MarjoleinBookBlog

Top 5 Most Impressive Multicultural YA Novels

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:29:00 +0000

Over at the American Book Center Blog is a Top 5 of Most Impressive Multicultural Young Adult Novels, written by..me!
You can read the top 5 by clicking here

Just an addition to the top 5: I just found the trailer of this amazing book I read and reviewed recently, The Indigo Notebook by Laura Resau (I am reading her book What the moon saw now.) The music in this video is just even as awesome as the book..

Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:08:00 +0000

Nicola Sparks is a sixteen year old orphan in 1810 She is raised by her sweet grandparents at the family's English land house Beckwell Abbey. It is the start of the London society season and young Nicola is ready to make her entrance and to marry viscount Lord Sebastian Bartholomew. But then she discovers the shady side of this proposal when her best friends brother Nathaniel tells her about Lord Sebastian's plan to sell Beckwell Abbey so his dad who is in the coal business can start with the railroad that will lead criscross to the land of Beckwell Abbey. Is it too late too cancel the wedding to save her family's land and house? And why is Nathaniel so sweet to her?
If you love English historical romance ala Pride and Prejudice, you will certainly love Nicola and the Viscount. I personally think this book is way more understandable than Pride and Prejudice and certainly more fun. This was the second historical romance novel by Meg Cabot that I have read and I think it was one of her best books.

Life's a beach by Claire Cook

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:56:00 +0000

The 40 year old Ginger Walsh lives with her cat, who is named Boyfriend, in an apartment above her parents garage. Ginger soon has to move out and find a new place to live and a career that fits her, because her parents are going to sell the house. Ginger's soon to be- boyfriend is glassblower Noah, but Ginger thinks Noah has forget all about her because he lives in his own glassblowing world.
Ginger has an older sister, Geri, who is anxious of turning 50 soon. Geri's young son Riley is cast for a little part in a horror movie wich is filmed at a nearby beach. Ginger has to babysit Riley during the long days on the filmset because Geri is too busy with her job. On the filmset she meets some charming men, and Ginger has to decides if she gets into dating or will she wait for Noah to be her boyfriend.
Life's a beach is a thin story wich misses any form of excitement or interesting story developments. I thought it was just a bot too fluffy. Not my favorite beach read at all.
It had so little interesting facts and just no real story. Overall I like beach reads, mostly they are real fun books. But it seemed that the author just was on the beach herself and made it too easy.

Book Events

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:51:00 +0000

Lots of amazingly fun book events this week!
This saturday the 28th of november, Young Adult author Erik Rashke will read and sign his book The book of Samuel from 3 till 6 pm at the American Book Center Treehouse, Voetboogstraat 11, Amsterdam. Eric just has returned from his book tour in the United States, and now the Dutch readers will get the chance to meet him! I will vist this author reading ofcourse and will write about it here!

Later this week, a blog that I wrote will appear on the American Book Center Blog. Just stay tuned there to know what its about..
This week the Boekenfestijn (bookfair) will be hold in the RAI congress center in Amsterdam. (26-29 november)One huge hall filled with millions of books books and...ehm books! I visited the Boekenfestijn two years ago and when I stepped into the hall I just didn't know where to start. Sooo many books..I think I will leave with a full cart..
And then a little personal 'event'. I danced around the room (my neighbours aren't happy with me I guess because it was really late!) when I read this amazing news that I am picked as a winner!Congrats and hurray for Danielle Joseph, because her book Shrinking Violet is In Print again!!

Paula Yoo about her new book The Anna May Wong Story

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:21:00 +0000

Heart and Salsa by Suzanne Nelson

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Cat wants to escape her new life in Boston, where she just has moved to from Arizona. Away from her new stepdad and house and her biggest hobby:diving, wich she still unsure of if she will continue doing it.
She is going on a student trip with the SASS (students across the seven seas) program, and that brings her to Oaxaca, Mexico. Her best friend back from Arizona, Sabrina, also goes to the same program. But Cat is surprised that Sabrina brought Brian with her,her boyfriend. Is this the end of the best friend times? The girls stay with host families and Cat's new host sister seems a bit crabby. There are a few other american boys and girls too in the same program in Oaxaca, wich includes building on a new orphanage and volunteer at the turtle beach. One of them is Aidan, and he is very nice to Cat and tries to make friends with her. But Cat is afraid that he wants more then be friends and afraid to trust him. But they go on a non-date, and it seems Aidan is worth trusting.. A fun hardworking time in Oaxaca, learning more about the colorful Mexican culture with friends and making new friends too..
Heart and Salsa is a fun quick and cute read, with a big role for Mexican culture and real (and funny!) friends. I enjoyed every minute of this book. I really liked the characters and how the story was unfolding. It was like a fun vacation in Mexico, I absolutely would like the same kind of friends and circumstances on a same trip like this story. Absolutely worth reading!!

The cover of Splendor

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:37:00 +0000

Ever wondered how the gorgeous covers of the The Luxe Books are made? Take a look behind the scenes when the cover model is photographed in the dress for the cover of Splendor!

To be reviewed soon..!

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:36:00 +0000

What happened to Jennifer's best friend Cameron? Cameron suddenly dissapeared when they where both in primary school. Suddenly he didn't came to school anymore, and some said that he had died, even Jennifer's mom said that he suddenly died. Jennifer goes to high school, and changes her name to Jenna, to make a new start.
But then, one day, there is a new guy in her class. And that guy is Cameron. He is back in to her life and Jenna wants to know what happened in the past, why he had left her, his best friend without a single note. Bit by bit she learns more about Cameron, his family, and the reason why he was suddenly gone.
Cameron stays a bit of a mysterious guy in Sweethearts, and Jenna finds it hard to accept everything. Sweethearts is a real serious and somewhat tragic story. If you want a book that cheers you up, Sweethearts isn't your book of choice. The story is about the bond of friendship and the marks that certain people that come into your life make. The style of writing makes it a read at a very slow pace.But at the end the author leaves the reader with many questions that stay unanswered in Sweethearts, somehow this book misses the point.

In my mailbox..

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:31:00 +0000

In my mailbox is my almost weekly blog post about the books I bought/received for review in the previous week(s). In my mailbox is created by Kristi from The Story Siren
This week I bought:

Cuba 15 by Nancy Osa, Heart and Salsa by Suzanne Nelson, and What the moon saw by Laura Resau.
Don't forget to enter my contest to win a copy of Explorer X-Alpha, you can enter down below the guest blog here
And be sure to visit the amazing Readergirlz Rave Homecoming Chat! The 30th of November, every author in the Readergirlz Circle of Stars (that means every author who was or is a readergirlz feature) will be there in one big BIG homecoming chat on the Readergirlz blog, now how cool is that!?

Mediator book 6:Twilight by Meg Cabot

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:07:00 +0000

In this final book in the Mediator series, Suze has to help Jesse and find out more about Paul Slater (another Mediator who bothers her, but somehow helps her too..)To help Jesse ''move on'' Suze has to shift herself back to the past, when Jesse was almost murdered by Diego, because Jesse and Diego both wanted to marry Maria back in 1800. But then she maybe has to say farewell forever to Jesse, who was her bedroom ghost and who is the guy she really loves. Because when Jesse wasn't murdered, he wouldn't have been a ghost who is stuck in an in between fase between life and really dead. Suze has to make final and though decisions in Twilight, and if it all would be an happy ending..
I really liked this end of the Mediator series! I think it is one of the better and strongest stories of all the books together. Don't miss this one if you love a real Meg Cabot novel, and love the Mediator series. And the end of this book, well..I don't want to spoil it, but you certainly won't be dissapointed!

Guest blog: author LM Preston

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:47:00 +0000

LM Preston is the author of the upcoming book Explorer X- Alpha, wich will be launched februari 2010. And here at MarjoleinBookBlog, LM hosts a guest blog about Trusting in Yourself.You can visit her site and learn more about the book on her site here. Welcome LM!

TRUSTING IN YOURSELF

Trusting your own gut feelings is one of the best gifts we possess. We all get that little ‘twinge’ when something just isn’t right. When that happens…LISTEN TO IT! Trust yourself or your ‘gut’ some call it. Trust it at all times, it will never steer you wrong.

When I was young I lived in the inner-city. The neighborhood I called home, had gangs, drugs, muggers, killers, and lots of kids and family nearby. However, with all of these things present, I didn’t realize that my gut instincts were strengthening with each day I played outside, walked to school, to the bus, or traveled the city alone.

I never understood why my grandmother, affectionately named NaNa, didn’t want me to leave my block to go to the store alone. Or why, I wasn’t allowed to cut through the alleys to get to my cousin’s house, and the numerous lists of things I was told to watch out for.

My main character in EXPLORER X – Alpha realizes that something isn’t quite right with the immunization he is given. Aadi takes the initiative and asks the Doctor why it is being given to him.. In addition to this finding, Aadi confirms his concerns with others..

Here are some steps to take in trusting yourself in all things;

LISTEN TO THAT ‘TWINGE’ IN YOUR GUT
When you are in a situation with a friend or an adult, and you get that feeling that something isn’t quite right, then you are most likely correct. Learn yourself, and test this ability.
Take this example for instance. Your friend tells you that you should sneak out to go to that great party that so-and-so is going to, but you feel this tickle in your tummy before you hesitate. This is your gut talking to you. It’s telling you … hold on … don’t jump into this.
Listen to it. Find out how your gut talks to you. Think of all those times you got into major trouble, and ponder over what you felt just before you did the deed that got you into that mess. That’s how you learn how your psyche talks to you.

TAKE A STEP BACK, AND ASK QUESTIONS
Never, ever, feel like you don’t have the right to ask a question. Asking a question only gets you in trouble when it hasn’t been asked, or the person of whom you are asking the question doesn’t want to give you an answer.
Don’t think I’m right on this? Test it, and think back to times when the person of whom you asked a question reacted negatively. In most cases, it is because they don’t want to give you an answer.
Asking the question is never, ever wrong. You have the right. So use it when you are in those situations where your gut is telling you that something is just not adding up.

IF IT DOESN’T ADD UP THEN IT DOESN’T ADD UP
When something doesn’t make sense, or the story just sounds down right disjointed, and your gut is telling you that something is off. Then trust your gut, something is off.
This is a saying my Nana used to tell me when I would give her a scenario of what a friend told me, or did to me.
“Honey, if it doesn’t add up, it won’t add up. Something is definitely not right with that story.”
Do you know in each instance she said this, she was absolutely correct.

TAKE ACTION
If you get that feeling something isn’t right take action.
In EXPLORER X – Alpha Aadi and Eirena, his co-pilot investigated their gut feeling that something is off about their camp with their team. They find that terrible things have been done to them.
There are several ways to take action. Here are some;
- Just tuck the knowledge away, and wait for the truth to reveal itself. Believe it or not this happens a lot in life. The truth has a way of coming out. Sometimes it happens quickly, and sometimes it takes a long, long time.
- Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in order to get the answers you want. You can ask anyone questions, and that may solve the mystery.
- Run away or stay away. If you are in a situation where an adult or a peer appears to be leading you in a direction that you feel is not safe. Run. There is no harm in running away from or staying away from someone.

TAKE ACTION
Realize that you have control of your destiny. No matter what happens to you in your life, you can learn from it all and become a better person. Making the same mistakes will become harder the more you learn to trust your gut instincts, and yourself.

GIVEAWAY: LM Preston is giving away a copy of Explorer X-Alpha! Just comment below with your email addy to be entered! You get an extra entry if you become a follower of MarjoleinBookBlog and or spread the word about the contest by posting something about it on your blog or site. The giveaway is open internationally and ends december 1.

Upcoming book news!

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:11:00 +0000

So many great new books are coming up!
Remember the fantastic book The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus?
Well, The Nanny Returns in a brand new sequel!
I loved the book Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani. So I was really happy to read (just a few minutes ago) that there is a sequel coming up called Brava Valentine.And the cover is just even as gorgeous as Very Valentine, a book I can totally recommend to everyone!

Allie Finkle's rules for girls; Best friends and drama queens by Meg Cabot

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:52:00 +0000

There's a new girl in Allie's class. Cheyenne. Cheyenne comes from Canada and Allie has to give up her seat up front in class for Cheyenne so she can feel more at home in her new class.
Cheyenne doesn't like the games the girls of her new fourth grade class are playing. Allie and her friends like to pretend that they are Queens, but Cheyenne likes to chase after boys on the playground to kiss them. Cheyenne has a sleepover party but doesn't invite Allie and her friends. Allie decides to make a new rule about this:If a girl from your glass has a sleepover and doesn't invite you, just make your own sleepover party! (and make it a better one!) And the Cheyenne matches the girls of the class with the boys of the classroom. This much to the dislike of Allie and her friends, and when Allie stands up to this, Cheyenne starts to call her Big Baby Allie. Will Cheyenne's behaviour stop and what can Allie do to stop it?
Best friends and Drama queens, the third book in the Allie Finkle's rules for girls series by Meg Cabot, is a perfect book for young girls from the age of 6 to 9. In a fun way this book handles the issue that most girls discover: a girl in your class who acts mean and thinks she is more mature than the rest. Allie has a great (and way more mature way) to stop the big mouth of Cheyenne. Even as an older reader I really enjoyed this book, because I also had girls like Cheyenne in my class.

Sold by Patricia McCormick

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:58:00 +0000

The thirteen year old Lakshmi lives with her mom and stepfather in a small rural village on a hill in Nepal. The family is poor, and after a very bad monsoon her father tells her mother that they have to send Lakshmi away to the city so she can work as a maid for rich people and send money back to home.
They go the the little village shop where she is sold to a woman who brings her to the city. After a few days long journey by foot and bus, she is given to 'Uncle Husband' who brings her into India.There she is brought to the Happines House. Lakshmi has no clue what she has to do for work. She has to take her village clothes of and change into a bright colored long dress and nice shoes. And she gets make up on. She is brought to a little room where she is told she can't escape and she has 20.000 rupee in debt, and she has to work to pay her debt of.
The next night she discovers more about Happines House and the work she has to do. And she is horrified after the next night when she finds out that Happines House is a brothel.Can she escape from out of this horrible place?
The story of Lakshmi is told in short chapters wich last long as one page. In simple words we discover more about her life with simple hints and details. The way the author tells the story is very different and original and it keeps you reading to find out how it ends. It is so horrible that the story of Lakshmi is realistic and that young girls of this age are sold and forced into prostitution by their parents, who think their daughter is working as a maid in the city.Hopefully for all the girls in the world who are living the same kind of life as Lakshmi, they get the same rescue as her at the end of the book. Altough it was a very sad story I enjoyed to read it because I think it's important that there are books about this topic.The author interviewed young women like Lakshmi for this book Recommended read!

Red Glass by Laura Resau

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:56:00 +0000

One night Sopie's stepdad gets a call. A little 6 year old boy had been found in the desert, after his family tried to cross the Mexican-American border. The crossing did not went well and the family died because dehydration and the harsh desert. They visit the little boy (whose name is Pablo) in the hospital and they take him into the family. The family exists of Sophie, her mom, Juan (her mom's new husband) and Dika, Sophie's aunt who survived the war in Bosnia.
Dika gets a new boyfriend, Mr. Lorenzo, and Sophie becomes friends with his son Angel.
They tried to locate family of Pablo, and they find them. They make a plan to go to Mexico to Pablo's village. Angels has a mysterious box he carries with him, and it keeps things of his passed away mother. Angel and Mr. Lorenzo are from Guatemala, and when Sophie and Dika stays in Mexico with Pablo's family, Angel and Mr. Lorenzo travel to Guatemala to find some things out about his mother. Sophie finds a new way of living and learns more about herself, and she has to make tough choices when she has to travel to Guatemala alone when she finds out Angel has been attacked and his in the hospital..but will she arrive there savely?
Red Glass is an outstanding and amazing Ya novel 'between cultures'' by Laura Resau.
There aren't many books that get to you so much as a reader, because the characters and situations are so amazing realistic. It is also a story of a girl who is plagued by anxiety, and learns more about herself and becomes a though girl during her time in Mexico and Guatemala, where she gets unexpected help from strangers who are the most welcoming people she meets. The author really knows what she writes about as she has lived in Mexico, and the reader learns in a fun way more about the culture.Red Glass takes you on a adventurous travel with the characters crisscross through Central America and it is a book you want to read over again many times!

Secret Society by Tom Dolby

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Four New York teens, Nick, Patch, Lauren and Phoebe are students at Cartridge school, a school for the more privileged kids. They al receive mysterious text messages to appear at a night at a certain location on Gansevoort Street. That evening they all are initiated into 'The Society'' where they all get an ankh tattooed on the back of their necks. All four students have goals they want to reach, one wants to be a filmmaker, one wants to become an intern at a fashion designer..and it seems they get all that they want, because of the network of the secret society. But they didn't asked to be initiated and he backside of the society becomes clear and it seems the four teens are watched in everything they do. When two guys who are friends with the four suddenly dissapear and a body is found in Central Parkthe teens want to know more about the society wich they never can get out of, but will they discover the secret?
The Secret Society is a book that fans of the Gossip Girl series and fans of Another faust certainly will love. You can ask yourself if Secret Society is a new original piece of YA. I personally think it isn't. The story leaps to much from character to character and misses a point that really gets you as a reader. An enjoyable read for if you want more of the Gossip Girl stuff en mysterious societys and whealthy teens, not if you want something new.

Spirit of Mexico

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:40:00 +0000

Yesterday I went to an amazing show, called Spirit of Mexico. Its not often that we can see Mexican dance and music performances in the Netherlands, so I was very excited and happy that I have won tickets saturday.
The show is just in one word:AMAZING! The music and dances where just excellent! The show really cheers you up! Here a little video impression, it was not all in the show I saw yesterday, but the group, Ballet Folclorico Nacional de Mexico is the same!

I can only say, if this show performs in your region(they are touring in the netherlands now), go for it!

Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:14:00 +0000

Syrah Cheng is the daughter of the billionaires Ethan and Betty Cheng. She used to be a snowboarder, but after an accident that destroyed her knee, she isn't allowed to snowboard anymore by her parents. And if that isn't enough, her boyfriend Jared dumped her the same time because he discovered that Syrah wasn't the golden ticket to paradise he thought she was (because of her whealthy parents). Her haflbrothers and halfsister ignore her mostly, because they think Syrah is not a 'real' Cheng family member. Her strict mother has clear rules about almost everything, especially on appearrance. And Bao-Mu, Syrah's nanny is leaving the family suddenly. Syrah is tired of her keeping up appearances family, and misses Bao-Mu, the only one who really cared about her, it seems. But then she gets the chance to help the family of her friend, who has a seriously ill little sister who needs a bone transplant. Syrah's dream to realise a big snowboarding event to raise money, attention and awareness for this cause is born!
And then she discovers the past of her mother, and with that she meets family she has never met, and that there are people who really care about her, no matter how whealthy her family might be, just because she is Syrah.
I have heard many great things about the books of Justina Chen, and I really wanted to read Girl Overboard for a long while. And it was worth waiting. This book was just amazingly good.
The story has so many layers, it is sporty, cultural, funny, serious, and it has positivism written between the lines.
Isn't this all a good YA novel has to have in it? Girl Overboard has it all. Don't look further for a ya book, just pick Girl Overboard. And stay tuned for my reviews of the other two books by Justina Chen, wich I am sure I am going to read soon..

Win an ARC and T-shirt of The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:28:00 +0000

You can win an signed ARC and a babydoll T-shirt of the Naughty List, a book by YA author Suzanne Young, that will be launched the 4th of februari 2010 how cool is that!
How to enter? Go to Suzanne's official blog by clicking here for all the details, good luck!!
Isn't the cover of The Naughty List just way cool?? PINK! High on my want-to-read-and-review list!

Mediator book 5: Grave Doubts byMeg Cabot

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:10:00 +0000

Susanna Simon, a girl who is a mediator and helps the undead to 'move on' gets a new ghostly case in this fifth book of the series. The brother of the little boy she babysitted during the summer at the Carmel Beach Club and who almost exorcised her and Jesse, is at the same school as her now. And he seems to follow Suze everywhere, and it even leads to a not unpleasant kiss. But what does Suze feel for Jesse, the ghost in her bedroom who is her true best friend?And her brother has a friend who is haunted by his drowned brother. Rivalry between Paul and Jesse and the drowned guy and his brother are leading to some very spooky and serious threads for Suze and she has to use all her mediator powers to solve them..
This fifth book in the Mediator series by Meg Cabot is a nice and easy in-between book. A fast read (I finished it in a day) that will lead to the final book in the series, book 6. I must honestly say that I think it is not the strongest book in the serie. Some parts really left me unclear in some details. But somehow it was entertaining.

Leading Ladies by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Megan, a girl in fourth grade, has practiced in the summer for the part of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, a musical that her class is going to stage. Megan is deaf, so she will do her audition in sign language, with help from her family's newly adopted dog Solo, who gets the part of Toto.Megan's best friend from summer camp, Lizzie, has moved to the same town and school as Megan. At the day of the audition for The Wizard, Megan is shocked to see that Lizzie performs the same songs as she has prepared for, now she will look like a total copycat and will not get the part of Dorothy! What to do? Audition stress, a new dog in the house, ( who gets missing just before the performance) friends and cheese french fries. It al comes together in this very cute and entertaining middle grade novel by Academy and Golden Globe Award winner Marlee Matlin (for her role in Children of a lesser God)and co author Doug Cooney. Real fun for young readers with Leading Ladies!

Interview with author Tom Dolby

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:43:00 +0000

Tom Dolby is the author of the novels The Sixth Form, The Trouble Boy, and the Secret Society series, including the novel Secret Society and its upcoming sequel. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Village Voice, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Tom was born in London and raised in San Francisco. Tom is a graduate of the Hotchkiss School and Yale University, where he received his BA in the history of art. He currently divides his time between Manhattan’s West Village and Wainscott, New York, where he is working on the next book in the Secret Society series, as well as a novel for adults.

First, can you tell me and the readers something about yourself and about your book?
Secret Society is my third novel, though it's my first one aimed at young adult readers. It's a mystery about a group of teens who get inducted into a secret cult that is headquartered on the Upper East Side.
　
When did you start writing? I started when I was 17 years old.

What do you like most about writing for young adults?
I've found this genre to be very freeing in terms of plot -- knowing that I have a sequel in the wings allows me to spin out some plot threads over several books.
　
If you could be a character from your books for one day, who would it be?
I think it would be fun to be Patch for a day. He always knows all the angles on everything.
　
Since you are a YA writer can you tell us what you were like as a teen? Does that influence your characters? How?
It definitely does! I was somewhat shy and withdrawn, though I became more confident as I entered my late teens. I think I know what it's like to have a constant inner monologue running, which a number of my characters have.
　
What where your favorite books as a young adult?
I read mostly adult fiction, actually -- I read Tom Wolfe, Pat Conroy, Dominick Dunne. A lot of popular escapist fiction.
　
Where do you get inspiration for your books and characters?
From just about everywhere -- everything from things I read to people I see on the street.
　
What's your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?
I love how much freedom it gives me, but that also comes with the responsibility of being self-motivated. That can be hard.
　
Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you'd love to accomplish?I think, like most writers, I'm always seeking a healthy balance between my work and the rest of my life. Someday I will achieve it!

You can visit Tom Dolby's website here I received a copy of Secret Society yesterday, the book is absolutely gorgeous! Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone. . . .
An eccentric new girl. A brooding socialite. The scion of one of New York's wealthiest families. A promising filmmaker. As students at the exclusive Chadwick School, Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch already live in a world most teenagers only dream about.
They didn't ask to be Society members. But when three of them receive a mysterious text message promising success and fame beyond belief, they say yes to everything—even to the harrowing initiation ceremony in a gritty warehouse downtown and to the ankh-shaped tattoo they're forced to get on the nape of their necks. Once they're part of the Society, things begin falling into place for them. Week after week, their ambitions are fulfilled. It's all perfect—until a body is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks except for an ankh-shaped tattoo. Tom Dolby makes his teen fiction debut with this riveting novel about a dangerous society so secret that once you get in, you can never get out.

Another Faust Writing Contest

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:38:00 +0000

Spread the word about this amazing writing contest from Daniel and Dina Nayeri, the authors of the new YA novel Another Faust.
Hi everyone. Dina and I are about to kick off a month-long tour for our book, Another Faust, and we want to do it by announcing a contest! We are looking for the most promising writers out there (that’s YOU). And then we want to showcase their work, so that all of the Internet can bask in their awesome writing might (and, you know, give them prizes).
HERE’S HOW IT GOES.
We want you to write your own short story, re-imagining of the Faustian Bargain. (For inspiration, check out Bedazzled, Simpsons “Tree House of Horrors IV,” and The Little Mermaid). It can be about anything you like (but let’s keep it PG-13, and under 3,000 words), and it’s open to everyone.

All you have to do is send your entry to dviergutz@gmail.com before January 31.
Rules and details can be found here
Make sure to read them so you don’t get DQed

And the winner gets all kinds of sweetness:
A signed copy of Another Faust
A handwritten deleted scene
A featured article & interview on our site
An author’s galley of the sequel Another Pan

Though we’ll feature the top five on our site for comments, the judging WON’T happen by popular vote (so basically, we don't care which contestant has the most friends). Dina and I will personally read them.

So, spread the word! Tweet, retweet, forward, thread, spread, embed this post.

Good luck!
D&D
You might also like to read: Interview with Dina Nayeri
Blog post about Dina's author reading at ABC The Hague

The Shiksa Syndrome by Laurie Graff

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:30:00 +0000

Aimee Albert, a Jewish girl who lives in New York City, is wondering if Shiksa's (non-jewish girls) have more fun and more chance to find the right guy. With her friend Krista she starts dating and pretending that her friend is Jewish (wich she is not) and that Aimee is a shiksa. Ofcourse the pretending doesn't last long because Aimee makes some mistakes..wil she ever find Mister Right? Or didn't she have to pretend that she was a shiksa at all?
The whole book is set up around Aimee pretending to be a shiksa. But is this enough to fill a book with and entertain the reader till the last page? It isn't.Most of the parts are repeats of previous scenes and I am sure the book would be more fun if it had a better plot and more funny moments wich would be perfect for this book.

Books I'm looking forward to..

marjoleinbookblog@gmail.com (MarjoleinBookBlog) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:59:00 +0000

There are a few amazing new books coming up, the next three I'm really looking forward to read;

Splendor ,(the fourth and final book in the The Luxe series) by Anna Godbersen;
As spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes.
Click here for my interview with Anna Godbersen
How to ruin your your boyfriends reputation by Simone Elkeles( book three in the How to ruin series)
Guess who's jetting to the Holy Land this summer!
Remember me, Amy Barak-Nelson—a.k.a the queen of disaster? In case you forgot, my boyfriend Avi is in the Israeli army. A visit is definitely in order.
Somehow my grandmother convinced me to sign up for two weeks of pure hell in a military training base. Getting up before dawn, peeing in a hole, and playing war games in the desert isn't my idea of fun. But what's worse? Our team leader turns out to be Avi!
Click here for my interview with Simone Elkeles
Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson (the sequel to Suite Scarlett)
Ever since Mrs. Amberson, the former-aspiring-actress-turned-agent, entered Scarlett Martin's life, nothing has been the same.
She's still in charge of the Empire Suite in her family's hotel, but she's now also Mrs. Amberson's assistant, running around town for her star client, Chelsea - a Broadway star Scarlett's age with a knack for making her feel insignificant.
Scarlett's also trying to juggle sophomore year classes, her lab partner who is being just a little TOO nice, and getting over the boy who broke her heart.
In the midst of all this, her parents drop a bombshell that threatens to change her New York life forever...
Click here for my interview with Maureen Johnson