The Paige Turner

A blog for young adult book lovers

Bookshelf Tour!

Hey everyone!
So I finally decided to do a bookshelf tour (I've been asked to do it a couple of times on my Instagram and now I've finally gotten around to it!).
Anyways, it's pretty long since I do take out each book and show you the cover. So if you have time to spare please check it out, it did take me a little while to complete this and let's just say it ~~was difficult~~ wasn't easy. But let me assure you that it was totally worth it and I really enjoyed making the video!
Couple of things to keep in mind: I am in no way trying to brag by posting this video. This is only to give you a better idea of what I have and have not read yet, and what might be coming up in reviews. Also, some people were genuinely curious about what books I had. And remember that the stickers on the spines of the books simply mean I have not read them yet!
So yeah check it out and let me know what you think :)
See you soon!
Paige

Oath of Servitude by C.E. Wilson

Oath of Servitude (The Punishment Sequence)

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: This is the story of Teague and Cailin, two teenagers who have been brought together by fate. Teague, a human, struggles to come to terms with the consequences of a recent accident that has destroyed the happy life that he had once enjoyed. Cailin, a pixi, is trying to stay true to herself while fighting against forces beyond her control that have exiled her from her home into this strange world of humans. She fears the darkness. He cannot escape it. But when the two of them are thrown together, they begin to discover the light inside of themselves.

Number of pages: 159
My review: Literally the first words that came out of my mouth when I finished this book was "NOOO!" I'm apparently having bad luck with books lately because all the one's I've been reading keep ending on cliffhangers! Disregarding the cliffhanger component though this was a really good book-solid story, plot, characters, setting, fantasy element. This book had it going on.
Also, it's the first book I've ever read about pixi's so it was cool to explore this whole new world and then see how they interacted with humans. I liked how there was sort of that mystery element that went along with the mystical world of the pixi's as the reader tries to figure out what happened in Cailin's father's past.
Something else that I really liked and that you don't see too much in other books, or if you do it isn't done very well, is quite a large emphasis on other characters, besides the main characters. This was done without the book becoming confusing. Like we learned bits and pieces here and there about Teague, his father Owen, also Cailin's father Nolkrin and all her sisters and the people they are associated with, not to mention we are keeping up with all the rules of this world and the backstory of a few of the characters. I mean in that sentence right there I probably just made it a lot more confusing than it ever was in the book!
The internal struggles that each of the characters go through, not just Cailin and Teague, are really interesting to read, and in your mind you sort of have your own battle with yourself over what each character should do (like if they should do something to benefit themselves or others around them). Again, I probably made that way more confusing than it needed to be.
I think my main point here is go read this book! It's a lot deeper than it sounds from the synopsis and way before the end of the book you will start to care for these characters as if they were your own friends. It's short and sweet, so check it out!
See you soon!

P.S. Thank you to the author for providing this book to me to read and review! And that cover is so gorgeous!

Top Ten Tuesday #9

Check out all the info here at The Broke and The Bookish's blog.
February 26: Top Ten Authors that I'd put on my Auto-Buy List (basically an auto-buy list is no questions asked...you love this author so much that no matter what they wrote next you'd buy regardless of genre and subject matter).

1. Simone Elkeles
She's gotta be my all time favorite author, so I'd definitely pick up whatever she is putting out next.
Stuff she wrote and I loved:
-Perfect Chemistry
-Rules of Attraction
-Chain Reaction
-Leaving Paradise
-Return to Paradise
(I have yet to read the How to Ruin series)

2. Lisi Harrison

This is a super close second to Simone Elkeles and was really hard to decide between the two but I put Lisi Harrison second since she writes more for younger girls.
Stuff she wrote and I loved:
-The Clique series
-The Alphas series
(I have yet to read the Monster High series)

3. Syrie James

Oh my goshhh if you have not picked up some of Syrie James' books then go do it. Right now. Seriously go. Her stuff is so amazingly fantastic that I can't even put into words how much I love her books.
Stuff she wrote and I loved:
-Forbidden (co written with her son Ryan M. James)
-The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
-Songbird
-Nocturne
(I have yet to read The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, Propositions, Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker, and The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen)

4. Jen Calonita
She's just awesome!
Stuff she wrote and I loved:
-Secrets of My Hollywood Life series
-Reality Check
(I have yet to read the Belles series and Sleepaway Girls)

5. Cecily von Ziegesar

Come on she wrote the whole Gossip Girl series! How can you not love her? I'd definitely pick up anything else she wrote.
Stuff she wrote and I loved:
-Gossip Girl series
-The Carlyles series
(I have yet to read Cum Laude)

6. Zoey Dean

She also kind of speaks for herself. Her series' are amazing!
Stuff she wrote and I loved:
-The A-List series
-The A-List: Hollywood Royalty series
-The Talent series
(I have yet to read How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls and Hollywood Is Like High School with Money)

7. Joanna Philbin

She is such a sweetheart and I loved meeting and talking to her, not to mention her books are so well written. Definitely an auto-buy!
Stuff she wrote and I loved:
-The Daughters series
(I have yet to read Rules of Summer...mainly because it doesn't come out until June of this year!)

8. Rachel Hawthorne
Her books are literally short and sweet and I would definitely buy anything else she put out.

Stuff she wrote and I loved:
-Caribbean Cruising
-Island Girls (and Boys)
-Love on the Lifts
-Thrill Ride
-The Boyfriend League
-Snowed In
-Labor of Love
-Suite Dreams
-A Year in Europe Omnibus
(I have yet to read the Dark Guardian series)

9. Susane Colasanti

Her books are so relatable and just awesome that I'd definitely buy many more of her works.
Stuff she wrote and I loved:
-When It Happens
-Take Me There
-Waiting for You
-Something Like Fate
(I have yet to read So Much Closer, Keep Holding On, and All I Need, which comes out in May of this year)

10. Beth Revis
She wrote one of my top favorite books of all time so she definitely deserves a spot on this list and I desperately hope that she writes another series after the Across the Universe series.
Stuff she wrote and I loved:
-Across the Universe
(I REALLY need to get to A Million Suns, and Shades of Earth)

As always, leave a comment below and I'll come check out your list! And make sure to subscribe!
See you soon!

Teen Author Boot Camp Live Broadcast - March 16th, 2013

Do you aspire to become a writer? Well here's your chance to learn a little bit more about writing! And it's only for teens! Check out the website here: http://teenauthorbootcamp.com/ for more info or read the Q and A below for more info as well! You can also enter for a chance to attend the virtual conference (FREE) down below, so keep reading to find out more! (Actual cost of the conference is between $5-$10)

Q: What is the Teen Author Boot Camp?

A: It is a Utah-based writing conference originally aimed at helping teenagers become better writers. This year, the conference is going virtual. The Live Broadcast of Teen Author Boot Camp will now be available to teenagers, teachers, librarians, authors, and book lovers everywhere.

Q: Who will speak during the TABC Live Broadcast.

A: There are more than fifteen amazing authors going to present. Among some of these are: Newbury-award winner Shannon Hale (Princess Academy), New York Times Bestselling authors Aprilynne Pike (Wings) and Kiersten White (Paranormalcy), and crowd favorite Tyler Whitesides (Janitors).

Q: Do teens really like writing conferences?

A: Yes! A ton. Listen to what one conference attendee said about last year’s conference:

“I signed up for the 2012 Teen Author Boot Camp with high hopes. I was possibly even more ecstatic to attend the conference than I was to have my birthday, just a week prior to the event. Not only would I get the chance to meet one of my favorite authors of all time, Brandon Mull, I would also get the opportunity to develop my craft via the numerous workshops and lectures being held. The boot camp was amazing. The lectures were informative, I learned valuable techniques to become a better writer, and I had a lot of fun along the way. I even made a few new friends that I continue relations with today.”

Q: Does watching the Teen Author Boot Camp Live Broadcast cost money.

A: A little, but it’s less than $5. The Live Broadcast includes the Keynote by Shannon Hale, five writing classes, a panel discussion, and the opening and closing ceremonies. An All-Pass Subscription, which costs $9.99, includes the Live Broadcast as well as access to all seventeen writing classes for an entire year.

By the way, the Keynote by Shannon Hale will be FREE for anyone to watch. All you have to do is visit www.teenauthorbootcamp.com and click on Livestream to register. It only takes a minute.

Q: Who else will be there?

A: Here is the complete schedule for the Live Broadcast.

9 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.—Writers Cubed: Welcome

9:15 a.m. to 9:55 a.m.—Keynote by Newbery Award winner Shannon Hale (Princess Academy)

10 a.m to 10:45 a.m.—Tyler Whitesides (Janitors) Class: Imagine and Create.

10:55 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.—Janette Rallison (My Fair Godmother) Class: Bad dialogue can kill a story.

12:50 a.m. to 1:35 p.m.—NYT bestseller Kiersten White (Paranormalcy) Class: Plot Like a Villain.

1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.—J. Scott Savage (Farworld) Class: Finding Your Voice.

2:50 p.m. to 3:25 p.m.—Journey to Publication Panel: Agent Amy Jameson & authors Chad Morris, Tess Hilmo, J. Scott Savage, Cindy Bennett

3:35 p.m. to 4:20 p.m.—NYT bestseller Aprilynne Pike (Wings) Class: World-building is the invisible foundation to your book.

4:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.—Writers Cubed: Closing remarks.

If you just can’t get enough of TABC, there is also an All Pass Subscription to the rest of the conference (including more than fifteen awesome presentations, including mine--haha). That only costs $9.99 and, as if it wasn’t a sweet enough deal already, you can watch the whole conference whenever you want for an entire year.

Q: When is it again?

A: When: Saturday, March 16, 2013
From: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MST)
Where: Worldwide via the internet
Who: Teens, teachers, librarians

Lois D. Brown is a co-founder of Writers Cubed, a group of Utah writing activists who created the Teen Author Boot Camp in 2010. She is also the author of CYCLES, a top five finalist of The Kindle Book Review 2012. Please visit her website at www.writerscubed.com.

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Casey (and E.A. Rigg) need you!

Last year I reviewed a really wonderful and totally awesome book called Casey Barnes Eponymous by E.A. Rigg (check out the review here) and like I said it was just all around amazing!
Now, in 2013, E.A. Rigg is trying to raise money to take her book to the next level. She is trying to raise $3,500 and has already raised $1,466 (as of today, February 23). All it takes to donate is a minimum one dollar donation but, of course, donating more is always hugely appreciated and welcomed. I, myself, donated $15!

You can check out all the info about the fundraiser here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/728302288/casey-needs-you

And here is the Amazon link to go buy her book: http://www.amazon.com/Casey-Barnes-Eponymous-ebook/dp/B006RBOTW6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361636405&sr=8-1&keywords=casey+barnes+eponymous

And the link for Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/casey-barnes-eponymous-ea-rigg/1108104045?ean=2940013784758

And also the Goodreads link to find out more about the book: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13421213-casey-barnes-eponymous

Even if you can help out a little bit, that would mean the world to Ms. Rigg (and me!)
The fundraiser ends MARCH 15, 2013 so what are you waiting for?? And make sure to spread the word about the fundraiser and her book too! Thank you all so much!
See you soon!

Stacking the Shelves #3

Stacking the Shelves meme hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews. Stacking the Shelves is a way to show off what books you have received in the week (whether they be for review, from the library, etc.)

This week: February 18-February 24

Purchased:
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (ebook)

Epic Fail by Claire Lazebnik (ebook)

The Host by Stephenie Meyer (hardback, from paperbackswap.com)

Received for Review:
The Oath of Servitude by C.E.Wilson (ebook provided by the author)

That's all I got this week! As always, leave a comment below of your Stacking the Shelves and I'll come check it out! Also, make sure to subscribe!
See you soon!

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: R is having a no-life crisis—he is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he is a little different from his fellow Dead. He may occasionally eat people, but he’d rather be riding abandoned airport escalators, listening to Sinatra in the cozy 747 he calls home, or collecting souvenirs from the ruins of civilization.

And then he meets a girl.

First as his captive, then his reluctant guest, Julie is a blast of living color in R’s gray landscape, and something inside him begins to bloom. He doesn’t want to eat this girl—although she looks delicious—he wants to protect her. But their unlikely bond will cause ripples they can’t imagine, and their hopeless world won’t change without a fight.

Number of pages: 241

My review: Had I never heard of the movie I probably never would have picked this up (like everyone else, really) but I'm sooo glad I did! It was fantastic! R's way of telling the story is so personable that you instantly feel a connection with him. He's so honest and straightforward about his way of life (or unlife?) that it opens up whole new doors for not only his character but others as well.

I liked that he had come to terms with the fact that he was a zombie and this whole book wasn't about an angsty and angry guy who is mad at the whole world because he's a zombie. As Julie says continuously throughout the book, he's "different."

Not the whole book was full of zombie fighting action, which was actually nice because then the plot could be set up more, and the settings could also come to life (no pun intended) in a better way too. It is never quite clearly stated exactly why Earth is, the way it currently is, in this time period, but I think that just adds to the whole mystery and intrigue of this novel.

I honestly hope that the movie is just as good as the book, but I have a feeling I'll be disappointed because the book is just that good and it would be hard to capture exactly what goes on within R's mind, in a movie. However, I will keep my hopes up and have an open mind when I do get around to seeing it.

This is a really quick read too! I finished half the book in an hour and the rest flew by later on too. There's just something about Isaac Marion's writing that connects you so deeply and personable with the characters you almost feel as if you're abandoning them when you put the book down. Not many books have that ability to completely enthrall people from the very beginning and then keep up that high level of writing throughout the rest of the story.

Anyways, all around fantastic! Loved the characters, and I liked seeing how they grew and developed, and of course anything with zombies is just freaking cool so I'd definitely recommend that you pick this up!

See you soon!

P.S. If you have seen the movie and read the book (or have just seen the movie without reading the book) let me know how it is!

The Look by Sophia Bennett

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: Ted doesn't think of herself as glamorous. But her gorgeous sister Ava is. So when it's Ted who spotted by a model agency, at the same time that Ava is diagnosed with cancer, things have clearly gone very wrong. Ted isn't interested in modelling but Ava wants her to give it a try. Just how far will Ted go to please her sister? And what sacrifices will she have to make?

Number of pages: 328
Publication Date: March 1, 2013
My review: I love books that deal with fashion, modeling, etc. and pairing that with something as deeply personal and heart-wrenching as cancer, makes for a really fantastic book. Plus the setting was London! How could it get any better than that? Well, trust me it was all that and so much more.
Ted's insecurity about modelling is actually quite adorable, in the way that she believes she doesn't have what it takes to make it, and her sisters encouragement shows just how loyal the sisters are even in times of hardship. From the very beginning Ava supported Ted, but I still loved seeing how their relationship grew and expanded even more as the story continued on.
I found at times, that it got a bit slow, but the ending totally made up for it because it was everything I had hoped for and more. I didn't realize how much this story would touch me, to be honest. I thought it would mainly focus on Ted modelling and more about the fashions and designers, but it had so much more depth than that. Ted and Ava and their parents feel like such real characters and are truly an inspiration to anyone who has the ability to read this wonderful book.
This is one of those books that will stick with me for awhile, and I think I'll often look back on it and think about what Ted and Ava would do in certain situations. Truly, they are a pair of the most kind-hearted girls I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Definitely worth checking out!
See you soon!

P.S. Thank you to NetGalley for approving my request for this book!

Top Ten Tuesday #8

Check out all the info here at The Broke and The Bookish's blog.
February 19: Top Ten Favorite Characters in (your choice) genre
I chose any genre, or all genres!

1. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2. Nick from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. Gemma from Stolen by Lucy Christopher
4. Max from the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson
5. Mary-Lynn/Ash from Daughters of Darkness by L. J. Smith
6. Cam from Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulburg
7. Max from Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
8. Elizabeth from the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen
9. Parker from Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
10. Massie from the Clique series by Lisi Harrison

As always leave a link below to your top ten list and make sure to subscribe!
See you soon!

Eternal by Virginia Gamsky Hust

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: Three hundred years of penance, of suffering through an immortal life has left Maura praying for salvation. She joins a group bent on gaining back their souls by awakening The One and after a rather bleak few years in Cairo she thinks they’ve found him. But after a meeting with her sire goes terribly wrong she is trapped in the enemy camp. How far will she go to survive?

Gabriel is a normal, if rather jaded private detective living in Seattle Washington, until a beautiful woman shows up at his practice, claiming to be a vampire and asking for his help. Suddenly his life is turned on its head as he is introduced to the underground society of Fallen Angels bent on finding their savior.

Number of pages: 346
My review: Honestly, the one problem I had with this book was that it ended on a cliffhanger! I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen next! (Although the next book is supposed to come out sometime in March...so we'll see)
Anyways, if you love lot's of action and smidges of romance here and there then this is the book for you! It also has vampires and angels, an awesome fight scene, and much, much, more! In the beginning I was a little confused with the characters due to their extravagant names, but I quickly got used to it and was able to fully enjoy the novel without thinking "Wait who was that again?"
The story alternates from Maura and Gabriel's point of view (in the third person) but I found myself wishing to read more and more about Maura because I liked seeing how she dealt with different and difficult situations while being housed in the enemy fortress. Don't get me wrong, I also enjoyed reading about Gabriel's point of view too, where he must come to terms with a high power and his own fate, but Maura spoke to me more (possibly because she was a girl).
I liked the amount of action that went on in this book and how it was intertwined with the vampires who were attempting to understand the prophecy of the higher power. The religious twist on the story was pretty neat (even though, I, myself, am not religious) but it was interesting to see how vampires and angels felt about "The Lord" as they call him, or "The Father."
Overall, a really fantastic read, that I just flew through in a couple of days and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one!
See you soon!

P.S. Huge thank you to Ms. Hust for asking me to read and review the book and for sending me a digital copy of it!

Stacking the Shelves #2

Stacking the Shelves meme hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews. Stacking the Shelves is a way to show off what books you have received in the week (whether they be for review, from the library, etc.)

This week: February 11-February 17

Purchased
The local used book store that I volunteer at was having a 25 cent book sale so I went over there to check and see if there was anything I wanted to pick up. Here's what I got there:
When the Wind Blows by James Patterson (25 cent paperback and it looked brand new!)

Sweet Valley High #1 by Francine Pascal (50 cent paperback since this one wasn't part of the sale but all the children's book were on sale too)

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (25 cent paperback)

(By the way I HATE this cover but what the heck it was only 25 cents)

Library
Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

Percy Jackson-The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

That's it! Leave a link below and I'll come check out what you got this week and don't forget to subscribe!
See you soon!
Paige

Unremembered Sneak Peek and Bookmarks Giveaway!

Hey everyone!
I'm hosting a giveaway for a sample booklet of Unremembered by Jessica Brody and 5 awesome bookmarks with promos from Tera Lynn Childs, Amy Fellner Dominy, The Dark Days of Supernatural, and Unearthly by Cynthia Hand! Open internationally!
Have fun!

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The Genius of Little Things by Larry Buhl

Synopsis from the back of the book: Sixteen-year-old Tyler's big dream of becoming a top immunologist could come crashing down if he doesn't manage all of the little things right now.

But when this obsessive-compulsive science geek confronts a school election, a demeaning job, needy tutees, a first girlfriend, and the possible extinction of honeybees, there are suddenly too many things to manage.

Tyler's catastrophically humorous run for high school student council convinces the principal that he's a troublemaker, while it wins him the admiration and desire of Rachel, a smart and iconoclastic reporter for the school paper.

A new night job at a nursing home puts Tyler on a collision course with his new foster parents, a childless middle-aged couple with an agenda and a tragic past of their own. And the pain of his mother's death becomes too big for him to ignore.

Set on the mean streets of suburban Las Vegas, The Genius of Little Things is about how you can't always get what you want. But sometimes, well, you know...

Number of pages: 224
My review: This is truly a fantastic novel! The main character, Tyler, has such a no-nonsense attitude and the way he tells the story is so straight to the point, that you are immediately drawn to him and all of his quirks. From the get-go I wondered about his past and what plans he had for the future (which you learn about as the story progresses) and as you continue reading you take a journey with Tyler through his crazy life and delve into his mind to see just what exactly he thinks about different situations.
I found Tyler also extremely relatable, especially when he was considering options to "pad his college application" to make himself seem more well-rounded and the struggle he has with writing the plethora of college essays which ask the dreaded question of "tell me about yourself." I also found it quite hilarious that Tyler felt the need to pump up his college application with extra curriculars because he was obviously already a genius who had been studying topics, which I had never heard of in, elementary school.
The book itself is simply amazing and made me laugh out loud continuously The journey that Tyler and the characters around him go through is extremely heartfelt and has you rooting for certain characters from the minute they are introduced. Tyler himself is inspiring and not exactly wholesome but he brings a certain edge or finesse to the story that is hard to find in other characters in similar novels.
Overall, an excellent story and huge thank you to Larry Buhl for sending me the book to read and review! I will continue to look for new novels from him in the upcoming future. (Actually his next book We're Here to Help is coming out this spring!)
See you soon!
Paige