A Farewell to Blogging

Hello, lovely book people. It has been a wonderful five years. I have loved sharing my thoughts on my favorite books with you and spreading the word about awesome things. But over the past few years I've been updating less and less, and while I have been feeling more and more guilty about that, I have finally come to a conclusion. The reason I've been unable to update is because I've been living my dream of actually getting to work with young adult books. I've had some amazing internships over these last two years. And I've spent four glorious years at a wonderful college that has taught me so much about publishing, and where I want to be when graduate on May 12th and take that next step. I can't feel guilty for that, especially since this blog began as something to spread my love of good books. Now I can do that on a much grander scale and I am so excited, blog world. I might continue to post here in the future, if I read something particularly good, or find out about something exciting. But I will no longer feel like this is unfinished business. I hope to see many of you out in the physical world where book lovers converge to fangirl (or fanboy) over the best of kid lit. Until then, happy reading.

This over-the-top goodbye letter has been brought to you by:
The Book Girl Reviews/Recommends
(Because not even a change in name and a new year's resolution can bring me to update...)

A love letter to Eleanor and Park

This isn't a review. I think all of the professional reviewers who are giving this book stars have pretty much covered all that is needed to say. But I want to acknowledge my love for this book.

It's beautiful. It's sad, and funny, and sweet, and true, and wholly relatable. You will see yourself in these characters, or someone you know. You may have experienced or witnessed similar situations. You may just really enjoy holding someone's hand.

The cover is even perfect. The stark simplicity captures this book better than any photograph could. And I love that Rainbow Rowell's other novels are now designed to match. She has an adult novel out called Attachments (which I need to invest in IMMEDIATELY) and a second YA book coming out in September, I believe. Find them on Goodreads. You won't regret it.

And go buy Eleanor and Park. Read it. Love it. Finish, flip it over, and start again. It's one of those books. And it is without a doubt one of my new favorites.

I love you and your writing, Rainbow Rowell. And I will undoubtedly be fan-girling at the Books of Wonder signing in NYC on the 24th. You might want to bring security.

Sincerely,
The Book Girl Reviews

Do you like free audiobooks?

This site was recently brought to my attention. Check out what they have to say:

Audio Books Make Books More Convenient

With our lives becoming more and more busy, many people are finding less time to sit down and read a good book. It seems to take a major best seller, like Harry Potter or Twilight, to get any teens to even consider entering a bookstore or library. The convenience of Amazon and the invention of Kindle have helped somewhat, but there is another way for individuals to read books without taking up time in their busy schedules.

It is simple to download audio books online. Many individuals download them onto their mp3 players. If you have a smart phone you can use a specialized audiobook player application. As the graphic below shows, the most common place people listen to audio books, is in the car. Whether it is on a road trip or work commute, audio books pass time and provide a way for people to gain knowledge. There is much information that can be gleaned from listening to books and it can also help improve grammar and vocabulary skills.

There are many free audio books online. We have compiled a list of twenty available audio books, free! This is not a comprehensive list, but is a valuable list to get started listening to some of the most popular books ever written.

Free Audio Books

Do YOU know Who Done It?

Book Review: Who Done It?

book edited by John Scieszka (And YOU, the Reader)

Summary from Goodreads:

A star-studded anthology with a devilish hook, whose proceeds benefit 826nyc: the fabulous literacy non-profit founded by Dave Eggers.

Can you imagine the most cantankerous book editor alive? Part Voldemort, part Cruella de Vil (if she were a dude), and worse in appearance and odor than a gluttonous farm pig? A man who makes no secret of his love of cheese or his disdain of unworthy authors? That man is Herman Mildew.

The anthology opens with an invitation to a party, care of this insufferable monster, where more than 80 of the most talented, bestselling and recognizable names in YA and children’s fiction learn that they are suspects in his murder. All must provide alibis in brief first-person entries. The problem is that all of them are liars, all of them are fabulists, and all have something to hide...

 

Now, I would have summarized this book myself, but how does one ever do a summary like that one justice? You can rest assured that the book itself it in every way just as quirky, confusing, and overall head-scratch inducing as you work your way through the testimonies of authors like John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lemony Snicket, and Libba Bray. In fact, there are eighty-three short pieces by big names in YA lit. Some compose poetry that will make you laugh out loud if you’ve taken American Lit at any point (David Levithan, we’re looking at you). Some take it upon themselves to accuse each other in crazy attempts to shift focus away from their own motives. And it’s up to you, the reader, to work out who done it before the end of the book. The whole thing is made more fun if you’re aware of the personalities of the authors themselves through their various social media, but the whole thing is hilarious either way. And, as it mentions in the summary, proceeds go to the New York City chapter of 826, the vice president of which is the editor of this book. Jon Scieszka also happens to be our nation’s first ambassador for Young People’s Literature and the founder of the Guys Read literacy initiative. So, if you’re not convinced quite yet (to which I ask ‘why not?’), I leave you with their press release blurbs, which may yet still be my favorite part of this whole endeavor. Have a good afternoon, and remember to beware of the cantankerous Herman Mildew!

Praise for WHO DONE IT?:

“How did you get my phone number? Stop calling me or I’m getting the police involved.” –Maureen Johnson

“Papery! And rectilinear!” –Barry Lyga

“Who are you? Why are you writing down everything I’m saying? What book? What are you talking about?” –Lemony Snicket

“Of all the books I’ve ever read, this was definitely the most recent.” –Jennifer Smith

“If you already know who done it, this is not the book for you.” –Mo Willems

“Cures everything from sleeplessness to insomnia.” –Natalie Standiford

Also posted on the Emerson College Undergraduates for Publishing website.

The Hunt is On!

Don’t Sweat.  Don’t Laugh.  Don’t draw attention to yourself.  And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Have you read and loved Andrew Fukuda's novel, The Hunt? A story about one of the last remaining humans trying to live amongst vampires in a world of night? Well, the highly anticipated sequel, The Prey, is almost here! Make sure to get your copy when it hits shelves on January 29th! Check below for the summaries of both action-packed books, and learn more about the series at www.thehuntseries.com.

THE HUNT

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

THE PREY

For Gene and the remaining humans—or hepers—death is just a heartbeat away. On the run and hunted by society, they must find a way to survive in The Vast... and avoid the hungry predators tracking them in the dark. But they’re not the only things following Gene. He’s haunted by the girl he left behind and his burgeoning feelings for Sissy, the human girl at his side.

When they discover a refuge of exiled humans living high in the mountains, Gene and his friends think they’re finally safe. Led by a group of intensely secretive elders, the civilisation begins to raise more questions than answers. A strict code of behaviour is the rule, harsh punishments are meted out, young men are nowhere to be found—and Gene begins to wonder if the world they’ve entered is just as evil as the one they left behind. As life at the refuge grows more perilous, he and Sissy only grow closer. In an increasingly violent world, all they have is each other... if they can only stay alive.