Mundie Moms

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Author Appreciation Week: The Stuff of Dreams


I'd like to think that Mundie Moms have lots of moments of repose in their day but the truth is we simply don't have that luxury. But, what we have are snippets of time -- maybe a lunch hour, a moment between carpools, an hour at the end of a working day -- and how do we spend it? Why, reading and dreaming, of course.

So for today's Author Appreciation Week post, we'd like to thank the authors who make our dreams even more delightful and exciting.

Lisa McMann - You can't say the word "dream" without thinking of Lisa and her Dreamcatcher trilogy. She brought to us a premise so strong that we felt like we were inside Janie's head in one of those dreams. And she brought us Cabel. I won't say anything more. Except, read them, if you haven't. The last book, GONE, has the most credible ending to a series I've ever read.

Becca Fitzpatrick - Hush, Hush was so vibrant in its mythology. I remember reading it and feeling this incredible rush of excitement as I flipped pages until I got to the very end. Around the Mundie Moms' Forum, we just whisper the word, "Patch" and we all know what that means. One hot boy.

Lauren Kate - I have to admit that unlike other Mundie Moms, I literally just finished reading FALLEN and I can honestly say that there are only a few love triangles out there that match the sheer power of the one Lauren wrote. I read the ending, huddled in a corner of the couch, turning pages and shaking my head whispering, "Cam, Daniel, Daniel, Cam...".

Carrie Ryan - Here on Mundie Moms, we just love Carrie because she tore us away from our beloved Shadowhunters and Downworlders and introduced us to her explosive new world filled with the Unconsecrated. She made us love zombies. I know, we didn't think it would be possible. If you haven't picked up the New York Times bestseller, Forest of the Hands and Teeth and it's just released sequel, The Dead-Tossed Waves you are truly missing out on a fantastic series.

We're having so much fun doing these posts but we need to take a moment to thank Heidi R. Kling for her original idea to do an Author Appreciation Week. Thank you Heidi and we can hardly wait for SEA's release on June 10th.

Our Interview w/ C.J. Redwine

We've had the wonderful opportunity to be interviewed by C.J. Redwine on her blog.
We had a lot of fun being interviewed by none other than this guy here-
Along with Captain Jack Sparrow, you can enjoy a YUMMY cupcake that her hubby made for us, complete w/ our MM logo and all. Who can say no to Jack Sparrow and cupcakes?!?! You can visit C.J.'s blog to read our interview and enter to win a copy of City Of Bones here-
http://cjredwine.blogspot.com/2010/03/interview-with-mundie-moms-young-adult.html
(pictured on her blog are-Sophie (Admin PR), Myself (Katieb), Shandra (New Members Admin) not pictured is our awesomely talented Graphic Designer Admin, Jennifer. Be sure to leave a comment on C.J.'s blog and enter to win a copy of CoB!!

Book Review-Inside Out

By Maria V. Snyder
Published by Harlequin Teen
To Be Released on April 1, 2010
Source: from Maria V. Snyder
4 Stars

"Imagine every space in this room filled with people. Constantly being jostled and pushed. In the lower levels there is no quiet place. No peace. To a scrub this room is paradise."

I drew a deep breathe. Id' spoken more in one burst to this stranger whose room I'd invaded than anyone else in weeks. And with a single word he could alert the Pop Cops and send me to the Chomper. We stared at each other for a few heart beats.

Before I could retreat he said, "My name's Riley Narelle Ashon. Any time you need a peace, you're welcome to use my room."

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own...until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution. (taken from the cover)

I am a huge fan of Maria's writing, and love her Poison Study series. Maria does an amazing job at capturing my attention and pulling me right into these amazing in-depth worlds she creates. She has the right amount of action and romance all intertwined together. Inside Out is no different. While it's definitely not like the Poison Study or Sea Glass series, it's full of stand out characters, set in a very sci-fi, "could this happen" world.

Trella is a very strong willed, independent person who doesn't let anyone in and doesn't care for anyone except her friend Cog. She spends most of her time doing her job and roaming the pipes, in which she's suppose to clean, and receives her nick name, Queen Of The Pipes. Cog is the only person in which she talks to, and he's quite the opposite of Trella. Everyone looks up to him and respects him. He's a believer that there is a way out of the lower levels and out of the world in which they're apart of, called Inside.

Inside is a futuristic world, made up of levels and controlled by Uppers. Each level has a job and that job is to keep order and function within Inside. When a "Prophet" is sent to the lower levels and Cog convinces Trella to help them find Gateway, the way out, events start to happen and Trella finds herself the unsuspecting leader in a rebellion.

There is such a great group of characters in this book. Maria kept me guessing at what some of their motives might be, which kept me turning the pages. In true Maria fashion, the main love interest entered in an unexpected way, and wasn't who I expected Trella to fall for at first. I love the scenes between the two of them. *spoiler free*. Will it be Cog, whom she's grown up with or Riley? One of the uppers whom Trella finds herself starting to open up to.

Maria kept my interest through out this dystopian book, even when I felt that the beginning was a little slow for me, as she needed to build up the world in which I got whisked away in. Once I got into the book and the world of Inside, I couldn't put it down. The action scenes and scenes between the two love interests were well paced through out the book and kept me glued to each page. The ending has left me *patiently* waiting for the sequel.

Be sure to visit our site our March 30, for a Mundie Moms exclusive from Harlequin Teen, for a special web premiere of the book trailer and a special invitation to visit the Inside Out website.

We'll also be chatting next month with Maria and giving away an ARC of Inside Out.

You can also check out some of our affiliate sites in the coming weeks for their reviews of Inside Out, based on an ARC tour we hosted for it. Some of the sites include, Eves Fan Garden (Twilight Moms), Fallen ArchAngel, Page Turners, Late Bloomers, and Fire & Ice.

Waiting on Wednesday- Guardian Of The Dead by Karen Healey

hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine
Published by Little Brown
To Be Released on April 1, 2010

In less than a day I had been harassed, enchanted, shouted at, cried on, and clawed. I’d been cold, scared, dirty, exhausted, hungry, and miserable. And up until now, I’d been mildly impressed with my ability to cope.

At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer is like any ordinary teen: she hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; obsesses over her crush on a mysterious boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. Then everything changes: In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is waiting. (taken from Karen's site)

This looks like such an amazing read! The cover itself is very intriguing. Here's what some of our favorite authors have said about Guardian of The Dead.

“It’s been a long time since a debut novel grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. Quite simply, GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD is my favorite kind of read—creepy, funny, sexy, smart, and sometimes just downright, pull-the-covers-up-to-your-neck-and-pray-for-morning frightening. This book completely rocked my socks.” - Libba Bray (A Great And Terrible Beauty)

“Guardian of the Dead is funny, heartbreaking and always interesting: Ellie is one of my favourite heroines.” – Sarah Rees Brennan (The Demon’s Lexicon)

You can read more reviews and find out more about Guardian Of The Dead on Karen's site here- http://www.karenhealey.com/

Labels