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My True Love Gave to Me… Holiday stories from some of our favorites!

my true love

 

Rainbow Rowell? Stephanie Perkins? Ally Carter? Matt De La Pena? Gayle Forman? Jenny Han? ALL IN ONE BOOK? Yep!

Merry Christmas to us all.

I mostly loved this collection of short stories. Several of them were enough to put me in the Christmas spirit even back when I read it in early August, and the one from Rainbow Rowell is just purely magical. There’s so much to love here!

The ONLY thing keeping me from recommending it with all the power I have is that there were a few stories that seemed anti-holiday, and it made me hesitate to really go all in for this. I mean, if you’re asked to write a short story to be included with the YA giants that make up this collection, why put content in the stories that will fly in the face of some of those very holidays?

Of course, that’s just my opinion and others will most certainly disagree. Even with those few stories that made me uneasy, though, I believe that the good far outweighs the bad here and that the stories here that are good are REALLY good, perfect for the upcoming holiday season! If you’re a fan of any of these authors, you’ll want to own this. Check out My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories on Amazon or at your favorite local retailer.

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix… Get into the Halloween mood!

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This is a fun, campy horror story made into something really special by the packaging, which is a work of genius, frankly. When my husband brought it home, I thought he’d gotten an Ikea catalog out of the mail. From an order form to the shopping process to pages out of the employee manual to product drawings, Horrorstor expertly mimics the feel of Ikea (though of course it’s Orsk, a cheaper version of Ikea, much like K-Mart is to Target).

I found the characters interesting, but not groundbreaking, and the plot intriguing, but not revolutionary. When put all together, though, with Orsk and employee loyalty and the packaging, it becomes a creepy, sometimes laugh out loud funny, gem of a way to spend a few hours on a fall day. This is too tongue in cheek, like Army of Darkness or something, to be taken too seriously. What it’s meant to be, I’m sure, is a good cheesy scare. Mission accomplished, Hendrix.

Also, because I read and review mostly YA titles, I have to say that while this is not a Young Adult book it is completely appropriate for that audience. I didn’t see anything that made me hesitate from recommending it to teenagers (there were a few expletives, but they were few, and they came at high-intensity moments when you’d wonder what was wrong with someone for NOT letting one fly). Content-wise, I was very pleasantly surprised!

To find it on Amazon, click here, or request it at your favorite local bookseller!

2014 Debut Authors Bash: Jaye Robin Brown! (and an INCREDIBLE giveaway!)

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Welcome, YA Reads America tour readers! Today’s post features Jaye Robin Brown’s debut, which I got to read a few months back and can promise you that it’s amazing. It’s wonderfully written and the story is absolutely beautiful. Make sure you get all the way to the bottom, where you’ll find the details of a Rafflecopter giveaway that is, honestly, the BEST book giveaway I’ve seen. Trust me, you’ll want to win it! For this guest post, I asked the author to give us some insight into the musical influences on No Place to Fall. Music plays a huge part in the story, which really made the storyline sing.  Thanks, Jaye Robin Brown, for this post, and thanks to YA Reads for putting on the Debut Authors Bash! no place to fall The Music Behind NO PLACE TO FALL In my debut novel, No Place To Fall (Harper Teen – Dec. 2014), Amber Vaughn longs to get out of her tiny hometown. The one thing she has going for her, is her voice. She’s grown up singing, in church, at campfires, with her family, but it isn’t until she and her best friend, Devon, start hanging out at the hiker barn—an overnight shelter for Appalachian Trail through hikers—that she realizes strangers also think her voice is something special.

Surprisingly enough, No Place To Fall, didn’t start out as a book about music. It started with the hiker barn and the voice (in my head on a drive into work) of this girl named Amber who wanted more than her home town could give her. As my first idea grew and spread, the music seeped in little by little. There are two events that stand out to me in shaping Amber’s musical sensibilities. One is this fabulous movie, The Songcatcher, that chronicles the tale of a New England woman who is sent to Appalachia to record and write down all the old Scotch-Irish ballads that have been passed down orally through the years. The music in that film is so evocative and shouts of this place to me. The second event was a chance encounter with a teenage bluegrass band. I was out riding my horse and up on a hill, on their front porch, a bunch of young people were playing all the old classics—tunes you don’t normally associate with teenagers. I stopped my horse and hung out listening. Those musicians were incredibly skilled and the visual and auditory memory has stuck with me ever since.

Choosing old-time, bluegrass, and Americana has at times felt like a risky choice for my character, but I can’t imagine her singing anything else. Sure, she might belt out some Adele or Beyonce now and then, but the classic singers like Patsy Cline, Rhonda Vincent, Dolly Parton, and Allison Krauss are what Amber knows, and what her voice is suited for. I hope Amber’s love of song and the depth of what singing does for her soul will transcend any reader’s personal taste as they read about her musical choices. And of course there has to be a boy. And in this case it’s Will McKinney, the banjo playing older brother of Amber’s best friend. In Will, Amber finds a kindred spirit. Someone who feels the music in their bones and sees it as more than a hobby. Their relationship takes its own journey, but in the end, they both grow as people from knowing the other.

If you want to dive into the music a bit more, here’s the playlist I put together on Grooveshark and a little bit about each song and what it meant to me as I was writing No Place To Fall. http://grooveshark.com/playlist/No+Place+To+Fall/81652470

  • Amazing Grace by Patsy Cline – One of Amber’s favorite songs to sing. This is a beautiful version and fits Amber’s voice.
  • Pretty Saro by Iris Dement – This is an old ballad that Amber loves. This particular version is the version that was in the movie, Songcatcher.  http://youtu.be/A6ArylRGWME
  • I’ll Fly Away by Alison Krauss – A favorite church song and Amber’s first public performance.
  • My First Lover by Gillian Welch – The title says it all :) (and on a side note, my editor listened to a lot of Gillian Welch while editing this book) http://youtu.be/b6ZcAkcypgY
  • Jackson by Johnny Cash – One of the most fun duet songs there is. With the Carter Family Fold (home of Johnny’s wife, June Carter Cash) just over the mountain, some of the man in black had to be a part of this playlist.  http://youtu.be/nzhzCF77GDo
  • Barbara Allen by Emmy Rossum – Another old ballad. When I imagined Amber’s voice, I often thought of Emmy Rossum’s voice in the movie, Songcatcher. http://youtu.be/rRgH_0zxqQE
  • When Love is New – Dolly Parton & Emmy Rossum – A bittersweet song about how relationships change over time. For Amber’s parents.
  • Something About What Happens When We Talk – Lucinda Williams – In Amber’s journey with Will, things aren’t always easy. http://youtu.be/7fT0MDQKew0
  • One Big Love – Emmylou Harris – This is the big feeling at the end of the book. http://youtu.be/lyJGNJJz8J8

Bonus Content! 

  • Will McKinney is a huge Avett Brothers fan (me, too!). This is a sweet little video of Scott Avett singing The Coo Coo Song which Amber and Will sing together in chorus.  http://youtu.be/O-TI1RbQHlg
  • And here’s a live version of Little Feat’s Dixie Chicken, the song Will sings on stage that first makes Amber realize he has the serious music thing, too. http://youtu.be/1FekVR_SC5M

Now…

nptfgiveaway

Enter to win a SERIOUSLY Awesome Prize Package (US/Can Only) – Signed ARC of NPTF, NPTF swag, a signed print of the author’s favorite quote, made by the author, an Avett Brothers CD, and a copy of the movie, Songcatcher! Enter the best book giveaway ever!!!

Can’t Look Away by Donna Cooner

can't look away

 

First, the Goodreads summary:

Torrey Grey is famous. At least, on the internet. Thousands of people watch her popular videos on fashion and beauty. But when Torrey’s sister is killed in an accident — maybe because of Torrey and her videos — Torrey’s perfect world implodes.
Now, strangers online are bashing Torrey. And at her new school, she doesn’t know who to trust. Is queen bee Blair only being sweet because of Torrey’s internet infamy? What about Raylene, who is decidedly unpopular, but seems accepts Torrey for who she is? And then there’s Luis, with his brooding dark eyes, whose family runs the local funeral home. Torrey finds herself drawn to Luis, and his fascinating stories about El dio de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead.
As the Day of the Dead draws near, Torrey will have to really look at her own feelings about death, and life, and everything in between. Can she learn to mourn her sister out of the public eye?

I really, really liked Can’t Look Away, and I think Donna Cooner hit the nail on the head with her portrayal of Torrey. Yes, it takes a little while to warm up to Torrey – you wonder how it is that she can’t stop focusing on her followers and her popularity and how others perceive her, which all makes you want to reach inside the book and shake some sense into her. From my work with teenagers, though, Torrey as a character is a pretty astute commentary on teenage girls (and guy, frankly) and their need for social media attention which also leads to real-life attention. While Torrey’s case might be a little exaggerated due to her vlog fandom and due to the fact that she’s not real, it’s eerily close to reality.

Aside from Torrey, there are some great supporting characters including a sweet potential romance and an intriguing story that make you want to see how it all turns out. Can’t Look Away was a great, timely, very real story that teenage girls will easily identify with. Find Can’t Look Away here on Amazon or at your favorite bookseller.

How to Fall by Jane Casey

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Jane Casey’s How to Fall is a great story all around – I loved the characters, the setting, and the eerie mystery surrounding Freya’s death. Jess makes an intriguing protagonist and amateur detective which made the story even more likable. While this novel felt complete and satisfying, it also left room for sequels, which I’m very much looking forward to! If you’re looking for something to usher in the fall season and compliment the Halloween candy already showing up in stores, this is definitely it! Find How to Fall: A Novel (Jess Tennant Mysteries) here on Amazon or grab it at your favorite local bookstore.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

to all the boys

 

In this, the latest title from the  incredible Jenny Han, protagonist Lara Jean has dealt with the end of each crush she’s had on a boy by writing a letter to him detailing the reasons she loved him and the reasons she’s done loving him… like a break up letter, but without every having an actual relationship. The problem, of course, is that when you write things down they can be discovered by others, and her letters actually get mailed to these boys she had crushes on in the past. Some of them she currently goes to school with and knows, some of them have moved on and live elsewhere, but regardless it’s awkward for all of them. Where I can picture myself completely freaking out and panicking, Lara Jean holds it together remarkably well and by the time you get to the end you’re so deeply invested in her and so completely rooting for her that you don’t want it to be over.

Jenny Han has a kind of quiet, understated way of developing really amazing characters that stick with you well after the book is over. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is reminiscent of her style with the Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, which is great news for me – I absolutely adore those books. There are going to be more books to follow, but this one resolved well enough to satisfy while leaving just enough curiosity to make me look forward to the next one!

Find To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on Amazon or at your favorite local bookseller!

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

the distance between us

 

I’ve been wanting to read this for forever because of its adorable cover and because I’ve heard so many good things about Kasie West, but for some reason I just got around to it recently. It was so much more than I could have hoped for! Kasie West has sealed herself solidly onto my must-read list, which means I have more books to read!

In The Distance Between Us, Caymen is a girl taught to be weary of the wealthy – she helps her mom run the doll shop that they own and live above, and money is always tight. When Xander comes in to pick up a doll for his grandma, it doesn’t take Caymen long to recognize him as one of the wealthy elite and write him off. Xander doesn’t give up. He’s instantly taken with Caymen and just starts showing up all the time. Just as Caymen starts to recognize her own feelings for Xander, things get super complicated.

This story is a sweet realistic fairytale of a romance mixed with some intriguing family drama that ultimately ends beautifully. I can’t wait to read everything else Kasie has already published, and I’m looking forward to her future works as well.

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore

just like the movies

 

I really enjoyed Kelly Fiore’s debut, Taste Test, so when I saw this being talked about on twitter I knew I had to read it.

Fiore does a great job of writing realistic characters. One of the strongest attributes of Just Like the Movies is that the two main characters, Marijke and Lily, truly come from two very different high school worlds – one very popular and the other nearly invisible – but they forge a friendship that becomes one of the main focal points for the book. I think romantic elements in YA are great (and, honestly, what we girls want to see), but it’s nice when that’s not the ONLY big focus int the story, and Fiore did a great job of balancing two sweet romantic elements with this important friendship.

Just Like the Movies is a fun book that only took a few hours to read, and it’s full of references to classic romantic comedy movies. Opening with a scene straight out of Say Anything definitely got me hooked on the story immediately!

Click here to find it on Amazon, or ask about it at your favorite local bookseller!

Golden by Jessi Kirby

golden

 

I’m a sucker for a good YA novel with a pretty cover, but a book with a pretty cover (even gold foil on the paperback! too gorgeous) AND Robert Frost poetry woven in? I’m so there. Golden by Jessi Kirby is a really beautifully written story full of romance, mystery, and adventure. The story is compelling and the characters are realistically flawed with plenty of redeeming value. Parker, the main character, is a protagonist that I rooted for all the way through, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the way her story turned out. You’ll love this one!  Click here to find Golden on Amazon!

GIVEAWAY CONTINUED!!! Dream Boy Blog Tour: Madelyn Rosenberg Takes Over!

 

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When I found out that Madelyn would be willing to do a guest post for me, I sent her a long string of rambling questions and thoughts I had after finishing Dream Boy a few months ago. I’m excited to turn the blog over to her today so she can give you more insight into where the idea for Dream Boy came from and how the characters were developed! (AND you still have time to enter the GIVEAWAY for a copy of Dream Boy! Click for a Rafflecopter giveaway! ————————————————————————–

Nothing could hurt you when the world smelled like cotton candy—at least that’s what Chance Bell thought as she inhaled its pink spun sweetness.
 
That’s the first sentence for a novel Mary and I started together years and years and years ago, before either of us knew what novel-writing really was. We got about six chapters in, and we sent off a query to Harlequin, and they wrote us a lovely I’m-sorry note about why it wasn’t perfect for them. Then Mary moved forward with her poetry career and I moved forward in the world of kidlit. Fast forward about 10 years, maybe more, to the day Mary asked me if I wanted to write about a boy from a dream that came to life. I said yes right away. I don’t remember if she asked via e-mail or phone (I saved most of our e-mails and couldn’t find the first of them, but there were well over a thousand between then and now.)
The original spark, Mary said, came after she watched a Ginger Rogers movie at 4 a.m. She was half asleep while the movie (It Had to Be You) was playing but in it, a guy dressed like a Native American seems to pop out of Ginger’s dream. So what if we did a story where that happened in a girl’s dream? Then, the negotiations started. Mary wanted it to be romantic. I told her I wouldn’t do it unless it could be funny, too. And both of us loved stories that were grounded in reality but had fantastic elements to them. We started writing. I wish we could tell you there was a great plan or outline, but really we figured out almost everything as we went along. Which may have lengthened our writing process a little. Mary would write a chapter. Then she’d pass it off to me and I’d pick up where she left off (changing some of her chapter as I went) and so on. I’m not sure we knew where we were going until we got there.
We definitely changed the plot as we went. We debated who Annabelle would end up with, in part because we ended up liking our characters so much. Even the jerks. And we added and deleted some spooky elements and then added others.
(Actual conversation:
Mad: We can’t use that. I just think it sounds too much like The Exorcist.
Mary: But I’ve never even SEEN The Exorcist.
Mad: How can you have never seen The Exorcist?)
We gave Annabelle’s mom an obsession with old movies as a tribute to Ginger. Annabelle remains fairly grounded in the story (something Melissa asked me about because, as she said, “I’d be freaking.”) I think there are two reasons for this. One: pre-emptive hormones. In that I think the idea of love and what she has to do for it keeps her moving forward and too much panic would get in the way of that. I don’t want to get into any spoilers, so I’ll just say that she’s stronger than she knows. Plus, she’s dealt with some real-life things that have made her feel crazy, and I think she learned from those that panic and craziness don’t get you anywhere. (Or help move the story forward as much as we needed it to move =)
Melissa also asked about a sequel or companion book. We wrote Dream Boy as a standalone, so there’s nothing in the works. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t thought about it, as neither of us feels finished with these characters. As a reader, one of my favorite things when I finish a book is to imagine what happens next. And as a writer, it’s pretty much the same thing. If the story were to continue, I think we’d both be interested in exploring Dream World a little bit more. And we’ve been doing a little matchmaking, too, which I won’t go into – no spoilers, not even for a story that may never be written. But for now, what happens next is really up to readers’ imaginations.

Dream Boy is available on Amazon and in your favorite local bookstores, and you still have until this Sunday to enter the DREAM BOY GIVEAWAY through Rafflecopter!