Event Recap: #YAintheSun!

I know I say it often, but I'm really lucky to live in the city I do. There's such an amazing YA book culture here, between readers and appreciators and authors themselves, and the amount of outreach they all do is just amazing.

And it all came together at YA in the Sun!

Just a few of the authors who showed up!**

 20 (TWENTY!!) authors came out to the Encinitas Library to hang out, answer some questions, sign, and just enjoy each other's company. It was a pretty casual event, which was something I absolutely loved - it was so easy to approach the authors! Everyone was milling about the room, and all authors had on a plastic lei so you could spot them. The organizers (who happen to be some of my favourite people!) had a brilliant plan too: they handed out a sheet of paper that had a picture of a book by each author, and room for them to sign it. Anyone could go up, ask an author to sign and chat, and by the end of the day you'd have this awesome souvenir!

Obviously, I kinda failed at getting signatures, but I was having too much fun chatting with everyone! It's always wonderful to see Sarah Maas again, and every time I meet and see Marie Lu (this makes four!) I realize how much I just want to have her style and pretty much be her. She's so freakin' cute! I will still fangirl shamelessly over Kirsten Hubbard, and have to resist super hard asking Jessica Brody, Gretchen McNeil, and Leigh Bardugo what the hell they do to their hair to make it so luxurious. I'm convinced I want to hang out with Kiersten White pretty much all day every day, and I'm not convinced Josie Angelini isn't a model.

A sampling of the room! I can spot 10 authors - can you?**

They had three signing sessions spaced about a half hour apart, where six or so authors would be at tables and answer a few fan questions first, then anyone who had books could wait in line and get things signed and gather some swag. Also spaced throughout the day were some truly epic giveaways; all the authors donated books or various swag, and there were some grouped together or individual books given away. They also had a candy bar and a pet rock making station (I forgot mine at the event! So sad to leave Spikey Joe there :() and a design-your-own-bookmark area, as well as a hilarious photobooth with tons of dress up items.

The giveaway table! These were all the prizes handed out throughout the day.**

I have to say, this was one of my favourite book events I've ever been to - everyone was just so approachable and nice. Plus, despite a lot of rain the previous days, it was actually sunny! The Encinitas Library is my favourite library in the world - it sits atop a hill less than half a mile from the ocean and has a huge patio and view of the Pacific - and it was amazing to be there with all these other people who share my love for YA books.

Always love seeing them!**
Stephanie Diaz, myself, and Amy Tintera (REBOOT, coming from HarperTeen in May '13!)

And ok, I may have loved it too because I won a giveaway! I was NOT expecting to - there were so many people in attendance and only a few prize packs, plus I'm friends with a lot of the organizers and authors so I was like no, I can't do that...

But then they called my number, and I saw the pack, and...yeah. A tiny scream may have happened.

Why yes, that is an ARC of Let the Sky Fall! You can bet your buttons I hugged that thing to me tight the second it came out of the bag! (And I actually read it the moment I could - and trust me guys, it's PHENOMENAL.) Also in the pack:

I so don't do famous by Barrie Summy

I so don't do makeup by Barrie Summy

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

In the Path of Falling Objects by Andrew Smith

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

My new friend Karaline also won a huge pack (with an ARC of Unremembered by Jessica Brody! Jealous!!), and my friend Natasha scored a Mila 2.0 ARC! I'm in the process of bribing her to let me borrow. I also had the pleasure of seeing my friend Mat Raney, whom I first met at ALA this past June - his indie MG came out last month (Jim Morgan and the King of Thieves), and he was wonderful and gave me the last copy he'd brought with him! I've wanted to read this for awhile (check out the awesome review it got on YA Reads!), so I'm beyond excited.

Yay! Thanks so much Mat! So good to see you again, hopefully again soon :)

But even if there weren't awesome giveaways, seriously, this was a fantastic event. It was the perfect structure to the afternoon, and the feeling of being in a room with so many people who love what you love is just...indescribable. The organizers were brilliant and incredible and I sincerely hope it can be an annual event because you can bet your booty I will be there as often as it happens!

A HUGE HUGE thank you to the organizers: Lisa Cannon, Debra Driza, Kirsten Hubbard, Nikki Katz, Shannon Messenger, Andrea Ortega, Cindy Pon (and good heavens I hope I didn't miss anyone!)

The glorious, wonderful damage.

**Event photos taken by Bryson Allen, posted to the official YA in the Sun Facebook page and used here with permission. Thank you Cindy, Kirsten and Bryson!

Review: Meant To Be by Lauren E. Morrill

Meant To Be by Lauren E. Morrill
Delacorte BYR, 304 Pages
US Release Date: November 13, 2012 (Go buy!)
Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher, via NetGalley - thank you!

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.
---------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

Point is, maybe some people wouldn't want to be around me all day, but there are people out there who would. And they're smart and funny. And they like some things I like and hate some of the things I hate, but they also introduce me to all kinds of new things. That's as close to 'meant to be' as I can imagine.

I feel like someone sat down with the author and was like: Hey Lauren. There's this girl in California named Ashley, who dreams of travel and a wacky amazing adventure in London with a few of her classmates and a frustrating but ultimately adorable and sweet boy. She's looking for love in a quiet and sometimes shy way, but still knows what she likes and lives by her own set of rules. She's a bookish nerd, likes The Beatles, and Shakespeare, and has a tendency to talk in acronyms with her friends. Have at it.

And BOOM: Meant To Be was born.

I actually think this may be the perfect book. It's funny and sweet and adventurous and filled with fantastic little wisdom to boot. I saw someone on Twitter call it a Romantic Comedy, and it really is the definition of it. Everything we love about classic Rom-Coms - You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, Love Actually, Two Weeks Notice, Serendipity, etc - can be found in this book.

One of the things I liked best (and trust me, it was hard to choose!) was how surprising the story was! When you read the summary, you pretty much have an idea what's going on. A mystery text, and suddenly help from the cute boy? I mean, c'mon, we can all put that together, right? Wrong. I love love love how the story turns out, how everything progresses and what it all becomes in the end. Even though some parts are minorly predictable, it's not exactly what you think, but still just as plausible and even better than I imagined.

Something I thoroughly enjoyed was the writing. Meant To Be has a fantastic tone, and it flows and moves so well. There's just the right amount of joking and hilariousness and the sarcasm came across perfectly. A reader can immediately form a picture of the setting and scene, and I swear it felt like I was watching the story happen in my head at the same time as reading. If I were to choose an author to write my life, I'd choose Lauren Morrill; I think she'd capture the wryness I approach everything with and mix it perfectly with a seriousness -- and then make me really interesting, too!

The characters were also brilliant in their own ways. Julia is such a great main character, who's still a little lost but also a lot sure of who she is and who she think she is and should be. I know a ton of people like her, and I know I found a lot of myself in her, too. Jason was hilarious and playful, and I'm not even joking when I tell you one of my notes is "Oh crap. I'm in love with a ginger." Because yeah, he's obnoxious and rude and so cocky that you can't help but roll your eyes; but as the pages continue, you slowly get to see who he really is and just how sweet and adorable he can be. And suddenly, I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him yes, that should be our song and please just kiss me already.

I really can't sing enough praises for this book. It's just so much fun, and I want to live it. I loved all the places Julia and Jason go around London and find, the music is fantastic, I love the incorporation of The Beatles (though seriously, Julia, don't ever trust a boy who doesn't know the difference between The Beatles and John Lennon! No!), I loved the entire search for her Meant To Be. The entire concept of Julia's Meant To Be was also perfect, it was something my high school self totally did and believes in. The deeper stories to both Julia and Jason were also compelling, and it really brought a fantastic realness to them.

Usually I try to round out a review with at least one negative, but I just can't think of anything! It's perfect. It is everything I want to read, everything I want to live, everything I want to be. Read it. I promise it'll be your MTB, too.

5 Stars

and millions more for being my MTB

The Weekly Wrap-Up (16)

The birthday extravaganzas are almost over! I love my friends, I really do - but 9 birthdays in just over five weeks? I know it doesn't sound like a real problem (and it's not, per se...), but it's just time consuming. My NaNoWriMo novel is struggling like crazy, and work has been a bit more stressful than usual...but hey, I had a great week in books, so things are looking up!

In case you missed it...

Monthly Reads: November

Kinda ambitious for how crazy this month will be, but that's ok!

Waiting on Wednesday: The HarperTeen Sequel Edition

Who do I have to bribe for an ARC of Through the Ever Night? Because I will.

Review: Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

Despite some issues with the writing, it's a fascinating look at the Amish life.

And my Holiday Book Giveaway finally went live!

TWO winners, a choice between 4 YA holiday novels!

And if TBD ships to you, you can enter!

ends 11/28

Coming up...

A review of Meant To Be by Lauren E. Morrill, and spoiler: this is one of my favourites of the year!

Two event recaps: Elizabeth Norris & Dan Krokos Signing, and the #YAintheSun event!

And I think I may just throw in a Top Ten Tuesday...

Onto the book haul!

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Small week, but one of the books is on of my most anticipated from 2013.

ARCycling

(haven't heard of ARCycling? It is seriously the best thing ever. Go now. You're welcome)

Freakling by Lana Krumweide

via Montana at The Book Belles - thank you so much!

The Innocents by Lili Pelloquin
This is the one Breathless Reads I wanted most and the only I didn't have - so excited!
via Jennifer from Novel Thoughts and ARCycling - thank you so much!

Borrow

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger (!!!!!!)

from Ava, who needs to hurry the eff up on her book blog! You are fantastic, girl, so happy to see you twice this past week!

Purchase

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

This was my favourite John Green until TFiOS came around, but I love it so much. Happy to finally own!

What books came into your possession this week?

Leave your link and I'll hop by!

Review: Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

Temptation (Temptation #1) by Karen Ann Hopkins
Harlequin Teen, 380 Pages
US Release Date: June 26, 2012
Source: Gifted from author - thank you Karen!!

Your heart misleads you.
That's what my friends and family say.

But I love Noah.
And he loves me.

We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms.

It should be
ROSE & NOAH
forever, easy.

But it won't be.

Because he's Amish.
And I'm not.
--------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

The thought of leaving my family, friends and community was not something that I wanted to do. But the difference between leaving all of them was that I would survive it. I couldn't live without Rose in my life.

Did you read my interview with the author? It's fascinating!

What I learned from reading Temptation:
The Amish would hate me.

Holy cow, you guys. I thought I knew about the Amish culture - and perhaps more than the average. Because I've watched documentaries, I've read a bit, I saw that Bones episode about the musical prodigy who was Amish. I love cultures that are vastly different from mine despite the nearness in environment - which the Amish definitely fall under. But after reading Temptation? Man. I knew nothing.

In terms of the story, it's fairly simple: they can't be together, but they try with everything they can. I will say that if you can't stand insta-love, this may not be the best novel for you. Any way you slice it, the first 10 pages, Rose isn't in love; and on page 11, she is. Now, I'm not a fan of insta-love, but I'll hack it when I have to - and this one is manageable.

Reading Temptation is fascinating since I felt like an entire new world was opening up to me. I had no idea the variations between Amish communities and how different locations will have different rules. And I really enjoyed reading about their daily life; most documentaries or things I've seen/read focus on what they can't do, on how they're different from American society, on Rumspringa and breaking rules. Temptation opened up their entire routine and daily life, allowing readers to see that hey - they're actually not too different. They're strict, sure, but they do things for fun, have chores, care about the family and community.

However, I did have a slight issue with this story. It doesn't happen often, but I had a hard time with the actual writing. Like most readers and bloggers I know, I'm a writer and an editor (I am a journalist, after all), and sometimes, it's hard to put that aside as you read. It's gotten better the more often I read, but the want is still there. And Temptation definitely tested me. Almost every other line tripped me up and made me want to rewrite it, and that was tough to get through. Reading something and thinking how you would have written it is highly distracting, and I have to admit that it put me off sometimes. I don't mean to say the author is a bad writer (god I hope that's not how this sounds!), but sometimes, there were sections that I felt I would have written differently. Would my version be better? Probably not. But that's how it was for me.

Overlooking that hiccup though, I'm taken by the story of Noah and Rose. I cheered them on, I wanted them to get together, and I held my breath every time they snuck off to meet with each other. They were sweet, and even though sometimes I wanted to punch both of them for being so stubborn and unbending in their beliefs and upbringing, they're both very likable characters. I also liked that both of them were getting flack about being together - it would have felt very typical and stereotyped if it was just Noah and the Amish culture banning it. Rose's father not approving, and her brother being completely against it? That was a great additional element to the story.

I'm quite curious to see what will happen in Belonging, the second book. DON'T read the summary if you don't want to be spoiled about what happens in book one, but how Temptation ended...definitely looking forward to more of Noah and Rose's story.

3 Stars / 5

Waiting on Wednesday: The Harper Teen Sequel Edition

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine
meant to highlight an upcoming release we're excited for!

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2) by Veronica Rossi
Harper Teen, 400 Pages
Expected US Release Date: January 8, 2013

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.
------------Goodreads summary

Seriously, who can I bribe out there for an ARC of this? Because I don't think I can wait any longer! I adored Under the Never Sky so much (read my review here!), it is easily one of my favourites and a go-to recommendation. I have to know how Aria and Peregrine are faring, and truthfully? Roar. I love him. (Also, I gushed about the cover here.)

The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass

Harper Teen, 336 Pages

Expected US Release Date: April 23, 2013

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

-------------------Goodreads summary

I know The Selection got some mixed reviews anyway, and even in my own (read it here!) I was a bit torn since I can't stand America and Aspen, but adore Maxon so much. But that doesn't mean I'm not dying to know about The Elite! What is happening with the rebels? Who is Maxon going to pick? Will America ever stop being a flaky bitch and commit to someone? Must know!

What book are you eagerly awaiting?

Leave your link in the comments!

PS. Have you entered my Holiday Book Giveaway yet? It's international! Ends 11/28

Monthly Reads: November 2012

Monthly Reads highlights the books I've got in my TBR for that month. It's a way of sharing the ones I'm excited for and trying to relieve the pressure of "having" to read an ARC or new release.

October was a bit of a bust for me - it was a lot busier than anticipated, and I deviated really far from the pile featured here. But that's ok, I still read as much as I could! November will definitely not have enough time for all this between Holiday prep, a lot of great book events, some crazy work (since my company is in retail, this Season will crush us...) and NaNoWriMo...but hey, lofty goals!

Already Read:

   Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

   You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith

In Progress:

   Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

   Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell*

To Read:

   Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini

   Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

   What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

   Send Me A Sign by Tiffany Schmidt

   52 Reasons To Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

   Ex-Mas by Kate Brian

   The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab

   Tempestuous by Kim Askew and Amy  Helmes

   The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

   Decked With Holly by Marni Bates**

   Rockoholic by CJ Skuse*

*via NetGalley

**Ok, so I don't have Decked With Holly yet, and so far it's not in my library...but I'm determined to get it somehow this month!

Ambitious again, I know. Which should be my next read?

What are you reading this month?