Last Minute Gifts and Books to Buy with Your Holiday Money

We hope everyone has a fun, safe and happy holidays!

We all have times when we're behind on our holiday shopping and I'm sure this year isn't any different. It is Christmas Eve. Santa is finishing up in the workshop and everyone else is running to the malls and stores for last minute shopping. I thought I would help you out in what to buy book wise. There are so many great books to be gifted, or even something for yourself if you receive gift cards or money from family and friends to spend on something you'll love. Here are a few of my most recent reads that I can't say enough about.


Matched by Ally Condie (from bn.com)-

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (from BN.com)-

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement—left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Edward Scissorhands meets The Catcher in the Rye in this wildly imaginative and frighteningly beautiful horror novel about an unusual boy and his search for a place to belong.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (from BN.com)-

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (from BN.com)-

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.

The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

Books Getting Buzz at BEA

I'm green with envy over all of the talk about BEA 2010. I thought it would be fun to list the books that I've been hearing a lot of buzz for on Twitter and other blogs. It always seems like this time of year, due to BEA, I always hear about the books that everyone is excited to nab an ARC or can't wait to read.

Here are a few that I'm excited about! Do you have any upcoming books on your wish list? Let us hear about them in the comments section!


The Replacements by Brenna Yovanoff- release date September 21, 2010:
(from http://www.brennayovanoff.com/) Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement—left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with an oddly intriguing girl named Tate. But when Tate’s baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Matched by Ally Condie- release date November 30, 2010:
(from goodreads.com) In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die. Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion. Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.



Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl- release date October 12, 2010:
(from Amazon.com) Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen. Sometimes life-ending. Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.



Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund- release date September 28, 2010
(from goodreads.com) Now a fully trained unicorn hunter, Astrid Llewelyn is learning that she can’t solve all her problems with a bow and arrow. Her boyfriend has left Rome, the Cloisters is in dire financial straits, her best friend’s powers are mysteriously disintegrating, and her hope of becoming a scientist seems to be nothing but an impossible dream. So when she’s given the opportunity to leave the Cloisters and use her skills as part of a scientific quest to discover the Remedy, Astrid leaps at the chance. Finally, she can have exactly what she wants—or can she? At Gordian headquarters deep in France, Astrid begins to question everything she had believed: her love for Giovanni, her loyalty to the Cloisters, and—most of all—her duty as a hunter. Should Astrid be saving the world from killer unicorns or saving unicorns from the world?



The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger- release date September 7, 2010
(From amazon.com) Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face. But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley. Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Why I Read and Love YA

Since owning my Barnes and Noble nook, I've gotten a lot of questions about it. One of the many questions coming from my co-workers is "what type of books do you read?" My usually answer is "just about anything," because I will read any story that can hold my attention. I don't care what category it's shelved in at the store or online. I just need a compelling story of some sort.

A lot of times my answer is enough and they just walk away after asking a few more ebook/nook related questions. Then there are the people that don't take the "anything" answer to heart. They want to know what I've read recently and why I read so much. People who don't read on a regular basis never seem to understand where I can find the time for two books a week. I find the time, reading at any free moment I have a book beside me. It's what I like to do, so I find the time.

My normal response is I read a lot of Young Adult books or books for teens. They look at me like I'm from another planet. Mind you, out of 48 employees, only 4 (including myself) are girls and all 48 (okay, minus a few who just make video games because it's what they can do talent-wise) are video game nerds. Reading is foreign to them and Young Adult books don't even exist. Most have heard of Twilight and of course Harry Potter (and a few have read HP of course), but their knowledge doesn't go beyond those two series.

I've tried to put my love of YA books into words for them, but it's very hard. How do you explain awesomeness to someone who doesn't speak the language of awesome? I wish I could force each and everyone of them to read a few of my favorite Young Adult authors and books without judging the stories before they open to page one.

Beyond the amazing community of YA authors, their books are even more awesome than they are (if that's even possible). I think that adult fiction (and don't get my wrong, I still read my fair share of adult fiction) has boundaries that authors are afraid to break. In YA fiction, there are no such broundaries. Take Ellen Hopkins books as an example. Not only is her subject matters serious (sex, drugs, prostitution, cutting, etc) but written in beautiful poetry. How many books of this nature would get onto the New York Times bestsellers list in the adult category? Not many, unless Oprah was pushing it, in my opinion.

I feel like young adult characters are richer, deeper than most adult characters. I don't know if it's because teens wear their emotions on their sleeves and as adults we're taught to be stoic or if YA authors just put more time and heart into building a character that teens can feel for and relate to. I've also come to realize, due to most YA books being shorter (or generally YA books average less words), the authors don't have a chance to be wordy and long winded. They have to get to the point, choosing each word carefully. There aren't too many teen books that I've read where I've thought it could have been chopped in half and still have told the same story. Unfortunately, I find that in a lot of adult books I've read recently. Take out 10,000-20,000 words or more and the book(s) would be more cohesive.

Anyway, enough of my rambling about why I love YA books. I want to know why YOU love teen books?

My Name is Tami and I'm Addicted to Buying Books

Just like a lot of you I'm sure, I have a huge list of TBR books at home. Buying books is my addiction. I feel like I have to run out and buy the ones I'm most excited about the first day they come out, even if it will sit on my shelf and wait to be read. I feel like I should be in some AA-type group for my problem, but there are definitely worse addictions in this world!

Anyway, I have a few books that I can't wait to dive into. If only I could find a job where I would get paid to read all day! Wouldn't that be awesome!? I thought I would share a few that are staring at me every day when I walk into my office at home saying, "READ ME!"



Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

If you haven't read the first book in this amazing series, please stop reading this post and go to your local indie store and purchase The Hunger Games. You will not regret it. I think it was one of my top three books I read last year and I'm sure Catching Fire won't disappoint. Released yesterday (Sept 1), Catching Fire is probably one of the most anticipated books in the YA world to come out in 2009. Being the way I am, I went out at lunch time and bought it right away. The difference between this book and many others, it will never see my TBR list. I started it last night. :)

A little off topic, but I thought I would share a funny story. When I went into the store to purchase this book, I practically skipped to the counter to be rung up. The employee looked at the cover and said "That's a nice cover...Catching Fire." So of course, I couldn't help myself and went into how much I loved the first one, etc. She goes, "Yeah, the cover reminds me of you." I didn't know what she meant, and I'm sure my face showed my confusion. Then she did this weird thing with her hands and said, "You know, like, it reminds me of you." Again with the confused look from me. Then finally it was time to leave, with book in hand I said my parting words, "Umm, thanks I think." WHAT DID SHE MEAN? So bizarre.


Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

When I bought this book last Tuesday, I was amazed at the cover. From the picture online, it looks a lot like the other Ellen Hopkins books but to me didn't have the appeal, but boy was I wrong. It's stunning in person.

About two months ago, I decided to give Ellen Hopkins' books a chance. I had shied away from them since I started reading YA because of the way her books are told, in literary prose. I thought I would have trouble sinking into the story, but again I was wrong. From the moment I opened the first book I read of hers, Crank, I was mesmerized and read it in one sitting. I couldn't get enough and bought Glass the very next day. Since then I've read Burned and can't wait to get Impulse, Identical and of course, now Tricks. Each story is captivating and my only complaint is that the stories have to end. I love all her characters and the fact that there isn't a topic she won't dive into. I may have to wait and read Tricks, only because I will be sad to see it not sitting on my TBR pile.


Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Just like the other two books I can't wait to read, I bought Rampant the first day it came out. I've been waiting for this book since I heard the premise. What's not to like about killer unicorns and a unicorn hunter? It takes a new spin on how we think of unicorns and it's nice to have a new mystical creature on the scene (not that I don't like fairies, zombies, vampires, etc.)

I have read all of Diana Peterfreund's books and if Rampant is as good as those, I can't wait. It will be a big fight between Tricks and this book for which to read after I finish Catching Fire.



What are a few books on your TBR list that you can't wait to jump into?

How to Keep Busy with a Bum Thumb

If you follow us on Twitter, you may have seen my Twit about my thumb injury. This little obstacle (better known as the horribly annoying splint on my right hand/forearm), has not only allowed me to take a few days off from writing, but, has let me do a little catching up on my To Be Read list. I thought I would share a few of the books I've demolished in the past few days. They have sparked creative juice, making me want to pour myself into Lost and Found and find the potential buried within the 1st draft.



Perfect You, by Elizabeth Scott.

From the publisher:

Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast. Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate's invisible.

And then there's Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can't stand even though she can't stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she's sure she's just his latest conquest.

Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much is if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen—but only if she lets them....

Although Perfect You was a quick and easy read, I found I really enjoyed it. Everyone can sympathize with Kate, whether it be family struggles, a best friend leaving you behind or, of course, the unattainable boy. Making you cringe at times when her ex-best friend treats her like crap, or the awkward moments with Will, but for all difficult scenes there are times it makes you want to stand up and cheer Kate on. Before reading Perfect You, I read another book by Elizabeth Scott, Bloom. Despite finding myself wrapped in the characters from Bloom more than Perfect You, I would recommend it. If you are a fan of Sarah Dessen, you will probably enjoy Elizabeth Scott's writing.




The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary E. Pearson

From the publisher:

Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?

I'd been dying to read this book since I first saw it in a bookstore when it was released last April. The cover caught my eye and the jacket copy pulled me in. Finally, almost a year later, I was able to add it to my list of books I owned.

I have to admit, the story wasn't what I expected. Before cracking it open, I thought I was going to be pulled into a modern girl's struggles of being in a coma for a year. How would she fit in? How would she remember who and what mattered to her? It offered all that (minus the modern part) and more. Jenna Fox is a nicely woven futuristic sci-fi mystery. It was easy to see where the plot was going for a lot of story, but I was still whisked into the world from start to finish. I read the book cover to cover in one sitting while sipping coffee and cuddling with my cat on the couch as the rain raced down my windows. If you are a fan of sci fi, or just want to read a really intriguing YA book, make sure to get your hands on this one. Not only did it make me want to recommend to everyone (teens and adults alike), the writing made me want to be a better writer.

Now, if only I could find a way to be productive writing while nursing a bum thumb. At least it gives me an excuse to keep on reading! Next up, Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S.King! Look for a quick review of this and more coming soon!

What are you currently reading?

Tips to Staying Sane and Entertained- What to Do When You Get Laid Off

Considering people are losing their jobs left and right, I thought I would share a few tips I used when I got laid off last February that kept me sane. I was jobless for six months and with the help of unemployment and a few small things I did to spread the money around, I was able to keep myself entertained.

1. When you run errands, do them all in one day. No need to go out every day and waste gas restarting your car. Plan your day so you don't back track.

2. Put aside a few dollars toward your favorite coffee shop/place to write and get a gift card. That way, you can keep track of how much you're spending. I did this with Panera. I would put $10-15 on a gift card and could only spend that amount in a week there. I would sit and write for hours (my favorite place to write) with a cookie and iced tea. It was heaven. Once I ran out for the week, I had to wait until the next week.

3. Instead of buying books, use your local library. If they don't have the book you're looking for, sign up for PaperbackSwap (US residents only I believe). For only the price of shipping (media mail rate so around $2) you can get any book that is available (including hardbacks). I've belonged to the site for 3 years now and LOVE it. I've said almost $500 (based on used book prices) since joining. They also now have Swap a CD and Swap a DVD, too!

4. Look for places around your house that are free/cheap to go that you haven't been in awhile. My husband and I went to areas of the city we never thought to check out. Outdoor activities are always free. Usually, local museums have days that are free/cheaper. Check your local city's offical page. You'd be surprised.

5. One word: Netflix. They have a free trial on their site. After that, plans are starting at only $4.99. As you know, from my post from last week, going to the movies is expensive! Instead, you can have the movies delivered to you at a fraction of the price. When I was laid off, I would watch a movie almost every day (we have the 3 movies at a time plan). It was a great way to stay entertained and catch up on all the movies I never saw.

6. When shopping for groceries, be smart. Look for things on sale, buy meat/veggies in bargain sizes and use coupons. You'd be very suprised how much you can save with a few coupons and price checking.

7. If you go out to eat, try Happy Hour (if you're old enough for Happy Hour). You'd be surprised how cheap and how many items are available during happy hour at a fraction of the price.

8. Most important, this gives you time to write, write and write. You can never spend too much time writing. I wrote half of my current book while I was off work. If you don't use the time wisely, you'll regret it once you're back to work.

9. A lot like #9, this also gives you a ton of time to read! I was a reading machine while I was off of work. Now that I'm back at work, I miss having so much time to read.

So, if you're going through hard times, how are you keeping busy? What are your tips to saving money, but still having fun?