GreenBeanTeenQueen

I'm a big geek and I love Star Trek -and I'm not afraid to admit it! So of course my geeky self was very excited when I saw this: A Star Trek board book ! You know what I'm going to be buying for gifts this Christmas!!

Looking for some great guys reads to gift this holiday season? Scholastic's This Is Teen  has you covered with three exciting books perfect for guys (or girls) looking for something to read! About the Book: “ The Eleventh Plague hits disturbingly close to home…An excellent, taut debut novel.” – Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade for food and other items essential for survival. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true, where there are real houses, barbecues, a school, and even baseball games. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens. Join the fun and add your post below. Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Release Date: First published in 1972 Add to Goodreads About the Book: What happens when the meanest kids around want to appear in the annual Christmas Pageant? They don't know the story and everyone is braced for the worst pageant yet. But the Herdman's are about to change the Christmas Pageant in a way no one will forget. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I can't believe I haven't read this book before. Every Christmas I tell myself I'm going to pick it up and I never get to it. This is I checked it out and read it in one sitting (it's a short little book). I can see why this is a favorite book of many readers. The Herdmans are memorable characters and their antics are pretty funny. I was expecting more humor and silly things to happen at the pageant, so I was a bit dissapointed there. Even  though

I am so happy to announce that GreenBeanTeenQueen is one of the hosts for Lauren Oliver's Liesl & Po Holiday Giveaway! If you're like me, you love giving books at the Holidays! Here are the giveaway details from Lauren: "I am so happy to announce a massive SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON GIVEAWAY! The holidays, as we all know, are a time of sharing--and frantic, last-minute gift-buying. In order to do my part to celebrate, I will be giving one lucky reader one signed and gift-wrapped copy of Liesl & Po, perfect as a present for under the tree (or beneath the Menorah!). I am thrilled to announce that I will be co-hosting this contest along with ten other fabulous bloggers and avid fans of L & P, so be sure to enter early and enter often! A winner will be selected from EACH blog, meaning that ten copies of Liesl & Po will land in the hands of a lucky child this holiday season. Winners will be selected on 12/12! I'm so sorry to all my international

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Genre: Dystopian/Superhero/Adventure/Science Fiction Release Date: 11/15/2011 Add to Goodreads About the Book: Juliette is dangerous. Her touch can kill. The Reestablishment locked her up for murder and she's been in isolation and hasn't spoken to anyone for 264 days. Until The Reestablishment decides they want to use Juliette and her powers. She could be the ultimate weapon. But there are murmurings of war, of rebellion. Juliette must decide just where her loyalties lie-be a weapon or be a warrior. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Shatter Me is an exciting debut that will be a great book to booktalk to fans of romantic adventure stories. The book keeps getting compared to the X-Men and it's easy to see why-Juliette has special powers and she's viewed as a strange being (much like a mutant). While there is a dystopian setting, but the dystopian aspects are very light. There are lots of questions left unanswered about the dystopian world Juliette

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and add your link below! Rating: 4.5/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary Release Date: 9/19/2011 Add to Goodreads About the Book : Mattie and her mom have moved too many times for Mattie's liking. Mattie hoping that this time moving in with Uncle Potluck will last-no more being the new girl. Mattie has a week until school starts which means one week to convince Uncle Potluck to take her on as a custodial apprentice. If Mattie writes everything down in her notebook and can convince Uncle Potluck he needs her, she can work with him at recess-away from the other fifth-graders. But what will happen when Mattie's custodial wisdom doesn't work the way she plans? GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I've been a big fan of Linda Urban's since reading her debut, A Crooked Kind of Perfect . It's one of my go-to tween novels, so I was thrilled when I saw she had a new b

To help get you geared up for the 2011 Holiday Reading Challenge  I thought I'd get together a list of Holiday themed books I've enjoyed and books I'm looking forward to reading this year. I'd love to hear your suggestions as well-I'm always looking for new Holiday themed books! Sarah's Suggestions: Thank You Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson -A great look at the story behind Thanksgiving. Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed -I discovered this book several years back and it's now a tradition that Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan and I read this book every year. Last year, we had friends over for Christmas and I held "storytime" and read this book aloud! I'll be taking it to my in-laws and sharing it this year. I love the magic of the story. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle -Christmas and romance goes together and this short story collection of three romances that intertwine is

Participating in the 2011 Holiday Reading Challenge? Post the links to your holiday reviews here! Don't forget to check out other participants reviews-sharing is part of the fun!!:)

It's that time of year!! The holidays are upon us and there is nothing I love more than reading holiday themed books! Every year I try to find some holiday books (I especially love holiday romances!) so I thought I would share the fun in challenge form. Here are the challenge rules: -Challenge will begin November 21 and end December 31 . -There are three levels to the challenge:         - Rudolph -Read 1-4 Holiday Themed Books         - Buddy the Elf -Read 5-9 Holiday Themed Books         - Santa Claus -Read 10+ Holiday Themed Books -Books read must be holiday themed-(Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc) and can be directly related to the holidays (i.e. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas ) or set around the holidays (i.e. Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor ) -Books can be any format (hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, graphic novel/comic, etc) -Childrens, YA and Adult titles count. Yes, picture books will count for this challenge! I have some go-to picture bo

If you've read my blog, you know Mr. GreenBeanSexyman (aka Andy, my husband). He enjoys reading, yet he is the one person who can continually stump me when it comes to finding him something to read. You see, he loves epic fantasy and that's the one genre I don't really read (well, adult epic fantasy). Here are his rules: -Swords and Sorcery -Dragons a plus -No Guns (although I made him read an article from Brandon Sanderson about his new book with guns and I'm hoping that changes his mind ;) -Prefer male main characters, but open to some female main characters -Would like it to be a series that is still being written that has some following and reviews -Intelligible names-(if he has to look up a pronunciation, chances are he won't read it) -Complex characters and plot -No D&D World-he's read many of them See what I mean? He's enjoyed Harry Potter, Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, Sword of Trut

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great books for tweens. Join the fun and add your link below! Rating: 3/5 Stars Genre: Fantasy/Dystopian Release Date: 8/30/2011 Add to Goodreads About the Book: In the world of Quill, when you turn 13 you are either kept or sent to the Death Farm. Alex has always known that he was an Unwanted and that his twin brother, Aaron, was Wanted. When Alex arrives at the death farm expecting his end, he discovers a place called Artime. The leader, Mr. Today, explains that the Unwanteds are all creative children and will learn magic using music and art. But twins are dangerous to be seperated and Alex still feels a pull to his brother in Quill. A battle between Artime and Quill is brewing and both sides must learn to protect themselves, including brother fighting against brother. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I have seen many reviews and blurbs for this book describing it as The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter .  T

OK, I know you've probably seen this everywhere else today, but I wanted to make sure my previous posts for today got some love before I posted this one. All I can say is WOW! I am even more excited for the movie now and I think it's going to be amazing. It looks like they are staying true to the book and I love the casting! What do you think?

Photo credit: Kristin Hoebermann Eve on Facebook               Eve on Twitter Please welcome author Anna Carey to GreenBeanTeenQueen! Anna is the author of the recently released novel, Eve, the first in a new dystopian trilogy. Be sure to stay posted on all the series news at The Eve Trilogy Website  and stay in touch with Anna with her blog. Eve has been optioned as a TV show from the producers of The Vampire Diaries, so you'll want to keep an eye on this series! Don't worry-I'll help you out! One lucky winner will recieve a signed copy of Eve! Note: There are some spoilers in the interview, so if you want to be surprised with the book, you've been warned!! Welcome Anna and thanks for answering some questions at GreenBeanTeenQueen! As I started reading Eve, I was thinking that the dystopian stories that freak me out the most are stories that involve repopulation and girls who become "baby factories." That beginning scene in Eve is so intense! What insp

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Genre: Dystopian Release Date: 10/4/2011 Add to Goodreads About the Book: In a not too far off future, a virus has swept through and wiped out most of the population. Eve is about to graduate and believes that she will now get a job and learn a new trade. Instead she discovers the horrible fate that really awaits her and the other girls at the school. Deciding she can't stay, Eve flees the school and tries to survive. After a life of learning about the evils of men and how boys will only hurt her, Eve isn't sure what to do when she encounters a group of boys. She begins to trust Caleb, but when Eve discovers she is being hunted, she must choose between love and life. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Eve starts out by putting the reading right into the action. We don't spend much time with Eve at school-instead we learn right away what Eve is fleeing from-and let me tell you, it's an intense scene that will grip you! It's just the right amoun

Oh, Missouri. When will you stop banning books? Today I found out that the novel  Hold Still by Nina LaCour is being challenged by parents in Blue Springs Missouri . The book has been removed from the school, despite only having a verbal complaint, and is being challenged for language and eight other books on the list are being challenged for "vulgarity and acts of sex, incest and homosexuality." This banning hurts for several reasons-I hate when books are challenged and banned and this is happening in the state I live in. But this banning is very personal to me because Hold Still is on the Gateway Reader's Award List for 2011-2012 and I was part of the committee that voted on that list. The Gateway booklist is compiled by Missouri Librarians for high school students to read. If students read four or more titles in the year, they can vote on the list and choose which book they think is the best book that year. The goals of the Gateway Award are simple: To encourage M

I love book covers and the more time I spend browsing books, the more I notice what appeals to me in a cover. There are lots of cover changes that happen-some for the better, some for the worst. And every once in awhile there are cover changes that make the book change for a book I wasn't interested to into a book I want to pick up and read right now! Nothing has changed, it's the same story, same writing, but the cover markets to me in a different way and now I'm interested. Here are some of my recently judged books: First up, Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan : -The hardcover is OK, but it doesn't stand out to me at all. There's nothing about this cover that makes me want to pick the book or know more about the story. It's easily forgettable. But the paperback is more interesting: -To me, this cover has more intrigue. I want to know about the story inside-it looks a bit mysterious and dark and I want to pick it up. Next up: Nothing by Janne Teller -This

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and add your link below. Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Mystery Release Date: 2/8/2011 About the Book: Need some advice or help? Need protection from a bully? Visit the fourth stall, where Mac and Vince can offer their advice and assistance-for a fee, of course. Mac can solve problems and Vince is a whiz with money. Both boys are huge Chicago Cubs fans and they're saving up to see the Cubs in the World Series. When an older kid threatens the middle schoolers to pay up on their sports gambling debts, Mac and Vince are in for their biggest assignment yet. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: The Fourth Stall is a funny noir-style tale of good guys and bad guys set in middle school. There is a memorable cast of characters, especially the various bullies that Mac and Vince use for favors in their buisness. While some of the storyline is over the top, the book is a lot of fun. T

Whenever I meet someone new and tell them I'm a librarian, it seems they always ask the same thing-"what do you think of ebooks?" It's like they think I'm going to tell them ebooks are evil and going to be the end of the world and we should stick to paper. When I mention that I own an ereader (I own three actually) they seem a little surprised, like a librarian can't embrace new technology. Which really, is the silliest thing-ebooks are not an enemy to the library, but another service the library offers. I like my ereader. (Ok, mostly I like reading on an ereader because it makes me feel like I'm on Star Trek and I'll admit that that's the real reason I wanted one.) But there are things I've noticed about ereaders that make me stop and say "this is why books will last!" I can like ereaders, but I still see lots of problems with them. Granted, these might be somewhat device specific, but I think most ereaders have the same problems.

The holidays are coming and there's nothing that I love more than giving books as gifts! Which is one of the reasons I love participating in the Book Blogger Holiday Swap every year. It's a great way to share the gift of reading with other bookworms like yourself! And it's fun to have a Secret Santa out there in the blogging world. Both years I've participated, I've been introduced to blogs that were new to me through my Santa. It's a fun and easy gift exchange and I hope you take part! But you have to hurry-sign ups for the swap close on Friday, November 11!

Please welcome author Jaclyn Dolamore to GreenBeanTeenQueen! I was a big fan of Jackie's debut, Magic Under Glass , so I was thrilled to get the chance to talk to her about her new book, Between the Sea and Sky . I feel like I've been waiting for this book forever. I first found out about it at an ALA dinner where Jackie showed off the cover (which is gorgeous, don't you think?) Since then I've been super excited to read her take on mermaids! So here's what Jackie has to share about her new book and her inspiration: GBTQ: It seems as though mermaid fiction is becoming more popular in YA. What do think the appeal of mermaids is? JD: I can't speak for everyone. I know there is just some general paranormal creature chasing going on, and Stephenie Meyer said she was going to do mermaids, although I was working on mine before I heard about that and I suspect a lot of these other mermaid-book authors may have been too. For me, the appeal of mermaids is the yearning.

Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Fantasy/Historical/Mermaids Release Date: 10/25/2011 Add to Goodreads About the Book: When Esmerine is named a siren, she is excited to share siren duties with her older sister Dosia. But when Dosia disappears from the sea and rumor has it a human has kidnapped her siren belt, Esmerine knows she must try and save her sister. Esmerine transforms her tail into legs, a painful process for a mermaid, and sets off to find her sister. While on land, Esmerine reconnects with her childhood friend and winged person, Alandare, and the two join together to find Dosia. During her search, Esmerine finds herself conflicted about where she truly belongs-in the sea as a siren or on land with Alan? GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Between the Sea and Sky is an enchanting tale from the magical world of Jaclyn Dolamore. I really think she has one of the best imaginations! Never have I thought before that winged boys could be cute or that mermaids could wander both the sea and lan

I've been battling a cold turned sinus infection and it's made me take a dip in blogging, which I hate! It also got me thinking about a post I wrote a couple of years ago about sick day comforts . I still love Anne and would happily re-watch and re-read Anne of Green Gables sick day or not. But my sick day feel good book comforts have changed a bit as I've gotten older. I've noticed that as an adult I tend to use sick days to try and make a dent in my TBR instead of going for an old favorite like I would as a child. I think part of that is because I don't have as much free time to read as adult, so I take what I can get. As a kid, I could spend all weekend reading and it was OK, but I don't always have that luxury as an adult. I've also noticed that I like reading picture books when I'm sick. I usually have a large stack of them checked out from my library and spending the afternoon reading nothing but picture books is a wonderful comfort for me. I