I was on the Simon and Schuster Australia website today and there were many titles that got me excited. Mind you these are all Australian release dates!

Chasing Brooklyn (Lisa Schroeder)
Released: January 2010
Summary -

Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Nothing Like You (Lauren Strasnick)
Released: December 2009
Summary -

When Holly loses her virginity to Paul, a guy she barely knows, she assumes their encounter is a one-night stand. After all, Paul is too popular to even be speaking to Holly...and he happens to have a long-term girlfriend, Saskia. But ever since Holly’s mom died six months ago, Holly has been numb to the world, and she’s getting desperate to feel something, anything--so when Paul keeps pursuing her, Holly relents. Paul’s kisses are a welcome diversion...and it’s nice to feel like the kind of girl that a guy like Paul would choose.

But things aren’t so simple with Saskia around. Paul’s real girlfriend is willowy and perfect... and nothing like Holly. To make matters worse, she and Holly are becoming friends. Suddenly the consequences of Holly’s choices are all too real, and Holly stands to lose more than she ever realized she had.

Ex-mas (Kate Brian)
Released: December 2009
Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa.

Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau -- a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend.

It'll take more than a Christmas miracle for Lila and Beau to overcome their differences and find their fugitive brothers. But could a journey destined for disaster help these polar opposites fall in love...all over again?

To be completely honest I didn't think it was possible. Not NaNo in it's entire context but me reaching the 26,000 word mark. I am someone who talks a lot about what I would like to do and then chickens out. NaNo was an event where I suspected this would happen. I am wrong...so far.

It's peculiar to think about how breaking a story into the smallest of segments makes it a possible exercise.

What I have learnt so far...

• I have a tendency to get lost every 5 days (or 8,000 words) and drive myself crazy with a possible solution.
• As above implies, I am totally regretting not plotting my story. Or even thinking about it all that much before hand - AdeleFail.
• Dialogue has somehow become my favourite and easiest element...after years of it being my most loathed part.
• I am itching to edit.
• Don't include a sport (say bowling) into your story when you know NOTHING about it. You spend more time online trying to figure out what is supposed to be happening.
• Grade eight students are a fantastic resource in bowling knowledge.
• I don't have the time to re-read my previous pages and as such I think there will be giant flow and tone issues. I am psyching myself out about this already.
• Naming characters is super hard. My best friend character has changed names 5 times and with each version becoming increasingly traditional in choices. I am not kidding, first time around his name was Gangle - seriously, what was I thinking?
• Having a bitter shrewish character is a great release when you're in a foul mood.
• My love (read as sarcasm) of footy boys during my teen years has totally informed this novel.
• I freaked out last Sunday as I skipped two days as I couldn't think of what to write. I couldn't see myself catching up but I tried. I ended up pushing through the half way mark by writing 5k in one day. Go figure!

As I have tweeted, I don't see this novel seeing the light of day. I don't plan on sharing it with anyone as I consider it my dry run, my learning curve. It's not particularly cohesive but I have enjoyed reading it. I have also realised what kind of YA authors I want to be - contemporary and snarky in the vein of Jenn Echols and Elizabeth Scott. Not that I think I will ever be able to be that. It's the style of novel I like reading the most and echoes my own voice in normal life so it makes sense.

For me this has been a great realisation of my capabilities.

• I am not as bad as I thought I was, though an outside eye might disagree.
• I am capable of setting an established pace in my writing habits.
• Planning isn't my thing.
• I like writing dialogue.
• My family issues haven't popped up once in my character's family...peculiar.
• I draw from interesting places - already there's a Picnic in Hanging Rock, Grease and BBC reference. Weird.
• It's fun.
• Competition is good for the soul.

Now how about you?

I am an Echols-addict and the thought of waiting until August 3, 2010 makes me break out in hives. Can't wait to revisit The Boys Next Door
s Lori, Adam and Sean...

Lori should have known better than to date a pirate.

After finally getting together and going out on their first real date, only Lori and Adam could manage to fall asleep—and wake up seven hours past Lori’s curfew. Their parents forbid them to see each other. So Lori takes it upon herself to date boys scarier than Adam until her dad gives in.

But Adam won’t play along. He’s afraid Lori might fall for these scary boys. And when she goes out with the scariest boy of all—Adam’s own brother and her ex-crush—even the threat of being sent away to military school can’t keep Adam from swashbuckling his way back into Lori’s heart.

Can this forbidden love stay afloat, or will it sink in the watery deep?

Thanks to Kate from Reading This Book for giving me a heads-up tweet!

Summary - Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans.

Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story.

Review - Kristin Cashore's Graceling was a fantastically realised debut and yet Fire could beat it up and steal it's lunch money. Fire is so much more complex with it's well crafted characters, concepts and political machinations. It's much more nuanced than I would typically expect of YA fantasy fare (I am not a snob, I've just been reading the wrong books) and I revelled in it.

Fire could quite easily become an unsympathetic character as she's irresistibly attractive, princes and lords falling over themselves in love with her and the power of persuasion. Instead Cashore has created a character who's consistently struggling with the direction of her moral compass in terms of her ability to manipulate others whether with good intentions or not.

Raised by a father who cared nothing for the well being of others and used his powers for evil, Fire grew up having to mold her own conscience and did a fairly good job of it. Cashore states on her blog that she doesn't tend to plan all that much, rather she lets the story happen for her. It's not all that apparent in her writing though as the pacing is perfection and there are no real peaks and troughs. Little meetings, quick discoveries and murderous interchanges are all on equal footing as they contribute to the overall storyline with equal importance. Despite the stock standard peculiar names of the fantasy genre, invented geography and fierce opponents you cannot help but be drawn into the story.

What makes this book and it's title character so compelling is the psychological aspects. Whether it's our feminist protagonist working through her need for independence, the constraints on her as a female in this world, the racism she faces as a 'monster', the violence of the world and the difference between loving and adoring someone. The introspection of this character is beyond thrilling. Amazingly complex, it allows the reader to empathise with Fire's position and decision making despite her extraordinary gifts. She's tortured by her past and the compromises she's had to make in order for the greater good, including her yearning for children.

Reading this book was like dying and going to fantasy heaven - a complex, strong (in mind and body) female with valid opinions and powerful contributions. There's romance, examination of the abuse of power, love turning to obsession, yearning, grief, friendship, familial ties and violence all wrapped up in a beautiful story about a monster lady named Fire in a very vivid world. Quite easily makes my top three YA picks for the year!

Published: September 2009
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Publisher: Gollancz
Source of Review Copy: publisher
Origin: USA
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www.kristincashore.com

Anonymity Jones - James Roy

Anonymity's life is falling apart. Her father has left to have a mid-life crisis, her mother's new boyfriend is a definite worry, her Europe-bound sister has changed her name (just to make a point) and all her girlfriends and now girlfriends, with boyfriends.

And then there's the art teacher.

Anonymity's losing control, and now it's decision time. Does she hang on, get out or get even?

First thing, I adore James Roy. One of his previous titles, Town, made a huge impact on me and he's delightfully wicked. I love a sharp sense of humour and James definitely has that.

Second, the cover art alone for this book is breathtakingly unique, eye catching and all around attractive. If I could marry it and have it's primary coloured babies, I would.

Third, it sounds like a great read. Anonymity is a great word (nipping at the heels of persnickety)...and I am in dire need of some contemporary YA awesomeness. I am already chanting "get even" too, I really must ween myself off Veronica Mars dvd box sets this week :)

Itching to get my hands on it.

Summary - In order to pass English class and graduate, 18-year-old Steve York has to write a 100- page essay about his life. What sounds like a run-of-the-mill writing assignment, however, becomes an excuse for Steve to reflect on the last four years (from Texas freshman to California senior), and figure out where it all went wrong. Maybe it was when he discovered that he really couldn't relate to his father, the Famous Astronaut. Or it could be because his "heart had been run through frappé, puree, and liquefy on a love blender" by his ex-girlfriend, Wanda "Dub" Varner. No matter where the finger of blame ends up pointing, it's a wild ride of self-enlightenment as Steve discovers that not all relationships are permanent, and that some--like the one with his dad--can be mended with a little work.

Review - When Veronica Mars first burst onto my radar I had no idea that the creator existed previously as a YA author. Rob Thomas published a few novels before realising that he could make more money in television, going on to write for early seasons of Dawson’s Creek, the Melissa Joan Hart/Adrian Grenier movie Drive Me Crazy, Cupid and eventually Veronica Mars. The man had wit and spunk a-plenty and we all fell in love with the acidic pixie detective with mad investigating skills.

But enough of Veronica, let’s talk about Rat Saw God. Split into two time frames, Steve’s sophomore and senior years of high school, we see his descent from offbeat, responsible student into a permanently stoned, frequently absent, apathetic nobody. We’ve all read stories about girls falling in love and then having their heart snapped cleanly in two, yet in this scenario we see a guy travail the same high wire. Thomas has deftly created a world that’s delightfully quirky, grounded and at times dark.

Challenged to write about anything at all by his guidance counsellor, Steve chooses to detail his fall from grace in order to graduate at the end of the year. We learn of his non-existent relationship with his father, the formation of the GOD group, love with Dub and finally to the moment where he snaps and makes a huge life change. It’s reflective and introspective. Observant and dry. Compelling, intriguing and deep in its exploration of people and their motivations, Thomas has created a very real world of hurt and second chances.

It’s a pity that Thomas gave YA away as he clearly was a talented writer. His social commentary in particular is striking as it’s obviously something that infuses all of his work whatever the medium. Whether it’s the frivolity, bitterness or the naiveté of youth, he writes with an objective eye and a realisation that endings don’t always need to be tied up with a bow. Sometimes, the journey is the most exciting part.

Published:1996
Format: Hardback, 202 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source of Review Copy: borrowed
Origin: USA
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http://slaverats.net

It's been a horrendous week of back pain but I've managed to hit the 10k mark of my NaNoWriMo piece. Here are the delightful lovelies that I received to review this week.

Wendy Harmer's I Lost My Mobile at the Mall

I lost my mobile at the mall and am now facing certain death. My mother will accuse me of being lazy, ungrateful and plain old stupid. The first death I suffer will be from an utter lack of natural justice. My father will sentence me to die by disappointment. His shoulders will sag and there will be a long escape of air from his chest, as if I've crept up behind him and pulled out his plug. As if I deliberately lost my mobile phone to prove to him that there is no God. My best friend will kill me, all because there's a photo in my mobile of her standing next to Hugh Jackman. I am not an overly dramatic person, but a year's worth of numbers, texts and photos were in my phone, and if I don't get them back my life is not worth living.

Not sure. I like Wendy Harmer well enough as a comedian but I don't go out of my way to come across her. I don't like the title, sounds a little throwaway but I'll give it a shot.

Abby McDonald's Life Swap

Take an administrative snafu, a bad break-up, and what shall heretofore be known as 'The Hot-Tub Incident', and you’ve got two thoroughly unprepared sophomores on a semester abroad. For American party girl Tasha, an escape to tweedy Oxford may be a chance to ditch her recent fame as a tabloid temptress, but wading Uggs-deep in feminist theory is not her idea of a break. Meanwhile, the British half of the exchange, studious control-freak Emily, nurses an aching heart amid the bikinis and beer pong of U. C. Santa Barbara. Soon desperation has the girls texting each other tips on fitting in, finding love and figuring out who they really are.

Sounds fun.

Ann Turnball's Alice in Love and War

1644 - Alice Newcombe, trapped and unhappy on her uncle's farm, finds her life transformed when royalist soldiers are billeted there during the Civil War. Suddenly her days are filled with excitement - and love for one young soldier, Robin. When the regiment moves on, Alice persuades Robin to take her with him, and she joins the other army women on the baggage train. The road ahead is long and hard - will there be happiness at its end?

I am a war groupie, anything war related on television or in literature and I am there. Will be nice to read about the Civil War, a conflict I am not as knowledgeable in due to me Antipodean roots. Yet Robin is a name that will forever remind me of Winnie the Pooh or HIMYM :)

Cynthia Leitich Smith's Eternal

At last, Miranda is the life of the party: all she had to do was die. Elevated and adopted by none other than the reigning King of the Mantle of Dracul, Miranda goes from high-school theater wannabe to glamorous royal fiend overnight. Meanwhile, her reckless and adoring guardian angel, Zachary, demoted to human guise as the princess's personal assistant, has his work cut out for him trying to save his girl's soul and plan the Master's fast-approaching Death Day gala. In alternating points of view, Miranda and Zachary navigate a cut-throat eternal aristocracy as they play out a dangerous and darkly hilarious love story for the ages.

I haven't read the first title in the series but the blurb interested me. As always I am a little concerned I might not follow the events but I am willing to give it a shot.

John Dunning Harris' Salem Brownstone: All Along the Watchtowers

As he twists the key and slowly creeps into the grand gothic mansion left to him in his father’s will, Salem’s life takes a decidedly unusual turn. Aside from the money and house, his father’s secret legacy includes an unfinished battle with creatures from a world beyond ours. Immediately thrown into the sinister conflict, Salem must make contact with his guardian familiar and get help from the colourful performers of Dr Kinoshita’s Circus of Unearthly Delights, if he is to ward off the evil spirits and avoid the tragic fate of his father.

This book is so lovely to the touch, nice purple velvety goodness. I haven't heard of it prior to receiving it but it's a great change up to the normal offerings.

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