Nap. Snack. Read. Three essentials for life.

Ramblings of the Bookish Sort

2011-12-27T23:39:00.000-08:00

I don't usually write down my feelings for a book on my blog before the actual review, but I am making a huge exception in this instance. Currently it is 5 till 2 a.m. over here as I start this post where I have just spent the last, oh, 7 minutes or so screaming into a pillow out of frustration. You might be wondering as to why I am spending my time screaming and punching a pillow in the middle of the night. Two words: Clockwork Prince. Yes, the newest book by Cassandra Clare of The Infernal Devices series has finally driven me mad. Before you go thinking that I am completely weird, let me assure you that, this has happened before with a couple of other books . . . but maybe that makes me seem weirder, but I don't care. This book put me to a point that I had to vent my feelings out on my own blog because apparently everyone is asleep at 2 in the morning (which I think is kind of annoying, being a night person myself). I'm not going to go into detail as to way this book specifically drove me crazy, I'm putting all that down in my review! But until then I am just going to let my mind wander, and muse over the concept of how a book can make me feel breathless and a little crazy, even if I will end up talking about something completely different . . . that is why they call it rambling.

You see, it's all about the characters. I've said it before, and I will say it again: the characters make the book. They are everything. If the book doesn't have at least a few good characters that you can latch onto and use as a method of steering through the plot then it is going to be way more difficult to get through a book. They are the soul, the very essence of a story. As cliché as it might be, they really are like actual friends. First, you get to known them. You get to know your favorite parts about them, their weaknesses, what gives them drive. Then they surprise you with their humor, their tenderness, whatever makes them interesting. You learn to LOVE them. Maybe that sounds bad, but, yes, I do love my characters, they are my friends who I share adventures with.

Now here is where the pillow comes in . . . as soon as things start to finally look up for the characters in the type of conflict they are facing, something HUGE pops up and done. This isn't the case with most individual books, what I am mainly talking about is with book series, such as The Infernal Devices. About 5 HUGE things happened in the last 3 chapters of the book, and then BAM!! it's over. Yes, people, it ended and left me in a state of complete shock and a most unsatisfactory feeling in the pit of my stomach. So naturally, after the pillow screaming and misuse of furniture, I went straight to my laptop and found not even a bit of information on the release date of book 3!!!!!!

This is the kind of book that made me quite literally laugh out loud, gasp, and despair at the end as if all that was happening happened to people I know. It also had much to do with the love triangle featuring Jem, Will, and Tessa. I know love triangles have been over done lately in most YA fiction, but I have never seen one like this. Usually, you know who you're rooting for, even if you change your mind a little while later and go for the other person. In this story, Cassandra Clare made it infuriatingly hard to choose. I honestly can't make up my mind. At one point I had to stop and breathe because the happiness of one and the despair of the other with both their special circumstances, and vice versa, completely broke my heart. And then it's over, to be continued who knows when! It's safe to say that it will be quite some time before I get a chance to see how this will all come out for the good of the story. I know it's not the author's fault, but why can't the books all be out at the same time?? It's absolutely brutal knowing the story will not continue until who knows how many weeks or months!

Anyway, this ramble certainly helped me clear my head and calm my jitters. It's a good thing I have my blog to vent to, even if I don't know who reads this. I can't imagine how much harder it would have been for me to fall asleep with all these thoughts bouncing about in my mind.

My ramblings have now ceased.

The Iron Fey Series Review by Julie Kagawa

2011-12-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

This review willconsist of a big series overview with mini reviews of each individual book withas little spoilers as possible.

The Iron Fey Series blew me away! See,for me, the characters are everything in a good book. They are the fabric ofthe story, the foundation of it all. This series had the characters down pat.They were realistic but magical, funny and determined, brave and vulnerable . .. there were just so many combinations that went into creating these complexcharacters that I really can’t name them all. My favorite had to be Puck who isone of the funniest/sarcastic characters I have ever encountered. The point isthat they were all fantastic leaders through the NeverNever.

When I say that I haven’t been this excited over a bookseries in a long time, that is saying something. It’s not that I haven’tenjoyed a good book in a while. There have been many interesting books stackedunder my night table, but I haven’t been THIS excited about a book in months.You know the kind of excitement I’m talking about. The kind of excitement whereI laughed hysterically a Puck’s pranks, teared up considerably at Ash’scoldness, and the kind where there wasabsolutely-positively-no-chance-in-hell that I was going to put those booksdown. They were the kinds of books that I chose over sleep. Thank goodness it’sWinter Break, or I would be considerably sleep deprived! The point is that,these books brought that reading excitement back to me. There were times overthe beginning of this school year where reading would be put off for homeworkand such, and I started to lose the feel of staying up until 5 a.m. with a bookunder my nose. These books brought them back.

Well, enough sentimentality on my part. I’ll get down to thewho’s, what’s, when’s, and why’s of these books. The first three books in thisseries are completely from the point of view of Meghan Chase. She is a regulargirl with the annoying reputation of a hillbilly or pig girl if you will. Sheis an outcast in her school and a little bit at home. She lives with hermother, her stepfather, and her little four-year-old brother. The day she turns16 is the day everything in her boring yet normal life shatters. From thatmoment on she is pulled and pushed into the world of Faery, a magical yet cynicalplace to be filled with rulers and gremlins and who knows what else. And onlyshe has the powers to save the NeverNevers. From 1-10 for the overall series? Ibelieve the Iron Fey deserves a 9!!

PS: here's a little tidbit I just discovered . . . Julie Kagawa wrote 2 mini ebooks that take place between parts of the series! The parts that were never mentioned like Ash and Meghan's travels to the Winter court in "Winter's Passage" and a mini adventure of Ash and Puck completely told in Puck's funny and eccentric perspective. I just read them, and although way to short to satisfy my thirst for all things Fey, they are certainly not to be missed!

Book1: The Iron King

Numberof pages:363

Book 1 is where all the discoveries of the NeverNever andFaeries come in. Here is where everything unravels for Meghan Chase. Her littlebrother is replaced by a demon Faery thing and she goes off with her bestfriend Robbie, who turns out to be a notorious faery, into the heart of theNeverNever in search for her little brother. Here she discovers everythingabout her past, along with the perils that come with that knowledge. In thisbook, I have to say I was Team Puck all the way. He was just so funny andlovable! So loyal, I couldn’t imagine the story without him.

Book 2: The Iron Daughter

Numberof pages: 359

Book 2 was a strong follow up of book 1. One thing that Isometimes expect is that the sequel to the original book will somehow come outto be disappointing in some way, or just not good enough in general. Mainlythat is because sequels continue the story of the first one. The thing aboutThe Iron Daughter is that although technically, yes, it is a continuation ofMeghan’s adventures, it somehow comes out to be a different story. I don’t knowif that makes sense, but what I am trying to say is that this book has its tiesinto the first, but cannot be compared to it because it is unique in and ofitself. What happened in this book is that Meghan has kept her promise to Ashand is waiting to be rescued by the Summer Court. When she finally breaks freefrom the promise, and Ash’s cold ways toward her, she embarks on a journey tofind the Scepter of the Seasons, stolen by the Iron Fey. She discovers powersshe didn’t imagine she could possess, and love she didn’t know she had.

Book 3: The Iron Queen

Numberof pages: 358

This is the end for Meghan Chase. Actually just the end ofher adventures, not her end end. Book3 is the tying of all the strings, so to speak. It is the grand finale, thecurtain call of Meghan Chase. This was a bittersweet book. What you need tounderstand about the ending is that it does cover all the loose ends, but itwill leave you heartbroken and enlightened at the same time. All I can say isthank God Julie Kagawa thought to make a 4^th book! Meghan Chase hasbeen banish, bullied, and attack way to many times! Once she finally feels likeshe has a break from Feary, she is once again pulled back into the world ofmagic along with her best friend Puck and Ash . . . this time with the Courts permission. Here you geta whole new side to the characters. Puck is now more raw, much more cynical,and still just as funny. You also get a more thawed side to Ash, a more caringside. By this point I don’t know what team I was on: Team Ash or Team Puck? Toohard to choose! Something that I found was really cool was that this is alsowhere Meghan starts to fend for herself a bit. It’s understandable that in thebeginning books she needed to be protected. Now she starts to kick butt on herown terms, and gets my respect.

Book 4: The Iron Knight

Number of pages: 361

The Iron Knight takes a whole new twist to the stories thatby now you have become accustomed to. Here we see Ash take control as we followhim on his own journey to find a soul and finally be reunited with the one heloves . . . Meghan. His goals are simple. Find the Cait Sith, get to the end ofthe world, win a soul, and return to the Iron Realm all without completelymurdering his travel companion, Puck. But as the journey progresses, somediscoveries come to light that could completely change his resolve to become human.Some things happen that just leave you in a WOW state. And then there were someparts that I found a wee bit tedious during this particular adventure. I justwanted to see how everything turned out to be, but some things were drawn out abit. Not that I wanted it to end, not by any means. I just couldn’t wait to seewhat happened to our lovely hero and his funny companion. I admit it, I did cryat one point. But even after all the curve balls thrown in this book andsurprises in every chapter, rest assured that there is a happy ending for thisbook. And this book does come with a little extra something in the end. Thereis a NeverNever survival guide, and an author’s questionnaire with some specialguest that I completely enjoyed hearing from!

Borrowing Abby Grace Episode 1: The Shadow by Kelly Green

2011-12-01T17:02:00.001-08:00

Series Summary:

Smart and sassy Abby Grace is a seventeen-year-old with a talent forgetting out of trouble. Sent to repair the lives and loves of teenagers on theedge of disaster, Abby is the perfect girl for the job. She has everythinggoing for her… except one thing: a body

First Installment Summary: Episode 1

When Abby Grace wakes up in the back of a van, she has no idea who sheis, how she got there, or why anyone would want to kidnap her. After escapingher masked captors, she hurries home, only to discover that she unknowinglyleft her younger brother behind in the van. Unable to answer the police’squestions with her memories gone, she retreats to the safety of her bedroomwhere she tries to reconstruct her life. Just as she is settling into thebelief that things will one day return to normal, she looks in the mirror—andsees a stranger’s face.

As Abby learns next, she has become a Shadow, sent to inhabit thelives of strangers in trouble. With nothing to go on except the vague hints ofher cute but maddening Guardian, a 19th century ghostly teenager named Will,Abby sets out to rescue the missing brother. But she will need all of herintelligence, fearlessness, and wit, because if she fails to find him in time,she will remain trapped in this unfamiliar body forever.

Number of pages: kindle version, not sure how long the storyis

Review

As it so happens, I got this put straight up on my “mustread” list because the author sent a review request about this series. And I amvery happy she did. So what can I say about BorrowingAbby Grace? Ultimately it’s one of those easy reads that takes you for anenjoyable ride without making you do any work. Some books are just hard to keepup, and in the end you are doing the work to trying to piece everything togetherwithout getting lost. This book was written in a way where the mystery was easyto follow without being obvious. Clearly if the ending were obvious then thebook wouldn’t be any fun. It was a cute story, too, that was nice to read andenjoy.

Abby Grace is a girl who didn’t know that she was Abby Gracelet alone where she is, why she’s there, and whom she can trust. This is a girlwith no identity, and nothing to go on. This is a girl that doesn’t even have abody. Now the details on that are a little fuzzy for me because I didn’t quiteunderstand what she is since she is always summoned into the body and life ofanother person. She is what is referred to as a “shadow” sent to help fix thelives of the person whose body she is occupying. This episode is kind of likethe explainer of things, I guess you could say. She is sent into the body of“Brooke” who has just been kidnapped along with her brother, and escaped whileher brother is still captive. Abby Grace’s job is to fix “the problem” beforetime runs out . . . or she will be stuck in Brooke’s body forever.

Like I said, it was an easy read that I enjoyed from thebeginning. But it wasn’t just easy because it was easy to follow; it was alsoeasy because it was such a small book. Now, I didn’t really know how long thestory was going to be because it is kindle versions only (for now, I believe)so I cant say how long it was. What I can say is that it felt like I read onlyabout 100 pages or so, and I finished in about 2 hours and a half. That’spretty fast, even for me. Usually I don’t go for so short a book, but this bookwas interesting till the end, not making me want to put it down. Still, I feellike the mystery ended to fast and everything was a bit rushed. I guess that ifI want to prolong Abby Grace’s story a little bit longer, I am going to have tojust read the next episode! From 1-10? I give Borrowing Abby Grace Episode 1: The Shadow a good, strong 7!

Fateful by Claudia Gray

2011-11-25T17:43:00.001-08:00

Summary

Eighteen-year-oldTess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy troubled family she serves.It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years,amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headedto America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tessplans to strike out and create a new life for herself.

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, ahandsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. By Alec hassecrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard theship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the Frenchactress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously . . .

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. Thedanger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalkinghim—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril,and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

Number of pages: 325

Review

The story of the Titanic is one of the saddest and mostinteresting tales I’ve ever heard. It’s just one of those things that havealways interested me (like the last Grand Duchess Anastasia or the VictorianEra). If you didn’t notice from the synopsis, this story is a little differentfrom your average historic tale about the almighty Titanic. Or did you not getthat from the werewolf part? In that case I tell you now, this isn’t youraverage historical fiction. I’d have to say it’s like 60% paranormal, 25%historical fiction, and 15% mystery. That sounds like an interestingcombination doesn’t it? Well, it is. I thought that this book was not onlyinteresting, but also easy to read. There weren’t any part where it felttedious to keep going, or any parts when I want to skip ahead. I was in themood for an easy read like this that kept me hooked till the end.

The one thing I was fooled at was the actual historical partof the story of Titanic. I thought that a good chunk of the book was going tohappen during that horrific event. Turns out that it’s actually just a littlepart of it, maybe 1 or two chapters I think it was. That’s all I’m going to sayon that. It was great to learn little things about the boat that I never knewabout, like the 3^rd class living conditions or the events thathappened during their week stay on the most magnificent vessel up until theiceberg. It’s funny how I kept picturing Rose and Jack to come up around thecorner, or thinking to myself, “While all this was happening, Rose and Jackmust have been doing this.” I guess that’s just one of those things that I alwaysassociate with Titanic.

Tess was a great, easy protagonist to follow. She had hergoals set, and she was practical till the end. That’s sometimes fun to read ina character, especially when things start to turn out a little differently thanwhat she planned . . . kind of like werewolves appearing out of no where andher ship sinking. That kind of stuff can mess up anyone’s agenda. The othercharacters were good to read as well, for instance, the lady she Tess workedfor was a pompous woman about to lose all her money with a messed up son and adaughter that only defends herself when things are already too late. Alec wasok to read, he was pretty temperamental most of the story, but then again withhis situation it is to be expected. It wasn’t that bad anyway. All around thestory was pretty good, and I thought that the ending—though prettyincredible—was also something that summed up all the lose threads pretty well.So from 1-10? I think a 6 is in order.

Quote from me on Google!

2011-11-22T20:18:00.001-08:00

I was randomly googling napsnackread tonight, and look what came up!

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=152916111469121&id=240170556013550

How cool is that? Just one of the many reasons I like to write (:

Quest of the Demon by Michelle Sawyer

2011-11-21T16:02:00.001-08:00

Summary
“Darci is your averageevery day sixteen year old girl who plays basketball and lives in an ordinarycountry town. Her life changes forever as she is 'accidentally zapped' tothe land of Nahaba by the apprentice wizard Taslessian. Within hours of herunexpected arrival, both teens are thrust into a dangerous journey to the caveof Grisham the Great, who will hopefully be able to send her home. Whenthey get there however Darci soon finds out that there is no such things asaccidents and that their journey is only just beginning.”

eBook version, not surehow many pages

Review

I have said before and I will continue to say it for howeverlong I have this blog, may it be another year or another 10 years—I will alwaysbe honest on my blog. As to how I say the truth in this case, I don’t know. Thething about this book is that it was an interesting plot written in a way thatwas drawn out to an extent that it took me more than a month to read. That issaying something because if I set my mind to it, I can read a book in less thana day. It wasn’t that I didn’t try. I read late into the night with this bookand yet something always stopped me from continuing it to the end.

Like I said before, this was definitely an interesting plot.It had all the aspects to make it a good book. it had adventure, magic,friendships, but just because the idea of something is good does not mean thatit was done in the right sort of manner. Darci’s story is an interesting onefilled with dragons and wizards in which she is sent to in order to the savethe planet in which she is transported to. This book was written in such adescriptive and drawn out manner that I had to stop myself from skipping aheadtill it go to something more exciting. The journey itself had many steps andeach step was detailed to a point that it took me 20 minutes to go a percentagehigher (as is calculated on an eReader such as a kindle). If I said I couldpinpoint exactly what made this such a hard read I’d be lying. I am not surewhat it was, but I can say this: I am not rereading this book in the future. From1-10? I give this book a 3.

Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

2011-11-21T12:52:00.001-08:00

Summary

For as long as Esmerine can remember, she haslonged to join her older sister, Dosia, as a siren—the highest calling amermaid can have. When Esmerine takes her sire’s vow she means to protect thesea and all that live within it—until Dosia runs away to the mainland andEsmerine is sent to retrieve her.

Sectretly thrilled with the prospect of seeing a world thatshes only glimpsed from the ocean, Esmerine uses magic to transform her tailinto legs and journeys to the capital city. There, she comes upon a friend shehasn’t seen since childhood—a dashing young man named Alander. Who belongs to awinged race of people. Alander, whose odd ways and brash opinions offend yetfascinate her. But as Esmerine embarks on a search for her sister that willtake her farther away from the sea she lobes and the life she has always known,she and Alander rekindle a friendship . . . and amore.

Number of pages: 229

Review

This was a cute story. I guess that’s the best adjective Ican give to this book. It was a cute, sweet, light story that I enjoyed reading.I haven’t gotten much into the mermaid books, but I have a feeling that theyare going to start getting popular. This book was about a mermaid who must goto the dry land to find her sister who she thinks was kidnapped and forced tomarriage. There she recruits the help of her old childhood friend who happensto be one of the winged people. So clearly this is a story that doesn’t takeplace in what is the modern earth we live in now. It’s interesting though howthe author created an old Queen Elizabeth era to it with the corsets anddresses and manners.

I think that it was a story that was very unique in someaspects such as the mix of sky, earth, and water. The love story in it was veryunique as well. There were some obvious problems as to why they couldn’t betogether as well as some little surprises that got me shocked. Like I said itwas cute. But cute doesn’t necessarily mean I loved it. There were some boringspots here and there where I just wanted to skip ahead. The adventure partmostly happened in the last half of the book. From 1-10? I give it a 5

Cover note: something that did strike out at me was thecover. I found it so beautiful and whimsical. I love the way the sea and thesky merge. I must admit that the cover did influence me quite a bit to readthis book.

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

2011-11-13T08:46:00.001-08:00

Summary

Thirteen-year-oldKyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact thather father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters. That is,without questioning it much—if you don’t count her visits to the Ironton CountyMobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her secret meetings withJoshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosenfor her. But when the Prophet decrees that Kyra must marry her sixty-year-olduncle—who already has six wives—she must make a desperate choice in the face ofviolence and her own fears of losing her family forever.

Number of pages: 213

Review

I’ve had my eye on TheChosen One for quite some time now. It’s one of those books that I knew Ihad to read, a book with a story that I wouldn’t soon forget . . . and I wasright. This is a very powerful book. There is a story in here that really didleave me in shock. It took me around 4 hours to read. The book isn’t very bigto begin with, but add that to the fact that this is a story that you cant putdown, and it’s easy to see why it would be hard to stop in the middle.

Kyra is a confused girl living in a world that isn’t sane.She is the daughter of a man . . . and three mothers, as well as a sister of 20 kids. Notthe usual Brady Bunch circumstances. Is she happy? She could be considered acontent girl. Does she feel like something is wrong with her community? She’sfelt it for many years now. They tell her not to read, not to love, not towander from their given path. You see how her mind tries to follow their ways,but her heart really doesn’t give a shit whether or not “the Prophet” for seesher life a certain way or not. It’s actually very hard to see how she tries toobey, but really cant help herself when she tries to do what is right. Therewas one specific moment involving a baby and ice water that really left me inshock. I wont give you the circumstances, but when you read it you’ll know whatI’m talking about. I guess Kyra would continue living like this if it were forthe fact that one night, the Prophet comes to her house and proclaims that sheis to marry her 60 year old uncle who already has six wives, while Kyra is only13. How disgusting is that? This story is her process through denial, hope,survival, and escape. This is a story through the lives of polygamists andbarbarians and child/women abusers. The story was truly heart stopping. It wasboth unrealistic to me and completely realistic to those who really have tolive through that. It really showed me how my life situations aren’t the onlyones, that there are many other types of lives and circumstances that I probablywouldn’t comprehend. It opened my eyes a bit, and I don’t regret it. From 1-10?The Chosen One gets a 6.

Adventures in Funeral Crashing by Milda Harris

2011-10-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

Summary

Sixteen year old Kait Lenox has a reputation asthe weird girl in her high school, mostly because of her ex-best friend turnedmean popular girl, Ariel, but maybe it has a little to do with the fact thatKait has a hobby crashing funerals. At one of these, Kait is outted by the mostpopular guy in school, Ethan Ripley. Yet, instead of humiliating her for allthe world to see, he asks for her help, and Kait finds herself entangled in amurder mystery. Not only is the thrill of the mystery exciting, but more importantlyEthan knows her name! A little sleuthing is well worth that!

Kindle Version

Review

This is a story that was sent to me by the authorherself, and I was very excited to read. Unfortunately, it has taken me about10 times as long to finish than it would for me to read a regular book. Why isthat? The plot was actually very interesting and unique. It’s about this girlwho is looked at as a freak because of her weird hobby of crashing funerals. Onone of her little trips to a funeral she runs into the hottest guy at herschool, and her lifetime crush. It turns out that his sister died of heroin andthe brother thinks there was some fowl play. He, with the help of the girl,Kait, start to investigate the mystery of the sister and 3 other girls' deaths.

Seems interesting, right? I thought it would be too.Just not the way it was written. I mean that in a way that the writing style ofthe author was not something I personally enjoyed. I couldn’t keep up. The onlyway I can explain it is like this: it was like reading the thoughts of someoneelse, unfiltered and with no direction. Any little thing would distract Kait.It was actually dizzying to keep up. She would be talking about the murder andthen the guy and somehow it would go to her ex-best friend and end with a peanutbutter and banana milkshake. It was exhausting, that’s why it took so long forme to finish it. It was like looking through the mind of a little girl thatwould get distracted by anything and everything. I really wasn’t eager tofinish it. I hate to say it, but I believe this was why I am so behind in myreading. The last 6 chapters or so were the most interesting because themystery was wrapping up. I am only being honest that from 1-10? I give thisstory a 3.5

SOOOO Behind

2011-10-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

It's funny how life can go from having free time to become impossibly hectic in just a few short weeks. I am extremely behind in all things reading (that doesn't involve school) I have about three or four book requests that I haven't had a chance to get to and that makes me feel really bad. Can't Thanksgiving Break come any faster?! I promise to get to everything as soon as I can!

Here's a few things that are coming up!

-I've accepted two review request that I am just itching to do, and I will as soon as things settle down a bit. I'm going to be reviewing Adventures in Funeral Crashing by Milda Harris and Quest of the Demon by M.L. Sawyar.

-I'm going to be starting a 30 day meme just answering questions and getting a little personal with it.

-I got a new review request that I just replied to (a little late) and if everything gets squared off soon I'll add it to my list and have it done as soon as possible.

-And I want to do something new to my blog, whether it be the layout or a feature I don't know, I just haven't thought of it yet. Got to start brainstorming!

Now that I look at it I have a lot of stuff to accomplish! I have to start managing my time better, and hit the books!

Silver and Stone by J.D. Thompson

2011-09-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

Summary

Welcome to high school highsociety hell.

As if senior year at Weatherford Preparatory School wasn’t hardenough, sixteen-year-old Alexis Bardolph had to add school outcast to thecurriculum.

A new found notoriety following a family scandal, her lacrossestar boy-friend dumping her for a former BFF and a string of perpetually badhair days were among the many things going wrong in her already turbulentteenage life.

But when the haunting nightmares that have plagued her sincechildhood begin to take an eerily tangible form and several Holler Creekresidents are reported missing, Alexis can’t help but wonder if there isn’tmore to her hellish dreams than meets the eye.

The unexpected arrival of a mysterious and dangerously handsomenew student ultimately leads Alexis to troubling truths that not even herwildest imagination could have conjured.

Number of pages: 132

Review

Society hell sounds like funthe way JD Thompson writes it. Ok, maybe not fun exactly, but I loved readingthis book and JD Thompson did a great job making this book where it wasbalanced by scariness, mystery, and humor. This review is going to be a littlehard to write though because most of the book consisted of giving you the factsand occurrences little by little throughout the book, so for me to spoil ithere on my review would be unfair to you, but I’ll try my best.

For some huge reason inwhich I can’t tell you, Alexis is the ex-popular girl in this huge castle likemansion, and all but her two best friends don’t completely hate her guts, evenher sister is having a hard time accepting her sister’s situation and wherethis puts her in the society food chain that everyone in this book lives by.Depression is the right word to describe Alexis at this point in her life andthe incredible guilt and confusion she feels. For what reason I cant say unlessa spoiled story is what you want, but once you read the when’s and why’s ofSilver and Stone you will be left stunned and craving more. Add Lucas into themix and things get a bit more dangerous.

The setting was perfect forthis type of story. The castle and the small town made everything seem a littlemore supernatural, and creepy. There is so much I want to say because the twistand turns in this story was absolutely riveting and I wish I could just blurtit all out and tell you what happens, but I’ll control myself and let you allread and figure it out for yourself. Just have a little patience to go to theend to find things out, and you should get hooked onto Alexis’ crazy story.

And you can imagine myexcitement when I see that there was an excerpt for the next book that will come out soon! This may not be the most clearof reviews, but take it from me, Silver and Stone is not a book you want tomiss out on. From 1-10 on entertainment alone? I give Silver and Stone an 8!

A note on the cover: I didn’tvery much like the cover of this book since it looks kind of creepy, but don’t letthat stop you from reading the book. Really!

Ten Years Ago . . . 9/11 Tribute

2011-09-11T18:09:00.000-07:00

Outside the day is clear and blue, a typical Floridian sky.They say it was also just a typical clear, sunny day ten years ago to this dayin New York City, Washington, and Pennsylvania. No one, least of all the parentsand loved ones of many families, expected to end their lives short because ofthe sadistic and heartless terrorist planning to make a statement on this country. The highjacking of four commercial planes, the strike on the Twin Towers and Pentagon,the heroic efforts of the passengers on flight 93, the shocking and inevitablecollapse of our beautiful Towers, and the destruction of the many livesinvolved only took a couple of hours, and yet it is something that to this day,10 years later, it still brings tears to our eyes.

There isn’t much I remember from that day, I was about sixyears old when it happened. The events from that horrible day just seemed toblur together into a day when everyone cried, everyone seemed to have a frownon their face as if it were permanently etched into their faces. A woman who wouldalways pick us up on days when my parents were out of town on work picked up mysisters and me from school that day. I remember my sisters crying nonstop,asking questions and questions about our parents who happened to be in New YorkCity on September 11. I remember crying along with them, along with everyone. Ican’t say whether I understood, but I remember feeling like something big washappening, and the sadness from everyone around me was enough to make me sad.

Now, a decade later, I know that my parents had overslept and stayed in their hotel that morning instead of going to work, safe andsound. It took them days to return home to us again because they had to driveall the way here, but I remember being picked up by them at school and everyonewas alright again. A decade later, and now 15 years old, I am so grateful to Godfor bringing them home to us again. I think back to the kids who lost theirparents from those attacks and it makes me tear up thinking that they all wentto school that day like me, but never got picked up by their mom or dad. Manypeople lost their live—firefighters, volunteers, regular businessmen and women,people of surrounding buildings, plane passengers—but for some reason thisyear, I also thought a lot of the kids who lost their parents. How old wouldthey be now? 10? 13? 16? 20? How much did they lose from this? Their parents,but also the normalcy of their childhood. Their day to day routine of having theirdad tuck them in or their mother pick them up from school, all lost becausepeople they didn’t know and had nothing to do with decided to make a statementand see America panic. We were united that day and we are still united tenyears later. Did they expect that? Not a year has gone by that we haven’tremembered, haven’t reflected on the events of that day. Though left behind bythose we cherish now dead, we move forward with the grace of a nation who knowshow to stick together. We never forgot.

All That Matters by Youseph Tanha

2011-09-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

Summary

Ethan Wright is justlike any other high school kid that is one day lucky enough to meet the girl ofhis dreams. Throughout the course of high school the young couple learn to copewith incredibly difficult odds to discover all that matters.’All That Matters’is a novella about love and life and all that the heart can endure. With memorable charactersand a deep story you will find it difficult to put this book down.

Review

I read this book because the author, Youseph Tanha,contacted me telling me about this story and asking me to review it. I alwayslove when I’m asked to review a book, and this was no exception. I believe thisstory, All That Matters, is only available on ebook.

So what can I say about this book? Well, it’s not yourtypical story, and it’s definitely not something I would read without alittle push. It was interesting to be sure. I found it very realistic. Thestory is about a man who is telling you why he became a doctor. It tells of hisstory and his high school sweetheart. My guess is love can sometimes be hard,but especially when the girlfriend has cancer. I could feel him worry and excitement at being with the girl he wants. The story was really sad, especially near the end, but for somereason it seemed like besides the fact that she had to go to the hospital forchemo and radiation treatments, I didn’t feel much emotion from her family orother characters. Their concern was big, but the emotion behind that justdidn’t seem palpable enough to me. What really surprised me was how—I don’t exactly know how tosay this—close Ethan (theprotagonist) and Amanda (his girlfriend and the girl of his dreams) were in their physical relationship. I found itgave a little too much info intotheir love life. And what were their parents thinking? I just didn’tunderstand.

The story ends in a way that is not the ending Iwould hope for. Not much of a happy ending, but then again does life alwayshave a happy ending? To the protagonist it must have been a decent ending tohis life, but I had wished he would find more than contentment. Maybe I understoodit wrong. The bottom line is that this is the story of life, sickness, loyalty,and moving forward. From 1-10? I give All That Matters a 5.5!!

Timeless by Alexandra Monir

2011-08-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

Summary

When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s family, she is forced to move from Los Angeles to New York City to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she has never met. In their historic Fifth Avenue mansion, filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers the biggest family secret of all—an ancestor’s diary that, amazingly, has the power to send her back in time to 1910, the year it was written. There, at a glamorous high society masquerade ball, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life. And she finds herself falling for him, and into an otherworldly romance.

Soon Michele is leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves—and to complete a quest that will determine their fate.

Number of pages: 280

Review

The thing about this book is that the story is a very interesting one, but the way it was written isn’t great. At first reading this book everything was great: the main events were set up perfectly, and the characters started out good. I just didn’t enjoy reading how the rest progressed. I can’t really explain it any better than saying that it wasn’t how I thought it was going to be. I just wasn’t captured. From the beginning I should have gotten hooked like I do with most books, I just wasn’t feeling it with this one.

The story is about Michele who’s suddenly thrown into the life of the wealthy when her mother dies, and she is sent to live with her super rich grandparents. Somehow she gets this key that can somehow transport her to a time in the past, 100 years to be exact. There she meets the boy who has been occupying her dreams for years. It was all cute at first, but then Michele makes a discovery and does everything she can to change the past, and the boy’s future. There were some times where the events were stretched put too much and some random things that I just didn’t understand what it had to do with. And sometime it just seemed overdone to me. Like the corny parts of the book had just too much. The end bothered me. The book wasn’t bad, it’s just that at the end I figured, “ok at least now she did what she had to do and it’s over”. Apparently I was wrong, though. I think that the way the author was ending it was fine, she fixed the past and she was going to learn to move one. Then right when the book was going to be over . . . BAM! Something big happens and the story is stretched out even more to encompass this new turn of events. I probably am going to read the next book because I hate leaving things unfinished, but to be quite honest it would have been great to me if it ended here; it’s probably safe to say that it’s not going to be at the top of my list. But who knows? Maybe I’ll end up loving the next book. All in good time of course. But for now from 1-10? Timeless gets a 4.5

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

2011-08-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Review

Every girl who has taken the test has died.

Now it’s Kate’s turn.

It’s always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall. Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests. Kate is sure he’s crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

If she fails . . .

Number of pages: 293

Review

I’ve had my eye out for this book for quite some time. It caught my eye expressly because it dealt with some Greek mythology. I actually adore mythology. Reading The Goddess Test was very interesting. The concept of the story was good. I always thought that Hades (in this case Henry) to be misunderstood. It was great seeing someone recognize it as that. But there were lots of stuff that really bothered me about it.

The characters seemed quite annoying to me. I don’t know why, they just seemed very fake to me, like they didn’t have much substance. One in particular was Henry. God, it killed me that he was portrayed as an empty shell for the most part. I mean I get that Carter was trying to make it out that he had given up, but there just wasn’t any spunk to him! He didn’t have any special qualities about him that separated him from the rest. And honestly I don’t know why Kate fell for him. There was nothing in this book that made sense as to why she loves him. And if I can’t understand why she loves him then I, as the reader, can’t fall in love with him either! Kate sometimes came out as . . . I don’t want to say annoying (again) but somewhere near that. I just couldn’t understand her

Another thing was that some stuff was just way too predictable to me. Then again, somethings weren’t. It just all depends, but there were times when this piece of news, or that piece of news was suppose to come out as a surprise, and I had already predicted it. Then again, there were some moments when I was in shock that I hadn’t seen it coming. I think I would have liked it if this book just ended its, that there wouldn’t be more to the story to come in a sequel because this book could have ended itself right, and I would have been happy. But I guess I can understand why there would be given more to the story. I will be putting book two down in my list of books to read, maybe it’ll come out better than this one. So from 1-10? I give The Goddess Test a solid 5.

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

2011-08-10T20:31:00.001-07:00

Summary

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed. Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

Number of pages: 304

Review

Kat Bishop and her crew are back for an all new riveting adventure including traps, yachting, curses, and cons. I devoured the first book, Heist Society, and I couldn’t stay away from Uncommon Criminals for long. After taking some solo jobs around the world Kat Bishop is finally going back home when she and her oh so suave best friend, the infamous and gorgeous W. W. Hale the Fifth find themselves with the opportunity to steal the Cleopatra Emerald . . . which happens to be cursed (of course). And Kat of course can’t resist such a tempting job, but when things start to go terribly wrong, she and her crew of teen thieves work together to undue the mistakes made and return the emerald before it can make any more trouble for them.

I think this book was just as wow worthy as the first book, and I believe that over and over we can see in the books how Kat is maturing and making her way through the family business without technically becoming the bad guy. Really, every one of the characters were maturing in their skills and personalities, and yet always had those funny ways about them that made them special and quirky and fun. I really loved Ally Carter’s work again in this second book. So much tricks and turns that kept me guessing until the very end—literally. I think that was one thing that kind of bothered me even if it was for a little. Near the end of the book when all the pieces were coming together I had to strain my brain a little to keep up with the book. And even after the way they pulled off everything was revealed I had to pause and think a little while to understand everything better. From 1-10? I give Uncommon Criminals a 7 (:

Heist Society by Ally Carter

2011-08-10T20:28:00.001-07:00

Summary

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre . . . to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria . . . to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the vest boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected. Soon, Kat’s friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster’s art collection has been stolen, and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s (very crooked) history—and, with luck, steal her life back along the way.

Number of pages: 304

Review

Completely ignoring what I was taught since birth about stealing being bad I totally wish I were part of this society. Is that bad? Probably, but I can’t help it. The Heist Society is so cool. This was a good book with lots of excitement and brainwork I guess you could say. Kat is not the average thief—even by her family’s standards. She’s the best of the best (ignoring the fact that she’s just a teen) and has amazing strategist skills, but one thing she has is a conscience—at least for a thief. So she makes her way out of the family business, which is like a HUGE no no. When she is expelled from the boarding school she snuck herself into she finds herself in the biggest job she’s ever done . . . that will also save her father. And along with the rich and handsome best friend, Hale, Gabrielle, The Bagshaw Brothers, Simon, and Nick they are about to find out how much talent they actually have.

This book was very entertaining in the way that Ally Carter makes everything out to be like a real society. One that not many people know of course, but one that exits nevertheless. I loved how it is like a type of living (even if it is corrupt). These people got skills. I kind of got jealous. So from 1-10? I think this society of thieves gets an 8!

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

2011-08-08T19:45:00.001-07:00

Summary

One hour to rewrite the past . . . For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson is willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past. Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Number of pages: 400

Review

The intricacy of the ins and outs of this book was spectacular. My preferences to sci-fi are usually slim, but Hourglass totally blew me away. It was riveting, complicated, and full out entertainment. It took all I had to keep myself from laughing hysterically while reading during my car trip. My parents already looked at me like I was crazy when the occasional chuckle escaped me. That’s how funny this book was. I love when there is so much drama with humor interlaced the entire plot. Okay, so, Emerson Cole thinks she’s crazy . . . and with good reason! She sees people who no longer exist. Not ghost exactly, more like visions of people from the passed called Rips. She learns all this from the most “delicious” guy, Michael, who happens to be just like her . . . sorta. I can’t really explain all this so the only way to get all the details is to pick up a copy and read it for yourself. But keep a sharp mind out because sometimes things would get a little complicated and twisted around. Just a heads up.

So what exactly is it about this book that I liked so much? I’d have to say Emerson, all the way. I absolutely LOVED reading from her perspective. She is the most kick ass character—literally. Her sarcasm practically dripped out. There is nothing better than good out sarcasm and a strong will to make a book pop. She was the personification of a strong female lead. And you know what I loved about her? She was always showed as strong, but there were clearly times when she cracked. That was perfect for me because it shows that she was human, you know? Not some super girl with the will of an army, just a girl trying to right wrongs even if it was hard and scary. Still, there was something that put me off about her sometimes. I cant quite put my finger on it, but it doesn’t really matter. Along with Emerson there were so many other characters that I LOVED. And when I say I loved that it’s that I LOOOVED them. The thing about this book is that it was the story line that made this such a good book, it was the characters. They were just so real to me, so raw. Emerson’s sparkiness, Michael’s strong feeling of protectiveness, Dru’s compassion, Kaleb’s openness, even Lily’s sassiness even though she just showed up a hand full of times. They were the ones that captured me, and sometimes that doesn’t happen in a book. So for Myra McEntire’s incredible talent for making characters jump off a page . . . from 1-10? I give Hourglass a 9!

P.S. I'm like 95% sure this is just the beginning of a series, but so far I haven't heard or seen anything about other books. Got any info on this? Let me know! I cant't for the next!!

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

2011-08-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Summary

How do you defy DESTINY?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small as sheltered as Nantucket. And it’s getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she’s haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they’re destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history. As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realized that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might no to be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Number of pages: 487

Review

Take this amazing book cover as an indication of how this book is going to be . . . AH-mazing! I was absolutely captivated by this story, I mean, who doesn’t love a good ol’ curse dating back from the time of the Greek gods to set the mood for this epic book. And who can resist a good demigod story? Out of all the paranormal/fictional characters out there I have to say demigods and angels are my favorite to read about. I do give warnings to you all out there when there is something I think you should know before reading books, and my warning for this book is though I did love it the beginning was . . . scary intense. Like there is this part where these creepy sisters that represent the Fates show up and they are um, well, creep. I can’t even describe it any other way, it kinda freaked me out. Props to the author though for making it seem so real. But other than that and some other freaky stuff in the beginning I have to say the rest of the book was very good. Great even! Of course what would a book called “starcrossed” be without a very dramatic love story? Helen and Lucas are so desperately in love, but alas that is not meant to be . . . or is it? I was kept on my toes (or in this case the edge of my bed) from beginning to end and even afterwards when it was over. Now HERE is when I almost had a heart attack, when I found out that the second book come out . . . MAY 2012!!!! NOOOOOO!!! It can’t be, right? Wrong -.- I have to wait so many months to continue on to the next book Dreamless. I think it’s just cruel how sometimes these books don’t come until months later, but what can you do? Any way I’m getting off track. The only thing I can really do at this point is gush over how I loved this book and if from experience you also love hopeless love stories with danger, secrets, and drama then I guarantee Starcrossed as the next book that should be given a spot on your bookshelf. So from 1-10? Starcrossed is given a close 8.5!

Unlocked byKaren Kingsbury

2011-08-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

Summary

She took a stand . . .

He took a chance . . .

Holden Harris is an eighteen-year-old locked in a prison of autism. Despite his quiet ways and quirky behaviors, Holden is very happy and socially normal—on the inside, in a private world all his own. In reality, he is bullied at school by kids who only see that he is very different.

Ella Reynolds is a part of the “in” crowd. A cheerleader and star of the high school drama production, her life seems perfect. When she catches Holden listening to her rehearse for the school play, she is drawn to him . . . the way he is drawn to the music. Then Ella makes a dramatic discovery—she and Holden were best friends as children.

Frustrated by the way Holden is bullied, and horrified at the indifference of her peers, Ella decides to take a stand against the most privileged and popular kids at school. Including her boyfriend, Jake.

Ella believes miracles can happen in the unlikeliest places, and that just maybe an entire community might celebrate from the sidelines. But will Holden’s praying mother and the efforts of Ella and a cast of theatre kids be enough to unlock the prison that contains Holden? This time, friendship, faith, and the power of a song much be strong enough to open the doors to the miracle Holden needs.

Number of pages: 319

Review

I took a chance reading this book, and was not disappointed. This story was deep. I cant say that everyone out there is going to be compelled to read this book because it isn’t one of the usual genres that kids out there are into. And by that I mean there is not one vampire, werewolf, faerie, or love triangle. But should that stop teens from reading Unlocked? I don’t think it should. This book captivates a reader such as myself because of the genuine feeling that comes from it. This book takes you on a spiritual journey through the family and friends of Holden Harris, a guy locked in the grip of autism. Other than praying for the mental return of Holden Harris from his “prison” I didn’t see much of the Christianity aspects in this book. That could be good for anyone out there that isn’t Christian who might want to read this book because I didn’t get the feeling that it pushes this religion to make you want to be a Christian or anything. I, on the other hand ,do believe in God so this was a good book that reminded me of the help the Father can give to those who call to him. Mostly I saw that from the parts where you look through the eyes of the mom of Holden. That poor woman, I can’t even pretend to understand what she went through. And the fact that this actually happens, that there are still kids out there who can’t break from their autism is so sad. I saw in this book how devastated these people who live with an autistic family member or friend might affect them and how much they want that person to come back. I actually did learn a lot from this book, which was good. I think all stories should always give you a little lesson in between pages. After reading I went on a little Google spree, and read a little more on this problem. I can’t say that it wasn’t a little tedious during the beginning when everything is coming into place and there is still no sign of recovery from Holden, but once I started to see some changes in him is when I really could put down the book.

From 1-10? Unlocked get a 6 because I did have to push myself for this book, but was rewarding at the end

The 39 Clues

2011-08-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

Summary

There is no way really for me to get a summary of these books without setting off some spoilers so I found this video on YouTube that I have to say sums up The 39 Clues off perfectly.

Number of pages: around 155 using the first book as a base

Review

This series really surprised me. I read the first book a couple of months ago because one of my friends recommended it to me. She gave me her personal copy, and I set off on a trip to France with Amy and Dan. Usually I get a bit prejudice towards smaller books because I think that it isn’t in some way in my reading range. I guess that sounds kind of bad, but that is just one of my bad thinking habits that I need to get control of if these books are any indication that small books can be SO good. Because that’s what these book were. They were brilliant, fast paced, and mysterious. The plot was very interesting because it really makes it seem like this all-powerful family dates back hundreds of years to the 16^th century. I was fascinated with the ways that the authors used history’s biggest and best-known people as anchors in the clues. I admit it! I learn a lot from these mini history lessons though you do have to be careful in what you think is history and what was made up to make it seem like they were part of the Cahill hunt.
The adventures of the hunt itself was so much fun. Amy and Dan literally went from one side of the globe to the next and back and forth for I think it was a month or two just to find clues to win the biggest prize in the world—ultimate power. It was incredible how smart these kids were. I think of them now and think of my friends and me and I could never in a million years picture us thinking the way they do and using photographic memory! I think that had to be one of the coolest things, to look at something for a second or two and have it permanentlyingrained in your head. I think that would be mighty useful when it comes to tests and studying. But seriously the way they make out these kids to be is amazing although sometimes a little over the top. Although they did have help from other fantastic characters like Nellie Gomez, a favorite of mine.
What I loved about these books is that you had to think about the clues too. Not sure if that makes sense, but like you were also thinking about it too . . . not that I would get even NEAR to cracking the codes before Dan and Amy. These books were very entertaining; it was like food for thought (I try to say this phrase a lot). The way all the authors wrote the book is amazing. It was one author per book and though there weren’t that many difference I like to tell myself that I saw the different styles of writing in the few authors that I recognized like: Rick Riordan, Jude Watson, and Margaret Peterson Haddix.
From 1-10? The whole series gets a 7!

Extra

This whole series is also like a card trading/online game thing that I haven’t really gotten into, but seems pretty cool. I have like one set from one book, and they look cool. Sometimes the whole family roots and clues are a little hard to keep up so I found this website that might help you out if you are reading them or want to read them: http://39clues.wikia.com/wiki/39_Clues_Wiki you can see pictures and profiles too!

Because all authors contributing to these books is important here is a list of all the authors (at least from the first series)

Authors:

Rick Riordan

Gordan Korman

Peter Lerangis

Jude Watson

Patrick Carman

Linda Sue Park

Margaret Peterson Haddix

HAPPY ONE-YEAR BLOGAVERSARY NAP SNACK READ!!!

2011-07-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

I can’t even believe it right now. I just cannot believe its been a whole year! I'm at the moment not at my house, and I'm not going to be there all night so I'm going to have to write something down quick. I am so proud of what has become of my blog this year, and I'm so glad my dad convinced me to do it. Around this time last year my dad was convincing me of writing down my opinions on my beloved books where everyone can see them. My sister, Victoria, gave me a name idea that would stick perfectly for me, and that is how Nap Snack Read came to be! Doesn't seem like much of a story does it? But it was. This blog is one of those things that I will work on for a long time, and even if one day I discontinue it I can never forget everything that's happened to me because of it. I know we still have a long way to go, but I’m happy with what has come out of it this year. I can't wait to see how this little blog of mine will grow in the future. To my 25 followers that I currently have right now I would just like to say thanks and I love you guys <3 and I can’t wait to see how many more will follow me in the years to come. Let's try to double it this year!

Updating . . .

2011-07-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

Ok so there has been a new feature added to my site, but it's going to take some work to get people to participate. And by people I mean you. So I really hope you all help me out here. The new feature is a type of chat room feature that I'm testing out. In each chat room the topic will all be different, mostly about certain books. Consider it like a virtual book club! If anyone has any book requests they'd like to talk about just leave a comment or email me (napsnackread@yahoo.com)

Seriously people, contact me, it'll make my day

And while you're at it, try following me too, now that would also make me happy (;

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

2011-07-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

This review is going to be a little different then the usual. So I’ve thought of how I would do this and decided to review these series as a whole rather than picking it apart one book at a time. That’s because The Mortal Instruments Series isn’t a series where it breaks off or starts new on the next book. It’s all one big mystery where the plot literally extends all the way through books 1-3. Now book 4 is a sort of extension to how the plot ends in the first part and this would be the beginning of part 2. I think that makes sense right? There are two more books to this series that are to come out in the future (and honestly I am dying for them to come out. So I am going to write my review first this time and bellow that will be the summaries for each of the books out to far.

**I would recommend NOT reading the summaries of book 2, 3, or 4 if you haven’t read the previous one because, lets face it, there are tons of spoilers in the summaries themselves**

REVIEW

FirstoffIhavetosaythatthisisSUCHanamazingseries!!! LOL ok now that I got that out of my system I’ll try to write something coherent without letting my excitement get the best of me. So where to start . . . hmmm . . . okidoki well I’ll start with the facts about this book.

FACT: these are big books

FACT: you will fall in love with these characters... just a heads up

FACT: chills will roll up and down your arms through the entire adventure, yes it’s that intense

FACT: funniest damn book series ever, I can’t even count the amount of times my family caught me clutching one of these books while I cracked up without a thought to the fact that people were staring at me.

And FACT: to be honest this series is pretty graphic; I think you need to know this before. There is lots of gore and demons etc

I first read the first couple of books about a year ago if I do recall correctly. That being said, I had to reread the entire series again when I bought the newest installment, City of Fallen Angels. In my excitement to read the fourth book I attacked the first three again with a vengeance. So I have all the books fresh in my mind. The whole first three books I would call “PART 1” of the series and book four and on “PART 2”. Simple enough, right? So PART 1 is all about this up coming war that the insanely evil rogue Shadowhunter Valentine is making to forever destroy all Downworlders (vamps, werewolves, faeires, warlocks) and will kill anyone who stands in his way, even if he has to recreate the Shadowhunters from scratch. The only people remotely close enough to stop him are Clary, Jace, Simon, and the rest of their friends. Having a hard time putting the books down is an understatement. It’s not just that it was an adventure worth holding on to. It’s not just the characters worth learning more about. It’s all of it combined, I think. My favorite part of the entire series had to be to wit and sarcasm the poured out of this book like a waterfall. It was incredible. The fact that no matter how bad the situation got, or how depressed everything was there was ALWAYS some funny remark by Simon or snarky comeback from Jace to lighten the mood. These people would talk like regular people. That sounds weird because they are people, but if you read these books and new them as well as I do, you would see that there is nothing regular about them. The characters had to be my favorite aspect of The Mortal Instruments.

I think the only thing that I can think of to say that I didn’t like about the stories had to be that sometime there were looooong, long moments where demons would come and it seemed kind of gory at times. Lots of blood scenes and gruesome parts. And because of the authors amazing way of putting you in the story, it did seem like I was on the battlefield with them.

Part 2 of The Mortal Instruments series is the aftermath of the Mortal War ending in the first part. That’s what you have to understand about Part 2. It continues, but now with a whole new problem and situation.

This is one of my favorite series, and because I am review this on the entire series I will give a rating as a whole. So, that said as a whole from 1-10? I am happy to give The Mortal Instrument a 9!!!

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Summaries

BOOK ONE: City of Bones

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. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary’s first meeting with Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know . . .

Number of pages: 485

Book Two: City of Ashes

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what’s normal when you’re a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadownhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who’s becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn’t ready to let her go—especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary’s only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter, Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil—and also her father. To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings—and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

Number of pages: 453

Book Three: City of Glass

To save her mother’s life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of Shadowhunters—never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhuntersmwho are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight. As Clary uncovers more about her family’s past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he’s willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City—whatever the cost?

Number of pages: 541

Book Four: City of Fallen Angels

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

Number of pages: 424

Angel Burn by L. A. Weatherly

2011-06-30T22:16:00.001-07:00

Summary

THEY’RE OUT FOR YOUR SOUL.

AND THEY DON’T HAVE HEAVEN IN MIND . . .

Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself does. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil.

Number of pages: 449

Review

W. O. W.

I don’t know how else to get this through to all of you clearly except . . . THIS BOOK WAS SOOOOO GOOOD!! I was completely captured even from the moment that I read the PROLOUGE and that is saying something. If you get the chance to read this book then I seriously wouldn’t hesitate to get a hold of a copy. I don’t even know what exactly it was from the story that really had me mesmerized for the entire time that I read this book . . . which was in a day (a new personal best if I do say so myself). I haven’t been this captivated in a book in quite some time. I can’t say I’m not excited to review this book, but I really don’t want to give anything away.

I think I have to start with the fact that the plot itself went beyond the norms of today’s usual books. Lately, a lot of novels have been meshing together with the way the plots all seem in at least one way similar. I mean it’s not always bad because each author has their own way of styling their stories, but I think Angel Burn was a whole new take, a new-ish kind of story. There were some of the typical stuff that we teens read about mostly, like the star-crossed love story of the book or the super natural stuff that gets us so addicted. So what this book is about is that after learning about angels Willow becomes the target of some pretty dangerous beings, and Alex is sent to kill her. Of course Alex—being Alex—has enough common sense to know that something isn’t right. Once they discover what is going on they are force to stick together in what seems the most dangerous, and exciting road trip ever. Along the way of course, the attraction between them builds until it is practically palpable through the pages. I think it had to be one of the top 10 romances ever.

The angel aspect of Angel Burn was really interesting. These aren’t the type of angels I would pray to, if you know what I mean. I kind of found it interesting how the angels were evil and created their own religion of sorts; more like a cult. And how every now and then people would be like, “oh Jesus that was intense”. Or something like that. Probably isn’t relevant to anything, but it was something I picked up and thought kind of interesting, the worship of this strange religion with expressions of another. The adventure also was really cool, too. They travel practically cross-country, and there was much to do on those little trips. Honestly I really did enjoy this book, and maybe you will too. It’s worth a shot picking it up, don’t you think? So from 1-10? Angel Burn definitely gets a 9!!

Deadly Little Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz

2011-06-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Summary

Until three months ago, sixteen-year-old Camelia’s life had been fairly ordinary. Then a mysterious boy names Ben started junior year at her school and changed everything.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend’s accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. Despite the rumors, she’s inexplicably drawn to him . . . and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes, Ben insists she’s in danger, and that he wants to help—but can he be trusted? She knows he’s hiding something . . . but he’s not the only one with a secret.

Number of pages: 252

Review

Deadly Little Secret was such a hauntingly good novel. I was surprised by the intensity of the mystery, and it was such an entertaining book aside from the mystery as well. One of my best friends, Amanda, gave me her copy to read and see if it was good. She’s not much of a reader, but I am determined to convert her! Okay, back to the book. Camelia and her two best friends go to this school where a new, secretive guy comes and stirs up their little town with drama. Camelia knows he is the one who saved her from being run over by a car, and is determined to get to know him a little more. What she doesn’t know is that she is the one who is going to need saving again. There is someone following her. She starts getting these phone calls and pictures in the mail. Pretty creepy stuff, for sure. I think the creepiest part had to be the small chapters where the stalker would write about his feelings on Camelia. They were so realistic it was mind-blowing. There were quite a lot of parts that gave me goose bumps. As you can imagine, I read this book mostly at night before bed, and it was the perfect time to read a book like this. Unless of course stuff like this really does scare you, then I recommend reading it during the daytime. Just saying. But aside from the mystery of the stalker and the mystery behind the new guy, Ben, this book had a slight comical aspect to it. The best friends had to be the funniest people in the book. They were with Camelia most of the time and lightened up the mood immensely. They were sarcastic and humorous that left me cracking up. From 1-10? I give it a 6.5

Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein

2011-06-25T10:52:00.001-07:00

Summary

An orphan, young Lady Catherine rises to become one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite maids of honor—until her romance with the dashing adventurer Walter Ralegh is discovered. In a fit of jealousy, the queen banishes Cate to the fledgling colony on Roanoke Island.

Sustained by the hope that Sir Walter will soon join her, Cate learns to face the unexpected hardships and dangers of the New World. Torn by conflict and mistrust, and with their numbers dwindling, the colonists are forced to rely on Manteo, a mysterious Croatoan Indian, for their survival. Manteo, who calls Cate his Moon Maiden . . .

But is Manteo truly a friend, or will he betray the English to their enemies? And Sir Walter in England—has he forgotten his beloved, or will he come to claim her? As the months pass without rescue, Cate turns her gaze from the past and considers the possibility of a new love. Then one day a ship arrives—and Cate must make an agonizing choice . . .

Number of pages: 321

Review

Lisa Klein weaved an absolutely sensational historical fiction out of an event that I didn’t even know about until I read this book! Cate of the Lost Colony was adventurous, mysterious, and the history part of this story was completely amazing.

Cate is in the beginning “Lady Catherine” which is in turn changed to “Lady Cat” or “Cat” as is referred to by the Queen herself. That is when in the beginning Lady Cat is one of the many maids to Queen Elizabeth. It’s her duty to help the Queen dress (a difficult task, no less) and help her with anything that may need helping. To her this is a great honor to serve her queen. Here in America with no kings or queens to look to in that way I can’t imagine why she would have such devotion and such love to a woman who at times treated her a little bad. It’s evident in the beginning part of the book how much devotion she puts into her work for the queen only being rewarded with a nickname that would soon get her into jealous trouble with the other lady maids. I guess that is just how it was. I remember thinking through those pages that I guess our heroine was just going to be a meek girl with not much will to call her own. But wow was I wrong. She turns a complete 180 after her romance with Sir Walter is discovered and is forced to travel to the New World, a place where savages rule and the conditions are harsh. Thus becoming the Cate that I know everyone loves her to be. She relishes the opportunity to travel to the new world, but after a while of seeing the type of condition she is to live in you see a spark in her ignite to take some charge and speak out, even as a woman in a time where men rule, to help her fellow colonist survive while deciding whether to keep hope in the thought of rescue from Sir Walter, or accepting the future and the possible love that comes with it.

At first I thought the story of Cate was hard to follow because at what seemed at random times the voice of Cate would be replaced by what I would call Sir William’s “diary” or “journal” to the point of view of Manteo in some instances, but (and I’m still not sure how Klein did it) it all seemed to make sense after a little bit of concentration. You would think that a book in the time of Queen Elizabeth would be a hard read, what with all the old time slang that must be in this book, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, I actually liked the challenge of it! Especially when poetry by Sir Walter would be mixed in, it gave it an old time feel to it that made it special. I was in fact quite charmed by this book as my review probably already told you. So from 1-10? I am happy to give Cate of the Lost Colony an 8!!!

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

2011-06-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

Summary

May be walking past you right now.

Are watching as you read this.

May be in your city, your town.

Are living anonymously.

Are waiting for the day when

Will find each other.

Will make our last stand together—if

Win,

Are saved, and

YOU

Are saved as well.

IF WE LOSE, ALL IS LOST.

Number of pages:440

Review

I broke a big cardinal rule of reading . . . never watch the movie before you read the book. And that’s exactly what I did. I can’t believe it either! I didn’t even think the movie was going to be so good, I was mostly just going to watch it because of Alex Pettyfer (<3). The movie was soooo incredible! So I went into the book with high hopes and a little bit prejudiced, I’m not gonna lie.

There were a lot of aspects to this book that made it so life-like that I found so amazing of the author to even think about. The planet Lorien seems like such a possibility when I was reading the book. It’s actually kind of funny how Pittacus Lore basically created a whole new civilization on this completely new planet based around him. Lore made Lorien as a planet with him as the ruler, and although I was kind of confused when he put himself in the actual story I thought it was quite genius. I mean, why shouldn’t he be ruler? He created the whole thing anyway so why not, right?

I actually really enjoyed this book, mostly in the beginning and middle. I blame myself for watching the movie first and maybe diminishing the experience a little bit. Since I kind of knew what was going to happen it didn’t actually have all my attention. (It took me about 2 weeks to finish this one! Not good.) This is a kind of sci-fi novel but for me I categorized it more on the romance side. It was a sweet kind of romance with the fun of having the ex-boyfriend to deal with. It was funny seeing the ex trying to bully John (Number Four) when you obviously knew that he could totally kick his… butt.

The only down side in this book that I actually found was that it was a bit flowery for me. Like in the big epic battle near the end, it was way over done. I mean it took up at least 5 chapters. It was very interesting with the fighting scenes at times, but then it just got a bit tedious, I wanted to see how they would end up! But maybe that was just my impatience at fault. Whatever it was that was how I felt near the end.

It did all tie up at the end setting it up perfectly for the next book. I do want to read the next and any after . . . I just got to make sure not to watch the next movie before I do.

From 1-10? I give I Am Number Four a 6.5

Oh for the book cover I decided to post up a picture of the original cover even though I own the movie version . . . mine has Alex Pettyfer on it!! <3 <3 <3

The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

2011-06-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

Summary

Orphan Mary Quinn lives on the edge. Sentenced as a thief at the age of twelve, she’s rescued from the gallows by a woman posing as a prison warden. In her new home, Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls, Mary acquires a singular education, fine manners, and a surprising opportunity. The school is a cover for the Agency—an elite, top secret corps of female investigators with a reputation for results—and at seventeen, Mary’s about to join their ranks.

With London all but paralyzed by a noxious heat wave, Mary must work fast in the guise of lady’s companion to infiltrate a rich merchant’s home with hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the Thorold household is full of dangerous secrets, and people are not what they seem—least of all Mary.

Number of pages: 335

Review

This was the perfect way to start off my summer reading! It’s not one of those summer love/sunshine books, but this is such a good book. I don’t even know why I put it off until now.

The whole story was quite unique. I’m not sure if girl spies are popular or not, but a girl spy in the Victorian Era? It all came out so cool.

This is the first book in a series and it starts off with how Mary was recruited. Turns out this little girl was so naughty she was going to be hanged! After a couple of years after being rescued by Miss Anne and studying at the school, Mary is recruited into this very top secret kind of agency that uses the intelligence of women to skillfully accomplish the results that their clients want. (Don’t worry they only do this for good.) Their way of thinking is this: since women in that time were never noticed let alone listened to, they should use that to their advantage. Mary is just the kind of girl that the Agency is interested in, and so she is sent to her first easy assignment.

I can't exactly review this by telling you the assignment or how it goes about in the end, mysteries are always so hard to explain without giving anything away! The only things I can say is that I was thoroughly entertained trying to decipher the who, what, when, where, and whys of this book. The ending is completely unexpected, let me tell you!

Now I really want to read the next book! From 1-10 A Spy in the House gets a 7!

P.S. i just realized that you might get the idea that this is an action packed kind of book. It wasn't really like that, more mystery less violence/action, but good either way.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

2011-05-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

Summary

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awake on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into a brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Number of pages: 398

Review

**WARNING REVIEW MAY CONTAIN A SPOILER OR TWO** (sorry I usually try to leave out any spoilers but this time I cant help it, no worries though I don’t give out anything major)

Wow.

This book was... incredible. So intense. This was just the kind of book I have been craving for lately. The whole book was so powerful; I had no control to put it down. I heard a lot about Across the Universe and the great reviews it got and I completely understand why.

The entire story is divided between Elder’s point of view and Amy’s point of view. I love when books are like that. I don’t know why, I guess it’s because it feels more personal when you get both sides of the story. Anyway, Amy is frozen and put as cargo in the super spaceship, Godspeed. They hope that 300 years into the future Godspeed will reach this new habitable planet. Well would that be perfect except for the fact that she is woken up waaaaaay to early in the most horrific of ways. Elder is there to help her along the way as they try to discover who is waking up the frozens and stopping the spaceship leader from stealing free will from the people aboard. If this alone doesn’t show you how intense this book is then I seriously think you should find this book somewhere and read for yourself how strong this book is. From the first page to the last page I was kept in full suspense. Some points in the mystery seemed obvious but not in an obvious way… did that make sense? It was like you knew the puzzle pieces, and you had no way of know how those pieces fit together. It drove me crazy at night trying to see how this piece and that piece had anything to do with this one. I loved it.

I do have to warn all of you out there who are suckers for happy endings and don’t like anything less than a happily ever after, this book will not satisfy your thirst for a happy ending. It’s not going to happen. Personally, to me, the ending was the most logical one to end this story, but I can’t help wishing that after everything those two went through they had to end like that. It was sad. But all around I enjoyed racing through the ship with Amy and Elder so from 1-10? It has to be an 8.

On cover news I have to say that it looks amazing! The picture on the cover came out so incredible, but what put it over the top was the blueprint of the spaceship on the inside part of the hard cover’s slap. It made everything seem more realistic. I loved it! I’m kind of upset right now because I took off the cover so I wouldn’t damage it at the beach a couple of days ago, and now I can’t find it!!! Grrrrreat -.- . . . oh! never mind I found it! :D

I went on the author's website and read that Across the Universe is part of a trilogy! Looks like this is far from the end . . .

Dark Visions by L.J. Smith

2011-05-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Summary

Kaitlyn Fairchild has always felt like an outsider in her small hometown. Her haunting eyes and prophetic drawings have earned her a reputation as a witch. But Kait’s not a witch: She’s a psychic. Tired of being shunned, Kait accepts an initiation to attend the Zetes Institute, where she can have a fresh start and study with other psychic teens. Learning to hone her abilities with four other gifted students, Kait discovers the intensity of her power—and the joy of having true friends. But those friendships quickly become complicated when Kait finds herself torn between two irresistible guys. Rob is kind and athletic, and heals people with his good energy. Gabriel is aggressive and mysterious, a telepath concealing his true nature as a psychic vampire, feeding off of other’s life energy. Together, Rob and Gabriel’s opposing forces threaten the group’s stability. Then one of the experiments traps the five teens in a psychic link. A link that threatens their sanity and their lives. And Kaitlyn must decide whom to trust . . . and whom to love.

Number of pages: book one: 1-252

: book two: 253-488

: book three: 489-732

My name is Camila, and I freely admit to being a huge L.J. Smith fan. This woman is an incredible writer! I’ve been reading her series for quite some time now and each one is completely unique and amazing. This is actually the second time I’ve read Dark Visions.

Lately I’ve realized how all paranormal books have been getting very clichéd and similar to one another. Boy meets girl. Girl falls in love. Boy turns out to be something freaky. That’s the usual quota for these books, but L.J. Smith always seems to bring out something unique in her books. I don’t know how she does it, but she does! And its not just in Dark Visions, her Night World Series was one of my favorite series.

So Kait is a psychic who can see into the future whenever she starts drawing something. She is sent to the Institute to meet with other psychics and test her abilities to learn how to control them. There she meets her new friends. I am in love with the entire cast of characters. They were all so different from one another and each one was special to me. Anna is the calm, quiet girl that doesn’t miss a thing. Oh, yeah, she can also communicate with animals. Lewis is the quirky guy with telekinesis power. Then comes Rob and Gabriel. More polar opposites they can’t be. Rob is golden boy from the south with the power to heal. Gabriel is all dark shadows and he is a dangerous telepathic. These two guys hate each other with their entire being. And they are both in love with Kait. Typical, right? Well it’s not. This love triangle was very interesting from the beginning. (I was secretly rooting for Gabriel from the beginning.) All the characters in their own right were witty. Their adventure was exciting but there was a sort of lagging on their trip that kind of slowed down the story. The love stories were cute too. Really there isn’t much else to say because it was so good that there’s nothing that I would really change.

One thing that did really bother me was the cover. I HATED the cover because it has nothing at ALL to do with the book. The girl on the cover is the farthest thing that Kait looks like and the only other girl in the book was Anna and she has black hair and dark skin, and isn’t the main character. The cover is blonde and Kait is red headed. It always bothers me when the cover on the book has a person because it leaves little for the imagination to do. So when they put a person that doesn’t look or have anything to do with the characters or the story, it bothers me a lot. But don’t worry, the cover doesn’t affect the book in any way. So from 1-10? I give Dark Visions a 9.

Wild Child by Mike Wells

2011-05-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

Summary

Briana Fox is the wildest girl in school. She and Kyle have been friends for a long time...almost lovers. When Briana challenges Kyle to a swim across the lake, she's injured in a horrific accident, but also discovers a mysterious substance in an underwater cave. What seems to be a magical yet harmless "power drug" turns out to have unexpected properties. Briana soon becomes dependent on it for her very survival. When two government agents get wind of their discovery, they will stop at nothing to force Kyle and Briana to reveal its source.

Number of pages: 51

Review

Do not let the number of pages stop you from reading Wild Child. When I first got the book sent to me from the author I thought that I hadn't been sent the entire story. Turns out it was sent completely, it's just a very quick read.

This is Brie and Kyle's story, and it was so intriguing and capturing that I really do wish the story had been extended a little bit. It started off with a bang and ended with one. Everything was in perfect detail, it was as if I was there with Kyle when he witnessed the speed boat run right over Brie, and his pain and his confusion when she at last appeared back on the boat as if nothing. Or when they’re in the cave and you can see the green glow from this “magical” water. It was all very vivid. Personally I didn’t really like Brie very much, not how she was created, just as a person. If she were someone I knew then she would really be a pain. Maybe I am just saying that because she’s very out there, and I’m more conservative. Whatever the reason I think Kyle was a much better character. He seemed like a total goody-goody at first, but he sure knew how to get things done in the end.

What I did find really interesting is the part where the water is described like a drug. When you read it you can tell that its not the wisest of ideas to be drinking it. This book just showed me even more why drugs are bad, and to never, ever take them. I don’t know if it was the authors intention to have a message like that in the story, but that’s the message that I got. That sounds a little cheesy, but it's true. Now the ending was . . . wow. It was so unexpected and so unbelievable that I’m not even sure if I mean that in a good or bad way. It was so shocking that I really I had no idea it was coming which is good, but I like endings where I know how everything ended off with the characters.This was the type of book that leaves you wondering how things turned out for the characters. I’m still reeling from the surprise ending.

This is the first ebook story I’ve read, and I was thoroughly impressed. I don’t think there was one part in this story that really had me bored. Not one dry moment. I guess that’s why the book was left short, because it really didn't need anything more. I think it takes great skill to make a very big book that keeps a reader captivated throughout the entire book, but now I feel it must also be just as hard to write a short story that doesn’t give a reader a chance to be bored. So from 1-10? I give Mike Wells’ Wild Child an 8.5!

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

2011-04-11T18:36:00.001-07:00

Summary

The summer of 1889 is the one between childhood and womanhood for Amelia van den Broek—and thankfully, she’s not spending it at home in rural Maine. Shes been sent to Baltimore to stay with her stylish cousin, Zora, who will show her all the pleasures of city life and help her find a suitable man to marry.

With diversions ranging from archery in the park to dazzling balls and hints of forbidden romance, Victorian Baltimore is more exciting than Amelia imagined. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike vision she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to her prophecies. Newly dubbed “Maine’s Own Mystic,” Amelia is suddenly quite in demand.

However, her attraction to Nathaniel, an artist who is decidedly outside of Zora’s circle, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him. And while she has no trouble seeing the futures of others, she has no trouble seeing the futures of others, she cannot predict whether Nathaniel will remain in hers.

When on of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause of them.

Number of pages: 293

Review

I happen to go back to 1889. Crazy, huh? Well it’s true. This book acted like a portal for me back into the past, and a little secret between you and me? I have always wanted to do that! Now, I can’t really say if it was a historic type of novel with paranormal aspects or maybe fantasy mixed in. But does it matter? What matters is that everything came together in the end to create an amazing novel.

Set back: you have to be on alert the first couple of pages because if you are like me you might get a bit lost. There was a moment of complete confusion in the first couple of chapters that I really had no clue what was going on, who was who, and where they were . . . rest assured that I am a “pretty smart girl”, says my parents, and did eventually figure everything out. (Did you have any doubts?)

Now I absolutely loved everything historic about this novel. Everything was perfectly detailed from the dresses, to the way the language was used, to the . . . I don’t know everything! It all had a very antique feel to it that was extra special to the story. I’m surprised I didn’t end up speaking all prim and proper! (Unlike today where the language is all abbreviated and like straight up lol) I completely loved it.

The psychic part was in a bit of a short supply for a book based on a girl with the gift to see into the future. It started near the middle of the book. It wasn’t like the main feature even then, it was just this extra part in it. I don’t say that complaining. I think it was just the right amount, I’m saying this so you wont just into this book expecting paranormal activities all through this book. In all the girly, frilly moments of this book there was also an equal amount of sadness and depression mixed in from the effects of Amelia’s predictions. It made it all the more special for me because it didn’t seem fake, it seemed very truthful. If at the end of the book they said that everyone ended perfectly happy eating cakes and tea in the parlor then everything that the author was building up to would have totally been a fail. It’s not the most cheerful of conclusion, but it was romantic, perfect, and satisfying. From 1-10? I give The Vespertine an 8.5!

* Note * what really frustrated me was that I had no clue what a verpertine was. In fact, I still don’t know! Or how it has anything to do with the book. I remember it saying something about how Amelia looked into the “Vespers” for her predictions. I looked up what “vespertine” was in the dictionary and something about evening prayers, or something about the evening came up. I guess that makes sense since she looked into the future only at sunset. Hope you have better luck deciphering out what that means! If anyone finds out what it has to do with the book write a comment or something to let me know! Please&thankyou(:

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

2011-03-19T15:02:00.001-07:00

Summary

I’m not your average hero. I actually wasn’t your average anything. Just a poor guy working and after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends met. But a little magic changed it all. it all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking-princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission. There wasn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell I love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I’ve ever heard. Before I know it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Keys. Don’t believe me? I didn’t believe it either. But you’ll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got CLOAKED.

Number of pages: 337

Summary

Alex Flinn has perfected her story telling with her enchanting versions of Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast. This time she went in a different direction combining all sorts of old, original fairy tales. I didn’t know more than half of these stories, but I don’t care because Alex Flinn made each of them separately come alive in CLOAKED. It was fun, refreshing, and cute. I can’t say that it was better than her other ones, but in its own way it was very engaging.

The main character was definitely unconventional, and absolutely not what you would think of when you hear “hero”. This is not even you would think to be a sidekick to be honest, that’s why it was so interesting. There were times when he really bugged me because he wasn’t one to go rushing in to save the princess (or in this case the prince) which seemed a little bit, well, wimpy at times. He did pull through though, props to him.

Something I loved a lot was the quotes. They were all mainly about shoes (because Johnny is obsessed with shoes), but I loved how they were thrown in there. And the mini excerpts of the fairy tales that were incorporated in the book.

All around CLOAKED was enjoyable, if not a bit predictable. I wasn't kept on my toes, or surprised as much as I would have liked, but I say it was pretty good so from 1-10? Alex Flinn’s CLOAKED gets a 6.5

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

2011-03-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

Summary

Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new girl at school. Soon the two become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory’s magnetic older brother, Ryland, appears. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe—but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, herself. Soon she’ll discover the shocking, fantastical truth about Ryland and Mallory, and about an age-old debt they expect Phoebe to pay. Will she be special enough to save herself.

Number of pages: 392

Review

Extraordinary made me soooooo frustrated. I really am surprised I got through this book without throwing it in my pool or something drastic like that. I was so disappointed especially after reading Nancy Werlin’s book Impossible. Now THAT book was worth reading. This book had its semi- good moments, but to be honest, they were few. I don’t know what happened with this one. It was a good story, interesting plot . . . what went wrong?

Ah yes, I know! It was the characters! They were created right, but did they have to be like this? I mean, I get that Phoebe was suppose to be self conscious, but this book took that to the extreme. And I understand that fairies were tricking her, but come on people; she did some pretty stupid things on her own. And don’t even get me started on Ryland! The entire time I just wanted to punch that guy in the face. He is like the definition of “evil psycho fairy”. It wasn’t just that he is not the good guy, it’s that he is a complete and honest jerk who was obviously in need of heart. The minor characters of this book were great; it was just the main characters that really, REALLY bugged me. Like a lot. The only one that wasn’t that bad was Mallory, she was ok.

But I can’t blame all of it on the characters. I hate to say it, but this was kind of a snoozer. It was super slow, and it took me twice as long to finish this book than any other book I read. I did however finish it.

And I also got the moral of the book. It’s about what separates ordinary people from extraordinary people. The whole story was like a lesson in that aspect, and it did seem to stick with me. There were times when I was rooting for Phoebe. So adding up everything . . . from 1-10? I’m going to have to give it a 4.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

2011-03-16T19:52:00.001-07:00

Summary

Brooklyn: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

Paris: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognized something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Number of pages: 472

Review

This book is emotional, intense, and heartbreaking . . . and I absolutely loved it. I can’t explain how deep and intense this book was for me. I thought it was going to be a historical fiction thing, but it was way more than that. Andi’s life is hell right now, and she can’t escape it. She is sad, angry, suicidal, and doesn’t really care about anything except her music. Her raw emotions were laid out on the pages of this book like a cover. I couldn’t get to a different page without feeling the heaviness that was inside her. The characters were really real for me (if that makes any sense).

This book isn’t really that much about Alexandrine, it was basically all about Andi with Alexandrine’s story helping Andi come to grips with her life. I enjoyed the informational tidbits that Donnely laid out here and there about the Revolution and the boy prince. I never really thought of him before when I thought “French Revolution”. His story is included here too, and I have to say that it is a heartbreaking story. There were many unique parts that were included in this book, but they were all relevant to the story except the transporting to Paris of the past. I get why it happened, but I don’t think it was necessary. I remember being confused and thinking . . . oookay that was a bit random. The way it came about was kinda cool, and the adventure she went through and experienced in Paris during the Revolution was extremely interested, but it seemed like it could have been a part of a different version of the story. I am not exactly sure if I am explaining this right, but there you have it. Even with this random twist and intense atmosphere throughout the story, I really did actually love it. From 1-10? Revolution definitely deserves an 8!!

*Warning to all those softies out there like me: this book taps into your tear ducts, so don’t be surprised to find yourself crying every once in a while.

Matched by Ally Condie

2011-03-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

Summary

In the society, officials decide who you love, where you work, when you die. Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

Number of pages: 366

Review

I came into this book expecting a lot from it with all its publicity and gossip, but I have to say I came out of it . . . neutral. It’s not to say that it wasn’t good or amazing, just ok. Maybe it was because of those high expectations, I don’t know. I found that the world created in Match a very interesting place. I have to give props to the author for that, I mean I don’t think it could be easy to build a whole new society from scratch, and I think this one was very thorough. There were so many details that made this world believable. I did particularly like the way in the beginning the author made it seem like it wasn’t that bad of a place to live in, but at the end you knew with all certainty that no one would want to be told what to do.

The romance was interesting. I know that this book was suppose to be based on a romance throughout the entire story, but it was a slow and sweet romance. Usually the two main guys are polar opposites in personality and character from one another, but in this book there were striking similarities, not it appearance so much as how they were both good people.

What I didn’t really like was how slow the book was in generally. I'm ok with slow unfolding novels, but this one was a bit too slow, and there was barely any action at all. All I’m saying is that there could have been more exciting things that would have kept me, the reader, on my toes a little bit more. I do, however, want to read the next book because you can’t really finish a story until the end of the series. I want to see what happens, and see Cassia break the status quo. From 1-10? Matched gets a 5.5

Cover Story: I really loved this cover. I love the Cassia's dress, her hair, the bubble. It was all very simple, and it totally makes sense with what the book is about.

Threads and Flames by Esther Friesner

2011-03-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Summary

It’s 1910, and Raisa has just traveled alone from a small Polish shtetl all the way to New York City. She is enthralled, overwhelmed, and even frightened, especially when she discovers that her sister has disappeared and she must now fend for herself. How do you survive in a foreign land without a job, a place to live, or a command of the native language? Perseverance and the kindness of handsome young Gavrel lead Raisa to work in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory sewing bodices on the popular shirtwaists . . . until 1911 dawns, and one March day a spark ignites in the factory. Fabric and thread and life catch fire. And he flames burn hot enough to change Raisa—and the entire city—forever.

Number or pages: 386

Review

You know, I did a project on this horrible disaster a couple of years ago for a history project. I found facts, causes, stats, and countless of pictures. But this book really opened up my mind; I now understand that these were people with lives that were cut short. All the information I found was very factual and precise, like most things we learn in history. This book gave that same history a story and life.

Raisa’s story starts from her final days in the shtetl where she bids farewell to her friends there. It seemed so wrong to me that these families had to choose between a future and their lives back home. I find Raisa to be super brave. Her goal at the beginning is to go find her older sister who has been living in New York City for some time now. And that’s just what she plans to do. To me it seemed like the boat ride to the States took up only a little part in the book. A lot of things happened in that part, but I found it a very interesting part. I mean, exactly were the living conditions on those things? Makes me shiver just thinking of going on one of those things, and for days! Then of course there is her first couple of experiences in America, her obvious obstacles and such. It shows her actions, the difficulties of being new to a country that is completely different from what one is experienced with. You meet fascinating new characters, each with their own personalities and uniqueness. You really get to be a part of their little, quiet, hardworking lives. You experience things with them.

That’s when the fire hits.

It only last for a chapter or two in the book (where as in real life it last just about a half an hour). Fast, but not fast enough. The loss of lives was devastating as well as a wake up call for the city. The fire was the main event of the book, obviously, but I think it was brilliant how Friesner only put a certain amount of it in the book. It showed just how quick and horrible it all was. I don’t believe this book was written just to depict a disaster, but to show you the people affected by it. It wasn't just about the reasons why it happened, or the numbers of people who perished. It gave those numbers life. Raisa’s story was an inspirational kind of book. From 1-10? I give this great historical fiction a 6.5

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

2011-03-14T15:07:00.001-07:00

Summary

Lucy is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or to fall into madness upon their child's birth. But Lucy is the first girl who won't be alone as she tackles the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents beside her. And she has Zach, whose strength amazes her more each day. Do they have enough love and resolve to overcome an age-old evil?

Number of Pages: 364

Review

A round of applause for Nancy Werlin’s novel Impossible! Many YA books now a days are getting really repetitive and cliché. Werlin definitely thought out-of-the-box when she wrote this book.

Impossible is about Lucy Scarborough’s family curse and her attempt to break it. When she gets pregnant, and finally discovers what this curse actually means and what could happen to her and her baby if she doesn’t try to end it once and for all. Her family and her have until the birth of the baby to succeed in three impossible tasks or else the cycle will start again.

I love when books are based on other things such as folk tales or old songs. To me it seems extra difficult for writers to create their own unique twist to an already existing piece. This book specifically did a great job on that. It took the “Scarborough Fair” ballad and created a puzzling page-turner for readers. It was amazing to see how she looked at the tasks in logical ways, which were: 1. Make me a magical shirt without any seam or needlework 2. Find me an acre of land between the salt water and the seastrand, and 3. Plow it with just a goat’s horn and sow it all over with one grain of corn. To do all this while pregnant? That’s impressive by anyone’s standards! The way Lucy acted during the whole process of breaking the curse was a little too composed. I’m sure any other girl would be freaking out at times, but I guess that is just the way she is. More power to her! There were some graphic moments, and also some very raw emotional moments for her that really drags our your sympathetic side and makes you feel what the characters were feeling. In those moments it felt like there was an empathy link between Lucy and me. Thank goodness she had her family there! Lucy’s family was very interactive during the whole novel, which was good. The author showed a typical, protective family. I found it very reassuring, something normal in the mist of a really, really weird situation. The ending was perfect for this story. It was exciting yet realistic, it didn’t leave me wondering or unsatisfied. Impossible was basically an all around entertaining story so I say that from 1-10? Impossible gets a 7.5!

Oh I almost forgot to comment on the cover! Now, I saw that there was also another cover for this book which is amazing too, but I find that I like this one just a bit more. I love the wind blown hair image, and the background is spectacular, don't ya think?

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011!

2011-01-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011!

This is a new year with new possibilities, and I’m ready to do something new. This would be my first book challenge ever as a reader and a blogger, and I am determined to beat this challenge! So basically, if you title of the challenge wasn’t clear for you, I am going to spend the next year reading as many books as I can, and hope that before December 31 I have read at least 100 books. This is the perfect opportunity I have been looking for, I always say I am going to write down every single book I read, but I always forget to. And the blog doesn’t count since I sometimes forget to type up a review, especially if the book isn’t any good, so maybe this challenge is just the thing to motivate me into keeping track. I will of course be putting reviews for the books I read for the challenge, they will all be under the “100 Books Challenge” tag where you can go a see how I’m progressing. So keep sticking around, and see if I can crack this challenge!

Three Black Swans by Caroline B. Cooney

2011-01-05T21:17:00.001-08:00

Summary

When Missy hears an expert discussing newborn babies on the radio, it makes her wonder about her family. She and her cousin Claire are best friends who finish each other’s sentences and practically read each other’s minds. It’s an eerie connection—so eerie that Missy has questions she wants to put to her parents. But she’s afraid to ask. Still, Missy can’t let go of those nagging questions. So she decides to use a school project about scientific hoax to try to uncover the answers, and she enlists Claire to help. As part of the project, they perform a dramatic scene that is captured on video at school. After the video is posted on YouTube, Missy and Claire realize that they’ve opened up Pandora’s box. Not only are their identities called into question, but so is the future of everyone involved.

Number of Pages: 276

Review

A couple of posts back I wrote how I always wanted a twin, but then that book I read sort of scared me into not wanting one, well, after reading THIS book I change my mind . . . again. I want an identical twin!

Missy gets this seed of a theory into her mind about her and her cousin, Claire. She disregards it for a bit until she overhears an expert on identical twins talk on the radio. That watered her theory, and out came a plot to discover the truth! But what exactly does she want to find out? To see if her cousin really is her twin? To see how her parents react? To find out what is that feeling of a hole in her heart? All of the above. When she manipulates a science assignment into creating a hoax to see if people can believe if Claire and her can be long lost twins, everyone falls for it, hard. Of course being the 21-century, news of this hoax doesn’t stay contained for long. And when word spreads out, mayhem erupts. Is it true? Can they be twins? How is that even possible?

The last Caroline B. Cooney book I read was in 5^th grade I believe. I didn’t really remember how good her book was so I wasn’t expecting much in Three Black Swans. Boy, was I wrong. I was always interested in things like this, long lost twins reunited. I mean, how would they react? Would they automatically like each other? Would they stay in contact? How would it even be possible to find one another? This book answered those questions. And Cooney didn’t just create this possible scenario. There were lots of facts on identical twins that I knew this was how things would work out. How would they react? Like they were blind, but know they can see. Would they automatically like each other? No, they would automatically love each other, although maybe they would feel some hesitations and scared feelings for the future. Would they stay in contact? If they could, nothing could pull them apart. And the circumstances in which they find each other are always incredible. Maybe this isn’t how all long lost identical twins or triplets feel, but this is what I got from the book and it sounded legit.

The characters were very believable. They were all people that I can totally picture meeting on the street somewhere. Well, maybe Missy was portrayed as a little bit too giddy, but other than that it was exactly how I pictured it. There was also Genevieve, who isn’t mentioned in the jacketflap summary, but is important, very important actually for the outcome of the book. The title was something that very much interested me. It was explained several times throughout the novel. I thought it completely original, and perfect for this story. I also really loved how Cooney created this specific scenario in how all the sisters found each other. It was a mystery in and of itself and the way it was portrayed kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Which obviously means that I considered Three Black Swans an excellent book giving it form 1-10? An 8!

Happy New Years . . . Better Late than Never!

2011-01-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! Wooohooo! Yes I am aware that it's a bit late, but like I said better late than never. I was a little busy spending time with the family during the first days of 2011, not to mention school started again -.- actually i should be going to sleep right now being as it is 12 o'clock (school night) but I couldn't put this off any more or they would already be out by the time I got to it!

I have made a list. Of what you might be thinking? Well, obviously its going to be about books coming out in the new year. Duh. I have been making this list for quite some time. I found some of these myself, but actually I was kept posted on what books are coming out mostly through one of my friends, Adriana, who always finds the newest books so . . . THANKS DRI DRI!

I tried to get the date for these and put them in order of when they come out. Yes, this took forever to do, but what'eeerrr. So here they are, hope some of these interests you!

Cloaked by Alex Flinn - February 8, 2011
Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon - March 3, 2011
Where She Went by Gayle Forman - April 5, 2011
The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Claire: Book 4 City of Fallen Angels - April 5, 2011
Between the Sea and the Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore - June 7, 2011
Passion by Lauren Kate - June 14, 2011
Lost Voices by Sarah Porter - July 4, 2011
The Night World Series: Strange Fate by L.J. Smith - July 26, 2011
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead - August 23, 2011
Hades by Alexandra Ardonetto - August 30, 2011
The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Claire: Book 5 City of Lost Souls - (date unknown)
The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Claire: Book 6 City of Heavenly Fire - (date unknown)
The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Claire - (date unknown)
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore - (date unknown)

Now it is said that after 2011, the world will end in 2012. I don't believe that at all, but if I have only one year left, then I am going to read as much as I can!

The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

2011-01-02T19:24:00.001-08:00

Summary

Does not a child recognize her own mother?

Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled women appears at the door one day . . . a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to her own beautiful mother. The two women are identical twins, separated at birth and raised in dramatically different circumstances: one as a member of high society, the other in a workhouse. Lucy’s mother quickly resolves to give her sister the kind of life she has never known, and the transformation in Aunt Helen is remarkable. As time goes by, Lucy herself transforms into a young woman, falling in love with a childhood friend she was once sure she hated. But in what should be a happy household, something is very, very wrong. And as Aunt Helen and Lucy’s mother become more and more indistinguishable, Lucy begins to suspect that her aunt’s new familiar face may mask a chilling agenda.

Number of pages: 390

Review

Oh my God!! I have so much to talk about with this book. Hmm . . . where to start . . .where to start . . . ok! Well first I’ll give a quick recap of the story, though how I am to do this without giving any spoilers away is going to be hard, but I promise to do my best.

The entire story is through the eyes of a Miss Lucy Sexton. Starting out as a young, rich girl in the Victorian era (my favorite era). She is just sitting in her drawing room when out of the blue her mother knocks on the door in beggar’s rags! Oh, but of course that can’t be her mother. It turns out to be her mother’s identical twin. And identical they are. Does not a child recognize her own mother? I guess Lucy can’t. As the years go by and Aunt Helen and Lucy’s mother become impossible to differentiate between Lucy starts to feel unease at the sudden changes in both twins. Then aside from them three, the rest of the characters were a lot of fun to read about. My favorite had to be Kit. Kit is the talked about childhood friend that falls in love with Lucy. Sounds cliché, right? Not the way it’s written here. I really liked how the romance was played out here. It didn’t take away from the story and the mystery. Kit is honestly the best. I love him.

There were some creepy parts that made the story sooo interesting. Lucy Sexton is one of the best narrators I ever read. She was the funniest, most sarcastic, opinionated, and outspoken girl in the 1900s. With the sharpest wit ever. Like I said, it is really hard to say what it's about without giving anything away. There were alway times when the little hairs on my arms stood up, and times when I was cheering them on. The Twin's Daughter fully engages the reader.

I've actually always wanted a twin. I don't know why, I just thought it would be fun, but after reading this it kind of scared me a bit! I was so excited about this book that, though I tried to keep some self-control, I completely spilled everything about the book to my friend. If she ever reads it, she will already know what is going to happen.

The jacketflap summary sort of tries to make you believe you know what's going to happen, but this story is anything but predictable. Never, I repeat, never assume anything at anytime when reading this book. You know what they say: don’t assume, it makes an ass out of u and me. You've been warned. So to wrap up this review from 1-10? I am delighted to give The Twin's Daughter a 9!!!

Note: I loved the cover on this book. At first I didn’t see anything unique about it, but if you look closely you see the shape the twins make is a dagger. It's a cool optical illusion. I have to say it came out so good. It basically portrays everything this story is about from the two innocent looking girls to the secret dagger and hidden danger within.

The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner

2010-12-26T00:45:00.000-08:00

Summary

As the French Revolution descends into nightmare, Yann Margoza, a mysterious and extraordinary practitioner of magic, uses his skills to help spirit refugees out of France. If he fails, their fates lie under the blade of the guillotine. But the question of Yann's true identity and the kidnapping of his true love, Sido, expose him to dangers that threaten to destroy him. With Paris on the verge of collapse, Yann must summon all his strength and courage to rescue his beloved Sido and outwit the devil's own--this time for good.

Number of pages: 362

Review

My dear Sally Gardner has done it again with this amazing and extremely vivid telling of the French Revolution. Last time we left Yann and Sido to those times of Terror, Sido was safely deposited in England while Yann used his super duper gypsy powers to smuggle all kinds of people from the bloody lands of France into England. So it seems Yann has a secret reputation as the Silver Blade, but he doesn’t take much notice after mooning over Miss Sido who it seems isn’t answering his latest letter. Of course many of the original characters are in this new story. It really does complete the story of Yann and Sido. I was really excited to read it, though I find it hard to say which book is better The Red Necklace or The Silver Blade. Very tough decision indeed.

You do need a good attention span, though, because there is a very good chance that you might get lost a bit. There are so many twits and turns in this novel, and while those are what make a good story, there are times where getting “lost” in a story might not be a good thing.

The history part was very interesting. I can’t say that I know much of the French Revolution, but from what I read here I think it was accurate. It was really intriguing especially about how people escaped the country. The measures they took were incredible. But hey, to find out the tricked their way out, you’ll just have to read the book. So taking all that into consideration . . . from 1-10? I give The Silver Blade a 6.

Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap

2010-12-23T14:44:00.000-08:00

Summary

For Anastasia Romanov, life as the privileged daughter of Russia’s last tsar is about to be torn apart by the bloodshed of revolution. Ousted from the imperial palace when the Bolsheviks seize control of the government, Anastasia and her family are exiled to Siberia. But even while the rebels debate the family’s future with agonizing slowness and the threat to their lives grows more menacing, romance quietly blooms between Anastasia and Sasha, a sympathetic young guard she has known since childhood. But will the strength of their love be enough to save Anastasia from a violent death?

Inspired by the mysteries that have long surrounded the last days of the Romanov family, Susanne Dunlap’s new novel is a haunting vision of the life—and love story—of Russia’s last princess.

Number of pages: 327

Review

Here is a good dose of historical fiction for you. I find that writing about a historic event or time isn’t as hard as writing about a person in history, I mean, what have you got to work with? What has been known about the person? Rumors of what could have happened in their lives? And then to write about that person in first person, to write the feelings that they might have had or their thoughts on this or that subject. I would think it takes more than a bit of imaginations and common sense to fill in the blanks. And then to make it interesting! I’d say that’s no small job! So what’s that got to say about Susanne Dunlap’s book Anastasia’s Secret? She nailed the facts and history part. It was informative, but definitely not boring. it was funny because a week after I finished the book, I was in history class when we started to learn about World War I and how the Russians affected a great deal of the events. I had already learned basically everything from this book. It talked a great deal about the conditions of the poor, and how bad the army was going into the war by sending in really you boys to fight when most had never even worn a pair of shoes before—which is where Sasha comes in.

I really loved taking a look through Anastasia’s eyes. The book tells her story from a little girl with a curiosity that may not be all that favorable to a Grand Duchess, up until her time as a young woman in the fate of those who wish harm on her, and her loved ones. So maybe it’s not the traditional way most thought of the youngest grand duchess, but I think it is a new refreshing way to look at her life story. It gives Grand Duchess Anastasia, who I always thought of as a rich girl with an unfortunate life, personality and depth. From 1-10? Anastasia’s Secret gets a 6.5

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

2010-12-15T20:29:00.000-08:00

Summary

Restless souls and empty hearts.

Brooklyn can’t sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca died a year ago, and now their friend Gabe has died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there, waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca chasing her through her dreams.

Nico can’t stop. He’s always running, trying so hard not to feel the pain of missing Lucca. But when he begins receiving messages from his dead brother, telling him to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Number of Pages: 412

Review

First thing that I want to point out to you all is that this entire story is in the form of poetry. If there is one thing that bothers me is that when you read about how great a book is online, and you get it only to find that the book you ordered is in a completely different form than what you thought! Like getting for instance—I don’t know—a comic book (yes that has actually happened to me, you can imagine my disappointment). So when I read online about this really touching story of two grieving teenagers, and get it only to find that it isn’t a novel, but a bunch of poems, I thought of the comic book incident and got mad. But after my first initial feeling of annoyance, I figured I should give this book a try. I was impressed. This was the first poetry story that I read, and I liked it so much that it is most likely that it will not be the last. So I am giving you this information up front so that no one gets surprised. But I also want you to consider doing something new and maybe choose this story to read. Nico and Brooklyn are both grieving, both confused, and both being haunted, but by different spirits. Brooklyn is being full out haunted with nightmares, and sleepless nights by her friend, Gabe. Nico on the other hand isn’t being haunted so much, more like getting messages from his brother pushing him a bit to help the girlfriend he left behind, Brooklyn.

I loved the way poems keep everything honest, straight to the point. But if you are going to write a story completely created from poems, then it has to be done right. Chasing Brooklyn was done right. If the first poetry book I read was poorly created I can guarantee that I would be extremely hesitant to read another one. This book was sweet, sad, hopeful, and so many more emotions that connect the dots of these two people and their steps of letting go and finding love and comfort in one another. From 1-10? I am proud to give this book an 8.

Coming Soon

2010-12-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

Hellooo there people! Ok, I realize I am EXTREMELY behind on my posts . . . sorry about that. Who would think that school took up so much time? Well, it does -.- and not to mention that I have this problem with reading a book, and jumping to the next before I can write my thoughts down (or time to breathe). I really shouldn't do that, but here are some book that I have read recently, currently reading, or planning on reading in the next, ooooh I'd say, week or so.

A Map of the Unknown World by Lisa Ann Sandell
Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis
The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Fire by Kristin Cashore
The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner
Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder
I am Remembrant's Daughter by Lynn Cullen
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Now that I have it written down I feel the need to speed things up a bit so expect these soon. Time to get down to the books!

Num8ers by Rachel Ward

2010-11-27T20:49:00.000-08:00

Summary

Since the day her mother did, Jem has known about the numbers.

Numberes that pop into her head when she looks into someone’s eyes. They’re dates, the numbers. Dates predicting with brute accuracy each person’s death.

Burdened by such grim knowledge, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. Maybe they can find happiness together, if only in the brief time that remains before his expiration date. But on a trip to London, Jem forsees a chilling chain of events.

The city’s a target.

The clock;s running out.

The countdown is on to a blowup.

Number of pages: 325

Review

Just like the cover, this story is intense. From the very beginning actually. Jem has the unfortunate circumstance of having the knowledge of everyone’s death in her head. She just has to look at them in the eye and the numbers that flash in her head are the dates of their last day. She hates it, and fears it which makes her to keep those around her at arms length, so as not to care when eventually the numbers come true and they are taken from her. Living on the fringes of society, she is a loner until the day that she starts to make a friend in the equally lonely, but much more jumpy and excited, Spider. This is their adventure of running from the law when they are suspected of being terrorists when seen leaving an attack moments before, finding a true and unique love in each other, and Jem trying to figure out a way to save Spider from his number that's in her head that is fast approaching.

Like I said this book is very intense. I don’t mean it in the “action in every corner” sort of way; it’s more of a “brings out your emotions” sort of way. That doesn’t mean it is not a good book, it just means that this is a tough book to swallow if you are looking for a happy ending. I will admit it, I cried. This book got me so frustrated! Yet, it was good enough that I couldn’t put it down until I knew how a unique book like this could end. I was expecting a little more action and excitement from what I read from the summary, but otherwise it was good. The ending was the most exciting part in this book. So from 1-10? I give Num8ers a 5.5.

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

2010-11-27T20:31:00.000-08:00

Summary

A HIDDEN TRUTH.

MORTAL ENEMIES.

DOOMED LOVE.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human for.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to like. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will’s dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as human forever. She’ll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

Number of Pages: 323

Summary

Dragons are something completely new to me, but from what I’ve read from Firelight I find them awesome. Ok, so from the beginning: a draki colony, who are descendants of dragons, have a rare draki in their midst. Jacinda is the only fire-breathing draki. Now I know that when people think “dragon” they automatically think of fire, but apparently in this story the fire-breathers are not common at all. Jacinda of course has to break one of their biggest rules, which eventually leads her mother to make the decision to take her and her twin sister away from the others and fling them in the real world in a whirlwind. You think that what her mother was trying to do was good, but at the cost of killing Jacindas draki spirit? Seems kind of harsh to me. Still, Jacinda starts to learn that the other drakis aren’t what she always thought they were, and her family doesn’t understand her at all. So when handsome and extremely off limits, Will, comes into the picture she discovers that he is the only thing in that godforsaken desert that can keep her draki alive, but at the cost of revealing the ultimate secret of drakis everywhere. Or will her love for Will overcome the fact that she is a draki and he and his family hunts them? Oh did I forget to mention that? Well yeah, he is a draki hunter. Go figure right. But of course he is a good guy so not to worry!

I found this book to be interesting, and captivating. I find it very entertaining that instead of blushing when her crush comes in like other girls, she starts to breathe fire. Honestly I can’t wait for the next book. The characters were nicely created, and the setting was very descriptive. I could feel when the heat of that desert drained the moisture from Jacinda’s skin trying to kill her draki. The romance was touched on nicely, and unlike most books where the girl flings herself at the guys, Jacinda tries to keep him away. Even though that technique doesn’t exactly work out it is still and interesting twist. So from 1-10? I give this book an 8! Not bad, eh?

Fallen by Lauren Kate

2010-11-10T20:42:00.001-08:00

Summary

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at Sword & Cross boarding school in Savannah. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Except Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce—he goes out of his way to make that very clear. But she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, FALLEN is a page-turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

Number of Pages: 452

Review

Have you ever had that moment when you spot someone that you know, but have no freaking clue who they are or how you know them? I know i have. This story is about a troubled girl named Luce that has one of the BIGGEST déjà voo moments ever when she is sent to Sword & Cross reform school, and meets the mysterious, cold, and extremely familiar Daniel Grigori. Drawn to him from the start, Luce tries to get to know him more. When Daniel clearly shows that he is not interested Luce obviously has to start snooping a bit to find out what is this guys problem! What she begins to discover doesn’t even come close to what she could ever have thought of. Of course there is also friendly, handsome Cam. It is clear that he’s into her from the start, and she likes him. Really she does, but is what she feeling for Cam enough to trample the feelings she has for Daniel? With the help of her fellow semi-crazy reform school friends, she is out to sort out her feelings and choose between easy and safe, or intense and longing?

This romance story is unconventional . . . and attention grabbing. Turning away from the clichés of paranormal romances, I loved how in the beginning Daniel wanted nothing to do with Luce at first. It was intriguing, and so frustrating! I guess that is why I considered Fallen a good read. It brings out your reaction easily. Of course my favorite part of the books—the characters—were so created so good. They were people I liked from the start yet complex in their own ways. There was a time somewhere around the middle of the book that slowed to a crawl. I admit that the excitement wore off a bit in that section. That did make me take off a point or two from me absolutely loving this book. Of course when I pushed through that part the ending was good. I was a tiny bit confused at the end because of the epilogue, but the ending is enough to make me want to read the next book. I also just want to note that the cover came out so amazing. Loved it! Well now to tally up the points I have to say that from 1-10? I give this book a . . . 7.5!

Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan

2010-09-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

Summary:

They’ve gotten good grades—but that’s not good enough. They’ve spent hours on community service—but that’s not good enough. Finn and Chloe’s advisor says that colleges have enough kids with good grades and perfect attendance, so Chloe decides they’ll have to attract attention another way. She an Finn will stage Chloe’s disappearance, and them when CNN is on their doorstep and the nation is riveted, Finn will find and save her. Is seems like the perfect plan—until things start to go wrong. Very wrong.

I was supposed to be a victimless crime. Finn was supposed to be the good accomplice, and Chloe was supposed to be the hidden object of attention. But when things intensify, situations become more and more extreme . . . and what once seemed victimless isn’t so innocent anymore.

Number of Pages: 296

Review

Ok this is going to be a short review because, well, I didn’t like it. I’ll start from the beginning. I got this book because it sounded like a good mystery, and, too be honest, the cover looked pretty cool. It looks like that saying about not judging a book by its cover is correct because it turned out to be nothing like I thought it would be. Finn and Chloe irritate me to death. Chloe is sick thinking about this whole scheme, and stupid when it comes to thinking something through and doing the right thing. Finn is the brainless friend that goes along with Chloe no matter what. She takes the "if-you-were-told-to-jump-off-a-bridge-would-you-do-it" to a whole new leave. I couldn’t stand them. The thought that pretending to disappear is too weird. And on the other hand, the story became boring after a while. I got sick of it after about 90 pages into the book. I didn’t like the sequence of how things worked either I got confused at times. In the end, I never finished the whole book. So from 1 to 10 I am giving it a 1. Sorry, but that’s it.

A Cat Royal Adventure: The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding

2010-09-18T19:32:00.001-07:00

Summary

READER,

You are set to embark on an adventure about one hidden treasure, two bare-knuckle boxers, three enemies, and four hundred and thirty-eight rioters. It is told by an ignorant and prejudiced author—me.

She’s Cat Royal, four foot four with long red hair and not a penny to call her own. She lives in the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, a place filled with dramatic characters, theatrical spectacles, and now, a secret treasure. Follow her into the streets of London, facing danger and adventure, to be the first to discover the diamond!

Number of pages: 419

Review

Julia Golding’s writing is pure gold (<-- hehehe get it? Pun intended!) She is amazing. The Cat Royal Adventure Series is one of my absolute favorites! I mean what’s not to like about them? The characters are beautifully created, the setting is rough and exciting, the inside look into one of the roughest, toughest place in London is thrilling, and it is all directed by one witty and feisty Miss Cat Royal. Cat is one of the best narrators ever! She’s funny, sarcastic, and never says no to a challenge. She is the heart of the story. All the characters are amazing, even that big bad Billy "Boil" Shepherd. The setting is fascinating, you get to weave through backstage and experience the heart of the theatre. It’s crazy in there, let me tell you. Let Cat lead you on a whirlwind adventure that will keep you occupied until you can get your hands on the next Cat Royal book. From 1-10 this book, and series for that matter, deserves a 9!

Mini reviews for the rest of this series books out so far (I'll try to review without any spoilers!):

Cat Among the Pigeons-book 2 in this series is very dramatic. Out of all of them I think this one has the most suspense, but that doesn't mean Cat's wicked sense of humor is diminished.
Den of Thieves: I really enjoyed Den of Thieves, book 3 in this series. Cat is getting older, and is branching out on her own. . . maybe even getting a few beaus ;). She has a new assignment. There are disguises, secrets, and spies everywhere, and Cat's got her hands full in this book! I think this is one of my favorites in this series!
Cat O'Nine Tails: Cat Royal's life has been quiet for a while, but of course that can't last long. She is in a dangerous struggle to save her best friends life. She has to use her wit to free her friends from being held captive on His Majesty's ship, and land on her feet-- without getting too wet. (;

9/11 Tribute

2010-09-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

No words could possibly describe or express what happened to America nine years ago on this day. Even so, writers and poets have done their best to express everyone's devastating loss for the people that were killed, and the loved ones they left behind. I wish to honor everyone's sacrifices on this day with some lovely poetry that I hope will give you a sense of peace, understanding, and will help us to remember. These are written by all kinds of people, but in the end we are all the same in our grief.

The Day The Towers Fell

A sad day for America  As rejoicing rang from hell,  Awakening a mighty giant  On the day the towers fell.

Our hearts were saddened  As we watched this vicious act unfold, 

As innocence met a fiery death  And seeds of war were sowed.

Shouts rang out from the middle east  That Allah has done his good

 But no god joys in faultless deaths  through certain cowards could.

America just sort of glides along,  But don't step on her toes ... For her belief in right and justice Will stomp out freedom's foes.

~ Author Unknown ~

Well you hit the World Trade Center, but you missed America

 You hit the Pentagon,  Again you missed America

 You used helpless American bodies to take out other American bodies, 

but like a poor marksman, you still missed America

Why? Because of somethings you guys will never understand

 America isn't about a building or two,

not about financial centers

not about military centers 

America isn't about a place,

American isn't about a bunch of bodies

 America is about an IDEA.

An idea that you can go someplace where you can earn as much as you can figure out how to,

live for the most part, like you envisioned living, and pursue Happiness

(no guarantees that you'll reach it, but you can sure try)!

-Anonymous-

As the soot and dirt and ash rained down, 

We became one color. 

As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building 

We became one class. 

As we lit candles of waiting and hope 

We became one generation. 

As the firefighters and police officers fought their way into the inferno 

We became one gender.

 as we fell to our knees in prayer for strength 

We became one faith.

As we whispered or shouted words of encouragement,

 We spoke one language. 

As we gave our blood in lines a mile long, 

We became one body.

 As we mourned together the great loss 

We became one family. 

As we cried tears of grief and loss

 We became one soul

 As we retell with pride of the sacrifice of heroes 

We became one people.

- Unknown Author

NEVER FORGET

The End of Publishing Video

2010-09-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

Ever get those days when there is nothing you want to read at the moment, and you are too lazy to get up and do something. Yea, well, I was having one of those days. I was in bed surfing through the web when I came upon this video, and thought it was so good. It opened my mind, and I am pretty sure that it will do the same for you. What is said here is a radical concept to those who think that books and reading can be replaced with t.v., video games, and whatever else technology is shoving at us every couple of months to occupy our time. Well it can't substitute literature! Now you must watch the ENTIRE thing to understand it completely. So click play, and enjoy! :)

The Reluctant Heiress Eva Ibbotson

2010-09-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Summary

Being an heiress in 1920s Austria with nothing but a broken-down castle to your name and nary a penny in your purse could be frustrating for anyone but the Princess Theresa-Maria of Pfaffenstein. Tessa, however, is thrilled with her situation, as it allows her to concentrate on her love of the arts—and no one in the Viennese opera company need know that their delightful and charming under-wardrobe mistress is really a princess, but when the dashing self-made millionaire Guy Farne arrives at the opera in search of suitable entertainment for his high society guests, Tessa realized that there may be more to life—and love—than just music. And while the attraction between them is undeniable, Guy’s insufferable snob of a fiancée only solidifies Tessa’s determination to keep her true identity a secret. Yet, after a chance meeting with the handsome Englishman, Tessa’s reserve begins to melt, and she starts to wonder if it’s too late for a fairy-tale ending.

Number of pages: 325

Review

This is a hard review for me. I am not exactly sure why that would be because I dove through this book in like three days max and I love all of the books by Eva Ibbotson. Ibbotson’s stories always have that affect on me: I love them, but they are hard to describe. But I will do my best so here it goes.

The characters Ibbotson creates in her stories are so interesting to read about, if not a bit unrealistic. Their characteristics and personalities are exaggerated a bit, but not that it’s not fun to read. My personal preference in a book is clean no-nonsense writing that has plenty of dialogue. Eva Ibbotson is a writer that I would put in the category of “flowery writing”, but she writes the stories so well that I can't help loving it. Her plots are always interesting romances that one would read when they are in the mood to live out a fairytale love story. Whether the attraction is thwarted by a vile fiancé (like it is in this story) or that the love can’t flourish because of a stupid misunderstanding by a one of the characters, the stories are captivating. I couldn’t help but worry when Guy gave Tessa the cold shoulder. Or find myself amused with the little boy who loved Tessa so much. I always felt some type of emotion throughout the book. What’s good is that Eva finds a way at the end to make every situation come together in a happy ending that always has a little surprising twist at the end. I would absolutely recommend people to read The Reluctant Heiress, but you have to give it your best try and let the story turn naturally and smoothly through your mind. From 1-10? I would give this lovely story a 7.5.

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

2010-08-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

Summary

Before he knows about the roses, sixteen-year-old jack lived an unremarkable like in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before, and it feels great until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts.

Soon, jack learns the startling truth about himself: he is Weirlind, part of an underground society of magical people who live among us. At their helm sits the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the Whir Rose, whose power is determined by playing the Game—a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death, the winning house rules the Weir.

As if his bizarre heritage isn’t enough, Jack finds out that he’s not just another member of Weirlind---he’s one of the last of the warriors---at a time when both houses are scouting for a player.

Number of pages: 426

Review

I chose to read this book because I felt like I was reading too many girly books with female leads. I needed a good guy character to change things up a bit! This book was just the story to read for guys mainly. The whole concepts of magical people and such have become popular of late, but The Warrior Heir is completely different and original from all others. Granted, it was difficult to wrap my mind around all the terms and follow along without confusing a "Weir" with "guilds" and such. It slowed considerably in the middle of the story, but the ending was satisfactory enough. The Game and what it stands for is quite unsettling and gruesome. This book was interesting for the most part has bursts of good fast-paced action and from 1 to 10? I have to give this a 6.

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

2010-08-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

Summary

As sixteen-rear-old Lia Milthorpe searches for a way to end the prophecy that has divided her family for generations, her twin sister, Alice, works to hone the skills shell need to defeat Lia. Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim her sister’s role in the prophecy, and that’s not the only thing she wants. There’s also Lia’s beloved, James.

The sisters always knew that the prophecy would turn those closest to them against them. But they didn’t know what betrayal could lead them to do.

In the end, only one sister will be standing.

Number of pages: 340

Review

Lia’s story is intense. Guardian of the Gate is the 2^nd book in the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy. In this book Lia is on a journey to find the last two keys and the missing pages of the prophecy. This is a story filled with mystery, passion, determination, and betrayal. I just wanted to cry some parts while at other times I was so frustrated at how hopeless it all seemed. I really enjoyed this book. This is better than the first book, Prophecy of the Sisters, and I didn’t think that was even possible. This is not a mystery with clues, but with suspense, which I found thrilling. You never know whom you can trust in this story and that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I had to reread this book again once I finished it, like watching a movie mystery and keeping an eye out for any little tidbits of clues you might have missed and finding yourself at the ending just as shocked and thrilled from the last time you read it. From 1 to the desirable 10? I give this book a . . . 8.

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

2010-08-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

Summary

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorope 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, they find themselves entangles 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 cat trust each other.

Number of pages: 343

Review

This story was awesome. I just finished this book and continued to the next in a matter of 5 minutes. I guess that it ends at a point where it's too difficult not to want to see what happens next. So these twin sisters have some family issues that you wouldn’t even imagine. It's told by Lia, who is obviously the good twin-while she starts to uncover an ancient prophecy-that involves her and her sister. She is the quieter one of the two, and the eldest (though by mere minutes I believe). Her story though kinda scary at times is complicated and I couldn’t put it down. Zink created the mystery so that it doesn't give away enough to guess the outcome, but won't tire you and leave you just waiting for an end to come. Now her sister Alice? She was just evil! Ugh! I just wanted to slap her at times, no joke. I really, really hope Lia kicks her butt in the end. This book had just the right amount of mystery and emotion that completely had me engrossed until the end. There were times that the story slowed, but it wasn’t to bad and the parts that were good were good. So from 1-10? I do believe I shall give it an . . . 8.

The Fool's Girl by Celia Rees

2010-08-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

Summary

Young and beautiful Violetta is of noble blood, but her country is in shambles. She and her comic companion, Feste, have just arrived in London on a mysterious quest. Their journey has been long and their misfortunes many, but it is not until they encounter the playwright William Shakespeare that the whole story is reveled. Violetta and Feste are in search of an ancient holy relic-her country’s greatest treasure-that the evil Malvolio has stolen. Malvolio’s plot seems complex and wide reaching, but it’s not clear who else is involved . . . until Violetta’s childhood love, Stephan, enters the scene. Is this remarkable story a comedy or a tragedy? Spun from Shakespeare’s unproarious, Twelfth Night, Celia Rees has crafted a wholly original adventure that stretches from the shores of Illyria to the Forest of Arden, where romance and danger go hand in hand.

Number of pages: 287

Review

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is not a play I am actually familiar with, but this book kind of makes me want to know more about it. This book is like a “what-happened-after” story with Viola’s noble and beautiful daughter, Violetta. When her country’s most holy relic is stolen as well as her country, and she goes and tries to get it back. Because obviously the female lead needs some spunk and this one has it. Now add the really handsome boyfriend and a mischievous Fool and this story gets interesting. The plot was good, but I got confused at times. Rees wanted to make it seem like you never know who you can trust, but it got to the point where I was like “whaaaat???” I did really like all the characters. Especially how Rees incorporated Shakespeare (“Will”) in the whole book that helped to save the day. I never really thought to give Shakespeare a personality before, but I loved how he turned out here knowing how this loyal and, to be honest, stressed out guy really becomes extremely famous. The ending came suddenly. I was reading and was surprised to see the pages thinning when at the time it seemed like the story was going nowhere. It was a good ending, though a bit predictable. From 1- 10? All around I would have to give this a 6.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

2010-08-03T16:11:00.000-07:00

Summary

She was born with her eyes closed and a word on her tongue, a word she could not taste. Her name was Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, and she spent the first years of her life listening to her aunt’s stories and learning the language of the birds, especially the swans. And when she was older, she watched as a colt was born, and she heard the first word on his tongue, his name, Falada.

From the Grimm’s fairy tale of the princess who became a goose girl before she could become queen, Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original, and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can lead the people she has made her own.

http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_goose.htm

Number of pages: 383

Review

Fairy tales are great, aren’t they? Stories told to little children at night, those that are famous for there magic and such. Well, this is one of those but changed and created to be enjoyed by everyone. Well, at least I enjoyed it. Shannon Hale’s rendition of Grimm’s story of Goose Girl is unique from the original, but just as enjoyable. So this princess, Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee (very pretty name by the way) has theses gifts that give her the language of animals, preferably birds, as well as the ability to speak to and control the wind. This whole concept Shannon Hale created with communicating with nature is incredible. Can you imagine it? Understanding the wind and its knowledge of what it’s seen, controlling of fire, knowing the first word of a foal and the squawk of a bird. I don’t know about you, but I think that would be awesome. And these abilities are formed so that is seems that it could be possible for all of it to happen. Actually, now that I think about it, these books are also considered fantasy. During the entire book the characters tell stories to each other, nursery stories and legends. Those tales are beautifully created. There was excitement throughout the story, but sometimes it was too stretched out for my taste. From 1-10? All in all I give this book a 7.

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

2010-08-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

Summary

The winds of change are blowing through Paris in 1789, both for France and a mysterious Gypsy boy named Yann Margoza. He was born with a gift for knowing what people are thinking and an uncanny ability to throw his voice, skills he uses while working for a foolish magician. On the night of a special performance, he meets shy Sido, a lonely heiress with a cold-hearted father. Though they have the shortest of conversations, an attachment is born that will influence both their paths. While revolution is afoot in France Sido is being used as the pawn of the fearful villain Count Kalliovsky. Some have instead called him the devil; and only Yann, for Sido’s sake, will dare to oppose him.

Number of pages: 378

Review

Sally Gardner has done the amazing task of creating a historical fiction that I am sure will captivate anyone who is up for it. I, personally, love historical fiction books, but I am confident in saying that those of you who don’t like those types of books will love this French Revolution story. There’s action, magic, romance, mystery. What could be better? Some times it did get a little creepy and disturbing, what with beheading and such things. The people of France were quite gruesome at this stage of the Revolution. The characters were wonderfully created. You really got a sense of each essence of the characters. It gives you a look at those dark times in France from both an aristocratic point of view (Sido) and the point of view of Yann the Gypsy fellow with charming looks and amazing abilities. basically, this story was intriguing from start to finish. I can’t wait to read the sequel, The Silver Blade! From 1-10? I give this book a 8.

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

2010-07-26T00:10:00.001-07:00

Summary

Talia fell under a spell . . .
Jack broke the curse.

I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic . . .

I was looking for a little adventured the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind . . .

I awakened in the same place but in another time–––to a stranger’s soft kiss . . .

I couldn’t help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn’t know this would happen . . .

Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!

Now I’m stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels . . . The good news: My parents will freak!

Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all---even time?

Number of pages: 385

Review

This was the first Alex Flinn book that I read. I found it really cute. It was like watching a romantic comedy movie. The story is a twist of a classic princess tale. My favorite part of the book had to be the dialogue between Jack and Talia. When you put a beautiful and spoiled princess with a partying teenage guy you get some problems, it was funny. I found myself chuckling at their conversations and thoughts about the other person. The author really jumped into the characters and gave them their own personalities. The whole book was in both Jack and Talia’s point of view. It’s a charming story with a nice happily ever. From 1-10? I give this book a 7.

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

2010-07-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

Summary

As Charlotte struggles to manage the difficulties she inherits along with Stirwaters Woollen Mill, she discovers a shadow world at the fringes of the familiar: Dark magic, restless spirits, a mysterious Helper. A wicked uncle, an age-old curse.... How can Charlotte prevail with such forces allied against her? In this novel inspired by “Rumpelstiltskin,” the miller’s daughter of the fairy tale comes to life as a young woman determined to save her family and her mill--whatever the cost.

http://www.elizabethcbunce.com/elizabethcbunce/Books.html

Number of pages: 395

Review

I decided to get this book when I saw all the good publicity it got. I got the book, sat down on my bed to begin, and was let down. I was disappointed to find that nothing of interest came out of that book until at least the first 95 pages, and considering that the whole story is a mystery and needs your full attention, I was lost. I don’t know exactly what it was, but I couldn’t pick up the book to continue with the story. I am the type of reader that can spend all day reading and won’t put the book away until the entire story is completed, but with this book it took me twice as long to even get through even half. I did take it up again because the thought that there could be a good story somewhere in there and that I wasn’t giving it chance made me trudge forward until the end. Besides, the story of Rumplestilskin has always fascinated me so I gave it a second chance. I quickly realized that the main character and the voice of the story was driving me crazy! I think that that was why I didn’t enjoy the book, because the person leading me through the story was so annoying. I kept think to myself of how much I want to get rid of that character. I did like some other characters though like Randall or Charlotte’s sister, they were cool. Now I must admit that there were parts that interested me like how the author took the original Rumplestiltskin and created a completely different story line with similar characteristics. Overall I don’t think I would pick that book up again. Lots of people apparently like it though. I didn’t. From 1-10? I give this book a 4.