The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg: Audio Review

The Lonely Hearts Club
By: Elizabeth Eulberg
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam

Penny Lane Bloom (yep she's named after the Beatles song) has sworn off boys. After being cheated on and humiliated by the boy that she thought was hers forever, Penny Lane has decided not to date. She gathers up a few friends who are also sick of the slim pickings at their high school and they form The Lonely Hearts Club. Rules include hanging out with the club exclusively on Saturday nights (only exceptions are for family and bad hair days) and immediate withdrawal of membership for dating a boy before graduation. As their club picks up steam, they also pick up problems including a budding relationship for the founding member.

Audio Review: This was my first title by Khristine Hvam (I'm saving Daughter of Smoke and Bone for a very special occasion). And I have to say that I was really impressed. This is a title that I'm not sure I would have made all the way through if it weren't for her. She has a great diversity of voices, channels a teenage energy, and breezes through some of the more cheesy dialogue. I can't wait to hear more of her titles!

Book Review: The Lonely Hearts Club was fun, and pretty cute. I enjoyed the Beatles connection through about the first half of the novel, and then admittedly got a little tired of it. More so because of the real airiness of Penny Lane's parents. If they had just been a little less enthusiastic about the Beatles and a little more involved in Penny's non-Beatles activities, it probably wouldn't have reached annoyance level.

Honestly, who hasn't sworn off boys at some point or another in their life? (Maybe you currently are?!) But, I can definitely get Penny's motivations for starting the club, and actively recruiting her friends. I thought Eulberg did a great job of not making the club all about hating males, but more about spending time with friends and enjoying being a teenager. The Lonely Hearts Club could have been formed at my high school, for sure.

Two areas that were a miss for me were the dialogue and the sheer number of characters. Some of the characters spoke with slang that was a little too old for the book (what to the evs), and it outdated even now, and the book was only published in 2009.

As the club grows, new characters are added to it. Some of the names are only mentioned once or twice, and are not meant to be remembered. (Literary cannon fodder, if you will) Every once in awhile there is a massive name bomb that goes off, and many new characters are introduced never to be heard of again.

However, my main gripe was something that has bothered me in contemporary novels for a very long time. The name dropping of colleges and brands. A character in the novel who is a talented musician is applying to Julliard. And, a gift of jewelry is from Tiffany's. I feel like little tidbits like this are just a shortcut to characterization.

Was it a fluffy feel-good read? Yes. But part of me wished that it had had a little more dimension and flavor. As it is, it probably wasn't substantive enough to stick to my brain for long.

    

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amazon | goodreads | author twitter | author blog | the king's english

Maximum Ride #7: Angel by James Patterson Giveaway

On August 6, 2012, James Patterson’s #1 New York Times bestselling Maximum Ride will come to an end. After seven dramatic, spellbinding, can’t-put-them-down books, Max Ride and her flock will make their explosive and dramatic last stand – and the stakes have never been higher – in NEVERMORE. The apocalyptic ending is top-secret, leaving the series’ hoards of anxious and passionate fans raving about the Max and the flock.

Who is Maximum Ride? She and her “flock” – Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel – are kids with a special gift: because of a government experiment, they can fly.

Check out Max's blog at:
http://maximumrideblog.tumblr.com/

Follow Max on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/max_flock/

To get you all excited about the series, and caught up if you haven't read them already, I'm going to give away 3 copies of each book in the series over the next 8 weeks! All you have to do to enter is fill out the rafflecopter below.

This week we're giving away the seventh in the series: Angel

In the seventh book in the bestselling series, evil scientists are still trying to convince Max that she needs to save the world, this time by providing the genetic link in speeding up the pace of evolution. Worse, they're trying to convince her that her perfect mate is Dylan, the newest addition to the flock. The problem is that, despite herself, Max is starting to believe it.

Fang travels the country collecting his own gang of evolved humans, but the two separate flocks must unite to defeat a frightening doomsday cult whose motto is Save the Planet: Kill the Humans. And this time, the true heroine, for once, might just be little Angel.


amazon | the king's english | goodreads

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Blogger Confidential: Keeping it Fun

Have you ever been faced with an issue while reading or blogging and thought: I wonder what other bloggers think about this? No matter what genre or audience you blog for, we all face the same problems. Are you a publisher or author wondering what goes on in a blogger's (and by extension a reader's) head?

Blogger confidential is a series of 10 questions asked to 13 bloggers about the nitty gritty details of blogging. Everything from what prompts a blogger to pick up a book, to what happens when a book doesn't live up to its hype. This series was inspired by Wastepaper Prose's Author Insight series. Learn more about the Blogger Confidential series on its main page.

Blogging is a labor of love but drama and stress can sometimes take the fun out of it. How do you remind yourself that blogging is a passion, not a chore?

"Just jump on twitter and talk to my buddies, its fun and they perk me up. Drama was never one to overtake me unless it is in my face on a day-to-day basis. Luckily with blogging all you have to do is turn your computer off, ok and the iPhone…" Rachel from Parajunkee

"If I notice myself hitting burnout on blogging, I immediately take a step back. To me, blogging ceases to be fun when I force myself to do it, and the last thing I need in my life is yet another responsibility that bores me or stresses me out. If things get too chaotic or stressful, I give myself the time to take a break and come back to the game refreshed!" Natalie from Mindful Musings

"I’ve said this before and I have a feeling I’ll keep on saying it: my blog is my happy place. Both reading and blogging are ways for me to relax and unwind. I try to stay away from all the drama because I don’t want to get stressed about my blog. I don’t want blogging to feel like work and I’m afraid that will happen if I get involved in drama. When there are aspects of blogging that get me down, I remind myself of the reasons why I started – to talk about the books that I read, rave about the ones that I love and be part of a wonderful community of readers." Chachic from Chachic's Book Nook

"Usually, I don't have to remind myself, because a great book does it for me. Every time I read a story that amazes me, or I meet an author that just blows me out of the water, I can't wait to get on our site and tell the world about it. It's an honor and a privilege to introduce new readers to folks like John Green and Sarah Dessen, and every time I get a comment back from someone, thanking me for blogging about a specific book, I feel like the luckiest girl on the internet." Sarah from Forever Young Adult

"When we get stressed out, we take a break, de-stress, and remind ourselves that this IS a hobby, not a chore or a job. Luckily, when we start to feel those Blogger Blues, we have each other and some really great bloggy pals who are there to remind us to not worry so much and just to have fun with it :)" Vanessa and Isalys from Book Soulmates

"For me it's sticking to the basics. It's falling in love with new characters and new places and sharing my thoughts on the books I'm reading with my blog's readers. It's talking to authors and having them on the blog for interviews and chats. It's talking about the TMI and MI world with fans and helping readers find new books and talking about the books I love, and even the ones I don't. For me I've come to realize that I lose my passion for what I'm doing the moment I start to worry about what everyone else is doing on their blogs or get caught up with the books they're getting. You can't do that. You have to enjoy what you're doing no matter. At the heart of what I'm doing is my love for reading, and  that's what keeps my passion for blogging going." Katie from Mundie Moms

"This goes back to the first question. I think of how how 'many great books and friends and opportunities I've encountered because of blogging, or that I love to read the comments on my reviews, or how awesome it is that people actually care what I think and it makes it ALL worth it.'" Sabrina at YA Bliss

"The most helpful thing for me was taking a break when I needed it. Instead of pushing myself to post every single time I had planned, I decided it was okay to skip a day here and there. This eventually turned into a hiatus where I skipped about a month of posts, but it was what I needed. Posting on a schedule can be very helpful, but remembering that you have the freedom to skip a day or two (or a few weeks if you really need to) keeps it from becoming a chore." Penelope from The Reading Fever

"In my opinion the second I have to start reminding myself that blogging isn't a chore is the second that blogging becomes a chore. When rationalizing comes in the act has lost its zing. I try to stay out of blogging drama but I may end up with an opinion or two to share. Another plus of blogging in a bubble. You don't really get touched by that stuff unless you want to. Unless you get plagiarized. Then you're dragged into it kicking and screaming. That's the only thing that'll make me want to inflict harm on small woodland creatures. I've had two reviews and one of my few and known-for features ripped off and so help me if it happens again I will absolutely lose my shit. That's the only time that drama really affects me because it's personal. Everything else? It's a pissing match and I'm not a fan of golden showers." Donna from Bites

"Pretty much like we said earlier. We don't put too much pressure on ourselves because it IS a fun pastime!" Sash and Em from Sash and Em a Tale of Two Bookies

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth: Review

Struck
By: Jennifer Bosworth

Mia is addicted to lightning and has been struck numerous times. She loves the thrill of the energy, and her body is covered in scars from the strikes. When an earthquake rocks Los Angeles, Mia is drawn into a war between two cults vying for power in the broken city. She is in a fight to the death to protect herself and her family.

I think the synopsis for Struck made me expect something that I wasn’t ready for. I wasn’t prepared for all the discourse on religion that I found within its pages. I think that if I had a better idea of what the main focus of the book was, I may have skipped this one altogether. Beyond the description and beginning pages, there is little mention of Mia's "addiction" to lightning, and instead focuses on the warring cults. Which is where the book began to go south for me. Although, in some instances, the cult aspect doesn't bother me.

The characters were only so-so. Upon reflection, there really wasn't one that I could connect with, and my like for them was only surface level. Jeremy really wasn't as developed as I would have liked and just served a role as a romantic interest, and a catalyst for Mia's decisions.

I also felt like there were a lot of unexplained things related to the world-building. For instance, the earthquake is localized in Los Angeles, but it seems completely cut off from the rest of the United States. School resumes, and as a way to entice students into attending, they offer rations. It isn't clear where the school gets the rations from, or why the teachers bother showing up. Many of the characters drive cars, but no mention of where they fill up for gas. People attend rave parties, even though they are starving. Some of these elements feel like they would have been better suited for a society that has experienced MANY natural disasters and help will never be on the way.

All in all, Struck had a promising concept that just didn't deliver for me.

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amazon | goodreads | author twitter

A belated birthday bash

The 3-year mark of Emily's Reading Room has come and gone. When it passed on June 1, I was in full BEA mode, so I didn't really do anything. But, doing anything for 3 years is kind of a big deal for me. So, even though it's been over a month since the milestone was reached, I'm going to celebrate belatedly. I have a few books that I picked up at BEA and either have already read, or received a duplicate copy in the mail.

I have 4 prize packs with 3 books in each. The books in each prize pack are set (meaning no substitutions/swapping). You can enter more than one rafflecopter, and you are eligible to win more than one prize pack.

Thanks to all of you that have made the last 3 years so awesome and worth it! Also, as an added bonus, all of these giveaways are open internationally.

Prize Pack #1

Drain You by M. Beth Bloom

A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner

Origin by Jessica Khoury

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prize Pack #2

Grim by Anna Waggener

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

Crewel by Gennifer Albin (SIGNED)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prize Pack #3

The Innocents by Lili Peloquin

Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

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Prize Pack #4

Endangered by Eliot Schrefer

The Diviners by Libba Bray (SIGNED)

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

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Reader Survey Results

I made a reader survey back in April, and had over 100 responses! Thank you so much to everyone who responded. This survey helps me figure out if I'm on the right track in publishing the content that you really want to read. I appreciate all of your readership so much.

Here are the results from the survey:


How do you best identify yourself?
Book Blogger: 56%
Reader: 32%
Publishing Professional: 4%
Educator/Teacher 4%
Librarian: 3%
Relative/Friend: 1% (thanks to whoever you are!)

Which category below indicates your age?
12-17: 14%
18-20: 4%
21-29: 42%
30-39: 29%
40-49: 7%
50 or older: 4%

How many books do you read per year?
1-20: 5%
21-50: 19%
51-75: 18%
76-100: 23%
101-150: 21%
More than 150: 14%

How often do you visit Emily's Reading Room?
Daily: 8%
Several times per week: 28%
Weekly: 29%
Several times per month: 14%
Monthly: 13%
Less than monthly: 8%

How do you follow posts on Emily's Reading Room?
RSS Feed: 30%
Google Friend Connect: 35%
Twitter: 58%
Facebook: 14%
Visit the website directly: 25%

Email: 14%

Lots of you responded that you wanted to see more book reviews (48% according to the survey, followed by discussion posts at 40%). At this point, I'm publishing 2-3 reviews per week. As our contributors continue to review books, that may increase, but I'm pretty happy with posting 5-6 days per week.

As far as the most interesting posts around here, 61% of you think that my book reviews are very interesting. Which brings a tear to my eye. But, vlogs definitely aren't feeling the love with 40% of respondents saying that they'd like to see less of them. Don't worry, I only do one every few months or so, so you don't have to watch much of me.

A whopping 22% of respondents have purchased a book based on a review or feature on my blog. Thank you to every one of you that trust my opinion that much. I'll keep trying to keep it real. But, 69% of respondents have taken some kind of action based on a review (added them to goodreads, checked out from the library, or borrowed from a friend).

I also got some very helpful feedback in the open-ended response:

"I understand why you do, but it feels like you will tweet about a post on your blog over and over (but maybe it only feels like that because I spend too much time on Twitter)"

I feel like I should clarify that the posts I tweet the most about are related to Blogger Confidential, because I mention in my tweets those who have participated so that they can see it and then retweet it. I know it can be annoying to see the same post on twitter over and over. And, I'm sorry if it bugs you.

I appreciate it when the breakdown for sex/drug use/profanity/violence is added at the end of the review.

Kylie and Anna Rose are so much better at doing this than I am. I usually only put it at the end of my review if I read something that I think might be questionable to a younger teen or a parent. Just in case.

I wouldn't change a thing about your blog. It is perfect in every way. Though certain things aren't my favorite , your blog wouldn't be the same without them.

I swear I didn't bribe that person. Thanks so much for reading, and thinking so highly of the work that I do!

Thanks to every one of you that responded! Here's to another year!

Quarantine: The Loners by Lex Thomas: Review

Quarantine: The Loners

By: Lex Thomas

Review by: Kylie Comfoltey

David Thorpe--former quarterback and high school dreamboat--finds himself entering his senior year at McKinley High as a shunned loner. He's hoping he can set things right and introduce his little brother, Will, to high school in style, but when an ordinary school day is interrupted by a massive explosion and the untimely death of every teacher and administrator at the school, plans for regaining his popularity are quickly overshadowed by the need to stay alive.

Every window and door of McKinley High is covered with steel and welded shut as the students find themselves completely under military quarantine, now infected with a virus deadly to all adults. More than a year later, life at McKinley is chaotic and dangerous. Gangs have formed and sides have been taken, but David and Will survive together with no gang, trapped in a deadly fight to simply survive until graduation.

Review: Where to start? This book was insane. It was violent, full of fear, and so entirely captivating. I hate admitting that! I didn't want to read it before I went to bed, but I couldn't go to bed without reading more. The book is in my brain.

Let me note quickly that this story is the collaborative work of a writing team, namely Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies, who write together under the pen name Lex Thomas. Well, Lex Thomas: I'm impressed. You men have collaboration down pat!

Quarantine: The Loners was dark and troubling, but Lex Thomas managed to lighten the mood at times with a sweet romance and with a few well-crafted characters. The addition of Will to the story brought a lightness that wouldn't have otherwise been there. Will's character becomes more haggard and depressed as time passes (understandably--oh my), but he is a loyal brother and a good person. He has epilepsy, and he doesn't care. I don't think he's fearless; he simply doesn't care to give in to the fear. I know that combination can sometimes make for an overworked character, but Will didn't feel false to me.

David was an interesting character. He's loyal and determined, and he fights his own crippling fear to create a better environment for his brother and for other outcasts. He suffers and he presses on. He never loses his humanity--there is a lot to be said about that.

Oy. There is a whopper of a cliffhanger at the end of this one. More like a combo-cliffhanger. So many untied ends! Geeze, I can't even formulate a decent review through all the screaming in my head!

I'm having a heck of a time assigning a star rating to Quarantine: The Loners. Was I enthralled? Yes. Was I horrified? Absolutely. Did I like it? There's the hitch. I don't believe I can I like page after page of violence and hunger and fear. And yet, here I sit wondering how long I'll have to wait to read the next installment. I can't possibly NOT read more of this story. I have to know how it ends! And so, if only for that reason alone, I'm throwing four stars at this baby.

    

Sexuality: Moderate.
Drugs/Alcohol: Moderate. Leave it to teenagers to concoct their own moonshine with limited supplies in a quarantined high school.
Profanity: Moderate to heavy. There was quite a lot of swearing in this book. Yes, maybe that makes it more realistic, but it wasn't necessary for getting points across to the reader.
Violence: Moderate to heavy. Depends on the amount of violence you encounter in your everyday reading. I'd say it's on the heavy side.

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amazon | goodreads | author twitter | author website

Maximum Ride 6: Fang by James Patterson Giveaway

On August 6, 2012, James Patterson’s #1 New York Times bestselling Maximum Ride will come to an end. After seven dramatic, spellbinding, can’t-put-them-down books, Max Ride and her flock will make their explosive and dramatic last stand – and the stakes have never been higher – in NEVERMORE. The apocalyptic ending is top-secret, leaving the series’ hoards of anxious and passionate fans raving about the Max and the flock.

Who is Maximum Ride? She and her “flock” – Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel – are kids with a special gift: because of a government experiment, they can fly.

Check out Max's blog at:
http://maximumrideblog.tumblr.com/

Follow Max on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/max_flock/

To get you all excited about the series, and caught up if you haven't read them already, I'm going to give away 3 copies of each book in the series over the next 8 weeks! All you have to do to enter is fill out the rafflecopter below.

This week we're giving away the sixth in the series: Fang

Being a kid with wings--constantly on the run--has never been easy, and Max and her flock are getting tenser than ever. First, on a trip to Africa, they meet a mysterious billionaire whose intense scrutiny of the Flock makes her fear the worst. And as if an impending apocalypse weren't bad enough, canny birdkid Angel makes a dire prophecy about Max's soul mate: Fang will be the first to die. Max's desperate desire to protect Fang brings the two closer than ever. But can the team weather the storm, or will the turmoil rip them apart for the last time?


amazon | the king's english | goodreads


a Rafflecopter giveaway

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund: Review

For Darkness Shows the Stars
by: Diana Peterfreund

It has been several generations since the human race was changed forever through a disastrous genetic experiment that caused the Reduction. The Luddites, who despise innovation and technology, keep the Reduced on their estates as slaves.

Elliot North is the youngest daughter of the North estate. As a Luddite, she is born to social privilege. But, even so, the estate is near financial ruin. The Luddite's control is slipping as a new generation of children that are innovative and bright are born to the Reduced. Elliot's childhood friend, Kai, is one of these children. When Elliot does not run away with Kai to the Post enclave, she hears nothing from him for four years. And when he re-enters her life, it is obvious that much has changed.

My excitement for this book has been slowly building for months. I have not read Persuasion, the Jane Austen novel that inspired For Darkness Shows the Stars, but am a fan of Austen's other works. My anticipation was further built by the raving reviews that were popping up in my google reader and goodreads page.

I could not imagine a more satisfying story. I was up late into the night on a Friday, and spent a good portion of the day Saturday devouring every single page. Believe me when I say that I could not put this book down. And that is no small feat with a demanding two year old.

Combining the elements of a world torn apart by a disaster that decimated so much of the human race, with the classic story that Austen created, it was a match made in heaven for me. Though the story is not heavy on the elements surrounding the genetic experiment that lead to the ruin of humanity, there is enough to make me suspend disbelief to fill in the holes. And I have to admit that as the daughter of a botanist that works with genetically modified plants, I was very much cheering Elliot on. In fact, through the novel I was firmly in Elliot's court and never wavered in my support of everything that she did, even though at times her reasoning was flawed.

In regards to Kai, I have to say that his coldness to Elliot at times took my breath away. I think that this was very cleverly offset by the letters they secretly wrote to each other as children that were interspersed throughout the novel. It is obvious that both Elliot and Kai were hurt deeply by Kai's departure. And with each cutting remark, I was heartbroken for Elliot. I wanted to protect her and just shake Kai. And yet, I wanted Kai to understand and overcome his disappointment and grief, and just work it out!

This book was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. The eventual romance is one of the best that I've ever read and ranks right up there with my favorites. I'll happily admit to having a lump form in my throat several times, and even shedding a few tears at the end. A re-read of this story will definitely be in order very soon. If you haven't read For Darkness Shows the Stars, believe me when I tell you that it deserves to be next on your reading list.

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goodreads | amazon | author twitter | author blog

Blogger Confidential: E-Readers

Have you ever been faced with an issue while reading or blogging and thought: I wonder what other bloggers think about this?  No matter what genre or audience you blog for, we all face the same problems.  Are you a publisher or author wondering what goes on in a blogger's (and by extension a reader's) head?

Blogger confidential is a series of 9 questions asked to 10 bloggers about the nitty gritty details of blogging. Everything from what prompts a blogger to pick up a book, to what happens when a book doesn't live up to its hype.  This series was inspired by Wastepaper Prose's Author Insight series.

Do you use an e-reader? If so, which one and why? If not, why not?

"Yes, a Sony eReader Touch and it's really by force and a pretty random luck of the credit card. If I didn't have to use it I wouldn't. At the beginning I used my laptop to read digital copies. A slight inconvenience but still manageable. After I killed my umpteenth laptop I gave up and stuck to desktops. Well, it kind of sucks to set at a desk and read on a screen so an eReader was the cheaper of the two options: that or get a new laptop. Of course, as my luck would have it, I bought it just before the price wars and about thee months later I could have bought the same damn thing for half the price. Urg. I've had it for about a year and a half now and I still only use it for digital review copies. My prime reading venue is your classic book." Donna from Bites

"Yes! We both own Kindles and love them! It's so nice to have our entire libraries with us at all times!" Sash and Em from Sash and Em a Tale of Two Bookies

"I use my Kindle and my iPad, even though now I'm leaning more to my iPad now that I've discovered dropbox and how easily it is to put all the eARCs on there. So much easier!" Rachel from Parajunkee

"I have a first generation Nook (though I would LOVE to upgrade to a tablet). While I think I'll always prefer physical books to digital ones, having an e-reader provides a lot of additional reading opportunities. For example, you can take as many books as you want with you when you travel and not have to worry about your allotted space capacity. Furthermore, with so many publishers going digital, it's a huge asset to have if you accept review requests on a regular basis. I also love being able to occasionally save money on a book when its e-book counterpart goes on sale. Sometimes you can even find great freebies!" Natalie from Mindful Musings

"I use a Kindle and I love it. If I didn’t have an e-reader, I don’t think I’d be able to read galleys because publishers aren’t willing to send physical review copies all the way to the Philippines. Most of the review copies that I read are in ebook format. Also, a book usually takes a few days or weeks to arrive here after its US or UK release date so there are times when I grab the ebook when I want to read the book right away." Chachic from Chachic's Book Nook

"A few of the FYA gals use Kindles, and then some of us use iPads. Personally, I prefer the old fashioned way of holding a book in my hands. I like the way it feels and the way it smells. It's just really comforting to me." Sarah from Forever Young Adult

"Yes, we both have B&N Nooks and Isalys also has an iPad. Paper books will always have our hearts, but e-readers are convenient and easy to travel with." Vanessa and Isalys from Book Soulmates

"I finally have an e-reader and guess what, I'm not a big fan. Don't get me wrong, I love the concept of being able to carry all your favorite books with you, without have to lug them around in a rolling suit case. I love holding a book in my hands while I'm reading it." Katie from Mundie Moms

"I do. An i-Pad2 because it was sent to me as part of promotion for a TV show. I don't prefer it though, I read probably one book a month on it, so I dont think I would have bought one." Sabrina from YA Bliss

"I started with a Kindle, then got a Nook after I realized that not all Netgalley books, or books I was being sent for review by authors, could be read on a Kindle. I like the Nook layout and navigation much better than the Kindle (it’s very modern and sleek), but Kindle’s ebook prices are just too good to pass up. I’ll stick with my Kindle in the long-run, but right now the Nook is what I need for reviewing." Penelope from The Reading Fever