Guest Review: Nevermore by James Patterson

Hey Remarkable Readers!

Today I have something special for you, a guest review!  The lovely Willa of Willa's Ramblings is here today to review Nevermore by James Patterson.  She is reviewing this because she was willing to do me an amazing favor since I haven't read the rest of the series and because she's just wonderful.  When you're done reading through her review, definitely head over and check out her blog!

Without further adieu, May I introduce.... Willa!

 (Maximum Ride, #8)  Goodreads

Release Date: August 6th, 2012

Source: Little, Brown and Company

One last chance…
For Max, Fang, Angel, Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy.
Before it all ends.
Are you ready for the final chapter? Are you ready for the ultimate flight? Because THIS IS IT. One last incredible, explosive adventure with an astonishing ending that no one could have seen coming.


     Is it just me, or does it seem like these books go on and on and on and on. So when it was announced that this one was the last – like the last, the last – I realized it had to be just totally amazing.
I was right.
     This book was action-packed – with fight scenes stuck next to heart-wrenchingly emotional, to character arcs that make you blink a couple of times, to discoveries that change everything. This book has it all – and more. Max is tested, Dylan has to decide how far he willing to go for Max, Fang has to come to terms with his feelings for Max, Nudge realizes a thing or two about being normal, Gazzy and Iggy are their hilarious selves, and Angel – well Angel is her kick-butt self.
     Somehow, in 368 pages, James Patterson manages to wow the audience again – after eight books. He has the talent to build up characters, take readers for a roller coaster ride, have them land safely on the ground, and then a disaster takes place that makes you ache for the next book. And after all of that, his characters are in their precarious spot of people knowing who they are, and yet they’re supposed to battle Erasers (which scare me to death), evil scientists who raised them, and people who aren’t what they seem. Max and the flock are in for some fun.
     There was one thing I was very thankful for: James Patterson took the really weid situation that Dylan and Max were in, and made them kind of fall for each other, and then throw Fang back into the mix. Because Fang just has the talent of taking everything and making it a whole lot more dramatic. But when it came time for Max to make a decision, she made a decision that we all knew she would – but she didn’t leave behind the other guy. And I was very thankful. (Because honestly, the other guy was quite awesome.)
     Nevermore raises the standards, pushes the characters to their limits, tests the boundaries of love and shows the true extents friends and family are willing to go for each other. A addicting finale that was well worth the wait.

Guest Post: UtopYA

Hey Remarkable Readers,

Today I have Brina Courtney stopping by for a very informative and exciting guest post to tell you all about UtopYA, A Young Adult Fiction convention.  Check it out below!

UtopYA Con: Where all the cool kids go to meet their favorite female authors

It’s time to get excited and to get to Nashville for the first ever UtopYA Con, which is the convention for female, paranormal/fantasy young adult authors and readers who love them.  It will be held at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, TN on July 6-8, 2012. Would you like to come? You’re already excited I know, but wait until I tell you who’s coming (and this is just a few)… Myra McEntire (Hourglass and Timepiece), Angeline Kace (Descended by Blood), Amy Bartol (The Premonition Series), Tammy Blackwell (Timber Wolves), Tiffany King (Saving Angels), Abbi Glines (The Vincent Boys), Ella James (Stained), Jessica Sorenson (Fallen Star), and so many more! You can find the full list at the UtopYA Con website. 

Here’s what a few of them are saying about going to UtopYA Con:

Raine Thomas (Daughters of Saraquel)-  “"The world's been waiting for a conference like UtopYA. It's unique and in a class of its own. If you enjoy YA fantasy and paranormal stories, you can't miss this event!”

Chelsea Fine (Sophie and Carter)- “"Don't miss out on UtopYa Con 2012: Bringing your YA books to life!"

Brina Courtney (Cryptid Tales)- “If you’re a true YA fan, you’ll be there,  mixing it up with all of us.”

But it’s not just for fans, it’s for authors too. Learn the tricks of the trade from people who are there, doing it successfully already. There are sessions and panels for both readers and writers alike.

So how about it? You wanna go? Well obviously you do, but here’s the question… ARE YOU GOING?

Here’s where you can find out more about tickets.

Now, so maybe you’re awesome, but you can’t go, and you’re bummed obviously. Well you still want to participate right? Here’s your chance, from now until June 29^th, 2012 you can vote for your favorite books to win UtopYA Con awards, hosted by CMT’s Katie Cook. Pretty sweet right? I know, I think so too.

Anyway because we had so many blogs help us to promote this unique event we decided to do some fun giveaways provided by some of our authors at UtopYA Con and some other authors. 

Good luck and we’ll see you at UtopYA Con!

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Guest Post & Giveaway: Emma Michaels

Hey Readathoners!  I'm counting down to the end of the Readathon and the beginning of 2012 with a giveaway up each hour till midnight (EST)!  How exciting!  For this post I have author Emma Michaels stopping by!  She'll be guest posting and giving away two books!  Now without further adieu, I introduce Emma Micheals!

First I would like to say thank you for hosting me and to everyone reading!!! <3

I've been asked a lot of questions concerning the third book in my 'A Sense of Truth' series. I've been asked if David and Megan are going to get together, or if there will be a stronger paranormal flair, and most of all, if the questions that have been building up through the series are going to be answered. 

I'd like to take this opportunity to talk a little bit about David and Megan's world, plus catching others who may not be familiar with the series up to date.

In my first novel, The Thirteenth Chime, readers are introduced to David and Destiny - two former love interests. Destiny is visiting the West Coast with a college friend, when a chance encounter with a mysterious trap puts the friend and the friend's mother in the hospital. With the police not listening to her, Destiny has no choice but to turn to the one man she can always count on - David. 

But the trap wasn't set for Destiny.

David springs the trap and almost loses his life attempting to help Destiny. The more David learns, the more questions he is left with, most notably about his own past that he has apparently forgotten.

While I won't spoil the first book for new readers, I will state that the end of the first book puts David on a hunt with the only clue he has - a strange cross known as a rosario, inscribed with an ancient symbol on the back. It is that symbol that brings him to the desert in Anasazi, book 2.  

In Anasazi, we're brought into the middle of events where David has myteriously vanished while on his search for the truth. Megan, a friend from before when David and Destiny were close, receives a mysterious text message, inviting her to meet with him.

Only David is nowhere to be found, forcing Megan to search for him in a town that refuses to acknowledge his existence, and into a desert wasteland where something far more sinister is waiting for her. 

In book 3, a year has passed since the events that happened in the desert. David and Megan have remained close, but he has become strangely distant and reclusive, like something is tormenting him. Megan is forced to watch David's life spiral out of control, there is a greater darkness that begins to take hold of them and the children of Seattle, trying to destroy the fragile existince David and Megan have created.

Book 3 is going to be a headrush. Before, David had only to deal with the situations around him, now a global stage of nightmares is being set before him. His greatest test will be the dark seed growing within him, unleashed in the desert. It is a darkness that some will seek to destroy, while others, control. When the forces of three worlds collide, it will be up to Megan to accept a deal from a devil that could make her disappear from his side forever. 

And they haven't even met the real enemy yet. 

I can hardly wait to share more about book three soon! The release date is currently being set for August 2012 and I also have two new starts to series being released this year!!! Thank you again for having me and to everyone reading! You fill each of my days with joy and excitement!  


Emma is giving away two books today:
-1 copy of her book The Thirteenth Chime
-1 copy of her book Anasazi

Just fill out the Rafflecopter!

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Guest Post: Dystopian Reads by Willa

     Hey Remarkable Readers!  Today I have Willa from Willa's Ramblings stopping by!  She's going to be telling us all about dystopian books.  I love her post!  Willa is one of my BBFs (Best Blogging Friends ;)  and you shouldn't miss out on her blog!  Check it out when you have the chance!  Here she is:

     Hey readers! *waves* I’m Willa, author of Willa’s Ramblings, a book blog for YA literature. Jess has invited me to guest post for the readathon, and I was honored

! So here I am. 

I really wanted to share some information about a widely growing genre (and one of my favorites) DYSTOPIAN. The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Ashes are among my favorites. These books are often thought of as end-of-the-world types, but that isn’t always true. 

Dystopian means an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one, and is the opposite of a utopia. I believe that one of the first dystopian novels was The Giver, published in 1993 – there was definitely ones before this like Farenheit 451, War of the Worlds, and others, but this was the first one that is similar to what dystopian is now. 

Now, dystopian has become an umbrella genre that encompasses things from Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Matched by Ally Condie. When Matched came out, many people were relating it to The Giver, and saying how it resembled the Giver so strongly – even The Society (the ruling force in Matched) was named the same thing that The Giver’s ruling society was called. 

I talk about this issue frequently, and people are always agreeing with me: that the dystopian genre needs to be revaluated, because books are being placed in a genre that doesn’t fit them. As readers, and some of us bloggers, we need to tell publishers this, and advocate for developing this booming genre and industry! Somehow, dystopian has become fascinating to us, and it will only grow – and we must prepare for this. Take a few seconds and think about your favorite dystopian novels, and ask yourself – are they end-of-the-world? Have you not broken into the genre much past The Hunger Games? If so, check out a list of my favorites complied below.

1. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick – While Alex is mountain climbing, an electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the continent, and everyone from early twenties to seniors are killed. Alex takes in a young girl name Ellie when her grandfather is killed by the pulse, and they fight for their lives with the help of Tom, a young soldier. Can the threesome make it in this dangerous world?
2. Divergent by Veronica Roth – Beatrice has to make the life changing decision: which faction does she belong to? There isn’t second chances, so she has to make sure her decision is right. When she chooses Dauntless, and she faces the highly competitive initiation along with discovering things about herself she never knew – and is forced to keep secrets that could destroy her and the world as she knows it.
3. Delirium by Lauren Oliver – In Lena’s world you don’t fall in love, and it’s treated so you never do. Love (or deliria) is dangerous, according to scientists, and when every child turns eighteen, they are treated and their live is perfect with no heartbreak. But then, with only ninety-five days left until treatment, Lena does the unthinkable – she falls in love.
4. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card– this was the first Dystopian novel I read, and I loved it. In order to develop a secure defense against the alien race’s next attack, the government breeds child geniuses and train them as soldiers. Ender and his sister Valentine are canidates for the soldier-training program but don’t make the cut, and Ender heads off to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous and frightening military training. 
5. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson – When seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox wakes up from a coma, she is told she is still recovering from a terrible accident she was involved in year ago. But if that really is why she just woke up, why she can’t remember anything that happened? And what happened the night of the accident? And most disturbing of all: Are these memories even hers?

I hope everyone goes out and finds a dystopian book they didn’t know about, and remember: may the odds be ever in your favor. 

-Willa 

Guest Post: Holiday Reads

Hey Everyone,
Today I have Melanie from The Reclusive Bibliophile stopping by for a guest post!  She'll be talking about some Holiday reads that are great for the readathon!  I love her picks!


Five Wintry Books for this Holiday Season:

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn: This book was one of my favorites of 2010. When Dash and Lily exchange messages with each other via a red notebook, they end up on a wild goose chase around New York City searching for clues that will reveal each others' identities. Dash and Lily is packed with romance and comedy and holiday spirit.

Trapped by Michael Northrop: When you're stuck inside after a blizzard of epic proportions, Trapped is an excellent reminder that it can always be worse. A group of teens get stuck inside a school during the snowstorm of a lifetime. As they lose power and heat and food, they'll have to be cunning and resourceful if they want to make it out alive.

Kissing Snowflakes by Abby Sher: Kissing Snowflakes is a light romance, perfect for curling up by the fire with a steaming mug of hot chocolate over winter break. While vacationing with her family at a ski lodge in Vermont, Sam just wants to find a winter fling to keep her company.

Let it Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson: This book of three interconnected short stories by some of my favorite authors features a major snowstorm, cheerleaders, a Waffle House, and a pig. These playful, funny, and touching stories of holiday friendship and romance make for a great read and a wonderful gift.

Winter's Kiss by Jennifer Echols and Catherine Hapka: This bindup, which will be released at the tail end of the holiday season (in time to use your gift cards), includes The Ex Games and The Twelve Dates of Christmas. I haven't read either book yet, so I'm looking forward to picking this up when I'm in need of some snow day reading.

Guest Post: Leanna Renee Hieber & Giveaway

Hey Remarkable Readers!  As part of the Readathon, I have a treat for you today!  Leanna Renee Hieber, author of Darker Still, will be guest posting today!  I also have a signed copy of her book to give away!  Now without further ado, Leanna Renee Hieber!

     My Strangely Beautiful and my Magic Most Foul series beginning with DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul aren't terribly different in mood or intent. I'm a PG-13 kind of gal in everything I write. The differences are what shelf they’ll sit upon in the bookstore and the rest is semantics: Strangely Beautiful is in London whereas Magic Most Foul is in New York City. 1888 vs. 1880. A large cast of characters vs. a smaller one. 3^rd person sweeping narrative vs. epistolary (diary entry) 1st person narrative. But the Gothic mood, language and Victorian Paranormal sensibility? Check. 

     The obvious difference between my series is age and life experience of the characters and their peer group. A YA world doesn’t have to be populated only with teens, but the reason my Strangely Beautiful series ended up as adult rather than YA is that Miss Percy was the only real teenage character in a world starring mostly adults and their situations, so it skewed adult, while it’s still rated PG-13. In order to keep a book YA, there does have to be a teen peer group for it to sell to a YA market. Even though Natalie isn't surrounded by teens, she has an adult mentor in Mrs. Northe and a frenemy her own age in Maggie, the important fact is that her love interest, Lord Denbury, is eighteen, to her seventeen years of age. Her story is also more focused; focused on her, focused on Denbury, whereas my Strangely Beautiful series focuses on a wide cast of characters throughout the four books. There's something far more intimate about DARKER STILL and the Magic Most Foul saga. The fact that it's told through Natalie's diary entries definitely has a lot to do with that sense of immediate intimacy. And I think that ability to relate is really key in YA.

     The coming of age story is a beautiful one. It’s one of the most important aspects of why YA fiction is read by young adults and adults alike; the utterly relatable journey that is ‘coming of age’. There is a breadth of change and conflict in ‘coming of age’. Change and conflict is the driving force of all good storytelling, we must as storytellers tap into this beautifully precarious point of raw power for all our characters. We can't shy away from it. We learn the most about the characters by how they each approach their own critical journey. And we, the readers, always learn something of ourselves too.

Blessings on your journeys! - Leanna

More about Leanna Renee Hieber (with links to some free fiction) at http://leannareneehieber.com and she Tweets at http://twitter.com/leannarenee and on FB http://facebook.com/lrhieber  

Special thanks to Sourcebooks & Macmillan Audio for the Prizes.

Thanks to Stasia Kehoe, Nova Ren Suma, Hobbes Publishing, and Caroline Starr for donating the swag! 

Darker Still is inscribed:

"Find Your Voice, Leanna"

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Guest Post!

On Sunday, July 3 , We will have a guest post on http://bookwormblogs.tumblr.com/# ! Head over and check it out!