#PTALive Melbourne, with Penguin Teen Australia

On Monday 12th August 2013, Penguin Teen Australia hosted #PTALive at their Melbourne headquarters. Among other things, it was to launch their new website. (NOTE: Feedly, my current blog reader, isn’t recognising this URL – or any variations of it. So if anyone finds a compatible RSS feed that will work with Feedly, please let me know.)

Got to be honest, I felt rather odd at the event, because…I’m not really a fangirl. Nothing to do with my age (mid-twenties), and everything to do with my personality. And a lot of the books that were highlighted, I just have no interest in. And for the others, I’m interested in Veronica Roth‘s and Marie Lu‘s series, but I haven’t read them yet. And I’ve only read Richelle Mead‘s first two Vampire Academy novels.

Marissa Meyer‘s Scarlet was featured out of two “underrated” titles. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been selling as well as some of the publisher’s other titles. Which is a real shame, because I rather like the Lunar Chronicles series. Admittedly, I read library copies of Cinder and Scarlet, so I haven’t put my money where my mouth is.

There was a shout-out to bloggers in general, and my site was one of twelve to be visually specified. Yeah, that surprised me, too. And seeing my name among the others really made me stand out, not necessarily in a good way, because I don’t have branding or a specially made banner. My entire blog is much like that.

I’ve been book blogging since 2007. Let that sink in. It’s currently 2013. And I’m rather unprogressive 😉

But I digress…

Guest authors interviewed were Will Kostakis (author of The First Third) and Jennifer Kloester (author of The Cinderella Moment). Not entirely sure why, but Jen reminded me of American author Jackie Morse Kessler (also known as simply Jackie Kessler). Maybe because of their initials, and they both write YA fiction and practice martial arts. Also, they’re contracted to the same US publisher (Month9Books)… 😉

Anyhoo, it was reported that Melbourne’s #PTALive had the most attenders, beating the other events around the country. Batmanians, unite! 🙂 Also, surprising to learn that Vampire Academy’s biggest market is Australia. Would’ve just assumed the US was. But Australia has a lot of scary fangirl to give, apparently 😉

Penguin Teen Australia: Facebook Twitter YouTube Tumblr

Will Kostakis: Facebook Twitter The First Third

Jennifer Kloester: Facebook Twitter Blogspot The Cinderella Moment

PENGUIN BOOKS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO (YA & ADULT)

CONFIRMED RELEASE DATES
Marie Lu – Champion (Legend, Book 3) – 6th November 2013
Richelle Mead – The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, Book 4) – 19th November 2013
Rachel Caine – Daylighters (Morganville Vampires, Book 15) – 20th November 2013

UNKNOWN RELEASE DATES
Nancy Holzner – Hellhound (Deadtown, Book 5) – 29th October 2013 (in the US)
Marissa Meyer – Cress (Lunar Chronicles, Book 3) – 4th February 2014 (in the US)
Jessica Spotswood – Untitled (Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book 3)
Sylvia Day – Captivated by You (Crossfire, Book 4)
Heather Brewer – Soulbroken (Legacy of Tril, Book 2)
Richelle Mead – Untitled (Age of X, Book 2)

PENGUIN USA PUBLISHED IT, BUT AUS MAY NOT
A. D. Robertson – Captive – 22nd October 2013
Lauren Dane & Megan Hart – There All Along – 3rd December 2013
Andrea Cremer – Snakeroot – 10th December 2013
Lydia Kang – Control – 26th December 2013
Rachel Caine – Prince of Shadows – 4th February 2014
J. Nelle Patrick – Tsarina – 27th February 2014
Seanan McGuire – Half Off Ragnarok – 4th March 2014
Andrea Cremer – The Inventor’s Secret – 22nd April 2014
Seanan McGuire – Sparrow Hill Road – 3rd June 2014

16th April 2013 Releases

Happy Release Day to:

Jackie Morse Kessler
Breath (Riders of the Apocalypse, Book 4)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Graphia (US: 16th April 2013)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
Contrary to popular belief, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse aren’t just harbingers of doom – they actually keep life in balance. But what happens when their leader and creator, Death, becomes suicidal? Before the first living thing drew its first gasping breath, he was there. He has watched humanity for millennia. And he has finally decided that humanity is not worth the price he has paid time and again. When Death himself gives up on life, a teenager named Xander Atwood is the world’s only hope. But Xander bears a secret, one that may bring about the end of everything.

Marie Lu
Legend (Legend, Book 1)
Penguin (US & CA: 16th April 2013)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbours. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

April 2013 Releases

Done with March 2013 Releases? Here are April 2013 Releases. For future titles, check Reading Wishlist.

12 New Covers (Anderson, Barnes, Clarke, Harrison, Jones, Kessler, Littlefield, Mitchell, Moss, Reisz, Rendahl, Rossi)

March 2012 Releases

Done with February 2012 Releases? Here are March 2012 Releases. To see future titles, check Reading Wishlist.

5 New Covers (Acosta, Caine, Morse Kessler, Mahoney, Mitchell)

January Through June 2011 Reads – Star Ratings

Books I read in January through June this year. Separated into star ratings, then listed by order in which I read them. All up at GoodReads. Some reviews here on my WordPress. Does not include books that I didn’t finish, because I’ve deleted them from my catalogue, and likely my memory.

Let me know if you decide to read or not to read them, based on my ratings. Because yes, I am that egocentric 😉

5 STARS: Rage (Jackie Morse Kessler), American Vampire (Jennifer Armintrout), Project 17 (Laurie Faria Stolarz), The Gathering (Kelley Armstrong), The Repossession Mambo/Repo Men (Eric Garcia), Moongazer (Marianne Mancusi), Wither (Lauren DeStefano), Girl Hero (Carrie Jones)

4 STARS: Outside In (Maria V. Snyder), Stocking Full of Coal (Amanda Feral), The Walled Garden (Michele Lang), The Shadow Runners (Liz Maverick), The Vespertine (Saundra Mitchell), Linger (Maggie Stiefvater), Dark Life (Kat Falls), Demonized (Naomi Clark), The Reckoning (Kelley Armstrong), Midnight Alley (Rachel Caine), Feast of Fools (Rachel Caine), Lord of Misrule (Rachel Caine), Carpe Corpus (Rachel Caine), Fade Out (Rachel Caine), Coming Home (P. D. Martin), Kiss of Death (Rachel Caine), XVI (Julia Karr), Ghost Town (Rachel Caine), The Girl in the Steel Corset (Kady Cross), Matched (Ally Condie), Uninvited (Amanda Marrone), The Bradbury Report (Steven Polansky), Uninvited (Justine Musk), Exile (Rebecca Lim), Helper12 (Jack Blaine), Darkness Becomes Her (Kelly Keaton)

3 STARS: Jealousy (Lili St. Crow), Among the Betrayed (Margaret Peterson Haddix), Among the Barons (Margaret Peterson Haddix), Becoming (Kelley Armstrong), Shadow Days (Andrea Cremer), Day of Fire (Kathleen Nance), Dreaming Anastasia (Joy Preble), Things Bogans Like, Beyond Heaving Bosoms (Sarah Wendell & Candy Tan), Fugitives (Alexander Gordon Smith), The Power of Two (Patti O’Shea), Coming Undone (Lauren Dane), In the Arms of Stone Angels (Jordan Dane), The Iron Witch (Karen Mahoney), Damaged (Yolanda Sfetsos), Falling Freestyle (Vivian Arend), Jeweled (Anya Bast), Thyla (Kate Gordon), It Takes a Village Idiot and I Married One (Alex Borstein & Cherry Chevapravatdumrong), Burn Bright (Marianne de Pierres), A Touch Mortal (Leah Clifford), Night and Chaos (Naomi Clark), Savage Transformation (Lexxie Couper), The Official Illustrated Guide (Stephenie Meyer), Exit Strategy (Kelley Armstrong), Made to Be Broken (Kelley Armstrong), You Are So Undead to Me (Stacey Jay), Hereafter (Tara Hudson), Relentless (Lauren Dane), The Scarlet Empress (Susan Grant), Close Encounters (Katherine Allred), Perfect Cover (Jennifer Lynn Barnes), Killer Spirit (Jennifer Lynn Barnes), West End (Laura Van Wormer), Moon Sworn (Keri Arthur)

2 STARS: Defiance (Lili St. Crow)

April 2011 Releases

Done with March 2011 Releases? Here are April 2011 Releases. To see further into the future, check Reading Wishlist.

[REVIEW] Rage – Jackie Morse Kessler

Jackie Morse Kessler
Rage (Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Book 2)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Graphia (US: 4th April 2011)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

The novel’s first sentence suggests the protag may have killed her cat, which makes Melissa Miller immediately difficult to love. Plus she’s a self-injurer who could fit neatly into a certain subculture that seems to celebrate misery instead of fighting it. But enough of my prejudices…

Missy has redeeming features, mainly in that she’s the school soccer team’s keeper. Her experience protecting the net and woodwork assists her when she undertakes her biggest challenge – being War, the Red Rider of the Apocalypse. Only the apocalypse hasn’t come yet. But what does it means to be War? What must Missy do to save others, and to save herself?

The rage is evident. The reasons for it may seem clear, but one question remains unanswered: why did Missy start cutting? It seems her real problems began with Adam and escalated from there, but she was cutting even before she originally hooked up with him, before Adam was the first to discover her scars. Did Missy start self-injuring before or after Graygirl’s demise?

I don’t know. But Rage does exactly what it should: provokes reactions in readers. A lot of fiction leaves me feeling “meh”, not connecting with the characters, but this series is different. Rage is a striking story that cuts to the bone and digs deeper. Prepare to be angry and upset, and rush to hug your cat. And never forget to appreciate those awesome folk wearing the gloves on the pitch – they just might be the people who stave off the apocalypse.

Persnickety Snark’s FIVE Challenge, Day 1: Great Debuts

Today, December 21, is the first day of Persnickety Snark’s FIVE Challenge, and today’s particular challenge is…Great Debuts!

Adele’s list may be YA only, but I’m including all age brackets. I read quite a few debuts, but not all of them were published this year, as I tend to read things by availability and my ordered lists. There are probably many awesome books published this year that I may not read until 2011 or beyond.

Anyhoo, here we are, counting down from 5 to 1 – yes, I do play favourites: