This is my first competition, how exciting! The book I am giving away is:

The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus

This title is suitable for children of ages 12 years & over. When Picky’s Mum forces her to look after Gran, who has dementia, Picky is accidentally transported back to the year 1685, where a man in a wig insists she is someone called Amelia and tries to kill her. Managing to get the dress off just in time, Picky returns to the present with the dress covered in blood. Who is Amelia? Is she dead? Will wearing the other dresses in the chest take Picky back in time too? And does she dare put herself in danger again?

I have read and reviewed this book, and I gave it 4/5

To win, email me at katie @ leversuch.co.uk (omitting the spaces – have put it like that as I don’t want to get spam!) and answer this question:

What year is Picky transported to?

Please include your name and address in the email (open to UK only, sorry).

The closing date is Monday 9th August 2010 at 12pm UK time

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen at Crazy For Books. Every week she asks a question:

Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

Easy: Sarah Dessen! When I started reviewing young adult books I looked at Goodreads for a young adult list and saw her name. I read Just Listen first, and loved it! Hoping this wasn’t a one-off I then read The Truth About Forever and loved that also! Since then I’ve read Last Chance, Lock and Key and Along For the Ride – all have received top marks. I’ve got a few more to go before I’ve read all her books, and I’m looking forward to them all!

Follow Friday is hosted by the Parajunkee. Every week she links to another site for us all to check out, and this week it is:

The Authoress – go check her out!

I am running a competition here at It’s Time to Read: win Mary Naylus’ The DressKeeper – follow THIS LINK to check it out!

If you pass through do leave a comment so I can find you! Have a good weekend

Synopsis:

Katherine and Michael meet at a New Year’s Eve party. They’re attracted to each other, they grow to love each other. And once they’ve decided their love is forever, they make love. It’s the beginning of an intense and exclusive relationship, with a future all planned. Until Katherine’s parents insist that she and Michael put their love to the test with a summer apart…”Forever” is written for an older age group than Judy Blume’s other novels for children. It caused a storm of controversy when it was first published because of its explicit sexual content. It was a book ahead of its time – and remains, after thirty years in print, a teenage best-seller. America’s No. 1 children’s author has written some of the best books of our time about real-life issues – family stress and pressures, what happens when your parents divorce, the problems of growing up and sexual awakening, bereavement – with insight, sensitivity and honesty. The response of readers all around the world continues to make her one of the best-loved writers ever published.

Well I can see why this book would have shocked Judy Blume’s younger readers! I loved her books when I was 10 and 11, but never came across this one. The one’s I remember are full of innocence and fun…this one is full of sex! I think I’m glad I didn’t discover it when I was reading her books, I was too young to know about sex and love! This is definitely a novel for older teens, but I think it is a good book for those who are starting to explore life and relationships.

The story is mainly about Katherine. She is young and eager to experience life. She meets Michael at a party and they start dating. Soon they believe themselves to be in love and think they will be together forever. When Katherine thinks she is ready they start to have sex. Yet they are both sent away for the summer and during that time Katherine meets someone else who she feels attracted to. It is also whilst she is away that her Grandfather dies. Katherine had a close relationship with him and is devastated. Through the time away, the grief and the infatuation she feels, Katherine matures and has to find out if “forever” with Michael really is “forever”.

I liked how this was written. Katherine didn’t rush into sex and she asked lots of questions to help her make a decision. She also was sensible and used contraception, even going to see a specialist to find out about all the ways to stay safe. Personally I believe in no sex before marriage, but that is not a common view and I think Blume explored all options well. Her writing was wise and informative, as well as a fun read. Sex is not the only thing explored in this book but it is the main idea. Katherine has to learn how to deal with death and grief – something else Blume did delicately and realistically; and Katherine learns about romantic relationships. She is young and hopes her and Michael will stay together forever, but her parents don’t want her to tie herself down to the first guy she dates. Blume explores the idea of first love, marriage and forever in a great way, that gives advice and options to teenagers.

I liked Katherine. She had a good head on her shoulders. She asked questions, sought advice and didn’t rush any big steps in her relationship. She was a realistic teenager who had mood swings and had to learn to grow up. Michael on the other hand I didn’t like. I felt he was pushy, and although his feelings for Kathy seemed genuine, his main focus seemed to be sex. While they are both away for the summer he often makes reference to the fact what he is missing most is sex. It just made him a bit sleazy and I felt his intentions were wrong. I liked the authority figures Blume wrote. Kathy’s parents and grandparents are wise and honest – but also firm and just want the best for her. They are not scared to over rule her and help her do what is best. I thought they were vital to the story and very good characters.

This is a good book for older teenage girls who are thinking about sex and growing up. Blume is open in this book and looks at the act from many different angles and gives some sound advice. It didn’t take long for me to read and I can see why this is a teenage classic. There were elements, such as Katherine going forward with the sex and the character of Michael I didn’t like, but I don’t think that will put others off the book. I give this 3/5.

Welcome to the end of the week! I hope you have all had a good one.

Check out the two sites above to find out more about these memes!

The site on Follow Friday to go visit and follow this week is: Vamp Angel’s Reviews

The question asked by Jen at The Hop is: TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING!

I’m currently reading Last Chance by Sarah Dessen. I am trying to work my way through all her books, I love them! This one is an older novel that she has written and is shorter than her other works. The story is about Colie, a girl who has never settled in one place long enough to have friends, but this summer her mother, now famous, is off touring Europe so she is sent to North Carolina to stay with her slightly eccentric aunt. Here she gets a job, makes friends and life gets better This is a young adult book but I’m a twenty-something who loves this author! She writes characters who I like and storylines that are gripping. She is well worth reading

What are you currently reading? Leave a comment!

This is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading.

Here is what we do:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Page 74:

“It’s kind of like when you look at yourself in the mirror and say your name. And it gets to a point where none of it seems real.”

What is your teaser? Do leave a comment!

This book is on the Rory Gilmore reading list.

Synopsis:

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend

This is the fourth Sarah Dessen book I have read, and I loved it, like the others. This story follows Auden, a girl whose life was shaken by her parent’s divorce. She spent her life focusing on her studies to impress her mother and missed out on the normal teenage social interactions. This summer she decides to spend time with her father and step-mother after she discovers what sort of relationships her mum has with her graduate students. Everyone has a secret, and this is her mum’s. Her life changes that summer when she helps out at her step-mother’s store and discovers the life of girls. She also makes a good friend, the handsome Eli, and spends her nights with him drinking coffee, eating pie and visiting anywhere that is open 24-hours. Life is good and she is learning about life outside the academic world, but when her father leaves again her world is shaken. Unlike the last time, this time round her emotions surface and she faces hard battles with them. Her life has been transformed, she has made some great friends, but whilst discovering life away from homework she makes some mistakes. She has to make some tough decisions, learn how to face her parents and learn how to be a friend, and maybe more.

I find that Sarah Dessen writes books that I cannot put down. Every storyline is gripping and realistic. She writes characters that you can’t help but like and every lead male has some talent that helps them find release. In this book, Eli is a biker; as are many of the other characters, such as Maggie and Adam – two of the friends Auden makes. This is a theme in every Dessen books and I like it. It adds a little depth and creativity.

I liked all the characters. Many were not as they originally seemed. When Auden opened up and let herself feel emotions feel she was a different girl. Maggie, she seems like all she knows about is shoes and pink things, but actually she is very intelligent. Eli: now he I loved learning about him. He had a tough experience involving a friend, but watching him open up and get past the grief was lovely. My favourite moment however, was when we saw the soft side of Auden’s mum. She travelled down to see Auden because she thought she was upset – this seemed out of character for the mum, who was so hard and rigid.

I read this book in under 24 hours, I was hooked from the first page. I found nothing wrong with this. It is aimed at young adult but I think anyone who enjoys chick-literature would enjoy this book. This is a great book, and I can easily give it 5/5.

This will be book number 09 in the Romance Challenge for me:

Books Read:

1. Nicholas Sparks: The Wedding
2. Sarah Dessen: Lock and Key
3. Debbie Macomber: 44 Cranberry Point
4. Judy Blume: Forever
5. Rachel Hore: The Memory Garden
6. Elizabeth Noble: The Girl Next Door
7. Debbie Macomber: 50 Harbour Street
8. Allison van Diepen: The Oracle of Dating
9. Sarah Dessen: Along For the Ride
10. L. K. Madigan: The Mermaid’s Mirror

Review Does Contain Spoilers!

Synopsis:

Lena has lived her whole life near the beach—walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves—the problem is, she’s spent her whole life just watching.

As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Lena vows she will no longer watch from the sand: she will learn to surf.

But her father – a former surfer himself – refuses to allow her to take lessons. After a near drowning in his past, he can’t bear to let Lena take up the risky sport.

Yet something lures Lena to the water … an ancient, powerful magic. One morning Lena catches sight of this magic: a beautiful woman—with a silvery tail.

Nothing will keep Lena from seeking the mermaid, not even the dangerous waves at Magic Crescent Cove.

And soon … what she sees in the mermaid’s mirror will change her life …

I had seen this book around and saw it had good reviews, so I was very pleased when I found I could review it! My copy comes from netGallery.

The star of the story is Selena, or Lena as she is known to her friends. She is an ordinary girl but seems to be experiencing weird goings-on. She often spaces out completely and regularly sleep-walks to the beach. She has always been drawn to the sea, and really wants to learn to surf. Her dad won’t let her though, so she learns in secret. But her reason for learning, and then taking on waves at one of the most dangerous coves is because she has seen a mermaid, and she wants to meet her properly. When the mermaid comes to her rescue she gives her a gold key. Lena finds the box it opens, and with it the discovery of the mirror and why she is drawn to the sea will change her life forever.

This book is written for young adults but will be enjoyable for adults too. The book contains adventure, sea, love, magic and fantasy. I would class this a woman’s read, but I really enjoyed it. The story was gripping from the start, and intriguing. I found myself wanting to know why she was sleep walking and about this mermaid. The identity of the mermaid was easy to guess, as was the ending, but that didn’t spoil the book for me.

There are two worlds explored in this book – land and sea. I liked how when Lena was on land we caught just a glimpse – the odd paragraph at the end of a chapter – about the sea world, and vis versa when she was in the sea. Both worlds were fascinating and full of characters you couldn’t help but like. I liked that Madigan didn’t create an underwater world similar to that in The Little Mermaid. She created a modest village made out of rocks – there were no castles or anything! I think I preferred the land world to the sea world because I didn’t like the cloak that Lena had to wear to survive. It took away her memories so she couldn’t remember her family or friends – it was quite manipulative, keeping her in the sea world, taking away the option of land.

The book was full of great characters. I loved Allie, Lena’s step-mum, because although she married Lena’s dad Brian when Lena was 9, she had slipped into such a good mother’s role that Lena called her Mum and they had a great mother-daughter relationship. I loved Nix, the merman.  He was very easy to fall for. I was gutted that he didn’t follow Lena to land. Their love had to end, and although him becoming human might have been too far-fetched and predictable, I would have really liked it. I did like Lena, although she could be stubborn sometimes, and I didn’t like how she sneaked around. My favourite character was easily her 6 year old brother Cole though. My heart melted for his character. He was so cute. He was eager about sports and adored Lena. I loved their relationship and I was glad it was Cole that Lena came home for.

I got very involved with this book and really enjoyed it. I laughed and at one point nearly cried. I was hooked and read this in under 24 hours. I would give this 4/5.

This will be book number 10 in the Romance Challenge for me:

Books Read:

1. Nicholas Sparks: The Wedding
2. Sarah Dessen: Lock and Key
3. Debbie Macomber: 44 Cranberry Point
4. Judy Blume: Forever
5. Rachel Hore: The Memory Garden
6. Elizabeth Noble: The Girl Next Door
7. Debbie Macomber: 50 Harbour Street
8. Allison van Diepen: The Oracle of Dating
9. Sarah Dessen: Along For the Ride
10. L. K. Madigan: The Mermaid’s Mirror
    

I got this as a review book from netGallery, and am really pleased I did!

Synopsis:

No one at Kayla’s school knows she’s the famous Oracle of Dating—the anonymous queen of dating advice, given through her own Web site. Kayla doesn’t even have a boyfriend. Two relationship disasters were enough to make her focus on everyone else’s love life. But then her advice backfires on her own best friend. And Kayla starts to seriously obsess about Jared Stewart—the very cute, very mysterious new guy in school. Suddenly, the teen queen of advice needs her own oracle of dating–and she knows just where to find one…

This is great young adult chick-lit. The star of the story is Kayla – an ordinary 15 year old, but she has a secret. She is the Oracle of Dating. She runs a website and a helpline that gives out relationship advice. She herself however has sworn off men. But she is red-blooded teenager and Jared is hot…

This book is so enjoyable. I read in a matter of hours, I was just hooked. It is a simple storyline, but it is engaging and funny. It is a light, pleasant read that adults as well as teenagers will enjoy. There really was nothing to dislike or complain about. I guess the outcome is predictable but getting there was fun. van Diepen is a wonderful writer, she has created a funny storyline, which has some quite good relationship advice in, and some characters you can’t help but like.

Kayla is a very enjoyable read. She is cool, calm and collected, until she starts to notice Jared. She made me laugh with her blog posts – what a great way to get through to men! She was a believable character – a girl who loves her friends and family, has an ordinary reaction to school, has a part time job and does have to contend with hormones! I liked how van Diepen was happy to have Kayla getting advice and learning from relationship books – it made her site more believable. I really liked all the characters in this book. Kayla has a great group of friends – my favourite being Ryan and Jared was a nice guy – easy to see why Kayla fell for him.

I love the idea of the Oracle of Dating. I think the advice given was quite good actually. van Diepen deals with relationships and leaps of faith well. It isn’t the most original idea but it was great reading.

This book did remind me a little of Sarah Dessen’s The Truth About Forever, however I loved that book so that is not criticism. The lead men in both books were similar – quiet, artistic and a bit dangerous, but like I said, that is not a bad comparison. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes young adult books or romance novels.

This is book number eight in my Summer Romance Challenge ♥

Synopsis:

Estrella deMadrigal thought she knew herself: daughter, granddaughter, sister, dearest friend, beloved. She is Star in the Night Sky, Truth in the Darkness. But truth is rare and precious in this cruel and unforgiving century in Spain, when Jews who refused conversion to Christianity risked everything – love, life, family, faith.

Then: A startling discovery shakes Estrella’s world to the core. And yet, it is something small and sweet that sets it aflame. A kiss. A kiss from someone she is forbidden to love.

As a new girl emerges from the cocoon of secrets in which she has been shrouded, passion burns and friendship crumbles – and betrayal unleashes a monstrous evil from the very deepest part of the earth. Estrella crosses over to a place she never thought she could be; she is someone she never could have imagined.

Remember the story she is about to tell you.

This is a short, young-adult book. I read it in one sitting and it was an OK read. Estrella is an ordinary girl in the 1500s, until she falls in love. The problem is that the person she has fallen for is her best friend, and next door neighbour’s cousin. And she is in love with him too. What to do? She tries to resist but eventually she gives in to her feelings – leading to the destruction of all she has known.

This book is set in an era where if you are not a Christian you face horrendous injustice and racism. Jews and Muslims hide or convert to Christianity but that is not enough. Estrella and many others are about to have their lives shaken due to this segregation. This theme shapes the whole book and Hoffman is brave with what she writes. Not everyone survives, many lives are ruined; the message is loud and clear – it is not right.

This is a good read and has some likeable characters. Estrella is one. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her and what she suffered. However, she was determined and had a survivor’s nature and she fought anything that was thrown at her. She looked out for others and was just an honest girl who fell in love. I think Hoffman wrote realistic characters – such as the friend who suffered jealousy and the Grandma whose life fell apart when her husband was taken.

This was a quick read. The book is split into four sections, each following Estrella. This is an easy read but it has an important theme. It was an OK read

Synopsis:

Heather Wells Rocks!

Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two — and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather’s perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York’s top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather’s residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft.

The cops and the college president are ready to chalk the death off as an accident, the result of reckless youthful mischief. But Heather knows teenage girls . . . and girls do not elevator surf. Yet no one wants to listen — not the police, her colleagues, or the P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives — even when more students start turning up dead in equally ordinary and subtly sinister ways. So Heather makes the decision to take on yet another new career: as spunky girl detective!

But her new job comes with few benefits, no cheering crowds, and lots of liabilities, some of them potentially fatal. And nothing ticks off a killer more than a portly ex-pop star who’s sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong . . .

This is the first Meg Cabot book I have read, and it will not be the last. This is the first novel in the Heather Wells series, and I already have the second, Size 14 is Not Fat Either on my shelf ready to be consumed. Heather Wells is an ex-popstar who gave up singing because she wanted to sing her own songs, not stuff written for her that had no meaning. Because of this decision she lost her boyfriend and her mother disappeared off with Heather’s money and her manager. So Heather moves in with Cooper, her ex’s brother and works at the local university as a Residential Assistant. Things are fine until the first death – a hard working student falls down the lift shaft after elevator surfing. But smart girls don’t do that do they? But no one believes her. Even after the second death. So she investigates herself, and finds herself in danger.

I really enjoyed this novel. Heather was an easy character to like. She’d had it rough since leaving the world of music but she had found her feet and got on with life. I loved that even though she had been famous she was now a “normal” woman – by that I mean, pretty but not stunning, size 12, which is the average size of a woman, and hard working. She had struggles, such as he ex-boyfriend turning up and trying to sweet talk her, and she was a woman in love, but it isn’t reciprocated – all this made her realistic and like-able. Alongside all this, she is caring and is prepared to find out what happened to those girls. She fought hard and it was fun reading.

Was the storyline predictable? Fairly, yes. But that didn’t spoil the read. This is a teen novel – chick-lit mixed with a murder mystery. Even Heather finds herself in danger. The guilty party is not a huge shock but I liked how Cabot played out the story. And I had to laugh at the fight scene at the end – bought to an end by a drunk lady – I liked it!

The most important aspect of this book however is the idea of image. Heather Wells might once have been a star, but now she is an ordinary woman and an ordinary size. Size 12 is not fat, it is average. This point is made all through the novel, and I think Cabot is great for going out and making the point. Size does not matter, and being an average size is fine. Putting a story around that is fabulous, and I think Cabot did a great job. This book is engaging, funny and well worth reading.