Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
This book immediately made me think of this song and video. And I've had it stuck in my head ever since I finished the book. That's a good thing though, because I love this song. "Walking on Air" by Kerli.
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I would like to announce the winner in The Pace contest! I have randomly selected, notified and sent out autographed copies of The Pace and The Broken Lake to ... Jackie M. in Virginia!! Congrats, Jackie! I hope you enjoy your new books! As for everyone else who entered, well, good luck in the next contest. Look below for details.
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This week, I was fortunate enough to meet the totally cool, awesome and hilarious Scott Westerfeld. He discussed his books, writing and other (sometimes odd) things. I am a HUGE fan of his, I love all of his books which include The Uglies series, Peeps, The Last Days, So Yesterday, Leviathan and Behemoth. I was absolutely thrilled to meet him and I would like to report that he is, in fact, made of awesome (just in case you were wondering). So, my fine minions, I have decided to share my spoils with you.
One lucky person will win an autographed copy of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. Along with the book, I will include lots of other cool bookish swag.
If you'd like to know what the book is about, click on the word Leviathan above for a link to my review.
All you have to do to enter is send an email with your name in it to michellesminions@yahoo.com. Make sure the subject of the email is LEVIATHAN CONTEST, to make sure I get it. There is no need to send your address, I only need that if you are chosen as the winner. This contest is International. I will randomly choose a winner on Sunday, October 17th and that person will be notified by 6pm est.
Above is a picture of me with Scott Westerfeld.
And there is Scott Westerfeld signing my book. He rocks.
GOOD LUCK!!!!
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<3 Michelle
Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian:
I have randomly selected a winner in the Cassandra Clare Contest, and I would like to congratulate Kenny from Utah!! You are now the proud owner of an autographed copy of Clockwork Angel AND an autographed copy of City of Bones. Yes, I have already gotten a reply and the books are on their way! Woo hoo! Congrats, again!
So what is up next? Well, I'll tell you...
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New contest!!!!
This year, I have been lucky enough to meet the AMAZING Shelena Shorts on more than one occasion. She is awesome and her books are phenominal. I've said this before, but she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I love, love, love her Pace series. So far there are two books available, The Pace and The Broken Lake. If you haven't heard of them, here is my review of The Pace from a few months ago. Below is a picture of Shelena when she came to my store for a signing. She's so sweet!
I would love to share these books with you, so I think I will. In this contest, someone will win an autographed copy of both The Pace and The Broken Lake. All you have to do to enter is send me an email with your name in it to michellesminions@yahoo.com . Please make sure the subject is THE PACE CONTEST, so I don't miss it. There is no need to send your address, I only need that if you win. I will randomly select a winner on Monday, October 4th, and that person will be notified by 6pm est. This contest is International. So, good luck to all!!
Happy reading!
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<3 Michelle
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (October 12th, 2010):
This is me using spectacular in a sentence. I actually finished reading Please Ignore Vera Dietz a while ago, but it's one of those books that says with you long after the last page has been turned. It's kind of quirky and the characters are interesting and quite memorable. I would recommend Vera to fans of John Green (Paper Towns, Looking For Alaska), it's that same kind of book, but A.S. King has a unique style that is definitely all her own. I love how the story is told, alternating between characters and well, inanimate objects, as the past and present collide to form a full picture. The story takes place in a fictionalized Reading, PA and pieces of the story are revealed through the eyes of a Pagoda, much like the actual one that resides in the real Reading. Recently, the movie "The Last Airbender" was filmed there.
If this is sounding curiouser and curiouser, well, good. I hope I've sparked your interest enough for you to take a journey with a girl who wants to be ignored, her dead best friend, a despondent dad, a few pizzas, the detentionheads and an overly friendly nazi.
Vera Dietz has always been in love with her best friend, Charlie. They have been inseparable since they were children and she knows all of his deep, dark secrets. She knows about his family and their issues, which terrify her, but she could never betray him and let anyone know about what happens behind closed doors in is home. Charlie has more than one secret, but Vera has one really big one. Her mother left her and her father years ago for less than honorable reasons. Because of this, Vera has done her best to keep a low profile, to not be noticed. There is only one person who she wants to notice her, and that is Charlie, but lately, they have been drifting apart. Charlie is cool. Way cooler than Vera, and she knows it. He's been hanging out with the detentionheads more often, and what's worse, he's been hanging all over Jenny Flick, Vera's arch enemy and most frequent tormentor. His new friends have even caused Charlie to do the unthinkable. He betrayed Vera's trust.
Sadly, this is all in the past. Charlie is dead. Everyone thinks that he's guilty of a horrible crime and the circumstances surrounding his death are very strange, indeed. Vera is keeping one last secret of his, and that secret is the truth about what really happened the night that he died. She is tormented by this knowledge, but her anger for what Charlie did to her is holding her back from doing what she knows is right. So instead of telling the truth, she moves on with her very peculiar life, doing her best to disappear into the background scenery. Unfortunately, it seems that no matter what she does will erase the past. It also seems impossible to take the first steps needed to move towards the future. She can't forget Charlie, but in order to clear his name she'll have to forgive him. While she's at it, she's going to have to forgive herself and grow up a lot. His secrets are hers to keep, but only the truth will set her free.
The mystery of Charlie's death and the events that lead up to it unfold like an origami crane. You know what it looked like finished and are amazed with the removal of each fold that made it that way. In the beginning it was only a piece of paper and it eventually became something so intricately constructed. This is a story that will leave you feeling a little bit sad. It will make you laugh, leave you thinking, surprise you and even make you feel a little bit liberated. If you are looking for an intelligent, edgy and unusual book, I highly recommend Please Ignore Vera Dietz.
*for older teens.
I can't really explain why I'm choosing this song to go with Vera, except that it just feels right. Enjoy the music, "Free" by Phish.
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<3 Michelle
What a lovely book this is! Halo is a breathtaking love story that is beautifully written by a very talented young woman, Alexandra Adornetto. I am so impressed with this book. It is definitely more focused on the romance between a human and an angel than anything else. And my goodness, is it a wonderful romance. It makes you believe in pure, true love. Not to steal from the good people at Red Bull, but HALO will give you wings. It will take you above the clouds, to soar through heavenly bliss, then gently drop your feet back on the ground. There are dark forces that get involved and there is quite a bit of "angelology" involved in the story, but the main focus is on love.
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto:
(And how AMAZING is this cover?)
This is Bethany's first time visiting earth. She is an angel, a young one, unlike her "brother", Gabriel, and "sister", Ivy, who have visited before. The three angels are now in Venus Cove, a sleepy town by the sea, on a mission to bring peace and keep dark forces at bay. They are supposed to blend in with the local humans, but not get too close. While this is relatively easy for Gabriel and Ivy, Bethany is finding it more of a challenge. Everything is new and exciting to her eyes. She is fascinated by these humans and has even found herself liking them. When she begins to attend school with them, she makes friends and starts to enjoy the things that they do. She is having fun, and there is no real harm in that, right? Well, at least not until she meets Xavier Woods. The moment that Xavier and Bethany locked eyes, their souls entwined. It was as if they had been calling for each other for ages and finally found what they were looking for. From that moment on, their fate was sealed. The only problem is that an angel and a human cannot be together. Bethany is on a mission, and when that mission ends, she knows she has to leave. They also don't know the consequences of having this forbidden love. It could lead to damnation, but how so, when it feels so much like heaven? Her siblings do not approve, but there is nothing that can tear them apart.
As the days pass in blissful happiness for Bethany and Xavier, there comes another obstacle. Dark forces are threatening Venus Cove. People are getting hurt, and much worse is on the horizon. It is time for the angels to take action and do what they were sent here for, but they are about to step into certain danger. The love that is shared between the angel and the human is about to be tested against a powerful demon. Will it be strong enough to keep them alive? Or will it lead to their downfall? Only fate knows the answer, and you can too, if you read Halo.
This song reminds me of the love that Bethany and Xavier share. "All Around Me" by Flyleaf. I love this song.
Go read and love <3
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<3 Michelle
I absolutely adored this book! You Wish by Mandy Hubbard is a cute, funny, romantic and sweet read with a big heart. It's not just fluffy stuff either. Behind the hilarity is a heartwarming story about a girl who is trying to figure out who she is and where she fits in. It's about love, friendship, family, letting go of the past and finally moving forward.
Kayla is kind of a rebel. It's not that she wants to stand out, she just doesn't want to blend in. She wears the latest trends in her own unique and ironic way and mocks those who don't get said irony. As far as Kayla is concerned, those people are sheep who move with the flock, too stupid for her to bother with. She doesn't need to impress any of them because she's got her best friend Nicole, a fellow outcast, by her side. But lately, Nicole has seemed distant. Maybe it's because she's spending so much time with her new boyfriend, but there is definitely a rift forming. Perhaps it's best that they don't spend as much time together, since Kayla is secretly in love with Nicole's boyfriend (which is totally not cool). The situation was manageable, at least until Kayla's sixteenth birthday, otherwise known as "the worst birthday ever". That was the day that the impossible happened. Kayla finally got her birthday wishes. All of them.
So, a sweet sixteen party may sound fun, but not to Kayla. For one thing, her mother has gone WAY overboard and turned it into a massively huge, putridly pink production. Kayla would just go with it, but she knows that the only reason her mother is throwing this party is to attract more clients for her party planning business. She doesn't even know half of the guests and the ones that she does know, she doesn't even like. The only person she really wants there is her best friend, who is a no-show because she's on a date with the guy of both of their dreams. At the end of this awful evening, Kayla blows out the candles on her pink monstrosity of a cake and makes a wish. She wishes that all her birthday wishes actually came true, because they NEVER do. Never say never, Kayla. And be careful what you wish for.
When she wakes up the next morning, there is a life-sized My Little Pony outside of her window, which is strange, but not enough to cause alarm just yet. At least not until the following days when her room is full of gumballs and her Ken doll comes to life and he's convinced that she's Barbie. This may sound like fun, but there are a few problems with this wish business. Kayla has no idea what other stupid things she wished for over the years, but there is one that she does remember. She wished that Ben would kiss her, which can NOT happen because Ben is her best friends boyfriend. Kayla must stop this insanity before that happens, her friendship depends on it, and that may be the only thing left for her after these crazy wishes destroy any chance at a normal social life.
The wishes don't seem to show up in order and every day is a surprise. Kayla is beginning to understand that all the things she once wanted so badly are now just silly. As she revisits her childhood and faces her past, she gains a new perspective on the future.
Poor Kayla, she just wanted Ben's love and look what happened! So here's a cute song to go with a cute book. "I Just Wanted Your Love" by Alexz Johnson.
I know I would be freaked out if some of my birthday wishes came true. When I was a wee little one I was obsessed with sharks. I KNOW I once wished that had a pet shark as big as Jaws in my backyard (which would become an aquarium). I would NOT like to wake up to that! I also wished that I could marry my cat. Although the money tree I wanted would come in handy. I could buy a lot of books with that!
Happy Reading!
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<3 Michelle