Posts Categorized: maureen johnson

The Name of The Star ARC Tour- Closed

11 Jul, 2011 by in ARC tour, maureen johnson, name of star 3 comments

The Name of The Star
by Maureen Johnson
Hardcover, 370 pages
Expected publication:
September 29th 2011
by Putnam
series: Shades of London #1
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it’s the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn’t notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

We are accepting five readers in the U.S. for this blog tour. First come first serve. For a full list of Fire and Ice ARC tour rules and to sign up click here and fill out the form.

1) Bethany L
2) Penelope L
3) Kate T
4) Kelli C
5) Elizabeth W

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The Last Little Blue Envelope

23 Mar, 2011 by in book review, maureen johnson, the last little blue envelope 1 comment

by Maureen Johnson
Hardcover, 304 pages
Expected publication: April 26th 2011
by HarperTeen
ISBN 0061976792
series: Little Blue Envelope #2

4.5 stars

Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny’s backpack—and the last little blue envelope inside—she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.

Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he’s found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure—one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time, there are no instructions.

A couple of weeks ago when author Maureen Johnson announced on twitter that her newest book in the Little Blue Envelope series was up on NetGalley I put in my request for the e-galley and found the first book 13LBE to start reading. 13 Little Blue Envelopes was this random collection of letters from Ginny’s dying aunt Peg that lead Ginny all across Europe in search of clues and tasks. I finished the book having enjoyed the ride but feeling there was so much left undone, random like a wild goose chase.

Book 2, The Last Little Blue Envelope completely stole my heart and tied things up in a beautiful package similar to a Christmas gift from Harrod’s. I loved the sense of purpose and growth book two brings. Maureen Johnson’s writing is brilliant and funny, witty and adventurous. The Last Litle Blue Envelope picks up where book one left off. The 13th letter that was stolen from Ginny on a beach in Greece has been found by a man in London named Oliver. Oliver contacts Ginny via email in America offering her the last letter, but for a steep price.

Oliver was a welcome addition to the cast; I absolutely loved him! He’s brooding and a loner, but deep down you have to know something serious is going on for him to act the way he does. By the end I found myself wishing we knew even more about him. But the New Year’s scene in Dublin and the stop at the train station are enough to keep me tied over until book three. Please Maureen tell us there is one!?

Keith is back as immature and quirky as ever, plus he has a new “friend” Elle. The four teens take on a quest spanning Paris to Ireland to find the last dying wish of Ginny’s aunt that is simply magical. You’ll feel you are traveling right along with them because of all the small intricate details Maureen paints in to the picture. Plus, in the process there are life lessons that make each character stretch beyond who they were when it all started. Ginny especially has become more of a woman than she was in the beginning. The Last Little Blue Envelope was a treat to read and I would recommend it to all readers as a clean travel adventure with coming of age lessons that are vital for teens. Well done Maureen! And thanks to NetGalley/ Harper Teen for making TLBE available to us online.

Click here to enter to win a copy on Goodreads courtesy of HarperTeen

Contest Winners and News

12 Mar, 2011 by in maureen johnson, tsunami 3 comments


Congratulations to Lyudmila who won our Baba Yaga redo notebook giveaway!
Please send us your mailing address.

In the news today, special thanks to Katie’s book blog for the incredibly kind post she made about our book related jewelry. It is amazing to me how the book blogger community supports one another.

Yesterday it was an absolute shock to see the images of Japan in the wake of a tsunami. I lived in Hokkaido, Japan as back in 1994 so my heart aches for my host families. All my love and prayers to them today. Thinking of you at Teine Jinja in Sapporo, the Tetsuo Ito family,Takeharu & Mizue Ishii, & the Nishikawa family in Memuro-Cho, Hokkaido Japan. I sincerely hope they are okay and that I will hear from them all in the future. Several of us Etsy shops are donating a portion of our proceeds to the Red Cross to aid in relief efforts.To see a full list of artists and crafters who are donating click here. I was touched this morning by the numerous beautiful treasuries of art created in honor of Japan. This one is my favorite. I’ve posted all of the new relief art collections on StumbleUpon. Also, please head on over to YA author Maureen Johnson’s site for another way to contribute.