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The Bright Side of Book Blogging: a YA Community Thanksgiving


A bunch of bloggers, organized by Sarah from Sarah's Random Musings, are participating in a meme. You can find out about it
here. Adele also started a YA Community Thanksgiving, which is an awesome idea except there's no pumpkin pie. All the same, please, participate. Sarah and Adele are rockin' ladies and reasons themselves of why this community is so awesome. The basic idea is to explain why we love book blogging, so I'll apologize to you upfront on how long this post is going to be. Blame Sarah and Adele.

Originally posted at The Page Flipper. I borrowed this first paragraph because I'm super lazy, and because Chelsea wrote the perfect introduction to this post.

It's been a whole year since I started blogging, and I've loved every day of it. The things I've learned are things I'll always remember. The friends I made will always be with me, even if it is through the Internet.

I started book blogging after I started following a book blog: The Book Resort. Diane reviewed books I'd never heard of, and reading those reviews got me to thinking: why doesn't Latin America have a YA community like the one in the States? This still puzzles me, since there are more latin readers than you know just aching to read the books that take months, maybe years to get published here.
It was through her that I started learning more about YA books and authors. I'd later start following Shesten from I Heart Monster, with whom I started exchanging comments that later turned into emails. These two women were and still are my blogging goddesses. I love you both.

Adele asked us to list things about the YA community that inspires us and that we love, I'm going to do just that.
  • Authors. Very predictable but completely necessary. Before I started blogging, I saw them as untouchable creatures, people on a higher level. But I learned that these are people who laugh and cry and scream just like the rest of us, and I'm happy for that. I'm happy because we, as bloggers, get to laugh and cry and scream alongside them because they care enough to let us in. I'm just sad I live so far away, and am unable to meet them personally.
  • Bloggers. Even if they started years ago or are just getting off, you are all important people. Because you share your passion with tons of other people with the same intense feeling as you, and are not afraid to speak up.
  • Discussions. I just love reading a book, loving it, and finding people who loved it too, and just starting a discussion about it! For instance, who didn't read a discussion about being Team Peeta or Team Gale, or Team Edward v Team Jacob? Who didn't spend hours searching in Google Images for the right person to be that character that we love? Tell me if I'm wrong, but didn't you squee of happiness when they said there'd be a HP/Twilight/Vampire Diaries/The Hunger Games/I-could-go-on-and-on movie or TV show? I did. :D
  • Finding new things and people. This community is ever growing. There's always a new blog to discover, new friends to make, new books to read. Every little thing about this community is what motivates me to keep going.
  • Improving my writing. For those of you who don't know, I'm a wannabe writer. (I wanna be a lot of things, but that's off the point.) I'm currently writing a YA Paranormal novel, tentatively called Darkest Nights, and I'm amazed by how many links and posts about improving your writing skills you can find. Authors, busy authors, take the time to wirte them! That is barfing awesome! And not just that, but the fact that there are other teens out there that are going through what I'm going through... that is just huge.
    I just want to give a quick shout out to my Beta, Tanya, without whom I'd be so lost.
  • Social Networks. Whether it's Twitter, Facebook or Ning these networking sites are a huge part of the community. You can tweet to an author and be sure to get a reply! That is beyond cool, for the technology and the author to do.
  • I could list many more things but these felt like the most important right now.
  • To my amazing followers: THANK YOU! I don't always reply to comments, although I do try, but know that every little comment, even if it is just a "Nice review!" brightens my day :D And sometimes my days are very clouded.
This is going to be kinda Oscar-y, but thanks to:
-Nadine, you are an awesome human being and I love you so much!
-GMR, thanks for always having something nice to say. I wish I knew your name!
-Jordyn, Jez and Steph, I love you guys! Thanks for always being up for a chat on Twitter, and for helping me get past my Writer's Block! We could still form that Club we talked about, remember? lol
-Georgia, thanks for guiding me and encouraging me through the YALitChat Ning.
-Shweeta, Juju, Nina, thanks for always leaving a sweet comment.

There are more people that I like to think of as friends but they are way too many to start naming them, so I'm just going to say THANK YOU. I truly respect you all.

YOU ARE AWESOME.

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Waiting on Wednesday #12

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.







Some secrets are life-altering…
others are life-ENDING.


Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena’s family of powerful supernaturals for generations.

And now that Ethan’s eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there’s no going back.
O.O

I am dying to read this! Dying, people!
I loved BC and am literally counting the days until the release of BD.

Who else is excited about this?




ps: I'm a little behind on my reading. I should be re-reading Eclipse, and I've got a book to Beta, and a book to review that needs to be finished this weekend. But school is swallowing me up. As of this Monday, I'm going to Art School (Eng Translation wasn't my thing), and I'm 2 weeks behind! So bear with me here, until I get back full swing!

Next month: a tour stop for Kay Cassidy's The Cinderella Society Blog Tour!
Reviews, and the general nonsense, will be back too. ;)
Love ya!
Ella
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Girl Saves Boy cover release!

The awesome Steph Bowe has just shared with us the cover for her debut novel, Girl Saves Boy. Not only did she share the cover but the blurb as well! Both are amazing, and here they are:

The first time we met, Jewel Valentine saved my life.

Isn’t it enough having your very own terminal disease, without your mother dying? Or your father dating your Art teacher?

No wonder Sacha Thomas ends up in the lake that Saturday evening…

But the real question is: how does he end up in love with Jewel Valentine?

With the help of quirky teenage prodigies Little Al and True Grisham, Sacha and Jewel have a crazy adventure, with a little lobster emancipation along the way.

But Sacha’s running out of time, and Jewel has secrets of her own.

Girl Saves Boy is a hugely talented debut novel, funny and sad, silly and wise. It’s a story of life, death, love… and garden gnomes.

How sweet does that sound? And mysterious too. That cover is just breathtaking. I can't stop looking at it, so pretty it is.
I have to bow to you, Steph. Those names are really interesting! Jewel Valentine and Sasha Thomas? They sound great together.

GSB will be published by Text Publishing in Australia and New Zealand in September 2010, and by Egmont USA in America in Summer 2011.
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Maruti-Suzuki Launches New Wagon R Priced at Rs. 3.28 Lakhs | All New Wagon R Photos, Pic and Images

Maruti-Suzuki Launches Ne,w Wagon R Priced at Rs. 3.28 Lakhs | All New Wagon R Photos, Pic and Images

Marut-Suzuki
India launched face-lifted version its successful model Wagon R on Friday, 23rd April, 2010. New Maruti Wagon R The new Wagon R - titled as ‘blue-eyed boy’ has gone to major changes from the front and increased in length, Height and width while the rear portion is almost same with the addition of chrome near number plate.

All new WagonR has been fitted with Suzuki's new K10B engine, 98cc three-cylinder engine makes best in-class power, pegged at 68PS claiming fuel efficiency under ideal conditions to be around 18.9 kmpl.

All New Maruti-Suzuki WagonR Prices in India:

LX:
Rs 3.28lakhs

LXi:
Rs 3.57lakhs

VXi:
Rs 3.81lakhs

VXi (ABS + Airbags):
Rs 4.12lakhs

All New Maruti-Suzuki WagonR Photos:







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Putting together an Interview, and needing your help!


So, I'm going to be a part of Kay Cassidy's blog tour, and I'm having a really hard time coming up with original questions for her. So far I have 2. Yep.

That's why I need your help. What would you like to know about Kay Cassidy? What would you ask her if you had the chance? It can be anything you like, just as long as it's cool and somewhat original. Doesn't necessarily have to be about her book.

I thought this would be cheating, but then I thought "Well, there're probably more people out there with very valid questions for her. Why not give them a chance to ask those questions?"

I'm leaving this post open until the 21st, so just leave a comment with your alias/name and blog url, if you have one. I want to send her the questions before next Friday.

The Interview will be up on May 9th.
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DNF: The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, by Lauren Kate.


Summary (from Amazon):

A steamy Southern beauty makes one fatal mistake

Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school’s Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn’t share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie’s nemesis, Justin Balmer. So she convinces Mike to help play a prank on Justin. . . one that goes terribly wrong. They tie him to the front of the church after a party—when they arrive the next morning, Justin is dead.

From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds, Natalie unravels. She never should’ve messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.

Cruel Intentions meets Macbeth in this seductive, riveting tale of conscience and consequence.

Applying the read-until-after-the-100th-page rule, I couldn't get into this book, as much as I wanted to. 144 pages later and the only thing interesting that had caught my attention was Natalie leaving Justin at the church.

Of course I want to finish this book, but I feel like now's not the time for me to read this.

Moving on to Surf School, by Laurine Croasdale.

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It's my birthday!

And I'm broke, so I'm not hosting any giveaway.
What's the deal with that anyway? I'm the birthday girl, I should be getting presents.
So, wish me a happy bday, people!

LOL

xo,
Ella
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OMFG, the CRESCENDO Cover is Here!


*squealing*
*high pitched girly screams*

AHHHH!!!
OH. MY. FREAKIN'. GOD.

That cover is just... there's no word awesome enough in the English language to describe it.

Nora looks AMAZING!!!!!!!!

I seriously cannot stop staring at it,
I NEED this book, and I need it YESTERDAY.

Becca, girl, you've been touched by an artsy angel -lol-
I wish I had covers like this for my books (supposing they got published)!

Kudos to James Porto, who photographed the cover pic.
You are my idol now.
Seriously, I'm a major photography fan, and this is just...
I wish I could take pics as amazing as this!

Did I say I REEEAALLY want this book?

Read my review for Hush, Hush here and my Interview with Becca here.
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Review: Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver

Summary (from Amazon):

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

My Opinion:

What a wonderful debut from Miss Lauren Oliver! Completely powerful and exciting, hard to believe this is her first book.

For those of you who don't know, this is a long book, comprised by seven long chapters. But their inner division was very clever, actually.

It took me a while to get into it, but after the third chapter, maybe the fourth, I couldn't stop.

Sam begins as a shallow character, always thinking about what others think of her. As the book progresses, we begin to find little changes in her, that'll later become more obvious.

Her friends Lindsay, Ally and Elody are just like her: typical popular girls. But then we begin to discover that not all is what it seems, that everyone has their flaws.

Sam's boyfriend, Rob, was a pain in the butt. I disliked him from the beginning, and I think he got what he deserved in the end.

And then there's lovable Kent. The invisible boy who becomes a major part in Sam's life, and in her choices. I couldn't help but swoon along with Sam every time he appeared.

This book is all about choices, and their consecuences. Sam has to relive her last day seven times, each time learning a little bit more about herself and those around her. She grows enormously and becomes a very deep character.

Oliver does a great job twisting and turning Sam's path, so we're always left wondering what'll happen next.

I really liked this book, and if you still haven't read it, I totally recommend it. Try to read at least until chapter three, it gets a bit long at first, but you won't regret having stuck out until the end.

That ending is to die for.

Monkey Rating: 4 Monkeys

Cover: 4 Monkeys
Characters: 5 Monkeys
Plot: 4 Monkeys
Writing: 5 Monkeys

Visit Lauren Oliver on her:
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No IMM, but lots of books to read.

Oh my, what am I going to do when I start uni in less than 2 weeks?
I'll die, that's what I'll do. I have so much to read and write, and review, and revise...

I'm currently reading:

Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver. Getting better and better, and I can definitely see it turning into the OMG novel everyone's been talking about.

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, by Lauren Kate. Fun, quick and although I hate Nat, I love learning more about her. This is one of those characters that I just love to hate.

Up next:

Every Little Thing in the World, by Nina de Gramont. Good girl, bad move, worse result. After having "borrowed" a car, and getting caught, Sydney gets sent to camp, but instead of reforming, she gets pregnant. And now she must decide what to do. Sounds good.





Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer. Re-read before the movie premiere. Although the movie is released in November here in Arg, The Danger Magnet is holding a Book Discussion, and I thought it'd be fun to join. Of course, I won't be reading anything about the film when it comes out in the north, so as not to get rained down by spoilers. I can already see it: screaming girls tweeting from the inside of the cinemas, the internet crashing down from overpopulation, every single person in FB, Twitter, and any other known network saying: "OMG, this just happnd! :D" Um, thank you, but I'd like to see the film like any other human being: getting shocked by this that just happnd for the first time while actually watching it, rather than remembering what you tweeted about.

And while we're on the Twilight subject, why not read some fan fics? I hear some are really good, and since SM's not saying anything about finishing Midnight Sun any time soon... (come on Stephenie! Forget about the idiot who uploaded your partial MS, we're still buying your book!)

The Unaccompanied Soul by JMCullen09
"An old, dilapidated hospital residing in the outskirts of Forks, WA, sits untouched, yet it's the focus of many tales, including one of a young man who resides there. He's believed to be either ghost or murderer. But it's all just tales, right?"

Breaking Bella by sixeightshuffle
"Edward Cullen needs to pass Statistics. Bella Swan is his tutor. She thinks he's a flighty, arrogant albeit sexy asshole, and he thinks she's Bipolar, but tries to win her over, anyway. Can he change her mind, or do first impressions really last?" (AH, AU)

Thanks to Ang for recommending these.*

That is all for now, I'll come back when I have BIF finished and a review is written.

*Ang's blog's header cracks me up. It's composed of pics of RPattz, and there's one of him with a bob. LOL. I still love you, Rob. Looking forward to seeing Remember Me next week. I was surprised when I found out that the Spanish title is the same than the English one (Recuérdame in Spanish). Sometimes they just translate it into whatever they want except of what it's really called.
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Tomorrow, When The War Began Movie Trailer

On Feb 7th, I reviewed Marsden's book Tomorrow, When The War Began, the first in the Tomorrow Series.

I started reading it after having read amazing reviews and learning that there was a movie in the making. I hate watching a movie without having read the book first.

While I didn't love the book like I thought, and hoped, I would, I still liked it and was very excited about the idea of having the opportunity of seeing the movie soon.

Thanks to Holly I found that we now have a movie trailer, and it is so amazing I can't wait to pick up Book number 2. I have sooo much to read and review! Keeping a book blog is kinda like a part time job.

Anyway, here's the awesome trailer, take a look:

Have you read Tomorrow, When The War Began? If so, tell me! Let's discuss!

I was kinda worried about Phoebe Tonkin playing Fi, but it looks like they've dyed her hair to match the character.

Tomorrow, When The War Began the Movie in cinemas in NZ and AU, September 2nd, 2010.
And let's hope everywhere else soon after!
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