Waiting on Wednesday (5) : Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

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Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zine

Release on: August 1, 2009

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-
One good...
One evil...
Who will prevail?
Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.
Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.
They just know they can't trust each other.

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I’ve heard so many great things about this book, and the best part is it comes out this Saturday!

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Additional Links:
Read An Excerpt | Michelle Zink’s Website & Twitter

"Waiting on Wednesday" was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Review: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

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Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Hardback, First U.S. Edition
Release Date: August 26, 2008 from HarperTeens
Pages: 432
Best Enjoyed By: Females (though some Males as well), Ages 14 and up
Rating: A


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This review is going to be a bit different. I really don’t have a summary, and the one on the book doesn’t seem to fit either. There are too many elements. You just need to go in head-first, not knowing anything, and read it. But if you’re feeling totally stranded, know this: it’s a story-within-a-story; it’s about a girl who was abandoned; it’s part mystery, part action, part coming-of-age, and part romance. And it is 100% amazing.


Don’t believe me? Read these two quotes. On both I nearly cried, and one is on the second page!


Someone asked us later, “Didn’t you wonder why no one came across you sooner?”
Did I wonder?
When you see your parents zipped up in black body bags on the Jellicoe Road like they’re some kind of garbage, don’t you know?
Wonder dies. (Page 2 from the US Edition, HB)


and


Tate had lost her younger sister as well as her parents in the accident. “We were playing Rock, Paper, Scissors,” she told him once. “I was paper and she was rock so I lived and she died.” (Page 30 from the US Edition, HB)


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Reviewer’s Note:
I should admit that at first I wasn’t impressed by Jellicoe Road (which is called On the Jellicoe Road in the original Australian version). I got to page 122 and just wasn’t feeling it. So I put it away and read some other books. But it bothered me. I hate giving up on a book. Plus I was seeing all these amazing reviews and I thought maybe it got better. So I reread those first 122 pages and then some. And could not put it down. Maybe my brain was in the clouds while I had read it before. Because the book was good. No, the book was incredible.


Actual Review:
The first chapter (not the prologue) of Jellicoe Road is, in fact, not a real beginning. The beginning is in the past, and to understand that you’ll need to read the book. Instead, you begin in the midst of Taylor’s (the protagonist) teenage life and left in complete turmoil. There are little to no explanations provided, no introductions to characters. The plot seems to everywhere and nowhere, as Melina Marchetta doesn’t explain anything until later on. Want more bad news? This is only part of the story, the part going on right now.


The rest is in the past―seventeen years ago―and is, perhaps, even more confusing. This part centers around five teenagers all pushed together on Jellicoe Road after a terrible accident. I believe it documents over a few years, while different types of relationships form and deteriorate. The characters here are just as important as Taylor and her friends.


This is one of those books where you eyes will be glued to the page―and they need to be. Even if you feel compelled to, by skipping paragraphs or pages, it will make much less sense. Because it does start to clear up when you get closer to the end of the book. And I think it’s meant to be confusing, as if to echo Taylor’s thoughts. You just have to stick it out. My suggestion is to just read carefully and when you’re done, maybe even read it again, because you’ll understand certain parts better.


Hopefully I haven’t discouraged you to read Jellicoe, because it is a brilliant piece of literature. One that goes beyond the Young Adult limits and more than just one genre. There’s romance, adventure, action, tragedy, mystery, and some sort of magic, though it’s never called such.


This book is definitely a new favorite and having stupidly never read any of Marchetta’s other books, I am going to ASAP. I can’t guarantee everyone will feel like I did about this book. But you should still give it a try because it’s brilliant, though you probably won’t think so until the end. Jellioce Road is heartbreaking and sad, but there’s always hope fluttering through the pages. I recommend this to anyone.


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Additional Links:

Review: The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

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The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

Hardback, First U.S. Edition

Release Date: March 3, 2009 from Bloomsbury

Pages: 308

Best Enjoyed by: Females, 10 - 14

Rating: B

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In this Cinderella-like story, Lucinda Chapdelaine, once rich and surrounded with happiness, is living with her Uncle and [evil] Aunt in a jewelry shop, now an orphan. Everything changes dramatically when the Amaranth Witch and her precious gem enter Lucinda's life. Her Aunt believes it is cursed, although Lucinda plans on keeping the gem for her Uncle to fix so they get money. But another twist leads to Lucinda alone and making a dangerous deal with the Witch. If she succeeds, she gets her house and wealth. If she doesn't, she will live her life on the streets. Along the way Lucinda will encounter a master at thieving, a handsome prince, and the terrible truth of what happened to her parents.

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While the Cinderella roots are noticeable, what I really liked about The Amaranth Enchantment was that it had its own spin on the story and added quite a few twists.

For the most part, the characters were well developed, Lucinda more so than the others. The only character I thought who was done poorly was Gregor. To me, he had no personality or appeal whatsoever. I had no idea why he did what he did. His motives were thoroughly blocked from Lucinda's perspective.

Lucinda, however, I liked. I will be honest. I couldn't stand Cinderella ― or most of the Disney princesses for that matter ― as a child. They were all so two-dimensional (I'm not talking literally here). But Lucinda wasn't. She had personality and voice and emotions. She was adventurous and daring, emanating girl power. (Which is why I think she shouldn't have ended up with Mr. No Personality.) Julie Berry's writing – another thing I really, really liked – was perfect for her.

Overall I enjoyed The Amaranth Enchantment. It had its own spin on the Cinderella tale, which was nice. Lucinda is definitely a well developed character and you'll be surprised by the various twists the story takes. Anyone who likes fairy-tale retellings should pick up this book and, while this was categorized under Young Adult, I think it will also appear to "tween" girls as well.

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Additional Links:

Blog Update: Hiatus

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I AM NONFICTION : ON HIATUS
basically until August.
I have scheduled a few posts, but I'm going to be away and won't have time to write any new posts really. Just a heads up and an explanation for the lack of posts this week and those to come.
I also won't be able to get on Twitter, Goodreads, or go through my Reader and comment on other blogs.

In My Mailbox (2)

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In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie.






Recieved:
None. :[




Bought:


  • Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd
  • The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong (already read this and all I can say is wow.
  • The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
  • Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev


Library:



  • Swoon by Nina Malin (read it, but unsure how I felt about it.)
  • Killing Britney by Sean Olin
  • Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
  • Gentleman by Michael Northrop
  • Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
  • Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
  • Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas
  • Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle (Read the John Green part only)


So what did you get in the mail this week?

Debrief : Week of July 5

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Debrief is a new blog feature I will do every Saturday to talk about all the things I did on the blog in the past week and my goals for next week.

Sunday (7/5/09) I did my first In My Mailbox post.

Monday (7/6/09) I posted my review of Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen.

Tuesday (7/7/09) Wrote reviews, but nothing posted.

Wednesday (7/8/09) I posted my Waiting on Wednesday with All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab.

Thursday (7/9/09) I posted my review of Skin Deep by E.M. Crane.

Friday (7/10/09) I posted my review of The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong.

Saturday/Today (7/11/09) I posted this and am working on a post about author websites.

My goal for next week is to try and have something other than a meme posted Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Review: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

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The Summoning (Darkest Power #1) by Kelley Armstrong
Hardback, First U.S. Edition
Release Date: July 1, 2008 from HarperTeens
Pages: 390
Best Enjoyed by: Females, Ages 14 and Up
Rating: B

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Chloe Saunders just wants to be a normal teenage girl, having friends and maybe even a boyfriend. But when you start seeing ghosts and are locked up at a home for mentally ill teenagers, things like “ordinary” and “normal” are hard to come by.

But Lyle House does seem almost normal. The patients carry out life as ordinarily as possible and Chloe tries to do the same. However, that changes when her roommate is sent to the hospital and Chloe begins to wonder if all is what it seems at the house. Determined to find out what is going on, Chloe unearths a deadly secret that may seal her—and her housemates’—fates.

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When the first sentence to a book is, “Mommy forgot to warn the new babysitter about the basement,” you know you’re in for a dark, twisted journey. I was reminded of those creepy horror movies with little girls. And The Summoning definitely has some horror aspects going on.

Chloe is a great main character. First off, she’s short and feisty, so she’s a lot like me (without the whole I-see-dead-people talent though). She also wants to be a film director, so she often explains scenes as if she was shooting them, which really adds to the scenery Kelley Armstrong “paints” with her words. Chloe is a very convincing teenager and stays true to her age, which was refreshing.

I am also 98% Team Derek (the other 2% is for Simon, who can sometimes be cute). But really, the whole cast of characters were done so well, evil or not aside. The similarities between the mental ward and high school were rather ironic, or so I thought. I also really loved Kelley Armstrong’s writing. It just seemed to echo Chloe really well and brought the story to life. She added a lot of surprising things as well, which really compelled me to keep reading.

As said before, The Summoning is a bit creepy. While there’s nothing that really got me hiding under my covers, those who are very easily scared might find this frightening, so I’m just going to caution you. A few scenes will definitely make your heart race a bit and there’s a lot of action. I should also note that if you’re looking for a fantasy where romance plays a major role, you’ll be disappointed (at least for the first book).

There were two things I disliked about The Summoning. First, the ending was too abrupt for me. It was like I was riding a train and suddenly it just stopped and I was lurched into nowhere. However, cliff hangers do build more anticipation for the next book (The Awakening, which is out now) so I can see why authors do it. The minor thing I disliked was the description in the sidejacket of the hardback edition. I thought it could have been so much better, especially since it started out with, “My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.” Very unoriginal and I think some might be turned off by it and not read such a good book.

Overall, this will appeal mostly to fans of YA fantasy, and especially those who like Holly Black, Melissa Marr, and Cassandra Clare. The Summoning is a dark, creepy book that requires the sequel, The Awakening, to be near because you won’t want to slip away from the world Armstrong has created. I definitely recommend this.

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Additional Links:

Review: Skin Deep by E.M. Crane

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Skin Deep by E.M. Crane
Hardback, First U.S. Edition
Release Date: March 11, 2008 from Delacorte Press
Pages: 288
Best Enjoyed by: Females, Ages 13 and Up
Rating: B

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Andrea Anderson is an observer amongst her chaotic high school peers. She watches, not participates, uninterested in the predictable schoolyard drama. Her house isn’t much of a comfort either, with an overbearing single mother and frozen meals as dinner, so she finds relief by walking through the woods and longing for a dog.

Her life alters when a neighbor Andrea doesn’t know goes to the hospital, leaving behind one of the few things Andrea loves, a dog. She slowly forms a bond with the dog, Zena, and her neighbor, Honora, who has cancer. Through these relationships, Andrea learns many things about life, death, love, and happiness.

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I thought this was a brilliant coming-of-age tale, with great characters and a simple plot that was delivered with as close to perfection as one can get.

Andrea was a great character, full of depth, as she struggled through her high school life. It was easy to relate to her look on life and question those around us. She changes tremendously throughout the book and I even felt a bit proud for her at the end.

There are so many different topics in this book, but one of my favorites was the different types of death and how people respond to them. E.M. Crane wrote beautifully and was able to clearly capture all her characters and bring them to life. This book was heartwarming, occasionally sad, meaningful, definitely a short but well deserved read.

I think most will enjoy Skin Deep, but I will say that if you’re looking for a romance novel, look elsewhere. Impossibly, E.M. Crane has steered away from hormonal teenagers and their first loves.

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Additional Links:

Waiting on Wednesday (4) : All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

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All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

Release on: January 12, 2010

(from Anna Jarzab’s website):

All Unquiet Things centers around the murder of teen heiress Carly Ribelli, who was found shot to death a mile from her house in a wealthy Northern California suburb. Carly’s uncle, a dissolute alcoholic, was convicted of the crime, but a year later his daughter still doesn’t believe her father is guilty. Determined to prove his innocence, Audrey Ribelli contacts Carly’s ex-boyfriend, Neily Monroe, the boy who found Carly’s body. She is convinced that he knows more than he thinks about the events that led up to Carly’s death. Despite Neily’s initial reluctance, he and Audrey begin their investigation at the posh private school they attend, identifying prime suspects from among their spoiled classmates and digging up secrets about Carly’s past to get to the truth behind her murder.
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Yay! Tenners! This is a pretty early Tenner book (and for those who don’t know, that’s a super special awesome writer whose debut novel comes out in 2010) so I’m reaaalllyyy excited. Also. The cover. It’s beautiful. And Anna’s next book is apparently called Murder Burger. Which just adds to her awesomeness. So be on the lookout for this in January!

Now I ask you: what books are you waiting for?
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Additional Links:
Read An Excerpt | Anna Jarzab’s Website & Twitter

"Waiting on Wednesday" was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Review: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

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AlongForRide_FINAL.indd Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Hardback, First U.S. Edition
Release Date: June 11, 2009 from Viking
Pages: 383
Best Enjoyed by: Females, Ages 14 and Up
Rating: B
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Auden is your typical high flier: she’s got amazing grades that have landed her in an equally amazing and prestigious college, a high maturity level, is entirely too serious, and has a too-smart-to-care attitude that has alienated her from all her high school peers. Now high school is over and the summer stretches out before her, long and carefree for most. But with a feminist-intellect of a mother who has a cluster of grad students eager to impress, Auden is soon in need of an escape in the form of a quaint beach town where her father, her stepmother Heidi, and their newborn, Thisbe, live.

But once she arrives, the summer Auden planned to use to get ahead on college reading seems to disappear. There’s her father, who is too busy writing his novel to notice his wife’s impending breakdown and to take care of his cranky baby. Then there’s the job she literally cannot say no to, with three giggly girls at Heidi’s boutique who are the exact type Auden typically avoids, and yet she finds herself befriending them nonetheless.

But it’s the sleepless nights that change her the most. Nights with Eli, a brooding loner with a tragic past. He takes her on a “quest”, as he would call it, so Auden will experience the life she denied herself and Eli will be able to move on from the past. Slowly their relationship starts to develop, while another unravels, and Auden will need to confront herself, her family, and what she truly wants.

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(I’m going to apologize ahead of time for all those who have yet to read any Sarah Dessen books, since I will be referring to quite a few in this review. Also, I have a question for those who have read Sarah’s other books: is Jason a cross over character in Along for the Ride from The Truth About Forever? I think so, but didn’t get that until the very end.)

When I heard about the book, I was both excited and wary. Excited because Sarah Dessen has written some amazing books and is a fabulous writer. But wary because Lock and Key was somewhat of a disappoint to me, and I wasn’t sure if Along for the Ride would be the same.

It’s safe to say it wasn’t though.

Sarah Dessen is a phenomenal writer and she knows what she’s doing. Her characters are all well developed and realistic, the voicing perfect. The dialogues replicated a typical teen conversation really well, varying on vocabulary from each character. The one thing I disliked was the pacing in the beginning, which seemed to jump around a lot until Auden actually got to her father’s, but then it was good for the rest of the book.

The family issues in Along for the Ride were one of the best in any of Sarah Dessen’s books so far. You have a mother who doesn’t believe people can change and is somewhat controlling Auden. She is also completely unabashed about showing her dislike for her ex-husband and his new wife and the person Auden becomes by the end of the book. Then there’s the father who is too selfish to help with the new baby and too blind to see the Auden’s observations are true about Heidi needing rest. I think family played a larger role than the romance, which was a change since normally they’re about even in other Sarah Dessen books.

I also love the world used in all Dessen novels. It’s neat to see repeating characters (though there weren’t as many as previous books)and such a realistic landscape. The setting really came alive because of the details in the writing. I can totally visualize the bike park and Laundromat/coffee shop (I thought that was genius).

As I said before, Sarah’s characters are always well developed, but to be honest, I am so-so with Eli. He is a many layered, realistic character, yes, but as for the matter of if I liked him, I’m not so sure. I definitely loved the idea of him, but he didn’t always live up to it. I thought his changes after meeting Auden would be more prominent, but it was only at the very end that you really saw it. I also wished there were more scenes with him and Auden and more dialogue with him. But it was amazing how he was able to change Auden and grow himself.

Speaking of Auden, I think it’s safe to say that she was one of my favorite Dessen leads, because it was really her smartness that was her fault, something I think many can relate to, including me. And when she finally got off of her high-horse and learned to really see people, like Heidi or the girls who worked at Heidi’s store, she was able to actually become friends with them. Auden really grew and changed throughout the novel, maturing in a different way than at the beginning of the book as she came into adulthood.

My biggest problem with Along for the Ride really didn't have much to do with the actual book, but with the plotline that is so similar to all of Sarah Dessen’s books. It’s just too predictable now: Girl has family issue; Girl meets Boy and they gradually grow closer; Girl and Boy have fight or something gets in their way; Girl fixes issues with family; Girl and Boy make up and begin dating. The end. Sure, she adds different twists every time to her characters, but the plot is a constant. The only books that really strayed away from this were Sarah’s first books and Dreamland. I understand that Sarah likes writing contemporary fiction, I really do, I just wish she could mix it up a little. Maybe write from a guy’s perspective or have a gay main character. Sarah is a fantastic writer, but I think if she would “expand her horizons” she’d be even better.

Despite the things I disliked, Along for the Ride is highly enjoyable, and more so if you don’t compare it to any other Sarah Dessen books. Sarah’s world is completely realistic and believable, as are her characters―whether I like them or not aside.

In short, returning readers will either be happy or disappointed by the familiar territory of Along for the Ride. Newer readers will love the writing and voicing, though I would suggest This Lullaby or Just Listen as your first Dessen novel, as I think those were the highlights of her career so far (but I think Along is a close third). Along for the Ride is well written with a nice blend of family and romance. An excellent summer read.

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Additional Links:

In My Mailbox (1)

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In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie.


Recieved:


The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart


treasuremap


ARC

Release date: July 28, 2009

Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it’s her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic attacks are bad, her love life is even worse, and what’s more:
Noel is writing her notes, Jackson is giving her frogs, Gideon is helping her cook, and Finn is making her brownies. Rumors are flying, and Ruby’s already-sucky reputation is heading downhill.
Not only that, she’s also: running a bake sale, learning the secrets of heavymetal therapy, encountering some seriously smelly feet, defending the rights of pygmy goats, and bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances.
In this companion novel to The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book, Ruby struggles to secure some sort of mental health, to understand what constitutes a real friendship, and to find true love—if such a thing exists.


My very first ARC! And the first book I’ve received in the mail. I was super excited.

I also got a Hush, Hush T-Shirt that I won.

Library:
  • Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
  • Skin Deep by E.M. Crane
  • Wicked Lovely by Melissa MArr
  • Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
  • The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
  • A Map of the Known World by Lise Ann Sandel
  • Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day Georgel
So what did you get in the mail this week?

Author Interview: A.S. King

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as_kingThe other day I read and reviewed an excellent, The Dust of 100 Dogs by author A.S. King. And today I bring you an interview with her on the book, her personally, and writing. Enjoy!


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Author’s Bio: A.S. King has recently returned from Ireland, where she spent a decade dividing herself between self-sufficiency, teaching adult literacy, and writing novels. Her short fiction has been published in a bunch of cool journals and has been nominated for Best New American Voices 2010.
She now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and children and is a huge fan of corn on the cob, nice weather, and fleece socks.
She is not (and has never been) a pirate. (Taken from The Dust of 100 Dogs website)
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1. In haiku form, tell us about The Dust of 100 Dogs.

It’s the kind of book
That’s really hard to explain
Some people dig that.

2. Did you listen to any particular songs while writing The Dust of 100 Dogs?
The epigraph in the book is from a Bob Marley and the Wailers song, “Crisis” which is on the album Kaya, which was in my tape deck around the time I was writing the book. “Running Away” on the same album, is also particularly fitting. (I recently wrote a short playlist for the book here: http://angelyoungreviews.blogspot.com/2009/06/interview-as-king.html)
thedustof100dogs

3. You use three different POVs for the story ― Emer’s, Fred’s, and Saffron’s. Did you choose this many before you started writing or along the way?
Pretty much everything in my work is an along-the-way thing. The more books I write, the more I realize they write me, and not the other way around. D100D was a particularly tough book, because it didn’t want to have much order to it, so it took me a while to beat it into shape.

4. What made you pick dogs as the reincarnation critters, and pirates as the previous lifestyle?
I dreamed up the idea for the book while walking my dogs. So the dogs-being-cooler-than-humans-because-they’re-natural-and-honest idea came before the book did. The pirates were a weird turn for me, because I have no particular affection for pirate stories or sailing. But I happened to be hooked on a few pirate video games at the time, and they presented the perfect transition into the next segment of the story. I knew Emer had to land on a beach in Jamaica . Why not take the more daring path to that beach? But again, I don’t plan my books—they take the course they need to take, so these weren’t really my decisions. They just happened organically.

5. Who are your favorite fictional pirates? (Captain Hook, etc.)?
I haven’t read a lot of pirate fiction. Just Treasure Island, which is a favorite of mine, in general. My favorite movie-fictional pirate is Tim Curry’s Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island. No kidding. He’s awesome.

6. If you were a dinosaur, which one would you be and why?
Pterodactyl. Because my name would start with a Pt, end in ctyl, and have eroda in the middle. Also, the whole flying thing.

7. What’s the best book you ever read?
My favorite book is Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions.
The worst? I have no idea. I think reading is a very personal thing. Without the reader, a book is only a series of thought dots with no one to connect them. How we connect those dots is a deeply individual thing. I’ve hated books that people loved and loved books that people hated. This is the beauty of art.

8. Can you tell us a secret that you haven't told before?
I emptied the ice cube tray about 25 minutes ago, and totally didn’t refill it. Busted.

9. Boxers or briefs?
Boxers under miniskirts. Briefs never.

10. Could you tell us a little (or a lot) about your journey to becoming a published author?
It was really, really, really, really long. I always wanted to write, but didn’t have the means/guts/time to do so until I moved to Ireland. I started by writing novels—which weren’t great—on a typewriter. I tried short stories, then, too, all fifteen of which sucked so badly, I swore off ever writing short fiction again. My first published pieces were in an Irish interiors magazine, thanks to a brilliant woman/editor named Muriel Bolger. (The first article was about patios.) I wrote four novels before I realized the work still wasn’t good enough. (Somewhere in there, I bought my first computer! YAY! What a difference!) I turned to poetry. (I’m a big poetry reader.) I published a few poems in some nice journals, but I knew I wasn’t a poet. So I went back to novels. Then, years later, after writing a few more novels, moving back to the US, and landing an agent for my adult fiction, I took up writing short fiction again and published about a dozen stories—a few of which got nominated for really cool things. Then, while I was totally concentrating on selling my adult fiction my agent sold The Dust of 100 Dogs.

11. Finish the thought: I like being a YA author because:
I like being an author because when I write fiction, I’m allowed to tell the truth. I like being a YA author because most readers of YA fiction get my voice and can think outside of the box, which is where I like to go.

12. And finally: What new books can we plan to see from you?
You’ll see Ignore Vera Dietz in Fall 2010 from Knopf. (14+) I just finished another YA book, too, about Lucky Linderman and his grandfather—and I really hope you see that in Fall 2011.

Thanks again for the interview!
Thanks so much for having me!
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Thank you to A.S. King and all those who sent in questions to ask her. I’ll be doing another interview soon if you wanted to ask a question to an author but didn’t get a chance this time. Also, if you haven’t read The Dust of 100 Dogs yet, what are you waiting for?! Go, go, go!

July Contests

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Well my sidebar is getting crammed with all the contests that are going on, so I decided to just post an entry each month for the contests that end in said month.


If you have a contest and would like it to be added, tell me what you’re giving away, a link to the post, and the contest’s deadline in the comment form.


Contests In July 2009:
Also, check out the Goodreads Giveaway page, which has tons of books to win.

Waiting on Wednesday (3): Double Feature - Shiver & Going Bovine

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To make up for not posting anything last week (I had a huge exam the next day and couldn't be bothered), I'm going to post TWO books today. And they are:

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Release on: August 1, 2009
(from Goodreads):

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.
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Additional Links:


Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Release on: September 22, 2009
(from Amazon):

Can Cameron find what he's looking for?


All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It's not a lot to ask. But that's before he's given some bad news: he's sick and he's going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he's willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.
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Note from Mik: I am super excited for this book. Libba Bray is my favorite author. I LOVED the Gemma Doyle Trilogy and the excerpt looks awesome. Plus all the reviews I've seen say this is amazing. So I'm really, really excited this one.

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Additional Links:


"Waiting on Wednesday" was created by Jill at
Breaking the Spine.