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DEVIANTS and ARC Giveaway!

Sep 10, 2012 | , , , , , | 19 Comments

Today’s highlighted book is DEVIANTS by Maureen McGowan published by Amazon Children’s Publishing. I received the ARC in the mail late last week and as soon as I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. The style and action-packed pace made it impossible to set aside.

The release date is Oct. 30th!

Here’s the blurb from Amazon:

In a post-apocalyptic world, where the earth is buried by asteroid dust that’s mutated the DNA of some humans, orphaned, sixteen-year-old Glory must hide and protect her younger brother. If their Deviant abilities are discovered, they’ll be expunged—kicked out of the dome to be tortured and killed by the Shredders.

Glory would give anything to get rid of her unique ability to kill with her emotions, especially when Cal, the boy she’s always liked, becomes a spy for the authorities. But when her brother is discovered, and she learns their father, who was expunged for killing their mother, is still alive, she must escape the domed city that’s been her entire world.

Outside in the ruins, they’re pursued by the authorities and by sadistic, scab-covered Shredders who are addicted to the lethal-to-humans dust now covering the planet. Glory’s quests to transport herself and her brother to safety make up the thrilling and fascinating first volume of The Dust Chronicles.

What I love about this book: I really fell in love with the main character, Glory. She’s tough and knows how to kick butt, yet at the same time she’s thoughtful and sacrificial. Glory is willing to do just about anything to keep her brother hidden. Because of this, she is drawn into a whole new world that she never knew existed.

What makes this book unique:

I loved the angle that McGowan brought in at the end of the book which leads into book 2. Of course I can’t ruin the ending but I thought it was unique and something I hadn’t seen in dystopian literature that I’ve read. At the same time I was slightly annoyed because now I’ll have to wait for book 2 to be released before I get to find out what happens next! What’s up with cliffhanger McGowan? I think she’s trying to torture us.

Why you should read it:

The writing was just flawless. As a writer myself, I’m a tough critic when it comes to style and the right mix of well, everything. McGowan knows how to tell a fast-paced story without allowing the writing to suffer. And excellent world building!

My favorite line:

“I’ve tried to be a good person, to do the right thing, but I am not a good person.”


Stalk Maureen on her blog or Twitter: @MaureenMcGowan

I’m also giving away my ARC of DEVIANTS! It’s simple. Leave a comment below. Tweet it and tell me you did so and get an extra entry. Contest ends Sept. 17th.

IF I LIE

Sep 6, 2012 | , , , | 9 Comments

Last week was a big week for Cory Jackson with the release of IF I LIE. So many great books coming out this fall!

Here’s the blurb of IF I LIE:

Cheater. Traitor. Slut.
    
Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Shunned by everyone she knows, Quinn loses her friends, her reputation, and her identity. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s a Marine who’s serving overseas, and beloved by everyone in their small, military town. But Quinn didn’t cheat. She could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. So she stays silent, and waits for Carey to come home.     
Then Carey goes MIA, and Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.

Check out Cory’s website here.

Over at the YA Rebels we all talked about a time when we lied or withheld the truth in celebration of the release of IF I LIE. This was actually my last vlog with the YA Rebels as a guest poster. I had a lot of fun vlogging with them!

You can check out my vlog here where I talk about how I lie every day.

I’M BORED Releases Today!

Sep 4, 2012 | , , , | 9 Comments

A big happy book birthday to I’M BORED written by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by my critique partner from the MiGs, Debbie Ridpath Ohi! I’m just so excited for Debbie. She is incredibly talented and has great things in store for her in the future, including two more picture books that she will write/and or illustrate through Simon and Schuster!


Over at the MiGs we are celebrating the book birthday of I’M BORED all week long. Each day we’re chatting about being bored or something related to the book. For every comment made, you can enter to win you very own copy of I’M BORED!

Check it all out here.

Also, check out I’M BORED in the wild. You can submit pics too!

Susan Laidlaw’s Exotic Cover!

Aug 23, 2012 | , , , | 5 Comments

This is a really exciting time for the MiGs because Susan Laidlaw’s cover for INFIDEL IN PARADISE was released! We are all plastering her cover everywhere because we’re so thrilled for her.

Check it out:


Isn’t it awesome? I love it’s exotic flair and the lovely designs.

If you’re interested in more details on Susan, you can check her out on her agency’s website here. Susan has also agreed to do an interview on my blog so more on that soon.

Add it to your Goodreads to read list!

Here’s the blurb from Amazon where you can now pre-order a copy:

Set in Pakistan, this is the story of a teen girl living with her mother and siblings in a diplomatic compound. As if getting used to another new country and set of customs and friends isn’t enough, she must cope with an increasingly tense political situation that becomes dangerous with alarming speed. Her life and those of her sister and brother depend on her resourcefulness and the unexpected help of an enigmatic Muslim classmate.

Aug 23, 2012 | | 0 Comments

Set in Pakistan, this is the story of a teen girl living with her mother and siblings in a diplomatic compound. As if getting used to another new country and set of customs and friends isn’t enough, she must cope with an increasingly tense political situation that becomes dangerous with alarming speed. Her life and those of her sister and brother depend on her resourcefulness and the unexpected help of an enigmatic Muslim classmate.

Exotic Cover for INFIDEL IN PARADISE

Aug 23, 2012 | | 0 Comments

All of us at the MiGs are just so thrilled for Susan! Her cover has been released for her upcoming YA, INFIDEL IN PARADISE. It’s being published by Tundra books and will be released in Feb 2013. It’s now available for pre-order on Amazon here.

Here’s the blurb on it:

Set in Pakistan, this is the story of a teen girl living with her mother and siblings in a diplomatic compound. As if getting used to another new country and set of customs and friends isn’t enough, she must cope with an increasingly tense political situation that becomes dangerous with alarming speed. Her life and those of her sister and brother depend on her resourcefulness and the unexpected help of an enigmatic Muslim classmate.
 

My Q & A Answers

Aug 22, 2012 | | 3 Comments

This week on the YA Rebels we answered questions from our comments section. So in the vlog below I answered my questions and almost spilled my big news! I’m hoping to share my news with you all soon…

Asian Literature- Ruby’s Wish

Aug 20, 2012 | , , | 6 Comments

Today is my first day back at school. I’m always a little nervous on this day, wondering who will be in my class and if we’ll all get along. Spending six hours a day with twenty people in one room all year long can be a great year or a very bad year depending on the mix of people!

In thinking about the beginning of the year, I’m reminded of the picture book, RUBY’S WISH by Shirin Yim Bridges. In thisstory, Bridges retells the journey of how her grandmother became one of the first woman to attend university in China.

I love Ruby’s determination and love for learning that shines through in these pages. And Sophie Blackall does such a striking job with the illustrations, pulling out that common theme of the color red, which is Ruby’s favorite color.

When I read this story to my students, I also tie it into family history and what life was like for our grandparents and where our grandparents came from. A great link for activities to support this is here.


You’re never too old to learn a new language. Here’s a link to create flash cards to learn Chinese. 

And have you ever wondered what your name would look like in Chinese? Check out this link.

If you look to the left, you’ll see my name in Chinese. Pretty cool, huh? Now if only I could write it that well.

Bookshelf Tour

Aug 15, 2012 | | 7 Comments

This week on the Rebels our topic was a bookshelf tour. Which made me wonder what kind of books would be on your shelves. My books are just about everywhere around the house and I’ve got lots of shelves. Both of my boys each have their own big bookshelf too that’s full of books. It’s kind of insane. And then I’ve got tons of books in my classroom. I’m probably keeping the book industry afloat all by myself. (slight exaggeration)

And speaking of bookshelves and getting your books on the shelves, check out this interesting article.

Do you organize your books in any particular way?

Winner of the Hunger Games Contest!

Aug 12, 2012 | | 4 Comments

I’m so excited to announce my winner for the Hunger Games movie contest!

The winner of the movie poster, lanyard, and movie companion book goes to:

Send me your address so I can mail you the stuff! My email address is farley dot christinaL at gmail dot com.

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