Chasing Words

Just Contemporary Month: Week One {Guest Post!}

2011-11-03T22:34:00.001-04:00

This month, in case you didn't know, is Just Contemporary Month! I love love love contemporary YA, therefore I'm participating in some of the guest posty activities planned. This week's guest post is written by Jordyn from Ten Cent Notes all about why she loves contemporary! It's great my lovelies, so read on. :)

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Explaining why I love contemporary YA so much is difficult; it's like trying to tell you why I love a certain song more than others: I just do. When you read a lot, you end up falling in love with certain stories, and this has happened to me over and over again. As a kid I was obsessed with the Baby-Sitter's Club; I read The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss during that horrible year when the girls in my class hated me. I discovered YA fiction in the form of The Truth About Forever, which was the sort of profoundly wonderful book that instantly drew me into the genre.

From there I've read everything from Dessen and Laurie Halse Anderson to newer contemporary authors like Courtney Summers, Sarah Ockler, and Gayle Forman. It's hard to pigeon-hole these stories. They're about growing up, about grief, about friendship and family and love. There are lighthearted, feel-good stories as well as stories about the tougher issues that are harder to handle.

I love contemporary YA because of characters like Frankie Landau-Banks, Kurt Brodsky, Anna Oliphant, Scarlett and Spencer Martin, and Adam Wilde -- these are characters who are remarkably real while being funny, strong, and incredibly amazing. The incredible characters and true-to-life stories are what makes contemporary YA a genre I absolutely love.

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Awesome, no? And as per usual here is my obligatory 'school is killing me softly, I'm sorry I don't post' spiel: I'm sorry. School hates me.

Didn't want to disappoint anyone. It's not a post unless I'm apologizing for not posting. :)

I hope all of you lovely people are having awesome lives and staying excellent and such!

"Flake"-Jack Johnson,

review: Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

2011-10-10T11:40:00.002-04:00

♥ Summary: Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words—tender words, cruel words—until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe…if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

♥ Favorite Line(s):

forgot to mark them + goodreads has none

♥ My thoughts:

Don't Breathe a Word shocked me a bit. Which is great, because that doesn't happen as often as I'd like. I, along with most of you I'm guessing, didn't know anything about the Seattle homeless scene. I didn't even know there was a Seattle homeless scene.

I was interested in Joy and her story instantly and was ready for an interesting and thrilling book. For the most part that's what I got.

The first half of Don't Breathe a Word was fast paced and really drew me in. After about the halfway mark though, something stopped clicking. I gradually fell out of love with the characters, the plot, and the story in general.

Twists started to unravel and become predictable and by the end it got a bit eye roll worthy.

Overall, Don't Breathe a Word is a decent read with brilliant bits and less than brilliant bits thrown in. I recommend for those looking for a less than warm and fuzzy experience.

♥ Summing it up:

Don't Breathe a Word is creative and quite the eye opener. To be released January 3, 2012.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Holly's website

Happy Monday!

"On The Radio"-Regina Spektor,

I read because I can't have a puppy-sized elephant

2011-09-23T11:50:00.000-04:00

...not yet anyway.

I've seen the question 'why do you read?' floating around the blogosphere a lot recently. At first I didn't really understand why it needed to be answered at all. I thought, 'why does it matter? reading for entertainment, escape, out of boredom...it all still means you're reading, which is most important.' But now I've been thinking about it. And while people reading is most important I'm beginning to think the reasons are at least interesting enough to write and read about.

The title of this post is 'I read because I can't have a puppy-sized elephant" which is totally true. I read because for the most part I don't have the lives depicted in the books I read. I'm not the most popular girl in school or the child of a meth addict. I don't ride a dragon to Beheading 101 or play piano professionally. I haven't been to Paris or gone ice fishing in Alaska.

That's why I read. Because I get to live 10,000 lives by proxy. And hopefully one day I'll get to do some of the amazing things I've read about, but for now I'll continue to live vicariously through my favorite characters.

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Now it's your turn. Why do you read?

"Addicted to Love {Cover}"-Florence + The Machine,

Guest Post: Rachel Vincent +Giveaway!

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

♥ About the book:

Everyone else is talking about Eastlake High’s gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck, but Kaylee Cavanaugh has bigger things on her mind. Kaylee’s a banshee—her scream is a portent of death.
But the next scream might hit too close to home. Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline has almost run out.
Yeah—it’s a shock to her, too. So to distract herself from her own problems, Kaylee is determined to defend her school against the latest supernatural threat. That hot new teacher is really an incubus, who feeds from the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend’s delinquent ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren’t quite human either.
But Kaylee’s running out of time, and those who love her will do anything to save her life.
Anything.
Soul Screamers: The last thing you hear before you die.

♥ About the author:

A resident of San Antonio, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her # 1 fan. Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.

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If I Die, the fifth book in the Soul Screamers series, will be released on September 27, 2011. To celebrate, Kaylee and Sabine (Kaylee’sboyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, who is a living nightmare) have agreed to be in the same room long enough to interview each other. Sabine won the coin toss, so she gets the first question. They’ve

been told to keep it civil, but I make no promises…

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Sabine: Kaylee, truth or dare.

Kaylee: This is an interview, Sabine.

Sabine: [shrugs] Think of this as an alternative format. Truth or dare?

Kaylee: There’s no good way to answer that question, is there?

Sabine: Why does there have to be drama behind every decision you make?

Kaylee: Fine. Truth.

Sabine: say—hypothetically—that you found out you were going to die in a few days and you had to decide who’s going to get all your stuff when you’re gone. Who would inherit, oh…your boyfriend?

Kaylee: That’s not how it works. You can’t inherit a person.

Sabine: Sure you can. People inherit kids from dead parents all the time.

Kaylee: Nash isn’t a kid, and I’m not his parent.

Sabine: That’s why this is hypothetical.

Kaylee: No, it’s hypothetical because… Whatever. You’re not going to inherit Nash, no matter what happens to me.

Sabine: Okay, but if you were going to die—

Kaylee: It’s my turn. Truth or dare?

Sabine: Dare.

Kaylee: I wanted you to say truth.

Sabine: That’s why I said dare.

Kaylee: Fine. I dare you to tell me the truth.

Sabine: [rolls her eyes] That is SO lame.

Kaylee: You started this.

Sabine: Ask your question.

Kaylee: What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?

Sabine: I don’t understand the question. Worst, according to what unit of measurement? Monetary damage? Physical destruction? Psychological impact? Number of laws broken? I’m gonna need you to be more specific.

Kaylee: It’s not a complicated question. What do you feel guilty about?

Sabine: Okay, I’m not saying this is actual guilt—I’m not entirely sure what that feels like—but I don’t feel great about telling Nash that you don’t want to go to prom because you’re afraid you’ll look flat-chested in a formal dress.

Kaylee: Sabine!

Sabine: Well, it’s the truth! If you two are meant to be, shouldn’t he know what you’re afraid of? Besides, it’s a valid concern.

Kaylee: But it isn’t your concern!

Sabine: [glances down at her own chest] Thank goodness.

Kaylee: That’s not what I meant.

Sabine: My turn. This one’s easy. Wood or steel?

Kaylee: Wood or steel what?

Sabine: Casket. For your hypothetical funeral.

Kaylee: No more death questions.

Sabine: Okay. Fashion, then. How long afterward will Nash have to wear all black?

Kaylee: Do you want me to haunt you?

Sabine: If I answer that, is it my turn again?

Kaylee: No! It’s my turn, and you can’t take it away.

Sabine: You’re only clinging to your turn because you know I want it.

Kaylee: That doesn’t even make any sense.

Sabine: Is it true you’re so shiny and pure you actually glow in the dark?

Kaylee: Is it true you shriek and scurry into the corner every time someone turns the light on?

Sabine: Ha! That was pretty good.

Kaylee: Thanks. I’ve been practicing. To give credit where it’s due, though, you make a great target.

Sabine: You too. I might actually miss you once you’re gone. Hypothetically.

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♥ About the giveaways:

The first giveaway is ONE DAY ONLY. As in today...and no other day. So get right to this one! Win two copies of If I Die-one for you and one for a friend-by tweeting:

Dying for IF I DIE? - Follow the #SoulScreamersTour for daily giveaways & a NookTouchhttp://wp.me/P1r4rR-fv @rachelkvincent

The winner will be notified via Twitter, so be sure to check your @replies!

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The second giveaway runs the entire blog tour! If you live in the US/Canada you came enter to win a Nook Touch completely stocked with the Soul Screamers series! To enter>

*Follow Rachel Vincent on Twitter, +3
*Like Rachel Vincent on Facebook, +3
*Like The Soul Screamers on Facebook, +3
*Sign up for Rachel's email subscription to get the latest updates, +3
*Promote the tour by adding the button {shown above} and link back to the tour page, +5
*Leave a comment on a blog post throughout the tour, +1 {up to +10!}

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

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♥ Follow the tour:

Monday, September 19th - The Story Siren

Wednesday, September 21st - Chasing Words

Friday, September 23rd - The Page Turners

Monday, September 26th - The Elliot Review

Tuesday, September 27th Book Birthday - Mundie Mom's

Wednesday, September 28th - Harlequin Blog

Friday, September 30th - IB Book Blogging

Monday, October 3rd - Electrifying Reviews

Wednesday, October 5th - A Cupcake and A Latte (YA Reads, Reviews and more)

Friday, October 7th- Teens Read and Write

"Lake Of Fire"-Nirvana,

review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington!

2011-09-19T21:39:00.000-04:00

♥ Summary: Harper Scott's "perfect" sister committed suicide. And she left questions behind. Between a boy she tutored who seems to know more about June than Harper does, eclectic mix CDs, and an unsent postcard, Harper needs to ask more than anyone can answer. So she goes to the only place she may be able to find solace from her tangled thoughts of June: California.

♥ Favorite Line(s):

"Nolite te bastardes carborundorum"

"And now that thread is thinning with every passing moment, worn down by the brutal scrape of reality grating away at it, bit by bit."

"P.S.--I'm not scared anymore."

♥ My thoughts:

Saving June is the type of book that makes me want to pull words from its pages and carry them in my pocket for a while. It's heartbreaking and cool and fun and completely absolutely absorbing.

I want to hang out with Harper and Jake and Laney. I want to talk about The Doors and fire and how the universe kinda sucks sometimes, but the happy bits drown the others out at least partway. And I wish I wasn't rambling, but that's what this book does to me. It makes me want to speak and write and draw and make something out of nothing and cut some things to pieces. Guh.

The characters leap off the pages and dance around in my head. They sing and live and breathe and I wish I could come back, seep into the pages with them. And the plot! The whole 'road trip with an almost stranger with a random connection to you blahdy blah blahderson' is getting overdone, but Saving June made me want to know every detail of the trip.

Basically, Saving June is made of sunshine, rainbows, the hopes of children and many other lovely things. So...you should read it.

P.S. the last of my favorite lines killed me. Killed. Me.

♥ Summing it up:

Saving June is absolutely fantastic. It will be released November 22, 2011. Mark your calendars!

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Hannah's website

Happy Monday!

"3 Rounds And A Sound"-Blind Pilot,

win win win

2011-09-13T07:30:00.000-04:00

For those of you who only want me for my contests:

you're in luck! :)

In celebration of the release of the fifth book in Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series, If I Die, I'm giving away the first four books in the series! This is also kind of a warm up to the If I Die blog tour which kicks off September 19th {P.S. I'm the second stop!}.

Haven't yet decided if I want to give all four books to one winner or split them up or what, so let's just say there will be at least one winner. US only. Ends September 30th. Good luck!!

Form's after the jump {AKA, click "read more"!} :)

obligatory 9/11 post

2011-09-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

First, go read this post by Meg Cabot.

Now, I'm only 17. Which means I was in second grade when "the events of September 11th," occurred. I never quite understood that phrasing. It's too clinical, too brief to summarize what happened. But that really is beside the point.

The only thing I remember from that day was the announcement made throughout the school telling all staff to turn off their TVs after the second tower was hit. That, and my mom telling me what happened on the car ride home from school, basically came out to: "Bad people made the towers fall, people were hurt." Other things were tossed around, names like Osama Bin Laden and different terms I didn't understand. I also remember a lot of crying adults.

For years, I understood that people were killed and hurt and missing and that made the towers being hit sad, but nothing more. It wasn't until just a few years ago I began to realize the true impact it had. Because I was like, seven, when everything went down I'm not going to try and preach about anything.

Just...

go hug your family.

And maybe a stranger or two, because today of all days a stranger shouldn't be just another face in the street.

review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger!

2011-09-10T20:23:00.000-04:00

♥ Summary: Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.

Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: she and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming.

♥ Favorite Line(s):

First lines>
"There is nothing more humiliating than being topless in the backseat of your boyfriend's car when someone decides to throw an egg at the windshield."

"It's not silly," he said. "What's silly is my deep-seated and unreasonable fear of fish" -- replace fish with birds and this is real, this is me.

♥ My thoughts:

I think the fact that I've flipped through and almost marked this Very Borrowed* copy with my favorite little bits of dialogue and cattiness says enough about my feelings for Shut Out. It's fun, smart, a little eye roll inducing at times, but completely engrossing.

Shut Out takes place while Lissa is a senior in high school. She's the anal, smart, stoic girlfriend of football player, Randy. At first I thought I'd hate her to be completely honest. I usually can't take the whole Queen Bee Bitch character, but thankfully Lissa was nothing of the sort. Sometimes I still hated her for other things, but I usually hate every MC at least a little. But that means she wasn't perfect and, ya know, a real person, which was refreshing. Lissa is the kind of MC I love to read about.

Chloe, her best friend, can totes be my best friend any day. I'm one of the non-confrontational, "hey, I'm the doormat!" types, which means I loved living vicariously through tell it like it is characters like Chloe. The rest of the cast of characters were appropriately frustrating/endearing/swoon worthy/etc. and I ate all of the drama their various personalities brought out. ;)

The 'battle of the sexes' plot started out somewhat weirdly for me. I just wasn't interested at first. Boy, did that change. By the end I wanted to smash Randy's face with an egg rather than his car, cheer Lissa on from the rooftops, and er...stand and sigh a safe distance from Cash. The views everyone takes on the sex strike were varied and all had valid points. It's definitely a story to make readers think about a few issues.

Overall, Kody's second novel was just as fun, thought-provoking, interesting and real as The DUFF. A refreshing light read that I'll definitely flip through again.

*Very Borrowed = from an ARC tour/I will be torn to pieces if I write in it.

p.s. I'm in another review writing slump if you couldn't tell so...have a Charlie>

...and for my two dude readers>

♥ Summing it up:

Anyone looking for a fun read! Shut Out is out now, so pick up a copy! :)

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Kody's website

Happy Saturday!

"Someone Like You"-Adele,

half-hiatus

2011-09-07T15:43:00.000-04:00

Hullo lovelies.

If you haven't noticed, I've been kind of MIA lately. And not of the rapper variety.

"Why?" you must ask, "Is it us, Cara? Do you not like us anymore?"

To which I say NO. You see, all capital letters NO.

Last week I scheduled some posts for over last weekend because I knew I'd be in summer reading hell {yes, I'm that kid who reads incessantly but only if I can choose the books}. Now those posts have been er...posted and I don't have time right now to keep up.

Not because I don't like blogging or anything like that it's just....school. Guh. Just typing it out gives me the creeps.

I'm a senior. In high school. About to graduate. Applying to college. Basically in the midst of everything that scares the hell out of me.

I have some tough classes as well as some awesome ones {yay, Theatre Arts!}, but all of them have lots o' work. Which means I might only post once a week for a while. Maybe more, less. But you can expect a decline in thine posting habits. Hopefully I won't blink off the face of the blogosphere like last year! *crosses fingers*

To all my blogger friends, currently and to come>

Still checking my email like a fiend, so feel free to send away. If anything vital or just generally awesome should stumble up while I'm on half-hiatus please send an email as that's the safest bet for reaching me!

You all deserve stickers and flying popsicles and puppy-sized elephants {I will name mine Blu} and oodles and bunches and bits of good things.

P.S. You all should most definitely read this!

DFTBA,

review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

2011-09-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

♥ Summary: Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

♥ Favorite Line(s):

So so so many. Holy bananas. And guess what? For once I'll list them all. Except for my very favorite because I want you all to hopefully stumble onto it and realize the brilliance yourselves.

"First piece I ever did was for her. A girl with roads and rivers and deserts running across her skin."

"Midnight stumbling in his mouth."

"There's nothing you can do for me now Bert. You're dead and I'm buried."

"...I'd draw the hollow I get inside when I see a moon I could drink right out of the sky..."

"I had this urge to throw cans at the windows so I could hear a noise that sounded like escape."

"Be easier if we all called things what they really are."

♥ My thoughts:

This book.

This fricking book.

It seems I'll have to move to Australia after all since now I've developed a possibly unhealthy obsession for Aussie YA. Like, to the point when I see 'Aussie' and 'YA' in the same sentence my ears prick up like a flipping Golden Retriever. First Melina Marchetta lured me in with promises of boys like Jonah Griggs and badass chicks like Taylor. Then Jacklyn Moriarity held me under with fun, original, highly 'quirky in the good way' adventures. Now Cath Crowley has me completely submerged with no hope of coming up soon.

Graffiti Moon, first of all, has a kickass summary. I cannot possibly fathom how someone can not want to read the book after that summary. Nope. Does not compute. Then all of the glowing reviews, most from reviewers I highly respect? Sold. I was completely ready to be taken on a ride with this one, get caught up in the characters and story and run away to Australia for a little while. Ask and you shall receive.

Lucy, Ed, Leo, Jazz, Dylan, Daisy, Shadow, Poet, Al, Bert, and even Malcolm Dove drew me in immediately. They're all distinct and separate, but have one thing in common: they have huge misconceptions about the people around them. I'm abso-friggin'-lutely fascinated and intrigued by how people regard strangers. How we all think we know people when I would argue most of us never truly get to know even two people in our lives. I think it's completely odd how the computer nerd can look at the popular girl and think she's got nothing more to deal with than a broken nail. She might be battling cancer. She might've just found out her house is being foreclosed upon. Or she might really have no problems larger or more pressing than a broken nail. The thing is that no one but her will know until she decides to share.

As you can tell I think about things like this a lot, so when the entire cast of characters {okay, maybe not Malcolm Dove} think they know what the others are thinking and what they'll do and say {one even thinks she's a psychic} I eat. It. Up. I love the conflict that erupts when misconceptions are shot down at close range. When expectations are raised and lowered. Graffiti Moon gave me exactly what I wanted in that department, even some things I didn't know to ask for.

Besides the characters, the plot never bored me and the pacing was pretty great. Even though these events take place mostly over a few hours, I felt like I'd been on a journey with everyone. The writing was poetic and rough and real and I loved the feeling it evoked while reading. I've been waiting for this book. For my new favorite. For something fresh and hopeful and bright with shadows.

♥ Summing it up:

Graffiti Moon is a wonderful celebration of being young and trying to figure things and people out before they're gone, lost. Love love love times ten. Graffiti Moon will officially grace the US with its presence February 14, 2012.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Cath's website

Happy Wednesday!

"Valerie"-Amy Winehouse,

review: Fix Me by Rune Michaels!

2011-09-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

♥ Summary: Orphaned as a child, terrorized by her abusive brother, and haunted by memories, Leia feels exposed, powerless, and vulnerable. When her tormented mind can stand it no longer, she escapes to the zoo, where she finds shelter and seeks refuge. The zoo is a sanctuary: a protective space for families, and a safe place for the traumatized to forget. But can she ever feel safe? Can she ever forget?

Once again, Rune Michaels brings us a harrowing psychological drama that raises questions about the very nature of humanity. This chilling tale will challenge our preconceptions of family, memory, and self, leaving readers wondering, are we the pinnacle of evolution—or are we just animals on display?

♥ Favorite Line(s):

>Words. I need words. Words to run through my brain, words from books, from music, from TV shows; lyrics, paragraphs, dialogue. The words march through my head one by one, fast and loud, blocking out the pictures in my head, the movies running in my brain. I need the words, drumming onward, obscuring the view, keeping me safe on the inside of my head.

>"I am not me," I cry, my teeth clenched, toes of my shoes digging into the grass too, hands clawing, but the earth is fighting back and won't let me in.

♥ My thoughts:

Ahhhhh. Fix Me makes me go like this>

Why? Because it had loads and bunches and oodles of potential. And it never quite got there.

Nothing* frustrates me more than a story with so much potential that never quite delivers.

Fix Me is made of beautiful prose and lovely lovely lovely strings of words. The language is truly beautiful. And yet it didn't help me connect with Leia. Leia, the mysterious orphan we never learn the name of. The one who's head we're inside but never quite get a hold of. It felt to me that as the story went on we lost her a little more. The other characters are the same way: completely intriguing until they aren't.

The beginning of the book is set up so nicely and then it's just...over. Almost as if there's a chunk missing between the rest of the book and the last ten pages. Everything is tied up so quickly and it definitely left me wanting more out of the characters. I wanted to grab Leia and yell, "This isn't right! NOTHING happened and suddenly you're just functional again?! Que es esto?!" Without really meaning to I let the synopsis and gorgeous cover raise my expectations. Only to be dropped.

While I found trouble in plot holes, pacing, character development and the general impact of Fix Me, it is truly a well-written novel. Immediately after digesting some of the prose I wanted to write in journals, paint it on walls, yell it from rooftops and cars. I'm very excited to see what Michaels puts out next as I thoroughly expect to enjoy it immensely.

*Okay, maybe like, clubbing baby seals and things of the like. But in bookish terms, nothing is more frustrating.

♥ Summing it up:

Almost, but not quite. Fix Me is set for release December 6, 2011.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Rune's website

♥ The flip side:

Review by ReadingJunky

Happy Saturday!

"Girl"-The Beatles,

review: Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst

2011-09-01T09:06:00.000-04:00

♥ Summary: Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire... fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast -- as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

♥ Favorite Line(s):

Can't post 'em yet. Sorry, lovelies!

♥ My thoughts:

Drink Slay Love is the Scary Movie of YA novels. It makes fun of its own genre and itself in the process. It's the anti-vampire, vampire book.

To be completely honest I was never on the vampire bandwagon. I've only ever read two vampire books and never had the urge to dive into more. The only reason I decided to read Drink Slay Love was the fact that I couldn't find a single review that didn't discuss how "holy crap this is so funny I laughed 'til I cried." I do think it's funny, just not my kind of funny. I like dry, sarcastic humor and while there's some of that most of it is things relating to unicorns pooping rainbows and the like.

Pearl was quite cool to me. She actually wants to be a morally exempt killer and when she starts to develop a conscience it pisses her the hell off. She kicked ass and while the supporting cast of characters were a bit lame, she had my attention throughout.

I really don't have too much to say about this one honestly. *you all breathe a sigh of relief that this review is less than 10,000 words* It's funny, it's predictable, at times it's sweet. It's more of a joke, not in a bad way. Drink Slay Love doesn't take itself too seriously and opens the door for readers to do the same. Is it the next The Book Thief? Well, no. But it's entertaining. And sometimes that's what we need, something purely entertaining.

♥ Summing it up:

A nice, light read. Something to break up heavier novels. Drink Slay Love will be released September 13, 2011.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Sarah's website

Happy Thursday!

"Home"-Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros,

road trip wednesday {1}> best book of the month

2011-08-31T15:01:00.003-04:00

Road Trip Wednesday is a blog carnival hosted by the lovelies at YA Highway. There's a new topic each Wednesday and many awesome posts to visit.

This week's topic is the best book read in August. This month I've read quite a few good books, some great books and unfortunately even some rather ick ones. But mostly good ones. :)

I'm going to pretend the topic is plural and list the top three in no particular order>

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard//

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path. Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward. But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Such a wonderfully vibrant book. Love love love every single scene, line, word.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides//

This beautiful and sad first novel, recently adapted for a major motion picture, tells of a band of teenage sleuths who piece together the story of a twenty-year-old family tragedy begun by the youngest daughter’s spectacular demise by self-defenestration, which inaugurates “the year of the suicides.”

Holy bananas. This one threw me for a fricking loop. Still thinking about it.

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley//

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

Just finished this one and I want to be Lucy, Ed, Leo, Jazz, Daisy and Dylan's best friend. Characters leapt off the page.

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I recommend all of these to the skies, so go check out the awesome!

Happy Wednesday!

"Figure It Out"-Versaemerge,

teaser tuesday {11}

2011-08-30T00:00:00.007-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB over @ Should be Reading. Check out her blog to get the rules! There's no way I can just share two lines, so most of these will probably more like paragraphs.

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This week's teaser is from Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley!

"I walk across to the wall. A yellow bird lies legs up under a blue sky, and the word Peace is sprayed in curled letters across the clouds.

'I guess it's too late to give peace a chance,' Al says. 'Looks like it's dead.'

'Nope,' I say. 'It's only sleeping.'"
-pg. 20 {US ARC}

Literally just started reading this and I'm so so so in love with it already. Misconceptions are running amuck and I crave the conflict surely to come. Graffiti Moon is to be released in the US February 14, 2012, AKA my birthday ;)

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Recently on the blog:

>I reviewed The Girl of Fire and Thorns and Wanderlove and guest posted about cliches in YA on Randy Russell's blog! Thanks for stopping by and happy Tuesday!

"Electric Twist"-A Fine Frenzy,

review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

2011-08-28T14:10:00.002-04:00

♥ Summary: Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

♥ Favorite Line(s):

I didn't mark any and there aren't any on Goodreads so I'm kind of SOL with this one. There were a few moments when Elisa pumps herself with a pep talk though and I like me some self-assuring chicks.

♥ My thoughts:

I won't lie, I didn't love it.

Was the writing spectacular? Definitely.

Was the story fresh and original? Hell yes it was.

But was it enjoyable for me? Not really.

I honestly think most readers will adore The Girl of Fire and Thorns, truly just wasn't a book for me. I'd compare it to Graceling. Another same type of feel book which everyone was all "Holy second coming of Christ" over and I found personified "Meh."

The writing was there, so was the plot. But I just didn't believe the story. And not in the "Really? Vampiric flying robot squirrels? I call bologna!" but in the "I think your characters are terrible actors." sort of way. If that makes sense.* I didn't feel connected to the characters or the story and didn't care what happened to any of them. There were plenty of nail bite worthy moments, but when horrible things did actually happen I didn't really care.

The only moment I was truly involved in the story was when my favorite character, and the only one I found noteworthy at all, of course met an ill fate. If I had a flair for the dramatic I would've pulled one of these>

Instead I pouted for the rest of the book and have waited until now to write my review.

Elisa is a whole other bag of worms that I won't dive into too fully but *spoiler when she's taken against her will-I know, it's not like it's her fault, but alas-three separate times it got to be too much. One can only read the disoriented "I've just been kidnapped." scene so many times. end spoilery shtuffs*

Overall, the story is a bit slow, a bit boring at times. The writing truly is a work of art and Carson is one to look out for. The plot is intricate and complex and well thought out. The characters were just not there for me and I felt kind of cheated at the end.

*I'm starting to think, "If that makes sense." is the most commonly used phrase on my blog as of late. Maybe I should just stop trying to help you understand my loopy ramblings and just roll with it. What say you?

♥ Summing it up:

Fans of Graceling will completely devour it. The Girl of Fire and Thorns will be released September 20, 2011.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Rae's website

Happy Sunday!

"Cough Syrup"-Young The Giant,

review: Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard!

2011-08-24T19:58:00.001-04:00

♥ Summary: It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

>Note: I don't think this summary does the book justice at all.

♥ Favorite Line(s):

It's so hard for me to pull lines out of Wanderlove. All of them are favorites because of context and everything that's established up to that point in the story. It's more the feel of the lines rather than the words themselves if that makes sense.

Although I really love>
"Rowan's fifth travel rule:
Prices are relative. So is poverty. So is happiness."

♥ My thoughts:

I am head over heels, unabashedly, immeasurably, completely, utterly in love with Wanderlove. Added to the List of Books I Would Marry If It Were Legal. Definitely.

I love the happy bits and the sad bits and really love the bits that make me think. I love Bria and Rowan and Starling and hate hate hate Toby. I love the feeling I had after finishing the book. I love that I started rereading it instantly. I love that I'm actually starting to really plan the trip I've been "planning" to take next summer before college. I really love that Wanderlove made me want to travel again.

Wanderlove is one of those books that either hits you like a bike or a bulldozer. I'm still recovering. It's poetic without being over the top. It's amazingly descriptive without dragging on for days. It packs one hell of a punch regardless if you've gone through similar situations or not.

I won't lie, I haven't read Like Mandarin yet {although now I'm anxious to get my hands on a copy}. The only thing that made me want to read Wanderlove was the travel aspect. I love books about road trips and travel and things of the like. I expected adventures and hidden gems and discovering new worlds, but what I didn't expect was how much I completely adored the characters and their stories.

Bria roped me in, almost literally. I felt at any moment she would pop from the pages and head off to find Rowan and Starling roaming as well. The voice! So crazy amazing. Bria is so easy to relate to, so genuine. As are almost all characters. I mean, I've never transported drugs or been a volunteer teacher in Central America, but I felt like I might've in another life. That's how real the characters were for me.

Bria's art, all drawn by Kirsten herself {multi-talented ninja that she is!}, was one of my favorite aspects and added so much to the story. I've read too many books in which art or poetry or writing music is a love of the protagonist yet we never get to actually sample any of it. Books are more than just words for me and seeing different media included was fantastic. I find it so cool that Kirsten drew everything herself, as well! The art kept that part of Bria's storyline front and center and, I think, helped me better understand her.

The plot is completely thrilling. Even sitting in a hammock seemed like an action sequence. Bria is so very aware of everything and therefore so are we. After reading Bria's descriptions of their adventures I instantly wanted to hop a flight to Guatemala with a backpack so I could see them myself.

Overall Wanderlove is compelling and wonderful and funny and cool and I loved every bit. Just thinking about it makes me go a little bit like this>

It's like...the gazelle of YA books. If that makes sense. Which I don't think it does. But I'm having trouble describing how quietly awesome Wanderlove is. It's not a blood and body bags and leather kind of kick ass. It's like the ninja kind. The 'you don't know it's hitting you until it does' kind of awesome. Which is even better.

♥ Summing it up:

Wanderlove rocks my world. If you don't read it when it comes out, *le cough* March 13th, I may not be able to be your friend anymore, lovelies.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Kirsten's website

Happy Wednesday!

"I've Got Friends"-Manchester Orchestra,

my not so usual review of Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2011-08-19T19:00:00.001-04:00

♥ Summary: Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

♥ Favorite Line(s):

"'Hate isn't the most dangerous thing,' he said. 'Indifference is.'"

"I said, I prefer the ocean when it's gray. Or not really gray. A pale, in-between color. It reminds me of waiting for something good to happen."

"You know you can't be happy unless you're unhappy sometimes, right?"

♥ My thoughts:

Here's the deal>
This book made me laugh, gasp and, more often than I'd like to admit, cry like a baby. It made me emotional and because of that I think the part of my mind that looks at technical aspects had left the building while reading. So, instead of a review I'll be posting a playlist.

I don't know how many, if any, of you lovelies have checked out any of the songs I end my posts with. Usually they're just songs I've been listening to while writing said review/rant/thing, but sometimes I'll choose a song that reminds me of a book.

This playlist is all songs I think relate to Delirium, in order of the book's events. I'm focusing more on lyrics and feel than genre/pace/popularity.

Without further adieu, my Delirium playlist>

one. "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire> This reminds me of both Lena & Alex at the very beginning of the story. In my head I can totally picture them both in a movie sequence waking up to this song.
two. "Magic" by The Secret Handshake> Pretty self explanatory. ;) Right after Alex & Lena's first conversation I can see him thinking something like this later, daydreaming about the odd girl he met. The one who's going to be engaged to someone else...
three. "Don't Stop Now" by The Maine> I like to think of this as The Kissy Scene Song.
four. "Who To Believe" by Austin Gibbs & Fairline> This and the next song remind me so much of Alex & Lena on the beach and the under-the-stars scene {if you've read the book you totally know what I'm talking about. ;) }
five. "I'm Not The Sun" by Arkells> Alex Alex Alex. Lena Lena Lena. I can completely see them both thinking this about each other.
six. "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" by Relient K> Lena's whole existential crisis meltdown period.
seven. "Safe Ride" by Cute Is What We Aim For> When things start to crack. Declarations ensue.
eight. "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper {covered by Javier Colon}> It's just so Alex & Lena.
nine. "These Four Walls" by Miley Cyrus> When Lena's 'stuck' in her room.
ten. "Three Cheers For Five Years" by Mayday Parade> "I run for I don't know how long. Hours, maybe, or days. Alex told me to run. So I run."
eleven. "You Know You're Right" by Nirvana> I think of this as Alex's song during the above line. These are his thoughts and "Three Cheers for Five Years" are Lena's.
twelve. "Shot In The Dark" by Augustana> Lena's very last thoughts at the very end of the book. From the Pandemonium synopsis it seems this will be her mentality in the beginning of the next book as well.

♥ Summing it up:

Love love love this book!

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Lauren's website

Happy Friday!

"Shot In The Dark"-Augustana,

guys, I have exciting NEWS of the guest blogging variety!

2011-08-18T11:05:00.000-04:00

Hee! That is the word of the day. Know why?

Because today I'm guest blogging over at Randy Russel's {author of Dead Rules} blog today expressing my dislike for cliches in YA the only way I know how, sarcastically.

I really really think this is one of my favorite posts of mine and it would mean a lot if you checked it out and maybe commented?

'Thank you's to the skies for all of you that do!

A little bit about Dead Rules>

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

♥ Summary:

Till death

Jana Webster and Michael Haynes were in love. They were destined to be together forever.

But Jana's destiny was fatally flawed. And now she's in Dead School, where Mars Dreamcote lurks in the back of the classroom, with his beguiling blue eyes, mysterious smile, and irresistibly warm touch.

Michael and Jana were incomplete without each other. There was no room for Mars in Jana's life—or death—story. Jana was sure Michael would rush to her side soon.

Part

But things aren't going according to Jana's plan. So Jana decides to do whatever it takes to make her dreams come true—no matter what rules she has to break.

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

Happy Thursday!

"Need To Know"-Mathieu Santos,

What I want in my mailbox...{15}

2011-08-17T12:12:00.002-04:00

What I want in my mailbox is my version of Waiting on Wednesday hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

This week I want Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry & This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers in my mailbox!

* * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * *

Summary:
My name is Rosie Moon. I am nearly sixteen. I'm hungry for a juicy life. I lean out the window at night and I can taste it out there, waiting for me.

Popular and smart, fifteen-year-old Rosie Moon is the quintessential good girl. She also wishes she could be someone else for a while, someone more interesting. Asher Fielding is the mysterious new boy at school who has dreadlocks and a love of Jim Morrison. On the first day of tenth grade, Rosie develops a crush on Asher, and when the two pair up for a poetry assignment they quickly form a bond. When Asher is falsely accused of stealing a wallet at school, he and Rosie decide to escape it all--their families, their school, their ordinary town--and hitchhike up the Australian coast. They know they shouldn't, and that is exactly why they do. Part road story, part love story, Guitar Highway Rose is a thrilling ride for anyone who has ever dreamed about escaping everyday life, even just for a little while.

* * * * * * * * * * *
I really really really want this book, guys. Like, a whole lot. Because Nomes, of course, had to post a gorgeous review and make me want it. Like she always does. {Btw, you should totally be following her. ;) } Anyway, doesn't it sound dreamy? And the cover font? *le swoon*

Guitar Highway Rose was released in 2006.

* * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * *

Summary:

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up.

As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, everyone’s motivations to survive begin to change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life–and death–inside.

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

* * * * * * * * * * *
This freaking book. Courtney Summers + zombies = my head feels full, might explode. I absolutely love love love Cracked Up to Be so when this baby showed up on Goodreads I turned into Gollum briefly and muttered "my precious." Then I smiled a lot and reveled in the genius of the title.

This is Not a Test will be released {hopefully} in June 2012.

What are you waiting for?

"Your Past Life As A Blast"-Okkervil River,

Review: Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

2011-08-15T22:00:00.001-04:00

♥ Summary: When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can’t imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she’s inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved.

Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabriel, who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she loved. But Wren can’t turn her back on Danny or the choice she made for him—and she realizes she must find a way to make things right, even if it means breaking her own heart.

♥ Favorite Line(s):

Don't think I had any.

♥ My thoughts:

Hi, the following statement is written by Ultra Blunt Cara:

Am I the only one who really disliked this book?

For the most part Goodreads is my friend, mi amigo, my compadre. I can almost always find a decently sized group of people who feel the same way about a book and I feel united in my bookish ways. That seems to not be the case with Cold Kiss.

Because everyone loves it.

And I don't.

Here's why:

Cold Kiss started out pretty well. The story's set up immediately, the situation's laid out, I settled in for the conflict and passion and adventure surely about to unfold. Everything was set up for a showdown, a meltdown, a heartbreak, a journey. And then NOTHING HAPPENED. Fo reals. There was no gusto I needed. No passion, no fire, not even any blood and guts stereotypical zombie stuff. The plot was so basic and lackluster. Boy + girl. Boy dies. Girl necromances him into his zombie self {by some feat that was never explained enough}. Enter New Boy. NB = lovey dovey with girl. Basic drama ensues. The end. The story had a spine but no heart.

I felt distanced from the characters and the story because I just couldn't believe either. Wren, the protagonist, was understandably depressed in the beginning, but by the end of Cold Kiss I couldn't take the moping anymore. It was constant and draining and not worth reading through for me. Her romance with Gabriel is a classic case of instalove and almost clinical and I couldn't connect with that either. I think my dislike for this all comes down to lost connections. This book was a series of them.

I did honestly appreciate Amy Garvey deciding to stick to a more traditional Haitian view of zombies rather than Hollywood's version. Zombies are a very real part of the culture along with voodoo and other awesome mystical things. I loved that Danny was a 'real' zombie rather than blood and "BRAAAIIIIINNSSSS!" It was a nice consideration and definitely took some research and I can respect that.

♥ Summing it up:

I just didn't like the book. I've read some glowing reviews of it though, so don't pass it up! This one's just not for everyone.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Amy's website

Happy Tuesday!

"Make You Feel My Love"-Adele,

Review: Past Perfect by Leila Sales!

2011-08-14T20:00:00.002-04:00

♥ Summary: All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated…even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new.

Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it….

♥ Favorite Line(s):

S&S hath banned me from sharing until the release date, but I'll make sure to add them in later. Plenty of snort-worthy one liners, my friends.

♥ My thoughts:

Past Perfect, AKA The Book That Made Me Actually Beg My Parents To Take Me To A Reenactment Village While On Vacation:
Seriously. I begged. To go to a reenactment village. Because of this book. If that doesn't tell you how awesome it is, I have no idea what will.

After finishing Past Perfect my friend and I had an interesting conversation. Mainly about the fact that I didn't want to even like this book but ended up loving it.

"Why Cara *le gasp* how can you say that you didn't want to like a book? The blasphemy!"

I know. Seriously, I do. This is why I had to talk to aforementioned friend, because I cannot sit and think and come up with an idea without consulting someone else. We discussed my need to dislike cutesy books, which is apparently a new thing for me. Discovered this was probably triggered by my recent disgrace at what I used to read in middle school {translates to: Looked through my bookshelves, found first eight Clique books. Remembered my love for them, couldn't even finish the first one. Disgrace.}.

So apparently now I'm going through some kind of existential book reading crisis in which I read Pride & Prejudice over and over and over again in an attempt to purge every bad book I've ever read from my system. It's really not as dramatic as I make it out to be. But alas. Hopefully Past Perfect hath cured me of my "if it looks cutesy I want to hate it" disorder.

Anyway, I really really really adored Past Perfect. Leila Sales has a very interesting writing style, smooth and transitory without being overtly poetic, which worked quite well with the story. The plot was paced incredibly well, only sped up a bit too much for me in the end.

Was it the most unpredictable book ever? Nope. But it was entertaining and I was really cheering for everyone. Well, maybe not Frog Boy. He kinda freaked me out. Chelsea and Dan are completely adorable, Ezra is appropriately douchey, Fiona appropriately shifting.

As most of you know I've been having difficulties with this review, so I'm going to quit while I'm ahead. Basically: I highly recommend this book and it comes out October 4th!

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*Sidenote: The cover's misleading. Just...don't judge this one by the cover. Also, that title? Swoon.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Leila's website

P.S. Have you noticed my newest link in the sidebar? Click on "To Swap" to see the books I'm trying to swap for new ones.

Happy Sunday!

"Excuse"-The Ettes,

blogging bucket list!

2011-08-14T16:16:00.001-04:00

Inspired by Audrey @ holes in my brain, I've decided to post my book blogging bucket list.

This is in no way me still trying to get out of working on my Past Perfect Review.

Nope.

No way.

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one. Have any type of communication whatsoever with John Green. {Also: Jandy Nelson, Melina Marchetta, Stephanie Perkins. I've been @replied by Courtney Summers and Kimberly Derting and have met Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, David Levithan, Libba Bray, Lisa Ann Sandell and Gayle Forman. They were all formally on The List of People I'd Flail For.}

two. Stealing number two from Audrey: scribble, annotate, love, hug, squeeze, thoroughly personalize a favorite book and send it to the author.

three. Leave a Nerdfighter note/note in a favorite book of mine.

four. Send a handwritten letter to one of my favorite authors gushing completely.

five. Meet a blogger friend in real life. Preferably in NYC so we can prance around Strand and Books of Wonder. Or we can just prance around in general.

six. Post a really awesome discussion post that gets people talking/thinking about books and bookish things.

seven. Somehow weasel my way into an author's acknowledgement page. This is more like a life goal and also counts for record acknowledgments, but alas.

eight. Literally read a book until it falls apart.

nine. Reach 500 followers. Yes, yes. I know. "It's not about the followers, Cara." I know that. But it would also be cool to reach that point. To have 500 people choose to subscribe to what I'm writing.

ten. 1,000 posts. I'm hoping posts are like paper cranes and at some point I'll be granted a wish.
eleven. Become a better writer, reader.

This list could be ten pages long, but I'm keeping it short and sweet. What's on your blogging bucket list?

"My Racing Thoughts"-Jack's Mannequin,

jandy nelson is my spirit animal

2011-08-11T13:55:00.003-04:00

This post can also be called "I can't write reviews that don't suck eggs completely, so here is a post that's not a review" {I make no promises that this doesn't suck equal eggs}. I've decided to take the time I would be using for a review, which I cannot write right now, to talk about/pimp/gush over one of the books currently in the ever-rotating List of Really Awesome Books I Love More Than All the Othas.

It's a little book called The Sky is Everywhere. Optional extended title> The Sky is Everywhere: A Book Crafted by Jandy Nelson out of Rainbows, Sunshine, Flowers & Light.

When someone sees a favorite book of mine on my bookshelf, my nightstand, or more commonly constantly by my side stuffed into a bag or purse, he or she usually thinks I hate the book. Because it's completely "ruined." I like to think it's personalized.

Some of you are going to want to ring my neck and throw me to the dogs, but alas. I'm a DIY reader. I dog-ear, I underline, I occasionally highlight, I write random poems and thoughts completely unrelated to the story in margins and inside covers. I crack spines, I usually end up ripping and tearing pages and covers {most of my books are paperback, I'm not the Hulk}. I ring books out. Squeeze every last bit of feeling out of the pages. I live with my favorite books, build relationships. I've never fallen in love with a book as quickly as I did with The Sky is Everywhere. My poor paperback has been through hell and back, shows how much I completely love the story.

I recently reread my review of The Sky is Everywhere and can't help but feel like a fraud. I sound so clinical in my analysis, so sirius bsns. It bothers me that I didn't delve at all into how much this book truly means to me. Which is, like, a whole lot. I'm not going to go all "This is my sad story let's have a group cry and talk about feelings." I'll just leave it at this: This book means more to me than almost anything I've ever read and my review does it no justice whatsoever.

Consider this post my ode to Jandy Nelson, the genius Author/Literary Agent/Superhero behind Lennie's story.

I'm a fan forever, seriously.

If you haven't read The Sky is Everywhere I have a list of things for you to do:

Read the book.

**********************************

If you managed to finish this rambling mumbo jumbo of a post I salute you. And want to talk to you. And give you a medal or something. But mostly talk to you, about your favorite book(s). What are they? Why do you love them? Which authors make you want to dedicate a post to their brilliance?

Happy Thursday!

*And guess what?! Tomorrow I'll be on a college visit at NYU and hopefully will get to Strand for the first time. :) And hopefully hit up Books of Wonder again since it never disappoints me.

"Turning Tables"-Adele,

back to the grind

2011-08-09T18:57:00.000-04:00

Hello lovely people,

I feel like it's been a while.

Definitely longer than a week, more like a year.

Thank you to everyone who emailed me about guest posting, I just wasn't on the internet at all to check anything out.

Anyway, school's starting soon {blech}, cheering's starting {ugh}, and I've started volunteering at this wonderful free trade place {yee!}. This means my time goes from endless to zip in 2.5 weeks. Plus, the college visits from hell hath begun.

All of this adds up to me saying goodbye to some things on the blog:

so long Teaser Tuesday,

hasta la vista What I want in my mailbox {AKA my Waiting on Wednesday},

sayonara In My Mailbox,

bye basically everything that's not a review, blog tour or the uber rare contest.

I hope my blog doesn't get boring for you all, but I honestly just don't have the time anymore.

Thanks guys!

"Dark Blue"-Jack's Mannequin,

Vacation!

2011-07-31T14:07:00.001-04:00

Hey guys! I just left for vacation and won't be posting until I get back next week. I'm still going through emails so if you want to guest post let me know! I unfortunately can't reply to comments though, or format this post so, sorry it looks screwy.

Hope you're all fabulous! Have a great week and read some awesome books. :)

Are you sick of me yet?

2011-07-29T23:44:00.000-04:00

If you just answered "no," then you're in luck! You can go to this here link and check out some questions I answered for Jessica @ YA Book Haven.

Happy weekend!

P.S. I'm going on vacation next week and don't want my blog to go dull, so if you'd be interested in writing a review or guest post please send me an email with a link to a recent review. I know, I know. This is such late notice, but I figured I'd try. Thanks!

"Dreaming With A Broken Heart"-John Mayer,

Mini Reviews! {the witchy edition}:

2011-07-28T12:00:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I get backed up with books I need to review. This means that some books I want to review fall to the wayside. Mini reviews usually consist of two to four books I don't remember enough details from for full reviews. Basically, they help me recommend books I've read but haven't had time to review!

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Schultz:

Spellbound. I really don't know what to say about Spellbound. It definitely isn't for everyone. I don't think it was completely for me. It's a cute and at times dramatic paranormal romance. The characters were well-developed and interesting. The banter between them all was pretty good. I liked the paranormal element. Honestly, I believe I just read this at the wrong time. I'd just read a string of paranormal romances, most of which had a "together through eternity" romantic theme. By the time I got to Spellbound I was exasperated.

I can definitely see many readers falling in love with Spellbound and it's charm. It's overall a nice story and I expect a lot from Schultz in the future.

P.S. Absolutely hated the epilogue/last few pages. I read an eGalley, so who knows if it'll be included, but alas.

I'd recommend it for> Fans of paranormal romance and backstory heavy novels, tweens.

*************

Witch Song by Amber Argyle:
I was surprised by how much I adored this book. I'm usually not one for kingdom/princess stories outside of fairytales and Disney, but Witch Song won me over completely. The MC, Senna, has been added to my list of "Kickass Chicks I Have a Slight Girlcrush On." And let me tell you, it's tough to get on that list.

Within pages I was drawn into the world of magic Argyle had created. The plot was interesting and believable, the characters tough, and the action constantly progressing. If there's no sequel to Witch Song I will be seriously irked! {Also, I'll be 80-years-old apparently. Who says 'irked'? I guess I do...}

I'd recommend it for> Those who enjoy high fantasy adventure books with badass heroines and singing. Lots and lots of singing.

**************

Happy Thursday!

P.S. I'm sorry these reviews lack the funny. My funny does not come out of hiding unless my reviews are at least four paragraphs in length. ;)

"Took The Night"-Chelley,

What I want in my mailbox...{14}

2011-07-27T09:00:00.008-04:00

What I want in my mailbox is my version of Waiting on Wednesday hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

This week I want Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs & Fracture by Megan Miranda in my mailbox!

* * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * *

Summary:
A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

* * * * * * * * * * *
Ahhh. Every time I've gone into Barnes & Noble since its release, Miss Peregrine's has mocked me with its beautiful cover and amazing synopsis. I really need to get my hands on this one and experience the awesome for myself.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was released June 7, 2011.

* * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * *

Summary:

A lot can happen in eleven minutes. Decker can run two miles easily in eleven minutes. I once wrote an English essay in ten. No lie. And God knows Carson Levine can talk a girl out of her clothes in half that time.

Eleven minutes might as well be eternity under water. It only takes three minutes without air for loss of consciousness. Permanent brain damage begins at four minutes. And then when the oxygen runs out, full cardiac arrest occurs. Death is possible at five minutes. Probable at seven. Definitey at ten.

Decker pulled me out at eleven.
* * * * * * * * * * *
I'm pretty sure Fracture has one of the best blurbs I've ever read. So so so good. I seriously want to meet the person who doesn't want to read this book after a blurb like that.

Fracture will be released January 3, 2012. AKA, too freaking far from now.

What are you waiting for?

P.S. I don't know why Blogger is PMSing right now, but I apologize for its bad manners and ugly formatting.

"Back Against The Wall"-Cage the Elephant,

Teaser Tuesday {11}

2011-07-26T00:00:00.002-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB over @ Should be Reading. Check out her blog to get the rules! There's no way I can just share two lines, so most of these will probably more like paragraphs.

****************************************************

This week's teaser is from My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent!

"'Do you have some kind of disorder? Some synapse misfiring up there-' he gestured vaguely toward Nash's head '-that makes you incapable of keeping your mouth shut? Or are you just a garden-variety fool?'"

-pg. 146

I'm re-reading the first book before I finish the rest of the series. This line is from one of my favorite scenes in My Soul to Take because we get to meet one of my favorite characters! :)

***************************************

Recently on the blog:

>I reviewed Cryer's Cross and Incarceron, posted a list of my top ten favorite male YA protagonists, and talked about why I cannot stand books about teen pregnancy. Also, I have some books to swap and a new poll in my sidebar. Thanks for stopping by!

"Sweetness"-Jimmy Eat World,

Review: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

2011-07-25T13:41:00.002-04:00

♥ Summary: Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ...

♥ Favorite Line(s):

>"Underground the stars are legend." - One of my favorite lines in a book ever.

>"Despair is deep. An abyss that swallows dreams. A wall at the world's end. Behind it I await death. Because all our work has come to this." - Again, beautiful.

I loved so much of Catherine Fisher's prose. It's freaking fabulous.

♥ My thoughts:

Incarceron: A Love/Hate Story>

Let me start off by saying that prior to reading Incarceron I did not have a 'mixed feelings' shelf on Goodreads.
Now I do.
Because of this book.
And it's Pages of Confusion.

From the start, Fisher's prose made me all goo-goo eyed and weak in the knees. I was, and continue to be, completely in love with her way of bending words into sentences, phrases and paragraphs so pretty I have an entire file full of tidbits I loved and wanted to remember. Besides the lovely writing, the premise of Incarceron drew me in absolutely. I was so, so excited to find out how the plot would unfold within the first ten pages. Seriously. So. Excited. I adore dystopians, but I really have a thing for dystopians in which Protagonist is trying to get from Hellhole A to Greener Pastures B. So I believed Incarceron to be right up my alley.

Within a few hours I was happily engulfed in Incarceron, flipping pages like a crazy person. Then came the wall. DUN DUN DUN. This here wall came at me about 100 pages into the novel. My interest began waning and only fifty pages later did I realize why. I was being eaten alive by descriptions. Long, long, long descriptions. About everything. And everyone. I found myself skipping pages of the book because I was thinking, "If I read another description about a room in this place, about one more funny-looking tree, one more door, I will cut something." I also looked a bit like this:

It was a rough period in my love affair with Incarceron. I felt that the book I fell for had changed. We were different people now and I didn't know how to handle the change. I knew I still loved the plot and wanted to see the book through to the end, but I knew the descriptions would also be the end of our love. So I decided to keep skipping the lengthier descriptions. The rest was infinitely more enjoyable after that, and I really did love it by the end.

Claudia, Jared, Attia and, in the beginning, Finn were the only characters I genuinely liked. Claudia because she's nosy and curious and has a backbone. Jared for his helpful nature and overall badassery I found awesome. Attia's just plain interesting and I always wanted to know more about her. Finn, what do I say about Finn? I loved him in the beginning and he did have his moments throughout when I thought, "I kinda like this kid." Mostly though, I began to hate him by association. I really, I mean REALLY, hated both Keiro and Gildas. I waited anxiously for the moment both of them were put out of commission. Throughout the novel I just could not understand why Finn consistently put up with their shit. I was baffled by his need to help them when he was being constantly used and abused by the two of them. Though, maybe that says more about me than the book. I couldn't connect with Finn's need for tweedle dee and tweedle dum and therefore I couldn't connect with the masochist himself.

The plot kept me interested when the characters and endless descriptions could not. I loved the plot line completely and it's one of the only things that has kept me interested enough to want to read the sequel. Catherine Fisher definitely knows how to weave twists and turns into a story seamlessly and jerk a reader off a certain path within a paragraph. Her plotting skill shines through in the fact that I couldn't stand half the characters and filler descriptions, yet I still finished the book with a good feeling about what I'd just read.

♥ Summing it up:

I liked the story, disliked most characters, and think 200+ pages could've been cut. Overall Incarceron is a good read and I'm looking forward to the sequel, Sapphique.

Technically, 3.5 stars!!

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Catherine's website

P.S. Have you noticed my newest link in the sidebar? Click on "To Swap" to see the books I'm trying to swap for new ones. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll in the sidebar!

Happy Monday!

"Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall"-Coldplay,

IMM {Week 10}

2011-07-23T14:31:00.001-04:00

In My Mailbox is a meme started by Kristi @ The Story Siren, inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie. >From The Story Siren: The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox and books bought. And sometimes other fun goodies.

Thank yous a plenty to Rachel from Fiktshun! I love her blog and if you check it out, I'm sure you will too.

Happy Saturday!

P.S. Sorry the sound sucks! iSight cam = not so good for vlogs.

"Young Blood"-The Naked and Famous,

Book Blogger Hop {6}!

2011-07-21T22:47:00.001-04:00

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen at Crazy For Books! Check out her blog for the complete rules and details about this week's hop.

Hello hoppers, I'm Cara. Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Q. What's the one genre that you wish you could get into, but just can't?

A. This one's pretty hard for me to answer, because I generally like a good amount of books from most genres. There are types of books I can't get into inside certain genres. I guess that can count?

I hate books about teen pregnancy. I refuse to read them. Sounds harsh right? I don't know why, but I just don't have any interest in that topic. It probably stems from the fact that I never want to think of having my own child at any age, so reading about people my age having babies is WOAH, NO, LET'S NOT DO THAT. I turn into the health teacher from Mean Girls when I read about teens making babies.

I don't want to act like a crazy health teacher, ergo I avoid teen pregnancy contemporaries like the plague.

Have you participated in the hop this week? Leave your link and I'll be sure to stop by your blog!

Happy Friday!

"Cups"-Lulu and the Lampshades,

Review: Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

2011-07-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

♥ Summary: The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

♥ Favorite Line(s):
Everything Kendall and Jacian say to each other. Seriously, everything. One example:
"So, ah, I'm not sure if you know this, but you're not wearing a shirt."
"Distracting, isn't it?"

I wish I could include one of my absolute favorite Jacian/Kendall lines, but it's all spoilery and such. Another favorite is the very last page, but it's also spoilery.

♥ My thoughts:

I've been having some trouble writing this review. Mainly because I don't know how to express how much I loved this story but only liked this book. I absolutely loved the world and characters Lisa McMann created, yet it wasn't a book that made me go, "Holy bananas, this is totes an amazing novel." But I don't know why. The writing style flows well, the plot was paced incredibly. I really adored all of the characters. But alas, I still only liked Cryer's Cross.

The story itself is imaginative and had me completely on the edge of my seat. I finished it in one sitting, barely stopping to shove some food down and continue. Kendall is a relatable, honest protagonist and she's my homegirl. Love her so much. There aren't too many minor characters, but in Cryer's Cross it works. Instead of trying to juggle 12,000 personalities and subplots, the few minor characters are each special and pretty well-developed. Plus, Jacian? Added to my mental list of "Fictional People I Would Stalk {in a totes non-creepy way}." He's all sorts of awesome.

I'd also like to point out the fact that I read this in the middle of the day and was still freaking the hell out. It is creepy to the max and definitely not a great choice for before bedtime reading. Unless you're into that whole being scared silly thing. I'm cool with a good ghost story-love them actually-because usually the ending has some kind of closure for all the spooky stuff. And then I read Cryer's Cross. And for about a week I was worried I was going to start hearing furniture talk to me. I realize that sounds really crazy if you haven't read the book, but bear with me.

I really did enjoy Cryer's Cross and its pacing was so refreshing for me at this point. I've recently read a lot of Nana Driving books, aka the pacing is gas/brake, gas/brake, gas/brake. Sporadic. Not fun to read in. Headache inducing. Cryer's Cross was easy to read and follow and gave my brain a break. Between the beautiful pacing, realistic characters, and super awesome ghostliness, Cryer's Cross was a much needed reading vacation.

♥ Summing it up:

I really loved the story, but like I said, liked the book. Am still confused by how that is possible.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Lisa's website

P.S. Have you noticed my newest link in the sidebar? Click on "To Swap" to see the books I'm trying to swap for new ones. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll in the sidebar!

Happy Wednesday!

"Indigo Girl"-This Century,

Teaser Tuesday {10}

2011-07-19T02:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB over @ Should be Reading. Check out her blog to get the rules! There's no way I can just share two lines, so most of these will probably more like paragraphs.

****************************************************

This week's teaser is from Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder!

"My heart dropped into my stomach and ran laps. Lieutenant Commander Karla and three Pop Cops followed my supervisor. The LC's smug expression and the terrified fury on my supervisor's face told me all I needed to know. Without hesitating, I ran."

-pg. 196

I actually just finished this book about five minutes ago and I absolutely loved it. Badassery is abundant and I'm so excited to start the second book in the series, Outside In. Maria V. Snyder's writing style is flawless and her protags. are always fierce. Love love love.

***************************************

Recently on the blog:

>I reviewed Adios, Nirvana and Tris & Izzie, posted a list of my top ten favorite male YA protagonists, and talked about how I reallyreallyreally want to read Dead Rules by Randy Russell. Also, I have some books to swap and a new poll in my sidebar. Thanks for stopping by!

"The Coldest Summer"-Fairline,

Top Ten Protags. That Rule My World {dude edition}

2011-07-18T15:18:00.003-04:00

Hi, I'm Cara. And I'm in love with lists.

They are nifty.

And organized-like.

And easy for my easily distracted mind to keep track of.

But, they're always a cool way to talk about bookish things I like. Which is exactly what I'm going to do.

Once a week, hopefully, I'll be posting a new list of _____.

This week's theme is a top ten list of my favorite male protagonists in YA.
{Just to clarify, for all intents and purposes male protagonist to me means: male YA character who has all or a large part of a book told from his perspective. Had to add some limitations or the list would be Top 100 instead. Sad I can't include Puck and St. Clair though!}

* * * * * * * * * * *

10.} Harry Potter>

Where to find him: The Harry Potter series

Why so special?>

It's Harry Potter. He's a WIZARD. Need I really say more here people?

9.} Thomas>

Where to find him: The Maze Runner series

Why so special?>

Thomas. How do I describe Thomas? Thomas is awkward. Thomas kicks some serious Griever ass. Thomas thinks your cute. He's an honest character. I love reading a book and thinking, "I can completely picture this person in my head." And Thomas is one of the most realistic protagonists this side of the Mississippi.

8.} Percy Jackson>

Where to find him: The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Why so special?>

For about a year and a half I had a slightly unhealthy obsession with the Percy Jackson series. It's an Epic Journey series {love me some epic journeys} and throughout the books Percy grows and learns and we, as readers, learn with him. I absolutely love the adventures he and his crew {did I really just write 'crew'?} go on and loved seeing Percy as well as all of the other characters develop over the series.

7.} Benny Imura>

Where to find him: The Benny Imura series

Why so special?>

First of all he's in a book about zombies. If you've been following my blog for a little while you'll know I have an intense obsession with zombies. Blogging commandment #2: Thou shalt never turn thy nose up at thee books of zombie. Well, that would be #2 if I had any blogging commandments. #1 would be: Thou shalt never attempt to blog whilst Pirates of the Carribean ist on thy television. I'm breaking that one right now.

ANYWAY, Benny is one awesome protag. He's a smart kid who's also pretty damn brave. At first he was a smug little idiot, but his character developed and grew into the person I wanted to cheer on. Bravo, Jonathan Maberry. I love your book.

6.} Clay Jenkins>

Where to find him: Thirteen Reasons Why

Why so special?>

The fact that when I saw Clay was next I squealed, "Aw, CLAY," says more than anything, me thinks. Clay is just plain sweet, which is rare these days in YA. Most novels I've read lately have a dark, mysterious bad boy. Which isn't bad when done right, but just because a character likes arson, kicking puppies, or whatever other morbid hobby doesn't mean he is swoon worthy. Case in point: Clay. He is a nice guy. Like, genuinely nice. And that makes him different and worthy of my love.

5.} Cole St. Clair>

Where to find him: The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy

Why so special?>

*le sigh* Cole St. Clair. Mm mm mm. I love me some Cole St. Clair. He completely fits my "Fictional People I Would Stalk {in a totes non-creepy way}" guidelines: A.) He's pretty. We all know that counts for something. 2.) He's a musician. With a tortured soul. Tortured soul is optional. C.) He's got snark running through his veins.

4.} Nick Ryves>

Where to find him: The Demon's Lexicon trilogy

Why so special?>

Nick's not the typical bad boy with a deeply hidden heart that makes tween girls across the globe fan themselves. He really doesn't care about anyone for the most part. And I respect that. I appreciate blunt honesty in the real world and in the books I read, so The Demon's Lexicon was very refreshing. I can see reasons why some may be put off by him: he shows no remorse, finds fun in threatening people to the point of peeing their pants, and he's violently angry basically all the time. But those are the reasons I love him. Because he doesn't put up a front like most people, real or imagined.

3.} All of John Green's MCs>

Where to find them: Looking For Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns and Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Why so special?>

Miles "Pudge" Halter, Colin Singleton, Quentin Jacobsen and Will Grayson. Let's face it, they all have much in common. They're awkward, nerdy, mildly attractive teenage boys. But I adore them all. They're funny, clever, endearing, and play off the other characters wonderfully. John Green knows how to write a realistic protagonist.

2.} Jonathan {does he even have a last name?}>

Where to find him: Adios, Nirvana

Why so special?>

Jonathan's voice is so distinct in Adios, Nirvana. I felt I was truly inside his head throughout the novel. He became a friend for the time being and I became one of his "Thicks." I can't not like his character because it feels like by saying that I'm saying I don't like one of my friends. I feel like I know him. A truly stunning YA voice.

1.} Cassel Sharpe>

Where to find him: The Curse Workers series

Why so special?>

Cassel Sharpe is the HBIC, okay? He can do no wrong in my book. I am a card-wielding member of the Cassel Sharpe fan club. Hell, I'm probably the president. He is a BAMF and all other acronyms and initialisms that pertain to high levels of badassery. He is pretty and smart and funny and broken and mending and trying to be a good person in a family of selfish individuals with hidden agendas. Guh, my weak fangirl heart. I don't think I can even begin to describe how much I love this character. I met Holly Black once right after White Cat was released and I literally just rambled on and on to her about Cassel's ability to make me weak in the knees. I think I scared her a bit. But alas, Cassel is the greatest and if you haven't read the series you are missing out.
* * * * * * * * * * *
So, who are your favorite YA male protags.? Feel free to leave a comment with your faves or even make your own blog post and link to it. I wanna see who you all love!

Happy Monday!

"Blindsided"-Bon Iver,

IMM {Week 9}

2011-07-16T21:59:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a meme started by Kristi @ The Story Siren, inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie. >From The Story Siren: The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox and books bought. And sometimes other fun goodies.

I decided against a vlog this week simply because I only received one book this week and didn't want to film myself for one book.

Anyway, this week I received Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen. {Thanks Harlequin Teen!} I'd read Past Midnight last year while it was on NetGalley--you can read my review. I enjoyed the story, but I'm not quite sure I want my own copy, so I may be giving it away. Look for it in future contests!

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Happy Saturday!

"Bruised"-Jack's Mannequin,

Review: Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft

2011-07-14T23:46:00.000-04:00

♥ Summary:  When you piss off a bridge into a snowstorm, it feels like you’re connecting with eternal things. Paying homage to something or someone. But who? The Druids? Walt Whitman? No, I pay homage to one person only, my brother, my twin.
       In life. In death.
       Telemachus.

Since the death of his brother, Jonathan’s been losing his grip on reality. Last year’s Best Young Poet and gifted guitarist is now Taft High School’s resident tortured artist, when he bothers to show up. He's on track to repeat eleventh grade, but his English teacher, his principal, and his crew of Thicks (who refuse to be seniors without him) won’t sit back and let him fail.

♥ Favorite Line(s):
"That's the secret--to close your hand on jagged glass, then open it and find a butterfly."

"As a poet, I know that truth hides in the nuance."

"The nurse looked up from her clipboard.
'Who are you?'
'Good question,' I say."

♥ My thoughts:
I honestly do not think I can review this in the way I've been doing most of my reviews lately. ADIOS, NIRVANA is too lyrical, too raw, too poetic, to be discussed in a list format. That being said, this is one of the best books I've read in not only the past year, but ever. The story of Jonathan's triumphs and downfalls is up there on my list of "books I would marry if it were legal."

I am a huge fan of contemporary YA. Although I read more books with a supernatural element, I can honestly say I enjoy reading contemps. way more. I feel that it's harder to get a plot moving in realistic fiction. In paranormal romance, someone can vamp out or blow something up and BAM! there's a new challenge, a new plot twist waiting to be steered in the right direction. Contemporary twists and turns {when done well} seem more subtle, more sinuous to me. Almost lyrical in their delivery. I love the soft, smooth styles of Jandy Nelson and Melina Marchetta, love the raw, blunt style of authors like Hannah Moskowitz. When an author manages to weave both of these somewhat clashing elements into one story, he has my heart. Hence why John Green forever owns my soul {and I still think KATHERINES is one of his best and deserves to stop being treated like the middle child}. Ahem, anyway. Conrad Wesselhoeft manages what many struggle with, in ADIOS. He twists and bends the story into a completely believable, relatable, and utterly engrossing tale without losing sight of the message he wants to get across.

Throughout the novel, we see life through the eyes of Jonathan, 1/2 of the polar opposite pair he makes up with Telemachus. The twins are light and dark. Telly is talented, Jonathan's okay. Telly's a confident leader, Jonathan hangs in the back. Sounds cliche, right? Except it totally doesn't feel that way while reading. Jonathan's voice is so crisp and distinct that absolutely nothing seems overdone or cliche. And my lord, the internal dialogue is to. Die. For. While music is a big part of this novel, even the story itself seems like a song. The words practically flow from page to page. It's completely addicting, and I had a hard time taking a break half-way through because I felt I would lose the rhythm I'd grow accustomed to.

I know throughout this review I haven't really said much about the plot. Mostly because it's so simple when described. Twin dies. Remaining brother finds a kind of peace in the last place he imagined. So simple. Wesselhoeft's writing and language takes the simple plot and transforms it into a coming-of-age story for the ages. Had anyone else tried to pull this story off...well, I highly doubt I would've enjoyed it half as much. I cannot wait to read more from this author as he is now one of my favorite YA voices.

♥ Summing it up:

If you couldn't tell from the review, or didn't read it, I absolutely adored this novel. I want to marry this book.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Conrad's website

P.S. Have you noticed my newest link in the sidebar? Click on "To Swap" to see the books I'm trying to swap for new ones. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll on the side of my blog!

P.P.S. I'm not posting about DH until I've seen the movie with my momma on Saturday. Afterwards, expect a lengthy, spoilery tribute to the books, movies, and world of Harry Potter in general.

Happy Friday!

"Here Comes the Sun"-The Beatles,

Once Upon a Readathon wrap-up

2011-07-13T23:54:00.000-04:00

My first ever readathon is now over and I can't help but be disappointed in myself. Usually much of my day is spent reading. I read like, all the time. So I thought having a big TBR list was no sweat. I go through books like nothing. Except I kind of had a social life this week. Between college admissions calls , actually seeing my friends and *le gasp* going outside I haven't had all that much time to read. Also, the TBR list was daunting for me and really made me want to read less. I mean, it felt like I was giving myself summer reading. Yikes. So I have to say that I loved the whole idea of a readathon, but they just really don't seem like the thing for me.

Anyway, the stats:

Books started>

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Hunger by Michael Grant

Books finished>

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Total pages read>

866

So yeah, that's my first, and last for at least a while, readathon wrap-up. Do you enjoy readathons? How many do you do annually on average? Let me know!

"Howlin' for You"-The Black Keys,

Once Upon a Readathon Challenge!

2011-07-13T15:53:00.000-04:00

For my first and only challenge for this readathon {I have been BUSY these past couple days} I will be participating in the challenge at Wicked Awesome Books!

Basically the goal is to set up two characters from two different YA books. Which I love doing. A lot. I actually have a post about doing just that. I still stand by all of my choices in said post and therefore am stealing my number one.

Nick Ryves {Demon's Lexicon trilogy}

Alaska Young {Looking for Alaska}

Can you picture it? Can you? Aren't they perfectly imperfect for each other? I just think their personalities would clash wonderfully and we all know in YA yelling, fighting, arguing = passionately in love with each other. So there you have it! That's my pick.

Who would you put together?

"My Friends Over You"-New Found Glory,

Once Upon a Readathon {day uno}

2011-07-12T02:19:00.000-04:00

The annual readathon is hosted by Pure Imagination, Reading Angel, and Candace's Book Blog!

Books {partially} Read:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Pages Read:
176 +
28 =
204

Didn't have a lot of reading time today unfortunately. Which means I have to crack down on this pile tomorrow!

"Bad Dream"-This Century,

Once Upon a Readathon hath begun!

2011-07-11T01:06:00.000-04:00

It's here! The annual readathon hosted by Pure Imagination, Reading Angel, and Candace's Book Blog is my first ever readathon so I am EXCITED. I won't technically start until I wake up after eventually going to sleep {it's currently 12:51AM, I usually fall asleep around 4AM}*, but I thought I'd post my TBR list now. Have I mentioned I'm excited?

TBR:

Witch Song by Amber Argyle

Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Hunger by Michael Grant

If I finish all of those:

Cute Eats Cute by C.B. Murphy

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

For anyone else attempting this rather daunting challenge, link me up in the comments. We can support each other in our struggles through TBR piles and mini-challenges. As always, happy reading and happy monday!

*Don't judge the sleeping schedule. I am Very Pale which means I am a creature of the night, okay?

"Set Fire To The Rain"-Adele,

Review: Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

2011-07-10T12:41:00.000-04:00

♥ Summary:
A modern retelling of the German fairytale "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school.

♥ Favorite Line(s):
"A story is not always a lie."

♥ My thoughts:
I'm going to try really really really hard not to tear into Tris & Izzie, but I honestly stopped reading at page 154. And even getting there was a struggle. I hated almost every character and found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the dialogue. I really liked the premise and was very excited to start this book as the tale of Tristan and Isolde is a favorite of mine. I was looking forward to seeing how Mette Ivie Harrison was going to transplant the story into a high school setting and can honestly say the set up was nice. But that's where my love for this ended, at the setting. Much of the backstory of the world was either crammed in in three pages and confusing or not explained at all. But none of the things I've mentioned so far were the reason I couldn't finish reading. I couldn't connect with the MC on any level. I didn't feel any sympathy for her or have any desire to see her succeed. For Christ's sake at one point she was MAULED by an ANIMAL and I still didn't care what happened to her. That's why I didn't finish Tris & Izzie. If I don't care if the protag. gets thrown off a cliff, there's something wrong.

The lovely bits>

The transfer> I liked the idea of the original fairytale being set in a modern high school. There was a lot that could've been done with that setting and lot of places it could've gone and it was a great idea.
The history> Some of the original history was sprinkled in and since I'm a fan of the original, I was pleased to see that.

The not-so-lovely bits>

The characters> Here's me being blunt and honest: I hated them.
The dialogue> Some of the mushier bits made me cringe, but mostly it just didn't feel authentic. I am a teenager. I go to a public high school. Most of my friends and I don't speak the way the teenagers do in Tris & Izzie.
The pacing> It was very erratic. Stop/go, stop/go, stop/go.

♥ Summing it up:

This genuinely was not a book for me. Many may enjoy the romantic aspects, but I'm not one for an overdose of that stuff.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Mette's website

P.S. Have you noticed my newest link in the sidebar? Click on "To Swap" to see the books I'm trying to swap for new ones. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll on the side of my blog!

Happy Sunday!

"La La Lie"-Jack's Mannequin,

Imm {Week 8}

2011-07-09T15:47:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a meme started by Kristi @ The Story Siren, inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie. >From The Story Siren: The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox and books bought. And sometimes other fun goodies.

Fun fact about this vlog: the first time I did it something popped up on my laptop screen and made a noise, ruining my video. This made me annoyed, obviously. I was in the middle of saying one of the titles so it ended up being "The Absolutely True Diary of...shit!" Lol.

P.S. Have you noticed my newest link in the sidebar? Click on "To Swap" to see the books I'm trying to swap for new ones. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll in the sidebar of my blog!

Happy Saturday!

"Just Like Honey"-Jesus & Mary Chain,

Diversity in YA

2011-07-08T16:00:00.000-04:00

Hello lovelies! I'm very excited to say that I'll be participating in the Diversify Your Summer Reading Challenge. From the website:

"This summer, we’re challenging readers to read books that feature a diverse world, to read beyond their comfort zones, and to just plain dive into some wonderful stories. Our challenge will have two components: one for libraries, one for readers and book bloggers. At the end of the summer we’ll be giving away some wonderful book prizes donated by publishers."

This is a wonderful challenge with a really great message and I hope you all consider taking it up. Check out the link up top and diversify your summer!

"The Only One"-Manchester Orchestra,

What I Want In My Mailbox...{13}

2011-07-08T11:42:00.001-04:00

What I want in my mailbox is my version of Waiting on Wednesday hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

This week I want Dead Rules by Randy Russell in my mailbox!

Summary:

Till death

Jana Webster and Michael Haynes were in love. They were destined to be together forever.

Michael and Jana were incomplete without each other. There was no room for Mars in Jana's life—or death—story. Jana was sure Michael would rush to her side soon.

Part

But things aren't going according to Jana's plan. So Jana decides to do whatever it takes to make her dreams come true—no matter what rules she has to break.

* * * * * * * * * * *
Doesn't it sound great?! I've read a sample of some of the book and I already love it, so I'm excited to finish reading and find out where the story goes. Also, there's a Dead Rules giveaway to support teen reading going on! Check out the link and learn how to enter!

Dead Rules was released June 21, 2011.

What are you waiting for?

"I'll Never Let You Go"-Third Eye Blind,

Hey, guess what? I have a WINNER.

2011-07-06T01:14:00.000-04:00

First of all, I'd like to say some of the obligatory stuff-no-one-wants-to-read like "Thanks for entering!" and "I really wish I could give you all a July release except then I would be broke. Actually, I kind of am already close to broke."

So, thanks for entering and I really wish I could give you all a July release except then I would be broke. Actually, I kind of am already close to broke.

There, now that that's out of the way, let's get to the good part shall we?

.......

.............

Congrats to Kris!

I'm emailing you now! 48 hours to respond or a new winner is picked. Now, let's celebrate:

P.S. I know you all skipped to the winner like:

{Also, I never get to use that .gif. So there, USED.}

Happy Wednesday!

"Shine On"-The Kooks,

Review: The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

2011-07-05T08:00:00.004-04:00

♥ Summary: Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "the Duff," she throws her Coke in his face. But things aren't so great at home right now, and Bianca desperate for a distraction.

♥ Favorite Line(s):
>"No matter where you go or what you do to distract yourself, reality catches up with you eventually."
>"'El tono de tu voz hace que queria estrangularme.' I stood up and waited for him to hand over my papers.
'That sounds sexy,' he said, getting to his feet and handing me the stack of Spanish work he'd swept together. 'What's it mean?'
'The sound of your voice makes me want to strangle myself.'
'Kinky.'

♥ My thoughts:
I thought I would enjoy The DUFF. I thought I would like the story and plot and characters. I thought it would be an interesting read. I didn't think I would love it so much. And I definitely didn't believe it would make me think so much about stereotypes, generalizations, and verbal abuse.

The lovely bits>

Bianca> To be honest, I really hated Bianca at first. She was very, very sarcastic, blunt, and pretty damn cynical. I've realized that I didn't like her because she reminded me too much of...me. Heh. Anyway, she definitely grew on me throughout the book. From her quirks to her secrets, every detail brought her to life. Bianca practically yelled from the pages, as did most of the main characters. She has a very distinct voice. And that's the most important thing to me when reading. If I don't believe the main character, how can I believe any of the story? I truly loved being in Bianca's head.
The enjoyable predictability> I, and most likely all of you, could guess how this most likely was going to end. 97.68% of the time I hate predictable story lines and endings. But with The DUFF, anything predictable feels right, natural. The plot moves and unfolds in such a believable way that if anything was different it would've felt fake. The absolute belief I had in Bianca's story is a true testament to Kody Keplinger's writing.

The snark> English is my second language, Sarcasm is my first. Many hate sarcasm and really hate sarcastic protags., but I am not one of them. The DUFF is hilarious and tense and has that brilliantly original voice because of the snark practically spilling from Bianca, Wesley, and even Casey from time to time. The snark won me over in the end.
The message> Throughout the first half of the book Bianca struggles with labels and hastily thrown insults. This book is about learning and becoming aware of the people around you. Being aware that the people around you are humans beings. With like brains and feelings and stuff. I was pulled in and ended up growing and learning right alongside Bianca. Definitely a great read for ~~any girls dealing with body image and/or self-esteem issues~~ everyone. Who am I kidding, we all have issues, right?

The not-so-lovely bits>

Minor characters> There is some minor character development, but I felt as if I was told what the minor characters were like rather than shown. Jessica is innocent. Casey needs to help people {this was shown, but then told and told and told}. If Bianca's voice wasn't so commanding and strong, I might not've been able to get into The DUFF purely because the minor characters were a little flat to me. But this is Bianca's story. Wesley's to some extent as well, but it truly is hers and Kody delivers it to us, raw.

♥ Summing it up:

I really liked it! I'd recommend it for anyone who loves a contemporary with spunk. The DUFF's got the spunk.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Kody's website

P.S. Have you noticed my newest link in the sidebar? Click on "To Swap" to see the books I'm trying to swap for new ones. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll at the bottom of my blog and it's the last day to enter my Summer Solstice Celebration!

Happy Tuesday!

"Stay"-Safetysuit,

Teaser Tuesday {9}

2011-07-04T22:54:00.001-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB over @ Should be Reading. Check out her blog to get the rules! There's no way I can just share two lines, so most of these will probably more like paragraphs.

****************************************************

This week's teaser is from Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft!

"During the night, I have jumped off the precipice, spread my wings, and swooped. I have smashed rules--of spelling, punctuation, and syntax. Gleefully. I have flown fast and far."

-pg. 182

I don't think any teaser can adequately show how truly fantastic Adios, Nirvana is. It's definitely not a book for everyone, but it's special. A very John Green-esque, find yourself type novel that left me wishing it didn't end. One of my favorite books of the year/ever.

***************************************

Recently on the blog:

>I reviewed The Iron Queen, posted some mini reviews, and tried to find out what draws different readers to books. Also, I have a contest ending today and some books to swap. Thanks for stopping by!

"Red House"-Jimi Hendrix,

Reminder!

2011-07-04T15:58:00.001-04:00

Hello, my lovelies! Just popped in on this very warm-seriously I'm sweltering-Fourth of July to let you all know that tomorrow is the last day to enter my Summer Solstice Celebration. I'm giving away one copy any July release. Winner's choice! So head on over to the original post for the rules, and then fill out this here form.

Happy Independence Day to my fellow US dwellers!

"Changing"-The Airborne Toxic Event,

Chasing Words

Top Ten Guest Post {Just Contemporary Week Four!}

Just Contemporary Month: Week One {Guest Post!}

review: Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

I read because I can't have a puppy-sized elephant

Guest Post: Rachel Vincent +Giveaway!

review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington!

win win win

obligatory 9/11 post

review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger!

half-hiatus

review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

review: Fix Me by Rune Michaels!

review: Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst

road trip wednesday {1}> best book of the month

teaser tuesday {11}

review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

review: Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard!

my not so usual review of Delirium by Lauren Oliver

guys, I have exciting NEWS of the guest blogging variety!

What I want in my mailbox...{15}

Review: Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Review: Past Perfect by Leila Sales!

blogging bucket list!

jandy nelson is my spirit animal

back to the grind

Vacation!

Are you sick of me yet?

Mini Reviews! {the witchy edition}:

What I want in my mailbox...{14}

Teaser Tuesday {11}

Review: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

IMM {Week 10}

Book Blogger Hop {6}!

Review: Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Teaser Tuesday {10}

Top Ten Protags. That Rule My World {dude edition}

IMM {Week 9}

Review: Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft

Once Upon a Readathon wrap-up

Once Upon a Readathon Challenge!

Once Upon a Readathon {day uno}

Once Upon a Readathon hath begun!

Review: Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

Imm {Week 8}

Diversity in YA

What I Want In My Mailbox...{13}

Hey, guess what? I have a WINNER.

Review: The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Teaser Tuesday {9}

Reminder!