Monday, May 3, 2010

Spreading the Awesome

Today, all over the blogosphere, you're going to be reading about book that deserve ten stars. I'll be gathering the links all day and updating my Recommended Reads page over the next few days. (Note: I have not read all the books on that page. Go read the post by that blog author and decide if the book is one you'd like to read.)

But I do recommend both SKIN HUNGER and SACRED SCARS by Kathleen Duey. Highly recommend. Like, you should stop reading this blog and go get both books.




Aren't those covers beautiful? You can sit and stroke them, they're that great. And the stories inside...Awesome!

They're told from two characters, centuries apart. Hahp lives with magicians and endures cruel treatment as he learns magic. Sadima lives hundreds of years earlier and through her we learn the origins of the magicians Hahp encounters.

It's like that favorite pair of jeans. You settle in to both stories, each like a well-worn pantleg. And I can't imagine the story without both threads, which are so finely interwoven it feels natural and seamless.

And that's some freaking fine writing, my friends. The writing is as beautiful as the stories -- these books definitely deserve TEN STARS!

Not only that, but Kathleen Duey is made of awesome--and has a blog here (not that I'm stalking her or anything...)! Not just because she wrote the most amazing stories on the planet, but because she's going to personalize and sign book plates and send them to one lucky winner! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post -- today. I'll draw a winner tomorrow morning and contact the person for personalization and address issues. Then Kathleen will personalize and sign your prize!

And seriously, guys. Go read SKIN HUNGER and SACRED SCARS, stat. I can't wait for the next book!

Want another amazing book with another awesome author to add to your list? Go check out Christine Fonseca's favorite. And don't forget to check the Recommended Reads list for all the links to all the awesome.

126 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've only read the first chapter somewhere. Will definitely check them out. :)

Unknown said...

Loving Spread the Awesome so far!! These books sound amazing. They are most definitely on my must-read list. Reading a signed copy would be the bomb!! Great contest :))

Slamdunk said...

Thanks for starting this with bloggers. Lots of good info for new reads out there.

Matthew MacNish said...

There are so many of these to read today I'm not sure how I'm going to keep track ... but I guess a spreadsheet will do.

Thanks for having this wonderful idea Elana!

Candyland said...

I'll have to check those out!

Unknown said...

Oh these are definitely going on my tbr list. Thanks, Elana, for putting this together!

Crystal Cook said...

I have been meaning to read these for a while. Awesome idea about spreading the awesome :)

he, he.

Yamile said...

These books look fantastic. Thanks for the review.
I love this spreading the awesome thing!

Unknown said...

Ooh you paint quite the picture - I will certainly look out for them.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Thanks for organizing this. I loved both these books too.

VR Barkowski said...

Spreading the Awesome rocks, Elana! What a great idea! So what if my tbr stack already has 'CAUTION: AVALANCHE DANGER ZONE' signs posted around it? What's a few dozen more books? :)

Kristen said...

Thank you for hosting this, it was such an awesome idea! I will definitely check out both books!!

Katie Anderson said...

SOLD! I can't wait to read these!

Janet Johnson said...

Great idea! I love learning about good books. Super awesome that my "Need-to-read" list just got huge. :)

India Drummond said...

Definitely will look at these books on amazon! I'm always looking for good stuff to read, and sadly I've been reading some pretty dire stuff lately!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'll have to check out the recommended reads.
Today is also the recap of the A-Z Challenge!

Elisa Dane said...

Sweet! I'll have to check those out!

Jonathon Arntson said...

I absolutely love those covers. Elana, I blame you, and only you, for making my TBR GIANT.

Michelle McLean said...

Ooo those look awesome! And yes, I'll agree with a few others and lay the blame for my incredibly awesome and terrifyingly ginormous TBR pile at your feet ;-)

Natalie said...

Those do look good! Thanks for putting all of this together Elana. It's going to be a fun day.

Stina said...

Okay, so checking these books out!

Thanks for putting this event together, Elana. It's been a blast!

Off to check out some more reviews. :D

Rebecca L Sutton said...

Oooh count me in! They sound amazing. I remember seeing that second cover...so creepy and cool.
Thank you for making this day of spreading the awesome happen!

Gayle C. Krause said...

Sounds like my kind of story. Will definitely read them next.

Courtney Barr - The Southern Princess said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Courtney Barr - The Southern Princess said...

Elana - this is so much fun! I am so glad that you thought of this and so pleased to be able to participate!

I had not heard of these! I must check them out!!

Visit My Kingdom Anytime

Christine Fonseca said...

Loved her books (am reading Sacred Scars right now)...can't wait for the next one!

Summer Frey said...

Spreading the Awesome is a great way to start the week! These 2 books look great, right up my alley.

Daron D. Fraley said...

The books look interesting. Thanks for the info.

Amanda Gaume said...

Elana, this is so much fun! Thank you for organizing this!!

ally said...

It's such a pity that i just heard of these books right now! I'm fresh out of vacations and i would've loved to have read them when i could've sat down and really give into them!!! Still, i'm going to add them to my TBR pile and it'd be wonderful if i won them :D!!! Count me in for the draw!

Alannah
alannahjavier@gmail.com

Unknown said...

I've actually got this one on my book shelf, I'll have to now find the time to read it. It looks great.

Kelly said...

Wow, I have never heard of these books before, but the covers are very intriguging. Please enter me! :D
kghobbs@gmail.com

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Sounds amazing!! Thank you for organizing this, Elana. Already visited a few of the other sites. Love them!!

Kelly Polark said...

Thank you for the book rec and for hosting this amazing author day, Elana!!!
Those books sound like good reads, and the covers are intriguing and a little spooky cool!

Kristie Cook said...

Great idea to spread the awesome! As if I didn't have enough on my TBR pile, but my interest is piqued with these two. Thanks for the recs.

About Me said...

Elana, thanks for the recommendations. Can't wait until I'm done with this round of WIP edits so that I can catch up on reading.

Karen Lange said...

Appreciate you keeping us informed, Elana. Have a wonderful day!

Jennie Englund said...

Both of those recommends look super exciting! And like many of your commenters, I haven't heard of either.

Thank you!

Tabitha said...

These are, indeed, great books. SO well written, and the story grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. The only thing that frustrates me about them is the cliffhanger endings. It's like torture!!! I want the final book to come out NOW. :)

Jamie Grey said...

I loved Skin Hunger - I'm so going to have to check out the sequel! I'm glad you posted about these Elana- they definitley deserve to be read by everyone!

Jayne said...

Oh I am happy to splash some life for these books! I have never heard of them before, but the cover art is captivating, and your description about them intrigues me further. Thank you for this, Elana! Such a good idea. :)

Alyssa Kirk said...

Most of my recent reads haven't been fantastic so I just added these on my library list. Thanks for the recommendations. I've seen these but have hesitated. The covers - especially The Sacred Scars - freak me out.

Cole Gibsen said...

This was such a fun idea, Elana! Thanks for coming up with it :)

Sage Ravenwood said...

Wicked covers. I would pick them up on that alone; with your recommend they're soon going to be in my TBR pile. Thanks hon! (Hugs)Indigo

Suzette Saxton said...

I love the cover of Sacred Scars! Can't wait to read both books. Thanks for this awesome idea!

Casey Something said...

Ooo these sound so good, Elana. There are so many awesome books moving up on my must read pile. Please enter me in the contest!

Cid said...

Oooh, I just heard about the first on on Whatever. I'm interested!

Tina Laurel Lee said...

I'm totally with you, Elana. This books are beyond special!! Artful brilliance!

Krista said...

In all the world of books, it is great to have some direction. Thanks, Elana, for opening up my (and my teens') world!

Heather Kelly said...

Cool--Skin hunger is one that I keep hearing over and over that I have to read. I'm so excited to pick it up. Thanks for all the excitement around the blogosphere today--SO MUCH FUN!!! (Next time I'll get off my lazy butt and contribute :))

marieconley3 said...

These books sound awesome!

Unknown said...

So, just to clarify, you're recommending those books? ;-)

Valerie Kemp said...

What an awesome idea! I decided to join in! My book choice is: STOLEN by Lucy Christopher.

Oh and please enter me in the contest! Thanks!

Angie said...

Thanks for starting this, Elana. Your book choices sound amazing. Love the covers.

Frankie Diane Mallis said...

Elana, GIRL! You have outdone yourself!!!! Awesome!!!! And these books def look worth checking out:)

Carolyn V. said...

Oh, those covers ARE awesome! I'll have to check them out.

Angela Ackerman said...

These are two I definitelty have on my reading list. Thanks again for setting this all up--you are AWESOME!

JESSJORDAN said...

I got to see her brain in action in LA last year. She's awesome. This isn't typically my kind of read, but maybe I need to branch out. Thanks, Elana!

Tamika: said...

You're right the covers are enough yo make you start reading! Thanks for all the great story recommendations and links!

Olivia Carter said...

Awesome! I've been looking for a good book. It's been a while since I COULD NOT PUT DOWN a book so I'm excited to check these out! THANKS!

Mary E Campbell said...

the books sound awesome but dark. Maybe too dark for me, You make me want to read them though.

Theresa Milstein said...

I hadn't heard of either of those, but now I want to check them out. I'm a big fan of fanstasy/magic books.

Angela McCallister said...

The cover art is amazing on both of these books! Even if I don't win, I'd like to pick up some copies and send them to my avid-reader children. Sounds like something they'd read in a day. Thanks for the recommendation.

Tere Kirkland said...

This is an awesome way to spread the love! Big woot! for Elana!

I'll have to post about one of my favorite books today.

Caroline Starr Rose said...

Sign me up!

And I'm so glad you thought of this, Elana.

Sarah Ahiers said...

ooh those look awesome - i'm going to add them to my list of things to buy

B.J. Anderson said...

These sound so good! Definitely sign me up. :D

Shelley Sly said...

Wow, those books sound incredible! I'll definitely put them on my To-Read list.

HWPetty said...

I LOVE THOSE COVERS!! <-- yeah, two exclamations for art of love.

Sounds really fantastic.

And thank you so much for creating this phenom of a day!

Sherrie Petersen said...

I've been wanting to read Skin Hunger ever since I met Kathleen Duey at SCBWI last summer. She's such an amazingly talented woman and a lovely person as well.

Thanks for organizing all of this awesomeness, Elana!

Lydia Kang said...

thanks for the recs! this blog idea is great! onto the next one!

Corinne O said...

awesome! SOLD! What a great idea Elana... thanks!

L. T. Host said...

I'm entering-- those two look great! I love stories that have history, and tell it.

Shannon Messenger said...

This was SUCH a great idea Elana--thank you so much for letting me be a part. There's nothing better than discovering amazing authors and excellent books. DEFINITELY adding these to my TBR list. :)

Unknown said...

The next book isn't out yet? Oh no. I'm almost afraid to read them now. what if I adore them and have to *gasp of horror* wait for the next one. Alas. Sometimes I wish authors would just release their entire series at once. Not of course that that is at all practical for them or that it ever stops me from reading great books with yet-to-be-published sequels. . .

Windy said...

I'm so in! Even though I'm breaking my own rule of starting a series before all the books are out... :)

MBW aka Olleymae said...

Wow...I'm writing these down and hopefully checking them out from the library this weekend. They both sound like awesome books to get wrapped up in. Thanks for the review!!

Sara B. Larson said...

this is such a great idea! I haven't even heard of some of the books - now they are definitely on my TBR list. Thanks Elana!

Precious said...

I saw these books at the bookstore. And I was actually pleased that Skin Hunger was nominated for an award. I think that must mean that it's REALLY an awesome starter book. I'd love to win this! Please include me if this is open internationally!

Thanks!

precious_shusky@yahoo.com

Rebecca Wells said...

Love the covers! Please count me in.

- Rebecca

rebeccaswells(at)gmail(dot)com

Yat-Yee said...

Thanks for the book recommendations, and most of all, thanks for organizing this event. I haven't been to everyone who's participated, but enough to already be drooling all over the place.

Talli Roland said...

This is such a great idea, Elana. I've already enjoyed reading 'Spead the Awesome' on four or five other blogs. Thanks for organising!

Lori W. said...

Thanks for organizing "Spreading the Awesome." I love reading all these book reviews.

Liz S said...

These sounds like great reads! Even if I don't win, I'll definitely read. Thanks!

Angie said...

You have taken over the blogosphere! It's terrific to see so many good book recommendations.

Amy Holder said...

Wow - these sound great! The covers are hauntingly perfect! Thanks again for putting this Spread The Awesome party together. :)

Weronika Janczuk said...

Me, me, me! :] I want!

Also, Elana, you ROCK MY SOCKS. Like, a lot. This was a wonderful idea and I'm so happy to be a part.

j.m. neeb said...

Elana, Spreading the Awesome was a great idea! I've taken some time away from my blog (Ducks Out Of A Row), but was coming back to it starting today and this gave me a great topic to get back into it with... Thanks!

Hannah said...

There's only one thing I love more than adding books to my reading list and that's adding movies to my Netflix queue. Yay awesome lists!

Lindsay said...

Those covers are amazing. I'm going to shave to check them out now.

Bethany Wiggins said...

I wanna win!!! Thanks for being so awesome, E.

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

I LOVE Kathleen Duey (have you followed her Twitter novel?) I think I first picked up Skin Hunger because I saw that cover and had to have it!
Thank you so much, Elana, for putting together this event. It's been truly awesome.

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

This sounds so freaking fantastic, Elana! Creepy but utterly delicious. And what a brilliant contest! I LOVE signed books, but personalized? Holy catfish. That's solid awesome. Yay!!

And P.S. Thanks for putting together this event. It's amazing to have at hand such fantastic reviews! I will be scrolling my way through all of them

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Yay! I love Kathleen Duey. My son and I read the entire Unicorn's Secret series together when he was in grade school. Those books look fantastic! :-)

Larissa said...

OMG - Kathleen Duey is soooooo amazing. She was a presenter at the SCBWI FL conference in January, and I now practically worship her. I get to see her again next month - squeeeee! :)

Kimberly Franklin said...

This was such a great idea!! I'm going to have to check out this book! Thanks Elana!!

Kathy McCullough said...

Kathleen Duey is AMAZING -- on many levels. Great pick!

Mary Aalgaard said...

Great promo for that author. Those books look interesting, but I might not have picked them up w/o the plug!

Vicki Rocho said...

You're going to bankrupt me, woman. Coordinating the massive blogosphere posting of fabulous books. Everything sounds good! How the heck am I supposed to decide? arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh.

But seriously, this was a great idea and everywhere I've stopped someone has reviewed a great book!

Christina Lee said...

ooh am I the 100th commenter? I am sooo late in this game b/c blogger's been down for me all flippin' day (crying). Thanks so much for putting this together ElenaJ (ooh what's ur next idea-let's compare notes). These books sound AMAZING!

John Sankovich said...

You've piqued my interest in these books. After I'm done with my current read, I'll have to look into picking them up.

Martina Boone said...

Elana,

I'm SO sorry, I just realized the full extent of your awesomeness and corrected the contest post. Thanks so much for commenting and for your entry. You rock! Spread the Awesome is just a mindblowing idea!

Kerri Cuev said...

Thanks for spreading the awesomeness!
Will check them out. There goes the book list again. Always growing!

Anonymous said...

These look good, Elana. Edge of your seat type books with beautiful language. Thanks!

Madeleine said...

Totally adding those two to my Goodreads list!

Tiffany Neal said...

How in the world have I never picked these up! Will be going THIS weekend to pick them up! :)

Abby Annis said...

Those books sound awesome, and I LOVE the covers. Thanks for the recommendation. :)

Jill Kemerer said...

Are you trying to give me nightmares?? The covers are super-creepy! (But in a good way ;)

J.R. Johansson said...

That sounds very cool! Great review, Elana. This day is SO cool. :)

Julie Musil said...

Well, when you put it that way....

Nichole Giles said...

Okay, that sounds way interesting. I'm thinking we really need to get together to swap some books. But not this week. I already have a stack to read. Maybe next week. Or at the LUW workshop.

Thanks so much for putting together this spread the awesome program. It's been lots and lots of fun.

Nichole

Jackee said...

It's been such an amazing day reading people's book reviews. Thanks so much for making us a part of this.

And thanks for your reccomendation--now I'm off to see if I can find out more about them!

Jeanne Ryan (Serenissima) said...

This spread the awesome event has been awesomeness itself. Love the idea and it's been so much fun adding to my reading list. Thanks!

Nichole Giles said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Stephanie Thornton said...

More awesome books to add to the list! Thanks for organizing this awesomeness extravaganza, Elana. It's been super-fab all day!

Windy said...

OK, Blogger sucks for me today. This is my 3rd attempt at commenting (cause, yanno, I wanna win!!). Hopefully this works...

Rebecca T. said...

Is it too late? Can I enter? It's after midnight, but I haven't gone to bed, so technically I still call it today. ;) Right?! They look good. I want to read them. Add it to my pile!

* said...

Oooh, I want to read these books Pronto. They sound gripping!

Aik said...

I'd love to read these books!

aikychien at yahoo dot com

Heather said...

Can I just say how much you rock for bringing all this awesomeness to fruition? I have a list of great books to read a mile long now. Thank you so much!

Meg said...

I don't know if I'm eligible to put my recommendations on the list (and I realize that this was happening yesterday, but I found out about it today), but I did a Spreading the Awesome post on my blog here: http://litcat.blogspot.com/. Not that you have any idea who I am, or anything. And I recommended 3 series (I just couldn't help myself...). Anywho, kudos on a great idea.

Dustin said...

Always looking for new good book. Especially original and weird.

Heather said...

Thanks for the great contest! I've been meaning to read this.

Sheldon Florence said...

Sounds interesting, might give it a check out but need to shrink my TO-READ pile a bit first.

Cynde L. Hammond said...

Thanks for "Spreading The Awesome", Elana!

What a cool way to get the word out about all these "awesome" books. I sure would like to be included in the list of blogs the next time around, if you'll have me.

By the way...did you check out my post on "Blog Jog Day!" that's on Sunday, 09 May 2010? Trust me: you won't want to miss it!

Until next time,
Cynde
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff

Bryce Leo said...

Where did the Recommended Reads Page go!?

See Elana's recent blog posts

Recent Posts Widget