Historical Fiction Friday

I'm a day late, but in my defense I was very excited about summer vacation, which started for me at 9 Am yesterday. So, I forgot to post. My bad. Sorry! :-)

This Friday I am spotlighting a book by Janet Fox. I meet her at the Historical Fiction Conference and she had her own YA panel which was very informative. I thought it was great. Here is her latest book, Forgiven.

Summary:

Kula Baker never expected to find herself on the streets of San Francisco, alone but for a letter of introduction. Though she has come to the city to save her father from a cruel fate, Kula soon finds herself swept up in a world of art and elegance - a world she hardly dared dream of back in Montana, where she was no more than the daughter of an outlaw. And then there is the handsome David Wong, whose smiling eyes and soft-spoken manner have an uncanny way of breaking through Kula's carefully crafted reserve. Yet when disaster strikes and the wreckage threatens all she holds dear, Kula realizes that only by unlocking her heart can she begin to carve a new future for herself.

I want it Wednesday

This one doesnt hit the shelves until September 27, 2011, but I thought it sounded cool. Plus the cover is an eye catcher!

Summary:

Mara Dyer doesn't believe life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong.

A special thank you

I wanted to do a shout out to Amber Kizer who was kind enough to send along her new novel Seven kinds of ordinary catastrophes. I love free stuff! Who doesn't?

Check it out.

Summary: Brainy and brassy Gert Garibaldi, high school sophomore, is still navigating the ups and downs of life in this sequel to One Butt Cheek at a Time (Delacorte, 2007). Punctuated with frank rants (some more crass than others), the narrative proves her to be a witty, intelligent, and insecure teen trying to figure out who she is (while getting it all on paper). Along the way she feels the pressure of SATs and SEX, though she's more ready for one than the other. Dumped by a boyfriend whose (lack of) kissing skills leaves Gert questioning her sexuality, she supports her closest friends, Clarice and Maggie, and, of course, the sometimes-neglectful-but-still-best-friend Adam, whose romance with Tim struggles under the weight of unsupportive parents and homophobic classmates. Gert gets hired (peddling doughnuts sounded easy) and tired (running around for the new soccer team, attempting to catch crush Lucas's eye). In the midst of a family crisis, she rises to the occasion, demonstrating growth and a responsible side. With her snarkiness and verve (but with more depth and less nonsense), Gert will appeal to older fans of Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson (HarperCollins). Sexual situations, creative swearing, and underage drinking are included. Reading the earlier title isn't necessary but new readers might be compelled to do so.

Historical Fiction Conference

It's been a busy weekend for me. I flew out on Friday and after a long, very long, flight made it to San Diego for the Historical Fiction Conference. There was a strong YA presence there! I was on a panel with some great authors talking about Adult Vs. Young Adult books and what the difference is. I also meet some great YA authors which includes ( Susanne Dunlap, Susan Coventry, C.C. Humphreys, Pamela Bauer Mueller, Dori Jones Yang, Irene Latham, Janet Fox and Jame Richards).

They were enthusiastic and you could tell they loved their readers. If you haven't checked out one of their books I strongly suggest you do. It was obvious from my conversations with them that they love teens and love their audience.

With summer approaching I hope that I will be able to get back into the grove of things.

Historical Fiction Friday: Review.

Iris is a young girl living during the 1920s. Her mother died when she was young and her father raised her on his own. She loves her father, though he isn't the easiest man to get along with.

Her father decides to send her off for the summer and become a domestic servant while he tries to set up his new shoe shop. She works for Dr. Nesbitt and his elderly mother (who isn't helpless and doesn't need a companion.)

There are some twists and turns, and while a decent book I found it to be really slooowwwwwwwww. I was waiting for something big to happen, and when something finally happened I sighed and read on. It was a struggle to get through this book because the pacing wasn't what I hoped.

On Amazon this book has four and five star reviews. Maybe it's just me. Either way another historical fiction book crossed off the list for the challenge.

I want it Wednesday

I'm a huge Louisa May Alcott fan, so when I came across this book I stopped and paused. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm kinda on the fence. I have a feeling I know how it's going to end.

Summary:
Emily is sick and tired of being a middle sister. So when she gets an assignment to describe what she'd change about a classic novel, Emily pounces on Little Women. After all, if she can't change things in her own family, maybe she can bring a little justice to the March sisters. (Kill off Beth? Have cute Laurie wind up with Amy instead of Jo? What was Louisa May Alcott thinking?!) But when Emily gets mysteriously transported into the 1860s world of the book, she discovers that righting fictional wrongs won't be easy. And after being immersed in a time and place so different from her own, it may be Emily-not the four March sisters-who undergoes the most surprising change of all. Lauren Baratz-Logsted's winning confection will appeal to fans of Little Women as well as anyone who enjoys a modern twist on an old favorite.

Historical Fiction Friday

Lily of the Nile is about Selene, the daughter of the infamous Cleopatra.

When her mother dies, Selene is taken to Rome along with her brothers. She doesn't want to leave her homeland, and she is upset her mother killed herself, but she doesn't have a choice. Once in Rome she finds life difficult to adjust to, but not as difficult as her stubborn twin brother. Despite everything that takes place, Selene is faithful to her faith as she tries to carve out a life for herself in a strange land.

I don't know much about Egyptian history, but I love reading these books. I found this one interesting, the characters well written and I enjoyed the little bit of magic that was thrown into the story. Selene is a young girl, teenager through the entire book. There is a sequel in the works, and I am looking forward to that.

Teens who are more advance will enjoy this historical fiction novel. It is marketed for adults, but I think teens who regularly read adult books, and want to get away from the endless fluff of teen historical fiction novels will enjoy this one.

I want it Wednesday

I saw this in a bookstore. Its just to weird to ignore. It's about a young American girl who decides to go overseas and be part of a harem. It's based on a true story.

Summary:
At the age of 19, Lauren was trying to get a fledgling acting career off the ground while working as a stripper and call girl. When the opportunity arises for several girls to travel to the island of Borneo to be a part of the harem of the Sultan of Brunei’s youngest brother, Prince Jefri, for a few weeks, Lauren jumps at the opportunity. Telling her family she’s headed overseas for an acting job, she travels to Brunei for what she thinks will be a diverting and exciting two weeks. Once she arrives at the expansive estate, Lauren finds her only duty is to attend lavish parties each night and hope that she will be the one chosen to steal away from the party with the prince. Two weeks turns into a year, and Lauren finds herself increasingly involved in the vicious competition for the prince’s attention. While the surprising and exotic subject matter is sure to pique interest, Lauren’s graceful, introspective prose lifts her unusual memoir far above the level of mere titillation.