Chicklish

New York Books Challenge

We are very excited to announce that we are hosting a New York Books Challenge here on Chicklish. 

We've never hosted a challenge before, so excuse us if we seem a bit bewildered, but we'll do our best to explain - obviously, if you have any questions or comments, let us know! 

What is the New York Books Challenge? 

It's a reading challenge where bloggers sign up to read YA books that are set in New York. The books can be old or new and in whatever genre you like as long as they're based in New York (we'll make a few suggestions later in this post). 

How long does the challenge last? 

We figured that since today is 1 June, we'd run the challenge for the rest of this year, i.e. until 31 December 2011. In other words, for six months. 

How many books do we need to read? 

Well obviously you can read as many as you like, but six sounds like a nice round number, don't you think? And one book per month is doable, isn't it? 

If you've already read and reviewed books that fit the criteria, you can include them, but only if the review's been posted this year, i.e. 2011. 

Are there prizes? 

There certainly are. We, er, don't know what they'll be just yet, but the names of bloggers who have read and reviewed six books will be placed in a hat and someone will be chosen at random for a prize. But there'll also be a grand prize for the blogger who's read the most books for the challenge. That will probably include a voucher (for more books, most likely) and almost certainly a box of Biscuiteers' New York biscuits. 

How do we sign up?

Write a post on your blog linking back to this one.

In that post write a list of the titles you hope to read. If you are not yet sure, just add one or two.

Add one of the buttons, whichever you prefer (right click to save the image) (And a big THANK YOU to Susie Day for the fabulous buttons)

Then link your post in the widget below.

Finally, as you review the books on your blog, update your sign-up post with a link to your review.

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Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Remember when we said we were going to suggest some books..?

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell

The Princess Diaries (series) by Meg Cabot

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

The Luxe (series) by Anna Godberson

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson

The Darlings Are Forever by Melissa Kantor

Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan

The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh

The Twilight Prisoner by Katherine Marsh

Jessie Hearts NYC by Keris Stainton

And Then Everything Unraveled by Jennifer Sturman

And Then I Found Out the Truth by Jennifer Sturman

Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner

Gossip Girl (series) by Cecily von Ziegesar

REVIEW: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Review by Kate.

Pack your bags and join Amy and Roger's roadtrip across America, meeting many interesting people along the way. I have to admit to being a little sceptical when I first saw this book - with a quirky, colourful cover and the word "epic" in the title, the story would have to be amazing to live up to my great expectations. I was pleased to find I wasn't disappointed.

It has been a couple of months since Amy Curry's father died suddenly, a tragedy that split her family apart. Amy's mum has started rebuilding her life in Connecticut and needs Amy to drive her car to their new house. The only problem is that Amy no longer drives. Amy's mum arranges for her old friend's son, Roger, to join her in her journey across the country. The route has been set, the hotels booked and they should arrive in 4 days. Roger however, a fan of explorers and adventure, has a different idea. And so the epic detour begins.

Although I would class the story as a lighthearted cheerful read, there are moments of sadness in it. The pain of losing her father is still very raw for Amy, who is struggling to cope with her grief. During the trip Amy regularly has flashbacks of good times she shared with her father before he died. Some of these are very poignant, especially as the reader knows he'll never realise his dream of taking his family to Graceland.

While Amy is putting the pieces of her life back together, Roger is on a quest. His beautiful girlfriend Hadley broke up with him and he wants to see her to make amends. He is very much in love with her and doesn't understand where things went wrong. The only problem is Hadley is very difficult to track down.

Amy and Roger visit many interesting places during their trip. The vivid descriptions as well as the entries into Amy's travelogue made me feel as if I was on a roadtrip too. The author herself revealed in the acknowledgements that she has made two journeys across America. I think this may have helped her to make the story more genuine, as Matson may have more of an understanding of the problems Amy and Roger could've encountered on their trip.

The only thing that disappointed me slightly were some of the endings to the minor plotlines. Without giving too much away, there were 3 minor storylines that I resolved in my head that I would've liked to have been down on paper. It's possible that these were edited out in rewrites, as they may have slowed down the story, in which case I support the decision for them to be removed.

Overall I really enjoyed reading all about Amy and Roger's epic detour. It was heartwarming, fun and took me on an adventure of my own. I would recommend this book to readers over the age of 14 who want a lighthearted read to put them in the holiday mood.

Review by Kate.

EXTRACT: Swim The Fly by Don Calame

Today we're welcoming the Swim The Fly blog tour to Chicklish, after yesterday's great stop at Jess Hearts Books and before tomorrow's feature at The Book Zone For Boys. Full details of the blog tour can be found at Templar Publishing.

Swim The Fly is a sweet and funny romantic comedy about a boy's summer escapades as he tries to impress a certain girl.

See our review.

Enter our giveaway to win a signed copy (UK only).

Read our exclusive extract below...

Swim the Fly (extract)
by Don Calame
reproduced with the kind permission of Templar Publishing

I feel Kelly before I see her. Stepping up near me. Just behind my right shoulder. It’s like she causes a wake in the air, warm and cool at the same time. My skin reacts. Tingling. Goosebumps. I have to catch my breath. It takes everything I have, every ounce of willpower, not to turn and look.

I can just see her out of the corner of my eye. She’s right there. Wet hair tousled, cheeks rosy. I swallow the lump in my throat. I inhale, my lungs shaky, my head spinning.

“Now, to add insult to injury,” Ms Luntz says, “I just got a call from Mrs Porter. Apparently, her brilliant son Steven chose to go dirt biking yesterday and broke both his legs and his right arm.”

“Ouch,” Sean says.

GIVEAWAY: Swim the Fly by Don Calame (now closed)

**This giveaway is now closed and the winner, C.W., has been contacted.**

Swim the Fly by Don Calame is published in the UK by Templar Publishing, and here's more about it:

"Fifteen-year-old Matt Gratton and his two best friends, Coop and Sean, always set themselves a summertime goal. This year's? To see a real-live naked girl for the first time. But this mission impossible starts to look easy in comparison to Matt's other challenge: to swim the 100-yard butterfly and impress the gorgeous Kelly West."

Read our review.

With thanks to Templar Publishing, we have a signed copy of Swim the Fly by Don Calame to give away to a resident of the UK.

**This giveaway is now closed and the winner, C.W., has been contacted.**

REVIEW: Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Review by Luisa.

Matt, Coop and Sean are three friends with one summertime goal: to see  a real-live naked girl. Matt, however, takes on another, equally difficult challenge, which he only agrees to in order to impress the super-hot Kelly West. He volunteers to swim the 100-yard butterfly. But no one believes that Matt can do it - not even Matt himself...

Swim the Fly reminded me of the Channel 4 comedy series The Inbetweeners, though in an ever-so-slightly younger and sweeter form. It's just as lovable, daft, cringeworthy - and a bit rude.

The book focuses on Matt, and I found him easy to root for. There's a large cast of other characters contributing to the humorous and feelgood qualities of the book, from the lovely Valerie and the quirky members of Matt's family to the commanding and mysterious Ulf. The sparkly and joke-filled banter between Matt and his friends is very enjoyable, and the various strands of the plot all zip along at a fast pace. I particularly enjoyed the swimming scenes and I was willing Matt to succeed.

Swim the Fly is filled with warm-hearted fun - a great summer read!

Review by Luisa.

REVIEW: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Review by Hazel Holmes.

This is hardcore science fiction at its best. I’m not usually a fan of reading about spaceships and intergalactic travel but this was something else entirely. Waverly and Kieran were born upon the Empyrean, a spaceship travelling for years to reach New Earth, a distant planet they are hoping to populate in the wake of Earth’s destruction. Promised to each other from birth, with the intention to marry, their concerns are that of any other normal teenager. Yet all of a sudden there is an unsuspected attack from their assumed allies on the New Horizon ship, people are killed and chaos is bestowed.

Waverly and the girls have been taken aboard the other ship, apparently for their own safety and under God’s Will. There are issues with fertility and this is when things start to turn sinister, it is up to Waverly to try and plot the girls escape. She’s a fantastic heroine, strong and fierce.

Meanwhile Kieran has been left with the boys trying to repair the damage on their ship; most of the adults are dead, missing or injured. Ryan has developed some intricate characters and there’s lots going on in this book. With an echoing of Lord of the Flies this new series also begs comparison to other top dystopian titles. The future of the human race lies within these teenagers’ hands, I’m eager for them to reach New Earth.

Review by Hazel Holmes.

REVIEW: Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright

Review by Tamika.

Valerie’s home town Daggerhorn has always lived with the Wolf. But when the Blood Moon appears, the Wolf decides animal sacrifices are not enough, the Wolf wants human sacrifices. And it started with Valerie’s sister. After Lucie was killed, the town want revenge on the wolf and they decide to call in Father Solomon, the Wolf killer. But Father Solomon and his soldiers say that the wolf is one of them. But Valerie has a disturbing connection with the wolf, which could get her into trouble. Not only that, but Valerie also has the struggle of choosing who she should love: Peter, mysterious and dangerous, or Henry, the rich, local blacksmith.

This book was exactly the same as the film, which I watched after I read the book, and they were both equally brilliant. The book was really well written, and there were so many suspects for the wolf, you never knew who it would be next. I got really hooked on the book, and always wanted to read it. But, I was really disappointed when I got to the end of the book, it seemed as if there was a chapter missing, and it turns out there was. The version I had didn’t reveal who the Wolf was, so that people would want to watch the movie.

Other than that, it was still a great re-telling of that old story, so I definitely recommend it!

Review by Tamika, aged 14

Read more about Red Riding Hood

The final chapter can be downloaded here.

NEWS: Vampirates: Immortal War blog tour

The Vampirates: Immortal War by Justin Somper blog tour kicks off here at Chicklish on 6th June 2011.

"A bloody war is raging across the oceans, with the Pirate Federation and Nocturnals in alliance against the renegade Vampirates, led by Sidorio and Lola. Lola might be heavily pregnant with twins, but it doesn't stop her from remaining an active in battle! Connor and Grace Tempest each have important roles to play - he as a pirate warrior at the heart of the fight; she as a powerful healer working with the war-wounded. As the twins face their greatest challenges to date, old allies and foes return to play their part in the ultimate battle of Pirate versus Vampirate."

Monday 6th June - Chicklish - Extract #1
Tuesday 7th June - My Favourite Books - An interview with Justin Somper
Wednesday 8th June - The Crooked Shelf - The Women of Vampirates
Thursday 9th June - Feeling Fictional - Animal Antics
Friday 10th June - The Bookette - Extract #2
Saturday 11th June - Girls Without A Bookshelf - Playlists & The Music of Vampirates
Sunday 12th June - Wondrous Reads - 10 Ways to Know You're Obsessed with Vampirates
Monday 13th June - Daisy Chain Books - Ending An Era: Killing Off Vampirates
Tuesday 14th June - Empire of Books - Top ten Vampirates characters ever
Wednesday 15th June - Book Zone For Boys -- Q&A with Justin
Thursday 16th June - I Want To Read That - WIN! Vampirates swag

REVIEW: Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Review by Daria.

"On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.

After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.” It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems. Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life."

Yvonne Woon created something new in this novel: a mixture between Romeo and Juliet and Twilight, a beautiful romantic story. It was a very good read, with lots of mystery and loose ends (these got tied up at the right time though). Dead Beautiful was full of very strange things, for example the plot. Boy meets girl at a spooky prestigious school where unexplained things have happened and keep happening. All of the things occurring seemed to revolve around Renée (the main character), which I thought was good because it made me focus on the person I needed to. It was a great story to read as it wasn't the typical paranormal romance novel and it had original elements.

My favourite character was, unsurprisingly, Renée. I thought she was very strong, even after being ripped away from her whole life and everything she ever knew. The tragedy that happened to her shook her, but around the middle of the book, the tone that Woon created made Renée seem very strong. It's what I think she would be like any other day. I found Dante very mysterious. He was a strange boy as he never talked to anyone at Gottfried, but suddenly he started talking to Renée. This made me wonder, why? What was so special about her that made him want to talk to her? At the end we find out that Renée and Dante have more in common than we thought...

Review by Daria, aged 14

REVIEW: Ice Angel by Charlotte Haptie

Review by Alexandra.

This is quite an unusual story. It’s fantasy, but has a down-to-earth element that makes it feel quite real.

Zack and Clovis have never found out what happened to their father. They have carried on growing up with their mother in a house that is kept secret from the rest of the city they live in. They use a fake surname to disguise that they are part of the Jump family, a family that has kept Rockscar City supplied with the freshest water and the best ice-creams – well, until their father disappeared….

The Scarsprings run Rockscar you see, they control access to all the water and they’re not always generous with it (even though it doesn’t always taste great). When Zack and Clovis take up supplying the town with water and ice-creams from their own secret spring, just like their Dad once did, there are dangers along the way. 

The Scarsprings want to know where their water source is (and stop them) and there are always the wolves on the drive into the City…. These factors aren’t Zack and Clovis’ biggest problems though. As their past starts to catch up with them, so do the secrets and with those comes someone who wants to do them harm.

Read to find out what happens! 

Quite a lot happens in this book; it’s hard to get it all in a short summary. I really enjoyed it. The style is different and the story certainly made me smile in places. The editing was a little gritty though and not as smooth as it could have been, but in some ways that went with the unusual plot and style.

Review by Alexandra