Mundie Moms

Friday, December 21, 2012

Harper Teen News: The End is Here!



Have you heard? The end is here! Well the end of some pretty awesome Harper Teen series that is (you can read HT's announcement here). Are you ready for your favorite series to end? I'm not either, but Harper Teen is ready to help us prepare! Check out each of the series, re-read the previous books in the series to prepare you for the series finale, and join in the discussions! You can join in the discussions and relive each of your favorite series with these series guides below:

Full Moon Kisses cover BoundlessShadows in the Silence
FULL MOON KISSES 
by Ellen Schreiber
Discuss the FULL MOON novels!

Series guide >>

BOUNDLESS
by Cynthia Hand 


 
Discuss the UNEARTHLY series!

Series guide >>
   
SHADOWS IN THE SILENCE
by Courtney A. Moulton
Discuss the ANGELFIRE trilogy!

Series guide >>


A TOUCH MENACING
by Leah Clifford
Discuss the TOUCH MORTAL trilogy!

Series guide >>



Requiem 

Light

Rise 
REQUIEM 
by Lauren Oliver
Discuss the DELIRIUM trilogy! 

Series guide >>
LIGHT 
by Michael Grant
Discuss the GONE series!

Series guide >>

RISE 
by Anna Carey
Discuss the EVE trilogy!

Series guide >>


Stop by Harper Teen's forum directory for each series listed and join in the discussions already taking place! Starting on January 22nd, Epic Reads will be celebrating each of the series above! On the 22nd and every two weeks after that, they'll be celebrating the following book in the seriers. Stop by here to find out the schedule for each of the series, and when HT will be chatting about each book. You know Harper Teen doesn't do chats like this with out giveaways and more, right?! Don't miss out on this fun!

To help you out with the finale book in each series's release, Harper Teen has enlisted the help of a few of us bloggers to join in the discussions. We'll be there to talk all things about our specific series, encourage you to read said series, and host giveaways!

I'm thrilled to announce I'm the REQUIEM/Delirium series excerpt!!! If you haven't started the series yet, be sure to go HERE and get started! I can't wait to start talking REQUIEM with you guys!

Here's who you'll find chatting about which finale books in the series closer to the releases dates on the HT forums:

FULL MOON KISSES………….…….Electrifying Reviews
BOUNDLESS………………….………Confessions of a Bookaholic
SHADOWS IN THE SILENCE….……Good Books and Good Wine
REQUIEM……….……………….…….Mundie Moms
A TOUCH MENACING………….……Reading Angel
RISE……………………………..……..The Bookish Babe
LIGHT: A GONE NOVEL…………….Reading Teen


Be sure to grab your widget here!





Don't miss reading samplers from Harper Teen's the End is Here! Get these samplers now:



Download the End is Here Teen Romance e-book sampler here


Download the End is Here Teen Dystopian e-book sampler here.

I look forward to chatting with you guys on the REQUIEM forum!

Flashback Friday - Mistletoe, Four Holiday Stories

Written by: Hailey Abbott, Melissa de la Cruz, Aimee Friedman and Nina Malkin
Published by: Scholastic
Release Date: October 1, 2006
Source: Purchased
Buy: amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Synopsis: Snuggle up beside the fire with this juicy collection of four different, but equally sizzling, winter romances.

Glittering white snowflakes. The handsome blond ski instructor. The sparkle on a cashmere skirt. Hot cocoa and kisses in front of a crackling fire. The holiday season is the ESSENCE of magic...and romance. Four of today's bestselling teen authors -- Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods series, The Au Pairs series), Aimee Friedman (Sea Change, South Beach), Hailey Abbott (Flirting with Boys, The Other Boy, Boy Crazy, Summer Boys), and Nina Malkin (Swoon, Swear, 6X) -- bring us delectable tales of love and lust and holiday cheers (and tears) in this one-of-a-kind collection that teens will devour faster than a plate of Christmas cookies.

Okay, so I picked this up at my favorite used bookstore. How could I resist a cover like that?  And yes, I made myself an eggnog latte and read these stories in one sitting.

Working in a Winter Wonderland by Aimee Friedman 
I love stories where the main character longs for a boy who was out of reach a while ago. And when we meet Maxine she's home from college and hoping (and planning) to meet up with Heath (the hot boy from her old high school). But things are not the same at home; her stepdad and mom are more annoying in their affection. Her best friend is away for the holidays with her own family. Most of all, that dress that she has to have for the big party where she's going to talk to Heath -- well, it's expensive. Just when all hope is lost, she runs into Heath and lands an interesting part-time job. The story of a Hannukah-kind-of-girl dressed up as an elf in an upscale department store warmed my heart.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Breakup by Hailey Abbott
Four long time friends are together for the holidays after one of them has been away at college. What happens when the paired off couples no longer click? Do they wander off their separate ways? A sweet story about growing apart and back together again (although not the way it was in the beginning).

Scenes from a Cinematic New Year's Eve by Nina Malkin 
Told in a cinematic fashion, the story moves sometimes disjointedly from scene to scene as we're introduced to some rather interesting Hollywood characters. It's a story that I didn't connect with and I found it hard to keep the larger cast of characters (for a short story) straight. On a positive note, I found myself reminiscing about the book, Less than Zero. The feeling of this story reminded me of Bret Easton Ellis' setting and characters.

The Christmas Choos by Melissa de la Cruz 
I enjoyed this take on a classic Christmas story (no, I won't tell you which one; you'll figure it out when you read it). Sometimes the product placement (name brands appear on almost every page) did pull me out of the story. But, the ending left me with a smile on my face.


This anthology is out of print; it's available as a used book (see links above). I enjoyed seeing these earlier writings from some of YA's most popular authors. I would say that this anthology is for people like me who just can't pass up anything remotely holiday related. Yes, I'm sipping my latte from a Santa mug. Of course, I am.





Mundie Moms Best of 2012: Middle Grade Reads


Continuing with our Best of 2012 is my list of this year's favorite MG (middle grade) reads. I enjoy reading MG books, as much as I enjoy YA. With middle grade reads, these books remind me of how much fun reading can be. Remember that first time you picked up a book as a young reader and really connected with it? Charlotte's Web and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe are two books I remember reading as a kid that made me fall in love with reading. Here are my 12 favorite 2012 MG books that made me fall in love with kid books all over again this year:

  1. Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
  2. The Unwanteds: Island of Silence by Lisa McMann
  3. The False Prince by Jennifer A Nielsen
  4. The Humming Room by Ellen Potter
  5. The Heroes Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
  6. Underwild Wood by Colin Meloy
  7. Winterling by Sarah Prineas
  8. The Book of Wonders  by Jasmine Richards
  9. The Princess Academy: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
  10. The End of Infinity by Matt Myklusch
  11. Infinity Ring: A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner
  12. Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull
What were some of your favorite MG books to read this year? I'll be posting more of my favorite kid books next week on Mundie Kids!

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