Show Me Your Teeth Blog Hop Giveaway!

BiblioJunkies are taking part in the Show Me Your Teeth Bog Hop Giveaway!  The Hop is in anticipation of the Bloodlines by Richelle Mead release. 

Bloodlines will be available August 23, 2011 and is a spin-off of the Vampire Academy series.  From Razorbill Publishing:

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

To help Richelle Mead celebrate, Me, My Shelf & I and Fictitious Delicious are hosting the Show Me Your Teeth Blog Hop.  The hop runs from August 15 thru August 23rd.  BiblioJunkies have three great books to giveaway as part of the Hop.

The first book we have up for grabs is Night World No. 1 by L.J. Smith (this is a used copy, but still in good condition).  Here's the description from SimonPulse Publishing:

Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters -- they live among us without our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World.

In Secret Vampire, Poppy thought the summer would last forever. Then she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now Poppy's only hope for survival is James, her friend and secret love. A vampire in the Night World, James can make Poppy immortal. But first they both must risk everything to go against the laws of Night World.

Fugitives from Night World, three vampire sisters leave their isolated home to live among humans in Daughters of Darkness. Their brother, Ash, is sent to bring the girls back, but he falls in love with their beautiful friend.

Two witch cousins fight over their high school crush. It's battle between black magic and white magic in Spellbinder.

The second book in our giveaway is Marked by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast:

From St. Martin's Press:

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed.  In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire--that is, if she makes it through the Change.  Not all of those who are chosen do.  It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling.  She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx.  But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers.  When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

And finally, our grand prize is Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, so that you can catch up to read Bloodlines! 

From Razorbill Publishing:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . . Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.







It is easy to enter, just comment below telling who your favorite vampire is and what book/movie/tv show the vampire is from.  You must post between 12:00 a.m. August 15th and 11:59 p.m. August 23rd.  You may receive 1 extra entry by following us on the blog.  Be sure to indicate in your comment that you signed up to follow us!  On August 24th, we will ask http://www.random.org/ to choose three random numbers for us and announce the three winners.  The first number chosen will receive Night World No. 1 by L.J. Smith.  The second number chosen will receive Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast and the third number chosen will receive Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. 

We would like to offer our thanks to Me, My Shelf & I and Fictitious Delicious for hosting this awesome Hop and allowing the BiblioJunkies the chance to have some fun with you all!  Finally, we want to say congratulations to Richelle Mead on her exciting new series.  As a lover of the Vampire Academy series, I am greatly looking forward to Bloodlines!  Now go comment! 

~Shel

Starcrossed Limericks

Josephine Angelini, the author of the fabulous debut Starcrossed is having a contest on her blog for UK residents.  You have to send her limericks that somehow tie to Starcrossed (a book about Greek mythology, demigods, etc) and you could win a copy of the UK version of Starcrossed.  Check out the contest on her blog here.  So, Nat asked her extremely creative husband (hereinafter referred to as "XO")  to come up with a Greek Mythology themed limerick.  Unfortunately, living in the greater Chicago area, we are not eligible for the contest, but these limericks must be shared.  If you enjoy them, please comment and let XO know (you know boys, they need constant praise!)  Also, if you have PG limericks you would like to share regarding your favorite books, please post them in the comments - this could be really fun!

Without further ado...

The party was just getting started
by Odysseus so big and brave hearted
twas Circe who came
said his libations were lame
and as a swine dear Odysseus departed

Pan played his lute oh so fine
Better for sleep than Cyclopean Wine
but a tune that he play
to keep the giants at bay
Failed but just the one time

Was Heracules night at the fights
such a show of good handsome might
The Minataur came in
with a cloth and a grin
and with a left hook ole Herc said goodnight

~Shel

What We Keep Is Not Always What Will Stay by Amanda Cockrell

"Accept that the universe is an apparently random dance...

You'll love some of it and hate some of it." p. 225

This book piqued my interested when I stumbled upon a brief review in BookPage.  The title's a mouth full, isn't it?  Regardless, this story of a 15 year-old high school freshman girl who learns that her parents are divorcing and who confides all her thoughts to a statue is quite the sweet tale.

Angie is not your typical high school student.  In fact, she’s one of the more confident teenage girls I’ve read. Her steady world is rocked when her mother decides out of the blue to divorce her very cool step dad.  She doesn’t accept this easily and believes it’s just another phase her mom is going through.  So Angie confides to St. Felix, a statue she found accidentally in the basement of her church.  He's the ultimate listener (what statue isn't?) and she has revealed many of her personal secrets to him over the last few years.

One day, she discovers a homeless guy in the basement instead of the statue.  After a dubious start, she becomes convinced that he’s St. Felix and continues to confide in him.  Felix comes off as a soulful hippie who has obviously been through a lot in life (Vietnam War vet) and provides Angie with much-need perspectives about her parents’ relationship.  Their interactions are very entertaining and he becomes an unusual mentor and protector.

As if she doesn’t have enough going on, at the beginning of the school year she befriends Jesse, a 19 year old who has returned home from Afghanistan to finish out his senior year. Jesse is an amputee who also experiences bouts of post-traumatic stress syndrome.  The kids at school either look at him with awe or think he’s a freak.  Angie and her best friend, the delightful and self-assured Lily, “adopt” Jesse. 

Angie and Jesse eventually start secretly dating knowing that her family would disapprove of the age difference and the possibility that he may have some demons to fight. He comes to rely on her as his calming center and she genuinely feels that just the simple act of caring for him can help him heal.  As she gets to know him she also sees how fragile he is.  Her naivety initially leads her to think that she can help fix him.  But after a very tense and ugly encounter where lines are crossed, Angie reluctantly realizes that she’s ill-equipped to handle Jesse's distress.  

Angie’s struggles with the relationships around her are at times lighthearted and there were even moments that were laugh-out-loud funny for me.  She’s already a smart girl to begin with but her growing maturity is endearing.  She does quip at one point, “It is entirely possible that I am not at the center of the universe.”  She questions the ramifications of war and the effects on the people who go and fight in the name of God.  But don’t worry - the book doesn’t become a platform for pro or anti-war dialog even though she has those conversations with her family and Jesse. 

Then there are also those serious moments when she acknowledges that there is no quick fix to people’s troubles especially when you can’t begin to comprehend the circumstances.   “You have to let people be who they are, even when they’re damaged,” says Lily’s psychologist mother. 

What We Keep is a smartly written book.  Cockrell’s humor diffuses some of the more confusing moments.  She also does an amazing job of including Angie’s Hispanic and Jewish heritages to show how Angie draws her strengths from them.  And because of the supportive and inviting family that she has created for Angie, it’s easy to believe how she can so easily come to have compassion towards Felix and Jesse. 

I can see myself reading this book again at some point and I've already blabbed about it to anyone who'll listen.  So get a delicious beverage, find a quiet corner for yourself, get cozy and enjoy.

- Bel 

Vote Jace in the YA Crush Tourney!

Another lovely drawing by the talented Chelsea-bee.  Check out her work on deviantART here.

Ms. Cassandra Clare has seriously upped the ante in the YA Crush Tourney.  Read about what she is giving her fans if Jace wins – Cassandra Clare’s Blog.


Did you read it?

Ok, good.

Did you notice what she slid in there? 

If Jace wins by more than a thousand votes, she will post one of Magnus&Alec's romantic scenes from CoLS!

The one thing the Bibliojunkies love as much as Jace is Magnus and Alec! 

If you want to read this as much as we do vote for Jace here!

~Nat

YA Sisterhood Crush Tourney!

Drawing by the extremely talented Chelsea-bee.  Check out her work on deviantART here.

The Bibliojunkies love Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments Series.  In fact, Bel loves him so much that I think she is still recovering from the Manor Scene posted by Cassandra Clare yesterday, which you can find here.  We may not see her for the rest of the week!

Jace is a beautiful, cocky, snarky Shadowhunter.  He's strong, dedicated to his cause and he makes us swoon.  As if that were not reason enough to vote for Jace, Cassie Clare has offered up book extras, swag & a very generous donation to Reading is Fundamental!  Read all about it on Cassie's blog here.

Vote here:  YA Crush Tourney

~Shel

Alex Van Helsing: Voice of the Undead by Jason Henderson

This second installment of the Alex Van Helsing series does not disappoint.  For the Alex history lesson and review of the first book, Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising, see Bel’s fantastic review here!  This time, our hero finds himself the target of the Icemaker’s vampire coven.  On his way back to Glenarvon Academy from training exercises with the Polidorium, Alex is attacked by Elle, one of the vampires he bested in Vampire Rising.  Alex escapes, but unfortunately the attack has unforeseen consequences and Glenarvon is nearly destroyed, forcing the students of the all boys school to move into Minhi’s school, LaLaurie, an all girls academy. 

The Polidorium discovers that Icemaker has brought in “The Voice” a vampire henchman to achieve his evil goals.  While the Polidorium scrambles to find out Icemaker’s end-game, Alex and his friends are face attacks from Elle and the Voice.  Of course, the usual shenanigans ensue, culminating in the showdown during a formal event. 

There were lots of twists and surprises in Voice of the Undead.  I will not get spoilery on you, but Alex gets a new love interest with a few of her own secrets, we get to learn more about Alex’s family and Alex’s roommate Sid gets to share more of his vampire knowledge.  One of my favorite lines shows that someone was well taught: “It occurred to him at that moment that the men wear black and white because they are essentially intended to be invisible next to the women in the gowns.” p. 137.

My love of the Alex Van Helsing books is pretty well documented and that love continues.  This book is fast-paced and fun. I enjoy the way the author illustrates Alex’s thought process when facing stressful situations. I also enjoy that while Alex is extraordinary in many ways, we also see how in many ways, Alex is a typical 14 year old.  It was reminiscent of reading The Hardy Boys, except with vampires and cooler gadgets!  All in all, I say 4.5 stars and I cannot wait for Alex No. 3!  I also cannot wait until my 4 year old nephew is old enough to read Alex.  Please tell me it is coming soon!

~Shel

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

*****

Synopsis taken from Gayle Forman’s website:

It’s been three years since the devastating accident…three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend.  When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night.  AS they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future – and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Wow. 

That was all I could say when I finished this sequel to If I Stay.  This book was just as emotionally charged as the first and completely leaves you breathless.

Just as in If I Stay, Gayle Forman brilliantly jumps between the present and the past to tell us how Adam and Mia have come to where they are now.  I can’t imagine anyone not loving Adam by the end of If I Stay.  Actually you like him so much that you are wondering when you start reading Where She Went, why the HECK did Mia leave him and why haven’t they spoken in three years? 

Through this story we learn how the tragedy in Mia’s story and then her abandonment has affected them both differently.  Some people grieve and move on any way they can and others get so stuck in their grief that they might explode any minute.  After 24 hours together, we learn who has learned to accept the events of the past and who still needs a holding hand to guide them to closure.

Although If I Stay really could have been a stand alone novel, this ended up being a beautiful ending to Adam and Mia’s story. 

Like most book lovers, I have read more books than I can count.  But even having read so many there are very few that I will read more than once.  There are even fewer that I will read more than twice.   If I Stay and Where She Went have made there way to the latter category.  These two books were so wonderful that I will be buying a second copy of each in the form of e-book so that I can always have them with me.  And my hard copies have already been added to a pile of books that I recommend to most friends. 

Nat