A Month In Preview: November 2011

For some reason, November always makes me feel like this picture. The world is gray, the sky is red and the sun is going down. The year is growing tired and is warily pulling together its strength for one final Hurrah as the holidays loom like porch lights in the distance.

November is kind of a weird month here in Canada. Over in the states, people have their Thanksgiving this month to bridge the gap between Halloween and Christmas. Meanwhile, Thanksgiving is already a memory. So you'd think that things might be a little quiet here at I Write, I Read, I Review. But it really couldn't be further from the truth. Curious what all I'm up to this month? Read on and find out...

Events:

Just Contemporary

As you have probably realized if you've look at my reviews page, I like contemporary YA. So when I found out about this event, I knew that I had to take part. I will be writing an article each week and be exchanging it with other bloggers so there should be some guest posts coming soon. :) What are the topics? Just in case you're curious:


-- Why I Love Contemporary YA
-- Tough Stuff in Contemporary YA
-- Romance in Contemporary YA
-- Top Ten Lists
-- Things I'd LIke To See More Of In Contemporary YA

The Keeping It Real Reading Challenge

This is the event that I developed to help contribute to the YA "semi-theme" I am working within this month. (Note: I'm not doing a pure themed month. They don't tend to work for me.) It's pretty simple. You sign up, you read three contemporary books during November, you link reviews to them and you get a chance to be one of three people who will win a new book.

What's not to love? Go click the button and join us! You know you want to! :)

Book Tours

I'm very excited because I get to be part of two of these this month.

On November 10th, 2011 Nichole Chase will by dropping by for an interview about Mortal Obligation. She has generously offered to let one of you win an ebook copy of Mortal Obligation as well, so you will definitely want to check that out.

Then on November 14th I will have an interview with Michelle Madow as part of the Remembrance book tour. Michelle is having a large giveaway to go along with the tour as well.

The short version: both of these books are great so I would highly recommend marking your calender.

Must Read Books:

Crossed
by Allie Condie

Yes, I realize that I am putting the cart before the horse here. I haven't read Matched yet, but it is on my shelf and I am looking forward to it. I will get to it soon and I will definitely not be buying this until I have finished Matched and know for certain what I think of it. Still ... I'm sure a lot of you are eager for this one, aren't you? :)

Shatter Me
by Tahereh Mafi

Everywhere I go there seems to be someone praising this book. And I won't deny the fact that the idea behind the story intrigues me. I enjoy dystopian novels so this should be an interesting read for me. I am curious whether this will be a "Kat" book or a "Kat and Jay" book. We shall see.

The Future of Us
by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

I've already featured this on Waiting on Wednesday and I am still as excited now as I was then. The idea of people seeing themselves in the future is cool and the emphasis on technology and the time period the characters are from -- since it was when I was a teen myself -- are appealing. I hope that this is as good as I "hope" it will be.

Accepted For Review:

Yes! I finally accepted some books for review and I am genuinely excited to read them. Have a look...

Kevin's Point of View
by Del Shannon

Summary (from GoodReads)

To escape the emotional turmoil of his father’s death 12-year-old Kevin Tobin has retreated inside himself, developing his imagination into a dangerous foil and a powerful ally. While he antagonizes everyone with his superhero antics, his ability to escape inside himself becomes critical to his survival after his life is once-again turned upside down a year after his father’s death. When a mysterious package arrives in the mail, Kevin and his best friend are hunted by a ruthless villain who is determined to retrieve the package, which holds the key to his plans for world domination. After enlisting Kevin’s teenage sister and her pizza-delivery boyfriend in a battle for control over time itself, the group escapes into the mountains west of Boulder, Colorado and eventually discover that Kevin’s entire existence is because of the love of someone we never expected.

Kevin's Point of View is Del Shannon's debut novel and shows a deep appreciation for the powers of imagination, family ties, and the desire of young boys to both escape reality and prove themselves within it. The fast-paced, adventure-filled storytelling style makes this a book with wide appeal for readers of all ages.

Why I'm Excited: I've never lost a parent, thank God, but I did lose my grandfather when I was fourteen and I did not take it well. I can relate to the type of situation described here; especially wanting to escape it by creating a different reality. I also love the idea that something important happens in Kevin's "real life" that is going to test who he and what kind of "hero" he can really be.

Feyland: The Dark Realm

by Anthea Sharp

Summary (from GoodReads)

WHEN A GAME…

Feyland is the most immersive computer game ever designed, and fifteen-year-old Jennet Carter is the first to play the prototype. But she doesn’t suspect the virtual world is close enough to touch — or that she’ll be battling for her life against the Dark Queen of the faeries.

TURNS REAL…

Tam Linn is the perfect hero — in-game. Too bad the rest of his life is seriously flawed. The last thing he needs is rich-girl Jennet prying into his secrets, insisting he’s the only one who can help her.

WINNING IS EVERYTHING…

Together, Jennet and Tam enter the Dark Realm of Feyland, only to discover that the entire human world is in danger. Pushed to the limit of their abilities, they must defeat the Dark Queen… before it’s too late.

Why I'm Excited: Okay ... Two of my greatest loves -- gaming and faeries -- in one book? If it goes right it should be the literary equivalent of a Reese Peanut Butter Cup. I also think that there is hope for some interesting situations between Jennet and Tam, considering the attitude he seems to have toward Jennet in the summary. How will they end up finding a way to get along and sort this disaster out? 

Giveaways

• Three people are going to win a new book during the Keeping It Real Reading Challenge. If you want one of them to be you, then you need to sign up and start reading. :)
• I am nearly at 400 followers. I had a huge amount of people decide to follow me last month and I haven't had a chance to do any sort of follower appreciation because I was in the middle of all the Halloween Hops. There should be something very soon, though. :)