The Inevitable Collision of Birdie and Bash - Candace Ganger

I always have one YA book tapped to be my companion at the beach for a day in the summer. Candace Ganger's debut novel, The Inevitable Collison of Birdie and Bash was that book.

Birdie and Sebastian (Bash) meet at a party. There's interest on both sides, but nothing happens that night. Well, nothing between the two of them. But something does happen that will change both their lives.... The reader knows what has transpired and can only be a silent witness as events unfold. The pair meet again and the sparks are still there.....but so is what happened....

Two great lead characters - I was happily in their corner, hoping that the fates would align for them. But Ganger has set a pretty high set of obstacles for the pair.  Maybe tragedies is a better word to use.

The supporting cast is easy to categorize - Bash's friend Kyle is very easy to - well, to hate. Birdie's grandpa Sarge says little, but has much to say when he does speak. Ms. Camilla had me in tears. But it was only on reading the author's notes that I discovered Ganger had taken inspiration from her own life for some of the characters and heartbreak. You can feel that personal connection in the writing.

Birdie is a science nerd. Ganger cleverly uses science terms and Lessons of the Day to accompany situations, relationships and developments as the book progresses.

"Lesson of the Day: There are reasons - many reasons - some particles shouldn't combine, no matter how  curious you are about the outcome. Sometimes things explode; sometimes they dissipate, evaporate, disintegrate. And sometimes they collide and become something so much more than you ever thought they could."

My only quibble is Bash's taking the blame for 'the incident' - I did have a hard time thinking that someone would actually do that. But, it's absolutely a driving point of the plot, so it's very necessary.

Loss, grief, love, friendship, coming of age and more populate this novel. It's a really wonderful debut. Read an excerpt of The Inevitable Collision of Birdie and Bash. This book has 'movie' written all over it. Fans of John Green will enjoy this one.

Cr: Merinda Buchanan 

"Candace Ganger is a young adult author, contributing writer for Hello Giggles, and obsessive marathoner. Aside from having past lives as a singer, nanotechnology website editor, and world’s worst vacuum sales rep, she’s also ghostwritten hundreds of projects for companies, best-selling fiction and award-winning nonfiction authors alike. Candace—aka—Candyland—has a severe Milky Way latter addiction + eats way too many donuts/doughnuts but all things in excess, amiright? FYI: She’s TOTALLY awkward in person (#sorrynotsorry). She lives in Ohio with her family." You can connect with Candace on her website. like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Summer Days and Summer Nights - Edited by Stephanie Perkins

You might remember me reviewing My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories, edited by Stephanie Perkins last Christmas. (my review).

Well, Stephanie has edited a new collection that has just released -Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories - that's just perfect to add to your beach bag.

Zoom in on the cover - twelve best-selling YA authors contributed to this collection.You love their novels, so you just know you're going to love these stories. Perkins has drawn from diverse writers so the tales range from contemporary to fantasy and magical realism. You'll have your favorites, but collections also give you a chance to try new to you authors.

I won't detail them all, but will mention two that I really enjoyed.

In Ninety Minutes Turn North by Stephanie Perkins. Pure, unadulterated romance. Marigold and North were a couple with a direction - college together as roommates. And then North backed out. And Marigold has no idea why. Even if the romance is gone, she still wants to be friends, needs to know why it's over. So Marigold heads south to find North. Loved the characters, their dialogue, the journey, the quirkiness and especially the happily ever after. A 'day' story. (and a sequel to their story in My True Love Gave to me)

Last Stand at the Cinegore by Libba Bray. This one kinda reminded me of slasher movies at the drive-in. It's the last night for the Cinegore Theatre and the last night for Kevin to let Dani know how he feels about her. If they live that long - something is seriously messed up with the film that's being shown. Quick, fun dialogue, an inventive plot (loved the on screen characters interacting), action and of course, just the right ending. A 'night' story.

I love short story collections - they let you get in a quick read from start to finish wherever you are. And yes, the beach would be a great place!

"Stephanie Perkins is the New York Times and international bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and Isla and the Happily Ever After, as well as the editor of My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories. She lives with her husband in Asheville, North Carolina."

You can connect with Stephanie Perkins on: ||  Website  ||  Blog  ||  Twitter  ||

Blog Tour - The Only Thing Worse Than You Is Me - Lily Anderson

A Bookworm's World is the next stop on the blog tour for The Only Thing Worse Than You Is Me by Lily Anderson.

What's it about? From Griffin Teen:

"Trixie Watson has two very important goals for senior year: to finally save enough to buy the set of Doctor Who figurines at the local comic books store, and to place third in her class and knock Ben West--and his horrendous new mustache that he spent all summer growing--down to number four.

Trixie will do anything to get her name ranked over Ben's, including give up sleep and comic books--well, maybe not comic books--but definitely sleep. After all, the war of Watson v. West is as vicious as the Doctor v. Daleks and Browncoats v. Alliance combined, and it goes all the way back to the infamous monkey bars incident in the first grade. Over a decade later, it's time to declare a champion once and for all.

The war is Trixie's for the winning, until her best friend starts dating Ben's best friend and the two are unceremoniously dumped together and told to play nice. Finding common ground is odious and tooth-pullingly-painful, but Trixie and Ben's cautious truce slowly transforms into a fandom-based tentative friendship. When Trixie's best friend gets expelled for cheating and Trixie cries foul play, however, they have to choose who to believe and which side they're on--and they might not pick the same side.

Credit: Sarah Lambert

The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You is a geeky, contemporary retelling of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing." Check out the excerpt below!

"Lily Anderson is an elementary school librarian and Melvil Dewey fangirl with an ever-growing collection of musical theater tattoos and Harry Potter ephemera. She lives in Northern California. This is her debut novel."

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway - InVision - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Woohoo! I'm the latest stop on the blog tour and scavenger hunt for InVision, Sherrilyn Kenyon's 'hotly anticipated' seventh volume in her YA series, The Chronicles of Nick - and I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader!

Make sure you also enter the sweepstakes for a SIGNED backlist set of 

THE CHRONICLES OF NICK! 

Join the scavenger hunt! Hint: you might want to head over here first.

From the publisher, Griffin Teen:

"Think you have a lot of pressure on your shoulders? Nick Gautier was born to bring about the end of the world . . . it's not easy being the heir of a demon overlord. But Nick is determined to thwart his destiny and get into a good college. To be more than his genetics and prophecy foretell. No one is ever going to tell this stubborn Cajun who and what he really is. Or how to live his life.

Not even the Fates of the Universe. But now that he and his team of ancient gods and demons have claimed the Eye of Ananke and he sees the missteps of the future, he has to battle the demons within that are far deadlier and more treacherous than any he's battled before. All the while his arch nemesis is back and determined to reclaim his place as the harbinger for Armageddon. Even if it means killing Nick and barbecuing everyone he loves to do so."

Watch the book trailer here. The Chronicles of Nick is soon to be a movie as well! You can connect with Sherrilyn Kenyon on her website, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Enter to win a copy of InVision using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends May 14/16.

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