Wednesday, January 27, 2010

You Recommend Wednesday

It's Wednesday again, that means it's time for you to tell me what to read. What have you picked up recently that you absolutely loved and just have to tell someone about? What have you been hearing about that you'd like to see me review here at Want My YA?

Come on, tell me all about your favorite new reads! :)

And don't forget there's one more way to have a say in what I review, all ya gotta do is vote. Vote in the polls on my sidebar and help me decide what to review in what order. :)

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Eyecatcher: Pastworld by Ian Beck

Pastworld
by Ian Beck


Bloomsbury
ISBN: 9781599900407
Release Date: September 29, 2009

from the publisher's site:

Pastworld. A city within a city. A city for excursions and outings. Pastworld is a theme park with a difference, where travellers can travel back in time for a brush with an authentic Victorian past. But what if the Jack the Ripper figure stopped play-acting and really started killing people?


For Caleb, a tourist from the present day, his visit goes terribly wrong when his father is kidnapped and he finds himself accused of murder. Then Caleb meets Eva Rose, a Pastworld inhabitant who has no idea the modern world exists. Both Caleb and Eva have roles to play in the murderer’s diabolical plans – roles that reveal disturbing truths about their origins.

why it caught my eye:

I love the misty look on the cover of this book. It caught my attention while I was re-shelving books in the YA section at work. I picked it up and loved the premise. Pastworld is definitely on my wishlist and I can't wait to get a chance to read it.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Wanted: Author Interviews

Happy Monday Lovely Readers! Well it's a new year and it's time to start scheduling new author interviews. But aside from interviewing new and different authors than last year, I would also like to start including new interview questions in the mix. Change things up and whatnot. :)

So here's where you, my Lovely Readers, come in. I'm going to post the current 10 questions that I have for authors to give you an idea of what we're starting with. In the comments I would love to hear what questions you have for our visiting authors. And feel free to let me know who you'd like to see an interview with. And please, please spread the word.

Current Questions:

1.Tell us a little about yourself.

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

9.Where can readers find you online?

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

For authors, here's how my interview feature works:

Interviews are always posted on a Monday. You may schedule your interview to post a specific Monday and if it's available I'll gladly accommodate you. If you don't have a preference your interview will be posted on the first available Monday after I receive your responses. Aside from sending me interview responses I also need a cover image and promotional photo of yourself accompany the interview. If you choose to host a contest in conjunction with your interview, you certainly may, but it's by no means required.

If you're interested in scheduling an interview, email me at wantmyya at gmail dot com

Thanks everyone! I hope to have some great interviews for you in 2010!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Review: Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

The Lonely Hearts Club
by Elizabeth Eulberg


Point (Scholastic)
ISBN: 9780545140317
http://www.elizabetheulberg.com
Release Date: January 2010


from the author's site:

Love is all you need…or is it?

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating, so she vows: No more. She’s had one too many bad dates, and has been hurt by one too many bad boys. It’s a personal choice…and soon everybody wants to know about it. It seems that Penny’s not the only girl who’s tired of the way girls change themselves (most of the time for the worse) in order to get their guys…or the way their guys don’t really care about them.

Girls are soon thronging to The Lonely Hearts Club (named after Sgt. Pepper’s band), and Penny finds herself near legendary for her non-dating ways – which is too bad, since the leader of The Lonely Hearts Club has found a certain boy she can’t help but like…


my thoughts:

The Lonely Hearts Club grabbed my attention immediately. I instantly identified with Penny. Who hasn't felt like giving up the whole dating scene? Penny's frustrations with boys and the girls who think of nothing else, brought me right back to my own high school experience.

What I really loved about this book, was that despite an upsetting start for Penny, this book is really very positive. Within the story, the club becomes a wonderful support group for the girls involved. I loved The Lonely Hearts Club and I really can't wait to see what else Elizabeth Eulberg comes out with. I really hope we get to see more of Penny, but I'm sure I'll read whatever Ms. Eulberg releases.

The Lonely Hearts Club should be mandatory reading for teen girls everywhere, but it's fun reading no matter your age. I loved hanging out with Penny Lane Bloom and the rest of the Lonely Hearts Club; if only we all had such a great group of friends.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Movie Friday

I know I don't typically discuss movies here at Want My YA but I've had a new DVD release brought to my attention that I think will appeal to you lovely readers. Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging based on the first book in the Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison.
Here's the official website for more information:
http://www.paramount.com/angusthongs/

Below is the full trailer for the movie, I just want to point out that the end of the trailer says coming soon but the DVD did release earlier this week, so it's available now.





Let me know what you think and if you want to see more book into movie posts here at Want My YA. Personally I'm thinking I'm gonna need to Netflix this one since I was totally out of the loop until now. :)

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

You Recommend Wednesday

Well, no videos this week, though I should have a post about a video ready for you tomorrow. This Wednesday I'm just asking the standard, what are you reading that I should be reading? :) Not that I really need help finding stuff to read, but I'm always on the lookout for a good rec.

PS, don't forget about tonight's Twitter chat with Elizabeth Eulberg. See yesterday's post for details.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Winners! and a Twitter Chat!

Hello all! With the help of random.org I've selected the three winners of Elizabeth Eulberg's The Lonely Hearts Club. So without further ado, here we go: 

Bianca
Jen A.
Khy

Thanks for entering! Please email me at wantmyya at gmail dot com with your mailing info so I can pass it on to the lady at Big Honcho Media with the books. Thanks again to everyone who entered. :)

Now for the Twitter chat I mentioned. See below for details. 



Join Lonely Hearts Club author Elizabeth Eulberg and Amy of MyFriendAmy for a Twitter party Wednesday, January 20, between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. EST!


  • Join the fun! No one expects you or your tweets to be perfect; we’re just happy you made it to the party!

  • Anyone who tweets during this hour using #LonelyHeartsClub is entered to win a limited edition Lonely Hearts Club t-shirt!

  • Watch for questions from @MyFriendAmy and win awesome prizes including an iPod shuffle, $50 iTunes gift card or $25 VISA gift card!


  • Ask Elizabeth questions or chat with other partygoers about how excited you are to read LHC—just use the tag #LonelyHeartsClub in all of your party tweets! (This is added automatically in TweetGrid.)

  • Please don’t post any spoilers and don’t forget to pay attention to the time zones, the party starts at 8:30pm EST.

 I hope everyone can make it. I didn't think I'd be able to chat, but it looks like I'll be home in time after all so I'll be hanging out on Twitter also. Feel free to follow me, my Twitter name is @heathermriley. 


Have a great week everyone!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

You Recommend Wednesday: The Video Edition

Hey all! So earlier this week I sent out a call on Twitter for suggestions for my Tuesday Eyecatcher feature (because I'm a space cadet and need people to jog my memory on the great books I've found), and author Laura Manivong sent me a link to an awesome video full of great upcoming titles. Check it out: 






And as a special thank you for directing me to the above video, here's the book trailer for Laura Manivong's upcoming book Escaping the Tiger. Enjoy!






So aside from asking for great book recommendations as always, feel free to share great book videos also. I don't think you can actually post a video in the comments so just leave me the links. :)

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Eyecatcher: Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Bleeding Violet
by Dia Reeves


Simon Pulse
http://www.diareeves.com
ISBN: 9781416986188
Release Date: January 2010

from the publisher's site: 



Love can be a dangerous thing.... 

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna's tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home. 

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she's far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe.

why it caught my eye: 

Purple is totally my color, so it's really not surprising that this cover caught my attention. On top of that I've been hearing great things about BLEEDING VIOLET online. I just noticed that we got our copies in at work so I'm definitely going to have to pick up a copy soon.  

Monday, January 4, 2010

Book Promotion: The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

The Lonely Hearts Club
by Elizabeth Eulberg


Point (Scholastic)
ISBN: 9780545140317
http://www.elizabetheulberg.com
Release Date: January 2010 


BOOK OVERVIEW
 
Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating, so she vows: No more. She’s had one too many bad dates, and has been hurt by one too many bad boys. It’s a personal choice…and soon everybody wants to know about it. It seems that Penny’s not the only girl who’s tired of the way girls change themselves (most of the time for the worse) in order to get their guys…or the way their guys don’t really care about them. Girls are soon thronging to The Lonely Hearts Club (named after Sgt. Pepper’s band), and Penny finds herself near legendary for her non-dating ways – which is too bad, since the leader of The Lonely Hearts Club has found a certain boy she can’t help but like…


The fun part: 

Three lucky readers will win a copy of The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg. Sorry US residents only. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here. Tell me what new and upcoming YA books you're looking forward to reading. 

This promotion ends January 18th at 11:59pm central time. Winners will be selected on January 19th. 

Good luck readers! 

And now for a video. :) And here's the link also just in case the video doesn't come across just right. (I'm never confident in my video posting abilities...lol)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyJqHNdl0pM