Sunday, January 22, 2012

Brodi Ashton (Author of Everneath) talks about her book past

Hey everyone! I have Brodi Ashton here on my blog today to talk about the books she liked when she was 5, 11, 16, and 20 years old. Thanks Brodi for sharing with us the books you liked, and I assume still like today.  :) 
As for the Mr.Darcy part, I think we can all agree that a lot of the time the boys/men in fiction are way better than boys/men in real life. Haha! 

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My five year old self would recommend the book ANIMALS IN WINTER. My mom told me that when I was three, I read my first words from that book. So at five, I would've considered myself an expert, and demanded all the other kindergarteners read it so they could be like me. My five year old self was very confident.

When I was eleven, I was probably obsessed with Madeline L'Engle's A WRINKLE IN TIME. Seriously, I wanted to BE Meg. And hang out with Cal. And travel to freaky worlds to fight IT.

At sixteen, I was obsessed with the book DRACULA by Bram Stoker. I fancied myself a very dark person, and sometimes to back it up, I would even wear dark eyeliner.  I remember the first time I read this book, starting with letters from Jonathan Harkness about his horrific encounter with a strange Count from Transylvania. It scared the living crap out of me.

It's important to note at this time that my mom was an English teacher, and basically all I had to read were the classics. 

By the time I was twenty, there was only one author for me. Jane Austen. I first saw the BBC mini-series of Pride and Prejudice around then, and I was a goner. I hardly dated, because no boy could measure up to Mr. Darcy. (Okay, at least I tell myself that's why I hardly dated.)

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Well that's the end of this tour stop, but please be sure to check out all the other amazing tour stops as well just click here to see the full tour list. 

Here is the synopsis for Brodi Ashton's novel, Everneath: Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. 

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. 

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...



Want a copy? Well you're in luck, because Everneath will be released this Tuesday! 

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Short Review: Karma by Cathy Ostlere

Synopsis: On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi is gunned down by two Sikh bodyguards. The murder sparks riots in Delhi and for three days Sikh families are targeted and killed in retribution for the Prime Minister’s death. It is into this chaos that sixteen-year-old Maya and her Sikh father, Amar, arrive from their home in Canada. India’s political instability is the backdrop and catalyst for Maya’s awakening to the world. KARMA is the story of how a young woman, straddling two cultures and enduring personal loss, learns forgiveness, acceptance and love.






Book Details: 
Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)
Pub. Date: 3/31/11
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 528


My Review:
Well this is going to be a really short review for a really long book. I liked that it was written in verse, and because of this I actually felt like I was reading it pretty quickly. There was only one problem I had with this book, it took me forever to get into it. When I did get into this novel I really liked it. The subject matter is based on true events and the story was just sad. It made me appreciate the life that I have. There was a little love story in this book and the connection between the MC and the boy was sweet. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a book written in verse. Nice debut from Cathy Ostlere. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Synopsis: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18B. Hadley's in 18A. 

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Book Details:
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Poppy)
Pub. Date: Jan 2, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 236

My Review:
When I first saw the cover and read the synopsis for The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, I knew immediately that the statistical probability of loving this debut novel would be pretty high. And guess what, I was absolutely right! 

As soon as I got this book I quickly sat down to read it. The story was fast paced, and oh how I wish the book was longer than it was. In my opinion the book was too short. Well, really it was the ending that was too short. It has me begging for a sequel. I'd love to spend more time with all the characters. 

Jennifer E. Smith did a fantastic job on her debut. She excellently told a story about love. This is one of the many reasons why I love her book. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is not only about the romantic kind of love, but it's also about the love between family members. The dialogue between the characters was fun, flirty, serious, sad, and angry. The love interest, Oliver, made me laugh a lot because he was just so cute, charming, and funny. I can tell how Hadley fell for him. I mean come on he is BRITISH! Hadley was a great MC too. I was able to relate to her and sympathize with her. I was rooting for everything to work out for her. 


After reading The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight I am now a believer of chance and love at first sight. There were many great lessons I took from this book, like tell people how you really feel about them or you'll end up living with regret. Another lesson; there is always more to the story than what people believe too. If you're looking for a fun and cute book to read then this is the book to read.