Spotlight is a feature I do where I pick a topic or theme and then highlight some books that fall into that theme.
The very first Goodreads giveaway I won was for a book you may have heard me mention once or twice before: Tighter by Adele Griffin. I had never read any of Adele's books at that point, so I didn't know what to expect. Simply put, I was blown away. I've since read a few more of her books and each one has impacted me in a different way, but all have earned a place on my shelves. My whole experience has been one of those "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!!?" moments. So here is a Spotlight List dedicated solely to the awesomeness that is Adele Griffin.
I usually limit my Spotlight Lists to only five books, but Adele has written many more than five. Please check out her full bibliography on her Goodreads page!
Adele's website
Adele on Goodreads
Adele on Facebook
Adele on Twitter
Tighter
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 208
Goodreads Page
I had already read The Turn of the Screw, so I had an idea of where this modern retelling was going...or so I thought. Adele pays homage to the chilling original while putting a spin on the tale that is 100% her own. I have to say, as much as I appreciate the original, I love Adele's changes even more. Get ready for a wild ride and a story that will leave you wondering long after the last page has been turned.
Check out the brand new website for Tighter!
Check out my review of Tighter!
Check out my cover review of Tighter!
Check out Adele's guest post about Tighter!
I love a good mean girls book, but most of them are funny and never really dig too deep into the painful reality. Adele doesn't shy away from painful truths in this searing and objective look at cyberbullying, the permanence of the Internet age, and the adolescent experience. Don't expect a light, quirky read with this one. DO expect a story that will spark a multitude of discussions and leave you pondering the ramifications of the decisions we make.
Check out The Julian Game website!
Check out my review of The Julian Game!
Check out my cover review of The Julian Game!
Where I Want to Be
Release Date: April 21, 2005
Publisher: J. P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 160
Goodreads Page
You know those books that had such an impact on you that the sight of their cover alone is enough to send you hurtling back to those emotions? Where I Want to Be is one of those books for me. Not my genre, not my kind of book at all, and yet I still loved it. I was so touched by Adele's sensitive and brutally accurate portrayal of loving relationships thrown in turmoil.
Blogger's scheduling post feature always makes me eat my words and my review for WIWtB is one such experience. I had written my review weeks before it was scheduled to publish, and in my review I mentioned never having lost a grandparent I knew. Exactly one day before the review was scheduled to post, I did lose a grandparent. Talk about timing. Yet I am so thankful to have had the experience of reading WIWtB earlier because it has given me great strength and words of wisdom that I have carried with me through my recent losses.
Check out my review of Where I Want to Be!
Spooky, spooky! I loved this twisted ghost story! Adele's amazing writing made these scenes jump right off the pages and her keen insight into people led to some really terrific characters. There's this one scene, ooh, and another, oh oh and another...wait, I can't tell you! You'll just have to read it to find out for yourself.
The pictures also perfectly complement the story. There is one in particular that I loved: A photo of Jennie's awful aunt that Jennie has taken a pen to and scratched out the image. I loved it! That one picture took everything Jennie and I both felt about her aunt and summed it up perfectly. Don't you know just the feeling of wanting to scribble over a hated person's visage? The fact that I laughed out loud and clapped my hands in joy when I saw that picture is a testament to how skillfully Adele has crafted this story and the people that inhabit it.
Check out this fantastic behind the scenes video!
Check out the Picture the Dead website!
Check out my review of Picture the Dead!
I haven't read Amandine yet, but I think this is the next Adele Griffin book I'll be reading. I've heard it's very polarizing and I'm curious (but pretty certain) to see which side I'll end up on. Here's the Goodreads description:
From the first moment of their meeting, Delia Blaine is fascinated by Amandine, who never fails to astonish with her bold, thrilling antics. As the games Amandine invents and the lies she tells become cruel and disturbing, Delia begins to fear her new friend. But breaking away from Amandine comes at a cost much greater than Delia ever could have imagined. . . .
Doesn't that sound thrilling and scary? Two things (of many) that Adele does brilliantly are characters and scary, and I have no doubt this will be another tensely emotional ride!
~Giveaways!~
Closed
I've said Adele is an amazing author, but you know, she's also a pretty awesome person, too. I mentioned that I had put in an order for one of her books to giveaway as part of this special week and she immediately offered to provide a few more copies for another giveaway! How sweet is she? So you now have two opportunities to win!
Closed
Please read the following information about the giveaways:
- You do NOT have to be a follower
- The giveaway for Tighter is open to US addresses only
- The giveaway for the two books of your choice is open to US/Canadian addresses only
- You must be 13 years of age or older to enter
- Your address is not required, but including it will help with sending the book out to you sooner
- If an address is not provided, the winners will have 24 hours to reply to my email with their address before a new winner is chosen
- I will not keep your information, and only the winner's information will be shared with the author
- The giveaway will close May 31st. The winners will be announced June 3rd in the Recap post
*Two things to note: A few books are out of print, so please just double check availability before making your selection (pre-2001 publications may not be available). Also, just so you know--because we all know how important covers can be--I've been posting the new cover for Where I Want to Be, but this cover is not available until the Summer/Fall. Both covers do relate to the story though.
Great post!! I have caught your enthusiasm. I got Tighter a little while ago and this post has bumped it up to the top of my list!
ReplyDeleteI love it when an author really captures you love of their books! Great post Small! :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome giveaway!
Kelsa P.
Thanks very much for the giveaway, Small! After hearing you rave about these I couldn't pass up the chance to enter :D
ReplyDeleteCool. I didn't know Adele wrote the Julian Game. Quite a prolific author.
ReplyDeleteAdele's covers are so pretty. Thanks for including Canada in the giveaway :)
ReplyDelete