a wonderful novel, that really got me both in the mood for Christmas and a boyfriend. <—Lucky ducks, Dash and Lily.

Waiting On Wednesday (October 13, 2010)

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

What Happened To Goodbye
Sarah Dessen
May 10, 2011

What Happened to Goodbye is about a high school senior who, after her parents’ divorce, has taken up the practice of assuming a new identity in each of the four towns she’s lived in.

Y’all. Y’ALL. It’s a Sarah Dessen novel! Who in the world isn’t waiting for this one? I would sell my soul on the black market today for an advance copy of this book.

I Miss Lizzie McGuire

Released: October 12, 2010

Elixir
Hilary Duff with Elise Allen
Hardcover; 327 pages
Simon & Schuster

As the daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington D.C. politician, Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. And though she dreads the paparazzi who track her every move, she herself is a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world.

But after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful young man begin to appear in Clea’s photos—a man she has never seen in her life.

When Clea suddenly encounters this man in person she is stunned—and feels an immediate and powerful connection. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance and discover the centuries-old truth behind their intense bond.

Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fate, together they race against time to unravel their past in order to save their future—and their lives.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     Two words: Hilary Duff. Another two words: debut novel. An acronym: YA. Uhm, hello, I’m THERE! I remember being a first-grader, coming home from school and saying “Fuck it!” to homework and coloring sheets, turning on the TV and watching Lizzie McGuire. That was my show back in the day, dawg. You guys don’t know how much I squealed when I found out Hilary had written a YA novel. I confessed my love and support for celeb-written-fiction in this ghostwriting post I did with some of my blogging friends, and I was very excited to read Elixir! It was one of my most anticipated books of this Fall.
      I’m gonna get straight to the point, no bs: Elixir was amazing. The cast of characters were fun, relatable, and fun to party. The romance was perfectly written, with a helluva love-triangle. And the paranormal-aspect was thrilling. I loved the overall feel of the book.
      Elixir opens with Clea Raymond, photojournalist and daughter of a D.C. politician, partying it up with her BFF, Rayna, at a Paris nightclub. Perfect life, right? No. Clea’s father went missing a year ago, and the shock of it all still tears at her gut. Her father went missing on a humanitarian mission, and so did any clues as to whether he was dead or alive. After a while, Clea starts to notice peculiar things. Like, a shadowy guy (with gorgeous eyes!) who keeps showing up in all of her pictures—a man who she’s never met (but certainly wants to! He’s hot. Who wouldn't?) When on an exotic trip to get some photo-journaling pictures, Clea see’s this  hot dude in her pictures across the beach. When their brought together, Clea starts to uncover the truths behind her father’s disappearance, and how it plays a role in her immediate attraction to Hot Dude In Her Photos.
     Clea was a wonderful MC. She wasn’t stupid, she wasn’t slutty, she wasn’t some straight-A angel, and she wasn’t idealized. Her telling of the story was great, and seemed very real. I can’t really say she’s all that relatable because come on, ain’t nobody gonna be traveling all over the world as the daughter to a prominent politician. Get real. But Clea does have determination and logic, two things that we, as readers, can relate to! I really, really liked Clea, and most of all—her internal struggle to choose which hot dude to be with! Oh, yeah, the best part of any novel is most definitely present in Clea’s story. Love triangles!
     Elixir was equal parts fabulous and savage. The mystery compelled me to follow the entirety of Clea’s story, and the love-story part had me picking sides. It was a great debut.

Oh, and I just came across this wonderful commercial Hilary did. Reason number two-thousand why I love her!


Oh, and BTW, the lady who wrote ELIXIR alongside Hilary, Elise Allen, is equally super-fly, and you should check out her website and info. about her YA debut here: http://www.eliseallen.com/

Wow, You're A Creeper.

Released: December 1st, 2009

Beautiful Creatures
Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Hardcover and paperback; 563 pages
Little, Brown

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     Beautiful Creatures was a wonderful book that got me in the mood for October. The creepy, quiet small-town; the graveyards; the family secrets. It had everything I was looking for in a satisfying paranormal novel. I had a little problem with the pacing, but other than that, I fell in love with every piece of Ethan and Lena’s story.
      Beautiful Creatures opens with the first day of school, following Ethan Wates, the boy haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. The first day back at school in Gatlin, the small town where Ethan resides, is always the same. The Slut Biznitches are getting back into the swing of gossiping; the Football Hoes are glad to be back at their playground, scoping out girls; the Teachers are back to hating their lives. (I’d hate my life too! Uh uh, ain’t nobody trynna get me to teach some kids.) Ethan’s tired of it all. But his life in Gatlin spices up when the girl—the one that haunts his dreams—moves into Gatlin’s most notorious plantation. The Slut Biznitches and Football Hoes (who I mentioned  earlier!) automatically deem  her as freak. Now, if this were a year ago, Ethan would’ve joined in, and outcasted the girls along with his friends—again, the Slut Biznitches and Football Hoes. But now, he’s just pissed.  So, with that, Ethan abandons his friends (the Slut Biznitches and Football Hoes!) and joins Lena—the new girl—in creeper status. Instant attraction! They then go on to consume alcohol and have sex and parent dozens of babies. HA HA! No, not really. Ethan wants, Lena doesn’t, Ethan pushes, Lena doesn’t push back, Ethan starts to love her, Lena starts to hid the fact that she loves him back, and ta da! The perfect romance. But then they start to discover dark secrets—from both of their families, who seem to have an intertwined past.
     One of my favorites things about Beautiful Creatures are the characters themselves. The MC, Ethan, is completely relatable and not-at-all idealized, which is like, a must-have thing for any book to get high praise from me. I could sympathize with Ethan and the small-town thing. And for the hatred for Slut Biznitches and Football Hoes (there we go again! Love those words!). 
      Oh, and it was so, idk, interesting to read such a romantic book through the eyes of a straight guy—a foreign creature, they are! It is a moral  struggle for me to even acknowledge straight guys on my blog, but I’m trying to reach out an olive branch, and not judge them even though everything they say and do goes against the teachings of My Lord and Savior, Kathy Griffin.
     It’s kind-of like, hard to figure out exactly what kind of “beautiful creatures” this novel is about. Like, you have to get halfway through the story before you can even guess. Anyway, it’s about witches! It’s been a while since I’ve read a book about witches that’s enraptured me as much Cate Tiernan’s SWEEP series back in early 2000, so I’m so excited to have found this new series! I’ll definitely be reading the sequel soon.

In My Mailbox (October 10, 2010)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of the Story Siren.

For Review:

Spray by Harry Edge (Not my typical read—very excited, though! Thanks to Feiwel & Friends!)

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Oh. My. God. Words cannot express how happy I was to have gotten this one. Lauren’s debut novel was bee-yoo-tiful, and I can’t resist her next, sophomore novel. I started it last night and it’s unbelievably great. Huge thanks to HarperTeen, yo.)

Bought:

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (This is the only Halse Anderson book I haven’t read—so excited to read it!)

That’s all! What’d you get?

Spooky, Scary, Sexy Halloween Book Giveaway!

It’s Halloween, and I’m preparing to clean off my bookshelves for Christmas.

(Santa will bring me mounds and mounds of books!)

Anyways, I need to get rid of some books. And who better to give them to than my dear readers whom I j’adore SO MUCH? And, like, it’s October, so I’m definitely not giving Gossip Girl away—I’m not that blonde, not this month ha ha!

So, I rounded up some books I think you guys will love…





Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz (Hardcover; signed!)

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Maragaret Stohl (Paperback)

Evercrossed by Elizabeth Chandler (ARC; March 2011!)

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (ARC; October 2010!)

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting (ARC; March 2011!)

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (Hardcover)

Now I know you want these books!

All you have to do is fill out THIS FORM.

Goodluck!

I Know What You Did Last Summer.... You Read Those Books (Ha ha!)

Released: March 1st, 2010

The Body Finder
Kimberly Derting
Hardcover; 336 pages
HarperCollins

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     One of my best friends, Emily, recommended I read this way back in March. I was uber busy back then, and only got ten pages in, giving it up. Well, now about two weeks ago, Emily forced (no, she  like forced) me to start back up. And I thanked her when I was done! The Body Finder was a thrilling  mystery novel with a delightful love story.
     The novel opens with a little girl, playing in the  woods. Something’s calling to her. Pulling her in with a rhythmic pulse. Echoes, she calls them. The little girl—Violet, her name is—finds the deteriorating body of a dead girl. That’s when her parents know she’s different. Ten years later, now sixteen, Violet is still drawn to the Echoes of dead things, mostly animals. But then she happens  across the body of another teenage girl, and the local news channels keep reporting missing people—the same girls Violet is finding. A serial killer is terrorizing her small town. Violet enlists the help of her best-friend-that-she-totally-has-a-major-crush-on-who-has-a-crush-on-her-back-but-is-too-scared-to-say-anything, and together they set out to find the killer.
     First off, the characters in The Body Finder grabbed my attention more so than the mystery. I thought they were perfectly believable and easy to like. I could picture them as members of my family, so that’s a good thing—ha ha! Violet had a close connection with her parents, which was sweet. And omg girl, her best friend. She had this wonderful best-friend-that-she-totally-has-a-major-crush-on-who-has-a-crush-on-her-back-but-is-too-scared-to-say-anything-but-they-were-totally-meant-to-be-and-it’s-bs-they-won’t-do-anything-I-mean-because-they’d-be-so-cute-together-and-they-both-need-to-start-dating-today-before-I-get-mad type thing going on, and that was a joy to read.
     The other big part of the storyline, the mystery, was equally as great as the romance. I wanted to know who was killing the girls as much as Violet wanted to kiss Jay—which is a lot! Some chapters were actually in the killer’s perspective, which was I kind-of enjoyed, in a twisted sad-but-hopeful kind of way. Though, I do have to admit: when the killer was revealed, it was expected, and sort of a let-down. I expected more. But I was still pleased with the ending and the reveal.
     The Body Finder was mysterious and romantic. The storyline was original; the characters were fresh; the book was fan-tastic.

Book Trailer:

Please Don’t Ignore Vera Dietz

Released: October 12, 2010

Please Ignore Vera Dietz
A.S. King
Knopf Books
Hardcover; 336 pages

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
      Please Ignore Vera Dietz opens up with a death. And a funeral. Vera Dietz, entering her senior year of high school, has to attend her best friend’s funeral. Her best friend who she loved once. Her best friend who she hates now. Her best friend who screwed her over. Her best friend who died. Her best friend who’s secrets she always kept, who she secretly loved, who ruined everything for her.  Charlie, the “best friend,” died under dark circumstances, and Vera knows a lot more than everyone who’s making assumptions about his death. Vera knows that she should clear his  name… But does she even want to?
     Vera Dietz has got to be one of my favorite books of 2010. Because everything about it was perfect. The characters, the writing, the plot, the emotion. I felt it all. And loved it all. Vera Dietz and I would be best friends. I think anyone could be best friends with Vera, just because she’s so relatable, and real. And sarcastic. And emotional. And funny. Which goes with the sarcastic. And she’s outcasted from those snobby small-town I-Suck-That-Football-Player’s-Dick  girls. Which goes with the emotional. I don’t know. I just really, really, really, really loved Vera. Not in a Omigod-I’m-So-Fake-I-Love-You-Bffs-Forever-Girl kinda way, but in a I-Admire-Her-So-Much kinda way. You know, I think I really got Vera. She had all this anger and hurt and beauty shoved up inside of her.
      And Charlie, her best friend! Omg, y’all. I know it says “best friend” a lot in the description, but I like to look at Charlie as Vera’s boyfriend. Because that’s what they basically were. They just didn’t actually consider themselves as in a relationship because they were scared. Of all that a relationship entails. (Off-topic, but I wouldn’t know!!!! Because I’ve been single for soooo freakin’ long. Ugh.)  It kept me on the edge, seeing Vera and Charlie interact with each other. I mean, yeah, he’s dead, but there’re flash-backs and such. I also really loved how, in some chapters, Charlie—in all his deadness—will be the narrator, and get some words out to the reader.  It added a whole lotta depth to the story. A.S. King also wove dating violence and abuse into the story, and as you guys alreayd know, I'm a haa-uuuuuge women's rights person. I loved seeing those undertones in the story.
      I was equally in love with Amy King’s writing. It was beautiful, poetic, beautiful, poetic, oh, and beautiful and poetic. Did I mention beautiful and poetic? <—That is all.
       Despite the title’s request, don’t ignore Vera Dietz. Because her story is beautiful, and should not be ignored. I didn’t ignore Vera Dietz, I gave her attention. And I’m so (damn!) glad I did, because, as I said, her story is beautiful, and should not be ignored.

(In other words: BYE! GO, LEAVE, GET OFF MY BLOG AND GO READ THIS BOOK.)

	Lissie - Everywhere I Go .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Shay Doran Sent Me A Book!

     Last time, Shay from NIGHTSHADE, sent me a Calla Lily and a video. (He’s such a cutie!) And now, he sent me a book! A weird book. Like, some Latin play. With two puzzles in it. Shay asked me to ask you guys—my readers—to help him figure them out!!

The book Shay sent.

  The first puzzle. I think—am guessing—that it says: The guard of Alistair. They shall make men shudder as the Guard but they will tremble before him. What do you think this means?

This second one is even  trickier. It seems to say: A child come in to the world Lumine in 1815. What do you think?

If you have any idea, tell it to Shay! You can reach him on his Facebook: www.facebook.com/shadowshay

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Coming October 19th, 2010

Brenna Yovanoff and I Chat About The Hills, Lady Gaga Covers, Oh, and Her Book.

This week, Brenna Yovanoff’s debut novel come out, and hit #10 on the New York Times Bestselling list! Awesome, right? Well, even awesome-er is her book, THE REPLACEMENT. And even awesome-er than that is her, because I think Brenna is supah-fly. I had the lovely privilege of interviewing her….

Hi, Brenna! Thanks for stopping by. To get stuff started, what's your favorite book, and did it have any influence on your debut, THE REPLACEMENT?

Oh, this question—it's always so hard to pick!  One of my favorite books is Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, and another is American Gods, by Neil Gaiman.  But really, I could just walk over to my bookshelf and start pulling out “favorites” and wind up with a stack of about 50.

Music is a big part of THE REPLACEMENT. Do you play any instruments? Sing to yourself when nobody's listening?

While I'm definitely guilty of singing in the car when no one's with me, I'm actually really terrible at music.  I mean REALLY terrible—as in, I failed Intro to Music in high school, and I even went every day and did the homework.  So, I think all the music in the book is probably some kind of vicarious wish fulfillment, because I'm certainly not going to have an unbridled rockstar moment any other way.

Whenever I see THE REPLACEMENT's cover, I immediately think "Lady GaGa!" What's your reaction to it?

“Charm bracelet!”

What inspired the gothic, dreary, small-town setting of Gentry in your novel?

Probably a few different things, but the biggest one was the college my sister went to in Pennsylvania.  Every single time I went out to visit her, it was raining, even when it was 80 degrees.

What were you like as a teen? Oh, I know you and Mackie would be BFFs, right?

While I probably would have gotten along with Mackie fairly well, I can't actually say that I was much like him.  I was shockingly undramatic, and Mackie is . . . not.  I paid a lot of attention to what other people were doing, but didn't worry that much about what they might think of me.  I just assumed that they couldn't really see me, whereas Mackie is absolutely convinced that everybody sees him.

THE REPLACEMENT is a horror-story, with huge love elements. How did you manage to pair these two so beautifully? 

Oh, thank you!  That's something I really tried for.  I used to write a lot of short horror stories (and still do sometimes, over at merryfates.com).  While I was on a quest to get better a few years ago, I read an essay by a horror writer named Robert McCammon, and the one line I remember word for word is, “Humanity is what's missing from bad horror fiction.” That's always stuck with me and since then, I've tried to keep humanity in mind, no matter what I'm writing.

Do you watch THE HILLS? C'mon, Brenna, we're all honest here at Naughty Book Kitties! I can totally see Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag reading THE REPLACEMENT.

Do you want to know my shameful, shameful secret?  Until two months ago, I'd never watched THE HILLS, and then, while I was working on a draft of my next book, I decided that I needed some background noise, so I started streaming it from Netflix.  It's like the perfect show to write to, because only two new things happen each episode, so you don't need to pay attention the whole time—you can just look up occasionally, and still know exactly what's going on!

Who taught you to write? I know that's like, the unanswerable interview question in the book world, but was there anyone that really inspired you to do things with your skills and write?

The easiest, most obvious answer is probably to say that books taught me to write.  I've always been an insatiable reader, and I suspect that's true for most writers—like, writers are readers who love books so much that they want to make their own. 

The other thing that had a huge effect on my writing was school, but not the way you might think.  I was homeschooled until I was 15, and then, when I started high school, I got really compulsive about writing everything down.  It was good practice for paying attention, and also for describing things.

What's the best thing about being a published writer?

There's actually been a lot of best things, but one of my absolute favorites is that I get to meet people, both in real life and online.  Since getting a book deal, I've been lucky enough to get to know tons of YA authors, who are pretty much unassailably cool across the board, not to mention so many great bloggers!  So, the YA community is my best thing, because it's rally open and friendly, and it's where a lot of exciting stuff is happening. 

What are you currently writing?

Right now, I'm working on another standalone, this time about demons.  It has monsters, kissing, and moral ambiguity, and is shaping up to be just as strange as The Replacement.
Thanks for having me!

As you can see, Brenna is a delightful person, and you should all go read her book (if you haven’t already!) It’s a great horror story about love, changelings, and love. LOL.

Brenna’s Website

Brenna on Facebook

Brenna on Twitter

Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants.

A month ago, Mackie might have told them to buzz off. But now, with a budding relationship with tough, wounded, beautiful Tate, Mackie has too much to lose. Will love finally make him worthy of the human world?

In My Mailbox (October 2, 2010)

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

For Review:

Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Thanks to the supah-fly people at Little, Brown, yo.)

Boyfriends With Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez <—Ahh! An Alex Sanchez novel! This is gonna be good. (Thanks to the gangsta gangsta people at Simon and Schuster.)

Evercrossed by Elizabeth Chandler. Omigod. I didn’t even know this book was coming out until I got it in the mail! It’s a sequel to one of my favorite books of all time, Kissed By An Angel. I am beyond thrilled to read this one. (Thanks, S&S! I owe you a blo— and I’m stopping right there.)

That’s it! Some pretty amazing books, no? What did you get?

Oh, and guess what? The Naughty Book Kitties is on Facebook! So, if you love me, which I know you do, go click "Like" so I don't feel like a loser, creating a page for my blog when only five people in all of America "like" it: http://bit.ly/aSMe7L

I’m Happier Than A Hooker In A Five-Star Hotel!

Why, you ask, am I so happy?

Because I have the most beautiful blog in all the land! Take a look around,  what do you see?

Epicness. You see epicness.

And it’s all because of Lesley from YA Book Reviews, and Nicole from WORD For Teens. These two insanely creative girls collaborated on a new design for The Naughty Book Kitties, and I couldn’t be more satisfied.

So, what do you think?

Pure Sin <—Yeah, That Describes It!

October 5, 2010
Pure Sin
Kate Brian
Simon & Schuster
Paperback; 208 pages
Synopsis:
Best Enemies… After getting rid of her best friend-turned-enemy, Arianna Osgood should be on top  of the world. She’s a member of Atherton-Pryce Hall’s best secret society. And she’s one of the most popular girls on campus. But now that Lexa Greene knows a terrible secret about her, everything Arianna has worked so hard for hangs in the balance. Can  she  keep up the facade . . . or is her house of cards about to tumble around her?

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     Kate Brian is amazing.  Seriously, I don’t know of anyone else who can create a character that is so crazy, so… murderous, and yet, we, as readers, root for Ariana. I don’t know how she does it, but Kate makes her readers feel for Ariana. Ariana has killed close friends and random people; she lets no one get in her way. But, we also see a relatable side to Ariana. The side that shows Ariana does feel. That Ariana is human, just like us. It’s ironic, really. I mean, in the Private series, I’m in love with Reed. We’re like BFFS, LOL. Yet in Privilege, I’m in love Ariana. And it’s like, “Wait, didn’t Ariana try to murder Reed? How the hell do I love both?”  I’ve finally found the answer: because Kate Brian can take any character, good or evil, give you an insight into their motives, make it in-depth and real, and BAM! you’re in love. 
     PURE SIN opens a week after where SWEET DECEIT left off: Kaitlynn’s murder, by Arianna and Lexa. If you remember,  Kaitlynn knew all of Arianna’s secrets, and was just a tad bit more psychotic.  Kaitlynn had threatened to reveal Arianna, and to kill Lexa. Arianna—with Lexa—finally killed Kaitlynn off, ending their worries.
      So as the Privilege series continues with PURE SIN, Ariana is reveling in her glamour at Atherton-Pryce, and loving  her spot in Stone & Grave, one of the elitist secret societies. With all these super-exclusive tasks and such. But . . . Lexa isn’t holding up as well. She’s not use to murder, and is having a hard time keeping Kaitlynn’s death a secret.
     Ariana grew a lot, in my opinion. I think she grew more real, and more believable. Well, that’s Kate’s writing, but still. I loved that Ariana was less impulsive. Like, at one point she was like, “No, come on, let’s think this through.” And I was like, “Ooooh, girl. You do some thinkin’, Ariana. Girl, I am proud of you!” I mean, she’s still crazy as hell, and I’d be scared to be in a room with her, but she did do some things right.
     Just like in any Kate Brian novel, the plot is mind-blowing. Like, foreal foreal crazy.  WTF is the only way to describe it. Well, there’s this: Crazy girls + Super exclusive prep school + hot boys + bitchy girls + secret societies = the life of the rich and famous, which is equal to the Privilege series.
      Really, you just have got to read Kate Brian’s novels. They’re ridiculously creative, wonderfully written, and they always have the reader screaming by the last page. I’m still yelling, “What in the world, Ariana?! I love you and all, but you just killed somebody. Again! What is that, murder number five?!”