Read-A-Thon Book Stack (in no particular order)

 

1. The Name of the Star--Maureen Johnson
2. The Madness Underneath--Maureen Johnson
3. Someone Like You--Sarah Dessen
4. That Summer--Sarah Dessen
5. Seventeenth Summer--Maureen Daly
6. Honey, Baby, Sweetheart--Deb Caletti
7. Glimmerglass--Jenna Black
8. The Whisperer--Donato Carrisi
9. Girl of Nightmares--Kendare Blake
10. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick--Joe Schreiber
11. Perry's Killer Playlist--Joe Schreiber
12. Blue Bloods--Melissa de la Cruz
13. Masquerade--Melissa de la Cruz
14. Bittersweet--Sarah Ockler
15. The Bermudez Triangle--Maureen Johnson
16. One Night--Marsha Qualey
17. For Darkness Shows the Stars--Diana Peterfreund

I realize this is quite a long list, but I want to have plenty of options on Saturday so that I can be picky!

the return...

alright, it's M here and i know i owe you guys a huge apology for essentially dropping off the face of the earth, but i've been super busy and haven't exactly had much time to read, let alone write about it. also, with finals and AP testing coming up i probably won't be posting much until June, but stick with me here, i'm trying! so, the main reason i wanted to post is because this saturday, April 27th, i'm once again participating in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon and am super excited. it was a last minute decision to participate (i decided this about an hour ago) so i'm not exactly organized and don't have nearly enough books in my house for saturday, so that means i'll be making a library run soon...i hope. Anyway, if you guys want any information about the Read-a-thon, like if perhaps you want to join me and 340 other crazy people, follow this link. Ok, now to review the past several months quickly:

• The Fault in Our Stars-- such a great, funny, witty book until the second half when i bawled my eyes out. i was not happy with the ending at all. and endings are everything in my book (hehe)
• Second Chance Summer-- awesome summer read about obviously second chances and trusting yourself and others. i loved it and it's getting added to The List
• Oh. My. Gods.--this was a book swap book from K and i really liked it, so much so that i begged her to give me the second one the day after i finished it. it was also decent, but not as good as the first.
• The Six Rules of Maybe--girl falls for her sister's fiancee...drama ensues....too much drama and just downright irritating
• The Kite Runner--required reading over winter break and was quite depressing. that being said, it was amazingly well written and easy for western readers to comprehend to some extent. such a sad story, but well done.
• The A Circuit-- competitive horse riding. drama ensues. eh, not really a fan...
• Anna Dressed in Blood-- this one was recommended to me by my librarian and friend H when i told her i was looking for something similar to Maureen Johnson's The Name of the Star. about a teenage boy who "kills" ghosts all over the country and then ends up falling for one. eery and kind of frightening at points, but had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. i loved it. added to The List
• Paper Covers Rock-- i've read this book 3 times now i think and it's amazing each and every time. if you want a better review, i'm sure there's one in the archives somewhere.
• When Lightning Strikes series-- several years ago i started the series and only got through the first and second books because the library didn't have the other ones available at the time. so, i decided i would give the series another shot and i'm glad i did, because i loved Jess and her "IDGAF" attitude and Rob and his motorcycle ( that would be my Bender complex talking) anyway, i got through the whole series and loved them all, especially the ending of the final book, which i ended up rereading several times just because it made me so happy. job well done, miss cabot.
• Paranormalcy--the same librarian/friend suggested this book about Evie, a girl who works for a government agency to keep the peace between paranormal creatures. she's caught between a crafty fairy and a mysterious unknown species. i loved this book and just today found out that there are others in the series!! AHH! added to The List.
• The Next Thing on My List--a girl is giving a stranger a ride home and gets into a car crash that her passenger doesn't survive. she then finds a list that the stranger had of all the things she wanted to do before her next birthday, so she takes it upon herself to complete the list for this girl she knows nothing about. i liked the concept, but the execution, especially the ending, were severely lacking.
• Never Let Me Go--cloning.isolation.organ donors.art.coming of age. I hated it. and the movie was even worse
• As I Lay Dying--required for school. my friends and I, being the super nerdy people that we are, decided to let out our emotions about this book through a series of strongly worded haikus. needless to say, we all hated it. i don't understand why people raise Faulkner up on a pedestal.
• The Great Gatsby--required for school and the only novel i've been forced to read this year that was actually enjoyable. i loved this book and the narrative of Nick, who seems like the kind of guy i would get along well with. yes, there were characters that you love to hate, but the book as a whole is just so great. i and aforementioned nerdy friends are going to go see the movie in theaters May 10 and we are all very excited. also, the music in the trailer (Happy Together by Filter) is so haunting yet perfect that every time i hear it, it makes me shiver, but in the best possible way. added to The List
• This Lullaby--my second time reading it and i think i loved it even more this time than i did last time. Dexter is just so darn persistent that it's endearing.
• The Book of Luke--i thought the story was slow and dramatic and hated the ending how things just so happened to work out after a few rather weak apologies. not very realistic if you ask me.
• Safe Haven-- this was definitely Nicholas Sparks' most thrilling book to date. it had me on the edge of my seat and i loved it. not his normal thing, but it worked. i have yet to see the movie, but i'm sure i'll watch it sometime this summer when i have more time.
• The Host-- my friend is obsessed with this book. she reads it every year and therefore made a deal with me that if she read 3 Dessen books i had to read The Host. i thought it was a pretty fair deal. however, let me say that the first 250 pages are slightly confusing, slow, and drag. However, after that, things pick up and from then on i truly enjoyed the book. so, if you have any intention of reading it, just power throught the first 250 pages and stick it out, because it's definitely worth it. also another one that i would like to see the movie, but don't know how much the directors have screwed with the plot. added to The List.
• Death of a Salesman--required for school. hated the play and i hated the movie version with Dennis Hoffman. so sad and tragic with no real point. definitely not enjoyable as i always seemed to fall asleep when i was reading it.

So yeah, we're at 27 now on The List, which is very exciting for me :) I am about to start Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen, which i tried reading a couple years ago, but didn't like and put aside. However, i'm determined to finish it this time no matter what. We'll see how that goes....anyway, thanks so much if you've continued to follow our sporadic postings and keep an eye out for posts on saturday during the Read-a-thon, because i'm sure i'll have something to say :)
happy reading!
-M

The Juliet Club

So, I checked out the book The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper a little while ago from the library and decided to finally read it when I woke up at 2 (almost 3 in the morning). I told myself I would only read a few chapters to get a feel of the book, but I couldn't put it down. I chose the book because of the title and I thought the cover of the book was pretty cool. After reading the summary of the book I decided to give it a try. I absolutely loved this book. Why you ask? Well let me list the reasons:

1. Part of the place took place in Verona. As in Verona, Italy!!! I want to travel all over Europe and Verona is one of those places. Maybe the author was making up what it was like to be there, but I honestly don't care. It made me long for the warm sun casting a friendly glow on everything the light touches. The smell of fresh goods all around you. The easy, cool air lifting your clothes slightly off your body...it's amazing and made me wish I was there.

2. There was romance. Pretty cliched romance (but in my opinion that was the whole point). So yes, I was able to predict the ending, but more often than not I can. Plus, it ended the way I wanted it to so I'm perfectly content :)

3. It switches points of views. I love getting to see a glimpse into other characters minds in a story. What they were thinking in a specific moment. It's enlightening and gives new perspective and allows you to see the situation as whole (which they do debate in the book- small spoiler I guess, but trust me it doesn't ruin anything for you).
-I loved every characters thought process. While I made have moments of frustration with them that is what makes a great book.

4. The main-ish character Kate: She's a person who thinks everything is set in stone, that everything has to be logical. So seeing her unravel and realize that not everything will makes is rather endearing. Plus, our views on Romeo and Juliet are quite similar. Although, I saw the play a little differently after reading this novel. However, my opinion on it is still pretty much the same and Kate had a wonderful way of summing it up, "The poetry is amazing, but the plot sucks." If I butchered that quote I apologize, but I got the gist of it correct ;)
5. It had an epilogue, I kinda wish it was longer or went further into the future, but I fear that if that happened the book wouldn't be the same.
6. There was romance and I'm a sucker for romance <3  Especially romance as adorable as the one(s) in this story.

So, with all that said The Juliet Club makes number 7 on my List of 55 :)
I'm just going to end this on that good note. Happy reading!!!

Oh one more thing before I go

I don't have time now, but you can bet on me making a long-ish post about Stay by Deb Caletti. I have much to say about this book and I thank M very much for choosing it for the swap because *insert drum roll here* ..............it has made number 14 on my List of 55!!! Yes, it was that amazing. Okay now I really must go, but I just thought I'd share that news with you lovely folks before parting. 

Predictability can be my new best friend

Hey all! This post can't be too long because I have finals I need to continue studying for (lucky I only have five finals and I already have two out of the way). I probably going to do a happy dance at the end of this week to celebrate. Anywho!!! I have like four-ish books checked out from the library that I haven't touched since last week (I hate finals for that). Anyway I finished my science final with a lot of time to spare so I started reading one of the smaller books I had checked out. I picked it up purely because the title caught my eye. I love titles that are direct, but yet still interesting. For example I read a book with the title "One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies." See? Very direct, but still has you interested on what spin the author is going to put on the story. Same goes for this book, "If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?" by Melissa Kantor. From the very beginning of the book I've had the ending pegged. I'm not sure if it's because the book is that predictable or I'm just that good at guessing when it comes to books (also movies &some TV shows)...actually it could be a perfect balance of both.While usually I hate books that are easy to predict I enjoyed this one and it was a nice break from the stress of finals. It was adorable, cute and just what I needed. I recommend this if any of you are looking for a chill read or just a book to hold you over. It doesn't make the List of 55, but it definitely was very cute which I enjoyed :)
P.S- to M if you're reading. I have "Stay" in my locker if you ever want to drop by to get it & sorry, but I have not gotten to reading the other book you've lent me, but I'll have plenty of time over break (if only it'll get here sooner :p).

Okay, I'm off to immerse myself in wonderful studying (please, put me out of my misery). Until next time lovely, fellow bookworms.

M & K: A Book Swap Extravaganza

hello all! we realize that a book swap is WAY overdue, but just be glad to have it at all. school is crazy for both of us and we haven't had sufficient time to get together. anyway, ONWARD!
So, the guy next to us is watching a video of a tv show or movie and it's very distracting. I keep glancing over and probably seem like a total creeper, but hey!....Yeah I didn't have anything to make that better. haha it's true, she is being a little creepy with her furtive glances toward his screen. come to think of it, this is the most full i've ever seen this room (our public library's computer lab). K, what do you think, character analysis of our neighbors?? Well the guy next to us obviously has good taste in shows because whatever he's watching is really good (and I can't even hear the dialogue). Then there's the women I saw the other day who has the most adorable baby ever!!! He's sleeping, but that's probably best for a library. Oh! A friend of mine is in here. I would say his name, but I don't want to call him out. He's on the opposite wall behind us. So that's cool I guess. There's a man, he's very jittery...well kinda...okay his leg keeps bouncing so :p Everyone else seems pretty normal...for now. of course, because everyone seems normal at first. even the hypothetical mass murderer/child molester down the street seems normal until he asks you to get candy from his white van with suspiciously tinted windows. my point being, all these people are weird, whether we realize it or not....just hopefully none of them try killing me. Um, or your lovely friend sitting right next to you. I do agree with all of them being weird...it actually sounded like something that could possibly be in a Dessen novel...eh...no....maybe I just want to read a book of hers'....yup that could be it. Especially since I haven't really had time to read much since school started. meow. hehe, I love doing that. I kept pausing like I was done, but nope.....meow. Okay sorry I'm done. My brain is honestly all over the place. Oh! On another note: I do apologize for not posting sooner than this. I do have a lot to catch you guys up on. I shall try to post...um....Sunday? Or Monday....we'll see, but I will post soon :) Daaaaaanggg that guy's music is loud. THIS IS A LIBRARY FOR HEAVENS SAKE!!! We take pride in remaining silent during our book swaps, i think other people should have the same consideration. oh wait, he got in trouble, nevermind. justice has been done. Anyway, now onto books...so for the book swap last time, K gave me Girl V. Boy by Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout. I already reviewed this book here so i won't waste space here and do it again. however, it was great. nuff said. So, to repay the favor and hopefully give K something that she will love as much as i do (which will be pretty difficult given how awesome i think this book is) i have chosen................*the ellipsis indicates your mental drumroll, we're in a library after all!*..............................................Stay by Deb Caletti. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Okay, so I always see this book whenever I go to the book store and I always want to get it, but usally don't. Meaning I've been wanting to read this book for a while now. So, hopefully I will enjoy it as much as M did :)  Okay so M just pointed out that at the bottom of the cover it says "Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen" -Booklist. Honestly?!?! It's a sign!!! Haha, okay so last night...I think it was last night, but not the point. I texted M asking about Greek mythology. Well, it wasn't a pointless question. I was doing it to see what book I would share next with her. So I have brought................."Oh. My. Gods" By Tera Lynn Childs. Personally I think M will love it because
1. The main character is a runner
2. There's a good little love story going on
annnnnnnnndddddddddddd because the Greek mythology involved is actually pretty cool. However, this is coming from a person who can spend hours reading the stuff. I don't believe in it, but I just think it is so awesome. I got K's text last night (or whenever) and was very unsure because i knew that it meant she would be bringing me some mythology book. the mental image i got was some thick, tan, volume with words in it like "thither". not exactly my ideal pleasure read. Needless to say i was pleasantly surprised when she pulled this one "out of the hat" (and by hat i mean backpack, but it was for literary purposes, cut me some slack). Upon looking at the back to figure out what the heck a fiction novel like this had to do with Greek mythology, i found out that this girl RUNS XC!! i kinda freaked out a little as K watched. i'm sorta excited now to read it after reading the *how dare he! this guy's phone just rang. ONCE AGAIN this is a library. need i spell it out for you??? L. I. B. R. A. R. Y. (boy, wouldn't it have been embarrassing if i had misspelled that?!) meaning no noise or minimal noise. sorry, back to the point* synopsis. we shall see... So, K what did you think of Girl at Sea?? So I really should *M is going to murder someone if their phone goes off again...oh my...she's the murderer she was referring to earlier....I'm going to die D: * *no, you aren't gonna die. he is. also, K can't type today, and neither can i....it's been a long week* *agreed, back to the point* So I really should have like typed up my opinion earlier so I could just copy and paste, but I didn't so shame on me. Anywho, I would like to say that I love the main characters name. "Clio" it's not over used and it just was cool to me. I honestly enjoyed this book. I had moments of frustration with Clio though because she was in total denial about her feelings!!! I mean...okay so I had to back track for a moment because I almost gave stuff away :o  Nope, not on my watch. Anywho I shall just say that I really liked the book, the plot, the characters and the underlying stories. Okay...I actually didn't fully enjoy that they were at sea....deep depths of water...me not being the best swimmer...bad images *insert my shudder here* Fudge I forgot what I was going to say...well I guess we'll have to wait and see if it comes back to me. Oh and on a side note I'm pretty sure what the guy next to us was watching was Once Upon A Time...I think...I should ask, but then he'd know I was creeping on him. I love that show! i haven't exactly watched any of this season's episodes, but they're on my DVR at home for later because i have no free time, but when i find some, i will be watching them. but it didn't really look like that to me on his screen...it looked more fantasy-based...but what do i know? i wasn't exactly creeping like K was. I've only seen one episode and that was more because I was at a friend's house and his mom insisted that I would love it (I would have liked it more if I wasn't so confused- it was mid season :p). However, I do intend to watch it when I get the chance. Maybe winter break if my teachers aren't evil and decide to give me homework. if i had the first season readily available, i would invite you over for a marathon to get you educated, but i sadly do not. maybe i can procure (props to M for the SAT vocab word!) it from someone? a friend and fellow Once Upon A Time watcher? watchee? idk. Eh, i think either could work. So we must see who else watches the show and pray they have it on DVD. Then we will beg them to let us borrow it :D I don't know why, but I just had the image of me standing on a hill with a cape and crown while holding up the DVD....yup, it's been a long week. ummmm is this really what you think about during the day??? and i thought my mind was weird and messed up.... haha, well my mind never stays focused on one thing for too long...except for in my block class...I'll explain that to you later though. So, I guess to answer your question simply...yes :) Ok unrelated i know, but i realized that i haven't ranted about the book i just finished or the book i'm currently reading. So for AP Lit i had to choose a book off "The AP List" *picture some British gentleman reading this in a pretentious tone with a look of disgust thrown to any and all in....normal English* for my SSR book and i chose Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (i would add the umlat on the e of her name, but i can't on the Internet). Now, me and this book have history together......i started it last year for fun (bad idea) and ended up quitting after about 100 pages. however, i told myself that i would complete it someday. so, i thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. Maybe not. i got to i think about page 80 this time before quitting. now, i've had people tell me that the book is really good, but it just is boring until about page 120. i have yet to make it that far, so i can't really agree with them. however, same as last time, i vow to finish it some day. (that day might just be farther in the future than i would hope) So, it was like 4 days before we had to have our SSR book done and a literary packet about the book completed and i switched books. wow, M, you're smart. yes, yes i am, thank you. UGH bad idea to wait that long to switch. Especially considering the fact that 2 of those 4 days included Thanksgiving break, during which i knew i wouldn't go near a book for school. So, i somehow managed to pull it off and read Persuasion by Jane Austen. i chose this one because i already owned it and it was short. simple as that. convenience. also, i like Jane Austen, so that was a plus. at first, i had trouble getting into it (this seems to happen a lot for me and books of this time period), but once i did, i got emotionally attached to the characters and was rooting for Anne the whole way through. it got to the point where i was reading the day before it was due and i was holding the book in front of my face by about 5 inches hunched over with excitement and anxiety of what would happen. All in all, a TERRIFIC book. (not as great as Pride and Prejudice, my all-time favorite, but still really good) This is why it's going on the List of 55. Then, i realized that i now have all this time where i don't have an SSR book due for class, so i can read for pleasure! yay! i picked up two books at the library on Monday: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green and Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson. the John Green one because so many friends have recommended it (some with such intensity i'm getting a little nervous). the Morgan Matson one because K had me read Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by recommendation (not a book swap) and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT, so i thought i would try it out. I'm currently reading The Fault In Our Stars and it's pretty good so far. this is the book that my mother confiscated from me yesterday claiming that i was reading it too much and not focusing enough on studying for my physics test. pshh. i was going to get around to studying eventually....after i finished the book :) anyway, pretty good so far, i'll probably be doing another post after i finish it to tell you all what i thought. Yeah, I tried reading Wuthering Heights once....didn't finish it. Maybe I'll go back to it one day...not today, but one day. I must read Persuasion! I love Jane Austen and if M also enjoyed it I think it'll be pretty darn good. Now that M has reminded me I must also read Emma again. Okaie doks, I must go and push my brother down the stairs for being a butt face (not really, he's taking me to get food so I'll be nice for now). Adios lovely readers I shall post later (probably not today seeing as I won't get home until 10).

#21 and some AWESOME news

So, this is gonna have to be a short post for me seeing as how I've got a project to finish and physics homework to do, but I couldn't resist blogging today. That is because of the following: I was innocently logging into my email account to send myself something to print out later and what appears in my inbox but a Sarah Dessen Newsletter. Now, I signed up for her newsletter several several years ago when I first became obsessive about her books. However, she doesn't send them out very often; only about two or three times a year. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find one in my inbox this afternoon. Then, I opened it and what did I find? SHE'S COMING OUT WITH A NEW BOOK!!! It will be in store in June!! As you may have picked up, I was super excited to hear this and so I clicked on the link (I've provided it for you) and read the article about it in USA Today. I had no idea that they would be giving me a preview of the first chapter of the book, but USA Today, being the nice people that they are, provided that for us Dessen fanatics! And after reading that excerpt may I just say: June cannot come any sooner. It sounds fantastic and I'm getting anxious to read it even though it's like 8 months away from coming out. Funny, because I was just talking to my mother the other day about how if/when she came out with a new book, K or I would be the first to know and that if one of us knew, we would alert the other. Well, folks, it took me all of four or five minutes (the time it took me to read the excerpt) to get around to texting K in all caps and sending her the link. That's called fanhood.
Also, I would like to recognize Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (recommended to me by K) as number 21 on The List of 55. It was a really cute story about a road trip and personal discovery and love and music (Man, Roger had great musical taste! I feel like Owen would approve). So it got five stars and if I had more time I would do a full rant, but I have to go, so you all should go get it and read it.
Read like your life depended on it,
M