Awards

This is the page dedicated to all of the awards Yay! Reads have received.







On: October 31st, 2009
Given by: Kapri at Book Fanatics

On: November 30th, 2009
Given By: Lizzy at Cornucopia of Reviews

Given by: Laura

Given by: Kari and Marie K

First award!

Yay! I just got my first award! It deserves its own post. Thanks to Kapri for the award! I'm extremely happy.



Here are the rules of the "One Lovely Blog Award":

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here's the 15 I chose:

1. Justine at A Bookful Of Thoughts
2. Book Nerds
3. Book Obsession
4. GMR at Insatiable Readers
5. The Book Butterfly
6. The Ladybug Reads
7. Darling Reviews
8. Dahlia at The Book Shopaholic
9. Sophie at So Many Books, So Little Time
10. The Page Flipper
11. Danielle at The Book Blogger
12. Chick Lit Teens
13. Andrea at Buried In Books
14. Casey at A Passion for books
15. Sammee at I want to read that..

How To Be Popular by Meg Cabot

How To Be Popular

Do you want to be popular?
Everyone wants to be popular—or at least, Stephanie Landry does. Steph’s been the least popular girl in her class since a certain cherry Super Big Gulp catastrophe five years earlier.

Does being popular matter?
It matters very much—to Steph. That’s why this year, she has a plan to get in with the It Crowd in no time flat. She’s got a secret weapon: An old book called—what else?—How to Be Popular.

But don’t forget the most important thing about popularity!
It’s easy to become popular. What isn’t so easy? Staying that way.

In one sentence:
This book is adorable!

I love Meg Cabot books, they give the feel that anything can happen: you can go from being unpopular to popular in just a night. Her writing style is laugh out loud funny with characters that are very distinct. I like the sarcastic humor in this book. The fact that the main character is not perfect (everything she eats goes into her butt) makes it very believable.

The only remark I have that may not be too good, is that it's too predictable. The book is typical girl falls for her best friend. Not that this is bad at all (my own book follows this trend) but I could tell from the very beginning what was going to happen in the end. Nevertheless, I love how Meg turns this predictable story into a still grabbing one and fun to read. This book is perfect to read at home with the coziness of your favorite blanket. I give it four stars.

Special Announcement

Hi there! I have a special personal announcement I would like to make. Some of you may or may not know that I am doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year. I decided to make a blog called NaNo And Me so that you can follow my progress with posts, countdowns, etc. It would mean a great deal that you would follow me in this challenge and take it on yourself. For more details, please go:
NaNoWriMo

Wednesday Wishes (2)

Wednesday Wishes is a weekly meme created by me, Patty in which I post my weekly wish list. This meme was inspired by Kristi of The Story Siren.

01. All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
02. 3 Willows by Ann Brashares
03. Valiant by Holly Black

Post your own Wednesday Wishes!

CONTEST: Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber

I am holding my first ever book contest! Yay! Me. I feel so happy :). I will be giving away one Vampire Kisses book. I bought this book.


Raven lives in "Dullsville," where nothing ever happens. Until now...

The mansion on top of Benson Hill has been empty and boarded up for years. But a new family has moved in. A family that never ventures out during the day. Who are these creepy people-especially the handsome, dark, and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town gossip actually be true? Are they vampires ?

Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at the risk of her own mortality and Alexander's loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth.

Details to enter:
- Comment on this post.
- Add your email address
- Open to US residents only!

*NOTE: This is a used copy of the book in great conditions except for a highlighted word. If there is any problem (this is posted on Nov. 14) please let me know.

Extra entries:
+1 Follow the blog
+1 Follow me on Twitter (include your username)
+2 Blog about this contest

Deadline will be November 14. Winners will be chosen within a week. After I chose the winner and contact her/him, item will be mailed within a week.

Book Trailer Monday (1)

Book Trailer Monday features book trailers made by fans. Each Monday, a different book trailer for an already published or an upcoming book will be posted.

This week's Book Trailer Monday is:

Blue Moon by Alyson Noel

Blue Moon

Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him. As Ever's powers increase, Damen's begin to fade after he is stricken by a mysterious il;ness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life.

Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimensions of Summerland. where she uncovers not only the secrets of Dame's past - the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden - but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them - or staying in the present and saving Damen who grows weaker by the day.

I have just finished the book and let me tell you, it surpassed all my expectations by far. From the very first page, my heart was pounding in suspense in a deep emotional roller coaster that seemed unable to pause. I felt like running because the action boiling inside of me because of this book was so amazing, it left me exhausted after I finished it.

I was surprised at how strong Ever is. She has a mind of her own, and even though she's in love with Damen, she knows her limits. I love that she has the will yet she is still a vulnerable character, caving into her deepest secrets and falling behind on one part or the other.

Roman was a fantastic character, too. Having that irresistible allure you can't prevent even if you hate him. And it's this allure that makes him so dangerous. I thought I had this book nailed down, that I knew what was going to happen. I even read the last sentence before finishing it, but the twists and turns are so sharp, you don't see them coming. Blue Moon is definitely a tale that will be in the readers' mind until their thirst is satisfied by the next installment. The writing is superb and though many people may say the plot is too common and too like other books, the truth is that it is woven so perfectly together, it's a whole other story. Definitely a must read.

In one sentence:
Omigod!

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

So today I bought:


I'm already on page forty something and I'm very excited about it. I loved the first one!

Review & Privacy Policy

Yay! Reads is a book review blog intended for entertainment purposes only. All text of the books are copyrighted to their authors. I buy all my books unless otherwise stated.

Authors/Publishers/Publicists
I accept ARCs as well as already published works. It would be a great honor to be able to review and promote your view. You can also contact me for interviews and giveaways. Contact me at yayreads@hotmail.com

Time
It takes me about 1-3 days to read a book I love. Depending on how engaging the book is, the more or less it takes me. Reviews are posted almost immediately after I finish reading the book. I promise to not take more than a month to read and review a book.

Contests
Contest information including addresses, names, emails, etc. will not be shared, given away or sold under any circumstances. It you're under 13 let a parent know what you're participating in.

Reviews
All my opinions are mine. It is important that I respect the book and the author as well as my opinion is respected. If I love a book, I will say it, if I don't, I will say it also. Remember that what I think may not be what the next person thinks.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights

I'm going to start by saying that the plot in this book is unbelievable. It's one of the most complicated intriguing plots I've ever read. To make everything simpler. This is a brief summary from GoodReads:
Heathcliff comes to the brooding mansion of Wuthering Heighths as an orphan child. Cathy is the daughter of the wealthy family that takes him in. They are drawn together from the moment they meet, their love consuming, destructive, and full of desire. They cannot be together, and yet they cannot stay apart. The consequences will haunt generations. This is the chilling story of two people who experience love and all its intense complications. It is a story readers will never forget.

This story involves three generations. From Mr. Earnshaw, Catherine Earnshaw's father, to Catherine Earnshaw's daughter, Cathy Linton. Heathcliff and Catherine fall in a forbidden love divided by riches, society, and family. Heathcliff's sour attitude results from the early death of his love, after giving birth to another man's child. His anger is part of the rest of the book's relationship. Cathy Linton (the daughter) and her cousin Linton fall in love. Having been adopted by Heathcliff (his father), Linton takes to his anger and abuses poor Cathy. When Linton dies, Heathcliff wants her to marry Hareton, the son of the son of his adoptive father (can you understand that? Ha!). At first, Cathy denies this but as we move towards the end of the book, we see her feelings toward Hareton change, thus ending the story in a Happily Ever After.

The love between Heathcliff and Catherine is so great that, not only does it prevail after death, but it appears on the next generations. Told in such a beautiful narrative, Bronte's only novel captures the timeless emotions of love never before seen. Whether you're up for reading a classic or not, Wuthering Heights MUST be part of your reading list some time or another. I give it five outstanding stars. And, as is tradition, in one sentence (or phrase):

Hauntingly romantic!

Wednesday Wishes (1)

This meme was inspired by Kristi of The Story Siren.

Today's Wednesday wishes are:

01. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
02. The Prophecy of The Sisters by Michelle Zink
03. Resurrection by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Have your own Wednesday Wish? Post the URL of the POST and the TITLE of the POST using Mr. Linky!

Wednesday Wishes

Wednesday Wants is a weekly meme created for all the books in your wish-list! These meme was inspired by Kristi of The Story Siren.

Introducing Holly Schindler!

Hi fellow readers! I needed to post this post because I'm very excited and I wished to share the news. I've been contacted by a 2010 YA debut novelist Holly Schindler saying that she likes my blog and I almost jumped out of my seat! So I would like to do a shout out to her here. You can visit her blog here. Her book is called A Blue So Dark and it will come out next year (her site has official updates). Let's give this lovely new YA novelist a warm welcome fellow bloggers!

Two For Tuesday Week 4: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 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.-From GoodReads.

In this haunting book, both Hannah's and Clay's voices are very distinct, alive, and raw. It's a beautiful yet dark tale about first love, suicide, and everything else that involves teenagers. You feel Hannah's pain as if it were your own and Clay's own confusion answering back. It's fast paced, distraught, and very mysterious. It's Jay Asher's first book and he does a superb job on it. Can't wait to read more from him.

Post your own Two for Tuesdays post here with the URL of the post and the TITLE of the post.

Two For Tuesday Week 3: Waves by Sharon Dogar

I was inspired by my local radio station for this particular segment. This is how it will work: Every Tuesday I will post two separate reviews. These reviews will be a bit different. They will contain the summary from the back of the book and small reviews with little details. The point is to a) not spoil it and b) be able to crunch the two reviews in one day. So you see, I'm sort of cheating. Sort of :).

Waves

When Hal's family makes the heart-wrenching decision to leave Charley, their comatose daughter, behind in a hospital ward while they spend the summer on the west coast of England, Hal finds it harder than ever to shake his sister's presence. What power is letting him share her memories? And will they reveal the deep, dark truth behind her tragic "accident"? Set at a beach where growing up goes wrong, WAVES is a coming-of-age story about first love and first loss; about a family drowning in sorrow, and the remarkable son who is struggling against the tide to save them. - From GoodReads description

Hal is such a young angry and confused character. He wants to save his sister but he can't. His conflicts are even greater when he starts falling in love and discovers secrets that lead up to his sister's current state. He is funny and believable. The story is heart breaking and I cried when I reached the ending but the writing I didn't like as much as the plot itself. I would call it: Grade A plot and Grade B- or C writing. I don't want to compare but I've seen these types of voices used in a more effective way.

Post your own Two For Tuesdays post with the URL of the post and the TITLE of the post.

In My Mailbox (1)

This is a weekly meme from The Story Siren in which I list the books that I got that week.

YAY! It's the first In My Mailbox for Yay! Reads and let me tell you, it's not very exciting. Yet I'm very exited about it just because.

And yeah, okay. This week's IMM is nothing that I got via snail mail. Instead, I bought it at Costco just now. It is:

Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen. It's this beautiful version right here:

A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks

Set in 1958, Landon Carter is just a senior. Part of the popular crowd. He's the son of a political father and the expectations from him are high. But he only wants to go to UNC. He's the 'bad boy' who sits on the graveyard at night with his friends and drinks and makes fun of people. That's why he doesn't expect it when the daughter of the Reverend asks him to act the main character in a play. During this whole process, something even more unexpected happens: he falls in love with her, Jamie Sullivan.

Have any of you seen the movie? It's one of the best movies ever made and it has taught me a lot about God. It's the real first love of someone who was ordinary and meets a girl so extraordinary, he can't believe it. His love for her is unexpected and sincere. She's good with everyone and believes in the Lord's plan. But then, secrets start to unveil. She tells him that she's sick with Leukemia, blood cancer. He can't believe it. The love of his life is dying and he only just met her. He's afraid, and so is her. He sees the suffering of her father. But instead of turning his head away, he sticks with her, watching her slowly die. But he still thinks she's the most beautiful person he's ever met. Finally, he asks her to marry her, even though she has maybe just a few months to live. This love so strong that is willing to save both of them does. Jamie dies but he remains faithful to her. Believing that they are still together, even after death.

This book broke my heart. I had to change my t-shirt in the middle of the night because it was covered in my tears. The thing is, it's a beautiful book. So different from the movie and so much better. It's the kind of love that lasts through the ages. The best kind of love. I wish it happened to me too. Although a tragic tale, it's definitely a walk to remember. You will never forget it.

NaNoWriMo buddies

Just want to let you all know that I'll be doing NaNoWriMo again next year. If you want to be my buddy, my username is pattymagic

Two For Tuesday Week 2: Nicola and The Viscount by Meg Cabot

Two for Tuesday is a weekly segment of Yay! Reads where I will post two small reviews of two different books.

Nicola And The Viscount

Nicola Sparks, sixteen and an orphan, is ready to dive headlong into her first glittering London society season. She's also ready to dive headlong into the arms of handsome and debonair Lord Sebastian Bartholomew. Nicola's dream is a proposal from the viscount-a dream she's about to realize at last! So naturally, Nathaniel Sheridan's insinuations about her fiance's flawed character annoy her mightily.

But when Nicola's natural curiosity gets the best of her,she begins to piece together a few things for herself. To her great surprise, Nicole realizes she's had the wrong viscount all along...but is it too late to make things right?

I love Meg Cabot and the humor she puts into each of her books. It is the first YA romance historical that I've read from her and found that the usual first person POV that Meg uses is now a third person POV. However, this didn't matter. The novel is quite predictable but it combines the charming English society and the dreams of a teenage girl. It is beautifully written and it won't disappoint. Plus, Nathaniel is quite sexy.

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If you have your own Two For Tuesday post, you can link them below using THE TITLE OF THAT POST and using the URL OF THAT POST.

Two For Tuesday Week 1: Tithe by Holly Black

Two for Tuesday is a weekly segment of Yay! Reads where I will post two small reviews of two different books.

Tithe

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kindgoms--a struggle that could very well mean her death.

Holly Black's Tithe was the first ever Urban Fantasy novel I've read. The experience is quite different. Black delivers such a mix between the dark and the magical. The fantasy is superb, and the writing is charming and fantastic. You will fall in love with Roiben and you will find a best friend in Corny. It is part of a series so be sure to check out the other books (I have yet to do this myself). It's graphic and lush wording mixed into a beautiful fast-paced novel.

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If you have your own Two For Tuesday post, you can link them below using THE TITLE OF THAT POST and using the URL OF THAT POST.

Two for Tuesday

I was inspired by my local radio station for this particular segment. This is how it will work: Every Tuesday I will post two separate reviews. These reviews will be a bit different. They will contain the summary from the back of the book and small reviews with little details. The point is to a) not spoil it and b) be able to crunch the two reviews in one day. So you see, I'm sort of cheating. Sort of :). Look for this week's Two for Tuesday right after I post this entry.

CONTEST: 30+ Followers

Hi fellow readers! I will be holding my first ever contest! This is how it will work: If I have 30 or more followers by the end of this week I will be giving away the book Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber. I attained this book a few months ago after buying it and decided that it would be a good giveaway for all my fellow vampire lovers!

When I've reached the 30 followers, I will randomly choose one to which I will grant this prize. Keep in mind that I will ask your for your email address and home address (for sending the book) after you have been chosen. You may choose not to accept the prize.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

13 Little Blue Envelopes

Ginny has just received a package from her runaway aunt. It contains 13 blue envelopes. On each envelope, there is a set of instructions she must follow. Ginny is amazed at this because a) The instructions include going to Europe with nothing more than a backpack and b) her aunt is dead. Nevertheless, Ginny goes to London, where her aunt has written that she should go. Only this is just the beginning. Ginny meets an Englishman, Keith, and falls in love with him. She follows the instructions and goes to Scotland to the house of a very interesting artist, she travels to Denmark, France, Italy, and Greece among others. What Ginny doesn't know, is that, in between all this crazyness, she discovers the true state of her late aunt while she was dying and discovers more about herself than she ever knew.

This is the perfect romantic/travel novel. It is the third time I've read it and I still love it as the first time. It is this novel that flourished in me a desire to travel and get to know other places in this world. It also made me want to date a Hot English Dude even more.

What seems like a lonely trip, becomes the adventure of a lifetime, including the auction of her aunt's painting which results in lots of money that she shares with her aunt's friend, Richard.

Richard, a sweet character, was also her aunt's husband, something Ginny didn't know because her aunt, after fleeing from New York, didn't keep that much in contact. Ginny learns that her aunt was not always very smart but that she had passions, something that Ginny struggles to thrive for. Unexpectedly, her aunt did love too. She loved Richard, something that even he didn't know.

This novel is still one of my favorites and I welcome all of you to read it and share your thoughts on it.

In once sentence:
Europe has never seemed like such an adventure until you've read this book!

Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns

Quentin and Margo used to be friend, then they grew up and grew apart. Now, unexpectedly, Margo appears on Quentin's "Q" window and takes him on the night adventure of a lifetime which include fish, SeaWorld, and broken windows. Q feels that he and Margo are back to being friends. That is why he is surprised when next day at school, Margo is not there. He doesn't give it much thought until it is apparent that Margo has disappeared. And she has left clues that only Q would know.

Q follows these clues until finally, he comes across the word Paper Towns. He fears that Margo has committed suicide and searches all of the paper towns in Central Florida for her body.

One day, his graduation day to be exact, Q finally figures out where Margo is hiding. Q and his friends undertake a nineteen hour road trip to a fake town were Margo is hiding.

When they discover her, Margo explains that she didn't mean for them to find her, only just one of her other many hiding places. And the sad part is: she's never coming back.

This beautiful story mixes everything perfectly, humor, romance, sadness, and mystery. We are following Q on his quest to find the girl he has always loved. The adventure begins from page one. It is fast paced and has an ending that you will never guess. I've always wanted to do a road trip with my friends and found that this story has just that. Time crunching, near-death experiences, and amazing humor that portrays teenage life, and love, very realistically.

In one sentence:
What an adventure!

Currently Reading

Currently reading right now is Paper Towns by John Green.

Wicked 2: Spellbound by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Wicked 2: Spellbound

Finally, I finished the forth volume of the series, Wicked. And it all keeps getting better! Everything is more troubling now. Deaths have taken over.

After the battle with Michael Deveraux, the coven flees with relatively less members, a kidnapped Nicole, and Holly Cathers possessed. Amanda takes over the leadership, gaining confidence and slipping away from Nicole's shadow. Richard, Amanda and Nicole's father is much more important in this book than he has ever been. As Nicole, Amanda, and Holly are separated, they discover more of their powers than ever before. Soon, Luna, the High Priestess of the Mother Coven, discovers a long lost relative of the Cathers/Cahors and brings him to help but not everyone is entirely convinced of his apparent facade. In the end, we discover his true intentions in an intense cliff hanger.

You won't believe who dies in this book. Everything is fast paced and action driven with more romance than ever before. The characters become more complex and intriguing by the letter. You won't be able to put it down!

In one sentence:
The best book so far.