Friday, December 28, 2012

Weekend Book Give-Away: The Shadow Society

I love books that take place somewhere I have lived.  So this week's book ... The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski, that takes place in Chicago is especially intriguing to me.

Darcy Jones doesn't remember anything before the day she was abandoned as a child outside a Chicago firehouse. She has never really belonged anywhere - but she couldn't have guessed that she comes from an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire didn't happen and deadly creatures called Shades terrorize the human population. Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn't thought possible. But Conn's interest in her is confusing. It doesn't line up with the way he first looked at her. As if she were his enemy. When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can't rely on anything - not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades' latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever...

For a chance to win this book, tell me about a time you didn't feel you belonged, and how you coped

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Thursday January 10, 2013. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Friday, December 21, 2012

Weekend Book Give-Away: The Innocents AND Burn for Burn

This week I'm cleaning out my office and came across two Advance Reader Copies for books that came out a few months ago, but look too good not to give away.  So as a holiday season bonus, two of you can win this week!

The first book is Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian:

Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes--and three girls secretly plotting revenge. KAT is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend. LILLIA has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she's going to put a stop to it. MARY is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who's responsible has yet to get what's coming to him. None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible.

Looks pretty good, eh?

The second book is The Innocents by Lili Peloquin:

Nothing ever came between sisters Alice and Charlie. Friends didn't. Boys couldn't. Their family falling apart never would. Until they got to Serenity Point. In a town built on secrets and lies, it's going to be hard to stay innocent. Charlie and Alice find themselves drawing apart from each other after their mother remarries their stepfather, Richard, a rich and lonely man with a previous life of which he seldom speaks--and that haunts him still. 

So for a chance to win (one or maybe both!), tell me which sounds better to you, and why!

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator onThursday  December 27, 2012. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Trailer Tuesday: Dancers Among Us by Jordan Matter

We don't often feature non-fiction books on Trailer Tuesday, largely because there just aren't as many of them made (have one you like? Send it to jparker [at] sno-isle.org!). The awesomeness of this one makes me wish that wasn't true. Behold behind-the-scenes action for Dancers Among Us : a celebration of joy in the everyday by Jordan Matter:

Dancers Among Us goes around the USA in Ninety Seconds from Jordan Matter on Vimeo.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Weekend Book Give-Away: Heaven

This week we are giving away another popular sequel (there seem to be so many these days!)  Have any of you read the first two books in the Halo series by Alexandra Adornetto?  Here is the final chapter:  Heaven.

Only sixteen when she started the series, Ally Adornetto knows how teen hearts beat, and this long-awaited conclusion is certain to be her most popular book yet. Bethany, an angel sent to Earth, and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier, have been to Hell and back. But now their love will be put to its highest test yet, as they defy Heavenly law and marry. Will Bethany be called back to Heaven - forever - and face leaving the love of her life?

For a chance to win a copy of this book, tell me what is the most romantic thing that has ever happen to you...or what you think of romance.

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday December 18, 2012. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Trailer Tuesday: Who Could That Be at this Hour? by Lemony Snicket

From the publisher: "In a fading town, far from anyone he knew or trusted, a young Lemony Snicket began his apprenticeship in an organization nobody knows about. He started by asking questions that shouldn't have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published, in four volumes that shouldn't be read. This, Who Could That Be at this Hour, is the first volume."

Friday, December 7, 2012

Weekend Book Give-Away: Sapphire Blue

Judging by the 30 holds on this week's title, it looks like a lot of you enjoyed the first book in this series, Ruby RedSapphire Blue is the newest title by Kerstin Gier in this series to be translated from the original German.   And apparently Ruby Red has been made into a movie in Germany too, where it is super popular!

Sixteen-year-old Gwen, the newest and final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve, searches through history for the other time-travelers, aided by friend Lesley, James the ghost, Xemerius the gargoyle demon, and Gideon, the Diamond, whose fate seems bound with hers.

For a chance to win a gorgeous pristine hardcover copy of this book, tell me when you would want to go if you were a time-traveler, and what you would want to see then.
 
Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday December 11, 2012.. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Trailer Tuesday: Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Julie Kagawa hit big with the first in her Iron Fey series, now that there's five full novels and some extras out in that series, the author has given some attention to starting a new series. Here's the trailer for Immortal Rules:

Monday, December 3, 2012

Can You Tell a Book by its Cover?

The Mukilteo Library's Teen Advisory Board has been a Teens' Top Ten review group for almost two years and in that time the teens have reviewed over 700 books for publishers. Unexpectedly, one of the most interesting questions on the review form turned out to be "What did you like or not like about the cover?" I had no idea readers were so passionate about the covers! One girl said the cover of a book was so suggestive that she had to cover it with brown paper. Two teens returned a zombie book because the cover was so scary they couldn't look at it for more than a couple of minutes. Many of the girls said they never wanted to see another book with either a girl's face staring at them or a girl's torso.

What do they like? Covers that tell you something about the book, but don't give away the whole plot. Covers that suggest the time period or genre without looking like every other book set in that time period or written in that genre. Covers that look like these--25 of the most wonderful book covers of the year. Is it a coincidence that we thought these were great books as well as great covers? Probably not. This is my favorite from the list...what's yours?