Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Year's Contest! :)

I'm really enjoying myself and it has been a very relaxing winter break, so I've decided to hold a giveaway for you guys to show my appreciation and happiness for being readers of my blog. It is in celebration of the New Year! And what better way than to begin it with a contest? Hope you like it :) ~HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE~

I'm going to give away one book to two winners. The first winner will get to choose and the second will get to choose from the remaining books on the list. I have read them all and liked them tons. The winners can choose from this list:

-The Mark by Jen Nadol ARC complete with signed bookmark (review)

-ARC of the Prophecy Of the Sisters

-ARC of Girls Acting Catty (review)

-Hardcover of Wild Magic by Cat Weatherill (review)

-Paperback of Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney



You have to leave me an e-mail address in order for me to contact you. And also tell me what your first choice would be!Please try to put all your entries in one comment! :)

Extra Entries:

+ 2 for being a follower

+ 4 for adding me to your blogroll

+ 1 for linking here on your sidebar and/or post (leave link)

+ 2 for joining my Explorer X-Alpha Contest.
+1 for commenting on my reviews of one of the books on the list. (tell me what post)


It will end on the 30th of January. The end of the first month of 2010!! :D

It is only open to the United States and Canada sorry! :(

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

~HUGE contest Alert~

Go ENTER NOW for your chance to win a bunch of books from a huge pile! :)

There will be FIVE winners

Ends December 31st!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Girls Acting Catty

Author: Leslie Margolis

Summary: Annabelle is just starting to fit in at her new coed junior high school. She's made great friends, her teachers are nice, and she's learned a few tricks to taming those oh-so-annoying boys. But now she and her friends must confront a whole new brand of headache--the mean girl clique. Taylor and the Terrible T's are fake and annoying and out to get Annabelle and her friends. As if that weren't enough drama, Annabelle is about to encounter some of tweendom's most memorable "firsts," like buying her first bra! Each moment is perfectly rendered with Margolis' sensitivity and humor in a story that is both endearingly honest and deliciously entertaining.


Review: A definite mut read for middle grade girls and a good, cute read to add to the TBR pile for all other readers. I wish this book had been around when I was going through junior high because I sure could have learned a lot. The experiences Annabelle has with bad friends, clashing friends, boyfriends, frenemies and puberty are pretty close to the real thing that it can definitely help tweens understand lots.


Getting your first bra can be pretty embarassing to voice out loud and Annabelle's reaction is genuinely squeamish. :D Any girl can identify and that's whats best in a lovable main character.

Flawless writing and a super cute voice gives Annabelle and her friends a strong 3-dimensional feel. The dialogue is unique to each character keeping them seperate and true to their own personalities. Descriptions are light and there only to help the reader see the imagery.

My favorite character just happens to be the jerk that dumped one of Annabelle's friends. Boys will be boys and that guy is certainly a boy. LoL


The way Annabelle describes him and his friends is hilarious! She holds them in contempt and it is really funny. And it's funny cuz some of them are still like that in high school. :)


Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Explorer X-Alpha

Author: LM Preston

Release: February 2010

Summary: (back) After receiving a camp immunization needed for travel to Mars, Aadi finds that the immunization is the catalyst of an insidious experiment. Lucky for him, he was engineered to survive, thrive, and dominate. Without realizing he is being trained to conquer worlds, and manipulated under the guise of a camp, he unfolds the plot too late for a change of fate.

Aadie's world is shaken upon the revelation that life before camp was not what it appeared. This solidifies his plan to save them all from the company that seeks to control him, only for his rescue to end abruptly due to a freak accident on a field trip to Mars.

The full experiment is set in motion when he and his co-pilot, Eirena, crash in a distant galaxy called Shrenas, where they change and realize the full extent of their power. Holding onto his humanity, in the midst of turning into a god is Aadi's biggest battle yet. This turn of events causes him to put his childish thoughts away, forcing him to accept his change, and to decide to save a world, or to do what he was trained to do, dominate it. In the midst of his struggles with his changes, his power is coveted by the warring leaders of Shrena, and he is forced to choose sides to save a life, or to save himself, A Decision that proves just how much humanity he has left.

Review: Science Fiction can be really hard to write about because descriptions are vital. These stories include technology which can't be compared to what we have here today and to understand it, we need good imagery and diction that helps convey the sort of world the book takes place in. Explorer X-Alpha had those necessary descriptions. It wasn't overloaded with detail or boring, unnecessary words and the images were vivid and real. The important thing is not to drag out a description and the author did a good job there.

Aadi and his friends start out very childish and whiny which is expected of kids. It was pretty realistic how Aadi and Eirena changed after encountering some challenging obstacles. After they landed in Mars, they changed from simply children to adults really. The way the talked and their emotions stopped being those of a care-free kid, but instead those of a hardened and overworked adult. The emotional change makes it hard to point this book at a certain age group.

The story itself would probably have little appeal to YA lovers, but the lessons in it would serve anyone. Younger readers might not be able to understand the change and how Aadi went from cheery to full of hate. I would recommend it for kids between 11 and 13 since that is when children make the huge transition to teenagedom.

Overall, the writing was lovely for the narration part although I felt that the dialogue was a little weak. It was awkward that there were no conjunctions since I expected children to use a lot more slang. It could be indentified as a trait of that time frame, but it was a little vague. The story was creative and science fiction fans will probably find a it an enthralling tale. :)
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Monday, December 21, 2009

The Mark

Author: Jen Nadol

Release Date: February 2010

Summary: (back) If you had the power to cheat death, would you?
Sixteen-year-old Cassie Renfield has always seen the mark--a light glow reminiscent of candlelight--but it's not until she follows a man to his death that she understands what it means. Cassie can see when a person is marked for death. She doesn't know how or where, only when: today.

When the mark appears on Cassie's grandmother, she tries and fails to change her fate. The mark seems utterly useless, but Cassie can't ignore it. Desperate for answers, she searches her memories, her summer philosophy course, even her new boyfriend, Lucas, for any clue that might explain her ability. When she convinces Lucas of her power, he encourages her to test fate each time the mark appears. Cassie's not entirely sure she should use the mark like this, but with each occurrence, she finds answers she needs--answers she never expected.

Exploring questions of fate, death, and free will, The Mark is a gripping and powerful debut.

Review: You have to read this one! Books about fate, choice and destiny are intruiging since there really isn't a way to know for sure which is it. The way Cassie's story evolves was completely believable. There weren't any gaps in between the events tying her life together and the writing felt effortless. It was relatively an easy read, but the theme is a pretty big and difficult one to comprehend. I loved the incorporation of her Philosophy class and it didn't seem too convenient or improbable which is one of my pet peeves of books.

A very interesting read on life and death as the subject. The author did an excellent job at making the reader believe that it was possible to know the day of someone's death. The fact that she compared the auras Cassie saw to the soft light of candles shows Jen Nadol's power to make the reader connect. The phenomenom isn't lost on the reader because it is explained and details let us into Cassie's world.

The main character, Cassie, goes through some very difficult moments that teens can also sympathize or even empathize with. She had lost her parents as a young child and her grandmother took her in. When Cassie loses the person she is closest to, she must learn from life how to deal with death. She is shipped off to some long lost aunt who is too busy with work to pay much attention to Cassie. Then Cassie gets an older boyfriend. These events lead into each other clearly and effectively. Cause and effect can be found in every move Cassie makes. That's how it is in real life. Usually. :)

Now Cassie has to make decisions on which path she wishes to take in her life and who or what matters most. Cassie is a very neutral character with a huge "gift" she doesn't know how to use. Her questions might not have clear cut answers, but riddles alone might help guide her life.

Who should read this book? Anyone. It is definately YA in the romance department. :) The theme reaches out to older readers who might end up agreeing or disagreeing with Cassie's decisions. After all, Cassie is probably one of the most mature teens you'll ever read about in the YA genre.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5


(It does concentrate more on an idea then on action, so it lacked a little something.)
You Might Also Like:
1. Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

Friday, December 18, 2009

Contest Alert

What: A bunch of books for the 12 blogs of Christmas thing. This one is for day 8. Included are hush, hush; beautiful creatures, hex hall...There will be three winners, so chances are high! :)

Who: Princess Bookie

Ends: December 31st midnight

Open: Internationally!

Where: HERE

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Guest Post and Giveaway

Guest: Today we have author of Explorer-X Alpha LM Preston!

------------------

TRUSTING IN YOURSELF

Trusting your own gut feelings is one of the best gifts of being a human or an intelligent being. We all get that little ‘twinge’ when something just isn’t right. When that happens…LISTEN TO IT! Trust yourself or your ‘gut’ some call it... Trust it at all times, it will never steer you wrong. When I was young I lived in the inner-city of Washington , DC . The neighborhood I called home, had gangs, drugs, muggers, killers, and lots of kids and family nearby. However, with all of these things present, I didn’t realize that my gut instincts were strengthening with each day I played outside, walked to school, to the bus, or traveled the city alone. I never understood why my grandmother, affectionately named NaNa, didn’t want me to leave my block to go to the store alone. Or why, I wasn’t allowed to cut through the alleys to get to my cousin’s house, and the numerous list of things I was told to watch out for. My main character in EXPLORER X – Alpha realizes that something isn’t quite right with the immunization he is given. Aadi takes the initiative and asks the Doctor why it is being given to him. In addition to this finding, Aadi confirms his concerns with others. Here are some steps to take in trusting yourself in all things;

LISTEN TO THAT ‘TWINGE’ IN YOUR GUT

When you are in a situation with a friend or an adult, and you get that feeling that something isn’t quite right, then you are most likely correct. Learn yourself, and test this ability. If your friend tells you that you should sneak out to go to that great party that so-and-so is going to, then you feel this tickle in your tummy, and you hesitate. This is your gut talking to you. It’s telling you … hold on … don’t jump into this. Listen to it. Find out how your gut talks to you... Think of all those times you got into major trouble, and ponder over what you felt just before you did the deed that got you into that mess. That’s how you learn how your psyche talks to you.

TAKE A STEP BACK, AND ASK QUESTIONS

Never, ever, feel like you don’t have the right to ask a question. Asking a question only gets you in trouble when it hasn’t been asked, or the person of whom you are asking the question doesn’t want to give you an answer. Don’t think I’m right on this? Test it, and think back to times when the person of whom you asked a question reacted negatively. In most cases, it is because they don’t want to give you an answer. Asking the question is never, ever wrong. You have the right. So use it when you are in those situations where your gut is telling you that something is just not adding up.

IF IT DOESN’T ADD UP THEN IT DOESN’T ADD UP

When something doesn’t make sense, or the story just sounds down right disjointed, and your gut is telling you that something is off. Then trust your gut, something is off. This is a saying my NaNa used to tell me when I would give her a scenario of what a friend told me, or did to me. “Honey, if it don’t add up, it won’t add up. Something is definitely not right with that story.” Do you know in each instance she said this, she was absolutely correct.

TAKE ACTION

If you get that feeling something isn’t right take action. In EXPLORER X – Alpha, Aadi and Eirena, his co-pilot investigate their gut feeling that something is off about their camp with their team. They find that terrible things have been done to them. There are several ways to take action.

Here are some;

- Just tuck the knowledge away, and wait for the truth to reveal itself. Believe it or not this happens a lot in life. The truth has a way of coming out. Sometimes it happens quickly, and sometimes it takes a long, long time.

- Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in order to get the answers you want. You can ask anyone questions, and that may solve the mystery.

- Run away or stay away. If you are in a situation where an adult or a peer appears to be leading you in a direction that you feel is not safe - Run. There is no harm in running away from or staying away from someone or something that will hurt you.

YOUR HAVE THE POWER

Realize that you have control of your destiny. No matter what happens to you in your life, you can learn from it all and become a better person. Making the same mistakes will become harder the more you learn to trust your gut instincts, and yourself.

-----------------------

Thanks LM Preston. This holds quite true for everyone. It is a cool sci-fi novel about a boy named Aadi traveling to outer space.


Did I tell you that you can win it? And it is international.

To Enter: Go to LM Preston's site and follow her. Comment here telling me you did and leave your e-mail address so I can contact you. Thanks to the author for providing the book! :)

Extras:

+2 for being a follower

Ends: (1/22)

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss

Author: Richelle Mead

Summary: (site) Is Rose's fate to kill the person she loves most? It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Mason's death, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She has dark flashbacks in the middle of practice, can't concentrate in class, and has terrifying dreams about Lissa. But Rose has an even bigger secret... She's in love with Dimitri. And this time, it's way more than a crush. Then Strigoi target the academy in the deadliest attack in Moroi history, and Dimitri is taken. Rose must protect Lissa at all costs, but keeping her best friend safe could mean losing Dimitri forever...

Review: Gah! I just finished it and now I'm slowly dying!!!!! I really need to read the next book. It ended at such a sad part and I really want to know what the heck is going to happen. *whimper*
Yeah! Amazing fight scenes in this one with such precision. Richelle is an expert on fighting. Those were my favorite passages. Again, amazing imagery and memsmerizing details.
Oh, and the hotness cranks up a bit. :)
The only thing that bothers me about the book, is that Richelle Mead needs to recap with a little more flow. When she talks about eventst that happened in the previous books or when she's describing a term, it's in a not so subtle way. It kinda cut into the writing, so it was obvious. I don't think that the explanations were unneccessary. I just thought that there were better ways of weaving them in.
Read these books because they really are a quite a piece.
Rating: 1 2 3 4 4.5 5
Other Books In The Series:
3. Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss (this one)
4. Vampire Academy: Blood Promise

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Vampire Academy: Frostbite

Author: Richelle Mead

Summary: (site) Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose. It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians–including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks...This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

Review: I had read Vampire Academy a while back ago, and I gave it a so-so review. I was still fresh off Twilight, which I actually enjoyed, so that could have affected my feelings on it. In fact, I'm certain it did because I loved this one. Can't remember why I wasn't completly in favor of the first one.

That aside, it was great. All the action in this book was incredible and the imagery really came alive. Rose has an extreme personality, but that is who she is. The work the author did in giving Rose her own voice paid off, because everything Rose did fit her character. She had her own mind and did her own thing.

I really liked the action especially. It was so cool and well written. Descriptions weren't overloaded or sparse. Everything let you know what was happening and how it was happening as well as the sorroundings. It was like I could see Rose fighting.

Even at the end, Christian still ended up being my favorite character. Why? He's a fire-user. He's pretty morbid, but completely in love with Lissa. And he has a really cool last name. Ozera. If I could have any power in the world, I would choose to control fire, so I could fry Strigoi. ^.^

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Other Books In The Series:

2. Vampire Academy: Frostbite (this one)
3. Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss
4. Vampire Academy: Blood Promise

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Artist: Show Luo

Language: Mandarin

About: He's also known as Xiao Zhu or Mr. Pig or Alan Luo. He sings (well), dances (real swell) and hosts tv shows (smooth as a bell). Okey...

Anyway, he's pretty cool. I like him. I guess. Except when he acts like a freakin' two year old. :p I'm actually currently watching Shanghai Sweethearts and he plays the main guy. After episode 4, the rest is starting to look really, really awesome. :) Yey for t-dramas. His voice is so suave in this song! Eek! :) The lyrics are kinda playboy-ish, but he sounds so sweet and earnest. Wo shi zhen zhen zhen xi huan ni.

MUSIC VIDEO


It's catchy, isn't it? Maybe?

Monday, December 7, 2009

Contest Alert 4

Where: Go HERE

What: The Body Finder Prize Pack

Who: The wonderful author: Kimberly Derting

Ends: December 25 2009

Monday, November 30, 2009

Breathe

Artist: G-Dragon! (love him) <3

Language: It should be Korean

About: He's the leader of the amazing Korean band, BIG BANG. Wow. I'm in love with them, This song is really weird though. His singing rocks like always, but I don't really like his mv. For one, he dyed his hair freakin' platinum. He's so much cuter with brown. And I think he's wearin' eyeshadow and lipstick in parts of it. He's weird, but cute anyways. Woot! Woot! :)

MV:




Saturday, November 28, 2009

All I Ever Wanted

Artist: Basshunter

Language: English

About: One of my friends is in love with the dude, so I decided to check out his music and I think it's pretty cool. Very dancy-ish techno. I guess. Whatever. Listen to it but don't watch the vid because it is really stupid. Ew. The song repeats itself over and over though which would probably sound a lot cooler in a club than on the radio. He has a pretty nice voice, but I'm not so into his songs. I don't know what my friend sees in him. -.- Maybe you'll like him?

Song: (i don't recommend watching the vid)


Monday, November 23, 2009

The Narrative Of Frederick Douglass

Author: Frederick Douglass

Summary: Autobiography of the famous abolitionist on his life as a slave.

Mini-Review: I had to read this one for class and everyone either hated it or loved it. I loved it. I thought I was gonna be a hater because I really dislike non-fiction, so I left it 'til the last minute. I finished it really quickly and found that it was refreshing, simple and very story like.

Honestly, if you have to read an autobiography, I recommend this one. It was such a great book and Frederick Douglass can write. All those similes helped me understand what it was he felt throughout his life and his explanatory tone helped to keep the story straight.

Enjoy it people!

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

A Song

Don't have a review today, but please feel free to listen to this amazing song!

Title: U

Artist: Super Junior M

About: Lovely song by a Korean band even though I'm pretty sure they sing this one in Mandarin. It is super duper catchy and I always sing the english part. I really like this group because all the guys are really cute. :) Also, this song is so much more mature than some of their other ones. I also love SuperGirl and Sorry, Sorry by them. SuperJunior, you rock!

Vid:



Aww.... :)

Saturday, November 14, 2009

I Don't Care

Artist: 2NE1

Language: Korean

About: This is a very poppy song with interesting lyrics and the MV is pretty cool. I don't like the highlights in that one girl's bangs though. :P

MV: I Don't Care







Love this song! Addictive.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Hush, Hush

Author: Becca Fritzpatrick

Summary: A fallen angel for her chem partner. Nora doesn't really know what to make of Patch who seems to know a lot of things about her that no one should know. Even though he seems cold and indifferent, he's also really intriguing. Sometimes a girl can't stay away from that type of guy, but does that make him "the" guy? Nora goes through the year figuring him out and figuring out whether or not to give love a chance. (I probably wouldn't make a good summary writer)

Review: ~LOVE IT~ It was really good. The very beginning was a prologue which gave some insight into the story. It was just a little itsy bit confusing. Still, it was a wonderfully described introduction. The ending didn't rush or felt cut off. It was pretty cute. And funny. :) I haven't read the alternate one, but I heard it wasn't too different.

Nora is a normal girl. I liked her because she was easy to understand since she was a lot like me. I get defensive before offensive. Her personality was realistic in most parts and her reactions fit the situations she found herself in. I saw many reviews that said she was a stronger version of Bella and I guess it is true, but the book isn't like Twilight at all in my opinion. Although I admit that many YA romances begin with a seating chart in science class. The seating chart is realistic. Perfect Chemistry is in Chemistry. Well most actual teen romances probably do begin because two people have classes together, so I understand that scenario.

Patch: He is bad, but nice deep down. Before I read the book, I liked the cover. Afterwards, the cover still made sense, but the guy on the front doesn't remind me of Patch at all really. And I wanted to know Patch's real name. Good thing there is a sequel.

This isn't exactly a relationship book. That is pretty much center stage, but there is more. I think that is unique and steps away from Twilight. There are other main characters which appear almost as much as Nora and Patch. Vee is annoying, but she wasn't way out there. I know people like her. All the characters had distinct traits and I could picture them well enough. Although I loved Patch, he was slightly out of my reach. I didn't understand him very well and felt he was slightly 2-d. The mystery surounding him, clouded him up again. I'm sure the author is saving him for the sequel which I look forward to reading.

Read it. I don't think it'll be a waste because the writing is good. If you decide you don't like it, it'll probably be because you aren't too much into paranormal or you absolutely hated one of the characters. But remember that having a strong reaction to characters is proof of good writing. :) Unless the main character is completely stupid and fake. That doesn't happen here though.

I don't know about the title though. I love it, but it doesn't really seem to fit the story...?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 4.5 5

(not a five because it left me wanting more. That can happen when books aren't stand alone)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Leng Zhan

(I think that's the name, meaning Cold War)

Artist: Huang Yida!

Language: Mando

About: I love Huang Yida's voice. This song's mv isn't all that interesting, but if you like his voice then I guess it can be slightly mesmerizing. He also sang Chou Nan Ren for the t-drama Devil Beside You which I loved a lot. Both the drama and the song. :) Listen to it if you have a moment and tell me whether you agree or not that his voice is very enthralling. ^.^

MV:


Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Dead Until Dark

Author: Charlaine Harris

Summary: Sookie Stackhouse lives in a rural town, working as a waitress. She falls for Bill who is a vampire. Vampires are accepted as beings who have been infected with a virus. Sookie finds him attractive and his mind is the only one that she can't read. Yup. Sookie is a telepath and she doesn't like it. This is the first book in the Southern Vampires series.

Review:. I thought it was okay. Still, Sookie is a cool character. She seemed so nice and quirky! Her voice was extremely real. I could picture her expressions along with the way she would say her words and that made me feel like I knew her. In my mind, she is slightly sassy, but completly innocent about it.

Okee, the cover was definitely not my cup of tea. I actually really don't like tea all that much. I love coffee though. Especially caramel machiattos. Yum. Anyways, the cover is kinda gross. Ick.

Vamps are cool. Shapeshifters are cool. Mind readers are cool. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is into vamps because it was a good story and there are multiple vampires.

Fast-paced and had action. I loved the mystery part of it. Vampires are part of the story, but they aren't the main idea which made this book loveable. There is an actual story and vampires are just characters on the stage. The plot didn't totally revolve around them. Sookie is normal. Mostly. I liked her. She was nice.

Okay. Hope you read it if you haven't already although you probably have. Sorry this was such a crappy review, but have hw to do. Loaded this weekend. Ugh.

Notice how many little onomanopoeia words I used today! :)

Um, I don't know if I missed it or what, but who is Bubba? Because Sookie recognizes him and so do other people, but they can't say his real name because he hates it or something. I don't think I actually got the reason why though. Help?

Oh, and even though I give this book a high score, I don't think that I will read the rest of the books. I felt pretty complete with this one. Bill wasn't really comprehendable. He didn't wow me or anything really. I like Edward more.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Monday, November 9, 2009

Gou Ai-Enough Love

Artist: Dong Cheng Wei

Language: Mandarin

About: This is one of the songs in the Taiwanese drama the X-Family. It is the sequel to KO One I think. I haven't watched the first one yet, but I am watching the X-Family. This song is my new musical obsession which just might counter my obsession for Jiro. I love Jiro. ^.^ He's the one sitting down. I don't think this is actually a band. Jiro made it when he was a teen, but it didn't really work out. Jiro is currently in Fahrenheit which is a formal band. Dong Cheng Wei (Jiro's Band) is part of the three series-the X-Family, Ko One, and Ko3an Guo.

So we have the singer of the song who is A-Chord and then Xiu which is the guitarist. I think I like Xiu the best. Very cute! Shuai oh~.~

Song:





Very cool! Don't you think? !!!!!!!It's AMAZING!!!!!!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Bones of Faerie

Author: Janni Lee Simner

Summary: The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so fifteen year old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza's world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Corn resists being harvested; dandelions have thorns. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Still, Liza feels safe. Her father is strong and has protected their town by laying down strict rules. Among them: any trace of magic must be destroyed, no matter where it is found.

Then Liza's sister is born with faerie-pale hair, clear as glass, and Liza's father leaves the baby on a hillside to die. When her mother disappears into the forest and Liza herself discovers she has the faerie ability to see--into the past, into the future--she has no choice but to flee. Liza's quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.

Review: Yep. I already reviewed this book. So why am posting about it again? Because now I have my very own copy! Yeah! The one I reviewed was borrowed from the library. I really liked this book and I think that it might just be worth re-reading which is very, very rare for me to ever do. I was really excited. I don't often get my own books, so yep. :)

:) Go here for review.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Review: a little help from my friends

Title: a little help from my friends : A Miracle Girls Novel

Author: Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt


Summary: (back cover) Who knew junior year could get so complicated?

As the youngest Miracle Girl, Zoe Fairchild was happy to fade into the background last year. But when she sheds her baby fat and shoots up four inches the summer before her junior year, everything changes. Now she's turning heads at school, and this new attention is beginning to strain her relationship with her sweet, serious boyfriend, Marcus. Pressure builds when Zoe's assigned partner for history class is Dean Marchese--a handsome New York transplant who isn't afraid to show her how he feels.

Just when Zoe needs her three best friends the most, the other Miracle Girls are suffering from boy troubles of their own. Even Zoe's rock-solid home life begins to shake beneath her when her parents' relationship frays over finances. As this uncertain year of growing pains comes to a frenetic head, the quietest Miracle Girl must find her voice at long last and take control of her own destiny...with more than a little help from her friends.

Review: Usually books with two authors never work out for me. I guess that these two had a lot of chemistry together because the writing didn't feel rough or rocky. The words were seamless from beginning almost to the very end.

The ending was a little awkward for me. Zoe grew too fast and matured too quickly for it to be natural. She wasn't developed enough there. Everything else made sense. Her reactions were pretty realistic and she didn't seem as shy as I though she would have been. Zoe was a pretty likeable character.

Some scenes in the story did feel a little forced. Like in school, where she has that crazy history teacher; there seemed to be too much description of Zoe's thoughts. It was explanatory, but less would have been more.

I love the problem that this book dealt with. Breaking up with someone who is really nice and wonderful. How do you go about doing something like that? Zoe had a nice, long, stable relationship with Marcus, but Marcus began to not feel right for her. Zoe had to deal with the confusion of being in love and knowing what love really meant.

Her parents were going through a possible divorce, even though they claimed to have loved each other. Zoe's faith in lasting relationships faltered because of it. Her friends were also letting go of old relationships and allowing themselves a second chance of finding the one.

There wasn't cussing or all that other stuff a lot of YA books contain, but I though this was advantageous because most teens aren't rebellious and reckless. Realistic fiction should be realistic. I think that the majority of teens don't cuss every other word. This was a pretty realistic book.

Hope you guys enjoy it if you do decide to read it! :) I really like the cover! The bright pretty colors against the white are very uplifting. Spring in the mid of fall/winter. It's pretty dreary out here.

Rating: 1 2 3 3.5 4 5

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Quitter

Artist: NOFX

About: Interesting song. It is rockish which is why I like it. I like pretty much all types of music except for screamo or really slow songs. It does have bad words in it. So yeah. But not too many, so it's okay. I think a lot of ppl said that it reminded them of Anthrax? Some band.

Video:

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Tommarow

Artist: Pillar

Language: English

About: I don't know much. I just heard this song and I really liked it, so I'm sharing with you guys. What do you people think? :)

Song: They don't have a music video. So the song with the lyrics.




So? Tell me...

Friday, October 30, 2009

Award!

:) Yep. I got an award from Choco from In Which A Girl Reads. I was oh so very happy!
Thank You! :)








-Rules For The Award-
1. accept the award
2.post on your blog with the name and link of the blog that nominated you
3. Pass it on to 15 newly discovered blogs and tell 'em that they were chosen!

My list:
1. Anastasia Hopcus
2. Blacksnow from Area 51.1 (somehow I doubt he'll participate)
3. Paradox from Paradoxical
4. Kelli from OMG!Books
5. Eli from The Tainted Poet
6. Danni from Romantic Harbor
7. The YA Book Geek

....and I can't think of any recently discovered blogs... :( hehe

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Slob

Author: Ellen Porter

Summary: Owen and his sister are recovering from their parents murders and living with the 9-1-1 operator that took them in. Although Owen wasn't always fat, right after his loss, he ate uncontrollably and now suffers constant jokes and looks from the people at school. To make it worse, someone has been stealing his cookies. He gets through the day, depending on those three Oreos. It is a big deal, and as Owen figures out who did it, he figures out other stuff about himself. (I did my own summary today! Aren't you proud?)

Review: It is great for an MG book. Some parts of it were very humorous and lively. Although, some might find the problems presented in it to be trivial and unimportant, these are common little problems. Obesity certainly is one. Sometimes people eat to cope emotionally. It is also true that friends will keep things from each other because they think they are helping.
The best thing about this book was that it was from a boy's point of view and so few books are written that way. Even though the author is female, I think she did an exellent job at capturing the voice of a tween boy. IT is short and sweet. I definately recommend it if you have the time to go pick it up.
The cover is lovely with the shading of blue. I like the font that the title is written in and even though that yellow isn't my prefered shade, it matches nicely with the blue. The OREO. Yeah. I like Oreos. Whoever made the cover is really good at marketing, because this one immediately caught my eye. It doesn't give up much, only the fact that Owen is fat. Nothing else revealed, but it still looks modern and sophisticated. I also enjoy one word titles. :)

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The Quitter

Artist: NOFX

Language: English

About: This is from their album Coaster. They look old and greasy. This is why I'm so into Asian pop. Everyone looks really young and very SHUAI. <3>

Video: (just the song) It is in ENGLISH. Listen and then leave me a comment. :)






Monday, October 26, 2009

I Hope

Band: FT Island (love 'em)

Language: Korean

About: Ft Island members are really cute and in their teens. Despite their youth, they have really good vocals. Very powerful. I love them. I love Hongki, the main one, when his hair is a normal color, but seunghyun, the guy in the white hat, is really cute all the time. ^.^ So the song is called I Hope and it is about how even though the girl breaks up with him, he will always only think of her. Or something like that. According to somebody else cuz I'm not Korean so Idk. Has anyone else noticed that a lot of Korean mv's are in front of a jury at some contest? :)

I Hope:





Here is another song called Sarangalhee (i think) They show a lot of vocal power in this one.




Comment Please ---
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Friday, October 23, 2009

Contest Alert

Yeah. Another one. I just finished Hush, Hush, so wait for a review on that. I've been so freakin' sick this week...I'm really not up for much reviewing, but I'm always up for roaming around looking at contests. Oh, and Patch made me pretty unsick, at least for the day I read about him. :) hehe

Prize: Pretty much any book you want.

Where: Click HERE please. Not hard right. The odds are in your favor.

Ends the 20th of november. Hurry up ppl. Ugh. I hate being sick.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Contest ALERT part 2

Heya!

If you haven't already entered Wdebo's contest, you still have some time left. It ends the 26th, so hurry up and enter. She is giving away five copies of Beautiful by Amy Reed.
(: Good Luck! :)

13 Little Blue Envelopes

Author: Maureen Johnson

Summary: Inside 13 blue envelopes, Ginny finds a ticket to Europe and extreme adventure, but she's not that type of girl. The kind who will do things on an impulse or step out of her comfort zone. Still, wouldn't you go if you could?

Review: I STRONGLY DISLIKE the cover! The girl on the front of it looks nothing like how Ginny was described! Ok that was my opinion on that.

The book would've been much more fun if a random person had given her the envelopes, but it was her crazy Aunt instead. Oh well. It was still really good. The plot line flowed. One event lead straight to another. It wasn't like it was all random even though she did and went to a lot of weird places and things.

Everything made sense. The characters weren't extremely deep. Ginny seemed like nice enough of a person, but it's not like she was a character you can really relate too. The guy she meets in London was pretty normal. Nothing, other than he writes plays, really stood out. It wasn't like I was in love with him like other characters. I liked Richard more than him. But what appealed was that they were all really normal. Instead of making some unrealistic blah, it was real. It could really happen, even though some of it might be slightly far-fetched, but with a crazy Aunt like Peg, I'm sure that it could happen.

The writing was smooth. There wasn't that much imagery. I could have used a little more description about the characters and some of the places she visited, but it wasn't bad. At least the author didn't like inundate me imagery. I'd say everything about this book was pretty much average.

What made it special, was the traveling and also the fact that it had humor. I felt that it was funny, ironic and interesting throughout the book. It didn't have slow or rough parts.

The ending was really realistic. That's what would happen in real life and I'm glad that the author ended it like that and not all wishy-washy. I guess I'd say you should read it, but there really are a lot of better books out there and there just might not be enough time to get around to the slightly above average. :)

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Monday, October 19, 2009

~song~

Name: Doushite Kimi Wo Suki Ni Natte Shimattan Darou?

Language: Japanese

Artist: DBSK aka TVXQ

About: Wow. You HAVE to listen to it. It is beutiful, heartbreaking and melodious, if that's a word. The vocals are actually beautifully executed even though this band is actually Korean, they are singing in Japanese. I like it A LOT. The title means "Why Did I Fall For You?" The vid will tell you the rest of the story. :) The only problem is WHY do they insists one dying their hair such CRAZY colors!? They look so much cuter with black or natural brown hair. GAH!!! Whatever. They still sing good, but I think the actor is hotter than the singers. :)

Video:



Friday, October 16, 2009

Catching FIre

You probably shouldn't read this review if you haven't read the first book yet since some of it might be considered spoiler to the first book.

Author: Suzanne Collins

Favorite Character: Cinna - I don' think it is possible for a guy stylist to be so down to earth. Love him. Wish he was developed a littlefurther. Before...


Summary: Katniss Everdeen made it through the Hunger Games, but she wasn't prepared for the rage of the Capitol. They felt undignified by Katniss' last stunt to preserve herself at the Hunger Games and they would never let a citizen go unpunished. Especially if that citizen was the face of an ensuing rebellion even if that's not something she planned.

Review: Is it possible that it was even better than the first one? I absolutely loved it and I hope to have the next one in my hands soon! This book was filled with the suspense and all the cool drama of the first one. I thought it was really good, but I'm not so sure if I really do like it better than the first one. It is a little like the Twilight series, which I liked. Twilight was the best book, and here, maybe The Hunger Games was the best too? This is sorta why I waited so long to review it. And I don't know the answer, but I still loved this book! Gah. What do you guys think?

What I liked about this one was that it delve an intsy bit deeper into the whole Peeta/Gale complex that Katniss and most of her fans, like me, has had from the start. It wasn't a lot, but just enough to keep up that angle of the story alive.

But do you know what my favorite part of Catching Fire is? It is the size of the book. I love hardcover books and Catching Fire is just the right size. It isn't too big or too small. It's not intimidating like Eragon or skeptical like Animal Farm. It is appealing. Great marketing strategy.

I read this book a while ago now, so I think this review is a little bland. Sorry. It still a good book and if you haven't read the series at all then start it because it is one of the best ever. I haven't read the other series Suzanne Collins wrote and I'm a little eh about doing so, but she has great writing. Maybe I'll try them. Later.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Waiting On Wednesday 10


This meme is hosted on Breaking The Spine by the awesome Jill!


Title: Heist Society

Author: Ally Carter

Release Day: February 9, 2010

Summary: When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history--or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

Me: I really liked her other book, but I never really got around to reading the rest. I love thief stories. One of my favorites is Thief Lord, so I definately want to check this one out! Me and my younger sister used to play I'm-A-Thief-That-You-Can't-Catch with like costume jewelry as the stuff to rob. It was really fun, but I don't think I'll be stealing anything any time soon. I think it's in Pakistan? Where they chop off your right hand for stealing? Something like that.

(There isn't a cover for it yet, I think. Do any of you know for sure?)

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Song

Name: Haru Haru

Band: Big Bang

Favorite Member: G-dragon or T.O.P. Can't decide.


About: This song is really good! The mv is just a little weird, especially when those two (G. Dragon and T.O.P. are up in each others faces since they are so close). It looks like they are gonna kiss for a bit there. Lol.


Video:



The eyeliner is a little over the top. They are pretty good though. 0.0

Monday, October 12, 2009

Animal Farm

Author: George Orwell

Favorite Character: Boxer-who wouldn't love such a hard-working and naive and wonderful horse who does his best and more in everything. My heart practically broke when he actually died.

Summary; Animals on Manor Farm are sick of toiling the earth for the sole benefit humans. They overthrow Mr. Jones and set out to rule themselves. Things get sticky with their new leaders though.

Review: 155 pages long and it is on the AP list. That is pretty short for even a normal book. I loved the story and it is definately deserving of its place in the academic world.

I'm suppossed to be doing a book report on it (grr), but I wanted to review it first.

Anyway, George Orwell is a recognized author in amazing literary and thought-provoking works. You should probably also read 1984 which I should probably read too. My friend thought it was great, so yeah.

Animal Farm is written in third person omniscient, I think, which means that the entire tone is neutral and objective. There really seems to be an extremely little amount of bias. It has a few pictures which were pretty nice since it gave me a break to think about what I read over.

The animal hierarchy works like a government does. The book compared the situation in the story with Communism in the world which was especially active at that time period. Even though it was written to make readers dislike Communism, it wasn't really a pushy sort of sermon. As I said, it wasn't bias, but it seemed to clearly point out the facts. I'm not sure if I'm making sense now.

Just read it. It'll take you like two hours at the max and you'll have made yourself 155 pages more intelligent in social issues. Maybe. I'm not guaranteeing that. :)

Rated: 5 of 5

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Contest Alert 3

Book: 4 of them

1. Twenty Boy Summer
2. Dead is So Last Year
3. The Night Gardener
4. I'd Tell You I love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You

Where: click here
By: Hooked On YA Books (Alexa)

Open To: US Residents, No PO Boxes.

Ends: October 17th

*If she gets to 100 followers, she'll add another book*

Friday, October 9, 2009

Fever 1793

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

Summary: Follow the story of Matilda, a young girl living in Philadelphia when it is ravaged by the lethal Yellow Fever.

Review: I can't believe that I just read it. It was short and it was good.

I really like historical fiction and I completely felt that the author did an amazing job with her research. She had little quotes at the beginning of every chapter that offered a little insight into 1793's culture.

All the way from the beginning it was interesting. Matilda's story was primarily there to establish narration, but it wasn't really the main idea of the story. I would have liked it to have been a little longer, so that the story could be more developed and brought forth a little more.

I love her grandfather. He was an interesting old man and her mother was a typical widowed mother. The author did a great job in describing the mother's personality and how that related to her background.

If you haven't read this one yet, then please do. It is a worthwhile book because although it might not be YA-ish styled, it has an important historical significance. I wish this was on the AP list instead of horrible throw-them-across-your-room books, like
Gulliver's Travels. Eck.

Rated: 4 of 5

By the way, I'm pretty sure that this here is the UK cover, which I like a whole lot better than the US one. Ick.

Contest Alert (2)

Book: A whole bunch!

Partial List:

-Strange Angels
-Demon Chick
-Reincarnation
-Once Was Lost
-The Van Alen Legacy (love cover)
-Jumping Off Swings
-The last song
-When It Happens
-Karma For Beginners
-The Indigo Notebook (me want)
-Sucks To Be Me
-My Soul To Save
-The Body Finder (really want)
-The Dark Divine
-Forget-Her-Nots (it looks good)
-Voices Of Dragons
-Boys, Girls And Other Hazardous Materials
-The abc's of kissing boys
-Devoured
-Friday Night Bites

Number of Winners: 4

Info: Winners 3 and 4 are open internationally. The other two must have US address.

Ends: Doesn't specify

Extra Entries?: yep
Where:


Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Contest ALERT

Book: Beautiful




Author: Amy Reed


By: ~Wdebo~

How Many: 5


Summary: (wdebo's blog) When Cassie moves from the tiny town where she has always lived to a suburb of Seattle, she is determined to leave her boring, good-girl existence behind. This is Cassie’s chance to stop being invisible and become the kind of girl who’s worth noticing.Stepping into her new identity turns out to be easier than Cassie could have ever imagined...one moment, one choice, will change everything.Cassie’s new existence both thrills and terrifies her. Swept into a world of illicit parties and social landmines, she sheds her virginity, embraces the numbness she feels from the drugs, and floats through it all, knowing that she is now called beautiful. She ignores the dangers of her fast-paced life…but she can’t sidestep the secrets and the cruelty.Cassie is trapped in a swift downward spiral tinged with violence and abuse, and no one—not even the one person she thought she could trust—can help her now.


Rules: Ends October 26


There will be five winners so you have a good chance at winning. Good Luck!! :)