Future Favorites (92)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Release Date: February 12, 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

What if you knew exactly when you would die? In the not-too-distant future, genetic engineering has turned every newborn into a ticking time bomb—males only live to age 25 and females only live to age 20.

In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out. When 16-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by "the Gatherers" to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Rhine has only one purpose after she has been married to her new husband, Linden: to escape and find her twin brother.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden’s eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant to whom she is dangerously attracted, Rhine is desperate to learn the truth and protect those closest to her. But, as her sister wife Cecily keeps insisting, her role may be much bigger than that.

In the first two books of the Chemical Garden trilogy, Wither and Fever, Rhine struggles to escape the mansion and then to navigate the brutal world outside. Now in Sever, the third and final book, Rhine uncovers some shattering truths about the past that her parents never had the chance to tell her and the alarming implications regarding her own genes. She may be the one who can save the human race.

Soul Savers Cover Reveal: Power

Chapter 1 Excerpt:

I never heard the rest of Tristan's sentence—what he didn’t want me to think. The handsome guy thought I’d nodded to him and had me by the hand, stumbling over his own feet as he dragged me to the dance area. As soon as we stepped onto the sunken floor, his hands were on my hips, pulling me close to him. For a brief moment, I forgot about all the mind signatures, the twirling lights and pounding music and could only think about how strange it was to be that close to a man other than Tristan.

But only for a brief moment. Before I could even do anything, a growl ripped through the music—or maybe just through my head—and Tristan was suddenly between the guy and me, his back to me and his arms out protectively. The drunk guy swung without even looking, and Tristan caught his wrist in mid-air. With the pain of the grip, the guy finally looked up into Tristan’s face. His eyes grew wide and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped. He gave me an apologetic frown as he carefully stepped away from the dance floor.

Tristan turned back to me and wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me to him as he swayed to the music. I looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

“You can talk to girls all night but I can’t dance once?”

His nostrils flared. “There’s a difference. His hands were all over you.”

“I had things under control.”

He leaned closer to me and growled in my ear. “I didn’t like it!”

Find the Author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Series Page

Guest Post with Brianna Hunt

Put down your bags, pull up a chair and tell me a story!

Hello everyone,

Amy asked me to do a guest blog on her blog, so here I am. I have to admit I have never done anything like this before, so you will all have to bear with me on this. Since Amy’s blog is what she reading and her reviews of books, I am going to talk about writing and of course, reading. Let’s start with writing.

I am a writer myself. I write original fiction and some Fanfiction. Writing for me is to get out whatever is on my mind, whether it been a love story with paranormal twist or a real life encounter with someone. I always try to have a notebook on hand because you don’t know when the urge will strike. It could be a song that set that spark. Right now, I am brainstorming on a story that has cross dimensional twist to it. I may never work on it again, but at least I have it written it down to where I can come back to it  if I so choose.

Reading! I love reading. Amy can probably tell you better than I can, but I go through (on a good week) at least a few books a day. On Goodreads.com they have this 2012 Reading Challenge, and this year, I have pledged to read 350 books. I am already at 285. Granted I don’t have a job, so I spend most of my free time reading and some of those books (I would say about a quarter) are graphic novels. I go to the library so often, that the librarians know me by name or my face. I just love to read. It takes you away from everything.

Well, I have had a blast on this post and I hope I have inspired you to pick up a book or take up writing.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (112)

This is a fun weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Books I read last week:
Dark Territory by J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel

The book I’m reading now:

Ghost Crown

A priceless mystical treasure, a dark secret order, and a vengeful fallen angel forces collide as the battle for Middleburg continues . . .


For gang members Raphael and Ignacio, plans for the homecoming dance are almost as harrowing as their recent victory against the demonic forces that threaten their town. Despite their tentative alliance, a fight breaks out between the preppie Toppers and the goth Flatliners when Topper girl Aimee shows up at the dance with Raphael, the rival gang's leader. In the midst of an all-out rumble, the homecoming queen discovers a supernatural power that causes a potentially deadly catastrophe. Meanwhile, a charismatic half-angel, half-human arrives in Middleburg with plans to steal Aimee from Raphael.


To add to the bizarre circumstances surrounding the town, real-estate moguls begin buying up most of the Flats and evicting the tenants. These mysterious men seek a priceless treasure prophesied in ancient Chinese writings and will stop at nothing to find it. But Raphael and his friends vow to get to it first and use it to reclaim their homes.


As Raphael and the Flatliners and Zhai and the Toppers hone their supernatural abilities and search for the treasure, Aimee begins kung fu training, intent on using her new skills to locate and rescue her mother. When she discovers that the elusive treasure may be the key, the race to find it intensifies.


But there are others who seek the treasure too, and they have the power to reduce all of Middleburg, and perhaps the world, to ashes. . . .


Books that spark my interest this week:
The Missing by Shiloh Walker
Baby Love by Catherine Anderson

Sundays with Sarah (10)

To find out more about Sarah and this feature go here.

Well with the summer upon us and my recent trip to the states, I have decided to make an interesting post from a discussion I had a long time ago. America’s First Afro-American Princess.

It is interesting to note that culture barriers are starting to break and most of all, how movies are defining a new medium of what we see on screen.

Review of Disney's "Princess and the frog"

With its return to 2D animation after 5 years, Disney's The Princess and the Frog has managed to gross USD 25 million, enjoying the biggest opening of any film ever released in December 0f 2010. It broke the records of Beavis and Butt-head Do America that had drawn about USD 20 million in the holiday season of 1996. "The Princess and the Frog" is Disney's first hand-drawn animation after Home on the Range in 2004, directed by the team of John Musker and Ron Clements of Hercules and Aladdin fame. This musical love story has been set to tune by music composer Randy Newman who had managed to scoop up the Oscar in 2002 for his "If I didn't have you" for Monster's Inc.

Set in the Jazz Age New Orleans, this movie depicts the adventures of Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a hard working girl who is determined to open her own restaurant French Quarter. She is pertinacious in her quest as she saves every penny from her humble earning at a café. However, her life goes for a toss when she kisses Prince Naveen of Maldonia, magically transmutated into a frog by the witch doctor Facilier (Keith David). Naveen, who had initially come to New Orleans in the search of a wealthy bride after being cut off by his parents, becomes hell bent upon getting a kiss. He approaches Tiana for some lip action and kaboom! Unlike the Grimm Brothers' fairytale "The Frog Prince" of the 1920's, instead of the frog turning into a prince charming, Tiana herself becomes a frog. The story then talks of Tiana's uproarious endeavors to become human again in the mysterious lakes of Louisiana.

The film had been the butt of several criticisms ever since it was announced. William Blackburn, columnist of the Charlotte Observer had opined that, "This princess’ story is set in New Orleans, the setting of one of the most devastating tragedies to beset a black community. And then they throw in the voodoo theme [the fairy-godmother character is a voodoo priestess] and an alligator sidekick. When you put New Orleans, alligators and voodoo together, there’s no beauty there." However, the film recorded almost one out of five moviegoers to be unaccompanied adults as per Disney's exit polling. Chuck Viane, Disney's head of domestic distribution remarked, "That's the number that's sweetest. We knew families were going to come. But we didn't know about the adults without kids. That was going to depend on reviews."

With almost 83% of critics recommending the movie, Viane says that the movie shall withstand the tidal waves expected to be created by James Cameron's sci-fi biggie Avatar. "Family movies have great legs, so we're confident," Viane exudes. "Avatar's a tsunami, and we're going to survive it," probably counting on the generally long shelf lives of holiday movies. After all he feels that, "It's one of those classic Disney fairy tales and people just fell in love with it. Read about World's most expensive movie gets great reviews at premiere and 'Avatar' impresses even the critics.

All in all, the film leaves the audiences with a moral in a subtle way in the classic Disney fashion, with Mama Odie (Jennifer Lewis) saying that the "only thing important is what's under the skin."

A by-the-numbers approach keeps The Princess and the Frog out of the first ranks of Disney's animated films, but this lively, fractured fairy tale should find an extended life in children's DVD collections and on Broadway. The new movie is being doubly promoted as Disney's first featuring an African-American princess and a return to hand-drawn animation. Set in the New Orleans of the 1920s, the story pays tribute to jazz culture, and like last year's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, gains resonance from the Hurricane Katrina-devastated city itself.

The casting decision seems less of an innovation than a long-overdue correction: Disney has already featured native-American, Chinese and Hawaiian heroines (and, in Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride, even a dead one). Besides, for the one African-American princess breaking new ground, The Princess and the Frog offers plenty of familiar stereotypes, air-headed blondes, malaprop-mouthing Cajuns, toothless hillbillies and a wise old voodoo queen in the bayou.

The film's directors and co-writers (with Rob Edwards) are Ron Clements and John Musker ( The Little Mermaid, Aladdin ). Two of a team responsible for Disney's nineties renaissance, they recreate the flowing Disney animation style, paying homage to classic examples from Pinocchio to Lady and the Tramp, with scenes that range from spooky gothic to phantasmagoric to art-deco grandeur. Pixar's favourite songwriter, Randy Newman, provides the score, which, if short of memorable tunes, is rich in authenticity, with a mixture of local flavoured ragtime, zydeco and jazz.

A prelude, set in 1912, sees a young Tiana (voiced by Elizabeth M. Dampier) as the child of a labourer, James (Terrence Howard), who dreams of being a chef. Tiana's mother, Eudora (Oprah Winfrey), is a seamstress and nanny to Tiana's best friend, the spoiled little white girl Charlotte (Breanna Brooks as a child, and Jennifer Cody as an adult). Charlotte's the daughter of a wealthy, indulgent widower, Big Daddy La Bouff (John Goodman), who is also the perennial Mardi Gras king. When Eudora reads the Grimm's fairy tale of the princess and the frog to the children, Charlotte says she would kiss any number of frogs to win a prince; Tiana says frog-kissing is where she would draw the line.

Let's just hope that The Princess and the Frog doesn't do for amphibian terrariums what 101 Dalmatians did for spotted dogs, or Finding Nemo did for pet-fish sales.

My Bookish Wants & Gots (13)

My Bookish Wants & Gots is weekly Saturday feature at The Book Vixen. I list the books I want - which can be old, new, or upcoming releases - and the books I recently got.

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...

THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste. BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...

THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Last Kiss Goodnight by Gena Showalter

The breathtaking first novel in New York Times best selling author Gena Showalter’s new paranormal romance series, Otherworld Assassins, featuring a black ops agent who is captured and enslaved…and the beautiful deaf girl who holds the key to his salvation…

THE SWEETEST TEMPTATION…

Black ops agent Solomon Judah awakens caged and bound in a twisted zoo where otherworlders are the main attraction. Vika Lukas, the owner’s daughter, is tasked with Solo’s care and feeding. The monster inside him yearns to kill her on sight, even though she holds the key to his escape. But the human side of him realizes the beautiful deaf girl is more than she seems—she’s his.

THE ULTIMATE PRICE…

Vika endures the captives’ taunts and loathing, hoping to keep them alive even if she can’t free them. Only, Solo is different—he protects her. But as hostility turns to forbidden romance, his feelings for her will be used against him…and he’ll be put to a killer test.

Dark Territory by J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel

In the quaint town of Middleburg, an abandoned train yard and old railroad tracks form the dividing line between two rival gangs—the wealthy, preppy Toppers and the working-class Flatliners. When Raphael, the leader of the Flatliners, falls in love with Aimee, a Topper girl, the rival gangs prepare to do battle . . . but not with guns and knives. Their martial arts training dictates a strict code of honor, which all of the gang members adhere to. The only hope for peace between the rival gangs lies within the giant X formed where the railroad tracks cross. The awesome power contained in the X sends the Flatliners and the Toppers on a mystical quest to fight against malevolent forces that threaten the existence of Middleburg—and maybe the world.

Ghost Crown by J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel
A priceless mystical treasure, a dark secret order, and a vengeful fallen angel forces collide as the battle for Middleburg continues . . .


For gang members Raphael and Ignacio, plans for the homecoming dance are almost as harrowing as their recent victory against the demonic forces that threaten their town. Despite their tentative alliance, a fight breaks out between the preppie Toppers and the goth Flatliners when Topper girl Aimee shows up at the dance with Raphael, the rival gang's leader. In the midst of an all-out rumble, the homecoming queen discovers a supernatural power that causes a potentially deadly catastrophe. Meanwhile, a charismatic half-angel, half-human arrives in Middleburg with plans to steal Aimee from Raphael.


To add to the bizarre circumstances surrounding the town, real-estate moguls begin buying up most of the Flats and evicting the tenants. These mysterious men seek a priceless treasure prophesied in ancient Chinese writings and will stop at nothing to find it. But Raphael and his friends vow to get to it first and use it to reclaim their homes.


As Raphael and the Flatliners and Zhai and the Toppers hone their supernatural abilities and search for the treasure, Aimee begins kung fu training, intent on using her new skills to locate and rescue her mother. When she discovers that the elusive treasure may be the key, the race to find it intensifies.


But there are others who seek the treasure too, and they have the power to reduce all of Middleburg, and perhaps the world, to ashes. . . .

Interview & Giveaway with J.T. Geissinger

1. When did you first start writing, and was there something in particular that inspired you?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t write. I grew up in a house of book lovers and learned to love reading at a very early age. I was always in honors English and the gifted writing programs during middle school and high school, but never seriously thought about making a living as a writer—it seemed like something so far out of reach of reality. It wasn’t until a very big birthday arrived that I finally knew it was time to stop procrastinating and just write that book I’d always dreamed of writing.

2. What first attracted you to your genre when it comes to writing?

Fantasy and paranormal elements are interesting to me because I can really let my imagination run wild. If I want to create a character that can levitate or be invisible or change shape, I can! Like any other genre the world has to make sense within the created framework, but I love the freedom to create new creatures and worlds outside what is considered “normal”.

3. In regards to your own characters, who is your favorite and why?

In Shadow’s Edge, Morgan is my favorite character. I was able to take some chances with her that I didn’t take with Jenna because secondary characters can be a little crazier and add a lot of flavor to the story. She gets her own story in book two and I loved writing about her. She’s a total rebel, trouble-maker, rule-breaker, but when you get to know her you see all the motivation and heartbreak behind some of the bad choices she makes. I understand her the best of any of the characters I’ve written.

4. What other genres do you enjoy reading?

I love biographies, especially about people who had a huge impact on history. One of my favorites is Benjamin Franklin, An American Life, by Walter Isaacson. I never read horror because I’ll have bad dreams about it (with the exception of Stephen King, who manages to tell amazing stories that also happen to be gory), but I’m attracted to almost every other genre. I tend to like quirky or unreliable narrators and big, sweeping epics with lots of little details planted along the way that come back to bite characters at the end.

5. If you could not be a writer, what would you be.

I always wanted to be a rich widow. *Smiles wide*

6. As a reader I know how difficult it can be to name a ‘favorite’ book, would you mind listing your top three? 

Everything Matters, by Ron Currie Jr., Geek Love by Katherine Dunn and The Notebook by Nicolas Sparks. The first because it’s brilliant, dazzling literature the kind I would like to be able to create, the second because it’s filled with strange, enthralling characters and was narrated by an albino, hunchback dwarf I fell in love with, and the third because I cried so hard my eyes were swollen shut at the end. I think it’s beautiful when someone dies at the end of a love story. Which is probably why my favorite movie is Moulin Rouge.

7. What are some 'must haves' when you sit down to write?

Total silence is an absolute requirement. Any kind of noise is a distraction and takes me out of my zone. (As I write this my husband is watching TV in the living room with wireless headphones on.) Early morning is getting to be a requirement because after a glass or two of wine at night my attention wanders. Also comfortable pants are a requirement. Sweats, usually.

8. If you became trapped as a character in a book or series, which would you choose and why?

I’d be Lestat de Lioncourt from Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned, and other books in The Vampire Chronicles series. He’s an aristocrat, a libertine, a philosopher, he’s telepathic, can fly, can survive exposure to the sun and does whatever the hell he wants at all times. And he’s going to live forever. Perfect.

J.T. Geissinger's debut release:

You can read my review HERE.

Shadow's Edge:

Deep within the primeval forests of southern England, a tribe of mysterious beings lives hidden from the everyday world. Beautiful, savage, and graced with the ability to shift from human to vapor to lethal predator, the Ikati are bound together by ancient bloodlines and a code of secrecy that punishes traitors with death. Half a world away, on the sun-drenched shores of Southern California, Jenna Moore's past is shrouded in mystery. She spent her childhood in hiding, on the run from someone. Or something. Her parents refused to discuss. She trusts no one, not since her mother's sudden death, not since her father's mysterious disappearance, and definitely not since she began exhibiting strange, superhuman abilities. But when the handsome, enigmatic Leander McLoughlin appears out of the blue, promising her the answers she so desperately wants, Jenna takes a leap of faith. She agrees to accompany him to England in return for the truth about her origins, never suspecting the shattering revelations that await her there. For once among the Ikati, Jenna faces an extraordinary birthright she never dreamed possible. And a dangerous, sensual destiny she may not survive to see.

About the Author:

A life-long lover of reading and a self-professed “book addict,” J.T. Geissinger didn’t realize her dream of writing a novel until a milestone birthday forced her to take stock of her goals in life. Always believing the right time to commit to putting pen to paper would magically announce itself as she helped her husband with his business and kept busy with the business of life, it took waking up one cold January morning with a shiny new zero as the second number in her age to kick start her determination.

Find the Author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway

J.T. is giving away a signed print copy of the book for US and Canada, or an ebook for an international winner.

Rules for entry:  
- Giveaway ends August 3, 2012 12AM EST
- Open internationally.
- Leave a comment and fill out the FORM below.  Entries in the comment section will not be counted.

Forgotten Fridays (22)

I invite and welcome anyone interested to post their own Forgotten Friday and join in the fun! I feature a book that I have read and have forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Some books might recent reads and some might be older reads, but I hope this helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own TBR pile!

Clarity by Kim Harrington
Series: Clarity
First Published: March 2011
My Review 

Clarity “Clare” Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It’s a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare’s ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case—but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare’s brother—who has supernatural gifts of his own—becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Theme Thursday (66)

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event hosted by Reading Between Pages that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursdays)
• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
  Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

This week's theme is – TIME (Clock, Hours, Minutes, Seconds)

I hesitated for only a second longer and then ducked under the tape and into the store.

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

My Book Boyfriend (77)

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie of The Unread Reader, in which we swoon over boys in books!
(I--as in me, Amy--don't like to use commercial photos, I like to use the authors' descriptions and my imagination.)

Alex Cole

Book: Destiny Binds by Tammy Blackwell

Series: Timber Wolves

He's a wolf shifter, with grey eyes that seem to glow and his smile reveals a pair if honest-to-goodness dimples. He has some very nice looking muscles peaking out of his t-shirt and is fairly tall, and chestnut colored hair. He's witty and has a great sense of humor, but when it comes to the girl that he loves, he will risk anything to protect her.

Quotes:

"But you took her to Homecoming." "I just did that to make someone else jealous." [...] "Did it work?" What I was really asking was if he was dating someone else already, because nothing feels quite so good as pouring salt in an open wound. "I didn't think so at first, but it looks like I might have been wrong." It was not until the blush returned to his cheeks I even considered hoping that he was talking about me.

Alex's thumb traced along the edge of my cheekbone causing a shiver to run through me. "Don't worry. He's never going to touch you or anyone else again." His hand trailed down my face before resting on the back of my neck. I could hear him pull a deep breath into his lungs as he slowly licked his lips and inclined his head towards me.

"Why did you come back here, then? Why risk it? Couldn't you find a place where you wouldn't have any other Packs to deal with?" He cupped my face in his hands, this thumb gently brushing a snowflake from my eyelashes. "You know why I came back."

Future Favorites (91)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: August 7, 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Children's

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (111)

This is a fun weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Books I read last week:
Wither by Lauren DeStefano

The book I’m reading now:

Dark Territory

In the quaint town of Middleburg, an abandoned train yard and old railroad tracks form the dividing line between two rival gangs—the wealthy, preppy Toppers and the working-class Flatliners. When Raphael, the leader of the Flatliners, falls in love with Aimee, a Topper girl, the rival gangs prepare to do battle . . . but not with guns and knives. Their martial arts training dictates a strict code of honor, which all of the gang members adhere to. The only hope for peace between the rival gangs lies within the giant X formed where the railroad tracks cross. The awesome power contained in the X sends the Flatliners and the Toppers on a mystical quest to fight against malevolent forces that threaten the existence of Middleburg—and maybe the world.


Books that spark my interest this week:
Fever by Lauren DeStefano
Ghost Crown by J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel

Sundays with Sarah (9)

To find out more about Sarah and this feature go here.

"Why Many Girls Avoid Science and Math"

New research by a team that includes vocational psychologists at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) indicates that the self-confidence instilled by parents and teachers is more important for young girls learning math and science than their initial interest. While interest is certainly a factor in getting older girls to study and pursue a career in these disciplines, more attention should be given to building confidence in their abilities early in their education, says UWM Distinguished Professor Nadya Fouad. She is one of the authors of a three-year study aimed at identifying supports and barriers that steer girls toward or away from science and math during their education.

"The relationship between confidence and interest is close," says Fouad.  "If they feel they can do it, it feeds their interest."

Professor Nadya Fouad

It's a high-priority question for members of organizations like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Research Council as they ponder how to reverse the rapidly declining numbers of women in STEM careers – science, technology, engineering and math. Many young students, particularly girls, see math and science as difficult, and don't take any more classes than they have to, not realizing they are cutting themselves off from lucrative opportunities in college and careers. The NSF-funded study – the most highly detailed study on this topic – dug deeply to identify the specific factors that would stoke interest.

"For the last 20 years, there has been all this work done on boosting interest of girls early on. But I don't think that's it," says Fouad, whose research has found evidence that confidence levels in math- and science-related tasks are lower for girls than for boys.

Complexity

The study tracked girls and boys in middle school, high school and their sophomore year in college in both Milwaukee and Phoenix, with the main goal of pinpointing when the barriers for girls appear and how influential they are. Co-authors include Phil Smith, UWM emeritus professor of educational psychology, and Gail Hackett, Provost at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. Self-efficacy is not the only important factor for girls, the study uncovered. Results point to a complicated issue, says Fouad. For one thing, math and science cannot be lumped together when designing interventions because the barriers and supports for each discipline are not the same.

"There were also differences at each developmental level and differences between the genders," she says. That means interventions would need to be tailored for each specific subgroup. Overall, however, parent support and expectations emerged as the top support in both subjects and genders for middle- and high-school students. Also powerful for younger girls were engaging teachers and positive experiences with them. The study confirmed that old stereotypes die slowly. Both boys and girls perceived that teachers thought boys were stronger at math and science. For boys this represented a support, while for girls it acted as a barrier. Top barriers for all age groups and disciplines were test anxiety and subject difficulty. But these differed between boys and girls. In addition, the genders formed their perceptions of math or science based on the barriers and supports, but they often arrived at different views. Ultimately, it's perception, more than reality, that affects the person's academic and career choices, says Fouad.
 

Scholarly clout; that's the take-away message from her more than two decades of work. A fourth-generation college professor, Fouad studies cross-cultural vocational assessment, career development of women and minorities, and factors motivating people to choose certain careers. She and Smith were among the first teams of researchers to empirically support a model that identified the prominent role that self-confidence and outcome expectations play in predicting career interests.

The next step in the NSF study on girls, and math and science is to examine the relationship between barriers and supports, and then to widen the view to include women who are not working in those fields despite having an educational background in math or science. Fouad received funding from UWM on this project and has just received a half-million-dollar grant to focus on women in engineering. Nationally, 20 percent of graduates with degrees in engineering are women, she says, but only 11 percent of engineers are women. Her inquiry will explore the reason for the gap.