Book Fanatics

Monday, May 31, 2010

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan
rating 8/10
Release Date: June 1, 2010

Seventeen-year-old Bronwen Oliver doesn't just want a family. She has one of those, and there's nothing terribly wrong with them apart from bickering grandparents, an image-obsessed mother and a brother she describes simply as Jesus. But there's no natural sense of connection between Bronwen and her family, leaving her with the belief -- and the hope -- that she was switched at birth, that she was never supposed to be Bronwen Oliver but someone else entirely.

When she begins dating college senior Jared Sondervan, she finds herself thoroughly embraced by the loving family she has always wanted and does not hesitate to say yes when Jared proposes on her 18th birhday. Plans for the Perfect Beach Wedding before her junior year of college become plans for the Perfect Beach Wedding before her freshman year of college. And a wedding so soon isn't exactly what Bronwen wants. But Jared is. And his family is. Or so she thinks.

Before Bronwen can determine what she truly wants, she must first determine who she truly is, and the answer, she discovers, is only partially what she thought it was. She wasn't switched at birth, but she's also not Bronwen Oliver and hasn't been for a very long time.

I must say that when I started INPYSE I didn't quite know what I was getting into. It looked interesting enough, but I just wasn't sure that it was my type of book. Well, I was wrong. I adored this one! It was cute and sweet and just the type of light, fun novel that I was looking for this summer.

Bronwen was definatly a lovalbe character. She knew what she wanted, and she wouldn't let anyone get in the way of that. She kind of lost sight of it towards the end, but she quickly got back on track.

Bronwena and Jared were incredibly cute together. Jared was very sweet and cute. I must say that their relationship moved way too fast, but this being just a light book, I'm not going to hold that against them. I wouldn't expect it to go into detail about how their relationship grew or anything. It was cute and sweet just the same.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's not the kind of book that you want to read if your in serious mood, but if your looking for a short, cute summer read this is perfect.

Contest: Big Box o' Books 'n' Stuff

nother Contest!

Don't you just love contest? Of Course! Cuz you get free stuff!

So since its summer, and what a fabulous time to celibrate, I decided to have this contest!

What do you get?

Up for grabs:

The Truth About Delilah Blue by Tish Cohen (ARC, donated by Tish)
The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King (paperback)
The Secret Society by Tom Dolby (Hardcover)
I Now Prnounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan (ARC, donated by Erin)
Penitence by Jennifer Laurens+signed book mark (Paperback, donated by Jennifer)
The Julian Game by Adele Griffin (signed ARC, donated by Adele)
Hate List by Jennifer Brown (Hardcover, Donated by Corrine @ Lost for Words)
Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin & Lisa Brown (signed Hardcover, donated by Adele)
Kiss It by Erin Downing (signed paperback)
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

And Some Swag:

Mistwood postcards
Mistwood bookmarks
The Dust of 100 Dogs bookmarks (donated by Meg at Book Mac)
13 to Life Postcards
13 to Life glow in the dark pin
13 to Life "eye" Pin
13 to Life bookmarks
13 to Life mini poster (not shown)
Twenty Boy Summer bookmarks (donated by Meg at Book Mac)
Faithful singed postcards
Faithful singed bookmarks
Shadow Hills singed bookmarks
Secret Society tattoos
The Body Finder stickers

There will be 2 winners. There will be no 1st or 2nd prize, and I'll try to make everything as even as possible for the 2 winners. Now, I do plan to add more books as this goes along, and depending on how many followers I get, I'll add more winners. There are 8 books up for grabs right now. (8 is my lucky number. Remeber that!)

You must be a follower. Since I am trying to get new folowers, 5 extra entries for any new folowers, and 3 for my beautiful old followers :)
This contest will end Thursday, July 30
I'm sorry, this is not open internationally. One day, I promise

Extra Entires:

Links, +3 for each one, you can get a total of 9 extra entires
Acutal blog post +8
Add My Button (located on My sidebar)
Follow my Affilities +1 each:

So how do you enter? Just fill out this form.

Good luck to everyone and hope you enjoy!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

In My Mailbox (30)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

I didn't have a IMMB last week, so thes books are not only from this week but last week, too.

Bought:

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent- WHEN KAYLEE CAVANAUGH SCREAMS, SOMEONE DIES

AND KAYLEE IS ABOUT TO SCREAM HER HEAD OFF...

Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.
Until something does.

Demon’s breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow, the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.

And when the epidemic hits too close to home, Kaylee will have to risk everything to save those she loves.

Borrowed:

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 Mistwod.

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.

Anything but Normal by Melody Carlson- Sophie is starting a new school year. Shopping for it with her best friend should be fun, but nothing seems to fit, which is a major issue to a high school girl. But her biggest problem is the secret she's keeping. And she's about to find out that she won't be able to keep things under wraps for much longer. This page-turning novel explores the tangled web of choices, secrets, and love that all teen girls navigate. Melody Carlson enjoys a huge audience of teen readers. Now, Revell presents another new stunning story from an author who understands teen girls right where they are.

Hearts at Stake by Alexandra Harvey- The Drakes are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer.

Zen and Xander Undone by Amy Kathleen Ryan- Zen and Xander are sisters—truly, madly, deeply sisters, and this is their last summer together.

Zen is the "good" girl with a black belt in karate and a newfound penchant for kicking heads. Xander is a wild scientific genius with a self-destructive streak a light-year long. They have three things in common: they’re brown-eyed blondes, they’ve noticed the boy next door has turned into a hottie, and they miss their mom, who died almost a year ago.These sisters are surviving just fine—except Zen keeps getting into fights that are harder and harder to finish, while Xander spirals into a vortex of late-night parties, scary men, and drugs. What’s worse, Xander has scholarships to the most coveted universities in the country, but she’s about to ruin everything. Should Zen keep trying to protect Xander, or finally let her go?

And Also:

Holly Capula sent me this two-chapter preview of her book, Tell Me a Secret. She's so sweet! She also sent me the bookmark and magnet, too. I can't wait for this book!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday: Halo

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Release Date: September 14, 2010

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Is love a great enough power against evil?

Who wouldn't want to read this? It's about angels which I love, and, well, I mean, look at the cover! Its Gorgeous! I definitely can't wait for this one.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Blog Tour: Alyssa B. Sheinmel On Names in The Beautiful Between

Alyssa B. Sheinmel, author of The Beautitul Between, was kind enough to stop by Book Fanatics on her Blog Tour and talk about the names from her debut novel The Beautiful Between.

To read my raving review, click here.

And without further adieu, here's Alyssa:

I was planning to write about Connelly’s mother, because I thought I’d never given her a name. But then I remembered that I actually did name her. Her name is Ellen, although it’s only mentioned once in the whole book, in Chapter 2, when she introduces herself to Jeremy. I can’t believe that I actually forgot having given it to her. In fact, over the last few days, I’ve been talking quite a lot about that character and at one point, I actually thought to myself that it would be so much easier to talk about her had I given her a name. So I’m feeling pretty guilty and completely scatterbrained for having forgotten it. It’s like forgetting the name of one of your children. (I don’t have any children and I imagine that, really, forgetting the name of one’s child would be much worse than forgetting the name of one’s character.)

Naming your characters isn’t entirely dissimilar, I imagine, from naming your children. I even keep a running list of the names I’d like to use in stories, the way some people have already narrowed down a list of names for their future children. Of course, as an author, you can change a character’s name halfway through the story if it turns out the name you chose originally doesn’t quite fit. You don’t really get to do that with a child. Plus, a character will never complain about the name you chose to give it. I remember, when I was very young, complaining quite a bit to my mother about her having named me “Alyssa.” It seemed to me there were much cooler names she could have chosen.

But back to The Beautiful Between, and the only name with a story behind it: Connelly’s. I got the idea for the name Connelly from the actress Jennifer Connelly. She’s one of my favorite actresses (if you haven’t seen “Labyrinth,” do so immediately), and she’s also very beautiful. Since The Beautiful Between is in the first person, I couldn’t very well tell the reader that Connelly was pretty; I couldn’t even really give a detailed description on what she looked like. I tried to hint at it throughout the book, in the flirtations between Connelly and Jeremy, in the way Connelly thinks about her appearance. At one point, Kate flat out says that she thinks Connelly is pretty. But naming her after a woman I think is beautiful was my own private reminder that Connelly was pretty, my own inside joke. Plus, while The Beautiful Between was on submission with my editor, I actually happened to see Jennifer Connelly in real life, at a restaurant in my neighborhood called Bubby’s. Maybe it was just a coincidence, or maybe it was a sign that my Connelly was about to find her publishing home. For a split second, I even considered going up to Jennifer Connelly and telling her about my Connelly, but I was much too embarrassed (and besides, she seemed to be having a private day with her family). Still, at the time, it made me think that maybe Connelly’s name was a little piece of good luck. And what book couldn’t use a lucky charm?

The Tension of Opposite by Kristina McBride

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride
rating 8/10
Release Date: May 25, 2010

It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.

For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?

And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.

A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.

The Tension of Opposites was an total emotional roller coaster. While reading this story about the effects of kidnapping on a victim and the effect it has on those around them, you can't help but be pulled in with the characters and what they are going through.

The Tension of Opposites pulls you in from the start. It was very intense. I was drawn in by Tessea's character. She was really sweet and just wanted her friend to be okay. Elle (Noelle) on the other hand, I did not like. If she was just like that after the kidnapping, I would totally understand. But she was mean to Tessa and a horrible friend even before that.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Tension of Opposites. It was a fabulously written book by debut author Kristina McBride.