A Year in Book Titles

I found this on  my friend Liz’s blog, Consumed by Books.  The rules are very simple:  fill in the blanks with titles of books you've read in 2010!



Describe Yourself: The Vast Fields of Ordinary
How do you feel: Wicked
Describe where you currently live: A Blue So Dark
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Anna and the French Kiss
Your favorite form of transportation: Wings
Your best friend is:  Classic
You and your friends are: Unbelievable
What's the weather like: Endless Summer
Favorite time of day: When the Stars Go Blue
What is life to you: Delirium
Your fear: Before I Fall
What is the best advice you have to give:  Hold Still
Thought for the Day:  Jumpstart the World
How I would like to die: Wither
My soul's present condition: Hidden

My Top Ten Bloggers of 2010

2010 was a great year for me—I started this blog, met many awesome YA lovers, writers, and publishing people, and got started on my first novel!

I see a lot of people doing “Top Ten Books of 2010” and “Top Ten Reviews of 2010” posts, and well… Fuck that.  If you want a list of the best books of 2010, find one yourself.

I’m going to list my top ten favorite bloggers. These are the people whose opinion I trust, who I go to when I need to laugh, and who deserve the Super Fierce Blogging Award of Ridiculous Fabulousness.

Here they are, my bitches, in no particular order…

1.  Harmony from Harmony’s Radiant Reads
Sometimes I think Harmony is the only one out there who understands me and my Ghetto Kentucky slang.





2. Alex from Electrifying Reviews
Alex is fun, hilarious, and sometimes  most times a freak.










3.  Julie from Bloggers Heart Books
Julie is punctual, polite, loving, and she’ll beat your ass if you don’t send her goddamn books on time! Looking at you, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.






4.  Eleni from LaFemme Readers
I love Eleni to death.  Gossiping with her is my favorite pass-time.









5.  Nicole from WORD For Teens
Besides being a ridiculously dedicated blogger, Nicole is one of the most sweetest, comforting people/peoples/person/persons (I don’t know which word to use?  Help, English Teachers Who Read This Blog?) I know.  I could chat with her on Facebook All. Day. Long.




6.  Sara at Along For The Ride
Sara has a great eye for YA lit, and cusses more than I do.  It is awesome.







7.  Kirthi at Pages
Kirthi was one of my first blogging friends!  I admire her because she’s such a good person and it radiates through her blogging.  She has so much respect for… well… everyone.  Kirthi always inspires me to be a better person, writer, and blogger. 





8.  James at Book Chic
James is pretty rad.  But not as rad as his blog.  It’s wonderful.







9.  Vanessa and Isalys at Book Soulmates
Vanessa and Isalys are hilarious, insightful bloggers.  I love that they touch on all kinds of genres on their blog, not just YA. 







10.  Melina at Reading Vacation
Melina’s such a routine, clean blogger.  She has inspired me to clean up that huge mess that is The Naughty Book Kitties. 







…..Damn this is hard.  I need to show one more, so that makes this my Top Eleven Bloggers!

11.  Jami from YA Addict
Jami keeps it real.  I love it when people—especially bloggers—keep it  real.  Follow the logic?  I LOVE JAMI.

Is This Bitch Getting Sappy?

This is me, telling you Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! 

I luff my blog readers so much, and just wanted to to let you guys know how thankful I am to have such cool people to discuss books, writing, and Snooki with.

2011 is going to be a super-legit year for YA books and blogging, and I can’t wait to share the reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways with y’all (forgot we were in Kentucky, didn’t you?).

LOSER/QUEEN Giveaway!

“Cammy Hall is what anyone would describe as a loser. She lives with her grandparents and has adopted their way of life… right down to the comfortable shoes and early bedtime. And can she help it that she actually likes to knit? 

At school, her skills with knitting needles and some yarn go completely unappreciated: people like Bekka Bell reign while Cammy and her best friend, the fearless Danish exchange student Gerdi, watch from the sidelines. Cammy’s used to being an outsider; after years of humiliating moments, her goal is simply to fly under the radar. Then she suddenly starts receiving mysterious text messages that lead her right to all the embarrassing secrets about the most popular kids in school. Cammy never expected to be able to climb up the high school food chain, and the agenda of the texter may be questionable—but how can she possibly give up the chance to be Queen?
  
This is the print version of the groundbreaking online interactive serial LOSER/QUEEN that premiered in July 2010 on http://www.loserqueen.com/. Each week, readers voted on major plot twists. The winning choice was then encorporated into the next week's chapters. Now that voting—and the book—are complete, LOSER/QUEEN will be published as a paperback and packed with extras from the author… and readers will have the opportunity to own the book they helped create!”

I have one finished copy of LOSER/QUEEN and one handmade knitted pom-pom as seen on the cover to giveaway.  On the 31st, one winner will be selected randomly. 

**US addresses only**

GIVEAWAY CLOSED.

My Most Anticipated Books of 2011

As 2010 is nearing its end,  I’m seeing more and more bloggers post about the awesome books they’re excited for in 2011.  I think this is a great idea, so I made my own list!  Some of these books I haven’t read, some I have.  Either way, I’m sooo excited for the release of these books. 

1. Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

The Nightshade sequel.  Written by my favorite person in America, Andrea Cremer.  I need this book NOW.











2.  Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers

Omigod, don’t even get me started on this series.  That cute lil’ dark-haired boy in the background of this cover?  He’s my future husband.  In California. 











3.  Wither by Lauren DeStefano

I read this one about a month or so ago, and omg.  This is one of my favorite books ever.  Lauren’s writing is even prettier than the cover.  I can’t wait to build a shrine out of the finished copy. 










4. Die for Me by Amy Plum

French boys?  You know I’m there, first in line for this book!  I’m uber excited for Amy’s blog tour later this spring—this naughty blogger is part of it!











5. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Every single person that’s read this (I’m glaring at you lucky bitches!) has said that it’s amazing.  So.  Does anyone wanna come with me when I break into HarperTeen’s bookroom to snatch this up?

Best Books of 2010

2010 was an amazing year for books—YA especially!  There were tons of great books and debut authors, and I finally edited my favorites’ list down to fifteen! 

  
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Infinite Days by  Rebecca Maizel

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone

The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

So.  What are your favorites of 2010?

Last Sacrifice

Released:  December 7, 2010

Last Sacrifice | Richelle Mead

Razorbill

Hardcover | 594 pages

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules.
She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir’s Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir Princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardian to come.
Now the law has finally caught up with Rose- for a crime she didn’t even commit. She’s in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She’ll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.
But the clock on Rose’s life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back… and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your life is about saving others, who will save you?

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
     On December 6, I was rolling around on the floor, screaming and begging for December 7 to come.  I needed LAST SACRIFICE, the last VAMPIRE ACADEMY novel, immediately.  The previous book in the series, SPIRIT BOUND, left us with too damn many questions.  Who the fuck killed Tatiana?  Will Lissa become queen?  Will Dimitri finally realize what a dumb bitch he’s acting like and go back to Rose?
     I’m totally in love with Richelle Mead’s writing, and the stories she tells.  I remember picking up VAMPIRE ACADEMY when I was in the seventh grade and obsessed with vampire books.  I got lost in Rose and Lissa’s story, and continued reading each book in their series as it was released.  I thought Rose and her mad fighting skills were tight, I thought Lissa was one of the most sweetest, down-to-earth characters I’d ever read, and I thought Dimitri WAS JUST THE MOST SEXY THING TO EVER ENTER A YA NOVEL.  And with each book, the series grew more and more addicting.  The wait for LAST SACRIFICE was a long, hard one. 
     I’m always biting at my nails when a series comes to an end, and I have the final book in my hands, waiting for it to  be read.  Some conclusions suck, yo.  And I didn’t want VAMPIRE ACADEMY to have a sucky conclusion. I was very nervous to read it.  What if Rose dies? Shit, I just jinxed it.  Omg.  What if she doesn’t end up with Dimitri? Shit, I jinxed it AGAIN! I hope there’s a sex scene.  I have faith that Richelle Mead put at least one in there. Omg. What if Lissa turns into a Strigoi and totally murders Dimitri, causing Rose to lash out and whoop her ass? That will be a sad, sad ending.  Shit, I bet Rose dies. If she dies, I am seriously considering giving up reading. Oh, I’m just jinxing it SOME MORE! Shit, shit, shit, goddamnit, fuck. I’m just gonna shut up and read.
     Thankfully, none of those things happened. I loved LAST SACRIFICE.  It was the perfect conclusion to an amazing series.  I was grinning wildly as I read the last few pages.  And then I closed the book, and the tears came.  It was bittersweet.  Y’all, I’ve been reading this series since the seventh grade, and I’ve gotten so attached to these characters, it’s sad to see them go… 
     I’m counting down the days to BLOODLINES, the VA spinoff series. :-)

Super-Exclusive Cover Reveal That Even Oprah Can’t Get You!

Yup! Oprah couldn’t even get her hands on this cover!

Original Sin by my dawg Lisa Dez, out July 2011!

It’s fucking hot, right?  Look at those boys… mhmm.

Lisa, the angel that she is, is doing a giveaway for an ARC of ORIGINAL SIN!  You can fill out her form here: http://bit.ly/glR8Bk