Debut of the Month - All About Marissa Burt ( Storybound)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Debutante Profile

Name - Marissa Burt
Debut - Storybound
Genre - MG Fantasy
Website - HERE

Blog - HERE

Twitter - HERE

Marissa Burt was forever getting notes sent home from teachers about reading novels during class. She grew up in Oregon and drifted eastward through Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee, and South Carolina before coming back to the Pacific Northwest. She now lives in Seattle with her husband and three sons.

Dream Debutante Dress -  I am a complete fantasy geek at heart.

Notes from a YA Debutante

Five things I like to do when I'm not writing

1.  Sleep.  Seriously.  I have three boys age five and under.  

2.  Read.  There are tottering stacks of books all over the house.  We are regular library patrons, and, once I very proudly maxed out the 100-book limit.  I like to read pretty much anything.  Fiction (fantasy and mystery top the list) is still my favorite, but I like a good memoir or fat volume of theology, too.

3.  Visit the ocean.  If you haven't yet been to the Washington or Oregon coast, it's time you had a little vacation. It's absolutely breath-taking: craggy cliffs towering over white-topped waves.  And, while you'll never get a chance for a good swim, it's perfect to go for a bracing walk through the drizzle.  Lovely.

4.  Journaling.  I know this is technically still writing, but I think of it more as a creative outlet.  I like to get a big blank sketchbook, paste pictures throughout, scribble a little, sketch a little, and basically daydream on the page.  I want to like other crafts - I've tried quilting and sewing and things like that - but only journaling has stuck.  

5.  Games.  I love board games!  Ridiculous, I know.  While I'm now in the stage of Candy Land, Sorry, and Go Fish with my kids, I can't wait until they can dive into the deeper end of gaming.  Games like...wait for it...Yahtzee, Monopoly, and Battleship.  Bring it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bookie's Note: Guys, this month we have our first MG debutante! I've never had an MG author volunteer but it's exciting because I never wanted to make my blog YA exclusive :) Now Marissa, I don't write but I sleeping and reading pretty much make up my life :D And food and blogging! Anyway guy, please come back tomorrow for the second half of Marissa's features AND an AWESOME giveaway ( read AWESOME)!

Badass Bookie xx

In My Mailbox #45

Morning lovelies! It's a raining morning here in Australia and I have an enormous amount of assignments to complete before I go back to school tomorrow...BUT I haven't done an IMM in three weeks so I HAD to do one today! In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren :)

For Review -

Drive By by Jim Carrington

Girl, Stolen by April Henry

( Thanks to Bloomsbury and Walker Books!)

Gifted -

We'll Always have Summer by Jenny Han ( Read and Loved)

Signed Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally ( Read and Loved)

Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig ( Read and Loved)

Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

( Thanks to Nomes, Miranda <3 and the lovely Rebecca who sent me 3 books for God knows what reason! She's a lovely girl - go follow her at Reading Wishes) 

Swapped -

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Eve by Anna Carey

( Thanks to Nomes and Lux!)

That's it for me! Link me! :)

Badass Bookie xx

Revived

Review Time! Revived is the second novel by YA author, Cat Patrick. Her debut novel Forgotten is getting turned into a movie! I really enjoyed Forgotten so I was very excited to read Revived. I'm not going to lie, the Australian cover is so much prettier than the US one ( which in my opinion is quite scary!) Thanks to Hardie Grant Egmont for the review copy!

(Goodreads) As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life. A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.

The Short Story? - An enjoyable contemporary with a nice touch of the supernatural! Overall Revive was really good - I had some problems with the plot which I found a little lacking but the characterisation was beautiful, the romance was the sweet bloom of a first love. A nice mixture of dark and light contemporary, Patrick explores life, death, friendship and love. Beautifully written, if you loved Forgotten - I'm sure you'll love Revived as well!

The Long Story? - I'm discovering a trend in Patrick's books, all her characters die at a young age and then they're somehow brought make to life. That's slightly morbid but it somehow works out with her contemporary fiction plots. For me, Revive was enjoyable but the pace was too slow. I'm more of a butt-kicking, action-filled girl but I love the occasional YA contemporary too. I felt Revived needed more dynamics, everything kinda pitter-pattered along and worked itself out. The shockers were too mild, the twists and turns were too bland, Patrick should have gone for extremes. The only word I can think of to describe this novel is soft. Everything was soft, it worked a little too well. For me it lacked the "wow" factor, I've read other reviews on the novel and everyone seems to like it so I think it's just me. It's beautifully written, the plot is great, the romance is sweet but for me I didn't feel the instant click.

Although I found the plot a little lacking - I really loved the characterisation! Daisy is a lovely girl, she has everyone's best interests at heart. The only word I can think to describe her is nice, she's just a really carefree and open kind of protagonist, which fits with the novel. Matt is no Luke Henry but he's really sweet too. I don't think boys like him exist outside YA fiction because he's hot but a little too nice. It's like a gentlemen got stuck into a teenagers body! However, by far my favourite character was Audrey. I loved Audrey, she reminded me of myself. She was funny, out-going and very brave and accepting. What happened to Audrey was completely undeserved but it all worked out :)

Overall, Revived was a delightful read. It wasn't perfect but I enjoyed reading it and I loved the characters. Patrick is a beautiful YA writer who's narrative voice is quite amazing. I'm positive that many of you would really enjoy Revived, if you love contemporary YA fiction with a strong romance tagline but a storyline as well, than Revived would be a good book to read!

What's it Worth? - Squeeze into the Budget/ Hand Over the Paycheck


Badass Bookie xx

LATE Breakfast with the Bookie - E-Book Piracy: A Felony

 
Breakfast with the Bookie is a semi-weekly feature here @ Badass Bookie which is making a reappearance in 2012. Every other Wednesday morning, let's all grab our teas and coffees to gather and discuss and share our opinions! Everyone is welcome to join and make sure you leave a comment to state your opinion. Don't be shy! 


This Week's Topic - E-Book Piracy: A Felony

I could rant for three days straight about this but unfortunately I don't think anyone would read that so I'm giving you the "shortish" version. It's a fairly long post but I hope you would all read it because E-Book Piracy is affecting everyone. If you could tweet, Facebook, blog a link to this post it would be great! Let's fight E-Book Piracy together!

Firstly, piracy is just a fancy word for stealing. E-Book Piracy in theory is the same as going into your local bookshop, pulling a book off the shelf and walking out. The only difference is that you're doing it anonymously behind the safety of your desktop.

Respectively speaking, piracy of any kind is bad but I honestly think E-Book Piracy is the worst. Authors under no circumstances have a fan base as large as members of the music industry or the film industry (of course for every circumstance, there are few exceptions but let's face it not everyone can be J.K. Rowlings or Stephanie Meyers) this means that they aren't paid as much.

Your run-on-the-mill author's annual salary probably matches the salary of an everyday accountant. Add that to the fact that they get a pay check twice a year and mere 3% ( or less) in royalties for every book they sell. They can't afford to lose money. They have families to support, children to feed, bills to pay and every time you click download without paying, you're making that harder for them.

Here the bottom-line, authors want to do what they love most but if they couldn't support themselves with a measly pay check - they would give up writing and take up a steady job in a heartbeat. Every book that's not being bought but pirated is making it harder for them to continue doing what they love. Think budgeting fortnightly is hard? Try getting a pay check every six months. If you wouldn't steal from someone you meet on the street, then don't pirate books because you're stealing from these authors.

Also keep in mind that Piracy is a felony. If you're caught distributing or downloading works of fiction under copyright laws then you're looking at 5/6 digit fines and maybe even jail time. If this isn't making an impression maybe these statistics will -


- Twenty-nine percent (29%) of all e-readers surveyed, admitted to piracy. That's almost 3 out of every 10 adults!
- In the U.S., it is estimated that e-book piracy costs the industry $3 billion dollars every year
- One in eight women over 35 who own an e-reader, admitted to downloading illegal copies of e-books.
- At the end of 2011, an estimated 20% of all ebooks downloaded on to e-readers were believed to have been pirated.
- In the United Kingdom, the Publishers Associated issued 115,000 legal notices to websites who were offering free pirated copies of books, an increase of 130 percent from the number of notices sent out in 2010.


( Statistics Courtesy of Havoscope and All on Writing)

  What Authors Have to Say? - 

I understand the urge to take advantage of "free" books when you can't afford them or they're not available in your area, or even not yet released. And in the short run, that may be very satisfying. Free books! (Sometimes with viruses attached.) But if the ethics of pirating books doesn't bother someone, the long-term consequences should. Authors can write all they want, but if a publisher looks at their sales numbers and sees there aren't enough SALES (this is a business), then they're not going to buy and publish more books from that author. They won't be able to afford to do it. Of course, this is about people who download and read the books, not the people who just want to have them and wouldn't buy them anyway. The best way to get free/cheap books is in the library, from a friend, or wait for a used bookstore. Waiting sucks, but it's less harmful to an author's career. And people who want more books in the future should consider that. - Jodi Meadows ( Incarnate)

Special place in Hell for people who pirate books. There is a building that gives you them for free. It's call a LIBRARY. Pirating books hurts EVERYONE. But especially authors. It can actively prevent them from being able to publish more. - Victoria Schwab ( The Near Witch )

Creativity comes from a love of the work, of the art, and piracy belittles that. - Katherine Longshore ( Gilt)

If someone cares about my words enough to steal them, I consider that a compliment. Caring enough to pay for them is a bonus. - Jay Kristoff ( Stormdancer) 

Authors want to be paid for work and piracy's illegal. But it also seems inevitable—wish there was a way to harness it for good, not evil. - Elisa Ludwig ( Pretty Crooked) 

Alternatives to E-Book Piracy -


The Library: In some countries like Australia and Canada under the Public Lending Right - authors get compensation for the potential loss of sales from their works being available in public libraries. It's not as much as royalties but authors still get something out. Therefore every time you borrow a book from the library, authors are getting a little back.

Giveaways: The Blogosphere is filled with generous bloggers who giveaway books and ARCs! On any given day - you will find literally hundreds of book giveaways open internationally! You might not win but it's definitely better than e-book piracy.

Netgalley/ E-Galley Grabs: In exchange of a review, there are many sites that allow you to read e-books without charge. A good one is Netgalley but publishers also have their own e-galley programs - I know Simon and Schuster does! Edelweiss is another one, there are LEGAL ways to read e-books FOR FREE.

What's your opinion of E-Book Piracy? Are you fighting it? Do you encourage it? Let's discuss!

Badass Bookie xx

Storm

Review Time! Storm by Brigid Kemmerer is a 2012 YA Debut,  it's releasing later this month both in Australia and the US. Before you even read my review, PRE ORDER YOUR COPY because it's beyond awesome! I've even linked you to The Book Depository or if you would like to purchase an Australian Copy ( with the pretty cover featured!) you can purchase from Booktopia. Thanks to Allen and Unwin for the ARC for review!

(Goodreads) Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death. And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca. Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all. 
The storm is coming . . .

The Short Story? - Kemmerer's debut brings all the girls to the yard with the HOTTEST brotherhood in the history of HOTNESS! A truly unputdownable debut with the right combination of magic, romance and danger! A wonderfully developed plot filled with a badass heroine, a brotherhood of HOT HOT boys and enough action,  humour  and danger to rival even the best paranormal YA novels! A memorable debut that's not to be missed - this book is one heck of a roller coaster ride!

The Long Story? - Firstly, for a debut author this A-class writing! Either Kemmerer is secretly 16 or she's nailed the YA narrative voice FIRST TIME ROUND. Very authentic prose, comfortable to read, easy to get lost in. The plot was a lovely surprise, whatever expectation I had were definitely exceeded. Filled with danger, action and humour, Storm was a real treat to read! The book opened beautifully with a "girl saves boy" action scene followed by "meeting the family"( can I get a *swoon*) and then I was carried away by the storm of unexpected and unpredictable events ( pun intended). From the first page, Kemmerer had me hooked - definitely one of my favourite YA debuts of 2012 ( April? Psh, this is pure awesomeness). If you love hot boys, kickass heroines and magic - Storm might just be your next read!

I'm 100% happy with the characterisation. Okay, I admit I'm very much taken by the beauty of the Merrick brothers but that's not all! Becca is a very likeable protagonist. She's brave, she's funny and she's kickass - I think she's earned the title of a heroine. Her actions really reflect her personality and I think she see the good in people ( even if they act like big jerks). She's easy to connect with and she's had her fair share of high school drama. She's a tough girl! Chris, he's not my favourite Merrick brother but he's the one that Becca's taken a fancy of. He's definitely HOT and he's sweet in his own way. He's SUCH a guy, you know - unable to express his own feelings but feels incredibly jealous when THE GIRL talks to ANOTHER guy. There's also Hunter who I think is absolutely badass and hilarious. Fantastic characterisation.

In a nutshell, I think life must be very hard for Becca, she has to chose between Chris and Hunter, she gets to spend time with the Merrick boys and she's awesome? I'm insanely jealous of this girl! Storm is a spectacular debut that's A-class from cover to cover! An engrossing plot, an awesome heroine and the hottest YA boys to debut this year - if you're a girl ( or a guy!) and you love YA - I would click that Book Depository link up there ^ and preorder my copy today!

What's it's Worth - BREAK OUT YOUR PIGGYBANK


Badass Bookie xx

Goddess Interrupted

Review Time! Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter is the sequel to 2011 Debut The Goddess Tests which is a fresh take on the Hades and Persephone Greek myth. If you haven't read The Goddess Tests, I highly recommend you do! Goddess Interrupted in available for purchase in bookstores and The Book Depository ( direct link). Thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia for the review copy!

(Goodreads) Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person whom she would really rather not meet. Henry's first wife, Persephone

The Short Story? - Goddess Interrupted was even better than The Goddess Tests! Carter's retelling of the popular Greek myth of Hades and Persephone is both addictive and unputdownable. Think soap opera with less scandals but more drama. One of the most authentic romance tag lines I've read in recent years ( post- Twilight), this is definitely one heck of a sequel! Exciting, original, heartbreaking, beautiful and undeniably romantic! A must-read!

The Long Story? - I know some people weren't all that impressed with the first book and I agree some parts could have needed a little more work but Goddess Interrupted had me hooked from page one! It's definitely better written and the plot was more interesting in my opinion. I love those "saving the world" plots and Goddess Interrupted was exactly that! Cronus and Calliope want to wipe out humanity and take down the Greek gods in process but Kate and her can-do family are here to save the day! There was danger, sacrifice, fights and adventure - all things that made a good novel. However more than anything I was taken by the romance. The romance was almost to hot to handle, there was so much drama between Kate and Henry. There were points in the book were I wanted to jump in the pages and shake Henry and say "OMG Henry FIGHT FOR HER! DO SOMETHING". The authenticity of their relationship is brilliant, they have problems and they're fighting for a happy ending. It wasn't insta-love and their is definitely build-up and development - JUST LIKE A REAL RELATIONSHIP! Overall, I'm very impressed with Carter's Goddess Interrupted!

I'm also most impressed with the characterisation. Part of the reason Henry and Kate have such an authentic relationship is because they're authentic characters. We're taking about major ( believable) flaws in their personality but together they're perfect. Kate is far from perfect but I adore her anyway. She's not much of a heroine but she desperately wants to help and make a difference. She's willing to put others before her and her determination and empathy is admirable! She's a little clingy, a little insecure and a little jealous but then again Henry gives her every reason to be so. Henry is a complicated individual, he's the biggest sweetie but he's like romantically awkward and can't show affection. However he clearly loves Kate, I just wished he could show it... Overall, very good characterisation!

In a nutshell - if you don't read Goddess Interrupted, we can't be friends! Carter's got it just right! Not too much romance, just enough drama and a "save the world" mission that ends in an unbelievable cliff hanger, I think this might be the cliff hanger of all cliff hangers! I look forward to the finale of this series. This is an extraordinary greek myth retelling, definitely worth every cent! Go buy it! :)

What's it Worth? - Hand Over the Paycheck

Badass Bookie xx

Pandemonium

Review Time! Pandemonium is the eagerly anticipated sequel to Lauren Oliver's bestselling YA dystopian, Delirium! If you haven't read Delirium, you should because it's plain awesome! Lauren recently visited Australia and it's such a shame I couldn't make her book signing but I'm sure I'll get to meet her one day! :) Thanks to Hachette Australia for the review copy!

(Goodreads) I’m pushing aside 
the memory of my nightmare, 

pushing aside thoughts of Alex, 

pushing aside thoughts of Hana 
and my old school, 

push, 

push, 

push, 

like Raven taught me to do. 
The old life is dead. 

But the old Lena is dead too. 
I buried her. 

I left her beyond a fence, 
behind a wall of smoke and flame. 



The Short Story? - Oliver never fails to impress! After reading raving reviews for months I can now safely say that yes, they weren't exaggerating - Pandemonium was mind-shatteringly amazing! An edgy and exciting plot, a romance tagline that keeps getting better and Lena! I'm so proud of this girl, she's toughened up and she's so so brave! If you love your novels everything dystopian and if you're a lover of great romance tag lines - this one is for you!

The Long Story? - I like Pandemonium much better than Delirium, although Delirium was fantastic as well! The plot was more productive and interesting. In this book Lena and her new wilderness friends join the resistance to fight the corrupt government. Lena is under the impression that Alex died the night that they tried to escape ( he doesn't - I thought you'll appreciate this spoiler). However Alex doesn't make an appearance in Pandemonium! The whole novel is a little bit of a dangerous survival adventure. I don't want to spoil it too much for you guys but - there is a new guy on the block. The story is very much evolved around him and it seems like Lena might have fallen for this guy. This deliciously delirious plot combined with Oliver's fantastic prose has got my craving for Book #3. Oliver sure knows how to end with a bang, after that killer cliff hanger - I feel 2013 can't come fast enough!

I feel as if Lena is a completely different girl and in a way she is. In the novel Lena says " the old Lena is dead, I buried her, I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame" and even word of that quote rings true. This new Lena is a badass. She's calm, she's brave and more than anything she wants to fight with the resistance, the illusion of deliria being a disease has been shattered and Lena believes everyone should be able to love and she's willing to fight for that. I admire her bravery, even in the worst of situation, she keeps level headed and she fights. I'm so proud of this Lena! I won't say much about the new guy but I have a soft spot for him. He clearly cares about Lena and while he isn't Alex, he's somebody that could make Lena very happy! Overall good characterisation ( as expected)!

If you love dystopian and a solid love story, Pandemonium might just be your next read. Of course, you will have to read Delirium first but both novels are an absolute delight to read. Fantastic plot, extraordinary romance tagline and a heroine that might just be a badass in disguise. Brilliantly written, if you haven't read Lauren Oliver, nows the time to start!

Rating - Hand Over the Paycheck

Badass Bookie xx