Book Blast: Disneylanders by Kate Abbott

Welcome to the Disneylanders Book Blast!

In Disneylanders, 14-year-old Casey Allison, on the brink of starting high school, struggles to find a new identity on her family’s annual summer vacation, but with the help of an outgoing boy she meets while waiting in line, she discovers that Disneyland is the one place where her overprotective parents let her have the freedom to grow up.

Casey looks forward to her family’s annual summer vacation to Disneyland to escape her anxieties about starting high school. This summer, however, her vacation forces her to confront her parents’ ancient attitudes, getting dumped by her best friend, an intense crush, and a pack of gum-snapping girls who seem intent on ruining her vacation. 

Her parents won’t accept she’s no longer a little kid, but she can’t fathom growing up to be like the bra-strap girls who seem to be following her. Worst of all, she fears that in order be accepted as “mature,” she’ll have to not only display her underwear but stop going to her beloved theme park. As she explores Disneyland—and her first romantic relationship—with Bert, the charming high school sophomore she meets, she realizes that she can overcome her real-world insecurities only when she’s in the Magic Kingdom. 

As Casey and Bert banter in line for rides, they find that confessing the secrets they couldn’t share with anyone back home lets them both discover their true selves. Although they spend time in Fantasyland, they confront their real-life issues…Bert’s flaky parents, his precocious grandmother, and why he wears a watch that hasn’t worked in two years; Casey’s ex-best friend, her secret passion for old-school film photography, and her cast member crushes. By the last fireworks show, after she’s been on a wild ride of a summer vacation, Casey rediscovers herself and takes home new self confidence, along with a sentimental souvenir.

Pick up your copy today!

Meet Author Kate Abbott

Disneylanders is Kate Abbott's first novel. She received an MFA in creative writing from UC Riverside, Palm Desert. Kate lives in Northern California with her husband, son, terrier, and tiny parrots.

Check her out:
Website // Twitter // Goodreads

Giveaway Time!

One lucky winner will get this awesome Disney themed gift pack from Kate Abbott, including:
Note card set
Mickey Bookmark
A copy of Disneylanders

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Rules:
Must be 13+ to Enter
US Shipping Only
No PO Boxes

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Super Pop! Blog Tour with Zest Books

Super Pop! Pop Culture Lists to Help You Win at Trivia, Survive in the Wild, and Make It Through the Holidays by Daniel Harmon

Author: Daniel Harmon

Published Date: June 2013

Published by: Zest Books

Summary:

As David Letterman demonstrates on the Late Show, top ten lists are really funny. And we know lists are a great way to get organized, get things done, and streamline life’s many tasks. But now, pop culture expert Daniel Harmon takes a totally new approach to list making in his new book Super Pop! and organizes 500 movies, songs, video games, and books into top ten lists that not only have the power to entertain, but also to help create a new and better you!

My Review:

I have an addiction to lists!  I have a listography account (and all their books). I make To-Do lists all the time.  And of course, I read books with lists.  But no book filled with lists has come close to the awesome that I found in Super Pop! Pop Culture Lists to Help You Win at Trivia, Survive in the Wild, and Make It Through the Holidays by Daniel Harmon!

Filled with everything from Superheroes to History, this book will help you with all your pop culture needs!  Some of my favorite lists include: "Go Where Everybody Knows Your Name: The Best Places to Hang Out for an Hour", "Find Your Happy Place: Magical, Fictional Worlds", and "Sleep With the Fishes: The Ten Best Places to Find Your Spirit Animal", as well has the ones listed below.  What I like best about the lists is that he mixes older, more well-known references with new, moe modern references.  This makes the book aplicable to teens and adults.  

I will caution and say that some of the lists may be a little bit risque for the younger set, but high schoolers and college goers wil definitely enjoy the lists, as well as learn something (go figure!).  If you're gearing up for a quiz night, or just want to delight your friends, then you need to grab a copy of Super Pop! by Daniel Harmon!

FINAL VERDICT: 4.5 STARS!

Some of the Lists!

• Cheat on Your Homework: Essential Literary Adaptations—for Both Information and Inspiration
• Rest Assured: Movies Where People Get Exactly What They Deserve
• Laugh So Hard You Soil Yourself: Reliable Sources of Undeniable Joy

And so many more!  In fact, in honor of these lists, I'm linking to some of my very own Top Ten Lists from the past.  Now these aren't nearly as pop culturish as the book's (yes I made that up), but they are entirely bookish!

• Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun
• Top Ten 2013 Reading Goals
• Top Ten Books I Read in 2012
• Top Ten Favorite New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2012

So on and so forth.  Hopefully I'll be able to do more Top Ten Lists because I am such a sucker for lists.  But until then, you can pick up a copy of Super Pop! from one of the links below and indulge your list love!  (P.S. There's a giveaway too!)

  

About Daniel Harmon

Follow Daniel Harmon/Zest Books here:

Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Twitter  |  Website

Get your hands on a copy of the book here:

     

Or, if you're really awesome, you'll order from MY favorite bookstore: Inkwood Books

Giveaway:

• 1 winner wil receive: a prize packet that includes an autographed book and a super Super Pop! Button as well as some Zesty swag!

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Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia Blog Tour Stop!

Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez

Author: Jenny Torres Sanchez

Published Date: May 28, 2013

Published by: Running Press Kids

Tour Hosted by: Book Nerd Tours

Summary:

Frenchie Garcia can’t come to grips with the death of Andy Cooper. Her friends didn’t know she had a crush on him. And they don’t know she was the last person with him before he committed suicide. But Frenchie’s biggest concern is how she blindly helped him die that night.

Frenchie’s already insane obsession with death and Emily Dickinson won’t help her understand the role she played during Andy’s “one night of adventure.” But when she meets Colin, she may have found the perfect opportunity to recreate that night. While exploring the emotional depth of loss and transition to adulthood, Sanchez’s sharp humor and clever observations bring forth a richly developed voice.

My Review:

I am a native Floridian, so I automatically love books set in Florida 10x more than other books!  I meant Jenny at the Sunshine Author Tour, which was chock-a-block with Florida authors, of which Jenny was one.  She was there to promote her first book, The Downside of Being Charlie, which was amazing, and she teased about her next book, Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia,  First off, with a title like that, who can say no?  Secondly, set in Orlando? Done!

But seriously this book was fantastic!  Frenchie is a high school senior who is newly graduated and facing some big problems heading to the future.  But with a sharp wit and faith in herself, she is able to overcome on of the biggest obstacles of all, being the last one to see Andy Cooper, who is Frenchie's ultimate crush, alive.  One of those hit 'em where it hurts stories, Sanchez takes us on a wild ride through downtown Orlando with Andy all the while the reader knows what will happen to him.  But in the end the story circles back to the local cemetery where Frenchie spends most of time conversing with Emily Dickinson, but not the Emily Dickinson, and here is where she finally comes to terms with what happened.

As you can tell Sanchez has a morbi sense of humor, but it really works as a springboard for contemplation and expression.  The real Emily Dickinson's poems are sprinkled throughout the book, used as tools for Frenchie to gain some perspective on her problems.  Being a literature geek, I loved this so much.  There are a lot of lit-hits like that, I suppose it helps that Sanchez was an English teacher! ; ) 

This book is very real, wrapping a scary and intense situation in humor and weirdness, just like situations of this kind usually are.  On par with some other great contemporary novels, The Fault in Our Stars, Deadline, and Thirteen Reasons Why to name a few, Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez definitely deserves a place on your bookshelf!

FINAL VERDICT: 5 STARS!

Excerpt:

“The old man across the street is dead. School has been out for three weeks.  I estimate that would have been the last time I saw him. Alive” 

(Page 1)

  

About Jenny Torres Sanchez

Jenny Torres Sanchez lives in Florida with her husband and children where she currently writes full time. Before her debut novel The Downside of Being Charlie she taught high school for several years, where she credits her eclectic students for inspiring her to write young adult novels.

Follow Jenny Torres Sanchez here:

Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Twitter  |  Website

Get your hands on a copy of the book here:

    

Oh, and you can enter to win a copy for your very self!

Giveaway:

• 3 Winners will receive a Signed Copy+Swag of Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez
• 1 Winner will receive a Poster and Bookmark of a Surprise Art by James Vallesteros
• 10 Winners will receive One bookmark of a Surprise Art by James Vallesteros

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Announcement: Eli to the nth is....

I hate to do this, but I just started a full-time job, and I'm going to grad school full-time.  Between those two things I have no extra time!  I love my blog and all my followers, and I PROMISE to get back as soon as possible (hopefully with a pretty kickass giveaway), but until then I may be posting few things that I've had in the pipeline.  For the most part, however, there will be radio silence.

If you want to keep up with me somewhat, check out my facebook, twitter, and instagram.  I can't pry my fingers off of my phone, so it's a good bet I'll be up on one of those sites throughout the hiatus.

Thanks for all your support!  It means so much to me for you all to stick with my blog.

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Past. Present. Future. (29)

There are a a lot of these "What're you reading?" features around, so I figured, hey why not start one too? Basically, here's where I highlight the books I've read, the books I'm reading, and the books I'm going to read. Fun, right? Please join in if you want!

PAST:

Refresh Refresh by Danica Novgorodoff, James Ponsoldt, and Benjamin Percy - This graphic novel is really interesting as it explores the families left behind after deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.  Set in a small town in Oregon, 3 best friends are left behind as their fathers go to war.  Each boy experiences this differently, and uses back-yard ring fighting as a method of escape.  This is a very unsettling and intense look into the effects that war has on families.

The P.L.A.I.N. Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg - I read this graphic novel series out of order, but it was still enjoyable!  The premise feels very real, and I love the artwork, which is an interesting mix of Eastern and Western influence.  Really cool urban art installations and the idea of neighborhood art collectives.  Overall, a really fun graphic novell one of my favorites in fact.

PRESENT:

The Magicians by Lev Grossman - This has been on my TBR list for a while! I saw so many endorsements and comparisons to Harry Potter that I had to pick up. Now that I'm reading it, I don't really see the connection to Harry Potter except that there are schools of magic in both. But it is still super good! A lot darker and more adult; I can't wait to finish it and move on to the second book.

Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez - I am reading this as part of a blog tour through Book Nerd Tours that's going to be starting in June (keep an eye out for it)!  I met Jenny Torres Sanchez at the Sunshine Book Tour this year, and loved her first book!  This one sounds super awesome with the mix of Dickinson and death (read the summary) and while I'm just getting into it, it's really good so far!




PAST:

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - I love this book!!!!!!  One of my favorites of 2013; EVERY ONE should read this book!  The hype is well-deserved, and Yancey delivers an amazing tale! It is so engaging and heart-stopping   The idea of these waves meant to decimate us is terrifying.  Aliens are moving up on my fears list for sure!!  They've already optioned the movie rights to this book, so that will be fun and there are two more books to look forward to! Wooh!

If any of you've read any of these books, let me know what you thought (but NO spoilers) down below in the comments!

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Waiting on Wednesday (75)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

 Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:

The Lost Sun

by Tessa Gratton

Publication Date: June 15, 2013

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Fans of Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Holly Black's The Curse Workers will embrace this richly drawn, Norse-mythology-infused alternate world: the United States of Asgard. 

Seventeen-year-old Soren Bearskin is trying to escape the past. His father, a famed warrior, lost himself to the battle-frenzy and killed thirteen innocent people. Soren cannot deny that berserking is in his blood--the fevers, insomnia, and occasional feelings of uncontrollable rage haunt him. So he tries to remain calm and detached from everyone at Sanctus Sigurd's Academy. But that's hard to do when a popular, beautiful girl like Astrid Glyn tells Soren she dreams of him. That's not all Astrid dreams of--the daughter of a renowned prophetess, Astrid is coming into her own inherited abilities.

When Baldur, son of Odin and one of the most popular gods in the country, goes missing, Astrid sees where he is and convinces Soren to join her on a road trip that will take them to find not only a lost god, but also who they are beyond the legacy of their parents and everything they've been told they have to be.

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Uh, any book that has to do with a re-imaging of America using Norse mythology is a book I need!  I've always loved the idea of Asgard and Odin, Thor, etc. so this book is just perfect!  I love that it isn't set in the past either; this trend of bringing myths into the future is all the rage with Greek myths (which I love), but I'm excited to find more books that deal with other culture's myths!

What book are you waiting for?

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School Spirits (Review)

Title: School Spirits

Author(s): Rachel Hawkins
Edition: ARC, 3o4 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Source: Received from publisher
Buy: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Inkwood Books

The Summary

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Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? 

Rachel Hawkins' delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as the New York Times bestselling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance!

(Goodreads)

My Opinion

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Fans and newcomers alike will fall in love with Rachel Hawkins' newest book, School Spirits.  The start of a companion series to her New York Times bestselling series Hex Hall, School Spirits stars Izzy Brannick, the youngest Brannick and cousin to Sophie Mercer (our resident Demon).  Her mom, her sister, and she are the only surviving Brannicks, and as such are charged with keeping the creepy crawlies at bay.  But when Izzy's sister disapeers, her mom decides to take a break from hunting.  But in true Hawkins fashion, a break is far from what happens!

I was so excited to find out Hawkins was writing a companion series to Hex Hall.  I loved reading about Sophie and the Prodigium, but when I got a look into the Brannicks history in Spell Bound I wanted to learn more about them! Izzy is a great main character to follow. She's witty and strong, but so very awkward. That's probably her most endearing quality right off the bat. She has to learn how to fit into a completely alien situation, and as most of us know, high school is alien even for teens who grew up "normal".  But in her awkward actions in the social department, her hunter skills are graceful.  She has such potential and I can't wait to see what Hawkins has in store for her.

On top of the great characterization (all the supporting characters have unique personalities and quirks that make them pop from the page), Hawkins always has some of the best dialogue.  School Spirits is no different, with Izzy and Co. going back and forth with the witticisms and snark that make their journey so much fun!   Of course the best at this is Torin, the "poor" Warlock locked in the Brannick's family mirror.  He is a wily character that always has a sharp retort or dry observation to impart on Izzy.  I love when books are imbued with humor because it makes the violence/emotions/problems that much easier to read.  It is a pull for me, and one of the reasons I will read anything Hawkins writes!

There is a lot going on in this first book that is left unanswered, and instead of that being annoying, it makes me ache for the next book!  I want to know what will happen to Dex, where the heck her sister Finley is, what are Torin's motives, and just what kind of "special" is Izzy?  Hopefully all will be answered in the coming books!  In the mean time, go grab yourself a copy of School Spirits, out today, May 14th (links to buy up above).  And while you're at it, grab the entire Hex Hall series (books are down below).  Definitely a much needed addition to any supernatural fantasy collection!

Extras

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If you like School Spirits then you HAVE to check out Rachel Hawkins' other series Hex Hall!  Click the images below to be taken to the books' Goodreads pages.

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 4/5
Book Title: 5/5
Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 46/50: A-

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Teaser Tuesday (66)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
• MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)

Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

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Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia

Jenny Torres Garcia

May 28, 2013

          Living here I should be use to death.  But every time a procession goes by, I wonder about the person inside the hearse.  Did they live happily but die horribly? Or maybe the lived horribly but died happily?  Or worse, maybe the lived horribly and died horribly.

(pg. 11)

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I met Jenny Torres Garcia at the Sunshine Author Tour last month, and she was talking about this book!  I wanted to read it so badly, so I am SO excited to be a part of the blog tour for it!  It is really good so far, quirky and full of black humor.  It is a unique contemporary, and it is definitely going to be added to my favorite books of 2013!  Check out for yourself on May 28th, and read her other book, The Downside of Being Charlie, in the mean time!

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Visual Inspiration - School Spirits

Pictures/Art/Photographs all help me see the books I'm reading.  Often, while I'm online, I stumble upon images that remind me of the book.  These visuals add layers to the stories, and can be used to offer hints to the plot.  So I've decided to put out "Visual Inspirations" in order to spark readers' interests in those books that I love.  Please feel free to join in; hopefully you'll get some new books to read in the process!

In honor of one of my favorite series, and one I think everyone should read, I give you inspiration this week from:

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Inkwood Books

Oh I wonder what this could all mean?

Check out the book yourself, out tomorrow May 14th!

And don't forget to check out the series that started it all, Hex Hall!

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Past. Present. Future. (28)

There are a a lot of these "What're you reading?" features around, so I figured, hey why not start one too? Basically, here's where I highlight the books I've read, the books I'm reading, and the books I'm going to read. Fun, right? Please join in if you want!

PAST:
Requiem by Lauren Oliver - OH MY GOD!  THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!  I AM NOT CAPABLE OF TALKING ABOUT IT ANY FURTHER THAN THAT!!!  Seriously though, if you haven't read the Delirium series (of which Requiem is Book 3) then you need to do so ASAP!  It is an amazing set of books, and just very good!

Peanut by Ayun Halliday & Paul Hoppe - I wanted to read this solely based on the cover, but then I found out it was a graphic novel, and that upped my interest a lot!  I've been on a graphic novel kick lately and this is a great contemporary one!  The idea of making up a peanut allergy to fit in at school or to make friends is hysterical.  Really well written and illustrated, I loved it!

Chiggers by Hope Larson - Another edition to my graphic novel obsession, this book also focuses on the need to fit in.  Taking place at summer camp, the girls in the book are all trying out new things and growing up.  The story isn't super serious, but is funny and filled with emotion.  The illustrations were sometimes a little unclear, as I had a hard time differentiating between characters.  But it was very cute, and worth a read!




PRESENT:

The Magicians by Lev Grossman - This has been on my TBR list for a while! I saw so many endorsements and comparisons to Harry Potter that I had to pick up. Now that I'm reading it, I don't really see the connection to Harry Potter except that there are schools of magic in both. But it is still super good! A lot darker and more adult; I can't wait to finish it and move on to the second book.

Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez - I am reading this as part of a blog tour through Book Nerd Tours that's going to be starting in June (keep an eye out for it)!  I met Jenny Torres Sanchez at the Sunshine Book Tour this year, and loved her first book!  This one sounds super awesome with the mix of Dickinson and death (read the summary) and while I'm just getting into it, it's really good so far!

FUTURE:

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - I have seen the praises being sung for this book all over the place!  A sci-fi/dystopia, as soon as I heard of it I needed to get a copy.  The best part is that Rick Yancey is coming to my local indie bookstore this Saturday!  I need to get on this book ASAP (it may be replacing The Magicians for a little while), so I can have it read in time.  So excited!

If any of you've read any of these books, let me know what you thought (but NO spoilers) down below in the comments!

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