Saturday, July 31, 2010

Challenge Update: July

I'm participating in 100+ Books in 2010 and a Historical Reading Challenge:

1. Gone by Michael Grant
2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald *
3. A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks
4. Pretty Little Liars #2 (Flawless) by Sarah Shephard
5. The Chocolate Wars by Robert Cormier
6. North Of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headly
7. Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
8. Passing Strange by Daniel Waters
9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
* For school and I'm counting as a historical book.

Friday, July 30, 2010

CSN Stores $80 Certificate Giveaway Coming Soon

Hi guys! Remember last month I held a CSN Stores giveaway? Well, they selected me as a preffered Webmaster and now I get to host another one! CSN stores is a great chain of stores where you can find everything from bedroom furniture sets to lamps and other cool stuff. So, stick around because next week I will be posting up the contest for you to join!

Thank you to CSN stores for letting me host this giveway.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

North Of Beatiful by Justina Chen Headley

North of Beautiful 
Born with a port-wine stain birthmark covering her entire right cheek, Terra Rose Cooper is ready to leave her stifling, small Washington town where everyone knows her for her face. With her critical, reproachful father and an obese mother who turns to food to deflect her father's verbal attacks, home life for Terra isn't so great either. Fueled by her artistic desires, she plans to escape to an East Coast college, thinking this is her true path. When her father intercepts her acceptance letter, Terra is pushed off-course, and she is forced to confront her deepest insecurities. After an ironically fortuitous car accident, Terra meets Jacob, a handsome but odd goth Chinese boy who was adopted from China as a toddler. Jacob immediately understands Terra's battle with feeling different. When Terra's older brother invites her and her mother to visit him in Shanghai, Jacob and his mother also join them on their journey, where they all not only confront the truth about themselves, but also realize their own true beauty. North of Beautiful is the engaging third YA novel by Justina Chen Headley. This is a gorgeously-written, compelling book featuring universal themes of defining true beauty, family bonds, personal strength, and love.

I don't know if you've noticed, but I've kept my reviews shorter lately. This is a mixtue of lazyness and the fact that I read books weeks before I actually review them. Okay, onto the real thing.

North of Beautiful is a...beautiful book. All characters are so distinct and unique that you really get a sense that you know them all. I loved also the uniqueness of the book because of the mapping details. I've never read a book that centered an idea, a hobby, and created a complete story revolving around it.

Jacob and Terra are just great together. Both have their issues and I believe that both, in the end, discover True Beauty in themselves.

The father was an a*hole, that's enough said. But even with that, we are left with enough ambiguousity in the end to really figure out by ourselves what really happens to him and the characters the moment you close the book.

And Terra's mom is amazing, too. I was just as happy that she found her beauty as I was with Terra finding hers. Both of theirs stories are inspiring.

In one sentence:
"Finding beautiful in every word."

Plot: 5
Characters: 5
Writing: 5
Cover: 5
Overall Feeling: 5
Average: 5 stars

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

MOCKINGJAY TWITTER PARTY!

Hey guys! I've mentioned this before and now I'm making the official post.

What: A Twitter Chat/Party celebrating the release of The Hunger Game's third book, Mockingjay.
Who: Bloggers and readers alike. Everyone is invited!
When: Friday, August 27th, 2010
Details: Come join in the fun! There will be special discussions to participate in or you can just sit back, relax, and follow the conversation and hype!
Hosted by: Patty from Yay! Reads. This party is in no way affiliated with Scholastic, Suzanne Collins, or any other affiliates. It is mainly just a fan party/celebration.

How to tune in: Simply follow #yrmockingjay and use it with all your posts.

We ask you to please sign up using the Mister Liny below. Just use your name and blog (if you have one). This will be to keep track of the attendees.


Spread the Word!
Spread the word by posting this button on your website!










Monday, July 26, 2010

Manifest by Artist Arthur


Manifeset

Krystal Bentley is an outsider at her new high school, having just moved to a small Connecticut town. Lately she's been hearing the voice of a teenage boy in her head, and he has become her friend and confidant. The only problem is, he's dead...

Ricky Watson was killed a year ago in the alley behind Krystal's new school. The rumor mill is filled with stories of Ricky and his untimely death. Unfortunately, as a ghost, Ricky is unable to investigate his own murder, so Ricky needs Krystal to find the truth and she needs someone to listen. When Krystal befriends Sasha and Jake, both outcasts at her high school, the threesome soon discover that they have more in common than their outsider status. Each has a unique paranormal ability and an unusual birthmark in the shape of an "M." Jake announces that the M must stand for misfits, and so the three form an unusual clique. They soon realize that solving Ricky's murder can help them understand the mystery behind their powers and may reveal whether there are others like them.

The aspect I most liked about Manifest was that it was multi-racial and not just black or white which I relate to, being Puerto Rican.

Krystal was funny and relatable character.  The only complain about her is that she was sometimes annoying and dramatic.

Ricky as fine, I suppose. He's not my type (I much prefer Jake) and he didn't help much but he was okay.

I was waiting for the book to finally pick up and I was happy when it did near the end.

I don't know if it's me or done on purpse but there seemed to be this big plot hole that confused me. I hope they fix this in the final copy. At one point, it is said Jake's power is super-strong (like Hulk) and then it totally changes to telekinesis.

I also liked the mythology aspect and I hope there is more on the next book.

Overall, I liked the book and I can tell Artist's writing has a way to go because in Manifest it seemed a bit ameteur.

In one sentence:
"An entertaining new novel with great potential."

Plot: 4
Characters: 3
Writing: 3
Cover: 4
Overall Feeling: 4
Average: 3.6 stars

ARC copy provided by publisher.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

In My Mailbox (23)

In My Mailbox is created and hosted by Kristi atThe Story Siren.

I haven't had an IMM in so LONG! But this week I got some goodies!!!!

For Review

  1. Emma and The Vampires by Wayne Josephson
  2. Songs for A Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson
  3. Passing Strange by Daniel Waters
NetGalley
  1. Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
I'm dancing of HAPPINESS!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Pretty Little Liars #2 (Flawless) by Sara Shepard

Flawless


In the exclusive town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, where the sweetest smiles hide the darkest secrets, four pretty little liars—Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna—have been very bad girls. . . .
Spencer stole her sister's boyfriend. Aria is brokenhearted over her English teacher. Emily likes her new friend Maya . . . as much more than a friend. And Hanna's obsession with looking flawless is literally making her sick. But the most horrible secret of all is something so scandalous it could destroy their perfect little lives.
And someone named "A" is threatening to do just that.
At first they thought A was Alison, their friend who vanished three years ago . . . but then Alison turned up dead. So could A be Melissa, Spencer's ultracompetitive sister? Or Maya, who wants Emily all to herself? What about Toby, the mysterious guy who left town right after Alison went missing?
One thing's for certain: A's got the dirt to bury them all alive, and with every crumpled note, wicked IM, and vindictive text message A sends, the girls get a little closer to losing it all.
The second installment of Pretty Little Liars, Flawless, is, I have to admit, much like every other sequel. Exciting in places, dragged in others. We're still learning about the characters and while the initial shock has already started dying out, we're following the girls trying to figure out what exactly is going on.

The ending though, it was VERY shocking. I loved Toby in this book and I think that maybe something might happen between SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER Toby and Emily.

I can't really review this book without having spoilers so I'm just saying that, this is a good book but I preffered the first. STILL, I can't WAIT for the next book, especially after the revelation made in this one.

Oh, and it's so different from the show! I won't comment on that but OMG! IT IS SO DIFFERENT! The girls in the books (ahem, Spencer) are so much meaner, flirtier, etc etc etc.

In one sentence:
"Pretty Little Liars is an unputdownable series!"

Plot: 4
Characters: 5
Writing: 4
Cover: 5
Overall Feeling: 4
Average: 4.4 stars

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Chocolate Wars by Robert Cormier

The Chocolate War
Does Jerry Renault dare to disturb the universe? You wouldn't think that his refusal to sell chocolates during his school's fundraiser would create such a stir, but it does; it's as if the whole school comes apart at the seams. To some, Jerry is a hero, but to others, he becomes a scapegoat--a target for their pent-up hatred. And Jerry? He's just trying to stand up for what he believes, but perhaps there is no way for him to escape becoming a pawn in this game of control; students are pitted against other students, fighting for honor--or are they fighting for their lives? In 1974, author Robert Cormier dared to disturb our universe when this book was first published. And now, with a new introduction by the celebrated author,The Chocolate War stands ready to shock a new group of teen readers.

I had to read this for school and I was surprised at how good it was. I was also surprised that in my strict Catholic school, they'd allow a book like this where it's shown masturbation and similar topics.

I liked the concept of the book and although it was a bit slow at first, I enjoyed it. The only thing that I'd say negative is that I felt like I didn't know the characters. None of them really grew by the end of the book and they all felt a bit distant.

The book is a bit dated but there's nothing really to give it away.

In one sentence:
"Better than you would ever think."

Plot: 4
Characters: 3
Writing: 5
Cover: 3
Overall Feeling: 4
Average: 3.8 stars

Monday, July 19, 2010

A Princess Of Landover by Terry Brooks


After fourteen years, New York Times bestselling fantasy master Terry Brooks has returned to the magic kingdom of Landover. The remarkable realm of dragons, demons, wizards, and wonders that wove an irresistible spell in five classic novels throws open its gates at long last for a brand-new adventure featuring a dazzling cast of characters and creatures.

Ben Holiday, Chicago lawyer and mere mortal turned monarch of enchanted Landover, has grappled with scheming barons, fire-breathing beasts, diabolical conjurers, and extremely wicked witches. None of whom have prepared him for the most daunting of challengers–a teenage daughter. Sent by Ben and his beloved sylph bride, Willow, to an exclusive girls’ prep school, headstrong (and half-magical) Mistaya Holiday has found life in the natural world a less than perfect fit. And when her latest rebellious antics get her indefinitely suspended, she’s determined to resume her real education–learning sorcery from court wizard Questor Thews–whether her parents like it or not. 

But back home in Landover, Mistaya’s frustrated father is just as determined that the precocious princess learn some responsibility, and he declares her grounded until she successfully refurbishes the long-forsaken royal library. Mortified by the prospect of salvaging a king’s ransom in moldy books–and horrified by word that repulsive local nobleman Lord Laphroig seeks to marry her–Mistaya decides that the only way to run her own life is to run away from home. 

So begins an eventful odyssey peppered with a formidable dragon, recalcitrant gnomes, an inscrutable magic cat, a handsome librarian, a sinister sorcerer, and more than a few narrow escapes as fate draws Landover’s intrepid princess to the last place she expected to go, and into the thick of a mystery that will put her mettle to the test–and might bring the kingdom to its knees.

Although this book is adult fiction, it might as well be read by every age group. I've read some of Terry Brook's work before and I loved it so coming into this I was expecting a lot.

Unfortunately, it did not measure up. While the book is good in some parts, it is quite slow on others and I couldn't get into it until the very end. I kept waiting for the action to happen and when it did, it fell short.

The main character, Mistaya, is a fifteen year old teen and I was happy that I could relate to her and her problems as a teenager. I also loved Thom and the little hints of romance here and there.

The supporting characters were good and the villans were villans. There's nothing that really impressed me about this book.

In one sentence: "Falls short compared to other Terry Brooks's work."

Plot: 3
Characters: 4
Writing: 5
Cover: 4
Overall Feeling: 3
Average: 3.8 stars

Saturday, July 17, 2010

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald


 The Great Gatsby
In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald announced his decision to write "somethingnew--something extraordinary and beautiful and simple and intricately patterned." That extraordinary, beautiful, intricately patterned, and above all, simple novel became The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald's finest work and certainly the book for which he is best known. A portrait of the Jazz Age in all of its decadence and excess, Gatsby captured the spirit of the author's generation and earned itself a permanent place in American mythology. Self-made, self-invented millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald's--and his country's--most abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning--" Gatsby's rise to glory and eventual fall from grace becomes a kind of cautionary tale about the American Dream.
It's also a love story, of sorts, the narrative of Gatsby's quixotic passion for Daisy Buchanan. The pair meet five years before the novel begins, when Daisy is a legendary young Louisville beauty and Gatsby an impoverished officer. They fall in love, but while Gatsby serves overseas, Daisy marries the brutal, bullying, but extremely rich Tom Buchanan. After the war, Gatsby devotes himself blindly to the pursuit of wealth by whatever means--and to the pursuit of Daisy, which amounts to the same thing. "Her voice is full of money," Gatsby says admiringly, in one of the novel's more famous descriptions. His millions made, Gatsby buys a mansion across Long Island Sound from Daisy's patrician East Egg address, throws lavish parties, and waits for her to appear. When she does, events unfold with all the tragic inevitability of a Greek drama, with detached, cynical neighbor Nick Carraway acting as chorus throughout. Spare, elegantly plotted, and written in crystalline prose, The Great Gatsby is as perfectly satisfying as the best kind of poem.

This will be short since I had to read it for school. The Great Gatsby is very poigant and creates such awesome images of 1920's New York, one of my favorite times and places in history. The characters seemed real and the love story is so relevant, it could have been told in high school hallways.

I got a bit bored but it didn't have to do with the book. It had more to do with the fact that I had to read it for school instead of it being for my own accord. It's a short novel with a well-paced plot. Easy read, really.

In one sentence: "Poigant and realistic."

Plot:  4
Characters: 5
Writing: 5
Cover: 3
Overall Feeling: 4
Average: 4.2

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Write In Life (4)

Write In Life is a biweekly meme created and hosted by me, Patty, here at Yay! Reads.

This week's topic: Giving Up


I find it exciting every time I have a new idea and I think it's the best one yet. I love writing the first couple of thousand words and it just seems like I'm a rush! But then, your idea doesn't seem as cool anymore and you don't know what's wrong!

I've learned that in order for me to keep writing a story, I need to be engaged and in love with it. If it becomes too tedious or too much like a bother, then I don't really like the story anymore. It's hard but sometimes, you just have to walk away. I still keep all the stories, just in case I want to go back to them later. But the smart thing to do (for the sanity of things) is to give it rest time.

If you'd like to participate in future topics, send me an email to yayreads at hotmail dot com with subject line saying WIL and I'll send you the topic! You can write as much or as little as you like.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Waiting On Wednesday (6)

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine.

In the year 2150, being a girl isn’t necessarily a good thing, especially when your sixteenth (read sex-teenth) birthday is fast approaching. That in itself would be enough to make anyone more than a little nuts, what with the tattoo and all – but Nina Oberon’s life has taken a definite turn for the worse. Her mother is brutally stabbed and left for dead. Before dying, she entrusts a secret book to Nina, telling her to deliver it to Nina's father. But, first Nina has to find him; since for fifteen years he's been officially dead. Complications arise when she rescues Sal, a mysterious, and ultra hot guy. He seems to like Nina, but also seems to know more about her father than he’s letting on. Then there’s that murderous ex-government agent who’s stalking her, and just happens to be her little sister’s dad."

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Paranormalcy


Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal. 



Normal is so overrated.

The much talked-about book is finally being reviewed here! Woo. Okay let's get it down.

I really liked Paranormalcy for different reasons. I loved the main character most of the time. Evie is strong and bad-ass. She is funny and has a really good heart. The only thing was that sometimes it was too much and it felt really pushy. Sort of annoying. Thankfully. that didn't happen often.

Lend is just adorable. I don't know if I LOVE him just yet because he seems like a very cliche'd guy in the book but he was entertaining and really cute. I look forward to seeing more of them.

I had to go back and re-read the ending for a second here (which can be kind of bad but may mean that I have been really busy). What an ending! It was definitely breathtaking and surprising. I don't want to reveal too much but I was surprised and shocked near the end.

Oh, and what an original premise, too.

In one sentence: "A great debut with great potential."

Plot: 5
Characters: 4
Writing: 4
Cover: 5
Overall: 4
Average: 4.4 stars

Monday, July 12, 2010

Read A Thon Update

So here's today's update for the read-a-thon:

1. A Princess of Landover (finished): 2 hours
2. Pretty Little Liars #2 Flawless (finished): 5.5 hours
3. Antigona (finished): 0.5 hours

So far I've read 8 hours worth and I think it's a great start! How have you been doing?

FIRST CHALLENGE
The Eager Readers want to know what are my favorite literary couples! Here are mine:

1. Clary and Jace from The Mortal Instruments
2. Mia and Adam from If I Stay
3. Gale and Katniss from The Hunger Games

and the second part....

1. Katsa from Graceling and Peeta from The Hunger Games
2. Edward Cullen from Twilight and Hermionie Granger from Harry Potter (because I actually really like the Cedric/Hermione ship)
3. Puck from The Iron King and Lavender Brown from Harry Potter.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Gone by Michael Grant

Gone
In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

Gone has an amazing premise: a world were adults just dissappear. At first it might seem like, 'Hey, party!' but the truth is, things are harder than they appear.

There's a new generation of kids with unexplicable powers that have something to do with the FAYZ. These teens are in the fight for their lives, espeically after Caine, a kid from town, starts taking over.

Gone is a fantastic novel. It was slow in some places, given but then it was so good I couldn't put it down. It's rather lengthy and I expected it to be more sci-fi than fantasy (you know, I like scientific explanations to things) but after a while, I didn't care.

The characters were all well-developed. I like that the many pages of this book were not spent in nonsense but in the development of the characters and the fleshing out of a great story to come. I can't wait to read the sequel.

In one sentence:
"A great story that everyone has to read!"

Plot: 5
Writing: 5
Cover: 5
Characters: 5
Overall Feeling: 5
Average: 5

Friday, July 9, 2010

Once Upon a Read-A-Thon

Once Upon A Read-A-Thon

I'm planning on participating but I have to stay organized if I want to do this right. Especially if I have to do some other things (like, write, eat, sleep, etc.). Here's my schedule:

Wake up around 9 AM
9 AM- 9:30; Breakfast
9:30-11:30; Read
11:30-12PM; Lunch
12PM-3PM; Read
3PM-4PM; Work on school report.
4PM-5PM; Update in blog, check emails, etc.
5PM-8PM; Read
8PM-9PM; Write my daily word count.
9PM-1AM (if I don't fall asleep before that); Read
1AM-9AM; sleep

I plan on reading these books:

The Chocolate War (for school)
Tyger Tyger
Trickster's Girl
Antigona (for school Spanish, if I haven't finished it before this)
any others that I might find but those definitely.

I plan on finishing:

A Princess Of Landover
(if I don't finish it before Monday).

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Pretty Little Liars by Sarah Shepard


Pretty Little Liars

Everyone has something to hide—especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna.

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful.

But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and all the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling.

I really wanted to read the book before the series started but I couldn't so I bought it as soon as I could and finished it in like, two days.

Pretty Little Liars is a fun and sometimes suspenseful fast-paced novel. I love that, even though it was told from multiple points of views, I really got to know each character and I definitely got a feel for them.

The mystery is fantastic and it includes such a nice dose of romance. I love it!

I can't wait to read the next books. In comparison to the series, though. The first few episodes were pretty loyal to the book but it's starting to drift now and I wonder if I only think this because they're giving away stuff from the next books, which, in that case, makes me pretty nervous.

In one sentence:
"Suspense, romance, and everything you need in a novel, right here."

Plot: 5
Characters: 5
Writing: 5
Cover: 5
Overall Feeling: 5
Average: 5

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Mockingjay Twitter Chat for Bloggers and Fans

So I've been wanting to do this for a while but haven't actually gotten around to plan it. I want to organize a Twitter chat party for Bloggers and Fans of the books so that we can discuss our thoughts about it all. There's some things I need first. I'm looking for blogs to make posts about Mockingjay nearing its realease on the following topics.

Team Peeta
Team Gale
Theories on District 13
Who will die on the next book?
President Snow and The Capitol

And any other topics anyone might come up with. I want about seven topics total. This would work like thus:

Every day a week leading up to the release, a different blog will post about their topic. The blog may host a giveaway if desired but it's not part of the thing I have in mind. Then, on August 27th (Friday) everyone will gather around at 7pm on Twitter and, using a hashtag (to be determined), will discuss the book.

Now, I don't want any conflicts with the publisher/author and, in fact, if possible, I'd love for the publisher and/or author to participate in some way in this. That's why I'm making this a purely fun/fandom thing instead of an 'official' chat.

Any volunteers? Just leave a comment with an email or email me at yayreads dot hotmail dot com and pick any topic that you might like (or invent your own). This will be a first come, first serve thing so, if you want to participate, do it fast!

Thank you and I plan for it to be very successful!

P.S. If anyone would volunteer to help me moderate the Twitter Chat, please let me know.


Tuesday, July 6, 2010

CSN Stores $40 Gift Certificate Winners

The winners of my $40 CSN Stores Gift Certificate giveaway are:

Thruthehaze and Debbie

Both will be contacted soon by CSN. Thank you all for participating.


The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

>
The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner

Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits.

In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.


Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood... life before she became a vampire.

All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.

Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as "her". As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagines, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trus. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?
I don't like Twilight that much anymore so I figured that since this isn't from annoying Bella's point of view, I could read it without vomiting. Veredict? Success.

One thing I hated was that there were no chapters. I'm the kind of reader that can put a book down right on the chapter, not a few pages before or after. So it became completely annoying no to say "i'm on chapter blah blah" but that's just me on being nitpicky of the structure.

Bree was an okay narrator, to be honest. Pretty bland and not enough personality. She definitely seemed super controled to be a newborn and just unnatural. I expected a wild newborn here, okay?

It was an okay book, too, in general. Diego was a cool character and I liked being behind the scenes so to speak.

In one sentence:
"A companion book you should read at the library--not even starin your eyes in front of the computer."

Plot: 3
Characters: 4
Writing: 3
Cover: 4
Overall Feeling: 3
Average: 3.4 stars



Monday, July 5, 2010

Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin


Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac

If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn’t have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn’t have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn’t have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her “Chief.” She’d know about her mom’s new family. She’d know about her dad’s fiancée. She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She wouldn’t have wanted to kiss him back.

But Naomi picked heads.

After her remarkable debut, Gabrielle Zevin has crafted an imaginative second novel all about love and second chances.

This is also a reread from last year. I loved it last year and I was happy to find out that I feel the same way. What first caught my eye was that it was authored by Gabrielle Zevin who wrote one of my favorite book of all times, ELSEWHERE.

Memoirs of A Teenage Amnesiac is not as good as Elsewhere in my opinion but it's such a wonderfully written book with such memorable characters. I love Naomi and I love Will to death.

I like that this book, or the plot in it, is not perfect. There are goods and bads to the relationships and not all is a happy ending. You feel for James but at the same time, it's a scary situation. I love how this book's relationships are not perfect, it makes it feel completely real and believable.

I also like how Naomi's background was told. It was not a chunk of information but simply weaved through the plot line. If flowed naturally.

Oh, and Naomi's dad is such a great character. He reminds me a bit of my own dad.

Overall, this is an amazing book that I will never forget and nor will the readers.

In one sentence:
"Memoirs leaves a lasting memory."

Plot: 5
Characters: 5
Writing: 5
Cover: 5
Overall Feeling: 5
Average: 5

Sunday, July 4, 2010

The Treasure Hunters Club: Trailer and Interview



A Treasure Hunting Legend...
Four Ordinary Kids...
Two Magical Medallions...
Pursued By An Ancient Evil...
In One Extraordinary Adventure.

Join the Treasure Hunters Club
as they unlock
The Secrets of the Magical Medallions.

...Some Secrets Are Better Left Alone



Today we have author Sean McCartney stop by to talk to us about his book, The Treasure Hunters Club.

Sean Paul McCartney (He's not related to the Beatle) was born in 1971. He graduated from Alfred University in upstate New York with a Bachelor's in Communications in 1993. From there he played two exciting season traveling around the world with the Washington Generals playing against the world famous Harlem Globetrotters. In 1996 Sean earned his Masters in Education and embarked on a career as a teacher. He is employed by Plain Local Schools in Canton, OH. The first book in the series The Treasure Hunters Club: Secrets of the Magical Medallions introduces the four teens Tommy Reed, Jackson Miller, Shannon McDougal and Chris Henderson. The series is a cross between The Hardy Boys and Indiana Jones with a touch of National Treasure.


If someone would make a movie of the books, who would play the main character?
-I believe Moises Arias would be perfect to play Tommy Reed the leader of the Treasure Hunters Club. I have seen him as Rico on Hannah Montana and he is a very good actor.

What was the easiest aspect of writing the book? The hardest?
- The easiest or most fun in writing, for me, is the research that goes into each book. Finding out the little things that make each story unique and special is probably the easiest.
The hardest part of writing are the days when the words are hard to find. You can feel it. The words are going on the paper but they don't work and you know it but to plow on through because it only takes one word to turn it around. If a day goes by when the writing is bad I always know that the next day will be better.

In one sentence, how would you describe your writing?
-I would describe my writing as fast paced, informative and fun.

Who are your favorite authors and books?
- For young adult material I like Rick Riordan, JK Rowling and Christopher Paolini who are well known. Karen McQuestion has written some really good stuff and she is good. For older books I'd say John Grisham and JA Konrath. Their stories are fast paced and very detailed which I like.
As I kid I loved the Hardy Boys mysteries and the Encyclopedia Brown series. Today I read just about anything I can get my hands on that has some mystery and excitement to it.

Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what kind?
-No, I don't listen to music when I write. I actually like hearing the pencil on the paper during my first couple of drafts and the sound of the keyboard on final copies provide my music.

Now, I've posted up the trailer. Enjoy!




Thanks to Sean McCartney for stopping by!


Saturday, July 3, 2010

In My Maiblox (23)

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.

On Kindle
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott. Fitzgerald
Borrowed
  • A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks 

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Write In Life (3)

Write In Life is a meme hosted and created by Patty at Yay! Reads and features topics and discussion about writing in life.

This week's topic: Settings
I always have troubles with settings. I hate to base my story somewhere real because I'm afriad that I'll get details wrong, especially if I've never been to that place which chances are I haven't. I much preffer making up a town and just giving a general location. I can then invent everything from shop names to how it looks.

I'm not very good at describing them, either. I much preffer to give a little detail here and there instead of describing every single things. Sometimes, though, I do giant plot holes and inconsistencies because I've made everything up.

How do you do your settings?

If you'd like to participate on Write In Life, just email me at yayreads at hotmail dot com and I'll send you the week's topic, then, you can do a 1-2 paragraph essay about it.

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