Chicklish

NEWS: Bath Festival of Children's Literature 2008

It’s back!

After the huge success of the inaugural Bath Festival of Children’s Literature in 2007, organisers are delighted to announce a second programme of excitingly bookish events for teens and families with more star name authors, illustrators, poets and storytellers than you can shake a stick at!

Running from September 19th to 28th 2008, big names attending include Meg Cabot, Meg Rosoff, Sally Gardner, Sally Nicholls, Cornelia Funke, Michelle Paver, Joe Craig, Angie Sage, Charlie Higson, Rick Riordan, Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen, Harry Hill and Robert Muchamore.

Tickets For the 2008 Bath Festival of Children’s Literature go on sale at 10am on Monday, July 21st.

Ticket Hotline number: 01225 463362.  Visit the Bath Festival of Children's Literature site for more details or to join the festival mailing list.

NEWS: Queen of Teen - vote now

A little while ago we told you about Queen of Teen, where you can nominate your favourite female teen author and win a chance to see her crowned at a special ceremony.

With only three days now till the closing date, we thought we'd send out a quick reminder. Vote now! Voting closes on 10th July 2008.

NEWS: charity showing of Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Breaking news for Surrey residents! The long-awaited adaptation of Louise Rennison's novel, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (well, we've been long-awaiting it, that's for sure!), directed by the fabulous Gurinder Chadha and due for general release in the UK from 25th July 2008, is having an extra-special screening.

See it first on Sunday 13 July 2008 at 2pm at the Empire Cinema, St Nicholas Centre, St Nicholas Way, Sutton SM1 1AZ. Sutton station is only 7 minutes' walk away. Tickets are £10 and all proceeds are in aid of The Mayor of Sutton's charity: The Royal Marsden Hospital, Children's and Adolescent Unit, Sutton.

 

NEWS: a message from Laura Preble

Laura Preble, the author of The Queen Geek Social Club and Queen Geeks in Love has written to us to say that the third instalment of QUEEN GEEK SOCIAL CLUB will be out in the autumn, but you can read the first chapter and have a look at the cover on the Queen Geek website.

NEWS: Philip Reeve wins Carnegie Medal

Philip Reeve's Here Lie Arthur, a dark retelling of Arthurian legend, has won this year's Carnegie Medal for children's literature. Our review is here, with thanks to Lisa Glass.

NEWS: Shiraz book out next month

This post is dedicated to the reader who left a comment asking when the next in the Diary of a Chav series would be out.

The date we have for the release of Shiraz: The Ibiza Diaries by Grace Dent is 19th June 2008, so start looking out for it soon! We're also hoping to review it here if possible.

In the meantime you can read our reviews of the first three brilliant books: Trainers v. Tiaras, Slinging the Bling and Too Cool For School.

Nominate your Queen of Teen

From the Queen of Teen site:

"For the first time ever, here is your chance to nominate your favourite female author and see her crowned Queen of Teen!

Simply write 200 words on why you believe your favourite author should be crowned. We’ll accept any reason whether it’s because you love the characters they write about or their creativity!

Most excitingly your nomination will automatically enter you in to a competition to win a place at the super-glamorous coronation ceremony on Thursday 18th September 2008. Ten lucky winners will get the chance to spend time in a limousine with the author they championed and then see the winning author crowned at the ceremony!

The closing date for nominations is 10th July so make sure you submit your nomination as soon as possible - and don’t forget to tell your friends to nominate too!"

Nominate the Queen of Teen here.

Guest blogs on Teen Book Review

Teen Book Review is running a series of guest posts by YA writers.

So far, you can read some thoughts by Melissa Walker, author of Violet on the Runway and Violet by Design, as she blogs about using her real life hometown in fiction.

And Luisa Plaja, author of Split by a Kiss, blogs about pants, trousers and knickers - well, teen fiction titles that feature them.

Lola's Land

Lola's Land is a great new site that has "everything you need to become feisty, fun, fearless and fabulous", introduced by Lola Love, the heroine of Lisa Clark's Think Pink and other books.

There are games, reviews and prizes, including a reading section. I noticed a brilliant article on dealing with shyness, a cute penguin and an introduction to the cast of Gossip Girl, among other great pages!

TBR's interview with Maureen Johnson

There's a fantastic interview with Maureen Johnson on Teen Book Review. I've just been reading it and laughing lots, and I'm still dying to read Suite Scarlett.

Sarah, Lauren and E. talk about How to Be Bad

Check out this brilliant interview with Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart, as they discuss how they worked together on How To Be Bad, which will be released in the USA in May 2008.

GIVEAWAY: A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone

We have one copy of the UK edition of the utterly brilliant verse novel by Tanya Lee Stone to give away. A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl is the story of what happens when three very different girls meet the same 'bad boy'. It's thought-provoking and thoroughly recommended. (See our review here, and our interview with Tanya Lee Stone here.) The book will be released in the UK on 3rd April 2008.

To be in with a chance of winning this book, please email us with BAD BOY in the subject line. Closing date is 9th April 2008. (The Raven giveaway is now closed and the lucky winner has been contacted!)

NEWS: New Holly Stockwell book out this week!

The fabulous Holly Stockwell, heroine of Does Snogging Count As Exercise? and Does Glitter Count As Camouflage? by Helen Salter, is back this week in a third book, Do Secrets Count As Camouflage? (Read our reviews of "Snogging" and "Glitter" and our interview with Helen Salter.)

Now Holly finally has a boyfriend, but the only problem is keeping it a secret from her mother. Oh, and the fact that best friend Poppy, Luke's brother, is starting to feel left out...

I've already started reading it (review to follow) and it's brilliantly funny and highly recommended. (And look out for a special quote on the back cover, too!)

NEWS: Fashionistas: Irina by Sarra Manning is OUT NOW

Hurray! The third book in Sarra Manning's fabulous Fashionistas series is officially released today! We at Chicklish are dying to read it. The series follows four flatmates who are all involved in modelling and/or show business in some way, and this third book is the story of Irina, who is from Moscow, unconventionally beautiful, tough and determined to get to the top.

You can read an extract on Sarra Manning's blog.

This book will be quickly followed (on 17th April, to be precise) by Candy, book four in the series. Candy is the daughter of punk royalty and a reality TV star, and another brilliant character.

We can't wait!

Also see our reviews of the first book, Laura, and the second book, Hadley.

Chicklish reviewer news

Hurray! We have another new reviewer! Watch out for the introduction in just a few seconds.

And our US correspondent Jocelyn (I like calling you that, Jocelyn!) has just posted a great series of links on Teen Book Review, including links to podcasts by Anna Godbersen, Melissa Marr and Meg Cabot.

NEWS: Bad Boy in the UK

I think we've mentioned this before, but the publication date is getting closer (3rd April 2008) and there's now a UK cover to admire...

A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone will be published very soon in the UK. Read my review here, and Keris's on Trashionista. This is one brilliant book!

Also, Trashionista have just interviewed Tanya Lee Stone. And the Chicklish interview is here.

There is also a Chicklish giveaway coming up soon...

GIVEAWAY: From Where I Stand by Tabitha Suzuma

For a chance to win a copy of Tabitha Suzuma's From Where I Stand (reviewed by us below) simply send us an email with "Raven" in the subject line. Closing date 26th March 2008, after which a winner will be chosen at random.

From Where I Stand is the story of Raven, a deeply disturbed teenager recovering from the death of his mother. See our review for more details.

Lola Love is back in 2008!

Fantastic news - Lola Love, the heroine of last year's life guides Think Pink and Beauty*Licious by Lisa Clark (reviewed by us here) is back! (Almost.)

At the beginning of April, Lola's (and Lisa Clark's) third book is released. Called It's a Girl Thing it aims to answer all your questions about being a girl (including a few about boys).

And, at the same time, a fourth book is coming out - one that helps you live like a goddess. Look out for advice, quizzes and fun in Viva La Diva.

There's more! Lola Love is about to star in a brand new fiction series, with the first two titles already announced: Livin' La Vida Loca, the story of Lola's summer to remember, and Tutti Cuti and the Rainbow Hearts, the fun story of Lola and the Pink Ladies' band. Look out for them in July!

And as if that's not enough, there will also be an exciting new interactive website, www.lolasland.com, featuring news, reviewes, fashion, beauty and more, all featuring the fabulous Lola style.

We at Chicklish can't wait to review this lot! More news soon...

Split by a Kiss is OUT NOW!

Split by a Kiss, Luisa Plaja's debut novel, is officially released today! Look for it in a bookshop near you, or an online bookshop even nearer you (well, probably nearer at this very second).

Also - woo hoo - there's a chance to win an iPod Nano on the official Split by a Kiss site! (Check out terms and conditions first.) And you can read an extract of the book there.

There is also an interview with Luisa Plaja coming up on this very site, very soon. I know we've been saying that for ages, but really, it's nearly ready now. If only she wasn't so busy gallivanting around going, "Ho ho ho, I am now a published author! Lar-dee-dar!" it would be here by now.

Watch this space - she's got to come back down to earth eventually.

Happy World Book Day!

Hurray! It's World Book Day! In the National Year of Reading! All over the country* people will be holding special book events, receiving book tokens and possibly even dressing up as book characters for school. And there's another great selection of £1 special books on sale this year.

From the WBD website: "World Book Day is a partnership of publishers, booksellers and interested parties who work together to promote books and reading for the personal enrichment and enjoyment of all."

Have fun!

*Apparently, despite the name, other countries hold their World Book Day celebrations on a different day.

Split by a Kiss interviews

Chicklish team member and debut author Luisa Plaja, whose novel Split by a Kiss is out this week, has been interviewed on Sara Hantz's blog, complete with book giveaway, and also on Amanda Ashby's blog, complete with book review. (Thank you very much to those two wonderful authors!) (Oops, that's just given away that I am Luisa. *blush* ;) )

More about Sara Hantz.

More about Amanda Ashby.

Believe it or not, there's also a Chicklish interview coming up very soon.

Puffin's new covers for classics

Puffin are re-releasing a series of classics with new covers and introduction by famous authors. These include Little Women introduced by Louise Rennison, Anne of Green Gables introduced by Lauren Child and The Secret Garden introduced by Sophie Dahl.

There's also a series of podcasts to accompany the list. (So far, they've uploaded Black Beauty discussed by Meg Rosoff and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn discussed by Darren Shan, and next will be Louise Rennison's turn!)

2008 Waterstone's Children's Prize winner announced

Yesterday (13th February) Sally Nicholls was awarded the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize for her novel Ways To Live Forever (reviewed by us below), the brilliantly-written story of an 11-year-old boy who has terminal leukaemia and a love for life, lists and facts.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging trailer

Trashionista has posted the trailer for Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, the film of Georgia Nicolson's adventures from the series by Louise Rennison. The film stars Georgia Groome and will be out this summer.

Watch the trailer here.

Kevin Brooks books in the wild

100 copies of Black Rabbit Summer (reviewed by us here) will be released into the wild thanks to Penguin Books , Bookcrossing.com and USC. The first person to find a copy in London could win £150's worth of books.

The books are due to be released into USC stores all over the country, as well as buses, trains, pubs and cafes on Monday 11th February.

More details are on Spinebreakers, and information about bookcrossing can be found on Bookcrossing.com.

Also see our interview with Kevin Brooks.

One Month To Go...

It's exactly one month today to the UK and Ireland's World Book Day on 6th March 2008. There will be special events across the country and a £1 book token given out to each student at participating schools. The World Book Day site has more information, as well as some games and fun things to do.

We also can't resist pointing out that it's exactly one month to the release of Split by a Kiss by Luisa Plaja, reviewed by us here.

Judy Blume in the Telegraph

Today's Telegraph published a great interview with Judy Blume.

And if you want to find out more, check out Judy Blume's website and Judy Blume's blog.

NEWS: Simon Pulse Blogfest

No doubt inspired by the fabulous readergirlz and their totally fantastic 31 Flavorites back in October 2007 (read my my highlights from weeks one,two, three and four of that yawny but happy month), Simon & Schuster in the USA have announced the launch of Simon Pulse Blogfest, which will take place from 14th to 27th March 2008.

More than 100 authors of teen fiction will be involved, and readers can submit questions for authors to answer. The list of authors is impressive, and there are lots of names UK-based readers will recognise, including Melvin Burgess, Matt Whyman, Rachel Cohn, Elizabeth Scott, Sonya Sones. And authors whose books we've reviewed recently, including Amanda Marrone (Uninvited) and Lisa Schroeder (I Heart You, You Haunt Me).

Simon & Schuster say: "This is a great opportunity for Simon & Schuster's teen authors to come together and not only cross-promote their works to get the widest exposure possible, but also to give all of their fans an incredible online event that promotes reading and offers a behind-the-scenes look into what it’s like to be an author."

Maureen Johnson on Inside a Dog

Did we mention that Maureen Johnson is guest-blogging on Inside a Dog at the moment? Well, she is! And you can now read the first chapter of Suite Scarlett there!

Laura Preble radio interview

Laura Preble, author of The Queen Geek Social Club and Queen Geeks in Love, has taken part in a radio interview which is available to listen to online.

Melvin Burgess: Sara's Vlog

You may have heard of Sara's Face by Melvin Burgess, a futuristic thriller about obsession with celebrity, image and beauty. The paperback release in the UK will be on 31st January 2008, and we've reviewed the hardback here.

The book contains transcripts of Sara's video blog, and this has been adapted into a series of mini episodes to be broadcast on Penguin's teen site, filmed in conjunction with London's Brit School. The first episode will be broadcast today, 21st January 2008.

Each instalment is based on the book but also features new material by Melvin Burgess. There should be new episodes every few days, and you can check out Spinebreakers for full details.

Spinebreakers are also inviting readers to record their own vlog on beauty and how far they'd go to get it. The best one will receive state-of-the-art recording equipment and signed copies of Melvin Burgess's Penguin paperbacks.

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults

The Young Adult Library Services Association in the USA has announced its annual list of 'best books for young adults'. There are some great titles on the list, and a real mix of genres.

Also from YALSA, there's a selection of 2008 Quick Picks For Reluctant YA Readers, and this list features a lot more titles we've reviewed here, including Gina Showalter's Oh My Goth, Jennifer Lynn Barnes's Tattoo, PC and Kristin Cast's Marked: The House of Night and Sara Zarr's Story of a Girl. (Actually, that last one's on both lists.)

It's worth checking out if you need recommendations for a good read.

Sara Hantz book giveaway - last chance!

Today's the closing date for The Second Virginity of Suzy Green giveaway, and just in time we've received some wonderful signed bookmarks from Sara Hantz to go with the prize, and to give as consolation prizes. (Thanks so much, Sara!)

See our review of the book and the competition post for more details! There's still time to enter, if you're quick. And the prizes will be in the post very soon...

UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed, and Sara Hantz herself randomly chose the winners, R.B. of New York and K. H. of Bath. Congratulations, thanks to all the entrants, and happy reading!

Best of the 'best of' lists

We'll be posting Part Two of the Chicklish 2007 roundup today, but in the meantime here are two more great "Best Of" lists.

Vulpes Libris have a fantastic list of recommendations for last-minute presents to suit various ages and tastes.

And Em's Bookshelf has a favourites list, plus a preview for 2008 and a great Winter giveaway.

Check them out!

EXTRACT: Princess Diaries: To The Nines by Meg Cabot

Here's another fabulous extract by Meg Cabot while you're waiting for the UK release of Princess Diaries: To The Nines.

Click "continue reading" below to read on (just a bit).

Sunday, September 12, 12.30 p.m., the Loft

WHY DID I SAY OK?????????????????

Why didn’t I say what I really felt, that I understand the part about having some growing up to do and spending some time apart . . .

. . . but not the part about just being friends and seeing other people????

Why didn’t I say what I was thinking, which is that I’d rather DIE than be with anybody but him?????

Why didn’t I tell him the truth?????

And I KNOW it wouldn’t have made any difference, and I just would have come as exactly what he thinks I am – an immature little girl.

But at least he wouldn’t think I’m OK with this.

Because I am NOT OK with this.

I will NEVER be OK with this.

I don’t think I will ever be OK again.

Extract from Princess Diaries: To The Nines by Meg Cabot

© Meg Cabot

Reproduced with the kind permission of Macmillan Children's Books

GIVEAWAY: The Second Virginity of Suzy Green by Sara Hantz

I'm busy preparing reviews of this book for Chicklish and Trashionista, but in the meantime, I loved it so much that I want to share the love! So... time for a Chicklish giveaway!

We have two copies of The Second Virginity of Suzy Green to give to lucky readers. Simply send us an email with "Suzy Green" in the subject line and your name and address in the body (just for the purposes of sending the prize - details are deleted after the closing date and not used for anything else). The closing date 31st December 2007, so you could get a New Year treat!

While you're waiting for the reviews, here's something about the book:

Suzy Green used to be one of the coolest nonconformist "almost-Goth" party girls in Australia. That was before her older sister Rosie died and her family moved to a new town. Not even her best friend would recognize her now. Gone are the Doc Martens and the attitude. All she wants is to be like Rosie - perfect. The new Suzy Green makes straight A's, hangs with the in-crowd at her new school, and dates the hottest guy around. And since all her new friends belong to a virginity club, she joins, too. So what if she's not technically qualified? Nobody in town knows...until Ryan, Suzy's ex, turns up. As the past and present collide, Suzy struggles to find her own place in a world without her sister.

prizes part 2: Waterstone's announce Children's Book Prize shortlist

Waterstone's have announced the shortlist for the 2008 Children's Book Prize, which includes lots of great teen titles.

From the Bookseller:

"Waterstone's will promote all the shortlisted books from 17th January until after the winner is announced on 13th February."

Tumtum and Nutmeg by Emily Bearn (Egmont)
Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine (HarperCollins)
Stone Goblins by David Melling (Hodder Children's Books)
Blue Sky Freedom by Gabrielle Halberstam (Macmillan)
Between Two Seas by Marie-Louise Jensen (OUP)
Shadow Forest by Matt Haig (RHCB)
Ancient Appetites by Oisín McGann (RHCB)
TIM, Defender of the Earth by Sam Enthoven (RHCB)
Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls (Scholastic)

I'm not familiar with all the titles (yet), but here are some websites with further details:

- A beautiful site for Sally Nicholls's book, Ways To Live Forever, including fab extract

- An interview with David Melling

- Marie-Louise Jensen's lovely site

- Matt Haig's quirky and fun site

- Gorgeous site for Oisín McGann

- The Black Tattoo, Sam Enthoven's site and blog

- Apologies to the other authors - I couldn't find good links for you but I'll add them if and when I do!

prizes part 1: Bindy Mackenzie wins crime award

From Jaclyn Moriarty's blog:

"Bindy Mackenzie has won the 2007 Davitt Award for Best Young Adult Crime Novel. The award is administered by the Sisters in Crime."

Our review of Bindy's book is here, and I also recently read a fantastic review on Vulpes Libris - check it out!

Congratulations to Jaclyn Moriarty!

Christmas is a-comin'

Oh yes, it's 1st December again, and as we open the first window of our advent calendar and force the tiny chocolate out, we at Chicklish start thinking about... giving books as Christmas presents.

There will be a Top Five Choices of the Year thingie here soon (ish), but in the meantime, check out the readergirlz site for a fantastic offer. They have bookmarks you can print out that list book recommendations for your friends, according to their personalities. Over to readergirlz for an explanation...

"Readergirlz Presents: Best Books for BFF

Check out our list of ten personalities on our website, print out the pdf, and then shoot over to your local bookstore. Even better, print out all the lists, hole punch the corner, and tie them together with a ribbon. There may be a book you want for yourself as well! Let the shopping begin!

And remember, visit www.2SMRT4U.com for tips on keeping you safe online.  They're giving away way cool FREE rings for you and a friend.  Slip a ribbon around the ring and you've got yourself a stand-out present topper.

The first five readergirlz to print, decorate, photograph their bookmarks, and post the image at our group forum in the thread titled "December: Best Books for Your BFF Photo Shoot" will receive a free copy of Sarah Beth Durst's Into the Wild!"

(Chicklish note: Some of these offers and books recommended may be only available in the USA - I haven't managed to check. See readergirlz for full details.)

EXTRACT: Princess Diaries: To The Nines is coming soon!

The ninth book in The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot, called To The Nines, will be out soon in the UK, with a release date of 4th January 2008. Here's the book's summary:

Mia has hit an all-time low. Lilly isn't speaking to her. Someone is posting horrible things about her on ihatemiathermopolis.com. Grandmere is forcing her to give a speech to two thousand of the most powerful businesswomen in America. And oh yeah: Michael, the love of her life, has dumped her. But despite what the press seems to think, Mia has more on her mind than recruiting a new Prince Charming. Like solving a 400-year-old mystery that could mean BIG changes for little Genovia. But is Mia really ready to throw away her tiara especially if it means destroying a dynasty?

Michael dumps her? Michael dumps Mia?!! Oh no!

I can't wait to read it. In the meantime, Chicklish is very proud to present two extracts from the book. The first is here right now - just click "continue reading" below. And watch out for the second, post-dumping extract, coming soon.

Also check out Meg Cabot's site, which includes the Princess Club, competitions, quizzes, Meg's Top Tips and more.

News about Fashionistas Book 3: Irina

Sarra Manning's blog shows the cover for Irina, book three in the Fashionistas series. And I'm slightly shocked that Irina doesn't really look like I pictured her, although Hadley on the previous book's cover was exactly like I expected! (Hmm. Maybe I cheated and saw that cover before I read the first book, Laura.) Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the book, which will be released in March 2008.

Here's the cover, and the official line on what it's about:

Irina used to steal designer clothes from Moscow's best stores. Now she's living in London and modelling them in the pages of glossy fashion magazines. Nothing and no one is going to stop her from becoming the world's most famous supermodel. Especially not her three really lame flatmates.
But hooking up with gorgeous photographer’s assistant Javier and getting on the wrong side of top model, Caroline Knight, isn't part of her plan. Will Irina drop the diva act and let her heart rule her head just this once?

A Very British Sort of Bliss to be serialised online

Frances O'Brien, author of Sheer Bliss – Confessions of a (Reluctant) Celebrity Spawn will be publishing her next book online, free of charge, on her blog. The first chapter of A Very British Sort of Bliss was posted on Friday November 9th, and the writer will be adding chapters twice a week.

The story will be available on MySpace, Bebo and Frances O'Brien's Blogspot.
   
A Very British Sort of Bliss takes up Bliss Drew's story when her famous mother drags her to London, where she's shooting a movie. Bliss is forced to go to an all-girl academy. But first she has to travel with her mother's embarrassing entourage in Chapter 1, which you can read right now.

Michael Lawrence week on Chicklish

With huge thanks to Alexandra, and Michael Lawrence, this week we'll be posting reviews of all the books in Michael Lawrence's The Aldous Lexicon, a fantastic trilogy for teenagers, followed by an interview with Michael Lawrence himself.

As an introduction, this is from Michael Lawrence's website. (He also has another website.)

"The Aldous Lexicon - called The Withern Rise Trilogy in the United States - follows the unnatural comings and goings of two teenagers, Alaric and Naia Underwood, male and female versions of the same person in alternative realities. In the first book, A Crack in the Line, Alaric and Naia become aware of one another for the first time and explore the great differences in their lives, which, until two years ago, were as alike as they themselves appear to be. In Small Eternities, hitherto unsuspected universes begin to spin around them, leading to a conclusion, in The Underwood See, which neither they nor anyone else could have anticipated."

His website features music, songs and poems, and also available are extracts from the trilogy: A Crack in the Line, Small Eternities and The Underwood See.