Magic Study

Book: Magic Study by Maria V Snyder

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: October 1, 2006

Summary:

So far, I've managed to survive. You would think after being kidnapped as a child, imprisoned in my teens and released to become a poison taster, I would have endured enough. But no. The discovery of my magical abilities—powers forbidden in Ixia—has resulted in an execution order. My only chance is to flee to Sitia, my long-lost birthplace.

But Sitia is unfamiliar. I'm treated like an enemy—even by my own brother. Plus I can't control my powers. I want to learn about my magic, but there isn't time. A rogue magician has emerged and I'm targeted as his next victim.

Will my magical abilities save me…or be my downfall?

Overall:
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't read the first book, Poison Study, read no further.

Shortly after being banished from Ixia for having magical powers, Yelena flees to Sitia, to return to her home and her familly. After being gone fourteen years and having no memory of her family, she is skeptical about what she may find. When she arrives at the home of the Zaltana clan, her fears were proven right.

The Zaltana clan lives high above the jungle floor, in a city built into the trees. All of the inhabitants look at her with fear; fear that she may be an Ixian spy sent to destroy their home. It turns out that Yelena's own brother is behind the rumors of a spy and they seem to be taking root within the clan.

After spending only a short amount of time with her family, Yelena is summoned to the Citadel to begin her magic training with Irys. On the journey there the first of many attacks occurs. Cahil Ixia, the lost nephew of the former king of Ixia, is out for revenge against the Commander. Thinking that Yelena is a spy for Ixia, he kidnaps her and holds her hostage until reaching the keep. There, Yelena is introduced to the rest of the Master Magicians in a most unpleasant way.

As her time in the Citadel progresses, Yelena makes some new friends, catches up with some old, and makes many more enemies. Will she be able to defeat them all or will her luck finally run out?

Once again I am almost speechless about this book. It was just amazing. I can't believe it took me this long to finally begin this trilogy. Poison Study was great but this book showed so much more of Yelena and really began to give you a clear understanding of how she got where she was in the first book.

You are introduced to some new characters in Magic Study, such as Yelena's family and her new horse, Kiki. For a horse, Kiki is a surprisingly well-developed character. It was actually pretty funny to read about Yelena's conversations with Kiki and the other horses in the book.

My only issue with this book was that you didn't really get a clear background of what went on with the Zaltana family while Yelena was missing. Towards the end things begin to clear up but I would have loved a little more background about the relationships there. Leif, especially, had a very confusing relationship with Yelena in this story that only began to clear up towards the end.

Overall, Maria V Snyder has done it again. The stories just seem to be getting better and better. I cannot say enough good things about this trilogy so if you haven't read it, read it. Then you can form your own opinions and tell me whether you agree with me or not.

Magic Study can be ordered here.

Similar books:
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

In My Mailbox 18

In my mailbox was started by The Story Siren and is a list of what you received in books over the past week either through the mail, library, or a bookstore.

The received:


Summary from Goodreads:
In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace—until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He’s kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths. He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants—the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?



Summary from Goodreads:
A delightful fairytale by a lyrical new voice.
When Lucinda Chapdelaine was a small child, her parents left for the royal ball and never returned. Ever since, Lucinda has been stuck in perpetual servitude at her evil aunt’s jewelry store. Then, on the very same day, a mysterious visitor and an even more bizarre piece of jewelry both enter the shop, setting in motion a string of twists and turns that will forever alter Lucinda’s path. In this magical story filled with delightful surprises, Lucinda will dance at the royal ball, fall under the Amaranth Witch’s spell, avenge her parents’ death, and maybe—just maybe—capture the heart of a prince.


Summary from Goodreads:
Riley Rose, atheist and bad girl, has been tricked into attending Spirit Ranch, a Christian camp. There she meets Dylan Kier, alumni camper and recent paraplegic, who arrives with a chip on his shoulder and a determination to perfect all of his bad habits. United in their personal suffering and in their irritation at their fellow campers, they turn the camp inside out as they question the meaning of belief systems, test their faith in each other, and ultimately settle a debate of the heart.


Summary from Goodreads:
Murder and love—from the halls of Vienna’s imperial family to a perilous gypsy camp.
Amid the glamour of Prince Nicholas Esterhazy’s court in 18th-century Vienna, murder is afoot. Or so fifteen-year-old Theresa Maria is convinced when her musician father turns up dead on Christmas Eve, his valuable violin missing, and the only clue to his death a strange gold pendant around his neck. Then her father’s mentor, the acclaimed composer Franz Joseph Haydn, helps her through a difficult time by making her his copyist and giving her insight in to her father’s secret life. It’s there that Theresa begins to uncover a trail of blackmail and extortion, even as she discovers honor—and the possibility of a first, tentative love. Thrumming with the weeping strains of violins, as well as danger and deception, this is an engrossing tale of murder, romance, and music that readers will find hard to forget.



Summary from Goodreads:
A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn…
Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.


Summary from Goodreads:
Dredging up the past can knock the present right off balance.
The world expects perfection from seventeen-year-old Shawna Gallagher, and for the most part, that’s what they get. She dates the right boys, gets good grades, and follows her father’s every rule. But when her estranged lesbian mother dies, it’s more than perfect Shawna can take. Suddenly, anger from being abandoned ten years ago is resurfacing along with Shawna’s embarrassment over her mother’s other family. As she confronts family secrets and questions from the past, Shawna realizes there’s a difference between doing the perfect thing and doing the right thing.

The bought:
You Are Here by Jennifer E Smith
Sisters In Sanity by Gayle Forman
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Faking 19 by Alyson Noel
Pretty Tough by Liz Tigelaar
Playing With The Boys by Liz Tigelaar
Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

So, once again I received some great books in the mail and hit the used book store for some really good deals. What about everyone else?

Poison Study

Book: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: March 1, 2007

Summary:
Choose: A quick death and hell or slow poison and hell.
About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.
And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.
As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear.

Overall:
Yelena has finally found her escape from the hell she has been in for the past year. Instead of being hung for murder, she is now the food taster for the Commander of Ixia. Some might not think that is the greatest idea but for Yelena it finally gives her the hope that someday she might be free again.

Valek, the Commander's master spy, is in charge of Yelena which means that he is in charge of helping her stay alive. At first, it seems like the only thing threatening Yelena's life are the poisons she is supposed to be checking for but then strange messages begin to show up. At every turn, Yelena's life seems to be threatened by a new person. And at every turn, Yelena seems to be growing closer to the people who are most threatening to her life and her heart.

Maria V. Snyder has created a whole new world in Poison Study. Ixia and Sitia are wonderful countries set in a whole dfiferent time period, with many different characters. There are magicians, spies, warriors, and commoners.

Yelena is a wonderfully developed character who grows more and more throughout the book. Her emotions and characteristics are so deep and visual. Everything that Yelena goes through, the reader goes through. She is just so easy to sypathize with.

Valek is also a fantastic character. As the book begins, you see nothing that you might like about him but as the book progresses, so do Valek's good characteristics. He finally begins to show some emotions and some good traits that show why he is so important to the commander.

The whole story that is Poison Study is just too amazing for words. Poison Study marks the beginning of what promises to be a glorious new trilogy. Maria V Snyder has gone above and beyond in creating wonderful characters and stories that transport you to an alternate world. This trilogy shows promise to be an unforgettable, unputdownable new story.

Poison Study can be ordered here.

Similar books:
Storm Glass by Maria V Snyder
Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Quick Update!

This is just a quick post to say that I will be posting my review for Poison Study tomorrow because I am cramming tonight. I have 5 days left of school and most of my work is due tomorrow so I am trying to make sure I have it all done tonight.

Also, event though I am 17 I hadn't tried for my license until today and guess what? I got it. I was so happy. So, today has been a good day so far but now I have to really get to work and find everything that I need to turn in for school.

Sorry, I don't have anything of substance to post today.

Waiting On Wednesday: Love Is The Higher Law

Book: Love Is The Higher Law by David Levithan

Release Date: August 2009

Summary:
The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to school as everything happens around him.

Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the people close by.

David Levithan has written a novel of loss and grief, but also one of hope and redemption as his characters slowly learn to move forward in their lives, despite being changed forever.

The cover for this is what drew me to the book but it looks amazing. I have only read a couple of David Levithan's books but what I have read, I loved. I have very high hopes for this book and I can't wait for it to be released sometime in August.

Oh and if you have read David Levithan's books, which ones do you recommend?

Teaser Tuesdays

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall to a random page.
* Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* Share the title of the book that you're getting your teaser from... That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!
* Please avoid spoilers!

From page 196 of Poison Study by Maria V Snyder
The shuffle of feet made me whirl around. A black shape rushed me. My knife was yanked from my grasp and pressed against my neck. Fear clenched my throat, suffocating me.

This is my first Maria Snyder book and I am loving it so far. It is such a page-turner, I can't seem to stop reading it. I think I can safely say that I am going to love this trilogy. I can also probably safely say that there should be a review before Friday so if you want to know more about Poison Study, check back then!

Twenty Boy Summer

Book: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: June 1 (already on shelves at certain stores)

Summary:
While on vacation in California, sixteen-year-old best girlfriends Anna and Frankie conspire to find a boy for Anna's first summer romance, but Anna harbors a painful secret that threatens their lighthearted plan and their friendship.

Overall:
Anna and Frankie are best friends and before he died Matt was their other best friend. But Anna and Matt had a secret. They were more than friends.

For a year now Anna has been keeping their secret. Ever since Matt died, Frankie has changed and Anna feels like it would only upset her more to know the truth of their relationship. As the months pass, Anna hides her true feelings and is always there to help Frankie. When Frankie proposes the twenty boy summer, Anna feels obligated to go along.

On the trip to Zanzibar Bay the girls encounter many different boys and new feelings for each: disgust, hope, maybe even love. Will Anna be able to move on from Matt without forgetting the wonderful month they spent together? Will Anna ever have the courage to tell Frankie about what happened with Matt? And will their friendship be able to withstand the twenty boy summer?

Twenty Boy Summer was an absolutely wonderful debut novel. The characters, setting, and plot were fantastic. Sarah Ockler has created a gripping novel about lost love, grief, and moving on.

Anna and Frankie were fabulous characters. They both had very realistic personalities and quirks that came with them. While I wasn't impressed with Frankie at the beginning, her whole character really matures throughout the book and by the end, I loved her just as much as I loved Anna. Anna was definitely my favorite, though. Throughout the whole story, you can practically feel everything that she is going through. From losing her first true love, to finding out that new memories can't erase the old ones, you go through all her emotions and the growth that comes along with each.

While I did love the characters, the setting was the most amazing part of the book.The setting of this book is truly what set it apart from others that I have read. The fantastic descriptions, not only of what is seen of the ocean, but what is felt. I have never been to California or seen the ocean in my life but after reading Sarah Ockler's writing, I could almost feel the sea breeze on my skin and taste the salt water on my lips.

My only complaint about this book was how one's virginity was labeled as an albatross. Being a virgin is not seen to me as something to be ashamed of and it is not something that I think should be cast aside for the first boy you meet. At many points, Anna talks about how she would just like it to be over with so that she can join the exclusive club of girls who are no longer virgins. I can tell you right now that that is not how things are in my school and hopefully not in others. I just didn't like how this was portrayed in a YA book.

Overall, this is the perfect summer read and I would recommend it for just about anyone. While I did have one minor complaint, I loved the book. There are not enough good things I could say about Sarah Ockler's writing and if you would like to find out more, go find a copy of Twenty Boy Summer.

Twenty Boy Summer can be ordered here. It was set to be released on June 1 but is already in most stores. There is also a contest going on at Sarah Ockler's blog to win a signed ARC of Twenty Boy Summer so if you haven't already entered, go here.

Similar Books:
Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti
A Map Of The Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell (which I am currently holding a contest for here)

What's Your Book Personality?

So I saw this over at Addicted to Books and decided to see what my book personality was.

Your personality: All-Rounder

Your responses showed you fitting equally into all four reading personalities:

Involved Reader: You don't just love to read books, you love to read about books. For you, half the fun of reading is the thrill of the chase - discovering new books and authors, and discussing your finds with others.
Exacting Reader: You love books but you rarely have as much time to read as you'd like - so you're very particular about the books you choose.
Serial Reader: Once you discover a favorite writer you tend to stick with him/her through thick and thin.
Eclectic Reader: You read for entertainment but also to expand your mind. You're open to new ideas and new writers, and are not wedded to a particular genre or limited range of authors.

That definitely describes me. If anybody else would like to know what their personality is, the link is below. Just click on start quiz and it will take you to the site.

Start Quiz

Summer Reading Picks!

Seeing as summer is almost here I decided that I would list some of the books that are on my summer reading list. I will hopefully be going on a couple of vacations this summer so that should give me tons of reading time in car rides. My list so far consists of:

• Beach Blondes by Katherine Applegate
• Tan Lines by Katherine Applegate
• Cindy Ella by Robin Palmer
• Geek Charming by Robin Palmer
• Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman
• Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen
• Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel
• Kiss and Blog by Alyson Noel
• Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
• Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor
• Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott
• Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
• Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
• Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita
• Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
• Lost It by Kristen Tracy
• Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
• Secrets of Truth And Beauty by Megan Frazer
• My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter

So, that is it so far. The books on it are ones that I already own and I will probably add more to it over the summer. I definitely plan on reading those and hopefully many more.

What about everyone else? Do you plan ahead or do you just pick the ones that appeal to you at the moment?

In My Mailbox 17

In my mailbox was started by The Story Siren and is a list of what you received in books over the past week either through the mail, library, or a bookstore.

The Received:
Summary from Goodreads:
Dad’s an aging L.A. punk rocker known as the Rat. Daughter’s a buttoned-up neat freak who’d rather be anywhere else. Can this summer be saved?

Now that she’s exiled from Canada to sunny Los Angeles, Katy figures she’ll bury her nose in a book and ignore the fact that she’s spending two weeks with her father — punk name: the Rat — a recovered addict and drummer for the famously infamous band Suck. Even though Katy doesn’t want to be there, even though she feels abandoned by her mom, even though the Rat’s place is a mess and he’s not like anything she’d call a father, Katy won’t make a fuss. After all, she is a nice girl, a girl who is quiet and polite, a girl who smiles, a girl who is, well, beige. Or is she?



Summary from Goodreads:
Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, the mysterious new boy at school who turned out to have a very mysterious gift--pyschometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry, and experiencing her own strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow rubbed off on her. Can the power of psychometry be transferred?

Even once Ben returns to school, Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Despite the romantic tension between them, Ben remains aloof, avoiding contact. Then when an unexpected kiss leads to a frightening argument, Camelia makes the painful decision to let Ben go and move on. Alex, the hot new guy at Knead, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. Alex is easy-going, and seems to really care about her.

But when Camelia and Alex start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events upturns secrets from Ben's past--and Alex's. Someone is lying, and it's up to Camelia to figure out whom-before it's too late.



Summary from Goodreads:
When Cammie Morgan arrives at her friend Macey's five star hotel for the Democratic National Convention-where Macey's father is about to receive the vice presidential nomination-she thinks she's in for an exciting end to her summer break. But if you're a Gallagher Girl, "exciting" and "deadly" are never far apart.

Things quickly go south when Macey is summoned to the hotel roof to shoot a PR piece with the presidential candidate's son. But instead of cameras, attackers descend from a helicopter and swarm the girls, commanding, "Grab her." After a narrow escape, Cammie and Macey find themselves at a top secret hideout owned by the Gallagher Academy. and thus begins Cammie's junior year at spy school.

Cammie doesn't need her genius IQ to see that the kidnapping attempt has changed everything, especially now that Macey is a major celebrity, and the school has been besieged by news crews. More disturbing, Cammie can't shake the suspicion that her mom and Mr. Solomon know more about the attack than they're letting on. After all, why weren't the attackers surprised to find themselves in combat with two teenage girls who handled themselves like seasoned pros?

But these suspicions won't stop Cammie from jumping at the chance to join Bex and Liz as Macey's private security team on the campaign trail. Before long, the girls are using their espionage skills at every turn, as Cammie gets closer and closer to the shocking truth...



Summary from back of book:
One pregnancy. Four friends. It all adds up to a profound time of change in this poignant, sensitively written YA novel.



Summary from Goodreads:
And the first runner up is...When Dara Cohen was little, she was a bright, shiny star. She was the cutest seven-year-old who ever sang Ella Fitzgerald, and it was no wonder she was crowned Little Miss Maine.

That was then. Now Dara's seventeen and she's not so little anymore. So not little, that when her classmates find out about her illustrious resume, their jaws drop. That's just one of her many problems. Another is that her control-freak mom won't get off her case about anything. Yet the one that hurts the most is the family secret: Dara has an older sister her parents tried to erase from their lives.

When a disastrously misinterpreted English project lands her in the counselor's office--and her parents pull her out of school to save face--Dara realizes she has a decision to make. She can keep following the rules and being misunderstood, or she can finally reach out to the sister she's never met--a sister who lives on a collective goat farm in Massachusetts. Dara chooses B. What follows is a summer of revelations, some heartbreaking, some joyous; of friendship, romance, a local beauty pageant; and choices. And as autumn approaches, Dara finds she may have to let go of everything she's taken for granted in order to figure out who she really is, and what family really means.



Summary from Goodreads:
Mimi Shapiro had a disturbing freshman year at NYU, thanks to a foolish affair with a professor who still haunts her caller ID. So when her artist father, Marc, offers the use of his remote Canadian cottage, she’s glad to hop in her Mini Cooper and drive up north. The house is fairy-tale quaint, and the key is hidden right where her dad said it would be, so she’s shocked to fi nd someone already living there — Jay, a young musician, who is equally startled to meet Mimi and immediately accuses her of leaving strange and threatening tokens inside: a dead bird, a snakeskin, a cricket sound track embedded in his latest composition. But Mimi has just arrived, so who is responsible? And more alarmingly, what does the intruder want? Part gripping thriller, part family drama, this fast-paced novel plays out in alternating viewpoints, in a pastoral setting that is evocative and eerie — a mysterious character in its own right.



I couldn't find the summary for this and the one on the back is too long to type but I will say that it looks really good!

From Contests:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Second copy)
Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin

The Bought:
Jinx by Meg Cabot
Kiss and Blog by Alyson Noel
I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter
Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy by Ally Carter
Getting To Third Date by Kelly McClymer
Lost It by Kristen Tracy
Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
Magic Study by Maria V Snyder

So I got a ton of great books this week and there are only 8 days left of high school and then I will have the whole summer to read. I can't wait. How was everyone else's week?

Destroy All Cars

Book: Destroy All Cars by Blake Nelson

Rating: 3 Stars

Release Date: May 1

Summary:
James Hoff likes to rant against America's consumerist culture. He also likes to rant against his ex-girlfriend, Sadie, who he feels isn't doing enough to change the world. But just like he can't avoid buying things, he also can't avoid Sadie for long. This is a fantastic, funny, sexy, cool masterpiece from one of the best YA writers at work today, an anti-consumerist love story that's all about idealism, in both James's relationship with the world and his relationships with the people around him.

Overall:
James Hoff is not an average teenage boy. He likes it that way. James is a bit of a radical whose main goal is to destroy all cars. He believes that cars are what are ruining the earth and that consumer Americans are the cause.

James is one of the few people in his school who worries about the environment. One of the other people is his ex-girlfriend, Sadie Kinnell. Sadie is very goal oriented. She does everything she can to help the environment, the school, and anybody else she can think of. When James first met her he couldn't believe his luck. And when they started dating, he was speechless.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and their relationship didn't last. Now Sadie has just broken up with her latest boyfriend and things between her and James are looking up. James will do anything to get back with Sadie and if it involves helping the environment at the same time, all the better.

While the story to this book was both humorous and realistic, the writing style put me off. The whole book is told in essays and journal entries written by James. The idea is good but some of the entries didn't feel complete to me. I felt like I was left hanging at points.

The essays were my favorite part. James' viewpoints are hilarious. All his essays were very radical and involved quite a bit of profanity. It was also quite funny to read what his teacher's comments were about each essay.

While James is definitely a standout among normal high school boys in his environmental views, he is also very normal in many ways. One of his main goals of the year is to finally have sex and it was always funny to read about his many encounters with different females. The mind of a teenage boy is very clear in this book and I loved that about it.

Blake Nelson did a wonderful job portraying a teenage boy who doesn't really want to fit in, if it means he can't be himself. Overall, I liked the story and James as a character and I would still recommend this book, especially if you are an environmentalist of any sort.

Destroy All Cars can be ordered here.

Similar books:
The Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Six Flags Great America!

Today I got to go on the best field trip of my life. I spent the whole day with friends at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. I went on so many rides and now I am very sunburned. I look a bit like a lobster but I guess it will be worth it when it turns into a tan. Also, I hate to day this but I didn't finish Destroy All Cars. The bus was way too loud. I just couldn't concentrate. I promise that there will be a review for it tomorrow but I just wanted to explain why there wasn't one today. Also, I will be posting some information tomorrow about a book party that Lauren from Shooting Stars Mag would like to hold over the summer. If you can't wait til tomorrow to find out more here is the link for her post.

Waiting On Wednesday: Postgrad and Crash Into Me

So, this is going to be another two book week. One of my picks looks very cute and funny and the other looks very serious and deep. I look forward to reading both sometime this summer.


Book: Post Grad by Emily Cassel

Release Date: June 9

Summary:
What happens when your life doesn’t go according to plan?

Ryden Malby had a plan. Step One: do well in high school, thereby achieving Step Two: get a kick-butt college scholarship. Step Three – limit her beer pong in order to keep said scholarship – wasn’t always easy. Now that she’s finally graduated, it’s time for Step Four: moving to LA to land her dream job at the city’s best publishing house. So far, Ryden’s three-for-three, but she’s about to stumble on Step Four….

When Jessica Bard, Ryden’s college nemesis—the prettiest, smartest, most ambitious girl at school—steals her perfect job, Ryden’s forced to move back to her childhood home in the Valley. Stuck with her eccentric family – a karate-obsessed dad, a politically incorrect grandma, a spoiled-brat little brother – and a growing stack of rejected job applications, Ryden starts to feel like she’s going nowhere. The only upside is spending time with her best friend Adam—and running into her hot next-door neighbor David. But if Ryden’s going to survive life as a post-grad, it may be time to come up with a new plan…



Book: Crash Into Me by Albert Borris

Release Date: July 21

Summary:
Owen, Frank, Audrey, and Jin-Ae have one thing in common: they all want to die. When they meet online after each attempts suicide and fails, the four teens make a deadly pact: they will escape together on a summer road trip to visit the sites of celebrity suicides...and at their final destination, they will all end their lives. As they drive cross-country, bonding over their dark impulses, sharing their deepest secrets and desires, living it up, hooking up, and becoming true friends, each must decide whether life is worth living--or if there's no turning back.

So, as I said one funny, the other serious. They are definitely two different types of stories so I thought they would be good together as a waiting on Wednesday. Post Grad has Alexis Bledel on the cover and it will be a movie this August. It looks so funny. I can't wait to read it and see it. I love Alexis Bledel from Gilmore Girls so I hope I like her in this movie. Also, Crash Into Me looks really good. I love the cover and I really like the summary. Hopefully it will be as good as it sounds.

Here is the trailer for Post Grad if anybody would like to see more. The movie will be released August 21, just in time for the new school year.

Teaser Tuesdays

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall to a random page.
* Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* Share the title of the book that you're getting your teaser from... That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!
* Please avoid spoilers!

From page 15 of Destroy All Cars by Blake Nelson
And no sooner did I escape my illiterate teacher than I ran right into Will Greer. He avoided looking at me as always. What must it be like to be Sadie's second boyfriend? Sloppy seconds. Second in command. Second place. He seems to like it. He'll settle for it anyway. He'll take what he can get.

I have never read anything by Blake Nelson so I wasn't sure what I was getting when I started this book. As you can see, I am still at the beginning but I think I like it. I can't really tell just yet. The whole book seems to be written in the form of essays and journal entries so it definitely makes for an interesting type of story. It seems like a quick and easy read and I have heard good things about it so I should be able to finish it today or tomorrow. If not I can read it on the way to Six Flags Great America when I go for my field trip on Thursday. Yay!

Poseur

Book: Poseur by Rachel Maude

Rating: 3 Stars

Release Date: February 12, 2008

Summary:
po-+seur (noun): a person who attempts to impress others by assuming or affecting a manner, degree of elegance, sentiment, etc., other than his or her true one.

Charlotte Beverwil, Janie Farrish, Melissa Moon, and Petra Greene don't hang out together at Winston Prep and they wouldn't be caught dead dressing like one another. But what they do share in common is a fierce passion for fashion. So when these four sophomores are put in a class together to create their own fashion label, they Clash with a capital C. Janie thinks Melissa and Charlotte are rich poseurs who put on airs and spend thousands to buy their images from famous designers. They think Janie's just a Valley poseur trying to fit in where she doesn't belong. And Petra couldn't care less about any of the above. Can a nostalgic francophile, a mousy punk, a ghetto-glam egomaniac and an idealistic hippie make beautiful couture together? The Christian Louboutin stilettos are about to fly and only style will come out on top.

Overall:
Janie Farrish, Charlotte Beverwil, Melissa Moon, and Petra Greene all come from different worlds. Janie is the tall, gawky girl who never sees her true potential. Charlotte is the American girl who wishes she was French. Melissa is the gangsta who grew up in Bel Air. Petra is the pot smoking, save the animals type. Now what do these four girls have in common?

Fashion. All of them have something to do with it, whether they design it, sew it, want it, or protest it. When the students find out they must create their own special studies, Petra, Janie, Charlotte, and Melissa focus their ideas on fashion. Sadly, none of them have good enough ideas to make into a class but with all their ideas together, it might be possible.

Will four girls with only one thing in common be able to bond and create their own fashion label or will all their ideas crash and burn?

I was a little diosappointed by this book. Going into it I thought I woould love it but it wasn't what I expected. It resembles Gossip Girl with it's underage drinking and drugs, which was my least favorite part. I don't know why all books these days seem to involve underage alcohol and drug use. This is a warning for anybody who doesn't like that theme in a book.

My other complaint were the characters. All of them seemed kind of whiny, in their own separate ways. It seemed to fit into the story at parts but a lot of it seemed unneccesary.

Of course, all I have to say is not bad. Rachel Maude does a wonderful job giving all the characters their own personalities. Even the background characters who aren't seen very much are described in great detail. I was very impressed with the character descriptions and the fashion descriptions. Being all about fashion, I knew this book would go into great detail about the clothes and accessories of the characters but I was amazed at how descriptive the author got. I could picture every outfit and accessory throughout the whole book and the pictures helped too. They made the book more like a fashion journal.

In the end, the good points seem to weigh out the bad and I would recommend this for a fun summer read. The second book is also out now and I should be starting that one soon.

Poseur can be ordered here.

Similar books:
Violet on the Runway by Melissa Walker
Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

A Map Of The Known World Giveaway!

I decided not to do a second poll for this giveaway and just take the runner up of the last poll. The book that received the second most votes was A Map Of The Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell.


This contest is for US residents only. Sorry international readers. So for the rules:

-Leave a comment here telling me that you want to be entered!

For extra entries:

+1 become a follower
+2 already a follower
+3 blog about this contest(sidebar is fine)
+4 comment on my review of A Map Of The Known World

Don't forget to state everything that you have done in your comment! This contest will be open until June 7, the day after I graduate from high school!

Such A Pretty Girl

Book: Such A Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: January 2, 2007

Summary:
They promised Meredith nine years of safety, but only gave her three.

Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had time to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison.

Today her time has run out.

Overall:
Meredith thought she had time: time to be free, time to grow, time to love. Then she found out that her father was coming home. After three years of freedom and safety, her time is up. Now she will be forced to face her worst nightmare all over again.

Meredith's father was put in jail for sexually assaulting her and four other kids. She thought that her testimony would be enough to put him away until she was old enough to get away. Instead, the courts decide to let him out early, on parole. What they don't know is that that isn't nearly enough to stop him from going back to his old ways.

Meredith does everything she can to keep him away from her but nothing works. Her mom doesn't care and she is running out of time before it will be just him and her. Her mom will have to return to work soon and then they will be alone. It's just like before, almost. What her father doesn't know is that this time Meredith has friends. She has people to talk to and places to hide. But will that be enough to save her and if it is, will he just pick a new victim?

The only word I can think of to describe this book is fantastic. Laura Wiess addresses such a hard topic but she does it with compassion and amazing skill. I read the whole book in two sittings. It was such a hard book to put down.

I have to say, though, this may not be a book for everyone. It addresses topiocs such as incest, pedophilia, and molestation. It was kind of hard for me to get into in the beginning just because I knew it would be a sad story. Even knowing this made it better. I kept turning the pages because I just had to know what happened with Meredith and her dad.

Such A Pretty Girl is a realistic, gripping story about finding the strength in yourself to face your fears, not just for yourself but for everybody else who has to go through the same or similar things every day of their lives. If you have'nt already read it, I highly recommend it.

Such A Pretty Girl can be ordered here.

Similar Books:
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Kreativ Blogger Award!

Thanks so much Carrie for the award. I love your blog and you are amazing!

Kreativ Blogger Award! The rules for this one include:
*Post 7 things you love
*Give award to 7 other bloggers who are creative.

Things I love:
1.Books--That one is a little obvious seeing as my whole blog is about books but I felt that it should be first on my list.
2.My Family--Even though they annoy me a lot of the time I still love them. They should be at the top of my list of things I love but it isn't really in order of importance.
3.My Ipod--I think this is such an amazing creation. I don't know what I did before Ipods came along. I probably just listened to the same music over and over again on CDs. How sad.
4.How I Met Your Mother--This is something Carrie and I have in common. I am addicted to this show ever since my mom started watching it recently. We have all three seasons that are on DVD and they are so funny. If you haven't seen this show before I totally recommend it.
5.My Dog--She is completely dumb sometimes, especially when she whines in my ear early in the morning when I am trying to sleep but most of the time I love her.
6.Friends--I don't know what I would do without my friends. They are always there for me and they always cheer me up.
7.Blogging--Last but not least, blogging. I just started in January of this year and I have become completely addicted. I love posting reviews and just random comments.

Blogs I nominate:
1.Reverie Book Reviews--I love her blog. She is probably the most creative blogger I know. She is not only a reviewer but a photographer. She is amazing and I think you should definitely check out her blog if you haven't already!
2.Just Your Typical Book Blog--This is another blog that I love. I find a ton of books here that I want to read. Amber and Cheryl always have great reviews and other fun blog stuff so check it out!
3.Katie's Bookshelf--Katie was the winner of my first contest but I had already seen her blog before then. She always has greats reviews and discussions.
4.Look At That Book--More great reviews and information about new or upcoming books. I can always find something great to read at her blog!
5.The Page Flipper--This was probably one of the first blogs I ever found. Not only are there great reviews, there are great contests.
6.The Book Muncher--This is the first blog I ever found. I had never read a book blog before and I became hooked after this one. The Book Muncher always has great reviews that I love to read and most of the time, go out and buy the books.
7.Reading Keeps You Sane--Another book review blog that I love. And I must say that I love her new layout. It is so summery and just makes me want school to end.

And there they are. There are so many great blogs that I love but I could only pick 7. Also, I know I said there would be a review for Such A Pretty Girl today but I think that might have to be put off until tomorrow. Sorry! And once again thanks so much for the award, Carrie! I'm so glad that my blog is read and loved by so many!

In My Mailbox 16

In my mailbox was started by The Story Siren and is a list of what you received in books over the past week either through the mail, library, or a bookstore.

The Received:



Summary from Goodreads:
Who would do something so terrible?

Certainly not someone like Devon—straight-A student, soccer player with Olympic dreams, more mature than her own mother. But desperation and panic drove her to do what most people can’t even imagine. Now Devon ’s in a juvenile detention center charged with attempted murder. If she’s tried as an adult, she faces life in prison. Does Devon deserve that punishment? Your answer depends on whether you believe her story.



Summary from Goodreads:
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.



Summary from Goodreads:
It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ. Things have only gotten worse. Food is running out, and each day more kids are developing supernatural abilities. Soon tension rises between those with powers and those without, and when an unspeakable tragedy occurs, chaos erupts. It's the normals against the mutants, and the battle promises to turn bloody.

But something more dangerous lurks. A sinister creature known as the Darkness has begun to call to the survivors in the FAYZ. It needs their powers to sustain its own. When the Darkness calls, someone will answer -- with deadly results.



Summary from Goodreads:
He smiles. "Hello." It's a deep voice. I can feel it reverberate in my chest and echo all the way down to my toes. I know I should leave, but I don't want to. I want to keep my senses like this forever. I'm all eye, all ear, all skin. Persephone lives in the most gorgeous place in the world. But her mother's a goddess, as overprotective as she is powerful. Paradise has become a trap. Just when Persephone feels there's no chance of escaping the life that's been planned for her, a mysterious stranger arrives. A stranger who promises something more—something dangerous and exciting—something that spurs Persephone to make a daring choice. A choice that could destroy all she's come to love, even the earth itself. In a land where a singing river can make you forget your very name, Persephone is forced to discover who—and what—she really is.



Summary from Goodreads:
Madison Stanton doesn't know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this--she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can re-experience--and sometimes even change--moments from her life: Her first kiss. A trip to Disney World. Her sister's wedding. A disastrous sleepover.

In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life--and death.



Summary from Goodreads:
He was once a king, turned into a bear as punishment for his cruel and selfish deeds.

She was a once a princess, now living in the form of a hound.

Wary companions, they are sent—in human form—back to a time when magic went terribly astray. Together they must right the wrongs caused by this devastating power—if only they can find a way to trust each other.

But even as each becomes aware of an ever-growing attraction, the stakes are rising and they must find a way to eliminate this evil force—or risk losing each other forever.


(2 copies: one from publisher and one from contest)

Summary from Amazon:
Fifteen-year-old Laurel has led a sheltered, homeschooled life in a very small town, so when her parents decide to move and enroll her in high school, she has trouble getting used to her new life. A life, as it turns out, that’s not at all like those of other kids. One clear sign is a winglike blossom that blooms on her back. Oh, and her new best friend, the scientifically minded David, reveals under a microscope that her cells are more plant than animal. But it takes an encounter at her old home with the handsome but decidedly different Tamani to convince her that she is a faerie. She also learns it’s up to her to save her land from the evil influences that are trying to take it away from her and her family. This first novel is clearly designed to attract the Twilight set, though there’s significantly less edge (and blood). There is, however, a familiar triangle. Will Laurel choose solid, steady David, or will she be unable to resist Tamani’s lure?

The Bought:
Model: A Memoir by Cheryl Diamond
A Long Way Downn by Nick Hornby
Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott
Aurelia by Anne Osterlund
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
Are We There Yet? by David Levithan
Oh Baby! by Randi Reisfeld and HB Gilmour
Fade by Lisa McMann (FINALLY!!!)

So I actually barely spent any money on books this week because I won a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble from Shalonda and I bought Bloom, Aurelia, and Geek Magnet with that. The rest I found at Half-Price Books and a thrift store so I think I managed to do really good this week. What about everyone else?

Another quick question!

I really want to know what everyone thinks about the new background. I like it but I'm not sure if it is too dark or busy and seeing as I'm not the one reading the blog I would love to know what you guys think. I'm still looking around for a summery one that isn't too bright but that is also kind of hard. What do you guys think of the current one? Should I keep it, go back to the old one, or get a new one completely?

I would love to know your opinions! Also, there will be a review for Such A Pretty Girl tomorrow and also I will be catching up on awards and starting a new giveaway!

Need

Book: Need by Carrie Jones

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: December 23, 2008

Summary:

Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life's been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother's pretty much checked out. Now Zara's living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays & safe. Zara doesn't think she's in danger; she thinks her mother can't deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn't a figment of her imagination. He's a pixie and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He's the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he's trailing Zara.

Overall:

Since the death of her stepfather, Zara has been lost. She can't seem to find her place in the world without him so her mom decides to send Zara to his hometown in Maine. From the moment she steps off the plane, Zara knows something is wrong. Zara seems to have a bit of a stalker.

Zara knows its unlikely that she has a stalker but she knows that she has seen the guy before. In fact, she knows exactly when and where she saw him: standing outside the window of her house looking in while her stepfather lay dying on the floor. If she didn't know that for a fact Zara would believe that she is just imagining things.

It seems that this man has been wreaking some havoc on the little town in Maine that Zara is moving to. Boys her age have started to go missing and this is apparently not the first time in history. With the help of some new friends and her not-so-old grandmother, Zara is determined to find out who or what is doing this and stop them from hurting anyone else.

I wasn't sure what to think about this book when I first started. I had heard that it could be compared to Twilight and Wicked Lovely but I was skeptical. I'm not now.

Need was such a great story, full of cute boys and pixies. I loved it. All the characters were so detailed and full of life. I don't think I can find a single thing bad to say about it and this is after a day of going back over the book.

Not only were the characters amazing, the plot was too. There was so much going on, but not enough to detract from any one aspect. There was something for all readers: the paranormal, danger, romance, suspense. This is one of those books that just grabs you from page 1. I admit that I put off most of my homework to finish this.

Usually, I wouldn't say that paranormal books are for everyone but I think this one might be. It isn't just a paranormal love story. It is so much more. And for readers who are not fans of Twilight, I still think you would love this book so don't let that put you off the book.

You can order Need here.

Also, there will be a sequel to Need coming out in 2010. So far there is nothing posted about it on the author's website but once I find something out I will post it here.

Similar books:
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Quick question!

My quick question is this:

Should I read more than one book at a time?

I know a lot of bloggers read multiple books at once but I have never really tried. I always worried that I wouldn't be able to appreciate them as much if I didn't devote my time to just one. I would love to know what everyone else thinks about my dilemma especially if you are one of those people who read multiple books at once. =]

Waiting On Wednesday: Fairy Tale & Prada and Prejudice

So, today there are two books that I am waiting for. I couldn't decide between the two. One is a about fairies and the second is a romance.


Book: Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Release Date: June 23

Summary:
Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are a match made in heaven. They've been best friends since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah- they're totally hot for each other.

But a week before their joint Sweet Sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam's awkward cousin Pip comes to stay, and Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriend seems to be drifting away.

When Morgan demands answers, she's shocked to discover the source of Cam's distance isn't another girl- it's another world. Pip claims that Cam is a fairy. No, seriously. A fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if he really is her destiny, and if their “perfect” love can weather an uncertain future.


Book: Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

Release Date: June 11

Summary:
To impress the popular girls on a high school trip to London, klutzy Callie buys real Prada heels. But trying them on, she trips…conks her head…and wakes up in the year 1815!

There Callie meets Emily, who takes her in, mistaking her for a long-lost friend. As she spends time with Emily’s family, Callie warms to them—particularly to Emily’s cousin Alex, a hottie and a duke, if a tad arrogant.

But can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, and win Alex’s heart, before her time in the past is up?

I seem to be on a bit of a paranormal kick lately so I figured I would have a paranormal book as my waiting on post but then I just couldn't decide. I love both the covers and both the books sound amazing. They also both come out in June which means that I will have some good summer reading because I will have graduated from high school by then. Yay! =]

Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side

Book: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: February 1

Summary:

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit into Jessica Packwood's senior year "get-a-life" plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he's her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess.
But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius's soul from eternal destruction

Overall:

Jessica Packwood is not your normal vampire. In fact, she didn't even know she was one until this strange guy wearing a velvet coat showed up claiming that she was his vampire princess. Now even her parents are saying that she is a vampire. Well, her adoptive parents. Jessica was adopted by the Packwoods shortly after she was born and her parents were killed. It turned out they were killed by a mob trying to rid the town of vampires.

Now Jessica not only has to deal with school and the many bullies that torment her there, she has to keep Lucius from killing those bullies. He is determined to protect her from everything and in the process he plans to get her to agree to honor the pact of their two families.

When Lucius and Jessica finally start to get to know each other, Lucius realizes that Jessica is not fit to be queen. She will be eaten alive by all the other bloodthirsty vampires and Lucius is beginning to suspect that he can't allow her to do that. As Jessica begins to get attached to Lucius others begin to get in the way. Will Lucius and Jessica be able to work around others standing in the way of their true feelings for each other?

I seem to be on a bit of a paranormal kick lately and this was another one that didn't disappoint. Going into the book I was a little worried that it was going to be another cheesy vampire love story with no plot but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was there a good plot, there were some amazing characters.

Lucius and Jessica were so well developed. I felt like I could really understand what Jessica and Lucius were going through. The letters that Lucius wrote to his uncle showed a lot of what he was feeling. They really helped the story develop into a two-sided story and not just all of Jessica's feelings.

I was a little disappointed that the background characters were not very well developed but it wasn't like they really needed to be. I just wanted a little bit more about them and their relationships with Jessica and Lucius. The only other thing that I really wanted to know more about was Lucius' family. The letters that Lucius sent to his uncle, Vasile, show a little depth into their relationship but I really wanted to know more about their struggle.

Overall I was very pleased with this book. I found it a very easy, cute book that told a very different vampire story than usual.

You can order this book here.

Similar books:
Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz
The Summoning series by Kelley Armstrong

Teaser Tuesdays

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall to a random page.
* Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* Share the title of the book that you're getting your teaser from... That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!
* Please avoid spoilers!


From page 117 of Need by Carrie Jones

"Betty is going to kill you." His thumb moves slightly against my cheek but it's enough to make me tremble, and not in a bad way. Something is going on but I don't know what.

Seeing as I finally took my AP Psych exam today I will now have much more time to do other more important stuff to do, such as read. I am almost finished with Need and I really like it. I won't give away any of the plot yet but it is so not what I expected from the inside cover. =]

Winner!!!

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway for a copy of Evermore by Alyson Noel!

The winner is:

Ashley

Congratulations! I just emailed the winner and if she doesn't get back to me within 48 hours I will have to pick another winner.

If you didn't win this contest keep checking back for more. Also, I will have a review of Jessica's Guide to Dating On The Dark Side posted tomorrow after I finally take my AP Psychology exam. Yikes!

In My Mailbox 15

In my mailbox was started by The Story Siren and is a list of what you received in books over the past week either through the mail, library, or a bookstore.

The received:



Summary from Amazon:
An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-


One good...


One evil...


Who will prevail?


Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.


Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.


They just know they can't trust each other.


From Contests:



Summary from Barnes and Noble:
Boys. 7 of them, to be exact.

Megan is used to moving from place to place — it's typical for an army brat. But she drew the line at South Korea. She insists on staying in the States to finish her last two years of high school. So her parents made arrangements for Megan to live with their friends, the McGowans...and the McGowans' 7 sons.

Turns out, living with 7 boys might as well be a foreign country! The boys are messy. They are cliquey (who knew?). And worst of all, two of the oldest boys are H-O-T. (A problem considering they are supposed to be Megan's "brothers.") Megan is definitely in enemy territory. She needs to win over the boys' hearts without totally crushing her own.

And when Megan starts falling for one of them, sibling rivalry takes on a whole new meaning....

What is a girl to do?



Summary from Barnes and Noble:
Iris is ready for another hot, routine summer in her small Louisiana town, hanging around the Red Stripe grocery with her best friend, Collette, and traipsing through the cemetery telling each other spooky stories and pretending to cast spells. Except this summer, Iris doesn’t have to make up a story. This summer, one falls right in her lap.

Years ago, before Iris was born, a local boy named Elijah Landry disappeared. All that remained of him were whispers and hushed gossip in the church pews. Until this summer. A ghost begins to haunt Iris, and she’s certain it’s the ghost of Elijah. What really happened to him? And why, of all people, has he chosen Iris to come back to?



Summary from Barnes and Noble:
Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone—but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he'd ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.

Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who'd always terrified her—but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever imagined.

In Melissa Marr's third mesmerizing tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos.

And I also got a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble from Shalonda.

The Bought:
Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine
Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine
Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine
Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine
The Beginning(Vampire Kisses series) by Ellen Schreiber
Dance With A Vampire by Ellen Schreiber
All We Know of Heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
Tan Lines by Katherine Applegate

So, yesterday was the last day for the Waldenbooks at the mall nearby so I bought all these books. I had been meaning to get them anyway so I figured why not get them on sale. I was very happy that I got them all finally! Also, don't forget that today is the last day to enter to win a copy of Evermore. If you haven't already entered you still can here.

Heartbreak River

Book: Heartbreak River by Tricia Mills

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: April 16

Summary:

Hailey Abbott's "Summer Boys" takes a weepy turn in this story of one girl's attempt to tell her childhood friend how she really feels about him.

Alex thought she'd be spending the summer focused on her family's rafting business, burying the memories of her father's death last year, and leaving behind all the messes she made in its wake.

But when Sean returns to town, she is forced to reckon with her mixed-up crushy feelings for him - more powerful than ever before. It takes another tragedy to make Alex realize Sean has loved her, and forgiven her, all along.

Overall:

Alex never thought that she would be spending her summer working with Sean. In fact, she never even expected to see him. When he walks into the door of her family's rafting business, she is completely shocked. As it turns out, her grandparents hired him on for the summer, without ever mentioning it to Alex.

Alex already has enough on her plate trying to get over her father's drowning of the year before and living with her grandparents while her mom is in Florida. Now she not only has all that to deal with, she also has her feelings for Sean and the flirtations of one of the other guys from the rafting business, Tommy.

Tommy has always been a flirt but now he seems to be focusing all his flirting on Alex and to Alex's delight and confusion, it seems to be making Sean a little jealous. Even if Alex and Sean can never be the way they once were, she still wants to be friends with him and he begins to show some of the same feelings. The only time they seem to be able to connect is when Sean takes on the task of helping Alex get over her fear of the river. Sean's attentions don't only affect Alex, though. Alex's cousin Mala seems to be changing right along with everyone else.

Mala is the pretty one and always the center of attention with the guys but lately Alex is getting all of the attention. Mala begins to act out and get herself into more trouble and always manages to drag Alex into it with her. When Mala can't seem to take anymore she breaks and makes some accusations that Alex may never be able to forgive her for.

Heartbreak River was such an amazing debut YA novel. There were very few things I disliked about this book. In fact, I don't think I could name one. The characters were all very likable, even at their worst moments. They all seemed to have real personalities and little quirks that made them original.

The ending was also one of my favorite parts. It was such a shock to me. I never would have seen it coming. I do think it was a very sad ending but I really think it helped make the story even better.

The writing style and the story were just so original. I read this book so quickly because I just couldn't put it down. I had to know what happened next. This is another one of those books that I think deserves all 5 stars.

You can order this book here.

Similar books:
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Waiting On Wednesday: After

Book: After by Amy Efaw

Release Date: August 11

Summary from Goodreads:

Who would do something so terrible?

Certainly not someone like Devon—straight-A student, soccer player with Olympic dreams, more mature than her own mother. But desperation and panic drove her to do what most people can’t even imagine. Now Devon ’s in a juvenile detention center charged with attempted murder. If she’s tried as an adult, she faces life in prison. Does Devon deserve that punishment? Your answer depends on whether you believe her story.

Once again the cover drew me to this book but it sounds amazing. It is definitely something new that I have never read about before so that also intrigues me. Once again this a later release so hopefully I will get all my other reading done before then and I will be able to jump right into this book!

What Happens Here

Book: What Happens Here by Tara Altebrando

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: May 6, 2008

Summary:

We were going to see the world together, Lindsay and I. We were going to eat it up, whole. But it didn't happen that way. It didn't happen that way at all....

When Chloe's parents decide to take her to Europe the summer before senior year of high school, she's ecstatic...she only wishes her best friend, Lindsay, could come too. Living in Las Vegas, they have long imagined the world through the casinos inspired by great cities and have vowed to travel the globe together someday. Unfortunately, Lindsay's parents won't agree to send her along.

So Chloe goes to Europe and sends postcards to Lindsay every day. But when she comes home, she must cope with shocking news that rips her family -- and Lindsay's -- apart. And as she tries to uncover the truth about what happened, Chloe soon begins to feel that Lindsay's brother, Noah, is the one person alive for whom she'd go to the ends of the earth....

Overall:

Chloe and Lindsay were best friends that were supposed to grow old together. They had their lives mapped out from where they were going to live(homes all over the world) to who they were going to marry(twin brothers). Little did they know, things would not go that way.

The summer before their senior year in high school Chloe gets the chance to live out one of their dreams: go to Europe. Chloe's family gets to spend two weeks traveling all over Europe while Lindsay is forced to stay home in Las Vegas with her own family. No matter how much they begged neither of the girls could convince their parents to let Lindsay join them on the trip.

The night before Chloe leaves for the trip she and Lindsay get into a fight. Lindsay decided that she was finally ready to "go to Vegas" with a guy she works with., sleazy Chris Nolan. While Chloe has already "gone to Vegas" she doesn't think it is the right thing for Lindsay to do and especially not with Chris Nolan. After arguing it out the girls part ways angry and not speaking. That was the last time they ever saw each other.

SPOILER ALERT

After returning from a fabulous two weeks in Europe, Chloe finds out that while she was gone having the time of her life, Lindsay was losing hers. After a night out partying with Chris Nolan and his friends, Lindsay was kidnapped and her body was found two days later in a nearby dumpster. She had been murdered.

END OF SPOILER

Chloe can't seem to get over the shock and return to her life. She lives in constant fear that she or someone she loves will die. The only time she feels normal is when she is with Noah, Lindsay's older brother. She knows that if Lindsay were alive she would hate their budding relationship and so she ends it but she still can't forget about him or the way he makes her feel safe. She may not want to face it but Noah may be the only person who can help her face life head on and truly live.

I admit to having a little trouble getting into this book but once I actually focused on it alone I was blown away. Tara Altebrando's writing was so detailed and vivid I felt like I was drawn into the book. I could almost picture Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower or the Piazza San Marco.

I also admit to tearing up a little while reading this book. Chloe was such a likable character, I just couldn't help but feel her pain and her joy. This book earned everyone of the five stars that I gave it. It addresses such a real issue without making it into a huge downer. I think that any teen girl can benefit from reading this book!

You can order this book here.

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