Larkin's Book Bloggers

Just announced on the Scholastic Blog, a release about Maggie Stiefvater’s new series, The Raven Boys. 

Filled with mystery, romance, and the supernatural, The Raven Boys introduces readers to Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III and Blue Sargent. Gansey has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on the hunt to find Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend has it that the first person to find him will be granted a wish—either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart. Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there—known as Raven Boys—can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his Raven Boy friends come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But now she’s not so sure.

Set to be released on September 18th, I cannot wait to get my hands on the first book!  Since the end of the Shiver trilogy and the release of Scorpio Races in October, I’ve been in Maggie Stiefvater withdrawl!

Mrs. L., EMS Blogger

“I dare you…” Have you ever played the game “Truth or Dare” with your friends? Has your game ever gotten really scary or serious? OR has your truth or dare had a twist in which the dare could be anything imaginable, maybe life-threatening? And the truth could be your deepest, darkest secret?

In the novel It Started with a Dare by Lindsay Faith Rech, CG Silverman seems to be a sweet girl when she firsts moves from Pennsylvania to Beaubridge. She has to start fresh in a new high school – which may benefit CG because she is looking to transform herself into a new and better person. Coincidentally, she meets the three most popular girls on her first day of high school and they fall in love with her the moment they start talking. So, within minutes, CG has already transformed herself without even trying! At CG’s first sleepover with her new friends, she starts a very peculiar version of truth or dare. As the book title says, “It all started with a dare!” CG was dared to do some pretty risky things and was asked the truth on some rather uncomfortable topics. This led to major drama and CG is so wrapped up in herself, she begins to lie about everything she says. So, will CG ever find out who her true friends are? Will her friends ever find out if CG is really their true friend? CG will break hearts, end friendships, and betray her so- called “friends,” but will any of this be repairable?

This book had many twists and turns that left you hanging onto the edge of your seat! It was suspenseful and appealing, yet there were some parts in the book where I think the author, Lindsay Faith Rech, could have described more clearly or used more detail. In my opinion, CG was way too “head over heels” with herself, first meeting new, popular, friends then ending up totally distraught. This book reminds me of the Devon Delaney series. The moral or lesson of this story is a good lesson to learn, but I am not sure the moral completely fit the story. As a whole, this book was an extraordinary read. It was full of mind-boggling twists and turns – and I had no clue what was going to happen to CG next!

“I dare you…” to definitely read It Started with a Dare.

CAUTION – THIS BOOKS DOES CONTAIN SOME MATURE CONTENT!  IT’S BEST FOR MATURE OR OLDER READERS.

Erin M., EMS Blogger

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in 264 days. The last time she did it was an accident  it was murder. Now, The Reestablishment has plans for her. Does Juliette have the power to save her shattered world?” In the book Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Juliette may just have the right amount of bravery and love to save her world. Anyone who loves a good love story with a twist, this book is for you.

In Shatter Me, you’re put into the shoes of a 17-year-old girl named Juliette with a power that sucks the life out of people, literally. She has been locked away for 264 days in isolation since she had a little accident.  She remained alone until she was told she was getting a cellmate. Her cellmate – is a boy. And even more strange, Juliette thinks she recognizes him from her past. Is her mind playing tricks on her? Things only get worse when she is taken to meet General Warner and finds out that her cellmate, Adam, is a soldier in his army and he was only assigned to watch her. As her need to escape grows, so does the general’s need to want to use Juliette as a super weapon. But hope is still alive when Juliette finds find out Adam remembers her too, and is willing to put his life on the line to help her escape. Will Juliette and Adam ever be able to escape the general? Find out in Shatter Me.

Caitlin says…I loved Shatter Me. Tahereh Mafi did an amazing job making you feel like you were right alongside Juliette. My favorite characters were definitely Juliette and Adam. They were both so mysterious throughout the entire book. Adam was mysterious in the beginning when he was hiding his true self from Juliette. Juliette was mysterious when she was hiding a very important secret from the general. This book is definitely a must read.

Mrs. Larkin says…I’m with Caitlin on this one – I loved this book. Mafi definitely has an original writing style in this novel – the crossouts and the lack of punctuation really make you feel Juliette’s fear and panic, her isolation. It really added to the overall mood of the book. Juliette’s mysterious power also had me wondering as well – and I can’t reveal any more without wrecking some key points in the story. General Warner was such a jerk – and slimy, and despicable, and cruel – a great character to hate! The last quarter of the book is awesome! So suspenseful! We’re introduced to even more characters like James, Kenji, and Castle, and the book goes into a direction I never saw coming. Overall – a book I couldn’t put down and I can’t wait for the next installment from Tahereh Mafi!

Caitlin W. and Mrs. Larkin, EMS Bloggers

Do you like books with lots of action, adventure, and suspense? Then you should check out Necropolis. If you like the Alex Rider series, then you will love Necropolis!

For those of you who haven’t read any books in the Gatekeeper’s series, Necropolis is the fourth book in the series. The series is mainly about an ancient evil force that ruled the world before being defeated by a group of five kids. The evil was called the Old Ones. When they were defeated they were banished from earth. But now in modern times there are still people who are devoted to bringing them back to earth with the hope that the Old Ones will share the world with them. And while there are people who are trying to bring back the Old Ones, the teenagers from the ancient battle have also been brought back as different people. These kids have no idea who they really are and are only just figuring out the danger they are in.

Necropolis kicks off with a girl named Scarlett going on a school field trip to a local church. While there she notices what appears to be the boy from her mysterious dreams walking toward a door. Following, her adventure leads her to an 18 hour disappearance and sparks media frenzy. So the five of them split up – Matt, Jamie, and Richard go to America where they will attempt to make it into Hong Kong without their ancient enemies, the Old Ones, knowing and save Scarlett and the entire world from disaster. Pedro and Jamie go into hiding and await the arrival of their friends as well as work on Scott’s mental condition. With the odds mounted against them and the constant danger of being attacked, they manage to get into Hong Kong but are now in more danger than ever. Will Matt, Jamie, and Richard be able to rescue Scarlett? Will the Old Ones conquer the world? Read Necropolis to find out.

I really liked this book. It was one of the best books in the series so far. Although the ending is very abrupt, leaving you with more questions than answers, and there is definitely going to have to be another book in the series! I really like Matt, he seems to always be in control, and he always has a plan. Scott and Jamie’s sudden arrival on the scene definitely makes their plans more complicated. All of the characters in this book seem to fit well together, they all work well as a team and are fun to read about. If you have some free time I would definitely suggest Necropolis, and the whole Gatekeeper’s series, for a great read.

Zach C., EMS Blogger

Have you ever thought of what it would be like if you were losing your house? Your favorite pet? Or, worst of all, your family? In the book The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, you might finally get what it means to be faced with losing so much – and what you would do to save it all.

The Scorpio Races is about a young girl named Kate Connolly, also known as Puck. Both of her parents are dead and she and her brother Finn and their older brother Gabe are living on their own. Around October every year there is an event called the Scorpio Races. In the Scorpio Races, men race water horses for a large prize of money. Yes – water horses. They are wild and extremely dangerous, attacking and killing those who try to capture them from the water. When Puck finds out that Gabe is leaving them to go to the mainland and their house is being taken away due to debt, she enters the race –the first girl to do so – in hopes that it will save the house and make Gabe stay. Puck faces a lot of challenges before the big day, such as finding a horse to ride in the race, saving her house, and of course – falling in love with a boy. Sean Kendrick is that boy – and the returning champion of the Scorpio Races. He has a magical way with the water horses and rides Corr, his father’s water horse. So what will happen at this year’s Scorpio Races? Who will win? Who will survive?

Alyssa says…The book The Scorpio Races was one of the best books I have ever read. I love the determination of Puck to win the Scorpio Races and save her house. This book is very sad in my opinion especially when Gabe tells Puck he is leaving her and her younger brother. Puck is one of my favorite characters throughout the novel, she is a talented and well spirited. Even after all Puck and her younger brother go through, she never lost her determination.

Maria says…The book The Scorpio Races was an awesome book. Puck is my favorite character in the entire book. She never gives up and will do anything to protect her family and her horse, Dove. For example, when Puck, her horse, Dove, and her younger brother Finn are attacked by a water horse, she does everything she can to protect them.

Mrs. Larkin says…I loved this book! No one else but Maggie Stiefvater could create this magical island where killer horses erupt from the surf each year! And people actually try to capture them and then race them! And then – we have this great story with Puck and Sean. Both characters were fantastic! Puck was so brave and went through so much just to be the first girl to ride in the race. And I was constantly cheering for her horse, Dove. Sean Kendrick was this mysterious horse whisperer on the island – everyone looks to him when it comes to capturing the mysterious water horses. Naturally the two are drawn together and then it was like, who do I cheer for? On one hand, Puck of course…first girl to enter, trying to save her family, and the odds are just stacked against her. But Sean is given this unbelievable situation to deal with that made me want HIM to win! All of it just made for an amazing story – read it!

Alyssa W., Maria S., and Mrs. Larkin – EMS Bloggers

The Times of London called iBoy “Brilliant, harrowing, uplifting…with a passionate truth.”  They got it right.

Enter Tom Harvey, a South London boy with twenty minutes of normality left. He’s headed to the house of Lucy Walker, the girl he loves, when he hears a shout from her flat (four seconds of normality left). Then something falling from the window lodges itself in his skull and there’s no ‘normal’ left. The next time he opens his eyes, he’s in a hospital, with bits of an iPhone embedded in his brain. Something’s different, too- he can feel something buzzing- pieces of information in his brain, connected and connecting. Then he realizes what’s happened. The iPhone in his skull has somehow connected to his brain. He’s connected to the Internet- from his own head. He can do anything an iPhone can do…and more - even going as far as being able to shock things with his fingers. While Tom is still digesting this, he stumbles across an article. A horrific crime has been committed against Lucy Walker. Tom, with his newfound abilities, heads out to get revenge on those who committed the crime…but nearly loses his humanity in the process.

iBoy scared me and fascinated me at the same time. From the very beginning, I was hooked. The unlikely hero of the story is very realistic, and the plot is suspenseful and makes the book hard to put down. I have no more to say, except buy this book the second it comes out- it’s definitely the best book I’ve read this summer, by far.

A word of caution – this book contains inappropriate language and some sensitive concepts.

Audrey L., EMS Blogger

Losing your father is a terrible thing. Just as bad as never having one at all. Losing your father and having him be replaced with a baby, a stranger’s baby at that, is even worse. Just as bad as being pregnant at eighteen, not knowing who the father is, but knowing that for the baby’s own good, you’ll have to give her up.

Jill MacSweeney recently lost her father and now her mother, at age fifty-three, wants to adopt a baby. Jill feels that her mother has gone insane, is crazy, and is just trying to replace Jill’s father with the baby. Meanwhile, Mandy Kalinowki has grown up unwanted by her mother and her mother’s boyfriends. When she becomes pregnant she knows that the child deserves a better life than what she has had and decides to put her up for adoption on a website that does not involve legal papers or cost money. Eventually Mandy meets Jill and her mother.  Jill doesn’t know what to think of Mandy. She hates the fact that they will be adopting her baby, but can’t help but feel bad for the poor girl who is a year older than her and pregnant. Mandy is impressed by the Sweeney’s beautiful house and caring lifestyle. She has never felt so loved before, but can’t help but think that it isn’t because of her; it’s because of the little living thing inside her belly. Will Jill ever be able to embrace a new member of the family? And will Mandy ever feel truly wanted? You must read How to Save a Life to find out the surprising ending that changed both their lives forever.

I loved the way Sara Zarr entwined Jill and Mandy’s lives together. Each chapter was written in the perspective of either Jill or Mandy. My heart really went out to both of them in their different struggles. Mandy reveals many secrets about her life throughout the book that kept me reading, I wanted to find out more and clear up the confusion and questions that were running through my head. Eventually, everything connected and left an amazing ending that caught me completely off guard. If you enjoy drama, mystery, romance, action, and suspense, you will LOVE this book, which is a little bit of it all. This is definitely one of my favorite books!

Emma D., EMS Blogger

As part of The Teen Book Scene Blog Tour for Wynter Chelsea:  The Legacy, author Becca Ritchie stopped by Larkin’s Book Bloggers and took part in an Author This or That feature!  Welcome, Becca!

Realistic fiction or Fantasy?  Fantasy!

Coke or Pepsi?  Coke. I’m from the south, and I refer to all soft drinks, no matter the flavor or brand, as Coke, not soda or even pop. Just Coke.

McDonald’s or Burger King?  Neither. I haven’t eaten fast food since I was probably 10-years-old, but back then I hated Burger King and loved McDonald’s Big Macs.

Ebooks or real books?  Both. I am partial to physical copies of books, but I read the occasionally electronic book.

Red Sox or Yankees? …Braves!

Harry Potter fanatic or not?  Harry Potter fanatic. I grew up with Harry Potter. He graduated Hogwarts when I graduated high school. And those midnight premieres are some of the best I’ve ever been too.

Love to cook or love to go out to eat?  Love to cook. I’m Italian, so I was taught to cook as a little girl. My grandma would kill me if I couldn’t make pasta.

Travel the US or travel in a foreign country?  Travel the US. I went on a road trip out west a year ago, and America is insanely beautiful. I had spent so much time dreaming about foreign countries that I forgot to appreciate my own.

TV junkie or no TV?  (I already know the answer to this from your blog…but please just talk to us about your favorite shows!) TV junkie! And I am very proud of the title. Right now, I could gush about The Vampire Diaries for hours upon hours. I’ll always try and persuade the most negative critics who scoff at the word “vampire.” I watch a lot of television, and it is by far the best written, acted, and produced show on TV right now. Other favorites to date include: Pan Am, Revenge, Hart of Dixie, Supernatural, Dexter, Weeds, Big Bang Theory, Parks and Recreations…I could go on forever.

Good student or trouble maker?  Good student. I’ve never been much of a trouble maker. My drama fix comes from books and television shows, not really my own life. Although who wouldn’t love to live in an episode of Gossip Girl or One Tree Hill?

Country girl or city girl?  Both. I live somewhere in between, but I definitely like the country and the city in moderation.

When writing…handwrite or type?  Typing. Handwriting = hand cramps.

Your college dorm room…neat freak or total slob?  Neat freak. My mother taught me too well.

Spiderman or Batman…or?   X-Men! I am obsessed. The movies are fantastic, and the comics are way too addicting. But don’t let me fool you. I started reading comics at 17, and I urge anyone who loves superhero movies to pick up comics as well. People will try to persuade you from reading them because of your age or gender, but don’t listen. These comics continue stories you know and love, and it’s worth it to do a bit of research and try to find a starting place.

Survivor or The Amazing Race?  Survivor. I watch both, but Survivor is the only show I watch with my entire family. Somehow we bond annually over contestants’ starvation and greed for a million bucks.

Thanks for having me on your blog, Jennifer!

Courtesy of Around the World Tours…

From Goodreads…The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

First – just the IDEA of this book made we want to read it immediately!  I loved the concept and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it!  I have to admit, though, that the beginning/middle dragged a bit for me.  The whole time Jackson was stuck in the past was just a bit boring – he just seemed to be trying to get Holly to fall in love with him again.  And I didn’t really feel that there was much chemistry between the two.  The whole time-jumping thing got a bit crazy as well as it just started to happen so fast and WHY was he stuck in 2007?

Towards the end, things really started to heat up again – from the confrontations with Jackson’s father, the reappearance of other characters, to Jackson finally figuring out some of the mysteries that have been plaguing him for so long – the ending of this book definitely made up for some of the slow parts!  I really liked how author Julie Cross slowly revealed some of the details – especially the parts about Jackson’s sister.  Jackson’s ability to time travel really let us see that relationship and had me crying!  I loved her character and wished that she had been in more scenes.  Another character that really stole the show for me was Adam – loved him!  Especially 2007 Adam – he was hysterical, quirky, and just added more interest to the story.

Overall – it was good.  And the end definitely has me hooked for the next installment.  There is some mature subject matter in this one – alcohol, sexual situations, etc. – so I won’t be adding this one to my middle school library!

Jen L., EMS Blogger

We are pleased to once again host author Mary Lindsey as part of the Teen Book Scene Blog Tour!  Mary Lindsey’s novel Shattered Souls is out now!

The Hardest Things About Being an Author

I love being an author. Because I enjoy my job so much, I rarely think about how hard it is to write books, but aspects of it are difficult.

Coming up with the stories is the easiest part for me. The original draft usually just flows right out. It’s what happens after the book is drafted that gets tough. I find three things difficult:

Edits: Fortunately, I like to edit. Writing is sort of like building a house: The rough draft is the structure itself. Then, the first rounds of revisions are like putting up the sheetrock and installing cabinets. After that, the final rounds of edits and copy edits are like putting on the final coat of paint to make the whole thing “right” and beautiful. Shattered Souls went through dozens of revision rounds, then two major rewrites, four rounds of changes for my publisher, and then two rounds of copy edits. Lots of work.

Discipline: This is a job like any other and I have to put in lots of hours in order to be successful. The problem is that I’m in charge of my schedule and since I work from home, it’s easy to get distracted. I have to conjure all of my self-discipline sometimes to keep from playing when I should be working. I love the freedom of being an author, but it’s hard not having someone to tell me what to do.

Letting the project go: There comes a time when enough is enough. I have to stop revising and send it on to my editor or publisher. No novel is ever perfect, really, so I could tinker forever. I suppose this relates directly to problem 2: discipline.

Despite the difficulties, I can’t imagine a better job. I get to keep my own hours (even if they are very long), be my own boss, and work in my pajamas. Beat that!

Thank you so much, Mrs. Larkin, for having me on your blog today and for hosting a stop in the Teen Book Scene Shattered Souls blog tour.

* * * * *

Links

My Website:

http://www.marylindsey.com

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Souls-Mary-Lindsey/dp/0399256229/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312213813&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shattered-souls-mary-lindsey/1101075440

Shattered Souls at Penguin

http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780399256226,00.html?Shattered_Souls_Mary_Lindsey

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9366996-shattered-souls