Blog Tour- Dear Teen Me Edited by E. Kristin Anderson and Miranda Kenneally

Dear Teen Me edited by E. Kristin Anderson and Miranda Kenneally
"Dear Teen Me includes advice from over 70 YA authors (including Lauren Oliver, Ellen Hopkins, and Nancy Holder, to name a few) to their teenage selves. The letters cover a wide range of topics, including physical abuse, body issues, bullying, friendship, love, and enough insecurities to fill an auditorium. So pick a page, and find out which of your favorite authors had a really bad first kiss? Who found true love at 18? Who wishes he’d had more fun in high school instead of studying so hard? Some authors write diary entries, some write letters, and a few graphic novelists turn their stories into visual art. And whether you hang out with the theater kids, the band geeks, the bad boys, the loners, the class presidents, the delinquents, the jocks, or the nerds, you’ll find friends--and a lot of familiar faces--in the course of Dear Teen Me."- summary from Amazon

I loved reading this book! It absolutely flew by and I pretty much read it in a day. Each author, both ones I adore and some new ones I hadn't heard of, wrote to their teen selves with humor, wisdom, and depth. It was interesting, and occasionally heartbreaking, to read about the authors' pasts and what they had been through.

All the stories are so different that it makes the book hard to put down. I wasn't bogged down by an author's voice; each story rejuvenated me. I would think that I would stop after an essay, but then turn the page and just keep going. I particularly enjoyed the ones that were comics as opposed to essays. It was a nice switch.

It also took me forever (like until the last few authors) to realize that the book is alphabetized by author. I know, I'm observant like that.

Anyway, this is definitely a book for pretty much anyone. I think teens will get some great advice out of it as well as insight into their favorite authors. As an adult, it took me back to my teens and got me thinking about how I felt and acted back then. Essays involving being a gay boy (about 3 or 4 of them) and dealing with that were of particular note to me.

Overall, go get this book! It's simply amazing.

Zest Books website: http://zestbooks.net/dear-teen-me-blog-tour/
Dear Teen Me website: http://dearteenme.com/?page_id=4031
Dear Teen Me events page: http://zestbooks.net/events/
Zest Books Dear Teen Me book page: http://zestbooks.net/dear-teen-me/

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

Penguin Kids' Middle Grade Halloween Costume Tour + Giveaway!

Step into some creepy stories this Halloween and become your favorite middle grade character…from the ghoulish undead to mischievous pirates, the costumes are endless.

The Book:

Wereworld by Curtis Jobling

Imagine a world ruled by Werelords--men and women who can shift at will into bears, lions, and serpents. When Drew suddenly discovers he's not only a werewolf but the long-lost heir to the murdered Wolf King's throne, he must use his wits and newfound powers to survive in a land suddenly full of enemies. Drew's the only one who can unite the kingdom in a massive uprising against its tyrant ruler, Leopold the Lion. But the king is hot on Drew's tail and won't rest until he's got the rebel wolf's head.

For today, October 29th only, you can buy the e-book of Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf for only $2.99 wherever e-books are sold!

The Costume:

Be a Werewolf like Drew for Halloween with these three easy tips:

1.Grab an old t-shirt and pants and use a pair of scissors to create tears and frayed edges.

2.At a craft store get some fur-like fabric – you won’t need a lot – and glue them to the inside of the pants and shirt so that the fur sticks out of the holes you made.

3.Finally use some black eyeliner to draw a snout on your nose and make your hair nice and messy. Werewolves don’t groom.


You can find Wereworld online here: http://www.wereworldbooks.com

Purchase Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf: Amazon, Barnes and Noble and IndieBound

Blog Tour Schedule

Mon 10.22 MundieKids IN A GLASS GRIMMLY
Tues 10.23 Green Bean Teen Queen GUSTAV GLOOM
Wed 10.24 Charlotte’s Library UNDEAD ED
Thurs 10.25 Shelf Elf CHRONICLES OF EGG
Fri 10.26 Bookalicious CREATURE FROM THE 7TH GRADE
Mon 10.29 Book Chic WEREWORLD
Tues 10.30 Books Together BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE

Giveaway:

I have a full finished copy set of the Halloween Middle Grade Halloween tour books to give away! All you have to do is leave a comment by 9pm EST on Friday, Nov 2 and you're entered! US/Canada residents only! Here’s the list of books and you can click on the title for more info:

Wereworld, In a Glass Grimmly, The Creature from the 7th Grade, Books of Elsewhere, Gustav Gloom and the People Takers, Undead Ed, and Deadweather and Sunrise: Chronicles of Egg.

Origin by Jessica Khoury

Origin by Jessica Khoury
"Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home--and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia's origin--a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever."- summary from Amazon

Khoury's debut is fascinating. I loved reading about Pia and following along on her journey toward uncovering her past. There's a ton of twists and turns throughout the book and I definitely flew through the book.

I liked the relationship between Eio and Pia, though it did feel a bit insta-love to me at times and I never really bought into it too much.

I liked Khoury's mythology, how she built the world of the rainforest and Little Cam- it felt very real to me and it felt like I was there. The backstory of Little Cam was very interesting too. There's definitely a dark nature to this book as well in regards to scientific research and how far some people willing to go in pursuit of that. It's an interesting topic. Of course, I was not a fan of the scientists who were very cold-blooded. I did however really like the new scientist that comes in a little ways into the book- I cannot remember her name and am too lazy to look it up. But I really enjoyed her.

Overall, an amazing debut (and possibly standalone- I can't find info on Khoury's second book- which is always good). I cannot wait to see what Khoury writes next!

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

My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours by Kristina Springer

My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours by Kristina Springer
"Seventh grade was supposed to be fun, but Tori is having major drama with her BFF, Sienna. Sienna changed a lot over the summer—on the first day of school she’s tan, confident, and full of stories about her new dreamy boyfriend. Tori knows that she’s totally making this guy up. So Tori invents her own fake boyfriend, who is better than Sienna’s in every way. Things are going great—unless you count the whole lying-to-your-best-friend thing—until everyone insists Tori and Sienna bring their boyfriends to the back-to-school dance."- summary from Amazon

This was such a cute little story! Springer's novels are always so much fun to read and I laugh out loud quite a bit. I loved the fake boyfriend concept and the one-upping between the two girls. The stories just kept getting crazier and crazier until the climax and there's a little shocker at that point. I loved the ending when the two friends made up.

Overall, just an adorable book. Great for middle-schoolers and just for whenever you need a fun, light read!

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

In My Mailbox- Week of Oct 15 + Retrospective

I did another vlog this week with some more fantastic books! Enjoy!



Books Shown:

Furious by Jill Wolfson (ARC, April 2013)
Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff (ARC, Jan 2013)
Big Nate: In A Class by Himself Special Edition by Lincoln Pierce (hardcover, Oct 2012)
The Turning by Francine Prose (hardcover, Sept 2012)
Christmas in Sugarcreek by Shelley Shephard Gray (paperback, Oct 2012)
Slated by Teri Terry (ARC, Jan 2013)
Rise by Andrea Cremer (ARC, Jan 2013)
Wildwood and Under Wildwood by Colin Meloy and Kurtis Ellis (paperback and hardcover, Oct 2012)
Charlotte's Web (60th Anniversary Edition) by E.B. White (hardcover, Oct 2012)
Warriors 3-pack by Erin Hunter (paperback, Oct 2012)
100% Official Justin Bieber: Just Get Started (hardcover, Oct 2012)
One Direction Behind the Scenes (paperback, Oct 2012)


and here's a retrospective:

Monday- I reviewed Between You and Me by Marisa Calin, which is in stores now!

Wednesday- I reviewed Secret Letters by Leah Scheier, which is in stores now!

Friday- I reviewed Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead, which is in stores now!