November 2011 Edition

What’s Up, Chicken Butt is our feature – meme – whatchamacallit, where every first day of the month we give you a heads up on what to expect that month.

Our Book of the Month for November is Last Breath by Rachel Caine.

The brand-new novel in the “intriguing world” (Darque Reviews) of Rachel Caine’s New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires series!

With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town—a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville’s latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn’t merely human. But is he a vampire—or something else entirely?

Release Date: November 1, 2011

Our Book Club Read this month is The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima.

This novel marks the first giant step in a momentous fantasy journey orchestrated by Cinda Williams Chima, the author of the popular Warrior Heir series. Its two chief protagonists are ex-thief Han Alister, an impoverished commoner, and Raisa ana’Marianna, the headstrong Princess Heir of the Fells. The Demon King brings them together, creating part of a volatile mix of action, magic, and danger. Empathetic characters; wizardly attacks.

Join the discussion here.

November Book Release Highlights

November 1st

Crossed (Matched, #2) by Ally Condie

The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky – taken by the Society to his certain death – only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia’s quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander – who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia’s heart – change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

 November 15th

Saving June by Hannah Harrington (American Release)
‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again

Shatter Me By Tahereh Mafi

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

The Pledge By Kimberly Derting

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It’s there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she’s never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

November 21st

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

It’s 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on–and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

November 29th

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Logan Quinn was try­ing to kill me. My Spar­tan class­mate relent­lessly pur­sued me, swing­ing his sword at me over and over again, the shin­ing sil­ver blade inch­ing closer to my throat every time. A smile tugged up his lips, and his ice-blue eyes prac­ti­cally glowed with the thrill of battle…

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart — the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword — with Logan’s help — I just might die by the sword …

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Flavor of the week: Frozen Peach Penguin Swirl

Pubsicle is a weekly meme that combines our two favorite things – ice cream and books. We hand the reigns over to some of our awesome publishers as they highlight what upcoming releases they’re excited about.

Crossed by Ally Condie

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky – taken by the Society to his certain death – only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia’s quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander – who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia’s heart – change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Release Date: November 1, 2011

Ally Condie is a former high school English teacher who lives with her husband and three sons outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, running, eating, and listening to her husband play guitar.

Website: www.allysoncondie.com

Brotherband Chronicles: The Outcast by John Flanagan

They are outcasts. Hal, Stig, and the others – they are the boys the others want no part of. Skandians, as any reader of Ranger’s Apprentice could tell you, are known for their size and strength. Not these boys. Yet that doesn’t mean they don’t have skills. And courage – which they will need every ounce of to do battle at sea against the other bands, the Wolves and the Sharks, in the ultimate race. The icy waters make for a treacherous playing field . . . especially when not everyone thinks of it as playing.

John Flanagan, author of the international phenomenon Ranger’s Apprentice, creates a new cast of characters to populate his world of Skandians and Araluens, a world millions of young readers around the world have come to know and admire. Full of seafaring adventures and epic battles, Book 1 of The Brotherband Chronicles is sure to thrill readers of Ranger’s Apprentice while enticing a whole new generation just now discovering the books.

Release Date: November 1, 2011

John Flanagan grew up in Sydney, Australia, hoping to be a writer. It wasn’t until he wrote a highly uncomplimentary poem about a senior executive at the agency where he worked, however, that his talent was revealed. It turned out one of the company directors agreed with John’s assessment of the executive, and happily agreed to train John in copywriting.

John began writing Ranger’s Apprentice for his son, Michael, ten years ago, and is still hard at work on the series. He currently lives in a suburb of Manly, Australia, with his wife. In addition to their son, they have two grown daughters and four grandsons

Website: www.rangersapprentice.com

Playground by 50 Cent

Thirteen-year-old Butterball doesn’t have much going for him. He’s teased mercilessly about his weight. He hates the Long Island suburb his mom moved them to and wishes he still lived with his dad in the city. And now he’s stuck talking to a totally out-of-touch therapist named Liz.

Liz tries to uncover what happened that day on the playground—a day that landed one kid in the hospital and Butterball in detention. Butterball refuses to let her in on the truth, and while he evades her questions, he takes readers on a journey through the moments that made him into the playground bully he is today.

Release Date: November 1, 2011

50 Cent is a hip-hop artist who founded the G-Unit Books imprint.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

It’s 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM. Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on–and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

Release Date: November 21, 2011

Jay Asher was born in Arcadia, California on September 30, 1975. He grew up in a family that encouraged all of his interests, from playing the guitar to his writing. He attended Cuesta College right after graduating from high school. It was here where he wrote his first two children’s books for a class called Children’s Literature Appreciation.

Carolyn graduated from Vassar College. When her book The Earth My Butt and Other Big Round Things was named as one of ALAs Top Ten Banned Books of 2006, Carolyn became an advocate against banning books. She lives with her husband and son in New York City.

Website: jayasher.blogspot.com

Website: www.carolynmackler.com

Legend by Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Release Date: November 29, 2011

Marie Lu writes young adult novels, and has a special love for dystopian books. Ironically, she was born in 1984. Before becoming a full-time writer, she was an Art Director at a video game company where she enjoyed discussing Facebook game apps with her co-workers, hearing amusing insider stories about World of Warcraft bugs, and delighting in cute 3D renditions of buildings–all via Skype.

Website: www.marielu.org

Penguin USA can be found online at penguingroup.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 “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out 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.

Bianca Piper is pretty content with her life. She’s smart, scathingly honest, has two best friends she cares about more than anything, and a secret crush on the perfect and adorable Toby Tucker. Sometimes she feels out-shadowed by her model-gorgeous friends, Casey and Jessica, but that’s okay because Bianca isn’t trying to attract anyone’s attention because high schooler’s aren’t capable of falling in love. Not real love, anyway. Enter Wesley Rush, who changes Bianca’s entire opinion of herself by calling her “the Duff,” the designated ugly fat friend. But as much as she wants to hate him—no, wait, she does hate him—she’s also incredibly drawn to him…for all the wrong reasons. But Wesley turns out to be much more than he appears.

The DUFF closely examines the insecurities that all girls, and even boys, face. Throughout the book, Bianca struggles with what it means to be the Duff. She doesn’t want the comment to bother her. After all, why should she care what anyone, much less the school man-whore, thinks? Yet…she can’t help but see the truth in his words. How can she compare to her tall, thin, blonde best friends? It isn’t until she voices her concerns to Casey and Jessica and they insist they’re the Duffs (I’m not sure what Jessica’s flaws are, but at more than six feet tall, Casey feels like a giant) that Bianca realizes every girl will consider herself a Duff at some point or another and that maybe being a Duff isn’t such a bad thing.

Unfortunately, I didn’t fall in love with this book. I wanted to and I tried so hard. After all, I’ve heard nothing but good things about it and I can see why. Usually, I’m a sucker for witty, sarcastic narrators, but something about Bianca made it hard for me to relate to her. She reminded me of one of my best friends, except with about fifty percent of my friend’s likeability. Maybe I thought she crossed the line of being too cynical and perpetually angry. Also, I wasn’t really a fan of the way she treated Casey and Jessica throughout a majority of the book. Bianca could be really hard to put up with sometimes, but Casey was always there for her, always loyal. I felt like she deserved more from Bianca. Also, I didn’t entirely believe that Wesley was truly falling for Bianca until the very end, which made it hard for me to really emotionally invest in their relationship. That being said, I still think their relationship was fascinating and provides a breath of fresh air to the YA community. In fact, the entire book is a breath of fresh air. It shows a grittier, less everything-is-sunshine-and-rainbows and infinitely more real look at teenage relationships (from friendships to casual acquaintances to dysfunctional families).

Keplinger does an excellent job of capturing the essence of teenage dynamics and friendships. The dialogue is snappy and fast-paced. The high school experiences seem real instead of clichéd and my guess is that most readers won’t be able to put it down. Kody Keplinger is definitely an author to look out for.

Pages: 280
Publication Date: September 2010
Publisher: Little Brown/Poppy
Challenge: Debut Author
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls, but I’m chasing you.”

Check out this teaser quote from the Iron Knight:

“Yes,” I said, repressing a sigh. “I heard you. I think the jabberwocks on the other side of the swamp heard you.”

“Oh, good! Maybe if we fight a couple you’ll start paying attention to me!” Puck matched my glare before gesturing around at the swamp. “This is crazy,” he exclaimed. “How do we even know he’s here? The Bone Marsh isn’t exactly on my list of favorite vacation getaways, prince. You sure your contact knew what he was talking about? If this turns out to be another false lead I might turn that phouka into a pair of gloves.”

Intrigued yet? Look for another excerpt tomorrow at Curling Up by the Fire’s blog.

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn’darkmyr Tallyn.

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

The fourth book in the Iron Fey series is easily my favorite and I’m sure I won’t be alone in thinking that. At the end of the third book, Meghan banished Ash from the Iron Realm, knowing he would stay by her side despite how harmful living in the Iron Realm would be to his health. But before he left, Ash made an oath that he would find a way to be with her. The Iron Knight tells the story of Ash’s journey to find a soul — to become mortal and therefore immune to the effects on iron. Of course, he doesn’t embark on such a perilous mission alone; he has Grim and Puck, as well as a couple other surprising companions they meet along the way.

At first, I was a fan of the Iron Fey series. But by the third book, I read reluctantly and slowly, putting the book down for long stretches of time before returning to it. Meghan’s character began to wear on me, but at the same time, I needed an end to her and Ash’s story, so I happily reached for the fourth book. Despite the length, I flew through the conclusion to the Iron Fey series.In my opinion, writing a book from Ash’s point of view is the best idea Julie Kagawa could have for this series. Being in Meghan’s mind grew so annoying, but reading the story from Ash’s point of view is fresh, enjoyable, and exciting. Not only that, but a majority of the book is free of Meghan’s whining voice, and instead filled with my favorite character, Puck. Without Meghan around, Ash becomes a much lighter, carefree individual and we finally get to see the close friendship between Puck and Ash reemerge. And because Meghan wasn’t around too often to annoy, the scenes she did spend with Ash were sweet and heartwarming. Less tears, more determination.

The Iron Knight is also full of non-stop action, but there are more intellectual puzzles in addition to constant battles. Kagawa delivers surprise after surprise, leaving the reader in a constant state of agonizing suspense. I tried and mostly failed to predict what would happen next, which filled me with an odd sense of elation due to the depressing nature of most of my predictions. Some aspects of the journey and of Ash’s trials do seem a little cliche, but not so much so that they distract from the plot at all. For the most part, the conflicts and plot twists are incredibly unique and intricate. Just reading Iron Knight is an emotional roller coaster almost as harrowing as Ash’s — and he has to live through all these crazy events!

The only problems I had with this book are the same ones I had in the previous three. First, overuse of the word “writhing” — it must be Kagawa’s favorite verb. Also, the characters all formally address each other too often to be believable. Every sentence seems to contain some variation of a moniker: Prince/Little Prince/Ice Boy/Winter Prince, Puck/Goodfellow/Robin Goodfellow, Grim/Cat. Especially when it came to Ash, I wanted to shake every person that insisted on calling him “Prince of the Winter Court” in every sentence of speech. So unnecessary. But these are things that, after reading the first three books in the series, I’ve come to accept. And while a majority of the second half of this book left me bewildered and perplexed, internally protesting in outrage, I believe that was Kagawa’s intent and I’m glad she could inspire such a strong emotional reaction in me.

Essentially, if you’re an Ash fan, you’ll love Iron Knight. If you’re a Puck fan, you’ll love Iron Knight. If the end of Iron Queen made you throw the book against the wall in frustration, demanding some sort of resolution for Ash and Meghan, you’ll love Iron Knight. This book is a long, crazy ride, but one you’ll enjoy every minute of.

Pages: 386
Publication Date: October 2011
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Challenge: N/A
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “You know me, Meghan Chase.” Ariella stepped forward, the mist parting for her, to stand before us clearly. “I am the one who was left behind, the one Ash knew before you ever came into the picture.”

To celebrate the release of The Iron Knight, HarlequinTeen is offering a giveaway of one copy to a U.S. or Canada resident only. Loved the review? Just wait until you read the book!

The Nitty Gritty:

• Simply fill out this form with your name, email, and mailing address. We randomly draw the winners using random.org.
• Giveaway is open to US/Canada residents only.
• Ends on November 04, 2011.

‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

Who doesn’t love a good road trip story? Though I thought this book had a bit of a slow start, it delivers on its promise, providing about 250 pages of road-tripping glory. There are time-passing car games, impulsive adventures, identity crises, heartbreak, scandal, and that breathtaking feeling that comes with reading about the most life-changing moments of someone’s life.

The first word that comes to mind when I think of Saving June is genuine. This book genuinely captures Harper Scott’s unique adolescence. The emotions and events described in Saving June are raw, powerful, and absolutely spot-on. Hannah Harrington receives my highest commendation for so perfectly capturing Harper’s voice and telling her story in a profoundly real world. These characters and their story leapt off the page for me so that I felt as if I was in the backseat of Jake’s car, listening in on their conversations during the ride to California. I believe this was due mostly the absolutely perfect dialogue. Every word that each character spoke (especially Harper) was realistic, accurate to the way people actually speak, and further developed each character. For a book dealing with such important themes, the dialogue has a large impact on the authenticity of the characters and their situation. Harrington’s dialogue elevated Saving June to the highest level.

Harrington tackles a heavy, yet delicate issue in Saving June – sharing the grieving process of a sibling who has been left behind. When dealing with an issue like this, it’s easy for the characters to become too maudlin or too angsty, therefore alienating the reader, but Harrington finds the perfect middle ground. It’s easy to sympathize with Harper throughout her journey and to understand why she makes the decisions she does. Harper’s thoughts and feelings are described clearly, even when she isn’t quite sure what she’s feeling. It’s always a relief to read about a character who’s honest with themselves, as that makes the character more accessible and relatable to the reader. In the beginning of Saving June, I wasn’t entirely sure I’d be able to relate to Harper. I knew I’d like her, but I was pleasantly to find that not only did I love her and want her for my own best friend, but I could relate to the way she acted and thought about a lot of issues, and there’s something beautiful about characters that can surprise you in that way.

Music plays a huge role in Saving June, but not in an overbearing way. For those with a passion for music, the hints and descriptions as to the songs being referenced are fun to decode. For those not as familiar with Jake’s favorite bands, the songs are described rather than just name-dropped so that you won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything pivotal. And, just in case you do manage to feel a little left out, there are a few playlists at the end of the book that you can skip ahead to and play while you read, which will just bring you closer to the book and the characters.

Speaking of Jake and his music obsession, the romance in Saving June may not be the most prevalent aspect of the book, but boy does it pay off. The way Harrington deals with Jake and Harper’s relationship is ingenious and well worth the wait. In fact, the entire ending of the book pays off. Actually, scratch that. The entire book pays off and is worth reading and rereading.

Pages: 322
Publication Date: November 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Challenge: Debut Author
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “It hurts to look, but I don’t want to stop. I want to soak in everything about my sister. I want to braid it into my DNA, make it part of me. Maybe then I’ll be able to figure out how this happened.”