A Garden of Books

Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe - Meg Cabot Fans Unite!

2009-11-18T21:16:00.000-05:00

Title: Bad Kitty
Author: Michele Jaffe
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: January 24th, 2006
Number of Pages: 268

Amazon Page
Author Site

Meet Jasmine, forensic supersleuth and unwitting victim of a naughty feline.
All Jasmine really wants is to enjoy her family vacation in Las Vegas. And avoid her evil cousin Alyson and Alyson's best fiend, Veronique. And show her suspicious dad that she can be a Model Daughter. And maybe meet the hot guy she's been eyeing from across the pool. It that too much to ask?
Apparently, yes. One moment she's an innocent bylounger, the next the central figure in a Las Vegas-sized mystery. Fortunately, Jasmine is both a forensics enthusiast and possessed of some very, well, special friends. Polly, Tom, and Roxy crash the vacation, BeDazzle Jasmine's wardrobe, and find themselves key players in the most outrageous adventure in a town known for outrageous adventures.
All because of a very bad kitty.

I'm going to start off this book review with a conversation I had with my mom yesterday (the day I finished reading Bad Kitty):

Around 4 p.m., I sat down at the kitchen table to read, while my mom flipped through a magazine in the seat beside me. After laughing uncontrollably several times (according to her), my mom finally asked me the question that she knew she would regret later: "What are you reading?"

Now, if you know me at all, asking me what a book is a about is a sure-fire way of getting me to talk for at least ten minutes straight, so my mom was taking a big risk here when she asked me. For once I let her down.

"Oh, just a murder mystery," I said absently, my nose still in the book.

"What?!"

My mom's shocked answer caused me to look up, and I finally realized what I said. Since I didn't really want her worrying about me being a psycho, I tried to explain to her that while this book did have murder in it, it had some pretty funny parts too.

Even now, a day later, I don't think she understands what was so funny about this book, but that's not what matters. The important thing is, if this book made me laugh so hard that I was in tears AND it has dead people in it, you know Michele Jaffe's got some serious talent.

I found that I could relate to the characters really well, because each one of them had a different opinion on each situation that they landed themselves into. Even if I completely disagreed with each person I could always turn to Roxy and agree with her, "I'm hungry" motto. I also liked that there was a guy that was one of the main characters that wasn't the love interest for once.

In The End: Great book, overall! Fans of Meg Cabot, mystery lovers and people who just want a good laugh overall will enjoy!

. . . I also LOVED the sparkly cover! So cool!

Quote To Live By: "Perfection is suspicious." - Roxy, page 250.

Interview with Chelsea of The Page Flipper - Not A Pencil Girl

2009-11-11T18:34:00.008-05:00

I got the wonderful chance to interview Chelsea of The Page Flipper (yup, that awesome YA blog that you're all following), who is also going to have her memoir published in stores next year by HCI (yes, the people that publish the awesome Chicken Soup for the Soul books). It's time to figure out is she's a Colgate or Crest type of girl . . .

It's A Writing World After All . . .

Moi: 1. How did you find out about the Louder Than Words series?

Chelsea: I'd seen it posted about on a lot of blogs, and I actually sent in my story/writing samples for the first batch. I was pitched to HCI, but they didn't give the okay until they decided on a second set of LTW books. I'd already seen reviews and publications of the series, so I thought I missed my chance and was definitely surprised to get an email from Deborah, the editor, in my inbox. You should have seen me after I opened it. I think I might have ran laps around the house with my cat, whose probably still traumatized from it. Poor Kringer.

Moi: 2. How does it feel to know your memoir is going to be out in stores next year?

Chelsea: It's awesome, but really really nerve-wracking. If just one person likes or identifies with my story, then it was worth writing. But there's still that "I-hope-people-don't-hate-it" feel that I think every author has before their book hits shelves.

M: 3. Are you going to be pursuing a career in the writing industry, or will you be studying to be something else?

C: Yes! I'd already started working on a fiction book before I had this option, so I'll be heading straight back to that when everything is done and edited. I have a backlog of writing ideas, so I have a feeling I'll always be working on something. I'd really like to major in lit when I go to college (soon!). I hear creative writing classes can ruin your creativity.

M: 4. What do you want your author photo to look like? Your dream book cover?

C: Actually, this is a funny story. For the first batch of Louder than Words books, each of the covers has a girl on it and a color scheme. Like, Marni is blue, Emily is purple, and Chelsey is green. Each of the colors, if you look really closely, is actually the color of the cover model's eyes. If they do the same for batch two, I'm positive I'll be red. Demon eyes!

M: 5. How many times have you been interviewed by someone?

C: (I'm bolding this one just because I have no fricken' clue. I've been interviewed for reviewing, aside from the LTW books, and counting would be way too tiresome for the measly amount of caffeine I've had.) :)

The Serious Stuff

M: 1. Describe yourself without using any words. You can use pictures.

C:

M: 2. What's one thing you've always wished someone would ask you?

C: Not this one! It's hard thinking of a question to ask yourself, and kind of questionable of your sanity. I feel like I'm totally talking to myself. But, anyway, hmm. "If you could turn into any fictional character, who would it be?" Jacky Faber from Bloody Jack.

M: 3. Crest or Colgate?

C: Crest, all the way. *grins*

M: 4. What colour is the nearest pencil? (Not the lead, but the decorative strip).

C: I can't find one! My room is a complete mess - books everywhere. But I usually use pens, anyway. Pens are more dangerous - they don't erase, so everything you put down is permanent. Yeah, I like to live on the edge.

M: 7. Up to this point, have you answered every single question right away, or are you reading them through first?

C: I read them through. I like to know what I'm getting into before I dive. Even though I jokingly said I like to live on the edge, I like to know what's over the edge first.

M: 7. Did you notice that this question is numbered #7 . . . just like the last question?

C: Oh, boy. Is this an analysis test? (How did I do?) Yep, I noticed. I'm observant like that. :)

Note From Iryna: Yes - this was an analysis test. *adjusts serious-looking, black-rimmed glasses* However did you guess? :)

M: 9. Bold a question you don't want to/don't feel like/haven't got the time of day to answer.

Thanks for the interview Chelsea, and good luck on you memoir!!

Three Things (Not Seven*)

2009-10-23T22:20:00.003-04:00

First of all, I just wanted to say sorry for not posting all that often. Is that annoying? I mean, I know when I read other peoples blogs I don't find it "annoying" that they don't post, but I feel as a blogger I owe some responsibility for keeping up this blog. This isn't just me, is it?

Secondly, I was wondering if I could get your opinion on something. I need a new laptop (this is a definite need - not a want!), but I'm having a hard time deciding between getting a Mac or a PC. Should I get the eco-friendly one, or the one I've known my whole life? Should I get the one that will always be virus-free, or should I get the (probably) cheaper one? What do you think?? What do you personally have?

Lastly, it seems this book-focused blog is starting to steer away from book-ish things, so what do you think about me starting a more personal-type blog, and maintaining two blogs at once? Or should I just start up a whole new blog with an "eveything" topic and then review books on that website? For those people out there with more then one blog, do you find it very hard to balance two blogs at once? Thanks and happy Friday/Saturday!

-Iryna
____
Note

*Yes, yes - this is me trying to make a joke. Did it work?

In Between These Pages #14

2009-10-01T16:58:00.000-04:00

Has a quote ever painted a smile onto your face? Or made you seriously think? Or even have made you see things in a different perspective? Well, that's what "In Between These Pages" is all about: Great, wonderful quotes from books. This meme was invented by Christina at "Insert Book Title Here" and a similar one by Karin at "Karin's Book Nook" but I have decided to rename it "In Between These Pages".

"Narcissus was so vain that he fell in love with his own reflection and drowned." She leveled her eyes at Allie. What do you think about that?"

Uh, I know how the drowning part feels, she wanted to say. But instead she reached deep into her soul and said, "His parents must have been so upset."

"I think it's a metaphor for people who use love as a mirror. Instead of seeing the other person, they see themselves. Always themselves. And how that person reflects on them. Sad, isn't it?" With that, Keifer turned on her heel and walked away without another word.

I guess Mr. Fisher was good-looking, for a dad. He was better-looking then my father anyway, but he was also vainer then him. I don't know that he was as good-looking as Susannah was beautiful, but that might've been because I loved Susannah more then almost anyone, and who could ever measure up to a person like that? Sometimes it's like people are a million times more beautiful to you in your mind. It's like you see them through a special lens - but maybe if it's how you see them, that's how they really are.

Mom says each of us has a veil between ourselves and the rest of the world, like a bride wears on her wedding day, except this kind of veil is invisible. We walk around happily with these invisible veils hanging down over our faces. The world is kind of blurry, and we like it that way.

But sometimes our veils are pushed away for a few moments, like there's a wind blowing it from our faces. And when the veil lifts, we can see the world as it really is, just for those few seconds before it settles down again. We see all the beauty, and cruelty, and sadness, and love. But mostly we are happy not to. Some people learn to lift the veil themselves. Then they don't have to depend on the wind anymore.

. . .

I've thought a lot about those veils. I wonder if, every once in a while, someone is born without one. Someone who sees the big stuff all the time. Like maybe you.

The Rock That Hit My Head

2009-09-25T19:57:00.007-04:00

Sorry guys - this isn't a post related to books. At least, not really . . .

Like a huge chunk of book lovers, I want to make a living off writing novels. Because of this, last year I entered my public library's annual poetry. The topic was inspiration: what inspires you, what is means to you etc. I wrote down a bunch of stuff about sunsets and rainbows and set it in with my fingers crossed. A few weeks later I found out that I was one of the winners. I got a library T-shirt three sizes too big, a coupon for one free used book and a reading notes journal. People at the library told me how much my poem inspired them and I was happy. I was on my way to becoming a published author.

Now, almost a year after that contest, I've barely written anything. Story ideas come and go. The only time I use Microsoft Word is for my homework. I'm not doing anything to fulfill one of my #1 goals for the future. What's up with that? Didn't I win the contest? Aren't I supposed to . . . I don't know . . . magically be on my way to success and happiness? WHY ISN'T ANYTHING HAPPENING?!

I think it was really today that I got it. Today that the rock of "duh" fell on my head. The day it hit me.

Before I continue, I need to confess something: I am a Lululemon addict. I love their clothes and even though I never buy anything from them (it hurts my wallet), I stalk their website and blog. Today I was Googling them, and stumbled upon this article.

I was shocked. Not so much that Lululemon said those kinds of things, but one of the notes that said,"You only have 30,000 days to live and then you are dead." I quickly did the math and figured out that already 1/6 of my life had flashed by. My clock was ticking.

After that I went on a bike ride with my friend, Serena, asking her to PLEASE stop and take a break at a park. (In other words, I'm not the strongest/fastest person in my class. "Sweatpants" is a foreign word to me.)

At the park we decided to go on the swings since we were insured to not get buckets of sand kicked into our shoes. At first we swung in silence, gaining momentum until we were sure we were flying: touching the clouds, soaring through the air. The huge hill we were on fueled our imaginations - the whole world spread out around us. I think it was because of the atmoshpere and the article I read regarding Lululemon only two hours before that I asked Serena, "What are your life goals, other then to get married and become an actress?"

And so she told me about how she wanted to travel to a third-world country to help the people there, swim with a killer whale, and meet a great white shark before they become extinct, among other things. All the while Serena was telling me this, I kept thinking, What are my life goals? How am I going to make the most of the rest of my life? It is because of that that I made my #1 goal: Find out my life goals, and my #2 goal: Start paving the way to becoming a published author.

Now, I've discovered that it's hard for me to do anything in life "that I don't have to do" (read: other then schoolwork and household chores) without motivation or inspiration. If I wasn't a morning person then I have no idea how my parents would drag me out of bed. At that note, even though I really do enjoy writing, I prefer planning everything out in the my head rather then taking the time to sit down and write.

It was today, not more then five minutes before I started writing this blog post that I got my inspiration.

Many of you might already know that Chelsea from The Page Flipper and Steph from Hey! Teenager of the Year have book deals. Yes, actual book deals. In the looming future THEIR BOOKS will be on STORE shelves for us to BUY and actually READ!! At first I was like, "Wait - what are we talking about?", then I was like, "Omigosh, they have book deals!!" and the I though, "Oh, shoot. I am jealous!". However, I think this is a good type of jealousy. The motivational/inspirational kind. The kind that lets you think,"Hey, they did it so why can't I?"

I don't know what kind of post this is. Maybe I'm just writing it all out so I won't forget it. Maybe because . . . it's the start of something new (everyone loves High School Musical!). Maybe I'm just writing because . . . I'm inspired. ;) Either way, I'd like to say a big thank-you to Chelsea and Steph for giving me that motivation, Lululemon for making great clothes and doing that weird thing with the bags, and my friend Serena for the conversation on the hill. Thanks, you guys - thanks.

-Iryna

P.S. Now it's my turn to ask - has the rock hit your head yet??

I'm Baaaaaack!! (With Perfection).

2009-09-03T19:37:00.005-04:00

Alright. I know technically I came back from my vacation in the Ukraine a week ago, but I have a good excuse for not posting sooner! Okay, maybe not really a good excuse, but it's still an excuse: You know how after you haven't seen someone for two months and suddenly you're going to be seeing them five days a week, six hours a day for ten months now (I'm talking about school here, ladies!)? Well, you'd want to create a good first (okay, probably not first) impression, like me, right? Well, of course you know!! For the past two months all of the teen magazines on the stands have pages dedicated to picking out the "perfect" first day of school outfit, so I think that's saying something about our society.

Anyways, when I came back from Europe I spent quite some time trying to think up of the "perfect" back-from-vacation outfit (did I just say outfit? I meant to say blog post!), but as you can see, that didn't turn out so well. However, that's why I'm going to take pride in the fact that at least I'm writing something (I have to stop italicizing so many words! And using so many brackets!).

Before I don't forget, I also just wanted to say that I'm probably not going to do my two weekly memes - In Between These Pages and Guess Who? - every week anymore. Blogging is supposed to be fun and I sometimes find it a chore to quickly think up of a Guess Who? post on Fridays when I'm in the middle of a good book. I also want to gather up more then just two or three quotes for my In Between These Pages meme so I can post more quotes at once. However, I AM planning on doing these two memes at least twice each per month! Unless, that is, you don't particularly enjoy them . . . Do you?

Also, as you know, I've only done two interviews (I think) in my whole life of being a blogger which I think is pretty sad so expect to see quite a few more of them in the future!!

P.S. As a matter of fact, yes, I did get a new signature!
P.P.S. Thanks to all of my awesome followers (yes - YOU) for sticking with me even though I wasn't posting. That was really sweet of ALL of you!!

Blog Tour: T'Aragam by Jack W. Regan

2009-08-09T15:40:00.008-04:00

Title: T'Aragam
Author: Jack W. Regan
Publisher: Sweatshoppe Publications
Publication Date: April 16th, 2009
Number of Pages: 286

Amazon Page
Author Site

Young Max Ransome watched his father die, killed by marauding phantors as they swept through T'Aragam at the bidding of the evil wizard Zadok. Barely escaping with his own life, Max is thrust into a whirlwind journey as he races against time to save T'Aragam, the world he loves, from a dark dominion. Can Max overcome the horror of his father's death and save T'Aragam from the grasping talons of its enemies? Woven with a charming mix of zany humor and genuine danger, "T'Aragam" immerses the reader in a world of original characters and tightly-woven plot. Young Max leads the cast and is ably supported by, among others, a faithful medgekin friend named Gramkin, two monster brothers named Doom and Gloom, and an equuraptor named Dresden. Coupled with quirky supporting characters, such as mercenary Captain Baggywrinkle, Lord Stench, and a perpetually hungry sea serpent named Bob, this cast of characters steps from the pages and pulls the reader into the story.

The first thing that pops into my head when I think of T'Aragam, is of my uncle who insists that T'Aragam is some sort of food in central Europe (I'll have to Google that). The second thing, however, is all of the danger and adventure in this magical tale.

In my opinion, the most impressing part of this whole novel was the way the characters talked among one another. The high and mighty wizard Zohar had this professional and serious air about him, Doom was quite the British gentleman, and the pirates really did sound like pirates! The way everyone spoke fitted their character perfectly. That is one thing I will always remember about Jack W. Regan.

Another thing I won't forgot is all of the fighting scenes in this book (and there were quite a few!). The author described them so well, in so much detail, that is was almost hard to read on. Now that I think about it, scenes that didn't have any violence in them were also written very well.

As you can see, the book seems to have it all. And I do think it does have it all (except romance! Who doesn't love a good romance?!) but. But, I think it could have been a bit better.

There are more then your fair share of deaths in T'Aragam (or, almost deaths) and I couldn't help but notice how the main character, Max, hardly gave them a backwards glance when someone died or was seriously injured. I know you're a guy, but can't you even show a little compassion, Max?

Even though this book was written quite well in terms of research and characters, personally, I think some scenes could have been more dramatic. I have to say that it wasn't hard to stop reading. And other scenes could have been a little shorter. During many of the fighting scenes, I wished the fighting would just stop. I don't know about you but reading about how some guy was mudered is not what I like to do best in my spare time.

Overall, judging by reviews I've read of T'Aragam, many people have enjoyed it. I'd give it a try if you like fantasy books, and I think boys will especially like this novel (my brother even asked to read it! Shocking!). I'm giving this novel an A-.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

2009-08-05T14:51:00.007-04:00

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty
Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: May 5th, 2009
Number of Pages: 276

Author Site
Amazon Page

dearjennyhan.com:

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

I have five words for you: The Perfect Summer Beach Read. Sure, this novel like any other does have a few flaws, but other then that, I loved it.

When I first picked The Summer I Turned Pretty up, all I was expecting was a fun, cute summer read that would remind me that summer is a time where anything can happen. And I did get that. From the very first page you can smell the salty air, hear the familiar music from the beach radio station and feel the sun on your face. However, under the sand and jugs of ice tea, there's more to this story of undecided love and friendship.

I think Belly was a good main character. Not great, but good. Sometimes, I didn't quite understand her but more often then not when she thought something or did something I'd say to myself, "That's what I was thinking!" or, "Belly, I totally agree with you." But even more then Belly, I loved the supporting characters. Loved. From wonderful Susannah who I wished was my mother's best friend to sweet Cam who I personally fell in love with to the girly Taylor who I had to laugh and yell at along with Belly.

The flashbacks that Jenny Han sprinkled through this novel were a great idea. I got to see a part of the main character that you don't get to often see in books, and I just thought they were plain interesting.

Now about the ending . . . I have a few things to say about it. The first time I read it, I couldn't believe it. In good and bad ways. I kept thinking that Jenny Han should have led the story down a different path, it should have been different. But the second time I read this novel, I think I finally understood. Going down the other path would have been my decision - not Belly's. And even if Belly had gone that way I don't think it would have made much sense. Also, the novel kind of has this unfinished feel to it. Like it has this whole other story that goes along with it that the author just didn't tell . . . so I'm thrilled to say that Jenny Han is currently in the works of writing a sequel called: It's Not Summer Without You. Yay! I'm super excited to find out what's going to happen to Belly and the other supporting characters. Write this one quick Jenny, I want to read it! A.

P.S. The cover? At first, I couldn't picture Belly, Jeremiah and Conrad like that but after reading the book I can't see them any other way. Whoever did this cover did an absolutely outstanding job on it.

Guess Who? Answer #17

2009-08-03T11:11:00.000-04:00

Last week's mystery author was . . .

. . Melissa Walker!! Yay!

Guess Who? #17

2009-07-31T07:51:00.000-04:00

As usual, here are the rules: this is an (educated) guessing game where every Friday I post five facts about an author, each one a little more revealing then the previous one. I'll give you the weekend to try and figure out who I'm talking about, and the Monday following, I post the answer:

Female author.
She's been a staff member of ELLEgirl and Seventeen.
I heart her blog.
Does she likes violets . . . ?
Last: reklaw

I wanted to try and make this post a little harder, but not so that it comes to the point of confusing. What do you guys think?

Sloane Sisters by Anna Carey

2009-07-26T14:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Sloane Sisters

Author: Anna Carey
Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication Date: April 20th, 2009

Number of Pages: 208

Amazon Page

Author Site

Style. Sabotage. Sisterhood.

When Cate and Andie Sloane's Upper East Side dad met Stella and Lola Childs's British-model mom, nobody thought a transatlantic relationship would last. But then their parents drop the M-bomb—marriage—and it looks like Cate, Andie, Stella, and Lola are going to be one big happy family. Well, big anyway. Meet:

Cate Sloane: She dominates the ninth grade at exclusive Ashton Prep. Tantrum-prone and competitive, Cate would rather wear Laura Ashley every day than be second best at anything. Luckily there's not a rival in sight. Yet.

Andie Sloane: Twelve-year-old Andie desperately wants to walk the runway. Her face is flawless, and boys flock to her like love-struck sheep. There's just one leetle problem: She's only 4' 11". But with a new supermodel stepmom, she'll be voguing in no time. Right?

Stella Childs: With her take-charge attitude and a closet full of supermodel swag, Stella was the It Girl at her London middle school. She's determined to rule Ashton Prep—even if that means dethroning the current queen bee. Can you say British Invasion?

Lola Childs: London boys called gawky Lola "Sticks," but she's got a new mission in Manhattan: boyfriend or bust! With the help of her boy-magnet stepsister, Lola sets her sights on supercute Kyle Lewis. Too bad Kyle's only got eyes for . . . Andie.

Alright, alright - you've got me. I've never admitted this on my blog before, but I really like The Clique series, and even though I haven't read it, I'd probably like the Gossip Girl series too. It's not because I like girls calling the B-word behinds each others backs, but it's more because I love reading about all of the predicaments the girls find themselves in, all because they want to be popular and for people to like them. That's probably why I didn't find it hard to pick this book up, but believe me when I say this novel has more to it then it seems.

Sloane Sisters starts off with a very interesting introduction. In interesting, I mean kind of shocking. Anna Carey wrote it so that we get the basic facts we need in a crisp voice that got to the point, but she also wrote it in a way that told us "People, anything can and will happen." And that it did.

I found that, unlike characters from other Gossip Girl type books, the main characters in this novel actually seemed to have a valid reason for doing what they did. Sort of. While Cate and Stella spent most of the book fighting to "rule the school" which I found quite pointless, Lola's urge to find friends and get her crush to notice her felt real and true. Andie's dream of proving her older sister, Cate, wrong by pursuing in modeling did not seem led by jealousy (at least, not much) but it was more . . . inspiring.

In Sloane Sisters the author used lots of neat phrases like, "she finger-combed Lola's wind-knotted waves" and "she gathered her hair together at the nape of her neck in a ponytail" (notice how they're both about hair? *smiles*) that I find people do all the time in real life, but authors rarely put these common tid-bits in books. Well, unless it's just me. But it's not me . . . right?

The point is, Anna Carey's debut novel is an entertaining, quick read that can't hurt to take out from the library. They don't even swear! Yes, the ending does become clear two-thirds into this book, but it's still fun to read all the same. My only complaint? At the very, very end when Carey dedicates a page hinting to what the next book is about, she takes a Gossip Girl approach to the book and, I think, kind of dampens the happy feeling you just got from the ending. Unless it's just me. It seems to be that a lot these days . . . A-

In Between These Pages #14

2009-07-22T07:28:00.000-04:00

This week's topic is:

Love

We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.

- Sam Keen, from To Love and Be Loved

The spaces between your fingers were created so that another's could fill them in.

- Unknown

Sometimes people put up walls, not to keep others out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.

- Unknown

People will forget what you said.
People will forget what you did.
But people will never forget how you made them feel.

- Anonymous

If you're thinking, "Huh? What happened to the original In Between These Pages?," then click here.

I'm Here! (Or There?)

2009-07-20T12:10:00.004-04:00

Some of you may or may not know this but I'm currently in Ukraine for the summer visiting my family. In other words, if I'm terrible at updating my blog you now know why.

The flight over here was fine but I chose to sit next to my younger brother which was a BIG mistake. In simpler terms, the first hour consisted of non-stop talking, the second of complaining how weird the "green stuff" in our dinner tasted, and in the third hour he decided he was meant to be British so he said really random stuff like "I like trays. I really, really like trays." And even now as I'm writing this with my brother reading over my shoulder he keeps saying that is wasn't "trays" that he said but "trays". Right. I'm really sorry. (Pure sarcasm.)

Anyways, I'm having a good time here. It's nice to see all my cousins and grandparents and everyone. Some of the food here is quite weird in the way they package it. For example, they put the milk in these small paper envelopes that are coated inside with wax stuff so that the milk doesn't leak through. Very weird. The juice over one litre here is also packaged in these giant versions of those juice boxes you normally take to school. The only difference is that instead of drinking the juice from a hole in the box with a straw, there's this weird open-close thing.

Next week we're planning on going to the Black Sea for a few days to vacation. I'm pretty excited as I've only been to a real beach with actual sand and stuff (lakes don't count) once in my life.

A few times a year I go into these phases where I'm obssesed with something. It can be a sport, a craft - anything really - that I get so attached to that I end up spending hours every day at the computer or library researching that one thing. Lately, I've been really obssessed with sea glass. Yeah, I know that's kind of odd but it's a lot better then when I was in love with LUSH. Or what about my Hamtaro phase? (Granted, I was only nine at the time.) Anyways, does ayone know if you can find sea glass in the Black Sea? I tried Googling it but I only came up with a bunch of articles discussing black sea glass. Like, as in the colour. Not what I'm looking for.

Before I go I just want to recommend a really cool blog that I found out about a while ago. Kay Cassidy, the author of The Princess Society, recently started an author blog that is currently revolving around a Teen Author Challenge. In her own words, "If you’re an aspiring author of fiction for teens and tweens, this special feature is just for you! I’ll be sharing exclusive writing tips from fabulous YA and middle grades authors, talking about the ins and outs of writing a novel from start to finish, and offering links to great online resources that’ll help you grow your writing career. Get all the details here." It's a marvelous blog that I would totally urge you to check out, even if you don't want to become a writer!

I hope everyone's having a great summer!

-Iryna

Guess Who? Answer #16

2009-07-13T07:24:00.000-04:00

*Drumroll* Last week's Guess Who? author was . . .

. . . Lisa Mantchev!

Across the Pond by Storyheart

2009-07-11T07:04:00.000-04:00

Title: Across the Pond
Author: Storyheart (a.k.a. Barry Eva)
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Publication Date: September 2008
Number of Pages: 117

Author Site
Amazon Page

xlibris.com:

When almost fifteen-year-old, English born Fred Squire’s parents win a trip to Australia, Fred finds himself packed off to visit family friends in the United States. Even worse, he’s given a boring language project to complete. But then he meets Brittany.

Fred soon finds himself struggling, not only with his growing feelings for Brit, but also with the language differences. A state confusion, that increases when he meets Brit’s flirtatious friend, Angel. Escaping from a confrontation with Steve Harris, the neighborhood bully, Brit tells Fred her dark secret about Harris, and Fred´s world is turned upside down.

Life continues to throw Fred a curveball when he catches a ball worth thousands of dollars at a baseball game. Further angry run-ins with Harris, a crazy family BBQ, and being chased through a Boston mall all add to the thrill of Fred´s American adventure. A final fight between Fred and Harris, leads Brit to at last reveal her painful secret to her parents.

"Brit and her Brit", know that their young love will be followed by heartache when Fred has to return back "Across the Pond" to England. However, not before some final twists in the tale.

For those reviewers out there who read this blog, have you ever had trouble finding a way to start a review? Do you ever type a sentence only to quickly delete it and start over? It's not just me, is it? This isn't the first time this has happened to me and my theory is because I have a lot I want to say about the book, and I simply can't find away to organize all of those thoughts in my head. Keeping that in mind, I'm going to break this all down so I won't get a migraine:

Writing: Barry Eva's writing was nice. It wasn't beautifully lyrical or anything like that and even though I think sometimes it was a bit boring, I wasn't tempted to put the book down. I enjoyed reading the thoughts of the main character, Fred, as he was both funny at times and, well, not as immature as I know most of the boys in my class are. Eva's writing was straight-forward making this a short, but very pleasant read.

Point of View: By reading the back cover of this book, you might think that the plot is a bit ordinary but that's not the case. The way the author decided to write from Fred's POV . . . it was perfect. If the POV was written from Brit's point of view then I can only imagine it as her gushing over how great Fred was (which I would be doing too), but we already know what Brit is thinking as - how do I put this? - it seems there are more avid female readers in the world then males. From Fred's POV we get to see everything from a guys perspective, which is not normally something we find in YA literature (at least for me). This novel was very refreshing as it was like looking across the pond. ;)

Grammatical Errors: This is probably just the inner perfectionist in me speaking out but I did notice I few errors in the writing - forgotten punctuation, phrases put into italics when it wasn't necessary etc. Even though this didn't really effect the story it was - at least for me - a bit distracting.

Ending: I must say that I really like the ending. At first near the last 20 pages or so I was getting quite upset because . . . well, I can't really tell you now can I? Let's just say that some people did not seem to agree that "the pen is mightier then the sword" and that made me quite upset as I am a strong believer in that quote. Anyways, I was feeling a tad annoyed but the very end - oh, did it ever make up for it!! I loved it!

The Bottom Line: Overall, this is quite a nice novel that may need a little editing but is quite enjoyable. Perfect to read right before, or on a vacation out of the country! B+

Guess Who? #16

2009-07-10T06:54:00.000-04:00

Female author.
The first stepping stone on her path to becoming a writer was when she became involved in drama.
Her debut novel came out this year.
I'm sure she loves both plays and books equally.
Title: Faulter

In Between These Pages #13

2009-07-08T13:30:00.010-04:00

Normally my In Between These Pages posts contain quotes from books that I simply adored, but for the next few weeks I'll be away in Europe to visit my family. Keeping that in mind, I don't know when I'll be able to update my blog so I'm scheduling these posts ahead of time (I know - this is quite shocking!). Until I come back on the 25th of August, I'm going to schedule a bunch of posts that do still include quotes, but they may not be from books and they all revolve around one common theme. This week's theme, for example, is:

Friendship

If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them. I'd be at the bottom to catch them.

- Unknown

Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer.

- Ed Cunningham

A stranger stabs you in the front; a friend stabs you in the back; a boyfriend stabs you in the heart, but best friends only poke each other with straws.

- Unknown

Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

- Albert Camus

Guess Who? Answer #15

2009-07-08T13:24:00.002-04:00

Yes, yes - I know. I suck. A lot.

I was supposed to post the answer to last week's Guess Who? on Monday, but of course, I totally forgot and to make matters worse I didn't post the answer yesterday either!! Fear not, however, for the future since I am scheduling a few posts while I'm on vacation. Anyways, without further a due:

Lisa McMann was last week's Guess Who? author!!

Guess Who? #15

2009-07-03T13:14:00.003-04:00

Female author.
Lives in Arizona.
She wrote a bestselling series with one word titles.
Pillow, glass, chair.
This author's last name begins with "Mc".

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend

2009-07-02T11:26:00.007-04:00

Title: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 Author: Sue Townsend
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: Harper Teen, August 14th, 2003. Original, October 7th, 1982.
Number of Pages: 272

Author Site
Amazon Page

Adrian Mole's first love, Pandora, has left him; a neighbor, Mr. Lucas, appears to be seducing his mother (and what does that mean for his father?); the BBC refuses to publish his poetry; and his dog swallowed the tree off the Christmas cake. "Why" indeed.

Do you see that little statement above the title on the book cover? The one that says "Almost definitely 5 million copies sold"? Well, that has to, has to be incorrect. I don't mean to be rude here, but I really don't know who would want to read this type of book. I mean come on: crude humor, confusing British terms and a protagonist that doesn't have his head screwed on the right way isn't what I would consider the best literature I've seen in ages.

I hope (like many other people) to one day write professionally. I've researched author sites and checked out books from the library to figure out what aspects are key in a good novel. Among other points, one of the most important ideas I've come to the conclusion you need to have in a good book is a well thought out plot. Quite honestly, I don't think there was any plot in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. It was basically an ordinary kids life and how he made a fool of himself. I was snoring by page 2.

Even though this book was very dull, I persisted on reading it. I was almost exactly half-way done this book - dragging myself through it - when I decided it. I read to learn new things and also for a good laugh or two. However, while this book was occasionally funny, the only thing it taught me was not to pick up any more books from this series. So I stopped reading it.

In the end, I don't think I would recommend this book. If you especially like crude humor then this novel would be right up your alley, but other then that, I don't know. Looking at the reviews from Amazon, it seems very few people didn't like this book, so maybe you'd like it. I don't know. D.

In Between These Pages #13

2009-07-01T20:13:00.000-04:00

" . . . I thought about how there were two types of secrets: the kind you want to keep in, and the kind you don't dare let out."

"' So the question is," Bex said, crossing her arms, "what are we gonna do about it?'"

"Paper has more patience then people."

"Things . . . well, things suck sometimes. And sometimes you can fix them. And sometimes you can't. It's just the way it is."

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

2009-06-27T13:27:00.004-04:00

Title: Eyes Like Stars
Author: Lisa Mantchev
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: July 7th, 2009
Number of Pages: 356

Amazon Page
Author Site

All her world’s a stage.

Bertie Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.
She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents.
She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own.
That is, until now.

Enter Stage Right
NATE. Dashing pirate. Will do anything to protect Bertie.
COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARD SEED, and PEASEBLOSSOM. Four tiny and incredibly annoying fairies. BERTIE’S sidekicks.
ARIEL. Seductive air spirit and Bertie’s weakness. The symbol of impending doom.
BERTIE. Our heroine.
Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.
Lisa Mantchev has written a debut novel that is dramatic, romantic, and witty, with an irresistible and irreverent cast of characters who are sure to enchant the audience.

Eyes Like Stars. The title alone holds so much promise, so much possibility. The beautiful cover painting of Bertie, our heroine, is absolutely breathtaking. You open the book to the first page, and the fancy font brings a smile to your face. The only question that remains is, "What about the actual content of the book? Was it as enchanting as you thought it would be?" Well . . . yes. No. Yes and no.

Let me start with the best part of this book first: the writing. Lisa Mantchev's writing is just astonishing. It's one of those things that you simply can not describe because it's so amazing and wow-ifying. It was an elegant butterfly fluttering in the breeze. It was a heart shattering in an infinite number of pieces. Mantchev's writing is so wonderful that I think you should read this book just to witness it's beauty.

However, even though I loved the writing, Eyes Like Stars also has it's weak points.

For example, the beginning is quite confusing at first so you have to re-read a few parts to understand what is happening. This novel is also a little slow and takes time reading (at least for me). It's one of those books that you just can't read in one sitting. I also feel that even though the twists in this story were clever, I'm sure they could have been delivered a little better.

Even then, the ending of this book left me feeling very satisfied and paved out a very promising Book Two in this series. Lisa Mantchev is a flower that will soon flourish - I'm sure of it. :) B+

Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian

2009-06-23T10:01:00.002-04:00

Title: Same Difference
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Publisher: Push
Publication Date: March 1st, 2009
Number of Pages: 287

Amazon Page
Author Site

Emily needs a change of scenery. She’s been pegged as the “arty girl” by the kids in her school —even her own friends. There’s some truth to that…but there’s also more to the way she sees the world than drawing or painting. Nobody seems to understand, and that’s not going to change any time soon. So when Emily gets the chance to go to an art program in Philadelphia for the summer, she jumps at it. A new cast of characters enters her life…and suddenly she has to figure out who she wants to be. She’s gone from the suburbs where everyone’s trying to be the same to a school where everyone is trying to be unique. The rules may have changed, but a lot of the pressures remain the same. With wit and empathy, Siobhan Vivian goes straight to the heart of a teen girl’s search for identity including the pain and heartache we have to go through to figure out who we are.

This book should be on the New York Times bestsellers list.

This book should be the next Twilight.

But it's not. This witty, wonderful and truly remarkable book isn't making more money then the Harry Potter series. *sigh* What is this world coming too?

Same Difference starts off with Emily spending the day with her best friend Meg, and Meg's boyfriend the day before Emily starts her summer art program. The first chapter is a tad uneventful which may make some people put this book down but I still think that Siobhan Vivian was smart to start off where she did. Even though the beginning was slightly boring, it speeds up and it's important that we get a glimpse of Emily's life before art becomes a large part of her life.

The characters in this book are wonderfully realistic and I loved them all. Even the people that you're kind of meant to dislike. They were all just so interesting to read about that I fell in love with them - especially the artists. Reading about the summer art program that Emily went to was also quite fascinating and it was refreshing to look at things from an artist's perspective. I even looked up "Art Classes" in the phone book after reading this book!

When a storm cloud passed over Emily's life, I still couldn't stop reading this novel. It wasn't necessarily because Same Difference is a real page turner, it was more to do with the fact that the writing really drew you in to the story. It was fun, humorous, dark and casual. It was . . . everything. I absolutely loved it.

Overall, this is a great, wonderful story that I can't imagine you not loving! Warning: will inspire you to pick up a pen or paintbrush. A+.

Guess Who? Answer #14

2009-06-22T22:09:00.001-04:00

A big applause to everyone who guessed last week's featured author! She was . . .

. . . Stephanie Meyer!

P.S. Sorry for not posting any posts other then my weekly memes lately - I've been super busy. However, expect a review of Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian tomorrow morning!!

Guess Who? #14

2009-06-19T21:47:00.006-04:00

This author is female
She wrote a very popular series for teens.
Author X also wrote a novel for adults.
If you simply guess now, the first author that pops into your head is probably correct.
Her whole best-selling series is being turned into a collection of movies.

This post maybe a little vague at first glance, but trust me when I say the author is quite obvious!!

In Between These Pages #13

2009-06-17T15:05:00.008-04:00

" . . . once you figure something out, it's impossible to go backwards."

"You have to have courage. Real courage to explore, to fail and to pick yourself back up again."

"And partly . . . well, life wins. In the end, life always wins."

Guess Who? Answer #13 + Explanation(s)

2009-06-15T21:52:00.004-04:00

The answer was . . .

. . . Elizabeth Scott! (Isn't the dog in the photo adorable?!)

P.S. I know I've been terrible at posting lately and I am really, really sorry! I still have school and my teachers have decided to do all of the tests last minute so I have quite some studying to do! It's also my birthday next week (yay!) so I'm busy this weekend as well since a bunch of my friends are coming over. I'll try my best to squeeze in a review, though!

P.P.S. Sorry about the background!! The wonderful Lena who created this template had some troubles with PayPal or something like that, but she's got it sorted out and things should return to normal.

Guess Who? #13

2009-06-13T14:27:00.000-04:00

It's no big surprise that I'm late again with this post, but this time I have a good excuse: Yesterday at around 7 p.m. I was reading some of the blogs I follow and leaving comments, with the FULL intention of publishing this post. However, while I was reading Deltay's blog, I tried to leave a comment but my "Enter" key wasn't working. I tried pressing the "Publish Comment" button but that button didn't want to cooperate either. Finally, I decided to just re-do my comment all over again but once again, the comment didn't want to publish.

At this point I was panicking about posting my "Guess Who?" post on time, so I went to my dashboard only to find out I was somehow signed out. I tried logging back in but, like when I was trying to post a comment on Deltay's blog, it wasn't working. After a while I gave up and just decided to post this today. I asked my dad why the computer was acting funny, but he doesn't know for sure either. Anyways . . .

As usual, here are the rules: this is an (educated) guessing game where every Friday I post five facts about an author, each one a little more revealing then the previous one. I'll give you the weekend to try and figure out who I'm talking about, and the Monday following, I post the answer:

This author is female.
She has a dog (and a husband!).
On her website, she writes.
We definitely love her and we'd never hate her. ;)
Author X's last name is also a common first name . . .

Who do YOU think it is?

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

2009-06-11T21:19:00.000-04:00

Title: The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
Author: Michael Scott
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: May 22, 2007
Number of Pages: 400

Amazon Page
Author Site

He holds the secret that can end the world. The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty. The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

Oh. My. Gosh.

I have seen quite a few bloggers get the third book in this series, The Sorceress, but I have not yet seen anyone review it. And let me tell you right now - you guys are missing out on something BIG. This might possibly be my favourite fantasy book ever, and I don't use the term "favourite" when it comes to books lightly.

Michael Scott starts off this book with a prologue that tells us just enough about the book without giving anything away and while at the same time leaving us eager to turn the page. Scott uses writing techniques like foreshadowing at exactly the right time and describes things in great detail without making us yawn and wonder when we'll finally be able to see some dialogue. In other words, this guy had some awesome writing skills!!

One of the things I especially liked about The Alchemyst was how it takes your perspective of legends, myths and historical events, then twists and molds them until they turn into something completely different . . . and even more exciting and enchanting than they were before. By the time you finish this book, you'll put vampires next to grass on your list of related things.

Another wow-ifying thing was that the author managed to pull off writing a book that occurred over a time span of - wait for it - only two (2!!) days. I have never seen this accomplished before so I think Michael Scoot definitely deserves some kind of award for this. I mean, come on! Have you ever read a book whose time span was less then a week?? If you have, please tell me! I'd bet you that it's nothing along the great lines of Michael Scott's writing.

I think that the only bad thing I have to say about this novel is that in the end, Josh has a very difficult time deciding whether to trust Dr. Dee (otherwise known as the bad guy) or Nicholas Flame (he screams good guy to me). I don't understand how Josh doesn't see that Dee is a vile person and that even though Flamel doesn't always give you a straight up answer, he means (and is!) well.

The Bottom Line: A very enjoyable read that leaves you begging for more. Even if you're not fond of fantasy, I'm sure you'd like this book! A+.

In A Month . . .

2009-06-10T16:58:00.000-04:00

. . . I'm going to drive to Toronto with my family.

We will arrive at a very large and busy building.

My family and I will have our passports with us, and our suitcases.

If you haven't guessed it yet, I'm going on vacation!!! I am so excited!! My whole extended family lives in Ukraine (which is Poland's neighbour), and I'll finally be able to see them after three years! In case you're wondering, I don't usually do anything during Summer Vacation, so I feel like I'm going to burst with excitement! After watching my friends go to Chicago and Rome and Italy, it feels so cool knowing that it's my turn to do something exciting and new (sorry for all of the exclamation points here - I'm just super happy)!

The only thing is that my family and I will be going from July 11th, to August 25th so I don't know how many posts I'll be able to schedule ahead of time. However, I think I might be able to work something out.

You see, I'll be in Ukraine for approximately five weeks so my parents have agreed to set up an arrangement where they both get to spend an equal amount of time with their sides of the family. First, my brother and I will visit my moms side for 2.5 weeks, then we switch and visit my dads side for the remainder of the time. I remember from the last time I visited my mom's uncle that he does have (English) internet, but it is very, very slow so I don't know if I'll be able to use it. My dad's cousin also has internet but I don't know whether or not it's in the English language. I have a strong feeling it is though since he works with computers for a living. Anyways, if my relatives let me use their computers, I promise to post as often as I can!!

I'm already planning on what to bring and what places to visit. There are a lot of castles in the area where I'm going (from what I remember) so I plan on visiting many of those. My parents were born and raised in the city of Lviv, so that's obviously where I going. If you look on the map on the left, Lviv is way on the left somewhat near the border.

My mom and dad have already made it crystal clear to me that they don't want me bringing any more then two books (they claim that I should "give my eyes a break" from all of that reading and "enjoy the scenery" - sure thing), but I think they already know that that's not going to happen. I planning on hiding some of my paperbacks in between my clothes and bribing my younger brother into letting me stash some of my books in his suitcase.

Anyways, one of my main reason for this post is because I want to know what greatly fantastical books I should bring with me! If you have any suggestions, whether or not you read the book, all would be greatly appreciated.

______________
A Note From Iryna

A just wanted to apologize for being MIA these past few days. Unlike some of you luckier people, I'm still in school and we are currently in the middle of huge test season. There should be a review of The Alchemyst by Michael Scott up soon, however!

Guess Who? Answer #12

2009-06-08T16:57:00.000-04:00

Once again, a big thank-you to everyone who participated in last week's "Guess Who?"!! The mystery novelist is . . .

. . . John Green!

Guess Who? #12

2009-06-06T16:39:00.000-04:00

Author X writes contemporary fiction.
For once, he is a male.
This author has three published award-winning novels.
He likes You Tube (and so does his brother).
French: vert.

Sisters In Sanity by Gayle Forman - EDITED

2009-06-04T16:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Sisters In Sanity
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: August 28th, 2007 (Reprint: April 21st, 2009)
Number of Pages: 290

Amazon Page
Author Site

Have you ever had the out-of-control dream? The one where you know you're not crazy, but no one around you—not your parents, not your teachers, not even the authorities—will listen to you?

For sixteen-year-old Brit Hemphill, the out-of-control dream comes true when her dad enrolls her at Red Rock, a bogus treatment center that claims to cure rebellious teen girls. At Red Rock, Brit is forced into therapy, and her only hope of getting her life back is in the hands of an underqualified staff of counselors. Brit's dad thinks Red Rock can save her, but the truth is it's doing more harm than good.

No girl could survive Red Rock alone—but at a treatment center where you earn privileges for ratting out your peers, it's hard to know who you can trust. For Brit, everything changes when she meets V, Bebe, Martha, and Cassie, four girls who keep her from going over the edge. Together they'll hold on to their sanity and their sisterhood while trying to keep their Red Rock reality from becoming a full-on nightmare.

Ever since the buzz of Gayle Forman's novel If I Stay started, I've been wanting to read it. Unfortunately when I asked for it at my library, a bunch of other people were on the waiting list to read it so I had to settle with Sisters in Sanity. I thought it would be a phenomenal novel . . . and it was, mostly, just not in the ways I expected.

First of all, I guess you could say I thought this novel would have a nice, easy beginning - yeah, right. This book starts off with Brit's dad "taking" Brit to the Grand Canyon - the trip that never happens. Instead, Brit is tricked and thrown into Red Rock. All in one short chapter.

Okay! Hold up and slow down. I had to re-read that part because I wasn't sure what was going on. It was a real blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment which I also noticed occurred when the sisters friendship was forming. This was the first difference that kind of made me lose some of my interest in Sisters In Sanity.

Another cupful was thrown out the window when I came across this sentence on page 113:

"This girl needs some cheering," said V , who, along with Cassie, Bebe and Martha was standing over me at lunch.

Um, did anyone notice the grammatical error? I expect, out of habit, that each and every novel I read will not have a single mistake. Silly, I know. *sigh* I should know that no one's perfect especially considering how true that rings for me. *

Even so, I think that was when I really didn't want to finish this book. The real climax hadn't made it's appearance yet so I was quite bored. I wanted to quickly read this book, review it on my blog and be done with it - once and for good. This might be the only reason I persisted on reading Sisters In Sanity - which I am ashamed of - but I am really glad I did continue to read. Why?

Gayle Forman's debut novel made me cry unlike any novel has done before (in a good way). There were times where I would read a page but then have to put it down again because I was crying so hard. I would pick the book up again after I had calmed down, but I'd simply have to put it down again because the water works were going faster then ever. This book is truly touching and deals with matters I don't think I've ever read about before.

Even though this novel's writing was a little bumpy, it speaks the truth which I think is the greatest gift you can ever have. We all think we know "the truth", but reality is that each and every one of us has a different, edited version. It takes a remarkable person to know it and then put it into words. It takes someone special to write a whole novel about the truth. One of these people is Gayle Forman.

And did you see who this novel is dedicated to?

To misunderstood girls everywhere.

I liked her from the start. :) B+.

* How ironic it is that I said "no one's perfect" right after I made a mistake myself! Laina has kindly pointed out to me that it is in fact supposed to be "was" - not "were". Thank-you very much Laina!

In Between These Pages #12

2009-06-03T21:29:00.000-04:00

Guess Who? Answer #11

2009-06-01T07:29:00.000-04:00

Last week's "Guess Who?" author was . . .

. . . Ally Carter!

Book Background

2009-05-31T19:30:00.000-04:00

Uhg. I was going to post a picture of this REALLY cool book wallpaper for your computer but for some reason Blogger think my "Add a Picture" button is another "Save" button. Computers are not for me. Anyways, I'll try to upload the picture later but for now you can find the wallpaper here.

. . .

Isn't it neat?! I love the quote they added there too! It totally completes the picture!

UPDATE: Ooops. The link for the "Upload Image" button was lost amid all my other windows. My bad. Anyways, here it is:

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter

2009-05-30T19:10:00.000-04:00

Title: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: April 1, 2007
Number of Pages: 284

Amazon Page
Author Site

The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school teaches advanced martial arts in PE, chemistry always consists of the latest in chemical warfare, and everyone breaks CIA codes for extra credit in computer class. So in truth, while the Gallagher Academy might say it's a school for geniuses what they really mean is spies. But what happens when a Gallagher Girl falls for a boy who doesn't have a code name?

Cammie Morgan may be fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti), but the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without him ever being the wiser, but can she have a regular relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her? Cammie may be an elite spy in training, but in her sophomore year, she's doing something riskier than ever—she's falling in love.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You is the first book in the Gallagher Girls series. I absolutely adored the second book - Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy - (which I reviewed here), so I decide to read GG1 all over again!

Many spy novels are just about the main character on going on a spy mission and saving the world. There might be a little romance thrown in if the book is for older audience, but that's it. Nothing more. That's why I particularly like this series. Cammie goes to school for spies and her main "mission" is to stalk, I mean, friendly follow the boy that she had fallen in love with. That's a rather new twist that some people might find more realistic than your average spy story. Even if you still like the whole travel-to-Hong-Kong-and-infiltrate-a-group-of-bad-guys idea then there's some of that in the end too.

I said this in my review of GG2 but it is so easy to see that Ally Carter spent a LOT of time editing this book. She used the perfect words, made sure everything was spelled correctly, and unraveled the story at precisely the right time. You'd you shock me if you pointed out a line that didn't make sense or a grammatical error.

Cammie and her friends Bex and Liz are all very different. I think that this was very clever of the author to do because if you couldn't relate to Cammie, then there were two other people with their own opinions that you could agree or disagree with. However, I personally thought that Cammie was not only an easy person to associate with, but she was hilarious at times, too!

Plus, this novel had a very high re-readability factor. You can easily engross yourself in GG1 and find yourself turning the pages madly to read what will happen next just as if you were reading the book for the first time. This is definitely one of those books that you buy and read over and over and over again.

The Bottome Line: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You is very enjoyable and will leave you thinking "I will never judge someone by their appearance again!" For spy and adventure fans. A.

Guess Who? #11

2009-05-29T21:30:00.000-04:00

She is proud to be called a "Miss".
Her first book was actually for adults.
Author X's current best-selling series has two books in it . . .
. . . the first which was optioned by film by Walt Disney Pictures . . .
. . . and the third book in this awesome series will be out on June 9th, 2009.

So, this one wasn't too hard . . . right?

In Between These Pages #11

2009-05-27T18:32:00.000-04:00

Book Personality Quiz!

2009-05-25T20:38:00.000-04:00

Okay, everyone else is doing this quiz so I thought I'd join in the fun!

What's your reading personality? Are you an eclectic, serial, exacting or involved reader? Find out now by taking BookBrowse's fun, fast (and not to be taken too seriously!) quiz.

My Answer:

You don't just love to read books, you love to read about books. For you, half the fun of reading is the thrill of the chase - discovering new books and authors, and discussing your finds with others. If you don't already belong to a book club you probably should consider joining one, or even starting your own!

So, so true! If you've ever wondered why I started book blogging, the answer is staring you in the face! I love reading books, I love reviewing book, but most of all, I LOVE reading about books! The sad/funny thing is, that I am actually part of a book club (which is awesome BTW. You totally need to join one if you haven't yet).

What are you waiting for? Take this fun quiz.

Guess Who? Answer #10

2009-05-25T20:33:00.000-04:00

Last week's answer was . . .

. . . Lauren Myracle!

P.S. Would you guys like me to explain some of the hints in the original "Guess Who?" posts?

Paper Towns by John Green

2009-05-24T21:39:00.000-04:00

Title: Paper Towns
Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Books, A Member of Penguin
Publication Date: October 21st, 2008
Number of Pages: 305
Amazon Page
Author Site

When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge follows her. Margo has always planned extravagantly, and, until now, shes always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they are for Q.

Printz Medalist John Green returns with the trademark brilliant wit and heart-stopping emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of readers.

Brilliant. Amazing. Astonishing. These are words that can't even justify a fraction of how beautiful and powerful this book was. I am deeply shocked and upset with myself that I have not discovered the outstanding John Green sooner.

Paper Towns was an interesting and different idea. I liked reading from a males perspective, which I don't remember the last time I've done. I must say that Q was much more mature when I thought he would act like my eight-year-old brother but he (along with his companions Radar and Ben) did make me think "ew" once in a while.

I also thought the mystery aspect of this book was quite different. Have you ever read a mystery novel where the person that leaves the clues wants to be found? That they left the evidence on purpose? This novel had an interesting twist that still kept me entertained and VERY tempted to flip to the end of the book.

This novel also made me think of us book lovers. There is always going to be a line between us and everyone else. Not everyone will see it, but it's there. True readers will see the world differently. They can understand people more clearly, live in their shoes. They will analyze things from a more observant pair of eyes. Why? Because we've been there. We know what people think and why they do things. Some people will say that reading is similar to watching T.V., and it is - a little - but it's not the same. When we read, we know why things happen. We get inside the persons' head and understand. In watching television we draw things out of our own experiences and use that, which is not always valid. I know that Paper Towns has made me think of things differently. Very thought-provoking.

The Bottom Line: This is a book that I think everyone should read. If you don't, I have a feeling someones will convince you to pick it up anyways. This is NOT my last John Green book. A.

Guess Who? #10

2009-05-23T10:45:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry for the late "Guess Who?" post - again. I'm going to start doing them in advance so that they're never late.

Guess what?! It's "Guess Who?" time! If you're new, this meme is a guessing game where every Friday I post five facts about an author, each one a little more revealing then the one before, and then I give you the weekend to try and figure out who I'm talking about. The Monday following, I post the answer:

This author is a female.
She likes to write contemporary fiction.
Author X co-wrote two books with other a few other authors . . .
She's a books' BFF!
Another author miracle (sound familiar?).

Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata

2009-05-21T20:28:00.000-04:00

Title: Weedflower
Author: Cynthia Kadohata
Price: $5.99 U.S. ($6.99 CAN) Paperback
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks an imprint of Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: Aladdin Edition: January 2009, Original: 2006
Number of Pages: 260

Twelve-year-old Sumiko feels her life has been made up of two parts: before Pearl Harbor and after it. The good part and the bad part. Raised on a flower farm in California, Sumiko is used to being the only Japanese girl in her class. Even when the other kids tease her, she always has had her flowers and family to go home to.
That all changes after the horrific events of Pearl Harbor. Other Americans start to suspect that all Japanese people are spies for the emperor, even if, like Sumiko, they were born in the United States. As suspicions grow, Sumiko and her family find themselves being shipped to an internment camp in one of the hottest deserts in the United States. The vivid color of her previous life is gone forever, and now dust storms regularly choke the sky and seep into every crack of the military barrack that is her new "home."
Sumiko soon discovers that the camp is on an Indian reservation and that the Japanese are as unwanted there as they'd been at home. But then she meets a young Mohave boy who might just become her first real friend...if he can ever stop being angry about the fact that the internment camp is on his tribe's land.
With searing insight and clarity, Newbery Medal-winning author Cynthia Kadohata explores an important and painful topic through the eyes of a young girl who yearns to belong. Weedflower is the story of the rewards and challenges of a friendship across the racial divide, as well as the based-on-real-life story of how the meeting of Japanese Americans and Native Americans changed the future of both.

Before I start this review I just want to say one thing: I wouldn't have picked this book up if one of my favourite teachers hadn't recommended it to me. I often find historical fiction books confusing. In other words: history is not my favourite subject.

Halfway throughout this novel I thought I had the review already figured out: The Japanese internment idea was unique. Sumiko's lifestyle was very interesting to read about and it was described well. But.

I don't know if this was just me but the author wrote like she was talking to a six-year-old. Cynthia Kadohata's word choice was simple except for the occasional odd sentence or two. Japanese terms in this book were common and they were translated, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what they meant so I had to flip back a few pages and find the term. The protagonist's friendship with the Mohave boy occurred at the very end of the book so for a good chunk of this novel I was, well, bored. But.

Even though there wasn't much action in the beginning of this novel and Sumiko's friendship with Frank (the Mohave boy) didn't bloom until the end of the book, the friendship felt . . . different. Not like what so many people these day, especially kids, label as "friends" but something else.

Considering the fact that Frank and Sumiko were different genders, there was none of that mushy-gushy stuff or the "ewww, you're a girl" stuff either. The friendship between these two was close to hatred at first, but it grew to something unexpected - in more ways then one. I think that everyone should read this novel, if just for the ending.

The Bottom Line: An alright book but the author's take on friendship was "wow". This one is for you, historical fiction fans! B-.

In Between These Pages #10

2009-05-20T20:38:00.000-04:00

Sarah Dessen Challenge

2009-05-18T14:45:00.000-04:00

Em over at Em's Bookshelf is hosting a Sarah Dessen Challenge so I've decided to join her!

The Rules:

1) Read all 9 books by Sarah Dessen.
2) Set your own time frame. Don't stress...this is supposed to be fun! :)
3) Comment on this post or link to this post on your blog. The more people that hear about this, the more people we'll have cheering us on!

I'm going to try and read all of the books by the end of the year, not because I'm a slow reader (I don't think) but because I want to own all of the books as I read them.

Em is also hosting a contest to win an ARC of Sarah's newest book, Along For the Ride, so go over there and read the details! It ends tomorrow so you'll have to hurry!

P.S. I made the button up there by myself (my first!) and I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on improvement for next time? The quality is kind of suckish because I made the button small, then had to expand it.

Guess Who? Answer #9

2009-05-18T14:42:00.000-04:00

Last week's "Guess Who?" author was . . .

. . . Courtney Summers! Thanks to all who participated!

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

2009-05-17T19:33:00.000-04:00

Title: The Awakening
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Price: $17.99 U.S. (Hardcover), $16.96 CAN (Paperback)
Publisher: Doubleday (Canada), Harper Teen (U.S.) and Little Brown (U.K.)
Publication Date: May 2009
Number of Pages: 360

Warning: Do not read this review if you have not read the first book in the Darkest Powers series - The Summoning.

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

When I first started reading The Awakening I was pleasantly surprised. The previous book in this series - The Summoning - had a two-faced beginning so I was kind of wary to begin reading this novel. However, The Awakening showed not only a promising start with the always lovable Chloe, but there was also some Nancy Drew sleuthing going on which immediately had me smile.

After Chloe found out some dark secrets about the Edison group and escaped with Tori following a plan that can only be declared as "genius", I was sure that some exciting times were bound to follow. And I was right . . . kind of.

You see, while The Awakening contained some pretty cool fight scenes and you could sense a little romance in the air, it all just seemed very repetitive. Chloe along with the other supernaturals just always seemed to be doing the same thing: either running or hiding. Even though that made sense with the Edison group trying to find them, I was more then ready for a change of scenery.

Like The Awakening, I also found that there were some scenes that were a little too descriptive (read: scary parts). You can decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. But, besides that, I really enjoyed this book.

The Bottom Line: A little repetitive, but a good novel overall. A definite must of those of you who have read The Summoning. I believe fans of Twilight will like this book. A-.

I just have one question: Does anyone else find it odd that the protagonist's name, Chloe, isn't mentioned on the blurb? I checked on my Canadian copy of the book and it doesn't mention Chloe's name on the cover or inside flap anywhere.

New Layout + Widget

2009-05-16T14:04:00.000-04:00

As you can see, I changed my layout. I thought the previous one seemed a little too dark so I decided to change it to this bright one! What do you think? It's not too in-your-face, is it?

I also included a Amazon Book Search widget to the right for those of you who felt you need to order a book or get some more information right away. :)

Okay, now I'm just avoiding the real reason for this post. I don't know if this is just my computer, but is my blog post header turning up bright blue for you too? I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to do that . . .

Does anyone know how to fix this? I'm horrid at this computer stuff.

Guess Who? #9

2009-05-15T16:08:00.000-04:00

Guess what?! It's "Guess Who?" time! If you're new, this meme is a guessing game where every Friday I post five facts about an author, each one a little more revealing then the one before, and then I give you the weekend to try and figure out who I'm talking about. The Monday following, I post the answer:

This is a female.
She lives and writes in Canada (woohoo!).
She believes in the Nike slogan "Just do it!".
Her book may or may not have appeared on my blog. :)
I do believe she likes the "Summer" season.

So . . . what do you think? Is this too hard/easy again?

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

2009-05-14T20:15:00.000-04:00

Title: Cracked Up to Be
Author: Courtney Summers
Price: $9.95 U.S. ($10.95 CAN) Paperback
Publication Date: December 2008
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Number of Pages: 214

Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide watch and her counselors think she’s playing games…but what they don’t know, the real reason for this whole mess, isn’t something she can say out loud. It isn’t even something she can say to herself. A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. If she can just remove herself from everybody--be totally alone--then everything will be okay...The problem is, nobody will let her.

It's hard to explain certain aspects of this novel. Sometimes, this book is a hard slap on the face and other times, the writing is knowing, smart . . . a little surprising in this kind of novel. However, one thing I know for sure is that this book will stick with you for a while after you finish it. It really questions (in my opinion) destiny and whether some things are inevitable.

I couldn't get into this novel in the beginning. At first, I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about and I didn't get any insight into the big secret. Parker wouldn't let me get to know her. I know that's the way her character is and everything but I don't think that's the best way to start a book.

Thankfully, Parker opened up a little and then I was completely sucked into her story. Yesterday I was supposed to study for a rather large test I had today but I barely got any study time in because I was so engrossed in the book! If I fail my test I am blaming it all on you Courtney Summers . . . ;)

The author delivered pieces of Parker's mysterious past at just the right moment and she revealed just enough. I could also relate to Parker quite well even though she was quite the witch. I understood why she became who she was and why she did what she did. I believe anyone can relate to Parker's need to strive in perfection.

My only other complaint is the swearing in this book. They say the most colourful phrases I have ever heard/read. Grandma would be ashamed. Punk rockstar would be proud.

The bottom line: A good read despite what you might think at first. Will definitely make you think. Courtney Summers doesn't waste any words. B+.

In Between These Pages #9

2009-05-13T16:00:00.000-04:00

Interview With HerInteractive

2009-05-12T16:10:00.001-04:00

HerInteractive is the company behind the wonderful world of the Nancy Drew PC games.

You do remember Nancy, right? The one that always had a spare bobby pin for picking locks and knew Morse code so that she could tap-dance her way out of danger? The one with the original titian hair? The famous daughter of Carson Drew? I wish with all my heart I could interview one of the authors of the original hardback series, but I think they're all dead. Instead, I got to interview the wonderful Her Interactive team. Thanks Jessica!

. . .

Iryna: What inspired you to create a series of PC games based on the beloved Nancy Drew?

HerInteractive: Nancy Drew interested us because she is an icon and positive role model. Girls who read her books are taken to world where they can solve mysteries, find ill-gotten treasures, and capture culprits. Debuting in 1929, she was one of the first female heroes; her gutsy, resourceful, and intelligent nature make her a great heroine for the adventure game genre. Her Interactive secured the Nancy Drew license from Simon & Schuster in 1997.

Iryna: Are the staff members at Her Interactive a fan of the Nancy Drew books too?

HerInteractive: Yes! We have a collection of Nancy Drew books in our library that we like to peruse through every so often to get into the spirit of Nancy Drew.

Iryna: What would you consider to be the best part of your job?

HerInteractive: I love interacting with our fans and hearing what they have to say about our games. It’s important for us to understand what the fans want, and one of the most important aspects of my job, is to get feedback about what we’re doing well and what we could do better. So if you ever want to tell us something, email us at feedback@herinteractive.com. I also get to play a lot of games, Nancy Drew and then some – it helps us get a good idea of what other options girls might have besides our games.

Iryna: Do you ever wish that you could solve mysteries and travel the world like Nancy Drew?

HerInteractive: Yes! Although, I’m not sure I’m as brave as she is to go running into haunted houses.

Iryna: What do you think is Nancy’s best quality? Her worst?

HerInteractive: Nancy’s best quality is her ability to get things done, no matter what the obstacles are. She thinks outside of the box and uses all of her knowledge to find creative solutions out of sticky situations. Her flaw might be that she’s too perfect. She hardly ever makes a mistake and never has a bad hair day. It makes her character a little harder to relate to, but I suppose that’s part of the appeal of being Nancy Drew.

Iryna: How do you think up of the plot lines for all of your games?

HerInteractive: We look for topics that might be interesting to our fans and then craft a story around it. There’s also a wealth of Nancy Drew books that we can draw inspiration from, so that’s also very helpful. We also research a lot of topics and check our message board for anything our fans have been interested in experiencing. It’s all about the storytelling. We start off with a great mystery to hook the player, and then we lead them clues about the suspects until they reach the climax of the game. You’re constantly gathering clues and learning more about the suspects, but you never quite know if you’ve solved the case yet, so you keep going. The games appeal to a lot of people because they’re fun, challenging, and also wholesome. Once you’ve played one game, you’ll want to collect them all. We’ve sold over 5.5 million units to date.

Iryna: In your PC games you see the game directly as Nancy would. Why did you not decide to show how Nancy physically looks and what gave you the idea to do this?

HerInteractive: You’ll never see Nancy in our games because we want our players to be able to step into her shoes and be a spunky young sleuth who can solve any mystery. Nancy is smart, adventurous, and gutsy and this is the players chance to be just that. Wearing the perfect outfit and having killer heels is just the icing on the cake. J

Iryna: How long does it typically take for a ND game to be created?

HerInteractive: It takes about 8 months to create a game.

Iryna: Recently, you created a new Nancy Drew: Dossier PC game series that is a lot like “I Spy” - you must find items to advance in the game. What gave you the idea to do this?

HerInteractive: Our fans have always asked us to make more Nancy Drew games – they have to wait a long time from the fall release to the summer release. So we’ve created a new series, called Nancy Drew Dossier that Fast Fun for Busy Detectives. It has everything a fan would want from a Nancy Drew game - puzzles, mystery, suspects - but the gameplay is different. You still need to look for clues, but this time, you’ll find them all in the same scene, and then you’ll have to use them together correctly to solve the mystery. In addition, there are some fun mini-games that you can replay in Arcade Mode. We came up with this idea because not everyone has the time to sit down to a complex and challenging adventure – it’s a great way to fill the time between the Adventure Series games. To see more information about the two series, check out our comparison chart. Our first title in the Dossier series is Lights, Camera, Curses! – try it out, it’s different, but it’s still fun!

Iryna: Sometimes, in the ND adventure games you can call the famous Hardy Boys to ask for help in the case you are currently working on. How did you think up of this?

HerInteractive: Nancy has friends that she often asks for help from in the books ranging from Bess, George, Ned, Carson Drew, and the Hardy Boys. They’re all a very important part of her world. We needed a hint system for the games, and since Nancy collaborates with the Hardy Boys in the Super Mystery books, we though this would be a great idea. You can actually play as the Hardy Boys in Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon and Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave. In Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships (releases summer 2009), you’ll be able to meet Nancy’s best friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne, as animated characters for the first time!

Iryna: What’s in the future for Her Interactive?

HerInteractive: We had a phenomenal year in 2008 with the release of our first Wii game, Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek, and two chart topping PC games: Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice and Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy. This year, we’ll release two Adventures series titles, the first being Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships releasing this summer and our 21^st game in the fall. Recently, our new Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses just shipped into retail stores and we’re looking forward to releasing a sequel to the game this summer as well. Also, look for our first entry into the handheld market and Hardy Boys game with The Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Tracks. It’s going to be an exciting year, so make sure you keep checking www.HerInteractive.com for the latest updates!

. . .

Thanks for letting me interview you, HerInteractive!

So, what did you guys think? Do you want more interviews that have to do with books, but don't always have to do with authors or bloggers? Or was this a little too off topic?

Guess Who? Answer #8

2009-05-11T07:19:00.000-04:00

I'd like to say thank-you to everyone who provided me with feedback on last week's "Guess Who?". I think I made that one a little too hard . . .

Anyways, last week's featured author was . . .

. . . Gail Carson Levine who is also the author of Ella Enchanted!

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

2009-05-10T20:45:00.001-04:00

Title: The Summoning
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Price: U.S. $17.99 (Hardcover), CAN $14.95 (Paperback)
Publisher: Doubleday (Canada), Harper Teen (U.S.) and Little Brown (U.K.)
Publication Date: July 1st, 2008
Number of Pages: 390

kelleyarmstrong.com:

Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yes, like in the films. The problem is, in real life saying you see ghosts gets you a one-way ticket to the psych ward. And at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school and maybe get a boy to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghost haunts her, she gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Her seemingly crazed behaviour earns her a trip to Lyle House, a centre for 'disturbed teens'. At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down. But then her room mate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behaviour. Could that be a coincidence? Or is Lyle House not quite what it seems...? Chloe realizes that if she doesn't uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse...? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret?

I'm having a hard time writing this review. I mean, hard. Have any of you book bloggers out there ever felt this frustration? I've been staring at this computer screen for at least half an hour and nothings coming, so I've decided to create a list, which always seems to help:

What I Liked About This Book:

Even though the plot isn't 100% original, I liked the whole idea. If you're a fan of Ghost Whisperer, I have a feeling you'll like this one!
Something I don't see often in a book is a protagonist who wants to be a movie director. Chloe's thoughts and opinions were sometimes dusted in a sparkling, strawberry-scented coat of the movie world. I definetly learned a few things about the film industry!
I definetly didn't predict the twists and turns in this book. And the fact that there were so many of them really made this a surprising novel.
The ending holds a lot of potential for the second book which, in other words, makes it GREAT! The Awakening, the second book in the Darkest Powers series, is definitely at the top of my TBR list!

What I Didn't Like:

I don't know if this is just me, but I noticed that some sentences just didn't make sense. I would post an example, but I think the grammarical error-ified sentences are hiding from me. I'll try to find an example and I'll post it here later.
In the beginning, it felt like someone hit the fast-forward button. I missed quite a few vital details so I had to re-read. Then, when Chloe arrived at the Lyle House, things slowed down so much that my eyes started to droop. Thankfully, things sped up again once I got to the middle of this novel.

The "In The Middle" Stuff:

There is a scene where Chloe accidentally raises zombies from the dead which is, in my opinion, plain creepy! I got goosebumps over goosebumps! Sure, this is a sign of good writing, but it was also scary! This might not be the case for everyone however, since I seem to be a bit of a scardy cat . . .

The Bottom Line: This was a pretty good book after you got over the two faced beginning! Would be best for paranormal and movie lovers. B+.

Guess Who? #8

2009-05-08T21:44:00.000-04:00

"Guess Who?" is the guessing game where every Friday I post five facts about an author, each one a little more revealing then the one before, and then I give you the weekend to try and figure out who I'm talking about. The Monday following, I post the answer. Here is this week's:

The author is female.
She likes to roam the world of fantasy.
This author was born in 1947.
Author X's first book was written before 2000 . . .
. . . which was turned into one of my favourite kid's movies.

So, what do you think? Was this too easy? Too hard?

In Between These Pages #8

2009-05-06T12:35:00.000-04:00

The Specialists: Down to the Wire by Shannon Greenland

2009-05-05T19:15:00.000-04:00

Title: Down to the Wire
Author: Shannon Greenland
Average Price: $6.99 U.S. ($8.99 CAN) Paperback
Publication Date: September 2007
Publisher: Penguin
Number of Pages: 213

shannongreenland.com:

Frankie has an uncanny knack for electronics, specifically breaking into the most elaborate security systems. Which is precisely why he was recruited by the Specialists. And after only a few months in the organization, Frankie, aka Wirenut, is ready for his first mission. When wealthy entrepreneur Octavias Zorba hires the Specialists to recover a stolen neurotoxin, the head of the Specialists is sure that Wirenut is perfect for the job. But there's a catch. The computer-coded hints that will lead to the neurotoxin are hidden in a few precious museum artifacts, which happen to be securely locked away. And when these hints are found, there is limited time to get them decoded or they will disappear forever. Enter GiGi and her computer-code genius ability. But when GiGi and Wirenut begin their mission, they find themselves up against a few obstacles, including a copy cat who turns up everywhere they go. And suddenly they find themselves on a fast-paced hunt for the criminal, with time quickly running out....

Before I start this review I just want to say sorry about my current spy book addiction. You all must be sick and tired of hearing about the latest (and greatest) spy books. I'll try to mix to up a bit!

The second book in The Specialists series starts off with how one of the spies, Wirenut (a.k.a. Frankie) lands a position as one of the member of the Specialists. I thought his story was very interesting and had a wonderful tie-in with the plot of this book. I also liked how each book of The Specialists series focuses on one particular member. I really felt like I knew the characters.

Right after Wirenut's story ends we pick right up from the first book, Model Spy. The story moved quickly which made this book quite enjoyable. Unlike last time, I found that Shannon Greenland made the cliffhangers in these books a bit more dramatic and realistic.

What I noticed straight away when I started this book was all the detail that went in regarding each person's special skill. I learned so much about security systems, what types there are and how to break in to them that I'm sure I could write a little "how to" right now! It was incredible!

I like the betrayal the author threw into the end and how the mission in this book had a lot to do with Wirenut and his past. The only thing that I thought was really unnecessary was the gory scene at the mansion. Ewwww. Too much detail. In fact, I think that could have been taken out all together.

The Bottom Line: This is a cute, fast-paced novel that I would recommend to you spy book lovers out there and to some of the younger readers. I'm giving this novel a B.

Cover Note: I don't know if this is just me, but does the leg on the cover bother you? I don't think it looks natural and its driving me insane!

Iryna

Confessions (Sunday Scribbles #1)

2009-05-04T21:03:00.000-04:00

I've decided that once in a while, probably not every week, I'm going to participate in this new meme that actually doesn't have to do a lot with books. However, I think it is pretty darn cool so I'm going to try my hand at this.*

Over at the blog Sunday Scribbles two bloggers post a writing challenge for people to complete each week. This week's challenge is to talk about confessions.

Hmmm. Do I have any confessions? I hate cherries. Everything except for the pure, wholesome, un-sugar-afied, organic thing. But that's not really something you want to hear about, am I right?

I guess I picked a pretty bad day to start this "Sunday Scribbles" thing on but I just thought the idea was really, really cool so I wanted to try it. That's a confession, right?

Okay, think book-related . . . Oohh! I got something! I guess this isn't really a confession to you 99% of the readers on this blog, but to one person in particular . . . you'll figure it out. :)

Here is a conversation I had with Friend X:

Friend X and I are walking to math (?) class when X says:

"You won't believe it Iryna! You know that book that I requested from the library?"

X doesn't wait for me to reply.

"Well, I went to pick it up from the library yesterday but some idiot didn't return it on time so I didn't get it! Can you believe it?!"

Oooops. I don't say anything but in my head I make a mental note to return the only copy of that book to the library ASAP.

X? I'm sorry! *blushes*

*Yeah, I know it's not Sunday but "Monday" rhymes with "Sunday" so it totally works out. :D

Guess Who? Answer #7

2009-05-04T20:59:00.000-04:00

You guessed it! The answer to last week's "Guess Who?" is . . .

. . . Sarah Dessen!

P.S. Would you like me to make these "Guess Who?" posts harder?

I Need Your Help!

2009-05-03T13:32:00.000-04:00

STOP!

If you are my mother, stop reading this blog entry right now. With that said . . .

As you all know, Mother's Day is coming up in a week. I suck at buying/making presents for my parents so I have decided the safe way to go about to buying a Mother's Day gift is to buy her a book. However, I can't just buy my mom any old novel because last Christmas I bought her a romance novel (all women like romances, right?) and the only purpose it has served is a good coaster for hot drinks.

The other day I was at Chapters and saw a display of The Chicken Soup for the Soul books and I though "Huh, why I don't I buy her one of those books?." But when I went over to the display a different series by Jack Canfield caught my eye - the Life Lessons series.

This looks like a really good new series and I think I want to buy my mom one of the three of these books.

My mother is a women and a mom (duh) but she's also into this whole "positive thinking" thing which I think is what the gold/blue book is all about. All of these books cost the same so price won't come into the overall scheme of things.

So, what do you guys think? Which book do you think I should buy her? Or do you have a whole new book idea?

Life Lesson for Busy Moms

Life Lessons for Women

Life Lessons for Mastering the Law of Attraction

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

2009-05-02T13:07:00.000-04:00

Title: Audrey, Wait!
Author: Robin Benway
Average Price: U.S. $8.99 ($11.00 CAN) Paperback
Publisher: Razor Bill (Penguin)
Publication Date: 2008
Number of Pages: 313

Book Excerpt

From audreywait.com:

California high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called The Do-Gooders. Evan writes, "Audrey, Wait!," a break-up song that's so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous!

Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every move!) Audrey can't hang out with her best friend or get with her new crush without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi.

Take a wild ride with Audrey as she makes headlines, has outrageous amounts of fun, confronts her ex on MTV, and gets the chance to show the world who she really is.

For those of you who have read Audrey, Wait! then I'm sure it won't shock you when I tell you that my first thought when I finished this book was "Wow. Just wow."

When I first started this novel I had some trouble getting into it. I couldn't relate to Audrey at all. I remember reading a line in the book that went something like "If you don't like you music loud enough for the neighbours to call the cops then I'm afraid we won't get along very well." Please Note: I don't speak music (except for Christmas carols). I still have no idea who Lady Gaga is and I pride myself in the fact that I am familiar with Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus.

I also absolutely loathed the swearing in this book. Me + swearing = unhappy customer. Every time someone swore in this book I flinched. I'm sure I got permanent nerve damage from that.

However, I hung on to this book and kept reading because A) Audrey is one of the most entertaining fictional characters that I have ever met, B) I wanted to know if James would start speaking again and C) It was HILARIOUS reading about the predicaments Audrey got herself into. Finally, sometime in the middle of the book, Audrey began to realize that she had to do something about her sudden uprise in popularity if she ever wanted to make it home from school without being trampled by fans. This is probably when I started to relate to Audrey and really get caught up in the story.

On the back of my copy of this book it has a quote from Pop Culture Junkie: "I want to be friends with Audrey, James, Victoria and Jonah" and I have to say - I couldn't agree with you more! The only thing I kind of found . . . unbelievable about James was how different he was once you got to know him. It almost felt a little too surreal.

This book is perfect for anyone (especially music fans!) who would love to hear the truth about being famous and the way some people feel about it. I'm giving it an A-!

Guess Who? #7

2009-05-01T22:19:00.000-04:00

Girly-girl (I think).
All of her book covers seem to be made up of legs/arms.
Two of her books were mushed together and made into a movie.
New book coming out this June.
Initials: S.D.

So . . .

In Between These Pages #7

2009-04-29T21:50:00.000-04:00

Has a quote ever painted a smile onto your face? Or made you seriously think? Or even have made you see things in a different perspective? Well, that's what "In Between These Pages" is all about! Each week I will post quotes from books that have done just that. This meme was invented by Christina at "Insert Book Title Here" but I have decided to rename it "In Between These Pages".

Marilla, commenting on whether or not she'll keep Anne:

"If she can avoid catastrophe two days in a row, I might have a chance to make up my mind."

"Friends don't leave you alone in the woods. Friends are the ones who come and take you out."

The Squad: Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

2009-04-28T19:40:00.000-04:00

Title: The Squad: Perfect Cover
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Average Price: $6.99 U.S. ($8.99 CAN) Paperback
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf
Publication Date: February 12, 2008
Number of Pages: 275

Bayport High operates like any other high school - jocks at the top, outsiders at the bottom, and everyone else in between. Enter Toby Klein, a sophomore computer hacker who doesn't play well with others. She has zero school spirit, a black belt in karate, and what her guidance counselor calls an "attitude problem." She's the last person you’d expect to be invited to join the varsity cheerleading squad.

But things are different at Bayport.

Bayport's varsity cheer squad is made up of the hottest of the hot. But this A-list is dangerous in more ways than one. The Squad is actually a cover for the most highly trained group of underage government operatives the United States has ever assembled. Athletically, they're unmatchable, though they make it all look easy on the field. Mentally, they're exceptional - but with one flash of their gorgeous smiles, you'll completely forget that. Socially, they're gifted, so they can command and manipulate any situation. And above all, they have the perfect cover, because, beyond herkies and highlights, no one expects anything from a cheerleader.

Toby Klein might not seem like the most likely recruit, but she’s never been one to turn down a challenge. If she can hand the makeover, Bayport High may just have found its newest cheerleader.

Pretty, popular, armed, and extremely dangerous - meet THE SQUAD.

When I cracked open the hot pink cover of "Perfect Cover" I was expecting a lot after reading some pretty good reviews on Amazon. Maybe if I read this book without expecting anything I would have liked it better. Or not.

This story started off well enough: the main character, Toby Klein, is sent a mysterious note form the cheerleaders asking her to come try out for the squad. At first, she flat out declines but then changes her mind when she finds a secret message cleverly woven into the note. So Toby decides to try out by going to the first meet.

Um, boring. By the time Toby goes to the first meeting I was yawning (and not only because I started this novel in the evening!). The amount of action in the beginning of this book is atom-sized. Sure, Jennifer Barnes layed out the story very nicely but what about the main ingredient in a good novel: conflict? There was almost no conflict in this book!

However, I thought the author created very believable characters considering the main ones were all cheerleaders. All of the girls on The Squad had personalities - even Bubbles. The main character's voice was also funny and believable.

Even though there was not a lot of action in this book, the spy missions that The Squad went on were, in a word, perfect. The missions themselves were not flawless (mistakes were made) but the way they were planned out and the cool gadgets that were used was brilliant.

In the end, this was a good book that even had a little romance in it, but it was deeply lacking suspense and action (until the end) so I think it deserves a C+.

Guess Who? Answer #6

2009-04-27T21:48:00.000-04:00

Thanks a million to everyone who participated in last week's "Guess Who?"! The author was . . .

. . . Laurie Halse Anderson!

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

2009-04-26T12:32:00.000-04:00

Title: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
Author: Ally Carter
Average Price: $16.99 U.S. (19.75 CAN) Hardcover
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: 2007
Number of Pages:236

After the excitement of the fall, all Cammie Morgan wants is peaceful semester at school. But that's easier said than done when you're a CIA legacy and go to the premier school in the world...for spies.

Despite Cammie's best intentions, trouble crops up quickly. Cammie, Bex, and Liz learn that the Gallagher Academy is hosting guests from another spy school -- a school that is known to the world as the Ethan Frome Academy--a secret spy school for boys.

After her fiasco with Josh last fall, Cammie isn't sure she's ready for daily encounters with boy spies - especially after she meets Zach -- an incorrigible cutie who everyone thinks is just perfect. Cammie is right to be worried about their new guests. Soon after the boys' arrival, she's blamed for a series of security breaches that leave the school's top-secret status at risk. And the perfectly crushable Zach is her prime suspect. The Gallagher Girls will need to use all their skills to investigate the Frome Boys. Even though they're confident about their guy-spying ( as if they haven't done it before!), the playing field is level this time, and the stakes for Cammie's heart-and her beloved school- are higher than ever.

I read the first book in the Gallagher Girls series last year (I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You) and enjoyed it very much, but I never got around to reading the second book in the series. And boy, am I ever glad that I did!

Ally Carter starts off the second book in this spy series right where it leaves off in the first book, which is a must for me in a good series because I don't want to miss anything! I found it very easy to get into this book even though it was a bit slow at first.

You can almost immediately see once you starts this book that the author spent a lot of time on the character development. Each of the main characters had this little quirk or feature about them that I could instantly make a connection to and feel closer to the characters. Ally Carter really layed on the suspense and mystery in this book and each time a twist occurred I was totally surprised!

I loved all of the spy references Carter made in this novel - it just made this book that much more fun! What I most admire about the way that Ally Carter wrote this book is that she also wrote about how being a spy wasn't just all fun and games. Sometimes, real spies got caught. Sometimes, real spies got hurt. Sometimes, real spies didn't come back from a mission.

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy is a thrilling and very enjoyable book that I would recommend to just about anyone - but please read this series in order! You owe that much to your self! :) A.

One other thing: If you haven't read this series yet then a group of book bloggers have just started having weekly discussions about the series. More info here.

Guess Who? #6

2009-04-24T17:32:00.000-04:00

Hello, female author!
On her books, this author includes her middle name.
Almost all of her novels have one-word titles.
One of her books was turned into a movie in 2004 . . .
. . . starring one of the cast members from Twilight.

Any ideas?

Not one, but TWO awards!

2009-04-23T18:28:00.000-04:00

I am super excited because I got two awards this past week! Well, the Bookworm did re-nominate me for the Sisterhood award (thank-you!!) but I don't know if that counts . . .

The Splash Award

Thanks a bunch to Fantastic Book Reviews!

The Rules:
1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.

3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom your received your Splash award.
6) Have F~U~N

One Lovely Blog Award

Merci Jen!

The Rules

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

As usual, I am going to nominate the brilliant blogs out there that I haven't nominated before:

Steph Su at Steph Su Reads. Steph somehow manages to blog about the most worthwhile and interesting things. Her reviews are well written and her contests have the perfect picks (BTW, she's having one right now)!
Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. Alea's blog is, to put it into simple terms, fun. Her reviews and memes are also unbelievable.
Vania at Reverie Book Reviews. She posts daily and with great enthusiasm! You can tell that she really loves books . . .
Carol(ina) at Bookluver-Carol's Reviews. She posts unbelievable author interviews, hosts great guest blogs, has mouth-dropping contests AND it was recently her blogoversary. Happy Blogoversary, Carol!
Senfaye at A Maze of Books. She's really, unbelievably sweet and has a very original rating sustem - go check it out!

Once again, big thank-you and air hug goes to Jen and Fantastic Book Reviews!

In Between These Pages #6

2009-04-22T19:17:00.000-04:00

Has a quote ever painted a smile onto your face? Or made you seriously think? Or even have made you see things in a different perspective? Well, that's what "In Between These Pages" is all about! Each week I will post quotes from books that have done just that. This meme was invented by Christina at "Insert Book Title Here" but I have decided to rename it "In Between These Pages".

"I live in two worlds. One is a world of books. I've been a resident of Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County, hunted the white whale abroad the Pequod, fought alongside Napolean, sailed a raft with Huck and Jim, committed absurdities with Ignatius J. Reilly, rode a sad train with Anna Karenina, and strolled down Swann's Wat. It's a rewarding world."

-Rory Gilmore, "The Gilmore Girls"*

*Okay, this quote isn't technically from a book but I just had to share it with someone!

While Toby is trying to do a cheerleader chant.

"If you don't feel stupid, you're not doing it right."

-Tara

Guess Who? Answer #5

2009-04-20T09:01:00.000-04:00

Once again I am truly very sorry for posting a late "Guess Who?" last weekend. I won't be late this Friday! I swear! And now, the moment you've all been waiting for . . .

Jean Little was last week's "Guess Who?" author!

The Specialists: Model Spy by Shannon Greenland

2009-04-19T19:36:00.000-04:00

Title: Model Spy
Author: Shannon Greenland
Average Price: $6.99 U.S. ($8.99 CAN) Paperback Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: May 2007
Number of Pages: 206

Teen genius Kelly James is in a lot of hot water. A whiz with computers, she agreed to help her college friend, David, uncover some top-secret information. After all, she doesn’t have many friends and David has always been nice to her. It doesn’t hurt that he’s super cute and irresistible, too. All she has to do is hack into the government’s main computer system but a few hours later, her whole life changes. She is caught and taken in for questioning, only this isn’t your run-of-the-mill arrest. Rather than serve a juvenile detention sentence, she accepts the option to change her name and enlist in a secret government spy agency that trains teen agents to go undercover. As if that wasn’t overwhelming enough, she discovers that David works for this agency as well! And before she even begins to understand what is going on, she’s sent on her first mission as an undercover model. And who better to partner with than David himself!

I have to say: I love a good spy story. All of the karate, secret gadgets, dressing up and computer hacking makes a shiver go down my spine. I love the idea of going on adventures and kicking some bad guy booty so naturally I picked this book up. It was not what I expected . . . in both a good and bad way.

What I first realized about Shannon Greenland (other then her cool name) is that she gets straight to the point and she doesn't try to conjure any cliff hangers in this book. That really slowed down the pace of this story so I was tempted to put it down. I also think that sometimes the characters in the story didn't act normally. For example: Kelly is upset that she was tricked into becoming a spy (not a spoiler!) so she contemplates wether or not to quit. Um, did I hear you correctly? You don't want to be a spy? Why? Who doesn't want to go on awesome adventures and use exploding dental floss? WHO?

*silence* Ahem. Anyways, on to the brighter side of things.

I really liked that Shannon gave each of her characters a special trait that made them stand out. I enjoyed reading about the current flavour of lollipop Kelly was sucking on and what Bruiser's latest shirt said.

What really surprised me about this book is that even though Shannon Greenland didn't really add any twists to the spy area of things, she took all of the basics - parties, computer hacking, secret passageways - and made them seem totally original. I think that's one of the Shannon's best qualities: She turns coal into diamonds.

If you want a fun book with a little light romance then this novel might be right for you. B-.

Guess Who? #5

2009-04-19T12:45:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know, I know - I'm not one but TWO days late! I'm really sorry guys! I give you permission to sigh disappointingly at me all you want!

Here are the instructions for this weekly segment: every Friday (in this case, Sunday) I will post five facts about an author, each one a little more revealing then the one before, and I will give you the weekend to try and figure out who I'm talking about. The Monday following, I will post the answer. Here is this week's:

This is a female author.
She lives in Canada, Ontario and, in fact, the same city as me (Guelph)!
Unfortunately, this author is almost blind.
Dear Canada, do you know who this author is?
She's not related to Stuart Little.

So . . . what do you think?

In Between These Pages #5

2009-04-15T17:29:00.000-04:00

Has a quote ever painted a smile onto your face? Or made you seriously think? Or even have made you see things in a different perspective? Well, that's what "In Between These Pages" is all about! Each week I will post quotes from books that I personally enjoyed. This meme was invented by Christina at "Insert Book Title Here" but I have decided to rename it "In Between These Pages".

"Everyone has some darkness inside. It's like a hungry creature. It wants and wants and wants with a terrible power. And the more you give, the bigger and hungrier it gets."

"There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."

By the way, if you're wondering why I haven't updated my "The Book I'm Currently Devouring" gadget it's because I've kind of forgotten it and, well . . . yeah. Sorry about that guys! I'm fixing it now.

Added Later: If you're wondering why the lettering is so funky in this post it's because Blogger hates me. I have no idea how to work this computer.

Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn

2009-04-14T14:07:00.000-04:00

Title: Distant Waves
Author: Suzanne Weyn
Average Price: $17.99 U.S. ($22.99 CAN) Hardcover
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: April 2009
Number of Pages: 330

Science, spiritualism, history, and romance intertwine in Suzanne Weyn's newest novel. Five sisters and their mother make their way from a spiritualist town in New York to London, becoming acquainted with journalist W. T. Stead, scientist Nikola Tesla, and industrialist John Jacob Astor. When they all find themselves on the Titanic, one of Tesla's inventions dooms them...and one could save them.

I absolutely adore the cover. The floating dress with the tulips gives it a slightly eerie and mysterious feel that catches my breath. I love the way the dress folds at the bottom and the cluster of bubbles. This cover is probably the only reason I picked up this book.

When I first started this novel I wasn't sure what to expect. This book is set a hundred year into the past so of course you can claim it as historical fiction which is not my favourite. However, I was excited to see how Suzanne Weyn would use the Titanic as the main plot in her novel.

At first I found it quite difficult to get into the novel but after the first few chapters that was not a problem. I was shocked at how easily I could relate to Jane, the main character, and how her thoughts matched mine almost exactly. However, I took me a good chunk of the book to get used to Jane's name - even now I'm not sure that it's quite right for her.

I thought the language they used in the book was very accurate except for the odd word or two. The part where Jane and her older sister, Mimi, go to New York was perfect in almost every sense of the word (especially Thad *sigh*) but, well . . . something happened.

I'm not really sure what is even was, maybe is was the fact that I missed Thad and Mimi, but the story slowed down considerably and I just wasn't that involved in it. However, when Jane and her family go to England the story picked up it's pace again and it was quite enjoyable once again.

The way the author tied in spiritualism into the book was what I though quite clever and entertaining. I liked the way Suzanne got the characters abroad the Titanic and everything that went from there ESPECIALLY the twists she put into the end (Suzanne you are a genious!) but I thought the sinking of the Titanic could have been a bit more dramatized.

I think almost anyone can enjoy this remarkable tale which is why I am giving it an A-.

sniff sniff

2009-04-13T11:37:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh. Thank-you SO much Jen for the mutant Zombie Chicken Award! This is such an honor! I feel tears starting to form. Also, I'm really sorry for not posting this sooner! I have an absolutely horrid memory . . .

"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..."

BTW, the chicken on the left is Bob and the one on the right is Pickle. Don't get their names mixed up.

Anyways, since I always have a terrible time trying to decide which blogs to nominate I'm simply going to nominate ones I haven't nominated before. Now, in no particular order:

Amy from Addicted To Books. I have recently just discovered her blog but its still unbelievable! She also created her very own meme called "An Oldie, But A Goodie".
Nancy from Tales of a Ravenous Reader. Nancy just takes normal memes and reviews and makes them so . . . fun! Just go check out her blog.
Megan from Simply Books. She reviews books very clearly and precisely. If book reviewing was a subject in school she'd get straight A's!
The Compulsive Reader. This blog is so professional and at the same time, personal. In her author interviews she asks great questions!
Cupcake Witch. She has "cupcakes" in her blog title so that automatically makes her cool. :) Annndddd her blog is refreshingly funny.
Jen from 50 for Jen. I know that Jen gave me this award and all but she is just so awesome and cool that I HAVE to thank her. So . . . thanks Jen!

Have a Happy Belated Easter everyone!

Guess Who? Answer #4

2009-04-13T11:30:00.000-04:00

Thank-you to everyone who took part in last Friday's meme! The mystery author is:

Gordon Korman!

Guess Who? #4

2009-04-10T18:24:00.000-04:00

I love a good mystery, don't you? I also love reading books by certain authors! Mystery + Authors = "Guess Who?" This meme works like this: every Friday I will post five facts about an author, each one a little more revealing then the one before, and I will give you the weekend to try and figure out who I'm talking about. The Monday following, I will post the answer. Sound like fun? If so, then here is this week's:

This is a male author.
He was born in Quebec, Canada.
This author has written approximately 55 (!) books.
He wrote his first published novel when he was twelve.
This writer wrote the second book in a certain interactive book series that includes web games and trading cards.

So . . . what do you think?

Author Interview With Joy Lynn Goddard

2009-04-10T09:30:00.000-04:00

Joy Lynn Goddard is the spectacular Canadian author of the Northview Tales series. Her novels include "Daredevils", "Charlie's Song", "Hello, my name is Emily" and "Jazz" which are all coming-of-age stories.

. . . . . .

A Garden of Books: Thanks for doing this interview with me! My first question is: why did you decide to write your first novel, "Daredevils"?

Joy Lynn Goddard: Well, a girl I once taught when I was teaching Grade 7 played on a hockey team and she was constantly being bullied. At the same time one of my friend's sons fell head first in the Niagra Falls so I connected the two. Actually, I wrote "Daredevils" in the bathroom.

A Garden of Books: Okay . . . why?

Joy Lynn Goddard: Because at the time I was living in my parents home and the only three-pronged plug was in the bathroom.

A Garden of Books: Wow, you must really have been motivated! You are also a mother and a teacher. That's great! So, how do you find time to write between your family and your teaching?

Joy Lynn Goddard: Aaagh! My husband does a lot of the marketing and buys the produce and everything so because of him, I somehow find the time to write. I also make sure that every Sunday and Saturday and during the holidays I wake up at around 5:00 a.m. and write for 5- 10 hours.

A Garden of Books: I've noticed that, so far, all of your novels are young adult contemporary fiction. Why do you write in that genre instead of, for example, science - fiction?

Joy Lynn Goddard: I guess it's just because I have these pictures in my head and there is a stoey to be told. They're probably contemporary fiction because it has to do with what's going on around me.

A Garden of Books: Do you have a favourite book that you wrote?

Joy Lynn Goddard: For sure it's "Jazz" because of the part that includes refrences the the Underground Railway, which is absolutaly fascinating to me. I can't believe how poorly they treated those people! I really wanted to teach kids about this but kids don't like to be told facts so I put it into a story.

A Garden of Books: Which one of your characters are most like you?

Joy Lynn Goddard: Om my goodness. I don't know . . . As I kid I was flighty so I was probably most like Alex. I was very interested in a lot of different things . . . I guess there is a bit of me in all of my characters.

A Garden of Books: Do you have a favourite book?

Joy Lynn Goddard: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

A Garden of Books: Can you give us a sneak peak of your next book, "Mrs. Maloney's Garden"?

Joy Lynn Goddard: Sure. It's a book about a group of boys whose baseball lands in a little old ladies backyard and the boys believe there is a dead body buried in the backyard. They also believe the lady is a witch because she does such strage things. This novel also talks about how to keep your own flower garden. *

A Garden of Books: If one of your books were to be made into a movie, which one do you think would be the best choice?

Joy Lynn Goddard: "Daredevils". I think it would make a good movie.

. . . . . .

Thanks for letting me interview you, Joy! I had a brilliant time! You can visit her website here.

* "Mrs. Maloney's Garden" is for ages up to 10.

Jazz by Joy Lynn Goddard

2009-04-08T17:10:00.000-04:00

Title: Jazz
Author: Joy Lynn Goddard
Average Price: $15.95
Publisher: Chestnut Publishing
Publication Date: 2008
Number of Pages: 205

Jazz hates her life!

She and her dad have moved around a lot, but this time they've gone too far. They've just moved to the middle of nowhere, and their house is old and full of creepy noises. When she complains that it's haunted, her dad pokes fun at her.

To make matters worse, practically everyone at school treats her as if she's got a contagious disease. Bailey, the most popular girl of all, is the worst. She's convinced that Jazz is interested in Luke, Bailey's boyfriend, just because Luke and Jazz have become partners at the rowing club.

When Bailey warns Jazz that she's as good as dead, Jazz doesn't take the threat seriously until it's too late!

Luke finds her unconscious on the ground and has only seconds to save her!

Personally, this is my favourite Joy Lynn Goddard book because not only is it good, but I found I could relate to it very well. Whether you've moved to a new country or simply started taking swimming lessons, we've all been "the new kid".

Joy Lynn Goddard constructed the layout of this novel very well and I thought she threw in the ghost mystery very skillfully. This little "add-in" was both interesting and it also changed the focus of the novel without distracting the reader. It simply made me madly flip the pages to find out what was going to happen next.

I thought the author also wrote the main characters' voices very well. The only thing I found annoying about them was that sometimes Joy capitalized the letters of a word to emphasize the meaning. In my opinion, that was a bit much.

Overall this is definitely a page-turner that deserves an A.

Note: If you're wondering what happened to the cover, I couldn't find one on the internet since this book was released late last year. I tried to scan my copy of the book but, well . . . use your imaginations. In other words, the results weren't good.

In Between These Pages #4

2009-04-08T12:54:00.000-04:00

Has a quote ever painted a smile onto your face? Or made you seriously think? Or even have made you see things in a different perspective? Well, that's what "In Between These Pages" is all about! Each week I will post quotes from books that have done just that. This meme was invented by Christina at "Insert Book Title Here" but I have decided to rename it "In Between These Pages".

Alice: "I'll play you for it. Rock, paper, scissors."
Edward: "Why don't you just tell me who wins?"
Alice: "I do. Excellent."

"The police chief, there to greet them, is a hefty fellow with a brilliant red nose and an IQ that's probably less than the total of his pocket change."

(Okay, okay. This quote isn't from a book. It's short story written by Sarah McComb called "Death By Pencils" and it was published by "What If?" magazine in Summer 2008. Link to story here.)

"Things always come back to us in the end . . . just not always in the ways we expect."

Hello, my name is Emily by Joy Lynn Goddard

2009-04-06T19:50:00.000-04:00

Title: Hello, my name is Emily
Author: Joy Lynn Goddard
Average Price: $14.95
Publisher: Chestnut Publishing
Publication Date: March 2008
Number of Pages: 161

For a smart girl, Emily is planning to do something really stupid . . .

She’s mad at her mother. So what else is new? As a typical teenager, Emily wants a life, but her mother wants to ruin everything! She even treats the family dog better than she does Emily. Besides, she’s not even her real mother - Emily and Taylor, her brother, were adopted.

As Emily begins the search for her birth mother, she reaches a dead end, but then a man sends her an email that changes her life. She wants to meet him secretly. Her friend Alex warns her not to go because he thinks that cyberspace is full of creeps. But Emily doesn’t listen to him and heads into serious trouble.

Frantic, Alex tries his best to save her. Will he be too late?

I think I've said this before but the thing I like best about Joy Lynn Goddard's books is the reality of it. I love how she takes real life events and makes a wonderful story out of it. This novel was no exception.

The character's in this book are the same ones from Goddard's other books but in each of her novels she focuses on a different character and their story. This time the main character was Emily - an adopted girl who yearns to find her real mother.

I thought Emily's search to find her real mother was very realistic. What Emily thought were the boundaries between safe and unsafe were very similar to mine, and yet she still managed to find herself in trouble. The way the characters in this book spoke was also more realistic then the vocab in the author's previous books.

I don't know about you but I think the price for this book ($14.95) was a bit much. However, considering the publisher of this book is a bit on the small side, I see why it is a tad costly.

In the end, this novel is quite satisfying but I think that it may have a smidgen better if Joy played the romance card a bit later. But I forgot about that once I really got into this book. A.

Guess Who? Answer #3

2009-04-06T19:44:00.000-04:00

Did you guess last week's "Guess Who?' author? She is . . .

. . . Agatha Christie!

Guess Who? #3

2009-04-03T21:36:00.000-04:00

This is a female author.
She wrote her first book as a challenge by her sister, Madge.
When one of her beloved characters "died" in one of her novels, his death appeared in the obituary section of the "The New York Times". In fact, he was given a FULL page.
This author isn't exactly - ahem - alive.
She is also known as "The Queen of Crime".

Sound familiar?

Charlie's Song by Joy Lynn Goddard

2009-04-02T21:08:00.000-04:00

Title: Charlie's Song
Author: Joy Lynn Goddard
Publisher: Chestnut Publishing
Publication Date: 2007
Number of Pages: 219

Charlie is a would-be singing star whose mixed up family keeps standing in her way. She’s embarrassed by her younger brother, Nicholas, who’s a little "slow," and fed up by her mother who runs off to the casino every chance she gets. Her friend Matt is there to help, and she can count on her friend Shannon too. Or can she?

Somehow her crazy life gets spread across the internet.

Charlie doesn’t want to show her face at school again, but that would mean losing her spot in Teen Idol, the school’s singing competition. Alessa would love that. After all, she plans on winning the competition and would stop at nothing to defeat Charlie.

Suddenly Charlie finds herself in grave danger with more to lose than Teen Idol... She could lose her life!

One of the things that I like best about Joy Lynn Goddard that I don't find in many other authors is that she writes about real life situations that happen every day. Fires, kidnappings, stalkers, cyber-bullying . . . basically anything and everything that you read about in the newspaper. She takes these pieces of reality and weaves them into a wonderful story that A) not only tells us how to get us out of fire alive but also B) entertains us and warns us about these dangers.

"Charlie's Song" is a real page turner that I'm sure anyone can relate to. Unlike, Joy Lynn Goddard's first book - "Daredevils" - the characters felt a lot more real. I also like how she made a series connecting each book by characters, not actions and events. Does that make sense?

However, I noticed that Joy Lynn Goddard tried to incorporate some of our generations' sayings and expressions. That would make sense since this is a YA novel, but Joy seemed to either use expressions that were quite out of date or she used them in the wrong place at the wrong time. But besides that I found this novel very enjoyable and I thought the way she wrote the ending was very unique (in a good way!) and different.

I am giving this book an A-.

In Between These Pages #3

2009-04-01T20:39:00.000-04:00

"In Between These Pages" is a weekly segment where each week I post quotes from books that have either painted a smile onto my face, made me seriously think or have made me see things in a different perspective. This meme was invented by Christina at "Insert Book Title Here" but I have decided to rename it "In Between These Pages".

"In the end, it all comes down to the actions of one person that changes the world."

"Because true friends like that are more precious then all the tiaras in the world."

"True love is when you can't think about any guy except for just one."

"Love is truth".

Daredevils by Joy Lynn Goddard

2009-03-31T12:58:00.000-04:00

Title: Daredevils
Author: Joy Lynn Goddard
Publisher: Chestnut Publishing
Publication Date: October 1, 2004
Number of Pages: 178

Lizzie loves playing hockey, despite being stuck on a boys’ team with teammates who treat her like dirt. When Trevor and Sean hide her equipment before a big game, she’s forced to sit on the bench, and her dream of winning the Most Valuable Goalie award seems way out of reach.
Added to her troubles is Tara, a creepy teenager with blue nails and “skunk” hair who is about to become Lizzie’s stepsister. Lizzie is supposed to make her feel like one of the family, although Tara makes Lizzie feel miserable every chance she gets.

Alex, a weird kid from the team, helps Lizzie plot against her enemies, dreaming up a plan that makes Trevor look like a jerk in front of all his friends. But Alex never imagines the disastrous outcome – it begins with a dare and ends when Alex plunges into the Niagara Gorge. Does he survive?
Faced with the roaring falls, the billowing mist, and the darkness that fills the gorge, the rescue team almost gives up on Alex. But Lizzie doesn’t. Remembering the tunnels running under the falls, she risks everything to save him – even her life.

I'm going to be honest with you up front - this isn't my favourite Joy Lynn Goddard book. In fact, this probably my least favourite book. I absolutely adore all of Joy's other books but I just don't really like "Daredevils". Don't get me wrong, you should totally check out some of this author's books from the library, but it's up to you to decide if you should read "Daredevils."

This novel has a pretty good start and I thought the idea of Alex falling in the gorge was excellent. I noticed right away that Joy Lynn Goddard does a really good job of showing, not telling, but I felt like I really didn't know the characters that well. I also personally think that the excerpt on the back of the book gave away a bit too much. However, considering the fact that this is the author's first book, I think she did a great job. My first book would probably be much, much worse.

I also loved the ending. It was a little predictable but Joy wrote it so that I forgot about my prediction and simply enjoyed the story.

Even though the main characters in this book are a little younger then in most YA novels, I'm sure that anyone can enjoy this story so I'm giving it a B.

Guess Who? Answer #2

2009-03-30T13:20:00.000-04:00

Thank-you to everyone who participated in last week's "Guess Who?". The author is . . .

. . . CAROLYN KEENE which is the pen name author for the Nancy Drew series.

"Joy Lynn Goddard" Celebration!

2009-03-29T12:31:00.000-04:00

I very excited to bring to you a Joy Lynn Goddard celebration!

Who: Joy Lynn Goddard
What: Reviews, Sneak Peeks and an Interview!
When: From March 30th to April 9th.
Where: Right here at "A Garden of Books"!
Why: To celebrate Joy Lynn Goddard's awesome books!

I was very fortunate to move to a school a few years back where an author teaches! That's right - I get to see a real live author at my school every day! If you haven't heard of Joy Lynn Goddard then Google her right now! She writes amazing page-turning contemporary YA novels that will leave you feeling shocked that you haven't read her books before.

Tuesday: A review of Joy Goddard's first book "Daredevils".

Look Out Below!

2009-03-29T11:16:00.000-04:00

I LOVE the music.

Guess Who? #2

2009-03-28T09:42:00.000-04:00

I know, I know - I'm a day late. I really am sorry! I'll be on time next week! I promise!

Anyways, here is how this meme works: Every Friday (or in this case, Saturday) I will post five facts about an author, each one a little more revealing then the one before, and I will give you the weekend to try and figure out who I'm talking about. The Monday following, I will post the answer. Sound like fun? If so, then here is this week's:

Many authors have written books in this series.
The pen name is a female author.
There are over 200 books in this series.
They were first published in the 1930's.
Game companies have taken the main character and put her in several PC games, a Game Boy game and a few DS games.

So, who do YOU think it is?

Another One!

2009-03-26T15:45:00.000-04:00

The wonderful Jen from 50 for Jen gave me the Sisterhood Award! Thank-you SO much!

The Rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award

There are a LOT of blogs that "show great attitude and/or gratitude" so I will simply list the GREAT blogs out there that are often overlooked and I haven't nominated before. Okay?

M-M at Bookworms Anonymous. She's a really good friend and even though she doesn't have the time to update regularly, when she does, her posts are awesome.
Tami and Tracy at YA Edge. It is scary how little amount of people know about this blog. If you haven't been there yet, GO THERE NOW. The Blog will speak for itself.
Ravenous Reader at Tales of a Ravenous Reader. Actually, quite a few people know about this blog but it simply doesn't have enough awards AND it's awesome. I love her header.
Tiqa at Good Girls Read Books. She doesn't lie. I mean, have you seen her blog title? Awesome blog. Awesome header. Awesome name.
Serena at Under The Hollywood Sun. Serena's only started out too, but expect BIG things from this girl!

Thanks again Jen for the award and Happy Thursday everyone!

A Surprise For Julia Hoban

2009-03-25T20:07:00.000-04:00

On her blog, The Compulsive Reader created a book trailer for Julia Hoban to thank her "for being so cool and so willing to chat about just about anything". The Compulsive Reader also asked all bloggers to post this on their blog so, here you go! I haven't read Julia's book "Willow" yet but I am definitely going to check it out from the library.

In Between These Pages #2

2009-03-25T17:03:00.000-04:00

What you are reading now is a weekly segment where each week I post quotes from books that have either painted a smile onto my face, made me seriously think or have made me see things in a different perspective. This meme was invented by Christina at "Insert Book Title Here" but I have decided to rename it "In Between These Pages".

"There is no place one needs to go where there is no ladder."

"Life never ends - it only begins over and over and over . . ."

"If your forever was ending tomorrow, would this have been how you would have liked to spend it?"

Guess Who? Answer #1

2009-03-23T20:51:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who guessed last Friday's "Guess Who?"! The mystery author is . . .

. . . MEG CABOT! Thanks again to everyone who participated!

Explore. Dream. Discover.

2009-03-22T11:29:00.000-04:00

I know this is random but I just had to share it with someone:

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

2009-03-21T11:04:00.000-04:00

Title: The Truth About Forever
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking, a division of Penguin Young Readers group
Publication Date: 2004
Number of Pages: 374

Macy's summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development.

But Macy's plans don't anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or . . . Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn't fit Macy's life at all so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So . . . happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before?

Sarah Dessen delivers a page-turning novel that carries readers on a roller coaster of denial, grief, comfort, and love as we watch a broken but resilient girl pick up the pieces of her life and fit them back together.

The second I finished this book I smacked my forehead. Why? Because I hadn't read this book earlier! If you haven't read this novel yet, GO GET IT!

If someone ever asks me if a book has ever changed my life then I will tell them, not missing a beat, "The Truth About Forever" by Sarah Dessen. This book is not only entertaining, it really makes you see life in a different perspective and ask yourself if this is the way you want to spend your life.

I have both laughed and cried while reading this book, both releasing some sort of water (I have a bad habit of spitting while laughing) which has been terrible for my book. I have read the last paragraph of this novel so many times that I have lost count. Here it is now (don't worry, no spoilers!):

"That was the thing. You just never knew. Forever was so many different things. It was always changing, it was what everything was really all about. It was twenty minutes, or a hundred years, or just this instant, or any instant I wished would just last and last. But there was only one truth about forever that really mattered and that was this: it was happening. Right then, as I ran into the bright sunlight, and every moment afterwards. Look, there. Now. Now. Now."

This book has A+ written all over it!

Guess Who? #1

2009-03-20T11:13:00.000-04:00

No. I know what you're thinking: "Are we talking about that board game made by Milton Bradley?" No. We are not. In fact, we are talking about - drum roll please - my very own meme!

Every Friday I will post five facts about an author, each one a little more revealing then the one before, and I will give you the weekend to try and figure out who I'm talking about. The Monday following, I will post the answer. Sound like fun? If so, then here is my very first one:

This is a FEMALE author.
She was born during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse.
She writes for kids, teens AND adults.
There are TWO movies out there based on her books.
She shares the same last name as a certain Italian explorer.

What do you guys think? Should I make this a weekly thing? Was this too easy? Post your answers in the comments section BUT don't look there if you don't want the answer spoiled for you.

Also, special thanks goes to Serena. You know who you are and why.

Survey

2009-03-19T15:45:00.000-04:00

Have you ever really wanted to impress someone? Maybe it was a parent or a teacher or even a couch? I'm sure that everyone has wanted to wow someone and that's how I feel towards readers of my blog. However, I can't impress you if I don't know what you guys want, right? So that's why I'm asking you to please fill out this survey and e-mail it back to me at

What do you like about my blog?
What do you dislike about it?
Is my layout okay? Does it hurt your eyes to read from it?
What do you think I should add to my blog? Memes, interviews, more reviews?
Why do you keep coming back to my blog?
Do you have any comments/questions/concerns?

You don't have to take this survey if you don't want to, but you would be doing me a HUGE favour if you did. Thanks to everyone in advance!

In Between These Pages #1

2009-03-17T12:45:00.000-04:00

I have decided to start a weekly segment where each week I will post quotes from books that have either painted a smile onto my face, made me seriously think or have made me see things in a different perspective. This meme was invented by Christina at "Insert Book Title Here" but I have decided to rename it "In Between These Pages".

"I was listening. In my heart."

"With each day comes the opportunity to learn from our past and yet start fresh."

"We can't stop on the road of Time. We have to keep on going. And growing up is all part of it."

A Garden of Books

Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe - Meg Cabot Fans Unite!

Interview with Chelsea of The Page Flipper - Not A Pencil Girl

Three Things (Not Seven*)

In Between These Pages #14

The Rock That Hit My Head

I'm Baaaaaack!! (With Perfection).

Blog Tour: T'Aragam by Jack W. Regan

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Guess Who? Answer #17

Guess Who? #17

Sloane Sisters by Anna Carey

In Between These Pages #14

I'm Here! (Or There?)

Guess Who? Answer #16

Across the Pond by Storyheart

Guess Who? #16

In Between These Pages #13

Guess Who? Answer #15

Guess Who? #15

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend

In Between These Pages #13

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian

Guess Who? Answer #14

Guess Who? #14

In Between These Pages #13

Guess Who? Answer #13 + Explanation(s)

Guess Who? #13

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

In A Month . . .

Guess Who? Answer #12

Guess Who? #12

Sisters In Sanity by Gayle Forman - EDITED

In Between These Pages #12

Guess Who? Answer #11

Book Background

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter

Guess Who? #11

In Between These Pages #11

Book Personality Quiz!

Guess Who? Answer #10

Paper Towns by John Green

Guess Who? #10

Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata

In Between These Pages #10

Sarah Dessen Challenge

Guess Who? Answer #9

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

New Layout + Widget

Guess Who? #9

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

In Between These Pages #9

Interview With HerInteractive

Guess Who? Answer #8

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Guess Who? #8

In Between These Pages #8

The Specialists: Down to the Wire by Shannon Greenland

Confessions (Sunday Scribbles #1)

Guess Who? Answer #7

I Need Your Help!

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Guess Who? #7

In Between These Pages #7

The Squad: Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Guess Who? Answer #6

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Guess Who? #6

Not one, but TWO awards!

In Between These Pages #6

Guess Who? Answer #5

The Specialists: Model Spy by Shannon Greenland

Guess Who? #5

In Between These Pages #5

Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn

*sniff* *sniff*

Guess Who? Answer #4

Guess Who? #4

Author Interview With Joy Lynn Goddard

sniff sniff