Blog Tour- Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
"Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood."- summary from Amazon

This was an intriguing book and really interesting to read. There isn't a whole lot of characterization with the secondary characters though. It's mainly about Chloe and Ruby and everything else is kinda background. Suma has a wonderful way of writing and it really compelled me through the book, which was a good thing because I absolutely hated the character Ruby who gets pretty much all the screentime.

It seems odd, I'm sure, to like a book yet hate one of the main characters especially when there are essentially only two of them. But it's true. Ruby was insane and creepy and almost everything she did made me hate her more. I know what she did was for Chloe and to bring her back, but it just came out creepy and she was so rude to everyone else (and even Chloe at times). She was manipulative. But the need to find out what exactly was going on prevailed and I finished the book. I enjoyed Suma's touch of magic in the book; it's really subtle and not all about it yet at the same time, it is all about it and just out there.

The book is mainly about the sisters' relationship and Suma nails the dynamic really well, considering these two characters' personalities. They spend a lot of time together and Chloe does a lot of reminiscing too, so the reader gets a peek into their past a bit. The ending is pretty perfect, though it's not a happily ever after. It's perfect though for this story.

Overall, a book to definitely check out, though be prepared to hate Ruby. This book is atmospheric, lyrical, mysterious, and has that touch of magic that makes it a compelling read.


and here's a guest post from Nova:

I’m here spilling secrets about my book Imaginary Girls. As the cover says, “Secrets never stay below the surface.” I guess not, because here’s another one bubbling up now…

Secret #9: I didn’t read YA novels as a teen, even though I write them now.

I wish I could share a list of the YA novels that spoke to me as a teenager and inspired me to write YA today. The truth is, I didn’t read YA novels when I was a teen. Early on in middle school, I quickly tore through many books in the Sweet Valley High series and the Flowers in the Attic series, but I just as quickly moved on to my mom’s bookshelf. So at thirteen and fourteen and beyond I was reading Margaret Atwood, Marge Piercy, Erica Jong, and other women novelists I grew to admire. I read pretty much anything in the house—including my stepfather’s Stephen King novels, and a book I found on my parents’ shelf that gave me nightmares, a psychological case study called Sybil—and then I discovered poetry, especially Anne Sexton. One book I did read when I was fourteen or so—and I read this one again and again and again—was the so-called anonymous diary Go Ask Alice, but I didn’t think of it as a novel. I thought it was all true.

It’s not that I was ignoring YA, it’s that when I was growing up, we didn’t have the books teens have today. If these novels had existed when I was a teenager, I know I would have connected with them: Beautiful by Amy Reed, Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers, Good Girls by Laura Ruby, Hold Still by Nina LaCour, Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr, and more. I really wish I’d had them. Truth is, back then I could have used them.

So even though I didn’t read YA when I was a teen, I wonder if that’s why I gravitated toward writing it now, actually. It was something missing from my life—a huge, giant hole—and maybe it’s never too late to fill it.


Thanks, Nova! For more info on Nova, you can visit her website and also follow her on Twitter. Click here to read an excerpt from Imaginary Girls.

Now, Penguin has been kind enough to offer a signed copy of Imaginary Girls to a lucky reader. US residents only! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by Friday, July 8 at 9pm EST.



FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Ask Book Chic (24)

It's been a while but Ask Book Chic is finally back! Ask Book Chic is a semi-regular feature where I answer various questions from readers. Questions can be submitted on any of these posts at any time and they can be about anything. I'm an open book. Now let's get to today's wonderful questions!

WriterWannabeAishah asks "What's the weirdest thing that ever happened to you?"

Well, interesting things usually happen to me while on my way to book signings. I tend to have adventures even though I don't want one, lol. I'm pretty much a bystander yet all this stuff happens. You can read about them in previous book signing recaps. Aside from those, not much happens to me, though recently, I was leaving the public library and while on my way to my car, I saw this black woman kinda walking toward me but I didn't know her so I swiftly got in my car and tried to look busy on my phone. I didn't want to just peel out of there, you know? Unfortunately that didn't stop her so she knocked on my window and I rolled it down. She asked for any money I could give her because her ride's car had broken down and couldn't pick her up to go get her kids in Bedford (about a 30 minute drive from Lynchburg). Actually I think she also asked if I could give her a ride; obviously, I said no. I also had no cash or change on me because I never do as I use my credit card for everything.

So then she was like "I just have no money for a cab to get there and I'm worried about my kids. I really don't want to have to prostitute myself." Yes, she actually said that. There are phones everywhere; someone's bound to let you use it to call a friend who has a working car. Just because you have no money doesn't mean you automatically need to go to prostitution to get some. I apologized for her situation and that I hoped she would find a way home soon. And then I got out of there. It was just bizarre.

I've also been helped by a drunk homeless man in DC (I think he was drunk; maybe he was just homeless. I can't remember) when I couldn't figure out where a restaurant was and he asked me for change 4 times even though I'd told him I had none. It's like, no, I haven't suddenly brought change into existence in the minute between questions. Thank you for your help, but now go away.


Em asks "I want to know, if your cats were to read YA, what authors/titles would they most enjoy (this can be cat by cat if necessary) OR what YA authors/books are most symbolic of your feline friends?"

This was a hard question for me, lol. It's a really interesting one though. I'll probably go by genre because that's easiest. Samson loves to cuddle with us, is affectionate to his family, and is pretty carefree so I kinda see him reading a happy book, maybe a romance or just a funny book. Farley and Meeko are kinda mischievous and like to sneak around, so maybe like a spy book for them. Pearl's a bit special in the head so I don't see him making it past picture books, lol. Maya might want something like dystopian since she hates her family and can be a bit of a witch-with-a-b sometimes so she might enjoy reading something bleak, lol. Not sure about Khali though; maybe fun little romances too?


HayleyAG asks "My question is what advice you have for new bloggers on how they can generate more followers?"

Don't focus so much on getting followers. They will come eventually, but only if you keep producing good content. So just stick to some sort of schedule whether you post every day or maybe every other day or however you'd like to do it. Having consistency is a good thing.

Leaving good comments on other blogs is helpful too but don't just spam the comments section. If you have something to say, say it. If you don't, just move on. Through comments, both the blog owner and their readers can see what's being said and if what you say strikes a chord with them, they'll check out your blog and hopefully follow you. You can also tweet out the link to your posts and people can check it out that way too, but be sure to also use it for other things too so it isn't all just links.

In your own comments section, try and reply to people who leave comments on your blog. You don't have to do this all the time but engage yourself in the discussion if you think there's one there. Someone may leave a comment on one of your reviews with a different take on something you mentioned in your review. Perfect opportunity for a reply and to start a discussion.

You can also do contests and as an extra entry, have people follow your blog but I don't like doing that. It's just empty following most of the time just so they can get the extra entry and if they don't win (or maybe even if they do), you may never see them again. I haven't done that at all and I've got 644 followers; it's taken me 4 years to do that (in a sense; since I was on Myspace first then moved here, I had a built-in following already who just followed me over here). It's just a slow and steady rise and I appreciate everyone who follows me.

Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
"There can only be one alpha.

Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack—or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you’re a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he’s a Were, and Bryn’s protection is his only hope.

But Lucas isn’t part of Bryn’s pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha’s Were. With threats—old and new—looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she’s going to have to do it alone."- summary from Amazon

Barnes has done it again- this series is fantastic and I just love it. The pages were really flying with this one; 6 hours after starting it (and with a couple long breaks), I was already 130 pages in. These characters and situations are just so compelling that, at times, the book is impossible to put down.

The story told within is so complicated and Barnes really has a good handle on the Pack Law for the werewolves in her world. I kept wondering how Bryn was going to get out of this mess because there's just obstacle after obstacle thrown in front of her and she has to figure out the right way to do it while staying within the confines of Pack Law. When it's all revealed, it was like "Woah." for me. Barnes is a spectacular storyteller, weaving together so many things and in the end, everything falls into place and makes sense. There are some really unexpected things happening throughout the book.

I loved revisiting these characters and I enjoy reading about all of them- flamboyant Devon, the romance between Bryn and Chase, fierce Lake, and all the rest. The relationships between them all are tested and you can see why they're so loyal to each other through their interactions. It's really wonderful characterization.

I could go on and on about this book but I'll stop here. If you haven't already started this series, do so! I'm excited to see where the characters go next in the third book out next summer. Also, an excerpt from Barnes' next book Every Other Day (out this Dec) was included in the ARC and I assume it'll be in the hardcover too. I read it and it sounds really interesting- all about demon hunting.

FTC: Received ARC from Jennifer at Goodman Media. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Forgotten by Cat Patrick review + contest

Forgotten by Cat Patrick
"What if every day when you woke up, you had no recollection of the days before?

Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can “remember” are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you’d easily forget, but try as she might, London can’t find him in her memories of things to come.

When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it’s time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting – before it destroys her future."- summary from book

This book is such a quick read and I just flew through it. I had meant to read a chapter or two before bed but then ended up 50 pages in before stopping (and the chapters are fairly short). Patrick has a wonderfully fluid way of writing that really just pulls the reader along, even if nothing much is happening, which is the case for the first half of the novel. There are bits and pieces of mysterious things happening that pique the interest but for the most part, it's about London going to school and getting to know this new mysterious guy Luke.

The latter half of the novel is where London really takes hold of her life and is trying to figure everything out- why she loses her memory at 4:33 am every morning, what her mother is hiding from her, and what's going on with her and Luke. So this is where all the mysteries unravel. I will say that I guessed half of the reason why she lost her memory, which I'm quite proud of because that never happens to me. The other half was unexpected and was a really nice twist.

I loved all the characters and they were realistic, flawed and all that good stuff. I enjoyed reading about Luke and London's romance, which was filled with obstacles. The ending was amazing and Patrick left the reader in a really good place.

Overall, this is a really good, original book and you all should definitely check it out. The contest below will be a good place to start!


Thanks to Little, Brown and Chelsy at Big Honcho Media, I have two copies of Forgotten to give away! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by Tuesday, July 5 at 9pm EST. US residents only! I will notify the winners shortly after by email, so if your email is not readily accessible, please include it in your comment.



FTC: Received hardcover from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

In My Mailbox- Week of June 19 + Retrospective

Here's another vlog and it's basically just In My Mailbox- Penguin Edition because the only books I got this week were from Penguin!



Books Shown:

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (signed!!)
Away by Teri Hall
Stay with Me by Paul Griffin
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Shelter by Harlan Coben

All of these come out in Sept 2011 from Penguin.

and here's my retrospective:

Tuesday- I reviewed Hourglass by Myra McEntire, which is now out in stores!

Wednesday- I reviewed From Bad to Cursed by Katie Alender, which is now out in stores!

Thursday- I celebrated my 4th blogoversary and asked my readers to congratulate me and tell me examples of how awesome my blog and I are.

Friday- Cat Friday is back again and this time, I've got my cat Maya snuggling up with a book!

Saturday- I reviewed Beyond Lucky by Sarah Aronson, which will be out in stores June 30.