What else? Hmmh. We have a new First Five Pages workshop starting up next Saturday. As always, get the rules here. Our guest mentor will be the fabulous Elana Johnson, along with our entire list of permanent mentors.

Hollow City
by Ransom Riggs
Hardcover
Quirk Books
Released 1/14/2014
The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London the peculiar capital of the world. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reacting experience.
Purchase Hollow City at Amazon
Purchase Hollow City at IndieBound
View Hollow City on Goodreads

Exposure
by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs
ARC
Putnam Juvenile
Released 3/4/2014
If you like the TV show Bones (I do) or Maximum Ride, you’ll love Virals.”—James Patterson
Another thrilling Virals adventure from New York Times bestsellers Kathy and Brendan Reichs.
When twin classmates are abducted from Bolton Prep, Tory and the Virals decide there’s no one better equipped than them to investigate. But the gang has other problems to face. Their powers are growing wilder, and becoming harder to control. Chance Claybourne is investigating the disastrous medical experiment that twisted their DNA. The bonds that unite them are weakening, threatening the future of the pack itself.
The Virals must decipher the clues and track down a ruthless criminal before he strikes again, all while protecting their secret from prying eyes. And everyone seems to be watching.
My favorite thing about Exposure was exploring deeper connections between the Virals themselves. After the events of Code, the pack is in disarray, and they have a lot of personal issues to deal with. For the first time, they aren't working well together as a team, and it may be affecting their abilities. When confronted with a kidnapping that touches very close to home, the Virals have to get their act together in a hurry. In many ways, I think this is the most complete Virals adventure yet, and I hope the readers agree.

Grasshopper Jungle
by Andrew Smith
Hardcover
Dutton Juvenile
Released 2/11/2014
WINNER: DANA
Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the storyof how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.
To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He's stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.
Purchase Grasshopper Jungle at Amazon
Purchase Grasshopper Jungle at IndieBound
View Grasshopper Jungle on Goodreads

Steelheart
by Brandon Sanderson
Hardcover
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Released 9/24/2013
WINNER: Pedro Nascimento
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.
But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.
Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.
And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.
He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.
The pacing. There are certain things that I was able to do with a single first-person viewpoint in a fast-paced action-oriented story that I haven't been able to do in any other story that I've written. I feel like the awesome pacing just tears you through the book and reads like a really fun action movie. I'm quite proud of how that worked.
Purchase Steelheart at Amazon
Purchase Steelheart at IndieBound
View Steelheart on Goodreads
Out of The Easy
by Ruta Sepetys
Hardcover
Philomel
Released 2/12/2013
So what about you? What's new in your book world? What are you reading? What do you wish you were reading?
And don't forget that the first round winners of our Pitch Plus One contest were announced today! Check the list out at the Adventures In YA Contests site, and then come back here tomorrow for the links to the shiny new pitches the top 50 participants have prepared based on the feedback they received.
Happy reading and writing,
Martina
Happy reading and writing,
Martina
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Via Sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn |
YA GIVEAWAY OF THE WEEK
Hollow City
by Ransom Riggs
Hardcover
Quirk Books
Released 1/14/2014
The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London the peculiar capital of the world. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reacting experience.
Purchase Hollow City at Amazon
Purchase Hollow City at IndieBound
View Hollow City on Goodreads
* * * *
Exposure
by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs
ARC
Putnam Juvenile
Released 3/4/2014
If you like the TV show Bones (I do) or Maximum Ride, you’ll love Virals.”—James Patterson
Another thrilling Virals adventure from New York Times bestsellers Kathy and Brendan Reichs.
When twin classmates are abducted from Bolton Prep, Tory and the Virals decide there’s no one better equipped than them to investigate. But the gang has other problems to face. Their powers are growing wilder, and becoming harder to control. Chance Claybourne is investigating the disastrous medical experiment that twisted their DNA. The bonds that unite them are weakening, threatening the future of the pack itself.
The Virals must decipher the clues and track down a ruthless criminal before he strikes again, all while protecting their secret from prying eyes. And everyone seems to be watching.
My favorite thing about Exposure was exploring deeper connections between the Virals themselves. After the events of Code, the pack is in disarray, and they have a lot of personal issues to deal with. For the first time, they aren't working well together as a team, and it may be affecting their abilities. When confronted with a kidnapping that touches very close to home, the Virals have to get their act together in a hurry. In many ways, I think this is the most complete Virals adventure yet, and I hope the readers agree.
YA GIVEAWAY LAST WEEK
Grasshopper Jungle
by Andrew Smith
Hardcover
Dutton Juvenile
Released 2/11/2014
WINNER: DANA
Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the storyof how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.
To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He's stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.
Purchase Grasshopper Jungle at Amazon
Purchase Grasshopper Jungle at IndieBound
View Grasshopper Jungle on Goodreads
* * * *
Steelheart
by Brandon Sanderson
Hardcover
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Released 9/24/2013
WINNER: Pedro Nascimento
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.
But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.
Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.
And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.
He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.
The pacing. There are certain things that I was able to do with a single first-person viewpoint in a fast-paced action-oriented story that I haven't been able to do in any other story that I've written. I feel like the awesome pacing just tears you through the book and reads like a really fun action movie. I'm quite proud of how that worked.
Purchase Steelheart at Amazon
Purchase Steelheart at IndieBound
View Steelheart on Goodreads
WHAT I'M READING
by Ruta Sepetys
Hardcover
Philomel
Released 2/12/2013
It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.
Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.
Note from Martina
I’m late to the party on this one, but man, was it worth the wait! OUT OF THE EASY is full of vivid characters, tense plot points, and a setting and world that feels immediate and real, and yet appropriately historical all at once. The characters crack several jokes about Jo’s similarity to Cinderella, but also highlight the ways in which Jo is nothing like that scullery-wimp. Sure, Jo has scrubbed blood and booze and shame off the floors of a whorehouse most of her life, and yes, her own mother steals from her. But Jo isn’t satisfied with that limited existence, and she's already travelled everywhere in the books she's devoured at the bookstore where she lives and works. She intends to get out of New Orleans. Her desire to elevate herself drives the tension as events around her threaten to drag her back into the swampy morals and demands of her family and friends. She’s a brilliant character, and OUT OF THE EASY is the kind of a book you pick up and know from the first sentence that you’re in masterful hands. Ruta’s writing is deft and rich, and the story is mesmerizing. Love, love, love this book, and I couldn't recommend it more.
Purchase Out of The Easy at Amazon
Purchase Out of The Easy at IndieBound
View Out of The Easy on Goodreads
Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.
Note from Martina
I’m late to the party on this one, but man, was it worth the wait! OUT OF THE EASY is full of vivid characters, tense plot points, and a setting and world that feels immediate and real, and yet appropriately historical all at once. The characters crack several jokes about Jo’s similarity to Cinderella, but also highlight the ways in which Jo is nothing like that scullery-wimp. Sure, Jo has scrubbed blood and booze and shame off the floors of a whorehouse most of her life, and yes, her own mother steals from her. But Jo isn’t satisfied with that limited existence, and she's already travelled everywhere in the books she's devoured at the bookstore where she lives and works. She intends to get out of New Orleans. Her desire to elevate herself drives the tension as events around her threaten to drag her back into the swampy morals and demands of her family and friends. She’s a brilliant character, and OUT OF THE EASY is the kind of a book you pick up and know from the first sentence that you’re in masterful hands. Ruta’s writing is deft and rich, and the story is mesmerizing. Love, love, love this book, and I couldn't recommend it more.
Purchase Out of The Easy at Amazon
Purchase Out of The Easy at IndieBound
View Out of The Easy on Goodreads
BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS
I've had my head down all week, so I'm behind on the bookish news. I do want to give a shout out to Katie and Sophie, the Mundie Moms, whose wonderful book blog turned five on Valentines Day. Stop by and wish them a happy birthday--but they're the ones handing out the presents in a MASSIVE giveaway.WRITING TIP OF THE WEEK
via Sydney Standard |
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hope to be able to finish the Book 3 of the Hunger Games and finish the towers of book from 2013 and start DIVERGENT.
ReplyDeleteGreat books! Both series are ones that I would love to be able to read again for the first time. Stop by when you're done with them and let us know what you thought. I'll be curious!
DeleteAwesome giveaway!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for your cover reveal!! You're so excited and it's crappy to wait but it makes it even more of an event :)
ReplyDeleteThank you:)
Thanks, Christina! In this case, it's not so crappy because it's for a great reason. So, I'm good. : ) But I have a FABULOUS giveaway all planned, and I'd love to be able to share that.
DeleteAwesome giveaway
DeleteI'm reading Fire & Flood right now and I wish I was reading The Winners Curse right now too!
ReplyDeleteI love Victoria Scott! I am really looking forward to reading FIRE AND FLOOD. And your mention just made me realize I had left The Winner's Curse off my TBR list -- just added it. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteDitto, Christina! I can't wait for the cover reveal! :)
ReplyDeleteHopefully very soon, Kate. Thanks!
DeleteI'm currently reading Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill.
ReplyDeleteI definitely have that one on my TBR list. It sounds delicious! Hope you're enjoying it.
DeleteI'm working on two ARCs: I AM PILGRIM by Terry Hayes and THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD by Laura McHugh
ReplyDeleteI'm REALLY behind in my ARC reading. Let me know if you love them so I can check them out!
DeleteI am going to the Tucson Festival of Books in March so I am hoping I get to see both Kathy and Brendan Reichs & Brandon Sanderson. Super excited!
ReplyDeleteOooh, you're very lucky! Have a great time... ;)
DeleteThanks for the awesome giveaway.
ReplyDeleteWow. great stuff every time I click over to this blog! Thanks for another awesome giveaway and more titles to add to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteNot reading anything now
ReplyDeleteI've been dying to read Miss Peregrine's--hopefully I can soon get my hands on a copy!
ReplyDeleteI'm reading Panic right now and I really like it. I'm looking forward to reading Fire& Flood and The Winners Curse.
ReplyDeleteForex Trading Business News updates, Brokers Directory News updates, Latest Currency news updates, latest forex trading business updates, trading updates, forex trading latest news, forex brokers directory, forex brokers list, Dollars news affairs, Stock Markets, stock market news, stock market analysis, technology news, international forex markets, international forex business news and all updates about Forex Trading
ReplyDeleteForexAffairs.blogspot.com
In Internet system we have now best earning system without any work, Just Invest some Money into your Business and Make Perfect Life time Earnings with this Business.
ReplyDeleteJoin Now for Make Perfect Business and Earn Money online from home.
www.hotfxearnings.com
You are totally awesome. Thanks so much for all the giveaways!
ReplyDelete