Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Tolstoy said that all happy families are alike, but Jack, Willa's stepdad, disagrees. He thinks all happy families come in their own shapes and varieties, the same as unhappy ones. Willa lives with her mom, stepdad, and two stepsisters. Her mom is back in school, one sister is a tennis player, the other plays lacrosse and competes in equestrian competitions, and Willa sings in the school choir. They are busy. But everything changes when they learn that her biological dad, who she hasn't seen in years, murdered his new wife and children and is on his way to her and her mother.

This book is about what happens after such a tragedy. How people react around Willa, what she does, and what she finds out. She journeys back to her childhood, and finds out so much about herself, her mother, and what family really means. This is a leap from Life As We Knew It, certainly, but it is vivid, expertly written, and emotionally intense. I read this in one sitting, wanting to know how it would resolve. You will too.

Available Sept 13

Young Adult Gets A Teaser One-Sheet!

Did you see this?

The Jason Reitman directed, Charlize Theron starring, dramedy called Young Adult has just dropped its first official one-sheet. (For more information, click here)

Here's the synopsis: Theron plays an alcoholic writer of young-adult novels who decides to return to the small town that she left behind years ago to aggressively pursue her ex-boyfriend from high school (Patrick Wilson) — only, now he is happily married and the father of a young child, which certainly complicates matters, and leads her to another high school classmate (Patton Oswalt), and no shortage of trouble.

What do you think?

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - Review

Here's Hilary's review of The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Looks so good. Think this will be my weekend read

Sixteen years old and destined to be married for the sake of the kingdom. Elisa, devout and a princess (but not the pretty one), is however, the bearer of the Godstone. Thus begins the epic journey of a young girl into womanhood and the fulfillment of her destiny. But what must she do to get there? As she gradually learns about the powers bestowed upon her by being the "chosen one," Elisa doubts she will know what to do to prove her worth. Many others have tried and failed. However, through many twists of fate and love, she discovers her power and the meaning of the Godstone. Her journey takes her into the heart of a revolution-one that she must lead to victory or to her death.

At times nail-biting and heart-wrenching, this book barrels towards an ending which presumes another beginning. I can not wait to read the second book in this new trilogy. The real journey has just begun.

Little Women as you've never seen it before!

Here's Meg Cabot's version of Little Women - hilarious!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - review

It starts with a birthday, an Ouija board, and a risky night spent in an abandoned asylum. Then Mara wakes up from a coma, her friends are dead, and she has no memory of anything that happened that night. She has flashbacks, hallucinations, nightmares and ultimately her family moves to Miami, Florida to help her move on. But she’s falling apart.

The question is: how do you move on when you see your dead best friend when you look in the mirror? Or relive parts of that night every night? What is wrong with Mara? Is she going mad? She has no explanation, no one to turn to, and disaster seems to follow her. On top of everything, her father is defending a man accused of murdering a young girl.

This is a thrilling, keep you on the edge of your seat kind of book, more horror story than anything else. It twists and it turns and although you can guess at much of it, it still takes you by surprise The heroine is troubled, yes, but feisty and capable. This is by turns edgy, scary, and curl your toes romantic. There is a secret, well many secrets. And there is Noah Shaw, a wonderful counterpoint to Mara. And oh, the ending. I can’t tell you more but you need to read this.


Best of all, she's coming to Kepler's on sunday October 9th (with the ever-wonderful Becca Fitzpatrick) so all readers in the Bay Area can come and meet her.

Legend by Marie Lu - Review

If he hadn’t tried to break into a hospital, and hadn’t shot a young soldier in the shoulder, Day would never have met June. But when the young soldier is found dead his sister, June, is determined to track down his killer. June is from an elite family, scored perfectly in her trial, and now is a star in the military academy. All evidence seems to lead to Day, a notorious criminal who failed his trial, ran away, and has disrupted the Republic whenever possible. But when the plague reaches Day’s family he risks everything to help.

Told alternately by Day and June, this new series is full of political intrigue and unnecessary cruelty, intense chases, daring escapes, and even a little romance. It seems to have everything from street fighting, mysterious illnesses, repressive government action, heartbreak, and of course – a secret. But who will believe the word of the Republic’s most notorious criminal? This is for adrenaline junkies everywhere. Loved it!

Waiting on Wednesday

Well, this is something I haven't done in a while. A long while. But I was reading through blogs and writing my spring proposals and saw much talk about Rachel Hawkins third book in the Hex Hall series. And that inspired me to write a WoW.

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme started and hosted by Breaking the Spine and lets us talk about the books we are waiting for, in fact can't wait to get our hands on. And that book, for me, is

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

because I loved Hex Hall and Demonglass and Rachel Hawkins herself

Here's the back cover copy:

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Due to be published March 13th, oh the wait will be hard.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone video trailer

Just posted my review, so you know that I LOVE this book. One of the best I've read this year. Here's the trailer. Can't wait for it to come out.