Monday, December 20, 2010

Best I've Read WINNERS!!



Congratulations to the Best I've Read 2010 winners!  Please see the following list to see if you've won one of the prize packages!

Shadow of the Sun
Aimee Brown


The Eternal Ones, The Replacement, Rot & Ruin, Shadow Hills Poster
Alannah Javier

Grace, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, Once in a Full Moon
Allison Tielking


Nightshade, Dust City, Shade
Amy Deatherage


Secrets and Shadows, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, The Lonely Hearts Club
Germaine Dulac

Crescendo, Pathfinder Package 1
Hailey Lampley
Crescendo, Pathfinder Package 2
Jacinda Hinten

Clockwork Angel, Firelight, Losing Faith
Heather Bingham

Matched, Deception, My Ridiculous Romantic Obsession, Leviathan, Behemoth
Heather McClung

Clockwork Angel, Heavenly, Forgive My Fins
Jess Ring

My Double Life, The Scorch Trials, Dark Flame
Kara Squire

The Familiars, Personal  Demons, Anna and the French Kiss
Karen O'Connor

Tyger Tyger
Khyla Alcantra

Demon's Covenant
Natalie Doyle

Tell Me A Secret, The Exiled Queen, Extraordinary, a name in a book by Lani Woodland
Sophia Lee

Congratulations once again to all winners and thank you to the hundreds that entered the fabulous giveaways.  A reminder that due to holiday shipping, the books and posters may not arrive until January.  

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Recipe - Macoroni and Cheese

We hope everyone is enjoying the recipes for your holiday cookbook!  Today we have homemade macoroni and cheese!  Yummy comfort food!


Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, divided
1/4 cup  flour
1 cup milk
1/2 lb.  (8 oz.) Velveeta Cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked, drained
1/2 cup  KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Optional - crushed ritz crackers or crushed corn flakes
 
Heat oven to 350°F.

Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 2 min., stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Add velveeta cheese cook 3 min. or until melted, stirring frequently. Stir in macaroni.

Spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Melt remaining butter; toss with cracker crumbs or corn flakes. Sprinkle over casserole.

Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

Recipe - Broccoli Casserole

A great side dish!

Ingredients

1 cup of white rice
1 jar of cheezwiz
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c of butter
1 small package of frozen broccoli chopped

In a bowl place the frozen broccoli and 1/2 c of butter in a microwave safe dish and cook for 5 minutes in the microwave.  When complete, add all remaining ingredients; stir.  Heat in microwave for 5 minutes, stir and then repeat one more time. 

That's it!  It is that easy! 

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Recipe - Cider Wassail

When I told my Mom we were sharing recipes on the blog as a fun holiday gift to everyone, she said I had to share this one!  This cider not only tastes wonderful, but while you are making it, your house smells AMAZING!  I prefer putting it in a crockpot to make instead of a saucepan because you can leave it in there longer and enjoy the aroma!

Cider Wassail

  • 2 quarts apple cider

  • 1 1/2 cups orange juice

  • 3/4 cup pineapple juice

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

  • 2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)

  • 1 dash ground cinnamon

  • 1 dash of ground cloves


    1. In a large saucepan, (or crockpot) combine all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks. Serve hot in mugs.

    Wednesday, December 15, 2010

    Recipe - Ambrosia Fruit Salad

    One salad we always have on our table for any holiday is Ambrosia Fruit Salad.  It is easy to make and a colorful addition to your table!


    2 cans of mandarin oranges drained
    1 cup shredded coconut
    5 red apples diced
    1 large can of crushed pineapple only slightly drained
    8oz small bag of chopped pecans
    3 to 4 tbsp orange juice concentrate 
    1 packet of splenda or a sugar substitute you prefer

    Mix all the fruits together, then add oj concentrate and splenda.  DELICIOUS! 

    Tuesday, December 14, 2010

    Book Trailer - The Lost Saint

    Bree Despain posted the trailer for The Lost Saint today, the sequel to The Dark Divine.  The Lost Saint comes out on December 28th, and we are looking forward to it!


    Bree has a really awesome contest running on her blog too, be sure to check it out!  You could win a Kindle.  You can also read the first chapter of The Lost Saint HERE and you can check out the prologue to the book HERE  

    Take Cover - City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

    Cassandra Clare posted the cover of City of Fallen Angels today and it is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!  Take a look.....


    That is Clary and Simon on the cover!  What do you think?  WE LOVE IT! 

    Here is what Cassie has to say about why there are two people on the cover and why we can see Clary's face!  -  "Why can you see the faces on the COFA cover?" and "Why are there two people on the COFA cover?"

    Because City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire aren't simply continuations of City of Glass. They're a new trilogy, with a different feeling, and a new villain, and different challenges. That's why the titles are slightly differently composed — four words instead of three — and that's why this cover looks *slightly* different. It needed to be something that recalled the previous covers, but didn't look exactly like them, as that starts to give an old, stale feeling, as well as being misleading.

    I specifically asked that we start showing character faces because I thought it would help differentiate TMI Cycle Two from the previous three. Also because, while there have been many lovely covers showing only parts of the characters' faces — it's a trend that started with the Gossip Girl covers — the trend was on its way out, and I didn't want the covers to look dated.

    I understand there's a strong *everything should stay exactly the same!* feeling often — that change is bad, etc. etc — but do keep in mind one thing: the people who really have power over covers is bookstores. Bookstore opinions matter more than mine, more than my editor's. And the bookstores love the cover and have in fact reported to us that in the past, fans have complained to them about the faces being cut off.

    As for why there are two people, that, again, is part of showing that this is a new trilogy, that it really focuses around these characters as a team. To preserve continuity we had to start the two characters look on this book — without the Clary & Simon cover there would never be a Jace/Clary cover, an Isabelle and Alec cover, a cover, perhaps, with *all the characters .... * (Just throwing those out there, not promising anything!)

    And yes. Clary's eyes have always been green. :)

    For an exclusive excerpt from the book... CLICK HERE!

    Best I've Read 2010 Day Nine

    Welcome to the final day of Best I've Read 2010.  We hope you've enjoyed the last nine days of author spotlights and fun giveaways.  We have five authors we are spotlighting today, with two giveaway packages.  Our first package will feature Kirsten Miller, Brenna Yovanoff, Jonathan Maberry, and Anastasia Hopcus.  This package is open to US residents only.  The second package features Sarah Rees Brennan and is open Internationally.  A reminder that you must be a blog follower to qualify for any of the Best I've Read prizes, and entries will be open until 11:59 pm tonight!!  Be sure to visit the BEST I'VE READ site for a grand prize giveaway!  Thanks for entering and good luck!



    The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
    Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
    Release: August 2010
    http://www.theeternalones.com/
    http://www.kikistrike.com/

    Book Summary (from Penguin): Haven Moore can’t control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother’s house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.
    In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again.




    The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
    Publisher: Penguin
    Release Date: September 21, 2010
    http://brennayovanoff.livejournal.com/


    Book Summary (from Penguin): Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement—left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.
    Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.
    Edward Scissorhands meets The Catcher in the Rye in this wildly imaginative and frighteningly beautiful horror novel about an unusual boy and his search for a place to belong.






    Rot & Ruin
    By Jonathan Maberry
    Published by Simon & Schuster
    Released: October 5, 2010
    http://jonathanmaberry.com/

    In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.




    Shadow Hills
    Publisher: Egmont USA
    Released: July 13th 2010

    Summary: After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA — a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died. 

    Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach — the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after — seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills.









    By Sarah Rees Brennan
    Published by Margaret K. McElderry (Simon & Schuster)
    Released on May 18th, 2010

    Summary:
    Mae Crawford's always thought of herself as in control, but in the last few weeks her life has changed. Her younger brother, Jamie, suddenly has magical powers, and she's even more unsettled when she realizes that Gerald, the new leader of the Obsidian Circle, is trying to persuade Jamie to join the magicians. Even worse? Jamie hasn't told Mae a thing about any of it. Mae turns to brothers Nick and Alan to help her rescue Jamie, but they are in danger from Gerald themselves because he wants to steal Nick's powers. Will Mae be able to find a way to save everyone she cares about from the power-hungry magician's carefully laid trap? (quoted from goodreads).


    Recipe - Cheese ball

    One of the best cheese dips in my opinion is one that is SO EASY to make!  You only need four ingredients and it has been a hit at any party we've brought it to.


    1 jar of Kraft Old English cheese
    1 jar of Kraft Pimento cheese
    8 oz block of cream cheese
    chopped pecans

    If you haven't seen the jars of Kraft cheese before, they look like the picture below.  You can find them at your local supermarket.







    Just mix all the cheeses together, shape into a ball, and roll over your pecans.  Dip your favorite crackers into the cheese and enjoy!!!

    Monday, December 13, 2010

    Recipe - Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

    Our second recipe gift to make your cookbook, is for chocolate peanut butter balls!  As a child my husband's Grandmother made these for him.  Even while married I remember when she would send him a coffee can FULL of peanut butter balls.  He would eat so many it would make him sick!  It is one of his favorite memories of his Grandmother, and a recipe we love to make because it reminds us of her.  It is a fun thing to make with kids too!  They love rolling the peanut butter balls!  Enjoy!



    Chocolate Crisp Peanut Butter Balls



    1 pound powdered sugar

    2 cups creamy peanut butter

    1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

    2 cups crispy rice cereal

    2 (12-ounce) packages semisweet chocolate chips

    Combine powdered sugar, peanut butter and butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium until smooth. Add cereal and gently stir until thoroughly combined.

    In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate on HIGH for 2 minutes; stir. Melt in 30-second increments, stirring after each one, until completely melted.

    Roll peanut butter mixture into 1-inch balls. Using a fork or skewer, dip each ball in chocolate until completely covered. Gently shake off excess.

    Place peanut butter balls on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper until chocolate is firm. Refrigerate if kitchen is warm. Store in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.

    Makes 100 peanut butter balls.

    Best I've Read 2010 Day Eight

    Welcome to the BEST I'VE READ 2010 Day Eight!!  We have some awesome giveaways for you spotlighting some of the best authors in the recent few years.  Today we have two packages to giveaway featuring the works of Cassandra Clare, Jennifer Laurens, Sophie Jordan, Tera Lynn Childs,  and Denise Jaden.  Be sure to visit the BEST I'VE READ site for a grand prize giveaway!  Remember that entries will be accepted from blog followers only, are open to US residents only, and will be accepted until December 14 at 11:59 pm.  



    Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
    Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster
    Release Date: August 2010
    http://cassandraclare.com/cms/home

    Book Summary (from Simon & Schuster):Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

    When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

    Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

    Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.




    Heavenly-Heavenly #1
    By: Jennifer Laurens
    Published By: Grove Creek Publishing
    Website: http://heavenlythebook.com/

    Book Summary: I met someone who changed everything. Matthias. My autistic sister's guardian angel. Honest. Inspiring. Funny. Hot. And immortal. That was the problem. What could I do? I did what any other girl would do-I fell in love with him. Zoë'ssister darts in front of cars. Her brother's a pothead. Her parents are so overwhelmed; they don't see Zoëlost in her broken life. Zoë escapes the only way she knows how: partying. Matthias, a guardian sent from Heaven, watches over Zoë's autistic sister. After Zoëis convinced he's legit, angel and lost girl come together in a love that changes destiny. But Heaven on Earth can't last forever.


    Penitence Heavenly #2
    By Jennifer Laurens
    Published by Grove Creek Publishing

    Book Summary from Goodreads: Seeing good and evil spirits is a gift Zoe guards with her life.

    Despite her guardian angel’s disappearance, Zoe forces herself to accept that she still has a purpose—but how does she carry the weight of her brother’s drug abuse, the hardship of living with an autistic sister, and a best friend who’s obsessed with a guy who only wants Zoe?

    She’s never felt more alone.

    When a mysterious spirit appears, Zoe thinks she has a new guardian angel. Instead, her brother’s addiction worsens, her parents are on the brink of separation, and her best friend tries to kill her. The spirit she thinks is her new guardian isn’t there to protect her: he’s out to destroy her family and seize Zoe’s soul. . . for Hell.

    Will Matthias’ return mean that he is Zoe’s guardian angel again? Or is their love the reason the jaws of Hell now gape open?


    Absolution-Heavenly #3
    By: Jennifer Laurens
    Published By: Grove Creek Publishing
    Book Summary from Goodreads:

    Zoe’s secret is out. And the powers of Hell are ravenous to claim her soul. Her brother, Luke, knows her secret: that she sees both good and evil spirits. Her boyfriend knows. At least Matthias is her guardian angel again. But now Hell’s most ruthless leader will stop at nothing to have her soul.

    Albert, Matthias’ father, is relentless in his hunger for Zoe. He wants to destroy Matthias and will use Zoe to do so.

    The battle between Heaven and Hell tests everything Zoe has. As she witnesses everyone important in her life suffering, she’s brought to the ultimate choice: will she sacrifice her soul to save the ones she loves?
    Jennifer has offered up one copy of one of her books on all blog. Choice of Heavenly, Penitence or Absolution. Both Penitence and Absolution were released in 2010 so feature at least one of those in your post.
    Shipping on this giveaway is International.






    Forgive My Fins 
    By Tera Lynn Childs
    Released June 1, 2010
    Published by Katherine Tegen Books 
    http://www.teralynnchilds.com/

    Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

    Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

    When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.









    Losing Faith 
    By Denise Jaden
    Released September 7, 2010 
    Published by Simon Pulse
    http://www.denisejaden.com/

    A terrible secret. A terrible fate. When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don’t know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but. As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith’s final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.









    By Sophie Jordan
    Published by Harper Teen
    Released On September 7th, 2010

    Summary:

    A hidden truth.
    Mortal enemies.
    Doomed love.
    Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
    Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
    Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.



    Sunday, December 12, 2010

    Our Gift To You...

    We want to do something a little different this year as our holiday gift to you!  We are going to post some various recipes from now until Christmas, and you can print each post out and create a cookbook of your own!  We hope you enjoy the recipes, see some new fun ones to try, and feel free to include some of your own favorites in the comments!  The first recipe below is one my family makes every Christmas, it is my husbands favorite!  Enjoy!










    Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

    Ingredients

    1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 cup butter, softened
    1/2 cup white sugar
    1/2 cup peanut butter
    1/2 cup packed brown sugar
    1 egg, beaten
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    2 tablespoons milk
    40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups unwrapped
     
    Directions


    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
    2. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
    3. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.
    Prep Time:


    25 Min

    Cook Time:

    10 Min

    Ready In:

    1 Hr 35 Min

    Best I've Read 2010 Day Seven

    Welcome to the Best I've Read 2010 Day Seven!  We have a special interview with Janette Rallison and are hosting two giveaways today.  One package will spotlight Janette, Alyson Noel, and James Dashner.  The second will spotlight Kersten Hamilton.

    My Double Life
    By: Janette Rallison
    Published by: Putnam Juvenile
    Website:http://www.janetterallison.com/

    Book Summary: (from Goodreads)
    Her whole life, Alexia Garcia has been told that she looks just like pop star Kari Kingsley, and one day when Alexia's photo filters through the Internet, she's offered a job to be Kari's double. This would seem like the opportunity of a lifetime, but Alexia's mother has always warned her against celebrities. Rebelliously, Alexia flies off to L.A. and gets immersed in a celebrity life. Not only does she have to get used to getting anything she wants, she romances the hottest lead singer on the charts, and finds out that her own father is a singing legend. Through it all, Alexia must stay true to herself, which is hard to do when you are pretending to be somebody else!








    1. What is one writing tradition/ritual that you have that no matter what, you have to do?


    Besides eat chocolate? Actually, I can’t think of a specific ritual, but I have gotten accustomed to writing while it’s quiet—when my kids are gone at school. That makes it very hard for me to write on the fly (at soccer games, in the car, while sitting in the park) like I used to do.


    2. How do you celebrate the holidays with your families?

    By nagging the kids to stop fighting with each other. Okay, maybe the kids aren’t that quarrelsome, but sometimes it seems like it. Every Christmas Eve we go to the Temple to see the Christmas lights and to listen to the music . . . and it seems like every car ride home is spent with me lecturing about How-civilized-children-are-supposed-to-act-on-Christmas-Eve.


    3. How will your main character spend the holiday season?

    My fairy, Chrysanthemum Everstar, will no doubt spend the holiday season shopping and flitting from one party to the next, flirting with every buff elf guy she sees.

    Her charges will undoubtedly spend the season being grateful that they live in the modern world instead of the Middle Ages. And Alexia from My Double Life will be able to spend her first Thanksgiving and Christmas with her father and half-sister as well as her mother and abuela. It sort of makes me choked up to think about that.


    4. What is your favorite food to eat at Christmas time?

    Ginger cookies is a clear favorite, but eggnog and chocolate are always popular too.


    5. What is your favorite Christmas Carol?

    O’Holy Night always gives me shivers.


    6. Now that your book(s) have been released, is there anything you would have done differently in writing it (them)?

    There are always little things you wish you could change. An awkward sentence here a not so stellar description there—usually things only the author notices. But the big picture—no, I’m happy with the books.


    Dark Flame
    By Alyson Noel
    Published by St. Martin's Griffin
    Released June 22, 2010
    http://www.alysonnoel.com/

    At the start of this mesmerizing new installment of the Immortals series, Ever is helping her friend Haven transition into life as an immortal. But with Haven drunk on her new powers and carelessly putting them all at risk, their friendship becomes more and more strained. At the same time, Ever delves deeper into magick in order to get control over her enemy Roman and free Damen from his power. But when the spell she casts on Roman backfires, she’s bound to her deadliest enemy. Frantic to reverse the spell the moment the moon enters a new phase, she finds her efforts are fruitless—there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, one that propels her toward Roman. Desperate to break free of this terrible curse before Damen or the twins can discover what she’s done, she turns to Jude and delves deeper and deeper into dark magick, ultimately risking everything she knows and loves—including Damen.

    The Scorch Trials: Sequel to the Maze Runner
    By James Dashner
    Released Oct 12, 2010
    Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
    http://www.jamesdashner.com/

    The Maze was only the beginning...

    Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more Variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

    In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety... until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

    Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, much of the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated--and with it, order--and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim... and meal.

    The Gladers are far from done running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

    Thomas can only wonder--does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?




    Tyger, Tyger
    By Kersten Hamilton
    Published by Clarion Books
    Released November 15, 2010

    Shipped Internationally as long as the Book Depository Delivers to their country.

    Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.
         Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming. 



    Kersten Hamilton is the author of several picture books and many middle grade novels. When she's not writing, she hunts dinosaurs in the deserts and badlands outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she lives. This is her first novel for young adults. For more about Kersten, please visit www.kerstenhamilton.com.