The Love Song for Jonny Valentine by Teddy Wayne

by:  Teddy Wayne
published by:  Free Press
publish date:  February 5, 2013


Megastar Jonny Valentine, eleven-year-old icon of bubblegum pop, knows that the fans don’t love him for who he is. The talented singer’s image, voice, and even hairdo have been relentlessly packaged—by his L.A. label and his hard-partying manager-mother, Jane—into bite-size pabulum. But within the marketing machine, somewhere, Jonny is still a vulnerable little boy, perplexed by his budding sexuality and his heartthrob status, dependent on Jane, and endlessly searching for his absent father in Internet fan sites, lonely emails, and the crowds of faceless fans.
This book was the funniest and at the same time the saddest book I've read this year.  It made me really sad for child pop stars.  However, Teddy Wayne did a brilliant job presenting such an  awful lifestyle in a humorous way.

You could take out the name Jonny Valentine and stick in Justin Beiber and you'd probably have a fairly accurate picture.  Jonny Valentine was discovered from YouTube videos and went from nobody to superstar in like a month.  His overly controlling mother/manager has every aspect of his life polished and packaged.  Jonny lives in terror of chub and child predators and never knowing his father.   Despite all their careful training, Jonny's career is on the downslide and his mother is getting desperate.  Her crazy antics are threatening to bring down the whole show.

Throughout the entire book Jonny is terrified of child predators, even though his best friend is his body guard.  This book kinda made me feel like a child predator at times.  The extensive descriptions of Jonny's sexual explorations were a little icky considering he was an 11 year old boy.  However, I suppose that's a natural part of growing up. 

My favorite part of the book and I guess the part that made Jonny a real boy was his obsession with the video game Zenon.  He played it for relaxation before and after his concerts.  His ability to relate the game to all other aspects of his life was an endearing quality.

I would definitely recommend this book, but I suspect the group of people that would get this book is rather small.  While it's about an 11 year old boy, it's an adult book.  I'm really curious to hear what other people thought about this book.

Game by Barry Lyga

by:  Barry Lyga
published by:  Little, Brown for Young Readers
publish date:  April 16, 2013

When a desperate New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz's door asking for help with a new case, Jazz can't say no. The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple--and its police force running scared with no leads. So Jazz and his girlfriend Connie hop on a plane to the big city and get swept up in a killer's murderous game.

I read I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga back in December.  I liked it.  I was looking forward to this sequel.  It definitely lived up to the first book.

In Game, Jazz is collaborating with NYC detectives to capture the Hat-Dog killer.  (I hated that name btw)  Jazz figures out the underlying pattern of the killer and what the motivation is.  His serial killer father gets thrown in the mix.  It made for a great slice 'em and dice 'em thriller.

Now, saying that.  I had a little bit of a problem with this book being classified as YA.  This is one of those books that maybe more appropriate for the "New Adult" genre.  There was a lot of talk about rape and castration and other violent acts.  These books are a lot like the TV show Dexter and that's rated TV-MA. On the other hand, the characters are all teenagers and act like teenagers most of the time, so in that regard I can understand why it would be labeled YA.   Anyway, my two cents on the subject.

The book ended with a major cliffhanger so there will be another book in this series.   Not sure when that will be coming out, but I will definitely be checking it out!

Throwback Thursday: Light in Shadow by Jayne Ann Krentz

Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
First published in 2002 by Putnam adult

Zoe Luce is a successful interior designer in the Arizona town of Whispering Springs who's developed an unusual career specialty-helping recently divorced clients redesign their homes, to help them forget the past and start anew. But Zoe knows that some things can't be covered up with a coat of paint. And when she senses that one of her clients may be hiding a dark secret, she enlists P.I. Ethan Truax to find the truth. 

With  authors like Ms. Krentz, you pretty much know what type of book you are getting...a feisty heroine and a swoon worthy hero.   Light in Shadow has both.  I enjoyed the book.  There are two mysteries, the first of which is solved pretty early in the book.  The second took me a bit by surprise.  I always enjoy that in a book.  

Ethan and Zoe are well matched. I liked that Ethan isn't a super, rich alpha male.  He's starting over in a new town with a new business. He is protective of the people he cares about, but isn't too overbearing.  Zoe is hiding out and recovering from her awful time in a mental hospital.  He ultimate goal is to find out who killed her husband and to get back at the people who had her committed.  Thrown into marriage to protect Zoe, they have to decide what to do with their relationship.  The ending was sweet, but no declarations of love.  It was more of a "Happy For Now" ending.  There is a second book, Truth or Dare, that seems to continue Zoe and Ethan's story.   

The other characters in the book rounded out the story nicely.  It looks like there is a potential for more romances in the next book, maybe?  I have it in my TBR pile, so watch for a review soon. 

Blog Tour: Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende

Author: Isabel Allende 
Publisher: Harper
Date of publication: April 2013

 Isabel Allende’s latest novel, set in the present day (a new departure for the author), tells the story of a 19-year-old American girl who finds refuge on a remote island off the coast of Chile after falling into a life of drugs, crime, and prostitution. There, in the company of a torture survivor, a lame dog, and other unforgettable characters, Maya Vidal writes her story, which includes pursuit by a gang of assassins, the police, the FBI, and Interpol. In the process, she unveils a terrible family secret, comes to understand the meaning of love and loyalty, and initiates the greatest adventure of her life: the journey into her own soul.
  
 Maya's Notebook is a beautifully written and compelling story about a girl who runs away to Chile to hide and in the process begins to find herself.  Maya Vidal has gone through so much in her short life.  While she is hiding on the island of Chiloe, she writes in her notebook about her daily life on the island and the friends she makes there.  She also writes about the events in her life that led her to flee the US.  The book doesn't really have chapters as it is more in journal form. 

I liked the story a lot.  I was sucked in immediately as I followed the journey through Maya's life.  Through writing in a notebook/journal, she is able to look back and examine the things that happened to her.  I liked Maya.  I liked that she allowed herself to look at the past through open eyes and was brutally honest about herself and the role she played in the things that happened to her. Maya's story was uncomfortable to read at times as she sinks lower into the black hole of drug addiction and rebellion. I think more than rehab, the isolation and quiet way of living on the island allowed her to really dig deep into herself. The ending was very satisfying.  I was left with a sense that Maya would ultimately be OK. She still has along road ahead of her, but she is a survivor.  I also felt like her family learned some things along the way as well and would be instrumental in her healing.

Mixed in with Maya's story, the author has woven parts of Chilean history and culture.  I found these parts to be interesting as I know nothing of the region. We also get a glimpse into the seedier side of Las Vegas life.  This is the first book that I have read by this author.  If this book is any indication of her style of writing, I know I will be seeking out her earlier works.  

About the author:

Isabel Allende Llona is a Chilean-American novelist. Allende, who writes in the "magic realism" tradition, is considered one of the first successful women novelists in Latin America. She has written novels based in part on her own experiences, often focusing on the experiences of women, weaving myth and realism together. She has lectured and done extensive book tours and has taught literature at several US colleges. She currently resides in California with her husband. Allende adopted U.S. citizenship in 2003.

Website: http://www.isabelallende.com

Blog Tour: Guest Post by Cindy McDonald

Today we are pleased to welcome author Cindy McDonald.  She is promoting her book, Deadly.com.  Enjoy her guest post about meeting her characters face to face.  She is giving away a signed copy of the book.  Make sure to check out the Rafflecopter below!

Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: September 2, 2012

Make a note: never agitate a madman. Successful Thoroughbred trainer Mike West just made that mistake-and he’s gonna pay-more than he ever realized. But it’s all in the family; his sister, Kate, has been the object of the madman’s desire on the social network “My Town”. Her constant rejections have infuriated him! People who seem to be in the way start turning up dead, and he’s got Mike and Kate next on his list! In the first book of The Unbridled Series, Cindy McDonald introduces you to the world of Thoroughbred racing, while taking her cast of characters on a wild ride through a maniacs mind.

Meeting My Characters Face to Face

I couldn’t believe it! I was out and about minding my own business and suddenly out of the blue there he stood right in front of me—one of the characters from one of my books! Wow! I had no idea that they actually existed—until that moment!

It was a lovely Sunday afternoon. After church services I always go grocery shopping. I was wearing a bright yellow sundress. I pushed my shopping cart through the parking lot to my car and began unloading my bags into the trunk, when a husky voice called to me, “Don’t you look summery today. That’s a very pretty dress you’re wearing.” the man said.

I straightened to peer over the roof of my car. My eyes widened, my jaw dropped open, and a thin gasped escaped me before I could call it back. I couldn’t believe what my eyes were telling me … George Smuts was leaning against a white panel van parked diagonally from my car. He was wearing a white jumpsuit, aviator glasses, a ball cap, and he was cleaning a wrench with a dirty red rag. George was a horrible character from my first book, Deadly.Com. He was terrifying. He was mentally deranged. He found no remorse in killing or torture. My chest tightened. Instantly my throat went dry. I was barely able to mutter out, “T-thank you.”

Quickly I slammed my trunk closed, got in the car, and drove home well over the speed limit, while watching my rear view—not for the police, mind you, but for George Smuts. I was absolutely terrified that he would follow me home. I had created George. I knew what he was capable of, and I certainly didn’t want to be his next victim. Thankfully, he did not follow me. He probably finished cleaning his wrench and went home to watch the football game. Whew!

It was only weeks later when I bumped into another one of my characters, only this time the view was easy on the eyes—Mike West.  It was a lazy morning. I had no appointments or set plans for the day, so I decided to take full advantage of the leisure time to wander about the house in my nightgown with a mug of coffee in hand. There was a knock at my door. Dang! I contemplated throwing on some clothes but decided against it.

Carefully, I opened the door just a crack to peek out at the man on the other side. Holy Moses, he was wearing a black tank and camo pants. His arms where sculpted with deep muscles and his hair was a thick nest of one wavy dark lock on top of the other. A character from my Unbridled Series that I work with on a daily basis was standing on my porch—Mike West!  He flashed his 1000 megawatt smile at me, and politely informed me that they would be trimming the trees along my driveway, but if I needed out that they would be more than happy to move their big truck for me at any time.

To tell the truth, I’m amazed that I am able to reiterate what the man said to me, because I was so busy staring at him that I wasn’t sure that I actually heard one word the hot hunk had to say. I spent the day at my window watching him bend over, pick up branches, take long swigs of water from his thermos, and more bending over.  I got absolutely no writing done what-so-ever all day long.

Okay, these characters are figments of my imagination—they are not real people—or so I thought. Coming face-to-face with George Smuts totally freaked me out, but coming face-to-face with Mike West, was an afternoon of high caloric eye candy. Delicious!

I have been keeping my eyes peeled. One never knows when Eric West will show up or perhaps someday I’ll be questioned by Lieutenant Lugowski—wouldn’t that be a kick?

People are always asking me: are any of your characters based on real people? My answer is always the same: no, they are imaginary. How will I answer that question now, when I know that they are out there…waiting to bump into me?

---

Deadly.com | Hot Coco | Dangerous Deception

About the author:

For the past twenty years Cindy has helped her husband raise, train, and race Thoroughbreds at their forty-five acre farm known as Fly-By-Night Stables near Pittsburgh.

During those years Cindy has paid close attention to the characters that hang-out at the back-side of the track.  She found the situations and life style most intriguing. In 2005 she sat down at her computer and began a journey into writing about this life that few understand.

Cindy has recently retired from making her living as a professional choreographer. She owned and operated Cindy McDonald’s School of Dance since 1985.  She studied at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and with the Pittsburgh Dance Alloy at Carnegie Mellon University to name a few.  She has choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop: May 21st – 27th

Welcome to the No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop sponsored by I Am A Reader Not A Writer.  You are at stop #24   For the full list of participating blogs go here.

As the title of the hop says, this is an easy giveaway to enter. Just leave a valid e-mail address in the form below.  That's it!

We have 3 separate prize packs to give away today.  3 lucky winners will be chosen using Random.org.   Good luck!

Prize Pack #1: ARC The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs & ARC Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Prize Pack #2:  PB The Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney & HC The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Prize Pack #3: PB Forbidden Sister by VC Andrews & Vigilante Nights by Erin Richards

Mary and O'Neil by Justin Cronin

by:  Justin Cronin
published by:  Dial Press
publish date:  January 2002

Mary and O’Neil frequently marveled at how, of all the lives they might have led, they had somehow found this one together. When they met at the Philadelphia high school where they’d come to teach, each had suffered a profound loss that had not healed. How likely was it that they could learn to trust, much less love, again?

In light of Justin Cronin's success with The Passage trilogy, his first books were re-released.  I was really interested in the audiobook for this one to see how it compared to The Passage despite completely different subject matter.

One of the things that I found intriguing was that even though it's a different book and a different audiobook narrator, it still sounded like Scott Brick reading The Passage at some points.  It was bizarre.  It made the point that Justin Cronin has a distinct voice.

This book was ok.  I didn't find that it was necessarily about Mary and O'Neil, but O'Neil and his sister Kay.  It seemed to be more about O'Neil and his healing process after losing his parents.  His sister Kay helped him through much of the time.

While I found the writing itself intriguing because I could compare it to The Passage, the story didn't necessarily wow me.  It was just so-so for me.  However, others might find it more enjoyable than I, so give it a try and let me know what you thought.

A Thousand Pardons by Jonathan Dee

by:  Jonathan Dee
published by:  Random House
publish date:  March 12, 2013

Once a privileged and loving couple, the Armsteads have now reached a breaking point. Ben, a partner in a prestigious law firm, has become unpredictable at work and withdrawn at home—a change that weighs heavily on his wife, Helen, and their preteen daughter, Sara. Then, in one afternoon, Ben’s recklessness takes an alarming turn, and everything the Armsteads have built together unravels, swiftly and spectacularly.

There seems to be a rash of books about seemingly normal middle class families doing something crazy.  My favorite was Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman.  This book is another in that category.

 

Ben has a sexual encounter with an intern and loses his job and his wife.  Helen, in order to raise her daughter, gets a job in the city and moves them there, while Ben is serving time in a minimum security prison.  Sara doesn't adjust well to life in the city and gets a boyfriend that isn't the best for her.  While Helen is flourishing in her new career, Sara and Ben are faltering and just want their old lives back.

 

This book was ok.  Not fantastic.  I'm not a big fan of these type books, because they're kind of depressing.  I guess they're popular because middle age people like to read about other middle age people dealing with the same kinds of problems they are: divorce, single parenthood, finding a job in a tough economy, etc.  I can't say it was badly written or anything like that, from that standpoint it was fine.  The subject matter wasn't really my cup of tea.

 

Skull Session by Daniel Hecht

by:  Daniel Hecht
published by:  Bloomsbury USA
publish date:  July 11, 2005

Despite his brilliance, Paul Skoglund hasn’t held a steady job for years, partly because of his Tourette’s syndrome. When his eccentric, wealthy aunt asks him to take on the repairs of her magnificent hunting lodge, he is in no position to refuse. But then he finds that the rambling old house has been savagely vandalized: he discovers a scene of almost superhuman destruction, a violence mirrored by a series of disappearances and grisly deaths haunting the region. Paul delves into the wreckage, wondering what dark passion—and what strength—could cause such chaos. As state police investigator Mo Ford pursues the mystery through official channels, escalating events force Paul deeper into his family’s past and into the darker aspects of his own nature.

Awhile back I talked about Daniel Hecht's book Puppets.  Puppets is the companion book to Skull Session, but Puppets should definitely be read first.

Skull Session is a crazy book.  I was in the middle of my psychology class when I was listening to the audiobook so that made it a little more interesting.  Like Puppets, Skull Session also had a lot of emphasis on psychology and what in the brain makes one violent. 

The ending of this book caught me really off guard.  Of course there was going to be a killer and it was going to be revealed, but I was shocked at who it was.  It made sense and everything, but I really didn't see it coming.  So awesome job for surprising this reader!

Besides Puppets and Skull Session, Daniel Hecht has another series out.  I've been debating getting the audiobooks.  They look pretty interesting, but like I said his books have a heavy emphasis on psychology and medicine so they're not really light reading.  Maybe during a school break I'll get them.

The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma

by:  Kristopher Jansma
published by:  Viking Adult
publish date:  March 21, 2013

From the jazz clubs of Manhattan to the villages of Sri Lanka, Kristopher Jansma’s irresistible narrator will be inspired and haunted by the success of his greatest friend and rival in writing, the eccentric and brilliantly talented Julian McGann, and endlessly enamored with Julian’s enchanting friend, Evelyn, the green-eyed girl who got away. After the trio has a disastrous falling out, desperate to tell the truth in his writing and to figure out who he really is, Jansma’s narrator finds himself caught in a never-ending web of lies.

Know how there are books that you're kinda iffy about but you feel like you have to read them?  This was one of those books for me.  I wasn't super keen on reading it, but I felt like I had to because of all the buzz about it.  

It's a cleverly written book.  The narrator is telling the story of writing the book basically.  He's also telling the story of his friendship and bitter rivalry with another writer, Julian aka Jeffery.  The relationship that they had and they way they both acted made me really happy I wasn't a writer.  The narrator is crazy jealous over the life his friend has and Julien is just crazy period and his fame makes is worse.  I don't know if they became writers because of that, or being writers drew it out of them.

In the end, it was an interesting book.  I listened to the audiobook and it was very well done.  It's short, only 250 pages, but it packs a big story in there.  It's definitely for the contemporary literature lovers out there.  Very intriguing debut novel.