search the archives
♥ recent cover stories ♥
rss
contact & author appearances
*APPEARANCES*
For upcoming events, visit BookTour
Win-It Wednesday: Fashion Week Swag + FALLEN by Lauren Kate
The winner of last week's copy of Bad Blood by Mari Mancusi is... Jill of the O.W.L.! Send me your address, J.
So maybe you remember that I was in Rio for Fashion Week (gah!). Well, I brought home a ton of SWAG and I just can't keep it all -- I'm not trying to be a hoarder. So... I'm going to box it all up and ship it to one randomly chosen commenter, along with a copy of FALLEN by Lauren Kate (we are book people, after all):
There's some crazy stuff in this mix -- bags, jewelry, Nivea products -- I think the best things are the various little notebooks from Brazilian designers. All yours if you win!
To enter, just leave a comment below and tell me your favorite "Unsung YA" book of 2009. You might have seen my list, which you may use for inspiration if you'd like! (Thanks, Kelly at YAnnabe, for starting this great meme.)
+1 if you tweet/blog/facebook/whatever about this contest -- just note that in your comment.
Happy Wednesday!
TrackBacks
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.melissacwalker.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/643
Comments (57)
I posted to twitter and facebook
The Devil's Kiss (Billi SanGreal, #1) by Chadda, Sarwat
Girl Stays in the Picture (Hardcover) by Melissa de la Cruz
Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie, #1) Maggie Stiefvater
Ballad: The Gathering of Faerie (Books of Faerie, #2) by Maggie Stiefvater
Hush, Hush (Hardcover) by Becca Fitzpatrick
twitter: cari_tx
facebook: maria cari soto
Posted by Maria | January 27, 2010 2:36 PM
Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
Posted by Marjolein | January 27, 2010 3:48 PM
Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
Posted by Marjolein | January 27, 2010 3:49 PM
I think there are probably tons of Unsung YA books that I loved but ones that I can think of are Demon Princess: Reign Or Shine by Michelle Rowen, Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen, Bad Apple by Laura Ruby, and You Are So Undead To Me by Stacey Jay. All of them were amazingly written and super fun to read.
katieb206@gmail.com
Posted by Katie B | January 27, 2010 4:20 PM
I didn't many people talking about Ash by Malinda Lo, and I loved it!
Posted by Meg S | January 27, 2010 4:27 PM
Oh, gosh, there were so many! Can we list more than one?
Hate List by Jennifer Brown was really good; that would probably be my first pick. But there's also...
Candor by Pam Bachorz
The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley
The tear collector by patrick Jones
and so many, many more...
Posted by Sam | January 27, 2010 4:56 PM
Either Funny How Things Change by Melissa Wyatt. I love it so much!
Though my favorite unsung is probably Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan. I couldn't believe that book didn't get more love.
Posted by nico | January 27, 2010 5:24 PM
Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott. I loved it!
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
posting to FB - Mary Jane Coward
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
Posted by MJ | January 27, 2010 5:27 PM
I picked The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han as a favorite unsung YA novel.
Posted by DarcyO | January 27, 2010 5:51 PM
My absolute top Unsung YA would be The Siren, it was released in July and it was one of the best books I've ever read!
One Unsung YA I'd have to say is The Explosionist - its not a 2009 release though it was released it 2008. It's absolutely amazing!
As for 2009 releases I think My Soul To Save is one that is really awesome, but doesn't get all the credit and talk it should. Also Never After by Dan Elconin.
I tweeted here http://twitter.com/thebookcellarx/status/8298070831
Posted by Erica | January 27, 2010 5:55 PM
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey
Tweeted it!
Posted by Ink | January 27, 2010 6:03 PM
Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens. I didn't hear much buzz about it, but when I read it, it blew me away. 5 out of 5 stars, definitely.
Tweet: http://twitter.com/whatinabox/status/8298544861
Posted by InABox | January 27, 2010 6:07 PM
I never really heard much about You Are So Undead To Me by Stacey Jay, but I thought it was a great book.
Posted by Raelena | January 27, 2010 6:09 PM
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta.
No doubt in my mind either. That is one of my all time favorite books ever! :]
Posted by Dani | January 27, 2010 6:10 PM
Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers - this book sticks out in my mind all the time. Summers has a wonderful voice.
Posted by Amber | January 27, 2010 6:27 PM
My pick would be The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley.
Posted by Debbie Butler | January 27, 2010 6:29 PM
Fat Cat, by Robin Brande. Loved it!
Posted by JenP | January 27, 2010 6:34 PM
Way too many great reads this year... I really loved the book Fat Cat by Robin Brande. It's not my favorite read of 2009, but her sense of humor is very similar to mine which made every page super fun!
I don't tweet/facebook (Ha, I know! Where have I been the past five years?) but I just sent an e-mail out to my buddies in case they're interested.
Love, Hannah S.
Posted by hannah s. | January 27, 2010 6:36 PM
how fun! well i'm not a huge reader or anything so i can't say that i have many books to choose from. i loved blood promise by richelle mead. actually the only reason i started reading is because of my friend hannah banana. :)
she actually told me to come here! lol
oh yeah and i love iheartdaily.com so thanks for the amazing site! it's cute and helpful too. lol
Posted by caitlin | January 27, 2010 6:46 PM
North of Beautiful by Headley! Love it so much!
Posted by jayme | January 27, 2010 7:29 PM
I love me some swag!! I'm gonna have to go with The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart. Roo is my favorite character ever, very relatable. I can't wait until Real Live Boyfriends in December!
Posted by Melissa Walker | January 27, 2010 8:06 PM
One I'd never even heard of until I saw it at the library was The Geek Girls Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance. I read it all in a day and just loved it! The characters were really relatable. I also loved North of Beautiful by Headley. You don't get many stories about Port Wine Stains and trips to China! I FB this!!!
Posted by Sydney | January 27, 2010 8:34 PM
Oooh great giveaway! My favorite unsung book of '09 was probably Demon Princess: Reign or Shine or Eyes Like Stars. Amazing, both of 'em!
Posted by Bookworm | January 27, 2010 8:36 PM
My favorite unsung novel of '09 was Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey. It really has it all, and I'm just anxiously waiting for more people to discover the awesomeness that is Molly Fyde!
Posted by Lea | January 27, 2010 9:11 PM
My favorite book was Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers. The book built up all this suspense and tension. Then in the end, it was amazing.
*also posted this on facebook
Posted by Pretty | January 27, 2010 9:33 PM
I would have to say--and I'm stealing one of your selections--"An Off Year" by Claire Zukley. It was really funny and irreverent, and it captured that feeling of listlessness that one often has when life suddenly changes. I think it's great for adults too, since so many people are getting laid off, and finding that they have a lot of time on their hands to be reflective/in denial. Afterall, being afraid to take the next step in life is an issue that plagues people of all ages.
Also, Zuckley's voice is like a primer for Sedaris and Rakoff and all those NPR/This American Life-ish people...she does really funny American Idol recaps on the Onion A.V. Club too!
Thanks for the contest...any opportunity to save money on my barnes and noble habit is much appreciated...and to get fab swag!
Posted by Tricia | January 27, 2010 10:04 PM
The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness.
Posted by babygirlG | January 27, 2010 11:11 PM
Demon Princess by Michelle Rowen
Witch & Wizard by James Patterson
Linked here: http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/2010/01/contests-found-this-week_25.html and on the sidebar.
Thanks!!
Posted by Donna S | January 27, 2010 11:31 PM
I loved the two new Luxe novels by Anna Godbersen. Pretty sure both Envy and Splendor came out in '09. Awesome books!!
+1, http://twitter.com/poodle649
Thanks! :)
Posted by poodle649 | January 27, 2010 11:55 PM
I really LOVED Fade by Lisa McMann. The third book in the series comes out next month. Great writing!
Posted by NM | January 28, 2010 1:06 AM
Mine is the Vivien Leigh Reid series by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout. Great books that'll make you laugh out loud, plus the protagonist is totally relatable.
Posted by Cyndi H. | January 28, 2010 1:19 AM
Hmm, there's loads of books I think deserve more attention but I think my favourite from 09 was probably Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols. :]
Posted by Alanna | January 28, 2010 4:12 AM
Whoa, nice bag of loot there. :)
My favourite unsung one from 2009 is probably HEART'S BLOOD by Juliet Marillier. Granted, she's my favourite author, and granted, HEART'S BLOOD isn't her best work. But it's a very good story, very loosely based on Beauty & the Beast but with much more real characters, with real issues in there (e.g. "Beauty" comes from an abusive home; the "Beast" had some kind of palsy or similar in his childhood that permanently damaged his body).
Plus, there are ghosts. *grin* Who doesn't like a good ghost story?
Seriously, don't let the ghosts put you off. Good book.
:)
Posted by Ruth | January 28, 2010 5:11 AM
Congrats to the winner last week!!
And my pick would be Bad Apple by Laura Ruby!
Posted by Trisha | January 28, 2010 8:25 AM
+1 tweet @trishalynn0708
Posted by Trisha | January 28, 2010 8:27 AM
Woo! Awesome contest. I'd love to enter and I tweeted @ melissahigey.
My unsung YA is Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr. Her writing is so beautiful - I didn't see very many reviews of this and I hope everyone is reading it!
Posted by Melissa | January 28, 2010 8:30 AM
Definitely the Luxe novel series. The last in the series came out last year. They are all favorite in my library and have received little press. Great girl reads!
Posted by Torey | January 28, 2010 8:57 AM
I like Impossible by Nancy Werlin - though I don't read much YA books
Posted by lissa | January 28, 2010 10:13 AM
I made a list here -- http://www.likeitorleaveit.abyssfull.net/?p=15
If I had to pick one from 2009 I would say "Fat Cat" by Robin Brande. It was so interesting and good!
+1 for twitter plug: http://twitter.com/asherz86/statuses/8326469647
Posted by Ashley | January 28, 2010 10:28 AM
I loved The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart to death and Sea Change by Aimee Friedman, there is just something about that book that I love.
Posted by Shalan | January 28, 2010 11:06 AM
Kiss Me Tomorrow By Susan Shreve
I love a good teen romance!
Posted by Robyn Jones | January 28, 2010 11:24 AM
I didn't read a whole lot of brand-new YA fiction last year, but my favorite would definitely be Blood Promise by Richelle Mead. It was also my most-anticipated book of 2009.
michellemsherman(at)gmail(dot)com
Posted by Michelle | January 28, 2010 1:13 PM
I liked Just Listen. I LOVE THAT BOOK!
Kristen
Posted by kristen | January 28, 2010 1:33 PM
Great contest, Melissa!
Unsung YA? My problem is I don't know what has been "sung" and what hasn't.
From 2009, definitely Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald - truly an amazing book about feminism. Also, how about Lovestruck Summer by the fabulous Melissa Walker? I'm not just saying that, either--it's a fantastic summer read, and I totally wanted to hear the Walters at the end (and Quinn's warbling version of Waltz Across Texas).
From before, the best two YA books I can think of are Polly Shulman's "Enthusiasm" (some of it is written in sonnet form! Awesome!), and Megan Shull's "Amazing Grace", which is supposedly adult, but is totally YA, imho.
+1 tweeted about it at http://twitter.com/tiffing/statuses/8344449674
Posted by Tiff | January 28, 2010 7:06 PM
I didn't get the chance to read many 2009 releases, but Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson was my favorite. It was the first book in which I could almost completely identify with the protagonist.
+1 Blogged about this contest
Posted by Janessa | January 28, 2010 7:10 PM
I absolutely adored Love Is the Higher Law. I won it in a contest and intended to donate it to the library where I was working but loved it so much I kept the copy I won and bought a copy for the library. :)
Posted by Rochelle | January 28, 2010 11:29 PM
my favorite unsung book that i loved was coffeehouse angel, it was sweet and a great story. and it took place in a coffeehouse. whats not to love?- coffee and romance. the perfect pair!!
Posted by Lasha | January 28, 2010 11:52 PM
My favourite "Unsung YA" book of 2009 was My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent.
+1 Tweet: http://twitter.com/Sparima/status/8365461672
Posted by Spav | January 29, 2010 7:22 AM
I would go with The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley, a great book that doesn't have as much buzz as it deserves.
Posted by Anne G | January 29, 2010 7:36 AM
the chosen one by Carol Williams
Posted by dorothy l | January 29, 2010 11:49 AM
There are so many unsung books out there. Some included are Hate List by Jennifer Brown, You Are So Undead to me by Stacey Jay, Lovestruck Summer by (the lovely) Melissa Walker, and Impossible by Nancy Werlin. All of those listed were AMAZING and definitely should have gotten some more attention.
Posted by Lauren | January 29, 2010 9:48 PM
My pick is The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols. I don't think it was published in 2009, but I read it in 2009. :)
Posted by austenfan | January 30, 2010 5:59 AM
L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad was published in 2009.
+1 tweeted
httl://twitter.com/iheartbkgossip
cindyc725 at gmail dot com
Posted by Cindy C. | January 30, 2010 10:40 AM
My Pick Is
HEAVENLY By Jennifer Laurens
The Book Is Fantastic!!
I Think Everyone should Read It!!
KailaEscobales(at)aol(dot)com
Posted by Kaila | January 30, 2010 7:18 PM
Count me in
bella_nrmn@yahoo.com
Posted by Brenna | February 1, 2010 10:33 PM
I think "Hold Still" by Nina LaCour or "Prism" by Faye and Eliza Kellerman were definitely my two favorite books of 2009.
Posted by Teresa | February 1, 2010 11:10 PM
Facebooked it! My favourites are three riveting absolutely lovely stories, Dreaming Anastasia By Joy Preble, Dreamdark: Silkslinger By Laini Taylor, and The Kings Rose by Alisa M. Libby. Those three had me sitting in awe from start till finish, and i just couldnt put them down! absolutely amazing stories that really deserve so much more recognition than they recieved.
Posted by Jenners | February 3, 2010 5:14 AM