Having everyone tell you about needing a good night’s rest around exam time can sometimes be counter productive. You think about it, worry about it so much, that the next thing you know, you’re battling insomnia and are catching a nap in English class.

Here are ten tips to try to get things back on track… hopefully before the insomnia gets out of control.

#1 Sort out a to do list for the next day so you can stop thinking so hard about what needs to be done.

#2 Caffeine should be avoided at least 6 hours before bed.

#3 Have a warm bath (try using a lavender-based body wash to kick the body into low gear)

#4 Camomile tea (tastes nasty but does the trick)

#5 Comfy Pj’s.

#6 Dark room at the right temperature (cool is better than warm).

#7 Try to get into a routine and stick to a bed time.

#8 Send your phone calls to message bank if you MUST use your mobile phone for an alarm, if you don’t, remember to turn them off, and put them in another room to avoid the temptation of checking social network sites in the middle of the night.

#9 Listen to a relaxation CD. (Best one I’ve ever used was by Tottie Goldsmith  )

#10 Try not to nap in the afternoon as this can throw off your sleep pattern.

If you would like to add your own tips to this mix go ahead, and remember to let us know if you try out the tips and they work for you.

Sweet dreams!

I’m excited to let you all know that there is a GoodReads giveaway going on right now for Serious Sas and Messy Magda. The giveaway ends on September 10th, so make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to win!!

From the award-winning SF & Crime author Marianne de Pierres. Sas and Magda are an unusual pair. Magda’s carefree ways confound Sas’s sense of propriety. Will Sas come to appreciate Magda’s unique view of life?

“Rose’s mother and Joshua’s father have disappeared. Police inquiries have gone nowhere and the case, it seems, is closed: Rose and Joshua have been told that the police believe their parents are dead. But Rose and Joshua still hold out hope that they are alive. Joshua is determined to follow up his own inquiries, which includes working out the meaning of the cryptic notebooks – the murder notebooks – they have discovered. Then Rose is distracted by odd, desperate messages she receives from Rachel, a former best friend from her school, followed by the terrible news that Rachel is dead. But perhaps Rachel’s death will provide one more piece of the puzzle about what has happened to Rose and Joshua’s parents . . .” Blurb thanks to goodreds.com

The writing style changed a fair bit between Book 1, Dead Time, and Killing Rachel, book 2, in the Murder Notebooks series. To be perfectly blunt, I preferred Dead Time, but I think that had to do with spending so much time in memory sequences in book 2.

By the time Rose and Joshua began looking into what really happened to Rachel, I was starting to wonder why anyone would bother. Rachel was such an awful character, I just didn’t understand Rose’s loyalty to such a bunch of horrid memories of an even worse person.

I DID like the progress in their search for their parents. This storyline is all that matters in my mind and it is the lifeblood that kept me reading. What the heck went on to make their parents leave the kids unprovided for? Why didn’t they take their kids with them, and who’s after them?

The big unanswered question is what will happen when Rose and Joshua find their respective parental units?

Anne has created a world that both teens and adults can enjoy equally from different points of view.

A great winter read over a nice warm cup of tea.

http://www.annecassidy.com/

Paperback, 336 pages

Published March 14th 2013 by Bloomsbury Childrens

ISBN 1408815516 (ISBN13: 9781408815519)

From acclaimed YA authors Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff comes The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories.

– A vampire locked in a cage in the basement, for good luck.
– Bad guys, clever girls, and the various reasons why the guys have to stop breathing.
– A world where fires never go out (with references to vanilla ice cream).

These are but a few of the curiosities collected in this volume of short stories by three acclaimed practitioners of paranormal fiction.

But The Curiosities is more than the stories. Since 2008, Maggie, Tessa, and Brenna have posted more than 250 works of short fiction to their website merryfates.com. Their goal was simple: create a space for experimentation and improvisation in their writing—all in public and without a backspace key. In that spirit, The Curiosities includes the stories and each author’s comments, critiques, and kudos in the margins. Think of it as a guided tour of the creative processes of three acclaimed authors.

So, are you curious now?

Hardcover, 304 pages  Published August 1st 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group

ISBN  0761375279 (ISBN13: 9780761375272)

The Curiosities is not only a collection of some of the short stories that these authors have put together, it also contains drawings, comments and moments of interest that each author finds in the others’ work.

The commentary within the pages of the book are helpful hints as to what works in a story and what doesn’t. The book not only contains stories that are entertaining and interesting but the points of interest for me, lay in these notes between the lines. Readers who are particularly interested in writing may find some of these techniques discussed, useful in their own practices.

With experiments like writing a story with no dialogue, to POV and word length, as well as what qualifies as an ending to a story, each story varies from author to author.Also, there are fun drawings outlining what is important to each of them in a story.

I recommend this book for those readers that not only enjoy the author’s novels, but for those interested in writing as a pastime or profession. The topics are interesting and I found the whole book inspiring. 

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

Hardcover, 323 pages  Published April 23rd 2013 by HarperTeen  ISBN  0062059963 (ISBN13: 9780062059963)

Now that the competition is down to just the 6 girls, America is having to fight to keep her spot. As she is the lowest caste member still in the race, she has to fight harder than the rest to show the world she deserves the title of Princess.

As the competition tightens, so does the drama. The girls are now down to the best of the competitors and it’s only slight differences that keep them in the running. America is still torn between the easy life she has always lived and striving to want to do more for her country, her family – and on top of that, she is falling for Maxon. We saw in book one, The Selection that Maxon was willing to give her time to think about what she wanted, to heal from her heartache. But now that the race is coming to an end, he must make a decision and the pressure to choose a wife quickly is causing stress in their relationship.

It is not only the drama that is amped up in this sequel, but the attacks on the castle as well. The raids have become more frequent and dangerous. The politics between countries are in a fragile state. Even as the competition is running, the country must still  be governed.

I am not a big fan of drama, especially the love-triangle kind but this series has more to offer than just the romantic aspect. The complicated life of the castle itself keeps the story intense and suspenseful. But lets face it, the romance and the relationships that Maxon holds with each of the 6 remaining competitors is the main focus of the story. A lot of jealousies and doubts arise in the girls as they all try to figure out how to win. After all, it is a competition.