Rage

Missy has a secret: she's a cutter.  Hidden in her room is a box with some razors that she keeps swearing she'll leave alone.  Then at a party her ex-boyfriend Adam humiliates her in front of just about everyone at school.  She rushes home and cuts.  Only this time too deep.  Death comes to her but not the way she thought.  He has a task for her.  She's to be War, one of the riders of the apocalypse.  Now it's up to Missy whether she should shun being a rider or use her new ability for another purpose.  Rage is an unique twist on the paranormal tale using sensitive topics in a whole new way.

Click here to read more

The Forgotten Locket

After finishing the first two books in this trilogy, The Hourglass door and The Golden Spiral I was so thankful the third book was already out. I don’t think I could have waited to finish the series. The series is that good! To read more of my review, click here.

The Golden Spiral

Well, I could not wait to pick up this book once I finished the first book of the series The Hourglass Door. And did Ms. Mangum ever deliver. She did not disappoint me one bit. The writing is still beautiful, the characters still complex, the romance is...well, romantic, and the heartache, oh the heartache! To read more of my review, click here.

The Hourglass Door

Before picking up my copy of this book, I had never even heard of the series. I knew nothing about the book, the characters or even the plot. I am so glad I decided to start reading it because I was not disappointed. Lisa Mangum gives readers a beautifully written first novel and I can’t wait to share my thoughts with you. To read more of my review, click here.

The Survivors by Amanda Havard

The Survivors is a spectacular debut from Amanda Havard. Despite it's slower start, the book makes a full turn around and had me absolutely falling in love. This is a must read.

To read more of my review,  click here.

Breath of Angel by Karyn Henley

I really enjoyed Breath of Angel. I thought it was a brilliant start to a series. It was a page turner that I could scarcely put down.

To read more of my review, click here.

Bargains and Betrayals by Shannon Delany

Bargains and Betrayals was a book I was highly anticipating after Secrets and Shadows. I thought everything was set for the ultimate 3rd book, and it would all just go. It was! Bargains and Betrayals was everything I had hoped for and more.

To read more of my review, click here.

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Oh my gosh, I loved this book. I loved this book. I loved this book. It was absolutely brilliant in every way. I simply couldn't put it down. I read it over 2 days, and when I wasn't reading it I was trying to find a way to pick it up again to sneak in a few more pages.

To read more of my review, click here.

Wolf Mark

Luke King just wishes he could stay in one place and be like any other teen.  He's sick of moving but knows just enough about his father's past as an infiltrator with Black Ops not to question.  Luke's finally been able to ask Meena, the girl he likes, if she'd like to go on a motorcycle ride. Still there's things happening around him.  What's with the mysterious elite group of Russian students who seem to know some secret about him?  Then his father goes missing and it's now up to him to face the truth about his own paranormal ability.  Hopefully he'll do this in time to help save not only his father but those around him.  Wolf Mark has everything I love about a paranormal--a great voice, multicultural characters, and a story that takes you on a thrill ride. 

Click here to read more

Born at Midnight

I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened this book but it sure grabbed me from page 1. Kylie is having a hard time at home and then just happens to be at the wrong party at the wrong time and gets in trouble. Her parents end up sending her off to Shadow Falls Camp and she is not happy about it. I felt bad for Kylie from the start. I mean, talk about bad luck!  To read more of my review, click here. 

Enter our August Giveaways!

Enter to win one of 3 The Day Before prize packs from Lisa Schroeder!

Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

Three lucky winners will receive a copy of The Day Before, along with some awesome SWAG! (Bookmarks, buttons, and a special bag of jelly beans.) 

Click here to go to the contest entry form.



Enter to win one of 3 copies of Bargains and Betrayals by Shannon Delany!

Locked away at Pecan Place, Jessie finds her situation to be even more dangerous than she feared. While she struggles to maintain her sanity and discover answers about the group that seems less and less like any legitimate government agency, Pietr fights to keep their relationship alive. But very aware that his mother’s time is running out, Pietr makes a deal he doesn’t dare tell Jessie about. Because the deal Pietr’s made could mean the death of far more than his tenuous relationship with the girl he loves.

Click here to go to the contest entry form.




Enter to win one of 5 copies of Every Minute on Earth by Steve Murrie and Matthew Murrie!

Discover all of the amazing things that can happen around the world in just one day!

You already know all of the amazing things that can happen in just one minute on Earth, so think of what could happen in a whole day! Your taste bud cells are replaced at a rate of 50,000 a day. Almost 40,000 trees are cut down every day just to make paper bags. And a mayfly lives its entire life in a single day. This book is full of fun facts about space, technology, pop culture, food, animals, sports, the human body, and more!

Click here to go to the contest entry form.



Enter to win one of 5 copies of Diary of a Part-Time Ghost by Vered Ehsani!
(Winners will be able to choose between a print copy or an ebook.)

In the first book of the 'Ghosts & Shadows' series, fifteen-year old Ash wants nothing more than to be a normal kid and avoid trouble. And then his birthday gift transforms him into a ghost and zaps him back in time to the beginning of the American Revolution.

If he thought that was bad, it's about to get a whole lot worse. Armed only with an ancient history book and the quirky advice of an annoying mentor, Ash must rescue his ancestor from one danger after another, including an implacable enemy who controls the very shadows. What starts out as a brief experiment in time travel rapidly changes into a race for his very survival, and Ash is running out of time. Despite his efforts to stay out of trouble, Ash finds plenty of it as he must decide what his role will be in the shifting balance of forces.

As he moves through one shadow- plagued adventure after another, Ash gradually discovers that true power lives in the most unexpected place: himself. Humorous and action-packed, Diary of a Part-Time Ghost will hold readers in its grip from the first sentence to the last.

Click here to go to the contest entry form.

Review: Every Day on Earth by Steve and Matthew Murrie

Ever wonder how much blood a mosquito drinks in a single day? Or how many volcanoes erupt? Or how many times lightning strikes?

EVERY DAY ON EARTH has the wacky, and sometimes horrifying, scoop.

I loved Steve and Matthew Murrie's first fact book, EVERY MINUTE ON EARTH, so I knew I would love this one. Each page is devoted to a single amazing fact about the world around you, from sun up to sun down. Colorful, comic-like illustrations by Tom Bloom match the authors' wit perfectly, keeping kids (of all ages!) engaged and entertained.

Click here to read my full review.

Ultraviolet

Sixteen-year-old Alison finds herself in a mental hospital with no memory of how she ended up there.  Then when her memory starts coming back, she fears she might have killed the perfect but annoying Tori.  What's strange is she remembering fighting with Tori and then the next moment she disintegrates into nothing.  Alison has tried for years to hide her sensory ability from others.  Now she fears once it comes out, everyone will think she's insane.  Including herself.  Ultraviolet shows us the world of Alison in  vivid, rich details and includes an unique twist.  I loved this book!

Click here to read more

July Giveaway Winners Announced

Congratulations to our lucky giveaway winners for July!


The Cool Kids by Ramsey Dean
- one Cool Kids t-shirt

1superkris
nobodysangel113
traymona
sake02mo
zbnntt
oganml921
2xOneSweetMoma
nanuwins
sweetielu2000
john-e-turner






Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen
- one copy of the book

lexirylie













So Much Pretty by Cara Hoffman
- one copy of the book

marjetabushi












The Queen Bee of Bridgeton by Leslie DuBois
- one copy of the book


rich_3
innaz
nobodysangel113
koolkat25654
booters






Don't forget to enter to win our August giveaways here: http://www.yabookscentral.com/component/content/article/25-info/10186-this-months-giveaways


 

Review: Now Playing: Stoner and Spaz II

yColleen the stoner and Ben the spaz with cerebral palsey are back again, starting exactly where they left off in Stoner & Spaz.  Ben just showed his High School Confidential film at a local film festival and wanted to celebrate but Colleen met another stoner and off she went.  You know days later she'll be back and, of course, Ben will take her back.

In this installment, Colleen finds out where Ben's mother is, someone he hasn't heard from since she dropped Ben off on his grandmother's doorstep when he was young, and forces him to meet her.  The mother-son is an interesting dynamic.

Now Playing: Stoner & Spaz II is a great read.  The relationship between Colleen and Ben is unusual.  Their dialogue is great.  They are both unforgettable characters.  I marvel at their commitment to each other.  Ron Koertge, one of my favorite writers (Shakespeare Bats Cleanup and Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs, Margaux With an X), examines relationships, people, issues with realism.  I highly recommend Now Playing: Stoner & Spaz II.  For my review, click here.

Under the Mesquite

I can't say enough great things about this book! Let's just say I fell in love with this story of Lupita who ends up having to deal with her mother's cancer by taking on added responsibilities at home.  This could have very easily been one of those stereotypical tales but no, instead McCall weaves her own magic and shows us a character who goes on a journey with courage,strength, and mostly hope.  Loved, loved Under the Mequite which is beautifully written. 

Click here to read more

The Gathering

Sixteen-year-old Maya has always wondered about her past.  She lives with her adoptive parents in a tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.  One of those things she wonders about is the weird paw-print birthmark on her hip and how she seems to have a gift with the wildlife around her.  Then strange things happen which include a new guy, Rafe coming to their community.  His arrival only has Maya and the other teens wondering what exactly is going on in their community.  The Gathering introduces us to Maya and her unique paranormal ability.  I can't wait to read more in this series!

Click here to read more

Review: Small Saul

Young pirates will love Small Saul. Saul loves the sea and after being rejected by the Navy, he signs up for Pirate College. Once he graduates and gets a job on a real pirate ship, the other pirates notice that he does things a little different. When Saul was gone, the other pirates, even the captain, miss him. They realize that although Saul wasn't your typical pirate he was certainly special in his own way.

For my full review, please click here.

The Near Witch

I was completely blown away by this book. Victoria Schwab does an incredible job writing and does a fantastic job of sharing her amazing world of Near with the reader. This is the perfect book to curl up and read by a warm fire on a stormy night, just to make it a bit more frightening. I had goosebumps while reading and quite honestly was a bit scared. She completely nailed it! To read more of my review, click here.

Supernaturally

Evie is back and as sassy and sarcastic as ever. I love her quick wit and sarcasam so much and I found myself laughing out loud (I may have even snorted a couple times) throughout the entire book. I just would love to hang out with her, or go shopping with her. She is a hoot! Of course since Evie is back, so is Lend. I really adore his character. He is so sweet and kind and hasn't changed much since the first book. To read more of my review, click here.