Cover Reveal: Pretty Amy

About the Author

Lisa Burstein is a tea seller by day and a writer by night. She wrote her first story when she was in second grade. It was a Thanksgiving tale from the point of view of the turkey from freezer to oven to plate. It was scandalous.

She was a lot like Amy when she was in high school.

She is still a lot like Amy.

You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and her Website.

About the Book

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.

Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

And without further ado -

Review: The Girl Who Owned a City

Title: The Girl Who Owned a City

Author: O. T. Nelson and Dan Jolley (adapter)

Illustrator: Joëlle Jones
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Release Date: April 1, 2012

The Girl Who Owned a City is a graphic novel adaptation of O. T. Nelson’s classic children’s book from the 1970s by comic book veterans, Dan Jolley and Joëlle Jones. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world where everyone over the age of twelve has died of a mysterious virus. The children of the world – Chicago, specifically – are faced with anarchy, dwindling food, and finding resources for survival.

The protagonist is ten year old Lisa Nelson, who is left with her little brother, Todd, in her care. She is a shrewd tween who is surviving better than most due to her quick thinking and obstinate character. Lisa rapidly learns that the only way she and her brother are going to continue to beat the odds is to make alliances and find a way to defend themselves against the gangs that are beginning to form.

I do not usually read comic books or graphic novels unless there is something my five year old wants read to her. However, I thought this work was brilliant. I have not read the original book, but through the gorgeous illustrations, I do not feel as if I was missing anything. As a parent, I experienced a certain horror from reading and seeing how the children were expected to survive. Something that children probably will not notice, but resonated strongly with me, was the lack of babies in the illustrations. (I have no illusions as to what would happen to most infants if that particular doomsday did occur.) Lisa blew me away with her strength and determination to keep her kids and her city safe from the opposition. This little girl was an adept problem-solver and born leader, who was able to navigate through some very tricky situations.

Overall, this was a fantastic graphic novel with eye-popping illustrations and a story that will linger in its readers’ mind long after finishing.

*To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received the book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has in no way affected the outcome.

Review: In Too Deep (The 39 Clues)

Title: In Too Deep (The 39 Clues, Book 6)

Author: Jude Watson

Publisher:  Scholastic

Release Date: November 3, 2009

In Too Deep is the sixth installment of The 39 Clues series and is written by Jude Watson, who also wrote the fourth book - Beyond the Grave. It begins with Dan and Amy Cahill after they wrap up their business in Russia in The Black Circle. The children travel to Australia, being as it is the last trip they knew their parents to take. Along with their au pair, Nellie Gomez, and Saladin the cat, they go Down Under to meet their father's cousin, Shep Trent. 

Friday at Krazy Book Lady

I know you guys are probably wondering where my post is today, but I'll be over at Krazy Book Lady for a Cedar Fort blog tour. If you are interested in reading what I have to say, click on the book title. It will take you straight to my review.

The Secret Life of Copernicus H. Stringfellow 

by Lorin Barber

Thenadays (6)

For the sake of trying something different here at Bibliophila, Please, Thursday is now Thenadays.

This has been a completely insane week for me, so this post is going to be a little more lazy than usual. Since my post yesterday was about Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin, I thought I would share the original short story by Edgar Allan Poe with you. (Yes, I am well aware that I linked to it, but who actually clicked on it?) So without further ado:

The Masque of the Red Death

by Edgar Allan Poe

http://www.online-literature.com/poe/36/

The "Red Death" had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal -- the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men. And the whole seizure, progress and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour.

Random Acts of Kindness - March

RAK is a monthly meme hosted by Book Soulmates. You can join in on the fun HERE.

For those of you who don't know, a RAK is a Random Act of Kindness. People sign up with their wishlist and then can look at other people's wishlists and send them a Random Act of Kindness. It is really simple, but here are the rules:

COMPLETE RULES RE-CAP:

• Please read carefully & follow all rules! Thank you!
• Please sign-up each month that you can participate (and by participate, we mean give as well as receive).
• Show off your participation by grabbing our RAK button (code is in the right sidebar of the Book Soulmates page).
• Create a wish list (on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog, etc) and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger directly for their information.
• Once you receive a RAK, send us an our new email to [rakbybooksoulmates @ gmail . com] so that we can update the Google Doc. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEND EMAILS TO THIS ADDRESS!
• E-book participation is limited to files being gifted directly to a person from the e-book store. Amazon's Kindle Store is set up to allow this, as well as the Kobo store and we believe Barnes & Noble with Nook as well.
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K by making a "RAK Wrap-Up" post. This post should include who you SENT gifts to as well who you RECEIVED gifts from.

OPEN TO EVERYONE including all our International brethren!

Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

If you're feeling the urge to splurge on me this month, here is my WISHLIST! If you just want highlights, I'd really like to get my hands on these for AAD-NOLA in August:

• Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
• A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton
• Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
• Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
• Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson

I can't wait to start sending things out to people myself!

February Giveaway Winners!

My 25th Birthday Giveaway

Ended February 6, 2012

Random Acts of Kindness - February Wrap-Up

RAK is a monthly meme hosted by Book Soulmates. You can find out more and join in on the fun HERE.

My February RAK

When I was selecting who I would send a RAK to, I went by who was having a birthday this month. It's my birthday month, too, and who doesn't like random gifts? I found two ladies (one international, one US) who were also blessed with February birthdays and sent them goodies that I found on their wishlists.

The Aussie Zombie

I saw this on Kat's list, and I had to buy it for her immediately. This is one of the cutest books that I've read in a long time. Stephanie Plum is such a fun character, and I hope Kat enjoys the book as much as I did.

Dreaming Dreams No Mortal Ever Dared

I personally do not read much Contemporary, be it young adult or otherwise, but I chose this book from Tee's wishlist because of the positive reviews I have read on it and its frequent appearances on wishlists. I will say that I was sweating a little bit about this choice, but I got such a sweet email from Tee after she received her book. It made my day.

Click here for the main February RAK Wrap-Up Post