Waiting On Wednesday (two picks!)

Book: Enchanted Ivy

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Release: October 12, 2010

Summary: 

What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa surprises her: She has been selected to take the top-secret Legacy Test. Passing means automatic acceptance to Princeton. Sweet!

Lily's test is to find the Ivy Key. But what is she looking for? Where does she start? As she searches, Lily is joined by Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who says he's her guard. That's weird. But things get seriously strange when a gargoyle talks to her. He tells her that there are two Princetons—the ordinary one and a magical one—and the Key opens the gate between them. But there are more secrets that surround Lily. Worse secrets.

When Lily enters the magical Princeton, she uncovers old betrayals and new dangers, and a chance at her dream becomes a fight for her life. Soon Lily is caught in a power struggle between two worlds, with her family at its center. In a place where Knights slay monsters, boys are were-tigers, and dragons might be out for blood, Lily will need all of her ingenuity and courage—and a little magic—to unite the worlds and unlock the secrets of her past and her future.

Love the cover and summary!! This one sounds incredible,

Book: Bright Young Things

Author: Anna Godberson

Release: October 12, 2010

Summary: 

Bright Young Things is the first in an epic four-book series about three teenage girls finding their way in the glittering metropolis of New York City and the glamorous mansions of Long Island. It’s 1929 and Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey have escaped their small Midwestern town to chase big dreams and even bigger secrets. In New York, they meet Astrid Donal, a flapper who has everything she could ever want, except for the one thing Letty and Cordelia have to offer—true friendship. Set in the dizzying summer before the market crash, against the vast lawns of the East End and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls will find romance, intrigue, and adventure. 

How can I not be excited for this one? Godberson's Luxe series was so addictive!

AND as a side note, Denise Jaden's trailer for Losing Faith just premiered at The Contemps website, so go check it out! I love the music for it :)

What are you all waiting on?

Interview + Giveaway: Claudia Gabel

Today Claudia Gabel is here to answer some questions about her newest novel, Romeo & Juliet & Vampires! 

Be sure to also check out the giveaway at the end of the post for a chance win a copy of the book

Quick! Describe ROMEO & JULIET & VAMPIRES in 7 words or less!

Hmm…what about – “Classic Shakespearean drama with supernatural bite.”

Okay, how about a bit more description?

Set in Transylvania in 1462, ROMEO & JULIET & VAMPIRES is a mash-up novel based on Shakespeare's play, featuring a new version of the love story between Juliet Capulet, the daughter of two notorious vampires, and Romeo Montague, who was born into a family of vampire slayers. Most of the book stays true to the tragic romance we’ve all grown up with, but there are definitely a few surprises in store for readers.

What inspired you to re-write ROMEO & JULIET with vampires?

Honestly, I had a lot of difficulty reading Shakespeare when I was first introduced to his writing in high school. I loved to read, and not being able to understand his plays really broke my heart. I must confess: I relied on lots of SparkNotes back then. But when the mash-up trend started getting popular, I found myself thinking of how much it would have helped me to have some fun, interesting takes on the classics to read along with the originals. Hopefully teens who dip into this book at home won’t be as intimidated by Shakespeare’s work when they are reading it in the classroom.

What was the hardest/easiest part?

The hardest part was crafting the prose so that it was modern yet antiquated yet accessible enough for a young readership.  Sorry, I didn’t even bother trying iambic pentameter—Shakespeare is the master and I’d be a fool to go up against him! While I’m a fan of all-things vampire, this was my first time writing paranormal historical fiction, so the learning curve was pretty huge. I also had to invent some of my own vampire lore, which was fun, but kind of tricky, since the rules of the world all had to line up and make sense. The easiest part was writing Romeo’s character. Juliet was tougher because, as a budding vampire, she was a much more complex character. Romeo, however, is more of a lover than a fighter (at least at first) and honestly, I could relate to him a lot. He has so much love in his heart and it’s totally unconditional and knows no boundaries.

If you could spend a day as any character in any story, which character/story would you choose?

I think I’d want to spend a day as Meg from A Wrinkle in Time. She went on such wild adventures and grew so much as a character throughout the book. My second grade teacher read the novel aloud to my class, and ever since then, I have been addicted to reading and writing. Thanks, Sister Regis!

Anything else you'd like to add?

Actually yes! I know there are some book-lovers out there who are pretty skeptical about mash-up novels, and I can totally understand their reasoning—messing with the classics can seem really sacrilege. However, writers have been doing this long before Quirk Books published Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. Mark Twain took on the story of creation in Bible with his book The Diaries of Adam and Eve, and that was way back in 1905. Of course, I’m in no way comparing myself to Mark Twain—that would be ludicrous—but I am saying that part of an author’s job is to reinterpret revered stories, in either bold or subtle ways. And that more often than not, re-imaginations are homages meant to entertain the masses, not disrespect the original author.

Thanks for the incredible interview Claudia!

Onto the giveaway, I have one copy of Romeo & Juliet & Vampires courtesy of HarperTeen 

US Only, Ends on September 16th at midnight. Comment on my review HERE for an extra couple entries. 

Enter the form below! 

Romeo & Juliet & Vampires by Claudia Gabel

Book: Romeo & Juliet & Vampires

Author: Claudia Gabel (adapted from William Shakespeare)

Release: August 31st, 2010

Source: Publicist

My Summary: 

Juliet's family, the Capulets, are some of the most bloodthirsty and vicious vampires there are. Yet, Juliet - still a human for a short time - is kind and firmly against harming others. Only problem? She's going to turn into a vampire soon, and she only has two options: Kill and become a vampire, or die a slow and very painful death.

She's entertaining the latter option until Romeo, a Montague, comes along. Coming from a family dedicated to killing her kind, especially her family, they should hate one another.

Against all odds, they fall in love. However, Juliet's time as a human is dwindling, and the two will face more obstacles...and death is an almost certain outcome.

Review: An intriguing and fun take on Romeo and Juliet, Gabel doesn't disappoint with her fresh take on such a classic story.

The characters in this story are very fresh and easy to sympathize with. I found Juliet to be a sweet, sympathetic character, and Romeo an honorable and equally kind. Their romance was sweet, if only a bit rushed (but hey, it's kind of like that in the original). Juliet's struggle with becoming a vampire is an interesting twist, and her parents were downright frightening and intense. The vampire twist seemed to mesh perfectly with the story.

There are, obviously, some differences both major and minor in comparison to Shakespeare's original version.  I was glad for the differences, the twists, and for the similarities. Even if you think you know how it all ends because you read Shakespeare's original, think again.

Highlights: Gabel makes this story readable, which isn't always the case with Shakespeare. I definitely also loved the characters, like Nurse, whom I actually liked more in this version. The story still maintained the essence of Shakespeare's original version, but it was also different and creative in its own right.

Lowlights: A few scenes seemed rushed. I would have definitely preferred the balcony scene to be a bit more fleshed out. But honestly, I enjoyed this one far more than I thought I would.

Rating: