Books For Life

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-04-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch

After the death of her free-spirited mother, sixteen-year-old Alex Lee must leave her home in northern California to live with her wealthy grandmother in Savannah, Georgia. By birth, Alex is a rightful, if unwilling, member of the Magnolia League, Savannah's long-standing debutante society. She quickly discovers that the Magnolias have made a pact with a legendary hoodoo family, the Buzzards. The Magnolias enjoy youth, beauty and power. But at what price?

I love novels based in the South especially if they have some debutantes!!

Short and Sweet Review of Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

2011-04-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Blurb

Set initially in a future shanty town in America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being dissembled for parts by a rag tag group of workers, we meet Nailer, a teenage boy working the light crew, searching for copper wiring to make quota and live another day. The harsh realities of this life, from his abusive father, to his hand to mouth existence, echo the worst poverty in the present day third world. When an accident leads Nailer to discover an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, and the lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl, Nailer finds himself at a crossroads. Should he strip the ship and live a life of relative wealth, or rescue the girl, Nita, at great risk to himself and hope she'll lead him to a better life. This is a novel that illuminates a world where oil has been replaced by necessity, and where the gap between the haves and have-nots is now an abyss. Yet amidst the shadows of degradation, hope lies ahead.

3 out of 5

Review

I read Ship Breaker because it won the Printz award this year. I just never wanted to pick it back up, when I did read it I enjoyed it but I wasn’t ignoring my family, food, TV, the internet to read it(you get my point). I found the idea of ship breaking interesting but the characters seemed lifeless to me except the half-man. I didn’t care what happened to Nailer or Lucky Girl. I wanted to know more about the society that made the current conditions and they mysterious beast. So I don’t get what the fuss is about but I am glad that I read it.

What Printz runner up book should I read next?

Life

2011-04-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate it when life seems to change all at once? I have taken a mini break due to 3 deaths in the last month or so. I will be back with reviews starting next week. But I have good news.... baby Taylir #2 is on the way.

Short and Sweet Review of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2011-03-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Blurb

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

Rating

5 out of 5 stars

Review

This book got the best review I can give a book. Snuggling, I wanted to cuddle this book. It was just the right amount of fun. There was self doubt, close calls, and all of the things a will they or won’t they love story needs. So go quickly to your local library, bookstore etc and grab this book.

Oh and there is a great song that was going through my head the whole time I was reading this. Are you gonna kiss me or not by Thompson Square!! Check it out.

Reviewed from my public library copy.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2011-03-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

Blurb

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.

Rating

5 out of 5 stars

Review

Love as a disease, something fixable was probably the reason I picked up the book. I love, love!! I could not imagine a world without, so I was fascinated to read how Miss Oliver made it was possible. I also really enjoy books about disturbing future societies ( Ok let’s be honest I love them). This book did not disappoint me. Lena’s story is interesting without be one girl saves the world (at least not yet)!! This felt real to me. I found the future society very plausible it made me think that we teeter on the edge of something like this all the time. So with the combination of intriguing premise, unsettling future societies and LOVE I was hooked. I am going to patiently wait for the next chapter in Lena’s life.

Songs I think complement the book

Everybody Hurts by R.E.M.

Love Bites by Def Leppard

And most any other love song you can think of….

Read Alikes

Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld

Candor by Pam Bachorz

Matched by Ally Condie

Reviewed from Digital Copy at Net Galley

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-02-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. What books are you waiting for?

I have heard such good things about Divergent by Veronica Roth. I am waiting patiently until it comes into my library. Could March get here any faster? (added 2/11/11) Oh My Gosh I thought It was March but it's really MAY!! Why!?!

One choice
One choice decides your friends, defines your beliefs, and determines your loyalties . . . forever.
Or, one choice can transform you.

Short and Sweet Review of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

2011-02-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

Book Blurb:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

Rating

5 out of 5

My Thoughts

It’s really hard explain how I felt about this book without it being full of spoilers. So.. I will say that I completely fell for Sam. She was so real I felt like I knew her or I was her in some ways, she made my heart ache. Sam’s story was so interesting, I loved the changes that came from her alternate actions and layering of the story. It was a great book I will be recommending to everyone I know. I just have to say **Spoiler Alert** my reaction to the last day went something like this. But Why?? No!! sob sob over and over.

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

2011-01-26T17:47:00.000-08:00

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Book Blurb

Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don’t worship as attentively, teachers don’t fall for her wide-eyed “who me?” look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she’s always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.
When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she’s wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she’s inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.

Rating

4 out 5

Review

I loved the concept of this book. The people who you hurt most must decide your fate in the afterlife, I mean how cool is that idea. I loved her re-living the story from a different perspectives. I secretly wonder with time have a forgotten how I was in high school. Was I ever like her? Was I friends with her? It almost seems like it should be a requirement for all people leaving high school to undergo the boardroom. My only complaint is that I really wanted the limbo and redemption part to be the majority of the story. I just ended up hating Bridget too much to really accept her as a redeemable character. I mean I wouldn’t have forgiven her. She was beyond not nice! I did like her stepmother the best(she was a saint!!), but I would like to have seen a little more of her and the surrounding cast. 13 and up.

Music

This is a very Blondie/Mean Girls soundtrack for me.

One Way or Another by Blondie

Rip Her to Shreds by Blondie

Reviewed from a NetGalley copy

Printz Winner

2011-01-26T16:34:00.000-08:00

The Winner and first book I will be reading is …

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Honor Books

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

Nothing by Janne Teller

I will be reading these books throughout the year and promise to keep an open mind ;)

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

2011-01-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

I love the Blue Bloods series so I am super excited about this new series for adults by Melissa de la Cruz!!

According to an article in EW's Shelf Life some of the characters from the Blue Bloods novels will make an appearance in this series. It looks like it will be a June release.

Short and Sweet Review: Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford

2011-01-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

Book Blurb:

The Sullivan sisters have a big problem. On Christmas Day their rich and imperious grandmother gathers the family and announces that she will soon die . . .and has cut the entire family out of her will. Since she is the source of almost all their income, this means they will soon be penniless. Someone in the family has offended her deeply. If that person comes forward with a confession of her (or his) crime, submitted in writing to her lawyer by New Year's Day, she will reinstate the family in her will. Or at least consider it.

And so the confessions begin....

Review

3.5 out of 5

I was really excited for this book and was slightly disappointed. The writing was good, the characters were odd which usually is a good thing but I was just waiting and waiting. I loved the girls stories but they did not lead up to the climax I wanted. I think this was a case of hopes too high. I wanted something juicy juicy but got a good story but not enough juice for me.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

2011-01-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

Rating

5 out of 5

Book Blurb

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14: Debate Club. Her father’s “bunny rabbit.” A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15: A knockout figure. A sharp tongue. A chip on her shoulder.
And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.
Frankie Laundau-Banks. No longer the kind of girl to take “no” for an answer. Especially when “no” means she’s excluded from her boyfriend’s all-male secret society. Not when her ex boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places. Not when she knows she’s smarter than any of them. When she knows Matthew’s lying to her. And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.

Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16: Possibly a criminal mastermind. This is the story of how she got that way.

Review

I loved this book. Secret Society check. Boarding School check. Snarky and smart main character check! These are a few of my favorite things. The background information was almost as interesting the main story. I love the Panopticon*, alpha dog, and amazing pranks. The thing I liked most however was that Frankie was just trying to fit in. She wanted to be liked and respected for who she was. It may not have worked out the way she planned but when does life ever really work out the way we plan.

*Panoptoin- check it out here.

Songs that must have inspired Frankie

Bad to the Bone by Death Or Glory

You don’t own me by Lesley Gore

Read Alikes

Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty

Wimpy!!

2010-12-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

( This is me running away from realistic fiction in 2010.)

I am coddled. I looked back on all of my reading choices for 2010 and decided that I am a scared. I love the books that I read. They were funny, smart, and mostly fantasy driven but…. I did not read anything tough. All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab, Looking for Alaska by John Green and Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan where my three ventures into real world issues this year. I have avoided some of the books that are award contenders because they were terrifying to me. (Avoidance is not good when you are a librarian.)

So… I am going to aim high in 2011 and try to read all of the Printz 2011 award winners and honorees. Please please please don’t let it be a nonfiction winner this year!!

The Printz winner is announced on January 20^th 2011.

Everything I Was by Corinne Demas

2010-12-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

Everything I Was by Corinne Demas due out April 2011

Book Blurb

My walls were stripped, and all that was left in the room was a pile of boxes and my mattress propped against the wall." So begins Irene's journey from an Upper West Side penthouse to—well, she's not entirely sure where. Irene's investment banker father is "downsized" when his company merges with another. When he can't find work, her family's lifestyle—and her socialite mother's spending—quickly catches up with them. Eventually, they're forced to move in with Irene's grandfather in the big family farmhouse upstate. But what begins as the most disastrous summer of her life takes a surprising turn when she meets a most remarkable family.

Rating

3.5 out of 5

Review

I loved the beginning and middle of this book. It was sweet and real. I enjoyed Irene and her grandfather’s relationship. I just wanted to crawl up in this little town and read a book in a barn. The Fox household seemed like a great place to live. They(the Fox fam) were all a little real a little fantasy, because the author wanted you to love them so it added a magic kind of quality to the everyday interactions. Which I loved the feeling it gave me of summer, youth and hope. I wish she would have made it that simple all through the book. However, I am guessing they didn’t want it to seem to happy and had to make it more realistic so for example they threw in the father who only comes down from the attic once in awhile. The end… well it didn’t go downhill it went down a bump ( a small one) . I just didn’t understand the philosophical turn it took. The language was improbable at points, especially after the accident. But all in all Irene was real and reacted like a girl her age might(She was a lot nicer than I would have been). I just think I missed a lot of what the author was trying to get across as “moral of the story”, instead I just enjoyed the story.

Read Alikes

Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall- For younger readers but it has the best family story, I love the girls!!

While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother.

Surface tension: a novel in four summers by Brent Runyon- During the summer vacations of his thirteenth through his sixteenth year at the family's lake cottage, Luke realizes that although some things stay the same over the years that many more change.

Reviewed From NetGalley

Also on TeenZone Blog

2011 Debut Author Challenge

2010-11-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

I am joining the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by the Story Siren. If you are interested in joining sign up here.

My Wish List (Mostly and of course highly flexible!!)

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

Possession by Elana Johnson

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Vicious Little Darlings by Katherine Easer

Short and Sweet Review- The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball

2010-11-24T18:22:00.000-08:00

The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green

Book Blurb

When Erin Channing's favorite aunt dies, Erin is bequeathed a pink crystal ball and a set of weird instructions. Granted, Aunt Kiki (aka Aunt Kooky) always lived "outside the box." But now Erin and her two best friends are convinced that the pink crystal ball holds the key to their future-or at least the key to getting dates...

Rating

3 out of 5

Review

This book was fun but I really struggled to pick it up but once I picked it up I was enjoying it. I thought it was very predictable but that didn’t stop me from liking the three girls, I was hoping for more insight into Lindsay and Samantha’s lives. I think this will probably become a series the way they ended the story. I really liked Jesse. I think that he was the one really good part of the books. I didn’t care if he was stereotypical, he made me want to write “I see you looking” on my converse. I don’t know if I will pick up the next book if there is one but it was cute, fun and easy to read.

Also On Teenzone Blog

Will Grayson Will Grayson Review

2010-11-24T17:26:00.000-08:00

Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Book Blurb

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

Rating

5 out of 5

Review

Awesome. I love this book. It has some serious moments but is so funny that you forget that there is a point. Love, truth, and appreciation they make everything better and worse. I really cannot explain why this book is so great maybe it’s the authors, or the characters or the musical I don’t know but it was awesome go read this right now. Unless you are under the age of 13 than may be you should wait a few years. It really is best for older teens.

Quotes

“this is why we call people exes, I guess-because the paths that cross in the middle end up separating at the end. It’s too easy to see an X as a cross-out. It’s not, because there’s no way to cross out something like that. the X is a diagram of two paths.”- Other Will Grayson

“he’s always trying to get to the heart of it. And that means he always assumes there’s a heart to get to. I think that’s ridiculous and admire it at the same time.” – Other Will Grayson talking about Tiny

Music

Holland 1945 by Neutral Milk Hotel (Yes they are a real band Will Grayson favorite song)

Tiny Dancer by Elton John

Read Alikes

Geography Club by Brent Hartinger

Totally Joe by James Howe

Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd

Mystery in Brief

2010-11-10T17:40:00.000-08:00

The Cruelest Month: A Three Pines Mystery #3 in the series

It’s spring in the tiny, forgotten village of Three Pines.
But not everything is meant to return to life...
When a group of villagers decide to celebrate Easter with a séance at the Old Hadley House, they are hoping to rid the town of its evil—until one of their party dies of fright. Was this a natural death? Or was the victim somehow helped along?

Rating

4 out of 5 stars

Why did you pick this book?

I love Three Pines and Inspector Gamache!! I had read the first two earlier this year and fell in love with the characters but was sidetracked by other books. I am really glad I came back to them.

Favorite Character?

Gamache!! I love him I want to meet someone anyone even remotely close to his personality. He is just the most unrealistic but totally amazing detective.

Best Line?

"Everything creaks when you're afraid"- Gamache Isn't that so true...

Biggest Disappointment?

The sub plot's resolution. I really can't say too much more but Gamache please don't be so GD nice.

Would I recommend this to my group?

Yes, It is a great series and they are the ones that actually told me about it. It was one of the highest rated book in all the years.

Looking for Alaska

2010-10-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

Book Blurb

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words–and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Rating

4 out of 5

Review

I am now in love with last words. The concept of writing a book around them is intriguing and fresh not at all morbid. Really well written book for a first novel. The characters are simply complex I don’t know how else to explain it. They are not stereotypes but you can relate to them in a broad way. The Colonel, Pudge, Lara and Takumi all loved Alaska she was special to each. She seemed to inspire people in a way that only some people can. As most people in the book I both love and hated Alaska Young. She was full of life but so deeply confused and she could wreck a mood in seconds. Pudge was well dull but likeable. His character was very pliable and easy to manipulate which was perfect for the narrator. He could only tell the story through “fresh eyes” everyone else had too much baggage!! It really made me want to try a bufriedo, go to a boarding school, and pull pranks. I would even go back to high school again to do it. This novel has mature themes and should really be high school or really mature 8^th grader who’s parents have read the book and ok’ed it. This book is highly reviewed, won many book awards including the Printz, has two songs written about it (see below) and has been challenged. I love challenged books!! I can only hope I have great ones and can navigate the labyrinth.

Quotes (So Many Goods Ones I have split it into two sections.)

Two Biggies

“I go to seek a Great Perhaps”- Miles quoting Rabelais

“How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?”- Alaska quoting Simón Bolivar

Just so John Green

“All right. The snow may be falling in the winter of my discontent but at least I’ve got sarcastic company. Sit down, will ya?” - Alaska

“So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.”- Miles

“But Lord, ‘subverting the patriarchal paradigm’—it’s like she wrote the speech.” –The Eagle

Looking for theme music!

Looking for Alaska by Hank Green (John’s Brother)

Alaska by Blue Skies

Read Alikes

Someday this pain will be useful to you by Peter Cameron-- Eighteen-year-old James living in New York City with his older sister and divorced mother struggles to find a direction for his life.

Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher-- When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.

Nick and Norah's infinite playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan -- High school student Nick O'Leary, member of a rock band, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg and asks her to be his girlfriend for five minutes in order to avoid his ex-sweetheart.

Mystery in Brief

2010-10-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

My new segment!!

I am going to be interviewing myself with short question/answers about mystery books I have just finished. I currently run the Mystery Book Club at my library and this takes me away from my first literature love YA Lit(Mystery is my second love). So I thought I would give them some blog space.

So without further ado...

Colorado Kid by Stephen King

On an island off the coast of Maine, a man is found dead. There's no identification on the body. Only the dogged work of a pair of local newspapermen and a graduate student in forensics turns up any clues.- from Goodreads

Ratings

3 out of 5 stars

Why did you pick up the book?

Haven on the Syfy channel is a great new show that is loosely based on this book. Since I loved the show I thought I would give it a try.

Favorite Character?
Vince- He is great old man from the eastern sea board. I love how they changed him for the show but his book persona is even more appealing than the shows.

Best Line?
"Heaven might be a rodeo but I think not"- Vince

Biggest Disappointment?
I was hoping for a little more freaky with my mystery. I also had hopes for a more conclusive ending but as long as the show has more I am okay for now.

Would I recommend this to my group?
No, its to baize for them. There is more story and less mystery.

Haven has a great homage to King in each episode they reference his work.

"Thought you spotted something in an episode of Haven that looked familiar? You probably did. Haven, based on the Stephen King novella, The Colorado Kid, features other notable Stephen King references on the show each week. So, for your viewing pleasure, we're offering a weekly video recap that features clips of the iconic Stephen King notables making their way through town-- in case you missed them."- Syfy

I love this show. It is a mix of mystery and science fiction. They run episodes on their website and Hulu, so check it out.

Cardturner by Louis Sachar

2010-10-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

Title: Cardturner by Louis Sachar

Short Introduction

When Alton's ageing, blind uncle asks him to attend bridge games with him, he agrees. After all, it's better than a crappy summer job in the local shopping mall, and Alton's mother thinks it might secure their way to a good inheritance sometime in the future. But, like all apparently casual choices in any of Louis Sachar's wonderful books, this choice soon turns out to be a lot more complex than Alton could ever have imagined. As his relationship with his uncle develops, and he meets the very attractive Toni, deeply buried secrets are uncovered and a romance that spans decades is finally brought to a conclusion. Alton's mother is in for a surprise!

Rating

4 out of 5 stars

Review

This may seem silly, but I have always loved card games. My grandma and I would play doubles solitaire and have a great time. I only wish I would have done it more often. This book made me want to join a bridge club, I want to sit around and discuss different hands of bridge. I am old? Well that depends but I would say no. I really hope this book which is way more than just card games gets people excited about playing games again. Of course there is great romance and teenage angst, but the main point is love. Love of a game, its players and how it brings people together.

Songs I think complement the book

The gambler by Kenny Rogers

Queen of hearts by Juice Newton

Amazing quotes

“Maybe she just perceives better than the rest of us. Maybe the voices she hears are uncommunicated ideas, floating free.”- Trap

“I then astound him with my brilliant play, and of course we win, thanks to me. I know it’s sick”- Alton

Read Alikes

There really are no books like this so I am adding books that teach you how to play bridge!!

Complete idiot's guide to bridge by Anthony H Medley

Teach yourself visually bridge by David Galt

If you want to learn how to play bridge in Wisconsin go here for different bridge clubs and lessons

Audio Version

I listened to this book and it was read by the author. It was good but I would suggest reading it if you are not good at visualizing different card hands. I am no Trapp when it comes to remembering bridge hands!!

Also posted on Teenzone

What should I read next?

2010-10-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

There are so many good books out I can't decide what to read!!!

Top 4 options

Before I Fall

The Dark Days Hamburger Halpin

Will Grayson, Will Grayson-Audio

Looking for Alaska-Audio

So really I am just getting close to the end of both my "reading" book and my audio book and need new ones.

I am heard Will Grayson, Will Grayson is great but I haven't read Looking for Alaska so I feel like I should. Before I Fall looks good but it is so thick, I get scared of too thick books. Oh decisions decisions...

Also posted at Teenzone

Flipped

2010-09-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

Title: Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Rating

Read this book. Its great. I loved it. Juli Baker is the kind of girl I always wanted to be. She was different but didn’t seem to care. In fact she didn’t seem to notice. She had her own insercurities but was unaware of her effect good or bad on other people.

Introduction

Juli Baker devoutly believes in three things: the sanctity of trees (especially her beloved sycamore), the wholesomeness of the eggs she collects from her backyard flock of chickens, and that someday she will kiss Bryce Loski. Ever since she saw Bryce's baby blues back in second grade, Juli has been smitten. Unfortunately, Bryce has never felt the same. Frankly, he thinks Juli Baker is a little weird--after all, what kind of freak raises chickens and sits in trees for fun? Then, in eighth grade, everything changes. Bryce begins to see that Juli's unusual interests and pride in her family are, well, kind of cool. And Juli starts to think that maybe Bryce's brilliant blue eyes are as empty as the rest of Bryce seems to be. After all, what kind of jerk doesn't care about other people's feelings about chickens and trees?

Songs I think complement the book

The Trapeze Swinger by Iron and Wine

How do you like me now by Toby Keith

Amazing Quotes

“A painting is more than the sum of its parts” – Juli’s Dad

“I felt sorry for my father. I felt sorry for my mother. But most of all I felt lucky for me that they were mine”. –Juli

“I was thinking of someone else. Someone who’s never been able to look beneath the surface. At this point I don’t suppose I even want her to.”- Chet

Read Alikes

Emma-Jean Lazarus fell in love by Lauren Tarshis

Scrambled eggs at midnight by Brad Barkley

In your room by Jordanna Fraiberg

**Review also on Teenzone Blog

Movie Tie In

I love Banned Book Week.. so I started EARLY!!!

2010-09-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

I did this display for my library and I was so excited I took pictures!!

I'm Back!!

2010-09-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

I know its been awhile but I have been busy!! Who knew having a baby would be so difficult when you don't have internet access at your house. I know you are thinking it should be easier without the distraction, well you would be wrong. However, she is so totally worth it. I am happy to be back and will be adding on a regular basis. I promise!!

Lunch with Gerald McDermott

2009-04-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

Just had lunch with Gerald McDermott. He was very nice. I just wish I would have asked for a picture but that is n0t very professional....

Book I am Super Excited For

2009-04-14T13:16:00.001-07:00

Once was Lost by Sara Zarr

Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor’s kid, it’s hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam’s personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.

This book sounds AWESOME.

Wintergirls

2009-04-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

From Barnes and Noble

"Dead girl walking," the boys say in the halls.
"Tell us your secret," the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend's restless spirit.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.

My Thoughts

Getting through this book was a challenge in a good way. There is a lot of metaphors and symbolism going on throughout the book. Many times I had to reread something to really understand Lia's message. This book was well researched and well written, but did not have the emotional impact I was expecting. I really didn't feel for Lia. This may have been because of the writing style but I just didn't feel like rooting for her.

All that said I did find the book extreme and true to life. I think Halse Anderson as always does a great job getting her voice and staying with it. I would recommend this book to the teens at the library as well as adults.

I also really like how some of the blogs I follow are adding songs they relate to books with the review, so I am trying it out!!!

I think Counting Crows Round Here just fits with this book for me.

Being Nikki by Meg Cabot

2009-04-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Interview with Myself on Being Nikki

What did you like best about the book?

The second half. It was amazing. I was like oh no she is not going there already. And then I was oh yes she did.

The new characters where great they added a new dimension to Nikki. You start to know her background.

I still love Lulu her fun loving free spirit attitude really lightens the story and makes you like her more.

That is really all I can say because otherwise it would give away the ending.

What didn't you like about the book?

The first half was a little to repetitive for me. I was wondering how many times she could say the same thing. I mean we all know that Stark sucks and controls Nikki's/Em's life. I GET IT!! But this is all forgiven because the second part ROCKS!!!

Does lipgloss really make you feel better?

I say YES. I have never tried Nars Triple X but I want to now.

Would you ever wear Ugg Boots or a diamond bra?

Ugg Boots yes, Nikki/Em is right they are comfy. Diamond bra NO WAY. Only Edward should sparkle that much.

Who would you date Christopher or Gabriel?

Duh. Christopher. I love a guy I can play video games with. However, Gabriel seems really nice and cute and talented....

Can you say anything about the coming book Runaway the next book in the Nikki series?

All I can say is that STARK is going down.

** I know this wasn't overly informative but it was a really great read and if you love Meg Cabot you will love Being Nikki.

***If you have never read Meg Cabot before start with Avalon High my personal fave.

So Excited!!

2009-03-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Got two new books on my desk this morning that I am so excited for!!

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

and

Willow by Julia Hoban

I am reading Being Nikki by Meg Cabot right now. Really fun so far!!!

2009-03-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

(This is me wishing I was somewhere warm and relaxing)

Ok I have been gone for a while. Sorry I am blaming it on the new job. That I love!!!

So I have not got to read that many new books here is what remember reading.

Good
Fade by Lisa McMann

Bad
Red Chrysanthemum by Laura Joh Rowland

Awesome
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ( I know I just said this but it is still the best I have read) Trying to get myself an ARC of Fire.

Hunger Games!!

2009-02-09T10:18:00.001-08:00

In the process of reading this book but it is so good I encourage everyone to go and get it now!!!

The characters are well developed, the pace is amazing, and I have changed my predictions about the ending at least five times already because I did not see any of the twists and turns coming.

Crazy Good.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2009-02-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

My lovely husband got me Marc Jacobs perfume for my birthday. I am wearing it right now. Yeah!!

If only I could afford is ADORABLE bag by him too.

Love You Marc

hoi polloi

2009-01-29T07:31:00.000-08:00

Some people have asked why hoi polli for a screen name. I read So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld and fell in love with usage in the book. Therefore, I have takin to using as my screen name. Here is why....

From Answers.com

Hoi polloi is a borrowing of the Greek phrase hoi polloi, consisting of hoi, meaning “the” and used before a plural, and polloi, the plural of polus, “many.” In Greek hoi polloi had a special sense, “the greater number, the people, the commonalty, the masses.”

I just love it. And what a wonderful group of people we are.

Thank you Mr. Westerfeld

The Squad Books by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

2009-01-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

Perfect cover
Bayport High’s Varsity cheer squad is made up of the hottest of the hot. But this A-list is dangerous in more ways than one. The Squad is actually a cover for the most highly trained group of underage government operatives the United States has ever assembled. They have the perfect cover, because, beyond herkeys and highlights, no one expects anything from a cheerleader. – from Barnes and Noble Synopsis

Killer Spirit
Saying Toby Klein is an unlikely cheerleader is like saying Paris Hilton might be into guys–understatement of the year. But as a Bayport High cheerleader and an undercover government operative, she’s living a life that’s anything but typical. Being on the Squad has its benefits, but just as Toby is getting the hang of protocol and pep rallies, fate kicks things up a notch. – from Barnes and Noble Synopsis

I love this series. I have to admit I have always disliked cheerleader, and shared many of the same prejudices that Toby does. However, if anything could have changed my mind about cheerleaders it is these books. They are fun, smart, and quick reads. I really hope Ms. Barnes has more coming in the series. I just have to know if Jack is the man we all hope he is. I also must state that Noah Rocks!!! Now if we could just get a new book SOON. I would be very happy!!

Printz Award

2009-01-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

Jellicoe Road

is this 2009's Printz Award Winner

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/Printz.cfm

This is going on my request list ASAP.

Bones

2009-01-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

I know I am suppose to be reading...... BUT I have been watching Bones. Booth has made it on Ally Carters's (I'd Tell You I Love YouBut Then I'd Have to Kill You) list of Ten MORE men who, sadly, are fictional http://tinyurl.com/92bt4p

Oh and tonight I am watching Mama Mia!!

January Books I Want!!

2008-12-29T15:46:00.000-08:00

No More Us for You by David Hernandez

For a life to come together, sometimes it first has to fall completely apart.
Isabel is a regular seventeen-year-old girl, still reeling from the pain of her boyfriend's tragic death exactly one year ago.
Carlos is a regular seventeen-year-old guy, loves red licorice and his friends, and works at a fancy art museum for some extra cash.
The two have no connection until they both meet Vanessa, an intriguing new transfer student with a mysterious past. While Vanessa is the link that brings these two very different lives together, will she be the one that can also tear them apart?- From Amazon's product description

Princess Diaries, Volume X: Forever Princess by Meg Cabot

What's a Princess to do?
It's Mia's senior year, and things seem great. She aced her senior project, got accepted to her dream college(s), and has her birthday gala coming up . . . not to mention prom, graduation, and Genovia's first-ever elections.
What's not to love about her life? Well . . .
Her senior project? It's a romance novel she secretly wrote, and no one wants to publish it.
Prince Phillipe's campaign in the Genovian elections isn't going well, thanks to her totally loathsome cousin René, who decided to run against him.
Her boyfriend, J.P., is so sweet and seemingly perfect. But is he the one? And her first love, Michael, is back from Japan . . . and back in her life.
With Genovia's and her own future hanging in the balance, Mia's got some decisions to make: Which college? Which guy? How can she choose? Especially when what she decides might determine not just the next four years, but . . . forever! - From Amazon's product description

Secrets, Lies and My Sister Kate by Belinda Hollyer

Mini adores her older sister, Kate. Although they look nothing like each other, they are best friends-or so Mini thinks-until Kate begins to act strangely. She dresses in all black, picks bitter fights with her parents, and even gets a tattoo! Mini knows something is bothering her sister, but Kate won't confide in her like she used to. Then one day Kate disappears without a trace. In her determination to find her sister, Mini unveils a shocking family secret that paralyzes her parents with regret. Now it's up to Mini to find Kate and bring their broken family back together again. - Barnes and Noble synopsis

YA Book Challenge

2008-12-26T12:23:00.000-08:00

I have joined J. Kaye's Book Blog YA Challenge for 2009 at http://tinyurl.com/6taa36

Here are the 12 books I chose to read for 2009

1. I Know It's Over by Kelly Martin

2. La Petite Four by Regina Scott

3. Dead Is a State of Mind by Marlene Perez

4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

5. Marked (House of Night Series #1) by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast

6. Forbidden Boy by Hailey Abbott

7. Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy Series #1) by Richelle Mead

8. Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi

9. Getting the Girl : A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance, and Cookery by Susan Juby

10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

11. Undone by Brooke Taylor

12. School For Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer

What I got for Chritmas

2008-12-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

I went to the Best Buy today and got my I- pod Nano!! Mine is like the one on the right.

I am so excited to get home and use it!!!!

So Fun

2008-12-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

I was on Mashable today and saw the 2008 in review which has some really great stories but the most fun in my opinion was the Make Me Babies. I think Johnny Deep and I would have lovely children. http://mashable.com/2008/12/22/2008-biggest-stories/
http://www.makemebabies.com/

Paper Towns by John Green

2008-12-20T10:28:00.000-08:00

When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night-dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge-he follows her. Margo's always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she's always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they're for Q.- from Barnes and Noble Synopsis

I loved this book. It was intriguing, funny, and honest. I was completely sucked into the relationships that developed in the book. Margo and Q’s connection was typical of a high school queen bee and worker bee, the major difference is the great use of memories and fantasies in Q’s mind by Green throughout the book. Q sees things through a rainbow colored lens when he looks Margo Roth Spiegelman. She is everything he is not popular, daring, and notorious. The day that Q finds the out truth about Margo, he becomes completely obsessed with finding her after her disappearance. The truth will set you free (John 8:32) I think this book is really about learning about yourself and how people can see things very differently and how the truth really can set you free.

The supporting friends really bring the book back down to reality. Radar was the best character by far. All I can say is black Santa’s are fantastic and beer cans and glue are hilarious. That was pure comedic genius on Green’s part. The only part I didn’t like was Margo herself. She just seemed whiny.

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez

2008-12-16T12:23:00.000-08:00

Teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy Giordano is a junior. When Daisy discovers that a vampire may be the culprit, she can’t help but suspect head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new “look.” Samantha appears a little . . . well, dead, and all the most popular kids at school are copying her style.
Is looking dead just another fashion trend for Samantha, or is there something more sinister going on? To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad. -Amazon.com

Fun easy read. I liked the different relationships throughout the book but anticipate more development in future books. I really enjoyed her interactions with her sisters and their psychic powers and am excited to know which talents lay in store for Daisy. The story was slightly predictable, but I liked the foreshadowing and think there is something more to the Ryan story; he seems to be hiding his own family secrets. The side plot that included the council seemed rushed and thrown in but, may be it will become clear as the rest of the series comes together. All in all I enjoyed the book.

Dead is a state of mind is the second book in the series ,January 1, 2009.

Dead is so Last Year is the third book in the series, May 4, 2009.

I am excited to see how things come together for the Giordano family.

I Heart Crochet Dolls!!!

2008-12-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

***Yoda not from same website but still cute

I was over at Reviewer X's blog and saw a link to a crochet doll of Edward Cullen. However they also have other much loved movie characters.

http://marketplace.burdafashion.com/product/1273746-Star-Wars-Darth-Vader-Crochet-Doll

Vader is my personal favorite but Yoda was a close second.

http://marketplace.burdafashion.com/product/1273714-Star-Wars-Yoda-Crochet-Doll

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

2008-12-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

Lucy Scarborough is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or to fall into madness upon their child's birth. How can Lucy succeed when all of her ancestors have tried and failed? But Lucy is the first girl who won't be alone as she tackles the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents beside her. And she has Zach, whose strength amazes her more each day. Do they have enough love and resolve to overcome an age-old evil?- From Barnes and Noble.

This book is exactly the type of book I love. It has suspense, true love, and a curse. Lucy is a strong willed teen who has a great and supportive foster family. I love any heroine who will were Converse to prom. The only snag in her life is a birthmother Miranda who is an eccentric bag lady. Lucy secretly wishes Miranda would just disappear forever so she could have a “normal” life. When everything changes for Lucy after a prom night from hell she must turn to all members of her unconventional family.

I really enjoyed the all the relationships in this book. They were very believable and I felt connected instantly to all. I pulled for Zach from the first time he defied the evil forces aligning against Lucy. I felt for her foster mother and her birthmother. It seemed like I was under a trace when I was reading. I did not want it to end. I am looking forward to reading more of Ms. Werlin’s books.

Coraline- the graphic novel version by Neil Gaiman

2008-11-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

Scary stuff!!!!

I was terrified to the point of not being able to eat my lunch. Ok- I should say that I am what you would call a big scaried cat. I don't watch scary movies or go out on Halloween etc etc. However, this book is still scary. I mean buttons for eyes. Yuck.

That being said I really enjoyed the story. I think I should have stayed away from the visual graphic novel and stuck with the book version. I kept reading because the story was compelling but the pictures made it scarier. I know I keep mentioning it, but button eyes are way creepy!!

I do love Neil, but I wonder about him sometimes.

Cool Site

2008-11-13T09:55:00.000-08:00

I was looking at Brooke Taylor's website http://brooketaylorbooks.blogspot.com/ and found an awesome new site. http://www.polyvore.com/ it is a very easy way to make collage online.

Here is my first attempt!!

First try by Hoi polloi

It's Christmas Time!! Buy a Book!!

2008-11-13T08:19:00.001-08:00

Ok- I have been seeing this article about how badly the book industry is doing: http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2008/11/crash-flow-or-what-went-wrong-in.html and wanted to pass it on. Being a librarian I always encourage people to use the library.... BUT its Christmas time so go out and buy books.

Tribute to Robert Pattison

2008-11-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

He is just yummy!!

Twilight Movie Countdown

2008-11-06T12:48:00.001-08:00

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

2008-11-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

“When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.”

I was completely taken with this book. I also listened to it on tape with was powerful because I felt like Clay listening to Hannah’s last words. What happens to Hannah Baker happens to many teenage girls. Many of my co-workers have read the book and we all have had similar experiences to Hannah growing up. Stupid boys who don’t know the effects their “funny” pranks, false friends, true friends, and clueless guidance counselors.

What then makes Hannah so different than all of us? Nothing, really except she chose to handle things the only way she knew. People may wonder if this book promotes suicide. I don’t think it does, in fact I think it relays the message of loneliness and isolation, but that each story has another side and if you can trust just one person things could be different. Taking your life is shocking, but knowing why someone did is even more so. The book would be a great way to talk to your middle/high schooler about suicide. I would suggest that parents read it first or together making it easier to discuss and there are many intense scenes so it would be good to have a plan going into it.

Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and family

2008-10-31T10:41:00.000-07:00

“This is the story of a year in which we made every attempt to feed ourselves animals and vegetables whose provenance we really knew . . . and of how our family was changed by our first year of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air."- From the book jacket

This book was both eye opening and redundant all at the same time. Going through the year with the Hopp/Kingsolver family you learn that the American eating habits are not what they used to be and may be not were they should be.

Ok- So here it is….

Pros:
Abundance of information that is timely and relevant

e.g. Steven’s sections such as Really We’re Not Mad pg. 230 that discuss facts about Mad Cow disease.

Fun seasonal recipes

e.g. Camille’s Canning Season pg. 213 which have anecdotes and recipes

Touching stories about farms and farmers from around the country

e.g. The trip to David and Elsie’s farm pg. 167 when they take a ride out in the fields at night and spend quality time with a “real “farming family. If you can’t make it through the whole book I suggest you read this section before turning it in. It was really beautiful.

Cons

Abundance of information: there was just too much to actually take in everything that was being done, said, and implied.

Fun seasonal recipes: were really for the Northern half of the country but the south is pretty much left out completely.

Repetitive: I cannot even count the amount of times it was reinforced that they were not rich, judgmental, or in any way less ordinary than most Americans. **May be they are just like us but I am still waiting to find someone like them.

All in all I did enjoy the book and I learned ways to make changes I thought were important. I would recommend it to likeminded people who have a love for the environment, local/American made items, and fair treatment of animals and humans. I know that sounds like everyone you know, but trust me it’s not.

National Book Awards

2008-10-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

The list has come out for the 2008 National Book Awards. Here is the link http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2008.html

The award is for four different categories Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, and YA literature. Check out these great books. The only YA novel available now is The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and The Underneath. Which is a bummer. I am on the waiting list the for the Frankie book. If it is anything Scott Westerfeld http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/?p=647 describes it, it will be great.

So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld

2008-10-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

I am half way through So Yesterday and am loving it. I will add more to the review but I just had to say that this book made me feel way out of touch. It was written in 2004 and I still had no idea what some of the things he was talking about.
Like the wi fi detector. I found so really interesting downloads and gadgets online that I wanted to share.

Wi Spy
http://metageek.net/products/wi-spy_24x?gclid=CPnouoePrJYCFSCysgodrHspzg

Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor
http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/09/26/xirrus_wifi_monitor_detects_wireless_networks-2.html

Mr Gadget
http://www.mrgadget.com.au/catalog/mrgadget-portable-wifi-finder-p-713.html

So cool, I thought I was but I am So Yesterday!!

Free Personal signatures - cool!

2008-09-09T16:48:00.001-07:00

TEXTAREA_ID

Zoey Zone by Margie Palatini

2008-08-21T11:57:00.001-07:00

Zoey Zinevich is almost eleven and counting down the days until she starts middle school, even though its 198 days away. First thing on her list to do: become chic and befriend the Bashleys so she doesn’t have to sit at table 10. This dream seems to at a standstill until a magazine comes to school to take pictures and changes Zoey’s perspectives on chic. Zoey shines in this classic tale of wanting to fit in. Palatini does a great job of updating the tale to include current behavior of children in that age range e.g. the use of a youtube like scheme incorporated into the illustrations. Great for everyone who always wanted a fairy godmother but got something completely different.

My Husband's Sweethearts

2008-08-16T14:54:00.001-07:00

My husband’s sweethearts is a classic storyline of the cheating but endearing husband who never really admits his flaws, but doesn’t deny the hurtful effect they have on others. The twist is he is on his deathbed, and wants forgiveness for his wife and all of his other sweethearts. The woman who lives he touched both good and bad rally around each other to make his last days on earth wonderful and dreadful at the same time. True to its course the ending was a bittersweet in all the right ways.

I was not inspired by this book was not disappointed either. The characters were honest but I didn’t feel I connected with any of them on a deep level. It is funny, charming, and quick read.

Airhead by Meg Cabot

2008-08-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

Meg’s understanding of the teenage psyche is dead on with this new book. Loveable, smart, and probably pretty attractive herself Emerson, lands herself in a life altering experience with superstar Nikki Howard, which may cost her what she loves most a straightforward and beautiful guy “best friend” and her family.

I love the characters, but I am looking forward to more development of some of the main players. I would like to get to know the people surrounding her a little better and hope Meg fills in more blanks in the next book. While we don’t get to know Nikki that well, I have a feeling her voice is going to be strong in the future books. The one to watch is Frida the younger sister as she adds insight into Emerson personality, while being ambitious, slightly shallow, and immense fun herself. Meg has such a strong voice when it comes to the secondary antagonistic, but loyal characters, especially sisters.

The end is a genuine cliff hanger and will keep you wondering what is going to happen in Being Nikki.

The Luxe

2008-07-18T12:06:00.001-07:00

This book is an easy, fun, and a little bit trashy (in a good way) novel about love in the 1800’s without the constraints of classic language. It is not entirely surprising in its plot or climax but it is delicious fun to read. I read it in about 2 days but would have finished it much earlier if I didn’t have to work. The best character in my opinion has been the maid and I am restless to see what trouble she causes in Rumors, which I have on hold at the library.

Not for anyone who is looking for the next Jane Austen but fun all the same!!

And to see which Luxe girl you are go HERE:

http://www.harperteen-theluxe.com/luxe.html

I am Diana!!

Petropolis by Anya Ulinich

2008-07-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

This book was a departure from my regular reading style and I could tell. I was reading it for the Byrant Street Project (NPR) and I tried really I tried. I am not saying that it wasn't well written, it was. I came to the part where she was riding on the bus home from her friends birthday party and was WOW you can do that on a bus!!! I just could not finish it (I will someday). I would look over at it and wince and reprimand myself for not picking it up. I read two other books while trying to finish this one. So I am putting it back up until someone reminds me I should read it again.

Twilight Movie 2nd Part

2008-07-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

I just saw the Twilight Movie Preview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBvOhfL4mYw&feature=related and I absoultely take back every question I had if Cedric Diggory(Robert Pattinson) could play Edward Cullen. His smile is awesome in the preview and I am so excited!!!!

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

2008-05-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

First I have to say that this book is really great. It has all one needs love, highschool drama, and blood thristy vamps. This comes as no surprise to anyone who has read it. The major question I have is why is Cedric Diggory playing Edward Cullen? Anyone else frustrated by this fact??

Golden Compass

2007-08-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for the Compass to come out. December 7th!!! I just finished the book and rocks. Right now December seems so far away that I can not actually imagine it ever making it here.

Silly Hooters Girls

2007-07-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

So I was watching the Hooters competition to see who would be cover model. Lucky us they also let them talk. So here were the best parts:

Jokes

What does a fish say when it swims into a wall? Damn!

A bear walks into a bar and say can I have a captain and...pause...coke. The bartender says sure but why the pause. I was born with them. HAHA

Myspace pages

One had a lovely myspace page for each of her dogs. Oh how sweet. She even writes them messages like whatz up dog! Brilliant

Best pickup line

Hi my name is Tom Brady.... OH Tom the shame.

Ok I know you are probably wondering why I was watching in the first place but in my defense I couldn't hear another word about Scooter.

Books

2007-06-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

Books I have read lately:

Magyk, Flyte, and Physik by Angie Sage: Really good series especially for Harry Potter fans. The ends are cliff hangers but there is always some resolution.

Pendragon The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale: Interesting concept of time and dimensions. Very fantasy!

Inside the mind of Gideon Rayburn by Sarah Miller: What else would a teenage girl want than to be on the inside of the cute, sweet, and virgin boy of your dreams head.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson: The beginning of Peter Pan some great references to the orginial and fun explainations to lingering questions.

Titans Curse by Rick Riordan: Third install ment to the Percy Jackson series.

Gilda Joyce Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison: Phychic children, dead aunts, and a very fun summer break.

The introduction

2007-06-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

I lived in a place that was a cross between Happy Days and that 70's show. Ironically it was in Wisconsin. This is a place were teachers have control of the classrooms, parents still care if you go to school, being smart pretty and funny were all someone needed to come by many boyfriends. The dark side of the town was about as crazy as those kids smoking pot on in the basement. No fights in the hallways, sneaking out of class was some crazy fun, and detention was not a scary place. Oh and it was full of white kids as far as the eye could see. No minorities what so ever. It was one boring place to grow up. I went to college got my degree and a husband and was out of there.

Moved to Boston, which is one of the best cities to live. Far too expensive for this girl to stay, but one of the best times of my life. From there I moved to Dallas/Ft Worth area. Which is really hot and scary. When I say hot I mean weather. The girls here are hot but not always the brightest bulbs. If you want to be judged buy how much you weigh(should be 125 max), how much you make(over 100,000 min) and what kind of car you drive (more obvious the better) than you should move to DFW you will fit right in.

So this is a quick intro to the old and new life. Hopefully, I will be moving back to the Midwest soon but while I am here it should be fun to let everyone know how crazy life is right now.