Book Recommendation: MATCHED by Ally Condie

I admit that if a book or movie is over-hyped, I tend to be disappointed by it. My expectations are set sky high and then the experience doesn't quite live up to it. I'm reading an ARC right now that has had so much buzz, it made me a little hesitant to pick it up. I'm halfway through it and all I can say is: holy flippin' cow. That's right--I'm recommending a book I haven't even finished yet. I haven't liked a book this much since The Hunger Games/Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. This book has met and exceeded all my expectations. In fact, I don't even want to write this blog post because I want to go find out what happens next (sshhh...don't tell me if you've already read this ARC). The book is Matched by Ally Condie.  The awesome cover looks like this:

From the back of the book:
In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die. Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

If you read or write dystopian fiction, you'll LOVE this book! It comes out November of 2010, so pre-order it now, if you haven't already. You won't be disappointed. :)

Book Recommendation of the Week: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

From Goodreads:

Literary Awards--
Golden Kite Award for Fiction (2009), South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult Book Award (2010), TAYSHAS High School Reading List (2009)

Who is Jenna Fox?

Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a year-long coma, and she's still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. Her parents show her home movies of her life, her memories, but she has no recollection. Is she really the same girl she sees on the screen?

Little by little, Jenna begins to remember. Along with the memories come questions—questions no one wants to answer for her. What really happened after the accident?

In this fascinating novel, acclaimed author Mary E. Pearson presents an unforgettable look at one human life and a glimpse into a possible future that may be closer than we think.

Why It's My Pick of the Week:
I couldn't put it down. Simple as that. I had to know what happened to Jenna and read this book straight through to the end. Also, I love dystopian fiction so this was right up my alley. Have you read it? What did you think? Until next time....Kristi

Wicked Lovely Winner!

The winner of signed copies of Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange AND Fragile Eternity by the wonderful Melissa Marr (as randomly picked by BuzzMyBlog) is...Elizabeth Cerna! Congrats, Elizabeth - please email your mailing address to me at drhelvig [at] yahoo.com and I'll send your books ASAP. Thanks to everyone who entered!