It's Monday, What are you Reading?

 

This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

 

Read this past week:

Instant Gratification - Jill Shalvis

Instant Temptation - Jill Shalvis

 

Currently Reading: 

Midnight Palace - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Double Crossing - Meg Mims

Upcoming:

But I Love Him - Amanda Grace

What about you? What are you reading this week and are you enjoying it?

Author Weekend Giveaway

Are you ready for the Author Weekend Giveaway?

Here are the details:

• One winner will win a Magnetic  Bookmark from Loriamckee. Here's an example:

Cute, right?

Check the store out on facebook: www.Facebook.com/loriamckeedesign

In order to enter the giveaway all you have to do is fill in the Rafflecoptet Form below: (You might have to wait a few seconds for it to open!)

Review - Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Title and Author: Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

Publication Date: August 4th, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 320

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Summary:

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever. Or thereabouts.After a mugging on the streets of South London goes horribly wrong and exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. Trying to uncover the truth of why her mother was killed, and the real remit of The Unit, Lila becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Struggling to keep her secrets in a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone - there are others out there just like her - people with special powers -and her mother's killer is one of them..

Review:

I was sure I would like Hunting Lila and I was not wrong. This was a very interesting book that kept me well entertained and intrigued. A great debut novel!

Lila Loveday is not your teenager. She’s special. She has the ability to make things move with her mind, and ability that ends up leading her to a troubled situation. Scared with her own power and needing to hide it, Lila decides to run away from her home in London and move to California with her brother Jack and his best friend Alex, who she has a crush on. It turns out Jack and Alex have a few secrets of their own, secrets related to the unit their work for and the truth behind Lila’s mother murder.

I really liked this book and all the character (well, all except Rachel, maybe) :P

Lila was sweet and likeable and struggling hard to come to grip with her special abilities. It’s easy to understand why she has been in love with Alex all of her life, he’s sweet, caring, intelligent, resourceful and all around amazing. Lila’s reactions to Alex were pretty funny. The chemistry between them is definitely there and they make a great couple but there are several things that get between them.

I definitely enjoyed reading about all the other characters and their special abilities.

Besides interesting characters this book offers action and several twists that are always thrilling and interesting.

All in all Hunting Lila is a very well-written book with a string plot that offers interesting twists and strong characters that you can’t help wanting to read more about. The book is fast paced and was able to keep me captivated.

If you are a YA and Paranormal fan, I think you’ll definitely like this book!

Rating: Somewhere between Worth Your Time and Must Read (4 ½ Stars)

Goodreads

Bookdepository

Sarah Alderson Interview

Sarah Alderson, author of Hunting Lila, was kind enough to answer some of my questions.

Check out her answers. :)

1 - Tell us a little bit about yourself? 

SA: I was born and grew up in London but now I live in Bali. I’m a wanderer – I think I’d be happiest living on an RV bus like the one in Hunting Lila, driving around from place to place (preferably with Alex for company).

2 – Have you always wanted to be a writer? If not, when did you find out you wanted to be a writer?

SA: I had no clue I wanted to be a writer until about two years ago. I worked for a charity as Head of Projects and I quit my job as I’d had enough of living in London and my husband I decided to take off on a round the world trip with our then three year old daughter to find some place new to live. I started off writing a blog about our travels which was really well picked up by papers and magazines and I also started writing Hunting Lila. It was only after I’d finished that I realised that I had discovered my passion. I can’t believe I didn’t work it out sooner – but better late than never! Now I can’t imagine not being a writer. And perhaps I needed thirty years of living and loving and having adventures under my belt before I began.

3 – Where did you come up with the idea for Hunting Lila? What inspired you to write it?

SA: I came up with the idea whilst swimming. I wanted to write something that was the opposite of a lot of young adult books – where the girl character was the kickass one and not a damsel in distress.

4 – Out of all your characters, which one is your favorite?  Which was the most challenging character to write about and why?

SA: In Hunting Lila I don’t have a favourite, I genuinely love all the characters, except perhaps Rachel. They’re all very real in my head. I really like Lila – she’s impulsive and a bit obsessed with Alex but she has a great self-deprecating humour and I love the history she shares with Alex and Jack. There are all these memories of Christmas’s past and basketball games in backyards and first days at school that are all in my head but which I hope the reader senses in their interactions. I love Demos too because he’s so conflicted. I really like all of Demos’s crew – Amber, Ryder, Nate and Suki in particular. I’ve just written a short story from Suki’s perspective which was so much fun. Her and Nate are such a comedy duo.

The most challenging – none of them really. Suki takes a little bit of concentration because you have to be aware that she’s reading the thoughts of every character in the scene and that’s going to affect what she says and does.

5 – I like the fact that in Hunting Lila some characters like Lila have special powers. If you could have one special power, which one would that be?

SA: I would love to be able to transport myself to wherever I needed to be. I miss my friends in other parts of the world and I’d love to go, ‘right tonight I’m going to hang out in London with my best friend drinking red wine and eating chocolate brownies, then I’m going to drop by my other friend in the Caribbean and go for a spin on their boat, then I’m going to pass by LA and go shopping and have brunch, and I’ll make it back to Bali in time for the school run.’ That would be just the most wonderful power ever.

I want the world at my fingertips!

6 – What do you like the most about writing? What would you say is the hardest part of being a writer?

SA: I’m lying in bed right now. That’s pretty cool right? I can write when I want, where I want. No more bosses (or at least, not in the same sense). No more commute (other than to the pool) and I get to interact with the coolest bunch of people – readers, bloggers, reviewers.

The hardest part is that  it can get pretty lonely living in these fabulous worlds which exist only in my head. But I share each chapter as I go with a couple of friends and that helps. Another hard part is the waiting. That sucks. You wait all the time – for an agent, a deal, a contract, news on sales figures, overseas rights, reviews. It’s hellish.

7 – Can you let us know something about the sequel to Hunting Lila?

SA: It’s called Losing Lila and it’s out next August. The opening scene is very Bourne Ultimatum though set in Mexico City. I hope fans will really love this sequel – not only does it feature nearly all the characters from Hunting Lila but it’s very much the story of how Lila grows and develops in her own skin and takes control of that wayward power of hers. She’s much more powerful and kick ass and there are lots of tensions between characters in the books that need to be worked out as well as the key mysteries to solve – what’s happened to Jack? And will they rescue Lila’s mum? (And for Lila – can she overcome Alex’s resolve in the midst of all this craziness – our girl has her priorities straight).

8 – Which author/s have inspired you the most?

SA: I’m really inspired by movies and television shows just as much as writers. I’m a child of the 80s, so Star Wars and Terminator and Lost Boys and Twin Peaks gave me my early education into other worlds and what could be conjured from the imagination. I think all this deeply influenced my writing.

I read and admire authors like Maggie Stiefvater and Suzanne Collins for their beautiful prose and the energy and plot of The Hunger Games.

9 - What can your readers expect from you in the future?

SA: I write insanely fast. I’ve just finished my sixth book and sold the film rights to Hunting Lila (though that’s a long and bumpy road and I’m not holding my breath) but I hope the future is full of Alex and Lila (3D versions please) and Evie and Lucas (from Fated). I want to keep writing until the ideas dry up, which judging from the way I write now, isn’t going to happen any time soon! Touch wood. I might try a screenplay at some point too.

10 - Is there anything else you would like your readers to know?

SA: I have a short story called Catching Suki, coming out soon, featuring a lot of the cast of characters from Hunting Lila. It will be available as an e-book on Amazon and all royalties and profits are going to a fabulous charity called Girltank which supports young girl changemakers across the globe. 

Thank you, Sarah! :) I can't wait to read Losing Lila now!

You can find Sarah at:

Official Website

Twitter

Sarah Alderson

So, this weekend is dedicated to author Sarah Alderson. Let's get to know her a little better.

Author's Profile:

"Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and princess-obsessed daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. After several months in India, Singapore, Australia and the US, they settled in Bali where Sarah now spends her days writing by the pool and drinking lots of coconuts.

She finished her first novel Hunting Lila just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel on the beach in India, and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they reached Bali.

A third book, Fated, about a teenage demon slayer, which was written during their stay in California, will be published in January 2012 by Simon Pulse (an imprint of Simon & Schuster).

She is currently working on sequels to both series of books."

Sarah Alderson Books:

 

Title and Author: Hunting Lila

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

Publication Date: August 4th, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 320

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal 

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever. Or thereabouts.After a mugging on the streets of South London goes horribly wrong and exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. Trying to uncover the truth of why her mother was killed, and the real remit of The Unit, Lila becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Struggling to keep her secrets in a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone - there are others out there just like her - people with special powers -and her mother's killer is one of them..

Upcoming Books:

Title and Author: Fated

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

Publication Date: January 5th, 2012

Paperback/Hardcover: 320

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal 




What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?
When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.
But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray - is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.
If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

Title and Author: Losing Lila

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

Publication Date: August 2nd, 2012

Paperback/Hardcover: 320

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Alex and Lila are on the run, desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the Unit, which somehow is managing to track their every move. Whilst Alex is determined to keep Lila safe and her ability secret at any cost, Lila’s only thought is of finding a way back to California so that she can rescue her brother and mother from the military base where they’re being held.
Struggling to control both her growing power and her deepening feelings for Alex, Lila decides the time has finally come to stop running and start fighting. Together with Alex, Demos, and the people she’s come to think of as family, Lila plans not just to save her brother and mother, but to completely destroy the Unit and everything it stands for.
But the plan requires Lila to return alone to California, make friends with the enemy, and to risk losing everything - Alex, her family, and even her life.

You can find Sarah at:

Official Website

Twitter

Cover Smackdown Giveaway Winners

I fianlly have winners for the Cover Smackdown Giveaway:

• Bella @ Cheezyfeet Books has won her choice of two of the winning covers.

 

• Diana has won her choice of one of the winning covers.

I'll contact you both soon.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Link Your Reviews

We all want to promote our reviews, don't we? This is a way of letting other people know about them. Just leave a link to your review below.

Go visit the other reviews and let people know what you think about them!

This will is weekly feature posted on Thursdays. :)

My Book Boyfriend

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme, hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader. It is a weekly meme where we talk about a literary crush including stats, a picture of what you imagine he looks like and some quotes from him that make you swoon.  If you are interested in participating please check out the My Book Boyfriend Introduction Page over at Missie's blog The Unread Reader.

This week my book boyfriend is:

Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare

Stats

Status: Will is a Shadowhunter in Victorian England. He's Tessa's love interest.

Age: 17

Height:

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black

More info: Will is a bad boy. He's incredibly aware of his charm and has a number of vices like smoking. He can be a good guy, though and there's something in his past that makes him hide behind his attitude.

"But that wasn't what made her stare. He had the most beautiful face she had ever seen. Tangled black hair and eyes like blue glass. Elegant cheeckbones, a full mouth, and long, thick lashes. Even the curve of his throath was perfect. He lookes like every fictional hereo she'd ever conjured up in her head."

"No, I mean enterprising." said Will. "When I mean morally deficient, I say 'Now, that is something I would have done'"

"Oh, I can never get enough. Which, incidentally, is what your sister said when..."

"Jem gave her a wistful look. "Must you go? I was rather hoping you'd stay and be a ministering angel, but if you must go, you must."

"I'll stay." Will said a bit crossly, and threw himself down in the armchair Tessa had just vacated. "I can minister angelically."

"None too convincingly. And you're not as pretty to look at as Tessa is." Jem said, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the pillow.

"How rude. Many who have gazed upon me have compared it to gazing at the radiance of the sun."

Jem still had his eyes closed. "If they mean that it gives you a headache, they aren't wrong."

Actor Gaspard Ulliel

I'll confess I love Gaspard and I think he would make a good Will. What do you think?

Who is your Will?

Review - Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title and Author: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Dutton

Publication Date: September 29th, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 338

Genre: Young Adult

Summary:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Review:

I couldn’t wait to read this book and I have to say it did not disappoint me. Lola and the Boy Next Door was a fun, cute and interesting read.

Dolores Nolan (Lola) loves fashion. She enjoys changing her looks and choosing different clothes for herself. She has a rocker boyfriend named Max, who’s older and who her gay parent’s don’t exactly approve of. If they could choose, they would love to see Lola with Cricket – her old best friend and next door neighbor, who after several years has moved back with his parents and famous ice-skater twin sister.

As you can imagine, Lola will find herself in the middle of a love triangle and having to decide which one of the guys she truly loves.

I really liked the characters in this book. Lola is very interesting. She’s different and she enjoys being like that. She expresses herself through her clothes and wigs and makeup.

Cricket was great as well. He was sweet and awkward, super cute and intelligent. I really like the fact he and Lola used to be best friends, who shared their first kiss and enjoyed spending time together.

It was a pity so many things got in the way of their romance! They really do make a great couple, though. They are both very different but somehow they complement each other.

Lola’s parents were interesting characters as well and so was Cricket’s sister, who manages to get in the way of his relationship with Lola more than once.

What I really liked about this book was the fact Anna and Étienne are part of it! You get to find out who their relationship is developing and I, once again, feel in love with Étienne. He’s still so cute and great!

All in all Lola and the Boy Next Door is a great companion book to Anna and the French Kiss. The book is very well-written. It is fast paced and entertaining.  It was interested in Lola’s story and wanted to find out what would happen to her and Cricket.

I can’t wait to read the next book by Stephanie Perkins now. If you are a YA fan, you should definitely read this book as well as Anna and the French Kiss. :)

Rating: Somewhere between Worth Your Time and Must Read (4 ½ Stars)

Goodreads

Bookdepository