News Round Up! 21st September

 News Round Up!

The title of The 5th Wave sequel by Rick Yancey has been announced this week. The second book will be called The Infinite Sea. The book is due for publication in 2014.

Jennifer L. Aremntrout's Covenant series has been optioned for a TV series. Read more about the deal on FangirlDaily and Aremntrout's blog.

Geek Girl by Holly Smale will now be published in the US after the author signed a deal with HarperCollins US. Smale announced the news on Twitter this week. You can read my review of Geek Girl at this link.

I'VE JUST SIGNED WITH HARPERCOLLINS US. GEEK GIRL IS GOING TO AMMMMMEEERRRRIIIICCCCCAAAA!!!!
— Holly Smale (@HolSmale) September 18, 2013

Another quote from Allegiant by Veronica Roth has been unveiled this week, and the latest is a thought from Four. See the collection of quotes over on Hypable.com.

It was revealed this week that Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell had been banned from a library's shelves in the US and the author's invitation to speak at an event receded after parents took issue with the language used in the book. Rowell spoke to Mallory Ortberg over on The Toast to explain what had happened.

And Gennifer Albin, author of Crewel, has revealed she authored a New Adult novel under a pen name. Catching Liam has now been reissued with her name on the front, with the announcement of a second novel titled Teaching Roman releasing this autumn. Check out more about the books on the author's website.

New releases:
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
Amazon|Goodreads

Once We Were by Kat Zhang
Amazon|Goodreads

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil
Amazon|Goodreads

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
Amazon|Goodreads

Review: Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Author: Holly Smale Website|Twitter
Published: 28 February 2013 (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Format: Kindle e-book
Pages: 378
Buy the paperback: Amazon|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Bought

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Harriet Manners knows a lot of things.

She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did.

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

My Review:
Geek Girl was a book I've been wanting to read for a long time, partly because anything with the word geek in the title completely has my attention, and partly because other bloggers had been raving about it. When it came up on Kindle Daily Deal I snatched it up! Geek Girl follows geeky Harriet as she is plucked from obscurity and thrown head first into the fashion world.

I knew I was going to love this book right away because I was already giggling within the first few pages. Books that make me physically laugh are so rare and so the humour in Geek Girl was refreshing and became one of my favourite things about the book. I spent the whole weekend devouring it and came very close to sticking a "do not disturb" sign on my door because I just did not want to be interrupted whilst reading!

Part of the reason I adored the humour in Geek Girl so much was because Harriet herself was so hilarious. Her voice throughout the book was so witty and the way she describes her experiences and little anecdotes made me laugh so much. I loved that she's a little bit hapless and clumsy and one of the best things about Harriet is that despite all her disasters throughout the story, she still remains a completely believable character. What's happening to her is crazy but ultimately I could completely believe the story and that is really important to me. Obviously, given the title, Harriet is incredibly smart, but she's also so likable and nice and someone you'd really want to be friends with which is one of the biggest compliments I can give a character!

The ensemble of characters surrounding Harriet were just as brilliant. She lives with her dad and stepmum Annabel and I loved the family dynamic between them. Harriet and her dad are so similar and I adored the scenes where it was the two of them trying to figure their way out of situations. Annabel also was the perfect antidote to the two of them as she's the voice of reason and common sense so they all balance each other out in the end! I loved the up and down friendship between Harriet and Nat which I think will be relatable to a lot of people. When you're fifteen it's so easy for jealousy to get in the way of things are for you to blow everything out of proportion. I recognised their friendship immediately. The boys in this book were great too, from swoon-worthy model Nick to bumbling, fellow geek and Harriet stalker Toby.

The plot of Geek Girl sees Harriet spotted and whisked off to become a model, despite loathing the fashion world and being much happier watching documentaries. Harriet herself sees it as a chance to change herself after the taunting she gets at school for being a geek. I loved the balance of crazy, hysterical plot and realistic teen issues. We've all been there when you start to question who you are because you are teased about it. Some of the moments Harriet has at school were so reminiscent of my own experiences that I really connected with her in those moments. I think the underlying themes and tones of the book are immensely positive and it's all about learning to embrace who you are. I really appreciated the rubbish decisions Harriet makes as well because making mistakes is how you learn! And she learns a lot over the course of the book.

The book had lots of short chapters and every so often you'd get a chapter beginning with a list because Harriet loves lists, and as a list-lover myself books with lists in automatically make me love them a bit more! The fast pace of the book made it utterly addictive as well. I just couldn't put it down because it was so much fun and there was constantly something happening.

There are probably a billion and one things I've forgotten to mention in this review, because trying to remember all the amazing things about a book this awesome is hard! I absolutely adored it. I loved Harriet, I loved the story and I thought the writing was just perfect. It was a quick read but one that really packed a punch and it was exactly the kind of fun read I needed, but I liked that it had its serious moments as well. It was the perfect balance. I'll be recommending this book to pretty much anyone I talk to from now on and the fab news is that there are more Geek Girl books! The sequel Model Misfit comes out this month and I can't wait to read it.

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Model Misfit by Holly Smale, the second book in the Geek Girl series
Books like this: Geehkood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb

[Blog Tour] Review & Giveaway: The Girl Next Door by Selene Castrovilla

 Today I'm excited to be hosting a stop on The Girl Next Door blog tour hosted by A Book and A Latte PR . Read on for my review of the book plus an awesome giveaway!

The Girl Next Door by Selene Castrovilla

Author: Selene Castrovilla Website|Twitter
Published: 24 May 2013 (ASD Publishing)
Format: Kindle e-book
Buy the paperback: Amazon US|BookDepository|Barnes & Noble
Buy the e-book: Kindle US|Kindle UK|Kobo|iTunes

Source: Received free copy in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour. Thanks to the author and A Book and a Latte tours!

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Two teens are forced to make some very grown-up decisions when one of them is diagnosed with terminal cancer, twisting them into an unpredictable nightmare. Best friends since toddlerhood, Samantha and Jesse grapple with the realization that they are actually in love. What now? Beautifully written while handling a very heavy topic, Castrovilla addresses the universal question: In a world where the worst can strike at any time, how can we ever feel safe?

My Review:
The Girl Next Door tells the story of Sam, whose best friend Jesse is dying of cancer. With time ticking away, the two of them must tackle their feelings for each other and make the best of the time they have together.

Now I'll admit, I love a sad book. I know some people can be put off about books which are going to tug at your heartstrings and turn you into an emotional wreck, but books that move me and tackle real, dark subjects are always high on my list. And The Girl Next Door is a sad book. The opening few chapters are quite bleak, and once I read that the main character Sam's dad is a 9/11 victim on top of the fact that her best friend is dying of cancer I was nervous. I knew this was going to be a tough book to read, but instantly I felt for the characters and the situation they're in and was able to get wrapped up in a powerful, emotional and heartwarming read.

The book is told from Sam's point of view, so we get to see how she deals with the prospect of losing her best friend. I liked that nothing was sugar-coated, and that we get to see the real low points of Sam's struggle. As well as tackling Jesse's cancer, the author has also taken on the issue of depression with Sam getting help to deal with her feelings about Jess dying. I was really glad to see that subject approached, and it made me really sympathise with Sam and what she is going through as well. I think it proved that sometimes you have to look after yourself and be selfish! I could relate personally to that situations, as I've been ill myself (although thankfully nothing as serious as cancer) and those around me have also felt the blow of having to live with and care for someone with a chronic illness. It's something that affects everyone.

But the book definitely isn't all bleak! At the end of the day it's a love story, and Sam and Jess have some incredibly sweet moments. I loved their little heart-to-hearts as they discuss their feelings for each other and the future, and their "seize the moment" attitude was something that really resonated with me. I always love a good friends to more-than-friends story. You can tell that Sam and Jess already have this amazing chemistry and trust between them. Plus there's some steamy scenes between the two of them. Jess is scared of dying a virgin, and so there's a fair few sex references/scenes in there. I thought they were really well done and it was so sweet seeing their relationship develop and the two of them really making the most of the time they have together.

One of the book's real strengths was definitely the characters. I loved Sam's mum who's a writer, and Maria, Jess's crazy housekeeper. Plus Sam's little brother Ted was adorable! He dresses up in his sister's clothes and plays with dolls. I want to see more characters like Ted who break the mold and are accepted for who they are.  I also thought the strained relationship between Jess and his mum Gwen was a great plot line. She's really struggling to cope with Jesse's cancer and the two of them have never really been close. Seeing them facing some challenging circumstances really allowed the two characters to develop.

The Girl Next Door is quite a quick read, but the story and the characters really root themselves in your brain. I think you really come away from the story with an appreciation of life and those around you, and it makes you want to seize the moment and look out for yourself. Yes, it's sad, but there are some lovely uplifting scenes to balance it out. The writing was brilliant, and I'd definitely be interested in reading more by this author.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Saved by the Music by Selene Castrovilla
Books like this: Before I Die by Jenny Downham, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

About Selene Castrovilla

Selene Castrovilla is an award-winning teen and children’s author who believes that through all trends, humanity remains at the core of literature. She is the author of Saved By the Music and The Girl Next Door, teen novels originally published by WestSide Books and now available digitally through ASD Publishing. Her third children’s book with Calkins Creek Books, Revolutionary Friends, was released in April. She is also a contributing author to UncommonYA.  Selene holds an MFA in creative writing from New School University and a BA in English from New York University. She lives on Long Island with her two sons. Visit her website www.SeleneCastrovilla.com for book excerpts and more information!

Author links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

Selene Castrovilla teams up with The AVM Foundation

Selene is pleased to team with the Anthony V. Mannino Foundation helping young adults in their fight against cancer. She will donate $1 for each book ordered during THE GIRL NEXT DOOR's Blog Tour!

Selene will send a free autographed copy of THE GIRL NEXT DOOR to anyone who donates $25 or more to the foundation (click here to donate!). For your purchase to count and/or to show proof of donation, just send a screenshot or receipt of your order or donation, along with your shipping address if necessary, through "Drop me a line" in the "Latest News" section of her website, selenecastrovilla.com.

The AVM Foundation Mission:

The Mission of The Anthony V. Mannino Foundation is to financially assist young adults in the age group of 18-26 while they are undergoing their cancer treatment.  We also want to help development support programs to aid this unique age group, with their special needs, as they battle cancer. 

We found that Anthony's age group of 18 plus, doesn't have the emotional or financial support that other age groups do. We are also aware of the unique situations that this age group faces and want to help those adolescents and their families.

Giveaway! 

Grand prize is a  Kindle Fire + THE GIRL NEXT DOOR ebook (US only), and 10 second prize winners will receive an ebook copy of THE GIRL NEXT DOOR (International). 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour!  

September 9th

Katie's Books (Interview & Review)

A Book and a Latte (Excerpt)

September 10th

Books Over Boys (Feature) 

Happy Book Lovers (Review)

September 11th

Dear Teen Me (Feature)

Read For Your Future (Review)

September 12th

Books, Authors, Blogs (Guest Post )

Musings From An Addicted Reader (Review)

September 13th

Books and Needlepoint (Review)

alwaysjoart (Review)

September 16th

Writer's Alley (Interview)

Oops! I Read A Book Again (Review)

September 17th 

The Storyteller's Scroll (Guest Post)

Dana's YA Bookpile (Review)

September 18th

YA Reads (Interview) 

My Library in the Making (Review)

September 19th

Once Upon a Twilight (Review)

Total Teen Fiction (Review)

September 20th

The Unconventional Librarian (Guest Post)

Mythical Books (Review)

Waiting on Wednesday (#12): Model Misfit by Holly Smale

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine and gives bloggers the chance to highlight future releases we're excited about.

Model Misfit (Geek Girl, #2) by Holly Smale

Published: 26th September 2013 (Harper Collins Children's Books)

Amazon|Goodreads

“My name is Harriet Manners, and I am still a geek.” Harriet knows that modelling won’t transform you. She knows that being as uniquely odd as a polar bear isn’t necessarily a bad thing (even in a rainforest). And that the average person eats a ton of food a year, though her pregnant stepmother is doing her best to beat this. What Harriet doesn’t know is where she’s going to fit in once the new baby arrives. With summer plans ruined, modelling in Japan seems the perfect chance to get as far away from home as possible. But nothing can prepare Harriet for the craziness of Tokyo, her competitive model flatmates and her errant grandmother’s ‘chaperoning’. Or seeing gorgeous Nick everywhere she goes. Because, this time, Harriet knows what a broken heart feels like. Can geek girl find her place on the other side of the world or is Harriet lost for good?

I just finished the first Geek Girl book which I loved and made me giggle like a madwoman, so I'm dying to get my hands on the next one already! At least I don't have too much longer to wait! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Autumn TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's top ten is books on out autumn TBR (to be read) lists. It was hard narrowing this down because my TBR is crazy out of control right now but here are the highlights!

Requiem by Lauren Oliver
I still haven't finished this trilogy and I've been SO nervous about it. I adored Delirium and Pandemonium and I've heard that the ending of Requiem is a bit controversial. The paperback comes out this month so I'll finally get my hands on it.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I've been hearing amazing things about this series and the sequel just came out, so I need to catch up!

Angelfall by Susan Ee
Another book that's had an amazing reception. The sequel comes out here in November so I need to hurry up.

Geek Girl: Model Misfit by Holly Smale
I just finished the first book and adored it with a passion! The sequel comes out this month.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
Code Name Verity was one of my favourite books of the year so far. I'd put a library hold on this one before I'd even finished CNV! I can't wait to read it, although after the heart shattering that went on in CNV I am fearing for my emotions.

The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter
I've just got book three from the library so  that book is pretty high up, but the sixth and final book just came out so I'm going to try and blitz through them all this autumn!

More Than This by Patrick Ness
I loved the Chaos Walking trilogy and A Monster Calls so I am dying to read Ness' latest release! I managed to blag a signed copy at my local bookshop this week.

Soulmates by Holly Bourne
I've been hearing buzz about this one for months and months, plus it's UKYA! I bought a copy recently so I'll definitely be reading it soon.

Every Day by David Levithan
Again, I've heard this book is incredible and its just come out in the UK so I bought myself a copy.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewel
Because I am so ridiculously far behind on my children's classics challenge that I need to throw at least one  into this list!

Books Are My Bag: The Little Apple Bookshop & Waterstones York

So if you're around on Twitter you may have noticed the Books are my Bag campain to promote local bookshops. The big launch was Saturday 14th and so I decided to head into town and visit two of my local bookshops!

First I visited my local Waterstones. I wasn't too sure how much they were participating but when I got inside I discovered Books are my Bag balloons behind the till - hurrah! I headed downstairs to the YA section (my first port of call in that shop every time) and spent time browsing. First up I spotted Soulmates by Holly Bourne which was one of the books I had in mind when I headed into town. Because it was on buy one get one half price I just had to buy something else! So I grabbed Every Day by David Levithan because it's a book everyone seems to be talking about. I got to the till and the bookseller was super lovely! I asked if they had tote bags and they did, so I got my books in my very own Books are my Bag bag - woo! Thank you Waterstones York!

Next up I headed to my local independent bookshop which is the other side of town. It's a gorgeous little shop right by the minster (the whole time I was there the bells were ringing out!).

As you can see they had balloons up outside and banners in the window. I was so excited! I went in with my mum and we both spend a long time browsing. There's so much to look at in there! You want to explore every nook and cranny to make sure you don't miss anything.

My mum picked up two books and I had one in my hand, but once I got to the till I spotted they had a signed copy of More Than This by Patrick Ness so I put my other book back and grabbed that one whilst doing a little dance of joy!

Then I had a lovely chat with the bookseller about Patrick Ness and how awesome his books are. In fact my mum and I probably stayed for ten/fifteen minutes just having a chat with her about everything which was SO nice! It really reminded me exactly what the point of the day was. You just don't get a better book buying experience than that. Anyway, here are some photos I took of the super lovely shop!

Super lovely bookseller!

Me with my goodies by all the Books are my Bag bunting!

Oh and as you can see she gave me a balloon, which I loved because I am a big kid. I carried it around with pride along with my new tote bag. Yay! I left with the biggest smile on my face. Once I got home I checked Twitter to see everyone else talking about their visits to bookshops and what they had bought. It was honestly so uplifting and moving to see everybody come together like that.

So here's me outside the two wonderful shops I visited today. Excuse the fact I am being blinded in one photo and look miserable in the other. I am not photogenic.

And here are my goodies!

I have a funny story about the tote bag because when I got home I discovered one of my totes had the name of The Bookshop Kibworth on it. So, being the Twitter addict I am, I looked that shop up on Twitter and gave them a tweet! I've decided it's my destiny to visit that shop one day now, so whenever I'm next in Kibworth I shall be dropping by with my bag!

@TotalTeenFic Que?! That is officially *bizarre*! What have @BAbooksellers @IndieBound_UK been up to?! #crazymixup
— TheBookshopKibworth (@kibworthbooks) September 14, 2013

@TotalTeenFic Marvellous! #serendipity xx
— TheBookshopKibworth (@kibworthbooks) September 14, 2013

I really hope I can carry on visiting and supporting my local bookshops. It's quite a hard thing for me because I'm not currently in a position to work and money is tight, so splurging on books means I have to sacrifice something else. But just little things like being able to chat to the booksellers and discovering that signed Patrick Ness book really sparked something in me. If I'm going to treat myself to a book in future I'll definitely be checking out what The Little Apple Bookshop has in store, because that feeling of finding something special and leaving the shop feeling so happy is something I want more of!

For more information about the Books are my Bag campaign then check out the following links:

www.booksaremybag.com
twitter.com/booksaremybag
facebook.com/booksaremybag
booksellers.org.uk

Weekly Book Round Up! 15th September

 Weekly Book Round Up!

This week marked the launch of Books are my Bag, a celebration of local bookshops. To mark this I popped along to two of the bookshops in town to buy some books and show my support. I'll be doing a bigger post on the day tomorrow so keep an eye out for that! But for now here's my haul, along with the other bookish happenings from over the past week. As always I love hearing from you in the comments so let me know what you've been reading!

Bought:

Every Day by David Levithan
Soulmates by Holly Bourne

I bought these first two at Waterstones York which has a super duper YA section! And they had tote bags which is where I got my first Books are my Bag tote. I've heard amazing things about both these books so I can't wait to read them.

More Than This by Patrick Ness

Eeeeee! I'm SO SO excited about this one. This was from The Little Apple Bookshop in York and I actually had another book in my hand when I saw this gorgeous thing by the till, so I put that one down and grabbed it! It's only a signed copy! I love Patrick Ness so I can't wait to dive into this one.

Currently reading:
Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris

Books finished: 
Resist by Sarah Crossan

Geek Girl by Holly Smale
The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Books reviewed:
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

Library books:

Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover by Ally Carter
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Won:

BZRK and BZRK Reloaded by Micheal Grant

I mentioned these books last week but they arrived in the post this week so I'll include them here too. Thanks Egmont!

Kindle freebies:
Dark Wings by Skyla Madi

(It was free at the time but isn't now, sorry!)

Other posts:
Waiting on Wednesday: Cress by Marissa Meyer
Book Trailer: Champion by Marie Lu and Unhinged by A. G. Howard
News Round Up!