73 -- The Call

Day 70 -- Book 73
The Call -- Michael Grant
Book #1 --The Magnificent 12

Mack has more phobias then you can name, and the list gets longer everyday.

He does have some excitement in his life. His hobby is to be chased by bullies. The last time he was chased, he ended up saving Stefan, the major school bully. Stefan decides that he must protect Mack. That's easier said then done because Mack has been told that it is his duty to save the world from the Pale Queen.


This quest takes Mack and Stefan all over the world. They meet all kinds of creatures. The first creature they meet? Golem who takes over in Mack's absence. Let's just say he doesn't quite know how to behave. Removing body parts is frowned upon.

My Mailbox -- Week of February 20

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was post inspired by Alea and hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Check out her post to see what others books were received in mailboxes this week!


The following were received as part of an order from Follett.

           

Three Rivers Rising -- Jame Richards
Radiance -- Alyson Noel
The Mockingbirds -- Daisy Whitney





   

How to Survive Middle School -- Donna Gephart
Lockdown--  Alexander Gordon Smith
As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth -- Lynne Rae Perkins


   
 

Infinity -- Sherrilyn Kenyon
Halo -- Alexandra Adometto
The Call -- Michael Grant

          

The Cardturner -- Louis Sachar

Accomplice --  Eireann Corrigan

Black Hole Sun -- David Macinnis Gill




            
The Private Thoughts of Amelia E. Rye -- Bonnie Shimko
Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire -- Tim Collins
Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze -- Alan Silberberg



     
Revolution -- Jennifer Donnelly
Still Sucks to Be Me -- Kimberley Pauley
Max Cassidy: Escape from Shadow Island -- Paul Adam

72 -- The Private Thoughts of Amelia E. Rye

Day 69 -- Book 72

The Private Thoughts of Amelia E. Rye -- 

Bonnie Shimko  

Amelia's life hasn't always been easy. She lives with her mother. He father ran off after her mom told him she was pregnant and took her anger about her pregnancy out on him. Grandpa Thomas, the only person that Amelia had to talk to, had a stroke and lives in the old folks home. One of her sisters is in an asylum, the other is just plain mean, and her brother is in prison. She's never met any of them.

Life starts turning around for Amelia Earhart Rye when she gets her first real friend. Fancy teaches Amelia that sometimes, its alright to stand up for yourself.

Unfortunately, Amelia's struggles aren't over yet, but she's on her way to receiving what she really wants in life...a family.

71 -- Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze

Day 68 -- Book 71
Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze -- 

Alan Silberberg   

Milo, his dad, and his sister have just moved into their fifth house. This means that Milo is also having to start a new school. And, he's already fallen in love with Summer. As usual, Summer doesn't know he exists.

Milo has two friends, Mashall and Hillary who are there for him along the way. He also meets his elderly neighbor, Sylvia.

Sylvia and Milo share a special bond. They've both lost a loved one. Milo's mother and Sylvia's husband passed away. Together, they are determined not to forget their loved ones.

70 -- Solitary

Day 68 -- Book 70
Solitary -- Alexander Gordon Smith

Alex is in solitary confinement from his attempt to escape.  No one has ever survived more then 4 days in the hole.

His cell is opens from the top. It is small. While serving his time, Alex must defend himself from the monsters. There are mutants, wheezers, that have gas mask looking objects where their faces are (see the cover of Lockdown).

Alex begins to understand why many do not make it out of solitary confinement. He contemplates suicide. He gains composure and he and his friend Zee consider another escape.

Death Sentence, book #3 in the series, will be released on August 2, 2011.

69 -- Lockdown

Day 67-- Book 69
Lockdown -- Alexander Gordon Smith
#1 in the Escape from the Furnace Series

Alex was framed, for killing his friend, by the silver-eyed men. He is put on trial, found guilty, and sent to the Furnace.

The Furnace is a correctional facility, intended for minors, located one mile below the ground. There, Alex is thrown into the world of prison life, with all the gangs, bad food, and prison rules.

Alex and his friend come up with a plan to escape. Their plans didn't go as planned, leaving the reader with a cliffhanger.

Interview and Giveaway: Mad Love & Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Head on over to Confessions of a Bookaholic and check it out!

68 -- How to Survive Middle School

Day 65 -- Book 68
How to Survive Middle School -- Donna Gephart

Beginning sixth grader, David Greenberg aspires to be the next Jon Stewart. He creates his own videos and posts them on YouTube.

His, use to be friend, Elliott would help him until they had a fight. Now, Elliott and Tommy torment David at school. He's the subject of jokes and swirlies.

Things aren't much better at home. David's dad is despondent since his mother ran off with the farmer, his grandmother provides support, but it's not the same.

67 -- Radiance

Day 65 -- Book 67
Radiance -- Alyson Noel

Riley is dead. She lives in the Here & Now...the place is Here and the time is always Now. There are no more days. She keeps track by how many times she goes to sleep.

Riley is called in front of The Council and informed that she is to be a Soul Catcher. She has a teacher named Bodhi. Her first assignment...convince the Radiant Boy to crossover. He's been haunting a castle for hundreds of years and many Soul Catchers have attempted this task. Is Riley any different? Can she get him to cross the bridge?

The sequel, Shimmer will be published on March 15, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

"

"Waiting On" Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that everyone's excited about (created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.) 

Maybe I've been out of it for a bit...

I just discovered that Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, by Beth Fantaskey, has a sequel coming out Fall 2011, Jessica Rules the Dark Side.

I LOVED Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. Just enough steam to be appropriate in my middle school library and still be tame.

Jessica Rules the Dark Side is being added to my list of upcoming books.

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

"Waiting On" Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that everyone's excited about (created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.) 

Last summer, I read Once by Morris Gleitzman, and was AMAZED. It was they only book that I read that I passed along to someone else. I'm thrilled that there is a sequel, Then, that will be released on May 10. I can't wait to find out what happens to Felix and Zelda.              

66 -- Three Rivers Rising

Day 65 -- Book 66
Three Rivers Rising -- Jame Richards

This novel in verse portrays the lives of the townspeople if Johnstown in 1889, the year of the flood.

Celeltia and Peter are in love. She is of class, he works at the hotel.

Her sister, Estrella has disgraced the family by becoming an unwed mother.

Kate is a nursing student who literally just got off the train as the flood hits.

Maura is married with three children small children.

When the three rivers flood and merge together, they decimate the town of Johnstown with 20 millions tons of water. Over 2,200 people died in this natural disaster. What happened to Celeltia, Peter, Estrella, Kate and Maura?

65 -- Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire

Day 64 -- Book 65
Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire -- Tim Collins

According to Nigel, being a vampire isn't as glamorous as it is in the movies. He is forced to spend his undead life as a 15 year old. (Talk about the ultimate punishment!)

He falls for Chloe and is determined to make her his girlfriend before he turns 100.

This book was originally published in England under the title Diary of a Wimpy Vampire. Lovers of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series are sure to enjoy.

64 -- The Candidates

Day 63 -- Book 64
The Candidates -- Inara Scott

Dancia prefers to be alone. She's good at blending in. She begins to suspect that there's something going on when she's recruited to attend Delacroix Academy on a full scholarship. Delacroix is known for having the brightest and most talented students. So, why invite Dancia.

Dancia has powers. She has the ability to protect others. She begins to wonder if Delacroix knows about her powers. While at Delacroix, she meets Jack, the campus bad boy.He knows the real reason they are there.

The Candidates is the first book in the series. I have not seen anything about book two.

Interview & Giveaway with Kimberly Marcus

Visit Confessions of a Bookaholic for more details

My Mailbox -- Week of Febraury 13

My Mailbox
In My Mailbox is a weekly that was post inspired by Alea and hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Check out her post to see what others books were received in their mailboxes this week!

   Gifted: Heavenly -- Jennifer Laurens
 

           

Purchased from Amazon : 

Rival  -- Sara Bennett Wealer

The Book of Tomorrow -- Cecelia Ahern

Desires of the Dead -- Kimberly Derting

ARC received from Hachette Book Group:

I Am J -- Cris Beam

63 -- Rival

Day 60 -- Book 63
Rival -- Sara Bennett Wealer


Brooke and Kathryn are both singers. They started out as friends, but competition got the better of them.

Brooke could do anything she wanted. She's the popular girl at school, other girls follow her around.

Kathryn was a loaner. Music and school took up most of her time.

Jealousy gets the better of them and they are at odds against each other, but neither really knows what happened.

62 -- Desires of the Dead

Day 59 -- Book 62
Desires of the Dead -- Kimberly Derting

Violet is back in the sequel to The Body Finder. This time, Jay is her boyfriend. Things between them aren't quite the same.

When Violet "discovers" a body in a shipping container and makes an anonymous call to the police, her life is thrown for a loop. She is contacted by Sara Priest, a consultant for the FBI. They know she called it in.

Violet also gets the feeling that she's being watched. There's a dead cat left for her on her driveway, notes being left on her car. She can't bring herself to tell Jay what's going on.

Recently, Kimberly Derting announced that there will be four books in The Body Finder series.

Other Words for Love Giveaway

Visit  Confessions of a Bookaholic

Giveaways

Check out Icey Books for Giveaways

Haven by Kristi Cook
Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

61 -- I Am J

Day 58 -- Book 61
I Am J -- Cris Beam

J was born a girl, but has known for years that he prefers to be a boy. His friend, Melissa, and his family consider him a lesbian. This is difficult since he's in love with Melissa. How can he explain how he really feels?

J decides to stop wearing the baggy clothes and binding his breasts with hopes to take testosterone shots so he can look and sound more like a guy. Problem. He's only seventeen and the law states that you must be eighteen or have parental support to receive the shots.

Once J turns eighteen, he begins the shots. He is accepted to college as a transgender male to work on his photography. Maybe someday his family will accept him for who he is.

ARC received from Hachette Book Group.
Release date : March 1, 2011

60 -- Finnikin of the Rock

Day 57 -- Book 60
Finnikin of the Rock -- Melina Marchetta

Finnikin has been exiled from his home land, Lumatere, for the past 10 years.  Assassins killed the king and his family. Rumors abound that Balthazar, heir to the throne, is still alive.

Led by Evanjalin, Finnikin and Sir Topher, an adviser to the king, begin their quest to find Balthazar and return Lumatere to the place it once was.

59 -- The Running Dream

Day 56 -- Book 59
The Running Dream --  Wendelin Van Draanen

Jessica is a runner. It's who she is, or who she was until an accident causes her to lose a leg below the knee.

Eventually, she must go back to school where she deals with normal teenage angst...boys, mean girls, and tough teachers. She also meets Rosa, a classmate who has cerebral palsy. Together they help others realize that they should be seen for themselves, not just their disability.  

58 -- The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Day 56 -- Book 58
The Reformed Vampire Support Group -- Catherine Jinks

Being a vampire isn't as glamorous as the movies make it to be. Nina Harrison and her motley crew of vampire friends are proof of that. They can barely keep "alive" since they have vowed not to drink human blood.

Their boring existence changes when one of their group is staked. The killer knows where they live.

57 -- When You Reach Me

Day 55 -- Book 57
When You Reach Me -- Rebecca Stead

2010 Newbery Winner

It's 1978, New York, Miranda is twelve years old. She's helping her mother get ready to be on the 20,000 Dollar Pyramid, and she's obsessed with A Wrinkle in Time.

Strange occurrences begin to happen and Miranda starts receiving notes claiming that there's someone who wants to save her life. She believes that this person knows the future and that they want Miranda to prevent a death.

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Drought by Pam Bachorz

See Confessions of a Bookaholic for more details.

56 -- Bleeding Violet

Day 55 -- Book 56
Bleeding Violet -- Dia Reeves

After Hanna's father passed away, she went to live with her aunt. When she decided it was time to leave her aunt's house, she hit her over the head with a rolling pin and hitchhiked to her mom's in Portero, Texas.

In order to stay there, she makes her mom a deal...she has two weeks to make friends and fit in, or she must leave. She's never really fit in anywhere. She suffers from manic depression, only wears purple, has violent tendencies, and hallucinates.

Porteros isn't your typical town though. It has portals to other dimensions. Hanna and her love interest Wyatt take on the demons.

55 -- Vampire Rising

Day 54 -- Book 55
Vampire Rising -- Jason Henderson

Alex Van Helsing thought he was a normal boy, but with the the name Van Helsing, he should have known better.

After a school fight, he is sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. On his second day, he's attacked by vampires. The vampires take two students from Alex's school to use as a sacrifice. It's Alex's job to save them.

54 -- Jane

Day 53 -- Book 54
Jane -- April Lindner

Jane Moone is on her own. Her parents died in an accident. Not having enough money to afford school at Sarah Lawrence, she drops out and finds work as a nanny. Not just any nanny. Her employer is Nico Rathburn, the famous rock star. Jane was hired because she doesn't follow all the tabloids. She does make an exception to learn a bit about her boss.

Time passes as she works for Mr. Rathburn. She knows she has fallen in love with him, but can't let her feelings be known. Secretly, he feels the same about her.

Once they discover that their love is reciprocated, they agree to marry. Unfortunately, they never make it all the way down the aisle. Jane discovers that Nico has been keeping secrets from her. Secrets that can't be ignored.

53 -- Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Day 52 -- Book 53
Please Ignore Vera Dietz -- A.S. King

Charlie is dead.

Vera knows his secret, but she has enough to deal with in her life. Her mother left when she was twelve. She's "dating" a twenty-three year old. She has a drinking problem. Her dad is trying to be passive about all of this.

View Vera's life from several points of view...Charlie, Vera, her dad, Ken, and the pagoda. Don't forget Ken's very valuable flow charts for life.

52 -- Cryer's Cross

Day 50 -- Book 52

Cryer's Cross is a small town. There are only 24 students in their one room high school. Kendall is a senior with plans to go to Julliard until her friend Nico disappears.

Nico is the second kid to disappear in the past months. No one has a clue what happened to them. Kendall starts hearing their voices. They call to her to come and save them. Can she get there in time?

Snow Days in Texas

Living in north Texas, we don't have many snow days. So far, in 2011, we've had 4 snow days and expecting more this week.

Yes, I know the jokes about the state of Texas shutting down by just seeing one snowflake in the sky. Last week's snow storm was scary. There was at least 2 inches of ice on the roads.

I applaud my school district for making the call to close school the day before. It's wonderful to have advanced notice. Not to mention being able to sleep late!

So, what to do with my time off...not able to leave the house...READ. Last week, I read 10 books. Wonder how many I can read this week.

Bumped ARC Giveaway

ARC copy of Bumped by Megan McCafferty

::Musings + Teen Librarian::

51 -- Nevermore

Day 47 -- Book 51
Nevermore -- Kelly Creagh

Isobel is the typical high school cheerleader. She's popular and dates Brad, a football player. Who would have thought that a simple group English project on Edgar Allan Poe would turn her world completely upside down.

Varen, the quiet goth boy didn't really want to be paired with Isobel either. He had no way of knowing that he would depend on her to save him from himself.

50 -- Her and Me and You

Day 46 -- Book 50
Her and Me and You -- Lauren Strasnick

Alex is new to town. She and her depressed, alcoholic mother just moved into her grandmother's house. Her parents are separated because of her father's infidelity.

Here, she meets Fred and his sister Adina. People have warned her about Adina's obsession with her brother, but Alex tries her best to have a relationship with Fred.

Received from The Nostalgic Librarian