I Made You A Mixtape- ATBF

I Made You a Mixtape (Panel): Sharah Dessen, Lauren Myracel, Sara Farizan, Trish Doller, Leilah Howland, Julie Murphy 

(Answers are shortened and modified seeing as its really hard to listen and type everything!!) 

What do you do to create the perfect mood to write?

SD: I can't listen to music when I'm writing, but I do have songs in mind when I'm writing. I actually got the name Emaline (from the moon and more) from a song.

LH: For the sequel to Nantucket Blue I listened to lots of Taylor Swift! 

Do you identify with setting, plot, or character the most? 

LH: For me it was the setting!

SD: Always with the character. Well the character's name! I reread what ever I wrote the last day and just build on that. But different things work for different people, lots of trial and error when it comes to writing. 

TD: Character. I talk about my characters to my family all the time. My daughter says the character Travis is like a part of our family because I talk about him so much. Like its a little creepy when people talk about Travis being cute. I mean he's like my son!

What are your favorite banned books? And have your book been banned or challenged?

SF: Mine probably will be! I mean I understand why and how books get banned, but I hope if it helps a person or family or parent, that's enough

SD: I have had my books banned. Just Listen has been challenged. I understand why books are banned, but I think some of the books that are banned are the ones that teens learn from the most.

LM: I have TONS of banned books! I respects others opinions, but having my books banned does make me sad. Some people think I target and make fun of the youth. But I try not to let others thoughts and opinions get to me! 

My Review: The Kindle Paperwhite

Hey Readers!

Today I have a special post for you- all about the kindle paperwhite! Spring Break 2013, I went to Rosemary Beach, Fl and was looking forward to reading some new books I had just downloaded. When I got to Florida, I realized my original kindle screen was all frozen and fuzzy (think like a tv screen) and it had completely stopped working. I don't know if it was water damage or what but it was toast. 

I ended up purchasing the Kindle Paperwhite at the beginning of the summer. I know what you are thinking- the beginning of the summer?! Shouldn't you have a review up sooner? Well, I wanted to test it out for a few months, really get to know how it works, before I showed it to y'all. Here it is!

Review: So far, I really like the Paperwhite! One of the coolest things about it is the Paperwhite feature (obviously). It allows you to read any time of day/night easily by being able to turn the brightness up or down. As far as reading, it doesn't hurt my eyes at all. Amazon has done it again! It feels like you are reading real pages. This kindle is touch screen, and I think that is a great quality. However I will say that sometimes the keyboard gets a little touchy and annoying to deal with. I also miss the page turning buttons that I had on my original kindle. The touch screen does get annoying in that sense. This kindle is still in black and white, which I don't mind. I find that I don't really need color if I'm only using the device for reading. Out of 5 stars I give this one a 4! Good job, Amazon!

        Kindle Paperwhite 

Original Kindle

We are going to be at the Austin Teen Book Festival! Stay on the look out for reviews, author interviews

life posts, and more!

Emma 

TheBookCouture

Moonglass By Jessi Kirby- Review

Hello Friends! 

I recently finished Jessi Kirby's latest book, Moonglass. To here more about what I have to say about it, continue on! 

Summary (NO SPOILERS):

Anna’s life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It’s bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean’s tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna’s mother’s death- stays buried forever.

Emma's Review: I think this was a pretty good read. It wasn't the best book of all time, but I felt satisfied when I finished it. I do think though, that the plot went a little off the deep end. When I first started reading, I though it was going to be a summer romance and a "coming of age" type of book. I did get sucked in toward the middle, though, which I believe was the best part of the book. Out of five stars, I give this one three. It was a quick little satisfying read! Keep a look out for Jessi Kirby's latest book, Golden, which came out in May 2013!

Get This Book! http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moonglass-jessi-kirby/1100215166?ean=9781442416949 

More on Jessi Kirby- JessiKirby.com 

Emma- TheBookCouture

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen- Review

Hello Everyone!!

As you may or may not know, Sarah Dessen (my favorite author) just came out with her new book, The Moon and More, on June 4th. I finished reading it rather quickly because I wanted to get this review up for y'all, so here it is!

Summary (NO SPOILERS):

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo’s sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline’s mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he’s convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she’s going?

Sarah Dessen’s devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

Emma's Review: I was extremely excited for this book to come out. My favorite author, summer-themed, romance, what's more to love? As soon as the book came out, I was ready to read. I am afraid to say I was a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it was a great read, but I was not too happy about the ending. Based on the summary, I thought it was going to be a typical summer romance about a girl choosing between two boys. But what I read was a story about family and reconnecting with yourself. I was a little mislead by the summary, but it was a good book all in all. Out of five stars, I'll give this one 3. Not my favorite Sarah Dessen book, but definitely not the worst thing I've ever read. Hope y'all enjoyed my review! Stay tuned for Peyton's!

Peyton's Review: 
 I have only read a couple of Sarah Dessen's books, seeing as I tend to gravitate to more thrilling, action-packed stories. I have to agree with Emma though, this was not one of her best. I found most of the characters to be not very likeable and the plot a bit dull. It did have a few interesting parts, but overall I did not enjoy this book as much as I would have liked to. I give this book two out of five stars. Comment below and let us know what YOU think!

Links!
Our Twitter: @TheBookCouture
Get this book! http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-moon-and-more-sarah-dessen/1113557593?ean=9780670785605 
More on Sarah Dessen- SarahDessen.com 

Unwind Trilogy- Neal Shusterman

Unwind Review!

Hey guys! Now that school is finally out, Emma and I will have lots more time to read and review. So, to kick it off I thought I would do a review of Neal Shusterman's trilogy Unwind. As you may or may not know, the third book in the series (UnSouled) is not scheduled to be released until October 15th, 2013. You can pre-order it now on at the  Barns and Noble website. I will attach the link below!

Brief summary WITHOUT spoilers:
In this dystopian society, kids from the ages thirteen to eighteen can be signed up by their parents to be "unwound". Being unwound means all of the kid's body parts are disassembled and transplanted to different donors and that they are "living in the divided state".  Connor, Risa, and Lev are all signed up to be unwound, but together they just might be able to escape.




My Review:
 This series was perfect! It had just enough creepy in it to satisfy, but I could still read it before bed with out being terrified to sleep alone in the dark! Both books also really make you think about your beliefs and what you would do to stop such a corrupt and unjust society. One thing I really love about both books is how you get to read from multiple character's perspectives! If you loved the Hunger Games and Maze Runner, you will love these books. I am so pumped for UnSouled to be released. Below is a preview of the cover for the final book in the Trilogy!

-Peyton


Link for preorder:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unsouled-neal-shusterman/1114307296?ean=9781442423695

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@TheBookCouture

Emma and Peyton
TheBookCouture

What I'm Reading

Hello!

Today I thought I would update y'all on what I am currently reading. I went to BookPeople on Tuesday (see last post) and picked up a few new things. First, I bought The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and let me just say, I am so excited to read it! I have heard so many great things about this author and can't wait to crack open this novel. I also picked up Moonglass by Jessi Kirbi. I think I am going to wait to read this until summer because its a beach themed read, as you can tell from the title. What are you reading? Give us book suggestions in the comments below!
Emma