Want My YA Yahoo Group

Hey there lovely readers!

I just wanted to remind you that I've created a Yahoo discussion group to go along with this blog. You can join at any time by signing up in the side-bar, or you can follow this link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wantmyya

Right now the group consists of me and 4 other people, come on, join, bring a friend, and let's get some chatter going. :)

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Hello again my lovely readers! I've got another FABULOUS read for ya. :) I received this one a while back and I was SO FREAKING EXCITED for it. I totally ignored the other book I'd started because I couldn't hold off on reading this one any longer.

the info:

Eyes Like Stars

by Lisa Mantchev

ISBN: 9780312380960

Feiwel & Friends

the story:

Ok, since I'm afraid my synopsis will give too much away, I'm posting the jacket copy description for ya.

All her world’s a stage.

Bertie Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.
She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents.
She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own.
That is, until now.
Enter Stage Right

NATE. Dashing pirate. Will do anything to protect Bertie.

COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARD SEED, and PEASEBLOSSOM. Four tiny and incredibly annoying fairies. BERTIE’S sidekicks.

ARIEL. Seductive air spirit and Bertie’s weakness. The symbol of impending doom.

BERTIE. Our heroine.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

my thoughts:

Love it, love it, love it! I'm totally hooked on this book and I can't wait for more. Bertie is a great character and so easy to love. The fairies are hilarious and can always be depended upon for some great one-liners. ("Do you feel any more free?" "Yes, but that's because I'm not wearing any underwear.")

Eyes Like Stars is a tale of magic and mystery, but at its heart it's all about Bertie. It's about a young girl finding her strength while trying to solve the riddle of her past. While some questions find their answers by the end of this story, others won't be answered until later. Which only ensures that I'll be wating none too patiently for Lisa Mantchev's next book Perchance to Dream.

I know I say it with every book I review, but I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it, so here it goes: Go out and pre-order or reserve your copy NOW! Seriously, you won't be sorry. Lisa Mantchev has penned a tale that will hold you captive (and you'll like it!).

You Recommend Wednesday

Hey all!

It's Wednesday again. :) Time for you to tell me about what you're reading that I should be reading. I've got a great review for you tomorrow, so my recommendation is taken care of. Your turn!

Look What I Got...

I want YA, so I buy YA. :) Yep, it's another pay-day so that means I get to buy more books.

Here's what I bought this week:

Suite Scarlett

by Maureen Johnson

Point

ISBN: 9780545096324

I follow Maureen on Twitter and I've found her tweets so hilarious that I have to try her books. I have a feeling I'm gonna love this one. :)

Gamer Girl

by Mari Mancusi

Dutton

ISBN: 9780525479956

I've read her Romance novels written as Marianne Mancusi and loved them, so I'm really looking forward to reading her YA titles.

And here's what I received for review:

The Demon King

by Cinda Williams Chima

Disney Hyperion

ISBN: 9781423118237

Yay! I haven't read her books yet, but I know they're really popular at work so I'm really excited to check this one out.

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Tenth Grade Bleeds by the Fangtastic Heather Brewer

Woohoo! It's almost here! Well, for the rest of you it's almost here. lol I've already read it. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read and review Tenth Grade Bleeds for Heather. I've been such a huge fan from the beginning and Vlad just keeps getting better.

the info:

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Tenth Grade Bleeds
by Heather Brewer
Dutton Children's (Penguin)
ISBN: 9780525421351

the story:

Well, it's another year at Bathory High School, and a whole new set of challenges for Vladimir Tod. To make matters worse his Uncle Otis is going to leave him, insisting that it's not safe to remain in one place for very long. Vlad feels there is so much more to be learned from the older vampire, but at the same time, training with Otis just keeps reminding Vlad of what a freak he is in the vampire world. Vlad is the only half-vampire, half-human in existence, something that has many believing he is the legendary Pravus. If the legends are true he will one day rule over vampires and enslave humans. As if worrying about passing his classes and the return of his middle school principal weren't bad enough.

Despite all of the craziness and the danger that Vlad has experienced in the past few years, he always knew he could depend on one person: Henry. Henry's been his best friend since childhood and through an accidental bite is also Vlad's drudge (human slave). But right when Vlad needs him the most, Henry seems to be pulling away and Vlad's not sure what to do.

Vlad's also having nightmares and he hasn't been able to reach his Uncle Otis since Otis' departure. Could the nightmares be foretelling the future? Or is something more sinister afoot?

my thoughts:

Like I said in the beginning, Heather Brewer just keeps on getting better. I was so absorbed by Vlad's story, I just had to keep going to see what was going to happen next. I absolutely love Vladimir Tod and I'm practically drooling for the next book.

Tenth Grade Bleeds is amazing! Rush out and reserve or pre-order your copy today. If you haven't read any Vlad yet, well you've been under a rock, but we can fix that. :) While you're pre-ordering TGB, pick up Eighth Grade Bites and Ninth Grade Slays. Once you've got those two, start reading. lol Those should tide you over til Tenth Grade Bleeds releases somewhere towards the end of June, beginning of July.

Thanks again Heather for the wonderful book! And thank you readers for stopping by! Keep on reading!

You Recommend Wednesday

Hey there readers! It's that time again. It's time for you to recommend some good reads to me. Tell me how to spend my hard-earned book allowance. :)

I've also got a great recommend for you, however you have to wait til tomorrow to see it. :) I promise it's worth it.

Sorry No Interview

Sorry there was no interview to post today. I do have some scheduled for the months ahead, but I can always use more. :) You know the drill, if you want to be interviewed send me an email to wantmyya at gmail dot com and I'll send you the interview questions.

Keep checking back this week for more fun. I've got a great review of a FANTASTIC book coming up soon. (or maybe that should be FANGTASTIC?)

And don't forget about the poll in the sidebar. You can have a say in what I review, but you've got to VOTE.

Have a great week all!

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

I can't believe I didn't blog about this one yet! Shows you just how distracted I can get. This is the May book for the YAedge Book Club. Initially I really wasn't sure about it. I was really confused by a lot in the beginning of the story, but I gotta tell you it's all worth it in the end.

Jellicoe Road

by Melina Marchetta

TN (HarperCollins)

ISBN: 9780061431838

from the publisher's site:

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

This book completely blew me away! I was totally sucked into the story. I most especially wanted to know who the five friends were and what their connection to Taylor was. Trust me, this is a book you've got to read. Check out your nearest bookstore today, if they don't have it, I'm sure they'll gladly order it for you.

Poll Closed and a New Poll Open

Good morning readers! So my first poll to have you help me pick my next book review is now closed. This means that once I get caught up on the 4 pending publisher/author request reviews, I will be reading and posting a review on Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles. :)

And because it came in a close second that review will be followed by Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra.

The next poll is open to see what I should review once the 6 (plus any that come in in the meantime) I've mentioned above have been completed. This poll is open until the end of June so there's plenty of time to vote and spread the word. :)

You Recommend Wednesday

It's that time again. Time to tell me what you're reading, and what I should be reading. I have taken recommendations in the past, so it is possible that something you recommend will get reviewed on here one day. It does not have to be a new release. I will review any book I enjoy. :)

So go on tell me about it. And if you haven't done it yet, today's the last day to vote in my poll for the next book for me to review.

Interview: Ethan Rose - author (along with his wife Christine) of Rowan of the Wood

Good Monday WMY Readers. :) Time for another interview...

This week I have Ethan Rose, one half of the writing team of Ethan and Christine Rose, authors of Rowan of the Wood.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am one half of a writing team that also includes my wife Christine. We live in the Austin area along with our three dogs and Shadow the cat. I have a life long love of reading and fantasy in particular ever since reading “The Hobbit” at the age of eight.

Our first young adult fantasy “Rowan of the Wood” was released last November. The sequel is in the polishing stages at the moment.

What got you started writing? What brought you to YA?

I knew I wanted to be a writer by the age of 10. I’ve been writing ever since. It is a compulsion. I find young adult enjoyable to both read and write because the young are more intelligent than older adults. Their imaginations are more active. They may not be as wise as their elders but tend to take a greater interest in learning about life.

Tell us about your most recent/ upcoming release?

“Rowan of the Wood” is about an ancient wizard who possesses a modern boy after a millennium of imprisonment in a magic wand. He emerges from the child in the face of danger and discovers Fiana, his bride from the past, has somehow survived time and has become something evil.

Do you plot out in advance, or just start writing and see where things go from there?

We do a lot of plotting, research, outlines and timelines. Since there are two of us writing we have many discussions about where we want our books to go and take copious notes. However, once the characters come to life they often take us in new directions on their own.

Many authors have told me their characters talk to them, and sometimes even have different ideas of where the story should go than the author. Do you hear your characters?

Definitely. Especially when writing dialog. Often when writing down what one character said the responses from other characters just seem to appear automatically.

Who is your favorite character (of your own)?

I would have to say Fiana because she is the darkest and most complex. She is also the one who goes through the most changes.

What hobbies do you have when you're not writing?

I do a lot of woodworking. Christine and I have a booth that we take to Renaissance Faires and Celtic festivals where we sell our own crafts and artwork. I also enjoy traveling and hiking.

If you had not become a writer what would you have done instead?

Being a writer was inevitable for me. But I also supported myself for many years as a contractor.

Where can readers find you online?

Christineandethanrose.com

Your turn. What question do you have for readers of Want My YA?

How important is genre to readers? Do you prefer to stay within your favorite or will you read anything as long as it's good.

Thanks so much for visiting with me today Ethan. :) Personally, I'm more of a fan of parnormal stories, but if I'm given a good reason to read a book and it has a good story then I'm willing to cross over to a new genre.

New Yahoo Discussion Group

Hey there readers! I've just created a Discussion group through Yahoo for everyone to discuss their favorite Young Adult titles and authors.

Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wantmyya

Anyone can join. So come on and let's start chatting. :)


PS: Only a few days left in the poll and I've got a tie for first place. Help me out - VOTE. :)

Lookee What I Got....

Good morning readers! Yesterday was pay-day, so you know what that means. Yep, more books. Woohoo! So here's what I bought this week:

Perfect Chemistry

by Simone Elkeles

Flux

ISBN: 9780802798220

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

by Ally Carter

Hyperion

ISBN: 9781423100042

I'm so excited for my new books, and I can't wait to get started on these. :)

Psssst....

There's only a few days left to vote in my poll. Come on..tell me what you want me to review after I've completed my obligation to a few publishers and authors. :) To help you out I'm going to give you some visuals. What follows below are the cover images for each of the books in the poll.

Eyecatcher: The Boy Who Couldn't Die by Willaim Sleator

Hey everyone. Well I was shelving again last night, and I found another Eyecatcher to tell everyone about.

The Boy Who Couldn't Die

by William Sleator

Amulet Books

ISBN: 9780810987906

I tried finding a good description for the book online, but they either seemed to give too little detail or too much detail. So here's the best I can give you from what I've seen.

After the death of a friend Ken decides he doesn't want to die. So he convinces a woman (some sites say psychic, others fortune teller) to make him immortal. After her ritual Ken realizes that it worked he is invulnerable to harm. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the only change in him. He's afraid that he's causing harm he's not aware of, and that soon he may hurt someone he loves.

Sounds intense doesn't it? Definitely one I'm going to need to pick up soon. :)

Eyecatcher: Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder

I noticed this one last night while stocking the shelves at work. It's hard to miss with the hot pink cover and all. :) But I also recognized Nancy Holder. I've not yet read any of her YA titles, but I have read Romances by her and loved them.


Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder
Razorbill (Penguin)
ISBN: 9781595141491

from the publisher's site:



Hazel Stone wants nothing more than to be a part of the hottest clique in school, the Pretty Little Devils, but she’s stuck at a lunch table full of high school C-listers. Hazel has resigned herself to life as a nobody—when suddenly everything changes. The PLDs invite Hazel to one of the group’s famous parties, held at the site of one of their babysitting jobs. Before Hazel knows it, she’s in with the in crowd—and she couldn’t be more thrilled!

But nothing turns out the way she expects. Especially when one her classmates becomes jealous of her newfound status—deadly jealous.

Author Nancy Holder weaves a wicked tale about the price of popularity, and having the kind of friends some girls would just die for.

You Recommend Wednesday - Whatcha' Reading?

Hello again everyone! I hope everyone's day is going better than mine so far. My car is in the shop and I'm waiting to hear how it's going. *sigh*

Now on to happier, more book-related topics. I figure I'll start out by sharing what I'm reading. I'm actually in the process of reading two YA books right now because I can't ever read just one book. That would just make too much sense.

First of all I'm still reading Ratha's Courage by Clare Bell. I told you I'd be reviewing it, and I'm working on it. Really enjoying it so far, but it's kind of a thick book, so it will probably be a few days/week yet.






Also reading Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchette for the YAedge Book Club. For more details on that click on my lovely little member badge on the left sidebar.

Now on to you....What are you reading? What do you recommend?

Interview: Lisa Mantchev - author of the upcoming Eyes Like Stars

Hello again my fabulous YA readers! I've got yet another treat for you today. I'm chatting with author Lisa Mantchev, and let me tell you I'm so looking forward to reading her book Eyes Like Stars. :)

And here's Lisa!

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a temporally-displaced Capricorn who spends a lot of time wondering what other time periods I'd rather have lived in, all the while very much enjoying my wireless internetz and push-of-a-button espresso machine.

2. What got you started writing? What brought you to YA?

I've been writing short fantasy stories for publication since 2002, but it took lots of friendly nudging to get me to attempt a novel-length piece of fiction. Eyes Like Stars wasn't written with YA fiction in mind, but the protagonist is seventeen, and we went with Feiwel & Friends, which is a YA imprint.

Only later did I realize that the majority of my favorite books are shelved in the YA section, classics as well as new releases, and I was thrilled to have found my niche!

3. Tell us about your most recent/ upcoming release?

Have some jacket copy!

All her world's a stage.

Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.

She's not an orphan, but she has no parents.

She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own.

Until now.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book--an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family--and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

4. Do you plot out in advance, or just start writing and see where things go from there?

I really leapt into the deep end the first time around, which would explain the many revisions I did with my lovely editor, Rebecca Davis. With the second book in the series (and a as-yet-uncontracted novel) I tried to outline a lot more. But the trick is to be flexible. Some things change on the fly, and others need to be cut during revisions.

That said, I always have a list of must-keep characters and plot points.

5. Many authors have told me their characters talk to them, and sometimes even have different ideas of where the story should go than the author. Do you hear your characters?

The voices of the four fairies (Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed) come very naturally to me, because they say all the rude/horrifying/silly things that I usually think, or only say out loud to friends. I've had a number of phone calls with friends that end with one or both of us yelling, "The fairies would totally say that!"

6. Who is your favorite character (of your own)?

Right now I am mightily fond of my boys in ELS: Nate the pirate and Ariel the air elemental from The Tempest. Nate's all muscles and accent, and Ariel has this hypnotic voice plus long silver hair plus the ability to fly.

Full Cast Audio is recording ELS right now, and I would trade a bag of pirate gold to listen to the voice actors do the confrontational scenes between Nate and Ariel!

7. What hobbies do you have when you're not writing?

I love baking bread and making jam (old school Anne of Green Gables hobbies!) plus antique shopping, swing dancing, collecting 78 rpm records, going to Disneyland, costuming, making jewelry. There are never enough hours in the day.

8. If you had not become a writer what would you have done instead?

I have a four-year-old daughter and my husband owns his own business, so I am a full-time mommy and part-time accountant, in addition to the writing. Had I not started writing novels, my house would be cleaner, my garden less weedy, and my office more organized.

9. Where can readers find you online?

Oh, my. Here's The List:

Writerly Homepage: www.lisamantchev.com

Theater Series Homepage: www.theatre-illuminata.com

Blog: lisamantchev.livejournal.com

MySpace: www.myspace.com/lisamantchev

Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Lisa-Mantchev/1649502973

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lisamantchev

10. Your turn. What question do you have for readers of Want My YA?

What theatrical character would you like to be for a day? (My answer: Christine, from Phantom of the Opera, just so I could run off with Erik!)

For those of you who are interested, Lisa has just posted an awesome Cake-Wrecking contest on her blog. Go to her blog, follow the directions and you could win an ARC! Check it out:

http://lisamantchev.livejournal.com/307103.html

Thanks again, Lisa, for joining me here at Want My YA. It was great having you here. For everyone reading this, go out and pre-order or reserve your copy of Eyes Like Stars today. :) As for what character I'd want to be..hmm...apparently I need to watch more theatrical productions. Give me some time, I'll comment on it later.

Look What I Got This Week

I've heard of other blogs having similar types of posts so I figured I'd start one too. On Saturdays I'm going to tell you about the new YA books I've gotten during the previous week (assuming there are any). Some will be titles I've purchased; others will be titles I've received for review. So here we go...



I've purchased:

Must Love Black
by Kelly McClymer
Simon Pulse
ISBN: 9781416949039











For review:

Eyes Like Stars
by Lisa Mantchev
Feiwel and Friends
ISBN: 9780312880960

I'm really excited about this one. Lisa is another author I found through Twitter. Eyes Like Stars sounded amazing so I immediately added it to my wishlist. I was ecstatic when Lisa asked for my address so I could review the book. Big Yay!!! You want to know what's an even bigger Yay? Come back on Monday and read my interview with Lisa so you can hear more about this promising story even before my review. (Want to say great, but I haven't actually read it yet, but I'm sure it will be great).

Pssst...on an unrelated note - Only 12 days left to vote in my poll. Tell me what you want me to review after I finish all my publisher/author requested reviews.

Mormons and YA

I've gotta give a big thanks to my boyfriend for pointing this out to me. He's a big listener of NPR and caught a program the other day discussing the growing number of Mormon authors who write for Young Adults - the most famous of the group being Stephenie Meyer. The idea that there was a connection intrigued me so I gave the show a listen. If you're interested check it out. The program is called Here and Now and it's actually from WBUR, but gets replayed on NPR.

I don't know how to do any fancy computer stuff, so I'm just going to give you the link if you'd like to listen to it.

http://www.hereandnow.org/stand-alone-player/?fileUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bu.edu%2Fwbur%2Fstorage%2F2009%2F04%2Fhereandnow_0429_5.mp3&fileTitle=Mormons%20and%20Young%20Adult%20Literature

Yeah, it's a bit of a mess I know. Sorry. If I knew how to make a cute little "click here" button for ya, I would.

I recommend checking it out. It's just a few minutes long and worth a listen.