March California YA and MG Book Events!

March 2, 2015February 28, 2015Leave a comment

Some of you may have noticed that I no longer do Book Events Listings for the entire country. I used to but it just honestly got to be way too much work for me. I know it was really cool for you guys but it really was a ton of work. If any of you need help on finding book events in your area, illness I will be more than happy to help, stomach but for now, ailment I will be sticking with California (mostly Southern) events!

**********************

March 10th:

Penguin Teen on Tour

Morgan Rhodes, Rachel Hawkins, Seth Fishman, Maggie Hall, and and Jessica Khoury

Vroman’s Bookstore

Pasadena, CA

6:30 pm

Not Wristbanded

Those wishing to get books signed will be asked to purchase at least one copy of the author’s most recent title from Vroman’s. For each purchased copy of the newest title, customers may bring up to three copies from home to be signed. This policy applies to all Vroman’s Bookstore events unless otherwise noted. Save your Vroman’s receipt; it will be checked when you enter the signing line.

March 10th:

Andrew Smith

Book Passage

Corte Madera, CA

6:30 pm

Once again blending multiple story strands that transcend time and place, The Alex Crow author Andrew Smith tells the story of 15-year-old Ariel, a refugee from the Middle East who is the sole survivor of an attack on his small village. Now living with an adoptive family in Sunday, West Virginia, his story (beginning with a misplaced summer at a boys’ camp for tech detox) is juxtaposed against those of a schizophrenic bomber and the diaries of a failed arctic expedition from the late nineteenth century. Oh, and there’s also a robotic, reincarnated crow.

Andrew Smith knew ever since his days as editor of his high school newspaper that he wanted to be a writer. His books include Grasshopper Jungle and Winger.

March 11th:

Lauren Oliver and John Corey Whaley

Barnes and Noble at the Bella Terra

Huntington Beach, CA

7 pm

Bestselling YA author Lauren Oliver will discuss her anticipated new novel Vanishing Girls. Lauren will be joined by Printz medalist and SoCal local favorite John Corey Whaley, author of Noggin.

March 20th:

Girls Gone Sci-Fi Tour

Jessica Brody, Debra Driza, Claudia Gray, Melissa Landers and Jessica Khoury

Mysterious Galaxy

San Diego, CA

7:30 pm

Blast off for adventure with young adult authors Jesssica Brody (Unchanged), Claudia Gray (A Thousand Pieces of You), Jessica Khoury (Kalahari), Melissa Landers (Invaded), and Debra Driza (MILA 2.0: Renegade). Unchanged completes the thrilling SF trilogy started in Jessica’sUnremembered; fans are encouraged to check out the ebook short, “Unleashed,” as wel, for more insights into the mysterious Diotech Compound. Bestseller Claudia’s A Thousand Pieces of You is blurbed as “Orphan Black meets Cloud Atlas in the first book of this epic dimension–bending trilogy about a girl who must chase her father’s killer through multiple dimensions.” The Corpus Files that Jessica began with Origin in the depths of the Amazon rainforest and continued with Vitro in the South Pacific islands now takes readers to the wilds of Botswana with Kalahari. Linda’s review of Melissa’s Alienated reads, “Appealing to science fiction and YA readers, a plot with a forbidden love theme involving intergalactic exchange students allows Landers to discuss important issues such as teen romance, peer pressure, trust and acceptance of those a little bit different from ourselves.” The story continues in Invaded. The 2015 version of San Diego author Debra will captain the ride!

March 21st:

Ontario Teen Book Fest: Where Books and Teens Meet

Click this link to find out ALL the authors, panels and more information!

Colony High School

Ontario, CA

9 am – 5 pm

March 21st:

Authors Under the Lights

Hilton Universal City

Los Angeles, CA

11 am to 6 pm

This multi-author/genre signing event will take place in sunny Southern California at Universal City Walk Hilton in Universal City on March 21, 2015.

Any and all pertinent information pertaining to attendance, including a list of featured authors, party with the authors & models, blogger/author brunch, hotel information, and sponsorship opportunities can be found on this site.

March 22nd:

Girls Gone Sci-Fi

Jessica Brody, Melissa Landers, Jessica Khoury, Lauren Miller

Once Upon a Time Bookstore

Montrose, CA

2 pm

Jessica Brody, Jessica Khoury, Lauren Miller and Melissa Landers all write terrific SCI-FI adventures for young adults. Join this gaggle of writers to discuss current trends in writing, YA, new science discoveries and more!

Sweet treats will be offered as well as booksignings for all authors’ books.

March 24th:

Jennifer A Neilsen

Kepler’s Books

Menlo Park, CA

7 pm

Jennifer A. Nielsen, author of the NYT and USA TODAY bestselling Ascendance Trilogy (The False Prince, The Runaway King, and The Shadow Throne), has woven an electrifying tale of greed and power, magic and destiny, and one boy’s courage at the heart of it all.

March 27th:

Cecil Castellucci and Rachel Searles

Mysterious Galaxy

San Diego, CA

6 pm

The Galaxy includes Speculative Fiction for readers of all ages – our event with Cecil Castellucci and Rachel Searles is focused on SF for teens, and middle grade readers, but of interest to readers of all ages. In Stone in the Sky, Cecil’s thrilling follow-up to Tin Star, Tula will need to rely on more than just her wits to save her only home in the sky, as she faces possible death and romantic complications. The Stolen Moon, second in Rachel’s Lost Planet series, offers hero Chase an opportunity to save the world, maybe, with the help of hacker BFF Parker and the assistance / hindrance of his younger sister.

March 28th:

Ridley Pearson

Barnes and Noble at the Americana

Glendale, CA

7 pm

Check store for details.

March 29th:

Ridley Pearson

Mysterious Galaxy

San Diego, CA

2:30 pm

Ridley Pearson is known to many readers as the award-winning author of multiple adventure series for (young-ish) readers, including The Kingdom Keepers, Steel Trapp, and with Dave Barry, Peter and the Starcatchers. Ridley is also a best-selling crime novelist of more than two dozen titles. The adventure of the Kingdom Keepers, a group of young people responsible for battling magical villains in Disneyland afterhours, continues in The Return, as they discover defeating the Overtakers is not their only challenge. The Red Room, a Risk Agent novel, is Ridley’s most recent adult suspense novel.

**************

February Book Wrap Up!

March 2, 2015February 28, 20151 Comment

Books Pledged to Read in 2015:

150

Am I On Track:

3 books behind

Books Read So Far:

Total Books For February:

5 (WHOA! After 16 in January, cheap that’s terrible. But I was busy! Gallifrey One, and my birthday and all of that. March should be better!)

Revenge, Ice Cream and Other Things Best Served Cold (ARC)

The Ruby Circle

How to Say I Love You Out Loud (ARC)

Cinderella’s Dress

Unchanged

* * * * * *

How did you guys do this month? Share in the comments!

Book Review: Emily and Oliver (ARC) by Robin Benway

March 2, 2015March 1, 2015Leave a comment

This review is based on an advanced reader’s copy of the novel obtained through snail mail at the permission of HarperTeen. This is in no way had an effect on the integrity of my review. Please note that published novel will differ from this ARC.

Genre:

Young Adult, viagra Contemporary

Pages:

352

Part of a Series?:

Standalone Novel

Release Date:

June 23rd, order 2015

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads Summary:

Emmy’s best friend, pill Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.

She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.

He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

My Review:

Dear Robin Benway, WHAT DID YOU WRITE HERE?

Okay, so I’ve read Robin Benway’s books before. I loved her books before. She is a friend of mine and she’s awesome. She’s a fantastic writer, a great inspiration and I just adore her. Getting an ARC of Emmy and Oliver made me incredibly excited and I’m even more happy that I got it now that I’ve read it.

Emmy and Oliver is an INCREDIBLE story. Its one of those stories that seems so out there, so incredibly unbelievable, but its TOTALLY believable because things like this happen. Oliver is kidnapped by his father as a child and reappears years later, as a teenager. Its difficult for him, because he was told a different story, raised a different way and then uprooted and returned to the family that he hasn’t seen in years, a family he probably doesn’t really feel like he has a bond with. It brings to mind all these girls that have suddenly been found after decades of being missing. What an incredibly traumatic experience to be kidnapped, but also traumatic to come home as well. This is what Oliver goes through and its hard to imagine.

That’s when you enter Emmy, who fell in love with Oliver as a child and has always wondered where he is, and how he is, especially since his kidnapping had such a profound effect on her parents and her own limitations in her life because of it. So when Oliver returns, that’s an experience for herself. She has no idea how to handle it. She wants to pick up where they left off as kids but she also feels like he’s a stranger, like he’s delicate and she doesn’t quite know how to interact with him.

When you put it all together, its an incredibly emotional and HUMAN story. Both Emmy and Oliver together, watching them figure out their lives and each other, and the people around them is incredibly engaging, familiar and addictive. Even if you can’t relate, you want to. You want to feel close to them and Robin does such a great job at writing these characters that they feel so real. Their stories are real and the romance that builds between them is just awesome. It has ups and downs, and it not easy because of Oliver’s past, and its beautiful to see them try and work.

This book doesn’t release until summer, but its definitely one that must be on your TBR. I adore Robin, she’s a great friend and she has written a total winner. A year ago, she talked briefly about her book and Oliver and how she wished she could talk to him, and show him a little love because of the things she put him through, and now I totally understand. I’m very excited for the official release of this book and you definitely should be too!

Rating:

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Ontario Teen Book Fest 2015 Blog Tour: Spotlight on Melissa Landers

March 1, 2015February 26, 20152 Comments

I am so pleased to be bringing you the Ontario Teen Book Fest blog tour once again! This is one of my absolute favorite events of the year and I’m honored to help promote it as much as I possibly can. There are a ton of wonderful authors this year and an equally wonderful batch of bloggers to help me spotlight them.

When: March 21st, treat 9 am to 5 pm

Where: Colony High School
3850 E. Riverside Drive
Ontario, buy CA 91761

This event is a completely free and un-ticketed event! Priority seating WILL be given to teens, but come one, come all! There will also be giveaways and raffles at the Fest, also free! Also, keep scrolling to find a giveaway held by us bloggers!

You can visit the website, to see the full schedule of the day by visiting the official Ontario Teen Book Fest website.

Books WILL be available for purchase at the event, available from Once Upon a Time Bookstore :) They are an amazing company so definitely bring your books from home, but try and support Once Upon a Time by purchasing a book!

Its going to be an incredible event and I’m honestly counting down the days! I hope you can come along for the ride, in the days leading up to the event. Check out the full blog tour here!

Official Blog Tour Schedule

February 28th: Spotlight on Kasie West — Adventures of a Book Junkie

March 1st: Spotlight on Melissa Landers — What A Nerd Girl Says

March 2nd: Spotlight on Anna Carey — The Reader’s Antidote

March 3rd: Spotlight on Cecil Castellucci — Nite Lite Book Reviews

March 4th: Spotlight on Debra Driza — Read Now Sleep Later

March 5th: Spotlight on Katie Finn — Fearless Kurt Reads YA

March 6th: Spotlight on Claudia Gray — A Bookish Escape

March 7th: Spotlight on Shannon Messenger — People Like Books

March 8th: Spotlight on Lauren Miller — The Thousand Lives

March 9th: Spotlight on Elizabeth Ross — Kid Lit Frenzy

March 10th: Spotlight on Brad Gottfred — Recently Acquired Obsessions

March 11th: Spotlight on Sherri Smith — Movies, Shows and Books

March 12th: Spotlight on Mary Elizabeth Summer — What A Nerd Girl Says

March 13th: Spotlight on Jessica Khoury — The Consummate Reader

March 14th: Spotlight on Maurene Goo — The Windy Pages

March 15th: Spotlight on Catherine Linka — Read Now Sleep Later

March 16th: Spotlight on Jessica Brody — The Romance Bookie

March 17th: Spotlight on Gretchen McNeil — Movies, Shows and Books

March 18th: Spotlight on Aaron Hartzler — Fangirl Feeels

March 19th: Spotlight on Michelle Levy — The Consummate Reader

* * * * *

Today’s Spotlight is on the one and only:

Melissa Landers

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives just outside Cincinnati and writes adult contemporary romance as Macy Beckett.

Her Website / Her Facebook / Her GoodReads / Her Twitter / Her Instagram

Her Books

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara’s classmates get swept up by anti-L’eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn’t safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara’s locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she’s fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

Find Her Books at Your Local Bookstore of the Following Links:

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Book Depository

The Interview!

******

Nerd Girl: This first one is kind of typical: where did the idea for Alienated and Invaded come from? Why THIS story?

Melissa: Right before NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in 2009, I was driving down the interstate thinking, “If I’m going to do this whole NaNo thing, I need a plot. What am I going to write about?” Several ideas came to mind, but I dismissed them because they were boring or cliched. Then – out of nowhere – I thought, “What if a high school senior had to host an alien exchange student?” Boom! I fell in love with the concept, and the rest is history.

Nerd Girl: Congrats on Invaded being published recently! What can we expect from you in the future?

Melissa: Right now, I’m wrapping up STARFLIGHT, a new stand-alone sci-fi romance that should release in 2016.

Just announced as well…

Nerd Girl: What are some of the things that you strive for when you’re writing, knowing that teens are going to be reading it?

Melissa: My process is pretty organic, meaning I don’t have any ulterior motives or anything I “strive for” while writing. I just let the story unfold.

Nerd Girl: Cara and Aelyx have easily become one of my favorite book couples! Did you have any inspiration from other fictional couples or even real life couples when creating their relationship?

Melissa: Thank you! I love their relationship, especially the way it gradually evolved from reluctant acquaintances to friends to more-than-friends. No, I didn’t find inspiration from any other couples. Aelyx and Cara are one of a kind.

Nerd Girl: What made you want to write for teens as opposed to adults?

Melissa: Actually, I never made the choice. As stated above, my process is very organic. I had an idea to write about a teenage girl hosting an alien exchange student, and the story unfolded from there. The second book I wrote (under a pen name) was for adults. Again, not an active choice. The story ideas come to me, I write them, and then figure out who the audience is.

Nerd Girl: Because this is for the Ontario Teen Book Fest, all about the teens, what is one of your favorite memories from when you were a teen?

Melissa: My favorite teen memory is probably my first date, which didn’t happen until I was sixteen. (My parents were strict.) The night was incredibly special, and as a bonus, it led to my first kiss and my first love. I dated that boy on and off for almost a year.

Nerd Girl: Last question, who is your fictional crush?

Melissa: I have a fickle heart when it comes to literary crushes. With so many amazing book boyfriends out there, who can choose just one? Not this gal!

Giveaway!

Two Prizes, Two Winners!

Each winner will receive an official Ontario Teen Book Fest poster signed by ALL attending authors!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* * * * * *

Music Monday: “Stingray Affliction” by Issues

February 23, 2015February 22, 2015Leave a comment

“Stingyray Affliction” by Issues

Have you ever heard a song or even just a band and been like “whoa, treatment who is that, information pills that’s the sexiest voice ever?” No? Just me? Hmm…fine, viagra 100mg more Tyler for me

Show me what you’re worth
Get up
Facedown, thinking out loud
He’s so hardcore when he’s running his mouth
There’s always gonna be that fucking guy
You got a few things bottled up
Jump on a couple bottles like double dutch
Jager got you faded when society’s got you jaded
How do you expect to grow
When all you wanna do is break
It’s time to let shit go
And let the chorus play

No I don’t wanna be tough
I wanna make sure they can see me cry sure enough
Don’t wanna bottle this up
The way you make me feel when you’re around
Tough guy dies a little inside
This town might show no love
But kid you gotta wake up

This is the real world
And you’re only hurting yourself
When you spend every waking moment
With your fingers crossed
I don’t think you can afford
To set karma further in motion
Go ahead
No one cares
Talk shit you mean nothing
Talk shit you mean nothing

Ask what I see in you
I don’t see nothing, I see right through
You’re transparent I know you don’t wanna hear it
And I don’t wanna be the person to slip up and hurt your feelings
I guess they don’t wanna say it to your face but I will cause somebody’s gotta put you in your place
I’m not afraid to scream and shout
And freak out and throw my hands up
And let it out
Punk bitch walking tall like you got something to prove
Nah man, cause deep down you know it sucks to be you
Stingray Affliction
Making small stabs in passing
But the pain is bigger than it seems
Stop holding me under and let me breathe…
Just let me breathe
The pain is bigger than it seems
A tough guy dies a little inside
Just let me breathe
The pain is bigger than it seems
Stop holding me under and let me breathe

Find Issues

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube / Tumblr / iTunes

Book Review: From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess (ARC) by Meg Cabot

February 22, 2015February 18, 20153 Comments

This review is based on an advanced reader’s copy of the novel obtained through snail mail at the permission of Feiwel and Friends. This is in no way had an effect on the integrity of my review. Please note that published novel will differ from this ARC.

Genre:

Middle Grade, tadalafil Contemporary

Pages:

192

Part of a Series?:

First in a Planned Series

Release Date:

May 19th, what is ed 2015

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads Summary:

In FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCESS a new middle grade series, viagra readers will see Genovia, this time through the illustrated diaries of a spunky new heroine, 12 year old Olivia Grace, who happens to be the long lost half-sister of Princess Mia Thermopolis.

My Review:

I don’t often read middle grade novels, I tend to focus more on YA and NA but there was NO way at all I was going to turn down the chance to read the newest novel by Meg Cabot in one of my favorite fictional worlds, The Princess Diaries series. Without getting too spoiler-y, we’re introduced to Olivia, who is a somewhat awkward, but totally adorable 12 year old girl who somehow gets into a load of trouble with the most popular girl in school, who wants to beat her up after school. That is, until she finds out that her father, a mysterious man who has sent her letters and presents for years, is actually a crown prince, and her sister, a princess, THE Princess Amelia of Genovia. Enter a whirlwind of changes for the girl as she steps into her new role as Princess Olivia.

There was SO much I liked about this book.

One, the fact that Olivia is biracial. We need more and more diversity in our books and this is just plain beautiful. I love every bit of this completely.

Two, I love that Olivia is writing in a journal the way Mia did. It feels so familiar. It feels familiar to get to know this character in such a similar way that you got to know Mia when she learned that she was a princess.

Three, I love that Olivia is younger than Mia, and I love that she has had different reactions, and a different exposure to this news. True, she’s younger than Mia was in that first novel, and this book is geared toward a different age group but I love that we get a sort of familiar story but with a brand new character.

Four, Olivia is just SO incredibly fun. She’s spunky and honest and fun. She kind of takes things as they came to her. She’s a princess? Cool. She gets a new dog? Awesome. She has the weirdest grandmere on the planet? All right. She has to move to Genovia to learn how to be a princess? Why not?

Five, I like that even though this is a middle grade novel…it hints at some deeper things as well. First off, that even though she’s with her family now, her real family hasn’t been there for quite some time, even though her father knew she existed. Sure, there’s more to that and Olivia’s mom wanted her away from that, that sort of thing but it opens up a larger question of whether she would have ever gained a relationship with her father.

And it also shows the family that she had already, a family that treated her kind of terribly actually. Her adopted family was kind of neglecting, even in their attempts to protect her so that’s kind of interesting as well.

Six, we get to see Mia again, and see the beginnings of her preparations for her wedding to Michael (which, like, ohmygod, I’m fangirling so hard over this! I’ve been waiting…let’s see, I was 12 when I read the first book…so 14 years, 15 years for this?). And Olivia is going to be a junior bridesmaid. We get to see Prince Philipe and Grandmere and it just feels good to see those characters again. I LOVED it.

Straight up, its a great book for those who are already fans of The Princess Diaries and would like a dose of nostalgia and I think it’ll be great for those who haven’t been introduced. They can meet Olivia and perhaps go back and read Mia’s story and that’s just fabulous!

Rating:

5 out of 5 stars