Jump Into Books

This Song Will Save Your Life Leila Sales 10th October 2013 Macmillan Children's Books Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing. Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together. It was probably kind of inevitable that I was going to love This Song Will Save Your Life. I love contemporary books, and I love them even more when they're about music and I love them even even more when they're about the kind of music that I like, and when that m...

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga at  Tynga's Reviews ! It's a way to highlight the books that everyone got throughout the week. Purchased  Marie Antoinette Serial Killer by Katie Alender Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She’ll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family’s French roots. But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everyone on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette. Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won’t believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is suddenly in danger . . . Acclaimed author Katie Alender brings heart...

On a night after the apparent suicide of high school student Elias Malmgren, a blood-red moon fills the night sky. Minoo wakes up outside her house, still in her pajamas, and is drawn by an invisible force to an abandoned theme park on the outskirts of town. Soon five of her classmates—Vanessa, Linnéa, Anna-Karin, Rebecka, and Ida—arrive, compelled by the same force. A mystical being takes over Ida’s body and tells them they are fated to fight an ancient evil that is hunting them. As the weeks pass, each girl discovers she has a unique magical ability. They begin exploring their powers. The six are wildly different and definitely not friends . . . but they are the Chosen Ones. In this gripping first installment of The Engelsfors Trilogy, a parallel world emerges in which teenage dreams, insanely annoying parents, bullying, revenge, and love collide with dangerous forces and ancient magic. An international sensation with rights sold in 26 countries, The Circle is razor-...

The Dream Thieves Maggie Stiefvater 18th September 2013 Scholastic UK The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater! Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after… I don't want to speak too soon, but I think I may have a new favourite Maggie Stiefvater book. The Dream Thieves was just brilliant. Usually I find that second books are not always as good as the first, but The Dream Thieves was, in my opinion, better than The Raven Boys. And I think that the next two books (I think it's a quartet?) will just keep on getting better. I really love these books, and I really love Maggie Stiefvater. ...

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at  Breaking the Spine . This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.  Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick (a pseudonym of Jackson Pearce, and I always want to read more by her, woop!) Scared for her safety in a city spilling over in chaos, Natalya has a dangerous secret-she laid eyes on the hidden Consetllation Egg. This shimmering Fabergé egg holds a power so great it protects the tsar and the one he loves. When the Constellation Egg disappears, Natalya sets out to find the egg and save her beloved Alexei, the Tsa-to-be. But she is thwarted by a handsome, dark-haired Red named Leo who has plans of his own for the egg, and for Natalya. Swirling with mysticism, Natalya's heart-stopping journey is perfect for fans of Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty . Published by Razorbill Release Date: February 2014

Letterbox Love is the UK's version of IMM, hosted by the lovely Lynsey at  Narratively Speaking  :) For review: World After by Susan Ee (I wasn't hugely in love with Angelfall, but I'm still looking forward to reading this and finding out what happens next. Thank you Hodder!) This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales (I am really excited about this! I'm hoping it'll help to pass the time until I can get my grubby little hands on a copy of Fangirl. Thank you Macmillan!) That's all for me this week! What did you get? 

Thanks to everyone who helped out with Fall Festival! Since today is the final day, I'm wrapping up with the largest contest! Check out Giveaway #1 and my favorite Halloween Movies here ! Check out Giveaway #2 and an author interview with Kim Askew & Amy Helmes Here ! Check out Giveaway #3 and Small-town Fall Activities here ! Check out Giveaway #4 and my anticipated fall releases here ! Check out Giveaway #5 and a guest post by L.T. Getty here ! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Briar Rose Jana Oliver 12th September 2013 Macmillan Children's Books A dark and sexy reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale from the author of THE DEMON TRAPPERS. For Briar Rose, life is anything but a fairy tale. She's stuck in a small town in deepest Georgia with parents who won't let her out of their sight, a bunch of small-minded, gossiping neighbours and an evil ex who's spreading nasty rumours about what she may or may not have done in the back of his car. She's tired of it all, so when, on her sixteenth birthday, her parents tell her that she is cursed and will go to sleep for a hundred years when the clock strikes midnight, she's actually kind of glad to leave it all behind. She says her goodbyes, lies down, and closes her eyes . . . And then she wakes up. Cold, alone and in the middle of the darkest, most twisted fairy tale she could ever have dreamed of. Now Briar must fight her way out of the story that has been created for her, but she can...

L.T. Getty obtained her degree in English from the University of  Winnipeg, and has studied creative writing both there and at the Canadian Mennonite University. She is an open-water scuba diver, has studied kendo, and currently works as a paramedic. You can check out her website (and Fall Festival post) here !  Autumn in Myth: The Life and Death Cycles I’m a linear thinker – I like going from cause to effect in a straight-forward, logical sense. I don’t normally think of the various life cycles that we see all around us in nature – the way water flows, for instance, and the flow of the seasons from one to the next. However, when I study mythology, cycles stand out. For me, these cycles have a much more in-the-hands-of-fate feeling – which is perhaps a blow to my own personal views on fate and freewill.   Regardless, this appeals to me when I’m doing research for my stories. Because my novel dealt with a combination of Norse and Celtic Mythology, I’ll ...

One of the great things about fall is the huge number of amazing releases! I feel like every February/March I end up adding a ton of books to my Goodreads that are due out September-November...and I'm a super impatient person. Here are my most anticipated books of the fall (please note that the setup, for the sake of timeliness is inspired by Kristi at The Story Siren and her fabulous Books to Pine for posts):  Relativity by Cristin Bishara - Published by Walker/Release Date: September 10 (Out Now!)  Twinmaker by Sean Williams - Published by Balzer + Bray/Release Date: November 5 The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Published by Disney-Hyperion/Release Date: November 5 Not A Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis - Published by Katherin Tegen Books/Release Date: September 24 These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner - Published by Disney-Hyperion/Release Date: December 10, 2013 The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White - Published by HarperTeen/Release Date: September...

I grew up in a very small town. Sadly, we don't do anything as cool as Stars Hollow, but locally there are a ton of fun activities. Being from Vermont the summer is full of farmer's markets and popup food trucks. Autumn brings out a whole new side to Vermont. The Haunted Forest Each year my family and I (yes, I totally would only do this with my family) visit The Haunted forest. During the weekend leading up to Halloween we head out to a local forest with trails, and watch as locals act out plays, jump out of the trees at you, and guide you through the woods. It's amazing. Sure, the acting isn't Hollywood quality, and I've never actually jumped in fright, but it's charming. Plus, I love the hundreds of jack-o-lanterns lining the path. Applefest & Cinder Donuts Photo courtesy of Ann Gordon Sadly, the original Applefest that I went to every year is no longer being held. The owners of the Orchard that hosted were getting too old to continue to do it (plus it wa...

--> Thanks to Kim and Amy for taking the time to answer some questions! You can check out the website for their Twisted Lit series, or it's Facebook page .   1. Okay, let's start with a this-or-that question. Halloween or Thanksgiving? Kim: No contest: Halloween. I’d prefer the opportunity to dress up like a Victorian vampire over eating turkey any day of the year. Amy: Thanksgiving. I love that there’s very little build-up, a lot of sitting around involved, and I believe mashed potatoes trump most Halloween candy. 2. I absolutely love reading mysteries in the fall, and I read Pride & Prejudice every Christmas. Do you have any fall favorites or rituals? Kim: I like reading Gothic novels, like The Monk and The Castle of Otranto, in front of my fireplace. Every year at Christmas, my family and I have a tradition of watching Mikhail Baryshnikov in The Nutcracker ballet. Amy: I don’t have any rituals, per se, but I have come to embrace football season because it ...

I wanted to start off fall the right way, by talking about Halloween. I absolutely love it, and it's one of my favorite holidays. The costumes, candy, and decorations are always fun. The movies, however, take the cake. Here are my top five: 5. Arnold's Halloween Alright, I'm starting off this list by cheating. This is, in fact, not a movie. It is, however, from my favorite childhood show. It's probably one of the reasons why I became so interested in mental health...so thanks Nickelodeon! This episode is a recreation of the War of the Worlds radio broadcast that caused panic in 1938 that cause panic. Something similar happens here, but should you want to seek it out on Youtube (or DVD), I won't spoil it. 4. Casper I first saw this movie as a pre-teen, and after it totally had a crush on Devon Sawa. Those were the days. Now when I watch it I think about how selfless Casper is, and how it shows the meaning of family. Despite the outdated CGI, it's still a fun fa...

Letterbox Love is the UK's version of IMM, hosted by the lovely Lynsey at  Narratively Speaking  :) For review: Shine by Candy Courlay (I haven't heard much about this book, but it looks really sweet and I like the cover a lot. Thanks Random House!) The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (AHHHH. I loved the Raven Boys a lot so I am really excited about reading The Dream Thieves. Thank you so much Scholastic!) Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma (Also really looking forward to this. Tabitha Suzuma is amazing and I'm sure this book will break my little heart. Thanks again, Random House!) Also, winner! The winner of the United We Spy giveaway is: *drumroll* Zaynab! Congrats!  Awesome. So what did you get in your letterbox this week? :)

Welcome everyone to Fall Festival! Each day my co-host Sara at The Hiding Spot and I will be posting interviews, guest posts, and fall spotlights! I'll be hosting a contest each day, and I know that Sara will be hosting some great giveaways, too. Don't forget to check out the posts by our other participants, as following them in some way can give you bonus entries into my contests! Here are the other blogs to check out: Kristen at The Book Monsters Debz at Debzbookshelf Bemused Bookworm Check back tomorrow for my first post/contest! Don't forget to check in all week long to see new contests, author content, and more Day One: Favorite Halloween Movies & Two Paranormal Books of Choice