A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton

Title: A Witch in Love (Winter Trilogy #2)
Author: Ruth Warburton
Release Date: July 5, 2012 (paperback)
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Pages: 416
Source: Copy provided by publisher

Overall: 4 Stars

Summary:

Anna still finds it hard to believe that Seth loves her and has vowed to suppress her powers, no matter what. But magic - like love - is uncontrollable and soon, Anna is being hunted. Abe wants Anna to embrace her power, while Seth is pushing Anna to accept that his feelings are real. She finally does ... a moment too late. Suddenly, it's like the Salem witch trials all over again: burnings, torture and faceless judgements. In the face of the ultimate betrayal, who will save her?

The second novel in the Winter trilogy, this follows the critically acclaimed debut A Witch in Winter. 

My Thoughts: 
Several months have passed since the events in the first novel, A Witch in Winter, and Anna is happily in love with Seth, although a part of herself still secretly doubts his feelings are true because of the enchantment she accidentally cast when they first met. Trying to forget the Ealdwitan's attack on the coastal town of Winter, Anna tries her best to act normal and represses her magic. Emmaline and Abe know Anna is capable of becoming a powerful witch, but she'll never learn how to properly control her powers if she's too afraid to practice using them. Despite Anna's best efforts though, danger still finds its way back into her life...

Emmaline continued to be a supportive best friend who stood by Anna's side, and also tried to help Anna be more confident in her abilities. She's the only person Anna can trust to confide in when she learns more about her mother's mysterious disappearance years ago and how it's connected to why it took her so long to discover she was a witch. I also have very affectionate feelings for Abe! He has a stronger role to play this time around and Abe really pulls through for Anna when she needs it the most! 

One of the issues I had with A Witch in Winter was the the strength of Anna and Seth's feelings for each other and how suddenly they came about. However, I found the romance to be much more believable in A Witch in Love because of the passage of time between the two novels. I still don't think there's anything particularly special about Seth which leaves me swooning, but if he makes Anna happy, then I guess I'm glad for her. I think I'm still a bit more partial to Abe though!

A Witch in Love is a spellbinding sequel that will leave readers desperately wishing for the final novel in the trilogy! It's a good thing there's only a few more months until the release of A Witch Alone because I cannot wait to see how Ruth Warburton will conclude Anna's story. A Witch in Love combines mystery, romance, and the magic of witchcraft to deliver an addicting read you won't want to put down!

Thanks so much to Hachette Children's Books UK for sending this review copy!

Yesterday Blog Tour! Author Interview with... C.K. Kelly Martin

I'm really excited to be taking part today in the Canadian blog tour for C.K. Kelly Martin's new novel, Yesterday, which was just released in bookstores a few days ago!

I was fortunate to get my hands on an ARC of Yesterday and as soon as I started reading it, I couldn't set it back down! While C.K. Kelly Martin might be more well-known for her contemporary novels like The Lighter Side of Life and Death and One Lonely Degree, I'd describe her latest novel as thriller meets science fiction!

Thanks to Random House Canada, I was able to ask the Canadian author a few questions about Yesterday... 

THEN: The formation of the UNA, the high threat of eco-terrorism, the mammoth rates of unemployment and subsequent escape into a world of virtual reality are things any student can read about in their twenty-first century textbooks and part of the normal, background noise to Freya Kallas' life. Until that world starts to crumble.

NOW: It's 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief of her father's death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy? When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can't get him out of her head. She's sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they've never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered. Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from. Yesterday will appeal to fans of James Dashner's The Maze Runner, Veronica Roth's Divergent, Amy Ryan's Glow, Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Ally Condie's Matched. 

1) I really liked the strength and perseverance Freya showed in trying to find answers about her past. Who was your favourite character to write in Yesterday?

Freya was my favourite too because even when she’s inwardly freaking out she still has so much courage. Like you said, she’s tenacious as hell. I really loved Garren and Latham too and was quite drawn to Christine because she does her own thing and doesn’t seem to care what other people think of her. Outwardly she seems very different to Freya but is still willing to give her a chance and offer her friendship – a lot of people wouldn’t do that.

2) With the exception of perhaps My Beating Teenage Heart, your previous novels would definitely fall under the contemporary genre without a doubt. What inspired you to take a different direction this time around with Yesterday and write a novel with more of a science fiction touch?

One of my all-time favourite books is John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids and I’m a big fan of sci-fi TV shows like Fringe, Doctor Who, Torchwood, the original U.K. Life on Mars (time travel – I guess that makes it sci-fi?), Star Trek Next Generation and Stargate Atlantis so I’ve been itching to write something with a sci-fi bent for a while. Because I’d written a bunch of contemporary YAs in a row (more than have made it to shelves so far because they seem to be a harder sell at the moment than novels with fantastical elements) I really wanted to do something I hadn’t before. I’ve also written a “new adult” book and have been working on a middle grade too. Contemporary YA is my favourite thing to write but it’s important to me to keep things feeling fresh and for that I have to stretch myself, otherwise I get restless.  

3) As a Canadian from Ontario, I really loved how you set most of the events in and Toronto! Why did you decide to write about Freya's story in TO and was there a particular reason why the events occur in the year 1985?

Thanks! I’m so glad you liked the Toronto setting. I’ve actually set all my YA books in Southern Ontario because it and Ireland are where I’ve spent most of my time.  Plus, we’re so overshadowed culturally by the United States – most of the books we read and movies we see seem to be set in the U.S. – and personally, I love to see Canadian settings represented. I even get excited when I see Toronto standing in for U.S. cities in movies (like in the Cillian Murphy movie, Red Lights, which I saw the other day) but especially enjoy when the city gets to star as itself (eg. in Canadian TV shows The Listener and Being Erica).

As for the time, I have a special fondness for 1985 because I was sixteen then myself and the music was flat out amazing. I wouldn’t trade growing up then for anything. Pre-Internet it was a more innocent time to grow up.

4) Music from the 1980s played a role in Yesterday, and you've dedicated a good portion of your Acknowledgements to different artists and bands from the time period. What songs helped to inspire different scenes and would be featured on a playlist for the novel?

I have a Yesterday playlist on my website so you can kind of line up some scenes with the music for them.

For instance, there’s a scene where Freya goes to a party and Everything Must Change (Paul Young) and 1999 (Prince) are playing. To this day I don’t think there’s a better song about alienation than The Smiths’ How Soon is Now which made it the perfect tune for Freya, who is feeling very disengaged from everything around her, to form an attachment too. Don’t You Forget About Me was my graduating song in 1985 and I still love it bits. Way more 80s songs than would ever reasonably fit on a playlist were inspirational too, though, and one of the songs I associate most strongly with the book is Every Generation Got Its Own Disease by Fury in the Slaughterhouse.

5) Can you share with us what you're working on next for readers to enjoy?

I’m not sure what’s going to come out yet next but I currently have two YA contemporary books being shopped around to publishers and I’m working on a third and contemplating a fourth. I would also love the chance to write a Yesterday sequel if the sales for the first book would pave the way for that because I have definite ideas about it!

Thanks for the chat, Liz! 

*****

Thanks so much to C.K. Kelly Martin for answering my questions about Yesterday! I'm definitely hoping there will be a sequel to the novel! If you'd like to learn more about Yesterday, you can visit C.K. Kelly Martin's author website, follow her on Twitter, or friend her on Facebook.

The blog tour for Yesterday will be taking place all week long, and you can find the rest of the participating Canadian blogs below:

Sunday, September 23 - Guest Post at Diary of a Bookworm
Monday, September 24 - Q&A at Just a Lil’ Lost

Tuesday, September 25 - Q&A at Mermaid Visions
Wednesday, September 26 - Guest Post at Evie Bookish
Thursday, September 27 - Q&A at Midnight Bloom Reads
Friday, September 28 - Q&A at Book Nerd

Book Trailer! - Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

The book trailer for Theo Lawrence's debut novel, Mystic City, has been unveiled! I haven't really read any reviews for the novel yet, but the plot description first captured my attention months ago, and since then, I've been keeping an eye on Mystic City...

Enjoy the book trailer! Are you looking forward to reading Theo Lawrence's Mystic City? With a combination of dystopian elements, political strife and romance, it sounds like the book has the potential to be really great!

Release Date: October 9, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Summary (from Random House Canada):

For fans of Matched, The Hunger Games, X-Men, and Blade Runner comes a tale of a magical city divided, a political rebellion ignited, and a love that was meant to last forever. Book One of the Mystic City Novels.

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

Waiting on Wednesday (116) - The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

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

Release Date: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
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Summary (from Goodreads):

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Considering the fact that Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series is one of my absolute favourites to read, I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to feature The Lost Prince as my WoW pick! Before reading the Iron Fey series, I wasn't really a fan of reading books featuring faeries, but that totally changed after reading Julie Kagawa's The Iron King. And now it's Ethan's time to shine in the new spin-off series, The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten! He was a little boy when we first met him, but now he's all grown up and finding himself pulled back into a magical world he thought he could escape. I cannot wait to see what thrills and danger will be in store for us when The Lost Prince is finally released!

Book Trailer! - The Blessed by Tonya Hurley

I somehow missed watching the book trailer for The Blessed, the first novel in a new series by Tonya Hurley, when it was first revealed on EW's Shelf Life a week or so ago, but it's certainly left me much more curious to read the book! It's very dark and mysterious, and vague enough to leave me wondering more about the spiritual identities of the three main girls...

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the trailer! And are you excited to read The Blessed?

Release Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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Summary (from Simon & Schuster Canada):

From the author of the New York Times bestselling ghostgirl series, the start to a captivating and haunting teen trilogy about three girls who become entangled with an enigmatic boy—a boy who believes he is a saint.

What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?

Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief.

Book Trailer! - Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Harlequin Teen premiered the book trailer for Gena Showalter's Alice in Zombieland, the first novel in The White Rabbit Chronicles, earlier today on their Facebook page! 

I'm really loving this book trailer! The background music is haunting and creepy, and the scenes they acted out in the trailer are straight from the novel and capture some of the darkness that has entered Alice's life. I was lucky to borrow an ARC from a friend earlier in the summer, and after really loving Alice in Zombieland, I'm definitely excited to get my hands on a finished copy soon!

Release Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
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Summary (from Harlequin):

She won't rest until she's sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that's all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real.

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn't careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies.

Waiting on Wednesday (115) - Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg

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

Release Date: March 1, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Point
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Summary (from Goodreads):

A hilarious new novel from Elizabeth Eulberg about taking the wall out of the wallflower so she can bloom.

Don't mess with a girl with a Great Personality.

Everybody loves Lexi. She's popular, smart, funny...but she's never been one of those girls, the pretty ones who get all the attention from guys. And on top of that, her seven-year-old sister, Mackenzie, is a terror in a tiara, and part of a pageant scene where she gets praised for her beauty (with the help of fake hair and tons of makeup).

Lexi's sick of it. She's sick of being the girl who hears about kisses instead of getting them. She's sick of being ignored by her longtime crush, Logan. She's sick of being taken for granted by her pageant-obsessed mom. And she's sick of having all her family's money wasted on a phony pursuit of perfection.

The time has come for Lexi to step out from the sidelines. Girls without great personalities aren't going to know what hit them. Because Lexi's going to play the beauty game - and she's in it to win it.

If you're a fan of contemporary YA novels and still haven't read a novel by Elizabeth Eulberg yet, then you're truly missing out! My sister and I are huge fans of her novels, so we're both totally excited for the release of her next upcoming book, Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality! The description sounds really heartwarming, but also tons of fun! I wonder what kinds of situations Lexi will find herself in as she plots her revenge... I can't wait to read Elizabeth Eulberg's Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality!   

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Title: Pushing The Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Release Date: July 31, 2012 (hardcover)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 416
Source: Copy provided by publisher

Overall: 5 Stars

Summary:

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again. 

My Thoughts: 
In a way, Pushing The Limits took me by surprise. A part of myself was expecting to read a book that would feature a clichéd storyline and unoriginal characters (you know, popular girl falling for a boy on the wrong side of the tracks sort of thing), but there's so much more to the novel than meets the eye. While there's plenty of romance to leave you swooning, Katie McGarry's has written a novel that's emotionally hard-hitting and makes your heart reach out to its main characters. 

Noah once had a bright future, but after a terrible house fire took the life of his parents a few years ago, he found himself lost in the foster care system. Since then, he's gained a bad boy reputation at school, but he actually has a heart of gold, not that he'd let anyone truly see it. He's also fiercely protective of his two younger brothers and would do anything to make them happy.  

Echo's life is also far from perfection. She's still struggling to piece together the part of her past which left her arms with scars and traumatized enough to wipe her memory of the event. Her best friend, Lila, has stuck by her side through everything, but not even Lila can help make Echo feel normal again, not after all the heartbreak and family drama that has happened in her life.   

I really liked how when the inevitable moment came along that would try to break the couple apart, Noah and Echo dealt with it openly together. Too often, I'm frustrated when one character suddenly decides to call all the shots while leaving the other person with no say, but this didn't happen in the book. Noah and Echo's personalities complemented each other, and they were able to offer strength and comfort to one another when nobody else understood the tough times they were going through.

Katie McGarry's debut novel Pushing The Limits is one of the best romantic contemporaries I've read all year. I could have sworn I saw sparks flying off the pages because the chemistry between Echo and Noah was too hot to be contained! I'm definitely considering it to be among my favourites, and I'm sure I'll be finding myself reading it again and again in the future. I'm really excited to read the companion novel, Dare You To, which will be released in 2013!  

Thanks so much to Harlequin Teen for providing this review copy!

Entice Me Day: Team Lincoln!

As a Street Team blogger for the ENTICE ME DAY campaign, I couldn't be more excited to cheer on Lincoln today as part of the celebration for the recent release of Jessica Shirvington's Entice, the second novel in the Embrace series!

All week long, Sourcebooks Fire and other bloggers have been posting and tweeting up a storm about some of the different characters from the Embrace series... and today is Lincoln's turn to be featured!

You can read more on Lincoln's character bio (and who wouldn't want to know everything about this hot Grigori?), but hopefully what's written below is already enough to leave you swooning... All I can say is, "Team Lincoln for the win!"

Every day Violet Eden wonders whether she made the right choice.

She still doesn't fully understand these powers she's been granted as a half-angel Grigori. And worse, isn't even sure she's capable of using them. Stab someone through the heart? Really?

No matter how bad things get, though, Violet doesn't run and she doesn't quit. Even if it means she can never allow herself to love the guy she longs for. Even if it means asking her enemy for help. Even if no one is telling her the truth. 

The war between Exiles and Angels is on—and she's wanted by both sides.

“People couldn’t become legendary heroes if they hadn’t first done something to combat darkness." —Lincoln  

With the most breathtaking green eyes, he’s gorgeous, athletic and so hard not to fall in love with. Mr. Darcy and Bruce Wayne wrapped up in one, Lincoln is the man Violet absolutely trusts, secretly fell for—and then she learned her destiny. Now, Grigori partners, there are rules they aren’t allowed to break. But the rules can’t control feelings... 

Under the Harbour Bridge at the Sydney wharves, Jessica dishes the dirt in the vlog below on the stuff you always wanted to know about this heroic warrior!

*****

ENTICE ME DAY will be taking place on Saturday, September 15... but don't forget to visit the official US Embrace series website where you can learn more about the series in general and check out cool extra features. You can also take a fun "favourite quote" quiz and vote on some of your favourite lines.

And if you live in the US, Sourcebooks Fire is also hosting a pretty awesome sweepstakes with prizes like a NOOK Color, free ebooks, an early excerpt of Emblaze (the third novel in the series), and more! You can find all the details on the Entice Me Day page on the Embrace series website. There's even going to be a live chat with Jessica Shirvington on ENTICE ME DAY!

And you'll definitely be wanting to keep updated about the Embrace series by following @SourcebooksFire and @EmbraceSeries on Twitter, plus "liking" the official Embrace Facebook page, for more chances to win giveaways and find out more about the books!

Waiting on Wednesday (114) - Sever by Lauren DeStefano

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

Release Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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Summary (from Simon & Schuster Canada):

Time is running out for Rhine in this conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden Trilogy.

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.

I don't think my excitement can be contained while anxiously awaiting the release of Lauren DeStefano's Sever! Just reading the book synopsis gives me nervous tingles because I have no idea what to expect in the final installment of the Chemical Garden trilogy. Will there be hope for Rhine and Gabriel, or will we get our hearts broken by the end? And in a world where the younger generation barely live into their 20s, what will that mean for Rhine? One of my theories is that Rhine's genetic makeup will help save the human race, but there are so many other possibilities which Lauren DeStefano can explore in the conclusion that leave me so impatient to learn the answer!

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen

Title: The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen
Author: Susin Nielsen
Release Date: September 11, 2012 (hardcover)
Publisher: Tundra Books
Pages: 256
Source: ARC provided by publisher

Overall: 5 Stars

Summary:

Thirteen-year-old Henry’s happy, ordinary life comes to an abrupt halt when his older brother, Jesse, picks up their father’s hunting rifle and leaves the house one morning. What follows shatters Henry’s family, who are forced to resume their lives in a new city, where no one knows their past. When Henry’s therapist suggests he keep a journal, at first he is resistant. But soon he confides in it at all hours of the day and night.

In spite of Henry’s desire to “fly under the radar,” he eventually befriends a number of oddball characters, both at school and in his modest apartment building. And even though they know nothing about his past – at least, not yet – they help him navigate the waters of life after “IT.”

Susin Nielsen has created a fantastic new character in Henry, whose journal entries are infused with humor and provide a riveting read about a family in turmoil. 

My Thoughts:
After completely falling in love with Susin Nielsen's Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom a couple of years ago, I couldn't contain my excitement when I got my hands on her new novel. I wasn't too sure what to make of the rather obscure book cover at first, but the premise immediately reeled me in and I couldn't tear my eyes away from its compelling pages. The cover really does make much more sense once you begin reading the novel, tying into aspects about Henry's life really well...

In the wake of a terrible moment which shatters the Larsen family apart, Henry reluctantly begins to confide his thoughts in a journal his therapist gives him. Henry puts up a good front with his sarcastic remarks, but he's really a lonely boy who's still struggling to come to terms with his older brother's actions and trying to return to some semblance of normality after "IT". The subject matter may be the darkest of Susin Nielsen's novels yet, but there's a refreshing honesty in her storytelling that is also humorous and absolutely heartwarming.

Bullying has affected Henry's life in so many ways, yet even when he feels angry at the world, there's still a certain innocence and charm about this thirteen year-old boy that just makes you smile and also hope he never loses it. With the help of his new school friends, Farley and Alberta, and some well-meaning neighbours at his new home, Henry slowly overcomes his grief and learns to open himself up to others again.

With a quirky cast of characters and a thought-provoking storyline, Susin Nielsen's latest novel is a gem you don't want to miss. If you have ever been bullied in your life, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen will especially strike a chord within your heart. I was completely touched and moved to tears at times, yet smiling like crazy at other moments, a feat I'm not sure how Susin Nielsen manages, but she truly does!

I laughed. I cried. Susin Nielsen's The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen is an absolute must-read for everyone.

Thanks so much to Random House Canada for providing this review copy!

Q&A and Giveaway! Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

If I had to recommend a YA contemporary read with romance and a heartfelt storyline, Katie McGarry's Pushing The Limits would definitely be one of the first books to come to mind! The book was released in the middle of summer, but if you still haven't had a chance to check out Katie McGarry's amazing debut novel, then the giveaway below may be perfect for you! But first, you can read this Q&A with the author which is also featured as a nice little extra at the end of Pushing The Limits...

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Q: What was your inspiration for writing Pushing the Limits? 
A: I had two main inspirations: One, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to write a story in which my characters felt strong enough to leave their pasts behind and create new futures for themselves. The first scene I ever saw in my mind was Echo and Noah leaving town after graduation. Two, I wanted to write two characters who were facing over- whelming issues and who, through battling these issues, found hope at the end of their journey.

Q: How did you come up with Echo’s name?
A: Echo went through several name changes as I wrote the manuscript. For a while, she had a very normal name, but it always felt off. It wasn’t until I looked at Echo from her mother’s point of view that I found her name. Echo’s mother loved Greek mythology so it made perfect sense that she would name her children after the myths. I read several Greek myths and the moment I found Echo’s, I fell in love. Echo, to me, was the girl who lost her voice. Thankfully, she finds it by the end.

Q: Which character is the most “like” you?
A: All of them. I gave each character a piece of me (though some have larger slices of me than others). Overall, I’d say I’m a strange combination of Echo, Lila and Beth. Echo has my need to please, Lila has my unfailing loyalty to my friends and Beth encompasses my insecurities.

Q: Did you experience friendships with Grace types when you were in high school?
A: Yes. And the more people have read this story, the more this question comes up. Grace has struck a stronger nerve in people than I ever would have imagined. It seems most of us have unfortunately experienced a relationship where a person wants to “like” you and wants “be your friend,” but only if it serves their needs. In case anyone is wondering, that isn’t friendship.

Q: Are there any parts of the story you feel particularly close to?
A: Yes. The relationship between Noah, Isaiah and Beth. Beyond my parents and sister, my nearest family members were over fourteen hours away. My friends became my family. The people I grew up with were more than people I watched movies with or talked to occasionally on the phone. These were people with whom I shared life’s most devastating moments, but also my hardest laughs. These were people who I would have willingly died for and I know they would have done the same for me. They shared my triumphs with smiles on their faces and congratulatory hugs. They held me when I cried and offered to beat up whoever hurt my feelings. These were also the same people who were more than happy to get in my face if they thought I was making a wrong decision.

Q: Did anything that happens to Echo happen to you?
A: Sort of. I was bitten by a dog when I was in second grade and repressed the memory. It felt very strange to have no memory of an incident that other people knew about. It was even stranger to have injuries and not have an inkling where they came from. In college, I finally remembered the incident when a dog lunged at me. I relived the horrible event and sort of “woke up” a few minutes later to find myself surrounded by people I loved. Even though I “remember” the incident, I still don’t remember the whole thing. I only see still frames in my mind and there is no blood in any of the memories. 

About Author Katie McGarry:

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and she remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Writing has given Katie an excuse to pursue her passions. Research for her books has provided her with the amazing opportunity to train with baseball players, ride along in a drag car at ninety-six miles per hour and experience boxing and mixed martial arts. Katie loves to visit schools and talk to teenagers about her research, writing and the truth that no dream is out of reach.

Giveaway! Thanks to Harlequin Teen and Media Masters Publicity, I'll be giving away ONE finished copy of Katie McGarry's Pushing The Limits to a lucky reader! Here are more of the details:

• please fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter
• must have a US / Canada mailing address
• giveaway will end at 12:00 am on September 14, 2012 (I know, I know, short deadline this time around. It's completely my fault for not posting this sooner. Sorry!)
• winner will be contacted shortly afterwords 
• do not leave your email address in the comments
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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You can purchase a copy of Pushing The Limits at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound, Chapters/Indigo, etc. Don't forget to check out Katie McGarry's website, follow her on Twitter, and "like" her Facebook page.

And if you missed it before, you can watch the Pushing The Limits book trailer on an earlier post I wrote!

Mark Your Calendars Canadians! September Edition

To my fellow Canadians, are you ready to mark your calendars? Here are some upcoming YA bookish events to look forward to in September!

Smart Chicks Kick It! Tour

• Thursday, September 13 at 6 pm ~ Chapters Westside, Edmonton, Alberta.
•  The authors attending are: Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Ally Condie, Charles de Lint, Beth Revis, Veronica Roth and Margaret Stohl

• Saturday, September 15 at 2 pm ~ Chapters Pointe-Claire, Pointe-Claire, Quebec.
• The authors attending are: Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Rachel Caine, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Melissa de la Cruz, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

• Sunday, September 16 at 2 pm ~ Chapters Dartmouth, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
• The authors attending are: Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Melissa de la Cruz, Charles de Lint, Sarah Rees Brennan and Jeri Smith-Ready

James Dashner

James Dashner, bestselling author of the Maze Runner series, will be stopping by Toronto to celebrate the release of A Mutiny in Time, the first novel in the Infinity Ring series. 

• Thursday, September 20 at 7 pm ~ Indigo Yorkdale, Toronto, Ontario.
• Chapters/Indigo has also created an In Person: James Dashner event page on Facebook. 

Susin Nielsen

Susin Nielsen will be celebrating the release of her new novel, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen, with a book launch in Vancouver!

• Thursday, September 20 at 7 pm ~ Kidsbooks on Broadway, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Maggie Stiefvater
Maggie Stiefvater will be visiting Brampton to promote the release of her latest novel, The Raven Boys, the first novel in the Raven Cycle. 

• Tuesday, September 25 at 7 pm ~ Chapters Brampton, Brampton, Ontario.
• Chapters/Indigo has also created an In Person: Maggie Stiefvater event page on Facebook.  

Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian are coming to Canada to promote the release of their new co-written novel, Burn for Burn, which will be the first book in a trilogy! The store location has yet to be revealed, but Jenny Han tweeted that it will be at a Chapters location in the Toronto area on Thursday, September 27! Exciting, right? When more exact details are available, I'll be sure to add it here. 

EDIT on Sept 10/12: The location/time has been announced! Siobhan Vivian tweeted the details today.

• Thursday, September 27 at 7 pm ~ Indigo Yorkdale, Toronto, Ontario.

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I'll be attending the event for James Dashner for sure, and depending on the exact location/time for the Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian event, I'll definitely be trying to make it to that one too! After a rather slow summer for YA book events in Ontario, it's really awesome to see more authors coming to Canada this month!

Will you be attending any of these events?

Stacking the Shelves (8)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by fellow Canadian blogger Tynga at Tynga's Reviews where we share any new books or goodies we bought, received, borrowed, etc. during the week. 

I'm back from Turkey! I arrived back home last Sunday, but I've been so sick all this week that I hardly had any energy to read any new books, let alone write any blog posts. I mean, I was right by my local Chapters this week and I couldn't even bring myself to walk inside and buy anything because my head felt so groggy. But I'm feeling much better now, which is a good thing too because I'm starting school tomorrow... 

Sickness aside though, I had an amazing time in Turkey! The weather was hot and sunny, and I visited many historic sites that left me staring in awe. I visited the ancient ruins of Troy and Ephesus, swam in the Mediterranean, saw amazing rock formations in Cappadocia, and so much more!

Anyways, here are the books I got in the mail while I was away on vacation!

Received for Review:

• Dearly, Beloved (Gone With The Respiration #2) by Lia Habel 
• ARC of Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2) by Moira Young 
• ARC of Through to You by Emily Hainsworth 
• Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Thanks so much to HarperCollins Canada and Random House Canada for sending these books for review!

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

And as always... Happy Reading! 

Waiting on Wednesday (113) - Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

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

Release Date: February 5, 2013

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Add to Goodreads

Summary (from author's website): 

Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive. 

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own. 

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

I absolutely loved reading Cinder earlier in the year, and the fresh spin Marissa Meyer gave to the classic fairytale Cinderella. This time around, Meyer will be taking on Red Riding Hood and introducing us to new characters like Scarlet and Wolf as they uneasily work together to find Scarlet's missing grandmother. And I cannot wait to see what kind of science fiction flair Scarlet will also offer to readers... I'm definitely counting down the days until Scarlet will be released!

September Release Picks

Oh my, how is it September already? Come back, Summer! Come back! New classes for school may be just around the corner, but at least we have a busy month ahead with new YA books to read as a reward for finishing homework and studying...

Here are this month's releases that I'm most looking forward to checking out! Once again, I've matched my Chapters/Indigo list with my top ten picks. If you'd like to know what other novels will be releasing this month, you can find more on my Upcoming Releases page as usual. 

September 4

Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

Entice (The Violet Eden Chapters #2) by Jessica Shirvington ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

September 18

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns #2) by Rae Carson ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

The Diviners (Diviners #1) by Libba Bray ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

Ten by Gretchen McNeil ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

September 25

Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles #1) by Gena Showalter ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

A Fractured Light (A Beautiful Dark #2) by Jocelyn Davies ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan ~ Goodreads / Chapters/Indigo 

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What books are YOU most looking forward to reading in September? What books did I miss that you can't wait to read?