Changers Book 1: Drew, by T Cooper & Allison Glock-Cooper (book review) – new school, new year, new body?

Mar14

book cover of Changers: Drew by T Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper published by Akashic BooksNo one can know you are a Changer or see your secret mark.
No relationships with other Changers (or Abiders – shudder!)
No warning that everything in life is about to change… except your true self.

In a new body for first day of high school, Ethan can’t even skateboard right! Why didn’t his parents warn him that he could wake up a girl? At least he’ll get to try 4 identities in 4 years before deciding which body to keep forever as he finds his personal mission to change the world (yes, really).

Black Sheep is one of Akashic Books’ newer imprints, so you may have to ask your favorite local local library or independent bookstore to order this first Changers book, but it’s worth the wait!

To feel a little of Ethan/Drew’s experience, visit the WeAreChangers website and post your ‘unselfies’ where your camera captures your feelings without looking at you.

Poet e. e. cummings wrote “it takes courage to grow up and become who you really are” – how much courage do you and Ethan have?
**kmm

Book info: Changers-Book 1: Drew / T Cooper & Allison Glock-Cooper. Black Sheep, 2014.  [interview with authors]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Ethan wanted to reinvent himself to start high school, not wake up in a girl’s body!

Dad and Mom are so proud that he is a Changer – getting a new body each year of high school (like Dad did – who knew?) to discover his/her true inner being. Changers are destined to make the world better, in secret, despite the Abiders who want to wipe them out.

Most girls have years to get used to their bodies; Ethan/Drew has an hour. Her first day at school brings a Changer mentor, catty girls, overwhelming emotions, and a possible friend.

Cheer tryouts, drumming in a band instead of the basement, all the Changer rules, discovering an Abider at Central High, and dealing with having girl parts – this freshman year is too intense!

Can Drew trust anyone at school?
Has she let any clues slip to alert the Abider there?
Who on earth will s/he be for sophomore year?

This first book in the Changers series explores Ethan/Drew’s first steps along the perilous journey to become his/her true self and discover how he’s meant to change the world. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Vengeance, by Megan Miranda (book review) – cursed lake, who dies next?

Mar11

book cover of Vengeance by Megan Miranda published by BloomsburyA curse?
An evil too big for their small town?
A life for a life…

Ever since she spent 11 minutes under the ice, ever since she was stolen from Falcon Lake’s chill depths, Delaney’s hands shake when she senses death coming for someone.

Why won’t she let her boyfriend see her hands when she’s at his house now?

This gripping sequel to Fracture follows Delaney, Decker, and their friends through a hot summer when no one dares swim in the deep lake which took more lives after it was denied Delaney’s death – the curse or something more evil?

Check out my no-spoilers recommendation of Fracture  here (even read its first chapters free via the publisher here), then find this psychological thriller today at your local library or independent bookstore.

Can curses be real?
**kmm

Book info: Fracture / Megan Miranda. Walker Children’s Books, 2014. [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: The curse that followed Delaney out of Falcon Lake must be real – which friend will it touch by death next?

Decker loves Delaney too much to believe in the curse, even if she can sense death coming after escaping the lake’s icy waters. But can he keep loving her when she keeps silent instead of keeping death away?

The new girl Maya has to cope with her ill mother alone, Janna misses her dead twin Carson, and Delaney now must face the superstitious without Decker’s strength beside her.

Water accidents at home and away,
Masquerade mix-ups gone deadly,
Will any of their senior class escape the Falcon Lake curse?

This sequel to Fracture spends a hot, tense summer with Delaney and friends as the cold, deep lake broods over their small Maine town.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Spies and Prejudice, by Talia Vance (book review) – girl undercover or under the radar?

Mar7

book cover of Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance published by EgmontGuys aren’t only lying when their mouths are moving –
Berry’s surveillance photos for divorce cases prove it.
So she’ll never fall in love with anyone – too risky.

Listening devices and hidden videocameras are the tools of her trade, but Berry certainly never expected to overhear the cute new guy label her “nothing special” while she was on a stakeout!

Over 200 years after its publication, Pride and Prejudice  still inspires retellings of its story of misdirected love and misguided snobbery. Surely Jane Austen would admire Berry’s forthrightness, as well as exploding jeweled bracelets and micro-camera eyeglasses as vital articles of fashionable apparel!

Have you read any other inspired-by-the-classics or mash-up contemporary YA books lately?
**kmm

Book info: Spies and Prejudice / Talia Vance. Egmont, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Secrets and betrayal are nothing new to Berry, but the teen isn’t used to cute guys interfering with her undercover work.

Maybe it began when Tanner and his brother Ryan came to McHenry High, or when senior Drew started talking to Berry in the library, or when the woman who witnessed the accident which killed Berry’s mother eight years ago now says it wasn’t an accident…

Her high-tech genius best friend is falling for Ryan, Tanner tells Berry that she can’t trust Drew, and Drew says that Tanner and Ryan aren’t who they claim to be. Add in her first Homecoming dance and a mysterious letter from her mom addressed to someone who denies it – no wonder Berry is distracted during routine stakeouts for her dad’s private investigation firm.

Hidden identities and mixed messages are funny until they become deadly serious in this tale of espionage, romance, and the family business (with a nod to the Jane Austen classic).  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Winner’s Curse, by Marie Rutkoski (book review) – a body is bought, the heart plots revolution

Mar4

book cover of Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski published by Farrar Straus GirouxShe loves music more than war – not the Valorian way.
He seeks bloodshed and revenge – not tastefully Herrani.
Master and slave, locked in a struggle that may destroy everything.

Somehow it’s no accident that a noted singer is being sold just as Kestrel and her best friend Jess arrive at the slave market in the newly-conquered Herrani city – or that being a slave in the Valorian General’s home is worth more to Arin than his own freedom. But love has a way of changing the best-plotted plans…

When the price is too low, the cost of keeping your purchase may be too high – that’s “the winner’s curse” and Kestrel will never have a chance to forget it.

This “Bridge of Snow” short story prequel at Tor.com will whet your appetite for Kestrel and Arin’s brutal, brilliant world, then chill your heart when you realize what’s about to unfold.

It’s publication day for The Winner’s Curse, so ask for it at your local library or independent bookstore now.

In this land so much like ancient Greece, can love conquer all?
**kmm

Book info: The Winner’s Curse (Winner’s Trilogy, book 1)  / Marie Rutkoski. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2014.   [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Soldier or wife – the only options open to Valorian young women. But the General’s daughter Kestrel lives for her music, a waste of time in their war-hardened society.

Death or slavery – all that remains for the Herrani people after the General’s successful invasion. Arin vows to give the occupiers a taste of their own barbaric ways.

Buy or sell – Kestrel didn’t plan to purchase a slave who could sing, to keep him when he refused.

Honor – the Valorians admire it above everything else.
Revenge – the Herrani want it totally, completely.

Win or lose – Kestrel can sense the right cards and the wrong play in Bite and Sting, but no gamble is the right one when she realizes how she feels about Arin, how he feels about her.

Masters, slaves, romance, rebellion – perhaps the gods of this ancient land have raised the stakes and are betting against either side winning…. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

My to-be-reviewed shelf is slowly shrinking… TBR2014 Challenge update

Feb28

For most book-folk, TBR means “to be read” (as in “My TBR stack is taller than I am”), but for me it means that lonnng shelf of books that I’ve already read, but still need “to be reviewed” here!

Moving right along, I added recommendations of these books with 2013 or earlier copyright date to BooksYALove in February (click each link to open my no-spoiler review in a new tab/window):

book cover of Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason published by Chronicle Booksbook cover of Go A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design by Chip Kidd published by WorkmanThe Clockwork Scarab – Egyptian curse stalking young women in steampunk London or merely murder? Eva Stoker and Mina Holmes investigate!

Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design – from color to typography, noted graphic designer Chip Kidd shares info, insight and project ideas.

book cover of Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestierbook cover of Flygirl by Sherri L Smith published by PenguinTeam Vampire – when transforming to vampire can leave you a zombie, why wouldn’t Mel want to keep her best friend among the living?

Flygirl – passing for white so she can fly during WWII, Ida Mae will face even more dangers on the ground than aloft.

book cover of How Not to Be a Dick by Meghan Doherty published by Zest BooksHow Not to Be a Dick – this common-sense (with a sense of humor) everyday etiquette guide will help you be a better person.

So far in 2014, I’ve 8 recommended of my targeted 50+ pre-2014 titles for this year’s Bookish 2014 TBR Reading Challenge – onward!
*kmm

How Not to Be a Dick, by Meghan Doherty (book review) – etiquette for everyone

Feb25

book cover of How Not to Be a Dick by Meghan Doherty published by Zest BooksEating your last cupcake without asking!
Texting while walking on a busy sidewalk!
Cutting in line! What revolting behavior!

Honestly, we don’t need any more dicks in this world, so heed the advice in Doherty’s book while enjoying the off-the-wall life lessons shared by her retro characters (you’ll never think of cheese logs again without smiling).

pages from How Not to Be a Dick by Meghan Doherty published by Zest BooksThis humorous and helpful book is decidedly worth asking for at your local library or independent bookstore (a great graduation gift idea, too).

And, please, don’t sing on public transportation…

**kmm

Book info: How Not to Be a Dick: An Everyday Etiquette Guide / Meghan Doherty. Zest Books, 2013.   [author’s tumblr]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy, sample page images, and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Thoughtless, selfish people make life miserable for everyone – avoid becoming a dick like them by following the advice in this cartoon-laced etiquette guide for young adults (and older folk who should already know better)!

Meghan Doherty discusses how not to be a dick in relationships and at home, as well as at school, work, and play. Internet and travel etiquette are also covered (shoes-off = okay while online, not while on the bus), and her signature retro-sketched characters hold decent and dickish conversations throughout the book.

Whether it’s how to state your opinion without alienating your friends or how to divide chores fairly with your roommates, keeping her ten big guidelines in mind will smooth your way in life – without making you a doormat.

Please do pledge “to use the tools and techniques provided in this book to help make the world a less dickish place” – we’re all in this together!

Flygirl, by Sherri L. Smith (book review) – flying for her country, despite prejudice

Feb21

book cover of Flygirl by Sherri L Smith published by PenguinWorld War II made Uncle Sam let women fly military planes.
Grit made women pilots endure ‘this man’s Army’ to become WASPs, flying routine Stateside runs in 1943-44.
Ida Mae dared to  ‘pass for white’ so she could fly again, in memory of her father.

While this book is fiction, the prejudices faced by “farm hick” Ida and her bunkmates “rich Jew” Lily and “carnie” Patsy the air show wing-walker were commonplace during World War II, as was the constant danger that Ida would be lynched if her not-white origins were revealed.

Training was tough; only half of WASP trainees made it to actual missions – delivering aircraft to bases, stress-testing new military planes, towing targets for artillery practice – but they weren’t recognized for their military service until 1977!

Flygirl has been out in paperback since 2010, so you should easily be able to find this riveting story at your local library or favorite independent bookstore.

How far can Ida fly and remain true to herself?
**kmm

Book info: Flygirl / Sherri L. Smith. Speak, 2010 (Penguin hardcover, 2008).  [author site]  [publisher site]  [fan-created book trailer] [author video interview] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: If passing for white will get Ida Mae back into the sky during World War II, she’ll do it – but how long can she live the lie and stay away from her family?

When the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots begin to test and transfer planes so military pilots are free for combat missions, Ida dreams of flying again, wondering if Uncle Sam is desperate enough to take black women pilots.

Light-skinned Ida applies anyway – she can use her late daddy’s flying lessons to serve her country, though she can never allow anyone to know her true roots.

One error at the WASP training base, and Ida will be sent home as a failure.
One mistaken calculation, and she could crash a much-needed training plane.
One slip-up that shows she’s not white, and the consequences could be deadly.

Test flights in unstable new planes, competition to be on a crew, bad news from overseas and from home – there really is a war on, and Ida is fighting it on more fronts than any of her fellow WASP pilots can imagine. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

A2Z Blog Challenge this year? My TBR shelf says yes!

Feb18

logo of A to Z Blog Challenge April 2014 Every spring, I agonize over whether or not to participate in the April AtoZ Blog Challenge.

Twenty-six posts in 26 days…

By no means impossible, but it sure is tough for me to get all the posts’ subjects to align with the A-through-Z daily schedule in April (we have Sundays off, thank God!).

However, my to-be-reviewed shelf of worthwhile reads is so overflowing that I  easily set aside 26 great books, each with a wee-bitty alpha tag, just waiting for April – and I still have scads more to write about in the meantime!

So yes, I’m committing myself to 26 A2Z posts in April again – third time’s a charm? See me at #785 on the AtoZ list?  (This will also help immensely with my pre-2014 books backlog as part of the Bookish blog TBR2014 Challenge)

Are you up for the Challenge too?
**kmm

Team Human, by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan (book review) – love your local vampire?

Feb14

Team HumanHazmat suit? Check.
Fountain pen and journal? Check.
Vampire enrolling in high school, 200 years late? Check.
Craunston High may not be ready for Francis, but Cathy sure is – and Mel wants to stop that relationship ASAP!

Read an excerpt here for that first schoolday as Cathy swoons over coolly distant Francis, whom Mel judges as “a crazy astronaut suit full of trouble” – and that’s before she meets the human teenage boy who lives in the same vampire house!

You should easily be able to find Team Human  in your favorite local library or independent bookstore after its 2013 paperback release (also available as eBook).

Would you give up sunshine, chocolate, and your best friend for love?
**kmm

Book info: Team Human / Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan. Harper Teen, 2012 (paperback 2013).  [Justine’s site]   [Sarah’s site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy from personal collection; cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: When her best friend falls in love with a vampire and wants to change over, Mel just cannot let it happen!

It’s all so civilized in this New England town founded by vampires, with sunproof windows in every building and the Zombie Disposal Unit on call (unfortunate side effect for 20% of vampire changes) and volunteer blood banks.

Recently, the principal’s husband ran away with a vampire, leaving her and Mel’s classmate Anna alone. Then debonair Francis enrolls in their high school, and ultimate undead fan Cathy falls for him.  Why is this well-educated 200 year old vampire suddenly risking daytime travel to school? Mel is sure he’s up to no good.

No, Cathy’s not a modern soul, but what if Francis stops loving her after she risks the change?
Yes, Kit is hot, but the human teen living with Francis’s vampire family is planning to change, too!

Maybe Mel is a bit sensitive about vampires, but she won’t stop investigating Francis’s real reasons for coming to school if it will keep her best (her only) friend on Team Human!   (One of 7,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design, by Chip Kidd (book review) – design is everywhere we look

Feb7

book cover of Go A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design by Chip Kidd published by WorkmanColor and contrast,
Fonts and spaces,
Scale and repetition,
Graphic design is everywhere.

Chip Kidd has designed book covers for the past 27 years, “putting a face on the story” as he says in his so-funny TED talk. He created the Jurassic Park logo, so he really knows his stuff.

Don’t be fooled the “board book” chunky cardboard cover or the youthful voices on the clever book trailer — this is a thorough and intriguing guide for young (and not-so-young) adults who want to better understand design.

Go  has deservedly been named a 2014 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction finalist. Find it at your favorite local library or independent bookstore today, and start seeing the human-made objects around you in a different light.

How would you re-design your favorite book cover? Chip is waiting for your entry at http://gothebook.tumblr.com/challenge!
**kmm

Book info:  Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design / Chip Kidd. Workman Publishing, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Graphic design is all around us – but how do you know what works if you’re creating your own? Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design can tell and show you everything.

From defining precisely what graphic design is (“Everything that is not made by nature is designed by someone.” p.6) to the parts which make up every design – form, typography, content, concept – Chip Kidd provides clear explanations and spot-on examples.

Explore the history of graphic design from cave paintings to now, positive and negative space, kerning and picas, Pantone colors, and much more as illustrated by book covers (many designed by Kidd) and advertisements from many eras.

After you’ve experimented with color grids and decided on which of 25 fonts feels like you, work through the 10 graphic design projects which wrap up the book (your personal logo!) and post your favorites on the book’s website. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)