2011 Debut Author's Challenge

I finally found a challenge that I'm really excited about. I am going to attempt the 2011 Debut Author's Challenge and try to read 12 books by new authors. Some of the Books I am looking foward to next years are:

 1. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

2. Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

3. Exposed by Kimberly Marcus

4. I am J by Cris Beam

5. Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach

6.Jane Jones: Worst. Vampire. Ever by Caissie St. Onge

7. Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard

8. Never Sit Down in a Hoop Skirt and Other Things I Learned in Southern Belle Hell by Crickett Rumley

9.Sister Mischief by Laura Goode

10. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

11.Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald
12. The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson (January 2011)
13. But I Love Him by Amanda Grace (May 2011)


I am hoping more titles will jump out at me and I'm really excited about giving these new author's a chance to prove themselves. This should be fun!
You can read more about this challenge here and I hope you think about joining it too.

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

The Mockingbirds are a not-so secret society at Themis Academy. When the administration won’t step in because Nothing bad could ever happen at Themis, the Mockingbirds will. They are a group that believes wrong doing should be punished. Alex’s sister Casey started the Mockingbirds after a Themis student committed suicide her senior year. Casey wanted to prevent something like that from ever happening again. The Mockingbirds, named after Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, hears cases brought before them and decides whether or not to try people in a mock court with lasting punishments.

Now a junior at Themis, Alex knows about the Mockingbirds, every student at Themis does, but she doesn’t know how they work or really what they can do. She like others knows the Mockingbirds have had a hand at campus judgment, but that’s all. She never expects to need the Mockingbirds services, even though her sister warned and encouraged her to seek out the Mockingbirds if anything were to happen, before she started Themis.

That all changes one day when Alex wakes up naked to a boy she doesn’t know, with no memories of what happened the night before. As she starts to get dressed to leave before he can wake up, she remembers his name—Carter, but nothing else. She remembers going to a concert with her Friday night privileges, but not how she got to Carter’s room. As she leans over, she glances into the trashcan and sees the evidence of what occurred the night before—2 condom wrappers split down the middle. Alex realizes she had sex the night before, but doesn’t remember saying yes.

Leaving Carter’s room she walks the long way back to her dorm, hoping to not be detected, hoping she can get back to her room before anyone notices her “walk of shame”. Once in her room, she is confronted by her roommate, T.S. who realizes there is more to what Alex remembers. T.S. calls Casey and from there they encourage Alex to seek out the Mockingbirds. It’s Casey who puts a name to what happened to Alex the night before with a simple sentence. . . “All that matters is that you said yes. Did you say yes?” When Alex can’t answer her sister, Casey simply says, “It sounds like you were raped.”

Piecing information together, Alex enlists the help of the Mockingbirds to help her bring Carter to some sort of justice. Even though she refuses to go to the police, she wants to reclaim her life and the Mockingbirds will help her. The question is, will Alex be able to let them help her and will she be able to accept the results of what happens next??
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This novel is the book that is bringing me out of my hiatus as a blogger. It has been a very long time since I have found a book so gripping that I couldn’t put it down. Not since Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. For Daisy Whitney’s first book, she did an AMAZING job.

I found myself curled up in my chair itching to know what was going to happen next for Alex, would Carter be brought to justice, would she ever be able to piece together all the information to find out what happened to her and WHY ON EARTH were the adults so clueless as to what was going on at Themis Academy. I really like how the Mockingbirds work in the school. I love the whole sort-of secret society aspect and I was pleased to find at least one adult finally coming forward to help the students of the school.

I must say I am eagerly awaiting another novel by Daisy Whitney.

Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

In honor of Twilight Saga: Eclipse's release in  less than 15 hours (not that I'm counting or anything) I am going tell you my opinions on each of the books. :O)

In Twilight, we meet Bella Swan as she is making the move from Phoenix, Arizona to dank, rainy Forks, Washington. From this first act, we learn that Bella tends to put others before herself-- she moved for her mother. She moves in with her semi-emotionally distant father, but it works because she's not the best at expressing her emotions either. She is instantly the most exciting thing to hit Forks High simply because she's new (evidently, they don't get new kids often).
Bella notices the Cullen kids and instantly seems to aggravate Edward Cullen to the point he can't stand to be in the same Biology class with her. Eventually, Bella learns Edwards big secret after he saves her from 4 attempted rapist in the neighboring Port Angeles, Washington. Instead of being freaked out that Edward and his family are vampires, Bella is drawn to the family and starts a dating relationship with Edward. Of course being good friends with a family of vampires leads to its own set of troubles when a group of nomads interrupt a baseball game. These red-eyed nomads don't partake in the same "vegetarian" diet the Cullen approve of and the protective stances the family take around Bella causes a serious complication.

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I absolutely love the Twilight saga! I think one of the reasons I like the series so much (even though I usually hate all things Vampire) is because the vampire/supernatural part of the books is not really the central focus. The books are more about family, friendship, first love and lasting love. The Vampire thing is more of a secondary story plot and not the main thing.

Exposed by Susan Vaught

Exposed by Susan Vaught is a haunting Cautionary tale about the dangers of the internet. At first glance, Chan Shealy seems like a typical high school girl. She's a member of her school's twirling team,  she's a straight A student and she's got a great friend in Devin. However, Chan also got an STD from her ex-boyfriend, Adam P.

Once news about her Herpes spreads around school, boys won't come near her. Chan starts to feel that her life is falling apart and she'll never have another boyfriend. That all changes when she meets Paul online. To Chan, things start falling back into place. She gets into shape for Regionals with a set of weights that Paul sends her, and even poses for topless photos for him. Chan gives Paul details that end up putting her and her little sister in serious jeopardy.

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Ok, I love Susan Vaught and her novels. This one included. I think Susan Vaught did a decent job delving into the mind of a girl being lured into an online trap. While Chan isn't always believable, I did have some gut wrenching emotions flowing through me as Chan started piecing information together and realizing what her baby sister was getting into.

Also, I learned a few things about the net I didn't know about (things which I will NOT be discussing here.) While I did enjoy this novel, it wasn't as good as Susan Vaught's Big Fat Manifesto. I will however, eagerly await her next novel.

When Jeff Comes Home by Cathrine Atkins

Jeff Hart was always his father's pride and joy. When his brother or sister wanted something from their dad, they knew if Jeff asked it would happen. Then one day, the unthinkable happened, while at a rest stop with his family, Jeff is forced into a waiting van at knife-point. From that terrifying moment on, Jeff's life is forever changed.

Two-and-a-half years later, Jeff's abductor, Ray, drops him off at his childhood home. Once inside the door, Jeff and his family begin the difficult journey of recovering from such traumatic years. Jeff has to get used to no longer being used as a sexual outlet for an older man, not being hit or his mind messed with and readjust to being a part of a family and society in general.

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This book is definantly a difficult one to read. Jeff's story is a hard one to hear and one can only be greatful that they have never had to endure the torment and torture Jeff had to endure-- to never have to go through the things Jeff did to survive.

My Favorites of 2009

Once again, it's time for my favorite books of the year roundup. As I did last year, this list is comprised of books I have read in 2009, not necessarily book published in 2009. These books made the top of my list this year and I want to give you some times when these books may be just what you're looking for.

5. Shut Up by Marilyn Reynolds

When you're too afraid to tell . . .

4.Wake by Lisa McMann

When your dreams are not really your own. . .

3.Bait by Alex Sanchez

 When you need help finding the courage inside oneself to face the past and strive toward a better future. Even when you have to make hard decisions to get there.

2. Impossible: a Novel by Nancy Werlin

 When you find out that you are faced with the combination of a family curse, a folk song, three very impossible tasks and need help to find the will to beat the odds.

and finally, my #1 Favorite read of 2009 is. ..

1. Th1rteen R3asons Why By Jay Asher

When you're the one left behind and you really want answers. . .

Th1rteen R3asons Why really spoke to me and made me feel a little bit of closure from a very similar incident in my life.

Hope you had a great year of reading and I can't wait until 2010 to start and to see what awesome books I'm going to find. Happy New Year and of course, Happy Reading!

Bait by Alex Sanchez

In this new novel by Alex Sanchez, we are introduced to Diego MacMann, a troubled teenage boy who is meeting his new probation officer for the first time-- right before his court date. Besides having a temper, Diego appears to be a model student, a hard worker and great big brother. But Diego is hiding a few secrets underneath his anger. With the help of Mr. Vidas, his probation officer, Diego begins to deal with the source of his anger and begins to allow himself to trust and rely on other people.

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I have read some of Alex Sanchez's other books and must say that with this one, once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I felt myself falling into Diego's despair at points and understanding his anger at others. With each page I turned, I felt myself wanting to wrap Diego up in the hug I felt he desperately needed at the time.

I have to admit, I didn't like some of the things the mother in the book put Diego through. I didn't like the way the mother constantly lied to make things seem better instead of actually dealing with the truth. I felt that she needed to grow up and deal with things instead of placing the blame elsewhere.

All in all, I must say I really liked this book. I really liked the growth Diego had to accomplish in the book and I really liked the way Alex Sanchez used the ocean and sharks throughout the novel.