Mundie Moms

Thursday, March 31, 2011

LIVE Chat Tonight with Saundra Mitchell @ 8 pm CST

We are so excited to have Saundra on our site tonight, as we're winding down our The Vespertine Blog tour. Please be sure to go here and learn how to enter to win the fabulous giveaways Saundra will have on her site tomorrow!


*Our chat will start at 8 pm CST/ 9 pm EST. To join, hit join and enter a screen name.!

*We do our best to make sure all comments are published, but with the high volume of guests expected tonight, not all the questions may be answered in the hour time frame of the chat.

*In respect to our guest's time, we will only publish comments that pertain to their current writings, and book.

*We will not post any personal questions or comments.

* Any rude, disrespectful, or spam like comments will not be published.

*Thank you and we look forward to chatting with everyone tonight!

Thoughtful Thursday- City of Fallen Angels


The count down has begun and we're all anxiously awaiting April 5th! With all the buzz and all the speculation that has gone on lately about City of Fallen Angels I wanted to turn it into a Thoughtful Thursday.

I wanted to ask you guys-

* What do you want to have happen in CoFA?
* What is one thing you hope happens in CoFA?
* Which character have you missed the most and can't wait to read about?
* What sort of twists do you think Cassie will throw at us?
* Who do you think will get their heart broken?
* Which character do you think will surprise you the most?

For me, I think something will happen between Jace and Clary right after the DSAS (the alley scene). Please feel free to leave us a comment and let us know what you're looking forward to happening in CoFA. Please NO rude comments and no Jace being or not being a virgin comments, as we feel Cassie has addressed this question plenty of times. Thank you!

City of Fallen Angels Audio Book



We are not only excited to be able to read City of Fallen Angels on April 5th, but LISTEN to it on audiobook. I mean, who doesn't want to listen to Ed Westwick and Molly Quinn read from the book.

Today you're in for a treat as Simon and Schuster's Audio Division has graciously given us not just the pictures of Ed and Molly recording their parts for the audiobooks, they've allowed us to share with you a message from both Ed and Molly!!



















A little message from Ed Westwick-


























A little message from Molly-

I am SO excited to hear both Ed and Molly on the CoFA audiobook set. I think they're going to bring the story to life perfectly.

Be sure to keep these links handy to learn more about Simon and Schuster's Audio Books-


Be sure to visit us tomorrow for an exciting giveaway and next week we'll not only share our review for the audiobook of CoFA, but we'll have a few giveaways you won't want to miss! *No, we have not received nor listened to the audiobooks yet. We are patiently waiting for April 5th to arrive so we can*

Audiobook Review - Hush, Hush

Read by: Caitlin Greer
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 out of stars - I really enjoyed this one. You will, too.

Synopsis (from Simon and Schuster): Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.


But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.


For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen -- and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

You know that moment when you take a well-loved book off the shelf and you re-read it? Well, I had the pleasure of listening to Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush recently and I realized that approximately a year and a half has passed since I first read the story. But soon after the prologue started, I remembered that I was going to be in big trouble. All those questions came back to me: why the buckle, what about the girl? And my mind just raced from there.

One of the things I enjoy about an audiobook, besides exercising in the morning with my favorite fictional characters, is that the pace is slowed down for me. I get to listen to the action. Hear the emphasis the actor places on the words and that often changes the experience for me. Simon and Schuster picked a wonderful actress, Caitlin Greer (her audiobook credits include Hush Hush's sequel, Crescendo and Nina Malkin’s Swoon) to read the book. And Caitlin handles all of the characters with such familiarity and ease, I felt like I was visiting old friends. Who can forget this description of Patch, at the very beginning of the story (page 11):
His black eyes sliced into me, and the corners of his mouth tilted up. My heart fumbled a beat and in that pause, a feeling of gloomy darkness seemed to slide like a shadow over me. It vanished in an instant, but I was still staring at him. His smile wasn’t friendly. It was a smile that spelled trouble. With a promise.
I could feel Nora’s curiosity, worry and excitement and you will, too. With Becca’s words and Caitlin’s narration, you will find yourself remembering that first moment of “Who is this dark eyed, mysterious boy named Patch?” You will find yourself looking forward to each chapter and that familiar, heart-pounding pace. Remember that spiraling climactic scene? Oh yeah, wait until you listen to it. You may get the same questions I did: “Mama, are you okay?”

Before summer releases and sequels start to hit the shelves, download or pick up an audiobook of one of your favorite stories instead of re-reading it. I guarantee that you will have a different experience while listening to the very same words. And if you start with Hush, Hush, you won’t be sorry. I mean, who doesn’t remember that scene, you know the one, at the very end? Yeah. THAT one. Imagine listening to Patch say, “More?”

For a sample of the audiobook,scroll to the middle of Simon and Schuster's Hush, Hush page and you'll see the sample audio link, here.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Ed Westick & The Mortal Instruments Series
















What does Ed Westick and The Mortal Instruments Series have in common?

Well.... you'll have to wait and see on Friday. Believe me, this is something Ed Westick & TMI fans will WANT to find out. We've got a FABULOUS giveaway in store thank you to Simon and Schuster. We'd love to hear what you think it might be. Please leave us your guess in the comments below. I will say I don't watch Gossip Girl and I even want to enter this giveaway.

Be sure to visit us tomorrow to hear a little something from Ed.

Book Review- Notes from the Blender

By Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
Published by Egmont USA
Released Date: May 24, 2011
Source: ARC from publisher via The Austin Teen Book Festival
Rating: 3.5 Stars- I enjoyed it!

Synopsis (From Egmont): Declan loves death metal--particularly from Finland. And video games--violent ones. And internet porn--any kind, really. He goes to school with Neilly Foster and spends most of his classroom time wondering what it might be like to know her, to talk to her, maybe even to graze against her sweater in the hallway. Neilly is an accomplished gymnast, naturally beautiful, and a constant presence at all the best parties (to which Declan is never invited). She's the queen of cool, the princess of poker face, and her rule is uncontested-- or it was until today, when she's dumped by her boyfriend, betrayed by her former BFF Lulu, and then informed she's getting a new brother--of the freaky fellow classmate variety. Declan's dad is marrying Neilly's mom. Soon. Which means they'll be moving in together.

Once again I found myself thinking while reading this novel how I wished I had read these type of books when I was in high school. I think that teens today can really relate to the two main characters in this one, I would've loved to have read and connect with both Declan and Neilly when I was sixteen. They are both characters filled with a turmoil of emotions and very confused which is how I felt many times when I was younger, and these two authors have done a great job in adding the humor that makes Notes from the Blender a lighthearted fun read.


I've been enjoying reading books written by a collaboration of a male and female author, it’s actually a lot of fun seeing the different voices in these characters and really being able to tell the difference between the two. Declan was very much like a teen guy, realistic, very awkward and hormonal, Neilly was the beautiful popular girl that falls in love for the wrong reasons with the wrong person and is a bit shallow, they are both complete opposites but they come together in this novel and end up helping each other grow and change throuought the story. While reading Notes from the Blender I found that I was liking Declan a lot more, he seemed more my type of character, very confused and definitely clueless about girls, it was extremely funny to read the situations he got himself into. Neilly seemed to me to be a little self-centered at the beginning and she did take a bit longer to grow on me, but by the end I understood that I would’ve probably felt like the world was against me back when I was a teenager after finding out all the unexpected surprises she gets at the begining of the novel, it would have been extremely overwhelming. I ended up loving both!

I really loved that we get to see a few good parents in this one, which we hardly ever see in YA fiction. The parents, even though not always understanding, they are supportive and involved in the lives of these teeganers, they were also pretty funny and brought a few smiles to my face while reading this novel. Notes from the Blender is a well written contemporary story with flawed, angry and confused characters that touches on heavy topics like divorce, grief, heartbreak, first love and the difficulty about dealing with bullies and teasing about homosexuality. It’s all mixed into the lives of these two characters but in a way that is not intense or uncomfortable, we see them grow and become a family together and find a great underlying message in a story that will appeal to both male and female teen readers.

Hollywood Crush Interview's Cassandra Clare


In case you missed it this week, Hollywood Crush has posted not only their interview with Cassie, but a great video in which Holly Black is asking Cassie questions about the TMI movie. Here's a quote from the interview with Cassie-

"I love Lily Collins," Cassandra gushed right off the bat about the actress cast as heroine Clary. But she wasn't so forthcoming when asked about her preference for who should play sarcastic, demon-battling hottie Jace. What does she think of the fans' favorites?

"Well, the fans love Alex Pettyfer, and at this point I feel like I know him, though we've never spoken," she laughed. "He'd be a great Jace, but I know that he's got a lot of projects on his plate, so it sounds like he's choosing what would be the best fit for him. There's definitely other fan favorites for Jace, too." (text quoted from Hollywood Crush's site here)

Please be sure to go visit Hollywood Crush's site here to read the rest of their interview and to watch the interview between Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.

Waiting On Wednesday- Falling for Hamlet

By Michelle Ray
Published by Poppy
To Be Released on July 5th, 2011

Meet Ophelia: a blonde, beautiful high-school senior and long-time girlfriend of Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Her life is dominated not only by her boyfriend's fame and his overbearing family, but also by the paparazzi who hound them wherever they go. As the devastatingly handsome Hamlet spirals into madness after the mysterious death of his father, the King, Ophelia rides out his crazy roller coaster life, and lives to tell about it. In live television interviews, of course.

Passion, romance, drama, humor, and tragedy intertwine in this compulsively readable debut novel, told by a strong-willed, modern-day Ophelia (quoted from Goodreads)

I'm totally sold on this story! I love that there's a strong willed, modern day Ophelia at the heart of it. I'm really looking forward to reading this book when it's out.


Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Book Review- Where She Went


By Gayle Forman
Published by Dutton Juvenile
Released on April 5th, 2011
Source- ARC from publisher for review
4.5 stars- A Fantastic Sequel

It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance (quoted from Goodreads).

Can I just say that if Gayle Forman wrote a text book or even a dictionary I would read it! She has a way with not only her words, but her character development that just sucks me and leaves me feeling completely satisfied at the end of her books. Well, in this case I was left feeling a bit more than satisfied. I've been struggling with how to put into words my thoughts and feelings about this awesome sequel with out giving away any spoilers, and I'll admit it's a little hard. I promise I won't spoil anything.

Where She Went is a gripping, emotional, hopeful, fulfilling read. It's by no means one of those light and a fluffy books. I mean, how can it be when you know the promise that Adam makes at the end of If I Stay. I was completely taken and surprised with how absorbed I became with Adam's point of view. It's raw, edgy, and I couldn't help but get sucked into how he felt. There's a few scenes that I was so caught up in I totally cried, and I'm not a crier. I'll just said, the ferry scene totally got me. This scene is so crucial to both Adam and Mia as for the first time you see them completely vulnerable in every sense of the way.

I absolutely love how Gayle alternates between present day with Adam and Mia and Adam's flash backs. It not only allowed me to get to see what Adam has been doing, and his struggles, but it allowed for Mia's family to still stay in the picture, even if it's briefly. The best way for me to describe Where She Went is to quote the back of the ARC, "Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance".

I don't know what I was excepting at the end of Mia and Adam's story, but I will say the ending is both beautifully written and perfect for their story. I highly recommend picking this book up. I think it's a story both YA fans and adults will enjoy. There is some language, there are some mentions of groupies and a tastefully written scene. Over all what may sometimes bother me in some books was very fitting and realistic for Adam's story.

CoFA Book Trailer Bloopers

We have an AWESOME treat for you guys! If you thought the DSAS scene was hot, wait till you see the bloopers from not only that scene, but some of the other scenes. Trust us, it's worth watching....


THANK YOU to Vania for allowing Mundie Moms to share these never before scene bloopers!

AND Cassie just tweeted this awesome information (which is also found on her site here)
This Saturday will kick off a round of video content leading up to the release of City of Fallen Angels on Tuesday. Entertainment Weekly will debut everything on their Shelf Life column:

http://shelf-life.ew.com/

The videos include a trailer for City of Fallen Angels, interviews with Ed Westwick and Molly Quinn who recorded the audiobook, and a even a short film shot from the point of view of a new character in City of Fallen Angels. The first video will debut on Saturday at approximately 9am eastern (NY) time, and then the same time Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Happy watching, and only 7 days till City of Fallen Angels is released!

Twitter Tuesday - Courtney A. Moulton

Did you know that Courtney's book, Angelfire, is our Debut Author of the Month book? Have you checked it out yet? If not, here's a link to Katie's review and an excerpt from it:
Angelfire has a lot of great action, a chemistry that kept me turning the pages to see what would happen with Ellie and Will, and has me looking forward to reading more books in this series.
I have been following the facebook page of Harper Collins' Dark Days of Supernatural Tour and when I read Courtney's take on the tour, I just had to share it with all of you:
I just returned from my first book tour. Wow. Even days later, it still doesn’t feel real. In fact, I’m quite sure that I dreamed it all up. This also might be because when I got home, I literally slept for two days. Going on book tour was even more grueling than a horse show! I knew the Dark Days tour was going to take a lot out of me, but I never imagined I’d go to sleep every night and wake up every morning feeling so exhausted and excited at the same time.
I know you want to read the rest of the post because Courtney captures the emotion of a debut author perfectly. I was so excited for her and for all of the other authors. Now have you read Angelfire, yet? Join us in celebrating Courtney's debut by making yourself a root beer float (read the story to see why) and enjoying a new take on angelic lore.

Monday, March 28, 2011

City of Fallen Angels Quote

"Clary x Jace" by smithh

Cassie tweeted a quote from City of Fallen Angels and umm, well, it's you know so very Jace:
"You're the first Shadowhunter I've ever met."
“That’s too bad,” said Jace, “since all the others you meet from now on will be a terrible letdown.” — Jace, CoFA
Eight days and nine hours, Mundie Moms!

It's the Second Annual YALitChat, Made From Awesome Event!


We are so excited to be sponsoring another fabulous YALitChat mega chat! Last year it was a HUGE success and a lot of fun as we chatted with Holly Black, Michelle Zink, Scott Westefeld, Kami Garcia, Cassandra Clare, Bree Despain, James Dashner, Sarah Rees Brennan, Melissa Marr, A.S. King, Becca Fitzpatrick, Lisa McMann, Ellen Hopkins, Margaret Stohl, Carrie Ryan and Alyson Noel. Be sure to hop over here to MM's after the chats for the mega fun after chat parties! It's your chance to continue talking to your favorite authors and enter to win some cool stuff! You can read more about last year's chat here and read the transcript here.

Here's what we have in store for this year-

We’ll have giveaways, virtual popcorn and loads of fun. It’s a celebration of YA on twitter and you’ll be a memorable part of the second annual event! And just like last year–one night isn’t big enough, so we’ve got two! That’s right, YALITCHATTERS, mark your calendars because April 13th AND 14th we’re having a party and it’s MADE FROM AWESOME! This year our giveaways include books, beauty products, promotional bags and other swag! YES! We are excited! Notice all the exclamation points! And did we mention this year’s line-up? New this year–we’ve invited middle grade writers to hang with us too! See drool-worthy line up below.

Night I April 13 @ 8:30-9PM EDT: Pre-Show squee-chat!

9-11PM EDT: Nancy Holder, Jason Henderson, Coe Booth, Malinda Lo, Mitali Perkins, Melissa de la Cruz, Karen Healey, Jaclyn Dolamore, Kierstin White

Giveaways: signed copy of The Guardian of the Dead from Karen Healey, goodie bags and copies of Bloody Valentine from Melissa da la Cruz, signed copy of Bamboo People from Mitali Perkins, signed hardcover of Huntres from Malina Lo, ARC of Huntress from Malinda Lo, signed copy of CRUSADE from Nancy Holder, signed copy of Alex VanHelsing from Jason Henderson.

11PM-12AM EDT: Afterparty on Mundie Moms! Post-chat mayhem, fun and giveaways. Join us with special guest authors and more fun at a literary virtual afterparty than you can imagine.

Night II April 14 @ 9-11PM EDT: Julia DeVillers, Beth Revis, Claudia Gabel, Helene Boudreau, Cyn Balog, Brenna Yavonoff, Sarwat Chadda, Andrea Cremer

Giveaways: signed copies of books from Julia DeVillers, signed copies of Romeo and Juliet and Vampires from Claudia Gabel, signed copy of Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings from Helene Boudreau, signed copy of Fairytale or Sleepless from Cyn Balog, copy of The Replacement from Brenna Yavonoff, signed copy of Dark Goddess from Sarwat Chadda, goodie bag from Melissa de la Cruz.

11PM-12AM EDT: Afterparty on Mundie Moms! Post-chat mayhem, fun and giveaways. Join us with special guest authors and more fun at a literary virtual afterparty than you can imagine (quoted from YALitChat's site)


This year we have all new authors and two more fabulous sites who are also sponsoring the chat, Novel Novice and Bookalicious. This year each of the three sponsors will be featuring select authors, who will be on the chat, on each of our blogs. Here's the authors we'll be featuring leading up to the Mega Chat.
A HUGE thank you goes to Georgia McBride who's the mastermind behind YALitChat and the Made From Awesome Chats. To learn more about YALitChat or to join the Ning, please visit them here.

Book Review- A Touch Mortal

By Leah Clifford
Published By GreenWillow Books
Released on February 22nd, 2011
Source- ARC from publisher for review

Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick-up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long, happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end (quoted from Goodreads).


A Touch Mortal has been on my radar for some time now and I was thrilled to have the chance to review it, as the premise alone was so intriguing to me. I couldn't wait to devour the book. I started out loving the instant connection between Eden and Az. I knew there was something different about Az, and it wasn't hard to feel sorry for Eden and what she was feeling when the books starts. The whole beach scene between the two of them and Gabe totally grabbed my attention and I was anxious to watch their relationship grow. I was a little bummed when the story jumps ahead at the next chapter, leaving out the romantic development. I really wanted to see their relationship develop, versus being told. Not that it's bad being told, I just wanted a little something more.

I really enjoyed Leah's fascinating mythology. I felt she had a great cast of characters who have some pretty unique paranormal powers, but I felt I didn't get to really know her characters like I wanted to. I wanted to feel like I was apart of their world and I didn't walk away feeling that. I think A Touch Mortal had a great plot, but felt the story skipped around too much that it took too much away from the story for me, and at times I felt a little lost with trying to figure out what some of the terminology meant the first time it's mentioned.

While I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did, I know there are other readers who have enjoyed it. I think that if you're pondering on whether or not to get it, I would borrow the book first to see if it's right for you. I do want to caution that there are a lot of mentions of suicide through out the story. This is a very sensitive subject for many people and it's not something to take lightly. Though Leah writes it in a way that's not graphic, it's a big theme in the book. There is also a lot of language in this book that often times I felt was out of place. Really I can handle some language, but I get turned off from a book when there's a lot of f-words, and I felt it was out of character for an angel to use that word. Due to the sensitive topics and language I would recommend this book for more mature YA readers.

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