
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Ghostgirl: Homecoming by Tonya Hurley

Saturday, May 30, 2009
Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Charlotte is eager to start school this year, certain that this will be the year she will achieve popularity and catch the eye of Damen, her longtime crush. But all her carefully laid plans fall apart when she dies—by choking on a gummy bear! Now she's sent to Dead Ed, a school for dead teens, and must follow deadiquette until she can cross over. But Charlotte is still determined to catch Damen's attention, alive or not, and to do so, she'll have to enlist the help of an unlikely ally…
Darkly funny and chocked full of puns and tongue in cheek humor, Tonya Hurley's Ghostgirl is a unique read that will entice younger and more reluctant readers. Hurley's novel is quite imaginative and detailed, and she's quick to answer all those little "what ifs?" that come to mind when Charlotte first dies. The dynamics between Charlotte and Scarlet, her liaison to the world of the land of the living, are neat and will leave readers laughing, and Scarlet even becomes more of a central character towards the end of the story. Though the book doesn't focus too much on other significant aspects of life that one would expect Charlotte to be experiencing, Hurley does a commendable job at capturing how tough it can be for teens today and the invisibility they feel. Though there wasn't very much character development, the ending is surprising, and will certainly elicit more than a few laughs, making readers eager for the sequel.
Cover Comments: The cover for this book is just so cool! It's hardcover, with die cuts and embosing, and a really pretty swirly flower design in pink and black that continues throughout the pages of the book. The longer shape of the book is really unique too, and certainly memorable!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Thursday, May 28, 2009
Ask Suzanne Collins Your Burning Question

Lili St. Crow Discusses Strange Angels
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Fade by Lisa McMann

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Edgy vs. Just Plain Bad


Monday, May 25, 2009
Evernight by Claudia Gray

Friday, May 22, 2009
The Everafter by Amy Huntley

Thursday, May 21, 2009
Vampire Diaries TV Show
Looks cool, huh? As far as I can tell, this series doesn't premiere until the fall, so you've got all summer to pick up The Vampire Diaries (and perhaps Night World or The Secret Circle as well?) and get caught up. They really are great books!
Fire by Kristin Cashore

Note: Though you don't have to have read Graceling before reading Fire, I do reccomend it! Click here to find out more about Graceling.
Fire is an outcast in her society, her vibrant and unnatural hair color an indicator of her monster status and her dangerous powers of mind control. She's the only one left of her kind, and she resides far out in the country where she is safe from those who fear her and would harm her.
Meanwhile, King Nash is struggling to hold on to his kingdom as enemies from the north and south threaten to overthrow him. Both Nash and his brother Brigan distrust Fire for the havoc her father wreaked on the kingdom before his death, and Brigan would like nothing more than for Fire to be killed. But now, unless they find a way to resolve their differences and work together, they'll never win the impending war.
In this prequel to Graceling, Kristin Cashore has woven an intricate and brilliant tale that reveals a whole new world beyond Katsa's seven lands, full of fantastic creatures, strange powers, and a land teeming with political tension. For the most part, the characters in Fire are made more mature than Graceling's protagonists by the complexities of their past. Fire is a strong heroine, tough and fiercely independent, but loyal and kind through and through. She is genuinely thoughtful, and her concern for others stands out, especially as she struggles to reconcile her own nature and her father's actions with who she wishes to be.
The beginning of the book is slightly slow, but in no time at all it speeds up as Fire is launched out of her comfortable world and into an unknown and dangerous one. Cashore's plot is wonderfully complex and elaborate, but tight and solid. Fire also deals with many emotions—guilt, regret, fear, love, and empathy—in a very affecting way. Cashore is a master at using all of these elements to create a suspenseful, surprising, and totally engaging read. Though Fire is not a happy, warm book all of the time—it deals with death and violence and life's cruelties, but in a sensitive and optimistic manner, it has its moments of humor and romance. Cashore's talent for pulling off such an epic and engrossing read that will sweep readers away and keep them dreaming long after the final page makes her one of the best YA fantasy writers since Tamora Pierce first introduced her character Alanna to the world. If readers weren't already in love with Cashore after reading Graceling, they will be after reading Fire.
Cover Comments: I love how the colors in the cover reflect the color of Fire's hair! The bow and arrow also have significance in the book, so it's cool that they were included. The bright colors on the cover and the fact that they are a bit shiny will really capture the eye!
Fire will be available October 5th, 2009!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor

Monday, May 18, 2009
Théâtre Illuminata, Act One: Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Saturday, May 16, 2009
Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

On his first day in his new school, no one talks to Lucius. Everyone is too intimidated by the rumors of the explosion that he caused, and the hooks he has instead of hands. This is fine with Lucius—he'd rather not talk to anyone at all.
But then there's Aurora. Aurora is dealing with pain of her own, the pain of losing her mother. Lucius' hooks don't bother her at all, but instead intrigue her. Is it possible that the two of them can look beyond the surface to what's truly important and find redemption with each other?
Crazy Beautiful is an unexpected love story that deals with far more than just those breathless moments of first love, but delves deeper into the finer aspects of choices and consequences, second chances, and forgiveness. The emotions that Baratz-Logsted evokes in Crazy Beautiful are painful and raw, but authentic and exhilarating as well. Crazy Beautiful is a concise, entrancing, and completely consuming read, punctuated by smart humor and wonderful characterizations that especially cause Aurora and Lucius stand out. In its own unique way, Crazy Beautiful is a compelling, bittersweet, and memorable read with a love story so persuasive that it will keep you coming back again and again.
Cover Comments: This cover is gorgeous! I love the black and white color scheme, and the graceful lines of the image--it creates a very romantic, but edgy look that fits the book perfectly!
Crazy Beautiful will be released on September 7th, 2009.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Crash into Me by Albert Borris

Thursday, May 14, 2009
Contest: Put Twenty Boy Summer on the Map!

Top Ten Myths of High School, Brought to You by Susane Colasanti

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Strange Angels Giveaway!

Dru Anderson and her father live an unconventional life; they travel across the continent, tracking and killing dangerous supernatural things. Thanks to her father, Dru is a physically strong, and due to her time spent with her superstitious grandmother, psychically strong as well.
At first, this new town in the Midwest is nothing new, and her father's unwillingness to allow Dru accompany him on his hunts familiar. But when he doesn't come home alive, Dru is forced to face reality. She's not as capable as she once thought, nor as smart. There are things about the night and the Real World that her father never revealed to her. And if she hopes to make it until morning, she'll have to draw upon everything her father and grandmother ever taught her and learn to trust.
Read more.
Sound good? Well, I have ten copies for you to win!
How to enter: Email your name and address to thecompulsivereader@gmail.com with STRANGE ANGELS in the subject heading!
Deadline: Tuesday, May 19th at midnight.
Spread the word, and good luck!
P.S. here's that kick-butt trailer again:
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook

Strange Angels Book Trailer
Check out this amazing trailer for Strange Angels, which comes out Thursday:
As always, pass it on!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Just a quick update...

Sunday, May 10, 2009
Nothing but Ghosts by Beth Kephart

Saturday, May 9, 2009
Chasing Windmills by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Friday, May 8, 2009
A Stuffed Mailbox
Wanderlust by Lucy Silag
Possession by Nancy Holfer
After by Amy Efaw
ArchEnemy by Frank Beddor (!!!)
Hold Still by Nina LaCour
Fire by Kristin Cashore
This is a great load--I'm especially excited to read ArchEnemy, the final book in Frank Beddor's Looking Glass trilogy, which is a very, very awesome retelling of the tale Alice in Wonderland, centered upon the power of imagination. If you haven't read the prior books, The Looking Glass Wars and Seeing Redd, I HIGHLY reccomend them!
Also, can anyone tell me a little more about Fire? I see that it's prequel--do we have any more info than that?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
You Are Here Contest


Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Being Nikki, An Airhead Novel by Meg Cabot

Sunday, May 3, 2009
If I Stay by Gayle Forman

This is one book I've had for about three months, but have only just gotten around to reading.
I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner.
Life is complicated for Mia. She has two loves: music and her boyfriend Adam. And pretty soon, she'll have to choose between staying with Adam and her family, and perhaps pursuing a music career at Julliard. Her impending decision is only further complicated one winter morning when she and her family go on a drive that ends in tragedy. Now Mia has only one choice, the one that will affect absolutely everything; should she fight for her life, or let it all go?
If I Stay is a completely powerful and stunning read. Gayle Forman has created a complex story that weaves together many scenes from various points in Mia's life to create a work of art that overwhelmingly emotional and affecting and demands to be read in one sitting. As Mia observes all that goes around her, Forman deftly explores the make-up of Mia's life and those elements that have formed and influenced her in an intensely moving and heartbreaking fashion. As tragic and as sorrowful as the novel is, it is also witty and hopeful and bright at times, and it is the mix of pain and life, light and dark, that make If I Stay and Forman's strong voice a truly memorable read that will perhaps give readers a new outlook on life.
Cover Comments: This cover is simple and beautiful. I like the starkness of the tree branch, accented by a single flower. Because really, that's what this book is all about: death and loss, but in the midst of it, a spark of life. The colors, the text, everything is just perfect.
Also, check out the site here.