this is the creepiest/freakiest/most bummer thing ever

So I'm surfing Goodreads, as I usually do, and I particularly like to look at the lists for upcoming titles, 2010 and 2011.

I found a book that's coming out in the next year and as I'm typing this I still cannot believe this happened:
The synopsis is nearly IDENTICAL to one of my completed WIPs. I almost died. Or maybe I did die. Seriously, I think I might be dead now.
Aspiring authors - do you have horror stories similar to this one? You think that you have an idea or a story that is so creative, original, unique, authentic, whatever...and it turns out that someone else has already written a story nearly exactly like it?
Is it even possible to come up with something so original anymore?

I was so hoping to get this book in particular published, because it's one of my stronger stories. But now I'm afraid it'll be labeled 'imitative' or worse, 'plagiarized.'
Oh.
my.
gawd.
*curls up in the fetal position*

In My Mailbox [22]

Several packages still en route, but 2 books arrived this past week:
For Review
Darkness Becomes Her - Kelly Keaton
^^ thank you so much Simon & Schuster!

Swapped for
Princess of the Midnight Ball - Jessica Day George
^ very excited to read this one! Our borders and barnes and noble didn't have this and I'd been looking and looking!

Currently Reading...
Beautiful Creatures (Garcia & Stohl) but thanks to freaking midterms, it'll take me longer to read this one. I definitely won't get to Beautiful Darkness by the time it releases... A pox on school!

Reviews to be posted
Witches Kitchen (Allen Williams). The giveaway for this ARC will be open for another week! Make sure you enter!!

Review - THE MAZE RUNNER

The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) - James Dashner

Genre: YA Dystopian/Sci Fi# of pages: 374 (hb)
Publisher: Delacorte, Random House
The Maze Runner @ Parental Book Reviews

Poor Maze Runner! It sat on my shelf since March before I got around to reading it. Luckily, it was definitely worth the wait. I highly enjoyed this book, even if it did take me a long time to read.
The author, James Dashner, really did an excellent job maintaining the suspense and a strong feeling of foreboding, and he also did a great job, I think, of describing the world of the Glade and the Maze to us. As far as dystopians go, this book has it all: futuristic, post-apocalyptic feel, absence of useful adult characters (absolutely no adult characters, in this case), which intensified the drama, a perfect blend of action and suspenseful quiet, and the brain-itching question of "What is going to happen next?!"
It seems to me that Dashner treats his readers the way he treats Thomas, the story's narrator - he drops them into this storyworld, right in the middle of all the action, and presents no answers (at first). Thus the purpose of the book is not only to survive and to overcome, but also to figure out what the Sam Hill is going on. And I think he did a fine job. It helped me relate to Thomas and the other boys to feel just as lost and confused as they were.
It seemed like we didn't get any answers until the last 100 or so pages. I would have liked the revelations to be a little more gradual and spaced out, just because it felt like I was being hit with a tidal wave worth of information. Also, there really only seemed to be one "thing" out there in the Maze, the Grievers, and they really weren't that scary to me, so segments that really should have been "exciting" or "borderline scary" just weren't. I would have amplified the creepiness factor of the Maze, made it more terrifying. However, the ending (especially the last few chapters) was EPIC. As in, best spankin' way to conclude a book. It sets up for The Scorch Trials so tantalizingly!
The only thing that could have been better was the story's characterization. The narrative seemed at times to be inexpressive and matter-of-fact, and I didn't really feel like there was a lot of character depth. The narrative told me what Thomas was feeling, for example, but it didn't really show me. I'm interested to see if characterization becomes stronger in the next book.
The 'language,' too, seemed a little overdone. I found the made-up expletives very amusing, but a bit overused. On the other hand, I can't be certain that boys wouldn't speak so colorfully, if they were by themselves in a big shucking maze. :)

Highly enjoyable and highly recommended! And whadaya know! The Scorch Trials is available now!

Final Grade:

Books for Sale/Trade!

Note: I just had a post not long ago similar to this. Sorry for the redundancy!

Just got a paypal and so I figured that I could try selling the books I don't have room for anymore.

If you see something you'd like (either to buy or trade for) please email me at aeimaginer12@gmail.com

Books Available
Beastly - Alex Flinn (pb)
Pastworld - Ian Beck (hb)
Life as We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer (pb) **never been read**
Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones (pb)
Pretties - Scott Westerfeld (pb)
Faerie Wars (Faerie Wars, #1) - Herbie Brennan (pb - British cover edition)
The Purple Emperor (Faerie Wars #2) - Herbie Brennan (pb - British cover edition)
Ruler of the Realm (Faerie Wars, #3) - Herbie Brennan (pb - British cover edition)
Faerie Lord (Faerie Wars #4) - Herbie Brennan (pb - British cover edition)
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Lauren Willig (not YA)
The Masque of the Black Tulip - Lauren Willig (not YA)

- paperbacks are $5 each and hardbacks are $8. If you want me to ship multiple books, let's talk via email and we can figure out S&H. Ditto to international requests.

Books I'm looking for
Along for the Ride - Sarah Dessen
The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen
Water Song - Suzanne Weyn
The Grimm Legacy - Polly Shulman
Oh My Gods - Tera Lynn Childs
Captivate - Carrie Jones
Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
Note: This list does not include ARCs I'm looking for. If you have an ARC that you'd like to trade, please feel free to email me and we'll talk! I just usually don't put up ARCs I'm looking for... but I'll consider any!

:) PS - I take very good care of my books!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday!

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer @ Crazy for Books.Stop by and get hopping!
Follow Friday is hosted by Rachel @ Parajunkee's View.

This week's question is: What's your favorite beverage, while reading or blogging?

Unfortunately, I have a Coke problem. Um, I mean I have a Cola-Cola problem. Usually when I read, it's in the nighttime, and I like to drink caffeinated beverages at night to keep me awake :) Doesn't really make me feel good in the morning, but still...

If you're new to my blog, welcome! I really hope you'll come back again, maybe check out some of my reviews. I've got a giveaway going on, and you can check that out by clicking on the link at the top of the page!

Review - LIES

Lies (Gone, #3) - Michael Grant
Genre: YA Sci Fi/Fantasy/Dystopian
# of pages: 447 (hb)
Publisher: Harper Teen

I had the same reaction to Lies that I had to Hunger: pretty good, definitely entertaining and a strong installment, but not as good as Gone, due primarily to the humongous cast of characters and rotating points of view.
Lies was easier to follow than Hunger plot-wise, I think. There doesn’t seem to be quite so many completely different things going on. Instead, it seemed like in the aftermath of the food crisis of the previous book, Lies focused more on the characters and how their relationships have changed in the months following the Poof - the event in which all adults suddenly disappeared. It’s been 7 months in the FAYZ, and old alliances start to weaken as new ones form. This book is aptly named, that’s for sure.

I really liked how Michael Grant put the main characters under the microscope in this book especially – it made them seem more developed and understandable. Sam and Astrid and Mary and Albert and all the others certainly aren’t perfect, by any means, and sometimes they can get downright ugly. Oh, there were a few times when Sam and Astrid (especially) made infuriating decisions, and there were a few times when I was just moved by Caine and Diana’s struggles, and Diana’s sacrifices to stay with him. All in all, the focus on characters was very well done.
But, like Hunger, several new characters were introduced in Lies. To be honest, I think this ship is pretty full. Every time I turn around there are several new characters introduced that I (the reader) have to keep up with, and at this point, it got a little daunting.

As always, though, the premise of the Gone series fascinated me from the beginning. There’s just something about a bunch of teenagers (and younger) trying to band together and create a society out of chaos – and all the struggles that entails - that is incredibly riveting. I am completely hooked on this series!

Hurry up and get here, April, so we can find out what happens next in Plague!

**win THE WITCHES KITCHEN**

When Toad wakes up, dangling over a bubbling witches' cauldron, she has no memory of her former life, not even her name. With some luck, she escapes and sets out on a journey to the oracle of the kitchen. Along the way, she makes friends with Natterjack, an imp who refuses his demon ancestry; Horsefly, a carnivorous fairy; and Pug and Sootfoot, residents of the Kitchen. But the Kitchen and the witch sisters it belongs to, is not a place one wants to end up lost. The Kitchen is pitch black and infinite, filled with furniture that constantly moves when unobserved, making navigation nearly impossible. Its residents are both animals from the outside, unwitting victims of the Witches, and creatures who were born or made in the Kitchen itself - many of whom would not mind eating the Toad and her friends. And let's not forget the Witches themselves, who seem to have a special interest in the Toad. With some courage and wisdom, the Toad just might find self-realization yet - and with it, the power to defeat the mighty Witches.

I just finished this book last night and am working on my review as we speak.
But I did want to go ahead and announce this giveaway so you guys will have time to enter!
I don't want to give too much away outside of the review, but yall -
this book was so awesome! I absolutely loved it!
Highly creative, exciting, with nonstop action and lovable characters. This will be the perfect Halloween lite read!

Entries:
Let's keep this simple, shall we?This is for followers only, so make sure you're a follower!
Leave a comment with your email address
+ 2 points for tweeting about this contest
Winner will be announced on Sunday, October 24. PS - I love stories with frog characters! Absolutely love them <3