Waiting on Wednesday (17)...

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I am eagerly anticipating.

This week's Waiting on Wednesday pick is: Matched by Ally Condie

Publication Date: November 30, 2010

Synopsis:

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic

Matched sounds so good! I am definitely looking forward to reading it.

What is your WoW?

Swords are for fighting,

Teaser Tuesday (17)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along, do the following:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week's Teaser Tuesday comes from page 450 of Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer:

"His lips were at my ear again. 'Bella,' he murmured, his voice warm and velvet. 'Would you please stop trying to take your clothes off?'

'Do you want to do that part?' I asked, confused."

I admit I did not open to a random page, but I love this part! It is probably my favorite part in Eclipse.

Who else is excited to see Eclipse in theaters! I saw it two weeks ago, and I loved it! I am going with a bunch of my friends to see it again at midnight tonight, and I am so excited.

Swords are for fighting,

Win Signed Copies of Shiver and Linger from Parajunkee's View!

Parajunkee's View is hosting an awesomely, amazing contest! She is giving away a signed copy of Shiver AND Linger to one lucky person. All you have to do is head over to her blog and fill out a form. Super easy! So go enter!

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Synopsis:
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Review:

I picked up Thirteen Reasons Why because a friend recommended it to me, and I am so glad I did. It was gripping, chilling, and haunting. I thought Asher portrayed suicide very realistically with a series of events leading up to why Hannah to decided to end her life.

The narrator, Clay, is a decent guy. I was in suspense as I was reading because I wanted to know why Hannah put him on one of the tapes. I felt bad for him at times for all of the things he was going through as he listened to the tapes. I liked Clay as a narrator because he seemed to have really cared about Hannah even though he did not know her that well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who can handle it because it is a difficult topic to read. It was an excellent story, and the kind that stays with you long after you finish it. I liked how Asher wrote it so as to incorporate both Clay's and Hannah's voices at the same time. I thought that was very original. In one sentence: Thirteen Reasons Why is brilliant.

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting,

In My Mailbox (18)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren where I share what books I got in the past week.

This is what I received this week:


Won:

• This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas from Angieville



• The Host by Stephenie Meyer from Book Soulmates

Bought:

• Wings by Aprilynne Pike



• Dark Flame by Alyson Noel
  

What did you get this week?

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Beastly by Alex Flinn

Synopsis:

I am a beast.

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

Review:


Beastly is the retelling of the classic fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast in the modern world. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale, so I was excited to read this book. It starts off with a chat room that our Beast, Kyle/Adrian has joined along with some other fairy tale characters. I enjoyed these chats that were placed throughout the book (I think there were six total). In fact, I would say that they were my favorite parts of the book.

When we first meet Kyle, it is so easy to hate him. He is such a jerk! I really did not like him. He was way too conceited and cocky. After being turned into a beast by Kendra, the witch, Kyle later decides to go by Adrian instead because it means "dark one."

I liked that Lindy, the Beauty in this story, was a strong, independent, young woman. I also liked that she loved to read, and how her love of reading seems to rub off on Adrian.

Overall, this was a fun, easy book to read. It made me smile with its happy, fairytale ending. I thought that Flinn did an excellent job incorporating the story of Beauty and the Beast into the modern world. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a fun, easy read. Perfect for the summer!

The movie version of Beastly will be released in March 18, 2011 (I thought it was supposed to be released in July, but it looks like they pushed it back). From the trailer alone, it looks like it has some major differences starting with how Adrian looks. In the book, he is described as a beast with fur and claws, but as you can see in the trailer, he looks completely different:



I think I will like Vanessa Hudgens as Lindy. She fits the role well. Even with the differences, I am looking forward to seeing the movie.

Rating: 4/5

Swords are for fighting,

Summer Break Reading Challenge #2

For the second challenge, I had to use Wordle and choose a book to make a sort of collage of words related to that books. I chose to use Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Here is what I came up with (click to make bigger!):

This challenge was definitely fun! The hardest part was choosing a book to use.

Swords are for fighting,

Book Blogger Hop (8)

The Book Blogger Hop is here! It is hosted by Crazy For Books, and here is how it works for those that do not know:

ABOUT THE HOP: This is a weekly event, hosted here, where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read. It's a great way to network with other bloggers and make new friends! In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blogger Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start Hopping!! Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews. If you start following someone through the Hop, leave a comment on their blog to let them know! Stop back during the week to see other blogs that are added! And, most importantly, the idea is to HAVE FUN!!

If you are participating or you found me through the Hop, please leave me a comment. Have a fun Book Blogger Hop Friday! I am off to find some new blogs!

Swords are for fighting,

Summer Break Reading Challenge Activity #1

Here are the books that I hope to read this summer in no particular order:

• Betrayals by Lili St. Crow
• The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
• Everlasting by Angie Frazier
• Inside Out by Maria Snyder
• Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters
• The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
• The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
• Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith
• The Line by Teri Hall
• The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
• My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
• My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent
• Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
• Fire by Kristin Cashore
• Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
• Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz
• Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
• Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
• Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
• Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Many of these books have been sitting in my TBR pile for far too long. I am sure this list will change throughout the summer. I probably will not get to them all, but I will try.

Swords are for fighting,

Review: The Dead-Tossed Waves (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, #2) by Carrie Ryan

Synopsis:

Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town next to the sea and behind the Barrier. She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. Home is all she's ever known and, and all she needs for happiness.

But life after the Return is never safe and there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back.

Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but, like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried. And now, Gabry's world is crumbling.

One night beyond the Barrier . . .
One boy Gabry's known forever and one veiled in mystery . . .
One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned.

Now Gabry knows only one thing: if she has any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother's past.


Review:

The Dead-Tossed Waves is a companion book to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. It takes place some years after The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and the main character is Mary's daughter, Gabry. Gabry is not at all like her mother. While her mother was adventurous at her age, Gabry is cautious. She is afraid of crossing the barrier and would have been content with living her life in her barricaded city by the ocean. That is until the night Catcher, her best friend's brother, convinces her to cross the barrier and everything goes wrong.

I did like Gabry most of the time, but sometimes she was just too whiny for my taste. Like The Forest of Hands and Teeth, there is a love triangle of sorts between Gabry, Catcher, and Elias. I ended up liking both guys, but I like Elias more. I thought it was a better love triangle than the one between Mary, Travis, and Harry because Mary really wanted the ocean more than the guy.

I love the way that Carrie Ryan writes. It is so beautiful! The story is original, fantastic and tragic at times. Just when you are thinking how cute and sweet a moment this is, something horrible happens to shatter it. Surprisingly, I liked The Dead-Tossed Waves more than The Forest of Hands and Teeth, but they were both so amazing! There is a cliffhanger ending, but I felt that it stopped in a good place. It goes without saying that I cannot wait to read the next book, The Dark and Hollow Places, when it is released next spring.

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting,

Waiting on Wednesday (16)...

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I am eagerly anticipating.

This week's Waiting on Wednesday pick is:

The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle

Publication Date: September 14, 2010

Synopsis:

Young Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be nursemaid to a foundling boy. He is a savage little creature, but the Yorkshire moors harbor far worse, as Tabby soon discovers. Why do scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House with a jealous devotion that extends beyond the grave?

As Tabby struggles to escape the evil forces rising out of the land, she watches her young charge choose a different path. Long before he reaches the old farmhouse of Wuthering Heights, the boy who will become Heathcliff has doomed himself and any who try to befriend him.

A story with Heathcliff?! I am definitely intrigued. Wuthering Heights is one of my all time favorite books, so this story should be interesting.

What is your Waiting on Wednesday?

Swords are for fighting,

Teaser Tuesday (16)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along, do the following:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's Teaser Tuesday comes from page 122 of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick:

"Patch looked from me to the knife and back again. After a minute he laid it down in front of him. 'I'm not going to hurt you, Nora.'"

I definitely like this books so far.

What is you Teaser Tuesday?

Swords are for fighting,

Review: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Synopsis:
She can whisper to horses and communicate with birds, but the crown princess Ani has a difficult time finding her place in the royal family and measuring up to her imperial mother. When she is shipped off to a neighboring kingdom as a bride, her scheming entourage mounts a bloody mutiny to replace her with a jealous lady-in-waiting, Selia, and to allow an inner circle of guards more power in the new land. Barely escaping with her life, Ani disguises herself as a goose girl and wanders on the royal estate. Does she have the pluck to reclaim her rightful place? Get ready for a fine adventure tale full of danger, suspense, surprising twists, and a satisfying conclusion. The engaging plot can certainly carry the tale, but Hale's likable, introspective heroine makes this also a book about courage and justice in the face of overwhelming odds. The richly rendered, medieval folkloric setting adds to the charm.


Review:

The Goose Girl was an amazing story. I love Shannon Hale's take on this fairy tale. It was definitely original and creative. The world of Bayern that she created was fantastic with its mythical feel. I definitely would not mind living in that world! I also enjoyed that a map was included in the beginning of the book, so the reader can follow Ani's journey.

When it came to the plot, I found it to be predictable. I knew pretty much exactly what was going to happen before it did. Nevertheless, this did not bother me. I still really enjoyed reading this book. There was one part that had me on the verge of tears because it was so sad, but everything works out in the end.

The Goose Girl is full of adventure and suspense. It was definitely a fun read that sucked me right in. It kind of reminded me of Graceling by Kristin Cashore in some ways especially the parts where Ani was in the forest. It is a the first book in Shannon Hale's The Books of Bayern Series, so I am looking forward to reading the rest of her books.

Rating: 4.5/5

Swords are for fighting,

The Huge TBR Readathon Finished!

I did not get as much reading done as I would have liked.

I finished:

• Burned by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
• Flawless by Sara Shepard
• Anna's Blizzard by Alison Hart
• A Season of Eden by J.M. Warwick
• Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

I started:

• Huge by Sasha Paley
• Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

That is it!

Swords are for fighting,

In My Mailbox (17)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren where I share what books I got in the past week.

This is what I received this week:

Won:

• Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender from Today's Adventure
• Forever Changes by Brendan Halpin from The Book Pixie
• Everlasting by Angie Frazier from Today's Adventure
• Tell Me A Secret swag from Holly Cupala

Borrowed:

• Betrayals by Lili St. Crow

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!

What did you get this week?

Swords are for fighting,

Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Synopsis:

In Mary's world there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her.

And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Review:


I have been wanting to read this book for a while now, and I do not know why I waited so long to read this. It was amazing! I love books with zombies in them and this one did not disappoint. In fact, it exceeded my expectations.

The main character, Mary, is a strong young woman who finds herself longing for more than her post apocalyptic world has to offer her. Since her world is encased in the forest, Mary dreams of the ocean that her mother used to tell her about. Although she longs for the ocean, she has always been taught that leaving her fenced in town means death or worse, becoming an Unconsecrated (zombie). She gets her chance to travel to the ocean when the fence is breached, and she has no choice but to leave or die. I really enjoyed Mary as a character and narrator. Although she did not always know what she wanted, I enjoyed following her journey.

One of the most difficult and heart wrenching aspects to this book was Mary's relationship with Travis and Harry. Travis and Harry are brothers both of which love Mary. Obviously, a sort of love triangle is created. Mary thinks she loves Travis, but she discovers that she may actually love the idea of the ocean more. Another problem is that Travis is set up to marry her friend, Cass, and Mary is set up to marry Harry. I really liked Travis more than Harry, but I felt Travis needed to step up his game. He falls in love with Mary while she is nursing him for an injury, but he never tries to end his engagement which frustrated me. Sometimes, I just wanted to yell at Travis, but I soon got over that after the fence was breached.


The Forest of Hands and Teeth was an excellent book. It was beautifully written. I did cry at one part because it was so heart breaking. I loved the story and the characters and sometimes I loved to hate some of the characters, too. I was engrossed in this book, so it was no surprise that I finished it in a day. There was not a happily ever after ending, but I really liked how it ended. It was just an extremely, beautiful book even with all of the zombies in it. I was extremely excited to read the sequel, The Dead-Tossed Waves, so I was so happy that I had it on hand to read immediately after finishing this book.

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting,

Book Blogger Hop! (7)

The Book Blogger Hop is here! It is hosted by Crazy For Books, and here is how it works for those that do not know:

ABOUT THE HOP: This is a weekly event, hosted here, where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read. It's a great way to network with other bloggers and make new friends! In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blogger Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start Hopping!! Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews. If you start following someone through the Hop, leave a comment on their blog to let them know! Stop back during the week to see other blogs that are added! And, most importantly, the idea is to HAVE FUN!!

If you are participating or you found me through the Hop, please leave me a comment. Have a fun Book Blogger Hop Friday!

Swords are for fighting,

Mega Swagbucks Day! (2)

Every Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day! It is a day where you have a higher chance of earning larger amounts of Swag Bucks. (The largest I've gotten is 40, but I know there are higher ones out there).

If you do not know what Swagbucks is, it is basically a search engine where you earn Swag Bucks by searching for anything and everything on the web. When you get enough, you can redeem your Swag Bucks for prizes! My favorite prize is the Amazon gift card because I can use it to buy books, which is great for a book blogger.

To start earning Swag Bucks all you have to do is sign up. It is absolutely free, and it is a great way to get free prizes! I use it all the time to look up new books I've read about on other blogs...actually I use it to look up pretty much everything. So, if you want, sign up here and start searching and earning!

Does anyone out there use Swagbucks? Do you like it?

Swords are for fighting,

The Undercover Book Lover's Paranormal Five Giveaway!

Reggie over at The Undercover Book Lover is having an amazing contest! You can win some amazing books plus gum! Here are the books you can win:

One of the best parts of this contest is that it is International, so anyone can enter to win! So, what are you waiting for? Enter Here!

Swords are for fighting,

Review: English Trifle by Josi S. Kilpack

Synopsis:

High Crimes at High Tea Things to Do in England Visit Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and the London Zoo Take the Jack the Ripper tour creepy! Sample authentic English scones and crumpets Discover a dead body What begins as a holiday trip for amateur sleuth and cooking aficionado Sadie Hoffmiller and her daughter, Breanna, turns into a bizarre mystery when they discover a dead body in the sitting room of an English manor. Breanna's boyfriend, Liam, is heir to both the family title and the family estate of Southgate, where everyone seems to have a secret . . . or two. When the body in the sitting room disappears, Sadie and Breanna are stranded at the estate until the police can clear them to leave. With their departure delayed, they might as well solve the murder. Armed with a jogging whistle, her personal recipe collection, and an unfailing sense of American justice, Sadie begins her own investigation to find the killer. But as Sadie uncovers layer after layer of misdirection, secrets, and outright lies, she wonders if anyone is telling the truth or if the case is really as hopeless as it appears to be. Take a missing family history, toss in a secret romance, mix with a mysterious murder, and this is one vacation Sadie will never forget.

Review:

English Trifle was a fun, murder-mystery read. I did not know what to expect, but the cover sure made it look delicious! I really enjoyed the recipes that were included at the end of some of the chapters. Too bad I cannot cook. Harry Potter fans will be excited to see a few Harry Potter references mentioned throughout the book. I know I liked them!

English Trifle is, of course, a murder mystery novel, and Kilpack does an excellent job keeping you guessing who did it with all of the twists and turns. I had no idea who did it until it was revealed. I think I thought it was pretty much every character at least once. Once it is revealed who the murderer is, all the pieces fell into place. I could see all the tiny hints throughout the book now pointing towards the murderer, and it all fell into place. I loved not knowing who did it!

The main character, Sadie is a strong character and woman who can speak her mind; I really liked her for that plus she was also funny at times. I also liked that she loved food so much. I have to admit that I did not really like her at first because she seemed like a very nosy person, which annoyed me a bit. That being said, after about the first third of the book, I started to like Sadie and her quirky and unpredictable personality that got her in many interesting situations, some of which were hilarious.

English Trifle is the second installment in The Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series, but it can be read as a stand alone book. I did not even realize that it was a part of a series until after reading the book. The first book in the series is called Lemon Tart and the recently released third book is called Devil's Food Cake.

This is an adult book, and while I do not think it is unsuitable for a younger audience, they may find it a bit boring since many of the characters are on the older side, including the main character, Sadie. I definitely recommend reading it if you get the chance.

Rating: 4/5

*I received this book for review*

Swords are for fighting,

Waiting on Wednesday (15)...

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I am eagerly anticipating.

This week's Waiting on Wednesday pick is: Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Publication Date: September 21, 2010

Synopsis:

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths--for good and evil--of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot,

Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

I am Team Zombie! What about you?

Feel free to let me know what book you are waiting on this week.

Swords are for fighting,

Teaser Tuesday (15)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along, do the following:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's Teaser Tuesday comes from page 137 of Burned by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast:

"Just before Stevie Rae fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, she thought of the beautiful black bull and the payment he had exacted from her, and, again, Rephaim's words played through her mind: "I'm here because she's here, and she belongs to me."

With her last waking thought, she wondered if Rephaim would ever know how ironically true his words had suddenly become for them..."

I finally started reading this book, and I am liking it so far.

What is your Teaser Tuesday?

Swords are for fighting,

The Huge TBR Readathon!

Kristen at Bookworming of the 21st Century is hosting this event! It takes place from June 14th 8 AM to the 20th at midnight.

My goal is to read 7 books. I am not sure exactly which books I will read, but here is a rough idea:

Finish:

• Burned by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Read (not final):

• Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters
• The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
• Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
• Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
• The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
• Flawless by Sara Shepard
• Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
• The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

I think I will just decide what I want to read based on my mood.

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Looking For Alaska by John Green

Synopsis:

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave "the Great Perhaps" even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then . . . After. Nothing is ever the same.

Review:

Looking for Alaska is an amazing story. For me, it was the kind of book that stayed with me long after I finished it. In fact, I still think about it from time to time. This book just gives you a lot to think about: life, death, and everything in between.

The characters were spectacular. Pudge, the narrator, is obsessed with people's last words, which I found extremely interesting. It was fun to read some of the last words of some famous people that I have heard of (and others that I have not). The Colonel, Pudge's good friend and roommate, provided some sarcastic humor, which I greatly enjoyed. Alaska is like a tragic hurricane. That is the only way I can think to explain her. Her personality is quirky and interesting, but she is like a hurricane in that she is all over the place. I do not want to give too much away, so I just recommend reading it.

This is the first book I have read by John Green, and I can now say I am a fan. Looking for Alaska is beautifully written. I loved the descriptions that John Green used and there was never a dull moment. There was happiness, sadness, anger, disappointment, frustration, confusion, self-discovery....Honestly, this book was a roller coaster full of emotions for the characters and I was right there along for the ride. Everything that happened felt so realistic to me like I could see this happening in reality.

I would recommend this book to anyone. There are some touchy subjects like alcohol, sex, suffering, and death, but anyone mature enough should definitely read this book.

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting,

Bloggiesta! Finish Line

Bloggiesta is now over. I have no idea how many hours I put in, but I know it was a lot!

Here is everything that I did:

• Catch up on reviews: I caught up all the way! I wrote 8 different reviews and scheduled them to be posted throughout the month The reviews that I wrote were: Looking For Alaska, English Trifle, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dead-Tossed Waves, The Goose Girl, Beastly, Thirteen Reasons, and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner



• updated my bookshelf on goodreads
  


• Redesigned my blog: I actually had a lot of fun with this!Not completely finished, but I think it is good enough for now


• cleaned up the sidebars


• participated in some of the mini-challenges: (5 in total) Write Your Blogging To-Do List, Your Review Policy, Bloggiesta RSS Mini-Challenge, Embracing Community, and It’s All About the Numbers


• Scheduled some posts: 11 posts!


• updated my review policy


• Added Pages to my blog


• Created a new email just for blogging


• Set up an RSS feed and added a RSS button for subscriptions


• Set up a Subscribe by Email option


• Posted my In My Mailbox post


• Started a Teaser Tuesday Post


• Created a Google Analytics account and made sure it was working


• Cleaned up labels


• Add a Favicon


• started to read Burned

Here is what I hoped to do but did not find the time to do so:

• Add reviews to goodreads/amazon


• clean up my reader


• add About Me page

I had a lot of fun. I will definitely try to participate next time around, too since I accomplished so much!

Swords are for fighting,

Bloggiesta! Day 3

Day 1 and 2 have come and gone. I did not get as much done during Day 2 as I would have liked, but at least I accomplished some things.


Here is all I have done and hope to do:

• Catch up on reviews: So far I have written 3- Looking For Alaska, English Trifle, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth



• Add reviews to goodreads/amazon



• update bookshelf on goodreads



• possibly mess around with redesigning my blog a bit: I actually had a lot of fun with this!Not completely finished, but I think it is good enough for now



• clean up the sidebars



• participate in some of the mini-challenges: (4 so far) Write Your Blogging To-Do List, Your Review Policy, Bloggiesta RSS Mini-Challenge, and Embracing Community



• schedule some posts: 6 so far



• update review policy



• clean up reader



• add Pages to my blog



• add About Me page



• Create a new email just for blogging



• Set up an RSS feed and added a RSS button for subscriptions



• Set up a Subscribe by Email option



• Post In My Mailbox post



• Start Teaser Tuesday Post



• Create a Google Analytics account: (hopefully it worked!)



• Check if Google Analytics worked: says it is receiving data at the moment :)


• Create Google Docs for IMM, Teaser Tuesday, WoW, Book Blogger Hop and Mega Swagbucks
• Add a Favicon

I am going to try really hard to finish everything. I do not know if I will be able to do it, but we will see.

Swords are for fighting,

In My Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren where I share what books I got in the past week.

This is what I got this week:

Bought:

• The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Won:

• It Could Be Worse, You Could Be Me by Ariel Leve from Rayment's Readings, Rants and Ramblings
  
• Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder from The Book Shelf Sophisticate


• Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti from Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf

I read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner the moment it came in the mail! The review should be up in the next couple of weeks.

What did you get this week?

Swords are for fighting,

Bloggiesta Update #2!

Today has been slower than yesterday. I have not really done a lot.

Today I have:

• Wrote and scheduled my English Trifle review




• Created Google Docs for IMM, Teaser Tuesday, WoW, Book Blogger Hop and Mega Swagbucks



• The Forest of Hands and Teeth Review



• Scheduled Swagbucks post and Book Blogger Hop post for Friday

Swords are for fighting,

Bloggiesta! Day 2

Day 1 was a success, so I am on to day 2!

Here are my original goals/to-do list and some new ones:

• Catch up on reviews: So far I have written 1


• Add reviews to goodreads/amazon


• update bookshelf on goodreads


• possibly mess around with redesigning my blog a bit: I actually had a lot of fun with this!Not completely finished, but I think it is good enough for now


• clean up the sidebars


• participate in some of the mini-challenges: 3 so far!


• schedule some posts: I have scheduled Looking For Alaska review and Waiting on Wednesday post


• update review policy


• clean up reader


• add Pages to my blog


• add About Me page


• Create a new email just for blogging


• Set up an RSS feed and added a RSS button for subscriptions


• Set up a Subscribe by Email option


• Write and schedule In My Mailbox post


• Start Teaser Tuesday Post


• Create a Google Analytics account: (hopefully it worked!)


• Check if Google Analytics worked: says it is receiving data at the moment :)
• Create Google Docs for IMM, Teaser Tuesday, WoW, Book Blogger Hop and Mega Swagbucks

Now to start trying to accomplish more!

Swords are for fighting,

Bloggiesta Update!

I have accomplished a lot so far!

This is what I have done:

• Changed my blog layout and design


• Added Pages to my blog: Home, Book Reviews, Contact Me, and Review Policy (I'm actually surprised I figured out how to do this!)


• Participated in the following Bloggiesta Mini-Challenges: Write Your Blogging To-Do List, Your Review Policy, and Bloggiesta RSS Mini-Challenge

• Wrote a Review Policy
  

• Cleaned up the sidebars a bit


• Created a new email just for blogging :)


• Looking For Alaska review (scheduled)


• Waiting On Wednesday post (scheduled)
  

• Set up an RSS feed and added a RSS button for subscriptions


• Set up a Subscribe by Email option


• started some posts: In My Mailbox and Teaser Tuesday

• Create a Google Analytics account (hopefully it worked!)

I have done a lot, but I have only written one review. I will attempt to focus on reviews tomorrow.

How is everyone else doing?

Swords are for fighting,

Blog Layout

I thought this would be one of the last things I would do during Bloggiesta, but as you can see, I have changed my layout using the new Template Designer on Blogger. As of right now, it is a work in progress, but I am curious...What do you think of it? Do you have any suggestions? Criticism? Anything?

Please let me know!

Swords are for fighting,

Bloggiesta!

Bloggiesta is an event where your goal is to improve your blog! You can find out all the details through the link.

Here are some of my goals/to-do list:

• Catch up on reviews
• Add reviews to goodreads/amazon
• update bookshelf on goodreads
• possibly mess around with redesigning my blog a bit
• clean up the sidebars
• participate in some of the mini-challenges
• schedule some posts
• update review policy
• clean up reader

I will probably be updating this post throughout the event by adding more things I want to do!

Anyone else participating?

Swords are for fighting,

Waiting on Wednesday (14)...

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I am eagerly anticipating.

This week's Waiting on Wednesday pick is:

Pegasus by Robin McKinley

Publication Date: November 2, 2010

Synopsis:

A gorgeously-written fantasy about the friendship between a princess and her pegasus

Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pegasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication.

But it’s different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close—so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo—and possibly to the future safety of their two nations.

I recently discovered this book, and it sounds really interesting.

Swords are for fighting,

Teaser Tuesday (14)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along, do the following:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's Teaser Tuesday comes from page 145 of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher:

"The next day, Marcus, I decided something. I decided to find out how people at school might react if one of the students never came back."

I have been wanting to read this book for a while now. I've heard from many people that it is an amazing book, and I have not been disappointed so far.

Swords are for fighting,

In My Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren where I share what books I got in the past week.

This is what I got this week:

Bought:

• Huge by Sasha Paley
• Flawless by Sara Shepard
• Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
• Burned by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Well, I went a little over a month without buying any books, but I could not stop myself anymore.

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Black Heart (Vampirates #4) by Justin Somper

Synopsis:



There's a new ship of vampirates roaming the seas, leaving a trail of fear and devastation in its wake. When a high-profile pirate is slain, the Pirate Federation takes decisive action and begins training up a ship of dedicated vampire hunters. The team will be led by newly appointed Captain, Cheng Li and will include pirate prodigy Connor Tempest.

Meanwhile, Connor's twin sister Grace enjoys a bittersweet reunion with their mother. Sally Tempest has some important and shocking news that will leave the twins facing a very uncertain future.

Review:


The fourth installment in the Vampirates series is just as good if not better than the previous book. This book is mainly about self-discovery for Connor and Grace, but mainly Grace because Connor is not yet ready to accept who he is. Grace, on the other hand, is completely ready to embrace who and what she is. Since the beginning of the series, Grace has always known where she belongs, and Black Heart only confirms this more. Connor, on the other hand, seems to have doubts where he wants to be. He knows he wants to be a pirate, but he does not know what type of pirate he wants to be. That is why he decides to join Cheng Li's crew.

I really enjoyed the little twist about the twins' past. I would not call it shocking because I kind of saw it coming. I also like Somper's take on vampires. I do not want to give anything away, but there is a certain ritual mentioned in the book that I thought was very original.

I found the "bad" vampirates, Jez and Johnny, to be really interesting. I do not think they are completely evil, so I am definitely curious where their paths will lead. The main villian, Sidorio, seems to have lost his touch, and he is not as evil as he used to be. I found him to have gone soft.

Like the other books, Black Heart does have a cliffhanger ending. I really want to know what will happen next. There are so many questions that have been left unanswered, so I am looking forward to reading the next book when it is released later this year.

Rating: 4.5/5


Swords are for fighting,

Waiting on Wednesday (13)...

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I am eagerly anticipating.


This week's Waiting on Wednesday pick is:

Empire of the Night (Vampirates #5) by Justin Somper

Publication Date: August 24, 2010

Synopsis:

After the surprising revelation of the Tempest family history, twins Connor and Grace face a newly-defined future marked by their Vampirate roots. Meanwhile, Sidorio's evil Vampirate Empire continues its expansion, making it tragically apparent that no ship is safe. As for the pirates, they have a new mission: wipe out the vampirates.

There's a bloody battle brewing in the seas, and each crew will need all hands on deck. And, this time, Grace and Connor may find themselves fighting for their lives-or against each other.


You can probably tell I really enjoy this series. I recently finished the fourth book, and the review should be up tomorrow!

Swords are for fighting,

Teaser Tuesday (13)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along, do the following:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's Teaser Tuesday comes from page 27 of The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan:

"'Please, Gabry" is all he says. His voice is filled with such anguish that it slices into my heart. I glance at everyone else, their heads in their hands, their faces streaked with tears, their mouth's open, wailing."

I flew through the first book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth (review coming soon!). I cannot wait to finish this book! So far, it is amazing!


Swords are for fighting,