Book Cover & Movie News!!

Now I have been away from the blogging community for a couple weeks now, so I feel as though I've just been slapped on the face with heart-pumping, fist-pump-worthy news.

Book Cover Reveals

Links go to Goodreads pages.

2011 Debuts

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez (Fall 2011)
This sounds pretty cool, and the cover is simple yet suitable to its synopsis.

Hourglass by Myra McEntire (March 24, 2011)
How beautiful yet creepy is that cover? Even before the reveal I knew this'd catch my eye.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (April 19, 2011)
After reading the blurb and seeing the cover, I'm sold!

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton (October 1, 2011)
I like the concept design for the cover. Fairies have never been my favourite, but hopefully Hamilton gets it right!

Don't Expect Magic by Kathy MacCullough (November 8, 2011)
Sounds like a lot of fun! Fairy Godmothers!!

The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner (May 10, 2011)
Having read Of Mice and Men before, I'm interested to see how this book goes.

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Steampunk! Brent from The Naughty Book Kitties called it awesome. ;)

Established authors

Sweet Venom (Medusa Girls, #1) by Tera Lynn Childs
What a dark outlook! I expect great things from this new series.

Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston
Haven't read up on this one much, but the cover is the kind that one could just sit and analyse for each minute detail.

Series Additions

So Silver Bright (Eyes Like Stars, #3) by Lisa Mantchev
Another otherworldly beautiful portrait for Mantchev's last installment. Anyone surprised?

Supernaturally (Paranormalcy, #2) by Kiersten White
You've seen this one around, no doubt. May Evie forever stand behind flowers, and wear irrevocably flowy dresses.

Movie News

There has been a lot of film rights being thrown around with YA books. These are two such books that I have just found out have scored their own movies!

1. Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher
   

Synopsis: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

My Thoughts:

I remember right after I finished this book that I roamed Youtube in search for fan-made trailers and the like, and now that a movie is actually happening, I'm cautious in my joy. I want so badly for this movie to be a success and well-liked among even non-readers, because a) Jay Asher is awesome and his novel needs a movie that pays due homage to it, b) There needs to be a bigger movie market for stuff that isn't all just action and gunfire, or romance and falling over the place. I was unsure about Selena Gomez, both in regards to her look and whether she'd be able to pull off Hannah's tortured and lonely, misunderstood personality. Time will only tell whether she's fit to the punch.

Links:

Jay's announcement post
Source
Skeptical about Selena Gomez?
Skeptical about Gomez? #2

2. Forgotten by Cat Patrick
   

AU/UK/US Covers

Synopsis:

Past. Present. Future. Which matters most?

Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her memory of that day is erased.  In the morning, all London can “remember” are events from her future and the people who will play a part in it.  In order to get by, London relies on reminder notes and a trusted friend to navigate relationships and high school life. Adaptable by nature, she tries to view her memory loss as a fact of life rather than a condition. But when London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flashforwards, as the case may be, she realizes that in order to understand her present and her future, she must solve the mystery of her past.

My Thoughts: I am pleasantly surprised that Cat Patrick has already scored herself a film deal, for her still-unreleased debut novel, Forgotten! I have been in love with the covers and the synopsis of this book for, well, since I saw it for the first time. I can't wait to be wow-ed as other bloggers have been so far. No doubt Patrick has earned herself a great headstart - I haven't seen so many publishing deals for a debut novel, just like that, ever! She's doing something right.

Along with the movie publishing deal, we now know who will be playing the main character, London: Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit).

Links:

Cat's announcement post

Source

3. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Steph Chobsky
   

Synopsis: Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie is navigating through the strange worlds of love, drugs, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", and dealing with the loss of a good friend and his favorite aunt.

My Thoughts: I just saw this over at Roof Beam Reader's blog. Now I haven't read this yet, but I've read the first few chapters and I can't wait until I can get around to reading it. And seeing the movie.

I read somewhere before that Emma Watson, who played as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, was not going to be doing anymore acting. Maybe that was a rumour or something, but anyway, she's going to be in this movie, with Logan Lerman, who played in Jack & Bobby and The Lightning Thief!! It's going to be very strange seeing Watson as anyone other than Miss Granger, but I can't wait to see how she adapts to a new role.

Links:

Emma Watson

Lots of great news. I am once again reminded of how time-consuming all the HTML code proofing and grammar revision can be. I hope you discover a new title or two! I don't plan to make either new book covers or movie deals a meme of sorts, as there are several out there already, but I really do love bringing some good news onto the blog every now and then!

[Review] Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

Title: Daughter of Xanadu

Author: Dori Jones Yang

Publication (dd/mm/yy): 11/01/11

Publisher: Random House (Delacourte)
Price: $17.99 US

Source: ARC Tour (Good Golly Miss Holly Tours)
Age: 16+, violence

Pages: 320

My Rating:

Summary:

Athletic and strong willed, Princess Emmajin's determined to do what no woman has done before: become a warrior in the army of her grandfather, the Great Khan Khubilai. In the Mongol world the only way to achieve respect is to show bravery and win glory on the battlefield.
The last thing she wants is the distraction of the foreigner Marco Polo, who challenges her beliefs in the gardens of Xanadu. Marco has no skills in the "manly arts" of the Mongols: horse racing, archery, and wrestling. Still, he charms the Khan with his wit and story-telling.
Emmajin sees a different Marco as they travel across 13th-century China, hunting 'dragons' and fighting elephant-back warriors. Now she faces a different battle as she struggles with her attraction towards Marco and her incredible goal of winning fame as a soldier.

My thoughts: 

Daughter of Xanadu is the first book I have read this year that I can say with absolute honesty deserves a 5 star rating. Daughter of Xanadu was everything I had expected of it. This was one of those books that I could not wait to get my hands on, to the point of stalking the author around the blogosphere. Yang's debut YA novel was a phenomenal mix of the historical (and thus, educational) and fictional, the memorable and the entertaining.

[Review] Rosebush by Michele Jaffe

Title: Rosebush

Author: Michele Jaffe

Publication: March 2011

Publisher: Hachette UK
Price: $18.99

Source: ARC for Review (sent by publisher)
Age: 16+

Pages: 320

My Rating:

Summary:

MEAN GIRLS meets REAR WINDOW in this delectably dark thriller from the market-leading YA imprint atom.


Jane doesn't remember being hit by a car and left for dead. But as she's convalescing she realises that her friends' stories and her memories of what happened that night aren't adding up.

Very soon the only thing she does know is that one of her friends was trying to kill her.

One of them still is . . .

My thoughts: 

Rosebush was pretty much anything and everything I could've expected of it. It was full of intrigue and mystery, deceit and confusion -- I was on the edge of my seat by the end of this book! It's a little bit Pretty Little Liars, a little bit The Eternal Ones; but Rosebush definitely sets itself apart from both and any other books with similar concepts (the girls wanted dead, and the mystery revolving around it).

Jane is the popular girl heralded by two fabulous best friends, with a gorgeous boyfriend to boot - until after a party one night she is struck by a car and left for dead in a rosebush. The next day, she finds herself in a hospital. She cannot move any muscle in her body, or speak for that matter: damaged. Jane knows that someone is out to get her: a threatening message on the bathroom mirror, murderous phone calls from anonymous, non-existant callers . . . But no one else believes her. After all, she is "Just Jane". Everyone loves her.

The prologue wasn't entirely powerful in its descriptive devices, but I found myself interested enough to continue reading. The storyline is simple, though I wasn't expecting the ending. Perhaps what took me so long to finish the book was that the placement of sentences and extra tid-bits were sprinkled all throughout the novel, resulting in a slower pace than I would have liked. That said, the little details were what gave the characters some life and realism to them.

Jane's world revolves around a lot of people - so many people, that I had a little bit of trouble remembering some of them that I'd have to flick back and find out who they were. Some of the characters, like David and Kate, were well-developed and felt fleshed out, while others were a bit flat. I liked Jane's perspective okay, despite her general flat-ness of character. The interactions between characters in Rosebush were very well done, and helped to keep me on track.

I would definitely recommend this. I think it's one of those books that, when read between the lines or re-read, new meanings and new realisations would begin to form in a reader's mind. It's the little things, and the compelling mystery, of this book that amazed me.
 

Quotes:

First Line

"The image is stark yet beautiful."

Random Scene   spoiler-free

Leaning his elbows against the shiny red door of the BMW, Ollie spread his hands in mock consternation. "If only one of you harridans would go out with me, I wouldn't have to roam so far home."
"I don't think any of us have what you have," Langley said.
"What's that? Ollie said. "Charm? Charisma?"
"Crabs?" Kate said, still sugar sweet.
"Always a delight to chat with you, Ollie," Langley said, revving the engine. "But for now, please move your Ralph Lauren-clad ass so Jane can get in the car."
"You're slipping, angel.  It's John Varvatos."

(p. 12)

Buy:

Live in Australia?

Fishpond | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

Live elsewhere?

Amazon | The Book Depository

Links:

Official Site
Goodreads Page


I have received this review copy in return for an honest review. 

Challenge: --

You've probably realised this by now

I really want this to work out, but I try and try and I'm not feeling it. At least not at the moment. Maybe it's due to the fact that my room is always so hot so I'm usually out in the lounge at home, playing games or watching TV. I've been neglecting reading, blogging and just being a part of the community. Basically my blog is going to be going on a short break. I'm not sure how long I'll be away for, but I guess it was only a matter of time.

I'll be reviewing books every so often, whenever I do get around to finishing a book. Right now, I've got three ARC tours that couldn't have come at a better time (So sorry Holly. Not sure if I'm expecting any more, but yeah now I've got to get a box with the amount of books I owe you.) Those ARCs are The Locket, The Daughter of Xanadu and Cate of the Lost Colony - all of them I'm excited to read. I just haven't been able to get into a book because of this heat, as I said before.

I'm definitely expecting my follower count to decrease, but even right now that doesn't matter to me, because those followers don't care enough to stay. I really do enjoy blogging and reading; I just need to take a break from it all, clear my mind and start fresh. I want to start reading because I want to, and not have to take notes or worry about what I'm going to say about said book. The other day when I was writing up the review for Six Impossible Things (now out), I was thinking to myself I feel like I'm in english class again. I'm sure you know the feeling.

Also, since it'll be cooling down for next week, I should be able to both get some reading done and dump off things at the post office. I'm horrified that I let it go this far, but after all this, I'm pretty much done with Bookmooch. I still haven't even touched any of the books I've mooched, and it's just too stressful when I can't drive just yet. Maybe when I get my Ps (and maybe a job) I'll open it up again. Same with contests. Maybe that's the sole reason some people follow my blog, I don't know, and I don't care if this news is what makes you unfollow me.

With university first year just around the corner too . . . well, I'm going to be busy. Guess I should've seen it coming, that things were going to be changing. I'm really hoping against hope that I still want to blog after the break, I really do. Especially since there are so many amazing people, those who have sent me review copies and other goodies . . . .

Question

How have you gotten over a reading slump, or any other slump for that matter?

I'm thinking I just need to stop taking review copies. They're so tempting, but it's physically impossible for me to read that much, and I want to be able to read books that I've bought for myself, or books I'm really excited about. Hmm.

[Review] Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood

Title: Six Impossible Things

Author: Fiona Wood

Publication: 1st August 2010

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Price: $16.99 AU

Source: Bought (The Nile)
Age: 14+

Pages: 250

My Rating:

Summary:

Fourteen year old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on Estelle, the girl next door. His life is a mess, but for now he's narrowed it down to just six impossible things...

My thoughts: 

Six Impossible Things was unlike anything I've read before. It's astoundingly Aussie, witty, funny and was just such a delight to read. I am so glad that I took the plunge and bought this one, because it stands among one of my favourites of 2011, though to be fair I've only read a handful of books so far.

Six Impossible Things tells of a story about, well, six impossible things. So Dan Cereill has just had to endure a familial collapse, and has found himself at a new school away from his rich life back when things were normal. There's this girl he's had his eye on (she lives next door) -- he knows next to everything about her, but the real problem is that they've never even talked to each other. Being a lists kind of person, Dan writes up a list of six impossible things, and we follow his dealings of his new school, family problems, love problems, and just being a teenager.

It's almost unfathomable to think that this is Wood's debut novel, as it was written beautifully. The perspective of Dan, his whole psyche and thoughts and feelings were real and Wood really got me to believe in his character and situation, and to care about what happened to him. Dan is an intelligent and caring, not-like-all-the-others, kind of guy, which obviously made him likeable. On the whole, the writing style was perfect for this book. And so short, and I love short books so much (when done well, and this is one of those books).

The characters are all so likeable, along with Dan. While the main focus is on Dan and Estelle (the girl he likes), both their families, as well as the people around them in school, have been developed as well. I love the ending, and while it was not all that realistic in the given time frame, it was lovely just to see things work out for the characters in the end. Also, the conversations for the most part flowed very well, as in, the conversations sounded like the teenage conversation. Not strained. Not try-hard. But real.

The book sounds extremely simple, and it is in some way, but I was amazed by how much Wood covered in this small book. (< 300 = small) I have a feeling that Six Impossible Things will be just one of those books that I'll be keeping close to me for months to come. It's definitely on my "dying-to-re-read" list, and I implore everyone to check it out.

 

Quotes:

First Line

"There's this girl I know."

Favourite Quote

Probably not my favourite, but this novel was amazing and I had a hard time choosing one that was both fabulous and spoiler-free.

"I saw Estelle for the first time that day.
Invisible behind the sheer curtains I stood in the bay window at the front of the house wishing to be anywhere but here, wishing it were two months ago and I had a mutant power that let me change the course of history, when she walked up the street, dreaming, completely unaware of the seismic shifts in my heart she was creating with each step." (p. 12)

Buy:

Live in Australia?

Fishpond | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders (e-book) | The Nile

Live elsewhere?

Amazon (e-book) | The Book Depository

Links:

Official Site
Goodreads Page


I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.

Challenge: Aussie YA Challenge '11