tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72106486653161898222024-03-13T12:37:18.402-07:00Words & Whispers"Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures."Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.comBlogger259125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-33834863773019148552011-12-17T23:28:00.000-08:002011-12-17T23:28:49.852-08:00Hey Guys!! Don't Worry, I Didn't Completely Disappear on You!Hey guys! So it's been literally forever since I've been on blogspot, and I'm really really sorry for that. Due to some familial/personal issues, I needed to take a big step back from my blog and the Internet in general. I'm shocked (and so, <i>so</i> pleased) with the amount of you that stuck around, and I will always be grateful for that. I'm really not sure what the future of this blog will be, but I have lots of reviews/news to catch up on, and I plan on coming back, although maybe not as often, in the very soon future. Please be patient with me, and again, thank you so much! I love each and every one of you and look forward to be regularly posting here again!<br />
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-CarolineCarolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-33181549849605898432011-06-25T15:04:00.000-07:002011-06-25T15:04:23.281-07:00The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1301589148l/6589111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1301589148l/6589111.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Unwritten Rule</b> by Elizabeth Scott</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Published: </b>March 16, 2010 by Simon Pulse</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">(224 pages, hardcover)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Summary:</b><span id="freeText12230791412799123047"><b></b> <i>He's looking at me like--well, like he wants to look at me.</i></span><span id="freeText12230791412799123047"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText12230791412799123047">Like
he likes what he sees, and he's smiling and his eyes are so blue, even
in the faint flow of the porch light they shine, and I nod dumbly,
blindly, and then grope for the door handle, telling myself to look away
and yet not able to do it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">"Sara," he says, softly, almost
hesitantly, and my heart slam-bangs, beating hard, and this is what it's
like to want someone you can't have. To want someone you shouldn't even
be looking at.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My thoughts: </b>I really don't know what it is with Elizabeth Scott books; something about them just draws me in, makes me want to live in their worlds forever. <i>The Unwritten Rule</i> was no exception to this, of course. I completely feel in love with the characters, writing, and plot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">At first glance, <i>The Unwritten Rule</i> looks like your typical YA romance: girl falls for boy, boy falls for girl, neither of them realize it, girl's best friend falls for boy, snags boy, and eventually something happens between the girl and boy, causing all sorts of angst and shudder-inducing cliches followed by a moment where you just <i>know</i> they're totally meant for each other. Been told a million times before, right? Well, it may be a worn-out story, but Scott somehow manages to work her magic and make it into a gripping, emotional novel that caught me from the first page and didn't let go until I'd finished it a couple of hours later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Sara was likeable. I'm not going to lie, she didn't have a ton of personality, and I didn't feel like she was my spirit animal or anything. She was sweet and nice and, quite obviously and helplessly, in love with her best friend's boyfriend. I sympathized with her, not so much for the falling in love part, because, while I can appreciate misplaced affection just as much as the next reader, but because of the having-a-best-friend-who-kind-of-completely-sucks. Brianna, Sara's best friend, isn't a mean girl. Well, not really. Okay, so she's a total jerk, but Sara has been her best friend for forever (meaning since kindergarten) and when you've been friends for that long of a time it's impossible to even consider not being friends anymore. And this is what I loved about the book: it was more than just a boy-meets-girls-and-accidentally-falls-for-the-wrong-one, it was about a complex friendship that I really related to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I'm going to try hard not to gush at this point. Ryan, to be plain, is amazing. Ryan, who is torn between being with the girl he's falling for and the girl he somehow ended up with; Ryan who was sensitive and sweet and impossible to not like and feel bad for. He was my favorite character, to be honest, because while I could easily relate to Sara, Ryan cared about Sara, and even Brianna so much. One of the things I really loved was the way Scott executed the plot: she didn't make the characters seem like jerks because they weren't falling into the roles Brianna had carved for them. And while I wish Ryan had a bit more of a backbone, he was still a great guy and character.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The writing was predictably realistic and heart-wrenching. I don't know how with so few pages Scott manages to make such three-dimensional, personal characters and plot lines that are simple in theory but complex like in real life, but she does it in <i>The Unwritten Rule</i> flawlessly. It was poignant and I loved how not all of the characters went by untouched by the effects of the novel. It wasn't the happily-ever-after you might expect, or the horrible falling-out you could expect, but it was simple and honest and (kind of sort of spoiler-ish) happy. I loved the book, and while it wasn't my absolute favorite of hers, I'd definitely re-read it and recommend it to any reader in a heartbeat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Covering the Cover: </b>I like it. Simple and cute.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Characters: </b>5/5</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Plot: </b>4.5/5</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Writing:</b> 5/5</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Overall Rating: </b><i style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">4.9 stars</i></span>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-6848555638003238112011-06-24T13:40:00.000-07:002011-06-24T13:40:33.556-07:00Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rvj1oHY1u9I/TXS0RwiWBbI/AAAAAAAAAoo/879qUBIluHA/s1600/9780375829833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rvj1oHY1u9I/TXS0RwiWBbI/AAAAAAAAAoo/879qUBIluHA/s320/9780375829833.jpg" width="207" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Saving Francesca</b> by Melina Marchetta</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Publication: </b>May 9, 2006</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">(243 pages, paperback)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Summary: </b><span id="freeText3666062290676265476">Francesca is stuck at
St. Sebastian's, a boys' school that pretends it's coed by giving the
girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an
ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an impossibly dorky accordion
player. The boys are no better, from Thomas who specializes in musical
burping to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca
can't seem to stop thinking about. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3666062290676265476">Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's
best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression,
leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling who she really
is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this
is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family,
her social life and—hardest of all—herself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3666062290676265476"><b>My thoughts: </b>Honestly, I was a little skeptical of <i>Saving Francesca</i>. It seems a bit ambitious to combine normal high school stuff and such a serious issue like depression without dragging the story down a lot or making it seem unrealistically light. But <i>Saving Francesca</i> was surprisingly deep and realistic and even somewhat light. It was one of those rare books with a message that doesn't focus too solely on one issue. I really grew to love the characters, of course, especially Francesca. The writing was great--not awe-worthy, but it made me think and it was very fitting. And the plot, while not really fast-paced, was quick enough to keep me interested without rushing too much.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3666062290676265476"> I really loved Francesca. She was witty and intelligently written, without having to dumb down the rest of the characters to seem smart. Her self-discovery was poignant and I couldn't help but feel every one of her emotions. I liked the way Marchetta wrote her mother, too. She was realistic and Francesca's response to her depression was realistic also. It was a delicate, not easily balanced story line, but it worked really well, and I felt like I was struggling to come to term with all of the changes in Francesca's life right along side her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3666062290676265476">Okay, so, yes, there was a boy, and yes, he was cute, and yes, I inadvertently fell in love with him a little bit. And there was also Will, Francesca's actual love interest. Maybe I was the only one, but I really loved Thomas, who, was totally inappropriate and immature but also adorably hilarious. But I won't get into all of that; I really liked Will's and Francesca's relationship, too. They were cute in that we-hate-each-other-but-secretly-love-each-other way. But without being too over-the-top. I loved that their relationship had lots of bumps in the road too, seeing as how that made them all the more exciting when they were together.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3666062290676265476">I think my favorite aspect of the book might have been Francesca and her little brother's relationship. It was sweet and honest. But I also really loved the way Francesca and all of her girlfriends got along. They were some of the most oddly-matched and unlikely groupings of girls, but it worked and I really cared about all of them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3666062290676265476">The writing was interesting in a good way. I liked the simplicity of it, which didn't take away from the story line at all, but added an extra personal touch which made me feel closer to Francesca and allowed me to put myself in her place. The story, which was medium-paced, was great and simple and in the end, it kind of felt like I had just peeked into the lives of a few people living ordinary (or not-so) lives. The book had a melancholic feel and I'll definitely be looking for more by Marchetta. It was a meaningful, fun read.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3666062290676265476"><b>Covering the Cover: </b>I really love this cover. It's cute and gives a good feel to the book even before cracking it open.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3666062290676265476"><b>Characters: </b>4.5/5</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3666062290676265476"><b>Plot: </b>4.5/5</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3666062290676265476"><b>Writing: </b>4/5</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3666062290676265476"><b style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Overall Rating: </b><i style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 stars</i></span></span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-61016356564119243142011-06-23T16:00:00.000-07:002011-06-23T16:00:04.878-07:00Top Ten Favorite TV Shows: Goeff Herbach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1290026020l/9639243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1290026020l/9639243.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Today I have the privilege of welcoming Geoff Herbach, author of <i>Stupid Fast</i>. He'll be stopping by for the<i> Teen Book Scene</i>'s tour (which you can check out <a href="http://theteenbookscene.weebly.com/stupid-fast-tour-details.html">here</a>) and sharing some of his favorite television shows. I'll let him take it away now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>TOP TEN FAVORITE TV SHOWS:</b></i><br /><br />Mad Men – Holy crap is this a good show. It’s about everything. And it’s really cool to look at, too. I’ve bought all four seasons and watch episodes over and over (only problem is the show sort of makes me want to smoke cigarettes, which is very bad for you, I’ve heard).<br /><br />Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Have you ever seen the episode when they try to go to the Grand Canyon but end up almost dying in the back of the U-Haul trailer, because they’ve set furniture on fire? I love it.<br /><br />The Office – I actually own the whole British version (just a couple of seasons), which is some of the most painful comedy I’ve ever watched. I have loved the American version, too, but am worried about the loss of Steve Carrell!<br /><br />Dukes of Hazzard – When I was a little kid, I refused to stay over night at anybody’s house unless they guaranteed me we’d be watching the Dukes. <br /><br />Golden Girls – I watch this on TLC in the middle of the night as much as possible. Those old ladies have the funniest one-liners (like out of old-time stand-up). Watch the reaction shots, too, sometime. Awesome.<br /><br />Roseanne – Darlene is the best characters ever. I loved her when I was a kid. I love her now. I’d marry her. Also cool to have shows that are really good comedies that take on serious stuff in life. <br /><br />Sunday (Monday) Night Football – Let me just say, I cry when I hear the Monday Night Football theme music.<br /><br />Cosby Show – This show is so dorky, but characters are really well drawn, and Bill Cosby was one of the funniest people on the planet at one time. <br /><br />Seinfeld – Too much to say. My favorite show. I’ll watch the same episode over and over.<br /><br />M*A*S*H – If you can watch enough of this show to know the characters, it is probably the best written, most sort of literary comedy of all times. Hawkeye is my second favorite TV character ever (behind Darlene from Roseanne).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Thanks for stopping by, Geoff! Remember to check out my review of <i>Stupid Fast</i> later this month. Happy reading, y'all.</span>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-88124979426517431862011-06-17T13:27:00.000-07:002011-06-17T13:27:45.992-07:00Season of Eden's Jennifer Laurens Guest Post<div style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://theteenbookscene.weebly.com/season-of-eden-tour-details.html"><img height="188" src="http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/5876/seasonofeden.jpg" width="600" /></a></span></div>
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Today I have the privilege of welcoming Jennifer Laurens, author of <i>A Season of Eden</i>. She'll be stopping by for the<i> Teen Book Scene</i>'s tour (which you can check out <a href="http://theteenbookscene.weebly.com/season-of-eden-tour-details.html">here</a>) and sharing some of her favorite novels. I'll let her get to sharing her choices now.</div>
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<i><b><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Jennifer Laurens's Favorite Books:</span></b></i></div>
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<span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Endless Love by Scott Spencer<br />Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts<br />
Sea Swept by Nora Roberts<br />Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts<br />Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller<br />Fighting Ruben Wolfe by Markus Zusak<br />Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak</span></div>
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Markus Zusak is one of my favorite authors; great choices. Thanks for stopping by, Jennifer! Make sure to check out my review of <i>A Season of Eden</i> up later this month and check out the book for yourself. Happy reading, y'all!</div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-20160234390809925562011-06-16T19:41:00.000-07:002011-06-16T19:41:57.169-07:00Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1v-INb0JrD8/Tah_kuzLw1I/AAAAAAAAAsg/KahaUmNJVCE/s1600/8105542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1v-INb0JrD8/Tah_kuzLw1I/AAAAAAAAAsg/KahaUmNJVCE/s320/8105542.jpg" width="212" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Invincible Summer</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by Hannah Moskowitz</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Publication: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">April 19, 2011 by Razorbill</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(269 pages, paperback)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Summary: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Not your typical beach read.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">My thoughts: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I was expecting a typical beach read with this one. The cover, while interesting, also kind of made me think it was going to be a light read. But I was proven completely wrong. <i>Invincible Summer</i> is serious, meaningful, and one of my favorite reads of this year. Chase, the main character, is not only easy-to-relate too, but deep, and a great male POV character. As the summers go by, I got more and more hooked, and slowly came to love and hate all the same things that he did. I understood his sentiments and was wowed by the writing. The simplicity coupled with the summery setting made this a perfect summer read, and a great read for any time of the year.</span></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">--</span></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">The book goes over four of Chase's summers, spent in a town with his family, who falls apart and comes together and changes in unexpected ways. Chase's family was strange and not-so-average, but in a way they were normal, so they were all easy to relate too. My favorite character was Noah, Chase's older brother, because he was a mystery. I loved the way the brothers talked to each other, and their complicated relationship. I also loved Chase, because he was sensitive, but not in that typical oh-I'm-so-deep-and-so-lonely boring way that a lot of male characters in YA are. He was real, and almost too real at times.</span></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">--</span></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Since throughout the book there are Camus quotes and a lot of wondering what the purpose of life is, and other serious, typical deep-reading content, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who only likes fast-paced novels or books that are only surface deep. There was some lightness and I enjoyed the humor (mostly sarcasm from Noah, which made me love him even more) a lot too, which made the book not some tedious, over-the-top serious story.</span></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> <span style="color: white;">--</span></span></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">The writing was great. Deep, but not cheesy or forced. I could go on for a while about how much I loved the writing and how many quotes I just <i>had</i> to write down, but I won't bore you. Just read it and find out just how great it is. A lot of reviews seem to be either love-or-hate type, and I definitely fall into the latter category, because not only did I fall in love with the writing, but the characters, setting, and even the story. It made me think and made me cry and laugh. Everything I could ask for from a YA novel, it had. I was satisfied with the ending, even. Which is to say, it was amazing, since I'm hardly ever pleased with the endings of novels that aren't part of a series. </span></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">--</span></span></b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">What I liked most of all was the diversity. The story isn't about any one thing in particular, except I suppose summer, and it covered all the bases of a teenage angst story while standing out from all the rest. There was seriousness and lightness and I'm getting repetitive but there's not much more to say than that it was one of the best realistic YA novels I've ever read, and had me hooked from start to end. While it was slower paced, it took me on a complete emotional roller coaster and I loved every second of it (even while I was busy hating it for making me care so much). It was amazing, poignant, and simple.</span></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">--</span></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Covering the Cover: </b>I'm not a huge fan, but only because it makes the story look way lighter than it actually is. But I kind of like it for its intriguing, if a little, erm, intimidating.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Characters: </b>5/5</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Plot: </b>5/5</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Writing: </b>10/5 (If I'm allowed to do that.)</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">Overall Rating: </span></b></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><i>5 stars</i></span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-42993778355239922362011-05-26T14:56:00.000-07:002011-05-26T14:56:24.500-07:00Updating You Guys<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So I know I've been really absent from the blog recently, and I thought it might be time to give you guys an update. Sorry for not posting for a while, I really have been meaning to. Testing has been really time-consuming and with the school year getting close to the end, I haven't had time for much of anything, so blogging hasn't really been a priority. Thanks to you guys who have still stuck around after these past few months of minimum reviews and such; I really have been meaning to get them up, I just haven't really had the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Since school is just about done with, I can get back to blogging, reading, posting more reviews, and catching up on my goal hopefully. Thank you guys again for being such amazing followers, I promise I'll be back soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Happy reading, y'all!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Caroline</span>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-24808112924950384662011-05-25T16:22:00.000-07:002011-05-25T16:22:47.910-07:00Tighter by Adele Griffin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6PNRwO1Pu90/Tcd_aSq4g5I/AAAAAAAAAuI/WnPjbMDfrFQ/s1600/419zJ%252BSYbkL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6PNRwO1Pu90/Tcd_aSq4g5I/AAAAAAAAAuI/WnPjbMDfrFQ/s320/419zJ%252BSYbkL.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tighter </b>by Adele Griffin</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Publication: </b>May 10, 2011 by Knopf Books for Young Readers</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">(208 pages, hardcover)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Summary: </b><span id="freeText14176504140286576326">When 17-year-old Jamie
arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a
summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her.
Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie
discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that
she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's
connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at
Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around
her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the
worlds of the living and the dead.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326">Brilliantly plotted, with startling twists, here is a thrilling page-turner from the award-winning Adele Griffin.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326"><b>My thoughts: </b>If there was one thing <i>Tighter</i> was, it was suspenseful. And not just oh-my-god-what-is-going-to-happen suspenseful, but staying up late at night, afraid of the dark suspenseful. It was definitely a book that stays with you for a while after you read it. The twists were uncalled-for and I was biting my nails right up to the very end. I'm not always the biggest fan of books with major twists and creepy settings that are freak-out worthy, but I thought the plot was well-written and I really enjoyed scaring myself while reading it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326">--</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326">So, let's start out with the not-so-good, since I don't like to dwell on the parts of good books that aren't good. Jamie, who I liked fine (most of the time) was a nice girl, who is more than a little freaked out about the fact that she looks like the girl who had her job last year--and happens to now be dead. She's a bit irrational, caring, and average. But just a bit too average for my taste. I didn't ever feel a real connection with her, which probably wasn't Griffin's goal, but it kind of turned me off from the novel at times. At times when I knew I was supposed to be afraid for her, I wasn't really; she was just another character in the story, which isn't great when you're the protagonist.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326">As for the rest of the characters, I kind of felt the same way. I liked them (or disliked them if they were obviously bad guys) and I felt like they were real enough. But they never really struck me as more than characters, like a background to what was happening and where they were. Which isn't normally how characters are supposed to work, nor was it something I liked about <i>Tighter</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326">--</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326">Onto the good: the setting was completely creepy and intriguing, as was the story. Ghost stories seem to all be repeats of one another, with one or two little differences that don't really disguise how alike they all are. But <i>Tighter</i> was completely unique, and uneasy to predict. I was sucked into it after the firt few pages, and I couldn't put it down. It'd be hard to say more without ruining it or just repeating myself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326">The plot was extremely well-written, the setting was appropriately interesting and scary, the premise was original, and I just really enjoyed it. I even liked the writing style, which, while simple, was well-executed and kept me hooked. The only downfall, the characters, wasn't one big enough to cause any major complaints. If you're into intense, keep-you-up-at-night thrillers, then this one is definitely for you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326">--</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326"><b>Covering the Cover: </b>I really love this cover; it was what first drew me in, since it looks creepy and fits so well with the title. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326"><b>Characters: </b>2.5/5</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326"><b>Plot: </b>5/5</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText14176504140286576326"><b>Writing: </b>4/5</span></span></div>
<span id="freeText14176504140286576326"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><b>Overall Rating: </b><i>4 stars</i></span></span>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-89969724405521706522011-05-14T17:21:00.000-07:002011-05-14T17:21:08.911-07:00In My Mailbox (21)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zz4tEKHlYkM/Tc8PJp-RRGI/AAAAAAAAAvI/OG8aW_c3xhI/s1600/In+My+Mailbox.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zz4tEKHlYkM/Tc8PJp-RRGI/AAAAAAAAAvI/OG8aW_c3xhI/s320/In+My+Mailbox.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">In My Mailbox</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> is a weekly meme hosted by </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><a href="http://thestorysiren.com/" style="outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">The Story Siren</span></span></a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">.</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zxBPwAahS54/Tc8cS4D-p4I/AAAAAAAAAvM/w90GxQc0MJw/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zxBPwAahS54/Tc8cS4D-p4I/AAAAAAAAAvM/w90GxQc0MJw/s400/Picture+3.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> <i><b>Bought:</b></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Spirit Bound</i> by Richelle Mead</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Last Sacrifice</i> by Richelle Mead</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Shift</i> by Rachel Vincent</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Awaken</i> by Katie Kacvinsky</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Die for Me</i> by Amy Plum</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>It's Kind of a Funny Story</i> by Ned Vizzini</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Eyes Like Stars</i> by Lisa Mantchev</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Sixteenth Summer</i> by Michelle Dalton</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nPTeSHPmbEU/Tc8cZrn9eOI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/gkYz7jEo9EU/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nPTeSHPmbEU/Tc8cZrn9eOI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/gkYz7jEo9EU/s400/Picture+2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><b>From Library:</b></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>My Soul to Save</i><b> </b>by Rachel Vincent</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><b> </b>Extraordinary</i> by Nancy Werlin</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Love You, Hate You, Miss You</i> by Elizabeth Scott</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Grace</i> by Elizabeth Scott</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><i>For Review:</i></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><i> </i></b><i>Stupid Fast</i> by Geoff Herbach</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Still using up the last of birthday money this week. Lost of books that I'm excited about reading. What did you guys get in your mailboxes? Happy reading!</span></span></span></span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-28357754794151139342011-05-13T12:50:00.000-07:002011-05-13T12:51:39.159-07:00Guest Post: Adele Griffin (And a Giveaway!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6PNRwO1Pu90/Tcd_aSq4g5I/AAAAAAAAAuI/WnPjbMDfrFQ/s1600/419zJ%252BSYbkL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6PNRwO1Pu90/Tcd_aSq4g5I/AAAAAAAAAuI/WnPjbMDfrFQ/s320/419zJ%252BSYbkL.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div>
Today I have the privelage of welcoming Adele Griffin, author of <i>Tighter</i>. She'll be stopping by for the<i> Teen Book Scene</i>'s tour. Also, there's a giveaway in it for y'all. I'll let Adele take it from here with her This or That list:</div>
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Books or eBooks? eBooks, but nothing is prettier than a bookshelf.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Cats or Dogs? Dogs, specifically rescue dogs with worried eyes and</div>
<div>
wonky ears.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Day or Night? Night! Night! I vote for two nights, no days.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Romance or Action? Is Romaction a word yet? Because I like my</div>
<div>
romances with some running.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Movies or TV? Movies. Any excuse for Twizzlers & a vat of coke.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Black or White? Black. Black contains multitudes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Winter or Summer? I’ve set over half my books in sultry summers,</div>
<div>
but winter has more terrifying secrets, because they arrive frostbitten</div>
<div>
and buried under the snow.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Inside or Outside? Inside, in the attic, in a trunk, holding my breath.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Calling or Texting? Neither. I quietly follow the illustrator Lisa Brown</div>
<div>
on tumblr and it’s the most joyful visual communication of my day.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Beach or Mountain? Mountain, but only if it’s got a cave, so, cave.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Baseball or Football? Ulp. I have to plead Sportsfail.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Mp3 or CD? Mp3, n’est-çe pas.</div>
<div>
<span style="color: white;">--</span></div>
<div>
Although I'd have to disagree on the eBooks, I'd say we have a lot in common. Thanks for visiting, Adele! If you'd like to check out the rest of the tour, check out <a href="http://theteenbookscene.weebly.com/tighter-tour-details.html">this page</a>. Make sure to check out my review of <i>Tighter</i> up on May 25.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
--</div>
<div>
Now, onto the giveaway. There's one copy of <i>Tighter</i> in it for you guys. You don't need to be a follower, just fill out the form below and you're entered. The giveaway ends on May 19, 2011, so enter soon. Happy reading, y'all.</div>
<div>
<span style="color: white;">--</span></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="400" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dFVPdjlLNkVHdU5xREVEb0wxZjBOUHc6MQ" width="660">&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;</iframe>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-27931695946511455062011-05-09T20:13:00.000-07:002011-05-09T20:13:30.065-07:00Tantalize by Cynthia Letich Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j-v8VtEEwjw/TZsG88NF1eI/AAAAAAAAAr4/7zB-YxS7UsQ/s1600/353016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j-v8VtEEwjw/TZsG88NF1eI/AAAAAAAAAr4/7zB-YxS7UsQ/s320/353016.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tantalize</b> by Cynthia Letich Smith</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Series: </b>Tantalize, #1</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Publication: </b>February 17, 2008 by Candlewick Press</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">(336 pages, hardcover)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Summary: </b>CLASSIFIED ADS: RESTAURANTS SANGUINI'S: A VERY RARE RESTAURANT IS HIRING A CHEF DE CUISINE. DINNERS ONLY.</span><span id="freeText16002330542681375854" style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">APPLY IN PERSON BETWEEN 2:00 AND 4:00 PM.</span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Quincie
Morris has never felt more alone. Her parents are dead, and her
hybrid-werewolf first love is threatening to embark on a rite of passage
that will separate them forever. Then, as she and her uncle are about
to unveil their hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves
them scrambling for a chef. Can Quincie transform their new hire into a
culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Can he wow the crowd in his
fake fangs, cheap cape, and red contact lenses — or is there more to
this earnest face than meets the eye? As human and preternatural forces
clash, a deadly love triangle forms, and the line between predator and
prey begins to blur. Who’s playing whom? And how long can Quincie play
along before she loses everything? TANTALIZE marks Cynthia Leitich
Smith’s delicious debut as a preeminent author of dark fantasy.</span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My thoughts:</b> I'm still kind of torn on this one. While it was refreshingly new for a vampire/werewolf book, it was also kind of strange. I think what really bugged me was how unexplained everything was. In my opinion, if you're writing a paranormal book that doesn't follow standard paranormal rules, you should explain them, and near the beginning of the book. Maybe I'm totally in the dark here and everyone else got it, but <i>Tantalize</i> completely confused me in that regard. It was fast-paced and didn't linger on anything, which can be nice, and can also be rushed. And in the end, I think it definitely fell in the latter category.</span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">To keep from sounding like <i>Tantalize</i> was horrible, I'll list a few thing I liked/loved about it. I loved Kieren; while he was a little predictable, he was obviously protective of Quincie and torn between his heart and his head, in the non-cheesiest way possible. He provided some nice conflict for Quincie, and for himself. I liked the ending; there's no possible non-spoiler-y way to explain, but I liked it. Lastly, I liked the characters. All of them. Well, maybe not all of them, but i thought they were all really well developed, surprisingly, and realistic (for paranormal characters).</span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I also kind of enjoyed the writing. At times it was rushed (sorry, I'm getting sick of using that word too), but it was eerie in a you-don't-know-what's-going-to-happen-next sort of way. Quincie wasn't my favorite as a protagonist or POV character, though she seemed real, because of her fickleness. She kept switching her opinion lightening-quick, which a lot of teenage girls do, but it still made it hard o not only keep up with the story, but her decisions/opinions on the story. But I still liked her, just to be clear.</span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Onto my mini-rant: if you're writing a paranormal book, I think it's way more difficult to write if you don't have any characters who are clueless about the paranormal world. In my reading experience, many a good series/novel has suffered from lack of clarity on the basic functions of the paranormal world/society/whatever it is. And <i>Tantalize</i> did exactly that; fail to answer questions that I had from the very beginning of the book. Which made me dislike it, and find it tedious reading, since I couldn't understand half of the things going on. As a result, I'd have to blame the writing and the story, both of which I really enjoyed, had it not been so confusing.</span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">To be fair, my standards for paranormal books have gone up, probably from reading so many lousy ones. But overall, I couldn't bring myself to really <i>love</i> <i>Tantalize</i>, so I'm going to have to give it a steady 2.5 stars. I can't help but recommend it to only hardcore fans of vampires/werewolves, who are hopefully less clueless when it comes to vampire/werewolf worlds/general rules. </span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Covering the Cover: </b>I actually really love this cover. It's dark and intriguing and if I had loved the book as much as I'd wanted to, I probably would want it to keep on my shelf.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Characters: </b>4.5/5</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Plot: </b>2/5</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Writing: </b>2/5</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Overall Rating: </b><i style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">2.5 stars</i></span>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-74699407186451819432011-05-07T16:32:00.000-07:002011-05-07T16:32:50.211-07:00Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187760375l/1754206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187760375l/1754206.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Perfect You</b> by Elizabeth Scott</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Publication: </b>March 25, 2008 by Simon Pulse</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">(282 pages, paperback)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Summary: </b><span id="freeText11682765919266374210"><i>Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast.</i> </span></span><br />
<div style="color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText11682765919266374210">--</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText11682765919266374210">Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is
forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she
acts like Kate's invisible. And then there's Will. Gorgeous,
unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can't stand even though she
can't stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate
hates herself for wanting him when she's sure she's just his latest
conquest. Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting
so much is if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or
anything. What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be
perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them....</span></span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText11682765919266374210">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;"><b>My thoughts: </b>I've come to expect a lot from Elizabeth Scott books, and <i>Perfect You</i> did not disappoint one bit. If anything, it exceeded my expectations. Kate's just lost her best friend, her father has gone crazy, and she likes (more than she'd like to) a guy who can't possible like her back.</span><span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;"> So, basically, her life sucks. Or at least that's how things seem to Kate. One of my favorite things about Scott's books are how easily relatable and honest they are. I completely felt Kate's pain, and yet I also knew that things weren't as bad as Kate thought.</span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;">To begin with, Kate was your average girl; prettier than she believes herself to be, desperate for the guy she likes to notice her, and completely blind to the fact that he has. And her life just happens to be falling apart. I think every teenager (at least, teenage girl) has felt like everything is changing and for the worse. I found Kate really nice, sarcastic (which, hey, happens to be my favorite quality in book characters), and realistic. Her thoughts were honest, and, okay, I'm sounding like a broken record, but she was really relatable.</span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;">The writing, while not amazingly fantastic, was good, and fitting. It sounded like a teenage girl, which is all you can ask for in a YA contemporary novel. I really liked the story too. Kate's life is pretty bad, and I felt all of her emotions. The characters were realistic and well-written too, fleshed-out without revealing their entire stories. One of the onl ythings I didn't like (and I won't hold it against the book, since the point was for the reader to not like it) was Kate's grandma. She was obnoxious, superficial, and I couldn't bring myself to agree with her even when she was right. Other than her, I really liked the entire premise and writing style.</span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;">Not to sound like a totally unprofessional girly-girl here, but my favorite part of the book was Will. He was cute, hilarious, three-dimensional, and perfect for Kate. Well, not perfect, but just what she needed. He was probably the reason I liked <i>Perfect You</i> best of all Scott's books. My favorite thing about him was how insecure he was. It's not realistic to find a boy who is into you, great-looking, and totally unafraid of going out on a limb. Will was sensitive and vulnerable in a way most YA boys usually aren't, which made me love him even more.</span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;">Overall, <i>Perfect You</i> was kind of perfect. It had honest characters, a good story, nice writing, and a POV character I really connected with. It's my favorite Scott book, which is saying a lot. Sorry for the slightly rushed review, but, to summarize, go out and read <i>Perfect You</i> right now.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;"> <span style="color: white;">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;"><b>Covering the Cover: </b>It's cute and the colors fit really well. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;"><b>Characters: </b>5/5</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;"><b>Plot: </b>4.5/5</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;"><b>Writing: </b>5/5</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText11682765919266374210" style="font-size: small;"><b>Overall Rating: </b><i>5 stars</i> </span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-44896794198122265452011-05-07T14:02:00.000-07:002011-05-07T14:02:07.849-07:00In My Mailbox (20)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_epx0BKzipw/TcWgm5nVIcI/AAAAAAAAAuA/MVpcL21cPfM/s1600/In+My+Mailbox.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_epx0BKzipw/TcWgm5nVIcI/AAAAAAAAAuA/MVpcL21cPfM/s320/In+My+Mailbox.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">In My Mailbox</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> is a weekly meme hosted by </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><a href="http://thestorysiren.com/" style="outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">The Story Siren</span></span></a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T6qwt1enPm8/TcWzJxfKFrI/AAAAAAAAAuE/HMVKG7WGVRQ/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T6qwt1enPm8/TcWzJxfKFrI/AAAAAAAAAuE/HMVKG7WGVRQ/s400/Picture+1.png" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><b> </b></i></span></span></span><br />
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><b>Bought:</b></i></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Amy & Roger's Epic Detour</i><b> </b>by Morgan Matson</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Defiance</i> by Lili St. Crow</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Fight Club</i> by Chuck Palahniuk</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>XVI</i> by Julia Karr</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Seventeenth Summer</i> by Maureen Daly</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Trapped</i> by Michael Northrop</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Divergent</i> by Veronica Roth<i><b> </b></i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Moonglass</i> by Jessi Kirby</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>So Much Closer</i> by Susanne Colassanti</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: white;">--</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><b>For Review:</b></i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Tighter</i><b> </b>by Adele Griffin</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: white;">--</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Thanks to my awesome friends and family for giving me a couple of Barnes & Noble and Borders cards for my birthday, I've got a great haul this week. Happy reading, y'all!<i><b> </b></i><i><b> </b></i></span> </span></span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-56263930201959109832011-05-03T21:24:00.000-07:002011-05-03T21:32:11.870-07:00Stay by Deb Caletti<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gDoOejjriwo/TavWAE20KdI/AAAAAAAAAss/2kxaDNhslHo/s1600/8527904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gDoOejjriwo/TavWAE20KdI/AAAAAAAAAss/2kxaDNhslHo/s320/8527904.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Stay</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by Deb Caletti</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Publication: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">April 5, 2011</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(320 pages, hardcover)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Summary: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">--</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>My thoughts: </b><i>Stay</i> wasn't a typical young adult contemporary read. For starters, Caletti's writing was deep and emotional from the first page. Second of all, the timeline of the novel was unusual and intriguing. Lastly, the premise of the story was mysterious and creepy. All of those elements combined made for a very unique, mostly satisfying read.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Even though it quickly becomes apparent where the story is going to go, the twists and turns in the novel are still surprising and suspenseful. I really liked the way the book jumped from present tense and Clara's life now, to the past tense, when Clara was with Christian. It revealed the story in an interesting and thoughtful way. Seeing how Clara's perspective changed, and how her faults affected her life made for an emotional novel, and one that I definitely enjoyed.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">One of the downfalls, for me, was one of the things I was actually looking forward to. The suspense; it was definitely suspenseful sometimes, but during some of the moments where the real action was, it kind of fell flat. I might be being picky, it just didn't get me on the edge of my seat like I could have been if the writing was slightly less, well, flat. I really loved the plot, the writing style just took away from the excitement. Other than that, the plot was original (at least to me; I haven't read many books on this topic) and well-paced.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Clara as a character was great; maybe it's totally weird, but my favorite character was Christian. Okay, stop it with the horrified expression, let me explain; I was scared of him, creeped out by him, and found him majorly screwed-up. But he was a<i> believable</i> villain, which is a difficult character to find in young adult literature; also, he was a really fleshed-out character, probably the most fleshed-out after Clara. He was my favorite in how complex he was. Which leads me to another one of the things I loved about <i>Stay</i>: how realistic Clara's response was. I don't want to ruin stuff, so I'll keep it simple and say it just was realistic. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Not to end on a bad note, but my last thought is that the ending left me a bit unsatisfied, which is th main reason I really <i>liked</i> but didn't <i>love</i>. Caletti even acknowledges the slight lack of closure, which, while it provided some sense of relief, knowing that it was meant to be that way, still made me wish there was a little bit more. But overall, <i>Stay</i> was an honest, good read.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Covering the Cover:</b> At first I wasn't a big fan, but in the end, I really like the simplicity and light colors of it.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Characters: </b>4/5</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Plot: </b>4/5</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> <b>Writing: </b>5/5</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Overall Rating: </b><i style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">4 stars</i> </span></span></span>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-12315450768841011172011-05-03T19:43:00.000-07:002011-05-03T19:43:11.975-07:00Waiting on Wednesday (19): As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Afqw53QamHU/TcC6wFgTo6I/AAAAAAAAAts/2LqHv41KF9k/s1600/Waiting+on+Wednesday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Afqw53QamHU/TcC6wFgTo6I/AAAAAAAAAts/2LqHv41KF9k/s1600/Waiting+on+Wednesday.png" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6d5e5f; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Waiting on Wednesday </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span">is a weekly meme hosted by</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #073763; font-weight: bold; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Breaking the Spine</span></span></i></a><span class="Apple-style-span"> to showcase unreleased novels that we're waiting for anxiously.</span><span style="color: black;"> This week I'm picking:</span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>--</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NkvsEsZBL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NkvsEsZBL.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="color: black;"> <b>As I Wake</b> by Elizabeth Scott</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="color: black;"><b>Pub. Date: </b>September 15, 2011</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="color: black;"><b>Summary: </b></span></span><span id="freeText2794173195462091843">What if you woke up and didn't know where you were? </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText2794173195462091843">What if you didn't know who you were? </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText2794173195462091843">And what if, when your memories started to come back--what if they didn't match the you that you're supposed to be? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText2794173195462091843">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText2794173195462091843">Ava is welcomed home from the hospital by a doting mother, lively
friends, and a crush finally beginning to show interest. There's only
one problem: Ava can't remember any of them--and can't shake the eerie
feeling that she's not who they say she is. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText2794173195462091843">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText2794173195462091843">Ava struggles to break through her amnesiac haze as she goes through
the motions of high-school life, but the memories that surface take
place in a very different world, where Ava and familiar-faced friends
are under constant scrutiny and no one can be trusted. Ava doesn't know
what to make of these visions, or of the boy who is at the center of
them all, until he reappears in her life and offers answers . . . but
only in exchange for her trust.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText2794173195462091843">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="freeText2794173195462091843"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Why I chose <i>As I Wake</i></b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">: Well, not only is Elizabeth Scott one of my favorite authors ever, but the cover is gorgeous! Okay, and the summary sounds </span><i style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">really</i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">really</i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> good. I love books that involve memory loss. I'm waiting anxiously for September to roll around.</span></span></span><span id="freeText2794173195462091843"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Happy reading, y'all!</span></span> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-68735239696701614412011-05-02T20:32:00.000-07:002011-05-02T20:32:39.337-07:00The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fgbq54Hvj1o/TYrUt7OuD_I/AAAAAAAAAqY/LDfuDvZklp0/s1600/6882274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fgbq54Hvj1o/TYrUt7OuD_I/AAAAAAAAAqY/LDfuDvZklp0/s320/6882274.jpg" width="211" /></span></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">The Mockingbirds</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by Daisy Whitney</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Series: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mockingbirds, #1</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Publication: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">November 2, 2010 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(332 pages, hardcover)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Summary: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Some schools have honor codes.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Others have handbooks.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #181818; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.4; padding: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.</span></div>
<div style="color: #181818; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.4; padding: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">My thoughts: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span">From the cover and the description, I was expecting your basic rape novel; heavy, serious, and sad. But I really loved Whitney's take on date-rape. It wasn't as dark or depressing as I'd expected; it was not only realistic, but uplifting. Alex, your typical over-achieving good girl, has always kept her head down, with no real love life to speak of at the moment. Then, one night, she gets drunk, goes too far, and is taken advantage of. Or at least she can't remember giving consent to going all the way. Alex's uncertainty added a layer to the book that was unexpected and really helped me connect to her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The novel starts with Alex waking up in a bed that isn't her own; she at first refuses to acknowledge what obviously happened, and I liked that she wasn't immediately bent on exacting revenge or hiding from the world. Her denial was honest and added depth. The entire novel had a different spin on it than I would expect from a novel about rape. Alex was a good character because she felt real and her response to everything was also true-to-life. I really liked how she grew and developed. She was the kind of character I honestly missed after having finished reading.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">There were three things that really stood out to me about this book, which bumped it up from a good read to a unique, amazing novel. 1.) The Mockingbirds; I love <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i> and appreciated every one of the references. But even people who hadn't read the novel got a feel of how cool (sorry for lack of a better word) the secret justice system was. It was complicated, yet made sense, and I kind of wish there was a Mockingbirds group at every school. They were just really awesome (in the best meaning of that word).</span></span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Moving on; 2.) Alex's life after the rape happens. I know the entire book basically takes place <i>after</i> the actual rape, but I really, really loved how Whitney wrote Alex's reaction. It was the perfect balance of fright and lightness. Her life was definitely changed after it happened, and several things were wrecked for her because of it, but her life <i>goes on</i>. It's not often that books that deal with such a dark subject show that life will go on and things will eventually be okay. Which kind of leads into: 3.) The romance; and not in the typical he-was-so-cute and she-was-so-awkward-but-adorable way. I mean in a it's-great-that-she-learns-that-every-guy-isn't-out-to-get-her. I mean, yes, getting raped is horrible, and should be taken seriously, and I don't blame any girl for being afraid after an experience like that. But I appreciated the fact that Alex moves on and realizes that there are good guys out there, and not to be afraid of the world because of one person.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The characters were well-written. Not as completely developed (excluding Alex) as maybe I could've asked for, but the plot more than made up for it. They definitely didn't fit the regular stereotypical characters, and I loved that. I liked all of the characters I was supposed to like and disliked all of the characters I was supposed to dislike. No complaints whatsoever. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Overall, I really enjoyed <i>The Mockingbirds</i>. It was deep and sensitive, but not overwhelming and too-heavy-to-read-in-one-sitting. It was the perfect balance of seriousness and lightness. I expected something, and got something else entirely, which turned out not to be a bad thing at all. Whitney's writing was good and her plots and characters were even better. Definitely one of my favorite contemporary reads, and I can't wait for the sequel.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Covering the Cover: </b>Simple and intriguing. It's not a favorite but I like it.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Characters: </b>4.33/5</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Plot: </b>5/5</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Writing: </b>4/5</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Overall Rating: </b><i style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">4.9 stars</i></span></span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-74414555621601883402011-05-01T17:46:00.000-07:002011-05-01T17:58:07.104-07:00Boyfriends with Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZyCLL1C7vk/TTkr74CcitI/AAAAAAAAAdw/xtOHIn8QgCc/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZyCLL1C7vk/TTkr74CcitI/AAAAAAAAAdw/xtOHIn8QgCc/s320/Picture+1.png" width="212" /></span></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Boyfriends with Girlfriends</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">by Alex Sanchez</span></span></b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Publication:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> April 19, 2011 by Simon & Schuster</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(224 pages, hardcover)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Summary: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Lance has always known he was gay, but he's never had a real boyfriend. Sergio is bisexual, but his only real relationship was with a girl. When the two of them meet, they have an instant connection--but will it be enough to overcome their differences?</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Allie's been in a relationship with a guy for the last two years--but when she meets Kimiko, she can't get her out of her mind. Does this mean she's gay? Does it mean she's bi? Kimiko, falling hard for Allie, and finding it impossible to believe that a gorgeous girl like Allie would be into her, is willing to stick around and help Allie figure it out.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">Boyfriends with Girlfriends</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span"> is Alex Sanchez at his best, writing with a sensitive hand to portray four very real teens striving to find their places in the world--and with each other.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: white; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">My thoughts: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Boyfriends with Girlfriends</i> was cute, light, and a little predictable. My thoughts are kind of scattered on this one, since there was a lot I liked, but a few things I didn't like too. I'm not crazy about books with multiple main characters (meaning more than two) to begin with, and I couldn't help but feel that sometimes <i>Boyfriends with Girlfriends</i> had problems balancing the characters. However, I liked all of the characters, and the realistic spin on this complicated subject matter made me enjoy the book more than I would have otherwise. It was satisfying novel, overall, and I'd recommend it to LGBT fans or just fans of contemporary teen romance.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The book starts with a Lance and Sergio's first date which includes Allie and Kimiko, since the boys want to keep it light. Allie, who has always figured herself to be straight, quickly becomes attracted to Kimiko, who also likes Allie. Sergio, who says he's bisexual, right away likes Lance, and Lance likes him back, but for the fact that Sergio claims to be bisexual. The story lines get a bit blurred with the whole switching of main characters and one of the things I wishes had been different was how the characters' feelings were kind of pushed into the background because of everything else that was happening.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">My favorite character, and in turn, favorite story line, was Allie's. She was a weak character to begin with (as in, she wasn't strong, not as in poorly-written), and I loved her transformation. Sanchez does a great job of showing how one person (for Allie, Kimiko) can come along and change everything, even things you didn't know you wanted changed. Allie slowly becomes a confident person, and even through the tough decisions, she becomes who she wants to be. I also liked Kimiko's character; her struggle to come out to her oblivious mother was honest, realistic, and provided some serious conflict to shadow the lighter problems most of the characters have.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">As for the guys, I liked Lance, but sometimes I was a little mad at him. In a stop-being-so-freaking-hypocrtic way. He was a great character, to be honest, since he had feelings that go against the cliche gay character feelings, and because he grew a lot. But honesty, his close-mindedness got to me a bit too much. Sergio was a nice character, but I felt like he missed a bit of depth. A lot happens to his character, but he always seemed kind of disconnected. I couldn't help but feel like the girls' characters got a lot more personality than the guys, which was a blessing and a curse in itself.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Te story was cute and fun, which was the best part, for me at least. I liked how frustratingly real their strained conversations were, and the palpable tension between the characters. It made it feel realistic and raw, without being too heavy or tedious. I especially liked Sergio and Lance's dates; they were torn between romantic, forced, and awkward, which was completely honest. The writing wasn't fantastic either; I felt it was kind of flat and unfeeling, but it is difficult to sound personal and emotional with four characters switching back and fourth, and writing as third-person omniscient. In the end, I liked <i>Boyfriends with Girlfriends</i> a lot as a light LGBT novel, and pretty well as a novel in general.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">--</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Covering the Cover: </b>I really like this cover; it's cute-looking and creative.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Characters: </b>3.5/5</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Plot: </b>3/5</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Writing: </b>3/5</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><b>Overall Rating: </b><i>3.33 stars</i></span></span></span>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-20610646442648014672011-04-30T22:03:00.000-07:002011-04-30T22:03:10.932-07:00In My Mailbox (19): Birthday Haul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VLml6DRNR9E/TbzRj8VgE5I/AAAAAAAAAtY/gMqVgKBZ2fs/s1600/In+My+Mailbox.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VLml6DRNR9E/TbzRj8VgE5I/AAAAAAAAAtY/gMqVgKBZ2fs/s320/In+My+Mailbox.png" width="320" /></span></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In My Mailbox</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is a weekly meme hosted by </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><a href="http://thestorysiren.com/" style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">The Story Siren</span></span></a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. This week I got quite a few books that I've been wanting for my birthday, and got to buy a few also.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">--</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Qkdn2CIF00/TbzpJBklXMI/AAAAAAAAAtg/mQ3m4TlHkLI/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Qkdn2CIF00/TbzpJBklXMI/AAAAAAAAAtg/mQ3m4TlHkLI/s400/Picture+2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bought:</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This World We Live In</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Susan Beth Pfeffer</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by J.K. Rowling</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by J.K. Rowling</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Evercrossed</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Elizabeth Chandler</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">--</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gifted:</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But I Love Him</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Amanda Grace</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Babe in Boyland</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Jody Gehrman</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Brandan Halpin and Emily Franklin</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Invincible Summer</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Hannah Moskowitz</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i>The Summer I Turned Pretty</i> by Jenny Han</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i>We'll Always Have Summer</i> by Jenny Han</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">--</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">From Library:</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Perks of Being a Wallflower</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Stephen Chbosky</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fight Ruben Wolfe</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Markus Zusak</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">--</span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HERURocQvHI/Tbzl2thZ1KI/AAAAAAAAAtc/pSKUZ4wHDyY/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HERURocQvHI/Tbzl2thZ1KI/AAAAAAAAAtc/pSKUZ4wHDyY/s400/Picture+1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For Review:</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Day Before</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Lisa Shroeder</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Forbidden</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Tabitha Suzuna</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He's so Not Worth It</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Kieran Scott</span></span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-50339820905287923642011-04-18T19:52:00.000-07:002011-04-22T18:19:44.753-07:00Teaser Tuesday (16): Stay by Deb Caletti<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5QEdeWZUAis/TazeF2IRZjI/AAAAAAAAAs0/Yoyx6CAGzyE/s1600/Teaser+Tuesday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5QEdeWZUAis/TazeF2IRZjI/AAAAAAAAAs0/Yoyx6CAGzyE/s1600/Teaser+Tuesday.png" /></span></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Teaser Tuesdays </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #808459; font-weight: bold; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Should Be Reading</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just grab the book you're currently reading, flip open to a random page, find a random excerpt, and </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">voila</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, you're participating in it. My quote this week is from </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stay</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Deb Caletti:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gDoOejjriwo/TavWAE20KdI/AAAAAAAAAss/2kxaDNhslHo/s1600/8527904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gDoOejjriwo/TavWAE20KdI/AAAAAAAAAss/2kxaDNhslHo/s320/8527904.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"I just saw it as praise, falling down now like glittering snowflakes. But it was something else. A drop of poison on that gathering snow. That moment in the fairy tale when we know what just happened but the princess doesn't."</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This one is amazing so far, and I really love the writing. I had problems picking just one teaser. Happy reading, y'all, and don't forget to leave links to your teasers.</span></span>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-4572823018523179072011-04-18T19:24:00.000-07:002011-04-22T18:21:11.696-07:00The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia #4) by C.S. Lewis<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172116495l/140227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172116495l/140227.jpg" width="212" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by C.S. Lewis</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Series: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Chronicles of Narnia, #4</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Publication: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">September 15, 1952 by HarperTrophy</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(320 pages, paperback)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Summary: </span></b><span id="freeText17588500305018403440"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Narnia ... where anything can happen (and most often does) ... and where the adventure begins.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span id="freeText17588500305018403440"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Dawn Treader</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
is the first ship Narnia has seen in centuries. King Caspian has built
it for his first voyage to find the seven lords, good men whom his evil
uncle Miraz banished when he usurped the throne. The journey takes
Edmund, Lucy, their cousin Eustace, and Caspian to the Eastern Islands,
beyond the Silver Sea, toward Aslan's country at the End of the World.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My thoughts: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So basically I'm a big fat liar. Despite saying in my review of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Prince Caspian</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> that it was my favorite novel of the whole </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Narnia</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> series, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dawn Treader</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is actually my favorite. It's whimsical, beautifully written, and imaginative. Even though not all of the Pevensie children are in this one, I still enjoyed reading (and Lucy and Edmund are in it) about the new characters. The story is symbolic, with simple writing that makes it fun for readers of literally all ages again.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText17588500305018403440"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The story does read a little like 'this happened, then that happened,' but with a story as amazing and original as </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dawn Treader</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, it doesn't really effect it. The plot is extremely well paced and I was hooked from page one. And the writing is spectacular in its originality and simplicity. Anyone can appreciate a good, old-fashioned adventure. The descriptions are amazingly detailed; the whole book felt like I was with Lucy and Edmund and Caspian.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText17588500305018403440"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">--</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The characters are well-rounded and I like the way the characters change and learn lessons in a simple and whimsical way that makes it a great read for kids. But it's got serious themes and captivating details that make it extremely enjoyable for older readers. It's hard to write long reviews for classics, so I'll just wrap up with this: it totally deserves to be a classic and I'd recommend it to any readers, any age.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText17588500305018403440"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span></span><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">--</span></span></span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"></span>Overall Rating:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5 stars</span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-36291271251163765482011-04-18T19:01:00.000-07:002011-04-22T18:21:44.693-07:00In My Mailbox (18)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kkHrzSf-3m8/TapzXXVVe6I/AAAAAAAAAso/jZHRnIw9d-s/s1600/In+My+Mailbox.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kkHrzSf-3m8/TapzXXVVe6I/AAAAAAAAAso/jZHRnIw9d-s/s320/In+My+Mailbox.png" width="320" /></span></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In My Mailbox</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is a weekly meme hosted by </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><a href="http://thestorysiren.com/" style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Story Siren</span></span></a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t7PMJXVJipw/Tazp8im7aHI/AAAAAAAAAs4/sP_VnRuHzVc/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t7PMJXVJipw/Tazp8im7aHI/AAAAAAAAAs4/sP_VnRuHzVc/s400/Picture+1.png" width="400" /></span></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">From Library:</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jealousy </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by Lili St. Crow</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Unwritten Rule</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Elizabeth Scott</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Perfect You</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Elizabeth Scott</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bought:</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Sky is Everywhere</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Jandy Nelson</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Shimmer</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Alyson Noel</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When It Happens</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Susanne Colassanti</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HqVXaR-j6TY/Tazswh5NriI/AAAAAAAAAs8/OMApcZJr_zU/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HqVXaR-j6TY/Tazswh5NriI/AAAAAAAAAs8/OMApcZJr_zU/s400/Picture+3.png" width="400" /></span></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For Review:</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A Season of Eden</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Jennifer Laurens</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happy Birthday to Me</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Brian Rowe</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sisterhood of Murder</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Rachel Astor</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Between</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Cyndi Tefft</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hope you all had great weeks and you'll have great weeks this week. Happy reading!</span></span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-38236349878505360172011-04-11T22:35:00.000-07:002011-04-22T18:22:23.605-07:00Teaser Tuesday (15): The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TdVqZMn45NI/TaPHDGxhs7I/AAAAAAAAAsU/5RtJ-STzgbU/s1600/Teaser+Tuesday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TdVqZMn45NI/TaPHDGxhs7I/AAAAAAAAAsU/5RtJ-STzgbU/s1600/Teaser+Tuesday.png" /></span></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Teaser Tuesdays </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; font-weight: bold; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Should Be Reading</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just grab the book you're currently reading, flip open to a random page, find a random excerpt, and </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">voila</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, you're participating in it. My quote this week is from </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Dust of 100 Dogs</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by A.S. King:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Just as Padraig had teased, she was too young and stupid to know how to survive on her own, and she cried about being hungry and dumb. She tried to think of what Padraig would say--and then realized that every one of her happy thoughts had just gone up in flames with everything else she ever knew."</span></i></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happy reading, y'alls!</span></span>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-13028832094994548582011-04-10T16:41:00.000-07:002011-04-22T18:22:51.879-07:00Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YcIbEbpkKFs/TWoV1nVhs9I/AAAAAAAAAoE/t-crf5mTFHI/s1600/lili-st-crow-strange-angels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YcIbEbpkKFs/TWoV1nVhs9I/AAAAAAAAAoE/t-crf5mTFHI/s320/lili-st-crow-strange-angels.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Strange Angels</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Lili St. Crow</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Series: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Strange Angels, #1</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Publication:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> May 19, 2009 by Penguin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(293 pages, paperback)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Summary: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then her dad turns up dead--but still walking--and Dru knows she's next. Even worse, she's got two guys hungry for her affections, and they're not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever--or </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">whoever</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--is hunting her?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My thoughts:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I wasn't honestly expecting more than a fast-paced, action-packed novel from </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Strange Angels</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. But it was actually deep at times, and I felt really connected with Dru. She had self-confidence, and apart from being really hard-headed and stubborn at times, I really liked her. It definitely wasn't predictable, and the writing was good too.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Despite her major flaws, Dru was everything I ask for in a heroine; she was tough, dependable, and smart. At times she drove me nuts, and I wanted to shake her because of her occasional denseness, she was still a great character. I loved Graves, especially though. He was loyal, intelligent, and honest. I really liked the witty banter between him and Dru, too. I'm not so crazy about Christophe; he seemed all right, but he was a little too cocky. But I did like the element his presence added. It made the book a little bit heavier when it got to dependent on the action.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Speaking of which, the action was great. I was holding my breath at times. The suspense really was suspenseful, and best of all, I had no problems following it. The language was clear and it was exciting. My problem was that at times </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Strange Angels</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> seemed a little too soap-opera-y. I like a love triangle and drama just as much as any other teen girl (well, maybe not </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">any</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">) but I also like some meaning. There were times when Dru seemed really girly and not at all like the tough girl I loved.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The writing was satisfactory, if not fantastic. I liked the way Dru thought. At times the writing was a bit tedious, but I'd blame that more on the story than the actual </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">writing</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. The information was well-spread out. And thank God for paranormal (er, urban fantasy?) novels that have characters who are aware of the supernatural at work in their worlds. Dru's knowledge of all things paranormal (er, most things?) was made the book far less boring than it could have been. After reading so many books that go over the same vampire/werewolf/faerie rules over and over again, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Strange Angels</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> was refreshing.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, overall, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Strange Angels</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> was a great, exciting read, and a promising start to a series. I'm looking forward to the sequels, and hoping for some improvements. I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of urban fantasy/paranormal, with a bit of romance and a bit of substance for a change.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Covering the Cover: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To be frank, I'm not a fan. It's boring and like a lot of other paranormal books. And the slogan isn't true at all, which I find kind of hilarious. "Knife throwing": none. "Night hunting": none. "Heart breaker": not yet at least.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Characters: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4.5/5</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Plot: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3.5/5</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Writing:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> 3.5/5</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Overall Rating: </span></b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4 stars</span></i></span></span>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-50933474359641892052011-04-09T19:14:00.000-07:002011-04-22T18:25:11.709-07:00In My Mailbox (17)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SgOECx-T4BU/TaEQawo7vMI/AAAAAAAAAsA/Om88n4ywkKA/s1600/In+My+Mailbox.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SgOECx-T4BU/TaEQawo7vMI/AAAAAAAAAsA/Om88n4ywkKA/s320/In+My+Mailbox.png" width="320" /></span></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In My Mailbox</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is a weekly meme hosted by </span><b><a href="http://thestorysiren.com/" style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Story Siren</span></span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. This week I got some new releases that I'm thrilled about starting.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bought: </span></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How to Say Goodbye in Robot</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Natalie Standiford</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by J.K. Rowling</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's Not Summer Without You </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by Jenny Han</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Prey</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Rachel Vincent</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">City of Fallen Angels</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Cassandra Clare</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wither</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Lauren DeStefano</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Where She Went</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Gayle Forman</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To Kill A Mockingbird</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Harper Lee</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For Review:</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In Trouble </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by Ellen Levine</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ashfall</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Mike Mullin</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Invansion</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Jon S. Lewis</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm really excited about starting on some of the new releases I got and others I've been wanting to read for a while. Happy reading!</span></span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210648665316189822.post-73520106246004557332011-04-04T22:24:00.000-07:002011-04-22T18:26:01.148-07:00Teaser Tuesday (14): The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_L8M9DShxVY/TZqmhy4uetI/AAAAAAAAAr0/HgBATCkA7g0/s1600/Teaser+Tuesday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_L8M9DShxVY/TZqmhy4uetI/AAAAAAAAAr0/HgBATCkA7g0/s1600/Teaser+Tuesday.png" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #35383d; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Teaser Tuesdays </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #808459; font-weight: bold; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Should Be Reading</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just grab the book you're currently reading, flip open to a random page, find a random excerpt, and </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">voila</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, you're participating in it. My quote this week is from </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Miles Between</span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by Mary E. Pearson:</span></span></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"I have never been anywhere this long. I know the news will come soon. Where will they send me next? But it is best not to think about it, because that means I would care, and I don't."</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know I haven't done a teaser in a long while, but I really liked this quote and I'm really enjoying this one so far. Remember to leave links to your teasers too. Happy reading!</span></span></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14766942288193081219noreply@blogger.com6