Hardcover vs. Paperback Special OMG I'm Quoted Edition!

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Hardcover

Paperback

Amazon.com:

The wait is over for the paperback of this irresistible, fast-paced, hit-worthy debut!

When funny, charming, absolutely-normal Audrey Cuttler dumps her boyfriend Evan, he writes a song about her that becomes a number-one hit—and rockets Audrey to stardom!

Suddenly, tabloid paparazzi are on her tail and Audrey can barely hang with her friends at concerts or the movies without getting mobbed—let alone score a date with James, her adorable coworker at the Scooper Dooper. Her life will never be the same—at least, not until Audrey confronts Evan live on MTV and lets the world know exactly who she is!

So I've always been a huge fan of the hardcover and thought the paperback was nice IF they HAD to change the cover. Then something changed today, the lovely Charley informed me that I was QUOTED(!!!!) on the back of the paperback!

Ok we'll get back to that in a bit, so the cover, always loved the hardcover, it's powerful graphic appeal, love it. I think my favorite thing about the paperback (besides being quoted of course) would be the screenprinted looking title, and if you actually touch it, it feels screenprinted, nice touch. I also like the photo and the colors of the cover in general.

Ok back to the quote, the book doesn't come out technically until Thursday but I was able to find a copy. And it turns out, a bunch of us bloggers are quoted! Reviewer X, Writer's Block Reviews, The Page Flipper, Hope's Bookshelf, The Compulsive Reader, Teen Book Review among others are quoted! Check it out below, it's surreal! What a boost for the blogging community!

Hardcover or Paperback?

* Sorry about the really really really bad quality of pictures.

Tuesday Thingers: Least Favorite Book

Question: What is your least-favorite book(s)? Is your least-favorite book listed in your LT library? If it is listed, do you have anything special in the tags or comments section? How have others rated your least-favorite book?

It's hard to know what my least favorite book is so I'm going to refer to star ratings in my LT library. So for the most part, all my 1 star ratings are books I read in college for my Honors Colloquiums. Here are a few, A Briefer History of Time, Godel's Proof, and Plato's Meno. I wonder if I would feel any different about any of them reading them outside of school. I have a feeling I still won't like most of them! The only non-school book I have rated under 2 stars is Gifted, which was an Early Reviewer book. I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority for rating these so low!

Hardcover vs. Paperback 22

How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

Hardcover

Paperback

From Amazon.com:

Welcome to New Avalon, where everyone has a personal fairy. Though invisible to the naked eye, a personal fairy, like a specialized good luck charm, is vital to success. And in the case of the students at New Avalon Sports High, it might just determine whether you make the team, pass a class, or find that perfect outfit. But for 14-year-old Charlie, having a Parking Fairy is worse than having nothing at all—especially when the school bully carts her around like his own personal parking pass. Enter: The Plan. At first, teaming up with arch-enemy Fiorenza (who has an All-The-Boys-Like-You Fairy) seems like a great idea. But when Charlie unexpectedly gets her heart’s desire, it isn’t at all what she thought it would be like, and she’ll have resort to extraordinary measures to ditch her fairy. The question is: will Charlie herself survive the fairy ditching experiment? From the author of the acclaimed Magic or Madness trilogy, this is a delightful story of fairies, friendships, and figuring out how to make your own magic.

Wow, is there really any competition here! Yes, the hardcover is cute but it's nothing side by side with the paperback! Everything is taken up a notch in the paperback, the title font, the saturation of the colors, and the humor! I want to know who the designer is so I can shake their hand!

Hardcover or Paperback?

Thanks to Book Chic for bringing this one to my attention!

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter

Amazon.com:

It’s the end of junior year, and summer is about to begin. The Summer of Passion, to be exact, when Jory Michaels plans to explore all the possibilities of the future--and, with any luck, score a boyfriend in the process. But Jory has a problem. A big problem. A curvy, honking, bumpy, problem in the form of her Super Schnozz, the one thing standing between Jory and happiness. And now, with the Summer of Passion stretched before her like an open road, she's determined for Super Schnozz to disappear. Jory takes a job delivering wedding cakes to save up for a nose job at the end of the summer; she even keeps a book filled with magazine cutouts of perfect noses to show the doctor. But nothing is ever easy for accident-prone Jory--and before she knows it, her Summer of Passion falls apart faster than the delivery van she crashes. In her hilarious and heartbreaking debut novel, Sydney Salter delivers a story about broadening your horizons, accepting yourself, and finding love right under your nose.

Oh my gosh did I have a good time reading this book! I couldn't get to the end fast enough! I think my favorite thing about this book was how many layers it had, for example not one potential love interest, or even two, but three! I mean yeah, I definitely knew who she would end up with but I liked having those few extra challenges for Jory to face! I like how the book mixed a fun summer, romance, learning about yourself, and body/self-esteem issues. It takes A LOT on and I think it does a pretty good job of balancing it all.

I love how we get to see Jory evolve over one summer and all the challenges she has to face. In particular I was really interested in reading about what could be considered a friendship betrayal, you'll have to read the book to see what I mean. I also loved seeing her accept others and realize it was ok to accept herself. This book was just great!

My only gripe with the book was that Jory made fun of herself, and particularly her nose a few too many times. Yes, I know that's part of the title etc but it just got to be a bit too much at times.

Overall a layered, humorous yet thoughtful look at finding yourself and being happy with what you see. I'd definitely recommend it!

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters is released on April 6th.

4.5/5 Stars
Review copy received from publisher

Super In the City by Daphne Uviller

Amazon.com:

In this off-the-beaten-sidewalk debut, native New Yorker Daphne Uviller reveals the secrets of a sexy, story-filled Big Apple, where a mystery lurks behind every apartment door—and a savvy but slightly lost young woman unexpectedly finds herself holding the keys.

In a city brimming with opportunities for heroism, twenty-seven-year-old Zephyr Zuckerman has often fantasized about committing acts of bravery that would make front-page news. Now she may get her big break—though it may require plunging a few toilets. When the superintendent of her parents’ Greenwich Village brownstone is led away in handcuffs, unemployed Zephyr takes over his post and unleashes her inner sleuth: discovering titillating secrets about her tenants—from a smoky-voiced Frenchwoman who entertains throngs of unsavory visitors to a moody musician who just has to be hiding something—and realizing that her new reality is far more intriguing than her imagination.

Soon Zephyr has sussed out wrongs that stretch from losers on the Internet to art fraud and an international crime ring. The mob thinks she’s in the FBI, and the FBI thinks she’s in the mob—a predicament she needs to clear up fast. But perhaps not before the cute, surly exterminator helps her solve the mystery of what to do with the rest of her life….

I would classify Super in the City as a sort of Chick-Lit Mystery, I thought it was a great combination! From the Chick-Lit side we have a great group of friends with interesting personalities and occupations, an obsession with an ex-love, and a mysterious potential new love. On the mystery side we have a bunch strange and mysterious residents and a former Super with two sides to him, among other things (don't want to give anything away).

I thought for the most part this combination worked really well. I enjoyed Zephyr as a character and could identify with her uncertainty about becoming an adult. I thought her voice was rather humorous as well, she was just a lot of fun to read about. I also really liked her potential romance with the exterminator, who just doesn't look like an exterminator according to everyone. For having so many secondary friend characters in the book, I thought they were handled very well, each with their own personality so it was easy to tell them apart.

I also thought the mystery was rather fun, it wasn't really at the forefront of the story but it was a great part and slowly became more and more important to the plot as clues were discovered. I definitely was excited to find out the mystery of Zephyr's building. I'm also always a sucker for books set in New York City, it provides a lot of opportunities for interesting encounters that's for sure!

All and all something a bit different for the Chick-Lit genre, humorous, mysterious, and a lot of fun! I definitely hope there is another book in Zephyr's adventures!

Super in the City was released January 27th 2009.

4/5 Stars
ARC provided by LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program

This Week In Books Or This Is Less Insane, Right?

Monday:

The Diamonds by Ted Michael
Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim

The Diamonds came for review and Skunk Girl via Bookmooch (here's my WOW post for it). I'm really excited that The Diamonds takes place on Long Island!

Tuesday: nothing

Wednesday: still nothing

Thursday: can you believe it, really nothing! I did buy some books at the library sale but they were either for my sister or for swapping. Anyone interested in swapping for a copy of Alpha Dog by the way? I'm particularly looking for a copy of Swoon. Thanks Tina!

Friday:

Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
Joel and Cat Set the Story Straight by Nick Earls and Rebecca Sparrow

So you know who is awesome, Adele is awesome! I mean seriously girl! Along with these two books she sent me a few other goodies which are totally awesome! HUGS and THANK YOU!

Deep in the Heart of High School by Veronica Goldbach

This came for review, check out my recent WOW post about it here.

Saturday:

Five Minutes More by Darlene Ryan

This was via LibraryThing's Early Reviewer's Program! Yay!

Lookalikes 42

Undercurrent by Bill Evans and Jim Hall (album)

Tethered by Amy MacKinnon

So the Undercurrent album is one of several variations on the same released over the last 18 or so years. Not actually sure when the original was released. But I think for this one I like the second one (the book) the most. I just like the colors and title treatment and layout much better.

Which is your favorite?

UPDATE: 6/19/09 Yan found this cd!

Golijou Oceana (cd)

Booking Through Thursday: Best Bad Book

The opposite of last week’s question: “What’s the best ‘worst’ book you’ve ever read — the one you like despite some negative reviews or features?”

Oh my gosh is this a HARD question! I really can't think of anything. The only thing that comes to mind is a few people saying they couldn't get into or didn't enjoy The Makedown which I reviewed a few weeks ago. I rather liked it and was surprised to hear that!

How about you?

Hottie by Jonathan Bernstein

From Amazon.com:

Alison Cole’s got it all: She’s gorgeous, dating a steamy surfer boy, and has just been crowned Beverly Hills High Freshman Class President. Then during a special “symmetry” surgery, a lightning bolt zaps her, and Alison instantly transforms into Hottie—that is, a totally sizzling superhero with the power to shoot fire from her fingers!

Shunned as a Pyro-Freak, Alison must adopt dorky David Eels as her crime-fighting sidekick. Worse, she’s falling for the one guy who wants to “extinguish” her forever, Junior Class President of Cuteness— and wannabe firefighter—T. Hull. But she doesn’t realize that a supervillain’s lurking. . . .

Hottie was a fun, action-packed and funny book! I think my favorite thing was the author's way with words, the way he describes things, so funny. And he has a great talent for writing characters. From the girl that speaks with a fake French accent for fear of being overshadowed by her friend of the girl that looks like an anime character, there are some hilarious characters in this book. I have to say that I wish the main character Alison aka Hottie was a little less normal and had a few more quirks of her own, well besides her superpower of course! I also love that her best friend in the book is a total dork! And there is a great push pull between two love interests for Hottie, it's hard to tell who you want her to be with more!

At times Alison aka Hottie got a little too ditzy girl for me but overall you could tell she meant well and she had a pretty good mouth on her, especially when it came to talking back to her stepmother Carmen. Hottie is 14 but I think it would have made more sense to me if she was like 16 or something, seemed rather young for some of the things she was up to.

And as you know, I'm all about pop culture references so I love to see them. But they are also hard to do at the same time, you want to keep a book fresh and current but you also want it to last and work years down the road as well without it seeming dated. I'm not really sure where i'm going with this... but I thought this book had a good number, not like 2 but not like 200, it was a good balance.

One thing that made me stop and go HUH, was that Hottie's friends who had been there when she first noticed that flames came out of her fingers, didn't realize it was her who came in and acted as superhero later on in the book. Yes yes, she was wearing her superhero garb that time, but come on, how many girls shoot flames out of her fingers!

Overall a fun book that's a cross between some California fun and superhero antics! It seems like it might be the beginning of a series or at least a set of books so I can't wait to see where it goes and read more from this hilarious author!

Hottie will be released on April 2nd.

3/5 Stars

ARC received from publisher

*Random Side Note, the cover picture is not at all how I imagine Hottie to look.

Let the Right One In

From Amazon.com:

Oscar, a 12-year-old fragile and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl he befriends, who moves into his building. When Oscar discovers that Eli is a vampire it does not deter his increasing feelings and confused emotions of a young adolescent. When Eli loses the man who protects and provides for her, and as suspicions are mounting from her neighbors and police she must move on to stay alive. However when Oscar faces his darkest hour, Eli returns to defend him the only way she can.

Let the Right One In is highly original. For some reason I hadn't realized it was based on a book, but I shouldn't be surprised, some of the best movies were first books.

Let the Right One In is a creepy, quiet, and eerie movie and I thought it was pure genius. Though it moved at a slow pace my eyes were pretty much glued to the screen. There was a lot going on, bullying, blood sucking, murder, and loneliness and eventually friendship and love. It just worked.

I think the one thing that bothered me was a lack of a backstory of Eli and also another character from the beginning of the film. It's only hinted at but not much more. I believe that it's expanded greatly in the book according to a bit of research I did.

This movie brings you through a roller coaster of emotions, fear and sadness but also love. I really liked it and am disappointed to hear that Hollywood is already working on their own version as we speak. So much for letting this movie bask in the limelight. I would highly suggest this movie, and for people that scare easy like me, I would call it more creepy than scary. And for people that hate subtitles, it's there is also a dubbed over English track.

Let the Right One In was released on dvd March 10th.

4.5/5 Stars
Watched via Netflix

"Waiting On" Wednesday! 23

And Then Everything Unraveled by Jennifer Sturman

From Amazon.com

Delia Truesdale has no idea her life's about to change forever. She's too busy enjoying the California summer. Her internet tycoon mother, T.K. Truesdale, is out of town, and that means Delia can spend all her time at the beach, surfing. That is, until everything unravels.

Her mother suddenly goes missing, and everyone thinks she's dead - excpet Delia, who knows T.K.'s way too organized to simply disappear. But Delia's still sent to New York to live with her two aunts - a downtown bohemian and an uptown ice queen.

And in case that's not bad enough, she also has to deal with a snooty new school and trying not to fall for the wrong guy. Oh, and finding her mother.

As she delves deeper into the tangle of conspiracies and lies surrounding T.K.'s disappearance, Delia begins to suspect that the wrong guy may be the right guy...and that some secrets - especially the dangerous ones - were never meant to be unraveled.

Released July 1st 2009

What really caught my eye in the blurb was living in New York with her two aunts, kind of sounds like Pushing Daisies! And also the new school thing, it just sounds interesting doesn't it! And I won't lie, the cover is what made me read the blurb, love it!

What can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Tuesday Thingers: Favorite Books

Questions (yes - there are a bunch - answer one or two . . . or all of them!): What is your favorite book (yes - this may be a hard one!!)? Is your favorite book listed in your LT library? If it is listed, do you have anything special in the tags or comments section? Have you looked to see if you can add any information to the Common Knowledge? AND a little off topic, do you find that your 5-starred books are consistent with your favorites, and is your favorite a 5-star rated book in your library? How have others rated your favorite book? :)

Let's see, I guess I usually go with The Great Gatsby as my favorite book, I decided that in 11th grade. Since then I've added a few The Namesake, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Tipping Point. And recently I've sort of come to the conclusion it's ok to have a lot of favorites. Most recently I'd add a few more to my list, The Season, Willow, If I Stay, Going Too Far and that's only in the past month or so!

Almost all of my books are listed in my LT library. I have The Great Gatsby tagged as "favorite" in my library and that appears to be the only one and it's rated 5 stars! I guess it's easy for me to have a lot of favorites when you break it down by genre but I'd say all my favorites are either a 4 or 5 star rating. The Great Gatsby has an average rating of 3.96.

What's one of your all-time favorites? A recent favorite?

Hardcover vs. Paperback 21

How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle

Hardcover

Paperback

Amazon.com Product Description:

From three critically acclaimed and bestselling authors comes one story - equal parts charming, hilarious, and emotional - of a road trip that proves that sometimes it doesn't matter where you're going, since getting there is half the fun.

Three girls who couldn't be more different have one goal in mind: to get the heck out of Dodge. Well, Niceville, Florida, actually. But it might as well be called Nowheresville. Vicks is the wild-child fry cook whose boyfriend left for college and isn't returning any of her calls; Mel, the good girl in expensive jeans who just wants everyone to like her; and Jesse, the trailer-dwelling human morality meter who's discovered a life-altering secret -

Each has her own reason for climbing into Jesse's mom's beat-up station wagon and hitting the highway for a weekend trip, whether she knows it or not. Armed only with Vicks's ancient, battered copy of a guidebook called Fantastical Florida, a map Jesse picked up with her dwindling funds, and Mel's mom's credit card, they're Miami bound. Hearts will be broken, friendships will be tested, and a ridiculously hot stranger could change the course of everything. And if they don't kill each other first, Vicks, Mel and Jesse will not only have a road trip to remember, they'll have friends for life.

Unfortunately I haven't read this one either! I really like both covers in this case. I like how the hardcover has that metalic shine to it and how on the backside you see the other two girls and all the swirls going on! But I also like the playfulness of the paperback. It actually reminds me a lot of E. Lockhart's other covers, specially the Boy books, makes me wonder if it's the same designer. I don't like how small the title is though on the paperback, it basically looks like a subtitle compared to the author's names! I know that sells books but come on!

Hardcover or Paperback?

Thanks to Carol of Bookluver- Carol's Reviews for suggesting this Hardcover vs. Paperback!

Rachel Getting Married

From Amazon.com

When Kym (Anne Hathaway - Golden Globe Nominee, Best Actress, Motion Picture (Drama)), returns to the Buchman family home for the wedding of her sister Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt), she brings a long history of personal crises, family conflict and tragedy along with her. The wedding couple's abundant party of friends and relations have gathered for a joyful weekend of feasting, music and love, but Kym - with her biting one-liners and flair for bombshell drama - is a catalyst for long-simmering tensions in the family dynamic. Filled with the rich and eclectic characters that remain a hallmark of Jonathan Demme's films, Rachel Getting Married paints a heartfelt, perceptive and sometimes hilarious family portrait.

I had heard about this movie and figured I would enjoy it but wow, just wow! This movie was great, I would definitely call it eclectic. The group of people in this movie were amazing, from the main actors to the wedding party guests to all the musicians it was just great. Made me wish I was part of this diverse group of people, it was just awesome to see.

For awhile I was bothered by some of the background information that was only hinted at about Kym's background but then I thought about it and decided to see the movie more as an atmospheric piece and in that sense it works, and it doesn't really matter what happened to Kym in the past, it's more about the present and her and her family getting over their past.

For being a rather serious and kind of sad movie, it left me feeling rather good, just getting a glimpse into these people's lives and meeting their group of friends and being their for Rachel's wedding.

I also really liked the special features, where the director talks about how the whole soundtrack was played live during the filming of the movie, how awesome is that! And how one of the main characters (the fiance) is played by the lead singer of the band, TV on the Radio. Some great special features.

All in all a great movie, that I would definitely suggest!

Rachel Getting Married was released on dvd March 10th!

4.5/5 Stars
Watched via Netflix

Chasing Boys by Karen Tayleur

From Amazon.com:

An insightful coming-of-age novel for girls with no interest in being “Pretty in Pink”. El Marini just isn’t fitting into the new life she’s been forced to create without her dad. Her mom and sister have accepted his absence and moved on, but El is convinced things will get back to normal if she just keeps her feelings of loss to herself and waits it out. Life at her new public school would have been unbearable if weren’t for Eric Callahan. As her crush grows to epic proportions, she’ll do anything to be more like the popular girls he notices, even buying the first pink top she’s ever owned. But then she meets Dylan, a quiet artistic-type who is both unnerving and annoying as he shines a light on El’s misguided attempts to attract Eric. El’s need for acceptance will hit home with teens as she finally sees that chasing boys has distracted her from making peace with the past and finding herself.

I have mixed feelings about this book, there were some things that worked and others that just didn't. In the end the book let me scratching my head a bit but there are still some good things going on here.

For the most part I liked the characters in this book, particularly artistic type Dylan. I would swoon for that boy in a second. I loved all the scenes he and El were together. For the most part I liked the main character El but it got to the point where she was a bit too obsessed with Eric, who she's had a crush on forever and it starts to get rather annoying. I liked the basic set-up, girl trying to get through high school but it just never fully played out in my opinion.

The book could be pretty funny yet sad at times, I especially enjoyed El's sessions with her therapist Leonard, where she wouldn't say anything the whole time for the most part. Also, this book is written in short chapters so it makes it very easy to get through, I really liked that.

I think what really bothered me about the book was the ending, it was very loosely wrapped up and then had this strange twist at the end, which basically contradicted something the author had previously stated, basically she pulled a fast one. While it did make sense, it was just sort of out of nowhere.

All in all an ok enough book but it didn't really have enough resolution for me.

Chasing Boys was released on January 6th.

2.5/5 Stars
Review copy received from publisher

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Amazon.com:

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck... A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

If I Stay is a bittersweet memory of a family and their loved ones. It's told through the eyes of Mia, who watches herself being treated in the hospital as her loved ones surround her. And she has to make the toughest choice of all...

I really love the way the story was told, while Mia is watching over her own body in the hospital she is reminded of memories of her family and friends and through that we got to know them better. It was beautiful how the story of her life unfolds. I absolutely adored her family and friends, everyone was their own character with specific traits and quirks, and what a loving family as well! That made me that much more emotionally invested in the story, they seemed so real.

For as much as this book falls into the heartbreaking and sad category it was actually rather funny at times! It made the book so much easier for me to read. I also loved how much music played a part of the story, Mia with her cello, her boyfriend Adam with his band and her father's days in a band as well. Music was a beautiful background for this story.

All in all a bittersweet and rewarding book! I'm not always one for sad books but recently I've been finding out that there are some I actually really love and this is definitely one of them!

If I Stay is released April 2nd.

4.5/5 Stars
ARC received from publisher

Zombie Chicken Award!

Thank you to the lovely Lenore for this awesome award, the Zombie Chicken Award! Here's what it's all about:

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all...

So as to not risk the wrath of the zombie chicks I will pass this award onto:

Sharon
Carol
Yan
Adele
J. Kaye
Beth F
Irisheyz77
Liv
Hope
Book Chic

This Week In Books Or Oops I Tripped and Fell On the Purchase Button!

Monday:

TMI by Sarah Quigley

So excited to read and review, thank you! You know who you are!

Tuesday:

Genesis by Bernard Beckett
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival by Dene Low
My Big Nose and other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter

These came for review!

Wednesday:

Adios to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer
The Specialists: Model Spy by Shannon Greenland
The Principles of Love by Emily Franklin
The Alison Rules by Catherine Clark
You Had Me At Halo by Amanda Ashby
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and the Struggle by L.J. Smith
Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson
Fashionably Late by Nadine Dajani
Midori by Moonlight by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga
Click by Various
Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel
Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel
Love is a Many Trousered Thing by Louise Rennison
Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers by Louise Rennison
Go Figure by Jo Edwards
Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitch Smith

This was my order from Bookcloseouts.com I stewed about this for a few weeks and just said screw it and ordered them all! Carol helped me with my list hehe. And at least two of these I bought after reading S. Krishna's reviews, that girl has good taste!

Thursday:

Once A Princess by Johanna Lindsey
Better Latte Than Never by Catherine Clark
Five Things I Can't Live Without by Holly Shumas
Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter

Library sale! Someone suggested Once A Princess, now I can't remember who :(

Fade by Lisa McMann

This was from bookmooch, I'm giving it to Yan for her ARC and more importantly paperback copy of the same book!

Friday:

Being Nikki by Meg Cabot
Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
Destroy All Cars by Blake Nelson
Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian
A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell
It's Not You, It's Me by Kerry Cohen Hoffmann
Tempo Change by Barbara Hall
Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Whoa! Just whoa! About half of these were unexpected so I was grinning like an idiot when I saw them! I found these books, in 3 packages by the front door when I came home from the gym, I'm going to take it as a sign that it was a good idea to go to the gym!

Saturday:

Twilight

Wait.... how did that get there? It's not a book! LOL!

Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Fade by Lisa McMann
Evermore by Alyson Noel

I made Yan a deal, my hardcovers for her paperbacks (ARCs) and they showed up today, plus Evermore as a trade!

Lookalikes 41

You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn

Kisses and Lies by Lauren Henderson

I'm about 90 percent sure that's the same girl. What do you think? She's definitely in a similar environment in both images which helps my case. I definitely like the second cover better, I like how it's in focus and the colors are more saturated. I also like the girl's pose and how there is a guy in the picture too, it's more dimensional.

Which is your favorite?

Booking Through Thursday: Worst Best Book You’ve Ever Read

“What’s the worst ‘best’ book you’ve ever read — the one everyone says is so great, but you can’t figure out why?”

I think I've used this answer before for something else but it really fits for this one, The Lovely Bones, I hated HATED that book!

How about yourself?

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Amazon.com:

“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.

This was my first Laurie Halse Anderson book. Right off the bat I knew I would going to be slightly uncomfortable because of the subject matter of eating disorders and I was. It was really hard to read but I definitely was engaged, wanting to know what was going to happen to Lia, even though I didn't necessarily like her character. I think my favorite parts of the book were Lia being with her stepsister Emma, seeing how much she wanted to take care of her and be a role model.

Anderson's writing style was one I had never experienced before, it was very haunting and at times all the descriptions made me a little bit unfocused. I did like how Anderson crossed out a lot of words, that was an interesting technique that really showed Lia's internal struggle.

This was a really hard book to read and to like. But then again, eating disorders aren't something to like. It was very hard to watch Lia kill herself, to go from telling herself no I can't eat this to oh but I really want it. I just wanted to strap her down and make her eat. I don't think I've known anyone personally that deals with a severe eating disorder but I could definitely see through this book how much of an internal struggle it is and how heartbreaking it is to not be able to help yourself or even let anyone else help you.

I found the ending to be a bit rushed, I could have used a bit more. Because of how hard it was for me to read I can't say I really liked the book but I'm definitely glad I read it, it was very engaging and powerful. I look forward to reading some of the author's other books that will hopefully be easier for me to digest.

Wintergirls is released today!

3/5 Stars
ARC received from publisher

Wintergirls also has a really powerful trailer, check it out!

Happy-Go-Lucky

Amazon.com:

Academy Award nominee Mike Leigh (Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, Vera Drake, 2004), delivers the delightfully fresh and cheerful comedy Happy-Go-Lucky. Free-spirited and effervescent, Poppy is a schoolteacher whose unstoppable optimism guides her life. Bubbling forth with giggles, laughter and jokes, life's a bowl of cherries even when she comes across a few pits. Whether it's a cranky driving teacher or a fiery flamenco instructor, Poppy embraces life on the sunny side of the street. It's a joyous, feel-good film you'll find irresistible. Bonus features include: Behind the Wheel of Happy-Go-Lucky, Happy-In-Character, audio commentary by Director Mike Leigh.

I'm not really sure if I would call this a straight up comedy, but then again it wasn't a drama, it just was what it was. For the most part I loved the character of Poppy, she's always in a good mood trying to make other people's days better and live the life she wanted. At some points I did think she could stop talking if only for a few minutes though. Most of the time she was pretty funny, I'll admit.

I loved the tension between her and her driving instructor Scott, they are complete opposites. Poppy pushed Scott's buttons the whole time and got a great laugh out of it. I also loved the scenes between Poppy and her flatmate Zoe, you could tell they were great friends.

There was one rather strange scene that didn't really fit with the rest of the movie though, it was only during the special features that it made any sort of sense to me, I found that scene unnecessary. The ending I felt was rather rushed, it just kind of ending when I personally thought there was a bit of unfinished business that need to be dealt with.

All in all this was a sweet quirky movie that definitely deserves a viewing.

Happy-Go-Lucky was released on dvd March 10th

3.5/5 Stars
Watched via Netflix

Happy Birthday Carol!

It's Carol's of Bookluver-Carol's Reviews birthday today! Happy Birthday Carol! I hope you are enjoying your vacation! See you leave and we miss you so much we have to post about you ;)

Thanks to Laura who came up with this sneaky plan!

"Waiting On" Wednesday! 22

Entr@pment by Michael Spooner

From the Author's Website:

Two high school girls create false online identities to test their boyfriends. Will the boys be true, if two foreign hotties hit on them? And if they can't resist, who's to blame? It's written totally in IMs, blogs, chatrooms, and text messages.

Released June 2nd 2009

I know some people are turned off by chatspeak, ims etc in books but I actually rather like them, so I'm very excited for this book! And what a cute little cover! Awww.

What can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Tuesday Thingers: Memes

Question: Do you visit the memes section often? Have you visited recently? Have you discovered anything that surprises you when you visit the memes for your library?

Wow, I had not seen this update to Librarything but it's rather cool! I checked it out today and liked it!

I have a lot of weird/random books so my list for You and None Other is rather long. My authors are about 85% alive with only 7% of members with a higher alive percent. My authors are also 35% male. My work duplicates are still wrong from the last time I checked them, LT claims I have 4 duplicates when really only one is a duplicate!

I love looking at the stats page and also the newly discovered for me memes page, how about you?

Willow by Julia Hoban

Amazon.com Product Description:

Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy —one sensitive, soulful boy—discovers Willow’s secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the “safe” world Willow has created for herself upside down.

Told in an extraordinary fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl’s struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy’s refusal to give up on her.

Willow is a real, honest, and emotional book. From the moment you pick the book up, you are invested in Willow and her well-being. Not only is this story about grief and guilt, it is about love and never giving up. It's beautiful.

The characters in Willow are real people with complex emotions and personalities. So many books are just full of stereotypes but Willow is full of character's so lifelike it's hard to believe they aren't actual people. I also really love the world that the author has created for these characters. I couldn't help wishing that I was one of the people hanging out in the library that Willow worked at or enjoying the park or a walk through the city. I wanted to be there in that world.

My only initial concern about reading the book was that it would be sad for me to handle or that the cutting would scare me away. None of those things happened, I think having the deep emotional factor that it has only enhanced the reading experience and made it that much more meaningful. The author's skill is so great that for the first time in my life I feel like I understand the reason that people can do such horrible things to their own body. It's always shocked and saddened me but I had never fully understood it until I heard it through Willow's voice.

I don't want to talk too much about the plot itself because I think this is one that's best discovered as you read, as you let it reveal itself to you. Reading Willow was definitely one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I've had in a long time. Every time I had to put the book down I daydreamed of picking it back up and re-joining Willow's world.

5/5 Stars
ARC provided by author

Hardcover vs. Paperback 20

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Hardcover

Paperback

From BarnesandNoble.com:

Her new summer job comes with baggage.

Scarlett Martin has grown up in a most unusual way. Her family owns the Hopewell, a small hotel in the heart of New York City, and Scarlett lives there with her four siblings - Spencer, Lola, and Marlene.

When each of the Martins turns fifteen, they are expected to take over the care of a suite in the once elegant, now shabby Art Deco hotel. For Scarlett's fifteenth birthday, she gets both a room called the Empire Suite, and a permanent guest called Mrs. Amberson.

Scarlett doesn't quite know what to make of this C-list starlet, world traveler, and aspiring autobiographer who wants to take over her life. And when she meets Eric, an astonishingly gorgeous actor who has just moved to the city, her summer takes a second unexpected turn.

Before the summer is over, Scarlett will have to survive a whirlwind of thievery, Broadway glamour, romantic missteps, and theatrical deceptions. But in the city where anything can happen, she just might be able to pull it off.

I still haven't read the book yet, I know, what is wrong with me! Anyhow, I think I still prefer the hardcover because I love to see images of the characters and this provides a great one. I think the paperback cover is still nice though because it's still in the spirit of the original cover, and the key and wallpaper are just great!

Hardcover or Paperback?

Thanks to Carol of Bookluver-Carol's Review for suggesting this Hardcover vs. Paperback!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Amazon.com:

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

So I had heard this book was a bit scary and the blurb made me think instantly of the movie, The Village. I was beyond excited to read it and try something a little bit different for me. It started out great, I loved the writing and the simpleness of the town, a town that was full of secrets I couldn't wait to learn. I loved the hushed whispering of the Sisters and the romantic encounters between two of the characters and the path... the path that's off limits. I had to know where it was all going.

And then there was a lot of waiting and sitting around and I started to get kind of bored. I don't know if I was desensitized because of the connection I made to the Village and having seeing a funny zombie movie, Shaun of the Dead. But it just wasn't really to scary to me, slightly creepy I guess but that faded quickly. I did like the idea that this village is surrounded my Unconsecrated (zombies) at all times, they are just kind of there. But it just wasn't happening for me.

Originally I liked how simple the story was and the characters were, it was about their survival and love for each other and then after Mary talked about the ocean for the 100th time I realized that was all she was going to talk about, that and her love for Travis.

I think this book just might not have been for me. I did hear there were more books to come though and I do look forward to them, I think the next book might be of more interest to me. All in all, for me, a great beginning that kind of dropped off from there. Maybe this will be your cup of tea, it just wasn't mine.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth was released on March 10th.

2.5/5 Stars
Review copy received from publisher

Check out the trailer, it's really well done!

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Amazon.com:

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over....

This book was HOT! The chemistry and banter between Meg and John (Officer After) could keep me reading for probably a 1,000 pages. It was an absolute pleasure to read I couldn't get enough of it.

Echols writing style is just perfect to me, it's humorous and detailed and random, everything I love. She created a very likable character in Meg, someone who intentionally creates a somewhat shocking appearance (blue hair) and attitude to protect herself but little by little we learn more about Meg and the reason she is the way she is and you can't help being on her side and wanting to be her friend. And John, man, I loved reading about this boy. I don't even know what to say.

I loved reading about John and Meg on night patrol and watching Meg realize she's falling in love with him. It's pretty cute to see this punk haired bad-a%* girl get kind of self conscious around John. There is a great push and pull between them that keeps you on edge, needing to know where this is going to go.

I'm at a loss for words of how to express how much I loved this book! It has so very many things going for it, GREAT characters (main and secondary) a great premise, humor, pain.... just please, do yourself a favor and read this book! I'll definitely be reading the rest of the author's books!

And seriously, when can I see the movie version? :P

Going Too Far is released March 17th.

5/5 Stars
ARC received from author

This Week In Books Or A Little Bit of This A Little Bit of That

Monday: nothing

Tuesday: nothing *GASP*

Wednesday: nothing *CRIES*

Thursday:

Highway to Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Brutal by Michael Harmon
Surface Tension by Brent Runyon
Fate by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

So, I ran down the stairs, late to leave for work as always (damn internet) when my mom mentions she found a package outside. I had walked right past it since the light wasn't on in the hallway. UPS must deliver rather late because it definitely wasn't there at about 8:15 the night before! I'm thinking I need to find myself a copy of Tattoo by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (so Fate makes sense), anyone have any thoughts about that book? Is it good? And apparently I can read minds because I just got the second book in the Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series last week! So I'm set for that series!

Luna by Julie Anne Peters
Apples by Richard Milward

Got these from the Library Book Store, whom might I add has another 50% of sale next week, the horror! :P I swear I saw Apples a LONG time ago behind the counter and just now finally located it out on a cart, I guess that's why I go back every week, you always noticed something new!

Friday:

Paisley Hanover Acts Out by Cameron Tuttle

Once I was sure of the difference in the editions I knew I had to go back to Borders and get myself a copy! It just looks fabulous, the whole idea, the illustrations, the packaging! Check out the website!



Saturday:

The Rake and the Reformer by Mary Jo Putney
Ravished by Amanda Quick
The Gilded Web by Mary Balogh
Web of Love by Mary Balogh

So I was at the gym, feeling sorry for myself (new harder routine and without my mom and sister who distract me from the fact that i'm exercising) so I decided I should stop by the local used bookstore on the way home. And then I remembered that basically it's full of romance books which would usually mean nothing BUT then I remembered I had been talking with a friend over the last few weeks about other books I could try after reading and loving The Season. I was not at all familiar with the genre so with my friend's suggestions and the bookstore owner's help this is what I came home with! Apparently a few of these are original covers, kind of a neat tid bit! And I'm going to try and deal with the fact that they are mass market paperback with cracked spines... plus side, they were $10 total!