Have You Seen This Trailer?

I was looking for info on those awesome Torment t-shirts Borders has and stumbled upon the book trailer for Lauren Kate's 'Torment', sequel to 'Fallen'.



I have a bit of a problem with the size of Daniels wings in the trailer, but it's not too shabby a trailer. Yes, it doesn't go into the plot of the book at all, but at least they used real actors.  I really like it when publishers go the extra mile and at least try to make it look like a movie trailer.  

What do you think?

The Third Installment of 'Banned Book Week! Read, Review, and Recommend your favorite banned book!'

As you know, it's Banned Book Week!  This is the week we celebrate the books that are wrongly banned from books, libraries, and schools!

It's Wednesday!  Time to celebrate another 'banned book'.  In this case, we're celebrating a series-- Goosebumps by R.L. Stine.  I don't know about you, but I grew up reading the Goosebumps series.  Every Christmas, I'd receive a handful of new titles. Heck, I still own most of the ones I received those Christmas's!

'Night Of the Living Dummy' and the two books that follow are by far my favorites in the series because they're just so creepy!  That being said, because something is creepy, should it be banned?  Because something may frighten the faint (very faint) at heart, should we pull it off of library shelves?  Bluntly, no.  I get it, some kids might be freaked out by a book about a ventriloquist dummy coming to life, but that is no reason to pull it from library or bookstore shelves.  Just because one kid, or rather one parent, can't understand the macabre style R.L Stine brings to the Goosebumps series doesn't mean another kid won't gobble it it up like there's no tomorrow and thirst for more.  

Thoughts?

Review: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Title: The Replacement
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Genre: YA, urban fantasy, slight romance
Perfect for: readers looking for a slightly dark urban fantasy
Star Rating: 3/5 stars

Summery from Goodreads:

"Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants."

First things first, this cover is amazing.  From the imagery to the glossy, metallic look, everything about it shouts 'read me'.  I was sucked in by the cover, not the blurb on the back.  The cover sold me on this title and made me look forward to reading it.  They say you shouldn't judge books by covers, but in this case, the cover totally lives up to the text.

I was a bit worried about the story when I saw it being compared to 'Catcher in the Rye'.  Long time readers know that I despise 'Catcher in the Rye', so you understand why I had my doubts.  While I can see the connections, I believe 'The Replacement' has a completely different feel from the classic it's compared to.

The story is dark, more urban fantasy than I'm used to reading.  It was a nice change, actually.  Starting with the characters, I felt them to be pretty unique.  The title character, Mackie, had a very difficult problem to deal with and felt pretty fleshed out to me.  You really do feel for the kid-- knowing that you're dying and having to hide your true identity from your best friend? Mackie brings an interesting perspective to the whole fae thing, different from other characters in other urban fantasy titles.

Mackie's best friend, Roswell, left me with a few question marks over my head.  I loved his character and really loved his name, but his family history was never really explained.  Knowing a bit about that would have definitely fleshed out Roswell a lot more as a character.  It makes me wonder if his family history was left out for a reason?  A possible companion novel of sorts?  We shall have to see...

And then there is Tate, the token love interest.  As far as token love interests go, Tate was a pretty solid character.  Like Roswell, I would have liked to see a bit more her backstory.  The romance between her and Mackie, well, it felt a bit rushed to me, but what YA novel doesn't have a rushed romance now a days?

You'll notice my star rating is 3/5.  I had to take a few points off due to the story.  The story itself is fun and intriguing.  However, just like with the romance, the plot elements seemed a bit rushed.  Everything happened so quickly.  It's felt like we went from 'major plot point to major plot point', instead of 'major plot point to rising action to major plot point'.  The elements were unique, yes, but it was almost too simple for the characters to achieve what they were seeking.

I suggest picking up 'The Replacement'.  Minus the quick plot, it is a different sort of read and is perfect if you feel stuck in a supernatural romance rut!  'The Replacement' is on store shelves now!

The Second Installment of 'Banned Book Week! Read, Review, and Recommend your favorite banned book!'

As you know, it's Banned Book Week!  This is the week we celebrate the books that are wrongly banned from books, libraries, and schools!

Tuesday's Banned Book pick?  'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury tells the story of a society in which books are not allowed.  They are, in fact, burned at 451 degrees Fahrenheit.  It's a classic story that preaches against banning books, music, etc.  (Kind of ironic that it's one of the most frequently challenged book of the past decade!)  Plus, it's a really entertaining read.  If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you pick it up!

Banned Book Week! Read, Review, and Recommend your favorite banned book!

It's that time again-- Banned Book Week.  This is the week we celebrate the books that are wrongly banned from libraries, bookstores, and schools everyday.  I'm a huge believer that you should not ban any book, regardless of your thoughts on it.

Each day this week, I'll be posting a banned book or series I happen to love.  I encourage you to do the same!

Mondays Banned Book/Series is none other than C.S. Lewis's 'Chronicles of Narnia', banned usually due to the religious themes in the titles.  There are two ways to read this series.  It's quite easy to read it purely as a fun fantasy tale and just as easy to read it as a fun fantasy with religious themes.  In my opinion, this book isn't preaching anything unless you read it looking for religious references.  And even if you are, what harm comes from thinking of Aslan as God or Narnia as Heaven?  I've read many books about characters that have drastically different religions than me and I would never think of banning them just for that reason.

What's your banned book for Monday?

We Have a Rating System!

Hi guys!

I just wanted to let you know that every review going forward will have a rating!  I'm thinking I'll stick with the basic five star rating system.  Five meaning the book is one of those can't eat, can't sleep types that takes over your life from the first page to the last down to one star.  Since I'm a pretty laid back reader, I doubt I'll have a lot of one star books here!

The main reason I'm implementing this is because there are some books I expect so much from and really do enjoy, but am so sucked in by the characters, setting ,etc that I can get a little picky about certain elements.  (If that makes sense!)  Most recently, this happened with 'Torment' by Lauren Kate. With this star rating system in place, I'll be able to give a clearer idea of my final opinion of the book.

I'll be updating with a review of 'The Replacement' within the next few days!  Check back soon!

S.O.S Book of the Week

The S.O.S Book of the Week is where I'll let you in on what new releases I'm looking forward to! S.O.S comes from the term 'Strict on Sale'. It's bookseller speak for a title that you can't sell before a specific date-- think Harry Potter. While the books I have here may not be S.O.S titles specifically, they are all new!

The S.O.S. Book of the Week is:

James Dashner's sequel to last years hit 'The Maze Runner' hits store shelves October 12th!  'The Maze Runner' introduced us to a new world with a lot of promise and the ending, well, what ending?  It left us with a cliffhanger equal to Angel's series finale.  


Here's a blurb about 'The Scorch Trials' from Goodreads:

"The Maze was only the beginning...   Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more Variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.  

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, much of the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated--and with it, order--and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim... and meal.  

 Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them."

Usually these sort of books more rooted in action don't keep my attention, but I want to stick with this series. It has great promise and seriously, after that cliffhanger, what else am I supposed to do!!!


Anyone else looking forward to this title?

Congrats to our Contest Winners!!!

I'd like to thank everyone who entered my first book giveaway! In my book, it was quite a success!!!  I emailed the winners yesterday and have since heard back from all of them.

Of the six books, most were most interested in winning 'The Replacement' (in bookstores now, I think!).  Being the only book I've read, I can tell you that it's a good read!  Second most popular was 'Star Crossed'.  Surprisingly, there was no love for 'The Thin Executioner'!

I'd like you to join me in congratulating our six winners:

Mary Brebner of The Book Swarm, winner of The Thin Executioner

Anjohnston of Down The Rabbit Hole, winner of The Replacement

Taylor of The Library Lurker, winner of Aces Up

Christy of Dearest Dreams, winner of Clockwork Three

tabbylewis (Twitter), winner of Star Crossed

Sylvia, winner of Mostly Good Girls

Congrats, guys!  Remember, I'll send traffic your way if you post a review on your winning title and send me a direct link!

Fantasy Cast: Matched

Recently, Variety announced that Disney had bought the rights to the upcoming book 'Matched' by Ally Condie.  See my review of the book here.  I'm not surprised 'Matched' got picked up, but am surprised it happened so quickly!  The book hasn't even officially come out yet!  The sequels are years away!  The story, though I predict it won't, could fail miserably or have really bad sequels.  Fingers crossed it doesn't, but it could. I'm almost forgetting the fact that Disney could also mess this up by casting, say, Miley Cyrus as Cassia or something.  Note to Disney-  I'd prefer NOT seeing any Hannah Montana stars in 'Matched', thanks.

With 'Hunger Games' and 'Vampire Academy' already fantasy cast here on the blog, now I think it's time for 'Matched' to get the same treatment.  Here you go-- the fantasy cast of 'Matched'.

Bradley James (credits: Merlin) as Xander:

My excitement over the third season of Merlin may have prompted this casting, but the more I think about it, Bradley would be the perfect Xander. He's handsome, built, and comes off as friendly on the screen. I believe Bradley has the acting chops to really get the audience to root for him and Cassia, just like Taylor Lautner did as Twilight's Jacob. All he needs is to work on an american english accent and he'll find himself a whole new fanbase over here as Xander!

Steven Strait (credits: Sky High, The Covenant) as Ky:

Originally, I thought Steven Strait would be too old to play an older teen. However, it turns out he was born in 1986! Dressed up right with a young hair-do and look, I think he'd be really good as the mysterious Ky. He has that bad boy aire to him that totally shouts Ky. On a sidenote, I was shocked when I read that he got married in 2008! Why are all the hot ones off the market?! ;)

???? as Cassia:

?????

I just have no idea who to choose! Cassia's hard because you need a girl with a classic sort of prettiness about her, nothing too over dramatic or sexy. She also needs to believably play someone responsible, hardworking, and smart.  You don't know how hard it was thinking of young actors who have that trait.

If I had a TARDIS, I'd probably bring a young Anne Hathaway or Rachael Leigh Cook into the future for the role of Cassia, but alas...

I'm open to suggestions on this casting. Who do you believe would be an awesome Cassia?

Book Blogger Hop

The question of the week is:

In honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, let's take time this week to honor our favorite book bloggers and why we love them!

Another statement/question... Hmmmm.  I honestly can't just pick one or two bloggers to honor in my post.  Every blog I've visited has had some great content.  Who I really want to mention here, I guess, our the people who have taken the time to leave comments here on the blog.  It makes my day and makes me strive to take the time to really look at their and others work and leave some sort of comment back.

Most recently, Michelle stopped by my Torment (by Lauren Kate) review and we had a fun conversation about our (dis)likes about the sequel.  It wasn't just the traditional 'nice review' type of thing.  It was an actual discussion like post.  I liked it and am going to try to put that sort of feeling in my comments from now on!!

Also, I feel I should mention Danya, who tends to pop her head in here from time to time.  It's always nice getting repeat visitors.  :-)

To all visitors, I appreciate you stopping by!  I really do!

-----------

On a side note, please make sure to enter my book giveaway!  US mailing addresses only.  I'd love more entries and as you only have until the 19th to enter, you are not NOT required to spread the word (though, I'd still love it if you did!). 

S.O.S Book of the Week

The S.O.S Book of the Week is where I'll let you in on what new releases I'm looking forward to! S.O.S comes from the term 'Strict on Sale'. It's bookseller speak for a title that you can't sell before a specific date-- think Harry Potter. While the books I have here may not be S.O.S titles specifically, they are all new!

The S.O.S. Book of the Week is:

I'm a dork when it comes to Star Wars.  I can quote all six movies, have read multiple expanded universe books, have a ball joined doll named Kyp and an Animal Crossing village called 'Falcon' (Millennium Falcon seemed too long for my town!), and attended CIV in Cali a few years back.  'The Jedi Path' is the perfect book for all us kids who grew up wanting to one day wake up with the Force.  

Authored by Daniel Wallace with a release date of September 28th, this book not only looks leather bound, but also comes with a fantastic vault to store it in!  To see the vault in action, watch the video located on Amazon.  Very neat, if you ask me!!!

Here's a quick blurb about 'The Jedi Path' via Goodreads:

"This ancient training manual, crafted by early Jedi Masters, has educated and enlightened generations of Jedi. It explains the history and hierarchy of the Jedi Order, and what Jedi must know to take their place as defenders of the peace in the galaxy—from mastery of the Force to the nuances of lightsaber combat. Passed down from Master to Padawan, the pages of this venerable text have been annotated by those who have held it, studied it, and lived its secrets. From Yoda and Luke Skywalker to Count Dooku and Darth Sidious, they have shaped the content of the book by leaving mementos tucked within the pages, tearing out pages, and adding their personal experiences as tangible reminders of the lessons they’ve learned. Through wars and rebellion, only a single copy of this manual has survived. It is now passed on to you."

While this may not be up your alley, it's totally up mine.  I hope I'll be able to whip up the cash to pick up this pricey, yet fantastic looking book!!!

Review: Reckless by Cornelia Funke

Title: Reckless
Author: Cornelia Funke
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure, fairytale
Perfect for: those in the mood for a 'grimm fairytale' type read!

Taken from Goodreads:

"For years, Jacob Reckless has been secretly disappearing to another world, a world behind a mirror, a world for which his father abandoned his family. The mirror world is Jacob's escape from reality. It's a place for treasure hunts and magnificent quests. A world where witches haunt the forests and giants and dwarfs roam. A world locked in a deadly war.  Jacob's secret seems safe, until one day his younger brother Will follows him, with disastrous consequence. Faced with a curse that is quickly turning Will to stone, the Reckless brothers are thrust into a race against time to find a cure before Will is lost forever. "

Let me tell you first that 'Inkheart' is one of my favorite books.   I wanted to be as charmed with 'Reckless' as I was 'Inkheart', but was left slightly disappointed.  This is an odd review to write for me, as I'm on the fence about 'Reckless'.

Let me start with what I loved about 'Reckless'.  The charm of this novel comes firstly from the characters.  Funke has a great intuition for what makes characters likable and complete.  The title character Jacob Reckless, the troubled boy who misses his father and feels he must take care of his family in said fathers place, is likable from the get go.  That's an amazing feet because he isn't Harry Potter or Bobby Pendragon.  Jacob has flaws, flaws that could have made him unlikable, but don't due to Funke's great writing.  Brother Will is also an interesting character, even if we don't see him very often.  Finishing up the trifecta is Clara, Will's girlfriend.  I'd like to know more about Clara.  She's strong and brave, though obviously put off kilter by the mirrorworld she finds herself in and the adventure she finds herself on.  Her interactions with Jacob are great.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the relationship between Clara and Jacob turns out...

The other thing I love about this title is the setting.  The fairy tale like world that lies beyond the mirror is a place where I imagine anything could happen.  It leaves a lot of openings for different story arcs to come about.  'Reckless' is a dark tale, very Brothers Grimm.  It's a new style for most who are used to the 'Inkheart' trilogy, but, you know what?  Funke did dark well!

What I didn't like so much about the book was the story.  I know that's a weird thing to say.  I like bits of the story, but as a whole it was not my favorite thing about 'Reckless'.  There's lots of action and adventure, but it all came across a bit rushed.  A lot happens in 'Reckless'.  Have you ever seen one of those movies that starts off with some big action packed event and never lets up?  That's how 'Reckless' stuck me.  I really wanted a rest period for the trio.  I'm not a huge fan of titles that are bogged down with action, action, action, especially when they're in a place that is new and fantastical.  I like having an idea of the world I'm reading about before a troll attacks or whatever the case may be.

The biggest question I was left with after finishing this book?  Simple.  Is this the first book in a series?  Should I expect a sequel?  There are lots of unanswered questions in 'Reckless'.  I am really hoping for a sequel.  Even though the story got bogged down a bit in this novel, I want to know what happens to Jacob, Will and Clara.  Well, mostly Jacob and Clara, but it seems they come as a trio.

I recommend this title.  It's very different than what you might be used to reading from Funke, but it's definitely worth a look!

Book Shelf Updates

Things to look forward to this week? My review of Cornelia Funke's 'Reckless', my new S.O.S Book of the Week, and hopefully another fantasy cast post!

The purpose of this post, however? To catch you up on my current bookshelves!

I'm currently reading:

'Dead Beautiful' by Yvonne Woon and 'I Am Number Four' by Pittacus Lore. I usually don't like to read more than one book at a time, but 'I Am Number Four' was going a bit slow for me and I decided to put it on hold for a bit! My mom suggested 'Dead Beautiful'. So far, I'm loving it! Once I'm done with that, I'll go back to 'I Am Number Four'.

I have recently finished:

'Garfield Minus Garfield' by Jim Davis-- I actually laughed a bit at these comic strips that were literally Garfield minus, well, Garfield. Some hit a bit too close to home, but were still quite funny.

'The Replacement' by Brenna Yovanoff -- Loved the cover, liked the concept, but felt the story was rushed. Interesting read, regardless.

'Jealousy (Strange Angels #3)' by Lilith Saintcrow-- I enjoyed the third book in the Strange Angels series. Like the other two in the series, I skimmed over much of the action portions, but Dru's POV was spot on. I find it odd that Dru can never be with *both* Christophe and Graves. And with the way this one ended, I don't see that changing!!! Christophe's scenes were as charming as ever and Graves, while down played a bit in this novel, had some cute scene's, as well. Fans of both guys should be pleased (for the most part)!

So that's it for now!  Keep an eye out for my 'Reckless' Review and don't forget to sign up for my book giveaway two posts down!!!

Contest Info is LIVE!!!!

Be sure to check out my contest post right here!  I tried to make it pretty with book cover's, but Blogger wasn't working well for me this morning.  Oh, Blogger, sometimes you and me just don't get along. :-)

So, check out the post and get to entering!!!

*Cue Confetti* It's CONTEST TIME!

I promised when I passed 40 followers here at Brooke's Box of Books that I would show my appreciation by having a fantastic giveaway or two! Well, here you go! I'm not giving away just one book, no, not just two books, but SIX ARCS!

UPDATE 9/17/10:  I'd love more entries and as you only have until the 19th to enter, you are not NOT required to spread the word (though, I'd still love it if you did!).   Also, to clarify, you may or may not win the book you mention in your comment.  I'm going to do my best to pair you up with the book you're most likely to read/review, but can't guarantee it!!

THE RULES:

-- Link this post to a tweet or blog entry
--Comment on this blog entry with the link, your name, your e-mail, and the book you would prefer to win.
--When you have time, review the book you won on your own blog, goodreads, or amazon account! Send me the link to your review and I'll post the link here on my site. (This isn't required, but suggested!)
--You must be located within the US to win. (Sorry! I can't afford international shipping at this time!)

THE DEADLINE:

-- This contest runs through September 19th.
--Winners will receive their books within a month of winning

Now, the fun part-- 
THE BOOKS!

'The Clockwork Three' by Matthew Kirby
'The Replacement' by Brenna Yovanoff
'Mostly Good Girls' by Leila Sales
'Star Crossed' by Elizabeth Brunce
'Aces Up' by Lauren Barnholdt
'The Thin Executioner' by Darren Shan

Winners will be chosen randomly and e-mailed.  If you receive an e-mail saying you won, please respond within two days.  I'd like to post the usernames/websites of the winners, but will ask you via winners confirmation if that's okay.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!!!

Book Blogger Hop Question

The Book Blogger Hop Question/Task of the week is: 

Post a link to a favorite post or book review that you have written in the past three months.

My favorite post of the past three months is my review on the most recent Vampirates book "Empire of Night".  I chose it for a few reasons.  First off, the review came so naturally to me.  It practically wrote itself.  No silly lollygagging on my part 'is this good, is that good'.  Secondly, I love it because it was the first North American review for the title and was posted on the UK Vampirates website!  How neat is that!

CONTEST INFO POSTED! LOOK AT ABOVE POST!!!

S.O.S Book of the Week

The S.O.S Book of the Week is where I'll let you in on what new releases I'm looking forward to! S.O.S comes from the term 'Strict on Sale'. It's bookseller speak for a title that you can't sell before a specific date-- think Harry Potter. While the books I have here may not be S.O.S titles specifically, they are all new!

The S.O.S. Book of the Week is:

'Wired', the conclusion to Robin Wasserman's Skinned Trilogy, should be appearing on store shelves September 14th. I am quite looking forward to this release. Both 'Skinned' and 'Crashed' fell into my lap. It's one of those series that is easy to miss, not highly promoted, but one that is actually pretty darn good!

Here's a blurb on 'Wired' found on Amazon:

One year ago, Lia Kahn died. A few days later, she woke up.

She had a new body: Mechanical, unfeeling, inhuman. She had a new family: Mechs like her, who didn’t judge her for what she could no longer be. She had a new life, one that would last forever.

At least, it was supposed to.

But now everything Lia thought she knew has turned out to be a lie; everyone she thought she loved has been stolen away. And someone is trying to get rid of the mechs, once and for all. Lia will risk everything to save herself and the people she can’t live without. But not before facing one final truth: She can’t save everyone.

I'm hoping this has a fantastic conclusion, something in the lines of 'Hunger Games' or the 'Uglies' Trilogy. Something that turns the whole philosophy you thought you knew and loved/hated, and totally turns it on its head.  I'll let you know how it turns out!!!

Review: Torment by Lauren Kate

Title: Torment
Author: Lauren Kate
Format: ARC
Release Date: September 28, 2010
Genre: YA, Supernatural, Romance
Perfect for: those who read the original book in the series 'Fallen'

From Goodreads:

In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. 

At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. 

'Torment', sequel to last years 'Fallen', has me a bit torn. Let's start with the good stuff... Visually, the cover is as stunning and eye catching as its predecessor. The cover designer should be very proud of the work they did for 'Torment'.

New characters Shelby and Miles also belong in the 'good stuff' category. During moments where I felt the story dragging, these two would pop up and bring it back up to speed. The intriguing character background given to both Shelby and Miles make them fun to read about. They saved us readers from many of Luce's lamenting about Daniel, the other angels, or life in general. And Miles specifically? Loved him. When Daniel was bugging the heck out of me, Miles seemed like the perfect choice for Luce. (But we'll get back to Daniel...)

Finally, the revelations at the end of 'Torment' and that horrible (in an 'I have to wait how long to read book three' sort of way) cliffhanger make up for this books shortcomings.

Now onto the before mentioned shortcomings...  Mainly, 'Torment' suffers from being far too secretive. Many questions were posed in 'Fallen'.  I expected a few more answers in 'Torment' than I received.  Actually, I expected a lot more answers than I received.  It seems far too much time was spent on things that didn't move the story. For example, for the first half of the book, Luce kept on lamenting about Daniel, how he treated her like a child, how she longed for his touch, etc. Had the story been going somewhere at that point, fine, but really, it wasn't.  Not until Shelby and Miles really came into the story.  And then again, not until Thanksgiving rolled along.  The real meat of the story didn't actually come into play until the last 100 pages or so, which was too, too late in my opinion.

The other problem I had with 'Torment'?  Daniel.  Mysterious is one thing, but he was just being too secretive for my tastes.  Honestly, being an angel who's lived for centuries, I expected him to be a little less dense and let Luce, who he supposedly loves, in on a few of the things that may save her life.  At this point, I'm all for her cooling down with Daniel and getting with Miles, or Cam for that matter.  That's how low Daniel fell in this novel.

Overall, I think 'Torment' is a good sequel, even with its negatives. The new characters and the cliffhanger make me definitely want to continue with this series. 'Torment' is available to pre-order at your local bookstore and online now!

Happy September!

Geez, can you believe it's September already?  I sure can't.  It's been a slow week here at Brooke's Box of Books.  Rest assured I have some fun stuff planned for this month!

The most exciting thing happening in September? A contest! Yes! As promised, I am going to give away a few books to a few lucky people! Check back during the weekend for details!

Book reviews that will be popping up this month will include 'Torment' by Lauren Kate, 'I am Number Four' by Pittacus Lore, and 'Reckless' by Cornelia Funke.

That's about it for this months update!  Remember, check back this weekend for contest info!!!

S.O.S Book of the Week

The S.O.S Book of the Week  is where I'll let you in on what new releases I'm looking forward to!  S.O.S comes from the term 'Strict on Sale'.  It's bookseller speak for a title that you can't sell before a specific date-- think Harry Potter.  While the books I have here may not be S.O.S titles specifically, they are all new!

The S.O.S. Book of the Week is:

August 31st saw the release of 'The Haunted' by Jessica Verday, sequel to last years supernatural romance 'The Hollow'. You may remember my review of that here. The overall storyline of the series is loosely based on 'The Headless Horseman' or at least takes place in Sleepy Hollow and includes some dead folks.

Here's a blurb from Goodreads:

"After a summer spent reclaiming her sanity and trying to forget the boy she fell in love with by the bridge where her best friend drowned - the boy who must not exist, cannot exist, because she knows that he is dead - Abbey returns to Sleepy Hollow, determined to leave the ghosts of her past behind. She throws herself into schoolwork, perfume-making and her friendship with Ben, her cute and funny lab partner, who just might be able to help her get over Caspian once and for all. 

But Abbey is never going to truly be able to move on from Caspian and Caspian has no choice but to return to her side: for Caspian is a Shade and Abbey is his destiny. The two are tied not only to each other, but also to the town of Sleepy Hollow and the famous legend that binds their fates - a legend whose true ending and dark truths they are only just beginning to guess..."

I'm hoping this sequel starts off a little quicker than the last and am looking forward to seeing more of Caspian.  'The Haunted' is definitely going on my hold list at the library!

 And that's it for this weeks S.O.S Book of the Week!  Check back next week for my next S.O.S title!

We got another award-- One Lovely Blog Award

I'd like to thank Danya over at 'A Tapestry of Words' for giving me this 'One Lovely Blog Award'!

Rules:


1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.


2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.


3. Contact those blog owners and let them know they've been chosen.


So, this award gets passed on to the following great blogs I've recently discovered:

These are all blogs found on the most recent 'Blog Hop'! Yes, I only listed 10... 

http://theknow-it-all.blogspot.com
http://readingthebestofthebest.blogspot.com
http://www.emmaandbooks.blogspot.com/
http://booksforbears.blogspot.com/
http://superlibrarian-super.blogspot.com/
http://wouldyouliketea.blogspot.com/
http://the-book-girl.blogspot.com/
http://booksake.blogspot.com/
http://thatbookishgirl.blogspot.com/
http://bookishinabox.blogspot.com/