Monthly Archives:: March 2013

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Fresh Batch (March 17th – 23rd)

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Exclusively titled for Xpresso Reads, Fresh Batch features the hottest releases of this upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

17 & Gone
Nova Ren Suma
Publication date: March 21st 2013
by Dutton Juvenile

Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And… is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

With complexity and richness, Nova Ren Suma serves up a beautiful, visual, fresh interpretation of what it means to be lost.

Click here for an excerpt!

Nova grew up in small towns across the Hudson Valley and can currently be found in New York City and online at her blog distraction no. 99.

Nova Ren Suma has an MFA in fiction from Columbia University and a BA in writing & photography from Antioch College, and has been awarded fiction fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Corporation of Yaddo, and, twice, from the MacDowell Colony. She has published short stories for adults in literary journals including Gulf Coast, LIT, Small Spiral Notebook, and more, and is the author of the tween novel Dani Noir (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, 2009).

Imaginary Girls (Dutton, 2011) marks her YA debut. She is at work on a new YA novel, slated for future release from Dutton.

 Other releases this week (Click on title links for Goodreads):
*In no particular order*  *Purchase links are for The Book Depository*

A pretty small week this week!
Anything catching your eye?

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Review: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

Posted by on 03/15/2013 • 31 Comments

A deep and emotional journey into the lives of two very special girls, If You Find Me is a wonderfully inspiring story that brings us past the unimaginable horror it inhibits and makes it about hope instead, about second chances.

We meet Carey and Jenessa who are living–or surviving–in their mama’s old camper in the woods. This immediately captured both my heart and rapt interest, seeing two very young girls having to fend for themselves in such cruel ways. I could see from the start how much Carey had matured way beyond her years, caring for her sister more than any mother for her child. This brought me so very close to her. She quickly wedged herself right into my sympathizing heart. Easily, I could feel the deep bond these…

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The Look Blog Tour: Guest Post, Sneak Peek + Giveaway

Posted by on 03/14/2013 • 15 Comments

Sophia Bennett, author of The Look, is over at Xpresso Reads today for her US blog tour–her book having released in the US this month. We’ve got a guest post and sneak peek to her book for you today, as well as a giveaway! First though, let’s see what The Look is all about:

The LookSophia Bennett Genre: YA ContemporaryPublication date: March 1st 2013by Scholastic

Can she be a supermodel and a super-sister? She finds her answer in just one look.

Two sisters, both beautiful in different ways: Fifteen-year-old Ted has got “The Look.” That’s what the scout for the modeling agency tells her, and she can’t believe her luck. But just as Ted’s jet-setting off on her new career, Ava is diagnosed with cancer. Can…

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Book Girls Don’t Cry: Book-to-Movie Adaptations

Posted by on 03/14/2013 • 43 Comments

Inspired by Book Buzzers, Book Girls Don’t Cry is a weekly feature where we each discuss/vent/advise on the chosen weekly bookish topic. Don’t miss Jenni on Mondays, and Amy on Saturdays:   This week’s topic was suggested by Kezia of Pansycake Reader

Movie Adaptations are Taking Over!

Let’s take a moment and reflect on upcoming book to movie adaptations (linked to IMDB):      Beautiful Creatures Daughter of Smoke and Bone The Book Thief Ender’s Game Blood Red RoadBefore I Fall Delirium Divergent Forest of Hands and Teeth 13 Reasons Why Shiver Paranormalcy Heist Society The Maze Runner Pure The Luxe The Host Fallen A Great and Terrible Beauty  Matched Legend Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Mortal Instruments The Night Circus The Scorpio Races Shadow and Bone The Raven Boys…

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Review: On Every Street by Karina Halle

Posted by on 03/13/2013 • 18 Comments

Having already met Ellie in Sins & Needles, I was excited to get the before: What happened to make her run away, and how she fell in love with Javier to begin with. I must say, I feel very torn after this. In Sins & Needles, Ellie meets Camden with whom she develops a very chemistry filled, eccentric relationship that takes the reader by storm. Then she makes Javier out to be someone she fears, someone she must stay away from at all costs. He’s the villain no one wants to see swoop in. In On Every Street, however, we see what made her fall in love with Javier. Knowing their unfortunate downfall doesn’t make their romance, nor Javier himself, any less enticing, either. I didn’t think I would like…

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Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Posted by on 03/12/2013 • 38 Comments

Before I FallLauren Oliver Genre: YA ContemporaryPublication date: October 25th 2011by HarperCollins

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death–and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing

-This novel was listened to via audiobook-  Having heard numerous incredible reviews on this novel, I…

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Review: 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma

Posted by on 03/11/2013 • 29 Comments

17 & GoneNova Ren Suma Publication date: March 21st 2013by Dutton Juvenile

Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And… is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

With complexity and richness, Nova Ren Suma serves up a beautiful, visual, fresh interpretation of what it means to be lost.

-A copy was provided by Penguin Canada for review-  Girls go missing…

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Xpresso Weekly: Stacking the Shelves (46)

Posted by on 03/10/2013 • 39 Comments

Xpresso Weekly is my edition of Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga’s Reviews featuring the books I got this week, and I also mention blog news/happenings of the past week. This week at Xpresso Reads

Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead tonight! Kind of sucky to lose an hour of sleep though, but yay for longer days and the first sign of spring! 😀 Did you all have a good week? Don’t forget to enter the If You Find Me giveaway that ends in a few days! I also posted a bunch of new covers on my Facebook page! Don’t miss the lovelies! Lastly, I wanted to mention again the book blogger meetup  in Boston in August! You from around there and interested in coming? If so, join our…

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