Debz Bookshelf

Book Review: A Million Suns

2012-02-23T11:40:00.000-05:00

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

AMAZING!

WOW! From the moment I opened the book, I knew it would be hard to stop--and boy was I right! In just the first couple of pages, exciting secrets are being revealed. Beth Revis is a plot-making master. She knows how to lead the reader through a labyrinth full of twists and turns, with the reader never knowing what will happen next.
I loved the whole goose chase going on, with one clue leading her to the next. I especially enjoyed the way some classic literature played its way into the clues. The best part of this: Harry Potter managed to make it's way onto Godspeed, being counted as a classic piece of literature worthy of being transported to another planet! (Sadly, it doesn't work it's way into the plot. It's just a brief mention of JK Rowling, but that's enough to make me happy =D)

In this book, as well as the first, you really feel trapped. I find that feeling in most, if not all, dystopia books because they ARE trapped in some way or another. But this series is different, because they're trapped both more so and less so. They are trapped in a giant spaceship, where everything feels claustrophobic and there's no real escape; but at the same time they know they'll reach Centauri-Earth eventually, and will be forever free.
I was completely in shock from the big reveal in the middle. I was literally yelling "WWWHHHAAAAAATTT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?". The other big secret at the end was kind of a let down, though, mostly because it's something I'd already considered after reading the first chapter of the first book, so I wasn't very surprised. (Well, I was, but it wasn't the same kind of giant shock)

As far as "mature" stuff goes, it's really cleaned up from the first one, as there's no mating season going on (THANK GOODNESS!)
There is a lot of death and gore, though. And there remains a large amount of made up curse words.

I would tell you to go read it now, but I want to spare you the pain of waiting 11 months for the last book like I now have to. Read it at your own risk. Some side-effects may include crying out in pain, yanking your hair out, and slapping your face with the book.
You have been warned!

Book Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

2012-02-22T11:31:00.000-05:00

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

This book was just so...lush. It was so soft and smooth and clear and just perfect! I love historical fantasy, when a completely fantastical adventure is placed in an actual time and place. This book takes place sometime in the Victorian Era, and captures that world so beautifully.
I have to say my favorite character was Lord Teddy. I want my own Lord Teddy! He was so kind and funny and loyal and caring and smart and just an all around amazing guy! Mr. Bradford was great, too, but no one can replace Lord Teddy!
This is the first retelling of the 12 dancing princesses where I could keep all the princesses straight, because of their uniquely lovely names. Some of the middle ones personalities got jumbled in my brain, but most of the times I could sort them out.
The writing was flawless. It vividly brought to life this fairy tale in a whole new way.
This is my new favorite retelling of the 12 dancing princesses (and I've read quite a few to compare it to!)
If you enjoy magic, mystery, and romance, then you better start reading this right now!

Read as part of the Fairy Tales Retold Challenge

February Fairy Tale Link Up

2012-02-22T11:18:00.000-05:00

February's almost over! I hope you guys have been having lots of fun reading fairy tales!
Share your links here!

Have you signed up for the Fairy Tales Retold Challenge?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (2)

2012-02-20T05:51:00.002-05:00

It's been an okay week as far as reading goes.

I'm looking forward to doing lots of reading this week!

Finished This Week

Entwined by Heather Dixon (AMAZING!!!)

A Million Suns by Beth Revis (AMAZINGER!!!)

Currently Reading

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

To Read

Pure by Julianna Baggot
Cybele’s Secret by Juliet Marillier (audiobook)
Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Loves Role in Fairy Tales

2012-02-18T20:45:00.002-05:00

Seeing as how Valentine's Day has just passed, I thought a good topic for the "Discussion" post would be love and how it plays into fairy tales. It might seem fairly obvious at first--a prince and a princess fall in love and get married and live happily ever after. But fairy tales are much more than that.

My opinion on the matter is that love plays a large part in how many fairy tales turn out, but it isn't genuine love. More often it's just desperate.
I mean honestly, if you think a princess who's been dead for 100 years is beautiful enough to kiss and marry, despite the 100 years worth of dust, dirt, and spider webs, then you really must be desperate.
And what about in Cinderella, where all the prince knows about her is that she's a good dancer and has expensive shoes, yet he decides that's enough to make her his bride, and absolutely no one else can compare.
My point is that I think that love is quite often confused with blind desperation.
Now there are some other fairy tales where this isn't quite the case. There are some where the heroine and her beau get to know each other for a while, such as Beauty and the Beast and Rapunzel. In Beauty and the Beast, they don't really hit it off at first, but they finally end up falling in love. Rapunzel and the prince, on the other hand, fall in love instantly. But I don't think it's genuine love in these stories, either. In both these cases, the heroine is trapped, and the only living being around happens to be the one they fall in love with. "Love without choice isn't love at all." (Gotta love Beth Revis!)

This is one reason why I love retellings. They elaborate on the story, and twist the romance into something a little less twisted than the original. Here are some of my favorite retellings with this beautiful, REAL fairy tale love:

What are your thoughts on loves role in fairy tales?

Do you think there's real love in fairy tales?

What are your favorite retellings with strong romance?

Have you signed up for the Fairy Tales Retold Challenge?

Book Review: The Pregnancy Project

2012-02-18T19:25:00.001-05:00

It started as a school project…but turned into so much more.

Growing up, Gaby Rodriguez was often told she would end up a teen mom. After all, her mother and her older sisters had gotten pregnant as teenagers; from an outsider’s perspective, it was practically a family tradition. Gaby had ambitions that didn’t include teen motherhood. But she wondered: how would she be treated if she “lived down” to others' expectations? Would everyone ignore the years she put into being a good student and see her as just another pregnant teen statistic with no future? These questions sparked Gaby’s school project: faking her own pregnancy as a high school senior to see how her family, friends, and community would react. What she learned changed her life forever, and made international headlines in the process.

In The Pregnancy Project, Gaby details how she was able to fake her own pregnancy—hiding the truth from even her siblings and boyfriend’s parents—and reveals all that she learned from the experience. But more than that, Gaby’s story is about fighting stereotypes, and how one girl found the strength to come out from the shadow of low expectations to forge a bright future for herself.

This was such an interesting read. Definitely not the type of book I'd normally pick up. It's non-fiction and it's about teen pregnancy--not my kind of book at all! I'm really glad that I read it, though. It shares that story of a normal teenage girl who came from a family of poverty and teen pregnancy, who wanted to break the pattern and rise above the stereotype. It really helped me appreciate what others go through, and taught me to be less judgmental.
The writing wasn't perfect, but it did it's job and told the story that needed to be told. There was a lot of narrative, which really helped me understand her.
I think this would be a wonderful book for anyone to read. It isn't as much about teen pregnancy as it is about rising above the stereotypes and statistics and being all that you can be.

(Read this through the Pulse It program for teens by Simon & Schuster)

Book Review: The Giver

2012-02-17T19:09:00.000-05:00

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

This was a very powerful story. It just a short, simple story about a boy discovering the world he lives in, but it has so much depth, symbolism, and just plain coolness that make it such a classic piece of literature.
Jonas' world seems like a perfect world that we'd all want to live in, but after Jonas becomes the Receiver, his world changes. He learns that the world used the be filled with so much happiness and pain, love and sorrow, which have all but disappeared from the bland world he resides in.
This has been a huge influence in dystopian literature. I think almost every dystopian book I've read has held some element of the Giver. It talks a lot about choices, and whether people should be able to make choices for themselves, or if the society and government should control everything. This is a question that is becoming more and more prominent in our world today, and I'll just say that I hope we don't end up living in some kind of freaky dystopian world!

This book was read as part of the Read Dystopia and Award Winning Reads Challenges

Guess what today is...

2012-02-11T19:45:00.004-05:00

It's my birthday! I'm officially older! I think I might even celebrate with a giveaway later this month! I've celebrated so far by shopping, dancing, and making cheesecake like a maniac!
It's also almost my blogoversary, so prepare for something epic =D
Thanks to all my followers for being so cool! I'm giving out free birthday love to all of you!

Have you signed up for the Fairy Tales Retold Challenge?

Book Review: Possession

2012-02-06T10:53:00.002-05:00

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Interesting...
I can't say I loved this book, but I didn't really dislike it, either. I have pretty neutral feelings towards it.
I couldn't really get a good sense of the society that they lived it, and that's one of the things that pulls me into dystopia the most is the society. I really wish there had been more description.
I wasn't lovin' Jag or Zenn as boyfriends. Jag has some serious commitment issues, as he'll just walk of randomly and come back a couple days later to apologize insincerely. I think I could grow to like Zenn, but for the majority of his screen time, he was being brainwashed by the not-so-good-after-all guys. I think the biggest reason I didn't like either of them as boyfriends was because Vi seems like the kind of strong character who doesn't need a boyfriend.
It certainly wasn't lacking in excitement! Every page had another adventure waiting on it.
Another thing I was had been explained more thoroughly were these super powers (if that's what I should call them). They were so intriguing, and I wish I'd been able to understand them better.

MATURE CONTENT:

Medium-low in the sensuality department. I don't recall any really bad stuff, but there's certainly a bit. Tons of profanity. Before I was even 100 pages through I was sick of hearing h*** and d*** over and over again!

All in all, it was a good book, but not one of my favorites.

Read as part of the Read Dystopia Challenge, hosted by Book Journey

Book Review: Wildwood Dancing

2012-02-02T10:53:00.002-05:00

High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It's an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle's hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.

But their peace is shattered when Father falls ill and must go to the southern parts to recover, for that is when cousin Cezar arrives. Though he's there to help the girls survive the brutal winter, Jena suspects he has darker motives in store. Meanwhile, Jena's sister has fallen in love with a dangerous creature of the Other Kingdom--an impossible union it's up to Jena to stop.

When Cezar's grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can't imagine--tests of trust, strength, and true love.

I'd heard so many good things about this book, so I was really looking forward to it. I'm really glad I was so excited for it, otherwise I might not have made it through. The whole story moved very slowly. Slower than I was accustomed to. There were some moments that it just felt like it was dragging. I was just about ready to give up, and then the excitement struck. The last 100 pages made me forgive the first 300 for their slowness.
Looking back, I'm glad it was slow. It fit the mood of the story. The writing was lyrical and rich with descriptions. The whole universe that was created was completely magical. These things wouldn't have been nearly as splendid if they were rushed. It went slowly so readers had a chance to soak up all the lovely details.
I could completely relate to Jena. If you want to know what I'm like, read this book.
On the other hand I couldn't understand Tati. She falls in love with a vampire who she can't have, then becomes paralyzed with her longing and turns into a completely useless wreck, who does absolutely nothing. The vampire wants her, too, but wants to protect her more. Sound familiar? It was like Twilight all over again! It drove me nuts! Thankfully the whole book doesn't revolve around this, but a large portion of it certainly does.
To make up for it, there's the relationship between Jena and Gogu the frog. It wasn't quite a romantic relationship, but it certainly was a strong one. Gogu seemed like Jena's Jiminy Cricket, always there to help her and guide her in the right direction.
All in all, this was an amazing book (as long as you don't pay much attention to the Twilight comparisons). I'm looking forward to reading more Juliet Marillier soon!

Read as part of the Fairy Tales Retold Challenge

Have you signed up for the Fairy Tales Retold Challenge?

Monthly Overview: January

2012-02-02T10:15:00.001-05:00

Read:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Possession by Elana Johnson
The Giver by Lois Lowry

Reviews:

IMM:
Borrowed:
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Purchased:
The Iron King by Julie Kawaga
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Challenges:

Fairy Tales Retold Challenge: 1/15 books

Read Dystopia Challenge: 3/10 books

Upping my goal to 10 books!

Award Winning Reads Challenge: 1/6

To Read in February:
Entwined by Heather Dixon
A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Have you signed up for the Fairy Tales Retold Challenge?

Book Review: Across the Universe

2012-02-01T01:55:00.002-05:00

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. She expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

This is the very best kind of book, and that's the kind of book that makes you think! I've been thinking so much, yet I can't describe it's awesomeness.
It's such a freaky concept, being cryogenically frozen for 300 years just so you can go live on a new planet. I know I could never do it! I'm a wimp!
The whole universe within Godspeed was so strange. It seems so close, and yet so far from what we know of Earth today. It had all the same things we have here, but they've evolved away from the rest of humanity into something utterly unique and kind of creepy.
This whole book seemed kind of reminiscent of Pixar's WALL-E. All these people take off on a spaceship for a planned amount of time, hoping for a better life, but as time goes on, there is less thought of what lays behind or ahead of them, leaving the ship and it's inhabitants in a dangerous state.
I was on the edge of my seat basically the whole way through. New mysteries kept popping up, trying to puzzle me. Each time another secret was revealed I was in shock every bit as much as the characters, although I must say I suspected the crook right from the start.
The writing was powerful. It was there to tell a story; to get a point across. Beth certainly knows how to tell her story in such a manner that it grabs the attention of all the readers, and takes them on an unforgettable journey.

MATURE CONTENT:
So basically, they have a mating season every 20 years where everyone mates. And, it isn't this passionate and private thing, it's very aggressive and empty of emotion, and is done casually in very public places. It's purely hormone driven, with no love involved.
There is attempted rape. It starts somewhere on page 220 and goes to the end of the chapter.
I really don't like any of this kind of stuff in my books, but I don't mind it as much in this book because it's important to the plot, not just thrown in there casually trying to attract more readers with unattractive behavior.
Also, tons of made up curse words which, in my opinion, are just as bad as real ones.

Read as part of the Read Dystopia Challenge, hosted by Book Journey

Have you signed up for the Fairy Tales Retold Challenge?

Picture Book Reviews!

2012-01-27T18:43:00.002-05:00

Picture Books Read in January:

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner
The Berenstain Bears: The Bike Lesson by Stan and Jan Berenstain
The Berenstain Bears: The Bears' Picnic by Stan and Jan Berenstain
The Berenstain Bears: The Bears' Vacation by Stan and Jan Berenstain
The Berenstain Bears: Bears in the Night by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Pickle-Chiffon Pie by Jolly Roger Bradfield

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

This is such an epic book. Have you seen it? It starts off looking like just another picture book, but once you get past the first couple pages it transforms from a boring book with decent pictures, to a stunning adventure! It definitely deserves that Caldecott Medal!

The Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain

I grew up with these books. My mom would buy them from the thrift store, we'd check them out from the library, and my grandma would have most of them when we visited. And then there were the TV shows when I was older. The point is, I loved the Berenstain Bears.

The Bears' Picnic has always been my favorite. I remember reading it over and over again as a kid, and it was so much fun to read it to my sister who's the same age I was when I first fell in love with the bears.

Pickle-Chiffon Pie by Jolly Roger Bradfield

I get so sad when I tell people about this book, and they've never heard of it! It's a fully original fairy tale of sorts. It involves a princess, 3 suitors, a contest, a juggling lion, painting mice, and some Pickle-Chiffon Pie! And that's just the beginning! Wait until you see the illustrations! They capture the whimsical nature of the story perfectly! (You can tell I like something when all the sentences end in exclamation points!!!)

Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts? Any recommendations for next months picture books?

These reviews are part of the 2012 Picture Book Reading Challenge, hosted by An Abundance of Books

Have you signed up for the Fairy Tales Retold Challenge?

Book Review: Kat, Incorrigible

2012-01-27T01:14:00.001-05:00

Katherine Ann Stephenson has just discovered that she's inherited her mother's magical talents, and despite Stepmama's stern objections, she's determined to learn how to use them. But with her eldest sister Elissa's intended fiancé, the sinister Sir Neville, showing a dangerous interest in Kat's magical potential; her other sister, Angeline, wreaking romantic havoc with her own witchcraft; and a highwayman lurking in the forest, even Kat's reckless heroism will be tested to the upmost. If she can learn to control her new powers, will Kat be able to rescue her family and win her sisters their true love?

This book is a mash-up of Harry Potter, Cinderella, and Jane Austen! Doesn't that just sound exciting?!?!?!?!

This was such a lovely book. It was charming and elegant, and full of spunk! Kat isn't your average 12 year old girl from Regency England. She's the most epic 12 year old girl from Regency England that the world's ever seen!
Kat, along with her sisters, were completely lovely to read about. They each had their own personalities, talents, and quirks that made them so enjoyable. I loved that I could relate to them, being in the middle of a bunch of sisters. With that being said, I could see myself in Angeline, with bits of Elissa and Kat thrown in there.
The plot was kind of predictable, but I didn't expect it to have a complex plot. I expected it to be a fun, simple read and it more than lived up to that.
I was kind of confused about the whole Guardian thing. It wasn't explained very well and left me wondering. Hopefully things will be explained more thoroughly in book #2.

Fairy Tale Review Link-Up

2012-01-25T14:58:00.002-05:00

The end of January is approaching, and you know what that means... it's time to link-up reviews!
Just leave the name of your blog and the book you reviewed

The Evolution of Fairy Tales

2012-01-25T14:54:00.001-05:00

When you hear the words "fairy tale", you probably associate them with names like The Brothers Grimm, Han Christian Andersen, or Charles Perrault. They're some of the best-known writers of fairy tales. But fairy tales have been around probably since before the beginning of time. Fairy tales are timeless!

Ancient Fairy Tales

The earliest version of Cinderella that anyone has found is called Rhodopis and dates back to 1 BC in Greece. There's also Ye Xian which dates back to 860 China. I could probably spend hours going on and on about dozens of different fairy tales and how old they are, but honestly, I'm too lazy (but if you want to know, go to Wikipedia. It knows everything.) The point is that fairy tales have always been around.

Charles Perrault (1628-1703)

Charles Perrault is kind of known for introducing fairy tales as we know them today, but even most of his stuff is derived from folk tales, other fairy tales and such. He wrote quite a few of the "big ones" like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. As you can see above, there were already many versions of Cinderella floating around. As for Sleeping Beauty, there was already an Italian tale called Sun, Moon, and Talia which Perrault used as his inspiration. These stories have always been around, but he's known for writing them the way we know and love them. In addition to these, he also wrote Puss in Boots, Little Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Toads and Diamonds and many more.

The Brothers Grimm (1785-1863 & 1786-1859)

By now, fairy tales were growing more common, thanks to Charles Perrault. Fairy tales were everywhere, and the Brothers Grimm decided that they were going to collect all these fairy tales and publish them in a book. They started collecting fairy and folk tales around 1806, and published their book in 1812. It included 210 tales, including Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, The Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel, The Six Swans, The Goose Girl, Snow White, and so many more. They also included their own versions of Perrault's tales. Thanks to that book, Grimm is a household name.

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)

He is one of my favorite fairy tale writers, and that's because he actually wrote his own fairy tales, instead of just retelling someone elses. His are unique. He wrote many stories, but his most memorable ones will always be the fairy tales. Among them are The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, The Ugly Ducking, The Princess and the Pea, and so many more!

Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

Andrew Lang kind of did the same thing as the Brothers Grimm, but on a larger scale. He started with the Blue Fairy Book, which contains some of the most well known and beloved fairy tales. It was soon followed by 11 additional volumes containing fairy tales from around the world. This, once again, increased popularity in fairy tales.

Walt Disney Company

Everyone knows Disney. If you haven't seen a Disney movie, then you must've been living under a pretty big rock. Disney is probably known best for their princess movies. It all started with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. This movie made history. It was the first full-length animated movie ever! And it was a fairy tale! After that basically every movie they made was based on some kind of story, most frequently fairy tales.

Everyone complains that Disney sucks because they turn fairy tales into sappy, sparkly movies and cut out all the gruesome details of the original fairy tales, but I still love the Disney movies. They're simply another interpretation of the fairy tale made to appeal to a different audience. Plus, the originals don't have musical numbers! HA!

Separation From Fantasy

Up until whenever, there weren't really a whole lot of genres. It was real life stuff, and fairy tales. Not much in between. But when fantasy such as Narnia and Lord of the Rings became popular, it grew into the fantasy genre that we’re more familiar with today, with fairy tales earning their own spot among them.

Retellings

Now it’s time for the best part! Retellings! Retellings come in all shapes and sizes. I think the first real retelling was Beauty by Robin McKinley. That isn’t to say that they weren’t around before—they’ve always been around. I just think this was the first solid retelling that really was the model for the rest of the retellings we have today.

Since then, and especially in the past decade, fairy tale retellings have become super popular. Now there are hundreds that readers everywhere love. That’s the magic of fairy tales. They really are timeless. Every time a fairy tale is retold it adds new depth to the original.

Have you signed up for the Fairy Tales Retold Challenge?

Book Review: The Smile

2012-01-24T23:40:00.000-05:00

Hers is the most famous portrait in the world. Here, in prose as rich as the high Renaissance, is Mona Lisa's tale; a story of passion, intrigue, loss, and, most of all, love. Elisabetta longs for romance, though she thinks she is too plain. Then, on a fateful visit to glittering Florence, she catches the eye of the great Leonardo da Vinci, and falls for a boy named Giuliano de Medici. It is a dangerous time to be or be involved with a Medici. As tragedy and chaos threaten their happiness, Elisabetta faces the bittersweet truth of love.

I've been to the Louvre and seen the painting in person. It's pretty small, and it was hard to see because we had to stand 10 feet away with a hundred other people. The moral of my story is that it looks a lot cooler on a computer screen.

On to the book!
I personally felt it didn't live up to my expectations.
The whole story was very depressing. I kept having hope that something happy would happen, but then something more depressing would pop up. The ending was very frustrating, and I wished it wasn't. It would've been so simple to mend things, but I guess the author was trying to keep it realistic or something? I don't know.
I found the historical aspect very interesting. I honestly know very little history. I love history, I just don't get the chance to study it very often because the rest of my life gets in the way. It started out as very intriguing, but by somewhere near the end of the middle, I was getting pretty sick of it. I can't remember exactly when in the book it was, but there would be long chapters of just explaining about these wars and political issues that would be much more interesting to read about on Wikipedia.
Don't get me wrong. It was still an okay book, I just have issues. If you like historical fiction that has a LOT of history in it, and don't mind frustrating endings, then have fun!

MATURE CONTENT:
There's lots of talk about marriage, and some of the things that come with marriage. I don't remember anything actually happening, though. Probably 13+

Book Review: Tuesdays at the Castle

2012-01-23T09:51:00.000-05:00

Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom. This delightful book from a fan- and bookseller-favorite kicks off a brand-new series sure to become a modern classic.

The first time I heard about this book I was clicking around on Jessica's blog. Bloomsbury described it as a combination of Home Alone and the Room of Requirement. That's exactly what the castle felt like! When the bad guys showed up, the castle provided everything Celie and her family needed to fight back!
There was such a wonderful cast of characters. The villains were villainous, and the heroes were heroic. Although this story is told from Celie's point of view, it isn't just Celie's story. It's the story of how she, her family, and her friends work together to save the castle and the kingdom.
The writing was fantastic (as always). The words flowed so clearly and wove together a wonderful adventure that's completely unforgettable.
You could definitely tell Tuesdays is aimed at a younger audience, but it's the kind of story that anybody can enjoy. You could be 5 or 19 or 72 or anywhere in between!
If I had to come up with one complaint, it would be that I wish it was longer because I wanted to spend more time with all the lovely characters. Luckily, I heard there are 2 more books coming. Until then, I'll just have to wait.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2012-01-23T09:39:00.000-05:00

I know I said at the beginning of the year that there would be no memes on this blog, but I don't consider this a meme. I consider it the best way to organize my reading week and motivate me to keep reading (since I'm falling way behind)

Finished This Week

Possession by Elana Johnson

Currently Reading

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

To Read

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Book Review: Winter's Child

2012-01-08T04:44:00.000-05:00

Free-spirited Grace and serious Kai are the best of friends. They grew up together listening to magical tales spun by Kai's grandmother and sharing in each other's secrets. But when they turn sixteen and Kai declares his love for Grace, everything changes. Grace yearns for freedom and slowly begins to push Kai - and their friendship - away.

Dejected Kai dreams of a dazzling Snow Queen, who entices him to leave home and wander to faraway lands. When Grace discovers Kai is gone, she learns how much she has lost and sets out on a mystical journey to find Kai...and discover herself.

Quickly, I want to point out that the description from Goodreads has several flaws. First, it's Grace's grandmother who tells the stories, not Kai's. Second, when Kai is enticed to leave, it isn't a dream, He's wide awake and willing follows the actual Winter Child, which leads me to the third problem: Diedre is never referred to as the "Snow Queen", only the Winter Child.

I wasn't super familiar with the story of The Snow Queen when I read this. I had read parts of it, but never got a chance to read it as a whole.
This was okay. I enjoyed the writing, but the story seemed kind of lost. There were moments when I had no clue what was going on, and at others it just seemed weird. I thought the idea of how Diedre became a Winter Child was interesting.
The relationships didn't seem realistic. The story could've ended realistically with Grace and Kai getting married before Diedre is even introduced, but instead they act irrationally just so the story is more then 50 pages long. Then at the end everyone is married to someone they hardly knew in person.
I wish it had been longer and better planned out. I think the Snow Queen has a lot of potential when it comes to retellings, and I don't think this lived up to that potential.
Still, it was an okay, quick read.

Book Review: A Tale Dark and Grimm

2012-01-07T17:45:00.002-05:00

In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.

Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.

I thought this was such a creative tale. It takes 8 fairy tales, most unfamiliar, and weaves them together into a wonderfully original plot.
I love how the author slightly manipulated the fairy tales so that they all fit together. He sought out to put together this puzzle that no one else bothered to mess with. All he had to do was bend a few pieces!
My favorite part of this book were the interruptions made my the narrator. Some were just to throw in a sarcastic joke, and some were to explain how illogical and gruesome these fairy tales are.
This is the kind of book I want to throw at all those people who talk about Happily Ever After and fairy tales like they're all fluffy goodness, to say that "No, you only know the Disney version. If you read any real fairy tales, you'd be so grossed out, you'd never say 'I wish I lived in a fairy tale' ever again!" That's not to say that I don't like the Disney version, I just don't like people who don't know what they're talking about when it comes to fairy tales.

Book Review: Zel

2012-01-07T06:14:00.001-05:00

High in the mountains, Zel lives with her mother, who insists they have all they need -- for they have each other. Zel's life is peaceful and protected -- until a chance encounter changes everything. When she meets a beautiful young prince at the market one day, she is profoundly moved by new emotions. But Zel's mother sees the future unfolding -- and she will do the unspeakable to prevent Zel from leaving her...

This was a very interesting read. I found the writing pleasant, although I don't usually enjoy present tense, but besides that there wasn't much I liked.
It's told from 3 different points of view: Zel, Mother, and Konrad. Zel and Konrad's parts were both told in 3rd person, but Mother's part was told in 1st person. I have no clue why. It irritates me that there is no explanation. The last chapter was especially confusing as each paragraph was told from a different perspective.
About 2/3 of the way through I really just wanted a bomb to drop on all the characters. They were all so irritating and irrational. Mother is a control freak, Zel has nearly every mental disorder known to man, and Konrad is obsessive and desperate. It only got worse as the story progressed, and by the last 15 pages I was just so mad at all the characters that the only think that kept me reading was hope that everyone would end up miserable and dead. I don't usually wish for those kinds of endings to books.
The 'romance' was kind of weird. They meet for 5 minutes at the beginning of the story, then spend the rest of the book obsessing over each other. I do not use that term lightly. They spend nearly every moment of their lives thinking about each other, chasing after each other, and hallucinating about each other.

MATURE CONTENT:

This book was rather misleading. The cover and length and description all make it seem like a middle grade novel, but it most certainly wasn't. It contains some pretty mature stuff like selling your soul and immorality and other creepy stuff I don't particularly enjoy reading about. It says 8+ but I'd say 13+

Book Review: Book of a Thousand Days

2012-01-06T17:59:00.000-05:00

When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren’s refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment.
As food runs low and the days go from broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. But the arrival outside the tower of Saren’s two suitors—one welcome, and the other decidedly less so—brings both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows.
With Shannon Hale’s lyrical language, this forgotten but classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes; it is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance, drama and disguise.

This is such a stunning novel. It tells a classic fairy tale in such a unique, original way.
The beginning is extremely slow. The first time I read it, I found it boring. The second time around, it became my favorite part. It was boring, because there isn't much to write about when you're locked up in a stuffy old tower! I still enjoyed hearing about all the little problems they were facing. Those are the things you'd never think about while reading the original Maid Maleen.
I think this book has the most beautiful writing out of all of Shannon Hale's books. It's a simple journal of a simple girl who went through so many hardships, yet stood strong throughout them all.

A Week of Cinderella

2012-01-06T17:02:00.001-05:00

Guess what! Bonnie at A Backwards Story is holding a Week of Cinder(ella) to celebrate the release of Cinder by Marissa Meyer!
The week will feature guest posts, author visits (because, after all, Marissa isn't the ONLY author with a kick-ass Cinderella to celebrate!), giveaways, reviews, and culminate with a blog tour stop for CINDER!
How cool does that sound? It's a week of celebrating Cinderella!
Go check it out and spread the word around!
(And keep your eye out for something from yours truly...)

I'm now a tweeter!

2012-01-06T11:25:00.000-05:00

This morning I thought I'd be kind of crazy, so guess what I did. I started a twitter account! I have no clue how to use it (yet), but I will eventually! In the mean time, I'd love it if you'd follow me @DebzBookshelf! Please and thank you!

Book Review: Briar Rose

2012-01-06T07:38:00.001-05:00

Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma's stories about Briar Rose. But a promise Rebecca makes to her dying grandmother will lead her on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma's astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. A journey that will lead her to unspeakable brutality and horror. But also to redemption and hope.

When I started this book, I had no clue how the Holocaust could be tied to Sleeping Beauty, and now I want to smack myself for not realizing it before! Jane Yolen certainly knew what she was doing!

I really felt this book belonged on the "Adult" shelf. It isn't that it was horribly inappropriate or overly complex, but it's about an adult learning about adult things. She goes on a journey trying to discover the dark past of her grandmother.

Her journey involves many things. Speaking with many different people and traveling to many different places. This aspect reminded me of the TV show "Who Do You Think You Are" where celebrities learn about their family history.

MATURE CONTENT:

The last 3/4 of the book, when the mysteries are being revealed and the whole story is falling into place, is told from the point of view of a homosexual, who spends some of the story talking about his past relationship, and the things he did. I don't recall it being too graphic, but that's because I kind if skimmed over those bits. I understand that homosexuals were treated horribly back then, and don't deserve to be judged, but I prefer not to hear all about their private life.
I believe it says on the back cover 13+, but I'd say at least 15+

Book Review: Crossed

2012-01-05T21:18:00.001-05:00

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

This book was really slow paced, but it fit the story well. I just wish it hadn't been so slow paced so I would've finished it faster. I fell in love with the whole new cast of characters, and I fell into a whole new kind of love with the old characters. All their relationships with one another were complex and realistic.
The setting was stunning. I could picture everything so clearly in my mind. Every detail added another brush stroke to the picture I was painting in my mind.
Of course the writing was perfect. Ally Condie is a writing genius. I cannot praise her enough. Her writing is so lovely that I can't get enough of it! Hand me book 3 please!

Book Review: Princess of Glass

2012-01-05T09:44:00.002-05:00

Hoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other's countries in the name of better political alliances--and potential marriages. It's got the makings of a fairy tale--until a hapless servant named Eleanor is tricked by a vengeful fairy godmother into competing with Poppy for the eligible prince. Ballgowns, cinders, and enchanted glass slippers fly in this romantic and action-packed happily-ever-after quest from an author with a flair for embroidering tales in her own delightful way.

I think this book may have been even better than Princess of the Midnight Ball! This one is a more indirect retelling if that makes sense. It tells the story of Cinderella from an outsiders perspective. It took the story of Poppy and intermingled it with the story of Cinderella, or in this case, Ellen the maid.
The friendship between Poppy and Christian was sweet. Neither of them were really looking for someone to possibly marry, but they did happened to find a good friend within the other.

Fairy Tales Retold Challenge Part 3

2012-01-04T13:48:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited for the Fairy Tales Retold challenge to officially begin!

Time to start talking about discussion posts. I've decided that each month we'll either do a normal discussion post, or a fun guest post/author interview/giveaway type thing.
If you're interested in doing a guest post, email me at debzbookshelf@gmail.com

Each discussion post will have a topic. (Love, Riddles, Magic, Appearance, etc...) At the beginning of each month I'm planning on us doing a discussion, I'll have a form up for you to share any of your ideas and questions. Sometime near the middle/end of that month, I'll post the discussion and then please feel free to comment away, or even write your own post on the subject and link to it in your comment. Whether or not you're participating in the challenge, you can participate in the discussions and other cool stuff.
This month (January) we won't be doing a discussion, because I'm too scatterbrained. We'll have something cool, though!

I will keep a master schedule here in case you want to see (but it's mostly for my own sanity):

JANUARY: The Evolution of Fairy Tales

FEBRUARY: Discussion Post

MARCH: Coolness

APRIL: Discussion Post

MAY: Coolness

JUNE: Discussion Post

JULY: Coolness

AUGUST: Discussion Post

SEPTEMBER: Coolness

OCTOBER: Discussion Post

NOVEMBER: Coolness

DECEMBER:Coolness

Book Review: Heist Society

2012-01-04T10:53:00.000-05:00

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 Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a 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 her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

Lots of humor, mystery, and romance, all woven together into a super enjoyable book.
I was kind of hesitant when I first picked it up, then I was like "You know what? I don't have anything to read otherwise!" so I started. I loved it!
There's a nice balance of everything going on. It felt light and funny at some moments, and at others you remember that it's a life or death situation.

The writing was also balanced, matching the mood of whatever was going on.

I liked all the main characters. I really enjoyed the feeling of family within this group of teenagers, even those who weren't related. It just felt like a big family reunion, with them joking around and helping each other.

Busting the Newbie Blues

2012-01-03T18:13:00.001-05:00

So, I thought a great way to start off the year is by joining in on Small Review's Busting the Newbie Blues event!

When did you start your blog?

Honestly, I don't remember. My first post says it's from March 12th, 2011, but this blog didn't exist then! I just transferred it over from my old blog I think I officially started this blog sometime in early April.

Why did you start your blog?

Because I used to just post reviews on my personal blog, then I decided I might as well start a whole other blog just to post about books on.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

Balancing it with my real life. When I first started, I never realized how time consuming it would be.

What do you find most discouraging about being a new blogger?

It kind of feels like I'm the new kid, and I don't really know anyone. I don't know very many people in the blogging community, and I feel kind of alone.

What do you find most encouraging?

Knowing that I'm sharing my love of books. Having that hope that someone might be reading something I've written about a book I love that might make them want to read it.

What do you like best about the blogs you read? Have you tried to replicate this in your blog?

I think what I like the most about the blogs I read is that they're original. They don't just try to be like everybody else. They each have their own unique attributes that keep drawing me back to them. Also, the friendliness of the blogger. Someone who will keep up a conversation with you in the comments and make you feel welcomed into their circle of blogging buddies.

I hope my blog has that original, friendly atmosphere that I love on other blogs!

What do you dislike about blogs you’ve read? Do you try to avoid this?

I don't like it when there are so many filler posts and memes that you have a hard time finding something worth reading. I don't like doing a bunch of memes and filler posts because I don't want to spend all my time writing those posts when I could be writing reviews and other interesting posts.

Any advice for other new bloggers?

Stick to it and get the word out! For the first couple of months, I had 3 followers. I still don't have that many followers. You'll never have any followers if you don't get the word out. Leave links to your blog in your comments. Find friends that can help get your word out! Do some random posts! It turns out my most popular post is about weird bookshelves!

Any questions you'd like to ask newbie or established bloggers?

Of course, I want to know all about ARC's. I've looked for them, and found none within my reach. (I know all about Net Galley, but apparently I can't use it because of my age. It sucks.)
And then there's the all important question of "How do you get all those followers?"

Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your blog?

I'm a fairy tale addict. Anyone who takes a glance at my Review Archive will be able to see that most of the books I read are fairy tale retellings. And speaking of retellings, I'm currently hosting a Fairy Tale Retellings Challenge!

Goals of 2012

2012-01-03T10:41:00.000-05:00

Read 80 books

If you add up all the novels from all my challenges, then you get a minimum of 51 books. Along with all those, I'm planning on reading all the Narnia books, the Lord of the Rings + the Hobbit, and the Inheritance Cycle.

Write reviews within a week of finishing the book

I've gone through some ups and downs with this, Some months, I'd write the review the moment I finished the book, and sometimes, I wait several months. I will do my best to remedy this situation!

Successfully host a reading challenge

I've got the ball rolling, and it hasn't crashed into the wall yet! I already have about 20 participants, so it's kind of late to back down. The hardest part is gonna be figuring out the discussion posts and possible giveaways. I will do my best not to fail.

Post more frequently

I'm hoping that I can post at least every other day. Maybe more, maybe less, depending on the circumstance.

Receive a book for review

Hopefully I'll be able to start accepting books for review. Right now the biggest problem is that I still have parents, and they don't like it when I give my address out to random people, and then receive random packages, even if they know it's just books. Don't worry people! I'll have this sorted out eventually.

Successfully hold a giveaway

As you saw above, I'm currently figuring out a giveaway related to my fairy tale challenge. It also happens that my birthday is next month, and I want to do some sort of giant giveaway for that!

Do a guest post somewhere

Do you here that random bloggers? I would love to do a guest post somewhere!

Give up all memes!

As much as I liked doing some memes, they got in the way of me doing anything else on my blog! That's the main reason why I dropped them. Instead, I'll do other fun stuff!

Respond to more comments

I read every single comment, but I usually don't respond. That is changing in this new year!

Find a way to balance blogging and school and life

This is definitely the hardest one of all. Some days I spend HOURS blogging, when I need to be working on Algebra or Biology. Other days, I spend just hanging around with my friends and family, and then I realize I haven't blogged at all lately, so then I start getting stressed out. The point is that I'm going to limit myself to NO MORE than 2 hours a day.

Top 11 of '11

2012-01-01T22:44:00.000-05:00

I admit I kind of stole this idea from Squeaky Books, but cool ideas are meant to be shared!
Here's a list of the top 11 books I've read in 2011:

11. Heist Society

This was a quick read. It was very light and humorous, but at the same time managed to remain serious and adventurous.

10. Tuesdays at the Castle

I've added this to my shelf of favorite Jessica Day George books, along with her 6 other books. I first became interested in this when I heard it was kind of a combination of Home Along and HOGWARTS! How epic is that?

9. My Fair Godmother

I love Janette Rallison and her books! Her My Fair Godmother books remain my favorites because she takes all her loveliness and ties it into fairy tales.

8. Kat, Incorrigible

I just finished this last night, and I knew I needed to include it in this list. Magic and Mystery are woven together in a charming tale that takes place in 19th century England.

7. Crossed

This sequel to Matched was even more poetic than the first. Although this book was very slow-paced, it still managed to have lots of adventure.

6. A Curse Dark as Gold

Such an interesting take on the tale of Rumpelstiltskin. Lovely, complex characters and an intriguing plot.

5. Princess of Glass

I must say I enjoyed this one more than Princess of the Midnight Ball! It takes a unique spin on the classic and overly retold tale of Cinderella, this time told from an outer perspective.

4. Divergent

This is a pretty popular book, especially among the book blogger community. I found it an exciting adventure that left me on the edge of my seat!

3. Matched

Such a poetic masterpiece. The whole book was stunning. I simply cannot praise it enough!

2. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Think Beauty and the Beast, but frozen. This retelling of East O' the Sun, West O' the Moon is a work of art. It is so close to the original tale, and yet contains plot twists I never could've expected. More than earned it's way to the #2 spot. Almost made it to #1, but nothing can beat...

1. The Hunger Games Trilogy

Of course. Before I read the first book, I had no clue what it was about. It just sounded weird and stupid. Once I read it, I couldn't wait for more. Definitely one of the best book series ever!

While compiling this list, I realized that I still have a dozen reviews to write! So, this week I'll be having a write-a-thon so I can catch up on these reviews. Expect to see at least a review a day. If you don't, please pester me into writing them!

Extreme Makeover: Blog Edition

2012-01-01T19:34:00.000-05:00

Notice anything different?

I gave my blog a makeover!

I liked my old look, but I felt it was time for something fresh. I searched all around the web for a template that fit my blogs personality, but I couldn't find the right one. Instead, I made one! Combining my limited knowledge of Photoshop-type programs and Google, I produced this background, and all the goodies to match!

I acquired all the coolness that made up my goodies from the coolest digital scrapbooking blog around: Summertime Designs! It is bursting with FREE digital scrapbooking kits!

I think this is a great way for my blog to start off the new year! What do you think?

OMWtYiO&IHRMG Read-a-thon Finish Line

2012-01-01T16:34:00.000-05:00

I reached my goal of 70 books (well, kind of). Technically I guess I didn't, because I didn't finish book #70 until 2am. Who cares, though? I say I finished!

Anyway, now that the read-a-thon is over, I have bigger issues. Like writing reviews for 2 months worth of books I've read.

Total Books Read: 2
Total Pages Read: 400
Books Read Since Last Update: 1
Pages Read since last update: 200
Total time read: 6 hours
How I'm currently feeling: Tired, but satisfied

OMWtYiO&IHRMG Read-a-thon Check-in #3

2011-12-31T13:12:00.000-05:00

Today my family has been preparing for a big New Years party. I have been forced into participating in the preparations, instead of reading. Luckily, Kat, Incorrigible has been a rather fast and pleasant. In merely an hour I read 100 pages. Maybe this is because the formatting was different (I'm OCD about formatting, so I read slowly if things are formatted badly), or because I actually found it enjoyable. Anyway, I'm proud of my progress!

Total Books Read: 1
Total Pages Read: 200
Books Read Since Last Update: 0
Pages Read since last update: 100
Total time read: 4 hours
How I'm currently feeling: Wishing I could be reading! My books have been confiscated until party prep is done. Why do we need to eat 5000 calories on the last day of the year?!?!?

OMWtYiO&IHRMG Read-a-thon Check-in #2

2011-12-31T00:06:00.000-05:00

Today just wasn't a good day for reading. It kept dropping surprise after surprise onto the schedule. I had a last minute babysitting job, then a family friend dropped by unexpectedly, then I had to make dinner for my family, then everyone decided to play Apples to Apples until midnight! The point is I haven't had a whole lot of reading time. Luckily, I finished The Smile, which I certainly didn't enjoy. I started Kat, Incorrigible, but I've only read about 5 pages. Hopefully, I'll get some more reading in before I fall asleep, then I'll be up nice and early to start reading tomorrow. Saturday's are the days that I stay in bed until noon reading. Hopefully this will result in some progress.

Total Books Read: 1
Total Pages Read: 100
Books Read Since Last Update: 1
Pages Read since last update:50
Total time read: 2.5 hours
How I'm currently feeling: Exhausted! But ready to read a ton tomorrow!

OMWtYiO&IHRMG Read-a-thon Check-in #1

2011-12-30T12:54:00.003-05:00

I haven't made as much progress as I was hoping for, because The Smile is very slow. I read for almost 2 hours, and it turns out I'd only read 50 pages! Then I had to take a break from reading and return to real life. Hopefully the rest of the day will prove to be empty enough to include some more reading time!

Total Books Read: 0
Total Pages Read: 50
Books Read Since Last Update: 0
Pages Read since last update:50
Total time read:100 minutes
How I'm currently feeling: I can't wait to be finished with The Smile so I can start reading an exciting book!

OMWtYiO&IHRMG Read-a-thon Starting Line!

2011-12-30T09:49:00.001-05:00

Time for the read-a-thon. I guess it started at midnight mountain time, but that's kind of...late. Especially considering I live somewhat east to the mountain time zone. I woke up nice and early(ish), ready to start reading and blogging, but then I fell asleep for 2 more hours.

Now I am ready!

These are the books I'm planning on reading:

The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli (I have 100 pages left)
Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Graceling by Kristin Cashore (I'll at least get started on this)

Here is my beautiful little check-in list:

Total Books Read: 0
Total Pages Read: 0
Books Read Since Last Update: 0
Pages Read since last update:0
Total time read:0 minutes
How I'm currently feeling: Ready to start reading!

Now it's time to start reading! I'll be back in between 12 and 3.

Challenges Galore!

2011-12-29T10:42:00.002-05:00

It seems that everyone is signing up for reading challenges for the new year. I've decided to be ambitious and sign up for a couple. Here they are!

2012 Picture Book Reading Challenge

I'm aiming for level three--24 books. This shouldn't be too tough considering I have THOUSANDS (I'm not exaggerating--well, maybe a little) of picture books floating around my house, and my family goes to the library very frequently.

As far as reviews go, I'm just planning on doing a mini review post at the end of each month including any and all picture books I've read in the past month. These will probably also include comments from my little sister who is just learning to read, adores picture books, and has very smart comments to make about almost anything.

2012 Award Winning Reads Challenge

This past summer I enjoyed participating in the Award Winning Reads Challenge a lot. I got a chance to read some amazing books I otherwise would've turned my nose up at. I was so happy when I saw that Ashley and Jacinda were making it a year-long challenge.

This year I'm setting a goal of 6 books. These are the books I'm planning on reading, but I'm sure it's going to change:

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM by Robert C. O'Brien
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Goign Bovine by Libba Bray
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2012 YA Mythology Challenge

The challenge is to read 10 YA or Middle grade novels that incorporate any type of Mythology in the story line (Greek, Egyptian, Norse, etc.).

I like mythology, but the only problem is the majority of Middle Grade literature about mythology is by Rick Riordan, and there is something about his writing that irks me. I cannot put my finger on it. Anyway, I'm kind of tweaking this challenge a bit to fit my interests, so I'll be reading some books that are focused on a certain kind of mythology, but also reading books that incorporate elements of mythology, yet don't solely focus on a certain type of mythology. If that doesn't make sense, maybe taking a look at my list will give you a better idea.

(I couldn't resist slipping in a couple of fairy tale retellings (although they kind of incorporate 'real' mythology))

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
Nobody's Princess by Esther M. Friesner
Nobody's Prize by Esther M. Friesner
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Stork by Wendy Delsol
The Iron King by Jule Kawaga
Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George (I can't resist re-reading it!)

Reading Shakespeare: A Play a Month in 2012

I've had a couple tastes of Shakespeare this year and I'm excited to have more next year! Based on the results of the polls, the plays we participants will be reading are:

A Midsummer Night's Dream (I just read this)
Much Ado About Nothing
Twelfth Night
As You Like It
Henry V
Richard III
Cymbeline
Pericles
Macbeth
Antony and Clepoatra
Othello
King Lear

I haven't heard what order they're going in, if there's any order, or if these are even the plays that were decided on for sure. I guess I'll find out later.

2012 Support Your Local Library Challenge

I love libraries! I'm a poor teenager who can't afford to buy many books, so I'm stuck going to the library for most of my reading material.

Right now I'm aiming for level 2--24 books. I would love to aim higher, but my family doesn't go to the library as frequently as I would like, and I don't have the power to change that (yet).

Read Dystopia Challenge 2012

This year I got the chance to read some amazing dystopian books. I really didn't think I'd enjoy dystopia because. honestly, it sounds creepy. Who wants to read about a messed future society? Apparently now I do!

I'm aiming for 4-6 books, making me an Intermediate Post World Trainee. I'm looking forward to reading some more epic dystopian epicness!

These are some books I'm considering

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Possession by Elana Johnson
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
UNTITLED (Matched 3) by Ally Condie

The Classics Reading Challenge 2012

Those of you who have been following for a while know that I attempted (and failed) to host a Read the Classics month back in July. This time I refuse to fail! I'm aiming for 4-6 books, but hopefully will be able to fit some more in.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
Emma by Jane Austen
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

And, of course, my own little concoction! The Fairy Tales Retold Challenge! If anyone has a chance to check it out and sign up, please do. It's going to be lots of fun. I'll be holding monthly discussions, and now I'm considering doing some giveaways and possibly a read-a-thon!

I have no clue what books I'll be reading! I have some sitting on my shelves waiting to be read, and my library has some including the whole "Once Upon a Time" series and a bunch of other good stuff! I'll find a way to make this work out!

UPDATE: I just realized that I said my family both goes to the library very frequently, and also that we rarely get to the library. The latter, sadly, is more true. We don't go to the library a whole lot, but when we do, we get tons of stuff, which makes it seem like we go frequently to the library.

In My Mailbox: Christmas Edition

2011-12-25T17:33:00.000-05:00

This week has been wonderful! I have thoroughly enjoyed this holiday weekend!

Now I get to brag about all the cool stuff I got for Christmas!

In un-book related news, I got a calendar, nail polish, and some games.

In book related news, I got 11 books!

(Pay no attention to the messy sheets surrounding the tree of books)

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

A True Princess by Diane Zahler

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Possession by Elana Johnson

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson

I also got tons of books for my family!

My older sister who is approximately 2 years older than I am loves Sci-fi and dark fantasy. Think Orson Scott Card and J. R. R. Tolkien. (Although her favorite books are Enna Burning and Matched, both of which I introduced her to). I decided to get her books I wanted that seemed to fit her interests.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Then I have my younger sister who is somewhere in between 9 and 12. She likes light contemporary stuff.

She got:

Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister by Liz Kessler

Trading Faces by Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy

Next is my brother who is in between 7 and 10. He is into mystical fantasy stuff, especially anything by Rick Riordan.

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye

Harry Potter Schoolbooks Box Set by JK Rowling

Then there's my little sister who is in between 3 and 6.
Peter Pan Pop Up Book by Robert Sabuda (completely epic)
Berenstain Bears 5 story collection

Now I'm planning on spending the rest of the year reading!

The oh-my-word-the-year-is-over-and-I-haven't-reached-my-goal read-a-thon!

2011-12-23T14:51:00.000-05:00

Enna Isilee over at Squeaky Books, one of my favorite blogs, is hosting a last minute read-a-thon for all those who are behind in their reading (like me). I guess I'm not super behind, but I would love to go above and beyond my goal of 70. I'm really looking forward to this read-a-thon because I, being one of Santa's helpers, know that I will most likely be receiving many books I've been wanting for Christmas!

Anyway, this read-a-thon goes the last 2 days of the year.
I'm spending New Year's Eve babysitting, but all that means is read the kids a bedtime story, then read one to myself until I either fall asleep, or the parents come home. Seems like a perfect opportunity for some last minute reading!

Go sign up so we can be sleep deprived book worms on New Year's Eve together!

Fairy Tales Retold Challenge Part 2

2011-12-21T09:13:00.002-05:00

I wanted to let everyone know that I've decided that along with this challenge, I want to do monthly discussion posts about fairy tales. Each month I'll pick a topic that has to do with fairy tales, and then I'll ask people to contribute their thoughts on it and the roles it plays in fairy tales. Anyone interested can contribute, whether or not they're participating in the challenge. At the beginning of January, I'll decide on a topic and ket everyone know. In the mean time, please sign up!

Now, here’s a list of fairy tale retelllings that I’ve compiled. It’s pretty thorough, but by no means complete. If there’s anything you would like to add, let me know and I’ll add to it as soon as possible!

Cinderella

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

My Fairy Godmother by Janette Rallison

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon
Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Cindy Ella by Robin Palmer

Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey

Cinderellis and the Glass Hill by Gail Carson Levine (The Glass Hill)

Sleeping Beauty

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley

The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Enchantment by Orson Scott Card

The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

Thornspell by Helen Lowe

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey

Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep by Gail Carson Levine

12 Dancing Princesses

The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

The Phoenix Dance by Dia Calhoun

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Rumpelstiltskin

Spinners by Donna Jo Napoli

My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison

The Crimson Thread by Suzanne Weyn

Straw Into Gold by Gary D. Schmidt

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Beauty and the Beast

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Spirited by Nancy Holder

Belle by Cameron Dokey

Beauty by Robin McKinley

Beast by Donna Jo Napoli

Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley

Snow White

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Mira, Mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison

White as Snow by Tanith Lee

Snow by Tracy Lynn

Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen

Rapunzel

Zel by Donna Jo Napoli

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale

Golden by Cameron Dokey

Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst

For Biddle's Sake by Gail Carson Levine (Puddocky)

Toads and Diamonds

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson

The Fairy's Mistake by Gail Carson Levine

Once Upon a Toad by Heather Vogel Frederick

Princess and the Pea

A True Princess by Diane Zahler

Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguie

The Princess Test by Gail Carson Levine

The Wild Swans

The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl

Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler

East O' the Sun, West O' the Moon

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

East by Edith Pattou

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

Jack and the Beanstalk

The World Above by Cameron Dokey

Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale

Crazy Jack by Donna Jo Napoli

Little Red Riding Hood

Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde
Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguie

Little Miss Red by Robin Palmer

The Frog Prince

Water Song by Suzanne Weyn

The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker

The Snow Queen

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Winter's Child by Cameron Dokey

The Little Mermaid

Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie

Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon

Hansel and Gretel

The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

Goose Girl

Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Mulan

Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey

Snow White and Rose Red

Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede

The White Bride and the Black Bride

The Rose Bride by Nancy Holder

The Golden Goose

The Fairy's Return by Gail Carson Levine

Maid Maleen

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

The Swan Maidens

The Swan Maiden by Heather Tomlinson

Puss In Boots

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

Tristan and Isolde

Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

The Arabian Nights

The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey

Original

Aurelie: A Faerie Tale by Heather Tomlinson

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski

Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Palace of Mirrors by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Two Princess of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

Book Review: How to Take the Ex out of Ex-boyfriend

2011-12-20T14:10:00.003-05:00

Giovanna has the hottest boyfriend at school. Not only is Jesse hot, he's nice too! But when her twin brother, Dante, decides to run against the mayor's son for class president, things can only go down hill. When Jesse doesn't agree to help Dante with his campaign, Giovanna takes it personally and ends up without a boyfriend. In an attempt to cheer her up, her friends start setting her up on blind dates, with each one turning out worse than the last one. On top of all that, now she's Dante's campaign manager and is determined for him to win only to for the sake of embarrassing Jesse, even though deep down all she really wants is to have him back.

Janette Rallison is like the clean queen of chick-lit! Her books leave you feeling refreshed. They're kind of like the icing on the chocolate cake that is your bookshelf. Most of your books can be dark and serious, and then to balance it out you have something light and sweet on top!

Fairy Tales Retold Challenge

2011-12-19T14:00:00.003-05:00

Anyone whose read my blog before knows how much I adore fairy tales. I grew up being surrounded by fairy tales, and I completely adore retellings. They expand upon details your heart has been aching to know about. They explain why characters act as they do, and they add unique twists that make you adore (or loathe) the stories even more.

I've been searching around the blogosphere for a fairy tale challenge, but I haven't found one, so I decided to take it into my own hands and come up with my own fairy tale challenge. The only real rule is to have fun with fairy tales, but here are some other things that would be nice to know:

Basics
It goes from January 1st 2012 to December 31st 2012
To sign up, use the form at the end of this post!
You can sign up any time from now until June-ish
I would love you forever if you would follow me, and if you're interested in fairy tales, then you'd probably find my blog interesting anyway!

What Counts
Any retelling at all, or original fairy tales. When I say original fairy tales, I mean books that include many elements of many fairy tales, but aren't actually based on any fairy tales. Some examples are The Princess Bride by William Goldman or Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (BEST BOOK EVER!) Basically a book that should have a fairy tale based on it, but it's too late for it to be the other way around.

Participating
All you need is a desire to read fairy tales, and preferably a way to post reviews. Whether it be a blog, Goodreads, or Amazon, it doesn't matter.

Levels
3 books - Peasant
6 books - Fairy
9 Books - Witch
12 books - Princess
15 books - Dragon
I'm going for Dragon level, and I'll probably end up reading way more than 15 anyway.

Posting Reviews
At the end of each month I'll have a link-up post for any reviews you've done that month. No one is required to post reviews, I just want to see what you think!

So go ahead and sign up! If you have any more questions, let me know!

Book Review: Dragon Spear

2011-12-18T14:35:00.002-05:00

Creel is off on a final adventure to visit the dragons in their new home. All is going well until Velika, the queen of the dragons, is kidnapped by a foreign species of dragons that believe that they are the chosen dragons and that she must be only their queen, and no one else's. Creel and her friends embark on their biggest adventure of all to go save the queen, and still get back in time for Creel and Luka's wedding.

I went into this book not quite sure what to expect. The first book had been wonderful by itself, and the second one also seemed like a solid finish to a series, but now another book?

I wasn't disappointed at all. Her writing was lovely, as always.

The new setting seemed kind of strange at first, but the feeling fit, since everyone was experiencing this new landscape for the first time. It felt kind of like a mix between Polynesia and South America, but with dragons.

I like these books more than any other books about dragons because they aren't just about dragons. There is a wonderful balance of both dragon stuff and human stuff that makes them appealing to lots of people.

This had lots of exciting plot twists that kept me reading! It was thoroughly enjoyable!

Book Review: Dragon Flight

2011-12-10T16:19:00.001-05:00

Creel is growing bored of life as a seamstress, despite the popularity of her dress shop, and wishes to fly with the dragons again! Her wish is granted in an unexpected way when she learns that Citatie has taken control of the dragons and is breeding them in preparation for battle. She travels to Citatie along with her friends to warn Luka and save the dragons to restore peace once more!

Jessica Day George never fails to please me! The best way I can describe her writing is that it's like watching a fantasy/action movie while snuggling under a warm blanket with a mug of cocoa. It just looks and sounds like fun! And that's what her books are: fun; especially her Dragon series.

Her writing was simply perfect. The words just seemed to flow right off the page and into my head. I can never get enough Jessica Day George!

The plot was interesting. It was different than I was expecting, but in a good way. The characters were just as amazing as ever. It was fun watching them grow and develop even further. The romance was sweet and kind of mushy, but it was cute!

Language: 1
Violence: 2
Romance: 1

An all around clean read!

Book Review: Romeo and Juliet

2011-12-07T08:16:00.001-05:00

So, a couple months ago I was encouraged (forced) to join a Shakespeare study group. The first play we studied was Romeo and Juliet. This is the play everyone knows the basic plot of. The story wasn't new to me. It's a classic tale that can be adapted to any audience (the first time I heard the story was 10 years ago watching PBS Kids).

This play is similar to twilight in the fact that people either love it or hate it, and maybe three people stand to the side and neither like or dislike it. I'm one of those three. I think the play has different pros and cons about it. The characters acted irrationally, but if you think about it, in LOTS of books people act irrationally, but no one judges them!

I loved this play as an introduction to Shakespeare's language. Before this, I couldn't have cared less about plays and poetry, but now I love it! He weaves together his story so beautifully (no matter how pointless and confusing the story is).

Book Review: Beastly

2011-12-05T09:30:00.001-05:00

Kyle Kingsbury has always been perfect. He’s rich and popular; what more could he ask for?
When the girl who he picks on turns out to be a witch, he’s really in for it! Now he’s a beast, locked up in an apartment by his father who only cares about looking good, which his son does not. Being locked up with no one else but the old maid and the blind tutor is getting pretty dull, until he ends up getting a random girl from school stuck living with him.
He only has a year left to make Lindy fall in love with him, or else be cursed to be ugly for eternity.

I heard about this right around when the movie came out. It sounded interesting, and decided to delve in further. Finally, my library had a copy, so I grabbed it.
I think the whole idea of a modern fairy tale is interesting, and this is probably the best execution of one that I've read so far. The tale of Beauty and the Beast can be taken so many different ways, and I think this version worked out pretty well. It stayed true to the story, while adding it's own twists. The only thing I wish it had, but was glad it didn't, was a more fairy tale-ish feeling. I love having that magic in a story, which is why I read fantasy stuff most of the time. At the same time, I'm glad it didn't have that because it just wouldn't fit the setting of the story at all!
The characters were all very unique. Kyle/Adrian kind of grows on you after you see he's not such a bad guy after all! Lindy was also likeable, although I couldn't get the image of Vanessa Hudgens out of my head while reading this.

Language: 3
Violence: 1
Romance: 3

I'm not dead (yet...)

2011-11-28T22:44:00.001-05:00

I've been ignoring this blog so much lately! I've had so much other stuff going on that I haven't had much time to write reviews or anything else!

But never fear! In December I'll be writing reviews of all the books I've read in October and November (although I've had very little time to read this month)

And I'm planning a giving Christmas presents of some sorts to some followers of mine!

Thank you for loyalty and patience. I'll be doing stuff much more frequently next month, even if it kills me!

Author Interview: Robin Waldrop

2011-11-15T02:13:00.000-05:00

Today I'm excited to welcome Robin Waldrop to center stage!

Robin hails from Miami, but lives in Alabama with best friend, business partner, and husband John. She is a mother of five, grandmother of seven, and owner of a variety of different animals.

When she’s not working at her business with her husband she’s found chained to her computer where she likes to play with all her imaginary friends.

She enjoys writing edgy Suspense/Thrillers as well as YA/Urban Fantasy, and has won two editors choice awards . Always a voracious reader with an unapologetic television addiction, Robin still searches for the perfect cup of coffee.

Her blog is at http://www.robinpwaldrop.blogspot.com

Her new YA/Urban Fantasy will hit the shelves November 15th. You don’t want to miss it.

Ties To The Blood Moon is about a teenage girl who moves in with her aunt in Alaska after the death of her mother. Soon after her arrival she learns that the things she was raised to believe only existed in fairytales are in fact a big part of her history. When it gets to be too much she seeks refuge in the arms of her boyfriend, only to find out he's not who she thought he was either.

Who inspires you to write?
Gosh. You know, that’s a really hard one to answer. When I first became serious about writing, it was authors like John Grisham, Catherine Coulter, Nora Roberts, etc… . Later, I learned there were authors out there who could write every bit as good as the big names and were self-publishing on Amazon, my admiration changed. It’s easy to sit back and let your editor, and your publisher, and your PR people do the leg work to make you a success. It’s the little guys who did it all themselves, and now they rake in as much as the big dogs. They are the ones who truly inspire me to keep going.

If you could meet any author (living or dead), who would it be?
Stephen King. I am a huge fan. He has the most twisted imagination, and so many of my friends say I do, too. I would love the opportunity for him to mentor me.

What do you do when you aren’t writing?
Sleeping…lol. Just kidding, but I do write at least eighty percent of the time. I can't help it. I love writing. However, sometimes I do go treasure hunting with my metal detector.

If you couldn’t be a writer, what would you want to be?
A singer, but unfortunately God did not bless me with a gifted voice. When I sing dogs howl. No kidding, I am terrible.

Where did the idea for your book come from?
Well, for some time I had wanted to write something other than suspense/thriller novels. My daughters and I were talking about all the vamp movies and how they were all basically the same. Wimpy human girl with vamp boyfriend to protect her. Personally, I refuse to write with a protaganist who is anything but kick butt. So, I thought about for a while and came up with Genevieve. She's a strong young un-human woman who tells it like it is, who can stand on her own, but at the same time is very likeable, and occasionally gets into trouble where she needs the help of her friends.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what 3 books would you bring?
The bible (of course), Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, just because I love her writing, and an
extremely large notebook (for writing). I could withstand just about anything as long as I could write.

How does it feel knowing you’ve written and published a book?
It's the most invigorating and satisfying feeling in the world to see something you have put your blood, sweat, and tears into finally out there where the world can share it.

Are you working on anything new?
I have just started book two in the Ties To The Blood Moon series, and also am in the middle of rewriting my very first novel, an FBI suspense/thriller, Twisted, which is now called The Cabin. I'm thinking about making that one into a series as well.

If you had to choose one food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Coffee, coffee, coffee! I know it's not technically a food, but it's all I drink 24/7. No joke! If I'm awake I have a cup of coffee somewhere close by.

I want to thank Robin for doing this interview! She was such a pleasure to work with!

Book Review: Divergent

2011-11-01T10:26:00.000-04:00

In a perfect world, divided into 5 factions, their is no middle ground. You must pick one faction, and forever abide by their rules. Beatrice is just like any other Abnegation, but she wants more than to live her life forever being selfless. After her results from the aptitude test show she is Divergent (inconclusive), she must choose for herself, without any clue which faction she should belong in.
The choice she makes surprises everyone, even herself! She is Dauntless now. The Dauntless are strong and courageous. She will learn to be strong and courageous, too.
When she arrived at the Dauntless headquarters, Tris didn’t know what to expect, but she certainly wasn’t expecting what she got! In order to stay in the game, she’ll have to hurt her friends, face her fears, and keep her Divergence a secret, or face dire consequences.

I acquired this book from a friend. I’d hear lots of good things about it, and although it isn’t a fairy tale, I thought I’d give it a go.
This book was beyond amazing. I think that’s the thing about dystopia that’s attracting people. It’s so thrilling. It isn’t something completely make believe. It takes place on OUR Earth, and honestly, sometimes it isn’t as different from our society as we think.
The plot was so exciting; an edge-of-my-seat book through and through. The writing was so amazing. It fit the mood of the book, and kept me captivated.
The only problem I had for this book was the inappropriateness. I read lots of books below my age group, and lots above my age group. This I’d say was kind of on the high end. This is the book that made me decide to also include ratings for language, violence, and romance in my review.
Language: 2 points
Their wasn’t much bad language, but their was enough to give it 2 points.
Violence: 4 points
This book is bursting with violence. The Dauntless have to beat each other up everyday in order to remain in their faction.
Romance: 3 points
By romance, I mean serious stuff. This book got pretty serious at some points. Nothing actually happened, but things got pretty close. It got bad enough that one of my friends just stopped reading in the middle. I almost got to that point, but I knew I’d regret not finishing.

Despite all that, I still love it!

Guess what I signed up for...

2011-11-01T08:56:00.003-04:00

Guess what! I decided about a week ago to participate in NaNoWriMo. I've had an idea for a novel in the back of my head and scribbled in the margins of my notebooks, but it hasn't come to life...until now. I'm attempting to write this novel in ONE MONTH. It's very likely it will be impossible for me because of a crazy schedule and a brother who's completely addicted to the computer.
I've been doing everything in my power to get a laptop, but that hasn't been working out very well. I will get one eventually, but for now I'll just have to make use of the time I get when the rest of my family is asleep (it pays to be able to function well on 6 hours of sleep).
And right now, I'm using up my noveling time blogging about how I shouldn't be wasting it (not that this blog is a waste! I love my blog!)
So now, I leave to go write. Farewell people! May the odds be ever in my favor!

It's Monday! What are you reading? (14)

2011-10-31T08:49:00.002-04:00

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

Read in the Past Week

Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George

Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George

Currently Reading this Week

How to Take the Ex out of Ex-boyfriend by Janette Rallison

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

To Read in the Coming Week

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Series Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy

2011-10-26T15:35:00.001-04:00

The Hunger Games

“In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

“Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.”
(blurb from Goodreads)

I read this almost a year ago and couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next ones. It was packed with adventure and excitement! I had never read any dystopia before, but I fell in love with it instantly. The writing was stunning. The characters were believable. The plot was thrilling. The romance was cute, but not serious. I think that’s one of the things I like the most about this series is that it has everything you want in a Young Adult novel, and it doesn’t have anything you don’t want (although the violence got pretty extreme at some points). I was so captivated from the beginning to the end!

Catching Fire

"Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol. Catching Fire maintains the adrenaline rush of Suzanne Collins's series launch."
(blurb from Goodreads)

This is my favorite in the series! Everything about it is amazing! With an unplanned rebellion starting back up, Katniss isn’t sure what to do. Then she’s thrust back into the Games with Peeta!
Oh, how this book makes me love Peeta even more! I seriously want to hug him! He’s just so darn lovable! I love everything about him! He’s so clever!
This book has even more adventure than the last one! All the new characters are so awesome! And the old characters are even more awesome than they were in the last book. The ending caught me by surprise. I was literally on the edge of my seat -- reaching for Mockingjay, which was just a bit too out of reach!

Mockingjay

"Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding."
(blurb from Goodreads)

Exhilarating
Heart wrenching
Deep
Terrifying
Depressing
Dark
Compelling

These are the words that came to mind right after I finished. I think they sum up the whole series pretty well. I have to say I didn’t plan ahead when it came to reading this book. I finished it while squished in a mini van with my family in the middle of the night. I shed a couple tears after finishing, and my family was staring at me like I was crazy!
I found the beginning a bit slow, but then once the action started, it really didn’t stop until the very end. I have somewhat mixed feelings about the ending. I liked it, but I felt it could’ve been improved. I can’t hate any part of this book, though.

Book Review: Finally

2011-10-18T07:14:00.000-04:00

Rory Swenson has been waiting for her 12th birthday for, well, 12 years! She’s been keeping a list of everything she’s allowed to do once she’s 12. From big things like getting her ears pierced to small things like buying lunch at school. But once she reaches the big 1-2, she isn’t prepared for the crazy ride that she’s in for. Everything on her list goes wrong. It turns out she’s allergic to all-natural makeup, her new pet bunny is actually a murderer, she sucks at being a certified babysitter, and so many more things. Not to mention that she’s an extra in a movie starring the hottest Hollywood actors around!

I enjoy reading middle grade fiction. This book made my life seem so simple. My parents aren’t strict, so I never had to put up with this kind of stuff. I was allowed to do all the things on Rory’s list when I was 11, I’ve just chosen not to do some of them.
Wendy Mass always impresses me. Her books are funny and clever and realistic, and you always learn something from them. The lessons I learned from this book are never buy a bunny named Kyle, stay away from coffee and contact lenses, and you can make a bigger impact on people than you think.

Book Review: A Tale of Two Castles

2011-10-17T10:13:00.000-04:00

Elodie has just arrived in Two Castles, leaving her home forever to pursue a career as a mansioner. But she soon learns that she’ll never be able to become a mansioner’s apprentice, so she takes the next best job: a dragon’s assistant. The dragon Meenore enjoys solving mysteries, and is training Elodie to induce and deduce things as well as IT can.
Then Elodie is sent by Meenore to go work in the castle of the ogre, Count Jonty Um, hoping to uncover the mysteries that have been surrounding him.

Gail Carson Levine has astounded me once again! Reading this felt like visiting an old friend. Her writing is just as amazing as ever, but now it’s in a new setting. Her characters were as unique as ever. Although I figured out who it was the moment Elodie saw them, it was still fun to read how she unravels the mystery herself.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (13)

2011-10-17T08:29:00.004-04:00

Read in the Past Week

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Currently Reading this Week

Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George

To Read in the Coming Week

Beauty by Robin McKinley

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Author Interview: S. B. Sebrick

2011-10-12T12:52:00.000-04:00

Please welcome out to the stage, S. B. Sebrick!

S. B. Sebrick was raised in Vancouver, Washington as part of a large family adjacent to an abandoned dairy, with plenty of opportunity for his imagination to expand. His fascination with writing fiction evolved from playing with his legos as ten years old to actually putting the stories and characters in his head on paper. His biggest pet peeve is his alarm clock's high-pitched shrieking. He has a mild fascination with Martial Arts and Wilderness Survival, but writing comes first!

He's the author of the new ebook, Decoy.

"The last few grueling years of training have served Kaltor well. He’s learned to harness the magic within his body, overcome a stronger opponent, avoid capture, and everything else an assassin-in-training needs to survive.

Or so he thought.

But when those they protect at an excavation site release a demon from the Abyss itself, Kaltor realizes just how poorly prepared they all are for what’s coming. Within a single night, their mining camp of one thousand people plummets to a couple hundred terrified survivors, the majority turned against each other by the demon’s potent abilities. Then she turns towards Shaylis, the largest city in the region, for the next stage of her plan.

In a constant battle of both steel and strategy Kaltor and his friends struggle to delay, deceive and defeat their opponent, who’s spent the last thousand years planning out every detail of her assault to perfection. As the number of casualties mounts and her final plan comes to light, Kaltor is left with only one option. He must draw on the secret power within himself, knowing if his true identity is discovered, his life and the fate of the world, will be changed forever."

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I've been interested in writing every since my fifth grade math teacher
decided to do a mathematical analysis of R. L. Stine's proceeds from
his Goosebumps series. That's when I first got the "fever" and it's been
growing and maturing ever since :) I wrote my first novella when I was
13 years old and have been toying with the same characters all through
high school and half of college before finally writing Decoy and putting
it up for sale.

Who inspires you to write?
My Aunt DiAnne does a great job of motivating me to keep developing my
skills as a fiction writer. My biggest inspiration comes from Dr. Carey,
my fiction writing teacher from my community college back home. She
watched my writing skill progress over the course of a couple years, so
I'm very grateful for all she's taught me.

If you could meet any author (living or dead), who would it be?
That would probably be Robert Jordan, since he had the nerve to pass
away before finishing his Wheel of Time series. I'd ask him how he
managed to plan and write such a large series, and let him know Brandon
Sanderson is doing an excellent job of carrying the torch as he finishes
it.

What do you do when you aren’t writing?
I help manage a Writer's Group at the university I'm attending. If I
can get my hands on a good fantasy book I can plow through them pretty
quick. I like to shake things up when I need a change. For my birthday
last year I went sky diving, how much cooler can turning 24 get?

If you couldn’t be a writer, what would you want to be?
I like the idea of working in internet marketing and building my own
websites to monetize. That was the next project on my to try list
actually, before I realized how easy and fun self-publishing can be :)
I've also considered working in the medical field as a Nurse Anesthetist.

Where did the idea for your book come from?
I've been developing this fantasy world since I was 13, so it's hard to
pin down a specific source of the idea. My writing has been largely
influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, but I
also have some young adult influences that keep my writing style a bit
shorter and faster-paced than the fantasy authors I usually read.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what 3 books would you bring?
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival (for practical reasons),
Mistborn (for fantasy) and The Walking Drum (for fast-paced character
driven fiction).

How does it feel knowing you’ve written and published a book?
Honestly, I'm still mildly shocked I actually took the "plunge". I
don't think it will really "sink in" till word starts spreading around
this month and Decoy gets a bit more exposure. It feels very fulfilling
as a writer so far though, since I can already see people enjoying my
book. It's great :)

Are you working on anything new?
Well, Decoy is part of a series so the second book is obviously in the
workings. I'm also toying with an idea for a zombie novel and/or series,
but I'm not sure which will be done first! Depends on how the market
reacts to Decoy this month I suppose.

If you had to choose one food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Chocolate Hazelnut Milkshakes are amazing, though I'd have to workout
non-stop to keep the weight off if they were my only food, it would be
so tasty!

I want to thank S. B. Sebrick for his patience! I took quite a while getting the questions to him, but I finally managed!

Book Review: Goose Chase

2011-10-06T11:59:00.000-04:00

Alexandria never thought that being nice to an old lady would result in all it did. First she becomes drop dead gorgeous, which leads to a king and a prince locking her up and a tower and fighting over her hand in marriage. Thankfully, her 12 geese come and rescue her, but then her problems really start...

This was such a fun little book! It's the perfect example of a real fairy tale. Something exciting happens in the beginning, only to be followed by much misery and woe until finally the heroine reaches a happily ever after. But it remains utterly charming throughout all the struggles she faces!

All the characters were unique and wonderful to read about. I particularly enjoyed the character Alexandria's hair became! I never thought about how hair might have a personality!

The ending was particularly surprising and fun to read! It takes a true genius to weave together that kind of end to a fairy tale!

Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

2011-10-05T11:42:00.000-04:00

To Kill a Mockingbird will forever be a classic piece of American Literature.

It is a story of how life isn't always fair, told from the innocent perspective of a young girl.

I love this story! Much earlier this year I had to write an essay on the movie To Kill a Mockingbird. I'd never seen it before and had no interest in seeing it. Finally, the night before the paper was due, I sat down and watched it. It was so powerful. The acting was amazing and the story was so real. I quickly whipped out an essay about it, and my teacher loved it. I was the only one in my class who liked the movie.

The book was a billion times better (if that's possible). The narrative was so perfect. I felt like I was there in every moment.

The courtroom scenes were particularly intense, even though I knew the outcome.

I am forever grateful to my mom for forcing me to watch the movie and read the book!

September Monthly Overview

2011-10-04T15:50:00.000-04:00

Read

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C Wrede (audiobook)

Matched by Ally Condie (audiobook)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

Challenges:

The only challenge I'm currently in the middle of is the Books to Movies challenge. I've read quite a few books with movies based on them, but I haven't managed to watch any yet! I will before the end of this year, though!

Stats

Page Views:

251

I have 22 followers (including myself (because I'm weird like that))

Blogger Interview: Lindsay from LindsayWrites

2011-10-01T09:16:00.000-04:00

Today I'm Interviewing the awesome Lindsay Cummings of Lindsay Writes! Here's a bit about her:
Lindsay Cummings is a 20-year-old YA author of all things Science Fiction.
She grew up trying to be just like her dad, an adult Thriller author who is also a double amputee/Lindsay's hero.

Why did you start your blog?

I'm an author! I really wanted to reach out to the YA community and
learn everything I could about it, and bloggers are SO FREAKING BOSS.
Now I'm part blogger, part author, part YA reader. So much fun!

Where did the name of your blog come from?
It's Lindsay Writes. My name is Lindsay. I write. Lol. It was pretty simple to decide on what I wanted it to be! :)

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what 3 books would you bring?

This question KILLS me! I'd bring
the Bible, first of all. Then Catcher in the Rye, because I could read
that book a million times. And then...something like... Escaping a
Deserted Island for Dummies, so I could get back home and go straight to
the bookstore and catch up on all the books I'd missed over the past
months or whatever!

What are you doing when you aren’t reading or blogging?
I'm
writing, working on revisions for my agent, thinking of new plots and
characters, hanging out with my German Shepherds, and contributing to
the new author group called Teen Shiver! Which everyone should go check
out if they love YA! Some awesome, successful authors in our group! http://teenshiver.blogspot.com/

What are 3 words that describe your personality?
ooh great question. Hmm... Determined. Focused. Fun!

If you had to pick one author to meet, who would it be?
Probably
Beth Revis. She is my HERO. It took that woman so many years to get a
book published, and look at where she is now! What an inspiring lady.
She rocks, and if you haven't read her book, Across the Universe, you
must! :)

What’s your favorite fairy tale?
I love the darker fairy tales, like all of Grimm's fairy tales!

How old were you when you learned to read?
I have NO idea. I wish I could say I popped out of the womb knowing how to read, lol. That would be awesome.

How many books do you read in a week?
I usually get to 2 or 3, just depending on how often I take naps. I'm a major napper. Soooo nice and refreshing.

What’s the first book you remember reading?
Hank the Cowdog!! My favorite series as a kid, I used to read them alllll the time. I sort of miss Hank!

Red, Yellow, or Blue?
Blue! It reminds me of the ocean, and rain!

White, Milk, or Dark Chocolate?
Milk. Always the milk.

Hot milk chocolate, on strawberries. I'm drooling.

Harry Potter, Twilight, or Hunger Games?
Hunger Games AND Harry Potter. I refuse to pick a side! lol

Fantasy, Romance, or Historical Fiction?
Totally fantasy. Romance bores me, and I didn't enjoy History in high school!

Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, or Broccoli?
Broccoli with butter. Yummy!

Book Review: Matched

2011-09-28T12:17:00.000-04:00

Cassia has always been looking forward to her Match banquet, but never expected to be Matched with Xander, her best friend. But when she plugs her micro card into her home port, she isn’t prepared for what she sees. Instead of the face of Xander looking at her, it’s the face of Ky Markham.
Although Cassia knows that she’s meant to be with Xander, she can’t help but wonder why it would show Ky’s face, when an official says his name was never put in the Matching pool to begin with. She can’t stop thinking about Ky, and begins spending time with him when they hike together. Ky knows many secrets about the Society, being from one of the Outer Provinces and being an Aberration.
In a Society that limits your choices, Cassia is left with many hard choices to make. Should she choose Ky or Xander? Should she trust the Society, that isn’t as perfect as it seems?

WOW! Matched is AMAZING! Everything about it is perfect! Where do I start?
The Society! I think this may have finished the work that the Hunger Games started with pulling me into Dystopia. I loved the Society because it scared me, which made the book feel more personal. It scared me because I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if someone was controlling my every move! I don’t want to have to risk my life to keep a little secret. I would HATE having to lose my freedom of choice and creativity! Those are some of the best things about life! This gave me a lot of sympathy for the characters, few of which knew what they were missing!
All the characters were great! If I had to pick a favorite, I’d have to say Cassia’s grandfather. He put up somewhat of a silent struggle against the Society. He kept an illegal poem for all those years, and he chose to die forever, instead of having the possibility of coming back.
Ky and Xander were both wonderful characters, and I honestly can’t tell who Cassia will pick. Xander is kind of the safe choice. They’ve always known each other, and he’s just like any other citizen. He’s so kind and smart, and seems to truly love Cassia. On the other hand, Ky is more of the dangerous type. He has lots of secrets about his past, and he has become a marked man through no fault of his own. He is an outcast, and has learned how to live that way.
I’d personally choose Xander, but I can see why many would choose Ky.
The writing itself was lovely. It added to the sense of perfection in the Society. It was very vivid; I could imagine everything very clearly.
Once I was finished, I was hungry for more. I felt that it left off at a horrible spot. Once it reached the climax, it was over! I can’t wait for Crossed! I’m glad I read this so close to the release of Crossed, or I’d be going crazy!