Saturday, July 31, 2010

The Roving Reader

Gasp!  Shock!  Awe!
I've read the first one in this series, have the second, but knew nothing of the third (pictured here)!  Definitely added to the Wish List.

The Season of Risks
by
Susan Hubbard


Check it out!




** The Roving Reader is a MEME type feature created by yours truly to share those book covers spotted when out and about that catch your eye for one reason or another. Want to get in on the fun? You're welcome to use the MEME, just give a little credit love. Simply snap a picture of your recent find and post away! Happy reading! **




The Roving Reader

Now there's a book to sink your teeth into...pun TOTALLY intended...for all the fans of the show and book series!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer:  Volume 1

Check it out!




** The Roving Reader is a MEME type feature created by yours truly to share those book covers spotted when out and about that catch your eye for one reason or another. Want to get in on the fun? You're welcome to use the MEME, just give a little credit love. Simply snap a picture of your recent find and post away! Happy reading! **


Friday, July 30, 2010

Blog Tour: Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James

Hello everyone!
Happy Friday to you from me here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  It's been a busy wee...no, strike that...MONTH all around and just because this is the second to last day of July does NOT mean we are going to slow down.  Nope.  On the contrary....we are playing host to a blog tour today courtesy of Cheryl over at Pump Up Your Book Promotions.  The title being featured was published abroad first, but made it's US debut this month to what I gather have been mixed responses.  Having never shied away from a book merely because the status quo has shall we say a split mind on the matter, I present to you yet one more opinion to add to the BUZZ on this selection.  Today's blog tour guest and book of choice is....

by

Katherine Patterson is looking for one thing....a new start.  A break from all the stress life has to offer.  A little place of anonymity all her own.  Why on earth would any 16 year-old seek solace and peace?  Katherine Patterson is not like most 16 year-olds.  You see, a few weeks ago, she was someone else...or rather known as someone else.  Katie Boydell.  Carefree, relatively good student, party-goer, drinking partner, and big sister.....no more.  All it takes is one day and a few bad decisions seen as relatively harmless at the time to unravel your entire world.  Gone are the days of laughter and light....it's hard to find joy in the world when something so tragic has touched your life, let alone taken someone from you.  What's worse?  What happened that night many moons ago....or having to find a way to live through it all?  Katherine is about to discover that sometimes things are not always what they seem, in many ways.

I was all prepared to write this incredibly spoiler rich review; I mean, given what happens in the story...how could I not want to discuss it?  (Trust me, it's worth discussing...and those of you that have read it, know exactly what I mean.)  Instead....I took a moment to reflect on my thoughts and package them into a protective nutshell.  Why protective?  Well, there are a myriad of reasons for that.  Right off the bat....this is most definitely NOT a Young Adult book, in my mind at least.  I've seen it advertised as YA and Mystery/Thriller alike and I have to tend to agree with the later.  The age of the characters fits YA but the story is quite something else.  There are several HEAVY (and that's a word I placed in all capitals AND bold font....in case you doubt my meaning of 'heavy' here...) topics covered from rape to murder, emotional turmoil to severe mental instability, acute levels of fear to disguised courage...and the list goes on and on (or rather it could, but I won't...you get the picture, right?).

Second....the main character, Katherine.  I can't honestly say why, but somehow I expected the ages and roles of the characters to be reversed...which actually ties into a second mini-irritation of mine in dealing with the time jumps.  There are chapters that deal with past, present, and future and though the past and present ones made perfect sense to me, it wasn't until I was about two thirds of the way through that the future glimpses finally hit me, snapping into place pieces that didn't quite fit before but also unsettling a few my mind MADE fit at the time.  After this revelation though....I was back to chugging right along the reading trail and turning pages faster and faster as I tried to imagine what on earth Alice (Katherine's new friend) was going to do next (really, she's one of those tragic cases you feel bad for but still love to NOT love).

Third, and I promise to stop numerating by thoughts after this one....I had heard from a few blogging friends that this book was unsettling to them.  Grant it, they are parents, and feared their opinion was tainted in some way by that fact, but after reading it I can't help but wonder.  What was it that was so off putting?  I mean, I can definitely see what with the storyline itself there are several situations that are certainly less than ideal for a young person to have to go through, but what was it exactly that pushed their buttons?  I mean, it's not like books of this nature haven't been written in some shape or form previously, or at least certain elements of it...and there are certainly ones that are much more graphic.  I will say this though (and perhaps I shall hit the nail on the head....but even if this swing if far reaching, it's something to mention), the things the teens in this story are involved in are quite irresponsible.  Like I said, under-drinking, sleeping around, etc, etc.....not the shining star among moral compasses.  BUT, as we discussed a bit in a previous post (a point brought up by Katie Williams, author of The Space Between Trees), are YA novels or fiction in general really responsible for instilling these values, or merely creating a "good" story?  Most would agree on the later (check the post for comments to that question)....thus removing the dreaded concern of the image being presented, a divide between the "what's being done today" and "what's appropriate" groups. (Okay, done with that ramble....)
 
In the end, I really think this book was less about Katherine's past and more so about the message of LIVING (again, bold type, all cap's....definite emphasis).  Whether it's one day at a time, or each second as it ticks past....making the most of your life as it is happening; taking an active role in it as opposed to merely being a passenger while fate takes the wheel.  We can't constantly be afraid to new new things or start again if the situation calls for it...if we are, then we become stagnant like so much brackish water, and just like that water, well to be it simply (and with an intended pun)...our lives would begin to stink.  It's the constant forward motion of time, of life itself that helps moves us to a new day, a new beginning, a new frame of mind.  What has happened yesterday...WAS yesterday.  Today is TODAY.  As a rather popular musical artist has said...."Today is where your book begins....the rest.....is still unwritten."
 
Special thanks to Cheryl at Pump Up Your Book Promotions for the ARC to review and the opportunity to participate in this tour.  (THANKS!)  For more information about this tour and many others, visit their sites (1 or 2) or follow along on Twitter.  For more information on this author and her work, check out her blog or website.  This book was released earlier this month and should be available in a store near you.  For a closer look right now, click on over to Amazon.
 
 
Until next time....happy reading!


Thursday, July 29, 2010

Your One Stop Fun Break Shop! (14)

Hi there!
It's another day another post here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers...but wait, what's this?  'Dessert' on a Thursday?  Yep....there's no mistake...this is suppose to be posted today.  Why?  Well, tomorrow we have a slightly heavy blog tour coming through and so I wanted to keep the mood light, fluffy, and fun in the mean time.  A quick reminder that your chance to win is slowly waning as the end of two contests draws nearer....The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand as well as The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams, are up for grabs.  Check out the CONTESTS link in the right hand sidebar for further details....
Now, who is ready for dessert?

This one is brought to you from me courtesy of my nifty RUBES calendar.  For daily chuckles online, check them out at Arcamax.  When I saw this one the other day, I simply couldn't resist sharing it with my bookish friends......

(In case that's too hard to read....it says.... "Why ancient Babylonian libraries didn't have night drops.")


TADA!
So are you ROTFL or just LOL?
Either way, I hope you enjoyed it and be sure to stop by tomorrow as we play host to author Rebecca James and her recent US release, Beautiful Malice, courtesy of Pump Up Your Book Promotions.

Until next time....happy reading!




Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Shoulder Bags and Shootings by Dorothy Howell

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!
Whew!  After all the book bloggy fun we had what with the Got Books? Event and everything, definitely needed a teensy break from heavier blogging.....and reading for that matter.  Luckily the world of books, varied as it is, delivered and I had the pleasure of reading a light mystery filled with every girls dream.  What's that?  *listens* Yes, there are love interests.  *listens*  Yes, there is danger and risk too.  But the real motivating factor for our lead character in this book.....SHOPPING...with a capital "S".  Today's book of choice is....

by

Meet Haley Randolph.  Average girl with not so average tastes, and her job at Holt's Department Store...yeah, not really helping her to feed her shopping addiction and her stomach.  But as with book bloggers that forgo the food and buy the books, this avid shopper puts handbags (well, almost all fashion for that matter) above the rest.  Her hot pursuit of the week?  Score one totally authentic and original....Sinful bag.  Nice name for a purse, right?  (Perhaps they were thinking of the money spent on said bag when it was named....*ponders*)

Since having seen one in a magazine on the flight back from Europe, and another in the possession of a less than deserving woman (in her opinion of course, since she didn't have one), almost nothing else occupies her every thought...well, except the fact that she is a suspect in the death of a co-worker and competitor whom she happened to discover dead, in the trunk of her new boyfriend's grandmother's car.  (Did you catch that?  I'll give you a second to rewind that sentence.....and a one and a two and a three....got it?  Good deal...)  As it seems, this is nothing new for her....she's been a suspect before, but really...again, in less than a month?  How rude!  Haley can't shop her way out of this mess...or can she?  Will Haley be able to clear her name and avoid those that would rather see her squirm?  Will her love life straighten itself out into a neat little arrangement instead of the "oh-I-think-he's-my-boyfriend-but-he's-not-calling-and-still-in-Europe" situation she's in now?  More importantly....will she ever score that Sinful bag?  Ladies...put on your stylish walking shoes and get ready for more labels than you can shake a stick at.....

Okay, I have a confession.  Every time this book came to mind when I was reading it, I couldn't help but think of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series.  I mean if fictional characters could cross over to other books for coffee, tea, or shopping trips, Becky Bloomwood (Shopaholic) and Haley Randolph would be (try on your best valley girl impersonation here folks....LIKE, the BEST girlfriend's EVER!  I mean, like, they could totally chill at the mall and blow loads of cash on the latest trends in fashion!  (toss ponytail....and stop)  Dior, Prada, Dooney, Coach....nothing would be safe.  Definitely made for an interesting character personality there....

Speaking of this character....I suppose the saying of "to know her is to love her" really applies to our female lead.  At times, she is beyond ditsy (yes, I said ditsy....) and her lack of focus on anything but handbags, even when faced with a potentially deadly situation, would drive me up a wall at times.  I mean I've read characters that were more mature that were a fraction of Haley's age, but better able to handle their world, their situations.  However, as it turns out, that is simply a part of her charm.  Once your understand her personality quirks, as naive as they make her at times, she verges on being quite endearing.  I mean, how else would you read to a stories end when essentially it's a big shopping trip with a pit stop of murder thrown in on the side?

In the end, for me it boiled down to this....a light, fluffy mystery perfect for a trip to the beach or a weekend read when you're looking for a little "who-dun-it" and a lot of girlish fun.  It fits perfectly with the other mysteries I have read to date and certainly won't be my last venture into this genre.  Being this book is one in a series, I may even seek out the prior books to see if a proper introduction to Ms. Randolph creates a more defined picture....you never know.

Special thanks to Caitlin Price at FSB Associates for the review copy.  (THANKS!)  To learn more about this group, visit their website or follow along on Twitter!  (Yay, Twitter!  Tweet tweet!) 

Until next time....happy reading!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Taste Testing Tuesdays (38)


Good afternoon (or whatever time it is where you are), everyone!
Welcome to another installment of Taste Testing Tuesdays here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!  Taste Testing Tuesdays was inspired by 'Teaser Tuesdays', a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
On the menu this week ... one book that's up for grabs in a current contest here on the site, another I'm sinking my teeth into (pun intended), and a third, well, you know you love the third.
Let's have a taste...shall we?
  

 Andrea was in some other stage of grief, one not previously documented by the authors of grief books.  She was in a stage that should have been known as Long Periods of Exhausted Stupor Punctuated by Psychotic Episodes.  -- pg 147, The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

It's hard to get a really good teaser out of this one since the story kind of rotates between characters and events, but it's definitely interesting.....








But as the blood flowed into me, I began to feel my strength returning.  Her blood tasted sweet, not at all salty and metallic like I had expected, and I began to crave it.  -- pg 22, Evin Driscol Series:  The Chosen Historian by Randi Ertz

Thus far this vampire story combines several elements from classic lore and present day ideas....be interesting to see where the author takes it from here.....










What followed was not silence, but more mayhem:  swearing, shouting, and fists hammering into flesh.  I got to my feet and ran in a crouch toward the back door.  -- pg 118, Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (ARC)

Oh my...hope everyone is okay!  Unless it's Marcie...yeah, that girl is seriously just...Ugh!
*reading*









~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
*Grab your current read
*Open to a random page
*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
*Share the title & author, too, so that other participants can add the book to their TBR.* 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Until next time....happy reading!

WINNERS: "Series"-ously Awesome Contest!

Hi there, everyone!
Welcome back!
Hmm...almost feels like I should be welcoming myself back since I'm spent so much time over at the event site recently but since that would sound rather awkward, I think I'll stick with passing those welcome feelings to you.  Anywho...I know what you've been anxiously awaiting and I'm not one to prolong that feeling for an overwhelming amount of time.

I mean really, don't you just wish that in a 'winner post' people would just TELL YOU ALREADY.  Instead, they go on and on and on and on and on and on and on
and on and on and on and on and on and on
and on and on and on and on and on
and on and on and on and on
and on and on and on
and on and on
and on...
...
...
...
JUST KIDDING!


It's time to announce the winners in my Got Books? Event.....

"Series"-ously Awesome Contest!

So in reading over the post, yeah, I seem to have forgotten something....to tell you exactly how many winners there will be!  DOH!  Sorry bout that...I'm blaming the excitement of the event.  Now that the contest is over and the winners have been drawn, I'll let you in on that great big secret...there WAS going to be 3 US winners of 2 books a piece from the stack in the photo, but I'm feeling generous today (hehe) and so I'm adding a fourth winner of the last lonely book in the pile...and 1 winner of the Generation Dead book of course....
See?  It all works out and wouldn't you know....every winner drawn won one or more of the books they were asking for?  YAY!
Here we go!

The winners are as follows....

#23 - Melanie L
The Year of Disappearances by Susan Hubbard
Powers by John B. Olson
-------
#63 - Kika
The Brain Full of Holes by Martin Chatterton
The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 2: The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan (SIGNED)
-------
#24 - aLmYbNeNr
Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow, Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy by William Irwin and Richard Brian Davis
-------
#1 - Lydia Presley
Spaceheadz by Jon Scieszka
Who says that the first entry never wins...HA!
-------
#129 - Bella
Generation Dead, Book 3: Passing Strange by Daniel Waters (INTL)

Congratulations!  You now have 48 hours to respond to the email I sent you to claim your prize, unless of course you included your full mailing information when entering.  If a response is not received in the allotted time frame, I'll have to draw another winner, a task I certainly won't enjoy, but will carry out if required. (Yeah...please don't make me do it.....)

Special thanks to everyone that participated in the Got Books? Event....whether here on my site or on the main one.  I hope you had a blast and discovered some great new sites, books, authors, publishers....well, all things bookish.  Thanks to the illustrious skills of Bella over at A Girl Reads a Book we have a very special badge for those of you that participated in this inaugural event!


http://gotbooksevent.blogspot.com





Isn't it bookishly marvelous?
Feel free to snag one for your site.
THANKS BELLA!

Until next time....happy reading! 






Monday, July 26, 2010

And the winner is...

...undetermined! Sorry guys...still tallying the results...should have the winners tomorrow. Stay tuned!

In My Shopping Bag (39)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.
Through her guidelines, your post does not actually have to be named the same and thus my post shall be..."In My Shopping Bag".  (just fits with the "foodie" theme a bit better in my humble opinion)
Let's take a peek inside my shopping bag from this past week....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Review
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
(courtesy of Harper Perennial)
A long time classic that I simply must read in completion...finally....



What I Learned From Being a Cheerleader by Adrianne Ambrose
Haint Misbehavin' by Maureen Hardegree
(courtesy of Belle Books and Belle Bridge Books)
Looks like these books are trying to pass along a message or two in a fun fictional manner...should be interesting....





According to Jane by Marilyn Brant
(SIGNED and personalized...yay!)
Plus bookish postcard of upcoming release, Friday Mornings at Nine
(courtesy of author ...and fellow tweeter)
This one will be in my October themed posts....although on the surface it may not seem to fit, it deals with a girl that has the "ghost of Jane Austen" in her mind....ghosts + October = yep...can't wait!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Received


Disney Fairies Graphic Novel #2:  Tinker Bell and the Wings of Rani by Teresa Radice, Augusto Machetto, and Giulia Conti
(courtesy of Penny at AME)
The note enclosed with this one listed it as a 'thank you' being that I reviewed and enjoyed the first book (Prilla's Talent)....well, if it's as much fun as the first, it will certainly end up in a review once again! (Thank you!)




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's all for this week!
What did YOU get?
Do tell!


Until next time....happy reading!



Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Roving Reader

Now I'm not quite certain if this is a part of the series or a companion type book (perhaps you know...) but either way, the cover intrigues!

Blue Bloods: 
Keys to the Repository
by
Melissa de la Cruz

Check it out!


** The Roving Reader is a MEME type feature created by yours truly to share those book covers spotted when out and about that catch your eye for one reason or another. Want to get in on the fun? You're welcome to use the MEME, just give a little credit love. Simply snap a picture of your recent find and post away! Happy reading! **



The Roving Reader

Oh how I do love this cover.  The font, the title, the coloring....definitely a favorite.  How's the story?  Well, I actually read this when it came out in hardback last year and I must say, it was GOOD!  Glad to see it making it's paperback debut...

Immortal
by
Gillian Shields

Check it out!


** The Roving Reader is a MEME type feature created by yours truly to share those book covers spotted when out and about that catch your eye for one reason or another. Want to get in on the fun? You're welcome to use the MEME, just give a little credit love. Simply snap a picture of your recent find and post away! Happy reading! **


Friday, July 23, 2010

The 1st Annual Got Books? Event has ARRIVED!

Welcome everyone!
Today is the day that you've all been waiting for as Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers is proud to present the FIRST annual ....

Glitter Text - http://www.sparklee.com


As a co-conspirator behind this (what has become a massive) event, I'd like to take a quick second to thank you...my readers, fellow bloggers, and all the bookish (and non-bookish) folks that take a moment of their time to visit my site, read the posts, enter the contests, leave comments and the like.  It is much appreciated so thank you from my bookish heart to yours.

Second a quick shout out to my partner in crime for this event...Danielle from There's A Book.  Working together, we were able to see this event come full circle, from idea to project to oh-my-word-look-how-big-it-is and finally to what you see before you (well, not just here, of course, but the site itself).  Thank you Danielle for all your assistance and great feedback sessions even in the wee hours of the morning (yes, we were working the day shift, night shift, graveyard shift...may have invented a new shift even....to get this one done).  I hope everyone has a blast!

Enough of this mushy show of emotion....on with the show!
May I present my contribution to the contest portion of this event, which I am calling the....


"Series"-ously Awesome Contest!

That's right!
Why is it "series"-ously awesome?
I'm glad you asked.
We all love a good series, as in multiple books that form an overall story...and that's what I aim to bring you the chance to win in this contest.  Below you will find a picture of the books up for grabs....


Pretty huh?
Each of the titles featured can be read as a stand alone if you'd like, or simply used to whet your appetite to indulge in the series.
Let's take a closer look...

Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
It's sequel, Innocent, was just released this year.
For a sneak peek...my review.

The Year of Disappearances by Susan Hubbard
Book two in a series that just had it's third installment released this month...haven't had the pleasure of reading this one quite yet, but here's a peek at book one...my review...

Powers by John B. Olson
Book two in this series....

The Brain Full of Holes by Martin Chatterton
Book two in a very fun children's series....definitely works on it's own, but why would you want to miss the other installment?  My review of book one, and two....

Spaceheadz by Jon Scieszka (ARC)
Book one is this series...just released this year too...sneak peek anyone?  My review...

Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy by William Irwin and Richard Brian Davis
So it's not your typical series, but it IS part of a series of books that explores popular culture in philosophy...so see, it works...and a sneak peek with my review...

The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 2:  The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
Book two in this popular children's series....it's a hardback, minus the protective cover, plus a small black marker mark on the bottom, otherwise GREAT condition, but it does have one advantage.....IT'S SIGNED!  Yup!


The ones listed above are open to US entries only...but don't worry, I didn't forget all those worldwide readers out there....
This next one is open to one and all...

(1) brand new copy of Generation Dead, Book 3:  Passing Strange by Daniel Waters
(courtesy of Leanee at Non-Fiction Books)



Sound good?
I thought it might.

-------------

How to enter:
Fill out the FORM.
(Hmm...I hope I made that big enough...hehe)


------------

The rules:
*The books pictured in the stack photo are open to US mailing addresses only, but the copy of Generation Dead, Book 3 is open to one and all! No P. O. Boxes please.
* Entries will be accepted from Friday, July 23rd, 2010 through Saturday, July 24th, 2010 at midnight CST. The entries will be tallied and entered into the random.org randomizer, after which a random number will be picked by their number generator. (This way all the entries are mixed up nicely.)
* All entries must be submitted using the form accessible through this post. You MUST include your email address in order to be counted as well as contacted should you be chosen as the winner!
*The winner will be announced and contacted via email by Monday, July 25th, 2010 and will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address, unless of course it was provided in the entry form initially. Should they fail to respond in the given time frame, a new winner will be chosen.
*Winners name and address will be used by yours truly or forwarded to the appropriate sponsor for prize send out only and then discarded.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Once you've put your hat in the ring for this contest, take a chance on the other two contests currently running on my site to win ....

1 of 3 copies of The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

(1) SIGNED copy of The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All through?
All right....best of luck on your bookish prize trail!
Don't forget to check out all the fun going on today at the Got Books? Event site!




http://gotbooksevent.blogspot.com


Until next time....happy reading!










Thursday, July 22, 2010

Blog Tour: Plan B by Steven Verrier

Hi there!


Welcome back to another day, another BLOG TOUR here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!  That's right!  What, you're surprised?  You really shouldn't be, I did warn you earlier this week that blog tours would be upon us once again....but you know you love them.  Today we have another addition to the YA genre from a published author that presents us with a rather interesting story dealing with an issue often seen privately yet not discussed openly.  Please welcome today's blog tour guest courtesy of Pump Up Your Book Promotions and featured book of choice....


by


Danny is a star student. High grade point average, musical aspirations with the talent to support them...basically good at anything he sets his mind to. He was on the fast track to bigger and better things in life with the drive to take him there....that is until one faithful days events cast a foreboding shadow on his formerly bright future. Sounds ominous, no? That faithful event was so great, so terrible, so bewildering that his teachers neigh his school was willing to turn their backs on him in an instant. What was so terrible? Brace yourself...he had to....use the restroom. (GASP!)

No really, it all starts from a slightly overactive bladder and an over conformity to the rules. Grant it, his chosen location to ahem...tend to business...is not exactly desirable but that's second in his line of offenses according to the powers that be.  Thus begins the series of in-school disciplinary actions up to and including the dreaded parent teacher conference....dun, dun, dunnnnn.....

To their credit, Danny's parents fly to his defense never once questioning his actions (really, who would?)...after all it's not like he disappeared on any of his previous bathroom breaks. The problem comes from the fact that he happened to have to use the bathroom more than 3 times during the given semester in the same class. The result of this confrontation…suspension and the inability to finish out his exams thus giving his perfect record a few non-erasable smudges. Harvard, Yale, Columbia...all once within reach become dream worthy aspirations.

Can Danny pull himself back from the abyss on which he's been set and show those standing against him the wrongness of their ways? Will determination and a can do attitude help him achieve all the great things he is destined for? Will he ever make up his mind when dealing with his on again off again girlfriend? Only time will tell….

Oh where to begin....well, the beginning of course! In general I would say there is a lack of focus, almost as if there were several tangible plots the author wanted to explore but thought wiser of upon visiting the idea. It somewhat plays into the characters age but since he is basically a genius, it didn’t quite work in my mind. HOWEVER, the author makes you care enough about the main character to look past the under lying flaws of the book and seek out the story’s end. Plus, the issue brought to light really hits home with a lot of school kids and parents.  I mean really, if a child (no matter the age) is doing well in school and not disappearing on these little breaks, where's the harm?  You end up causing more harm to their health (and possibly their confidence if an accident were to happen) by not letting them go.

Was it worth the reading journey? I'd say yes...but a bit of determination is required from the reader to see Danny (the main character) through what with his strokes of genius in life, but his awkwardness in social situations. I do feel I must warn you…there are several instances of foul language (most of which occur when emotions run high and angry) and a sexually charged scene or two (between the discovery of porn and an “acquaintance” made on his trip abroad…yeah, there are a few)…but I mean it is about a boy growing up so it kind of goes with the territory.

Review copy courtesy of Pump Up Your Book Promotions and author Steven Verrier. (THANKS!) For more information on their comings and goings, be sure to check out their respective sites. This book is available now at Amazon so feel free to click on over to take a closer look.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TOMORROW....the Got Books? Event is LIVE and in living color!  Stay tuned...

http://gotbooksevent.blogspot.com

Until next time....happy reading!



Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Blog Tour: The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams, Guest Post + CONTEST!

Hello again!
Post 2 of 2 for today, here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers as we play host to a recently released Chronicle Books title, The Space Between Trees.  But wait...a book is just a book, or rather words on a page quite unorganized, without an author to dream up the idea in the first place and so please welcome the author of this book herself, Katie Williams!  Take it away....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Guest Post
Katie Williams


Hello there, insatiable readers!

There’s someone new wearing the apron today! Your delightful web-chef has let me, author Katie Williams, knock around in her kitchen today, as long as I promise to wash all the dishes and put her spice rack back in alphabetical order. Since Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers is so admirably inclusive with its reviews—adult, YA, science fiction, fantasy, everyone is welcome—I thought it might be fun to cook up a few thoughts about the young adult novel, more specifically, what moral responsibility YA writers have to their readers.

Up until quite recently, my writing background was in fiction for adults, but then my first novel, The Space Between Trees, sold as a YA novel, and I had to think about what these classifications meant—children’s books versus young adult, young adult versus adult.

Protagonist age and reading difficulty seemed to be the obvious differences, and there’s certainly something to be said for the ease of finding the right shelf in the bookstore. Beyond that, though, I eventually decided that a good story was just a good story.

Then a writer friend asked me if a YA novel had to have some sort of moral at its end. “No, no.” I waved the idea away. “Maybe children’s books do, but not YA.”

But the question stuck with me. It echoed whenever someone remarked that Bella Swann was not a good role model for teenage girls or that Katniss Everdeen was. I heard it in the approval for YA books that “taught an important lesson” and in the panicked claims that Harry Potter glorifies witchcraft. And I began to worry a bit about my own novel, which includes teenage girls behaving pretty horrifically and ends with no moral whatsoever except, perhaps, that being an adult is messier and scarier than you expect it to be when you’re a child. So was I doing harm to my teenage readers? Had I forsaken my role as a moral guide?

I’ve thought about this a good bit. I’ve thought about the books I read as a teenager, both adult and YA, and what these books gave me.

Here’s where I’ve ended up:
The story is the lesson. Reading allows us to step into someone else’s skin and walk around for a bit. Through stories, we experience situations different from our own and people different from those around us in the most intimate way, sitting inside characters’ heads or hovering just over their shoulders. Ultimately, a story gives the reader empathy. And isn’t that the greatest lesson of all, no matter one’s age?

I’d love to hear what you think. Does a YA novel bear moral responsibility that an adult novel doesn’t?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Now that IS a good question...what do you think readers?  Is there a greater calling for socially acceptable morals and values to be displayed in the YA genre versus your everyday Fiction?  I'm curious to see what you think as well.  The comments are open...so throw your two cents in!

Now, one last thing before I stop inundating you with posts of greatness today, and believe me, you'll forgive me for dragging on when you here this.  Thanks to the generous folks over at Chronicle Books (thanks, Lara!) and the wonderful author, I have the privilege of offering YOU the chance to win a SIGNED copy of the book for your own reading pleasure!  (Got ahead, take a moment to do a happy dance...no one's looking....*peek*)  Here's the scoop....

The prize:
(1) SIGNED copy of The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams



How to enter:
Fill out the FORM.



The rules:
*Open to US/Canada mailing addresses only!  No P. O. Boxes please.
* Entries will be accepted from Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 through Saturday, July 31st, 2010 at midnight CST.  The entries will be tallied and entered into the random.org randomizer, after which a random number will be picked by their number generator.  (This way all the entries are mixed up nicely.)
* All entries must be submitted using the form accessible through this post.  You MUST include your email address in order to be counted as well as contacted should you be chosen as the winner!
*The winner will be announced and contacted via email by Monday, August 2nd, 2010 and will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.  Should they fail to respond in the given time frame, a new winner will be chosen.
*Winners name and address will be forward to Lara at Chronicle Books for prize send out only and then discarded.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After you enter, don't forget to check out the other stops along this tour including...

July 15th ... YA Librarian Tales
July 16th... Carrie's YA Bookshelf
July 18th... Bookalicious Blog
July 19th... WORD for Teens
July 20th... Oh Hey What's Up Blog
July 21st... HERE

...and still more!

-------------------------------------------------------

Good luck to everyone!
Until next time....happy reading!