The Comeback by Marlene Perez

Sophie Donnelly is one half of the most popular and powerful couple in school, until new girl Angie Vogel shows up and compromises everything. Angie steals Sophie's starring role in the school play, and, worse, her super-popular boyfriend. Sophie has been quickly dispatched to social Siberia, but not for long--she'll do anything it takes to make a triumphant comeback.

This novel was predictable, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes we all need a little predictable in our lives. From the first few pages the entire plot was laid and I knew exactly what was going to happen. Plot twists? There weren't really any. So it was difficult to get through solely because I knew what was going to happen in the end. The writing was simplistic (except for a few choice SAT words that were, however, labeled as SAT words) and sometimes things that happened seemed a tad unrealistic.

Things I like about this novel: I liked finding similarities between Bianca from Taming of the Shrew and Sophie (and was also relieved in her Shakespeare re-telling choice instead of, let's say, Hamlet. Of which I have many words for). I liked how Sophie went through a lot of important changes, one of her many deciding that how she affects others is more important than popularity.

Indulging in my inner catty self was so much fun. Reading about all the things Sophie did that I was too meek to do in high school was fun, too. This novel took me to a different place where I could focus on the character's dilemmas and laugh and be smitten while forgetting about my own everyday ordeals.

Overall, this novel is a good, light read. Not so much for intellectual pondering but it was enjoyable. I wished the scenes with Dev and Sophie weren't rushed and the scenes with Sophie's evil plotting fewer. It was cute, funny, and so totally high school.

Rating: 3.0

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday

Summary from barnesandnoble.com:

Destiny Faraday makes a point of keeping her distance from her classmates at Hedgebrook Academy. Her number one rule: Don't get attached. But one day, unexpectedly finding a car at their disposal, Destiny and three of her classmates embark on an unauthorized road trip.

They're searching for one fair day...a day where the good guy wins and everything adds up to something just and right. Their destination: Langdon, a town that Destiny's unsuspecting companions simply hope will hold a day of fun. But, as Destiny says, Things are not always what they seem. Only she knows it holds far more than that...a deep secret she has never shared with anyone.

Why I want this book: I love, love, love The Adoration of Jenna Fox and I love Mary Pearson's writing. The plot sounds so interesting and it seems like it'll be a book that will make me think. And sometimes they're the best kind of books. Looking for Alaska and Jellicoe Road, books that you can't get out of your head for days because they're filled with so much stuff to think about, are my favorite. So I'm really excited to get this one!

Happy Reading!

Contest Monday!

So in anticipation of 50 followers (I have 48) I'm going to be holding a Contest for two ARCs: The Comeback by Marlene Perez and Second Skin by Jessica Wollman. However, if I don't get 50 followers by August 2nd then the contest is null and void!



Here's how to enter:

+1 leave a comment telling me your favorite movie and why it's your favorite
+1 for following
+2 for already following
+2 for posting about this (sidebar, twitter, etc...)
+2 for adding me to your blogroll

The contest ends on August 2nd

Good luck!

Happy Reading!

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother’s coffee shop, she decides to leave him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over. Little does she know that this random act of kindness is about to turn her life upside down. Because this adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is really a guardian angel on a break between missions. And he won’t leave until he can reward Katrina’s selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Now if only she could decide what that might be . . .

Have you ever read a book that once you're finished you loved it so much that you couldn't express it in words? Well, that's how I feel right now. And, believe or not, I hate coffee. But I couldn't get enough of this novel! Ir was as sweet as drinking liquid sugar.

Katrina was very real for me. I understand trying to find your talent, your "thing", and seeing everyone else around you find it so easily. I also loved Katrina and Vincent's friendship. It explored some really tough issues that guy and girl friends have to face that most authors would try to overcome by making the two characters fall in love. But Selfors really thought about the trials and triumphs of a guy-girl friendship.

And Malcolm. How could you not love him? He was funny (I LOVED that he wore a kilt, and that everyone called it a skirt) and caring, and human. Even an angel has flaws and Malcom's were so very human and I loved that. I also appreciated that the novel wasn't based around Katrina's love life. There was real depth to this novel. There were plot twists that I absolutely didn't see coming but made the story so much more enjoyable!

If I liked coffee, this would be that comforting cup I had every morning when I woke up. This novel is a perfect feel-good story that I'm definitely going to re-read on a snowy evening curled up with a blanket. This novel was written and told beautifully and it makes me want to find an angel of my own.

Rating: 4.5

Happy Reading!

In My Mailbox (4)

Hey guys! So, as always, In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren!

I had a really good week! Here's what I got:

For Review:

Second Skin by Jessica Wollman

Beauty is only skin deep. Popularity goes much deeper. . . .

Appearances can be deceiving. Sam Klein’s found that out firsthand. All she wanted was to be popular. But sometimes what we want is the absolute worst thing for us.

Sam discovers that Kylie, It-girl of Woodlawn High, owes her popular status not to her expensive clothes, highlighted hair, and spot on the cheerleading squad but to a magical second skin. Nobody can actually see it—but they can feel it. And if you’re wearing the skin, you feel incredible. Invincible. Popularity is yours.

So Sam stole the skin from Kylie. Now she’s the most popular girl at school, while Kylie’s social life takes a serious hit. Sam can barely recognize herself. Her old geek clique is history—but are her new friends really people she can count on? The skin is clinging tighter to her each day . . . can Sam get it off before it’s too late?

You can see my review here!

The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill S. Alexander

Almost-15-year-old Austin Gray is tired of standing at the curb and watching the parade pass her by. Literally. She decides this is the year she’ll ride on the hood of a shiny pickup truck in the annual parade, waving to the crowd and finally showing the town bully that she’s got what it takes to be the Sweetheart of Prosper County.

But far from simply being a beauty contest, becoming Sweetheart involves participation in the Future Farmers of America (FFA), raising an animal, and hunting or fishing. Austin will do almost anything to become Sweetheart, and has the support of her oldest friend, Maribel, her new FFA friends (including the reigning Sweetheart, and a quiet, cute cowboy), an evangelical Elvis impersonator, a mysterious Cajun outcast, and a rooster named Charles Dickens. If only her momma would stop overprotecting her, and start letting Austin live her own life. But Austin can’t move on until Momma moves on, too—and lets the grief of losing Austin’s daddy several years before out into the open.

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce

Ever since Viola's boyfriend broke up with her, she has spent her days silently wishing—to have someone love her again and, more importantly, to belong again—until one day she inadvertently summons a young genie out of his world and into her own. He will remain until she makes three wishes.

Jinn is anxious to return home, but Viola is terrified of wishing, afraid she will not wish for the right thing, the thing that will make her truly happy. As the two spend time together, the lines between master and servant begin to blur, and soon Jinn can't deny that he's falling for Viola. But it's only after Viola makes her first wish that she realizes she's in love with Jinn as well . . . and that if she wishes twice more, he will disappear from her life—and her world—forever.

Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley

Sometimes a good-bye is just the beginning…

When Emily Carson’s parents die in a plane crash, she’s left with nothing but her mother’s last words scrawled in lipstick on a tray table: “Emily, please forgive me.”

Now it’s fall and Emily moves to New York City— where she attracts the attention of two very different boys: the cute, popular Owen, and her quirky chemistry partner, Anthony. With the help of some surprising new friends, Emily must choose between the boy who helps her forget and the one who encourages her to remember, and ultimately heal.

Debut author Jennifer Jabaley has written a wonderful, feel-good romantic comedy with real emotional depth. Full of lovably wacky characters, Lipstick Apology is a heartwarming story about the true meaning of forgiveness.

The Comeback by Marlene Perez

Sophie Donnelly is one half of the most popular and powerful couple in school, until new girl Angie Vogel shows up and compromises everything. Angie steals Sophie's starring role in the school play, and, worse, her super-popular boyfriend. Sophie has been quickly dispatched to social Siberia, but not for long--she'll do anything it takes to make a triumphant comeback.




Bought:
Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother’s coffee shop, she decides to leave him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over. Little does she know that this random act of kindness is about to turn her life upside down. Because this adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is really a guardian angel on a break between missions. And he won’t leave until he can reward Katrina’s selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Now if only she could decide what that might be . . .

I am LOVING this book! I hope to finish it today and have a review up!

Swapping:

The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Life is looking up for D. J. Schwenk, star of Dairy Queen. She’s made it to eleventh grade, she’s reconnecting with her best friend, and she’s got a thing going with Brian Nelson. But best of all, she’s playing for the Red Bend High School football team—as the first female linebacker in northern Wisconsin.
But then the season goes suddenly, horribly wrong: her brother Win is put into the hospital after getting a devastating injury during a game. Once again, D.J. is forced to step up and be there for her family. It’s a heavy burden, even for D.J.’s strong shoulders. She’ll have to dig deeper than she’s ever had to before.

I'm really excited for this one because I loved Dairy Queen so much!!

Airhead by Meg Cabot

EM WATTS IS GONE.

Emerson Watts didn't even want to go to the new SoHo Stark Megastore grand opening. But someone needed to look out for her sister, Frida, whose crush, British heartthrob Gabriel Luna, would be singing and signing autographs there-along with the newly appointed Face of Stark, teen supermodel sensation Nikki Howard.

How was Em to know that disaster would strike, changing her-and life as she'd known it-forever? One bizarre accident later, and Em Watts, always the tomboy, never the party princess, is no longer herself. Literally.

Now getting her best friend, Christopher, to notice that she's actually a girl is the least of Em's problems.

But what Em's pretty sure she'll never be able to accept might just turn out to be the one thing that's going to make her dream come true . . . .

NIKKI HOWARD IS HERE TO STAY.


Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

After staking out, obtaining, and then being forced to give up her first boyfriend, Josh, all Cammie Morgan wants is a peaceful semester. But that's easier said than done when you're a CIA legacy and go to the premier school in the world...for spies.

Cammie may have a genius IQ , but there are still a lot of things she doesn't know. Like, will her ex-boyfriend even remember she exists? And how much trouble is she really in after what happened last semester? And most of all, why is her mother acting so strangely?

Despite Cammie's best intentions to be a normal student, danger seems to follow her. She and her best friends learn that their school is going to play host to some mysterious guests--code name: "Blackthorne. Then she's blamed for a security breach that leaves the school's top-secret status at risk.

Soon Cammie and her friends are crawling through walls and surveilling the school to learn the truth about Blackthorne and clear Cammie's name. Even though they have confidence in their spy skills, this time the targets are tougher (and hotter), and the stakes for Cammie's heart--and her beloved school--are higher than ever.

Other books I swapped:
The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
Pretty Little Liars and Flawless by Sara Sheppard

Library Sale:

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.

A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants - from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys - except for Claire's rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire's quiet life is turned upside down - along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy - if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom - or with each other.

Happy Reading!!!

Diversity Challenge

So how many of us stop to think about what books we're reading? Who they're are about and what race/ethnicity the characters are. What do they believe in? Even where the book is located. Is it ever outside of America? I know when I'm outside of school I don't consider these things perhaps as much as I should.

Well, as I was catching up on my blog reading today I found a Diversity Challenge that was started here.

So far these are the books I'm going to read:

1. Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
2. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

I'll update this list whenever I add more!

I hope you guys really consider this challenge!

Happy Reading!

P.S. Color Online is having a Summer Madness Giveaway (with some great ideas on books you can read for your own diversity challenge list and a great opportunity to win some!)

A Really Awesome Blog and Contest!

Have you been over to Mrs. Magoo Reads? (isn't that a cool name?) Well if you haven't, get over there now and become a follower! The really awesome book review blog is holding a contest to win NINE (count 'em NINE) books! You can enter the contest here! Good luck!

Happy Reading!

Second Skin by Jessica Wollman

Beauty is only skin deep. Popularity goes much deeper. . .

Appearances can be deceiving. Sam Klein’s found that out firsthand. All she wanted was to be popular. But sometimes what we want is the absolute worst thing for us.

Sam discovers that Kylie, It-girl of Woodlawn High, owes her popular status not to her expensive clothes, highlighted hair, and spot on the cheerleading squad but to a magical second skin. Nobody can actually see it—but they can feel it. And if you’re wearing the skin, you feel incredible. Invincible. Popularity is yours.

So Sam stole the skin from Kylie. Now she’s the most popular girl at school, while Kylie’s social life takes a serious hit. Sam can barely recognize herself. Her old geek clique is history—but are her new friends really people she can count on? The skin is clinging tighter to her each day . . . can Sam get it off before it’s too late?

Second Skin came with a great message. As Sam becomes more popular her schedule begins to fill (her priorities begin to change) and she doesn't have time for the things she used to consider important in her life. Like her adorably geeky guy friend Alex, overly opinionated, star chef, best friend Gwen, and obsessedly activist parents. Sam learns some really valuable lessons and being yourself through her popularity.

This novel was hilarious. I found Sam's voice quirky and real. With quotes like "I reasoned, thinking that my chances of becoming popular would be even more diminished if I was chopped up and living in Kylie's freezer" I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I really enjoyed the sense of humor in the novel!

The writing was simple in to the point but in no way did that take away from the story. At times I felt like the novel was a "How-to" guide to being popular but I think that's how the author intended it to be. If I had one complaint about the book it's that Sam seemed to stumble upon her popularity so quickly (which, again, were probably effects of The Skin) and I really wanted to see Alex and Sam's relationship blossom more (but the scenes they were together were extremely memorable and sweet).

This was a quick and easy read which had me up all night finishing (I read it in one night!). There was equal parts humor and sincerity, life lessons and love (mixed with a little geometry and astronomy). If you like to see the ugly side of being popular, this is the story for you! Also, if you want to read about a cast of unlikely but sweet and real characters and how they figure out who they are (with the help from each other), pick this one up right away! You won't be disappointed!

Rating: 4.0

The Sweetheart of Prosper County on Facebook!

So I received this lovely book in the mail today, The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill S. Alexander, which I'm SO excited to read!

Here's a description from Amazon:

Almost-15-year-old Austin Gray is tired of standing at the curb and watching the parade pass her by. Literally. She decides this is the year she’ll ride on the hood of a shiny pickup truck in the annual parade, waving to the crowd and finally showing the town bully that she’s got what it takes to be the Sweetheart of Prosper County. But far from simply being a beauty contest, becoming Sweetheart involves participation in the Future Farmers of America (FFA), raising an animal, and hunting or fishing. Austin will do almost anything to become Sweetheart, and has the support of her oldest friend, Maribel, her new FFA friends (including the reigning Sweetheart, and a quiet, cute cowboy), an evangelical Elvis impersonator, a mysterious Cajun outcast, and a rooster named Charles Dickens. If only her momma would stop overprotecting her, and start letting Austin live her own life. But Austin can’t move on until Momma moves on, too—and lets the grief of losing Austin’s daddy several years before out into the open.

What's even cooler is that I just found out there's a Facebook page dedicated to the book which you should definitely check out here! There's even a contest for the most beautiful chicken photo (I wish I had a chicken because I'd definitely enter! Maybe I'll find one and bring my camera along...)

I hope you guys go and check out the book and Facebook page! I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wendesday

Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri


One night, in cities all across Europe, five children vanish — only to appear, years later, at an exclusive New York party with a strange and elegant governess. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust teenagers to the city’s most prestigious high school, where they soar to suspicious heights with the help of their benefactor’s extraordinary "gifts." But as the students claw their way up — reading minds, erasing scenes, stopping time, stealing power, seducing with artificial beauty — they start to suffer the sideeffects of their own addictions. And as they make further deals with the devil, they uncover secrets more shocking than their most unforgivable sins. At once chilling and wickedly satirical, this contemporary reimagining of the Faustian bargain is a compelling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption.

This book looks so amazing!! And the cover is gorgeous! It's almost intimidating the way they're all looking at you.

And it comes out on my birthday (August 25th) so that's exciting!

What are you waiting on?

Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday!

Here's another Teaser for your Tuesday!! As always, it's hosted by Should Be Reading

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!

"This was definitely going to be a problem. Since I had no idea what sort of time restrictions, if any, applied to removing the Skin, I'd decided to sleep in it. This morning I'd taken it off to shower, since I'd seen Kylie do the same."
pg. 97

-Second Skin by Jessica Wollman

Enjoy!

The Season by Sarah MacLean

Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued -- in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.

When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!

Judging this book by it's cover I thought it would be a lot like Gossip Girl set in Regency England but as I got only a few pages into it I realized this was a novel that held it's own. There was just enough history in the book without being overwhelming period based and I loved looking up the different dress styles on google to see what they looked like! Clearly, MacLean had a great understanding of Regency England and wove it into the story flawlessly.

The book was written brilliantly, as well. Pages and pages flew past me while I was reading. I was completely drawn into the tale. MacLean adopted some of the writing characteristics and the sayings of the time period she was writing in which made her writing pop! I can't express enough how well written this book is!

The love story between Gavin and Alex was heartfelt. I found myself giggling when Alex did during their encounters and feeling my heart melt at their realistic and romantic love for each other. I was completely envious of Alex! I also adored the friendship of Alex, Vivi, and Ella and really appreciated how each character had their own vivid personality!

Lastly, as if all of that wasn't enough to rush to the library to pick up a copy to read, this novel was filled with adventure and intrigue! Also, completely well woven into the tale. Who doesn't love a good romantice and adventure story? This novel had me gushing and biting my nails at the same time! I adored it!

Rating: 5.0 (Definitely pick this one up!)

Happy Reading!

And the Winner is...

ALLISON from Read Into This! (And she just gave me an award, how crazy is that?) I used Random.org which is a random number generator and MUCH easier than, let's say, cutting up tiny snippets of paper...which I definitely did last time. Oye.

So Congrats to Allison for winning Evermore, The Vampire Diaries, and Skin Hunger! I'll email you tomorrow!

And, like I promised, a comprised (promised and comprised are like, the same word) list of all the random facts you gave me!

1. The band Rise Against are animal rights activists, and vegetarians!
2. Percy Jackson is being turned into a movie!
3. 6,000 left-handed people are killed each year by improperly using products made for right-handed people (this is nuts!)
4. The option rights for Evermore were bought to potentially make a movie!
5. Children grow faster in the springtime
6. Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour (this is not going to be part of my workout)
7. Cinderella's slippers were originally made out of fur. The story was changed in the 1600s by a translator
8. Frank Baum named "Oz" after a file cabinet in his office. One cabinet was labeled "A to N," and the second was labeled "O to Z."
9. Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing
10. Mosquito's are attracted to the color blue twice as much as to any other color
11. On average people fear spiders more than death
12. Earthworms have 6 hearts!
13. Redheads have a higher tolerance to anesthesia (Ooo that means me!)
14. Carrie Ryan's book, 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth' is being made into a movie
15. The only nation whose name begins with an "A", but doesn't end in an "A" is Afghanistan
16. Both Abe Lincoln and Leonardo Da Vinci may have been gay
17. The Tahj Mahal was built for a woman after she died in childbirth
18. Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy and Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln
19. Radar is a palindrome
20. There are more germs in the human mouth than in the anus (ewww)
21. Tiger Woods is the highest paid athlete. He makes around $80 million per year (or $219,000 per day)
22. A baby eel is called an elver, a baby oyster is called a spat
23. There are more fatal car accidents in July than any other month
24. Fun Fact - there are over 2000 types of cheese
25. New York City residents use about 1500 million gallons of water a day
26. Every second, Americans collectively eat one hundred pounds of chocolate (yuck, I hate chocolate!)
27. In your lifetime, you'll shed over 40 pounds of skin
28. When Nirvana released the hit song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" sales of Teen Spirit deodorant rose dramatically (HAHA!)
29. Megan Fox has a clubbed thumb
30. There are approximately 8 insect legs in your average chocolate (I suppose it's good I don't eat it, then. Watch out people...)
31. The average dream lasts only 3 seconds
32. Kristen is getting married in October and just got a job as an elementary school librarian! Congrats, Kristen!!
33. Millard Fillmore, the 13th President, was the first President to have a stepmother
34. If all the Coca-Cola vending machines in the U.S. were stacked one on top of each other, the pile would be over 450 miles high
35. The Antarctic Ice Sheet is almost twice the size of the United States
36. The environmentalist President Teddy Roosevelt barred the Christmas Tree from being displayed in the White House
37. The book - Julie & Julia by Julie Powell is being turned into a movie and will be out sometime in AUGUST 2009 (I am totally going to see it. Love Amy Adams!)
38. If you dropped an aerodynamic object (such as a bullet) from the Empire State Building, you could kill someone!
39. California has issued at least 6 drivers licenses to people named Jesus Christ!
40. In the course of an average lifetime, while sleeping you might eat around 70 assorted insects and 10 spiders, or more
41. Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy
42. Average Lifespan of a major league baseball is 7 pitches
43. Miley Cyrus is going to play Laurel in the Wings movie
44. 11 million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sold the first day, making it the fastest selling book of all time
45. According to one study, a toilet has 49 germs per square inch, a desktop has 20,961
46. The name originally considered for the TV show Friends was "Insomniac Cafe"

Yay! And not one of them was the same!

Well, that was fun! Thanks for making the contest process for me that much more enjoyable!!

Happy Reading!

Win The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

So, I'm having another contest (one day before the Evermore contest ends-which in case you didn't know is tomorrow!!)

You can win a hardcover copy of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart


if you answer this question (in comment form, of course):

What is the one thing you wish you would have done in school but you didn't? Put tacks on a teacher's chair? Toilet paper the school?

I can't wait to hear your answers! (I'm feeling slightly malicious, if you couldn't tell!)

+1 if you follow me
+2 if you're already following me
+2 if you post about this somewhere
+3 if you add me to your blogroll

Contest ends July 31st!

Good luck!

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox was started by the lovely Story Siren in which we show everyone the contents of our mailboxes/what we bought/got from the library!

For Review:
Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe

Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over “breathers.” Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody…and Cass loves dirt. She’s on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.

But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass’s whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.

As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim’s life, she’s surprised to realize he’s not so bad—and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance….

Very excited about that one!!

From the Library:

In The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

You can see the book trailer here!





From swapping:

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Her dad's got the mentality of a Teletubby (only not so developed). Her cat, Angus, is trying to eat the poodle next door. And her best friend thinks she looks like an alien-just because she accidentally shaved off her eyebrows. Ergghhhlack. Still, add a little boy-stalking, teacher-baiting, and full-frontal snogging with a Sex God, and Georgia's first year just might turn out to be the most fabbity fab fab ever!



Bras and Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski

Rachel can't believe it. Her younger sister, Miri, is a witch! How come Miri inherited the supernatural skills that could have turned Rachel into a teenage superstar?
Just as Rachel suspects, magical powers are wasted on the young. Miri refuses to use them for Rachel's benefit. And Rachel is desperate! Not only does she need to learn some serious dance moves, she's got to win her best friend, stop her father's wedding, and snag a cute guy's heart.
Maybe Rachel will discover she's got magicalpowersof her own. Or maybe, just maybe, she can find a way to change Miri's mind.

The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder-much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explaina murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.
Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon.
But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary auddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

That night in my bedroom, I took out my sophomore yearbook for the first time since I'd been back to school. I had originally been intending to look through it for inspiration for my photography project proposal, which was due the next day. Instead, I found myself turning to my class picture.
There she was with her light gray hair and her dark gray lips upturned into a impenetrable grin. I wished that she could talk and tell me everything she had ever felt or thought or seen.
"What were you like" I asked her."Were you happy? Or were you smiling because they told you to?"


Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson


Seventeen-year-old Kaitlin Malone was born to hate the Crutchfields. The hatred her family has harbored for generations is the one thing she can count on--and the very thing she believes will sustain her now that her father has been imprisoned for murdering Robert Crutchfield. But then Kaitlin stumbles on a rare opportunity to walk in the "enemies' shoes" and what she discovers rocks the foundation of her entire world.



So I had a pretty good week, I think. What did you all get?

Happy Reading!

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

All her world’s a stage.

Bertie Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.

She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents.

She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own.

That is, until now.

Enter Stage Right

NATE. Dashing pirate. Will do anything to protect Bertie.

COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARD SEED, and PEASEBLOSSOM. Four tiny and incredibly annoying fairies. BERTIE’S sidekicks.

ARIEL. Seductive air spirit and Bertie’s weakness. The symbol of impending doom.

BERTIE. Our heroine.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

Eyes Like Stars was enchanting, to say the least. This cast of colorful characters were absolutely hilarious. Mantchev managed to bring such an original twist to characters created so, so long ago. The Hamlet we know and love is still sulking but he's late to rehearsals, smokes, and call Ophelia crazy. He's a riot! Ophelia is a misunderstood character we get to know better. And the fairies literally made me laugh out loud!

Plus, there are new characters who are just as brilliant! I loved how rebellious Bertie was, and I love how she was named after Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing because she totally stands her own and could even teach that Beatrice a thing...or twelve. She was the type of heroine you root for 100 percent!

I loved the idea of the Theatre Illuminata! It was so creative an imaginative. I even learned a few things about theater lingo. I can't even express how original this book is! The language was superb, switching from modern sayings to pre-modern sayings with a bunch of pirate talk in between! Mantchev's writing was flawless, I kept wanting to read more (even if I had to, say, sleep!).

This was a fabulous debut that you do NOT want to miss!

Rating: 4.5

Happy Reading!

My First Award!

I'm so excited the lovely Allison over at Read Into This! gave me the "Let's Be Friends" Award (and we are so totally friends!).

"Let's Be Friends Award"

Blogs that receive the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and befriends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers.

I'm going to pass it on to:

1. Jessica at Shut Up! I'm Reading.
2. Katie's Book Blog
3. cupcake witch
4. Lisette at T.V. and Book Addict
5. Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm
6. So Many Books, So Little Time
7. The Book Explorer
8. Everything To Do With Books

Yay! I'm squirming with glee!

By the way, I LOVED Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I thought it was the best movie yet. So good. I might have to pay 10 dollars to see it again.

Happy Reading!

Movies, movies, movies...

There are so many YA novels being optioned for movies right now. Why? Maybe it's the success of the Harry Potter films or the Twilight film. But was that success because of the movies themselves or because there were so many fans of the novels we just had to see how it would translate into film? I definitely think the latter. So how will movies like The Forest of Hands and Teeth do?



Allegedly, Kristen Stewart is supposed to star. Really? Why? Give some other young (and talented) young actresses a chance.

Also, Miley Cyrus is rumored to star in an adaptation of Aprilynne Pike's novel Wings.



It's been optioned by Disney. Which, I mean, is a pretty big thing. You can read about it here. Now, I like Hannah Montana, I do. She's hilarious. I watch her on T.V., I bop my head to her music. But I'm not sure if I'd like Miley Cyrus and anything bu Hannah Montana. But I suppose that's what she feels too and is why she's trying to get herself away from that image. I'm not doubting her yet.

I'm not sure how I feel about all these books/comic books turning into movies. It's like, there are no original movies to make anymore.

They just released a teaser trailer for The Lightning Thief (Olympus looks PRETTY cool, I must say).



When will we tire of all this? And do you think this prompts kids not to read? Rather, "I'll wait until the movie comes out"?

Another two books that will be getting some air time are Beastly by Alex Flinn (being made into a film, starring Vanessa Hudgens) and The Vampire Diaries (a T.V. series).



That's a lot of YA movie news going on, I must say. And I know I'm missing some!

At least all this buzz is making me want to read the books before the movie hit theaters!!

Happy Reading!

And the Winner is..........

Jessica Secret from Shut Up! I'm Reading!!!!!!!!

Congratulations!!! She just won the contest for Graceling, What I Saw and How I Lied, and Under the Rose!!!

You can still enter to win Evermore, The Vampire Diaries, and Skin Hunger until July 20th!

Thanks to all who entered!!

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday AND Harry Potter!!!!!

So here's a book I'm DYING to get my hands on:

Description from Amazon:

When Holly loses her virginity to Paul, a guy she barely knows, she assumes their encounter is a one-night stand. After all, Paul is too popular to even be speaking to Holly...and he happens to have a long-term girlfriend, Saskia. But ever since Holly's mom died six months ago, Holly has been numb to the world, and she's getting desperate to feel something, anything--so when Paul keeps pursuing her, Holly relents. Paul's kisses are a welcome diversion...and it's nice to feel like the kind of girl that a guy like Paul would choose.

But things aren't so simple with Saskia around. Paul's real girlfriend is willowy and perfect... and nothing like Holly. To make matters worse, she and Holly are becoming friends. Suddenly the consequences of Holly's choices are all too real, and Holly stands to lose more than she ever realized she had.

This book really just appeals to me. Maybe it's because I've had a similar experience (not quite the same, though...) I don't know, but I'm so anxious to read it. And I ADORE the cover! I love the simplicity, the orange, and the text! Triple whammy!

But there's an equally if not more important matter on today's stage...

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE MOVIE RELEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you all going to be standing in line today? I am STOKED!

Woohoo! And as the character grow up, their cuteness factor also rises, which, doesn't suck :)

Here's the trailer:



Gives me goosebumps!!

When you see it, leave a comment, I'd love to see what you thought of it!!

Happy Reading/Viewing!!

Teaser Tuesday!

Guess what today is? Teaser Tuesday (hosted by Should Be Reading)

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!

Here's mine:

How do you get someone banished accidentally?
"What happened? I ask, but he doesn't answer. "She said you testified at Mount Olympus and-"
"Drop it."

pg. 158 from Oh.My.Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs

Enjoy!

Pure by Terra Elan McVoy

Tabitha and her four best friends all wear purity rings, symbols of the virginity-until-marriage pledge they made years ago. Now Tab is fifteen, and her ring has come to mean so much more. It's a symbol of who she is and what she believes — a reminder of her promises to herself, and her bond to her friends.But when Tab meets a boy whose kisses make her knees go weak, everything suddenly seems a lot more complicated. Tab's best friend, Morgan, is far from supportive, and for the first time, Tabitha is forced to keep secrets from the one person with whom she's always shared everything. When one of those secrets breaks to the surface, Tab finds herself at the center of an unthinkable betrayal that splits her friends apart. As Tab's entire world comes crashing down around her, she's forced to re-examine her friendships, her faith, and what exactly it means to be pure.


Sometimes you read a book that when you're finished you feel lonely. Lonely because your journey of getting to know those characters is over. This is how I felt when finishing Pure. I loved getting to know Tabitha. I loved seeing her relationship with Cara, Morgan, and Jake develop and grow and find new plains of friendship. I wish I could know what happens to everyone. Like, keeps tabs on their lives, haha!

I love how controversial this novel is. Controversial nowadays almost means rebellious and unconventional. But I think Pure is controversial because it is so conventional. Purity rings, church, and perfect families. Sometimes people are afraid of morals and what the effect of other peoples' morals will have on them.

This novel was brilliant. It was educational but not preachy. The relationship Tabitha had with Morgan was so real and I'm very glad it ended the way it did. This novel shows us that not all things are cut and dry.

The one other thing I enjoyed was something the author didn't do. I'm glad Cara didn't get pregnant in this novel. So many novels about pre-marital sex focus on the consequences of the body but not many focus on what happens to the people around and Pure did just that.

Rating: 4.5

This novel in a lot of ways reminded me of Saved! (Which is hilarious, so you should rent it!) But, again, the main character gets pregnant.
Here's the trailer (Mandy Moore is the more vindictive version of Morgan, but her conviction is what parallels the two. Plus, Mandy Moore is so funny in this movie!)

And here's the poem, Desiderata, that's mentioned in the book. I really think it's worth reading (it's not very long). My favorite line is "with all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world".

Now doesn't that just put the icing on the cupcake? :)

Happy Reading!

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox was started by the awesome Story Siren! So Here's all the books I got this week (aka A LOT!).

For Review:



Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There's just one catch: Lisette is a ghost. A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle. As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend - and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey-she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

**So excited to read this one! Isn't the cover gorgeous?

Bought (I bought soooo many books!):

Generation Dead by Daniel Walters

Phoebe Kendall is just your typical Goth girl with a crush. He's strong and silent...and dead.

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. But when they come back to life, they are no longer the same. Feared and misunderstood, they are doing their best to blend into a society that doesn't want them.

The administration at Oakvale High attempts to be more welcoming of the "differently biotic." But the students don't want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn't breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the "living impaired" from the people who want them to disappear--for good.

When Phoebe falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids, no one can believe it; not her best friend, Margi, and especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has feelings for Phoebe that run much deeper than just friendship; he would do anything for her. But what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she's dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal.

If you thought high school was a matter of life or death, wait till you see just how true that is. In this satirical, yet heartfelt novel, Hurley explores the invisibility we all feel at some times and the lengths we'll go to be seen.





Along for the Ride by Sara Dessen

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

Other bought books:

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Blue Moon by Alyson Noel

Gingerbread, Shrimp, and Cupcake by Rachel Cohn

From Paperback Swap:

Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Mates, Dates, Simply Fabulous by Cathy Hopkins

Shadowland and Haunted by Meg Cabot

Traded:

Oh.My.Gods. by Terra Lynn Childs

From the Library:

Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

I'd Tell You I Love, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Ebooks:

Pure by Terra Elan McVoy

Demon Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Whew. See? A lot of books! Now I have to get to reading! A review of Pure will be up later today!

Lipstick Apology Book Trailer

Hey guys!

The Compulsive Reader just put up the book trailer for Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley, check it out:



Doesn't it look so, so, so good? I cannot wait until I get to read it!!

Happy Reading!

Poetry Saturday

So since I have yet to finish either of the two books I'm reading (I have no idea why it's taking me so long and I have a party to go to today so I can't read then grrr...) I decided to share a poem that I really like. It's not my favorite (which is A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by John Donne) but it's up there!

Present by Frank O'Hara

The stranded gulch
below Grand Central
the gentle purr of cab tires in snow
and hidden stars
tears on the windshield
torn inexorably away in whining motion
and the dark thoughts which surround neon

in Union Square I see you for a moment
red green yellow searchlights cutting through
falling flakes, head bent to the wind
wet and frowning, melancholy, trying

I know perfectly well where you walk to
and that we'll meet in even greater darkness
later and will be warm.

so our cross
of paths will not be just muddy footprints
in the morning

not like celestial bodies'
yearly passes, nothing pushes us away
from each other

even now I can lean
forward across the square and see
your surprised grey look become greener
as I wipe the city's moisture from
your face

and you shake the snow
off onto my shoulder, light as a breath
where the quarrels and vices of
estranged companions weighed so bitterly
and accidentally

before, I saw you on
the floor of my life walking slowly
that time in summer rain stranger and
nearer

to become a way of feeling
that is not painful casual or diffuse
and seems to explore some peculiar insight
of the heavens for its favorite bodies
in the mixed-up air


I really love the language of this poem. It makes me feel sad and lonely. But isn't that crazy how so few lines can make you feel something so strong? That's why I love poetry so much. Even if I don't understand the poem completely (and I oftentimes don't) I always feel something.

How about you guys? Do you read poetry? Why or why not? What's your favorite poem? I would love, love to know!

P.S I'm on Twitter now-lostinabook88!
P.P.S while I was skimming my book of poetry just now I spotted Hamlet!!! (See earlier post for rant)

Hamlet and Other Things

So this is what I've noticed...in most books about theater (in some way, shape, or form) there is always a re-staging or re-telling of Hamlet. Even in Hamlet there was a re-telling of Hamlet. Why? I get it that it's like this super huge tragedy and that it's really great and everything (personally, I've read it twice) but. but but but. What about Othello? Macbeth? King Lear? In my opinion those plays are equally as amazing. Othello is my all time favorite play. So why always Hamlet? Let's do this mathematically, shall we (hahahahaha)?

What Hamlet offers the audience:
1. Sulking
2. Revenge plots that take way too long
3. A really obnoxious fat guy
4. Crazy girl who drowns herself over a guy (not cool)
5. Admittedly, one of the best monologues in Shakespeare (To be or not to be!)

What (let's say...) Macbeth offers the audience:
1. Witches (very cool)
2. The strongest, craziest lady ever written into the pages of a play (again, of course, my opinion)
3. Murder! Intrigue!
4. Paranoia
5, Superstition

See, Macbeth, is equally if not cooler than Hamlet...so, again I ask, why always Hamlet?

Not that I'm complaining, I love Hamlet I do, I'm simply curious.

Anyway...I don't know what got me so worked up, haha...

what I should be excited about is that I'm reading my first Ebook, Pure by Terra Elan McVoy. I thought I was going to hate it, looking at a computer screen for so long, but I actually don't mind so much. I'm enjoying Pure so the reading experience is being enhanced by me actually liking the book!

What are your guys' thoughts on Ebooks? Do you read them?

Don't forget to enter my contest for Graceling, What I Saw and How I Lied, and Under the Rose which ends in FIVE days!! You can enter here

Also, to win Evermore, The Vampire Diaries, and Skin Hunger enter here. That contest runs until July 20th

I should be back sometime soon to review Eyes Like Stars and Pure!

Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday!

Guess what today is? Teaser Tuesday (hosted by Should Be Reading)

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!

Here's mine this week:

"'It's not anything, really.' Bertie reached for the robe, but her arm wasn't quite long enough."

"Then why are you sitting here naked in the company of a pirate?"

pg.150- Eyes like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Enjoy!