Friday, February 28, 2014

February Author in the Spotlight Wrap-up + Giveaway

February Author in the Spotlight Wrap-up + Giveaway

The giveaway for Chasing Shadows ends at midnight tonight!!  Hurry and Enter!  Find the link below.

Time to say goodbye to February.  I celebrated "I Love to Read" month by inviting 4 YA authors to South High to speak to students.  We hosted Kelly Barnhill, Jeff Herbach, Carrie Mesrobian and February's Author in the Spotlight, Swati Avasthi.  I will be featuring each of these authors on BookSnob sometime this year and can't wait.

I also celebrated my 4 year blogging anniversary!!  Yahoo.

Please join me in goodbye to February's author in the spotlight, Swati Avasthi.

If you would like to win a copy of Chasing Shadows, please enter here:  Chasing Shadows Giveaway

Please read my book review of Chasing Shadows.  Avasthi is a great writer and her characters are so beautifully flawed that you can't help falling for them as she leads you through a plot that you don't expect.  Chasing Shadows brings you to the brink of death, through mental illness and grief and into the bonds of friendship.  Chasing Shadows is bold and strong and daring like its characters.

Chasing Shadows Book Review

Please read my book review of Split.  The storyline of Split is unique because many stories deal with abuse but not many deal with what happens after you get out.  Split starts the day Jace gets out.  Split is a page turning, nail biting, amazing first novel.  It is raw and edgy and gripping to the very last page.

Split Book Review

Check out the author interview with Swati.  She teaches at Hamline University in St. Paul and she stopped by the school I teach at (South High) this week to talk to students and it was entertaining, informative and fun.  I was happy to have the chance to ask her some questions about her writing life and her newest novel Chasing Shadows.  Find out what she confessed.

Swati Avasthi Author Interview

It has been my pleasure to work with Swati Avasthi this month and I would like to thank her for being the February Minnesota Author in the Spotlight.  I met Swati at the Twin Cities Book Festival in October and I really wanted to connect with her because her two books looked so darn good.  I can hardly wait for the next book to come out and am looking forward to reading a lot more of her books in the future.  I'm so glad I was able to feature Swati Avasthi on BookSnob.  Check out her books at her website:  http://www.swatiavasthi.com/






Chasing Shadows by Swati Avasthi

Chasing Shadows by Swati Avasthi
With Graphics by Craig Phillips

Chasing Shadows blends genres between its pages of prose and graphic art.  It begins with Holly, Corey and Savitri freerunning on the streets of Chicago and little do they know that their lives are about to change forever.   Holly and Corey are twins and Savitri is Holly's best friend and Corey's girlfriend.  They are intimately connected.  As they drive home, the unthinkable happens.

A Gunman.
Bullets.
Blood.
Screams.
Tears.
Silence.
Sirens.
Trauma.

One loses their life.  One is in a coma.  One is the only witness to the crime.  Changed forever in an instant.

Chasing Shadows is completely different than Avasthi first novel SPLIT.  It is a type of different, that I love.  I loved the fresh style of this novel with the juxtaposition of prose and graphic novel twisted together in the mind of the characters.  The artwork by Craig Phillips is amazing!  The artwork pops in black and white and the Shadowlands come alive.  Holly and Corey are caught in the Shadowlands and it was cool to see what Holly was visualizing in her mind in graphic format.
The Shadowlands is a place somewhere between life and death.

According to wikipedia, Freerunning (or free running) is the art of expressing oneself in his or her environment without limitation of movement.  This is a super cool part of this book.  A sport that combines gymnastics with daring athletics, fast movements and death defying heights.  I'm curious to see this sport in action.

Avasthi is a great writer and her characters are so beautifully flawed that you can't help falling for them as she leads you through a plot that you don't expect.  Chasing Shadows brings you to the brink of death, through mental illness and grief and into the bonds of friendship.  Chasing Shadows is bold and strong and daring like its characters.

Chasing Shadowa is nominated for the 2014 Minnesota Book Award.

I will definitely read everything Avasthi writes as she is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA writers.









Thursday, February 27, 2014

Swati Avasthi Author Interview + Giveaway


                                           Swati Avasthi Author Interview + Giveaway

Swati is the February Author in the Spotlight here at BookSnob and is amazing Young Adult author.    She has written Split and Chasing Shadows.  She teaches at Hamline University in St. Paul and she stopped by my school this week to talk to students and it was entertaining, informative and fun.  I was happy to have the chance to ask her some questions about her writing life and her newest novel Chasing Shadows.

Hi Swati,

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a recovering workaholic.  Sometimes I fall off the wagon and work the weekends, but generally, I’ve been restraining myself to a 50-hour work week.  It’s all about “setting boundaries.”

2. What inspired you to write Chasing Shadows?

Well, it’s not a happy story. When I was 18, I heard on the news that a friend of mine from middle school had been murdered in a drive-by shooting. We were close before we went to different high schools, spending birthday parties and surviving silly fights. She had the most infectious laugh. Like most of my stories, this one began as a “what if?” What if we had continued in high school together? What would it be like to lose someone so early?

I really wanted to write a story about coming of age through friendships. More than anything else, knowing who I was as a friend, understanding that as a cornerstone of my identity, was quite
important to me in high school. Boyfriends came and went. Friends lasted. And there is much less written about friendships.

3. Can you tell us why or when you decided to become a writer?

I wanted to be a writer when I was 5 and read Little House in the Big Woods. I figured that since I was so much like Laura (never mind that she was a pilgrim in the Midwest) that I would be a writer, too.

When I was 16 my oldest sister graduated from college and suddenly the prospect of making money and supporting myself became real. So I left my writing obsession and tried some other career choices. When my son was born, I quit law school to take care of him and, since I wasn’t making any money anyway, it was time to see if I could actually become a writer.

4. Usually an author puts some of her own life experiences in the book.  Did you do    that?
Sure. In addition to what I have above there are details in Chasing Shadows that are true for me. For instance, I remember walking out the Point when I first moved to Chicago early in the morning and watching the sunrise. Little things like that filter into the work. For my work, you can almost always tell – it’s when the sensory details kick into overdrive.

5. Do you have anything in common with your characters?
Lots. In fact, I struggled with Savitri because she is so much like me. I kept trying to make her significantly different in some way – a love of math or economic theory -- but the story demanded someone who loved language. So I changed her backstory, removing her father from the picture. But, I pretty much gave her my mother – an Indian physician who is infinitely patient. Eventually, her grief was so particular to Corey and what they had that I was able to find my way to her and make her someone other than me.

6. Tell us a little bit about your other book Split.  It is a great first novel.

Thanks! SPLIT grew out of my experience coordinating a domestic violence legal clinic.  My job was to manage law students and listen to stories of people who needed emergency orders of protection, take the facts into an attorney, and then (if we took the case) write up the stories into affidavits so that the attorney could take her case to court that day. Once I had a woman with her two children. The boy was very cute. He was losing a tooth and he would wriggle it with his tongue, proud of his step toward adulthood. The abuse his mother was describing became rather brutal and I asked her if she wanted an intern to look after her kids. She told me, “No, they saw it anyway.”

I knew better, but I got mad at her because I wanted to protect this little boy. My anger was misplaced and I found it interesting that, even with my training and even with the understanding of how hard it is to leave someone and how if you can’t protect yourself then you can’t protect your kids, I was victim-blaming. Why wasn’t I holding him responsible? He was the child’s father after all.

When we refuse to look at the abuser because we are abhorred, we sort of let them off the hook.

7. Do you like to read?  What authors or books influence you?

I love to read. I usually read the equivalent of a novel per week between what I need to reread to teach, the books I should read as an author, my colleagues’ work (both published and unpublished) and my students’ work. Honestly, a lot of that reading feels like a job. But, I’ve been taking my editor’s advice and playing hooky from the reading I have to do and every once in while, reading just for the pure pleasure of it. I hang onto those experiences as I do my weekly work.

8. Is it hard to juggle writing, teaching and parenthood?  How do you carve out time during your busy day to write?

Yes, it is hard to manage. But I think, the way society is today in the US with our penchant for nuclear families and two working parents, that it isn’t unusual; we all struggle for balance. So some days I get as much as five hours to write and others I get none. I try to manage my schedule so I have 90 minutes of writing each day, but in reality, I’ve written one time this week and one time last week. Sadly, what seems to suffer is the writing. (Which is one of the reasons it took five years to get CHASING SHADOWS done.)

9. How did you decide on the duel format of novel and graphic novel within Chasing Shadows?

A confluence of thoughts really. In 2006 or 2007, I read Hugo Cabret and the idea that you can
achieve different affects on the reader if you are in visuals v. text was still rattling around in my head, looking for an outlet.  In late 2009, I had a story about a girl who loved graphic novels and comics. I followed her love of comics and realized that she was s visual thinker and that, when stressed or pushed, language would leave her and images would be retained. So, she would narrate in images at times. This fed into the idea that she wanted to be a superhero and would be a freerunner because freerunning (a sport that combines gymnastics and running through an urban environment) is the closest one can get to moving like a superhero.

10. Chasing Shadow is nominated for a MN book award.  What was your initial reaction when you heard your book earned a nomination?

I literally started jumping up and down and clapping. We have so many amazing Minnesota writers, and the field of Children’s Lit is packed with extraordinary books and authors. I know it is a cliché to say “It’s an honor just to be nominated,” but the longer I’m in this business, the more I realize that it is a cliché for a reason… because it is true.

11. Tell us in one sentence why we should read Chasing Shadows?

Its hybrid format makes it unique, page-turning story with in-depth characters who cling to each other despite tremendous and terrible odds.

Thanks Swati!!!
I’m love both of your books.

Thank you so much Laura. It was my pleasure.

If you would like to win a copy of Chasing Shadows please click here:  Chasing Shadows Giveaway   The Giveaway ends tomorrow 2/28 at midnight.






Sunday, February 23, 2014

Split by Swati Avasthi

Split by Swati Avasthi

Jace Witherspoon was kicked out of the house by his father after his dad rearranged his face.  His mother handed him an envelope through his car window.  It contained money and his long lost brother's address.  He begged his mom to come with him, to get in the car, to leave his abusive father, but she said she would come later.   She promised.

Jace makes the long drive from Chicago to New Mexico by himself with a swollen face and a broken heart.  Jace arrives at Christian's door, a virtual stranger, hoping he will be taken in and protected.  Yet Christian has his own issues and seeing Jace with bruises on his face brings up the turbulent past that he is trying very hard to forget.

Split is about domestic abuse and its aftermath.  It details the anger, grief and emotional trauma involved in leaving an abusive situation.  It details how a person can hope to recover and let go of the abuse cycle when struggling with post traumatic stress disorder.

Avasthi has written a strong cast of characters.  Her antagonist was so scary that sometimes, I turned the pages with trepidation.  I was seriously biting my fingernails with worry for Jace and Christian.  When you start praying for the characters, you know the author has done her job and the characters have become a important part of your reading life.

The storyline of Split is unique because many stories deal with abuse but not many deal with what happens after you get out.  Split starts the day Jace gets out.  Split is a page turning, nail biting, amazing first novel.  It is raw and edgy and gripping to the very last page.




Friday, February 21, 2014

Jerusalem by Boaz Yakin & Nick Bertozzi

Jerusalem; A Family Portrait by Boaz Yakin and Nick Bertozzi

Three generations of the Halaby family live in a tiny, cramped apartment in Jerusalem.   It is 1945 and World War II is ending.  Many Jewish people are emigrating to Israel.  The Halaby's have 4 sons and 1 daughter.  One of the Halaby sons is off fighting in Italy.  Another is a fighting for Israel Independence, while another son borders on being a terrorist and inciting violence in the city.  The youngest son is free to roam and grows up amidst this turbulent era of Independence.

Yakim and Bertozzi have written a stunning historical graphic novel that teaches the reader about the history of Israel from 1945 to 1948 from a familial point of view.  So many of us read about the Holocaust and think the story ends there but it doesn't.  Jerusalem; A Family Portrait takes you to a place where people leave the atrocities of WWII and go to Israel to fight another war for a Jewish homeland.

The graphic artwork is done in black and white, reflecting the horrors of war.  There is a cast of characters and a family tree which is nice to refer back to when you get confused ( I sometimes confused the characters). There is also a background history of Jerusalem and the events leading up to this story.  A map of the British Mandate of 1945 is also enclosed.


Jerusalem; A Family Portrait has left a lasting imprint on me.  The characters (based on the authors family stories) are so compelling and the ending is so gripping that I don't think I will ever forget this story.




Thursday, February 20, 2014

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake Giveaway

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake Giveaway

In honor of my 4th anniversary of being a book blogger and a BookSnob and because Anna Quindlen is one of my favorite authors, I am giving away one copy of Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake to a BookSnob follower.  You are going to love this book!

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead—and celebrating it all—as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more.

As she did in her beloved New York Times columns, and in A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen says for us here what we may wish we could have said ourselves. Using her past, present, and future to explore what matters most to women at different ages, Quindlen talks about

Marriage: “A safety net of small white lies can be the bedrock of a successful marriage. You wouldn’t believe how cheaply I can do a kitchen renovation.”

Girlfriends: “Ask any woman how she makes it through the day, and she may mention her calendar, her to-do lists, her babysitter. But if you push her on how she really makes it through her day, she will mention her girlfriends. Sometimes I will see a photo of an actress in an unflattering dress or a blouse too young for her or with a heavy-handed makeup job, and I mutter, ‘She must not have any girlfriends.’ ”

Stuff: “Here’s what it comes down to, really: there is now so much stuff in my head, so many years, so many memories, that it’s taken the place of primacy away from the things in the bedrooms, on the porch. My doctor says that, contrary to conventional wisdom, she doesn’t believe our memories flag because of a drop in estrogen but because of how crowded it is in the drawers of our minds. Between the stuff at work and the stuff at home, the appointments and the news and the gossip and the rest, the past and the present and the plans for the future, the filing cabinets in our heads are not only full, they’re overflowing.”

Our bodies: “I’ve finally recognized my body for what it is: a personality-delivery system, designed expressly to carry my character from place to place, now and in the years to come. It’s like a car, and while I like a red convertible or even a Bentley as well as the next person, what I really need are four tires and an engine.”

Parenting: “Being a parent is not transactional. We do not get what we give. It is the ultimate pay-it-forward endeavor: We are good parents not so they will be loving enough to stay with us but so they will be strong enough to leave us.”

From childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, Quindlen uses the events of her own life to illuminate our own. Along with the downsides of age, she says, can come wisdom, a perspective on life that makes it satisfying and even joyful. Candid, funny, moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen’s status as America’s laureate of real life.

Rules:
Fill out the form
Open Internationally
Ends March 16th at midnight
Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, February 17, 2014

Anna Quindlen visits the Twin Cities

Anna Quindlen visits the Twin Cities

I love Anna Quindlen's books and have read most of them.  When I saw she was coming to town, I knew I had to be in the audience.  I packed my bag full of the books I wanted her to sign and readied myself to meet one of my favorite authors.

Anna spoke to an auditorium full of readers who have been influenced by her long writing career.  She came out and talked about her life growing up and her children (two of whom, who are also writers) and she read a passage from her new book Still Life with Bread Crumbs.  She then answered questions from the audience.  One questions asked, Who her favorite author is?  She replied with Alice McDermott.
Her recent favorite book is Behind the Beautiful Forevers; Life, death, and hope in a Mumbai undercity by Katherine Boo.  (I have not read anything by McDermott or Boo)

 Anna Quindlen's non -fiction books are full of more than life changing advice and I have to say, I adore them.  Being Perfect was giving to me by a friend and absorbed quickly as my mantra.  How Reading Changed my Life had me creating my own booklists patterned after hers and had me highlighting the books I have read from her lists.  Here is one of her list titles:  "The 10 Books I Would Save in a Fire (If I Could Save Only 10).   I have to say that I have grown into womanhood in the last 20 years, while reading Anna Quindlen's books.  She is an author who has influenced my life and my thinking.

I bought Quindlen's latest books, Lot of Candles, Plenty of Cake and Still Life with Bread Crumbs and can't wait to spend a lazy day reading them.  I was so honored to meet Anna and as I gave her one of my blog calling cards, she said, "I have been on your website".  And I said, "I have reviewed your books."  How cool is that!

Who is your favorite author?


Saturday, February 15, 2014

A Star for Mrs. Blake Giveaway Winner!

A Star for Mrs. Blake Giveaway Winner!

April Smith, along with Knopf, her publisher and TLC book tours are generously giving away one copy of A Star for Mrs. Blake to a Booksnob follower who lives in the United States.

And the winner is......

Angel from Jeannette, PA


Congratulations Angel! I hope you enjoy your new book.

Here is an excerpt from my book review:


April Smith has created a beautiful, heartfelt novel that will make you question war and its inevitable consequences.  The characters are sweet and compelling and will make you keep turning the pages.  The shadow of a future war is upon them as they tour a country still re-building itself.  Smith has written a well rounded novel of the horrors of WWI without actually writing a novel about WWI.  A Star for Mrs. Blake takes place between the World Wars and in my opinion is extremely well written and is a reminder and a cautionary tale for mothers everywhere.

You can read my entire review here:  A Star for Mrs. Blake




A Bookish Blind Date

 A Bookish Blind Date

If you read my post yesterday, I posted about going on a blind date with a book.  My librarian at my school wrapped books in white paper and decorated with Valentine messages to encourage students to take home a "bookish blind date".

I took home two bookish blind dates, just in case one of the books didn't interest me.  Plus it was super hard to decide which books to pick because they all were so cute and looked interesting.   I bet the Valentine message on top was a clue to what book was hiding inside.  So excited to find out what books I picked.

Inside of the book Valentine marked "Please Be My Date" was....  Drum roll....

Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
With a past too terrible to speak of, and a bleak, lonely future ahead of her, Aerin Renning is shocked to find she has earned a place at the most exclusive school in the universe. Aerin excels at Academy 7 in all but debate, where Dane Madousin?son of one of the most powerful men in the Alliance? consistently outtalks her. Fortunately Aerin consistently outwits him at sparring. They are at the top of their class until Dane jeopardizes everything and Aerin is unintentionally dragged down with him. When the pair is given a joint punishment, an unexpected friendship?and romance?begins to form. But Dane and Aerin both harbor dangerous secrets, and the two are linked in ways neither of them could ever have imagined. . . .

Inside of "Like Mustard and Ketchup, We're the Perfect Combination" is.... drum roll....

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.
Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

Now I need to get off the internet and go read!!


Friday, February 14, 2014

Go on a Blind Date with a Book!

Go on a Blind Date with a Book!

Have you ever been on a blind date with a book?
Well the librarian here at South High, where I teach, came up with a great idea.  She wrapped books in white paper and decorated them with Valentine's day messages all in the hopes that students would check them out to read.

Of course I had to check out a couple blind dates for the weekend.  I couldn't wait to see what books were hiding in the packages.  I checked out two books with the hope that I would want to read one.  The barcode was listed on the side so the book inside was a complete surprise. Students designed the covers and it was fun to read them all.

It was super hard to decide which books to choose.



These are the two books I chose to take home over the weekend.


Opening my blind dates was like an unexpected present.
Check back tomorrow and I will tell you what books I picked.

Happy Valentine's Day!



The Fallout Giveaway Winner!

The Fallout Giveaway Winner!


S.A. Bodeen was the January Author in the Spotlight here on Book Snob and she is giving away one copy of her young adult book, The Fallout, to a Book Snob follower.  I am excited to announce the winner is....

Ann from Cincinnati, Ohio

Congratulations Ann! I hope you enjoy your new book.

Here is an excerpt from my book review.
The Fallout is a riveting conclusion to The Compound.  The story line begins right where The Compound left off.  The Fallout is the story of a very rich family whose patriarch thinks he can do anything because he has money and is privileged.  The plot is fast moving and full of twists and turns and plenty of What?! and No!?* and OMG!  It is story that takes you on a wild rollar coaster ride.  Buckle up, cross your fingers and wear your helmet.



Thursday, February 13, 2014

Geoff Herbach and Kelly Barnhill visit South High

Geoff Herbach and Kelly Barnhill visit South High

Geoff Herbach and Kelly Barnhill are two wonderful Young Adult authors who live in Minnesota and have children that go to school at South High, where I teach.

I kindly asked them to come into South and speak to students during "I Love to Read" month about their books and the craft of writing.

Kelly Barnhill is a former graduate of South High and I just figured out I had one of her brothers in my class about 12 years ago.  She is also a former Minnespolis teacher.  Giving her a big virtual high five hand slap!  She has written two middle grade books, The Mostly True Story of Jack and Iron Hearted Violet which is her latest book.  She has two new books coming out this year, one for middle readers and one for adults.  Kelly actually writes her books in her head while she is jogging.  I don't know how she does it.  She offered up some great writing advice for students.

Geoff Herbach is a recent winner of the Minnesota Book Award.
He teaches creative writing at Mankato State University and he has written the Stupid Fast trilogy which includes, Stupid Fast, Nothing Special and I'm with Stupid.  He talked to students about how he wrote an adult book that no one bought and then made money writing dirty jokes before he decided to write young adult fiction.  His new book, Fat Boy vs. the Cheerleaders will be released this year.
Geoff's son was in my world history class last year.  Geoff tells the best stories and made us all laugh.

Both Kelly Barnhill and Geoff Herbach will be featured authors on BookSnob this year where I will interview them and review their books.  So excited to have them be a part of my Minnesota Author spotlight and so thankful to have them at South High to speak with students.

Sending out a big THANKS!
Go check out their books.  You will love them!







Monday, February 10, 2014

The Madonnas of Leningrad Giveaway

The Madonnas of Leningrad Giveaway



In honor of my 4th year of book blogging and the 2014 Olympics being held in Russia, I am giving away 1 copy of Debra Dean's book The Madonnas of Leningrad to a BookSnob follower.  I visited Russia in 1991 after the fall of Communism and visited the Hermitage museum while I was in St. Petersburg which was formerly named Leningrad.  It is a beautiful palace turned museum and it was truly an amazing experience.  I also visited the cemetery of the Siege of Leningrad where all the victims who died during the Siege were buried.  The cemetery is vast and clearly shows the degree of starvation that Leningrad suffered during WWII at the hand of the Germans. Russia is such a beautiful country full of a rich and varied history.  Russia continues to fascinate me and I am positive you will love this book by Debra Dean.  

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Bit by bit, the ravages of age are eroding Marina's grip on the everyday. And while the elderly Russian woman cannot hold on to fresh memories—the details of her grown children's lives, the approaching wedding of her grandchild—her distant past is preserved: vivid images that rise unbidden of her youth in war-torn Leningrad.

In the fall of 1941, the German army approached the outskirts of Leningrad, signaling the beginning of what would become a long and torturous siege. During the ensuing months, the city's inhabitants would brave starvation and the bitter cold, all while fending off the constant German onslaught. Marina, then a tour guide at the Hermitage Museum, along with other staff members, was instructed to take down the museum's priceless masterpieces for safekeeping, yet leave the frames hanging empty on the walls—a symbol of the artworks' eventual return. To hold on to sanity when the Luftwaffe's bombs began to fall, she burned to memory, brushstroke by brushstroke, these exquisite artworks: the nude figures of women, the angels, the serene Madonnas that had so shortly before gazed down upon her. She used them to furnish a "memory palace," a personal Hermitage in her mind to which she retreated to escape terror, hunger, and encroaching death. A refuge that would stay buried deep within her, until she needed it once more. . . .

Contest Rules:
Fill out the Form
Open Internationally
Ends March 1st at midnight
Good Luck!


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Sunday, February 9, 2014

The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen &Rebecca Guay

The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen &Rebecca Guay


The Last Dragon was thought to go extinct 200 years ago when the people on the islands of May made sure they would never terrorize them again.  Yet there is one egg left and when the conditions are right, it hatches.  The dragon has a big appetite and people have lost the wisdom necessary to effectively battle the dragon.  So a healer's daughter, with her inherited book of wisdom sets out to save the people and the children of the village go looking for a hero to help her.


The Last Dragon caught my eye while at the public library.  The artwork in this book is so beautiful that I knew I had to read it. The cover art is amazing and I was drawn to it.  I love the look of this woman with a book in her hand and a dragon breathing down her neck.  Rebecca Guay breathes life into this novel with her artwork.  It is just stunning to look at.  Seriously stunning.

I started reading graphic novels when my children started reading because my dyslexic kids were drawn to them for obvious reasons. Now I try to read as many graphic novels as I can a year.  I know I can always get my children, now teenagers, to read a good graphic novel and they are usually books I can share and discuss with them.

Do you read graphic novels?


Friday, February 7, 2014

Chasing Shadows Giveaway

Chasing Shadows Giveaway

Want to win a copy of Chasing Shadows?  I know you do :)

Swati Avasthi is the February Author in the Spotlight here on BookSnob this month and is giving away two copies of her Young Adult book to followers who live in the U.S. or Canada.  Chasing Shadows was recently nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

Before: Corey, Holly, and Savitri are one unit—fast, strong, inseparable. Together they turn Chicago concrete and asphalt into a freerunner’s jungle gym, ricocheting off walls, scaling buildings, leaping from rooftops to rooftop.

But acting like a superhero doesn’t make you bulletproof…

After: Holly and Savitri are coming unglued. Holly says she’s chasing Corey’s killer, chasing revenge. Savitri fears Holly’s just running wild—and leaving her behind. Friends should stand by each other in times of crisis. But can you hold on too tight? Too long?

In this intense novel, Swati Avasthi creates a gripping portrait of two girls teetering on the edge of grief and insanity. Two girls who will find out just how many ways there are to lose a friend…and how many ways to be lost.

Rules:
Fill out the Form
Must live in U.S/Canada
Ends 2/28 at midnight
Good Luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Happy 4 Years of Book Blogging to Me.

Happy 4 Years of Book Blogging to Me.

Four years ago today, I started book blogging.  I came up with a name and a definition of a Book Snob and ran with it.  Since then I have learned so much and made many new friends, met lots of great authors, read many awesome books and have basically expanded my literary repertoire.

A fun fact:
The first book I reviewed on Book Snob was:
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
Translated by Stephen Snyder

I am going to reprint my first blog post (just for fun) today!

My first post was titled:  What is a Book Snob?


A book snob is a person who loves to read but is very selective in their reading choices. I am a book snob. Welcome to my reading world. I am the essential picky reader and proud of it.

What I don't read:
Romance novels
Mystery novels
NY Times best sellers
Chick Lit

What I do read:
Young Adult Books
Literature
Memoir
Non-Fiction
History
Graphic Novels
Science Fiction and Fantasy

Once in a very yellow or blue moon I might read a non-snobbish book for fun.

I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who reads my blog and comments.
Thanks for making me feel special and for giving me a creative outlet to write.
Thanks for reading my book reviews because I truly appreciate that you take your valuable time to read what I write.

I know people at other blogs celebrate in big ways.  I just want a quiet celebration at Book Snob.  But I do have some extra contests planned this month as a way to thank you to all my followers.

THANK YOU!!!








Saturday, February 1, 2014

February Author in the Spotlight

Announcing the February Author in the Spotlight

Happy February!
Happy Valentine's Day!
I'm so happy January is over and February is here.  I'm excited to announce the February Author in the Spotlight.  I first heard of this author over a year ago at a conference on the best young adult literature for teens.  Her novel Split was making waves and I knew I wanted to read her books and feature her on BookSnob.  I would like to welcome young adult author, Swati Avasthi to BookSnob.  I met Swati Avasthi by chance when she working a booth at the Twin Cities Book Festival for the college she teaches at and I was overjoyed.

Swati Avasthi has written two books.  Split and Chasing Shadows.  Chasing Shadows is nominated for the Minnesota Book Award this year.  Congratulations on your nomination.

Synopsis from Goodreads:  Split

A riveting portrait of life after abuse from an award-winning novelist.

Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.

He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.

At least so far.

Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. Award-winning novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split—how do you begin to live again? Readers won’t be able to put this intense page-turner down.

Here is the book trailer:


Chasing Shadows:

Before: Corey, Holly, and Savitri are one unit—fast, strong, inseparable. Together they turn Chicago concrete and asphalt into a freerunner’s jungle gym, ricocheting off walls, scaling buildings, leaping from rooftops to rooftop.

But acting like a superhero doesn’t make you bulletproof…

After: Holly and Savitri are coming unglued. Holly says she’s chasing Corey’s killer, chasing revenge. Savitri fears Holly’s just running wild—and leaving her behind. Friends should stand by each other in times of crisis. But can you hold on too tight? Too long?

In this intense novel, Swati Avasthi creates a gripping portrait of two girls teetering on the edge of grief and insanity. Two girls who will find out just how many ways there are to lose a friend…and how many ways to be lost.

Here is the book trailer:



This month on BookSnob you can expect a book review, an author interview, a contest and a hopefully a guest post by Swati. Check out Swati's website at http://www.swatiavasthi.com/

Have a great month!!