There has been a little bit of chit chat over on the yaReads forum about another reading party (of sorts) here at yaReads in late December.Did you participate in the last one? Did you want to, but missed out? Then we’d love to hear from you.

Would you be interested in participating in another marathon party filled with reading challenges, fun trivia and games that test your knowledge of YA lit and popular culture? Then leave your name at the bottom of this thread along with any suggestions that you think might improve the party this time around. Was anything not included in the last one that you wished was?

If we get a good enough response, we’ll give you guys the chance to vote on the best dates and times possible to ensure the majority of you can participate.

After doing a bit of asking around, the staff here at yaReads have decided that in the month of December, we’ll be running a themed month featuring YA titles that may specifically interest male readers. We’ll still be featuring all the regular content that we normally run, but just like we did for Queer Month a few months back, every second review published on the main page will feature a title that may interest a male reader. We had a few different theme ideas in mind, but it seems that this is the one that you guys wanted most.

So, if you have any titles that you think we should feature, or you want your book featured during December, make sure you get in contact with us and let us know.

In the meantime, keep reading.

Drum roll please…

The winners are:

Starinatstars03 and Erica

Congratulations guys and stay tuned for more yaReads giveaways coming your way!

Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have readers see-sawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.

Micah lies about loads of things. When she first started at her school she even managed to convince everyone that she was a boy. When you’ve got a secret like Micah does, lying seems like the only real option. Then her boyfriend goes missing, only he’s not really her boyfriend, or at least, not according to the rest of the student population. According to them, he’s Sarah’s boyfriend. So when he turns up dead, and Brandon announces in front of everyone that he knows that Micah and Zach have been seeing each other behind Sarah’s back, all eyes are now on Micah.

Did she kill him, or not? Why would anyone believe what she’s saying anyway, when she’s always lied about absolutely everything?

When she tells Sarah that she wasn’t dating Zach, Sarah seems to see through her lies – for once – and she’s not buying it. She knows, and she’s hurting. How could Micah do that? How could Zach do that? And could someone that seems okay with dishonesty in the way that Micah is kill someone? Someone she’s supposedly loves?

What the rest of the student body don’t understand is that Micah doesn’t lie because she’s okay with dishonesty. She lies to protect herself. Everyone thinking she’s a liar is a much better scenario than what would really happen if they knew the truth about her.

So what is the truth? You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Here’s a bit of a clue, though. Remember who Justine Larbalestier is, remember the genre that she writes in, and you might be able to figure it out. I got so caught up in the story that I forgot about all those things, got so caught up in trying to decipher what were lies and what was truth, that Micah’s secret caught me seriously off guard. Don’t let it distract you from the story, though. Once you realise what her secret is, accepting that she might have killed Zach becomes a whole lot easier. Don’t forget about her flashbacks though, because the truth really lies within those.

Trust me. Or not.

I guess the only way you’ll figure it out is if you read it for yourself.

This is one hell of a rocking novel. Everyone everywhere is going to love Liar. What I want to know is … will there be a sequel?

Rating::

yaReaders, it’s time to meet your new reviewer. Katie McDonald is currently settling in here at yaReads and warming up her reviewer’s seat within the Australian division of the site. Some of you may already know Katie from the forum, but for those of you who don’t post over there, we decided to do a quick introductory Q&A with Katie for your reading pleasure.

Tell us a little about yourself

I’m Kaite, and for anyone who is a part of or lurks through the forms, you can find me on there as KatieQ. I live in sunny Queensland, Australia, and even though we are so close to the beach, it’s not my favourite place to be! I love the snow, winter being my favourite season, and along with this, love rainy and stormy weather. I’m currently a university student, studying to become a Drama and English senior high-school teacher. A few years left, but it’s going well. With that, I’m a trained actor and musician, being involved in anything arts-like that I can get my hands on.

I’ve got a couple, and it’s more favourite series then books. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. All these books I can pick up and read again and again, without getting bored. The writing and characters are amazing, which is something I look for when reading a book. There are so many others out there, that it would take an age for me to list them all.

Again, a tie between a few. Rose and Dimitri from Vampire Academy, Jace and Clary from The Mortal Instruments. Also Valek and Yelena from The Study Series by Maria V. Snyder also deserve a mention. Rose and Dimitri - they are just amazing. Something has to go right for them in the future, or I will find you Richelle… (Just kidding!) Jace and Clary - Jace is just one of those guys you fall in love with. He is amazing, and completly deserves Clary.

Fantasy, urban fantasy, science-fiction and paranormal are probably my favourite. It’s the alternate universe that has completly different rules to ours that I find fascinating. Along with that, the fact that it is completly possible for magical and fantasical events to occur. It’s something that I find appealing, and who hasn’t wanted to be able to cast a spell?

Music is a massive part of my life. I’m a trained vocal singer, trained violinist and self-taught piano and guitar, so it makes up a lot of what I do. Musical soundtracks, from movies, musicals or instrumental scores are amazing. I listen to a lot of different music, alternate, pop, rock, practically anything expect hip-hop. Regina Spektor, Karen Jacobsen and Taylor Swift are some of my favourite artists, just to name a few.

Anyone from the forum would know that one of my biggest obsessions is Ben Barnes. So nearly any movie with him in it, I would probably like. Prince Caspian, Easy Viture and Dorian Gray for instance, are some of my favourite Ben movies. Apart from that, The Lord of the Rings would be at the top of my list. The best adaption from a book that I have seen yet. Other notable higlights are Harry Potter, Hairspray and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Watch our for Katie’s reviews coming your way real soon!

Love vampires and werewolfs? Then you’re going to dig this…

In celebration of Halloween, we’ve got three awesome prize packs to give away. Each pack contains a copy of Vampires by Joules Taylor and Werewolves by Jon Izzard. Never heard of these books before? No problem… we’ve got the low down for you.

Vampires - Joules Taylor - Dangerous yet seductive, the vampire plays with our heart as he preys with our soul, commanding respect and inspiring complete devotion.

For anyone touched by the vampire’s flight through recent movies, TV shows and novels, here is a feast of vampire stories and lore. Charting the development of the vampire from prince of pure evil to poignant anti-hero, the VAMPIRE HANDBOOK, is a comprehensive guide to the vampire’s nocturnal realm, exploring the dark mysteries of his eternal allure, irresistible charm and vulnerability.

Werewolves - Jon Izzard - From ancient legend to pop-culture icon, from monster to antihero, here is a complete look at werewolves.

Fans of the complex beasts will howl with pleasure at this passionate handbook incorporating legend, lore, trivia and art. Author Jon Izzard stalks both the fiction and the facts: transformations, inner rage, extra-human strength, silver bullets, mysterious curses, modern cures and more.  With werewolves now haunting movie screens and literature the way they have haunted our nightmares for millennia, readers won’t wait for the full moon to devour this fascinating volume.

Note that these are not fictional works, but we figured yaReaders of the supernatural and paranormal would dig them all the same. We’re drawing this one on October 31, 2009. If you want the chance to win, leave your name in the comments field below. Two of the prize packs are being offered to North American readers only, with the third being offered to the rest of the world. Please note that this was decided by the supplier, not yaReads. This means that when you enter, you need to leave your country of origin with your name. Any entrants that fail to do this will be removed from the pool.

Remember, you’ve got to be in it to win it!

Good luck!

Again, we realize this is a couple of days late, but we’re happy to announce that we now have four official winners of the Australian Only contest. The following people are the lucky winners of Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You by Peter Cameron and The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman:

Aimee

Aria

Christina

Aimee

I’ve sent you guys all an email, so please respond with your postal details so I can ship out your prize! Congratulations to all our winners, and stay tuned for more fabulous competitions!

We realize that this is a few days late, but we’re happy to announce that we now officially have two winners for the Shiver contest. The winner of the audiobook is Brianna, and the winner of the book is Makayla. Congratulations guys, we hope you enjoy your prize.

We would like to extend a huge thankyou to Maggie Stiefvater for donating those two fabulous prizes! Stay tuned for more awesome contests coming your way!

Ecstasy. I’d always thought I might try it one day. I’d heard kids at school talking about getting wasted on the weekends. They made it sound awesome. I pictured the roughly made tablets with their tiny butterflies. An amazing experience inside a tiny pill.

My body ached and my face was sore – I guess from smiling so much. I don’t remember ever laughing more. A new world had opened up for me, a place where I was confident and beautiful and a hot guy like Lewis wanted to be with me. That morning I figured life couldn’t get any better. How could something that made you feel like that be bad for you?

Meet Mia. She’s only just turned fifteen and she’s always been in Sophie’s shadow. Not that she minded, not really. Without Sophie, Mia wouldn’t have a social life. Without Sophie, Mia would probably be a nobody. So when Sophie takes Mia to a party one night and offers her an ecstasy tablet, Mia doesn’t even think about saying no. Before she even realises what is happening to her, Mia is flying high – and loving every minute of it. Armed with the artificial confidence the drug provides, Mia is invincible, and her newfound radiance does not go unnoticed.

Enter Lewis. Very hot. Sweet and charming as hell. Suddenly very interested in Mia. Lewis is no stranger to ecstasy. His parents are away a lot and Lewis is often left to fend for himself. It’s not hard to turn into a party animal when you’ve got no parental units to keep you in your cage. The more Mia hangs out with Lewis, the more ecstasy she takes. Before she even knows what is happening, Mia can’t socialize without it.

Slot in Sophie here. Sophie is supposed to be Mia’s best friend, but since she’s been hanging out with Lewis and his crew, she’s changed. Sophie can see what is happening to Mia, but when she tries to talk to her about it, Mia reckons that she’s just jealous and blows her off. Sophie has a whole lot of other stuff going on in her life and she really needs her best friend right now … but is that even Mia anymore?

In Ecstasy is all about the downward spiral. For Mia, its one that is fueled by drugs and an overarching need to fit in, feel popular and be loved. For Sophie, while it may have started like that for her, her painful journey takes a bit of a different turn. With both girls so disconnected, who is going to save them? Who is going to snap them back to their reality?

Kate McCaffrey’s portrayal of the drug scene is terrifyingly accurate.  If you’re thinking about taking drugs, or you know someone who may be thinking about it, reading something like In Ecstasy first might be a smart move. While Mia’s story isn’t applicable to everyone, and not everyone who takes drugs gets addicted, In Ecstasy is an excellent representation of what can happen if you do.

I can’t say that I enjoyed reading this, but I’m certainly glad that I did.

Rating::