A Book Dork

Review of "Fault In Our Stars"

2012-02-02T00:53:00.000-05:00

"The Fault In Our Stars"

by John Green

My Rating:

Pub. Date: January 10, 2012

Pages: 318

Publisher: Penguin Group

Source: Bought

Edition: Hardcover

Synopsis: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

"The Fault in Our Stars" is my favorite book by John Green. I had serious issues putting it down. I stayed up WAY too late two nights in a row reading it. If I didn't have a job, I would have read it in one sitting. I don't think I've had a crush on a book this hard since "The Hunger Games".

Why is this book so swoon worthy? The character are AWESOME. Hazel and Augustus are characters with depth and personality. They may not have talked like your average teenager, but they've been through more in a few years than most people go through in an entire lifetime- makes sense to me. This is especially true in Hazel's case- she is way beyond the intellectual level of most high school students and John Green shows this through her dialog. Isaac is another great character that I kind of wish had more face time.

Of course the book had more than just great characters. "The Fault In Our Stars" was beautifully written with a fantastic plot. I have to admit I had no idea what the book was about before I bought it. I just knew that John Green had a new book and I HAD to read it. The book is about teenagers battling cancer so it does tear at the heartstrings, but is also hilarious. John Green is one of the masters of mixing devastating issues with humorous dialog and hi jinks.

This is a must read book! I am just going to wrap up my review now because you just have to go out and read it. This is a book that will permanently live on my bookcase and I will lightly nudge my future children to read. I say nudge but I'll probably end up being like "OMG YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK OR I'LL GROUND YOU FOR LIFE!!!". Just kidding, I would probably just use reverse psychology and tell them they aren't allowed to read it. I think this review just got weird... In short, the book is LEGENDARY.

Review of "Unearthly"

2012-01-28T00:48:00.000-05:00

"Unearthly"

by Cynthia Hand

My Rating:

Pub. Date: January 4th, 2011

Pages: 435

Publisher: Harper Teen

Source: Purchased

Edition: E-book

Synopsis: When Clara Gardner learns she’s part angel, her entire life changes. She now has a purpose, a specific task she was put on this earth to accomplish, except she doesn’t know what it is. Her visions of a raging forest fire and a mysterious boy lead her to a new high school in a new town but provide no clear instruction. As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she’d have to make—between the boy in her vision and the boy in her life, between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. . . . When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

I'm not sure why I didn't pick "Unearthly" up last year. It has fantastic reviews and is right up my ally. I think I was just so disappointed with the last few angel books I've read that I just needed a break. Also, I am not a huge fan of the cover. I'm not sure I would have read this book if it hadn't been for the $.99 price tag on BN.com. Seriously, best $.99 ever spent! I just could not put the book down.

Clara is a great female character. She was strong, but didn't always have the answers making her a realistic teenager. Who doesn't love an athletic girl who can hang with the boys and still look hot at a formal? I love the fact that typical gender roles were reversed in "Unearthly". It wasn't the female that needed saving, but the male. The love triangle in "Unearthly" worked well because it wasn't as generic as in most teen books. It wasn't just a girl confused between a bad boy and a golden boy, Clara's purpose took it to another level.

The love story and Clara's arcane purpose would have been enough to keep me interested, but Cynthia Hand's angels were very intriguing. They are very mysterious leaving plenty to learn in the upcoming books. I am dying to know where Clara and Christian's relationship is headed in "Hallowed". Although, I think I am on team Tucker... but in a pinch I wouldn't mind curling up with Christian. Let's be serious, both guys are totally swoon worthy.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of "Twilight", "Shiver", and all those other wonderful paranormal books, especially if you are into angels.

Teaser Tuesdays January 10th 2012

2012-01-10T00:11:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
Any one can participate! Just

1-Grab your current read.

2-Let the book fall open to a random page.

3-Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.

4- Please share the title and author of the book to allow people to find the book if they like the teaser you’ve given!

***Please avoid spoilers!***

Crossed

Ally Condie

"It's a song, I tell myself, same as I always do The bass sounds of the heavy shots, the soprano of the screams and the tenor of my own fear." (Page 17)

I am so excited I finally have this book! I have been waiting on the wait list at my library since it came out. It feels like forever, but I guess it has only been two months. Now it is time to read it... yay!

Feel free to share your teaser sentences by adding a comments.

Review of "Daughter of Smoke and Bone"

2012-01-09T23:55:00.001-05:00

"Daughter of Smoke and Bone"

by Laini Taylor

My Rating:

Pub. Date: September 27, 2011

Pages: 432

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Source: Borrowed From Library

Edition: Hardcover

Synopsis: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

In case you didn't see all the hearts, I LOVED "Daughter of Smoke and Bone". Laini Taylor is a beautiful storyteller; she was able to combine the beauty of Prague with paranormal romance to create an epic fantasy novel.

The characters are one of a kind. Brimstone is a monster that sells wishes for teeth. Yes, you read it correctly, TEETH! At the same time, he is part of the only family that Karou has ever known. Karou herself is wonderfully mysterious. She has tattoos and "naturally" blue hair, is extremely artistic, runs dangerous errands, was raised by monsters, and has no idea who she is. Karou is a strong female character searching for her identity, but nothing can prepare her for the truth.

The way Laini Taylor described Prague transported me back to this beautiful, historic city. Prague is a fantastic city and is the perfect setting for this book. It is so romantic with great old-world charm that I could totally picture there being secret doors that lead beyond our world.

On top of characters, plot, and beautiful storytelling, there is this huge war that has taken over two civilizations for hundreds of years and Karou is getting sucked in. I know this probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but you will just have to read the book to find out how all these pieces fit together.

"Daughter of Smoke and Bone" is filled with so many mysteries that it hooks you from the first page until the last. And let me just say that the last page will blow your mind hole! How can Karou be family with monsters? Why does Brimstone collect Teeth? Who is Karou? Honestly, just go buy "The Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It is awesome and one of the best books that was released in 2011.

Review of "Entwined"

2012-01-03T00:51:00.000-05:00

"Entwined"

by Heather Dixon

My Rating:

Pub. Date: March 29, 2011

Pages: 480

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Source: Borrowed From Library

Edition: e-book

Synopsis: Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

I LOVE the cover of "Entwined". It fit the romantic aspects that I was sure would be a part of a book that highlighted dancing and magic. I think I loved the cover a bit too much because the book did not live up to it. I really liked the retelling of the 12 dancing princesses fairy tale. It was great to understand why the King was so harsh. He became a character with depth instead of just a horrible father trying keep his children from having any enjoyment out of life. I liked how the daughters struggled to live with their father. Their difficult relationship felt true and grounded the story in a way that made it seem more realistic. For the most part, I liked how the girls didn't adhere to social norms. They had spirit and I enjoyed that.

There were a few problems with "Entwined". First, the daughters were kind of dense about the danger they were in. I understand their naivety at first, but out of 12 girls only the oldest started to worry... it was very unrealistic to me. Especially since these girls are strong minded and educated. Second, the book was kind of slow. I think it was just a bit too long because there were times when not a lot was happening. I am a fan of dancing, but some of it could have been cut out. It was just a bit too much. I guess the problem was that I didn't love Heather Dixon's writing style. It just wasn't my favorite.

Overall, I liked the book. It didn't take me a long time to read, I just wish there had been more editing. I am glad I read it because I did enjoy the plot. I have a feeling that there will be readers out there who love this book, but I am just not one of them.

2012 Goals, Challenges, and lists!

2012-01-01T16:43:00.002-05:00

I know I failed last year, but I am going to do the Debut Author Challenge again and this year I am going to crush it!

Here are a list of some of the books I plan on reading for the challenge:

Tempest

by Julie Cross

Born Wicked

by Jessica Spotswood

Article 5

by Kristen Simmons

Innocent Darkness

by Suzanne Lazear

Trafficked

by Kim Purcell

Fracture

by Megan Miranda

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters

by Meredith Zeitlin

I know that is only 7 books, but I don't do well when I plan on reading certain books.

This year I plan to read at least 100 books! I did it two years ago and I know I can do it again! I would join the challenge, but I am seeing that the blogger running it doesn't count audio books. This is a problem because I often read a book at home and listen to it in the car or at the gym so that I can read as much as possible. If anyone knows of a 100+ Reading Challenge that includes audio books, please let me know. At any rate, I am challenging myself!

Books I Plan to Read in 2012

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

By Laini Taylor

Crossed

By Ally Condie

Pandemonium

by Lauren Oliver

Spell Bound

by Rachel Hawkins

Matched Book 3

by Ally Condie

Bitterblue

by Kristin Cashore

A Million Suns

by Beth Revis

The Soul

by Stephenie Meyer

Bloodrose

by Andrea Cremer

Tempest

by Julie Cross

The Last Echo

by Kimberly Derting

Cinder

by Marissa Meyer

The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green

Innocent Darkness

by Suzanne Lazear

The Pledge

by Kimberly Derting

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

The Scorpio Races

by Maggie Steifvater

Legend

by Marie Lu

Future of Us

by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Shatter Me

Tahereh Mafi

Feel free to post a link in the comments with your list of challenges or books you plan on reading this year. :) Happy Reading to all in 2012!

2011 Wrap up Best books and Challenge Info

2011-12-31T23:44:00.006-05:00

Favorite Books Read in 2011

1) 13 Reasons Why- Jay Asher

2) The Help- Kathryn Stockett

3) Wintergirls- Laurie Halse Anderson

4) Delirium- Lauren Oliver

5) Just Listen- Sarah Dessen

6) Matched- Ally Condie

7) Before I Fall- Lauren Kate

8) Practical Magic- Alice Hoffman

9) Across the Universe- Beth Revis

10) Going Bovine- Libba Bray

11) Between Shades of Gray- Ruta Sepetys

12) Fire- Kristin Cashore

13) The Dark and Hallow Places- Carrie Ryan

14) Bruiser- Neal Shusterman

15) The Maze Runner- James Dashner

Favorite Books of 2011

1) Delirium- Lauren Oliver

2) Across the Universe- Beth Revis

3) Between Shades of Gray- Ruta Sepetys

4) The Dark and Hallow Places- Carrie Ryan

5) What Happened to Goodbye- Sarah Dessen

I know I have been a bad blogger this year. It has been a tough year personally, but things are looking up and I think 2012 is going to be fantastic! I did not meet many of my challenge goals. I only read 8 out of the 12 books for the Debut Author Challenge and I only read 73 books this year. BUT I am going to dedicate more time to this blog and to reading more fantastic books.

Debut Author Challenge List (In order by favorite to least favorite)

1) Across the Universe- Beth Revis

2) Between Shades of Gray- Ruta Sepetys

3) Blood Red Road- Moira Young

4) Exposed- Kimberly Marcus

5) Where Things Come Back- John Corey Whaley

6) Here Lies Bridget- Paige Harbison

7) The Latte Rebellion- Sarah Jamila Stevenson

8) Blood Magic- Tessa Gratton

Books Read in 2011

01) Little Bee- Chris Cleave
02) Across the Universe- Beth Revis
03) Matched- Ally Condie
04) The Mockingbirds-Daisy Whitney
05) Before I Fall- Lauren Oliver
06) The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate- Jacqueline Kelly
07) The Truth About Forever- Sarah Dessen
08) Boy Meets Boy- David Levithan
09) Eighth Grade Bites (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Book 1)- Heather Brewer
10) Candor- Pam Bachorz
11) The Iron Daughter- Julie Kagawa
12) Thirteen Reasons Why- Jay Asher
13) XXXHolic, Volume 1- CLAMP
14) The Family That Wasn't- Gene Twaronite
15) Tsubasa: Resevoir Chronicles Vol 1- CLAMP
16) Glimmerglass- Jenna Black
17) The Maze Runner- James Dasher
18) Desires of the Dead- Kimberly Derting
19) Purple Daze- Sherry Shahan
20) Wintergirls- Laurie Halse Anderson
21) Carter Finally Gets It- Brent Crawford
22) Here Lies Bridget- Paige Harbison
23) The Curse of the Wendigo- Rick Yancey
24) The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
25) Bloody Jack- L.A. Meyer
26) Where Things Come Back- John Corey Whaley
27) Delirium- Lauren Oliver
28) The Latte Rebellion-Sarah Jamila Stevenson
29) The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins
30) The Deathday Letter- Shaun Hutchinson
31) The Summoning- Kelley Armstrong
32) Glass- Ellen Hopkins
33) The Awakening- Kelley Armstrong
34) White Cat- Holly Black
35) Blood Magic- Tessa Gratton
36) Max Quick The Pocket and the Pendant- Mark Jeffrey
37) The Playbook- Barney Stinson
38) Everlost (Skinjacker Trilogy)- Neal Shusterman
39) The Dark and Hallow Places- Carrie Ryan
40) What Happened to Goodbye- Sarah Dessen
41) The Scorch Trials- James Dashner
42) Going Bovine- Libba Bray
43) Fire-Kristin Cashore
44) The Bro Code- Barney Stinson
45) Fallen- Lauren Kate
46) Beauty Queens- Libba Bray
47) Bruiser- Neal Shusterman
48) Demonglass- Rachel Hawkins
49) The Help- Kathryn Stockett
50) City of Fallen Angels- Cassandra Clare
51) The Knife of Never Letting Go- Patrick Ness
52) Monster High- Lisi Harrison
53) Behemoth- Scott Westerfeld
54) Just Listen- Sarah Dessen
55) Star Girl- Jerry Spinelli
56) Drink, Slay, Love- Sarah Beth Durst
57) The Princess Diaries- Meg Cabot
58) Swim the Fly- Don Calame
59) Ship Breaker- Paolo Bacigalupi
60) Forever- Maggie Stiefvater
61) Blood Red Road- Moira Young
62) Practial Magic- Alice Hoffman
63) Sapphique- Catherine Fisher
64) Uncommon Criminals- Ally Carter
65) Goliath- Scott Westerfeld
66) The Romeo and Juliet Code- Phoebe Stone
67) Revolution- Jennifer Donnelly
68) Glow- Amy Kathleen Ryan
69) Packing for Mars- Mary Roach
70) Numbers- Rachel Ward
71) Wolfsbane- Andrea Cremer
72) Darkover Landfall- Marion Zimmer Bradley
73) Exposed- Kimberly Marcus

Happy New Year everyone!

Review of "Exposed"

2011-12-29T00:08:00.001-05:00

"Exposed"

by Kimberly Marcus

My Rating:

Pub. Date: February 22, 2011

Pages: 272

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Source: Borrowed From Library

Edition: E-book

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Liz is Photogirl—sharp, focused and confident in what she sees through her camera lens. Confident that she and Kate will be best friends forever.

But everything changes in one blurry night. Suddenly, Kate is avoiding her, and people are looking the other way when she passes in the halls. As the aftershocks from a startling accusation rip through Liz's world, everything she thought she knew about photography, family, friendship and herself shifts out of focus. What happens when the picture you see no longer makes sense? What do you do when you may lose everything you love most? Told in stunning, searingly raw free verse, Exposed is Kimberly Marcus's gut-wrenching, riveting debut and will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins, Laurie Halse Anderson and Virginia Euwer Wolff.

I picked up "Exposed" hearing great things, but, to be honest, not having high expectations. I am presently surprised to say that it is a great book. It is an extremely fast read. I was reading it on my droid, which I tend not to read books solely on my phone, but it was such a fast read I flew through it only a couple of hours.

I've read a decent number of books written in verse, yet I foolishly didn't think "Exposed" would be able to tell a rape story in a fulfilling way; however, I was completely mistaken (and happy about it btw). After reading this book I immediately had to tell my boyfriend (bless him for listening to me) about it. I wish I could say I beautifully formulated a description that truly expressed the soul of the book, but I'm pretty sure I said something along the lines of "OMG! THAT BOOK WAS RIDICULOUS!" I was so pumped up that he thought I disliked the book and was shocked when I said I thought it was great! I love when books get me so pumped up at the end that I have to blog about them immediately, jump out of bet, shout "OH SNAP!", talk to someone about it, or post something on Facebook- unless the book had a horrible ending that enraged me, but that should go without saying.

"Exposed" is able to tell a compelling story without using a lot of words. Even though the book is technically about 272 pages, there is probably closer to 150 pages of actual writing. I was so impressed with how emotionally invested I felt in the book in such a short amount of time. Obviously I felt bad for Kate, but my heart ached for Liza. She was stuck in an impossible position between everyone she loved in life. This book truly shows how rape effects more than just the victim.

"Exposed" is a great book, but I do warn that it is difficult to read. Liza loses so much that I felt helpless while reading this book. Even after I was finished I was shocked at how sad the story was. I know the story is about rape and I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was at the end of the book, but I didn't expect a second hand account to be so depressing. Foolish me! This wasn't my favorite book of 2011, but it is one I highly recommend reading. It is such a fast read you don't have anything to lose by trying it. I really hope Kimberly Marcus continues to write.

Teaser Tuesdays December 28th 2011

2011-12-28T23:20:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
Any one can participate! Just

1-Grab your current read.

2-Let the book fall open to a random page.

3-Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.

4- Please share the title and author of the book to allow people to find the book if they like the teaser you’ve given!

***Please avoid spoilers!***

Finnikin of the Rock

Melina Marchetta

"He looked down at his oversize feet and wondered how it would be possible to balance them on so narrow a ledge.

'Not for our feet boy,' Sir Topher said with a sigh." (Page 4)

I'm 100 pages into this book and loving it! I am having trouble putting this book with each page I read. :)

Feel free to share your teaser sentences by adding a comments

Review of "Glow"

2011-12-05T01:53:00.002-05:00

"Glow"

by Amy Kathleen Ryan

My Rating:

Pub. Date: September 13th, 2011

Pages: 320

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Source: Won ARC

Edition: ARC

Synopsis: If a violent battle destroyed the only world you’ve ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there’s no turning back.

The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. Part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers of New Earth. Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Everyone is sure he’s the best choice. Still, there’s a part of Waverly that wants more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

Suddenly, Waverly’s dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable – a violent betrayal by the Empyrean's sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon’s leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster.

I am having trouble with this review because I LOVED some parts of the book and HATED others. My expectations were too high for "Glow", but I think the book had some problems. Overall, I did enjoy the book. The plot was interesting and Waverly's story grabbed me from the get-go. There were parts in the book that were horrifying and a bit difficult to read, but being a dystopian fiction it was fitting. To be honest, I was actually happy that there were parts of "Glow" that unnerved me because I feel like great dystopian books should do this. I really liked the female characters in this book. They were all strong and had individual personalities. Even if I didn't agree with their actions, I understood them as characters.

Where this book went extremely wrong for me was the portrayal of men. I don't think there was a single male character in this book that I liked. Kieran had his moments, but by the time the book finished I wasn't really sure what to think. It almost came across that 98% of men did not respect women and saw them as carriers for their children. If a man did show some respect toward women then he still had violence or power issues. This made it EXTREMELY difficult for me to care about the male characters in the book. I got really bored while reading much of Kieran's accounts and wanted to get back to Waverly. I just felt that the conflict between the boys in this book just didn't make sense. Pretty much every male seemed to be exaggerated caricatures.

Overall "Glow" was good. It had some very strong points, but I just wish there had been more time focused on what was happening through Waverly's perspective. Maybe I am bias because I am a girl, but I can't see guys being happy with how they were portrayed in this book. I guess I am left with liking the book. I am happy to know how "Glow" ended, but I am not going to be finishing the series.

Review of "the Romeo and Juliet Code"

2011-11-21T00:17:00.000-05:00

"The Romeo and Juliet Code"

by Phoebe Stone

My Rating:

Pub. Date: January 1st, 2011

Pages: 297

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

Source: Borrowed From Library

Edition: Hardcover

Synopsis: Felicity's glamorous parents have a secret. When they leave her with distant relatives in Maine, Felicity hopes they won't leave her long. Her new Uncle Gideon hides things. Her Aunt Miami is star-crossed. And Derek, a kid her age, refuses to leave his room.

But Felicity needs Derek's help. Gideon is getting coded letters from Felicity's parents, and she's sure they're in trouble. Can Felicity crack the code, heal the family and save her parents, all while surviving her first crush? It's a tall order, but - like THE SECRET GARDEN'S Mary Lennox before her - Felicity's up for the challenge.

Don't judge this book by its cover! "The Romeo and Juliet Code" is a historical fiction book about WWII. I really enjoyed this book, but I probably wouldn't have picked it up because it just looked like a cute romance. There was much more to this book than romance. Felicity, the main character, is struggling to understand the events going on around her. Her parents left her to live with an aunt, uncle, grandma, and "cousin" she had never met. She doesn't understand why her parents cannot be with her and what problems exist between the family to keep them apart for so long. Felicity must find a way to make Maine her new home while she waits for her parents to come back.

The characters in this book had unique personalities. I loved seeing how Felicity changed throughout the book. She continued to be inquisitive and bold, but she was able to handle difficult information in a more mature manner. Aunt Minnie and Uncle Gideon were fun to read about. I wish they were my aunt and uncle. They brought Felicity into their home and did there best to make her feel at home. Watching Felicity's relationship with Derek grow was also really enjoyable.

If your interested hasn't been piqued yet then I should mention that there is lot of mysteries to uncover throughout the book. What are with Felicity's parents? Why wont Uncle Gideon play the piano anymore? Why didn't the family communicate until recently?

"The Romeo and Juliet Code" is a great book. Even though I found the book to be a bit predictable, the other elements in the book outweighed the predictability of the plot. I really thought this book was a great balance of historical fiction, mystery, and a bit of a love story.

Review of "Forever"

2011-11-02T00:56:00.000-04:00

Forever

by Maggie Stiefvater

My Rating:

Pub. Date: July 12, 2011

Pages: 400

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc

Source: Purchased

Edition: Hardcover

Synopsis: In Maggie Stiefvater's SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

"Forever" is a great ending to a wonderful series. I loved the first two books in the "Wolves of Mercy Falls" series and "Forever" left me content even if I was a bit sad. I liked the new spin on werewolves and the romance between Grace and Sam in the series. I have to say I was disappointed in the lack of Sam and Grace interaction at the beginning of the book. I know this was to be expected, but it just went too long without it. Their connection as wolves almost makes up for the lack of connection between them at the beginning of the book.

The beginning of the book went very slowly for me. Even though there were things happening, I was kind of wondering when the book would really start. Luckily, once "Forever" got started it held me until the end.

I did like learning more about Cole. It was nice to see a different side of him. He seemed like a bizarre addition to the wolves, but I understood why Beck chose him by the end of "Forever". He is also a great comic relief in the book and is pretty crush worthy. He lightens up the mood when Sam starts brooding too much. I also LOVED seeing him interact with Isabel.

If drool worthy male characters, romance, and werewolves aren't enough to keep your interest then there is also the plan to wipe out the entire pack. Isabel's father has finally had enough and he is taking out all the stops to destroy these wolves.

"Forever" is a good book, but it has its faults. Maggie's writing is beautiful as ever and I enjoyed the new text color. I just really wanted to see more of a connection between Grace and Sam. I was completely satisfied with the ending and was a bit sad that the series was over. If highly recommend reading the author's notes at the end of the book!

Review of "Blood Red Road"

2011-10-22T01:18:00.001-04:00

Blood Red Road

by Moira Young

My rating

Pub. Date: June 7th 2011

Pages: 459

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Library

Edition: Hardcover and Audio CDs

Synopsis: Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives bearing four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on a quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Overall, I really enjoyed "Blood Red Road". The characters were great and the plot was fantastic. My major problem with the book is that I found it difficult to read because of the punctuation. I know this sounds kind of weird, but the fact that quotation marks weren't used really took a while for my brain to get used to. I kept getting confused about what was being said and what was an action. It also didn't help that I left my book at work and then started a new one while I was in the middle of "Blood Red Road" so I had to get used to the lack of quotation marks all over again. I know it shouldn't be that difficult on people, but my brain can get confused easily when it comes to reading. My other problem was that I just didn't like Saba for about a fourth of the book. I thought she was just cruel to her sister. My option completely changed by the end, but it was difficult for me to get over.

I like how “Blood Red Road” didn’t just focus on Saba’s search for Lugh. Saba learned a lot on her journey about both the world around her and herself. She was put in situations where she was forced to make tough decisions. Her journey to find her brother became so much larger as she learned more about the world around her. Even while fighting for her life, Saba couldn’t help but notice the plight of the people surrounding her. Whatever Saba thought of her father while he was alive, she had to realize that he was able to protect his children from horrors they couldn’t even imagine. I liked being able to see Saba grow through the book as her journey developed and morphed. Her original goal stayed the same, but as her social consciousness and self-awareness grew, Saba realized that she had a chance to drastically alter the course of humanity.

“Blood Red Road” has a great mix that will be a winner for many readers. It has action, adventure, mystery, violence, a bit of romance, a strong female character, a civilization full of evil, and great characters. Once I got into the book, I was able to fly through it in only a couple of days. I got so hooked on the book that I was actually listening to the audio book in the car and at the gym, reserving the book for every other free moment. I would recommend “Blood Red Road” to readers who enjoy dystopian fiction, especially to fans of grittier novels like “The Hunger Games”, “Maze Runner”, and “Ship Breaker”.

View all my reviews

Review of "Drink, Slay, Love"

2011-10-07T00:23:00.003-04:00

"Drink, Slay, Love"
Sarah Beth Durst

4

Pub. Date: September 13th 2011
Pages: 385
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Synopsis: Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire... fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast -- as the entrees.The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

I have read so many vampire romance books that I am kind of sick of them. Even though I haven't had much of an interest in them this year, I was pretty excited to learn about "Drink, Slay Love". I enjoyed "Ice" and "Enchanted Ivy" tremendously and I wasn't disappointed in "Drink, Slay, Love". I have to admit I wasn't sure how the vampire and unicorn combination would work, but Sarah pulled it off. This book does make fun of the vampire romance genre a bit, but in a playful way.

I always love Sarah’s characters and her new cast is no exception. Pearl is rough and sometimes cruel, but her attitude hooked me into this book. She really struggles with the changes that come with being a vampire awake during the day. On top of her new schedule, she is having feelings that go against all her natural instincts. I loved Pearl’s cast of friends even if they were corny and uber sweet at times, it just worked. The unicorn, which Pearl endearingly names “Mr. Sparkly-and-Pointy”, has personality. All the vampires are unique, especially Antoinette who is obsessed with 80s pop-culture.

"Drink, Slay, Love" has drama, comedy, heart, unicorns, vampires, a bit of romance, and a splash of danger… what else could you possibly ask for? This book was very fun and I breezed through it in only a couple of days. I love the fact that "Drink, Slay, Love" doesn't take itself too seriously. I would recommend this book to people who like paranormal romance, vampire books, comedies, and/or are fans of other of Sarah Beth Durst's books.

*I did receive a free copy of this book for review.

Review of "Monster High"

2011-09-25T15:35:00.000-04:00

"Monster High"
Lisi Harrison

Pub. Date: September 7th, 2010
Pages: 255
Publisher: Poppy

Synopsis: From Lisi Harrison, the New York Times bestselling author of The Clique and Alphas, comes a new series with a fresh twist on high school, romance, and the "horrors" of trying to fit in.

The monster community has kept a low profile at the local high school, but when two new girls enroll, the town will never be the same. Created just fifteen days ago, Frankie Stein is psyched to trade her father's formaldehyde-smelling basement lab for parties and prom.

But with a student body totally freaked out by rumors of monsters stalking the halls, Frankie learns that high school can be rough for a chic freak like her. She thinks she finds a friend in fellow new student Melody Carver-but can a "normie" be trusted with her big secret?

I have to admit that this book didn't really appeal to me because I was never interested in reading any of Lisi Harrison's other books. The only reason I read this book was because it was on audio book and I had heard good things about it. After being so skeptical I am shocked to report that I LOVED "Monster High"! The book was funny and the characters were interesting. Even characters I thought I would hate grew on me once I learned more about them. They all had more depth than being beautiful, bitchy, or a paranormal. I think my favorite character had to be Frankie. I didn't always agree with her actions and knew she was going to cause trouble, I knew she was only doing what she felt best. I found it very brave that she was willing to put herself out there whether people liked it or not. I also liked how she was so into pop culture and had her own catchphrase. She just had a unique style and personality.

I was also presently surprised with the world that Lisi Harrison created. It was somehow realistic even though there were monsters everywhere. She creates her own monster history that is entertaining and adds some believability to the story. I loved how the monsters were able to mix in with humans and found tricks to hiding their true identities. I also have to say I like how gung-ho the school got into all the monster drama that started to unfold. The love stories were pretty expected, but they were still entertaining. My favorite thing about this book was how it was all about identity and being true to yourself. I usually struggle with books that have multiple perspectives, but I really enjoyed seeing how Frankie's and Melody's worlds collided.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy paranormal books, especially those who enjoy humor. "Monster High" reminded me of something Meg Cabot would write. It is definitely worth giving a try and if Frankie or Melody don't suck you in at the beginning then at least you gave it a shot. Especially if you are a person who enjoys monster movies or classic horror books. I totally got a kick out of seeing all my favorite monsters as teenagers. I will definitely read more in the Monster High series, but I'm still unsure about reading"The Clique" or "Alphas"... I might come around eventually though.

Review of "Bruiser"

2011-09-19T01:58:00.000-04:00

"Bruiser"
Neal Shusterman

5

Pub. Date: June 29, 2010
Pages: 328
Publisher: HarperTeen

Synopsis: Tennyson: Don’t get me started on the Bruiser. He was voted “Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty” by the entire school. He’s the kid no one knows, no one talks to, and everyone hears disturbing rumors about. So why is my sister, Brontë, dating him? One of these days she’s going to take in the wrong stray dog, and it’s not going to end well.

Bronte: My brother has no right to talk about Brewster that way — no right to threaten him. There’s a reason why Brewster can’t have friends — why he can’t care about too many people. Because when he cares about you, things start to happen. Impossible things that can’t be explained. I know, because they’re happening to me.

Award-winning author Neal Shusterman has crafted a chilling and unforgettable novel about the power of unconditional friendship, the complex gear workings of a family, and the sacrifices we endure for the people we love.

"Bruiser" is a book I picked up having absolutely no idea what it was about. The only thing that I knew was it had to do with abuse and bullying. I cannot express how glad I am that I came across this on a YALSA list because I doubt I would have picked it up on my own. I have been waiting to write this review because I am worried anything I say will give away Brewster's secret. I was right thinking that this book was about abuse and dealt with bullying, but the book is really about so much more.

I think "Bruiser" is a book that honestly depicts human nature. The characters have flaws, but we are able to look past them because Shusterman balances the good with the bad. Bronte means well when she takes Brewster under her wing, but even she is blind to the truth that is right in front of her. This book is also about friendship and family. Both types of relationships are complicated and can only be successful if people are willing to be honest with themselves and the people they love.

I highly recommend "Bruiser", but warn that it may be difficult for some people to read. The book does deal with some generic issues that teens can relate to, but the method in which Shusterman addresses the issues is unique. I feel like readers who liked "Wintergirls", "Thirteen Reasons Why", and maybe even "Before I Fall" would enjoy this book. Although they might not because "Bruiser" isn't exactly realistic fiction... I'm not really sure how I would classify it. I know this review is short, but I would rather be brief than ruin the plot for everyone.

Review of "Demonglass"

2011-08-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

"Demonglass"
Rachel Hawkins

5

Pub. Date: March 1, 2011
Pages: 359
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children

Synopsis: Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.
That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.
Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.
But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Acher to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

I really loved "Demonglass", it actually kind of surprised me how much I loved it. I know I really enjoyed "Hex Hall", but I enjoyed "Demonglass" more. I'm not sure if I was just really in the mood for it or what, but I just thought it was a great combination of funny and adventure. I just love the tone of these books. They deal with some very serious issues, but Sophie is so spunky it lightens the entire mood of the book.

Sophie struggles with her identity as a demon and desperately wants to go through the Removal. She is also trying to learn more about her family history while solving the mystery of who is raising demons. Luckily she has plenty of people to sass off to and other demons trying to get her to loosen up a bit. If this isn't enough to keep Sophie busy, she is struggling with her feelings for Archer. I have to say that I love Cal's dry sense of humor in this book. Yes, Cal plays a major role in this book! I would explain, but I would be ruining a good laugh.

I was a bit worried that I would miss the setting of Hex Hall, but there was so much going on I didn't really think about it. I really wanted to know who was raising demons and if Sophie would accept herself as a demon. Is she just a vessel for evil that will one day take control of her body making her kill innocent people or is this something she can learn to control?

I love the combination of romance, mystery, paranormal, identity, and humor that the both "Hex Hall" and "Demonglass" possess. Rachel Hawkins has impressed me so far with this series. It may not be super original, but it is such a fun read full of adventure that it didn't bother me. I am over the fact that the covers have black cats that aren't in the book. I was taking them WAY too seriously. The covers are cute and so are the books. I would recommend "Hex Hall" and "Demonglass" to fans of Meg Cabot, "Paranormalcy" and the "Magic in Manhattan" series. I kind of feel like fans of Ally Carter might enjoy this series as well.

Review of "City of Fallen Angels"

2011-08-28T02:50:00.000-04:00

"City of Fallen Angels"
Cassandra Clare

4

Pub. Date: April 5, 2011
Pages: 424
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Synopsis: The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.
But nothing comes without a price.
Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. Not to mention that he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other one.
When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

I'm assuming I was like everyone and pretty shocked that there was another book in the "Mortal Instruments" series... especially since it was marketed as a trilogy. I loved the other books in the series and "Clockwork Angel", but I didn't feel that with "City of Fallen Angels". I thought everything was wrapped up nicely in "City of Glass" so I was curious to see where this series would go next. I have to say that I am a bit disappointed. I thought we were over the questioning of worthiness between both Clary and Jace, but apparently not. After all they have been through I assumed they would have learned to communicate, but that was false hope too. Luckily the book focus on multiple plots taking away from some of the annoyance of their issues.

Simon had a major role in this book, but he wasn't very Simonesque. He was two-timing some fantastic females... this just isn't the Simon we know and love. I thought this aspect of the story was pretty useless. It didn't create enough conflict for it to really be relevant. The lack of Alec and Magnus also left the book a bit flat. They are such great characters I was disappointed not to see more of them. Even Isabelle seemed to fall a little flat.

If the characters annoyed me so much, why did I give such a good review? I had trouble putting the book down. The mysteries behind the death of the Shadowhunters is much more twisted and gripping than the synopsis makes it sound. I have to say that this conflict is really what kept me going through this book. There was a lot of interesting things happening in Simon's life... and yes Jace was being all tormented and emo (he had a pretty good reason though so I'll let it slide). There were some new interesting characters who came into the book that really sparked my interest.

Overall, I wish this book had focused on new characters. We could have been introduced to a different group of Shadowhunters or Cassandra Clare could have left Jace and Clary out of it. I guess that wouldn't have solved the problems with the rest of the characters, but if there had been more focus on them they would have stayed truer to the original three books. I am still looking forward to "Clockwork Prince", but I don't think I will be in a rush to read "City of Lost Souls".

Review of "Fire"

2011-08-28T02:13:00.000-04:00

"Fire"
Kristin Cashore

5

Pub. Date: September 24, 2009
Pages: 461
Publisher: Gollancz

Summary: It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her. Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don't need to have read Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven't, you'll be dying to read it next.

I thought "Graceling" was great and "Fire" did not disappoint. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. I liked that we were shown another part of Cashore's world. The monsters sounded beautiful and I loved the fact that their beauty would captivate men so that they could kill them. Even bugs were beautiful enough that some characters would allow for themselves to be bit. These monsters were just as deadly as they were radiant. Fire was so beautiful that men had trouble controlling their urges towards her and Fire had the power to control the minds of others. The danger is both her beauty and power is terrifying and created tons of conflict throughout the book.

I really liked the characters; they were full of depth. Fire was interesting because she was so hesitant to use her powers even though it would have made he life much easier. Her moral code was very strict, but that didn't mean she was a saint. Archer was both a character you couldn't help adore, but sometimes he was such a scoundrel I wanted to slap him. Some of the characters I disliked at the beginning of the book I grew to love.

"Fire" might not be a book for all readers. Even though I did not find this book to be slow (I listened to it on audio and I would sit in parking lots DYING to know what happened next) I can see how some readers might not think there is enough going on. I liked that the book wasn't just about the threat to King Nash's throne. I think "Fire" had a lot more intensity to it because it focused on bigger issues than the struggle to control the Dells. The book was full of heart and had enough suspense to grip me until the end.

Teaser Tuesdays: Demonglass (Hex Hall 2)

2011-08-09T00:13:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Demonglass"

by Rachel Hawkins

"I'd wanted to move my bed and decided to use magic to do it. Instead of scooting over a few feet, the bed had gone fling out the window, taking out a big chunk of the wall with it. " (page 25)

It is killing me that I don't have more time to read because "Demonglass" is off to a great start!

What is your teaser?

Review of "Beauty Queens"

2011-08-08T23:46:00.000-04:00

"Beauty Queens"
Libba Bray

4

Pub. Date: May 24, 2011
Pages: 390
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Synopsis: The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program--or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan--or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

I feel like such a weirdo because I didn't love this book. I did think it was a lot of fun and I liked how it did push the envelope, but it felt almost too heavy handed. I felt like the story was just too broken up with commercials and footnotes, at the beginning I loved this, but towards the end I was just dying to know what was going to happen next! There was a beginning of a bookmance... but sadly I fell out of love a bit by the end.

My favorite part about "Beauty Queens" was the characters- they were FANTASTIC! They were all endearing in their own ways, even if I did want to slap them a couple of times. I liked how they all had their insecurities, which made them entertaining and relatable. Some of the characters may have been a bit far fetched, hell most of the book is pretty unbelievable, but Libba Bray is a master at making the ridiculous work in her books. I think her characters are what bring the readers back to reality when they sometimes feel like they are in a parallel dimension.

The over abundance of romance kind of bothered me a bit in this book. It just seemed to come a little too easily for everyone, but by the end it came back to reality a bit. I don't know why this bothered me so much, this book obviously isn't super realistic, but I worry when books create these impossibly perfect romances- love is wonderful, but it is not perfect... nothing is!

I really did like how this book was able to deal with some pretty controversial issues in a way that showed how important they are, but without being depressing or too serious. I liked how the girls decided they wanted to create basically a girl power convention where there were lectures on subjects from makeovers to self-respect. I also liked how the book discussed sexuality in every way I could possibly think.

"Beauty Queens" is a great book; it deals with a lot of important issues and I actually really appreciated this. I just wish there weren't as many fake commercials. This book probably isn't for all readers; I can see some people being offended by this book. It is definitely for mature readers. I feel like readers who enjoyed "Airhead" series by Meg Cabot will probably enjoy this book.

Review of "Passion" Lauren Kate

2011-07-26T23:39:00.000-04:00

"Passion"
Lauren Kate

2

Pub. Date: June 14, 2011
Pages: 420
Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Synopsis: Luce would die for Daniel.

And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.

Sweeping across centuries, PASSION is the third novel in the unforgettably epic FALLEN series.

I loved the first two books in the series and I thought Lauren Kate set up for a fantastic third book, but sadly "Passion" was only okay. I spent most of the novel wanting to punch Luce in the face. I just thought her judgment was TERRIBLE! She didn't really question anything that was happening to her and was far too trusting of others. There was too much time spent with Luce and not enough with other characters. There were only two other characters that played a significant role in the book, and I was not a fan of one of them.

In the first two books I thought the endings were surprising and extremely climactic, but "Passion"'s ending was the opposite. I thought it was predictable and I wasn't sure why all the characters were so shocked. Luce's quest to learn more about her relationship was interesting for about half the book, but by page 200 I was sick of seeing Luce combust.

I really was looking forward to this book, but I honestly don't think I learned much more about Luce and Daniel's relationship. It was pretty much exactly what I thought it would be without any surprises. I think I could have done without this book and skipped to the final book without feeling like I missed anything. I will probably read the final book in the series, but I will definitely go in skeptical.

Hunger Games Movie Poster

2011-07-19T22:55:00.000-04:00

I know you have probably all seen this, but I had to share it! I can't wait!

Click here to check out the animated version, it is so much cooler.

HP7 Part 2!

2011-07-19T22:32:00.001-04:00

Incase you haven't seen "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", it was awesome! This is a movie that is worth seeing in theaters. It has tons of action and was just so much fun seeing opening day with all the fans. I'm not writing a formal review, I just wanted to share how much I enjoyed it. I am disappointed the movies and books are over, but there are plenty of other great series coming out all the time.

(Is Emma Watson a giant? This photo amuses me far more than it should.)

If you have any great opening night stories or photos you posted on your site or blog feel free to share the link! :)

Review of "What Happened To Goodbye"

2011-07-18T19:48:00.000-04:00

"What Happened to Goodbye"
by Sarah Dessen

5
Pub. Date: May 10, 2011
Pages: 402
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group

Synopsis: Since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move - four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, Mclean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, Mclean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself - whoever that is. Perhaps her neighbor Dave, an academic superstar trying to be just a regular guy, can help her find out.

Combining Sarah Dessen's trademark graceful writing, great characters, and compelling storytelling, What Happened to Goodbye is irresistible reading.

This is another book that I LOVED reading. I just love Sarah Dessen, but who doesn't?! Something about her writing and characters engulf me in her books every time. Mclean was an interesting character to follow because I wasn't sure how she was going to react as new situations developed. I already knew she was out of her routine by using her real name at her new school, but would she be able to accept people knowing her real self? Did Mclean even know who she was after so many moves and identities? Mclean wasn't the only character who seemed to lose herself in a new identity, Mclean's mother started a new family and seems to have become a whole other person. This creates a lot of tension in the book and it was interesting to see their dynamic. Mclean also had a very interesting relationship with her father. I had a hard time believing he didn't realize his daughter changed identities like most teenagers change clothing, but he did work a lot. If Mclean's family wasn't interesting enough then her friends surly were. They were a pretty random group Mclean seemed to assemble throughout the book, some of them picking her without giving her an option. That really seems to be the way true friendships are made. I wont even get started on the amazingness that is Dave. He is a dork after my own heart.

Part of the reason I love this book because it does deal with a lot of issues teens deal with everyday-search for identity, parents' divorce, new stepfather, new half siblings, and fitting in at a new school- but Mclean's situations are so extreme it just makes it more interesting. People may move a couple of times while in high school, but Mclean seems to only stay in one place for maybe 6 months at a time. If that isn't enough, the details of her parents divorce is blast all over the media for the world to see. I'm not even a fan of basketball and I enjoyed how the characters were obsessed about it.

I wouldn't call "What Happened to Goodbye" a fast-paced book, but I had trouble putting it down just the same. She is a fantastic storyteller and she knows how to deal with tough teens issues. "Just Listen" and "Dreamland" are the only two books by Sarah Dessen I haven't read, but I will probably be finished them by next summer. Sarah Dessen really is a must read authors for teens or lovers of teen books. If you like Sarah Dessen then check out Susane Colasanti, Deb Caletti, and Maureen Johnson.

Review of "The Dark and Hollow Places"

2011-07-18T11:29:00.001-04:00

"The Dark and Hollow Places
Carrie Ryan

Pub. Date: March 22, 2011
Pages: 384
Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Synopsis: There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again.

But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

I loved this book! I am so happy with how the series ended (it is such a relief). If I had the time, I probably would have read this book all in one sitting, but life gets in the way of reading sometimes. Part of the reason this book was so successful for me was because it showed more than just the horrors of the zombies, it also showed how horrible humans can be when they have too much power. The Recruits were terrifying and the characters had to watch themselves every second. I also loved seeing how life in the city. It wasn't at all how I expected it to be after reading the first two books, but it was an interesting new perspective.

The characters were also great in this book. I really liked Annah; she was such a strong character, even if she was a bit broken. She was put in some very tough situations and I respected her actions. I also loved Catcher. I found it interesting how they struggled with similar issues even though they went through different experiences. The characters had depth and I loved learning more about them as the story unfolded.

I really loved "The Dark and Hollow Places"; it's a fantastic ending to a wonderful series. I highly recommend it to readers who like paranormal romance, dystopian fiction and horror. This series really did a great job of balancing terrifying zombies with plot and characters.

Review of "Going Bovine"

2011-07-17T18:24:00.002-04:00

"Going Bovine"
Libba Bray

6

Pub. Date: September 22, 2009
Pages: 480
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Synopsis: All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.

I was very skeptical of "Going Bovine", even after hearing rave reviews and it winning the Printz Award. I read "A Great and Terrible Beauty" and it was good, but didn't live up to the hype. I am happy to report that "Going Bovine" was AWESOME! At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the book- the characters treated Carter like crap and it was driving me nuts- but then the book switched gears completely and Carter started his quest to save the world and himself. This book reminded me of the first time I watched "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", at first I wasn't sure how I felt about the movie, it was kind of strange, but by the time the Time Warp scene was over I was hooked!

Why is this book awesome? It has EVERYTHING. There are memorable characters that include punk angel, a garden gnome who may or may not be a Viking god, and a dwarf who is afraid of life. The book is hilarious, ridiculous, touching, and shows the difference between being alive and living. I also thought the uses of "Don Quixote" and Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner were really cool (this is one of those statements that you won't understand until you read the book and if I go into details I will spoil part of the book).

This book straddles the line between being completely bizarre and genius, it is brilliant but at the same time doesn't take itself too seriously. I would highly recommend "Going Bovine", but this book isn't for everyone, it deals with mature situations, including drug use, sex, and coping with a terminal illness. This is a book I can see becoming a classic for teens with some parents pushing for banning, but isn't that the way great books should be. "Going Bovine" truly deserves the Printz Award and I hope it continues to be a must have in any library. I will definitely be reading "Beauty Queens" VERY soon!

Review of Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant

2011-06-28T15:08:00.001-04:00

"Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant"
Mark Jeffrey

Pub. Date: April 26th, 2011
Pages: 304
Publisher: HarperCollins

Synopsis: Max Quick is a pickpocket, a vagabond, an orphan, and a thief. Even so, nothing about him seems particularly special . . . until one day when time mysteriously stops. Suddenly, nearly everyone in the world is frozen in time—except for Max.

Now Max must journey across America to find the source of the Time-stop. Along the way, he meets others who aren't suspended in time, like Casey, a girl who's never been on her own until now. Together, as they search for the cause of this disaster, Max and his companions encounter ancient mysteries, magic books, and clues to the riddle of stopped time. But relentless and mysterious villains are hot on Max's heels and will do everything in their power to prevent Max from ending the Time-stop. And the closer Max gets to the answers, the more it seems that his own true identity is not what he once believed.

Racing against a clock that no longer ticks, Max must embrace his past to save his future—and the world—from being altered forever.

"Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant" was a fast paced read with lots of action. I was hooked on this book after the first chapter and I had to find out what was going on. Why was time stopped and why weren't Max and Casey affected?! As I got more and more into the book, I just HAD to know why Max was missing his memory and who he really was. If these mysteries aren't enough, there are many more that pop up throughout the book to keep your interest peaked. I would go into more details, but I HATE spoilers in reviews!

Even though the book was fast paced, I wish there had been more character development. I wish Max's quest to find himself had been more of a driving force in this book. There are moments where Max's identity is a top priority, but they are fleeting. It almost feels like there are just too many mysteries happening in one book. This is good for keeping the reader interested, but I like to be a little more connected with my characters. This book almost felt like a complete series, or at least 2/3 of one, because of all the different mysteries that were solved and the number of villains- it kind of reminds me of Spider-Man 3.

"Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant" is a combination of sci-fi and adventure that will have readers hooked from start to finish. Fans of Percy Jackson will enjoy Max's quest to learn the mysteries of the Time Pocket as well as his own identity. This book is probably best suited for reluctant readers or readers who enjoy non-stop action, but I think most readers will enjoy "Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant".

*I did receive a free ARC of this book for review.

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Review of "Blood Magic"

2011-06-21T18:19:00.000-04:00

"Blood Magic"
Tessa Gratton

Pub. Date: May 24th, 2011
Pages: 405
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Synopsis: It starts off simply.

Draw a circle ... place a dead leaf in the center ... sprinkle some salt ... recite a little Latin ... add a drop of blood ...

Maybe that last part isn't exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents' horrific deaths. She's willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.

The book isn't the only recent arrival in Silla's life. There's Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She's not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick's first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can't deny their attraction. And they can't ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.

I had high expectations for "Blood Magic", but sadly it did not live up to them. I almost stopped reading this book multiple times, but then something would happen that kept me reading and I kept hoping it would get better. I have to say the last 100 pages were pretty decent, but the pace was just too slow through the rest of the book. There was too much switching between Nick and Silla's Point of view. I think I would have liked this book better if it had been strictly told by Silla, I was not a huge fan of Nick as a character and his narration didn't help. Nick may have been nice and patient with Silla, but he was an a-hole to everyone else. If the duel narration didn't slow the book down enough, there were plenty of flashbacks and old journal entries to break us out of the immediate story. Yes I did actually enjoy the journal entries at first, but after a while it just felt like the book wasn't going anywhere. On top of that, I didn't really fear for the characters lives when they were "in danger" because there was so little action.

What did I like about this book? I liked Silla as a character; she was strong and I liked how she used masks to cope. I liked the Gothic elements at first, but that only kept me interested for the first 200 pages. The same goes for the use of blood. I like how the book dealt with the dangers of too much power, it gave the book more depth than just a paranormal romance. I am wondering if my problem with this book was that there was so much going on, but the plot didn't move forward. It almost seemed like there were just too many elements forced into this book.

There are a lot of great reviews of "Blood Magic" out there, but I just struggled through the first 300 pages of this book. Maybe my expectations were too high, it is a possibility. If you are really looking forward to this book, then give it a go. I am definitely not continuing with the rest of this series. I felt satisfied with the end of the book. There is one question that remains unanswered, but I don't feel compelled to read anymore. If you agree or totally disagree with my review, feel free to comment.

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Review "The Maze Runner"

2011-06-20T13:34:00.001-04:00

"The Maze Runner"
James Dashner

5

Pub. Date: October 6, 2009
Pages: 279
Publisher: Delacorte Press for Young Readers

Synopsis: Imagine waking up one day in total darkness, unsure of where you are and unable to remember anything about yourself except your first name. You're in a bizarre place devoid of adults called the Glade. The Glade is an enclosed structure with a jail, a graveyard, a slaughterhouse, living quarters, and gardens. And no way out. Outside the Glade is the Maze, and every day some of the kids -- the Runners -- venture into the labyrinth, trying to map the ever-changing pattern of walls in an attempt to find an exit from this hellish place. So far, no one has figured it out. And not all of the Runners return from their daily exertions, victims of the maniacal Grievers, part animal, part mechanical killing machines.

Thomas is the newest arrival to the Glade in this Truman-meets-Lord of the Flies tale. A motley crew of half a dozen kids is all he has to guide him in this strange world. As soon as he arrives, unusual things begin to happen, and the others grow suspicious of him. Though the Maze seems somehow familiar to Thomas, he's unable to make sense of the place, despite his extraordinary abilities as a Runner. What is this place, and does Thomas hold the key to finding a way out?

In The Maze Runner, Dashner has crafted a creative and engaging novel that's both mysterious and thought provoking.

I don't know why it took me so long to read this book... I have only heard wonderful things about "The Maze Runner", but somehow I kept overlooking it. Thank goodness I randomly requested the audio book from the library because this is a must read for fans of "The Hunger Games". "The Maze Runner" wasn't as good as HG, but I really don't expect many books to be able to compete with its sheer awesomeness. From the very beginning of the book I felt just as lost as the main character, Thomas, and I was hooked. I LOVED how none of the characters in The Glade really know what is going on- some of them have theories, but that's all they are.

There wasn't a ton of character development, but everyone was very realistic. I really liked how everyone had their own way of coping with being in The Glade, some characters handled the situation better than others, but I would probably be a crazy, mess if I was in their situation. I loved how Dashner showed the characters' reactions to change. People don't like change in life as it is, in such a high stress environment it isn't surprising how some of the characters react to some of the changes Thomas's arrival brings. This book is violent, but I didn't think it was over done. The violence is used to show how terrifying The Glade is.

If you like adventure and mystery then "the Maze Runner" is a must read. The ending is fantastic and there are plenty of questions left to keep you wanting more. “The Scorch Trials”, the second book, is available now, and the last book, “The Death Cure” is coming out in October. Now is a great time to start this series!

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"Ruby Red" Winner!

2011-06-14T22:00:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Samantha for winning "Ruby Red"!

Thanks everyone for entering! I know it was super quick.

Review of "The Deathday Letter"

2011-06-10T00:42:00.001-04:00

"The Deathday Letter"
Shuan David Hutchinson

Pub. Date: June 15th, 2010
Pages: 240
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Synopsis: The clock is ticking?

Ollie can't be bothered to care about anything but girls until he gets his Deathday

Letter and learns he's going to die in twenty-four hours. Bummer.

Ollie does what he does best: nothing. Then his best friend convinces him to live a little, and go after Ronnie, the girl who recently trampled his about-to-expire heart. Ollie turns to carloads of pudding and over-the-top declarations, but even playing the death card doesn't work. All he wants is to set things right with the girl of his dreams. It's now or never?

I had high hopes for this book, I just thought the synopsis sounded AMAZING, but this book just did not live up to my expectations. I did enjoy this book, but I really thought the focus of the book would be completely different. I was hoping the book would focus a bit more on the Deathday Letters, but I was disappointed. I really liked the idea of knowing when a person would die; this ensured you did everything you could to bring closure to yourself and your friends. Overall, I did think Ollie took advantage of his last day, but there were parts of his experience that were just a major let down. I don't want to say what they were because that may be a bit of a spoiler, but you would be able to figure this out if you read the book. I guess the story flowed more realistically without exploring the Deathday Letters, but it just left the book feeling a bit flat for me.

Part of my problem with this book is that Ollie came off as kind of a jerk to me. I did not hate him, but there were times where he was really hard to like. He is probably a realistic portrayal of a teenage boy, but as a female I kind of wanted to slap him a lot of the time. At the same time, Ronnie was kind of a pain in the butt. The only character I really liked was Ollie's best friend, Shane. He is a great balance for Ollie and without him the book may have completely flopped.

I will say that I absolutely loved the ending, which still seems weird, but it just was perfect. I understood Ollie and Ronnie's relationship better so their fighting made a lot more sense. I just wish this had been addressed sooner because I was getting very annoyed with the pair. So in short, this book was good, but not great. I think this is a book that might resonate more when guys, they might appreciate Ollie's humor more than I did. The biggest problem for me was that I expected this book to be different. I thought it was going to be more serious with less one-liners, but some people may enjoy the tone of "The Deathday Letter".

Super Short Contest for "Ruby Red"!

2011-06-09T15:28:00.000-04:00

I know this is a very quick contest, but I just got the go ahead to run it! You have until 11:59 PM EST Monday June 13th to enter. All you have to do is reply to this post with your e-mail and you will be entered! I am adding the stipulation that you must respond with your mailing information 24 hours after receiving an e-mail from me so that I can get your information to the publisher. If you don't get back to me then I will contact a new winner. This contest is restricted to mailing addresses in the US and Canada. As always, you must be at least 13 years old to enter.

I know this is SUPER fast, but I couldn't pass this contest by. Good luck everyone!

Here is a link to my contest policies, but I believe all the important stuff is covered above.

Trailer for "Ruby Red" by Kerstin Gier

2011-06-08T16:32:00.001-04:00

I just saw the trailer for "Ruby Red" and thought you all might enjoy it! I LOVE the cover of the book and have heard great things!

Review of "The Latte Rebellion"

2011-05-16T15:44:00.002-04:00

"The Latte Rebellion"
by Sarah Jamila Stevenson

2

Pub. Date: January 8, 2011
Pages: 327
Publisher: Flux

Synopsis: When high school senior Asha Jamison gets called a "towel head" at a pool party, the racist insult gives Asha and her best friend Carey a great money-making idea for a post-graduation trip. They'll sell T-shirts promoting the Latte Rebellion, a club that raises awareness of mixed-race students.

Seemingly overnight, their "cause" goes viral and the T-shirts become a nationwide fad. As new chapters spring up from coast to coast, Asha realizes that her simple marketing plan has taken on a life of its own-and it's starting to ruin hers. Asha's once-stellar grades begin to slip, threatening her Ivy League dreams, and her friendship with Carey is hanging by a thread. And when the peaceful underground movement turns militant, Asha's school launches a disciplinary hearing. Facing expulsion, Asha must decide how much she's willing to risk for something she truly believes in.

I really wanted to like "The Latte Rebellion", but the book just didn't do it for me. I originally got into the book thinking it would be an interesting read about girls banding together to make a difference in the world, but there seemed to be very little of this. It didn't really bother me that Asha and Carey's plan stemmed from a marketing scheme to help them plan a summer trip, the fact that they did believe in what they were putting on the shirts made it okay for me. What I didn't like was how Asha and Carey fought the entire book. I get not wanting to lose an important friendship, but when your friend only has contact with you when it is beneficial for them, then that is a one sided relationship. I kind of felt like Carey was only Asha's friend to bum rides off of her to school, help her study for tests, and so she had somewhere to sit at lunch. Asha's character was also driving me nuts. She kept ignoring her schoolwork and then was shocked when she got back grades. It was also annoying because she kept whining about how unfair her parents were being, but she is the one who let her grades slip. There was a lot of time spent on Carey and Asha's friendship, on Asha's grades, and on love interesting- this just really detracted from the overall story to me.

Another thing I really didn't like was the portrayal of adults in the book. Almost every single adult thought the Latte Rebellion was a terrorist group or that teenagers were wasting time on something that wasn't important. I have to say that if my child were to start a group to raise awareness of important social issues, I would be so proud of them. I would not be ashamed and disappointed. I would of course warn them that sometimes acting on your beliefs could cause trouble, even if you have the best of intentions, but I would still stand up for them if the school tried to expel them. I can't believe no parent stepped in to talk to the school about how exclusive they were being to groups of students. I know this is a teen book and maybe teens wouldn't like adults taking charge, but that is usually what happens. Especially in a circumstance such as this where the school system is overreacting to a peaceful group trying to bring social awareness about mixed races. The schools reaction was actually pretty disgusting; I'm surprised more wasn't done in this area.

Overall, the book was okay, but honestly I could have skipped reading this one. Even though Asha did seem to want to bring awareness about mixed races to the world, I just thought "The Latte Rebellion" would have been a more successful book if more focus had been spent on the issues instead of Asha's personal life. I know that other people have really enjoyed this book, but I'm just not one of them.

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5 Minute Zombie Makeover and List of Zombie Books

2011-05-14T00:42:00.001-04:00

(If I had gotten a close up on my face and taken the picture at the beginning of the night instead of the end it would have looked a lot better, but oh well! Too late!)

Things you will need:

1- Black eyeshadow

2- Clothing you don't mind possibly ruining or tearing

3- Red Gel Food Coloring (I used Betty Crocker and it worked great)

4- A very light shade of liquid foundation.

5- Some kind of hair gel that will keep your hair looking messy

What you need to do:

1- Get dressed in clothing you don't mind possibly ruining with fake blood or tearing to look more rugged.

2-Make your hair look at messy as possible using some kind of styling gel.

3-Put on a good coat of the liquid foundation (do not add blush!).

4-Put black eye shadow underneath your eyes with your finger.

5-Smear the red gel food coloring all over your body. Be sure to get some on your lips and all over your chin.

TA-DA! I'm not sure how the food coloring would look if you smeared it on your clothing because I didn't go that far. I am just posting this because I found a lot of information online that made the makeup aspect seem so much more complicated. I was trying to add the food coloring into corn syrup, but it just was way too pale. I even tried adding things like chocolate syrup, a drop of blue food coloring, and other ingredients. There probably is a way to make terrific blood using corn syrup and food coloring, but if you just want something super fast that looks good then I am just trying to save you some time and effort! I was worried I wouldn't be able to get the food coloring off, but I had it on my skin for almost 6 hours with no problems. It came off in the shower with regular soap and no scrubbing. I am glad that I wont be freaking out all the children in the Children's Department tomorrow! :)

Looking for your next great Zombie Read? Here is a list of Zombie Books:

"Forest of Hands and Teeth" Series- Carrie Ryan

"Zombies vs. Unicorns"- Holly Black

"Zombie Blondes"- Brian James

"Zombie Queen of Newbury High"- Amanda Ashby

"Generation Dead" Series- Daniel Waters

"Rot & Ruin"- Jonathan Maberry

"Beautiful Dead" Series- Eden Maguire

"World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War"- Max Brooks

"You are so Undead to Me" and other Megan Berry Books- Stacey Jay

"Never Slow Dance With a Zombie"- E. Van Lowe

If anyone has other Zombie Book suggestions please comment. Maybe I'll do a post about zombie movies...

Review of "Delirium"

2011-05-11T00:01:00.001-04:00

"Delirium"
Lauren Oliver

Pub. Date: February 1, 2011
Pages: 448
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Inc

Synopsis: Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

I am so glad I bought this book because it was AWESOME! I have been reading a fair amount of dystopian fiction in the last year, but I loved the original plot behind "Delirium". I didn't think this book could be as good as it sounded, but it totally was. I finished reading it only a couple of days ago and I still feel like gushing! I wasn't sure how Oliver would be able to make me believe in a society where love was thought to be a deadly disease, but she pulled it off. Characters' thoughts and actions consistent with what would happen in a society where love was thought to be something that must be cured to avoid death. Oliver added quotes and children's rhymes that showed how the fear of love was spread from a young age to ensure that everyone looked forward to the day they were lode enough to undergo high-risk procedure. I thought this was a nice way to show some of the regulations and lies the government disseminated.

I really liked the characters in the book. Even though Lena seemed week and uptight at the beginning of the book, it was interesting to see how she developed as she unraveled some of the truth behind the lies she grew up believing. I wasn't sure how I felt about her best friend Hana, part of me wanted her to stop being so reckless and to be a better friend to Lena, but that completely changed by the end of the book. Alex stole my heart from the moment he was introduced, he is definitely a crush worthy character! The best aspect of the characters is that they surprised me until the very end of the book. This is one of those books where the last 75 pages fly by and characters just blow your mind.

If nothing I have said above convinces you to read "Delirium" then maybe the fact it has mystery, love, and danger all rolled into one package. It really was a FANTASTIC book; I can't wait to see what Lauren Oliver has planned for the next book. I didn't think "Delirium" could be as good as "Before I Fall", but I actually enjoyed it more; although, I have a feeling that preference will depend on what genre you enjoy more.

Buy from BN.com Buy from Amazon.com

Teaser Tuesdays: "The Latte Rebellion"

2011-05-10T22:25:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Any one can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"The Latte Rebellion"

by Sarah Jamila Stevenson

""Hey, check it out- Asha's a towel-head.'

I'm a WHAT?" (page 1)

I just started this book and so far it is very interesting. I am hoping to get through a whole lot more tonight :)

What is your teaser?

"Max Quick" Blog Tour Stop: Mark's Favorite Movies

2011-05-06T00:42:00.001-04:00

I was so excited when Mark Jeffrey contacting me about being a part of his blog tour for his new book. "Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant" is a middle grade adventure book released May 1st.

Synopsis: When time stops all over the world, creating 'the Pocket' of time wherein basic physics are strangely altered, only Max Quick and a few other kids seem to unaffected. While the rest of the world remains frozen around them, Max -- and Casey, Ian and Sasha -- find that it is up to them to discover how this has happened and reverse it. Along the way, they encounter 'magic' Books, ancient artifacts and other clues to the riddle of stopped time. And Max finds that his own true identity may not be what he once believed. Now he must embrace his past to save the future and prevent the very world from being altered forever...

Mark took sometime to share his top movies. I couldn't wait to see what movies he came up with; I find it interesting to see which movies make it on the top of a person's list.

Marks Favorite Movies:

1. Star Wars. This for me was the first, the best, and always will be. I saw it in the theater when I was a kid, it blew me away. In terms of emotional impact, there probably won't be another film that does the same thing to me again.

2. Amadeus. Absolutely hilarious movie with stellar performances all around. And the soundtrack is by Mozart. How can you go wrong with that combination?

3. Somewhere In Time. This is a truly underrated picture. Christopher Reeve -- in the modern day -- falls in love with a picture of Jane Seymour -- an actress from 1912. He then hypnotizes himself to go back in time and meet her. I can see why it didn't do well in the theaters: the marketing campaign and the movie poster don't tell you at all what the plot is. Also, it came out the same week as The Empire Strikes Back, so bad timing there. But if you have a chance, definitely watch this one.

4. The Matrix. Oddly, I think I liked the second one better than the first. That scene where Keanu finds out what's really going on was amazing; didn't see that coming at all.

5. Time and Time Again. Another underrated classic. Jack The Ripper steals H.G. Wells' time machine in Victorian England and comes to modern-day America; Wells has to chase him. The Ripper feels right at home in the violence of modern times versus his placid Victorian era; Wells feels out of place.

Dark City: Another Matrix-y type movie with a twist. Don't want to blow it if you haven't seen it, but if you like that sort of thing, this is for you.

I am to see Star Wars and the Matrix on his list; those are definitely some of my favorites as well! I haven't seen them all, but I may have to borrow some movies from my library.

I only got to read the first chapter of "Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant" and wish I had the book to read. The book just hooked me on the first page. I highly recommend you read the first chapter and learn more about Mark's book by checking out the Max Quick website.

Teaser Tuesdays... Errr Wednesday May 4th 2011

2011-05-04T03:04:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Any one can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Delirium"

by Lauren Oliver

"I've launched into the speech I've prepared, about photography and running and spending time with my friends, but I"m not focusing. I see the evaluators nodding in front of me, and smiles beginning to loosen their faces as they take notes, so I know I'm doing fine, but I can't even hear the words that are coming out of my mouth" (page 31)

I am absolutely LOVING this book so far! I wish I could stay up all night reading, but I already have a headache :\

What is your teaser?

Review "Where Things Come Back"

2011-05-04T02:52:00.001-04:00

"Where Things Come Back"
John Corey Whaley

Pub. Date: May 3, 2011
Pages: 240

Publsiher: Athenuem

Synopsis: Just when seventeen-year-old Cullen Witter thinks he understands everything about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town, it all disappears. . . .

In the summer before Cullen's senior year, a nominally-depressed birdwatcher named John Barling thinks he spots a species of woodpecker thought to be extinct since the 1940s in Lily, Arkansas. His rediscovery of the so-called Lazarus Woodpecker sparks a flurry of press and woodpecker-mania. Soon all the kids are getting woodpecker haircuts and everyone's eating "Lazarus burgers." But as absurd as the town's carnival atmosphere has become, nothing is more startling than the realization that Cullen's sensitive, gifted fifteen-year-old brother Gabriel has suddenly and inexplicably disappeared.

While Cullen navigates his way through a summer of finding and losing love, holding his fragile family together, and muddling his way into adulthood, a young missionary in Africa, who has lost his faith, is searching for any semblance of meaning wherever he can find it. As distant as the two stories seem at the start, they are thoughtfully woven ever closer together and through masterful plotting, brought face to face in a surprising and harrowing climax.

Complex but truly extraordinary, tinged with melancholy and regret, comedy and absurdity, this novel finds wonder in the ordinary and emerges as ultimately hopeful. It's about a lot more than what Cullen calls, "that damn bird." It's about the dream of second chances.

Even though the synopsis didn't appeal to me that much, I found myself hooked on this book and stayed up very late reading. I am so glad I received a review copy because I would have missed out on a great book! I liked all the characters and had to know about what happened to Gabriel. He was such a unique character and it felt unreal when he went missing. Whaley did a fantastic job of showing the reader how Cullen's world fell apart. It wasn't just in the obvious change of his family dynamic, but also in how Cullen reacted to situations. Things he wouldn't have considered doing before, he now seemed to jump right into. I liked that numerous character in the book surprised me- some in great ways and some in terrible ways.

What really kept me reading "Where Things Come Back" was Whaley's writing style. His character development was great, but Whaley really knows how to tell a story. At first I wasn't in love with the multiple narratives, I just didn't see how on earth they could fit together. Of course now it seems so obvious, but I just didn't see what possible link there could be. This has a lot to do with Whaley's writing and giving the reader enough to be interested at the beginning, but not giving everything away upfront. The whole woodpecker part of the story is what made me kind of iffy about reading it, but honestly it added a lot of amusement. It seems completely out of place in a book dealing with grief, but Whaley pulls it off. I was also happy that there was a nice balance between the tragic and the comedic elements. It could have easily gone too far in either direction, but Whaley was able to keep the tone from becoming overly depressing and inappropriately hilarious.

I recommend this book to readers and add not to be turned off by the synopsis. It may not sound like your cup of tea, but it is definitely worth picking it up. I'm trying to think of a book to compares this to and the only thing I am coming up with is "Dust of 100 Doges". This is mainly due to the multiple narratives coming together to form a complete story. With that said, "Where Things Come Back" was a much more enjoyable book.

*I did receive a free copy of this book for review.

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Review of "Here Lies Bridget"

2011-04-27T00:13:00.000-04:00

"Here Lies Bridget"
Paige Harbison

3

Pub. Date: January 18th, 2011
Pages: 224
Publisher: Harlequin

Synopsis: Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.

When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.

And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough….

When I first heard about this book I was very excited because it reminded me of "Before I Fall", but "Here Lies Bridget" did not live up to my hopes. The book was good, but it just didn't captivate me like "Before I Fall". I had two problems with this book. The first was the fact that I didn't really sympathize with Bridget until the very end of the book. She was too cruel and naive about how her actions affect others. She took advantage of EVERYONE in her life and wasn't nice to anyone. She really just came across as the biggest, most spoiled brat character. This wouldn't have been so bad, except for the fact that the book spent way too much time showing how terrible of a person Bridget was. I wanted to see more of her realizing her faults and getting to know the real Bridget, but there just wasn't enough of this for me.

The book did move pretty quickly and it was enjoyable watching all the drama unfold, but I just had problems connecting with Bridget's character for most of the book. Even though it was hard to read, I liked the scenes with Bridget’s stepmother. She just seemed very genuine. Something I really did like about the book was the complex relationship between Bridget and Liam. I liked that it slowly unwrapped through the book. I feel like her interactions with Liam were some of the only moments where I saw the real Bridget. Getting to see the true thoughts of Bridget's closest friends was also another part of the book I really enjoyed. Bridget was just so disconnected from other people's perceptions of her.

Overall, the book was good, I just wish more time was spent on Bridget learning about her flaws. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed "Before I Fall" and "The Ghost and the Goth". I wish I liked this book more, but it just didn’t meet my expectations.

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Review of "Desires of the Dead"

2011-04-09T03:53:00.001-04:00

"Desires of the Dead"
Kimberly Derting

Pub. Date: February 15th, 2011
Pages: 368
Publisher: HarperCollins

Synopsis: The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.

Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

I absolutely loved "The Body Finder" and I was worried that "Desires of the Dead" wouldn't live up to my expectations, luckily I was wrong! I had to force myself to stop reading the book because I had longs days at work and needed my sleep, else I would have stayed up into the wee hours of the night reading it. This book has everything- mystery, romance, great characters, and it kept me on my toes. I kept thinking I had the book figured out, but it was constantly surprise me.

I have to admit, there was a moment where I worried the book was pulling a "New Moon", like so many teen paranormal sequels tend to do, but luckily it was short lived. Yes Violet does make some poor decisions, some of them extremely dangerous, but her gift pulls her into them- I can't blame her for not following what it commands of her.

I really liked the conflict Violet faces when the FBI start questioning her. The agent seems interested in helping her, but how can Violet trust someone she doesn't know? I also like how it brings in a mysterious male character- I can't help but want to know about those silent, handsome guys! I can't wait to see where these conflicts bring Violet in the next book! On top of that, there is the dead body of a young boy that Violet found and the new guy Mike with the tragic family history- if this isn't enough to peek your interest then there is no hope for you.

If you haven't read this series, I highly recommend it. They are super fast reads and if the romance doesn't get you interested then the paranormal mystery will! I am not usually a huge fan of mysteries myself, but Kimberly Derting has helped convert me. I am doing my best not to get all fan girl gushy about this one, so I am going to stop now because the book was AWESOME... what more do you want me to say?

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Review of "The Family That Wasn't"

2011-04-04T00:17:00.001-04:00

"The Family That Wasn't"
Gene Twaronite

Pub. Date: August 24, 2010
Pages: 128
Publisher: iUniverse.com

Synopsis: The Family That Wasn't is a humorous fable of how our families live inside us. It will appeal to both teen and adult readers. The 13-year-old narrator, John Boggle (whose real name is John Bazukas-O'Reilly-Geronimo-Giovanni-Li Choy-Echeverria), finds his family so impossibly crazy that he cannot stand living with them another moment. He invents a new perfect family so convincing that he suddenly finds himself living inside this imaginary world.

But John finds that he too has changed. He sees his too perfect image in the mirror and begins to wonder if it is all some kind of mistake. Only trouble is, now he can't remember who he is. He only knows that he must leave this family at once. His sole clue is the name, John Boggle.
To find his true family he embarks on a cross country quest. Along the way he encounters other characters who have also lost touch with their families. Together they must find a way to reconstruct the connections to bring back the family that once was.

"The Family That Wasn't" was entertaining and only took me a couple hours to finish. When I heard the plot of the book, I knew it would be interesting and the book delivered. Even though the book started off a bit slow, there was a lot of character development for John's family, the rest of the book sped by. Usually I am not one for added length to books, but I actually wish there was more of "The Family That Wasn't". I think the book would have been better if there had been more time spent with John on his cross-country quest. I also wish there had been a bit more conflict, things just went a little too easily for John on his quest. There were some set backs, but I wish there had been more of a climax.

I liked how John changed when his family changed. It really showed how interlocked ones identity is with their relationship with their family. We'd like to think that our lives aren't shaped by our family, but that would be a lie. John's family wasn't all together terrible, excluding one person, but it was definitely understandable why he would want a new one. I'm sure many kids have felt that they would like a new family at one point in their lives- this book is something that they can relate to. I know I used to think about how my life would be different if I had a different family and now that I am older, I know that a different family could not love me more. This book does a great job of showing readers why having the "perfect" family is not necessarily better than having the slightly crazy family you were born with.

Overall, this book was a fun, quick read. I would recommend it to anyone who has thought about replacing his or her family or who just thinks that this sounds like an interesting plot. It kind of reminded me a bit of Coraline, but not nearly as creepy.

*I did receive a copy of this book for review.

Review of "Thirteen Reasons Why"

2011-03-22T00:52:00.000-04:00

"Thirteen Reasons Why"
Jay Asher

Pub. Date: October 18th, 2007
Pages: 288
Publisher: Razorbill

Synopsis: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Even though I have always heard fantastic things about this book, I never expected it to live up to the hype, but it definitely does. "Thirteen Reasons Why" is a book that anyone would be able to appreciate, whether you are a teen, a parent, a male, or a female. I listened to this book on audio and it was fantastic. I left for work early just so I could sit in my car and listen to as many CDs as possible. I rarely bring my clunky CD player to the gym, but I did with this book.

The whole concept of a suicide box set of cassettes is pretty creepy, but the fact that Hannah sent them to 13 people brings it to a whole other level. This book can be pretty haunting at times, but Jay Asher writes Hannah in a way that keeps the tone lighter than one would expect. Even though I don't agree with Hannah's suicide, Asher constructed the story in a way that allows the reader to completely understand and can see why she killed herself. I think many teens will relate to Hannah and see parts of themselves in her. I know I had similar experiences with rumor mills and being put on a list that gave people a green light to say inappropriate comments.

Clay is technically the main character in this book, but I must stress that this is truly Hannah's story. Clay does have a role to play and the reader learns the reasons for Hannah's suicide with Clay, but he doesn't detract from the story. The fact that Clay cannot fathom why he is even on the tapes and thinks the whole thing is a mistake left me dying to know what he did wrong. Everyone else was such a jerk, but Clay seems so nice... I just HAD to know his dirty little secret! I wasn't sure how hearing Hannah's story with commentary from another character would work with the plot, but it just gives it so much depth. You see that Hannah is not being paranoid about the rumors. Clay believed them and even allowed them to rule over his actions. You get the story from two different points of view delving deeper into Hannah's life and brining insight that Hannah herself couldn't provide.

This is a book about suicide, but it is also about friendship, first love, rumors, high school, and so much more. I seriously think I could write a novel about how amazing "Thirteen Reasons Why" is and why everyone must read it, but I think I have gushed enough... but seriously this was definitely one of the best YA books I have ever read.

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Sherry Shahan On "Purple Daze" with Pictures!

2011-03-22T00:02:00.001-04:00

Happy Release Day "Purple Daze"! Sherry Shahan was nice enough to share about her inspiration for the book and sent me some pictures to post.

"While cleaning out a closet I unearthed a shoe box jammed with letters from a friend who was a Marine in Vietnam. He was one of my girlfriend’s (Nancy in the novel) boyfriends. I became his most faithful pen pal, long after Nancy broke up with him. I had kept his letters more than 40 years. Rereading them is what inspired Purple Daze, originally called Love, Phil, which was how he signed them."

"Then I began playing around with viewpoints of other kids I'd known in high school. I wanted to be inside the heads of each character to explore their innermost thoughts and feelings, not just describe them from the outside looking in. I could have accomplished this with an omniscient viewpoint -- but bouncing in and out of some many minds could be confusing. Instead I chose journal entries, letters, free verse and traditional poetry. Verse mirrors the pulse of adolescent life. To me, condensed metaphoric language on a single page is a good reflection of their tightly-packed world."

Shahan was nice enough to send me some pictures to share with all of you. I thought these were so cool and I am so glad she sent them!

Here is Sherry in High School

2- The man that inspired Mickey.

3- The inspiration for Phil with his machine gun.

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Review of "Purple Daze"

2011-03-17T22:10:00.000-04:00

"Purple Daze"

Sherry Shahan

Pub. Date: March 22, 2011

Pages: 208

Publisher: Running Press Book Publishers

Synopsis: "Purple Daze" is a young adult novel set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965. Six high school students share their experiences and feelings in interconnected free verse and traditional poems about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock 'n' roll, high school, and friendship.

Although there have been verse novels published recently, none explore the changing and volatile 1960's in America-- a time when young people drove a cultural and political revolution. With themes like the costs and casualties of war, the consequences of sex, and the complex relationships between teens, their peers, and their parents, this story is still as relevant today as it was 45 years ago.

I am beyond happy that I received this book for review because I totally would have missed out on a great book! This is the second book in the last few months I've read that has been a historical fiction written in verse and I love this trend. "Purple Daze" is a fast read where historical facts don’t bog you down. The flow of the writing combined with the unique character voices was hypnotic. I breezed through this book in only a few hours. I don't usually comment on covers, but this one is awesome. It is just so vibrant; I think it will definitely draw in readers.

The voices of all the characters sucked me into the story; I didn't particularly like them all, but they were very amusing and realistic. Mickey is a character I wasn't overly fond of, but he was the perfect character to give a compelling account of what it was like being a young man in the Navy. I think my favorite character was Phil; his letters were the most powerful. I also feared for his safety with the characters in the book. Even though Ziggy is a morally shady character, I still felt for her and wanted her life to get better.

I also really enjoyed how the book had an open ended ending. Some of the characters' personal issues were wrapped up, but the book could have gone on for longer. I didn't feel unsatisfied, but I wonder if other people will be. Fighting in a war halfway around the world that seems endless and civil rights issues are still things that are happening today. The futures of these things have not been decided. There will always be causes for future generations to protest and wars to fight. Even though this book is about the past, there are a lot of issues addressed that teens can relate to.

I highly recommend "Purple Daze" to pretty much anyone looking for a good book, especially to readers who either want to read more about the 1960's or enjoy historical fiction. This would also be a great book for readers who may not particularly like reading historical fiction, but who enjoys coming of age stories. If you enjoyed "Three Rivers Rising" or "Out of the Dust" then you would probably enjoy "Purple Daze".

*As stated earlier, I did receive a copy of this book for review.
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Teaser Tuesdays March 15th 2011

2011-03-15T11:33:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Any one can play along! Just do the following:

    * Grab your current read
    * Open to a random page
    * Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
    * BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
    * Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Purple Daze

by Sherry Shahan

"Some numb-nuts poured strawberry Jell-o in the toilet by the Girls’ Vice Principla’s office. She called the West Valley Police Station. What if someone had slit her wrist or had a miscarriage or something? (Page 13)

Teaser Tuesdays: March 8th 2011

2011-03-08T00:27:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Any one can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Desires of the Dead"

by Kimberly Derting

"She thought about resisting the urge to follow the sound, just ignoring it, especially here... with Chelsea, who knew nothing about her friend's"gift." Besides, what did she think she would do once she found the body that beckoned her?" (Page 23)

Kimberly Derting on "The Pledge"

2011-03-07T19:35:00.000-05:00

Kimberly Derting has blogged about her next book "The Pledge" and it sounds really awesome! Not what I expected but in a good way. Check out her post here.

Teaser Tuesdays: March 1st 2011

2011-03-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Any one can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Glimmerglass"

by Jenna Black

"'The internal combustion engine does not function in Faerie,' she explained. 'Those who have reason to travel between Avalon and Faerie perforce do so on horseback, so you'll see a great many more horses here than you might in most cities.'" (Page 21)

Manga Mondays: XXXHolic

2011-02-28T00:00:00.003-05:00

"XXXHolic" Vol. 1
by CLAMP, William Flanagan, Anthony Gerard, Dana Hayward

5

Pages: 208
Pub. Date: April 27th, 2004
Publisher: Del Rey

Synopsis: Watanuki Kimihiro is haunted by visions of ghosts and spirits. Seemingly by chance, he encounters a mysterious witch named Yuuko, who claims she can help. In desperation, he accepts, but realizes that he’s just been tricked into working for Yuuko in order to pay off the cost of her services. Soon he’s employed in her little shop—a job which turns out to be nothing like his previous work experience!

Most of Yuuko’s customers live in Japan, but Yuuko and Watanuki are about to have some unusual visitors named Sakura and Syaoran from a land called Clow. . .

This manga was really awesome. XXXHolic combines a witch, philosophy, a medium, some annoying children, and a bit of romance to create a fascinating storyline. Yuuko is really interesting because she is seemingly trying to help people by fulfilling wishes, but her methods seem pretty depraved. She is a complete seductress, I picture her having a husky voice, and everything from the artwork to the dialogue creates her vibrant character. Even though Yuuko works Watanuki like a slave, it is pretty funny to see the chores she makes him complete. It should be annoying that there are two kids mocking Watanuki throughout the manga, but it makes it even more amusing. Watanuki is just one of those characters you can’t help but love seeing him suffer, even though you want good things for him!

I love the situations that Watanuki finds himself in. I like the idea that people are pulled around life by a force they can’t describe or even begin to comprehend. Yuuko spouts all these really interesting philosophies and some seem to even conflict with one another, but it is still really interesting. I found myself stopping and thinking about what she was saying a couple of times while I was reading, but then I wanted to find out where the philosophy would take them next!

This manga is very fast paces and I read it in one sitting. I think it only took me an hour and a half to read it. I like the fact that it is a crossover by having Sakura and Syaoran crash the story. I used to watch Cardcaptor Sakura when I was a kid, so I was excited she made an entrance. I have already started “Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles” to see how the stories intersect! I definitely recommend this manga to people who enjoy the kooky aspect of manga and people who have a bit of cynicism.

Amazon.com BN.com

On My Chair: February 27th 2011

2011-02-27T23:51:00.001-05:00

I would like to apologize to Julie Kagawa for pretty much butchering her name... I am pretty sure it came out as mucked up word vomit. He books are amazing, so check out "The Iron Fey" series!

To everyone else, feel free to post links to your equivalent post!

Review of "Candor"

2011-02-27T22:28:00.000-05:00

"Candor"
Pam Bachorz

Pub Date: September 22, 2009
Pages: 256
Publisher: Egmont USA

Synopsis: The picture-perfect new town of Candor, Florida, is attracting more and more new families, drawn by its postcard-like small-town feel, with white picket fences, spanking-new but old-fashioned-looking homes, and neighborliness.

But the parents are drawn by something else as well. They know that in Candor their obstreperous teenagers will somehow become rewired - they'll learn to respect their elders, to do their chores, and enjoy their homework. They'll give up the tattoos, metal music, and partying that have been driving their parents crazy. They'll become every parent's dream.

I LOVED "Candor"! This may sound crazy, but the plot seemed completely plausible to me- parents sick of their teenagers misbehaving and bringing them to a community where they will become perfect citizens. It just seems like there is so much stress on children to be perfect from a young age and it seems like some parents would do anything/ pay anything to make their children perfect. A community promising to turn your troubled teen into someone who is polite, who enjoys to do homework, that seems too good for many parents to pass up. It was really creepy to see how fast teens' attitudes changed once the messages sunk in and how no one seemed to notice how everyone was the same. It would drive me nuts being in a community where everyone had the same scripted reaction to any question or situation.

I really enjoyed Oscar and Nia's characters; even though there were times where I wanted to shake Nia for not being more aware of the danger she was putting herself in and slap Oscar for being kind of a dick. Oscar is the main character of the book, but he isn't exactly the white knight you expect; he takes advantage of the people he is trying to help, especially the beautiful girls, but he does put his life on the line to help Nia even though she will bring him trouble. Nia is a very vibrant character- she may do stupid things, but I really enjoy waiting to see what crazy thing she’ll do next.

I feel like "Candor" packs a lot of punch in an average length book. There are so many teen books now that are over 400 pages, that it is nice to see an author choose to say a lot without over writing. I also like that the book only takes place in a matter of a few weeks, making the changes you see in the characters even more shocking. I also really loved the ending of the book, it wasn't the typical ending I would normally expect from a dystopian fiction, but I didn't mind it one bit. I couldn't really picture the book ending in another way.

This is a book that both boys and girl would pick up and enjoy. The main character is male, but the two main female characters are interesting enough for girls. I would recommend this book to people who enjoyed "The Hunger Games" and "Matched". I can't believe it took me so long to pick up this book, but I am glad I kept it on my list!

Amazon.com BN.com

Review of "Eighth Grade Bites" by Heather Brewer

2011-02-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

"Eighth Grade Bites"

Heather Brewer

Pub. Date: August 16, 2007

Pages: 182

Publisher: Dutton Children's Books

Synopsis: Junior high really stinks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: His mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers and no one to teach him, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs. When a strange substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he realizes he has a much bigger problem: He’s being hunted by a vampire killer who is closing in . . . fast!

I have to say that I was shocked how much I ended up loving this book. I have been staring at this book for years and always played with the idea of reading it, but it took me finding the book available on CD to finally give it a chance. I love Vlad's character; he is kind of a dork but brave at the same time. He just seemed very believable. He did some brave things, but was scared and cried when he got upset. It was nice to see a male character that could show real emotions. Another good touch was that he wasn't the typical gorgeous vampire that girls and women drool over. I like that Vlad was kind of a misfit; it made him more relatable.

Even though the story seems fairly typical- teenage vampire, or half vampire in Vlad's case, trying to find a way to blend in with the rest of the junior high student body. He deals with the same problems that many teens deal with, but he also has to worry about people discovering that he is part vampire. I like how cleaver Heather Brewer was with solving the problem of Vlad eating during school- she could have gone the whole Vlad not eating route, but that would definitely raise suspicions at any high school. If people gossip about what clothing people wear, then I think it would be hard for them to ignore the fact that a teenage boy NEVER ate! I also like how the story wasn't just about Vlad trying to fit in with other students, even though that was a sub plot, but it was also about the death of his family and trying to figure out who is trying to kill him. It added more drama to the story making it have more appeal for readers.

Brewer did a great job introducing the characters and setting up a plot that can continue on through the rest of the series. Even though some mysteries were solved, there are a lot more questions to be answered leaving me craving for more. I will definitely be continuing with this series. I recommend "Eighth Grade Bites" to anyone who enjoys vampire books, especially for people who don't want something that focuses on romance.

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Manga Mondays: Fairytale

2011-02-07T00:00:00.097-05:00

Fairy Tail Volume 1

Hiro Mashima

Pub. Date: March 25th 2008

Pages: 208

Publisher: Del Rey

Synopsis: THE WICKED SIDE OF WIZARDRY

Cute girl wizard Lucy wants to join the Fairy Tail, a club for the most powerful wizards. But instead, her ambitions land her in the clutches of a gang of unsavory pirates led by a devious magician. Her only hope is Natsu, a strange boy she happens to meet on her travels. Natsu’s not your typical hero–he gets motion sickness, eats like a pig, and his best friend is a talking cat. With friends like this, is Lucy better off with her enemies?

"Fairy Tail" was recommended to me by one of my friends and I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I am happy to report that it was pretty great! It was a very entertaining mixing comedy with adventure. I liked the mystery of Fairy Tail and how it seemed like this very posh guild for wizards, but it turns out to be the exact opposite of what I expected- kind of like Natsu. It is really funny to see the different sides of his character; one minute he is really funny and a bit of a pig, and the next he is a total bad ass. Natsu's character is complex and it adds some depth to the story. Lucy is a fun character because she is pretty shy, but she doesn't run screaming from fights. I really enjoyed learning about Fairy Tail and other wizards with her. Happy, the talking cat is priceless and I couldn't help but adore him.

The artwork was perfect for the tone of the manga. It was a good balance between goofy and violent depending on the scene. The characters' expressions were fantastic and added to the humor. Lucy did have the stereotypical ginormous breasts that all graphic novel females seem to possess, but I liked her character too much to let this annoy me too much.

I definitely would recommend this manga. It was fun to read, fast paced, and kind of kooky- just like good manga should be! I think this series would appeal to males and females. The story line is full of action and some of the characters are kind of rough, but Lucy is a great female character that will charm any reader. I'd say more about "Fairy Tail", but it would get kind of repetitive. Just read it!

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I'm Reading a Book Video

2011-02-06T14:17:00.000-05:00

I saw this on Jess's (The Cozy Reader) blog and I just had to share!

Review: "Before I Fall"

2011-02-05T22:41:00.000-05:00

"Before I Fall"

Lauren Oliver

Pub. Date: March 2nd, 2010

Pages: 470

Publisher: HarperCollins

Synopsis: Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance.

Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death-and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

I've had the ARC of "Before I Fall" sitting on my bookcase for over a year and I am so happy I finally took the time to read it. Even though the book is pretty hefty, it is amazing how fast the story progresses. I read hundreds of pages at a time and had no problem staying up super late reading this book multiple nights in a row. It was worth being tired at work to get the book finished!

Samantha Kingston is a character that grows on you. I didn't hate her at the beginning of the book, but I didn't necessarily think she was a good person. She was your typical popular girl who rags on others to look cool to her friends, but that doesn’t mean that she thinks what she is doing is right. I actually found it fascinating to see how she justified her actions and those of her friends; I hate to say it, but a lot of her commentary about bullying made sense and were probably spot-on. It was interesting to see how she developed throughout the story, but even with the changes, I still didn't see her final action coming.

Even though it may sound very repetitive having to read the same day seven times, Lauren Oliver skipped over any parts of the day that were not unnecessary to the plot, making each day feel completely different. I like how Sam spent her days with different people, she made some of the same mistakes multiple times, but it didn't take long for her to change her usual habits. Some of the people Sam chose to spend her final days with were pretty unexpected.

Not only is this book highly entertaining, but it is also a great commentary on the effect of bullying. Bullying seems to be in the news all the time and I’m sure a lot of teenagers maybe sick of hearing about it, but it is horrifying to see new ways in which students torment each other, even documenting these acts as proof of their horrible conquests to brag about later. This may be a problem that will never be solved, but it is nice to see that not everyone is ignoring it. I can see this book being a great book club selection. I think I might have to start one on my library’s Facebook page!

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Review "The Mockingbirds" by Daisy Whitney

2011-02-01T15:30:00.007-05:00

"The Mockingbirds"
by Daisy Whitney

5

Pub. Date: Nov. 2nd 2010
Pages: 332
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Synopsis: Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way—the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds—a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.

In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone—especially yourself—you fight for it.

I really loved reading this book. I liked Alex as a narrator and think that Daisy Whitney did a great job portraying how your memory after a blackout slowly pieces back together after days. I'd only imagine that if you were trying to block out an event, like a rape, it would take you even longer to recall the events of the night. I like how little triggers slowly unraveled more and more of the story. I really felt for Alex as a character because she had to see her rapist almost everyday. She had a class with him and if that weren't bad enough, he actually tried to make contact with her. Alex may not seem like the strongest character, but when you really think about the inner turmoil she went through every day and think about the fact that she chose not to leave the school, you realize that she is pretty tough. I don't know if I could have gone through what she went through. If her character wasn't interesting enough, there are some amazing supporting characters.

The magic in this book for me was not any of the individual characters, but The Mockingbirds- the secret organization that was built to bring justice to the wronged of Themis Academy. I really loved seeing how the group functioned and the power they had over the lives of the students. They didn't abuse this power, but used it so that students they were accusing took them seriously. I give props to Whitney for not going over the top with the wrath of The Mockingbirds. She kept The Mockingbirds's antics realistic making the story believable. I bet it was pretty hard not to go over the top making them into some kind of A-Team or Justice League whose purpose was to protect the Themis student body no matter what the cost.

Part of the reason I think I enjoyed this book so much is that I know people in college who had similar experiences and found the administration to be unhelpful, to say the least, so I loved reading about a group that helped students when the administration failed to take notice. I know that date rape is taken seriously at many schools, but some administrations would rather shame girls into retracting charges then having to report accurate statistics of rapes happening on their campuses. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox.

"The Mockingbirds" is a wonderful story with great characters and an interesting plot. It portrays the shocking truth how great schools can turn a blind eye to the suffering of students to protect the administrations best interests. I would definitely recommend this book, but I would warn that it does deal with disturbing topics. Even though the book could be more in your face, the reader does get a fairly graphic description of the rape. It wasn't violent, but it is still hard to read.

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Teaser Tuesday Feb 1st 2011

2011-02-01T15:10:00.004-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"The Truth About Forever"

by Sarah Dessen

"After I scanned the first two lines, though, it was clear that my self-esteem and general emotional well-being were, to Jason anyway, secondary. After your last email, he wrote, I'm concerned that you're not putting your full attention into the job." (Page 47)

Happy Blogoversary!

2011-01-26T23:59:00.000-05:00

My blog is 2 years old! Yay! I am trying to improve as a blogger each year, so this will be the best one yet! I can't believe it has already been two years. Even though blogging is a lot of work, I LOVE doing it. I hear about so many great books through other bloggers and it is fantastic connecting to people who share my love of books! Thanks to all my followers for supporting me!

Teaser Tuesdays: Jan. 25, 2011

2011-01-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"The Mockingbirds"

by Daisy Whitney

"Knocked Out?" I asked quietly, imagining Boxer Alex slumped won down in the corner of the ring, clinging to the ropes, head hanging low.
"Alex, I think the reason you don't remember having sex with Carter is you were passed out," T.S. says. (Page 41)

No Name-Calling Week 2011

2011-01-24T10:37:00.002-05:00

No Sticks, No Stones. NO DISSING

No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of education activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.

Learn more about the initiative by checking out the website here.

Manga Mondays: Mushishi

2011-01-24T01:31:00.001-05:00

Mushishi Vol. 1
Yuki Urushibara

5

Publisher: Del Rey
Pub. Date: January 30, 2007
Pages: 240

Synopsis: THEY HAVE EXISTED SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME.

Some live in the deep darkness behind your eyelids. Some eat silence. Some thoughtlessly kill. Some simply drive men mad. Shortly after life emerged from the primordial ooze, these deadly creatures, mushi, came into terrifying being. And they still exist and wreak havoc in the world today. Ginko, a young man with a sardonic smile, has the knowledge and skill to save those plagued by mushi . . . perhaps.

I loved this manga. I haven't read a whole lot of manga and most of what I have read has been shojo, so this was very refreshing. The plot about mushi that live in human hosts affecting them in different, many times horrifying, ways is very unique. Even though this isn't going to be as action packed as other manga, the tension builds in a way that keeps our interest peeked. The horrors of the mushi are enhanced by the artwork, I don't know if words would have the same effect in describing the ways that the mushi take control of their hosts. Each encounter with a mushi is different and not all have happy endings. Some mushi are thought of as a blessing while others destroy their human hosts.

If these terrifying creatures aren't enough to pique your interest then maybe the character Ginko will. Ginko is one of the only remaining mushishi, people who know the techniques and tricks to assisting with mushi. He travels around helping people and learning more stories about the mushi. He is pretty quiet, but is very compassionate with the people he helps. It is interesting to see his interactions with the mushi because he seems to respect and possibly admire the creatures. Ginko comes up with some interesting techniques to helping people with their mushi problems.

I really like how the mushi are such mythical beings. All the myths and fables behind them made the world that Yuki Urushibara created feel real. Even though "Mushishi" is overall a very serious manga, it still had heartwarming and hilarious moments. The complexity that the mushi and Ginko bring to the book combined with the haunting artwork creates a wonderful graphic novel. I will definitely be reading more in the series. Both males and females will be able to enjoy "Mushishi".

I first saw Manga Mondays on Alison's blog Alison Can Read.

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On My Chair Jan. 23, 2011

2011-01-24T01:00:00.001-05:00

I hope this video blog is a bit better than the first. I think I at least got the image quality better and hopefully the sound wont be so bad! Let me know if there are still problems and I will do my best to fix it!

Review of "Matched" by Ally Condie

2011-01-23T17:44:00.000-05:00

"Matched"
Ally Condie

6

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Pub. Date: November 30th, 2011
Pages: 366

Synopsis: Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Another amazing book released in 2010! I absolutely LOVED "Matched", it was one of my favorite books released last year. I got almost halfway through the book and stayed up to read the remaining 200 pages because it was so awesome. I love books about dystopian societies and the struggles that characters face as they learn the secrets that their governments try to hide. I like how in "Matched" it is the matching procedures that lead to Cassia's questioning of the rules of the society she lives in. It kind of reminds me of prom, getting all glammed up and eating a nice dinner, hyped up as the biggest event in your teenage life, but for Cassia it leads to huge changes in the way she views her world. There were other events that lead to further questioning, but it definitely became the trigger.

Sometimes in books I feel there is an obvious choice when there are two love interests, but I thought both Xander and Ky were wonderful characters. They are really nice guys and were willing to sacrefice for their relationship with Cassia. It was obvious that both of them truly cared for her and were willing to break rules for her. According to the rules of the society, Cassia is not allowed to be with Ky for reasons that neither character can control, but Xander is officially Cassia's match- the man she is supposed to marry, have kids, and spend the rest of her life with. The choice may seem easy, matched couples are always happy, but Cassia can't help but question her feelings.

I love how Condie gave reasonable explanations for all the questionable acts of The Society. There is a limit on technology because of the disasterous consequences that older generations experienced. Knowledge is limitted because it is less stressful for people to only have to know about the specifics of their field. It makes more sense to have a focused knowledge about a specific field of study than to have to try to know about every subject. The pills that everyone had to carry on them at all times were a great touch, I was DYING to know the function of the red pill.

This book definitely reminded me of "The Giver" and there are a lot of reviews saying that "Matched" is a blatant knock off of it; I can't agree or disagree with this because it has been at least 10 years since I have read "The Giver" and my memory is pretty terrible. What I can say is that even though I remember some of the similarities, I still really enjoyed this book. It felt fast paced and I liked the romance aspect. I didn't really expect it to be super original because the ways that Utopian societies are run generally use the same methods and guidelines to ensure the control through the compliance of the people. Spartan society is a great example of this; the government decided where people lived, what thier jobs could be, and what they ate (thank you boyfriend for being wise and for taking some time away from Call of Duty: Black Ops to discuss Utopian societies with me). I understand why this would bother readers and I can see why there are such mixed reviews of this book. I think it comes down to personal preference. I loved this book so it is hard for me to imagine someone disliking it, but the people who dislike it probably think I am crazy for loving it so much. I think a lot of time the appreciation for a book comes down to what the person needed from the book while reading it. "Matched" gave me exactly what I needed and wanted making it a winner for me.

This was a fantastic beginning to the series. "Crossed", the second bok, is due to come out at the begining of November. It will definitely be hard to wait for the second book in the trilogy, but I'm sure it will be worth it! I think Condie added a lot of great details to her book that can be flushed out more in the next two books. Disney has the movie writes to the series, so it will be intersting to see what comes out of that.

P.S. I loved the use of green throughout the book. I just thought it was a nice touch.

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Review of "Will Grayson, Will Grayson"

2011-01-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

"Will Grayson, Will Grayson"
John Green & David Levithan

5

Pub. Date: April 6, 2010
Pages: 304

Synopsis: One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans.

I have read a couple other books by John Green, so I knew "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" would be a winner. I have to say, the book was better than I imagined, and it ended up being one of my favorite books I read in 2011. I loved the idea of two complete strangers randomly coming across each other on a failed night out. Both Will Graysons need each other, even if they don't know it. I loved how different each Will Grayson was; they each had unique voices due to having two authors with unique writing styles. If the Will Graysons weren't enough, flamboyant Tiny will capture your heart. Even though the book is about both Will Graysons, Tiny steals the show. At times he may seem like a pretty frustrating friend, everything he does is meant with the best intentions for Will Grayson.

"Will Grayson, Will Grayson" is hilarious, heart-warming, and heart breaking all at the same time. I love how this book can balance the ridiculous of Tiny's life story told through a musical with the difficult story of growing up gay and an honest look at the ups and downs of true friendship. This book may not be for all readers, due to its intimate look at gay relationships, this may make some readers uncomfortable. It also does contain mature language and there is a scene in a porn store, but this does not mean the book is crude or filth; it is honest without being ashamed to show its true colors.

My favorite part of the entire book is the end. It is kind of ridiculous, kind of cheesy, but also wonderfully, fantastically heartwarming. If some people were to read only parts of this book and sneer at it due to some content, they would miss the amazing story behind it all. After reading "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" I will have to read more by both David Levithan and John Green. The only other book I have read by Levithan is "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist", which was awesome as well!

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Teaser Tuesdays

2011-01-18T16:54:00.006-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Matched"

by Ally Condie

"Such specialization keeps people from becoming overwhelmed. We don't need to understand everything." (Page 31)

Excerpt from Sarah Dessen's New Book "What Happened to Goodbye"

2011-01-17T15:29:00.003-05:00

I am sure you have heard this by now, but Sarah Dessen posted the first chapter of her new book "What Happened to Goodbye" online a couple days ago. The book comes out in May and I CAN'T WAIT! I think I have to skip reading the first chapter because I will probably die from anticipation for this book. I love Sarah Dessen, once I start reading a book I can't stop. Her writing is my drug of choice.

Sorry I went on a bit of a rant! If you are interested in checking out the first chapter, which I am sure more of you are like "shut up and post the link already?!", just click here.
I think I am going to have to read some Sarah Dessen soon... I think I am going through withdrawal!

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-01-17T15:08:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much Cheree Smith of Justified Lunacy for thinking of me for the Stylish Blogger Award! You should definitely check out her blog because she has some great reviews, but also a really interesting post about the "5 Things Writers Don't Want to Hear From Readers".

Here are the rules if you are awarded:

Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
Share 7 things about yourself.
Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

7 Things about myself:

My favorite color is pink.
I am dying to go to Greece and I may even implode if it doesn't happen within the next 3 years!
I started a book in college as part of my creative writing degree but haven't even looked at it in almost 3 years... I should probably get on that.
I love working out because it is a great way to get rid of my pent up frustrations.
I love junk food and would probably be obese if I didn't weigh myself every week.
My favorite holiday is Halloween.
I get overly anxious about stupid things but I push my comfort level purposefully so my anxiety doesn't control my life.

15 Great bloggers to pass this onto:

Now I shall contact all these great bloggers and let them know they wont the award. I found some new and great blogs because of this contest!

On My Chair Jan. 16 2011

2011-01-16T01:20:00.005-05:00

Here are the books I am currently reading, books I have bought, borrowed or have been sent to me, and books I am planning on starting this week (this post was inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox). I am very excited about these books that I received for Christmas!

This is my first video blog! I actually made it a week ago, but I had so much trouble editting and converting the file that this is the first time I figured it out enough to post it. I actually did finish "Across the Universe" and it was awesome. You can check out my review here. I am sorry if the picture and audio quality are terrible, but it just took so long to figure out that I kind of give up. Hopefully I will have better luck with the next video.