In My Mailbox (12)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where we share any new books or goodies we bought, received, borrowed, etc. during the week.

Yay! I finally got to buy some new books this week!

Bought:

• Bright Young Things (Bright Young Things #1) by Anna Godbersen
• Crescendo (Hush, Hush #2) by Becca Fitzpatrick
• Elixir (Elixir #1) by Hilary Duff with Elise Allen
• The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2) by James Dashner 

Well, this is what I got this week! I've already read Bright Young Things and Crescendo, and should have reviews up for them sometime by the end of this year at the rate I'm reviewing novels, lol. 

How about YOU guys? Any new reads/finds this week?

Happy Reading! 

Happy Halloween!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to wish you all a safe and happy Halloween today!

I've already eaten too much candy and chocolate (especially anything with caramel... and I'm just waiting for the Smarties to be brought out...), but I have no plans in stopping! I don't have too much planned for tonight... maybe catching up in the last few Vampire Diaries episodes or reading- I'm not quite sure yet. I'll be helping to give out candy and chocolate tonight, so that should keep me busy (that is, if kids come around!). 

I'm already wearing my costume too! I'll give you a hint... it's related to the pic! I'm going as a Gryffindor student! I've already got the Hogwarts robe and I'll be adding the scarf later. Plus, what kind of witch would I be without my wand? I got the robe, scarf and wand while I was at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in August, and I've been looking for an excuse to wear it since then, lol!

How are you guys celebrating? Chilling out and watching a horror movie? Giving out candy like me?

2011 OLA Forest of Reading Nominees Announced!

The Ontario Library Association's 2011 Forest of Reading nominees were announced earlier in the week and it's exciting to see who the nominees are this time around!

What's special about the Forest of Reading program is that not only are the awards geared especially to Ontario students, but all of the nominees are by CANADIAN authors! Those who participate through their schools or libraries simply have to read 5 of the 10 nominated novels in a program  by the end of April 2011, and in May, an awards event takes place over two days in Toronto where the winners are announced and readers can even meet the authors!

The two programs I pay extra attention to though are the Red Maple and White Pine categories, seeing as these novels are YA. So, without further ado, here are the nominees (all links lead to Goodreads!):

In the Red Maple Award fiction category (there's also non-fiction category too), aimed towards grades 7-8, the nominees are: 

• The Agency: A Spy in the House - Y. S. Lee (Random House) 
• Ghost Ride - Marina Cohen (Dundurn) 
• Haunted - Barbara Haworth-Attard (HarperCollinsCanada) 
• My Name Is Henry Bibb - Afua Cooper (Kids Can Press) 
• Nieve - Terry Griggs (Biblioasis) 
• Not Suitable for Family Viewing - Vicki Grant (HarperCollinsCanada)  
• Only in the Movies - William Bell (Random House) 
• POP - Gordon Korman (Scholastic Canada, Ltd.) 
• The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong (Random House) 
• Wounded - Eric Walters (Penguin Group Canada)

In the White Pine Award category, aimed towards grades 9-12, the nominees are:

• Borderline - Allan Stratton (HarperCollinsCanada) 
• Fear the Worst - Linwood Barclay (Random House) 
• Fishtailing - Wendy Phillips (Coteau Books) 
• Gravity Brings Me Down - Natale Ghent (Random House) 
• Hearts at Stake - Alyxandra Harvey (Penguin Group Canada) 
• The Monkeyface Chronicles - Richard Scarsbrook (Thistledown Press) 
• The Second Trial - Rosemarie Boll (Second Story Press) 
• Some Girls Are - Courtney Summers (HB Fenn) 
• Swim the Fly - Don Calame (Random House) 
• The Worst Thing She Ever Did - Alice Kuipers (HarperCollinsCanada)

There are some great books announced and I've already read a few so that will give me a bit of a head start! I'm going to be trying to read as many as the White Pine books as I can!

Another thing I want to note about this program is a lot of times, the nominees will be books I've never heard about, so I like how this program spreads my reading tastes, encouraging me to try new novels that I might have either never read nor heard about before.

To learn more about the Forest of Reading program or see more of the nominees in the other age group categories, you can visit the official website here. 

Waiting on Wednesday (17) - The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine spotlighting upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: Jan 25, 2011

Summary:

In less than twenty-four hours I’ll be seventeen.

Although, technically, I won’t actually be turning seventeen. I’ve been in the Nevernever too long. When you’re in Faery, you don’t age. So while a year has passed in the real world, agewise I’m probably only a few days older than when I went in.

In real life, I’ve changed so much I don’t even recognize myself.

MY NAME IS MEGHAN CHASE.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who’s sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I’m not sure anyone can survive it.

THIS TIME, THERE WILL BE NO TURNING BACK.

I was excited to see that Julie Kagawa revealed the back cover copy of The Iron Queen on her blog yesterday... so it was definitely a no-brainer to make it my WoW pick this week! And doesn't the third and final installment of the Iron Fey series sound like it's going to be awesome?

I'm going to be so sad when The Iron Queen is released... sad because then the trilogy will be over! If you're the kind of person who doesn't really like faerie novels... well, you WILL like this one. Julie Kagawa will make a faerie lover out of you. With so many twists and turns, and non-stop action topped with some forbidden romance- what is not to like?

Team Puck or Team Ash? I can't choose! I like both guys!

And I can't forget to mention the cover! Such a pretty pink!! 

If you haven't checked out this series before, you can read my review of the first novel The Iron King here.

Book Trailer! - Matched by Ally Condie

The trailer for Matched by Allie Condie was finally revealed a few days ago and you can now also view it on the official website, where you can also learn more about the Society and if you have a Facebook account, you can also "Find Your Optimal Match" too! 

 Release Date: November 30, 2010

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

I'm really excited for the release of Matched when it's finally in stores at the end of next month! It's definitely a book that's on the must-have pile!! Not only is the cover so gorgeous, but this dystopian novel sounds awesome too!!

Are you excited for Matched? What did you think of the trailer?

Spotted! Cover of Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Rachel Hawkins revealed the cover of Demonglass, the second novel in the Hex Hall series, on her blog yesterday!

Release Date: March 1, 2011

Publisher: Hyperion

Summary (from Goodreads):

** This summary contains spoilers if you haven't read the first novel in the series, Hex Hall, yet!!*

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Acher to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

I am most definitely excited to find out what's going to happen next in Demonglass! Hex Hall could be light and funny at times, and then the next, serious and totally taking me by surprise, which just another reason why can't wait to see how Sophie will deal with her latest conflicts! Plus, Hex Hall is one of my fave novels by a debut author of 2010!

I like how they've kept the reflection theme for the cover once again, and they've even added some edginess to it with the flames and losing the school uniform in favour of some London-style clothes! And the model is totally wearing a jacket I would love to have... but the white dress is pretty as well!

Are you excited for Demonglass? Any thoughts on the cover? 

Book Trailer! - Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz

The trailer for Misguided Angel, the fifth book in the Blue Bloods series, by Melissa de la Cruz was revealed not too long ago on Melissa's website! 

Release Date: November 2, 2010 (Canada) / October 26, 2010 (US)

Publisher: Hyperion

What did you guys think about the trailer? Not much really happens, but I thought the line they used really added to the suspense!

For some reason, I'm not as excited as usual for the release of the latest Blue Bloods novel. I think a part of it has to do with how the plot line for the series seems to be beginning to drag a little bit now... and I'm actually not really thrilled to hear that there are 10 books planned for this main plot line. There is also a spin-off series starring Bliss already set to be around 6 novels, not too mention there are a few Blue Bloods novellas and companion novels too. It's a bit too much for me, I guess. 

I'll be continuing on with this series so long as the books still appeal to me though!

Waiting on Wednesday (16) - Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine spotlighting upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: May 24, 2011

Summary:

Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.

Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.

She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she’d never seen.

Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could...

Elizabeth Scott is one of my favourite authors and of the five novels I've read by her so far, I've enjoyed every single one of them. She has a way of taking what could be an ordinary plot line and turning it into something that's just so good, weaving a story that could have you crying one moment and then bursting out laughing the next. I have no idea how has she does it but I love it. Which is also why when Between Here and Forever hits stores next year, I'll be getting it right away.

And I also learned something really cool when Elizabeth Scott officially revealed the cover on her blog earlier in the month... two characters from her first novel, Bloom, will be in Between Here and Forever! I finally read Bloom not too long and not surprisingly, I loved it! So I can't wait to see who these characters will be and what role they'll be playing in the story! 

Argh! My Midterms Are Here!!

I'm sure the title is self-explanatory but eeek! I have my very first two midterms this Wednesday for Sociology and Chemistry, and then next Monday I have one for Biology and the following day... Physics. *gulp* Physics is the SUBJECT THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED because I think it's just that EVIL. Not to mention, I also have to write a scientific proposal draft for Biology and finish a Physics problem set for this week, and do all my Chemistry lab prep for next week as well... so I'm totally stressing right now of course because I don't have a time-turner OR a time machine to help me gain some more time to finish everying.

I will be like a zombie for awhile, so I'm not going to have much time to post anything until mid-next week unless you know, I learn something book-related that I must absolutely share!

I'm also going book shopping next week to drown out my sorrows for the tests. Reading always makes me feel better after a bad day... plus, I must get Crescendo ASAP. If I bought it now, I would be too busy reading it to actually study.

Also, you know how I was planning to have my very first giveaway? I'm still planning to do it... but the problem? I can't seem to figure out how to use Google Docs. It's sad, I know. If anyone can tell me how to use it and set it up for doing a giveaway, the help would be much appreciated!! Then, I can set that up after my midterms end and hopefully give some books away!  

Okay, I'm getting back to studying now... 

Torment by Lauren Kate

Title: Torment 

Author: Lauren Kate

Release Date: September 28, 2010 (hardcover)

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Pages: 464

Source: ARC won from Bookurious

Overall: 3.5 Stars

Summary:

How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for?

Hell on earth.

That's what it's like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.
 

It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts-immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn't told her everything. He's hiding something-something dangerous.
 

What if Daniel's version of the past isn't actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series . . . where love never dies.

My Thoughts:

After the exciting ending in Fallen, I couldn’t wait to see what happens next in Torment! However, if the ending of Fallen was taking one step forward after a slow-buildup, the beginning of Torment was like taking two steps back as once again, Luce found herself alone in a new school setting.

Let me first start off by saying if you loved Fallen, you will love Torment as well, but if you fall under the category where you simply liked Fallen, then you'll be probably be feeling the same way again. 

Where Fallen was more about the mystery of Daniel, Torment is all about Luce trying to learn more about her past lives (with a bit of help from her new roommate Shelby!) through using the Announcers (ie. Shadows) who always seem to be drawn to Luce. The danger is not over and Daniel sends Luce away to Shoreline, a special school where Nephilim also attend and which can hopefully hide Luce's presence while he and Cam eliminate any threats to her safety through their truce. This is also means that after finally coming together in Fallen, Luce and Daniel still can't quite be together yet in Torment.

I wasn’t exactly a huge fan of Daniel this time around. He was too protective at times, and it bordered on being overbearing. It really annoyed me that he wouldn’t just clue Luce in when she asked, which only left her to try to figure things out on her own, inevitably bringing her closer to danger in the process. So yes, while Luce does make some pretty silly mistakes trying to learn more, I couldn't really blame her for trying since I would hate to be left in the dark too.

It got really repetitive whenever Daniel came into the story too, and I was getting no warm, fuzzy tinglings in the romance department. I just couldn't believe the pair were supposed to be soulmates this time around and I dunno, it felt kind of forced. There was also a general pattern to when Daniel pops into the story. Embrace in each others' presence once more and then argue when Daniel would refuse to tell Luce what was really going on all the while saying he loved her. Please, it happened so many times, I was getting ready to skip these pages.... and the romance parts are usually my favourites!

Now, now, it seems like I'm only talking about the negative so let's find something positive to say, shall we? If you thought you made up your sides in Fallen, there’s a new team I’m sure that will be forming… Team Miles! Miles is a Nephilim student who makes Luce feel comfortable in her new surroundings right away, and he's so friendly and kind... plus cute too!  Sure, Daniel may be Luce’s soulmate and all, but Miles is so totally sweet and easy-going, Team Daniel fans may find themselves wavering.

Once again, I felt the pacing was slow but don't get me wrong, there are a few exciting moments thrown in here and there that kept me interested for more. But just like with Fallen, it isn’t until near the end that events start getting more climatic before leaving off on a note that leaves you dearly wishing for the next novel, Passion, due out Summer 2011. I’ll be still sticking around for more, but just like with Torment, I’m not going to set my expectations really high so it lessens any disappointment.

YA Love Triangle Week! Why not join the fun?

Amber from Down The Rabbit Hole is hosting a YA Love Triangle Week event and needs a few more volunteers who will blog about the 'team' they're on! It's really not that hard to find some sort of love triangle in a YA novel, so really, I'm sure one of the choices below will have a guy you're rooting for. As well, both participants AND voters each have a chance to win one of those novels listed below too!

• Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer- Team Edward vs Jacob
• The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins- Team Peeta vs Gale
• Nightshade by Andrea Cremer- Team Shay vs. Ren
• The Mortal Instrument Series by Cassandra Clare- Team Simon vs Jace
• Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld- Team David vs. Zane
• The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa- Team Ash vs Puck
• The Vampire Academy Series by Rachelle Mead- Team Dimitri vs Adrian
• Matched by Ally Condie- Team Ky vs Xander
• The Vampire Diaries by L.J Smith- Team Stefan vs. Damon
• Sookie Stackhouse Series (True Blood) by Charlaine Harris- Team Eric vs Bill

*Those in blue have been taken so far!

Think you might be interested in speaking your voice for one of the remaining teams? Just check out more of the details on Amber's blog here. 

And guess what? I'll be joining in the fun too! I'll be supporting TEAM JACE while Ava from Book Infinity is supporting Team Simon!

Amber hasn't set the date yet (I will definitely let you guys know when though!), but it sounds like it's going to be a fun event and I can't wait to show my support for one of my fave guys in YA lit! ^_^

Waiting on Wednesday (15) - Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine spotlighting upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster's Children's Publishing

Release Date: March 22, 2011

Summary: 

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

I'm not sure what I'm liking more at this moment— the cover or the sound of this plot description— because both seem to be pretty awesome!

Wither is the first novel in the Chemical Garden trilogy and I already can't wait to dive into this dystopian novel and see what debut author Lauren DeStefano has in store for us!

 

Spotted! Cover of Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel

Rebecca Maizel revealed the cover of Stolen Nights, the second novel in the Vampire Queen trilogy, on her blog today!

EDIT on Oct 13/12 with New Cover:

 
Old Cover:

Release Date: June 21, 2011 June 1, 2012 April 6, 2012 February 5, 2013 January 29, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Summary (from Goodreads): 

Lenah Beaudonte should be dead. But having sacrificed herself to save another, she finds herself awakening with strange powers that are neither vampire nor human—and a new enemy on her trail. In her vampire life, Lenah had thought that being human was all she ever wanted; but the human heart suffers pain, heartbreak and loss.

With her new powers growing and the dark force of the Nex after her soul, Lenah faces a choice: between the mortal love of gorgeous Justin, whose passion fed her human soul, and taking a different path to become the mistress of her own destiny, wherever that may lead... 

When I finished Infinite Days, the first novel, it was one of those books I rushed to review while the thoughts were in my head... especially after I read the included first chapter of Stolen Nights which made me curse reading it because it left on a note that made me want more! I must simply find out what is going to happen next! Vampires can be so overrated these days if not done right, but Maizel took her own fresh spin on the genre. You can check out my review of Infinite Days here.

I don't think the cover is exactly jaw-dropping or anything, but that's okay because it still has some sort of certain quality that makes it stand out. I'm more like hoping they keep the glossy sheen of the cover they used just like for Infinite Days.

Are you excited for Stolen Nights?

Book Trailer! - The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials, the sequel to The Maze Runner and the second novel in the trilogy, will be out in stores tomorrow and look what I came across... the book trailer!

I just started reading The Maze Runner and so far so good— I have a feeling there will be plenty of excitement to come! I also watched the trailer for The Maze Runner since I hadn't seen it either and honestly, it's like the freakiest book trailer I've ever watched. It made my pulse quicken just watching it... so now I'm going to be expecting scary moments while I'm reading, lol!

 Release Date: October 12, 2010

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Is anyone else looking forward to The Scorch Trials or has read The Maze Runner?

You can also check out James Dashner's website here where there's even a Maze Runner Missions game where you have to complete tasks within the Maze without dying or running out of time making it back to the Glade. 

In My Mailbox (11)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where we share any new books or goodies we bought, received, borrowed, etc. during the week.

I only got one book this week and it happened to be one I really really wanted!!

Bought:

• Alpha (Shifter #6) by Rachel Vincent

It's the final book in the Shifter series, and I already read it. So many twists and turns, and I even cried at moments because some parts were just so heartbreaking... I'm still sad that the series is over now.

What about YOU guys? Any new reads/finds this week?

Happy reading! 

October Release Picks

I'm a few days late in posting this but here are my October Release Picks! These are the books that have either caught my eye or which I'm really looking forward too!

** All links lead to Goodreads. **

October 1

Alpha (Shifter #6) by Rachel Vincent (Note: This is an ADULT novel.)

 

October 5

 Behemoth (Leviathan #2) by Scott Westerfeld

Freefall by Mindi Scott

Her and Me and You by Lauren Strasnick

October 12

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles #2) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

 Elixir (Elixir #1) by Hilary Duff

The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2) by James Dashner 

October 18

Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars #1) by Kersten Hamilton

October 19

Crescendo (Hush, Hush #2) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Nightshade (Nightshade #1) by Andrea Cremer

What about you? What book(s) are you excited for this month or which caught your eye?

I'll be giving Anna Godbsersen another chance with the release of Bright Young Things after being disappointed with her Luxe series (I didn't even bother reading the last novel after hearing what the ending was...) and will Hilary Duff have what it takes to be an author? By the way, you can read Elixir for free right now if you have a PulseIt account. 

I already bought and read Alpha (and still can't believe the series is over) and I really can't wait to read Crescendo!! So many books to check out this month, and as always, so little time... 
 

Waiting on Wednesday (14) - What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine spotlighting upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Release Date: May 10, 2011

Summary:

What Happened to Goodbye is about a high school senior who, after her parents’ divorce, has taken up the practice of assuming a new identity in each of the four towns she’s lived in.

That's the only description of the novel I could find so far, but isn't it enough to spark your interest? And it's by Sarah Dessen... so it's definitely bound to be good! 

If you haven't read a novel by Sarah Dessen, you absolutely must read at least one. I've read five of her novels (own four), and I'm just waiting for the paperback of Along for the Ride to come out so I can buy that one too! If I had to pick, I would choose The Truth About Forever and This Lullaby as my favourites. 

And any thoughts on the cover? I don't think it's my favourite one out of Dessen's novels, but I like how they've kept the soft colour scheme that her covers usually have!

In My Mailbox (10)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where we share any new books or goodies we bought, received, borrowed, etc. during the week.

I didn't do an IMM post last week, so this week's will be the books I got within the past two weeks and will follow a slightly didn't format than I usually do.

So, once the Teen Read Awards concluded last Saturday night after a real fun time celebrating and really just having one big book party, everyone received some TRA swag before they left in these cute blue bags!

But what was inside mine? Well...

Books received in TRA's Swag Bag:

• Hearts at Stake (The Drake Chronicles #1) by Alyxandra Harvey
• The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness
• Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald
• ARC of Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (HP #7) 

There was also Alyssa Reid's (one of the performers that night) If You Are EP, a Pretty Little Liars lip balm and a pack of Stride gum. This is what I received for my swag but my sister's is slightly different, so I'm thinking everyone's is slightly varied.

I also won some stuff too that night!

Won at TRA's:

• The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner (signed)

During the night, they threw some Hunger Games t-shirts into the crowd and I was able to snatch- I mean, catch- one! There's also a TRA bracelet they handed to us when we walked in and the red VA key-chain is from earlier in the day during the Indigo signings. 

And I also got some other books that I was so excited to get my hands on!

Won/Bought:

• ARC of Torment (Fallen #2) by Lauren Kate (won from Bookurious)
• Personal Demons (Personal Demons #1) by Lisa Desrochers  

I was so happy when I heard that my copy of Personal Demons had arrived in store! I had to order it because I couldn't find it in stores anywhere! (It figures that after I placed my order, it finally started to creep into more and more stores....) 

So, that's everything. I don't think I'll be getting quite so many books in awhile, lol. 

What about YOU? Any new reads/find this week?

Happy Reading!

Indigo Teen Read Awards (plus the After Party) - Part 2!

Welcome to Part 2 of my Indigo Teen Read Awards experience!

After several months and over 330 000 votes by Canadian teens, these are the 2010 winners of the Teen Read Awards!

 (I can't take credit for this pic. It's a screenshot from the Chapters/Indigo website here.)

Were you surprised by any of the winners? When Prophecy of the Sisters won for Best Villain, a few people gasped aloud and there was some murmuring from the crowd as they realized Lord Voldemort had not won. Everyone applauded soon but if there was one major upset of the night, many people probably thought this was the category. As for myself, I've never read Prophecy of the Sisters but I'm glad it won since HP has to share the wins sometimes, lol. There were also some really close calls like in the Best Writer and Best Hottie category that had me guessing who just might win!

Unfortunately, not all of the winning authors were able to attend, but they had made videos for their acceptance speeches which were still cool to watch! Seeing authors such as Cassandra Clare and Suzanne Collins thanking us for voting for them and reading their novels made us feel all giddy, but you know what was really special? J.K. Rowling had written a letter to express her thanks and gratitude to the Canadian branch of Dumbledore's Army. YES, THE J.K. ROWLING! Dan Levy joked that the letter he was holding was probably worth a lot of money, lol.

While some authors weren't able to make it to Toronto, many others were! Here's Kelley Armstrong accepting the Best Canadian Read award (right pic above). Some of the authors also ventured downstairs from the VIP Author Lounge to mingle with fans and take pictures too, including Melissa de la Cruz, Aimee Friedman and Kelley Armstrong! 



All too soon it felt like, the TRA's were over and all the winners were announced. Time just absolutely flew by! After the awards had officially ended, my sister and I lingered for a little while longer as more and more people began leaving for home. We happened to be at the right place, and at the right time, when one of the organizers approached us and - I'm not joking- literally handed us each a book... for free! And the book I got also happened to be one I really wanted to read but never had a chance to get- The Maze Runner by James Dashner. It. Was. So. Cool! 

Afterwords, we received our swag bags and headed to Indigo Yonge and Eglinton where they were throwing a little After Party for the awards! Some of the authors were there signing stock and also chatting with their readers! Among them, Alyson Noel!

There was also a raffle where some gift cards and a couple Kobo eReaders were given away once again. There were also some yummy-looking cupcakes for sale!

*happily sighs* The TRA's were an experience I'll never forget and I can't thank Chapters/Indigo enough for holding such an a successful event to celebrate YA novels, and giving readers an opportunity to meet some of their favourite authors! And a huge thank you also goes out to all the authors who made their way to Toronto to celebrate the event with us! It was such an honour.

I'll be too old to fit the age limit next year but I'm definitely going to have to force ask my sister to take me along to the next TRA's. To me, the TRA's were so much than a cool award event- they were a chance to really feel the excitement and joy that reading brings to all of us, and it's something that I don't think I'll be forgetting all too soon.

P.S. If you're curious to find out what was in my swag bag, the contents will be included in IMM post later. And if you'd guys like me to, I could also search up some of the acceptance speeches and Monster Factory videos showed that night...

Indigo Teen Read Awards - Part 1!

I'm sure you all know by now just how excited I was to get the chance to go the first annual Teen Read Awards just over a week ago, so I finally had some time to write a post about the experience! In one word, it was AMAZING! I had a fun night with my sister and it was such a cool experience getting to celebrate some of our favourite books with other readers and authors!

My sis and I began to line up around 5:30 p.m, a half hour before the red carpet actually began, outside a club called Six Degrees... which also happened to be practically across the street from Indigo Yonge & Eglinton, where I attended the signings earlier.

We had a pretty good spot, probably among the first 30 or so attendees, but because we were all lined up along the sidewalk, we didn't actually get to see any of the authors arrive on the red carpet. We did hear a little shout when Richelle Mead arrived, but other than that, everyone was entertained by the magician and mime hanging around. There were was even some trivia questions for the Books-to-Film nominees and I ended up winning 4 Cineplex movie passes for answering a couple questions correctly! 

And then before we knew it, 7:00 p.m. had arrived and we got to go inside. As we walked upstairs to the club, we were greeted by the hosts, Jessi Cruikshank and Dan Levy, plus Becca Fitzpatrick! (The picture may be slightly blurry because I took the pic quickly while I was walking by...) When we reached the top steps, were greeted again by the organizers, handed TRA bracelets and then our eyes kind of bugged out at the sight of the TRA swag bags to be given out later.



Soon enough, the place was packed with over 500 people! People were dancing, taking pics at the instant photo booth, checking out the free drinks and snacks (from Mac and Cheese to spring rolls), chatting away, and basically having a good time. There was just so much excitement in the atmosphere that it was hard to contain it! A girl walked away with a new laptop after winning the dance-off, a couple Kobo eReaders were given away to parents, and I even managed to catch a Hunger Games t-shirt after several were thrown out into the crowd!

The TRA's were finally kicked off with the appearance of surprise guest Emily Osment, who happened to be in town to promote her new album. You know how on Hannah Montana she can't sing? Well, in real life... she sure can. Her voice is sort of deeper in person, and she definitely had the crowd cheering her on! After she sang a few songs, the hosts of the night, MTV's Jessi Cruikshank and Dan Levy came on stage! 



Soon, the winners were beginning to be announced but in between, there were also a couple more performances as well! Alyssa Reid and Alex Lacasse took to the stage to perform some of their singles, and once again, the crowd loved them! I still don't really know who they are except that they are both Canadian and that their singing skills were pretty good... though I still think Alex sounded like he couldn't make up his mind between singing like Jesse McCartney or being in a boy band, lol. As well, to introduce the novels nominated for the biggest award of the night, Best Read, Monster Factory made some videos to share their 'interpretation' of each novel.



And the night was still not over with more awards to be given out! 

I didn't want to make one super-long post, so I'm going move on to Part 2 where I share more pics of the night and announce which novels won in their respective categories (in case you still don't know...).  

Indigo Author Signings - Part 2!

Let's now begin Part 2 of the Indigo signings at Yonge & Eglinton! (In case you missed Part 1, the you can click here.) When 2:00 p.m. arrived, everyone (there was quite a good crowd!) was getting excited because we would be shortly meeting Richelle Mead and Carrie Jones! (I even had to hand my camera to my sister for awhile because my hands kept shaking- that's how nervous/excited I was...)

Once again, there was a little Q&A before the signing. We heard a few more details from Richelle about the VA spin-off series and the possibility of a movie, and I got to ask Carrie what Entice will be like. She couldn't give too much away though since it would mean spoilers for those who haven't read Captivate yet, but it definitely sounds like it will be exciting! (Nick is nice and all, but sorry, I'm supporting Team Astley now.)  

And then it was onto the signing! While we waited in line, the Indigo staff gave away some VA prizes for the quickest person to answer some of their questions, and I actually won a keychain! (I'm so surprised I could even think to answer in the first place.)

Here I am with Carrie Jones! 

And here I am with Richelle Mead! (I still can't believe it really happened...)

Thank you so much Carrie and Richelle for making the trek North and meeting us! And of course, a huge kudos goes out to Chapters/Indigo for holding events such as this one!

So, that pretty much sums up my fun time at Indigo Yonge & Eglinton. It was such a cool experience and I felt so fortunate to get the chance to actually meet them. All of the authors were so nice, friendly and open to everyone! This is only my first year actually attending events like this, but with positive experiences such as the one that day, for sure, I'll be making my way to more if another opportunity presents itself! 

And oh my goodness, the day was still not over because I was going to be heading to the Teen Read Awards later that night!

I'll be posting my TRA's post soon and I even have my very first giveaway in the works, so stay tuned for more! ^.^