The Saturday Network (18)

Ack, I'm so, so sorry for neglecting my blog! I'm back on track this week - I swear - despite this Saturday Network being late. School is turning out to be sort of hectic as the end of the quarter approaches but the worst of the storm is over, so back to blogging and commenting! I have an awesome interview with Angie Fraizer, author of Everlasting, coming up as well as a ton of reviews to write and post. And giveaways, of course. ;)

Today's featured blogger is Andrea (SN#18) from Loud Words & Sounds. She's a fellow teen book blogger with a YA book blog and has an adorable layout. Her first giveaway for Titus and Atreus by Meridi Myers is ending soon, June 1st, so hurry and enter while you still can!


For Bloggers:
1. Comment with a link to your blog and a one or two-sentence description.
2. Head on over to the blog of the blogger that commented right before you.
3. Click on any post on that blog, preferably a recent one, and comment! (Thoughtful comments are appreciated.)
4. That's it! If you'd like, feel free to comment again and repeat the process, including the link to your  blog. You don't need to give a description again, just please wait until at least one person comments after you to comment again. :)

For Non-bloggers:
1. Don't worry, you can still participate! Just look for any blog that you like and head on over, then check it out.
2. Come back and look for another great blog!

And if you'd like to grab and post the button anywhere, you can find the code on the right side-bar, thanks!

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Guest Blogger: A Fanatic Book Blog + Giveaway!

Eep, sorry I've been MIA, guys! It's been a hard week, but summer's almost here; thanks for sticking it out with me. :)

Anyways, Jessica, a new blogger from A Fanatic Book Blog, has graciously offered to be spotlighted here (as my first guest blogger), so please give her a warm welcome!
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The Power of the Review 

So I hemmed and hawed about what to write in this post. Jenn was sweet enough to offer me this spot on her blog and the opportunity to make sure that whatever I wrote came from my heart!

As I pondered, I did what I usually do and made my rounds to some of my favorite book related forums. Lo and behold…there was my answer! This is what I needed to write about. Strap yourselves in my friends. It’s time to discuss the power of reviews.

Let me begin by explaining what made me want to write this. As I was browsing in my favorite forums, I came upon a thread that was completely trashing a particular book.  I don’t think any of these people meant their opinion to be taken this way. No, they were simply talking about what they disliked about said book in a comfortable setting. However, in wanders in a new user (we’ll call her Susie Bookreader) and she reads this unintentionally vicious thread.  Her simple comment? “Wow, I won’t be reading this book anytime soon.”  This made my blood boil. After I calmed down, I thought it out. Not everyone understands the power of their words.

As book bloggers, we hold a special place in the world of reading. Although I’m still fresh, I know the book blogs I follow I hold in high esteem. Their opinions really do matter to me. So, if I, a person who has read tons of books, think that much of other’s reviews, what must new and budding reader think?
How about an example not related to books? How many times have you ever REALLY wanted to see a movie, but you read the reviews online and they are horrible? After skipping that movie in theaters, you happen to rent it later on and realize that you absolutely love it! It becomes one of your favorites and you might have passed it up just because of a bad review. Just because someone decided that since they disliked it, you would too.

Does this mean we can’t dislike books? No, not in the least! If you dislike a book, that is your opinion as a reader. The point really, is we must to be careful how we portray our dislike to others.  The same book bloggers I hold in such high esteem have mastered writing negative reviews. Yes, they explain what they dislike. However they also know how to praise what was good in the book, and how to recommend it to others despite their opinion.  This is a perfect balance of their opinion which gives the book a chance to be read by many.

Thank you, Jessica! She's also decided to offer an amazingly adorable Snuggle Bunnie! YES, I WANT ONE TOO. (You can view more of her cute crochet animals and other crafts on her etsy page.) 


Rules:
· To enter, please fill out the form below
· Open to U.S. and Canada addresses only
· Ends on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 11:59 EST
· For more info, please view my Contest Policy

Affiliate News! (3) & My Art

I bought a few books this week, but I'll be saving those for next week's In My Mailbox. Instead, it's time for the supposedly extinct affiliate news!


Eleni always picks the best for her Up & Coming YA Releases, and gave a 5-star review to Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia (I'm far from impressed right now, but that's a matter for another day...). She also has two awesome contests going on right now for I Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan (int') and a whole stack of books for her spring cleaning (US and Canada only).


Alyssa gave a glowing review to The Devouring by Simon Holt and Gregory complimented The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade as "a fast-paced adventure with snapppy writing and an intriguing plot that had me from page one." They're also five follwers away from 1000, so... *hint hint*


Sandy reviewed Winter Longing by Tricia Mills and gave it 4.5 stars. The book doesn't come out until August, so I'm glad I've been anticipating something good! Also, on her Waiting on Wednesday post, she said something about showing readers her drawings... go tell her she should. ;)


M.I.A. :(


Lea just got back from hiatus, yay! She has a fairly new, very spiffy background and posted a review of The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, giving it 4.5 stars.


Meg posted an awesome discussion titled "Strange Things About High School in YA" and I couldn't agree more (doesn't she always post the best discussions?! haha.). She also just reviewed The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson and gave it a 9/10 = definitely one to check out.


Kristen gave 5 stars to two books this week - wow! The first is Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson and the second is The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Sheinmel (a bit of a disappointment for me, but, again, a topic for another day). IMPORTANT: Kristen's first blogoversary is coming up in less than month! She wants to make it awesome, so if you'd like to GUEST POST or contribute in any way (ie. donate a prize, give advice), please email her ASAP at dragonzgoil(at)gmail(dot)com.

Sandy's mention of drawing reminded me of that one drawing I posted long, long ago... I haven't drawn in months and I just started drawing again a couple days ago, so I thought I might as well share a pencil drawing I did yesterday. (Haha, sorry, I'm still a bit rusty!) Would you be interested in seeing more of my art? If you say no, I won't get offended; this is a book blog after all. This picture does prove that I really am an occasional artist though, right? :)Photobucket

The Saturday Network (17)

Happy Saturday! I don't really feel like I have much to say today, so I hope you're getting a great jump-start to your weekend!

Anyways, the featured blogger for this week is Cate (SN#11) from Sparrow Review. Cate's a fellow teen YA blogger, and I stop by her blog quite often. She currently runs an Under the Lamplight feature, a bi-weekly spotlight of fellow bloggers, and is a judge for the YA Bloggers Debut Book Battle (Beautiful Creatures vs The Dark Divine). The bright colors in Cate's layout always make me happy, so go, go, check her out! :)


For Bloggers:
1. Comment with a link to your blog and a one or two-sentence description.
2. Head on over to the blog of the blogger that commented right before you.
3. Click on any post on that blog, preferably a recent one, and comment! (Thoughtful comments are appreciated.)
4. That's it! If you'd like, feel free to comment again and repeat the process, including the link to your  blog. You don't need to give a description again, just please wait until at least one person comments after you to comment again. :)

For Non-bloggers:
1. Don't worry, you can still participate! Just look for any blog that you like and head on over, then check it out.
2. Come back and look for another great blog!

And if you'd like to grab and post the button anywhere, you can find the code on the right side-bar, thanks!

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The Weekly Debate (9): Take My 5-stars With a Grain of Salt...

"Quality: The race for quality has no finish line. So technically, it's more like a death march."
from despair.com. I love this site! It has some awesome demotivators. :D

This week's debate: Should reviewers give a 5-star rating? Is so, what does that high rating mean to you (either as a reader or a blogger)?

Wow, I haven't done one of these in forever. And it's not even Thursday. But today I'm in a bit of a blogging slump and was questioning my self-identity, my purpose, my reason to LIVE (okay, enough with the borderline-depressive thoughts) what exactly do my 5-stars mean? Is there ever anything as the "perfect" book? I don't think so. Technically-speaking, I know there isn't. In fact, I'm GLAD there is no such specieman that lives up to the ideal: flawless characters, plot, everything. The reason for that is simple: reading is objective. So what exactly is this "perfect" book? Is it as simple as having beautiful writing and personable characters? Or, rather, must we make angels weep and demons sing holy hymns? I may be wrong, but until I see the sky falling as a tribute to this holy grail, I will maintain my standing that there is no such caramelized and sugar-coated book that has completely natural ingredients inside. Some covers these days come pretty darn close to perfection, but I digress.

With that in mind, what does a 5-star really mean? The naive little me that started this blog believed in a "perfect" book with no shortcomings whatsoever. But as I've continued blogging, I've noticed my growing criticism of books: looking for plot lulls, taking a preverse glee in finding character flaws - OH, is that a TYPO I see there? *marks a big red X over the book and awards a 1-star rating* I would go back and change previous ratings to match my higher standards, but by the time I actually do manage to revise the ratings, they wouldn't match my new expectations again. On the other hand, if I don't change my ratings... catch-21. As the months passed by, I've noticed more-and-more that the books I mark as 5-stars are definitely NOT perfect. Even if there are no specific shortcomings to speak of, there is always the possibility of improvement and additions. That sounds obvious when typed out like this, and perhaps to many of you wiser minds it is, but I often forget that there is no such thing as achieving perfection, especially after reading a stunning book. I now try to take a few days away from the book before typing the review to try and reduce the influence, but it's still there at times and I need to remind myself.

The easily visible effect of this developing conception is that I started giving out less-and-less 5-stars; in fact, I haven't given out any for, say, a month or two now. Considering that books cannot be absolutely perfect in technical terms, I question if I should even be giving out 5-stars, though only time will tell. However, if you were to ask me right now, I still can't exactly describe what a 5-star rating given by me actually means. It definitely needs the "wow" factor, which any book I've awarded 5-stars too has, but in terms of plot, character, originality, etc., I can't pinpoint the exact extent to which each of the aspects need to meet my expectations. And what are my expectations for a 5-star book?!! I don't even know that. Maybe it's because I was in the mood to give a 5-star and maybe it was partly due to the fact that I had enough sleep that day. There's no such thing as a guarantee for enjoyment in such an objective activity such as reading, but I hope I can be presomptous and say: "I guarantee all 5-stars are AMAZING!" regardless of the confusion, or at least my confusion surrounding the rating. That's why I say: take these five pointy things with a grain of salt please. ;)

Review: Crossing by Andrew Xia Fukuda

Crossing by Andrew Xia Fukuda
Andrew Xia Fukuda's website here // $9.32 from {amazon}

Publisher: AmazonEncore (April 27, 2010)
Paperback: 217 pages
Summary: from {goodreads}
A loner in his all-white high school, Chinese-born Xing (pronounced “Shing”) is a wallflower longing for acceptance. His isolation is intensified by his increasingly awkward and undeniable crush on his only friend, the beautiful and brilliant Naomi Lee. Xing’s quiet adolescent existence is rattled when a series of disappearances rock his high school and fear ripples through the blue collar community in which he lives. Amidst the chaos surrounding him, only Xing, alone on the sidelines of life, takes notice of some peculiar sightings around town. He begins to investigate with the hope that if he can help put an end to the disappearances, he will finally win the acceptance for which he has longed. However, as Xing draws closer to unveiling the identity of the abductor, he senses a noose of suspicion tightening around his own neck. While Xing races to solve the mystery and clear his name, Crossing hurtles readers towards a chilling climax.
Rating: View my rating system.



My Thoughts:I was speechless when I finished Crossing, and I'm still sort of at a loss of words today. I could say intense, suspenseful, or mysterious. Perhaps dramatic. All of those terms describe Crossing, but it's impossible to capture the book's complexity, with the numerous internal struggles and racial issues, in one simple word.

To be completely honest, Crossing is not a book I would normally pick up from the bookstore. Intrigue? Check. Awesome-sounding plot? Check. Shallow? ... definitely not. I'm not a fan of 100-page romantic comedies, but I like reading books that make me feel happy. So if you're expecting the perfect prince with the rainbow-sunset ending, stop reading now because Crossing is not the book for you. In fact, Crossing is one of the most serious young adult fiction books I've read that addresses social issues outside of the common drug-use and eating disorders.

The aspect I enjoyed the least and, somehow, the most was Xing. On one hand, he basically is the story. Without his racial prejudices against himself and unique narration, Crossing wouldn’t be the story it is. Xing narrates in short, blunt sentences that still manage to convey everything: his feelings, his thoughts, etc. Take for instance:
I raised my head and felt her lips suddenly grip around mine with verdant determination. Felt the sandpaper rash of acne at the corner of her mouth rubbing again my upper lip. Before I could move away, I felt her tongue–
pg. 82

This particular passage stuck with me because of the gross portrayal of a generally tender act, a moment that clearly reveals Xing unusual, very detailed perspective on life, or at least his interesting way of depicting it. Personally, I liked Xing’s narration, which made me feel he was detached from his current life and constantly emphasized his “outside” status. On the flip side, I also experienced a degree of disconnection from Xing. Especially with me being Chinese myself, I was annoyed with his, what I deem, self-isolation and frustrated with his passivity. Perhaps that’s meant to reflect the society’s general acceptance of flaws in favor of conformity and how that misguided contentment gradually spreads to the individual or some deep, philosophical meaning that completely flew over my shallow teenage head, but it just wasn’t enjoyable for me. Period. If you’re going to complain, do something about it. I could see where Xing’s insecurities and self-degradation had originated, but especially when contrasting him with his fellow well-assimilated Chinese friend Naomi, I felt Xing’s determination could have, admittedly not easily overcome his culture-stemmed difficulties, but overcome them nonetheless on his road to success. In the end, I give Xing praise for his original voice and character in general but little to none for either his likeability or personality.

In the end, it was the plot that captured me. I went through the book thinking that it had an intriguing premise, but the end was amazing. Not the serial killer (which was interesting, for the record), not the love hardships, not the school drama, but the climactic ending that was WOW. Even if I don’t completely agree with the ending per se – scratch that, completely do not agree nor am happy with the ending – it was definitely page-after-page of building suspense and excitement that made it absolutely impossible to put the book down. The ending was sad (nooooo!) and Xing’s actions extremely rash, though understandable if you sort of look at them from way over there and maybe upside-down, and considering I still loved the ending? Then it must have been oh-my-freaking awesome. And it was, trust me. *fumes in frustration, yet looks back upon the ending with love*

Words of wisdom: Andrew Xia Fukuda is a man with talent, and Crossing is a debut novel you will not want to miss.

Romance: Which book are you reading?! Little to none. Some romantic drama, but don't be expecting any sweet relationships. Just one-sided love, jealousy, etc.
Cover: 4.0 -- I actually really like it. It's simplistic, but very close to how I'd imagine Xing would look (I know it's only a silhouette, but the posture, position, and background make it feel like him). And it's smooth, almost laminated.
Writing: 5.0
Characters:  4.0
Plot: 5.0

Bottom Line: Crossing is an original, in-your-face debut that will leave you questioning societal norms and the reality behind appearances. Congrats to Andrew Fukuda on a stunning debut!

Source: Thank you to Andrew Xia Fukuda and publisher!

Blog Tour: Q&A with Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Today I have the honor of hosting the awesome Alyssa B. Sheinmel, the debut author of The Beautiful Between which, in fact, was just released yesterday! As part of her blog tour, I'll be the first one to host a mini-interview with her. :)

If high school were a fairy-tale kingdom, Connelly Sternin would be Rapunzel, locked not in a tower by a wicked witch but in a high-rise apartment building by the SATs and college applications—and by the secrets she keeps. Connelly's few friends think that her parents are divorced—but they're not. Connelly's father died when she was two, and she doesn't know how.

If Connelly is the Rapunzel of her school, Jeremy Cole is the crown prince, son of a great and rich New York City family. So when he sits down next to her at lunch one day, Connelly couldn't be more surprised. But Jeremy has a tragic secret of his own, and Connelly is the only one he can turn to for help. Together they form a council of two, helping each other with their homework and sharing secrets. As the pair's friendship grows, Connelly learns that it's the truth, not the secrets, that one must guard and protect. And that between friends, the truth, however harsh, is also beautiful.

This lovely and memorable debut by Alyssa B. Sheinmel contains many of the hallmark themes found in young adult literature—friendship, coming of age, finding a place to belong, and overcoming the death of a loved one. Emotionally moving from start to finish, The Beautiful Between introduces a strong new voice to the genre, a voice with a long future ahead of it.

1. If you had to describe The Beautiful Between in the least amount of words possible, what would you say?
If high school was a fairy tale kingdom Connelly would be Rapunzel – locked in a tower by the SATs and the papers she needs to write. Her friends all think her parents are divorced, everyone, that is, but Jeremy Cole, her high school’s crown prince. Jeremy knows that Connelly’s father is dead, and the friendship they form will help them both come to terms with the hard truths in their lives.

2. Does the story stem from any of your own dreams of a fairytale/crown prince?
That’s such an interesting question! Now that I think about it, I don’t think the story is related to my own idea of what a prince should be; the story belongs to Connelly, and I don’t think it’s about her finding her prince so much as it is about her finding herself.

3. Which were the funnest and hardest characters to write?
My favorite character in the story is actually Connelly’s mother, and my favorite relationship is the one between Connelly and her mother. Connelly’s mother wanted to protect Connelly from the truth so much that she was willing to sacrifice their once close relationship. It’s a misguided sort of protection, but I still love her for what she was willing to give up for her daughter. She was also, I think, the hardest character to write, because I wanted her to be sympathetic, and she could have easily come across as hard, edgy, and image-obsessed. But I hope that the depth behind all that comes through.

4. Looking back from writing to publication, would you have changed anything during the process? And if not, why not?
I wouldn’t have changed a thing! Well, that’s not entirely true; I always have this idea in the back of my mind that I could have made the book better in any number of ways. But I had a really good experience getting this novel published, from querying my agent to creating my website. Early on, I was given amazing notes by generous readers, and later, I was lucky to find the perfect advocates for Connelly in my agent and editor. If anything along the way had gone differently, then it wouldn’t have turned out as it did.

5. If your life was chronicled into a series of books, what would the titles of the books and series be?
If only “Remembrance of Things Past” and “The Lord of the Rings” weren’t taken! Maybe it would be a trilogy, and I would break it up into the places I have lived. So book one would be called “California,” book two would be called “North of 59th Street,” and would encompass my childhood in Riverdale (just north of Manhattan), and my adolescence on the Upper East Side and in Morningside Heights, and the more contemporary parts of it would be called “Downtown,” or something to that effect. The series name could be something along the lines of “Everywhere and the Places in Between,” or maybe “East, West, Home is Best.”

6. Finally, is there anything you're working on now?
I’m terrible about talking about what I’m working on! I even lie about it: whenever my husband sees me sitting at my desk and asks if I’m working, I lie and say I’m just playing on a favorite website. I think the truth is that I’m always at least thinking about working on something, always imagining new stories to tell, new sentences and phrases I want to write down. But I never know exactly how a story will end up; for me, there are enormous differences – and wonderful surprises – between the book that I plan to write, and the book that I end up having written. I can tell you that my second novel, The Lucky Kind, is coming out in 2011, and I’m about to get started working on the edits for that!

Thank you, Alyssa, and congrats on your debut!

I hope you're looking forward to reading The Beautiful Between as much as I am, and to see the rest of the tour stops, visit teenreads.com.

Links: {Alyssa's website}, {her blog}, {goodreads}, {amazon}

Winners: $10 Amazon & Mistwood!

And the results are finally in! Thank you again to Leah and all the entrants. I also hope this makes it up to my lovely affiliates whom I wasn't here for this past month, sorry! (It turns out that most of you follow La Femme Readers with Teens Read and Write too a close second.) Anyways, I don't want to keep you in suspense any longer...

$10 Amazon.com Gift Card:
Samantha LeAnne (#212)

Mistwood and bookmarks:
Anita Yancey (#141)

Congrats, girls! I'll be emailing you soon for confirmation. For those of you that didn't win, well, I'm almost at 700 followers (which I'm sure you all know what that means...) and I've got some more great interviews/guest posts as well as contests with authors lined up. So keep your eyes opened and your ears tuned! :)

Guest Post: Leah Cypess

Thank you for all of your guys opinions on yesterday's post! Currently, I'm thinking of possibly arranging short celebrations for both, around two weeks long... but I'll decide later and keep you updated.

Back on the point, this is the post that officially marks the end of Leah Cypess week. This was a lot of fun for me, especially because it was my first long author feature and Leah was great to work with. Congrats again to Leah for getting some great reviews, a starred review from Booklist, and, most importantly, her YA debut!!

So, I'm now turning over the post to Leah... *cue applause*

Jenn asked me to finish up the week with a guest post having to do with my writing process. This left me a little stuck because, well, I don’t have one. I know some writers who sit in a specific spot and listen to a specific playlist and sip a specific drink, but I tend to write whenever inspiration strikes (or whenever I have the time). I wrote much of Mistwood on the subway, and revised most of it on the playground.

So what IS crucial to my process? The basics: a notebook and pen. I do tend to fixate on a specific notebook and refuse to write in anything else. In high school, it was the GreenCycle recycled paper two subject notebook. In college, it was the Top Flight wireless notebook.

And in law school, my friend Randi Goring introduced me to something entirely new. Randi was a Japanese Studies major who then went to law school (as Japanese Studies majors, I suspect, tend to do); the summer after our first year, she went to Japan and brought me some notebooks that look like this:


These are awesome. They are super-thin, they fit perfectly into my little backpack, and the lines are slightly closer together than those in American notebooks. Mistwood was written almost entirely in these notebooks:

(if you look closely, you can see that one of the characters had a different name in my first draft...)

Of course, Randi bought those notebooks for a couple of cents in some random drugstore in Japan, whereas I spent hours searching the web to find someplace that sells them, and now I pay tons in shipping to order them from Muji.com in England. Which is why I no longer speak to Randi. That, and because she’s not on facebook.

Oh, and in case you were wondering: I am also weirdly specific about which pens I use. But that’s a post for another day…

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Thank you, Leah! Haha, I am definitely not brave enough to write in pen, I would be crossing out sentences like crazy. But those notebooks? *want want want* Now I just have to find some way to go to Japan...

That about wraps things up. Remember, today is the last day to enter the giveaway for Mistwood, so if you haven't yet, just follow the link or picture above. (Leah has also graciously made it international, for those international buddies out there!) Also, in honor of her last day here, Leah will be stopping by later to answer any questions that YOU pose for her. So fire away! ;)

In My Mailbox (17) + Questions

I'm going to first get my In My Mailbox over with, which I haven't done for a few weeks. Wow. I can't even remember the last time I did one, haha. Anyways, it's a meme started by Kristi over at The Story Siren, and I heard she got some awesome books this week...  *wants* BUT that's okay! I've been seeing a lot of fairly new book blogs out there who are getting many wonderful ARCs, and I just want to say that I do NOT recieve many books to review. I get maybe 3-4 books to review every month, or possibly even less, and a number of those aren't ARCs. And that's fine, because getting free books isn't what's important; what's important is that I think I'll love every book I agree to review and don't feel weighed down by this huge stack of books that must be reviewed. I admit that at the beginning, though I really enjoyed simply sharing my thoughts, I also really wanted ARCs, but now I've realized that what really matters to me are participating in the awesome blogging community and working with all these fabulous authors/publishers. So I'm happy for all those new bloggers that are recieving stacks of ARCs (I spaz MAJORLY when I get a book I really want!), but, hey, I'm happy with myself too. AND HERE'S A SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE AWESOME NEW BLOGS OUT THERE! :)

Getting back onto topic, here's what I got this week. I didn't take a picture because I didn't get a lot of books, but next time I do, I promise to make a vlog... maybe... depending upon how stupid I look doing it...


For Review:
Ivy's Ever After by Dawn Lairamore - More of a middle-grade book, but it looks so cute! ALERT: fantasy freak. Thank you to Barbara from Blue Media Press!

Bought:
Mistwood by Leah Cypess - You guys all know what I think of this one... Click on the above link for review if you missed it!
Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry Trilogy #2) by Simone Elkeles - I. LOVE. SIMONE ELKELES. I'm probably not going to be reviewing this one, but it's definitely on par with all of her other works. Of course, it's less awesome than Perfect Chemisry, but that still means it is holy-freaking-awesome.

Whew, this long post is almost done! What I have left are just two little questions that are short but would mean so much to me if you answered them. They also affect you, my lovely readers, so I would really appreciate some feedback, thanks!

1. Do you want to see a huge celebration for my blogaversary or my birthday? (I'll still celebrate each of them, but I'm talking the huge month of giveaways/author features/etc.) Keep in mind my blogoverary is in August whereas my birthday is in October. And I'll be away from July 24th - August 17th for volunteer work, so I'm not quite sure if a a celebration during August would be advisable. It could be scheduled though!

2. Would any fellow bloggers (or perhaps even non-bloggers!) be interested in doing a guest post? I think I talked about this once, but it sort of flopped... I'm pretty open to any ideas here, so just let me know! Not saying my blog is that great, but I hope it'd be fun. :)

And yep, I think that's it. Thanks for tuning in, and feel free to tell me what you got in your mailbox or leave a link for me to check out!

P.S. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! <3

The Saturday Network (16)

... Okay, wow. I know I was supposed to post a review of Crossing yesterday (which will again be postponed to Tuesday), but I got home from work then collapsed on my bed... then sort of slept from 7PM until 10AM this morning! Oops! I'm finished with tests for now though, so I'll be back onto commenting. I'll also add up the entries for the Amazon GC contest and announce the winner soon. :D

This week's featured blogger is Kathrin (SN#11) from Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic, who reads and reviews a great mix of young adult and adult fiction on her blog. She just announced winners for her birthday and 4th blogaversary (wow) contests and a list of interesting books she's reading now. So go and check her out!


For Bloggers:
1. Comment with a link to your log and a one or two-sentence description.
2. Head on over to the blog of the blogger that commented right before you.
3. Click on any post on that blog, preferably a recent one, and comment! (Thoughtful comments are appreciated.)
4. That's it! If you'd like, feel free to comment again and repeat the process, including the link to your  blog. You don't need to give a description again, just please wait until at least one person comments after you to comment again. :)

For Non-bloggers:
1. Don't worry, you can still participate! Just look for any blog that you like and head on over.
2. Click on any post on that blog, preferably a recent one, and comment! Thoughtful comments are appreciated.
3. Come back and look for another great blog!

Commenting here will be closed on Sunday at 9:00PM EST. I hope you discover some awesome blogs in the process and, most importantly, have fun! :D

And if you'd like to grab and post the button anywhere, you can find the code on the right side-bar, thanks!

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Interview: Leah Cypess

As part four of Leah Cypess week, I was able to do a fun interview with Leah! If you're into shape-shifitng in general, she has a long list of her recommendations that I recommend you check out. :)

Very clickable links: {website}, {goodreads}, {amazon}

 1. Disregarding the official summary, if you had to summarize Mistwood using the words "silly," "slow," and "boring" in any context, what would you say?

Ooh, very tricky. And just to challenge myself, I'm going to refrain from putting "not" in front of any of those words (though for the record, in MY opinion Mistwood is not silly, not slow, and not boring! Okay, I guess that goes without saying...)

So here goes:

Isabel's slow, peaceful existence in the Mistwood is disrupted when she is summoned to the Samornian palace. According to Prince Rokan, she is an ancient shapeshifter bound to protect him from his enemies. Isabel can't remember her past or use her powers, and at first she's not sure why Rokan needs her help at all. But beneath the placid veneer of the court, with its silly noblewomen and boring banquets, a conspiracy is stirring. Only Isabel can stop it in time... but at the root of the conspiracy lies a secret that will threaten everything she believes herself to be.

2. Is there a specific scene or character that you think readers will love?

Angie over at Angieville actually picked out, as her favorite scene, one of MY favorite scenes, and reproduced it on her blog. So I'll refer you over to her: http://angieville.blogspot.com/2010/01/mistwood-by-leah-cypess.html.

3. Was there any particular event that inspired you and made you think, "oh, I have to write Mistwood!" or was it more of a gradual process?

Neither and both. I got an idea in my head that made me grab a pen and think, "I have to write!", and I wrote the first chapter in a rush; but as far as I know there was no external event that triggered it. And since I didn't know what the book was going to be about after that first chapter, the rest of the plot developed more gradually.

4. From reading the excerpt, Isabel sounds insecure yet fiercely determined. Especially considering her supposedly being a Shifter, would you say she leans toward human or animal/nature or both?

It varies depending on the circumstances she's facing. When she's in animal form, she's more animal, and when she's in human form, she thinks more like a human being... and that's about all I can say without spoilers!

5. If you had a shape-shifting ability, what would your favorite form be and why?

I would love to be a bird... flying sounds like one of the most freeing things in the world, especially if, as a bird, I didn't have to deal with a fear of heights.

6. So, back to Prince Rokan, I think he has a very unque, beautiful name. Is there a story behind his name? What's your favorite character name?

Nope, no story - just a combination of syllables that sounded good to me and seemed to fit his character (one of the perks of writing fantasy!) Most of the male character names in Mistwood actually changed during revision, since in the first draft they all seemed to have "k"s in them; my editor pointed this out and suggested that I try a little variety. Rokan was one of the names I determined not to change.

7. In hindsight, if you could go back in time, would there be any part of Mistwood's writing/publishing process that you would change?

A part of me wants to say that I would have finished and sent Mistwood to editors sooner; I was writing an urban fantasy at the same time that had vampires in it, and I decided to send that one out first, because I figured vampires were commercial. Turns out that even though I started that book way before the current vampire craze, I had managed to write all through that craze and then finally finish it just as everyone was getting sick of vampires. I am incredibly commercially savvy like that.

But the truth is, in the end I couldn't be happier with how things worked out. I got an offer from an amazing editor at one of my dream imprints, and I am amazed by the extent to which my publisher has gotten behind my book. It was definitely worth the wait.

8. In one word, what is the most important thing about writing?

Imagination!

9. Are there any other projects you're currently working on?

Several -- I like to work on a number of projects at once. One of them is a companion book to Mistwood, which I am currently revising with my editor.

10. And that about wraps it up. Is there anything else you'd like to say to readers?

Thank you for reading the interview and for your interest in Mistwood (if you are interested!) And thanks, Jenn, for featuring me.

Thank you, Leah!

Yay for companion books! And kudos for Leah's great summary. I hope you're interested in Mistwood too! :D

Review: Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Mistwood by Leah Cypess
Leah Cypess's website here // $11.55 from {amazon}

Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1 edition (April 27, 2010)
Hardcover: 320 pages 
Summary: from {goodreads}
The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood.

But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty--because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

Rating: View my rating system.



My Thoughts: There comes a time in every young girl or boy’s life when she/he must accept the inevitability of life... and then tries to escape it through the wondrous, miraculous fantasy genre, where trees fly and flowers sing (hypothetically). That fantasy phase came to me in third grade and gradually faded as my addictions to historical fiction, the supernatural, etc. crept in, but every once in a while along comes a book that reminds me why I loved fantasy in the first place. And Mistwood is definitely one of those books.

To start off on a positive note, Mistwood boosts an impressive, vivid setting and constant mystery. I love the concept of the “Shifter” and Isabel’s resulting internal conflict over who exactly who she is, who she wants to be, and even who she was. I might not be a magical creature of mist, but it’s immediately relatable to me because it reminds me of a question I often ask myself – what is my purpose? However, it was more of a concept that I related to versus Isabel herself. She’s very stubborn and determined, in a good way in regards to her duty, but also in a little annoying way as she refuses to get close to people despite it being evident that she and others could be friends... or more... if Isabel would accept it. On the other hand, she does have quite a few redeeming qualities, such as her bravery, her willingness to sacrifice for others, her vulnerability, and her capacity for love. Ultimately, while Isabel’s reservations and copper-headed obstinacy in her role as Shifter became aggravating at times, I respect her commitment and only regret that I just couldn’t connect to her on that one-to-one level that makes certain characters so special. And, if you couldn’t tell, that was my round-about way of saying Isabel is "okay," interesting but distant. Though, admittedly, that disconnection was partially caused simply because of Isabel’s basic differences (ie. being the Shifter).

Isabel's character combined with the occasionally stalling of the plot are my main issues with Mistwood. That being said, the rest was awesome. I love historical romance because of all the court intrigue and I managed to get both that and fantasy in this book – does it get any better?! Leah Cypess weaves a complex web of hidden grudges, malicious intent hidden under beautiful surfaces, and, of course, romance. I was constantly guessing on who was the culprit, then forced to guess who was behind the accident, and then made to guess what the grand scheme was. Wow. The plot was extremely multi-layered and left me guessing for almost the entire book, a rare occurrence in YA fiction these days. As for the secondary characters, they’re all unique, reasonably well-fleshed out (though I wouldn’t mind knowing a bit more about Rokan), and were a constant source of my curiosity throughout the book. My “I don’t know what to think” character is Clarisse, whose alliance repeatedly came into question and I couldn’t determine it until the very end. As for Rokan, he’s a sweetheart and there's a sense of reversed roles of prince and damsel in distress with Isabel being very, very kick-ass; overall, cute.

And, of course, I have to mention my favorite part: the ending, where all the smaller conflicts tie up with a surprising revelation that somehow still manages to be plausible while explaining all the actions and motives in Mistwood. Plus, somehow, it was still easily understandable – very impressive. The action was undoubtedly intense and towards the end, I literally could not put Mistwood down. Like all good endings, it finished before I was ready, but that just means I’ll be anxiously awaiting a companion novel or sequel!

Romance: Sweet, but could use a little more foundation. There isn't much romance, though the romance that is there is very sweet and tentative. 
Cover: 4.5 -- The face is a bit standard for Isabel's supposedly unique description, but I can still envision Isabel looking like that. And can I add that the cover is shiny and looks even more beautiful in person?! SO SHINY.
Writing: 4.0
Characters: 4.0 
Plot: 4.5

Bottom Line: Mistwood is a stunning debut with a vivid setting, dynamic characters, and an intricate political climate that all escalate into an action-packed ending. I would strongly recommend this book to fantasy fans and, yes, any Kristen Cashore fan. Leah definitely has a strong affinity for fantasy, and, readers, beware, Isabel will grip you in her claws and refuse to relent until the very last page!

Contest: Mistwood by Leah Cypess!

I think Mistwood is great, so I'm happy to say now you have a chance to read it as well! I'm telling you that you want to enter - NOW. And a huge thank you to Leah for providing such an awesome contest! :D


Mistwood by Leah Cypess
The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood.

But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty--because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

Prize: Mistwood (hardcover) by Leah Cypess and Mistwood bookmarks

Details:
· Please fill out the form below to enter
· ONE(1) winner
· Open internationally
· Ends Monday, May 10th at 11:59 EST
· View my Contest Policy for more info
· For additional entries, comment on the Leah Cypess Week posts. +1 for each post you comment on starting tomorrow (max of three). I will add up your additional entries at the end.


Mistwood Introduction & Teaser

*dum dum dun* Today officially marks the first day for Leah Cypess week! I'm super excited to do my first week-long feature, so please bear with any of my weird quirks and cheesy enthusiasm (possible fainting from excitement going on). Anyways, announcing...



Mistwood by Leah Cypess
The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood.

But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty--because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

Leah's favorite scene:
Rokan took a deep breath. The directness of his gaze strengthened his resemblance to the man in the painting, though there was nothing cold or judgmental in his eyes. He was trying to appear as regal as he could, but uncertainty was written all over him, and his face was flushed from his argument with Clarisse.

"I wasn't able to wake you earlier, or I would have warned you. Nobody knows I went to the Mistwood. We think it would be best to keep your true identity a secret for now. I hope you're not offended."

"Of course not," said Isabel, who had no idea what her true identity was. "That seems wise."

"Rokan ran his hand over his hair and clutched the back of his neck. "Oh. Good." He hesitated again, then blurted, "I don't actually know that much about the Shifter."

Then you know more than I do, Isabel thought, and saw an opportunity. She gave him her most enigmatic smile and said, "Tell me what you do know."

"Most of it is legend. An immortal creature who protects the kings of Samorna with her wisdom and magic." He massaged the back of his neck. "When the realm is peaceful, the Shifter sometimes leaves the castle and goes to the Mistwood. Then there may be no Shifter for twenty, fifty, once even a hundred years. But when she is needed, she always comes."

"There's even a song about you," Clarisse put in. "It's very pretty, if you like the high notes."

Isabel ignored her. Based on her brief experience, that already seemed like the best way to deal with Clarisse. She stepped closer to the door and turned sideways, so that she could be closer to Rokan without allowing Clarisse or Will out of her line of sight.

Rokan dropped his hand to his side and continued. "You left ten years ago, and at the time you were called Isabel. I was a child then, but . . ." He faltered and glanced at his sister. "We weren't sure you would come back. When you left . . . there were circumstances."

Running through the snow, blood trailing behind her. Tears falling, not leaving a mark like the blood, and that seemed wrong. Pain. Terrible, terrible pain . . .

"Yes," Isabel said without thinking, "there were."

Rokan straightened, pulling away from the wall. He, Will, and Clarisse looked at one another. They were afraid. Rokan and Clarisse both hid it almost well enough, but Will's face was near white.

Rokan recovered first, leaning back gingerly against the wall, trying to act casual. "So why did you leave?"

Isabel lifted her eyebrows. "I am not going to tell you that, Your Highness."

Rokan's hand tightened against his leg, but all he said was, "I understand."

Isabel highly doubted it.
Leah's favorite quote:

The body she wore seemed to wrap around her, stifling her, trapping her into the limited movements of which it was capable. She wanted to fly. She wanted to run for days without tiring, to have muscles that could wrestle prey to the ground.
Or actually, I should say, those were her ones of MANY. Because Mistwood is that awesome, right? Hopefully those teasers pipqued your interest, and you'll come back tomorrow for installation two to this Mistwood  week! :)

What's Up for This Week

Again, no review?! I know, I know. But I have two reviews scheduled for this week as well as an awesome author...


Leah Cypess! The awesome author of Mistwood, which she debuted with just a few days ago on April 27th.

Here's the schedule for those (hopefully all!) of you that are interested:

Monday - Introduction with teaser
Tuesday - GIVEAWAY! (We all love these, right?)
Wednesday - My review
Thursday - Interview
Monday, 5/10 - Guestpost and question time

If you noticed, there's a missing Friday because Leah can't make it that day, though that's understandable. Instead, I'll be reviewing Crossing by Andrew Fukuda and continue with the regular weekend posts before Leah pops back.

Anyways, that's basically it, and I hope you're as excited as I am! Especially because Mistwood is amazing for fantasy lovers out there. Let's just say those comparisons to Kristen Cashore's works are fairly true. And with that, I leave you with one parting video that my good friend showed me today...



Lol, I was completely wondering what the point of this video was until the end. (And they're famous Korean pop groups, by the way.)

The Saturday Network (15.5)

Photobucket

Not really a Saturday Network since I was taking my SAT II this morning, but better late than never, right? So for this revised version, just comment with your link and a short summary of your blog (it can be one word; whatever you think fits best!) and I promise to comment on each and every one of them to make up for my lack of commenting this week. As for you awesome bloggers and readers out there, just check out whatever blog you want and I hope you find something perfect for you! :)

(Check back tomorrow for some updates on my schedule for this week, which you'll definitely not want to miss out on)

So, let the party commence!