A Girl With Books

MOVED

2012-01-04T10:24:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!

I moved awhile back. I am now at http://translatemyheart.wordpress.com.

Prom and Prejudice - Elizabeth Eulberg

2011-08-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

One of my dirty little secrets is I am super into Pride and Prejudice to the point that I read fanfiction, sequels and adaptations.

This Pride and Prejudice reinterpretation takes place in a modern day Connecticut at the very fancy, very posh Longbourn Academy. Lizzie Bennett, a scholarship student and musical prodigy, cannot stand most of her rich classmates and vice versa. When her best friend Jane drags her to a party she encounters snobbish Will Darcy. She automatically labels him as another rich jerk. But they keep running into each other as Jane and Will's best friend Charles spend time together.

The plotting of the book is very parallel to Austen's Pride and Prejudice, except for the time change. However, what was missing is the depth of emotion. While this adaptation is adorable and fun, it lack the emotion in Austen's story and the characters seemed mainly shadows of Austen's. Especially Will Darcy. Sometimes the events felt designed to follow the Pride and Prejudice plot and did not naturally fit the modern day setting of the story. It felt more like a modern outline of Austen's book.

There is a bright light to this and it's the witty dialogue. The characters are very well spoken and kept the story flowing. The dialogue does not lack, nor does Eulberg ramble on for hours. It's perfect for teenagers looking for a fluffy, fun read. And hopefully it will introduce a whole new generation to Austen's Pride and Prejudice and prompt them to read the original.

Publisher: Point
ISBN: 9780545240772
Pages: 288
Book Source: Borrowed from Library
Author Website | Indiebound |Goodreads

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2011-07-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! So... I am jetting off again. This time, I will be heading to Walt Disney World for a couple days of fun with my family. I will be practically internet free meaning that this blog will be taking another break for a bit. However, I will have a bunch of reviews when I come back as I am taking a stack of reading for the plane and the long lines.

Books I am Bringing:

Happy reading for now!

Hunger Games Movie Poster

2011-07-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Can't wait.

Abandon and Forever Winners

2011-07-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

I apologize that this has been late. My house looks like a war zone because we are packing everything so a new carpet can be put in and the walls repainted. So without further ado, here are the winners.

The winner of a signed ARC of Abandon is:
Helen

The winner of a signed ARC of Forever is:
Shirley

Thanks to all that enter and winners will be notified by email.

The Goddess Test - Aimée Carter

2011-07-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Harlequin

Goodreads Summary:
It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

If she fails...

Review:
The Goddess Test is the first e-book I ever read/finished. It was not easy since I partly was reading this on my itouch. It's also the first ARC I got off Netgalley.

The story behind why I choose to request this ARC is simple. It is because I am a sucker for mythology. As a child, I would check out all the books on myths, fairy tales, fables and folk tales the library had. So I was very drawn to this Hades and Persephone retelling.

One of the best things about this novel is the relationship between Kate and her mom. In YA, majority of stories feature absent/dead parents or conflicts with them so it was refreshing to see a different side of the teen-parent relationship. Kate and her mom have a loving relationship and Kate would do anything to keep her mom from dying... include agreeing to Henry's bargain. Sometimes my skeptical self flares up and questions Kate's selfless nature - no way can she be this good! But she is.

Speaking of the bargain, I thought Carter's the creation of tests is a clever twist to add and make this myth more original. However, I had some issue with how easily Kate accepted this world of magic. As well as living with a complete stranger and entering into a bargain with him. Henry never seems fully nuanced to me - he appears to simply react to the events and never exhibits an independence of his own.

Despite some shortcomings, I enjoyed myself and will look forward to the continuing story.

Book Source: E-ARC from Netgalley

Author Website | Indiebound | Goodreads

Paris in July Challenge

2011-07-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

Bonjour readers! I am joining the Paris in July celebration - a month long fete dedication to all things French. Since this is a book blog, most of my revere will take the form of book reviews or book lists. However, there will be occassional slippage into other forms of celebrating including a review of Midnight in Paris and a dedication of one of my upcoming new features - Weekend Loves - to all things France/Parisian. And since I live in SF, the Museum of Modern Art is featuring a Paris Avant-Garde exhibit so there might be a post on that. So stay tuned...

Giveaway: Forever & Abandon

2011-07-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July! To celebrate, I am giving away two signed books! They are both ARCs - one of them is already out in hardcover, the other one will be out soon... And they are:

So here are the Official Rules:

to enter, please leave a comment with a valid email address
entrants must be 13 years or older
contest deadline is July 15th, 2011
contest is open to everyone.
one entry per person

Bonne chance!

Summer Secret Santa

2011-07-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, I signed up for the Summer Secret Santa Exchange over at Ruby's Reads where we get a secret summer santa and we send them a book on their wishlist. I recently got my package in the mail. My Secret Santa was Andra and she got me this lovely book:

It's a perfect light book for summer and I am super excited to read this.

Thank you Andra!

P.S. If you are interested, Ruby's Reads will be hosting a fall version of this, so keep an eye out!

Imaginary Girls Winner

2011-06-11T23:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's a day late, but the winner of the ARC of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma is:

Krispy
Winner generated from random.org. Thanks everyone for entering.

Giveaway: Imaginary Girls

2011-06-05T23:08:00.000-07:00

Summary (from Indiebound):
Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's my first giveaway! I just finished this and my three words for it is: gorgeous, dreamy and haunting. It's coming out soon on June 14th, but I have an extra ARC for one lucky person!

Official Rules:

to enter, please leave a comment with a valid email address
entrants must be 13 years or older
contest deadline is June 9th, 2011
contest is open only to US only (sorry international readers, I don't have money to send packages abroad currently)
one entry per person

Winner will be announced June 10th and the package will be sent the following week. Good Luck!

Wondrous Words (12)

2011-06-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

Source: (we♥it)

“This is why dreams can be such dangerous things: they smolder on like a fire does, and sometimes they consume us completely.”
- Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha

In My Mailbox

2011-06-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. All book summaries are from Indiebound.

Review Copies:

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber
It’s prom night—and Perry just wants to stick to his own plan and finally play a much anticipated gig with his band in the Big Apple. But when his mother makes him take Gobija Zaksauskas—their quiet, geeky Lithuanian exchange student—to the prom, he never expects that his ordinary high school guy life will soon turn on its head. Perry finds that Gobi is on a mission, and Perry has no other choice but to go along for a reckless ride through Manhattan’s concrete grid with a trained assassin in Dad’s red Jag.

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz
Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he’s missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there’s just the cramped place he shares with his well-meaning but alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of passing when he’s called on to read out loud. But that’s before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who doesn’t take "pass" for an answer—a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it’s before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own.

Steampunk! Edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant

Imagine an alternate universe where romance and technology reign. Where tinkerers and dreamers craft and re-craft a world of automatons, clockworks, calculating machines, and other marvels that never were. Where scientists and schoolgirls, fair folk and Romans, intergalactic bandits, utopian revolutionaries, and intrepid orphans solve crimes, escape from monstrous predicaments, consult oracles, and hover over volcanoes in steam-powered airships. Here, fourteen masters of speculative fiction, including two graphic storytellers, embrace the genre’s established themes and refashion them in surprising ways and settings as diverse as Appalachia, ancient Rome, future Australia, and alternate California. Visionaries Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant have invited all-new explorations and expansions, taking a genre already rich, strange, and inventive in the extreme and challenging contributors to remake it from the ground up. The result is an anthology that defies its genre even as it defines it.

Hades by Alexandra Adornetto
Even the love of her boyfriend, Xavier Woods, and her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can’t keep the angel Bethany Church from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, Jake Thorn bargains for Beth’s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly her loved ones as well. Can he be trusted in this wager? And what does Jake have Xavier believing about Beth’s fate that may result in an act of betrayal that will leave Bethany – and readers – wondering if Xav is so good after all?

Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Princess Wisdom, known as Dizzy, longs for a life of adventure beyond the staid old kingdom of Montagne. Tips, a soldier, longs to keep his true identity a secret. Fortitude, an orphaned maid, longs only for Tips. These three souls might possibly attain their dreams while preserving their empire from ruin — if only they can bear one another’s company long enough to come up with a plan.
Magic, cunning, and one very special cat join forces in this hilarious tale told in diaries, letters, encyclopedia entries, and even a play, all seamlessly stitched together by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, author of Dairy Queen and Princess Ben.

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries. Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead. Everyone except Jenna Fox.

Brought:

The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson

The funny thing about stop signs is that they're also start signs. Mayzie is the brainy middle sister, Brooks is the beautiful but conflicted oldest, and Palmer's the quirky baby of the family. In spite of their differences, the Gold sisters have always been close. When their father dies, everything begins to fall apart. Level–headed May is left to fend for herself (and somehow learn to drive), while her two sisters struggle with their own demons. But the girls learn that while there are a lot of rules for the road, there are no rules when it comes to the heart. Together, they discover the key to moving on – and it's the key to their father's Pontiac Firebird.

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her. When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch…. Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret. Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in. But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look. Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares. His life depends on it.

Wrapped by Jennifer Bradley
Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history. Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her. Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camel back. Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter’s estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping. This is the start of it all, Agnes’s debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It’s also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn’t just a mummy. It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a curse in the bargain.

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn
Honoria Smythe-Smith is:
A) a really bad violinist
B) still miffed at being nicknamed "Bug" as a child
C) not in love with her older brother's best friend
D) all of the above

Marcus Holroyd is:
A) the Earl of Chatteris
B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles
C) not in love with his best friend's younger sister
D) all of the above

Together they:
A) eat quite a bit of chocolate cake
B) survive a deadly fever and the world's worst musical performance
C) fall quite desperately in love
It's Julia Quinn at her best, so you know the answer is . . .
D) all of the above

Top Ten Tuesday (2)

2011-05-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top 10 Books That Should Be in a Beach Bag.

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Need I explain this?

2. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
When I think of summer, I instantly think of trips and Ginny's quirky trip is one I definitely want to take.

3. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Any of Dessen's books should be in a beach bag, but this one is a favorite and it is appropriately set during summer.

4. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
A cute, campy road trip book full of images, playlists and other fun doddles.

5. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Pageant girls + desert island = lots of laughs!

6. Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita
A rockin' book about summer camp and the awesome people as well as the not-so-cool ones you might meet. I wish my camp experience was a fun-filled as the one in this book.

7. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Nothing in this book is light, fluffy, cute - characteristics associated with summer books. Why is this book on the list? Because it is addicting and consuming. Just remember to put on sun screen before you start, because you are not going to want to stop.

8. How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt
Besides traveling, the other of my favorite things to do in summer is to volunteer. Reinhardt's combines both of these things in a young girl's service trip to Tennessee to build a house for a family that lost theirs in a tornado.

9. Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson
I actually haven't read this yet, but this is one of my beach bag books this summer. The premise reminds me of 13 Little Blue Envelopes, except this story takes place in Italy! One of the countries on my to visit list.

10. Shark & Boys by Kirsten Tracy
Also another book that I haven't read yet, but in my beach bag. The premise sounds like it's going to be a humorous fun read.

That's it for my list. What's books would you put in your beach bag?

Wondrous Words (11)

2011-05-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Source: (we♥it)

"What should I do about the wild and the tame? The wild heart that wants to be free, and the tame heart that wants to come home. I want to be held. I don’t want you to come too close. I want you to scoop me up and bring me home at nights. I don’t want to tell you where I am. I want to keep a place among the rocks where no one can find me. I want to be with you."

- Jeanette Winterson

Graduation

2011-05-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting this week because I been busy with end of finals stuff and then I will be graduating! That's right, on Saturday I will have my BA in International Relations. Yay! Hence, my lack of posts because I am still finishing up one final and then lots of pre-graduation activities (most of them revolving around alcohol). So I'm been too busy for any posts, but I will return to my regularly schedule of posts after commencement and the post-graduation activities are done. I have lots of books to review and now with my horrid 50 page paper finished, I can read whatever I want! :]

The Lover's Dictionary - David Levithan

2011-05-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Indiebound Summary:
A sweet and touching modern love story, told through dictionary entries.

basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

Review:
I am a fan of David Levithan's work ever since Boy Meets Boy. I pretty much read almost all of his young adult novels and when I heard about his first adult book coming out, it was instantly put on my to-read list.

The Lover's Dictionary differs from his other novels, as each page contains a word, relating to love, and a short vignette-type entry that ties into the term. The couple is reference by I, you, he, etc. and never by a name, creating the impression that the couple could be anyone. Despite the anonymous nature of the couple, through the entries, the reader gets to glimpse the relationship the two have. The ups and downs. And the pro of the anonymity of the couple is the love story can be universal.

It is definitely very ambitious project and I certainly enjoy how he approached it. It took a little getting used to, but the wonderfully crafted entries and the emotion captured in each won me over. From aberrant to zenith, Levithan captures the range of feelings love evokes in beautiful passages. I had to keep a mini notebook with me to capture some of my favorite lines.

A wonderful story that many can relate to.

Book Source: borrowed from work

Author Website | Twitter (Book) | Indiebound | Goodreads

Draw the Dark - Ilsa J. Bick

2011-05-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

Goodreads Summary:
There are things the people of Winter, Wisconsin, would rather forget. The year the Nazis came to town, for one. That fire, for another. But what they'd really like to forget is Christian Cage.

Seventeen-year-old Christian's parents disappeared when he was a little boy. Ever since, he's drawn obsessively: his mother's face...her eyes...and what he calls "the sideways place," where he says his parents are trapped. Christian figures if he can just see through his mother's eyes, maybe he can get there somehow and save them.

But Christian also draws other things. Ugly things. Evil things. Dark things. Things like other people's fears and nightmares. Their pasts. Their destiny.

There's one more thing the people of Winter would like to forget: murder.

But Winter won't be able to forget the truth, no matter how hard it tries. Not as long as Christian draws the dark...

Review:
What drew me to this book was that it wasn't like many of the fantasy novels lining up the young adult shelves. It wasn't a paranormal romance. It wasn't a mocking of the genre either. Rather, it was a blend of fantasy, mystery and history. And it was history part caught me. I wouldn't say I'm a history buff, but I do like learning about parts of history that rarely make it in the textbooks I had. Like when the White House was burnt down in 1814 by Great Britain. Or the forced sterilization of certain individuals and groups in the 19th and early 20th century. So when I saw "Nazis came to town", I was intrigued.

In this story, debut author Bicks weaves 1940s American into the life of contemporary teen, Christian. As Christian sleepwalks and draws, he is pulled into the town's past. Into a history that many would like to keep buried. I was amazed at the skill Bicks had in combining the historical with the fantastical to build a suspenseful mystery. She didn't veer off into too much history, though I probably wouldn't have minded, nor did she overdo the fantasy. It was just the right mix of both to move the story along.

While I initially picked it up for the historical elements, it was hard not to care about Christian Cage. His parents disappeared as a child and he was raised by the town sheriff. Due to the rumors about the disappearance of his parents and an unfortunate suicide of his first grade teacher (which some of the townspeople blame him for), he grew up pretty much a loner. The only thing he cares about is his art and finding a way into the 'sideways place'. Christian is a gifted artist, but his gifts extend beyond his drawing skills. He draws the things people fear the most. Their deepest, darkest secrets that they lock away. So he isolates himself from people. To keep them from getting hurt. To stop himself from unintentionally hurting other people.

Draw the Dark is a great book. Once I started, I lost myself in Winter, Winconsin as Christian attempts to figure out the messages his blackouts and dreams are telling him. Ilsa J. Bick definitely created a intricate mystery that will engage readers, both male and female. And with some loose threads at the end, I hope that means a sequel will be forthcoming.

Book Source: ARC borrowed from librarian

Author Website | Indiebound | Goodreads

Wondrous Words (10)

2011-05-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Source: (we♥it)

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”
- Victor Hugo

Wither - Lauren DeStefano

2011-05-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Goodreads Summary:
Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

Review:
I wanted to read this since I saw the eye-catching cover. It looks more like a photo that belongs in the covers of a fashion magazine then on the cover of a dystopian YA novel.

Wither is compelling and completely hard to put down. I started it on an evening and sat in bed reading until 2AM. The last book I did that for was Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay. I tried telling myself to put it down, but I could not sleep until I finished the book. The book literally swept me away with its prose. The amazing writing connect me with Rhine and I rooted for her as she maneuvered and manipulated to gain freedom. She is an easy character to root for - strong and determined. Her emotions are believable as she moves from initial anger to homesick misery to unexpected empathy towards her captor and husband. While Rhine was flushed out, I felt many of the secondary character were not quite as complex. The other two sister wives seemed somewhat stock character like - the young, naive, romantic and the older, jaded, realist provides contrast to Rhine, but I would have like to see them develop more. Additionally, I felt Gabriel did not develop as much as Linden and therefore, could not buy the romance between Rhine and Gabriel. I felt like she latched on to him, as a mode to retain her self in this walled world.

DeStefano created a creepy world where genetic engineering has doomed the human race. While the first "perfect" generation is healthy and illness free, the generations following would be doomed to dying at the ages of 20 or 25, depending on gender. Rhine lives in this dangerous world, where Gatherers kidnapped women to be brides for wealthy families to ensure the line continues. It is a fascinating premise of a world, but there are still some holes I hope is addressed in future books. For example, where's the police? The Gatherers are human traffickers and its obviously a brides black market so where is the judicial system? I would think that despite the bleak world, basic rights, such as freedom, would be intact. And despite the panic, it's hard to think citizens would just accept the fact that women are nabbed ALL THE TIME.

If this world is so deprive of rights, why would parents want to have children in this environment? Knowing they themselves will pass at 20 and 25 respectively, therefore leaving their child/ren to fend for themselves in a cruel and dangerous world, I find it hard that parents would want to bring children up in a world like this. I understand the wealthy might want to have kids since they live in gated homes and so not exposed to the horrors of the average person, but why would others do when they might not be around thereby turning their kids into orphans. Wither has a promising world, but I hope to see it be cultivated more.

Book Source: ARC from publisher

Author Wesbite | Indiebound | Goodreads

Avalon High - Meg Cabot

2011-05-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

Publisher: HarperTeen

Indiebound Summary:
Avalon High, I was starting to think, might not be so bad after all.

Maybe it's not where Ellie wants to be, but if you have to start at a new school, Avalon High is typical enough: There's Lance, the jock. Jennifer, the cheerleader. And Will, senior class president, quarterback, and all-around good guy.

But not everyone at Avalon High is who they appear to be . . . not even, as Ellie is about to discover, herself. As a bizarre drama begins to unfold, Ellie has to wonder, what part does she play in all this? Do the coincidences she's piecing together really mean—as in King Arthur's court—that tragedy is fast approaching for her new friends?

Ellie doesn't know if she can do anything to stop the coming trouble. But somehow, she knows she has to try.

Review:
The impetus that actually drove me to read this book is watching the Disney Channel movie of Avalon High. I enjoyed it and so the saying goes "the book is usually better than the movie", I had to get the book. While the overall story line is similar, the movie differs a lot from the book.

Avalon High is a modern take on the Arthurian legend. Ellie, named after Lady Elaine of Astolat a.k.a Lady of Shalott, knows way more on medieval life, especially King Arthur and his court, than any teenager should know. That's because her parents are medieval scholars and when they move their family to Annapolis for their sabbatical, Ellie notices that her new classmates have way more in common with the Arthur legend then coincidence. Then strange things begin happening and Ellie needs to figure out what's going on before everything ends up in tragedy.

The plot seemed obvious; Will is so-Arthur like with the girlfriend named Jennifer and the best friend named Lance and they were seeing each other behind his back and crazy step-brother Marco is obviously the evil Mordred with his antics to hurt Will; that not a lot of the story surprised me. But despite this, I delighted in the story because of the awesome characters and Cabot's style of writing. No matter how cliché or plot-obvious Cabot gets sometimes, I always get drawn into her stories because her characters' voices is always so damn well-done. In Avalon High, Ellie's the voice of the story and she's funny and witty - just a very bright voice:

My dad grew up in the Bronx, where there aren't any snakes. He completely hates nature. He totally ignores our cat, Tig. Which of course means that Tig is crazy about him.
And if my dad sees a spider, he screams like a girl. Then my mom, who grew up on a ranch in Montana and has no patience for spiders or my dad's screaming, will come in and kill it, even though I've told her a million times that spiders are extremely beneficial to the environment.

I had a great time snickering as I followed the course of events through Ellie's perspective. And I love how wacky her parents are.

SPOILER (FOR BOTH MOVIE AND BOOK)
The thing that I liked in the movie over the book was that it changed the gender roles of Arthur and the plotting made it less obvious who was the bad guy and who really was King Arthur. I found that way cooler than the book's Lady in the Lake role it gave Ellie. Lady of the Lake is cool and all but Allie (as she is known in the movie) as King Arthur is even more awesome.
END SPOILER

Book Source: borrowed from library

Author Website | Indiebound | Goodreads

New York, New York

2011-05-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

I'm back from vacation/work in New York City! NYC is such an amazing city and I definitely did not have time to see everything, so I have to go back soon. What I did see was the Empire State Building, Grand Central, the Museum of Natural History, the Strand, the United Nations, NYU and Time Square. I want to go back for the Met, NYPL, Ground Zero and etc. And of course, another visit to the Strand! :]

But I had tons of adventures including almost not having a place to stay for a night, a Starbucks barista whose boyfriend is cheating again, an almost showdown at the Natural History Museum, some film being shot in the middle of Time Square, etc. I met tons of new people from all over, got to sit in the Great Hall of the UN and our delegation got an award! Yay!

Unfortunately, I did not bring any personal reading with me as I was busy finishing up homework (yes, I was doing homework in NYC) or participating in the conference - National Model UN. So I don't have any super new reviews to post. On the other hand, I still have a backlog of reviews from books that I read prior to leaving for NYC that I still need to write/post. So look out for that. And maybe my first contest...

Blog Hiatus: New York City

2011-04-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a brief hiatus from this blog because I am preparing for my school trip to New York City. I'll be heading over there in 2 weeks and I have a ton of schoolwork to do as well as preparing for the conference that I'm attending in NYC. It's not BEA or anything to do with books, but a Model UN conference. My school is representing Mexico and I'm super excited to be on the International Court of Justice committee. And I can't wait to explore NYC since I never been before. The Strand is definitely on my to-go list, as well as, the common tourist areas - Wall Street, Time Square, Staten Island Ferry, Central Park, Natural History Museum, etc. However, to enjoy my time in NYC, I must get a 10-15 pg paper done as well as a presentation set up for another class. So I will be gone from the blog for at least 3 weeks. But I will be back with pictures, book reviews and maybe a giveaway when I return from NYC!

Anyway, what tips or suggestions do you have for someone who is visiting New York City for the first time?

Wondrous Words (9)

2011-04-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Source: (we♥it)

“Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering”
- Nicole Krauss, The History of Love

Stravaganza: City of Masks - Mary Hoffman

2011-03-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Indiebound Summary:
During the day, Lucien battles cancer in his modern, normal life. But at night, he becomes a Stravagante, a time-traveler of sorts who finds himself in Belleza, a city parallel to old Venice. Befriended by a local girl and protected by an older Stravagante, Lucien uncovers a plot to murder the city's beloved ruler, the Duchessa. But to save the Duchessa and the city Lucien risks losing his only chance to return home to his family and his real life.

Review:
This book has been on my radar for quite some time. I checked it out of the library before, but I always had to return it before I got around to reading it. So, I finally decided to stop checking out so many books and put this on top of the to read in 2011 list.

City of Masks jumps between 21st-century London and 16th-century Belleza. In modern London, Lucien is diagnosed with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. When Lucien finds a old notebook, he is suddenly transported to Belleza in his sleep. There, he is unburden of the disease and the picture of perfect health. As he explores the wonders of Belleza, he learns that he is a Stravangante - a person who can travel between both worlds. But, there is a faction that would use that power for personal gain and Lucien is about to get caught in the middle of it all.

Mary Hoffman built a fascinating Belleza with descriptions of the lagoons, cathedrals and cityscape that brings the city to life. It is simply great armchair travel. I had a great time trying to find the parallels to Venice. In Belleza, they have the Bridge of Sorrow instead of the Bridge of Sighs. Talia's capital is Remora because Remus instead of Romulus founded the state. And much more.

Lucien and Arianna are likable characters. Arianna especially with her views of equal rights for women. Some of the plot points are predictable, but the characters and adventures make it a fun read. I would recommend this to younger readers, probably between the ages of 9 - 15. And for those who like a series, this is the first of five (at the moment).

Book Source: borrowed from library

Author Website | Indiebound | Goodreads