Weekly Dose of Felties!

Back again with the felties I've made since last time!

I sent off my 3 giveaway winner's felties over the weekend and actually started a new feltie giveaway with patterns from The Cute Book. And the new felties...

Rain cloud of my own design. Raining tears or crying rain? You decide.

Supposed to be a Christmas light, meh, not sure...

"Panda" from The Cute Book"

Christmas tree, based on one of my sketches.

"Monkey" from The Cute Book

And finally one of the feltie winner's Irish was kind enough to take a picture of herself with the frog she won! *spreads feltie joy*

UPDATE! Dani took a picture of the puppy she won! Here it is! Thanks Dani!

The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman

Amazon.com:

Mark your calendar. It's the Christmas Cookie Club! Every year on the first Monday of December, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather in the evening with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone has to bring a dish, a bottle of wine, and their stories. This year, the stories are especially important. Marnie's oldest daughter has a risky pregnancy. Will she find out tonight how that story might end? Jeannie's father is having an affair with her best friend. Who else knew about the betrayal, and how can that be forgiven or forgotten, even among old friends such as these? Rosie's husband doesn't want children, and she has to decide, very soon, whether or not that's a deal breaker for the marriage. Taylor's life is in financial freefall. Each woman, each friend has a story to tell, and they are all interwoven, just as their lives are.

On this evening, at least, they can feel as a group the impulses of sisterly love and conflict, the passion and hopefulness of a new romance, the betrayal and disillusionment some relationships bring, the joys and fears of motherhood, the agony of losing a child, and above all, the love they have for one another. As Marnie says, the Christmas Cookie Club, if it's anything, is a reminder of delight.

The Christmas Cookie Club is about the paths Marnie and her friends have traveled, the absolute joy they take in life and love despite the decisions they've regretted, the hard choices and amends they've had to make, and the sacrifices along the way. Ultimately, The Christmas Cookie Club is every woman's story. As you read about Marnie and her friends, their struggles and triumphs, what makes them laugh and what has made them cry, you'll see yourself and some of the ingredients of your own story. Celebrating courage and joy in spite of hard times and honoring the importance of women's friendships as well as the embracing bonds of community, Ann Pearlman has written a novel that speaks to us all.

The Christmas Cookie Club explored a large group of friends, each with their own story to tell. All their stories are told by the host of the Christmas Cookie Club, Marnie. I loved how flawed and complex these women's lives were, it made the story realistic in my opinion. I also loved the strong friendships that were illustrated and how Marnie was able to bring together all these women from different parts of her life for one night of the year.

The idea of the actual Christmas Cookie Club was a fabulous one. From what I've read, it sounds like it was based on an actual club the author belongs to. I have to tell you, it sounds like a lot of fun and I wish I could be in one. Each section starts off with one of the cookie recipes and ends with a history of an essential ingredient for baking. While I'm not much of a baker these recipes sound delicious, but what I really enjoyed were the mini history's of the ingredients. All sorts of things I never knew!

While I liked how many women were profiled in this story it almost became too much. I sometimes had to turn back to recall someone's story when they popped up in a later chapter. Maybe a few less women would have made the story a little easier to recall. Some women were definitely more front and center than others and that did help.

Overall a great and touching story that's perfect for the holiday season!

The Christmas Cookie Club was released on October 20th
Genre: Women's Fiction
4/5 stars
Review copy provided by Amazon Vine

GIVEAWAY: Freaks and Revelations

Personally I haven't had a chance to read this book, which sounds amazing but am looking forward to doing so. Anyhow, here's your chance to be one of 3 winners of this book!

Hachette Book Group:

This raw, moving novel follows two teenagers-one, a Mohawk-wearing 17-year-old violent misfit; the other, a gay 13-year-old cast out by his family, hustling on the streets and trying to survive. Acclaimed author Davida Wills Hurwin creates a riveting narrative told in alternating perspectives of their lives before and after the violent hate crime that changed both their futures. This tragic but ultimately inspirational journey of two polarized teens, their violent first meeting, and their peaceful reunion years later is an unforgettable story of survival and forgiveness.

This story is inspired by the real lives of Matthew Boger and Timothy Zaal, who have shared their story on The Oprah Winfrey Show and NPR.


Here's how to enter to win one of three finished copies of Freaks and Revelations!

Fill out the giveaway entry form here.

The giveaway is open to addresses within the U.S. and Canada only (and no PO Boxes).

The giveaway will end December 30th at 6:59 pm Central Time.

**Copies provided by the publisher**

"Waiting On" Wednesday 61

The Year I Turned Sixteen by Diane Schwemm

Amazon.com:

The Year I Turned Sixteen by Diane Schwemm is the story of four sisters, four birthdays, and four unforgettable years.

Released January 26th 2010

I know that blurb doesn't give us a lot so I did a little google searching and this looks like a re-issuing. It also appears that originally there were four books (Rose, Daisy, Laurel, Lily-one for each sister) and were all combined for this edition, similar to what has been done for the L.J. Smith books! Sounds great to me and its a paperback!

What can't you wait for to be released?

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

Hardcover vs Paperback 59

Miles from Nowhere by Nami Mun

Hardcover

Paperback

Amazon.com:

A major voice in fiction debuts with the story of a teenage runaway on the streets of 1980s New York.

Teenage Joon is a Korean immigrant living in the Bronx of the 1980s. Her parents have crumbled under the weight of her father's infidelity; he has left the family, and mental illness has rendered her mother nearly catatonic. So Joon, at the age of thirteen, decides she would be better off on her own, a choice that commences a harrowing and often tragic journey that exposes the painful difficulties of a life lived on the margins. Joon's adolescent years take her from a homeless shelter to an escort club, through struggles with addiction, to jobs selling newspapers and cosmetics, committing petty crimes, and finally toward something resembling hope.

Yes, the covers are basically the same, but I wanted to illustrate how cluttering up a paperback with quotes, awards etc can really almost ruin a great cover. They added 4 different lines of copy to it! I say that stuff should stay on the back, especially on a cover as simple as this, it distracts much too much.

Do quotes, and awards added to a paperback bother you?

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

Amazon.com:

Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School’s most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed.

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn’t answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can’t get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

Audrey: She’s the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton’s fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it—especially since she’s convinced the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is.

As reluctant allies Neily and Audrey dig into their shared past with Carly, her involvement with Brighton’s dark goings-on comes to light. But figuring out how Carly and her killer fit into the twisted drama will force Audrey and Neily to face hard truths about themselves and the girl they couldn’t save.

All the Unquiet Things was a refreshing book for me, just what I was looking for. After discovering I was burnt out on supernatural stories this heartbreaking mystery set in the here and now, without any characters with powers was just what I was looking for.

Besides the mystery aspect the book spoke of lost love, friendship, and family troubles. It reminded me a bit of one of my favorite television shows, Veronica Mars. I love the idea of teens solving a mystery (and not a childish mystery), their tactics are obviously going to be different than an adults, or the police. It's just more fun.

I loved that the book was told both from Neily and Audrey's perspectives. Though sometimes I had to remind myself who the narrator was because they were often in each others scenes. It was also refreshing to come across two main characters that weren't involved romantically but worked together as a team, as friends, they helped each other find closure over the death of their love (Neily) and best friend/cousin (Audrey).

There were only a few suspects in the story but when it came down to it, I totally didn't see it coming when the actual murderer was revealed. The entire book was a complex web of lies and truths and I just had a great time reading the book. I also think it would lend itself nicely to a movie format.

All Unquiet Things will be released on January 12th 2010
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
4.5/5 Stars
ARC provided by Amazon Vine

GIVEAWAY: "I Will Make You A Feltie 2"

After the success of my last felties contest I thought I'd have another! This one is for felties from The Cute Book.

Here's how to enter to be one of three winners of the feltie of your choice!

Fill out the giveaway entry form here.

The giveaway is open to addresses within the U.S and Canada.

The giveaway will end December 27th at 6:59 pm Central Time.

Look below to decide which pattern you would like me to make you if you are the winner. The form will ask you to choose one (or pick surprise me! if you really can't choose).

"Striped Cat" minus the stripes

"Frog"

"White Sheep"

"Panda"

"Monkey"

The Cute Book by Aranzi Aronzo

Amazon.com:

The world of craftsters is full of things Japanese Cute - kawaii, and the look created by Aranzi Aronzo is familiar to many but not until now has a single one of the hundreds of bootleg American copies they've sold been in English. Finally these priceless books of mascots, accessories, clothing and well, just about everything, come in ready-to-read English!

After making more than half of the felties in Nelly Pailloux's Felties I started poking around for other similar books. I located this one, took a look at it at and purchased it. By now I had the basics down so was just looking for some new patterns.

I noticed a few strange and not very cute patterns (to me) but bought it anyways for some of the cute ones. The ones I thought were strange were things such as "Kidnapper", "Bad Guy", and "Liar", I think they are just the sense of humor of the creators and I don't really share that same sense of humor, I'm all about the cute not so much the weird. But no matter, the book had things such as "Striped Cat", "Frog", "White Sheep" and others to catch my fancy.

So far I've only made 5 from the 19 patterns ("Panda", "Monkey", "White Sheep", "Striped Cat", and "Frog"). A lot of the patterns are very similar with the bodies being exactly the same (arms, legs, and a dress) and only the heads being different. Eventually I think I will get to some of the others but they are so similar I haven't really felt the need to make them yet.

Compared to Felties, The Cute Book's directions are a little briefer but unlike Felties it has a whole section in the back about what you could do with the felties (or felt mascots as they are referred to in the book). Ideas include keychains, hair accessory, applique etc. Aranzi Aronzo also has several other books that branch off from this one that look to involve using a sewing machine so I've passed on those.

Overall another fun feltie book after almost exhausting Felties. Would definitely suggest Felties over this title though.

The Cute Book was released on February 6th 2007
Genre: Crafts, Felties
3.5/5 Stars
Book purchased from Borders

Here's what I've made so far:

"Striped Cat" minus the stripes

"Frog"

"White Sheep"

"Panda"

"Monkey"

Stay tuned for another contest...

This Week In Books Or Almost A One Book Week, Almost!

Monday:

How to Date a Vampire by Sophie Collins

For review

Tuesday: nothing

Wednesday: nothing

Thursday: nothing

Friday:

Dream Girl by Lauren Mechling
Dream Life by Lauren Mechling

For review. Excited to check these out!

Saturday:

I So Don't Do Spooky by Barrie Summy

For review, has anyone read the first book, I So Don't Do Mysteries?

Winner of Lips Touch!

The winner of the ARC of Lips Touch is Jessica Secret!

Please respond to my email with your mailing address by Tuesday December 15th! Thanks!

Lookalikes 79

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Off The Record by Jennifer O'Connell

Confessions of a Backup Dancer by Anonymous as told to Tucker Shaw

Oh boy this is a great one Claire/Bookworm found! While the last two seem to be actual copies, Audrey, Wait! fits in there pretty well as well, and that would definitely be my favorite. The colors on the other two seem dated to me, and I don't like the effects used on Confessions of a Backup Dancer or Off The Record for that matter.

Thanks to Claire/Bookworm for pointing out this lookalike!

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Weekly Dose of Felties!

Thought I'd do a weekly felties post when I have something to share. As to not take over my This Week In Books posts. So since I did my little Felties Takeover on Saturday afternoon I've completed a few other things.

Made a cat from The Cute Book:



A feltie based on my doodles you see on my blog and icons:


Drew the winners of the "I Will Make You A Feltie Contest" on Sunday. I made Gail's Frog (also from The Cute Book) already but still need to make a Polar-Roo for Susan and either a Polar-Roo or Puppy for Dani (I know which one i'm making her but she wants to be surprised!)


Made this cute little sheep on Wednesday from The Cute Book!

So that's what I have for this week!

Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina retold by Martin Powell & illustrated by Sarah Horne

Amazon.com:

Gerta has always wanted a child. One day she finds a little girl in the petals of a magical flower - Thumbelina. The girl's tiny size puts her in harms way and soon she is lost in the forest.

Thumbelina is a fairy tale that is a bit lesser known to me so I was excited to take a peek at it. The book starts off with a cast of characters, giving you your first hint at the beautiful illustrations to come. They are very quirky and colorful, just what I like! The illustrations range from tiny details to almost scribbles.

The story follows Thumbelina's journey back to her mother Gerta after she is plucked from her home while sleeping but a toad! She meets a variety of other animals in the forest including a mouse, mole and song bird.

Stylistically this is a great graphic novel and I only wish it had been longer. Definitely makes me want to search out illustrator, Sarah Horne's work.

Like The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina comes with a glossary, about the author, about the retelling author and illustrator, discussion questions, and writing prompts. It's laid on in an easy to follow format with a reading level of 2.4 or guiding reading level of L.

Thumbelina was released on August 31st
Genre: Children's Graphic Novel
4/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher

"Waiting On" Wednesday 60

The Alpha Bet by Stephanie Hale

Amazon.com:

I was prepared to do just about anything to go from geek to Greek.

Some teenagers use drugs or sex to escape overbearing parents. I used books. All my life my mother has been hovering over me, afraid to let me experience ANYTHING. So I got really good grades, graduated from high school when I was sixteen, and escaped to a new life—my own life—at college.

To jump-start my social life, I decided to rush the Alphas, the most exclusive sorority on campus. And that's when things started to get complicated. One of the Alphas invoked the Alpha Bet, a super-secret set of alphabetical tasks that have to be completed for a sister's bid to become active. Now, completing the tasks of the Alpha Bet has taken over my life. And one of the tasks involves deceiving my roommate and only real friend, Jentry.

Can you spell B-E-T-R-A-Y-A-L?

Released April 1st 2010

This book sounds like a lot of fun. I like the idea of a geek trying to fit into the greek world. I also like the idea of a set of alphabetical tasks. And it doesn't hurt that the cover is fun as well!

What can't you wait for to be released?

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

Hardcover vs Paperback 58

Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman

Hardcover

Paperback

Amazon.com:

Fifteen-year-old Vidya dreams of going to college— an unusual aspiration for a girl living in Britishoccupied India during World War II. Then tragedy strikes, and Vidya and her brother are forced to move into a traditional household with their extended family, where women are meant to be married, not educated. Breaking the rules, Vidya finds refuge in her grandfather’s library. But then her brother does something unthinkable, and Vidya’s life becomes a whirlwind of political and personal complications. The question is, will she be strong enough to survive?

Since this is a young adult book, I think the paperback's vibrancy will be much more striking towards young people. The hardcover could almost be anything, it's harder to tell that it's fiction and a young adult book to me, than the paperback. I definitely think they are both beautiful though.

Hardcover or Paperback?

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Lotus Lowenstein's My-Life-Is-Merde-but-Have a Bonnes-Fêtes-Anyway Blog Tourapalooza!

Welcome to Lotus Lowenstein's My-Life-Is-Merde-but-Have a Bonnes-Fêtes-Anyway Blog Tourapalooza!

Let's start things off with my review!

Amazon.com:

An adorable, completely original YA voice.

Lotus Lowenstein's life is merde. She dreams of moving to Paris and becoming an existentialist. Yet here she is trapped in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with a New-Agey mom, an out-of-work dad, and a chess champion brother who dreams of being a rock star. Merci à Dieu for Lotus’s best friend, Joni, who loves French culture enough to cofound their high school’s first French Club with Lotus. At the first meeting, the cutest boy in the world walks in. His name is Sean, and he too loves French culture and worships Jean-Paul Sartre.

At first, Lotus thinks Sean is the best thing to happen to her in years. He’s smart, cultured, and adorable. Unfortunately, though, Joni feels the same way. And having an existentialist view of love, Sean sees nothing wrong with enjoying both girls’ affections. Things come to a head when all three depart for Montreal with their teacher, Ms. G, on the French Club’s first official field trip. Will Sean choose Joni over Lotus? And will Lotus and Joni’s friendship ever recover?

The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein was a fabulous, delicious and hilarious book! It's really hard to pick a favorite part of it. The entire book is written as Lotus's diary and her observations about her friends and family. Lotus lives in Brooklyn, is obsessed with all things French, and has a fantastic sense of humor. She's someone I would want to hang out with.

I love how she wanted to immerse herself in French culture and existentialism. She's really into fashion and just getting out there and trying to have a good life and include others in it. And as I've said before she's just funny, her observations about everything reminded me a bit of Georgia Nicolson, as others have mentioned. She's hard to describe because she's so absolutely layered which I loved!

I loved being reminded about why I took French in high school and how much I just love French culture just like Lotus! It was nice being back in that place. I also was excited to see how the love triangle between Lotus, her best friend Joni, and other French Club member Sean played out.

Overall this was a hilarious and heartfelt book and I can't wait to check out some of the author's other adult books. I hope she also continues down this track with another book in this same spirit for the young adult audience!

The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein will be released on December 8th!
Genre: Young Adult
4.5/5 Stars
ARC provided by Publicity/Marketing Firm

About the Author:

Libby Schmais is the author of the adult novels The Perfect Elizabeth and The Essential Charlotte. The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein is her first novel for young readers. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Today’s French Word du Jour is Bête (which means "stupid").

If you collect all the French words du jour on the Blog Tourapalooza, you can enter a contest to win fabulous prizes (a $25 Sephora gift card and a personally autographed Pillow Book!). Once you’ve visited all the blog tour stops and collected all the words, email the complete list of words to lotuslowenstein@gmail.com with the subject line “French Word du Jour Contest.” All e-mail entries must be received by midnight (EST) on December 21, 2009. The winner will be selected at random on December 22, 2009. Be sure to include your name, e-mail address, and daytime phone number with your entry (If you're under age 13, give your parent's contact info). The complete My-Life-Is-Merde-but-Have-a-Bonnes-Fêtes-Anyway Blog Tourapalooza schedule can be found at lotuslowenstein.com. Our next tour stop is Steph Su Reads on December 8. See you on the road, mes amis!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Amazon.com:

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.

We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.

At least, that's what I thought.

Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.

There was a curse.

There was a girl.

And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Beautiful Creatures encompasses a variety of things from a historic small southern town, to some great family stories to a romance to the supernatural. I would say my favorite things about the book were the setting and history, and Lena's family.

There is a passage in the book that describes the town preparing for their Civil War reenactment that I really enjoyed. I love learning the rich history of old towns and seeing a community come together over something. I also loved the supernatural history of that same town that we slowly learn and how it is intertwined with the moral history. Basically two worlds living on top of each other but separately.

Speaking of the supernatural part of the book, I loved Lena's family who we slowly get to meet as we read. I especially liked her Uncle Macon who remains rather mysterious throughout the book. He's going to be one of the characters I'm most excited to see in the movie version (yay!). I also really liked The Sisters who were somehow related to Ethan. Every scene with them was just hilarious I thought!

I think I would have liked Ethan and Lena to come together slower, be able to experience some more chemistry between them. I felt like they got together because they thought they were supposed to be together, because they had this strange connection before they even knew each other. I wanted a little more passion! I was also surprised how quickly Lena confided in Ethan about her family. That's not to say that there weren't more secrets revealed towards the end, but I would have liked for that mystery to be drawn on a little longer.

Overall a fun book that's the start to what sounds like an exciting supernatural series. I'm also very excited to see this turned into a movie, I think that will be a lot of fun as well!

Beautiful Creatures was released on December 1st!
Genre: Young Adult
3.5/5 Stars
ARC Provided by Publisher

Winners of the "I Will Make You A Feltie Contest"!

My three winners are:

Susan who picked Surprise Me!

Dani who picked Sleepy Fox!

Gail who also picked Surprise Me! (but probably wants a frog!)

I emailed you guys, if you could get back to me but Wednesday with your addresses and to verify you still want the feltie you have picked that would be wonderful!

And if you are a big nerd like me, here are some stats of what was most popular!

This Week In Books Or FELTIES TAKEOVER!!!!

Monday:

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Amazon Vine

The Cute Book by Aranzi Aronzo

Found this online the weekend before and discovered Borders had it so I went right over and didn't even use a coupon! Had fun looking at some craft books!

Tuesday:

The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman

Amazon Vine

Wednesday: nothing

Thursday:

Huge by Sasha Paley
Love in the Corner Pocket by Marlene Perez
Right Before Your Eyes by Ellen Shanman

Ended up taking a later bus home so I had some time to kill. Of course I went to the library which was having a sale month. This week's deal was 50% off everything so I got those 3 books for like $1.60

Friday: nothing

Saturday: nothing

FELTIES TAKEOVER!!!!!!

I know a lot of people have enjoyed all my feltie talk, so here is an updated. Besides buying The Cute Book on Monday I made some more feltie popsicles (my own pattern) and ordered a bunch of polka dot felt. Thanks to Samantha LeAnne who pointed me to a great site! Here are some pictures. Then this afternoon I made a candy cane feltie and a donut feltie with my new polka dot felt. Don't forget if you want to enter to win a feltie, my contest ends tomorrow!

Lookalikes 78

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (UK paperback)

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult (German edition)

Definitely Thirteen Reasons Why for me, while the cropping and cover is not really anything special the cropping on Nineteen Minutes is a bit awkward for me. More or less of her face should have been cropped. And I don't like how the 9 just barely overlaps her head.

Which do you prefer?

Thanks to Laina who suggested this lookalike!

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Winner of Fallen

Congratulations to Kathy who is the winner of the ARC of Fallen! Kathy I tweeted you, if you could respond with your mailing address by Monday that would be great!

Thanks!

The Princess and the Pea retold by Stephanie Peters & illustrated by M.A. Lamoreaux

Amazon.com:

As a young prince nears adulthood, the Queen tells him he must find a princess bride -- but not just any princess will do. Only a true princess will satisfy his mother. The young prince searches the entire kingdom, but returns home alone and sad. Late one stormy night, a mysterious woman knocks at the castle door. She claims to be a true princess, but the Queen has her doubts. So, she concocts a clever scheme to see if the princess is the real thing.

The illustration in The Princess and the Pea are comparable to manga. While personally I'm not yet a fan of that style it could attract a big audience. The panels are laid out for anyone regardless of age to follow along with. The reading level on this is 1.8 or Guided Reading Level: L.

I thought it was exciting to see a classic tale told in a graphic novel format. Would be good for children learning to read or anyone interested in trying out a graphic novel. Having the familiar storyline to hold onto when reading a new format/genre is great I think. I expected it to be a bit longer but the short length I suppose makes sense for the reading level it is geared towards.

The book also includes a short biography of Hans Christian Andersen, information about the retelling author and the illustrator, a history of The Princess and the Pea and discussion questions, writing prompts, and a glossary.

The Princess and the Pea was released on August 15th
Genre: Children's Graphic Novel
3.5/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher

"Waiting On" Wednesday 59

The Carrie Diaries by Candance Bushnell

Harper Collins:

Before Carrie Bradshaw hit the big time in the City, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation?

The Carrie Diaries opens up in Carrie’s senior year of high school. She and her best friends—Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse—are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy—older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school—until a friend’s betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it’s finally time to go after everything she ever wanted.

Rabid fans of Sex and the City will love seeing Carrie Bradshaw evolve from a regular girl into a sharp, insightful writer. They’ll learn about her family background—how she found her writing voice, and the indelible impression her early friendships and relationships left on her. We’ll see what brings Carrie to her beloved New York City, where the next Carrie Diaries book will take place.

Released April 27th 2010

I remember hearing about this awhile back and just recently the cover was all over the internet and magazines. Loved the tv show Sex and the City (still need to read the book-i do have it!) and I always liked to pretend that Sarah Jessica Parker's show from her teen years, Square Pegs was a younger version of Carrie Bradshaw lol! Anyways this sounds great and it sounds like it's the beginning of a series! I really hope it's written in a journal format like the title implies.

What can't you wait for to be released?

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

Hardcover vs Paperback 57

The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey

Hardcover

Paperback

Amazon.com:

It seems like mutual good luck for Abigail Taylor and Dara MacLeod when they meet at St. Andrews University and, despite their differences, become fast friends. Years later they remain an unlikely pair. Abigail, an actress who confidently uses her charms both on- and offstage, believes herself immune to love. Dara, a counselor, is convinced that everyone is inescapably marked by childhood; she throws herself into romantic relationships with frightening intensity. Yet now each seems to have found "true love"—another stroke of luck?—Abigail with her academic boyfriend, Sean, and Dara with a tall, dark violinist named Edward, who literally falls at her feet. But soon after Dara moves into Abigail's downstairs apartment, trouble threatens both relationships, and their friendship.

For Abigail it comes in the form of an anonymous letter to Sean claiming that she's been unfaithful; for Dara, a reconciliation with her distant father, Cameron, who left the family when Dara was ten, reawakens complicated feelings. Through four ingeniously interlocking narratives—Sean's, Cameron's, Dara's, and Abigail's—we gradually understand how these characters' lives are shaped by both chance and determination. Whatever the source, there is no mistaking the tragedy that strikes the house on Fortune Street.

"Everyone," claims Abigail, "has a book or a writer who's the key to their life." As this statement reverberates through each of the narratives, Margot Livesey skillfully reveals how luck—good and bad—plays a vital role in our lives, and how the search for truth can prove a dangerous undertaking. Written with her characteristic elegance and wit, The House on Fortune Street offers a surprisingly provocative detective story of the heart.

I'm not sure if either of these covers exactly fit the story since there are two main characters. The hardcover is interesting but some of the choices made date it a bit for me. I like the light quality and colors of the paperback and honestly I think that's the one I'd pick up in a store.

Hardcover or Paperback?

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

This Year In Movies: November

This month I watched 5 movies and 4 tv seasons on dvd!

Friday Night Lights Season 1- As I talked about in my FNL devoted post, I didn't exactly love it when I started watching but held on and about halfway through season 1 I WAS HOOKED.

Art and Copy- Really interesting. Reminded me of the format of Helvetica which I liked slightly better but it was still very interesting. About the Advertising Industry.

Friday Night Lights Season 2- The beginning of the season started off with a few weird plot lines but it was still good and shook off that weirdness about halfway through.

New Moon- About the same as the book, my least favorite. "Jacob" definitely shined though.

Friday Night Lights Season 3- Goooood. Just watch it, seriously.

Up- Really cute. I especially liked the beginning, wasn't expecting how cute it was! I think the Incredibles is still my favorite Pixar movie though.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Season 1- This was perfectly brought from the page to the screen. The books were always a little slow for me so I think they actually work better on tv. It's sad to hear it might not be continuing. I guess we will see. I loved the 7 episodes in Season 1.

Revolutionary Road- Um ok, really depressing. It was different that I thought it would be but it was still interesting. I liked Kate Winslet's other movie from that year, The Reader a lot more.

Fantastic Mr. Fox- This movie was pure Wes Anderson despite it being animated. All his trademarks and quirks were still visible! Loved it!