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Rachel Hawkins is a long-time favorite of mine. Her books feel so funny and fresh, and her current Rebel Belle series features a girl who suddenly discovers supernatural powers that allow her to be a kickass guardian–but who was also raised to be a genteel southern belle. To complicate things further, the person she’s supposed to protect is her cute nemesis-turned-boyfriend David, who’s gone on the run and won’t let her protect him. What’s a girl to do? And will the aunts pack enough cookies for her road trip to find him? To celebrate the release of the last book of the series, we’re pleased to welcome Rachel Hawkins to blog today as part of the Lady Renegades tour! She’s here to talk about humor in young adult books, which came about in a roundabout way from a tweet from Rachel that sparked a conversation about why funny YA can... Read more »

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Sometimes, you’ll meet a girl who bursts into a room and draws all eyes to her. Someone so charming and vivid that you can’t help but love and envy her–and perhaps wonder at how she burns so brightly, because there are times when it almost hurts to be in her orbit. Vivi Alexander shows up in a sleepy beach town one summer, and turns Jonah’s life upside down. In the stoic routine and worry of his life, Vivi is dazzlingly beautiful in her vintage dresses and bright lipstick, as well as kind to his little sister and wise beyond her years. Their attraction is immediate, and they’re soon sneaking kisses when people aren’t looking, he’s making her caprese sandwiches and leaving them outside her door, and she’s pulling him into a whirlwind of joyous outings and scandalous liasons. Their romance is sweet and funny and endearing, especially because they’re drawn... Read more »

The post When We Collided: review appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

When Rosamund Hodge asked whether I’d be interested in revealing the cover for her new book Bright Smoke, Cold Fire, I did something I rarely do: I said yes immediately, sight unseen. Because: Her two previous books, Cruel Beauty and Crimson Bound, have been among my favorite YA retellings Both of those covers were gorgeous, and captured the rapturous feeling of her darkly romantic fairy tales Rosamund has written so many fascinating guest posts before. I knew we’d have a treat for our readers, especially having read the synopsis, which says it was inspired by Romeo and Juliet…but with necromancers. (!!!) But oh my stars, I still wasn’t prepared for what she sent. Are you ready to set your eyes upon this vision?     Are you sure?     Just look at this beauty!   The mood of this cover is utterly gorgeous–I love the somber colors contrasted with... Read more »

The post Bright Smoke, Cold Fire: Exclusive Cover Reveal + Giveaway appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

Are you ready for your first look at one of this year’s most-anticipated books? Jay Kristoff is a longtime friend and favorite of the blog, and he’s launching a new series in August 2016 that should definitely be on your radar. Nevernight is a fantasy set on a planet in which it’s almost always daytime, and our heroine is hell-bent on seeking revenge for her shattered family. This author specializes in positively epic world-building and characterization, so I’m super excited to see this new world he’s created. Today we’re pleased to give you a peek at the new book! Here’s the official cover reveal, along with a synopsis and some words from Jay on a few things you should know about Nevernight. Drum roll, please… Just look at that beauty! Such a badass cover, and one that offers the promise of so many awesome things. I’m curious about Mia’s mask... Read more »

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Get your gift cards ready, because here it is: our annual list of favorite books! We read many, many 2015 releases (and sampled many more), and here are the ones we feel you shouldn’t miss. Kim’s Favorite 2015 Releases Once again, unlike so many lists you’ll see in publications, my list is comprised almost entirely of fantasy/science fiction. I would like to point out Archivist Wasp and The Awesome as two wonderful books, fantasy and paranormal respectively, that I think are deserving of more attention! All in all, it was a really great year for genre fiction (more so on the fantasy side). There are certainly some books I just didn’t get to that I know would’ve made an appearance here (Simon Vs.the Homo Sapiens Agenda immediately springs to mind). It was particularly hard to keep up with reading during the last several months of the year thanks to my... Read more »

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Welcome to our Mary Poppins chat–the final classics discussion for the year! At the end of the post, you’ll find info on how to tally up your reviews if you participated in 2015, as well as what we think we’ll be doing going forward. Wendy: I’ve literally seen the movie Mary Poppins over a hundred times. (What can I say, as a child, when I loved things, I loved them intensely.) I can’t remember how far into those viewings that I decided to read the books, but I was surprised to find how much I loved them–just as a much, but in a very different way.  Layla: While I’ve definitely seen this movie several times, I don’t think I’ve ever read this book! So thanks for finally bringing this one to the front of my queue, Wendy. It was really different from what I was expecting, I’ve got to say –... Read more »

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Here’s a fun package that came my way recently–I love the cover, and the goodies tie in nicely to the travel theme. After Tonya’s glowing review for The Darkest Minds, I’m very excited to read Alexandra Bracken’s new book Passenger, which comes out right after the holidays! You know we rarely do promo-only posts, but I like the author very much on social media–seriously, she tweets thoughtful and fun things, and her adorable puppy looks like a baby Chewbacca–and I knew a lot of our readers would be excited about this book, too. (Alex, if you’re reading this, I think you need this shirt for this Friday.) We’re giving you an opportunity to win a copy of the book below, but first, here’s a little bit more about it: About the Book In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar... Read more »

The post Passenger by Alexandra Bracken: giveaway! appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

Welcome to our discussion for Alanna: the First Adventure! Today we have a special guest joining us, the wonderful Aussie scifi/fantasy author Andrea K. Höst, author of the Touchstone trilogy and a Midnight Garden favorite, And All the Stars. Our backgrounds: Wendy has never read this before, but both Layla and Andrea have. This series seems beloved by most fantasy fans, so it seemed like a great selection for our classics series. *As always, please be aware there will be spoilers if you haven’t read this book yet. Wendy: Thanks for joining our chat today, Andrea! Andrea: Glad to be here!  And it’s a great excuse to refresh my memory: I read the Alanna series a long time ago – long enough that I’ve forgotten most of it (except some vague memories of not going swimming).  It’s a book on the younger end (main character goes from eleven to thirteen).... Read more »

The post Classic YA Discussion: Alanna, The First Adventure appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

You get two for the price of one today–Layla has a review of The Scorpion Rules for you, and Wendy has a giveaway + recap of the Erin Bow event she attended awhile back! Review: I enjoyed the hell out of this book. I have been in the middle of a fairly severe reading slump (and am also reading nonstop for my dissertation, so you know, take that into account, too) and The Scorpion Rules is one of the few books that have successfully broken through the haze of grumpiness I’ve been in for the last few months. But The Scorpion Rules really worked for me. From what I can tell, though, it seems like it’s been a fairly divisive read – you’ll either love it or you’ll hate it. Luckily for me, I am firmly on Team Scorpion Rules (and Team Talis!). If you like dark humor, morally ambiguous AIs,... Read more »

The post The Scorpion Rules: Review + Erin Bow dinner + giveaway appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

Today, we’re kicking off a mini tour for Sarah Fine’s upcoming book The Impostor Queen! Sarah is one of our favorite authors here at The Midnight Garden, and we’re all pretty excited about her new series. About the Book: Publication Date: January 5th, 2015 The elders chose Elli to be queen, but they chose wrong in this beautifully crafted novel in the tradition of Kristin Cashore and Victoria Aveyard. Sixteen-year-old Elli was a small child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic. Since then, Elli has lived in the temple, surrounded by luxury and tutored by priests, as she prepares for the day when the Valtia perishes and the magic finds a new home in her. Elli is destined to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule. But when the queen dies defending the kingdom... Read more »

The post The Impostor Queen glossary + giveaway appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

INSANE ASYLUM FOR GIRLS. That’s enough to get anyone’s attention, but unlike many slick, cheap-thrills books that quickly bore me, The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall is one of the most well-crafted YA horror books I’ve read in ages. It’s a short but surprisingly thoughtful book, with good creepiness and suspense and sadness, as well as the right balance of teenage snark and feeling. It’s hard to juggle humor and darkness, but the author does a great job of that here. I also very much appreciated the writing–I loved the way the passage of time was described, which places the reader in an unsettled frame of mind, as well as the sensory experiences of being in Delia’s mind and body as she adjusts to living in the house. There are good plot twists, a well-written back story that doesn’t slow down the pace, and logical progression in character and plot... Read more »

The post The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall: review appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

It’s been such a busy year for all three of us–as you’ve probably noticed, we haven’t been around as much lately, but I’m literally thinking about you guys every single day. I thought it’d be fun to start posting occasional photos that we put on Instagram, since it seems like a nice way to stay connected even when we’re absent. I’ve been listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks, since they’re among the few things I seem to be able to concentrate on lately. Here’s the potions set from the Chamber of Secrets press junket from my old job, plus some Harry-inspired liquid lipsticks that both Layla and I love. These are also some of the books that arrived last month, plus a great mug I received as a present when I went to the GoodReads headquarters in San Francisco. I’ll be writing about that more in depth down the road,... Read more »

The post Our Month on Instagram: October appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

Wendy: Welcome to our discussion for Roald Dahl’s The Witches. This is the story of a boy named — um, this is where I realize the main character is unnamed! His grandmother charmingly calls him “my darling” often, but I’d never before realized he didn’t have a name. So let’s start again. This is the story of a boy who happens upon a gathering of witches (who despise children and want to wipe them off the face of the earth) while staying at a hotel in England with his Norwegian grandmother. It is a funny, sweet book that I’ve loved since I was little, so let’s begin! Layla: Woah, mind blown. Did not realize that child was unnamed either! Wendy: He’s given the name “Luke” in the movie, but yes, no name at all in the book. Layla: I also forgot his grandmother was Norwegian. I forgot a lot of this... Read more »

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One of my favorite people on the planet is Heidi Shulz. She’s the author of the delightfully funny book Hook’s Revenge, which was one of my favorite debuts from last year–and now its sequel The Pirate Code is out! Heidi was actually in Los Angeles last month, and I got to celebrate the book’s release day with her. In the first photo, we’d just eaten mountains of pasta in Venice Beach, and Heidi is beaming over a plate of cannoli. <3 Here’s more about the new book: Fresh off a fearsome encounter with the Neverland crocodile, Jocelyn Hook decides the most practical plan is to hunt down her father’s famous fortune. After all, she’ll need the gold to fund her adventuring in the future. (And luckily, Hook left her the map.) But the map proves to be a bit harder to crack than Jocelyn had hoped, and she’s convinced that... Read more »

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When I heard that Leigh Bardugo was writing a spinoff duology set in the Grishaverse, I was hopping with excitement. Every reviewer at The Midnight Garden is a huge fan of the Grisha trilogy, but there’s always a fear that accompanies such news as well. The story of six outcasts who try to pull off a dangerous heist sounded fantastic–but could anything live up to the original stories? I’m so relieved–and thrilled–and astonished to find that Six of Crows surpasses its venerable origins. This book is superbly crafted from start to finish; its plotting deliberate, its world-building immersive, and its characterizations complex. From snow-covered fields to salty docks to the grandeur of the ice court, this world feels richly detailed , and I love the thrilling use of magic as well as the crazily inventive action sequences. Not to mention a fully diverse set of people and smart, witty dialogue!... Read more »

The post Six of Crows: blog tour + giveaway appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

Welcome to our stop on the official Queen of Shadows blog tour, hosted by the founders of #MaasThirteen! Our love for all things Throne of Glass and Sarah J. Maas is well-documented here at The Midnight Garden, so we were pleased to be asked to participate this year. We’re pretty smug about the many readers we’ve hounded relentlessly into persuaded to read this series, and this latest installment is full of everything you’d expect and more: death-defying action scenes, BADASS WOMEN, insanely cool mythical creatures, and emotional trauma that could rip your heart out. I’ve made some downloadable Queen of Shadows tattoos so you can be reminded of Aelin–and really, what better way to spread love and awareness for the series than to wear its words on your body? Download Free Queen of Shadows Tattoos! The set includes all the tattoos shown above, and there are two sets on the page... Read more »

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When I finished Dumplin‘, I jotted this down at 3 in the morning: If this book were a movie, we’d all be at Julie Murphy’s slumber party piled in front of the TV in our jammies, both screaming with laughter and clutching each other the minute someone leaned in for a kiss. Everyone in the free world is about to find out how fun that imaginary party would be, because the book comes out next month and it’s been optioned for a movie! Party at Julie’s house, guys! This book is so funny and poignant and fiercely positive, most especially about body image and self-love. If you love your contemporary YAs filled with an adorable romance, family relationships, and great friends, don’t miss this one! Willdowdean Dickson will totally win you over with her sassy Texas attitude, and you’ll love her for being so whole-heartedly determined to be the person... Read more »

The post DUMPLIN': Willowdean’s First Peachbutt Text + Super Cute ARC Box Giveaway appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

Jeepers! It’s time to discuss The Secret of the Mansion, the first book in the classic Trixie Belden mystery series from the 1940s. As always, we do these discussions with the hope that you’ll check out these classics for yourself even if you didn’t have the chance to read them with us, but do be aware that there are spoilers in the chat below. Wendy: I loved Trixie as a kid, so I was very eager to revisit these. I distinctly remember my grade-school self daydreaming about having an almost-twin and wanting desperately to be in a club with secret signals. Kim, I’d forgotten you aren’t a big mystery fan, so I appreciate your forbearance with the occasional one I slip into these readalongs! Kim: I had literally never heard of Trixie Belden before it was suggested for our readalong! Wendy, no worries! I am not usually a huge mystery person but this... Read more »

The post Classic MG Discussion: Trixie Belden #1 appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

I’ve said this is the year of the cute contemporary in YA…but it’s also the year of another important genre, the YA thriller! I’ve read a lot of thrillers, and for some reason it’s not often that I find YA ones that keep me engaged. But this year there have been some really terrific suspense novels for teens, including this sure-footed debut. Pretending to Be Erica is about a girl who’s seen it all, done it all, and is planning on conning everyone around her. You see how she’s been raised since childhood to deceive and swindle, you see how she’s calculating the best way to take advantage of someone else’s misfortune and suffering. And yet because the narrative voice is so terrific, and because the plot is so surprisingly plausible for the most part and well-executed, you’re invested in her story. I enjoyed this one from start to finish,... Read more »

The post Pretending to Be Erica: Guest Post + Giveaway appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

I’m back from the American Library Conference in San Francisco! Well, I’ve been back for almost a week, but was so wiped out (and still nursing minor injuries), so this post is just now going live. But here I am with tidbits and goodies to share. Fair warning that I was bad at taking photos this year, but it was for good reason–I was having such a good time that I often forgot! Last year’s trip was great, but ALA 2015 surpassed my expectations, in ways I didn’t even imagine. Stick around, since we’re also giving away TWO prizes–a box of 10 coveted ARCS to a U.S. reader, and an awesome tote “Reading is my Everything, Everthing” bag filled with swag to an international reader. The Authors There were so many great authors at ALA this year, and I trotted around like an obedient pony trying to find them all.... Read more »

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When the news of a long-hidden sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird was announced, we decided to reread it together as a refresher before Go Set a Watchman is released. Please join the discussion below!Our backgrounds with the book Wendy: I loved this book when I read it in high school, though I have to admit that in the years since, I associate it strongly with the film. It’s one of those cases where the movie captured the ideals and feel of the source material so well that I think of them almost interchangeably. And with this re-read, I listened to the audiobook performed by  Sissy Spacek, which was wonderful! So now I’ll forever remember all three things as perfectly complementary. Layla: I … don’t think I’d read this book before! Which is weird, because I felt like I had at some point, but then, as I was reading this, recognized... Read more »

The post Classic Readalong: To Kill a Mockingbird appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

We’re very lucky this year, my friends, because it’s the year of the cute contemporary novel. That’s a weird thing to say about a book in which a boy was kidnapped by his father as a child, I know–and it’s true that there are serious moments in it, as well as important friendships and family relationships explored. But it’s also a sweet, funny book about a friendship between two kids that might have a chance at something more. Emmy & Oliver is the perfect book to read this summer when you’re at the beach, which is great since author Robin Benway is with us today to tell us what she’s going to be up to during her break! As a fellow LA resident, I can vouch for her list being a stellar representation of why it’s so great to live here. It even includes one of my all-time favorite southern... Read more »

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Girls solving mysteries is one of my very favorite things! It was great fun for us to host the cover reveal for Robin Stevens’ Murder is Bad Manners last year, so we’re delighted to be hosting her again, this time with the North American cover for the second book in the Wells & Wong series. Daisy and Hazel find themselves in more puzzling predicaments, with the central mystery taking place at a grand old English manor…that just so happens to be Daisy’s home. Poison is Not Polite won’t be released here until next April 2016, but we have your exclusive first look right here and now–along with the opportunity to win one of the very first ARCs hot off the presses. Without further ado–here is the fantastic cover!! It’s wonderful how the designer has changed the color scheme, but you can immediately tell that it’s part of the same series.... Read more »

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In the first chapter of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, 13-year-old Brian is the only passenger in a single engine plane when the pilot has a heart attack and dies. 7000 feet above the wilderness and wildly off course, he eventually crashes into a lake..and must find a way to survive. On his own. Without food or shelter. Believe it or not, the stakes only get higher from there. Let’s begin! (Beware spoilers, as usual.) Wendy: I’m a big fan of survival and naturalistic stories, having loved Sign of the Beaver and The Yearling and Where the Red Fern Grows as a kid. But somehow this one passed me by, so I’m glad Kim suggested it for our classics series. Kim: This was one of the few offerings in my 5th grade classroom’s “library” that actually interested me, and holy hell did little Kim devour it. I like survival fiction because of... Read more »

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Today, we’re kicking off the official blog tour for Carrie Ryan’s new book The Daughter of Deep Silence! I enjoyed the author’s zombie series The Forest of Hands and Teeth, so I was glad to see her returning to YA after launching her middle grade series. We have downloadable quotes from the book (just link back to us, please!), a giveaway, and a mini review to share with you today. This is the story of girl who lost everything she had–her family, her love, and her very identity. Frances is a survivor of a devastating attack on a ship at sea in which her best friend and family were killed. When she’s finally rescued, she discovers that the only two other survivors of the attack are her boyfriend Grey and his father, Senator Wells. But to her horror, they claim that the ship capsized because of a rogue wave–a mere... Read more »

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