Liviania S.

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Best Authors You Aren't Reading: John Peel

Liviania S. posted an article on - Feb 10, 2012, 1:10 am
Best Authors You Aren't Reading is an IBWB feature. In it I discuss authors who I don't perceive as being popular, but whom I truly love. I cannot possibly cover John Peel's entire bibliography. For one thing, I haven't read everything he's written! But there's a good chance if you read a TV...
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Review: Cold Cereal

Liviania S. posted an article on - Feb 9, 2012, 1:45 pm
By Adam Rex Available now from Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins) Review Copy I loved Adam Rex's first foray into middle grade books, the award-winning THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY. COLD CEREAL, unlike SMEKDAY, doesn't begin with an alien invasion and thus takes a bit longer to get off t...
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Review: Shelter

Liviania S. posted an article on - Feb 8, 2012, 1:15 pm
By Harlan Coben Available now from Putnam (Penguin) Review copy Mickey Bolitar has traveled the world with his parents. His experiences ensured that he's more tough and capable than your average fifteen-year-old. Unfortunately, Mickey's dad died and his mother is in rehab, leavi...
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Movie Monday: Drive

Liviania S. posted an article on - Feb 6, 2012, 12:00 pm
I'm not going to pretend that I'm the first book blogger to have a "Movie Monday." It's not the world's most creative name, after all. But I enjoy movies and thought it might be fun to try this out for awhile. Drive, now available in DVD and Blu-Ray, was one of my favorite movies of 2011. I didn'...
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In My Mailbox (I Don't Number)

Liviania S. posted an article on - Feb 5, 2012, 3:00 pm
In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Bloggers share books they've received for review, bought, won it contests, etc. This week I took a trip down to the used bookstore and bought myself some clearance books. I bought SHADOW'S EDGE, the second in the Night Angel trilogy...
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Flavorwire's Not-So-Great 10 Great Science Fiction Books for Girls

Liviania S. posted an article on - Feb 4, 2012, 11:30 am
Normally I love Flavorwire's lists. But the recent 10 Great Science Fiction Books for Girls by Emily Temple falls down on the job. I'll start with the title. Lots of gender imbalance issues have been noted among readers. More male science fiction readers; more young female readers for insta...
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The Joy of Books

Liviania S. posted an article on - Feb 4, 2012, 9:30 am
You've probably already seen this video, but I couldn't resist posting it.  Hats off to crazedadman.
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Capitol Colours Swatches

Liviania S. posted an article on - Feb 3, 2012, 5:00 pm
I'll admit it: I wasn't all that excited when I first saw the promo material about China Glaze's Capitol Colours collection, made in conjunction with Lionsgate for the release of the Hunger Games movie.  China Glaze has never been my favorite polish brand and most of the colors looked like duds to ...
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Review: Wahoo Rhapsody

Liviania S. posted an article on - Feb 3, 2012, 1:15 am
By Shaun Morey Available now from AmazonEncore Review copy Carl Hiaasen is one of my favorite authors. He was one of those lucky random finds. I took a book out of the library because it looked like it wouldn't be terrible, and it turned out to be hilarious, utterly insane, and ...
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World Book Night

Liviania S. posted an article on - Feb 2, 2012, 3:22 pm
Time is running out to sign up for World Book Night. The deadline is midnight on February 6th. To quote their website: We need book-loving volunteers to fan out across America on April 23, 2012! Just take 20 free copies of a book to a location in your community, and you just might change some...
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Review: Troubletwisters

Liviania S. posted an article on - Feb 1, 2012, 1:30 am
By Garth Nix and Sean Williams Available now from Scholastic Press Review copy I have always loved Garth Nix's books. SABRIEL and its sequels might be my favorites, but I was never disappointed. I continued to read The Keys to the Kingdom series even though I was rather old for ...
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Scholarship and Book Auctions

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jan 31, 2012, 7:55 pm
Lauren of Shooting Stars Mag is awarding a LGBT/Ally scholarship. You can apply here through March 1st. To support the scholarship, she's hosting a series of auctions here. Half the current auctions end tomorrow; half on Friday. The lots available include a set of six Julie Anne Peters nov...
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Review: Prom & Prejudice

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jan 30, 2012, 2:00 am
By Elizabeth Eulberg Available now from Scholastic Point Review Copy Now available in paperback, PROM & PREJUDICE is a cute, clever update of Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bennet is a scholarship student at Longbourn Academy who has a disastrous first meet...
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Welcome Back, Kotter

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jan 29, 2012, 1:30 pm
It's been a strange few months guys. I'm sorry I haven't been around here - but that doesn't mean I haven't been reading. First, you have to hear this NPR interview with Newbery Award Winner Jack Gantos. I read the Joey Pigza books in elementary and loved them. And even if the winning nove...
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A Friendly Reminder

Liviania S. posted an article on - Sep 27, 2011, 7:58 pm
Just say no to selling ARCs. (via Shelf Awareness)
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Banned Books Update

Liviania S. posted an article on - Sep 22, 2011, 5:00 pm
Remember this? Well, parents and guardians can now check out SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE and TWENTY BOY SUMMER from a secure section of the school library, according to this Reuters article. What a victory. Banned Books Week runs from September 24-October 1. You can use the resources provided by the...
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Livi's Annotated Guide to QUILTBAG YA and YA-Appropriate Novels

Liviania S. posted an article on - Sep 16, 2011, 3:45 pm
... ; Wittlinger, Ellen. Hard Love. Sequel Love & Lies. Wittlinger is a badass, ya'll. Badass. Check out Parrotfish too. Wolff, Virginia Euwer. True Believer. Wolff is an incredible author. Please read this one, please. Fantasy Atwater-Rhodes, Amelia. Wolfcry. This is the fourt...
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Say Yes to Gay YA

Liviania S. posted an article on - Sep 16, 2011, 12:33 am
Yes, I am late to the linking. I was super excited to learn through the comments on the article that there is a recent YA novel with an asexual character - Karen Healey's GUARDIANS OF THE DEAD. MY PEOPLE ARE NEVER IN BOOKS. I AM SO EXCITED I CAN HARDLY STAND IT. $7.20 at Amazon? ...
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It's not new book smell, but . . .

Liviania S. posted an article on - Sep 12, 2011, 5:21 pm
Because I'm blind, I just noticed Karen Harrington's comment on this post. Paddywax has a library collection. "Poe" sounds like my kind of scent - cardamom, absynthe, and sandalwood. Scent geeks might also be interested in Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. They have scent collections inspired by ev...
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Cool Bookstore

Liviania S. posted an article on - Sep 10, 2011, 11:11 pm
I'm rarely about to attend Forever Young Adult's book club at the Highball in Austin. (It's worth attending, if you are in the area.) But I'm still on the mailing list. Rebecca Halpern sent out this letter about Recycled Reads, which I've actually been to but never posted about. (I know, I'm bad...
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Young Wizards Updating

Liviania S. posted an article on - Aug 23, 2011, 7:30 pm
The Young Wizards series, by Diane Duane, is one of my favorites. I just bought A WIZARD OF MARS, the ninth book, at a local Borders. It reminded me to get online and look for news about the tenth book. Unfortunately, there's no publication date yet for GAMES WIZARDS PLAY.  Instead, I discovered t...
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Book Sneakers

Liviania S. posted an article on - Aug 19, 2011, 9:20 pm
Everyone knows I love bookish fashion. So I was excited to see these kicks in Shelf Awareness. THE SCARLET LETTER may be one of my favorite books, but I prefer foreverRebuilt's take on Robert Heinlein's THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS. Which shoe is your favorite?
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Review: Small Town Sinners

Liviania S. posted an article on - Aug 12, 2011, 1:30 pm
By Melissa Walker Available now from Bloomsbury Read my review of VIOLET IN PRIVATE Read Melissa's guest blog and watch her guest vlog If there's one thing I learned from the comments section, it's that nothing turns IBWB readers off more than a mention of religious themes. ...
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Super Cool Libraries

Liviania S. posted an article on - Aug 8, 2011, 1:00 pm
Let's face it, we all love libraries. The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library is fighting back against the school board in Republic, MO that decided to ban SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE and TWENTY BOY SUMMER from their school libraries and curriculum. Republic High School students can go to their website t...
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Review: Original Sin

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jul 31, 2011, 2:00 pm
By Beth McMullen Available now from Hyperion Review copy Lucy Hamilton lives in San Francisco with her husband Will and son Theo. She's a stay-at-home mother who just got a call from her old job. When she quit, she knew that she could be called back at anytime. That's because L...
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Wildwood

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jul 27, 2011, 12:20 pm
I am so excited for this book, you don't even know. (And it's not just because I'm a fan of the Decemberists.) The AV Club seems excited too. After all, they have an exclusive trailer. The voice acting is terrible, but the animation is superb. You can read the first four chapters on ...
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Brazenhead Books

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jul 22, 2011, 2:45 pm
There's No Place Like Here: Brazenhead Books from Etsy on Vimeo. A friend in my magazine workshop group just shared this video. I love it! A secret, illegal used bookstore hidden in an apartment in New York City? I'd say that I'd look up the shop and explore there tomorrow, but I'm plannin...
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Nifty Links!

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jul 22, 2011, 12:00 pm
These tabs have been open on my computer for awhile because I wanted to share them but kept getting distracted by school things. Philip Hensher eloquently defended fiction in The Independent. I don't think this is anything ya'll don't know, but it's well-written and I like it when people tal...
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Crush Control

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jul 21, 2011, 1:00 am
By Jennifer Jabaley Available now from Razorbill (Penguin) Review copy The beginning of CRUSH CONTROL is winning. Willow returns to her hometown after years as her mother's assistant in Vegas. She knows how to hypnotize a crowd, but not how to interact with people her own age. ...
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The Book Cover Archive

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jul 9, 2011, 12:30 pm
I discovered this site last night and I've been pouring over it since. The only covers represented are lit fic, but they're beautiful. There also links to other great sites/blogs about covers. Now we just need someone to take over for Jacket Whys for children's and YA covers since it hasn't ...
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Harry Potter and the Work of Fans

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jul 9, 2011, 12:00 am
The release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 has led to a variety of articles about HP fanworks. This article in Parade is disappointingly slight. A group of fans created rules for a magic-less version of Quidditch. Their creation is now played at the intercollegiate level. It's an...
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House of Shelves

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jul 7, 2011, 2:11 pm
Photo by Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio This is my kind of house.
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Summer Reading, Part 1

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jun 30, 2011, 5:00 pm
Summer reading suggestions for kids of all ages by Jo Walton (via Shelf Awareness) This article caught my eye since the suggestions came from Abu Dhabi and I used to have family there. The suggested reading is standard but solid. On the YALSA blog you can find information about their S...
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The Persistance of Memory

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jun 30, 2011, 11:25 am
About a month ago, I read Aimee Bender's THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE. It's a brilliant book. The basic conceit is that Rose Edelstein tastes the emotions in food. Her mother is crushed by despair; a local baker is impatient and frustrated. One point is almost unbearably creepy, but...
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The Atlantic YA Series

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jun 29, 2011, 1:00 am
A certain set of WSJ pieces (no I'm not linking) has the YA community up in arms, as well it should. The research is shoddy and the argument is ill-constructed. Perhaps the WSJ missed Harvard Magazine article about Lauren Mechling: Lauren Mechling ’99 spent a week in the “young adult” corner...
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Interview with Deborah Cooke

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jun 28, 2011, 11:30 am
Deborah Cooke is the author of the Dragon Diaries series. The first book, FLYING BLIND, came out this month and I reviewed it here. But some of ya'll might already be familiar due to her paranormal romance series, Dragonfire. She also writes as Claire Delacroix, has a large backlist available in ...
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Bookish.com

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jun 26, 2011, 12:18 pm
Bookish.com will launch later this summer. Hachette, Simon & Schuster, and Penguin partnered to found the site, with AOL providing advertising. But it is a publisher neutral site - in six months, nobody at Hachette, Simon & Schuster, or Penguin will be involved. The site will also launch with boo...
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Review: Last Night at Chateau Marmont

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jun 25, 2011, 12:45 pm
By Lauren Weisberger Available now from Atria Review copy If you've read a book by Lauren Weisberger before, you know the basics of the experience. It will be set in New York; it will deal with the difficulty of balancing careers and personal lives. Her books also have a nice au...
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Review: Flying Blind

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jun 11, 2011, 11:00 am
By Deborah Cooke Available now from NAL Trade (Penguin) Review copy I can be a stick in the mud sometimes, so I'm starting this review with a PSA moment. When someone is threatening to destroy your personal property and asks you what you're going to do about it, you say, "I'm goin...
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Some Things Strike You Suddenly

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jun 6, 2011, 4:25 pm
When updating my packing list today, I realized being in New York this summer means I can probably attend some of those signings in New York that always sound so exciting. Anyone know of some good ones I can tentatively put on my schedule? I also just realized that the Summer 2011 issue of S...
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The Opposite of In My Mailbox

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jun 5, 2011, 5:30 pm
I bought two books this week: the Oprah's Book Collection edition of A TALE OF TWO CITIES/GREAT EXPECTATIONS and S. M. Stirling's A TAINT IN THE BLOOD. I also received a big box of books to review for TGTBTU. I'm not writing all those down, but I will tell you I am currently reading MAGIC SLAYS by...
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Spam

Liviania S. posted an article on - Jun 3, 2011, 2:00 pm
Oddly, in the years I've been writing this blog, the spam has not been uncontrollable. I was worried, with the prominently posted e-mail and such. Then, about a month ago, I started getting at least 30 spam messages a day. Luckily my spam folder is catching most of them. I tried setting my contro...
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Trawling the Net

Liviania S. posted an article on - May 31, 2011, 5:40 pm
In addition to doing my homework, I've been reading Doug LeMoine's blog, which has been around for a ridiculously long time. A friend linked it on Facebook. Specifically, she linked to where he'd typed up English Sentences Without Overt Grammatical Subjects, a satirical linguistics paper that is N...
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Review: The Invasion

Liviania S. posted an article on - May 28, 2011, 4:02 pm
By K. A. Applegate Available now from Scholastic Review copy I started reading the Animorphs shortly before the eleventh book was released. I was in third grade then, and too old for the series when the last book came out. But I was still following the series, because the Animor...
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Review: The Hypnotist

Liviania S. posted an article on - May 27, 2011, 1:30 pm
By M. J. Rose Available now from Mira (Harlequin) Review copy M. J. Rose's Reincarnationist series is popular, but I've remained skeptical. I find reincarnation kind of goofy. Objectively, reincarnation is far less goofy than vampires or fairies, which I like. I prefer to treat ...
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You Are What You Read

Liviania S. posted an article on - May 26, 2011, 11:00 pm
Scholastic's new social networking venture is YouAreWhatYouRead.com. There is a children's version available here and teacher guides for younger readers and older readers. The main thrust of the site is sharing your Bookprint: five books that shaped your life. Personally, I'm still workin...
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Review: Hotel No Tell

Liviania S. posted an article on - May 23, 2011, 1:45 am
By Daphne Uviller Available now from Bantam Review copy I didn't really know what to expect with HOTEL NO TELL. I hadn't read the first book about Zephyr Zuckerman, SUPER IN THE CITY. But the press release promised comedy and the cover struck me as a modern update on noir. I'd ...
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Read Every Day Charity Auction

Liviania S. posted an article on - May 11, 2011, 8:57 pm
Scholastic's Read Every Day program is hosting a charity auction to raise funds for Reading Is Fundamental and Reach Out and Read, two literacy programs that recently lost federal funding. The auction is here and features original artwork by twelve children's artists. Lots close on June 5, s...
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Conflicted Reviews: Wither and Nickel Plated

Liviania S. posted an article on - May 10, 2011, 11:10 pm
I haven't been reviewing much lately. One problem is that I keep reading books I'm deeply conflicted about. WITHER by Lauren DeStefano showed up at my house unexpectedly. I was ridiculously excited and started it immediately. A number of bloggers that I respect reviewed it well. I could ...
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Free Comic Book Day

Liviania S. posted an article on - May 7, 2011, 1:10 am
It's Free Comic Book Day! The AV Club has deets on which books will be given out this year. The store locator is here. So go find a shop near you and try out some comics for free.
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