GreenBeanTeenQueen

Single Voices Tour Descent Into Paradise by Vincent Karl Rating: 3/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary Release Date: 1/14/2010 Publisher: Annick Press About the Book: Two stories-one book. Descent Into Paradise is the story of police going too far, immigration, friendship and standing up for what you believe. During a police drug raid at school, a new student who has transferred from Afghanistan is targeted-even though he's innocent. What do you do when the police cross the line? GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: This is a very short story-just over 100 pages, but it does pack a big punch. It's easy to read, fast paced, and raises a lot of questions. I couldn't believe the police were so mean, yet at the same time I know that prejudice is still very much alive so part of me wasn't surprised. There's not a ton of characterization, although the narrator grew on me throughout. The plot gets right to the point-it's short and there's no messing around with parts of the story th

I had a couple of contests ending, so I thought I would announce the winners! The Cinderella Society Winner: Sophia at The Book Basement Here's her entry: "Being empowered means to take control of your own life proudly, in my opinion. You may need help, I'll admit, but you also need strength. You must have strong will and stick to what you believe in. You shouldn't sway your opinion, no matter what other people say about it. Plus, you always have to feel good about yourself. Walk down the hallways with your head held high and don't let anyone bring you down. Stay strong, believe in yourself, and don't be afraid to ask for help. That's what I think empowerment means." LOVE IT! (And just so you know, I made GreenBeanSexyMan pick the winning entry!) Perfect Chemistry Prize Pack: Natalie at Mindful Musings This one was a random drawing, but for entries I asked for lit crushes. Natalie said Jace from Mortal Instruments and Ian from The Host. It was so

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Genre: Fantasy Release Date: I found conflicting dates due to the various covers and re-pubs-but it's out now! and it's an oldie but goodie. :) Add to Goodreads About the Book: Condemned to death after she commits murder, Yelena is given an interesting opportunity. She can choose death or become the Commander of Ixia's food taster-and risk dying. Yelena chooses to be the new food taster. Valek, the chief of security, feeds her a poison called Butterfly's dust in order to keep Yelena from escaping and she must appear every morning for her antidote or she risks a slow and painful death from the poison. Yelena tries to plot an escape, while rebels plot a siege of Ixia and Yelena may hold a key to Ixia's future. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: This book is the perfect example of why I love blogging and meeting other bloggers! I had seen so much love for this book around the blogosphere, I decided to give it a try-even though fantasy and I sometimes don

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme I host to highlight great reads for tweens! Join in the fun and add your own Tween Tuesday post in the Mister Linky below. Alchemy and Meggy Swan by Karen Cushman Rating: 5/5 Stars Genre: Historical Release Date: 4/26/2010 About the Book: Meggy Swann arrives in London lost and confused. Her father summoned her, yet wants nothing to do with her. She walks with the help of walking sticks and often feels like an outsider. Yet in London, Meggy finds a new life-she begins to make friends and learn new skills and her outlook begins to change. Things just might look up for Meggy Swann! GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: In full disclosure, I grew up loving Ms. Cushman's Catherine Called Birdy . It's one of my favorite books from my childhood. So I'll admit I may have been pre-disposed to like this book. I really feel that Alchemy and Meggy Swann is Ms. Cushman at her best. All the reasons I love her books are here. The historical detail she puts into her wri

So I was thinking the other day about how blogging is somewhat solitary. Sure, there's the blogging community, but that's online and I don't engage in conversations with other bloggers on a regular basis. We leave comments, read what others have written, and sometimes will participate in book chats. But blogging at times can be very solitary. I blog by myself and even though people read what I write, I blog mainly for myself. Readers in the blogging community know me, but I was thinking about how odd it is that my blog is such a big part of who I am and my life, yet very few of my friends and co-workers know about that part of me. They know I'm a teen librarian, they know I love to read, and some know I blog, but if they don't have an interest in YA lit (and really-they should!:) why would they know about or care about my blog? It's strange to me that so many people in the online world "know" who I am, yet people I see on a daily/weekly basis don

As part of the tour for Read, Remember, Recommend, the author Rachelle Knight is writing about great summer reads. Check out Rachelle's website for more summer reads. The theme of the Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens Traveling to Teens Tour is "Great Summer Reading". For each of my guest posts on the tour, the blog host and I will both recommend a book we feel would be worthy of some sunny weather, summer reading. Is a trip to a deserted and sunny tropical island in your summer plans? Have you ever wanted to search for buried treasure from an old map? Would you like to spend some time with pirates named Black Dog, Bones and Long John Silver? Then Treasure Island , the classic and famous book about pirates by Robert Louis Stevenson, would make the perfect summer read. Don't let the idea of rum swilling, gun toting, scruffy men scare you - this is a book anyone can enjoy - and no one will regret reading. Treasure Island is the quintessential pirate book. Almost al

Read, Remember, Recommend by Rachelle Rogers Knight Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Genre: Journal Release Date: 4/1/2010 Purchase Online Author's Website Traveling to Teens Tour Schedule About the Book : A journal for booklovers. Full of booklists, resources, and pages to write notes, keep track of books loaned and write thoughts on books reads. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: One thing my mom has always done is keep a notebook full of the book titles she reads each year. She told me to do this as a kid, but of course, I didn't listen, and now I wish I had lists of books that I read as a child and teen. Now I keep a journal, but it's no where as extensive and detailed as this one. Read, Remember, Recommend is a great place to start book journaling. I like the fact that there are extensive award winner lists and you can mark each title with read, want to read, own, recommend. There are some genre booklists, and while they aren't incredibly extensive, they could be a good starting poin

Today is an exciting day in the GreenBean household. Mr. GreenBeanSexy Man and I are closing on our first home today!:) We're very excited to have found our perfect house after looking at about 45 houses and three months of searching and waiting. And now today's the day. And how perfect that we're buying our first house a week before our one year wedding anniversary? I think that's a good present, don't you? Of course, one of the bedrooms will become my office/library and I can't wait to have a room full of bookshelves. I'll be sure to post pictures when it's all finished. Now comes the painting and decorating and honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing! If anyone has good suggestions on books to read (of course) or TV shows I should watch, I'd love to hear them.

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy First off, thank you to Daisy Whitney, author of the upcoming novel Mockingbirds , for hosting this tour. The Cinderella Society is Kay Cassidy's debut novel and it's all about girl power. Jess, our main character, is recruited to join a secret society called The Cinderella Society . The goal of the Cindy's is "celebrate your strength, embrace your future, be extraordinary." (ARC p. 56) I'm in the middle of reading this book right now and I'm really enjoying the book so far. It's a great read-especially for girls who need a reminder of how awesome they are. We want to share the girl power with you, so as part of The Cinderella Society Blog Tour, each stop is giving away a copy! What do you have to do to win? Leave a comment with a story/line/quote/thought about what it means to be empowered as a teenage girl. I can't wait to see what everyone says. The winner will receive a copy of The Cinderella Society . A

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars Genre: Historical/Gothic Release Date: 8/1/2009 Publisher: Little Brown Purchase from Indiebound Add to Goodreads About the Book: (From Goodreads because I could not come up with a decent sounding summary!): Sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe and her twin sister Alice have just become orphans, and, as Lia discovers, they have also become enemies. The twins are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. To escape from a dark fate and to remain in the arms of her beloved boyfriend James, Lia must end the prophecy before her sister does. Only then will she understand the mysterious circumstances of her parents' deaths, the true meaning of the strange mark branded on her wrist, and the lengths to which her sister will go to defeat her. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I always love the idea of Gothic novels and then they don't work out for me or I find them boring. Not so with Prophecy of the Sisters ! This book pulled me in

Please welcome Simone Elkeles to GreenBeanTeenQueen ! Ms. Elkeles is the author of Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attraction, Leaving Paradise , and the How to Ruin series. I had the pleasure of meeting Simone in person at YALSA's Coffee Klatch last year at ALA and she is so incredibly sweet and very funny! GreenBeanTeenQueen : You have such fun and unique book trailers for your books. Where do you get the ideas for your trailers? Simone: For Perfect Chemistry I wanted to do something totally different and unique. I wanted the book trailer to stand out. Then I thought about the television show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air . I LOVED the rap that Will Smith did in the beginning. I thought it would be hilarious to do a parody rap video as the book trailer. Some fans hate the rap and some think it’s hilarious and have downloaded it to their iPods . It definitely got attention! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr0OtYYpyek&feature=related For Rules of Attraction I wanted to do som

Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Romance Release Date: 4/13/2010 Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers Purchase from Indiebound.org Add to Goodreads About the Book: Carlos Fuentes has returned to the United States after living in Mexico for two years. His older brother Alex has a plan for him to get his act together and make a better life, but Carlos wants none of it. When Carlos meets Kiara, they immediately butt heads. Kiara is shy and keeps to herself, Carlos loves to party. But their lives keep intertwining and the two will learn that maybe they're better for each other than they both thought. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I loved Perfect Chemistry , so I was somewhat nervous about reading this one. I'm happy to say I was not disappointed! Once again, Simone Elkeles writes a hot steamy romance that I quickly devoured. If you ever find yourself in a reading slump, pick these books up because they will get you back into your reading groove! I did have some trouble connecting with Car

Do you love scary stories? Check out Morpheus Road: The Light by D.J. MacHale. D.J. MacHale, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Pendragon series, has a new adventure for readers in Morpheus Road . Marshall Seaver is being haunted. In The Light , the first installment of this chillingly compelling trilogy, sixteen-year-old Marshall discovers that something beyond our world is after him. The eerie clues pile up quickly, and when people start dying, it's clear whatever this is--it's huge. Marshall has no idea what's happening to him, but he's soon convinced that it has something to do with his best friend Cooper, who's been missing for over a week. Together with Coop's sister, Marsh searches for the truth about what happened to his friend, ultimately uncovering something bigger than he could ever have imagined. Want to win a copy? One lucky winner will recieve a *SIGNED* copy of Morpheus Road: The Light ! Contest Rules: -Must be 13+ to enter -Must hav

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme that highlights great tween reads. Join the fun and post your own Tween Tuesday post in the Mister Linky below. Morpheus Road: The Light by D.J. MacHale Rating: 3/5 Stars Genre: Horror/Adventure Release Date: 4/20/2010 Publisher: Aladdin Books-Simon and Schuster Purchase from Indiebound.org Add to Goodreads About the Book: Marshall Seaver is being haunted. It starts with strange noises and symbols appearing to him, but then things get stranger. Marshall starts to see Gravedigger, a comic character he created. When his best friend Cooper disappears, Marshall must work together with Sydney, Cooper's "ice queen" sister to figure out what is happening. The two discover that something bigger than they ever expected is after them-and no one is safe. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I'll admit it-I'm a wimp-I can't do scary stories. But I have readers who love them, so I try to read some every once in awhile. Since D.J. MacHale's previou

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Genre: Fantasy Release Date: 3/23/2010 Publisher: Egmont USA Purchase from Indiebound.org , Add to Goodreads About the Book: When wizard Wayland North shows up in Sydelle Mirabil's town and brings with him the long missing rain, he's offered a reward-and chooses Sydelle to accompany him on his journey. A cursed wizard, a looming war, and powerful storms brewing wherever they go, Sydelle is whisked off on an adventure she had only dreamed about before meeting North. GreenBeanTeenQueen: I've never been a big fan of high fantasy, so I wasn't sure if I would really enjoy Brightly Woven . Turns out, Alexandra Bracken has what it takes to make me enjoy fantasy! The book starts off quickly, which I loved (I've mentioned before how I hate when the summary mentions part of plot that doesn't occur until halfway through the book). That's not the case here-the adventure is off and running from the start. One of the reason's I'm not typ

I wrote a guest post for National Library Week at Bookworming in the 21st Century. I hope you stop by and let me know what you think! And don't forget to support your local library!

Join Runaway author Meg Cabot and Thea and Ana of The Book Smugglers for a Twitter party Thursday, April 22, between 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. EST! Be sure to follow Meg @MegCabot , Point at @ThisIsPoint , and Thea and Ana @BookSmugglers before the party! Join the fun! No one expects you or your tweets to be perfect; we’re just happy you made it to the party! Anyone who tweets during the party using #MegCabot is entered to win a limited edition Runaway t-shirt – featuring the winning design voted for by fans! Watch for questions from @BookSmugglers and win awesome prizes including an iPad, $50 Sephora gift cards or $25 VISA gift cards! To join the party, you can use our official party tweetgrid or just search #MegCabot on Twitter. Ask Meg questions or chat with other partygoers—just use the tag #MegCabot in all of your party tweets! (This is added automatically in TweetGrid.) Please don’t post any spoilers and don’t forget to pay attention to the time zones, the party starts

Today I have a special guest-my husband, Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan. I told him how I needed some more "guy reads" featured on my blog and since he is a guy and all, who better than to recommend a great guy read? If you like his post, I'll ask him to come back and give more suggestions-he reads a lot of fantasy and the more I can convince him to read MG or YA the better! Rating: 5/5 Stars Genre: Fantasy Release Date: various-all three are available now Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Purchase from Indiebound.org Add to Goodreads I am a picky reader and I have wanted to pick up a new series for quite awhile now. I have been looking to fill that void left by Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and others, but nothing has been holding my attention lately. Then by chance I saw the first book of the Bartimaeus Trilogy on audio book on a display and picked it up. I was immediately swept away by the bold storytelling. It also helped the Simon Jones narrated the audio books and his performance wou

It's Wednesday and we're halfway through National Library Week-have you visited your local library yet this week? I know many of us bloggers use the library frequently. We're avid readers and booklovers, so why wouldn't we visit the library? I don't love the library because I work there, I work there because I love the library. I thought in honor of National Library Week, I'd share one of my favorite library memories. My favorite event my library held was the library booksale. Sure the main booksale was fun-it was in one of the local mall's and you would walk through the halls and there were tables of books everywhere-it was an all day event for my family! But the best booksale was the children's only booksale/swap. You had to be under 18 and you had to bring books to swap. For each book you brought, you got a ticket to use for the books inside. And the best part-no adults allowed! My parents were always good about letting me read what I wanted, but the

With the return of Glee this week (yay!) why not promote some great Glee read-alikes? (This is not a comprehensive list and I'd love to hear more suggestions! I've linked to my reviews of titles I've read and reviewed on this blog.) - No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman -This is my go-to book for Glee read-alikes. Somehow the book just reminds me of the show-a jock who ends up in the theater department, the drama queen, and a teacher who wants to make a difference. Such a hilarious read-and I agree, no more dead dogs!! - My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger -This book really does have everything, and there are some great Glee- ish moments with the characters. I can see Glee fans loving this book. - Dramarama by E. Lockhart - Give this one to the hardcore theater lovers who live and breathe the theater. Chances are they'll relate to the theater camp experience. - Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev - Not the most Glee

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme to highlight great reads for tweens. Add your own Tween Tuesday post in the Mister Linky below! Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown by Daniel H. Wilson Rating: 3/5 Stars Genre: Humor Release Date: 4/13/2010 Publisher: Bloomsbury Kids Add to Goodreads Purchase from Indiebound About the Book: (From Goodreads): Bro-jitsu is a highly stylized form of physical and mental combat that has been practiced and honed to perfection over countless millennia by billions of human beings who all have one crucial thing in common: annoying siblings. The book breaks down Bro-jitsu into three strategies: offensive moves, defensive moves, and psychological manipulation. Each section delivers step-by-step instructions on performing crucial techniques, from the classic Wet Willy to the inventive Full-Body Defensive Fish Wiggle. No sibling should be without it! GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I'm somewhat mixed on this book. After reading Bro-Jitsu , I was reminded

Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary with a touch of Science Fiction Release Date: 4/20/2010 Publisher: Scholastic Full Disclosure: Reviewed from ARC sent for contest purposes Official Airhead Trilogy Website Add to Goodreads About the Book: (From Book) High fashion with a touch of sci-fi. In Runaway, the dramatic conclusion to the bestselling and acclaimed Airhead novels by Meg Cabot, Emerson Watts is on the run: from school, from work, from her family, from her friends, from herself. With everyone she loves furious with her for something she can’t explain, and nothing but the live Stark Angel fashion show on New Year’s Eve to look forward to, Em’s reached the end of the rope…what’s the point of even going on? But when she discovers the truth about Nikki’s secret, she knows there’s only one person she can turn to. Will Christopher be able to put aside his personal feelings and help her expose her employer to the world? Is it even fair to get Christopher involved—since if he agrees,

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary/Romance Release Date: 12/23/2008 Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers Purchase from Indiebound.org Add to Goodreads THIS REVIEW DOES CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS!! About the Book: Brittany and Alex are opposites. Brittany is a rich girl, Alex is a gang member. Brittany makes sure her life appears perfect, Alex tries to keep up a tough guy image. When the two are assigned to be chemistry partners, their lives collide and personalities clash. But as they learn more about each other they realize their lives aren't so different and that the chemistry they share can't be denied. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: This is one hot book! I had read lots of great reviews about this one, had my teens tell me how good it was, but it wasn't until I saw there was a sequel coming out that I knew I had to hurry up and read this one. I tore through it. If you ever find yourself in a reading slump, pick up Perfect Chemistry and it'll pull you right in. We

Yesterday I made a display of poetry books and novels in verse at my library in honor of National Poetry Month. Novels in verse always seem popular with my teens-they read fast, they can pack a lot into a short book, and they're a great way to discover poetry. I get asked for novels in verse a lot, so here are some of my favorites: What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones (and sequel, What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know, as well as Sones ' other titles) -The first novel in verse I read and I read it all in one sitting. It's beautifully written and the reader relates so well to Sophie. This is one of my go-to books when teens ask me for a good read. I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder (and Schroeder's other titles) -An emotional ghostly love story, readers will be haunted by this one for a long time. Burned by Ellen Hopkins (and Hopkins' titles) -I've enjoyed all of the Ellen Hopkins books I've read, but this one stood out to me and is my fa

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme that highlights great tween reads. Add your Tween Tuesday link in the Mister Linky below. The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schiltz Rating: 5/5 Stars Genre: Fantasy Release Date: 2/23/2010 Publisher: Candlewick Press Purchase from Indiebound.org , Add to Goodreads About the Book: Flory is a young night fairy who finds herself without wings when a bat snatches them off. Without her wings, Flory can't fly and has to find a way to fend for herself. Flory encounters a great cast of characters-some nice, some not and Flory finds herself on a grand adventure. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I adored this little gem of a book! In just over 100 pages, Ms. Schiltz builds a beautiful magical story. Flory is not your typical fairy. Sure she's small, has wings, and lives in a small house. But Flory isn't a dainty fairy-this is a fairy story for reader's who want a fairy with spunk and attitude. What I really liked was the growth of Flory throughout the story. F

I'd like to give a very special shout out and hello to the students of Lake Wales High School. You have an awesome teacher with Mrs. Croft!! (Yep, she and I knew each other in college.) I'd love to hear what books you've been reading, so if you get a chance, leave me a comment and let me know!