YA Book Shopping Guide

Don't know what to buy someone for Christmas? Can't figure out what you want on your own list? How about a book? We all know books make a great present! Over at Michelle's Minions, she's posted a fantastic YA book shopping guide that covers all genres. Click here to check it out!

Review - Candor by Pam Bachorz

Candor by Pam Bachorz

Released: September 2009
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 256
Publisher: Egmont
From: 1 ARC Tour

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, he's found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He's got them all fooled: Oscar's the top student and the best-behaved teen in town. Nobody knows he's made his own Messages to deprogram his brain. Oscar has even found a way to get rich. For a hefty price, he helps new kids escape Candor, Florida before they're transformed into cookie-cutter teens. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor, and Oscar's carefully-controlled world crumbles.

---

This is the first time I've read anything that had a Sci-Fi vibe to it. It's also been a while since I've read a book that had an all male point of view to it. I'm glad I stepped out of my little comfort zone of reading because this book was great!

You get a very creepy vibe while reading what's going on in Candor. While being around people that are very perky and polite might sound ideal - it's actually quite freaky. Plus the fact that everyone wear pastels makes me think Easter threw up on the place.

I really liked Oscar and his daily fight against the Messages. When bad girl Nia showed up, I instantly liked her. At first I thought the relationship between the two of them was rushed. But the more I read, the more I realized that Nia was the only thing close to Oscar's type of normal. She also carries that head strong trait that Oscar had, and I was rooting for both of them throughout the book. Pam did a wonderful job building both these characters up, and even the side characters like Mandi and Sherman. I never found them to be background noise like some novels I've read.

By the time I reached the last couple of chapters, my eyes weren't able to read fast enough. The plot was fantastic, but in the back of my head I just knew I had this book pegged on what would happen. When I reached the end, I was completely surprised! Candor is definitely a book you need to pick up.

♥amber

Rock This! Thursday with The Ultimate Dumpees

I've been a horrible to Rock This! Thursday. It's been two months since I've posted anything! If you're new to the blog, Rock This! Thursday is a weekly feature where I discuss books that are about or centered around another thing I love: music! I also throw in some interviews with authors and bloggers, share some concert stories, and might even just mention a band that I think you should hear. If you would like to participate in Rock This! Thursday, shoot me an email: justyourtypicalbookblog(at)hotmail(dot)com


This week I am interviewing a fellow blogger and a good friend of mine, Brittany who runs The Ultimate Dumpees. Britt just started her blog not too long ago so after this interview you should all head over to her blog and show some love.

You're walking down the street, what song is following you?

If You Only Knew by Shinedown. That so follows me right now, lol. Lyrics fit perfectly with my life right now.


We're always up for new music. Tell us five songs we should definitely be listening to:

Breakeven by Script
Angels on the Moon by Thriving Ivory
Candles by Hey Monday
Second Chance by Shinedown
Bad Romance by Lady GaGa


What song do you think would make a great book?

Oh, hard! Humm, maybe So What by Pink. Lol, that would be a great, fun book to read.

Do you have a favorite book that is about or centered around music?

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway. Thanks to you, I read the book and loved it! I've read it like twice since then, and it never gets old.


What was the first tape or CD you bought?

OMG, so embarrassing. NSYNC and Gloria Estefan. That duet they did forever ago, lol.

If you could hang out with one musician - living or dead - who would it be and why?

Wow. Ummm, John Mayer. He's just, like, a God. Lol! I love his music. His songs are touching and so personal. So relatable.

Tell us about the first concert you attended.

Also, embarrassing. A free Aaron Carter concert. I went with my friend, who was obsessed with him. We got to meet him and he signed our Pooh Bear school notebooks, lol. Luckily, he was our age, which was like 10 or 11, so he didn't think it was odd.

Who's your favorite band/singer? Why are they your favorite?

That's hard. Right now my favorite band in Thriving Ivory. They are such a good band, with good music and amazing lyrics. I can really relate to a few of their songs and it's good writing and reading music.


Lastly, what is one thing you love most about music?

I love how it calms me. I can always find a song that fits my mood and that it great for me. I'll sing it out loud and I'll feel so much better after that. It's like therapy.

2010 Debut Author Challenge

The 2010 Debut Author Challenge is being hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren.

The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year. I'm going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels! Click here to read all the details.

Here is my list of books (in no special order) that I'm super pumped to read for the challenge:
1. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard
2. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
3. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
4. Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
5. Dirty Little Secrets by Cynthia Jaynes Omololu
6. Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapleton
7. Forget Her Nots by Amy Brecount White
8. Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland
9. Bleeding Violets by Dia Reeves
10. The Tension of Opposites
11. Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly
12. Sea by Heidi R. Kling
13. A Love Story: Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner
14. The Mark by Jen Nadol
15. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger


As the year goes on, I will contuine to put books up that I've read. But don't be shy. If there is a book you're thinking I should be super excited about - leave me a comment! If you're an author, feel free to pimp out your book on this page!
 
♥amber

Waiting on Wednesday

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

Release Date: August 2010

Kayla McHenry’s sweet sixteenth sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla’s secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin’ do.



Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year’s supply of gumballs arrives. And a boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla’s wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride… but they MUST STOP. Because when she was 15? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her.


And Ben is her best friend’s boyfriend.

I really enjoyed Mandy's debut novel, Prada & Predudice, and already marked her as an author to look out for. This book sounds like it's going to be very cute and funny! If I woke up and a life sized My Little Pony was standing outside my window, I'd freak!
 
♥amber

Writers Wednesday - NaNoWriMo Style

How is everyone doing on their NaNoWriMo novel? I hope you're kicking butt and taking names!

I'm not as far as I would like to be, but I had a feeling that would happen. I'm a natural procrastinator, but I'm almost to 25K (this isn't counting the four chapters I had already written before NaNo started). This is pretty amazing for me because I never get this far into a story without giving up. I think what helps is my character Grace. I've built her up to this character who is just so nutty (in a fun way), and out there that I can stick her in any situation and see what happens. Since I'm in the middle of my novel now, and she has to play out all her lies - it's just getting crazier.

For today I wanted to show some of Grace's nutty side. This is a scene of what happens when Grace tries to give her fake boyfriend the fifty dollars she owed him. Head's up, it does contain some language.

Snid Bit for Today

I clutch onto the bars and give myself a breather. Climbing up a fire escape covered in ice is not a walk in the park. When you add to the fact I’m wearing heels, it suddenly becomes a crazy obstacle course you’d see on a reality show. It was a huge mistake to try and break these suckers in tonight. Vicki has been on my case about expanding my shoe collection for the past two months. Even though the economy is going to shit, I apparently need a good pair of heels. The only thing I find heels good for is throwing. Like at ex-husbands or solicitors. After my escapade up this fire escape, I’m going to throw these things at her head instead.


After my breather, I ignore the dizzy spell that’s coming over me and hoist myself through the hole. Must not look down, I tell myself. If I do, I’ll surely pass out. There’s no one around to catch me besides the sidewalk, and it doesn’t look very comforting. Taking in a few more breaths, I open my eyes, and step towards the window.

Crouching down, I’m pumped to see what type of person Ethan-Dean is. I seriously doubt there’s going to be any half nude pictures or a beer logo on his walls. He strikes me as the more modern guy who doesn’t have a whole lot of clutter, and possibly a picture of his mother slapped on his fridge. Something about his eyes tells me he’s a mama’s boy.

Scanning the living room, my jaw drops. Holy freakin’ crap! My gift is so off, it’s not even funny.

There’s a good sized TV sitting in the corner with a few shelves lined with movies. I bet they’re all action plus one minor chick flick in the mix. Every boy has one, even if they try to deny it. The fading gray furniture is all matching with a cherry wood coffee table and end tables. The couch looks like it has been slept on way too many times.

Yes, all of this was exactly what I thought it would be except for all the super hero stuff.

It’s not just bright and colorful comic book posters, drawings, and framed stills lining the walls that are throwing me a complete curve ball here. There are two bookshelves, each of them lit that is entirely devoted to action figures still in their shiny plastic boxes. The rest are spread throughout the place, and even that doesn’t bother me.

No, I’m more freaked out by the life sized Batman standing by the front door. Leave it to me to sleep with a geek – figuratively speaking of course.

I press my face against the glass to get a closer look. Ethan-Dean is sitting on a bar stool in the corner of his living room wearing a pair of pajama bottoms that are thankfully flannel and not Superman and a white shirt. The way his arm is resting, I can see how tone they are. Who knew that geek had some muscle! He’s leaning over something that I can’t see. I don’t want to give the poor boy a heart attack so I dig out my phone to call him one more time.

A few seconds later, his body shifts, and I see him reaching for his phone that’s resting on one of the bookshelves. It’s about time he answered the dang thing! He grabs it, stares down at it, and then the ringing stops.

Did he just ignore my call? I’m standing outside his window freezing my tush off and he ignores my call? Doesn’t he understand this is an emergency? Common logic tells a person when your phone is ringing fifty times in a row; you might want to pick it up! How much ruder can he get? I curl my hand into a fist and start pounding on the window.

Whatever he’s leaning on crashes to the ground and his body jumps about ten feet in the air. There’s a muffled out sound that resembles a scream, but I’m not for sure due to the wind. Spinning around on one foot, he looks right in my direction. He doesn’t say anything or even move. I probably shouldn’t have pounded on his window.

I hope he recognizes me. The window is partially covered in condensation, but he has to know it’s me. Oh no. What if he thinks I’m a burglar? If he goes for a gun – four stories up or not – I’m jumping. Then again I doubt he owns a gun considering he lives in Geekville. He’ll probably just sick Batman on me.

“Yo, Ethan-Dean! It’s me, Grace!” I shout, waving my hand. “I got your fifty bucks! Let me in!” I hope his neighbors aren’t listening in. I’m making this sound like some sort of crack deal.

Taking a few steps forward, I see his mouth quickly moving. I can’t hear him due to the high wind velocity that is more in likely going to knock me right off this platform. I can just see the headlines now: Actress, Grace Holloway, plummets to her death right before her big break!

Who am I kidding? There isn’t going to be any headlines. More like a tiny article under the sales ad saying: Dumb blonde plummets to her death during an ice storm.

“Open the window before I die out here!” The heat of my breath causes a fog on the window, and I can no longer see anything. Taking my palm, I do a quick wipe across it, and see an extremely pissed off face staring back at me.

“Ahhh!” I scream, feeling myself flying backwards. My arms flap around like a chicken while I try to grab on to something, but there isn’t anything. The platform is so icy; I’m not able to keep my balance with these damn heels on. My butt slaps down against the platform as the window opens with Ethan-Dean’s head popping out of it.

“What are you doing here?” he shouts.

“Give me a freakin’ heart attack, why don’t ya!” I cry out. I try to stand up, but these stupid heels start slipping and sliding and I end up doing the splits. “Ow!”

“Are you okay?” he asks, climbing the window.

“Does it look like I’m okay?” I snap. Jeez, do I need to draw this boy a picture or what? In a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment, I hastily pull my legs back together and pushed myself up. Only to fall right back down on my fanny again.

“Let me help you.” I want to tell him no, and that I can handle this all on my own. It’s my whole new approach towards having an independent attitude. But I don’t think my butt can take another fall like that again. I finally give in and grab the schmuck's hands to help me up. When he pulls me up, a stabbing sensation rips through me and I let out a scream.

Ethan-Dean quickly places one hand firmly on the side of my hip and the other one in the middle of my lower back. “What’s wrong? Did you break something?”

“No,” I whimper. I bite the inside of my cheek to make myself think of something else besides the pain. “I’m good.” He slowly takes his hand off of me, making sure I’m balanced before climbing back into the window. Holding out his hands, he helps me through. This kind of makes me think he’s more of a sweetheart then a schmuck.

Inside it’s even weirder. I feel like I’m at a Comic Con convention. I’m just waiting for someone to walk out of the kitchen dressed in polyester. When I turn back to Ethan-Dean, I notice he’s wearing black rimmed glasses. That’s weird. I didn’t see them on his face when we were outside. Then again, I was probably too distracted by my ass breaking.



--If your'e posting any snid bits up from your NaNo novel or any writings in general - leave a comment! I'd love to read it :)

♥amber

300 Followers Giveaway!

When Cheryl and I first started the blog, I thought if we got 50 people we'd be doing good.  But now we have over 300 stalkers followers?!  That is insanely AWESOME! Even Dean agrees with me!







To celebrate we're having a little giveaway to thank you guys!  I was debating on what book should be the prize then I thought, ya know what? Let the winner choose!  Here are all the details:


- You MUST already be a follower to enter this giveaway. Anyone who started following after 11/16/09 cannot enter. And yes, I will be checking.

- There will only be ONE winner.

- Please list up to 5 books - each being under $15 - that you would like to own. If you are chosen, I will pick one book out of your list to send to you. Depending on the price range, you might even get two. Basically it's a SURPRISE!!

- Here's the catch. I will be purchasing the winner's book(s) from The Book Depository. Please check out the site first before listing your books.

- The giveaway will end November 30th at 11:59 pm central time. Due to the recent privacy issues, please do not leave your email address here. The winner will be announced on December 1st here on the blog and will have 48 hours to contact me with their mailing address. If I'm not contacted by then I will choose a new winner.

- GIVEAWAY IS OPEN TO EVERYONE BECAUSE I ♥ YOU ALL!!