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The Private series by Kate Brian

August 25, 2008

One of my all-time favorite series has to be Private. In my opinion, everything about these books, the characters and the plot, are much superior to other teen books series that take place at boarding schools, especially Gossip Girl. If you don’t already know that the Private series is infinitely better than GG (except maybe the TV show), then you’ll just have to read the books for yourself.

Strangely, I have not read the first book in the series until very recently, because I accidentally bought the second book first and never got the first book until now. So, without further ado, here is my review for Private, the first book in the fabulous Private series by Kate Brian.

Reed Brennan’s scholarship to Easton Academy is her ticket out of Croton, Pennsylvania, where everything is ordinary and boring, and where her pill-popping mom resides. To outsider Reed, Easton Academy is both sophisticated and intimidating, and it’s obvious that Reed doesn’t fit in, but she refuses admit defeat and go home. And then she meets the Billings Girls, the most powerful, beautiful, smart, and successful girls on campus - not to mention elite. These girls are envied by every other girl in the school, especially Reed, who vows to be accepted into their inner sanctum. But her crusade for acceptance isn’t going to be easy, and any slipup on Reed’s part may put Billings out of her reach forever.

Read the rest of my review here.

Sounds good, huh? It is. Private is an incredible book in a fabulous series. I personally cannot wait to get my hands on the next book on the series.

For those of you who have read the book, how many of you have heard about the next generation of Private? I’m pretty sure the original Private series will be continuing, but on top of that, there will be an offshoot series called Privilege. It’s supposed to be about what would happen at Easton if Ariana came back. Creepy, huh? Definitely. But I’ll probably end up reading it anyway!

REVIEW: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

August 13, 2008

Hey, Divas! I’m Steph and this is my very first entry here on the Book Divas blog.

Since I don’t have anything special planned yet for what I’ll be posting, I’ll do a review for one of a new favorite book of mine, The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson. This is cross-posted from my own book blog, http://reviewerx.blogspot.com. Come out there when you have a chance!

I have a fetish for books with butterfly covers. Seriously. What first attracted me to The Adoration of Jenna Fox was that winged bug you see prominent on the cover. Isn’t it pretty?

And I’ll tell you what, the premise was nothing short of the cover’s potential, either.

Jenna wakes up from a year-long coma. Well, at least that’s how long her parents tell her it’s been. See, she doesn’t remember anything. Which doesn’t go to say she’s not curious—she’s very much curious. Curious as to why her grandmother acts weirdly around her. Curious about the fact she can’t eat anything. Curious about her parents’ strange behavior. But more than anything, she’s curious about the person she used to be—did she have any friends? What was she like?

If you didn’t know it yet, this novel is set in the future. A future that, if the book jacket is to be trusted, “may be closer than we think”.

Let’s talk about this future. Science has reached the point where the power it gave the tyrants in control of it (that is, us humans) an advantage to create chaos. The issue of ethics is often the subject of wild debate, even more heated than nowadays. The world is incredibly dreary—to the brink with bureaucratic institutions created to regulate (and essentially control) all scientific advances and procedures.

Sound too technical? It really isn’t. Pushing all the ethical and moral dilemmas aside, an equally important theme of exploration present here is that of humanity. What makes a living being a person and all that. It’s quite fascinating because Ms Pearson takes an entirely unorthodox approach to the discovery of this value. Her writing is powerful in this sense also, as it is muted and subtle.

Which is something I wanted to talk about, actually: the writing. I’m accustomed to skipping over a lot of info-dump paragraphs while reading. I do this by default and usually understand the text pretty well anyway. I guess Mary Pearson wasn’t having any of that though, because first time I tried doing that, I ended up having to go back several paragraphs to see what I missed. Second time, backtracked several pages.

It’s called word-economy. Tight writing. Something I really, really appreciate.

Personally, it’s pertinent for everyone—teens, adults—to read this novel. The characters were identifiable, the situations familiar in the respect they made sense as a destination to the path we’re on, and the plot was clever. This novel’s a real gem. 

Deadly Little Secrets

August 1, 2008

Hey Book Divas,

My name is May and I recently created a book blog called YA Book (the link is on the bottom of this post). Today I will give you a short review of Deadly Little Secret the first book to the touch novel series by Laurie Stolarz. It will be on sale on December 16, 2008.
Three months ago, Camelia’s life is saved by a mysterious boy. She doesn’t see him again, until the first day of her junior year. His name is Ben Carter and everybody in school claims that he killed his girlfriend. Camelia doesn’t know who or what to believe but she does know one thing, she is irresistibly drawn to him and his touch.

But shortly after Ben’s sudden appearance in her life, Camelia begins receiving chilling phone calls, various packages and notes. Ben persists that her life is in grave danger and tells Camelia that he can help. Camelia is wary about his offer especially with Ben’s mysterious behavior and the new rumors buzzing around involving him. Can she trust the new and handsome boy with the so- called “shady” past?

This book was unbelievably amazing and an excellent start to the new series by Laurie Faria Stolarz (author of the Blue is for Nightmares series). The plot was mesmerizing, it kept me guessing who posed a threat to Camelia’s life. I would recommend anyone who are fans of of romance, suspense, and mystery!

….

Click here to read more on my blog! And don’t forget to comment. :)
Thank You!

May

www.yabookrealm.blogspot.com

The Baltimore Book Festival

July 31, 2008
Hey there Divas, Melyssa here.  Exciting news. . . We have been approved as Media Partner for the Baltimore Book Festival (http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com/)
It is completely free to the public to attend.  Here are the rest of the details:
When:  Septemeber 26 - 28
Where: Mount Vernon Place
600 Block North Charles Street
Batimore, MD 21201
If you are in the area come down and see us!  If not, wish us an aweseom weekend, spreading the word about Book Divas!

Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega

July 28, 2008

Hey everyone! My name is Rachael and I am way excited to be contributing to the BookDivas blog!! I’ll start with a little bit about myself: obviously, I am a book reviewer. My reviewing nickname is The Book Muncher (some of you may have heard of me), and I run a reviewing blog: http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/

So, the last book that I’ve reviewed for BookDivas is Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega. It’s about a girl named Katima Flynn, also known as Kat. She works for her mother Abra at Abra’s Midwifery, and she pretty much loves it there. But, like everyone does from time to time, she screws up. So from there, she needs to fix all the numerous problems in her life.

Fact of Life #31 was a really funny and well-written book. It’s also a great coming-of-age story. I have to say the most unique part of this novel though was the incorporation of birth and the Midwifery. I think it’s really cool how this novel totally respects life.

So that’s all for now guys!! But don’t worry, I’ll be back soon!!! :D

Contests!

July 20, 2008

Hi everyone, this is Kayla again and i thought i should share with you some of the cool places you could win free books on the web.

There are some nice contests over at Harper Teen Publishers, you could win Gone by Michael Grant (you could also win a PSP); a signed copy of How To Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sara Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle; a copy of Frenemies and a $500 gift card to Alloy; a signed poem written by Francesca Lia Block; or a chance to win all four Pretty Little Liars books.
http://www.harperteen.com/contests.asp

teenreads.com is having two bags of books giveaways, the first is at the top of the page, the second a little way down. There is also a Cathy’s Key and iPod giveaway; and a chance to win an ARC of The Hunger Games.
http://www.teenreads.com/

Every week Penguin Group has their Plug Into Penguin sweepstakes. All you have to do is send an email to the specified email address with your full name, address, and date of birth, and there’s a new book every week.
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/youngreaders/plugin_sweeps.html

Random House is holding a sweepstakes to win “a collection of this summer’s must reads”, and all you have to do is subscribe to the Sister Ink newsletter.
http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/sisterink/sweepstakesrules.html

I think I saved the best for last. Teens read too. All you have to do to enter all the contests on the site (this month there are 19 books and 60(!) copies being given away) is send one email to the email address shown on the sight. Every month they have new books, and more chances to win!
http://www.teensreadtoo.com/Contests.html

Sometimes there’s nothing like a good reread…

July 19, 2008

Hey Divas! I’m Jennifer and I’m going to let you in on a secret:

I do not buy books unless I plan to reread them.

With that in mind, I had no interest in reading anything new this week. Instead I wanted to rediscover books on my shelf and find out what made them worthy of being there in the first place. Here is what I read this week and why:

Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott is one of those books that makes me sigh with satisfaction. It’s just… well, perfect. Kate is a likable character – she’s a typical, confused high school girl. Her family is messed up because her dad quit his job to sell vitamins, her best friend isn’t really her best friend anymore, and there’s this really dreamy guy that she knows she can’t have, but she wants anyway.

Wake by Lisa McMann is such an intriguing story and I discover something new each time I read it. What would you do if you didn’t dream like other people? What if, instead of having your own dreams, you get sucked into the dreams of others? For Janie, that’s not a hypothetical question - it’s a way of life. And the one person who knows Janie’s secret isn’t who he seems to be. Who exactly is the dark and ever-changing Cabel? And what do his dreams mean… for Cabel and for Janie? This is just such a smart book and it really makes me think. I love it!

Labor of Love by Rachel Hawthorne makes me want to drop everything and visit New Orleans… and maybe even pick up a hammer. The main character, Dawn, doesn’t want a boyfriend as she’s still suffering after breaking up with her boyfriend at the prom. She just wants to focus on helping rebuild New Orleans, one house at a time. Dawn and her friends can’t resist the temptation of visiting a psychic, because it’s just something one does while in New Orleans. It’s not like anything a psychic predicts is really going to happen, is it?

Summer in the City by Elizabeth Chandler is a book that makes my girly girl heart flutter. Jamie begs off spending the summer with her dad and his new girlfriend, and decides to spend the summer with her mom instead. Upon arriving, she meets a guy dressed up as a Baltimore Hon, who makes a seriously romantic, though mysterious gesture. Then Jamie meets the dreamy poet living next door. Finally, there’s her lacrosse coach who has been rather obvious in his disdain for her, and yet, she finds herself thinking about him too! It sounds like it should be confusing… and for poor Jamie it is, but as a reader, it’s a just a sweet and fun summer read!

Finally, there is Tropical Kiss by Jan Coffey. Morgan goes to visit her dad in Aruba. While she’s looking forward to getting away, she doesn’t have high expectations because she and her father barely know one another. To make matters worse, her dad has some random guy named Cy living on his property and it’s obvious they are close. Even worse, Cy is totally hot, every girl in Aruba wants him, and Morgan figures she doesn’t stand a chance. Oh and there’s also the fact that her dad is totally up to something and Morgan worries he’s messed up in something illegal! What started out as a dreaded vacation turns into a vacation filled with intrigue, romance, and learning who her father really is.

Trust me, I have more than five books on my shelf, but these are the ones that I decided to reread this week. Are there any books you are compelled to reread? Tell me about them - I’m always looking for something new to add to my collection!

New And Up And Coming Books

July 18, 2008

Hi Book Divas, this is Kayla and I thought I should share some of my favorite new YA titles.

Madapple by Christina Meldrum just hit stores on May 13th and is an amazing first book from a very talented new author (in my opinion).

The Host by Stephenie Meyer isn’t technically considered young adult, but it is an amazing story that anyone– young or old, Twilight fan or not– would love. It was in stores on May 6th.

Wake by Lisa McMann is an amazing beginning to a trilogy. I can’t wait to read more about Janie, and her power to be drawn into other people’s dreams.

Although Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr came out last year, her sequel to the book, Ink Exchange, was just released on April 29th. Both of these books are an amazing look into the world of Faeries, and i’m not talking about the Tinkerbell kind eaither.

Undone by Brooke Taylor gives you an unparalleled look into the mind of a teenager after loosing her best friend. Unfortunately this book won’t be in stores until July 22nd.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong is the first book in the Darkest Powers Trilogy. It hit stores July 1st and i’m already dieing for the next book in the series!

Generation Dead was released on May 6th and has already started becoming a hit. What do you do when dead teenagers start to come back to life? An amazing book.

Here are some books that are on my “to be read” pile and look very promising.

Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher. It hit stores last October, but i’ve heard very promising reviews.

Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall should be in stores on July 29th, once again i’ve heard very good reviews.

Dream Girl by Lauren Mechling will be out on July 22nd. What would be cooler than having the name Claire Voyante and having psychic visions.

That’s all for now, if you have any suggestions of any other good books feel free to comment.

100 Girls by Adam Gallardo and Todd Demong

Cover of 100 GirlsHey everyone! My name is Tirzah and I am excited to be a contributor to this fantastic blog. For my first post, I thought I’d tell you a bit about the first comic book (or is it considered manga? I really have no clue, I’m completely hopeless when it comes to these things) I have ever read.

That’s right, the very first. Now, normally I have tried to steer clear of mangas and comics and whatnot, mainly because I thought that the pictures in mangas look a bit silly. I’m sorry, I don’t meant to offend anyone with this comment, but if I am going to pick one up and get a story out of it, I want the pictures to at least look realistic.

100 Girls was a bit different though…everyone’s facial features seemed to be in proportion, the illustrations weren’t too childlike, and it was neat to see things from all of the different angles. The storyline really grabbed you after a few pages, giving litle tantalizing glimpses at what was really going on in a sinister lab across the country. Read my full review here.

The final verdict on this comic? I’d like to explore more of them…starting with the sequel to 100 Girls.

Dan Reed’s “The Dictator”: Video & Interview

July 16, 2008

Our new friend and performing artist, Dan Reed, recently shared an amazing video with us that he created call The Dictator. Using a powerful clip from the Charlie Chaplin film, ‘The Great Dictator’, it is amazing how relevant the words still are today - and we can’t help but wonder if they are maybe even more relevant today than back when the film was originally created in 1940.

Using powerful imagery of today’s world intermingled with the Chaplin’s soliloquy, Dan’s message grounded us, awakened us, and most importantly, made us want to make sure everyone sees this video.

So don’t waste another minute and watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzf6xE4zdpo


We needed to know what Dan’s thought were behind making this video. Here is what he had to say:

‘The Dictator’ started off from the idea of recording the Chinese Harp. As with many of the tracks from the new record, I wanted to mix the taste of world instruments over what could be called traditional Western modern music. A gentleman named Brad Fish, who played the Chinese Harp like an acoustic guitar, lived down the street from me in Jerusalem, where the majority of this record was recorded. I invited him to play over a rhythm track I had programmed. He played a few tracks and I took them back to the studio where I began editing them in to different chord progressions, similar to what I did with the Charlie Chaplin speech much later on, but with music rather than words.

The track lived as an instrumental for about six months, as I struggled with lyrics and melodies that would represent the subtle feeling of hope that the music gave me on it’s own. When I discovered segments of the Charlie Chaplin’s film ‘The Great Dictator’ on Youtube one late night, it struck me deeply that Mr. Chaplin wrote and directed the film in 1940, years before the world was fully aware of the atrocities that were happening in Poland and Germany. For his vision to play a ‘Hitler type’ character, but in a complete role reversal by giving speeches about the strength that lies in opening our hearts, about compassion, self-awareness, courage to say no to war… was something that hit me deeply, especially living in Jerusalem, just miles away from the wall that divides Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

After I edited his speech to rhythmically and economically fit to the track, I began to hear the chorus lyrics and melody come in to play. Living in the Middle East it is easy to become cynical toward the concept of peace. As much as it is discussed and desired, it is the day to day reality and complexities of the situation that brings a sense of hopelessness and despair to the greater possibility of peace one day, not just there but in the world at large. The lyric “Some day the dolphins will take back the sea” or “Running from love is our fall from grace” was a balance point to what Mr. Chaplin was speaking to, empowering the human soul, where as the lyrics sung represented what may happen if we do not get our act together as a human race.

In the end I hope the song and the video is a good representation of Mr. Charlie Chaplin’s message all those years ago, and hopefully it will give it new life in this age… our time. It asks the question… Will we rise to the occasion to be good stewards of our communities, our families and this earth… or will we simply play ‘follow the leader’ in to the shadows through corporate global-ism, environmental devastation, and the betrayal of human and animal rights?

What do you think of this video and the message in it? Please share your thoughts with us here on our blog or on the Book Divas message board!!

Update:

Check out these great behind-the-scene photos from the making of the video.