tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71403909030116277622024-03-13T17:18:58.018-05:00Amanda (AnotherBookJunkie)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.comBlogger212125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-47109168381956422432011-08-06T08:00:00.049-05:002011-08-06T08:00:06.327-05:00Review: Vanish, by Sophie Jordan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298940410l/9436632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298940410l/9436632.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vanish-Firelight-Novel-Sophie-Jordan/dp/0061935107?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Vanish</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0061935107" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, by Sophie Jordan<br />
Publish Date: September 6, 2011<br />
Publisher: HarperTeen<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9780061935107</span></span><br />
Genre: YA Fantasy<br />
Pages: 304<br />
Source: ARC for review<br />
Series: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/50238-firelight">Firelight #2</a><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.</span></blockquote>NOTE: This review was written on May 21, 2011, prepared for posting today. This review will most likely contain spoilers to Firelight, so if you haven't read that one, you should probably stop reading now.<br />
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My feelings toward Vanish are bittersweet. I love the world Sophie Jordan has created, and I devoured Vanish just as easily as I did Firelight. However, to put it bluntly, the endings piss me off. There is no climax followed up by falling action, in my opinion. It's more like the incredible build to a climax, only to end <i>during </i>said climax. Firelight's cliffhanger was a killer but it was tolerable. Vanish's cliffhanger left me raising my eyebrows.<br />
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Jacinda's indecisiveness was another thing that annoyed me in Vanish. She can't seem to figure out where she belongs, and once you think she has it figured out, she changes her mind. She also didn't stand up to some people that I personally think she should have told to suck it. People treat her like shit, and she allows it and even thinks she deserves it. Hell no.<br />
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We know how I feel about love triangles. I'm not going to go into that. However, it doesn't <i>really</i> bother me in Firelight. I don't know why, but I feel as though the pride life and the secondary characters provide enough entertainment for me to overlook the love triangle/square. It probably also helps that I absolutely love both Will and Cassian, and though I know who she'll end up with, I really have no idea who <i>I </i>want her to end up with.<br />
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You can't help but feel for every character in these books. (Well except for maybe the hunters and the pride leaders. They can go to hell.) But everyone else! Everyone is going through some sort of personal struggle and you can't help but wish there was a way to make a happy ending for everyone involved.<br />
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Despite the few times I wanted to reach into the book and slap Jacinda (or better yet, slap someone <i>for </i>Jacinda) I ate. it. up. There is never a dull moment in these books. Words are never wasted and we're never given more or less than we need, with action from beginning to end, you just don't want to put it down. And then it ends.<br />
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And then you die.<br />
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4.5/5 Stars<br />
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<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-29047914397122204252011-05-31T15:40:00.001-05:002011-05-31T15:41:40.045-05:00The Future of Another Book Junkie<p>This will probably be the last post you'll see around here, for a while. I'm in the process of joining the girls at Good Choice Reading, though the details of that are being hammered out. It's unclear at this point whether I will be a permanent reviewer there, or just a guest reviewer. It's up to the girls, and it's their blog, so whatever they decide is fine with me.<br><br>I've been thinking about this for a while now. I almost just shut the blog down completely to remove myself from the book blogging world. To be honest, it feels like high school anymore, and it gets a little tiring. The fact that you can't say something in general without someone assuming it's about a particular blogger, and running to tell them as if it will somehow put me in my place, is just sad. Especially when you don't follow that blogger, or know anything about them. I'm not intimidated by anyone, anywhere. None of us are better than the rest. Thousands of followers doesn't make you better than the blogger with ten. I didn't deal with the cliques in high school, and I'm not dealing with them in blogging. (Please note that this opinion does not reflect the girls at Good Choice Reading in any way whatsoever.)<br><br>But that isn't really what this is about. It plays a role, but for the most part, I really just do not want to do anything more than reviewing. I'm only taking half a step back, of course, rather than removing myself completely. I'm not a fan of doing the memes (though I have nothing against those who do), and apparently I'm incapable of coming up with many other post ideas. I'm jaded, it's crystal clear at this point. Something else that is clear? My blog is dead. Guys, very very few even enter GIVEAWAYS. Which I'm fine with! My blog is dead because I'm an inconsistent blogger and believe me I understand that. I'm blaming no one for the crickets you hear. <br><br>So my plan is to just review. I'll review for Good Choice Reading, and help out with anything they want/need help with, and that's it. This blog will remain just as you're reading it now. I don't want to delete all of the reviews from the past, and who knows, maybe one day I'll feel like diving back in head first. I guess we'll see. <br><br>Thank you to anyone who has ever read a single thing I've written. <br>Ciao.</p> Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-50153233574073729062011-05-30T13:17:00.000-05:002011-05-30T13:17:19.765-05:00Review: Other Words for Love, by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275967548l/8253694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275967548l/8253694.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Other-Words-Love-Lorraine-Rosenthal/dp/038573901X?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Other Words for Love,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=038573901X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal<br />
Published: January 11, 2011<br />
Publisher: Delacorte<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9780385739016</span></span><br />
Genre: YA Contemporary<br />
Pages: 368<br />
Source: Library<br />
Series: n/a<br />
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<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York--and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari's family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">When misfortune befalls Blake's family, he pulls away, and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else?</span></blockquote><br />
I wanted to like Other Words for Love. No, I wanted to <i>love </i>Other Words for Love.<br />
<br />
Ari's story had a rocky start for me, with over a hundred pages passed before we meet the boy she is supposed to fall in an out of love with. This time was filled with family drama; her sister Evelyn's mood swings, Ari's lying down and taking this shit Evelyn dishes out, her lusting for her sister's husband, and a friend who is quite frankly, a shallow selfish bitch. Not to mention a mother whose character felt inconsistent. These characters are written well, so well that I found myself sick at my distaste for them. For me, this shine's a light on Lorraine's writing ability, to make me to have to take a step back and realize that these characters are fiction, and I can't go back in time and tell them they're all full of shit.<br />
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Before Ari meets Blake, she's already heavily lusting after two other guys, and it just didn't make me like her character anymore than I already did. Which was, not at all. I just didn't connect with her. Well developed? Yes. Likable? Not for me personally. She was driven purely by hormones, and I suppose that is the point, but I'm not a fan of these situations. When she wasn't worried about one of the various older men in her life, she was complaining about and/or jealous of a toddler. I just didn't like her. I found myself having to force my way through the novel at times, because my disconnect with Ari was so strong. She really wasn't any better than Summer, in my opinion.<br />
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I really couldn't connect with a single character, aside from Leigh. And even then, it wasn't a very strong connection and it was most likely the artist in her that I was drawn to. I'm not saying they weren't well-fleshed out characters, because they definitely were. I just didn't really like any of them, and it's not easy to read a story when there isn't a single character you genuinely like.<br />
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Other Words for Love is a well written, well plotted story about a girl just trying to find her way. Everything about the story feels painfully <i>real. </i>(Although, I must be honest, I do not understand the point of it being set in the 80's. Sure, AIDS played a small roll in the anxiety of Ari's choices, but those stakes would be just as high today, if not higher. I'm not going to focus much on that, however, because I don't know the true meaning behind the time period.) Even the ending isn't the fairy tale ending everyone is used to and vies for. If Lorraine were to tell me it wasn't fiction, I would probably believe her, because it is that realistic.<br />
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I guess at the end of the day, I didn't connect well with it because I didn't like the characters. It truly is beautifully crafted with characters you'll probably either love or hate. Lorraine Zago Rosenthal is one hell of a story teller. If you can connect with the characters, I have no doubts that Other Words for Love would make a fan out of you. This just wasn't the story for me, but I will be watching for Lorraine's next release, because I know with the right story I could easily be a big fan of hers.<br />
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3/5 Stars<br />
<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-64083251780304318522011-05-16T10:31:00.000-05:002011-05-16T10:31:00.806-05:00Negative reviews & a possible hiatus.Negative reviews are necessary. Every kind of feedback is beneficial to both a reader and the author. I'm all for writing your honest feelings about a book. However, for <i>me</i>, it's draining. Reading a review book and not enjoying it, and knowing I'm going to review it and say why I didn't enjoy it, is stressful for me. I think I have enough stress in my life and I'm tired of adding to it.<br />
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So. From now on, unless a my view of a book is at least 50% positive, I won't be writing a review. (I will still rate it on Goodreads, however.)If you've sent me a book for review and have yet to see a review around here, please go <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://anotherbookjunkie.blogspot.com/p/review-request-status-work-in-progress.html">here </a></b>to see the status on your book. I apologize if this is an inconvenience to anyone, but I need to get back to reading for enjoyment.<br />
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As I mentioned before, I have enough stress in life right now, and I may be taking a brief hiatus. I'm not sure how long, or if it will even happen, but things need to settle down around here, and I need to focus on that. But I'll be back.<br />
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<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-29326060676970226182011-05-15T10:04:00.000-05:002011-05-15T10:04:06.150-05:00Rapid ReviewI've read a few eARCS recently that I either can't review on the blog yet, or I don't have enough to say about them to write a full review. So. A few words on each!<br />
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1284749033l/8349244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1284749033l/8349244.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Tabitha-Suzuma/dp/1442419954?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Forbidden</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1442419954" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, by Tabitha Suzuma<br />
Release date: June 28, 2011<br />
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I was reading Forbidden, and hit about the halfway mark. I started wondering what others thought of the book, so I went and read some reviews. I accidentally read one with spoilers. (It isn't the reviewer's fault. "Spoiler Warning" was there, in the same font as the review. I just didn't notice it.) So I knew the ending. This is a hell of an ending folks. Seriously. So I lost the desire to keep reading. So I skimmed. Even in skimming, the book was beautiful. The ending was absolutely heartbreaking. I won't rate it, because I don't believe it's fair for me to rate a book I skimmed, but I do think it's worth a read.<br />
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1288950765l/8922087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1288950765l/8922087.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Day-Before-Lisa-Schroeder/dp/1442417439?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Day Before</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1442417439" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, by Lisa Schroeder<br />
Release date: June 28, 2011<br />
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I love novels in verse, but I never really know what to say about them. The Day Before is a love story, intertwined with what it means to <i>live.</i> These books can easily be read in one sitting, and this one was quite enjoyable. 4.5/5<br />
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1295998961l/8849382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1295998961l/8849382.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8849382-gone-gone-gone">Gone, Gone, Gone</a> by Hannah Moskowitz<br />
Release Date: April 17, 2012<br />
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Lips are sealed. Can't say anything about this one. You will get a review eventually. But for now, you should add it to your tbr, watch list, however you work. It was fantastic.<br />
Add it! 5/5<br />
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<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-59491789398631578202011-05-11T12:41:00.000-05:002011-05-11T12:41:21.537-05:00Review: The Iron Daughter, by Julie Kagawa<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1271790654l/7747064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1271790654l/7747064.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Daughter-Harlequin-Teen/dp/0373210132?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Iron Daughter</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0373210132" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, by Julie Kagawa.<br />
Published: August 1, 2010<br />
Publisher: Harlequin Teen<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9780373210138</span></span><br />
Genre: YA Fantasy<br />
Pages: 359<br />
Source: Bought<br />
Series: Iron Fey #2<br />
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<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.</span></blockquote><blockquote>Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.</blockquote>Goodness these covers are absolutely gorgeous.<br />
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I'm so in love with the world Julie Kagawa has created. The Winter, Summer, and Iron Fey are all so unique in their appearance, actions, and abilities. I can't help but crave more of the world.<br />
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I'll warn you now, while I like both Ash and Puck, I am absolutely Team Puck. I simply do not understand the romance between she and Ash. When they aren't making googly eyes at each other, or making out, he's telling her they can never be together. It gets old. Quickly. Maybe because I prefer Puck's character, who is the NICE guy. Dammit, for once, I want the nice guy to get the girl. But we know this isn't going to happen. So I'm wondering, how do you push forward in a series, knowing the protagonist will not end up with the one you want her with?<br />
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Speaking of the protagonist. Meghan annoyed the bloody hell out of me this time around. I don't know why, if she changed or if I did, because I adored her in the first book. This time I just wanted to tell her to shut the hell up and focus on what was most important. Because the fate of the fey weren't on the line or anything, so thinking about Ash every damn second definitely made more sense.....<br />
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Did I mention I loved the <i>story?</i> Because hotdamn, I love the story. I was drawn in, anxiously flipping pages to find out what happens next, simultaneously fighting the urge to throw the book any time love came into the equation. Whether it was Puck or Ash, I didn't want to read it. Because in the end of a love triangle, someone always gets hurt. I loath a love triangle.<br />
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I love the story, so I'll continue reading the series. But dammit I wish there wasn't a love triangle.<br />
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4/5 Stars<br />
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<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-38655953200876256762011-05-10T11:39:00.000-05:002011-05-10T11:39:23.284-05:00Top Ten TuesdayTop Ten Tuesday is hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a>!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T6ycYM15EZk/TWx5ZpS0j-I/AAAAAAAAAeA/cEIZ0CpKO-k/s1600/TTT3W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T6ycYM15EZk/TWx5ZpS0j-I/AAAAAAAAAeA/cEIZ0CpKO-k/s200/TTT3W.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This week's topic is biggest jerks in literature. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(In no particular order)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. Eric Northman from the Sookie Stackhouse series--Yeah, I've only read the first five. I can't seem to tolerate Charlaine Harris' writing. However, I do love the story, and Eric's an asshole. And oh, how I love thee. (And I'm choosing him because I love him. The real asshole is Bill, obviously! However, he deserves no such recognition!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Wesley from The DUFF--he's a douche nugget. He shows himself for the asshole that he is in the very first chapter. Soda to the face was not enough. But he grows on a person.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. Alex&Carlos Fuentes from Perfect Chemistry&Rules of Attraction-- They're both the epitome of a bad boy. Sure they both soften as they fall in love, but it doesn't change the fact that they're jerks along the way!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Snape from Harry Potter--Never read the books, but I have been spoiled to the truth behind his character. Still, he's a damn weirdo. Yeah, he's a good guy in the end. Yeah, he did some serious douchery. But my issue is not those things. My thing is, he's so <i>weird </i>while being an ass. (This series can probably produce a list of twenty jerks. Easily.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. Weston from the Heavenly series--He did some seriously stupid things. But he changed and I adore him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6. Governor Tate from Feed--Dick. Seriously. And yet, so very much like a few of today's politicians. This may actually be the <i>only </i>character on this list that I DO NOT love to hate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">7. Grimalkin from the Iron Fey series--he's a cat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8. Stalker from Enclave--he's a slimeball! Little regard for <i>anyone </i>but himself. And yet, I want to climb into the pages and pinch his cheeks, and seriously hope he allows me to keep my hand, afterwards.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">9. Paul from the Twilight Saga.--control that temper, buster!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">10. Patch from Hush, Hush--I almost didn't add him to the list. Crescendo has completely warped my opinion of these characters, but if I'm thinking in terms of Hush Hush ONLY, I love that asshat.</div><br />
<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-74416888235075046452011-05-05T08:00:00.001-05:002011-05-05T08:00:04.401-05:00Review: XVI by Julia Karr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1277846885l/6933141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1277846885l/6933141.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/XVI-Julia-Karr/dp/0142417718?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">XVI</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0142417718" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by <a href="http://www.juliakarr.com/">Julia Karr</a><br />
<br />
Published: January 6, 2011<br />
Publisher: Puffin/Speak<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9780142417713</span></span><br />
Genre: YA Dystopian<br />
Pages: 325<br />
Source: Borrowed<br />
Series: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/58450-xvi">XVI #1</a><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world—even the most predatory of men—that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past—one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer.</span></blockquote><br />
I'm actually surprised that XVI hasn't gotten better reviews. Not that I've seen negative reviews of it, but none of them are particularly gushing either. I thought it to be much better than some other raved about books out there, but I'll keep <i>that </i>to myself.<br />
<br />
So. XVI felt like an intensified version of our society. Females are looked at much the same way, but they're completely stripped of their rights. Religion has become pretty much obsolete. This is something that I found interesting about XVI. I won't go into my religious beliefs. I don't have any. That's kind of the point. I've never actually sat down and considered what our society would be like if few believed in any gods. What would a world of atheists be like? Do I believe the world would be as it is in XVI? Not at all. But it definitely made me <i>think</i>.<br />
<br />
While I'm surprised there aren't many raving reviews, I'm afraid this one won't be raving either. I liked XVI. I didn't love XVI. There were certain things that annoyed me about the story. Mainly the naivety of damn near every character. Nina kept walking into danger, she kept things from people so they were completely in the dark, and her best friend was practically brain dead, absolutely incapable of thinking for herself or listening to reason. Nina was also back and forth back and forth back and forth. She doesn't want to have sex, she doesn't want to have sex, she may want to have sex, she does NOT want to have sex. It just got old after a little while.<br />
<br />
The other thing is the lingo. Non-cons? I don't even understand what the hell that stands for. I don't recall it ever actually stating what that meant, and if it did, please, PLEASE correct me.<br />
<br />
XVI was a good story. I did enjoy it. Never once did I get bored and consider not finishing, and I am anticipating the sequel.<br />
<br />
3.5/5 Stars<br />
<br />
Language: None, unless "skiv" at some point in the future, becomes a derogatory term.<br />
Sexual Content: Kissing. <i>Many </i>references to sex. (Think Secret Life of the American Teenager)(Okay don't think that, it wasn't mentioned that many times) References to rape.<br />
<div><br />
</div><br />
<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-75243852485204897862011-05-04T08:00:00.012-05:002011-05-05T09:14:10.337-05:00Author Interview: Laura Lond<div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Laura Lond</span></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://laura-lond.tripod.com/">Website</a></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Author of:</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://laura-lond.tripod.com/id34.html">My Sparkling Misfortune</a> (<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_997441245"></span>my review<span id="goog_997441246"></span></a>)</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://laura-lond.tripod.com/id30.html">The Adventures of Jecosan Tarres Trilogy</a></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">___________________________________________________________________</span></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://laura-lond.tripod.com/id30.html"></a><b>Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?</b></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A: I grew up in a family of engineers who loved to read. I picked up the love of books early on, they had become my best friends, especially since I was the only child. Almost right away I knew that I wanted to write my own stories, too. I guess I was born with it. I couldn’t find satisfaction in anything else, no matter what I did.</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I got a degree in history, my first job was at a literary museum. It was good, but not good enough. I moved on to work for a Christian mission -- once again, a good job that had taught me a lot, but not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Then I had entered the world of corporate business, working for large companies like Xerox Ltd. Same story. Great jobs, great opportunities, but I didn’t care to climb the corporate ladder. All I wanted was to write books, and I did that every spare minute.</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b>Q: Was Lord Arkus always going to be a villain, or was he at one time, a hero in the traditional sense?</b></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A: As Lord Arkus himself puts it, he “was not born a villain.” We don’t get to read much about his early life, he seems to guard his past, but we do learn that there was a time when he was not proudly calling himself a villain. He was not a hero, but he was a decent guy who even had a dear friend, someone he still remembers and misses. As the story goes on, the reader might notice that Arkus’ continuous claims of being evil actually don’t have that much support…which is something he would hate to hear.</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b>Q: Which of your characters would you say are most like you?</b></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A: I don’t think any of them are, they all seem to be much more fun than I am.</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b>Q: The least like you?</b></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A: The dragon. I am nice and friendly, I don’t haunt people with murderous intent.</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b>Q: Should we be expecting a sequel to My Sparkling Misfortune in the future?</b></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A: Yes, Lord Arkus is currently working on a sequel. It will be titled My <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1304476034_0">Royal Pain</span> Quest. His adventures continue, and as you can see from the title, he is not very pleased about it.</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b>Q: Do you have any other projects in the works that you'd like to tell us about?</b></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A: I am about to release a novel very different from Arkus’ story, a supernatural thriller about gene engineering and cloning titled “Side Effect.”</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b>Q: Anything else you'd like to add? Advice for the aspiring writer, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1304476034_1">book recommendations</span>, a word from Lord Arkus?</b></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A: Advice: Keep writing.</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1304476034_2">Book recommendation</span>: Elfhunter by C.S. Marks (a treat for fantasy fans, I loved it and am currently devouring the sequel, “Fire-Heart”).</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Word from Lord Arkus: “I would like it to be known that I read reviews of my book, and while I am generally pleased with them, I do notice the annoying tendency of reviewers to doubt my villainy. I might have done some things villains don’t normally do, but Jarvi the Sparkling is to be blamed for that, not me. Those acts prove nothing. I am still quite a prominent member of the Villain’s League, thank you very much.”</div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">___________________________________________________________________</span></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="yiv1999262528MsoNormal" style="color: #454545; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I'd like to thank Laura for the interview! Check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sparkling-Misfortune-Lakeland-Knight-ebook/dp/B004JXVYR2?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">My Sparkling Misfortune.</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004JXVYR2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div><br />
<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-91835504217598132382011-05-03T08:00:00.000-05:002011-05-03T08:00:09.237-05:00Review: Enclave, by Ann Aguirre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1303456983l/7137327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1303456983l/7137327.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enclave-Ann-Aguirre/dp/0312650086?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Enclave</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0312650086" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, by Ann Aguirre<br />
<br />
Published: April 12, 2011<br />
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9780312650087</span></span><br />
Genre: YA Dystopian<br />
Pages: 259<br />
Source: Won from author<br />
Series: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/53296-razorland">Razorland #1</a><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters—or Freaks—who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight, in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs. As the two are guided by Fade’s long-ago memories, they face dangers, and feelings, unlike any they’ve ever known.</span></blockquote><br />
I <i>will </i>write this review. With words. That make sense.<br />
<br />
Enclave was a book that I was pretty much dying to read. It sounded uber intriguing, and then the book bloggers starting getting their hands on it, and everyone was raving, and just, GAH. I had to read it. <br />
<br />
Let's start with the cover. It isn't necessarily glamorous, not in the way that my typical favorite book covers are. But there's this subtle <i>raw </i>feeling to it, much like the story itself, and I think it is fantastic. The only thing I disliked, was the fact that it states that this book is "For fans of The Hunger Games." If you're frequenter around here, you probably already know that I was not a fan of The Hunger Games. So when I saw that up close, I thought, <i>great. Another dystopian that everyone falls in love with, and I'll be in the minority with those who didn't like a damn thing about it.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
Not the case. Not at all. I loved Enclave from the very beginning, and while I can see why fans of The Hunger Games would be drawn to it, and they are comparable in small ways, I don't think the connection is big enough to make a big deal out of. (Unless you're looking at it from a marketing perspective, of course.)<br />
<br />
The world in which Enclave is set, is desolate. Heartbreaking. Fascinating.<br />
<br />
Deuce kicked ass. There isn't much I love more than a female protagonist who isn't whiny and emotional all the time. In fact, Deuce is hardly capable of those feelings, which made me love her that much more, and certainly allowed me to connect with her character on a deeper level. I knew from the first encounter with Fade that I would love him as well, and I wasn't wrong about that.<br />
<br />
I <i>loved </i>the "Freaks". We would probably refer to them as zombies, though I believe they're quite different from the zombies we are accustomed to. Land of the Dead is one of my favorite zombie movies, for the simple fact that the zombies are actually intelligent, thinking creatures. The Freaks reminded me of them. They aren't completely driven by hunger and instinct, at least not all of them, not anymore. I loved this take, and I'm excited to see where it takes us in the sequel.<br />
<br />
The growing relationship between Deuce and Fade is subtle, and gradual. For this, I was relieved. I had hoped going in that this wouldn't be one of those stories where the majority of the plot circulates around the romantic relationship between the characters. While it is definitely there, it isn't being thrown in our faces all the time. Instead, they're genuinely trying to survive in a world where surviving seems impossible.<br />
<br />
I do have one complaint. I wanted more. I felt a bit cheated in the end, because it was so abrupt. I was expecting a cliffhanger, but I was still expecting it to end gradually. But instead of feeling like we're hanging onto the cliff, I feel like we tumbled over without ever considering holding on.<br />
<br />
Doesn't change the fact that I give it...<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">5/5 Stars</span></b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
Language: Extremely mild.<br />
Sexual content: Talks of rape and breeding. Otherwise-just a kiss or two.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-30952350958722787472011-05-02T13:25:00.001-05:002011-05-02T13:25:51.991-05:00In which I ramble. A lot.Hear that, my dears? **crickets**<br />
<br />
Yeah, pretty sure my blog is dead. Which is understandable, I suppose. I don't post often enough. Writing reviews is also starting to feel like work, and the words don't come as easily as they used to. (cue "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=705LEH3j2g0">Jaded</a>" by Aerosmith which has nothing to do with the situation, but the title certainly fits.)<br />
<br />
Anyways. Osama Bin Laden is now allegedly dead. (I'm sorry, my cynical brain never believes a damn thing the media tells me, not 100%) So, yay? I mean. Justice has been served in the sense that the alleged mastermind behind 9/11 is now dead. As for everyone else involved, well, we just don't know, do we? Whatever. I genuinely hope this is a step toward making the world a better place, and I genuinely hope this increases the chances of more of our troops coming home alive. Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling about this. Okay. This isn't a political blog. Got it. Moving on.<br />
<br />
The cover of Silence, the third book in the Hush Hush trilogy, was released today, and ommfsdpd, it is GORGEOUS. I wasn't a huge fan of Crescendo, it really let me down, but I still can't deny the fact that this series has some of the most beautiful covers. I also can't deny the fact that I am <i>very </i>much looking forward to Silence (despite the fact that I think the title is just..no) and I'm hoping this book redeems the series for me. I still find myself recommending Hush, Hush frequently, but I also find myself saying "and for the love of all that's holy, stop there. At least until Silence comes out."<br />
<br />
Anyways. Man I'm really rambling today!<br />
<br />
Btw, if you are unaware, Barnes and Noble currently has a <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/sale/index.asp?PID=26304&cds2Pid=14834&linkid=1703185">Spring Clearance Sale</a> going on, of epic proportions. I got ten books for twenty five dollars (which also means free shipping, cha-ching)....so I strongly suggest checking out. Now I'm on a book buying ban until I greatly reduce my tbr. Considering the fact that it has taken me three days to read Enclave, this will take a while. I honestly think this break I took from reading slowed down my reading abilities. Blah.<br />
<br />
Anyways.....the initial point of this post, ya know, before the rambling took over....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/silence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/silence.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How bloody gorgeous is that? Is it just me, or does Patch kind of look like James Franco in this? Just me? Okay then.</div><br />
<br />
<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-78021714322908216842011-04-30T20:27:00.001-05:002011-05-03T08:45:10.794-05:00Review: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1269038726l/7247856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1269038726l/7247856.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Riders-Apocalypse-Jackie-Kessler/dp/0547341245?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Hunger </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0547341245" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />by Jackie Morse Kessler<br />
Published: October 18, 2010<br />
Publisher: Harcourt<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9780547341248</span></span><br />
Genre: YA Fantasy<br />
Pages: 177<br />
Source: NetGalley<br />
Series: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/47574-the-horseman-of-the-apocalypse-the-rider-s-quartet">Horsemen of the Apocalypse #1</a><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?</span></blockquote><div><br />
</div><div>Hunger was not was I expected. Not in the least. In some ways this is a good thing, in other ways, not so much.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Death was a fascinating character, but unfortunately, he's the only secondary character who really stood out to me. Lisa was a great protagonist, if only because she was so flawed you couldn't help but feel for her. When I first realized that a girl with anorexia was going to be Famine, I found it ironic. (As did some characters in the story) But now that I've finished reading it, it makes perfect sense, and I loved the way Kessler intertwined mythology and real life, <i>serious </i>issues. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Lisabeth didn't just fall into the role of famine out of a case of back luck, nor was she born into the role. Her actions and her choices in life lead her to that position, and I think that's something that sets Hunger apart from your typical paranormal/fantasy.</div><div><br />
</div><div>My only real issue with the story is the lack of action. Even if I hadn't gone in expecting action out of the apocalypse (I admit, I totally did) there still wasn't much action for a story about <i>anything. </i>It is beautifully written, and well paced, so perhaps the short length is what created this problem for me. </div><div><br />
</div><div>I don't really understand the apocalypse aspect of the story, either. I assume the world must be in the middle of the apocalypse, but Lisabeth doesn't seem to address this issue in any way, whatsoever. Which I guess is understandable in a way, considering the real issue in Hunger was her struggle with an eating disorder, which I think Kessler captured perfectly. Still, I can't help but feel as though the story was lacking something, plot wise. </div><div><br />
</div><div>4/5 Stars<br />
<br />
Language: Mild<br />
Sexual content: References to sex</div><div><br />
</div><img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-30416261748519005552011-04-25T20:37:00.000-05:002011-04-25T20:37:53.837-05:00Author Interview & Giveaway: Gene Twaronite<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T74Mn30CCZc/TbYHTqhGSSI/AAAAAAAAAT8/0SyCp4RT5nE/s1600/SKU-000187458_COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T74Mn30CCZc/TbYHTqhGSSI/AAAAAAAAAT8/0SyCp4RT5nE/s320/SKU-000187458_COVER.jpg" width="196" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Gene Twaronite</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.thefamilythatwasnt.com/About_the_Author.html">Website</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://anotherbookjunkie.blogspot.com/2011/03/review-family-that-wasnt-by-gene.html">My Review</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.thefamilythatwasnt.com/Read_First_Chapter.html">Read the first chapter of The Family That Wasn't</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Blurb:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The Family That Wasn't is a humorous fable of how our families live inside us. It will appeal to both teen and adult readers. The 13-year-old narrator, John Boggle (whose real name is John Bazukas-O'Reilly-Geronimo-Giovanni-Li Choy-Echeverria), finds his family so impossibly crazy that he cannot stand living with them another moment. He invents a new perfect family so convincing that he suddenly finds himself living inside this imaginary world.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">But John finds that he too has changed. He sees his too perfect image in the mirror and begins to wonder if it is all some kind of mistake. Only trouble is, now he can't remember who he is. He only knows that he must leave this family at once. His sole clue is the name, John Boggle.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>To find his true family he embarks on a cross country quest. Along the way he encounters other characters who have also lost touch with their families. Together they must find a way to reconstruct the connections to bring back the family that once was.</i> (via Goodreads)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">___________________________________________________________________</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>A former science teacher, environmental educator, landscaper, bookseller, and Instructional Specialist at the University of Arizona, I now spend my time writing and promoting my novel as well as volunteering for several local non-profit organizations. When not gardening with native plants (especially cacti), I’m also trying to catch up on reading all the great books I was supposed to read in school but never really appreciated. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FaY9zRCRWOQ/TbYE736LtII/AAAAAAAAAT4/5cz1uuyiOcc/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FaY9zRCRWOQ/TbYE736LtII/AAAAAAAAAT4/5cz1uuyiOcc/s200/012.JPG" width="155" /></a><span style="color: black;">I think at some point in life, we're all embarrassed beyond belief by our families. We can all relate to the story. Did your own childhood play a role in coming up with the idea for The Family that Wasn't?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Not really. For the most part, my childhood was fairly normal for the times (I was born in 1948). I grew up in a quiet corner of suburban Connecticut, where it seemed that nothing ever happened, which is probably why as an adult I am more drawn to urban life. Though I suffered the occasional embarrassments that all children feel toward their families, I was never ashamed of my family. As I grew older and various family members passed away, I began to appreciate how their memories still influence me and how we all carry our families inside us. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">The Family That Wasn't is humorous, in that dark, Tim Burton kind of way. Was that intentional or is it just my personal perception of the novel?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Yes, there is definitely a dark, cynical streak to my humor. In my writing I invariably find myself veering toward the humorous. It’s not intentional – it’s that “unintended snicker,” as E.B. White described it, that makes me see the humor in almost any situation. I have also found that when I do try to intentionally write humor, I end up instead writing something serious or sentimental, which can be very annoying. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">There are some pretty wacky characters in your book. Were any of them based off of real life people, or were they all just your own creation?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>My main inspiration was James Thurber, especially his book, <i>My Life and Hard Times</i>, in which he described some of the wacky members of his family. I suspect he made up most of these characters, so I started thinking about what it would be like to grow up in a really crazy family. While all of the characters are 99% fictional, there is at least a tiny element of real life in each of them. Even when setting out to create a completely new character, the writer invariably brings to this creation all that he or she has known and experienced. And so, while I did not base any of the characters directly on real life, each of them in some small way contains bits and pieces of real family members and friends. </b> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Which of your characters is most like you, and which of them was the most fun to write?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>That would be the main character, John, who has always dreamed of being a writer and, like me, sometimes retreats from the world into the fantasies he reads and creates. But I think there’s also quite a lot of Venus, the nerdy science wonk, in me, not to mention some of the wilder, blues loving side of Bruno. Having held quite a variety of different jobs in my lifetime, I can also relate to John’s stepfather, Juan. Certainly the most fun character to write was Vinnie. How far could I take his evil? And why did John hate him so? And though Vinnie manages to fool everyone in his various impostor roles, in the end you see him as a miserable, wretched character who has fooled no one but himself. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">What are you hoping readers will take away from the story?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">I hope they will think about their own families in new ways, and will experience some of the special magic that words have to take us to places strange and wonderful. But mostly I hope that readers will have a good laugh.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">I hear you're writing a sequel. I have to know---will we hear more about Uncle Vinnie? And is there anything else you can tell us about the sequel?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>While I did not choose to make it a major theme of the book, there is a part in the story where John is sexually abused by his “Uncle” Vinnie. I felt that I just couldn’t leave John or my readers hanging there with this unresolved issue. Though I have never experienced such abuse, I still tried to imagine some of what John must have felt, including the rage, powerlessness, and self-hatred of abuse victims. And I wondered how he might try to deal with it. The result is a much longer novel, <i>My Vacation in Hell</i>, in which John embarks on yet another journey of the imagination through the hell he has created within himself. And, yes, Vinnie does play a major role. I am currently on the third draft and hope to finish it this year. Because of its darker theme and the fact that John is now 15, this will definitely be a young adult novel. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Can you describe The Family that Wasn't in one sentence?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>I read somewhere that a writer should always have a good “elevator description” on hand when someone asks the inevitable question: What’s your book about? So here goes: It’s a humorous fable of how our families live inside us</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Anything else you'd like to add?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Thanks, Amanda, for your thoughtful review and for giving me a chance to talk about my book. And thanks to all my readers. Your comments are always appreciated. </b></span></div><b><br />
</b> <br />
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<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-79038481755656335562011-04-17T08:00:00.010-05:002011-04-17T23:16:55.129-05:00Review: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293504845l/2767052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293504845l/2767052.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Suzanne-Collins/dp/0439023521?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Hunger Game</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0439023521" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />s, by Suzanne Collins<br />
Published: October 1, 2008<br />
Publisher: Scholastic<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9780439023481</span></span><br />
Genre: YA, Dystopian<br />
Pages: 374<br />
Source: Bought<br />
Series: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/45433-the-hunger-games">The Hunger Games #1</a><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">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.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">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.</span></blockquote><br />
The Hype Monster strikes again.<br />
<br />
I had attempted to read The Hunger Games numerous times. I'd get through about chapter two and put it down to read something else. This should have been a huge red flag for me. It shouldn't take five chapters for me to start caring about the story, but it did. Even then, I kept reading because everyone said I should keep reading, not because I was particularly interested.<br />
<br />
Do I regret that? Yes and no. It wasn't a horrible book. But it was slow paced. I was bored, often.<br />
<br />
It left me pissed, to be completely honest. There wasn't much positivity left in me after I finished it, and I can't really think of it in a positive light.<br />
<br />
I liked Katniss and Peeta. I liked what we saw of Gale. But. Love triangles. Oh how I loathe thee. I'm Team No One. Katniss played Peeta like a fiddle, and Gale's the long time friend who has been right in front of her all along. But I'd be willing to bet my copy of the book that she ends up with Peeta in the end. These things are predictable. When does the friend ever win? Not that I'm saying I'd be team Gale, if I picked a side. Like I said, Team Peeta-and-Gale-should-find-someone-who-appreciates-them. (Please, PLEASE feel free to tell me if I'm wrong about who she ends up with. And by all means, rub it in.)<br />
<br />
It reminds me so much of Death Race, and Death Race is actually one of my favorite movies, so I honestly assumed I would love it. I was wrong. The two may be a lot alike, but there are obvious differences that should have told me not to even bother from the get go.<br />
<br />
In Death Race, they are adults. Sure, they're being forced into the arena to kill one another, and many of them are innocent to begin with. However, they aren't children. Children who are being pitted against each other for an eager society just waiting to gobble it up for <i>enjoyment. </i>I found this <b>deeply </b>disturbing.<br />
<br />
There's a part in the beginning when Peeta says his mother commented on how "maybe district 12 will actually have a winner." And she meant Katniss. I wanted to close it at that point and just give up. I was disgusted. Absolutely disgusted. There's nothing anyone could say that would make me feel better about that situation. Because if it were <i>my </i>son, they would have had to pry my ass off him before he ever even made it to the stage. The maternal detachment had my head spinning.<br />
<br />
There are a few poorly worded sentences that I had to reread numerous times to understand. Hell some of them I still don't understand. This would have me questioning my intelligence if I didn't know with absolute certainty that I am capable of comprehending readings that are much more complex. I'm still baffled by this line in particular: "Don't. Don't let's pretend when there's no one around." Um. Say that again? It's not that I don't understand what she means, I do. But how that line got through editing is beyond me. Is it a typo? Ugh.<br />
<br />
It has a compelling plot, I'm not denying that. There were moments when I was able to get absolutely lost in the story and felt as if I was there with Katniss. But then someone would die and I would imagine those sitting at home watching it all go down, and I was disgusted all over again. Or I would get bored because nothing was really happening. And then she would play Peeta and then think about Gale, and just GAH. No. Not for me. I'll just watch the movies.<br />
<br />
3.5/5<br />
<br />
<div><br />
</div><br />
<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-51313324444270514312011-04-17T08:00:00.005-05:002011-04-17T08:00:06.549-05:00Review: All About Daisy, by O'Dell Hutchison<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1296889152l/10378225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1296889152l/10378225.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-About-Daisy-Rose-Brown/dp/1456516957?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">All About Daisy,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1456516957" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by O'Dell Hutchison<br />
Published: February 3, 2011<br />
Publisher:<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9781456516956</span></span><br />
Genre: Contemporary YA<br />
Pages: 374<br />
Source: Provided by author for honest review<br />
Series: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/56586-daisy-rose-brown">Daisy Brown #1</a><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">High school is NOT for sissies...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Fourteen-year-old Daisy barely made it through middle school. After three years of being constantly taunted and bullied, she's decided it's time for a change. It all begins with a list of things she feels she needs: a best friend, popularity, a boyfriend, a first kiss, a spot on the cheerleading squad, and most importantly, boobs. With list in hand, Daisy just knows she will make a huge splash at Glenmark High, and her days of being miserable will be over.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The splash she makes isn't exactly what she was going for, and after a disastrous first day, she is ready to throw in the towel. It only takes a chance meeting with sophomore Russel Bryan, her grade school crush, to change everything. Soon, Daisy finds herself hanging out with the popular girls, preparing to try out for a spot on the cheerleading squad and looking forward to the homecoming dance.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Just when things start to look up for her, a betrayal by a new friend shatters everything she had hoped for. With her reputation on the line and the threat of a family secret being revealed, Daisy decides to take things into her own hands. It may not be her destiny to be popular, but she is done being taken advantage of.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Part "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret" and part "Mean Girls", "All About Daisy" is a hilarious and touching coming of age story that will have you cheering for the underdog.</span></blockquote>I hate writing negative reviews, I really do. And unfortunately, I have a feeling this one will be mostly negative. While it was a fun read, I had some serious issues with it, and not addressing them would mean I wasn't being honest in my review.<br />
<br />
I found the protagonist to be a fun character. She doesn't give up, regardless of all that is thrown at her, and I admired that strength. But at the same time, she was incredibly naive and gullible, and it had me rolling my eyes far too often.<br />
<br />
I was thoroughly enjoying All About Daisy in the beginning, but problems arose and it wasn't difficult to pinpoint two major issues I had with the book.<br />
<br />
My biggest issue with this book is the similarities between it and Mean Girls. All the cattiness, a Halloween party, all over a guy, a certain girl gets hit by a car. Too many similarities for me to ignore, specifically someone getting his by a car. It made it difficult to enjoy from that point on.<br />
<br />
Another is the bullying. And not only the obvious bullying, but the bullying that wasn't addressed. Terms like "fag", "homo", "black-ass bitch", "retard"....I realize kids in the real world say things like this. It is a problem. Unfortunately, I don't feel like this book did anything to show that it was a problem. It felt more like it was just, life. And maybe it is. But it was difficult to swallow.<br />
<br />
Despite all of this, I wanted to keep reading, and I wanted to find out how it all ended. Overall, I liked the story in All About Daisy, but I had a difficult time enjoying it due to the issues I mentioned. It just wasn't the book for me, but I would recommend it to anyone who likes to see the underdog protagonist grow and kick some mean girl ass. (Figuratively speaking, of course.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-52196542274835013452011-04-15T08:00:00.002-05:002011-04-15T08:00:08.110-05:00Review: My Sparkling Misfortunate, by Laura Lond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1288588276l/9622268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1288588276l/9622268.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Sparkling-Misfortune-Laura-Lond/dp/1460922360?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">My Sparkling Misfortune</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1460922360" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, by<a href="http://laura-lond.tripod.com/index.html"> Laura Lond </a>and Alla Alekseyeva (illustrator)<br />
Published: April 28, 2010<br />
Publisher: Dream Books LLC<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9781616580834</span></span><br />
Genre: YA Fantasy<br />
Pages: 164<br />
Source: Provided by author for an honest review<br />
Series: <a href="http://laura-lond.tripod.com/id34.html">The Lakeland Knight Series</a><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Lord Arkus of Blackriver Castle readily admits that he is a villain and sees no reason why it should stop him from being the protagonist of this book. After all, Prince Kellemar, an aspiring hero, has defeated him in a rather questionable way. Bent on revenge, Arkus attempts to capture a powerful evil spirit who would make him nearly invincible, but a last-minute mistake leaves him with a sparkling instead a goody-goody spirit that helps heroes, watches over little children, and messes up villains plans. Bound to Lord Arkus for five years of service and sworn to act in his best interests, the sparkling is not easy to get rid of, and of course his understanding of best interests is quite different from what Lord Arkus has in mind.</span></blockquote><br />
I almost didn't accept My Sparkling Misfortune for review. Complete with illustrations, this book seemed to lean too far into the MG category for my liking, but the blurb drew me in and I just had to give it a shot. I am so glad I did. Having read it, I would have been missing out on an absolutely adorable story!<br />
<br />
This book won me over in the first few pages. I had already smiled <i>numerous </i>times, and let me tell you, it's rare for a book to genuinely make me smile. Lord Arkus is a self-proclaimed villain, but despite his best efforts to stay that way, deep down it just isn't who he is--not completely. We start to see this in these small deeds that he does along the way, though he himself just brushes them off as a rare moment of kindness. Those "rare" moments being to pile up, however, and Lord Arkus' realization and subsequent denial is hilarious.<br />
<br />
This book is aimed at younger readers, that much is clear. But it's so much fun, I recommend everyone to give it a try if you're looking for a lighthearted, enjoyable read. Because My Sparkling Misfortune does not disappoint in that regard.<br />
<br />
First memorable line: "Hmm...perhaps Korvaleus was right, writing a book is not so easy as it seems, and I shouldn't have, uh....Oh well. He'd deserved it anyway." This was in the <i>second</i> paragraph, and I was already smiling. <br />
<br />
My only complaint is that it was too short. Classic MG length, but I'd have loved to have more.<br />
<br />
Rating: 4/5 Stars<br />
<br />
<br />
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<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-62416120533510231212011-04-13T10:40:00.000-05:002011-04-13T10:40:13.855-05:00Characters---In Real LifeI've been thinking lately about how often I read the terms "That just doesn't happen In Real Life." "Guys like that don't change, In Real Life." "No one likes girls like that, In Real Life" "Teenagers don't date outside their social circle, In Real Life."<br />
<br />
A lot of times, I find myself thinking, "Yes, it does." I've seen a player fall in love and change. I know it can happen. I've seen the bitchiest girls, the girls who sleep with everyone, the shy reserved girl, all be surrounded by friends. I've been one of the popular-ISH (meaning I was friends with the popular girls but wasn't <i>one </i>of them, make sense?) girls that dated that metal head on the other end of the spectrum. I wasn't ostracized for it. It didn't matter. These things can happen.<br />
<br />
Then I find myself reading books like Shiver for instance, where the guy is a sweet, poetry spouting romantic, and I think "those guys don't exist in real life." But, do they? Am I certain they don't, just because I've personally never encountered one in <i>any </i>fashion? No, I'm not certain. I'm the type that needs to see something to believe it, but<i> </i>I never <i>completely </i>rule out possibilities.<br />
<br />
But at the end of the day, how much does that matter? I read fiction because it's an escape from reality. It's entering another world where anything is possible. I don't want it to be 100% authentic all the time. Real Life isn't that exciting.<br />
<br />
I want to believe a player can change, whether it's a male OR a female. I want to believe we aren't confined to dating within our own social status. I want to believe that some guy out there memorizes and spouts poetry, and I want to believe there's a girl out there that eats it up. I want to believe that chivalry isn't absolutely <i>dead. </i>Even if it's only for a brief moment, <i>I want to believe these things are possible.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
I deal with reality everyday, I don't want to read about it too.<br />
<br />
I'm curious, what do <i>you </i>look for when you're reading?<br />
<br />
<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-75507352117070772622011-04-11T08:00:00.004-05:002011-04-13T09:14:43.403-05:00Review: Playing Hurt, by Holly Schindler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279699546l/8492251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279699546l/8492251.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Hurt-Holly-Schindler/dp/0738722871?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Playing Hurt</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0738722871" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, by <a href="http://hollyschindler.blogspot.com/">Holly Schindler</a><br />
Published: March, 8, 2011<br />
Publisher: Flux<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9780738722870</span></span><br />
Genre: Contemporary YA<br />
Pages: 312<br />
Source: Bought<br />
Series: N/a<br />
<blockquote><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Star basketball player Chelsea "Nitro" Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone's admiration back home. Then she took a horrible fall during senior year. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.</div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">That summer, Chelsea's dad hires Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player and "boot camp" trainer, to work with her at a northern Minnesota lake resort. As they grow close, Chelsea finds that Clint's haunted by his own tragedy. Will their romance end up hurting them all over again—or finally heal their heartbreak?</div></blockquote><br />
I absolutely love the covers of Holly's books. Not only the pictures, but the <i>feel </i>of them. They feel like silk, and I find myself petting the cover more often than I'd like to admit.<br />
<br />
I'm a fan of Holly Schindler's, have been since I read A Blue so Dark. Playing Hurt is very different from Blue, but I still loved them both for their own reasons.<br />
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Schindler's characters are so real, it almost makes you wonder if they're the kid down the street. Or that girl from high school. I feel like I know them personally, beyond the end of the book.<br />
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In all honesty, I wasn't a fan of Chelsea. In fact, she pretty much drove me insane, and I found myself <i>hoping </i>everything would come crashing down around her, and I kind of smiled when it kind of did. I thought she deserved everything the guys said to her. That isn't a nice way to think, but I couldn't help it. She infuriated me, and made poor decisions, not really considering who it would hurt in the long run. If she <i>were </i>the girl down the street, I'd have to slap some sense into her. Alas, such was impossible. My distaste for her is literally the <i>only </i>thing that brings down my rating of this book. And even then, it isn't by much.<br />
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Clint was a great character and I enjoyed watching him grow. I didn't harbor any of the resentment toward him, that I had for Chelsea, although a bit of it was on his shoulders, too. So I probably should have. But I just couldn't. I found myself caring about his story much more than Chelsea's, though both are upsetting. I think it was just Chelsea's actions that made it difficult for me to really empathize with her.<br />
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Their fling (though I think it can hardly be described as such, it's such a trivial word) was absolutely adorable. Once they started spending time together, I absolutely devoured Playing Hurt. I loved watching their love for each other blossom, and momentarily forgot about **SPOILER ALERT, ONLY KIND OF NOT REALLY** her boyfriend back home. Ah, and here lies the problem. <i>I</i> can forget about her boyfriend, because he isn't my boyfriend. But the fact that she did, disgusted me. That was my whole problem with her character. Cheating turns me off, no matter the situation.<br />
<br />
But, cheating and Chelsea aside, I had absolutely no issues with Playing Hurt. Holly proved once again that she has a fantastic way with words. The writing, the cover, the story (minus the boyfriend back home), the characters (minus the selfish one), the pace, the edge....loved it. (And yeah, I kind of realize what taking away the boyfriend back home would have done to the story, but it doesn't make me like it.)<br />
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This part may be too spoilerish, so feel free to highlight if you'd like to read about the ending.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;">I loved the ending. Some people may not be satisfied with it, but I definitely was. I felt as though there was enough left open for me to imagine a happy ending for them, without having wrapped a pretty bow on it. The characters didn't pull a stop on their lives just to be together. They learned to live <i>through </i>each other, and it leaves just enough hope that someday they will live <i>with </i>each other. I loved it.</span><br />
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I'd recommend Playing Hurt to anyone who enjoys contemporary YA. Between Holly's writing and the characters and relationships she creates, I don't think you'd be able to put it down.<br />
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Rating: 4.5/5<br />
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<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-18049088620065974042011-03-28T22:39:00.001-05:002011-03-28T22:52:50.969-05:00Authors behaving badly. Bullying "readers".By now I'm sure everyone has heard of the <a href="http://booksandpals.blogspot.com/2011/03/greek-seaman-jacqueline-howett.html">author meltdown</a> over at Big Al's Books and Pals. If you haven't, go read it and come back. I'll wait.<br />
<br />
I'll be honest, I found it amusing at first. What the hell <i>was </i>she doing?! Sabotaging her career--that's what. This will blow over, a lot of people will forget, but I'm sure many will remember her name. They won't buy her books. I won't lie. I'm one of those people.<br />
<br />
Her behavior has completely turned me off, and she couldn't write the most beautiful novel of all time, and get my money. Because she's left a bad taste in my mouth that will never go away, and I know I would never be able to forget that long enough to enjoy one of her books.<br />
<br />
But.<br />
<br />
At what point do the 'readers' stop bullying the woman? Clearly, she is unstable.<br />
<br />
I'm all for us sticking together. It's part of what I love about the blogging community. But to go to Amazon and rate a book one star, and base it on her behavior rather than the novel, is petty. How is that any better than her meltdown? I know most of us strive to review books as a whole, and never let one aspect completely sway our rating. Guess what? As annoying as it may be, poor grammar is ONE aspect.<br />
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The author's behavior has nothing to do with the story she wrote.<br />
<br />
Where's the line?<br />
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Authors, for the flying spaghetti monster's sake, don't attack a reader for a negative review. It will not go well for you. These things never, ever go well.<br />
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Readers, bloggers, etc. Am I alone in the opinion that this has gone too far?<br />
<br />
(Please don't think I'm attacking anyone for discussing this via Twitter and such. I'm not. At all. I'm referring to those who continue to leave nasty comments on the blog, and on Amazon.)<br />
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(And apparently the comments are now disabled so nevermind on the blog part. :p)<br />
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<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-39056893755847647932011-03-25T10:35:00.000-05:002011-03-25T10:35:48.083-05:00Feature & Follow Friday<center><a href="http://www.parajunkee.com/search/label/FF" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4710921228_bf32d46f6d_o.png" width="134" /></a></center><center><br />
</center><center><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><div style="margin-left: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;"><ol style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { <a href="http://parajunkee.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Parajunkee.com</a>} and any one else you want to follow on the list</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - <a href="http://readingwithrebecca.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://readingwithrebecca.blogspot.com/</a></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!</li>
</ol><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;">Q. Inspired by the inane twitter trend of <b style="color: #bd8ad0; font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase;"><b class="search-query" style="color: #bd8ad0; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase;">#100FACTSABOUTME, GIVE US FIVE BOOK RELATED SILLY FACTS ABOUT YOU.</b></b></h3><br />
1. I used to be anal about finishing one book before I started another. I simply could not read more than one book at a time. Right now I have three physical books next to me, and two galleys open on the computer. I have no idea where my head is anymore.<br />
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2. In high school all I read were romance novels. In order to avoid embarrassment and/or teacher questioning, I made book covers for them so no one knew what I was reading.<br />
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3. I'm actually pretty good at avoiding the book buying impulse. I only buy a book or two a month. (unless there's a sale, but that doesn't count!) Okay maybe a couple more now that I have a Kindle. Still--the urge is constantly gnawing at me, so I think my addiction could be much much worse!<br />
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4. I've never been to a book signing. This is more a depressing fact than a silly one.<br />
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5. I can pretty much tune <i>anything </i>out to read. I don't need silence, or even quiet. If my head is in the 'reading' zone, nothing gets in the way unless I allow it to get in the way. (This isn't to say I'm okay with people talking to me while I'm reading. See this book in my hands? Now shut the 'ell up, unless it's important.)<br />
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<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" /></div></div></span></center>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-60917895188847981672011-03-24T15:40:00.001-05:002011-04-11T10:24:34.124-05:00Giveaway: Zan-Gah books 1 and 2.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266475618l/6044486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266475618l/6044486.jpg" width="139" /></a><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267366927l/7647725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267366927l/7647725.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>On person will win a signed copy of Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure and the sequel, Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Rules</b>:</div><div style="text-align: center;">One entry per person.</div><div style="text-align: center;">US Only.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Deadline is March, 31st at midnight.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Following is not required, but is of course appreciated.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Comments are appreciated as well, but will not count as an entry.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
CLOSED<br />
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<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-16227752224173437672011-03-23T12:39:00.000-05:002011-03-23T12:39:16.418-05:00"Oversexualized" YA covers, and why it doesn't matter.This post is likely to get ranty. I apologize in advance. Sort of.<br />
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These covers have been used as an example in this <a href="http://vickeryb.blogspot.com/2011/01/thoughtful-thursday-inappropriate-ya.html">post</a>, as well as this <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/2011/01/s-e-x-and-ya.html?spref=tw">one</a>, so what the hell--I'll use them as an example, too. (Yes, I realize these posts are months old.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1290058000l/8662836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1290058000l/8662836.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1277224620l/8105542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1277224620l/8105542.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br />
I simply do not see an issue with these covers.<br />
Chain Reaction--they're fully clothed. They're kissing, but in my mind, it hasn't crossed over into inappropriateville. When did water transform from a necessity, into a sexualized no no?<br />
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Invincible Summer--I've read it. I know this novel is so much more than sex. It is not the central theme, but the cover is relevant. But let's assume it wasn't, for just a moment. Let's say these boys weren't on a beach, there was no girl, and there was no sex, but for some strange reason the publishers used this cover because um, "sex sells". Is a girl laying on the beach in a bikini <i>really </i>a sexual thing? Do you cover the eyes of your children when you see a woman, or a TEEN in a bikini on the beach?<br />
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Teenagers kiss. They lay on the beach. In bikinis. They curse. They're gay, straight, lesbian, transgender, bisexual. These are realities.<br />
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We'll all form our own opinions about these issues. We're all entitled to those opinions. That isn't the point of my post. Not really. I respect Vicky's opinion, even if I disagree with it. But these posts, as well as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcYYs0eaiEE&sns=fb">other </a>things these past few days, have given the me the urge to bitch a little bit.<br />
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Somewhere along the way, we've all decided it's society that should be blamed for the actions of our children. Like somehow it is no longer our place to instill morals on them. No. It is not society's place to sugarcoat realities because I think my kids' eyes are too sensitive for it. It isn't your place, a publisher's place, a television producer's place, my own mother's place. It is MY job to talk to my children. It is my job to put them on the right path. It is my job to pay attention to what they're doing (that includes wandering into an age inappropriate section in the book store), and communicate with them about things that I disapprove of. Are they going to be tempted with sex? Of course they are. Sex is a part of growing up. Even if they aren't physically having sex, they're thinking about it. Blindfolding them isn't going to prevent that. It isn't about erasing the temptation. It's about teaching them to fight the temptation, until the time is right. Books like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Invincible-Summer-Hannah-Moskowitz/dp/1442407514?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Invincible Summer</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1442407514" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> accomplish that goal.<br />
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Someone else deciding what is inappropriate for my kids? Fuck that. (Yes, FUCK that. Now try to get my four year old to say "fuck" and see the reaction you get. She knows better, because I taught her to know better, and that's all I can do for now.)<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Stop trying to shift the responsibility off our shoulders. I am a parent. It is my responsibility. </div><div><br />
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End rant.<br />
<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-35188248081137397952011-03-22T10:03:00.001-05:002011-03-22T10:05:55.595-05:00Top Ten Tuesday--Bookish Pet PeevesTop Ten Tuesday is hosted by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a>.<br />
I rarely do these because I am <i>horrible </i>at making lists. I either can't think of anything, or I can't narrow it down to just ten. But this week's topic is <b>Top Ten Bookish Pet Peeves</b>, and I just couldn't keep my nose out of this one.<br />
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1. <b>Death</b>. Not just general death, but death of a close family member or friend. This is why I don't read Sparks (anymore). I've watched enough people die in real life, and as <i>real </i>as it may be, I don't want to read about it. It's a sickening reminder. I hate it. (There are exceptions, but few. Most of the exceptions are made for paranormal, but the occasional contemporary author does it right. coughHannahMoskowitzcough.)<br />
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2. <b>Dog-earred pages</b>. If you want to dog ear your own books, be my guest (but I do think you're disrespecting its poor little pages), but if you ever borrow a book of mine and dog-ear a page, prepare to hear about it. Dog-earred pages in library books piss me off too. That book needs to last a long time, why speed the deterioration process?!<br />
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3. <b>Too descriptive when it's completely unnecessary</b>. The Sookie Stackhouse series is a <i>perfect </i>example of this. Great story there, but do I need a page and a half talking about Sookie's shower and grooming process? No. I don't.<br />
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4. <b>Love triangles</b>. So. Overdone! Please just, no. And if you're going to do it, don't have it be the protag's best friend's boyfriend, or their boyfriend's best friend. I know betrayal creates conflict, but that kind of betrayal just makes me want to close the book. And if you're going to do <i>that,</i> don't wrap a bow on it at the end. Most of those situations in real life simply do not end with the best friends hugging it out. Sorry.<br />
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5. <b>Characters with their author's music taste</b>. I love classic rock. I know some people who love the Beatles. But if I had a nickel for every sixteen year old character who loved the Beatles...oy. Today's music sucks, in general. Yeah, I get that. But the majority of teens actually enjoy it. Somehow.<br />
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6. <b>Washed up monsters</b>. Vampires, werewolves, fallen angels, gods and goddesses. Creatures that are monsters or assholes at heart but have a constant inner conflict and want nothing more than to be human again, so they fall for some klutzy little plain Jane.<br />
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7. <b>Girls who melt at the sight of their crush</b>. Shallow much? (Maybe I'd melt at the physical sight of <a href="http://thatsmyjamradio.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/taeyang.jpg">Taeyang</a>, but hey, we aren't talking about me.) I know teens are hormonal. I remember. But damn. Look for some substance!<br />
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8. <b>Disappointing sequels</b>. Absolutely falling in love with a first book, only to be absolutely letdown by the second, really <i>really </i>sucks.<br />
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9. <b>Cliffhangers</b>. Yeah, I get it. You need us hyped up for the next book. But here's the thing. If I loved your first book, I'm going to get the next one. It doesn't matter if you actually gave the book an ending. I <i>will </i>want to know what happens next. It is just me, or does it seem like EVERY new Paranormal YA has a cliffhanger? I'm over it.<br />
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10. <b>Reviews that summarize the book</b>. I don't want to step on any toes here, but I can't count how many times I've read reviews, and there was a spoiler in there that the reviewer didn't warn us about. It makes me not want to read reviews. If you're going to have spoilers, a spoiler warning is necessary, in my humble opinion. Summarizing the story almost always spoils something for me.<br />
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And because I can't stop there...<br />
11. <b>Authors who treat their readers like bothersome minions</b>. Often on Twitter I see certain authors (won't name drop) answering questions from readers, and their answers are extremely condescending. It makes me want to take all your books I bought and sell them, rather than read them.<br />
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12. <b>Small and/or cramped font.</b> I've gotten a few books for review that I couldn't finish, simply because the layout of the pages didn't work for me. Cramped font gives me a headache.<br />
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13. (And I'll stop here, I promise)<b> People who rate a YA book one star, based on foul language and/or sex. </b>I'm not saying you have to like it! I'm not saying you have to agree with it! By all means, we're all entitled to our opinions and moral standards. My issue is when someone rates a book one star and says something like "After the second f-bomb in the first chapter, I closed the book." Or "It opened with a makeout scene, I didn't finish it" I could actually expand this and say, people who rate a book based on any single aspect, rather than the book as a whole.<br />
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Of course there are some books I absolutely love that I've made exceptions for on <i>most </i>of these things.<br />
What are some of your pet peeves?Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-13636030001522700262011-03-21T08:00:00.001-05:002011-03-21T08:00:22.768-05:00Review: The Goddess Test, by Aimee Carter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51C9TAif6fL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51C9TAif6fL.jpg" width="124" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Goddess-Test-Harlequin-Teen/dp/0373210264?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Goddess Test</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0373210264" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, by<a href="http://www.aimeecarter.com/"> Aimee Carter</a><br />
Published: April 19, 2011<br />
Publisher: Harlequin Teen<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9780373210268</span></span><br />
Genre: YA fantasy<br />
Pages: 297<br />
Source: NetGalley<br />
Series: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/55633-goddess-test">Goddess Test #1</a><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><em>Every girl who has taken the test has died.<br />
<br />
Now it's Kate's turn.</em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">If she fails..</span></blockquote>I honestly have no idea how to review The Goddess Test. I enjoyed it, but there were things that annoyed me. I'll start with those things.<br />
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Watering down badass creatures. It started with vampires....werewolves....fairies....zombies.....now Greek Gods and Goddesses? I think this is where my biggest problem lies. I imagine all of the gods and goddesses acting like, well...gods. Henry is not only a god, but he's <i>Hades. </i>If I imagine any of them as a monster, it would be him. But he isn't. None of them are, not really. This seems like the thing to do now. Soften the monsters. I want to read a story where a girl falls in love with a monster despite the fact that he <i>acts </i>like the monster he is.<br />
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Second, some of the scenes just felt silly. The scene by the river (that's all I'm saying) that gets this all started was kind of laughable.<br />
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I don't understand why Kate felt the way she felt about any of them. I'm not sure how she fell in love with Henry, who hardly opened his mouth. I don't understand her friendship with Ava, the girl who started it all. The only loyalty I can understand is the loyalty for her mother.<br />
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Despite all of that, I enjoyed the story. I was able to get lost in it and look past the things that annoyed me, fairly easily. I love the story of the gods and goddesses, but if I sit and think about this as a separate story, I loved it. If I completely ignore the fact that Henry is supposed to be <i>the </i>Hades, it was a great read!<br />
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I'm afraid I don't know what else to say about The Goddess Test. I enjoyed it, some things annoyed me but regardless, it's still a definite four-star for enjoyment.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>4/5 Stars </b></span><br />
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<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7140390903011627762.post-59983731513462138372011-03-19T12:27:00.001-05:002011-03-19T12:29:59.727-05:00Review: Invincible Summer, by Hannah Moskowitz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1277224620l/8105542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1277224620l/8105542.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br />
Invincible Summer, by <a href="http://hannahmosk.blogspot.com/">Hannah Moskowitz</a><br />
Published: April 19, 2011<br />
Publisher: Simon Pulse<br />
ISBN: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">9781442407510</span></span><br />
Genre: Contemporary YA<br />
Pages: 336<br />
Source: Simon & Schuster's Galley Grab<br />
Series: n/a<br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></blockquote><br />
There's something about a character driven plot that's remarkably refreshing after paranormal after paranormal.<br />
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Invincible Summer is not what I expected. (Nothing is ever what I expect, I really have to stop judging books by their cover.) I thought it would be this light, fun read. Light? Definitely not. Fun? Not the word I'd use.<br />
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The problem is, I'm not sure what I can really say about it. I loved it, but I can't find the words to tell you why.<br />
<br />
Oy.<br />
<br />
Another misconception the cover gave me was the point of view. I thought this would be about the girl on the cover, but it's actually from a teen boy's perspective. (Didn't read the blurb before I began reading the novel) I think for the first time, I genuinely felt like a female author nailed the teenage boy mind. (not that I really know what goes through a teenage boy's mind, but I've never read a book from a boy's perspective that felt 100% authentic, until now)<br />
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There are so many different themes woven throughout the story, it's hard to pinpoint what I would consider the central theme. There's rape, emotional abuse, fear, disabilities, death, coming of age, divorce, sex, family dynamics. One of these things is something I'm not a fan of reading about, because I feel as though I've dealt with it enough in life. I won't say which it is, because I really don't want to spoil anything. But I will say, it makes me <i>want </i>to hate Invincible Summer. But I don't--I can't. Because the book is written beautifully, with life-like characters, and a story I'm not likely to forget.<br />
<br />
I've never read Moskowitz's first novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Break-Hannah-Moskowitz/dp/1416982752?ie=UTF8&tag=anoth03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Break</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anoth03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1416982752" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Always wanted to, but never did. Now, I kind of think I have to.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>5/5 Stars</b></span><br />
<img height="67" src="http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/amanda65619/newsig2.jpg" width="120" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212211603783929630noreply@blogger.com3