Drowing In Books

In My Mailbox

2011-10-23T19:51:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, where you post the books you've recieved for review, bought, borrowed, traded, or got from the library!

Here's what I got this past week:

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

Thank you to Random Buzzers for sending me an ARC!

Flipped -Review

2011-10-21T18:02:00.001-04:00

Title: Flipped
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Page Number: 224
Synopsis: Flipped is a romance told in two voices. The first time Juli Baker saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time Bryce saw Juli, he ran. That’s pretty much the pattern for these two neighbors until the eighth grade, when, just as Juli is realizing Bryce isn’t as wonderful as she thought, Bryce is starting to see that Juli is pretty amazing. How these two teens manage to see beyond the surface of things and come together makes for a comic and poignant romance.

My Review: For starters, when I first heard of this book I always thought it was more for younger teens, around 12 and younger but after I finished reading I definitely thought otherwise. I feel like to understand it and fully get the impact of it you definitely need to be older, I'd say 16 and older.
That being said I absoluely loved Flipped. I saw the movie preview before I read the book and I thought the movie looked so cute and when my friend recently read it and said it was really good I just had to read it myself.

I loved the alternating chapters. I loved reading Bryce's point of view to Juli's. Such a big contrast between the two. I loved both characters and the development was really good. The writing was amazing. And I over all fully enjoyed it. Although my only and minor problem would be the ending. I felt like it was a bit rush and it left a huge open ending when I was expecting a bit of a diferent ending. A side from that I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a cute short and meaningful read!

My Rating: 5/5 -Loved it so much. Must read!

In My Mailbox

2011-10-16T14:03:00.003-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, where you post the books you've recieved for review, bought, borrowed, traded, or got from the library!

Here's what my lovely mumsi bought for me today:

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.
I'm very excited to read this, I love zombies so this should be amazing! Movie version will be in December of 2012, so that should be interesting as well. :)

What's in your mailbox?!

Random Buzzers..

2011-10-09T17:53:00.000-04:00

I'm a bit bored with no IMM, and I decided to write about my little problem with Random Buzzers. );

So, this past summer I made a Random Buzzers account, and I really loved the fact that once you accumulated a certain amount of "Buzz Bucks" you could "purchase" a book from their "store."

So, I had finally gotten I think it was around 25,000 Buzz Bucks, which I was going to purchase Eragon by Christopher Paolini, with. And I had my order placed and everything. A couple days later it said my book was shipped and I was jumping for joy!

I was thinking "OMG, it'll be here in like 2 weeks!"

~TWO WEEKS WENT BY

It'll be here in the next two weeks!

~TWO MORE WEEKS HAVE GONE BY

Well, it should be here sometime soon.

~ THREE MONTHS WENT BY

And here we are now.

I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and sent an email to the "Head Buzzer," who then sent me a reply, about 2 or so days ago, telling me that they have sent it and I should get it in the next couple of days.

I've been dying to read this book! So, hopefully it arrives soon, or else the Head Buzzer will hear from me again!

~The end.

(Based on a true story, so it's real.)

Zombies vs Unicorns -Review

2011-10-08T14:14:00.000-04:00

Title: Zombies vs Unicorns
Author(s): Garth Nix, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Naomi Novik, Carrie Ryan, Margo Lanagan, Maureen Johnson, Diana Peterfreund, Scott Westerfeld, Meg Cabot, Cassandra Clare, Kathleen Duey, and Libba Bray
Page Number: 415
Synopsis: It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

My Review: *Contains Some Spoilers!*
I'll be rating each story and then an overall rating for the whole book.
Okay, so let's start with the first story:
The Highest Justice by Garth Nix - I was a bit confused as to what was happening in the beginning but as the story progressed I began to understand it better. I think it was the shortest out of all the stories, and it was mediocre. Nothing too compelling about it, the family drama was a little interesting but it wasn't the best in the bunch. With that being said I give it a 2/5- It was okay.

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson - It think this was one of the most interesting zombie stories. The zombie in this story is fairly normal aside from the fact that he's gay, and loves to eat human brains. And with those two combinations a great and unique story came out of it. I loved the main character and love story aspect. It was very refreshing after reading the first story. 4/5- I really enjoyed it.

Purity Test by Naomi Novik - This unicorn story was pretty humorous. I don't know if the author was purposely making fun of unicorns but none the less it was silly and cute. And it was fairly good. 3/5

Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan - This was the first of anything that I've read by Carrie Ryan and I'm definitely going to pick up The Forest of Hands and Teeth soon because I loved this story and the writing. The writig was beautiful and creepy. The story is very interesting, has a good little twist at the end and I was wishing it was a whole book because I wanted more! This is one of the, if not my favorite story in the whole book. 5/5 - I couldn't get enough!

A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan - I'm going to start off by saying I seriously had no idea what I was reading about until the very end. I think the story was just everywhere. The writings unique but I just had no idea where the story was heading or what was really going on. Until the last few pages and I was a little weirded out. But it was interesting, just not for me. 1/5 - I didn't like it at all.

The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson - I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was very eerie and interesting and it kept me on the end of my seat. The writing was very good and I think the ending was one of the best endings in the whole book, and flowed the best. I really wanted to read more but I think if it ended any other way I'd probably be going crazy, not that I wasn't already by the end of it. It was just really good and it's one of my favorites. 5/5 -Loved it!

The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund - Let me start off by saying that I've been dying to read Rampant by Diana and this story just made me die with excitement to read it now! This was my favorite unicorn story. It's definitely very unique and I've never read anything like it. It's set in the same world as Rampant, which I loved because, I'm now a little familiar with it.
I'm going to admit this was probably the one I was most excited about reading, and I was definitely happy with the ending, although I wanted so much more. Although this is a short story, this is a MUST READ, don't let the title throw you off a bit because it's ridiculous, it won't disappoint and if it does, I'll make my Killer Unicorn get to you! 5/5- Absolutey adored it.

Inoculata by Scott Westerfeld -This is the first of anything I've read by Scott and I really enjoyed it. It was kinda weird, but I like weird. I really want to read anything by him now. I'm not going to lie though, I've read a lot of amazing things about Scott so I was expecting AMAZING, I didn't get it, but it was pretty close. 3/5

Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot - I really liked this story. It's the first time I've read anything by Meg, and I really wasn't expecting something this good, seeing as she wrote the Princess Diaries, the movie was good but I could never read someting like that. SO, that being said I praise Meg, and I will be looking into her books now. 4/5- I really liked it!

Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare - Some of you Mortal Instrument lovers are going to hate me for saying this, but I loved this story so so so much more than MI. It was so good and I have to say she's a lot better at writing first person than third and she should stick to that. I loved Cold Hands and I wish it was a whole book, because I wanted more. 5/5- MORE PLEASE!

The Third Virgin by Kathleen Duey -Very interesting story. I actually really liked the whole suicidal unicorn thing. The writing was very good. I liked the whole concept and the ending was good. 3/5

Prom Night by Libba Bray- You know, I've heard a lot of great things about Libba and this story, so I was expecting a lot. And I didn't get it. It was probably my least favorite out of all the zombie stories and it was a pretty disappointing ending. Good concept but just not as exciting as I was hoping it was going to be. 3/5

Overall, it shouldn't be hard to figure out which team I'm on......ZOMBIE! I've been team zombie since I read Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel this past summer, my first zombie book. I have yet to read a full unicorn book, but I'm dying to read Rampant by Diana Peterfreund. And I feel like I'll be picking up a lot of books by some of these authors. I really liked the whole book, I wish there were more stories, I wanted more! But, all in all, it was great.

My Overall Rating: 5/5-LOVED LOVED IT.

The Next Shakespeare -Review

2011-10-04T20:26:00.000-04:00

Title: The Next Shakespease
Author: Wanda Ernstberger
Page Number: 23
Genre: Short Story/YA
Synopsis: Who thought a poem would trigger World War Three?
Tristan Gunner—skateboard fanatic, junk food junkie, award-winning poet. But you’d think he just got detention instead of the school’s grand prize for poetry. And even though Chris won five Math and Science awards, the next Einstein is crying because he’s not the next Shakespeare. Astra wants them both to cut the drama, and caught between a mortified winner and a crybaby loser, she hopes Chris can get over his attitude before World War Three erupts in her kitchen.

My Review: I was a little hestitant about the story itself because I wasn't too sure what it really was about. But, once the story got going it became fairly clear.
Astra's good friend Tristan has won an award for poetry. An award that Chris wanted to win. Chris is the next Einstein and eagerly devoures the awards he recieves. And he's a bit shocked when Tristan, a fellow student who can't afford unversity and isn't as talented as Chris believes he is, wins the award he really wanted to win. And that is were the story picks up.

I think the writing was very good. The characters had a good development and it was a fairly easy read. I really like the humor in it. It was cute.

I think my only problem would be the fact that the ending seemed a little rushed, but for a short story I really enjoyed it.
And it's clear that Wanda has talent and I can't wait to read more by her.

(Thank you Wanda for letting me read and review your story!)

My Rating: 4/5 - I really enjoyed it!

The Pact - Review

2011-10-02T11:37:00.001-04:00

Title: The Pact: A Love Story
Author: Jodi Picoult
Page Number: 389
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: For eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything from Chinese food to chicken pox to carpool duty-- they've grown so close it seems they have always been a part of each other's lives. Parents and children alike have been best friends, so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born.

So when midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took from his father's cabinet-- a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris has described.

My Review: This was the first book by Picoult that I was dying to read. I think the plot was so interesting and it caught my attention so fast, that I just had to get my hands on it. I didn't until this summer. The first book I read by her though was My Sister's Keeper, and that was the book the pretty much changed my career outlook. And I also knew that Picoult was an amazing writing so nothing else by her could be disappointing. And I was right.

I loved The Pact. At first I was a little hestitant only because the pacing was a bit slow and I was a tad confused but then it got better and gradually I couldn't put it down.

I liked everything about it. The drama, the history, the family, the love. It was beautiful. It really was.

I loved the love Chris had for Emily. It was so poetic and full of every emotion possible. It was love.

That being said my problem was with Emily. I feel like she was very selfish. She knew Chris would do anything for her and she took advantage of that and some.

I'll have to say though the ending did it justice and I loved it.

My Rating: 5/5 -loved it ♥

Hate List -Review

2011-10-02T11:15:00.000-04:00

Title: Hate List
Author: Jennifer Brown
Page Number: 405
Genre: YA
Synopsis:
Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

My Review: I really enjoyed reading Hate List. I think Brown has an amazing writing ability. And there was not one moment were I was bored.
I always think the most controversal and unique books are the best. And this is one of them. I love reading this kind of stuff. I think it's so interesting.
Hate List was very well written. The pacing was good. As well as the characters. I liked the alternative chapters. From past to present. And I liked reading about the progress Val made.
Overall, I think it was a really good book. I really want to read another by Brown.
My minor problems were though, the fact I didn't learn a lot about Nick, and why he did what he did. Like the exact reason, what really triggered it all. I kinda have a clue but it's always nice to know for sure what it is. And also, the ending. I wish it wasn't as much of an open ending. I wanted to know what exactly Val did afterward, but I didn't, so I didn't like that part.
Other than that I liked it a lot!

My Rating: 4/5 - Really liked it!

Review - Chain Reaction

2011-10-02T10:35:00.001-04:00

Title: Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemisty #3)
Author: Simone Elkeles
Page Number: 308
Genre: YA
Synopsis: Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks—whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill.

Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules—boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempted to break all her rules.

Getting Nikki to take a chance on a southsider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?

My Review: Being a huge fan of the first two I had high expectations for this book. Sadly, they were not met.
I didn't really enjoy Luis as much as I did Alex and Carlos. And I didn't like Nikki. I thought out of all three romances this one was the most unrealistic. It happened too fast. For me. I didn't think it was as cute as the first two. And I kinda felt like Simone ran out of stuff to write. Although that little father twist towards the end was a little shocking and kept me reading. I just didn't quite enjoy it as much as the previous two. And it was short, which at first I was upset about but while reading, I was definitely hoping it would end soon. For me it was a dissapointing end to a great series.

My Rating: 2/5 - It was OK. Wish it was better.

School, school, school.. blah

2011-09-16T20:15:00.001-04:00

Hi guys! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. School is taking over my time. I'm a senior this year so it's top priority :b

Since this week has been crazy (good & bad) I couldn't do much but see all the awesome things posted so hopefully in the coming weeks I can update as regularily as before. In the meantime, if you watch the british show Misfits here's the short film "Vegas Baby!"

September 11

2011-09-11T17:02:00.000-04:00

Rest In Peace to everyone that lost their lives that tragic day. I will forever pray for you and your families. I’m sorry that you had to lose your lives for no reason at all. I still wonder to this day what killing all of these people proved. nothing. Forever in our hearts. ♥ 9/11

( Source: hollywoodinpics )

On My Wishlist - Zombie Edition!

2011-09-03T21:51:00.000-04:00

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

Here are my zombie picks!

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you ...When the sickness came, every parent, police officer, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive. Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The First Days by Rhiannnon Frater
The morning that the world ends, Katie is getting ready for court and housewife Jenni is taking care of her family. Less than two hours later, they are fleeing for their lives from a zombie horde.

Thrown together by circumstance, Jenni and Katie become a powerful zombie-killing partnership, mowing down zombies as they rescue Jenni's stepson, Jason, from an infected campground.

They find sanctuary in a tiny, roughly fortified Texas town. There Jenni and Katie find they are both attracted to Travis, leader of the survivors; and the refugees must slaughter people they know, who have returned in zombie form.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Allison Hewitt is Trapped by Madeleine Roux
Allison Hewitt and her five colleagues at the Brooks and Peabody Bookstore are trapped together when the zombie outbreak hits. Allison reaches out for help through her blog, writing on her laptop and utilizing the military's emergency wireless network (SNET). It may also be her only chance to reach her mother. But as the reality of their situation sinks in, Allison’s blog becomes a harrowing account of her edge-of-the-seat adventures (with some witty sarcasm thrown in) as she and her companions fight their way through ravenous zombies and sometimes even more dangerous humans.

*All three sound incredible! Thank you Dearly, Departed and Lia Habel for turning me on TEAM ZOMBIE ;3

In My Mailbox (3)

2011-09-03T21:09:00.002-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, where you post the books you've recieved for review, bought, borrowed, traded, or got from the library!

Here's what I got this week!

Gifts from an amazing friend:

Rules of Attraction review here!
When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado . Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks—whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill.

Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules—boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempted to break all her rules.

Getting Nikki to take a chance on a southsider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?

*I already finished Rules of Attraction and I absolutely loved it! I hope I love Chain Reaction as much as the first two. It'll be a bittersweet ending to a great series.

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles -Review

2011-09-03T21:09:00.001-04:00

Title: Rules of Attraction
Author: Simone Elkeles
Page Number: 336
Genre: YA
Synopsis:
When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado . Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.

My Review: When I first heard about Rules of Attraction I was a bit hesitate to read it, because I absolutely loved Perfect Chemistry and I didn't want a sequel or companion novel to come along and ruin Chemistry for me. That being said, I actually really like it a lot. I read Chemistry about a year and a half ago so it's a bit blurry for me to remember everything, but I think Rules did a great job and the writing was good and the romance was cute and cheesey and I really enjoyed reading it. I think the progression of the romance was good. It wasn't rushed, and it flowed very well. Even though the ending, wasn't such a big climax, I think it fit a lot better and wasn't as rushed as the ending in Chemistry.

Now, I am a bit hesitate to read Chain Reaction because the first two books were really good so lets just hope this last one is too!

My Rating: 5/5 -Loved it! ♥

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma -Review

2011-09-01T19:33:00.002-04:00

Title: Forbidden
Author: Tabitha Suzuma
Page Number: 432
Genre: YA
Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.

My Review: **CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS
From the moment I heard about this book, I just had to have my hands on it! I mean the topic its self is in a way forbidden and it's a very unique story. I mean, Lochan and Maya had to grow up at an early age and put on the parent role for their younger sibilings, although Maya seemed more affable (english vocab. word!) and less reserved as where Lochan kept to himself and was having an inner conflict with himself. He didn't have any friends and didn't speak to anyone at school unless he had to. He only spoke to his family and then we had Maya who did have a friend and boys liked her, etc. So, it was interesting to see and read Lochan because I've seen people like him at my school (excluding incest part!) and it just gives me a bit of a different perspective on them.

SO, by the time Lochan and Maya start to be more vocal and show their feelings for each other it was a bit startling but I didn't feel like I was reading about incest, I felt like here we had two people inlove in a society where it was a tabboo. And because they acted as the parents it also changed a couple things, for one Lochan never had a girlfriend or anyone he was ever interested in because he always had his sister there, and I think that's were the attraction grew, because he was a social outcast and his sister was the only girl close to his age he had around. Maya had some guys around, I guess, but I wouldn't say she was unsure about how she felt, because she was pretty vocal about it. And I truely felt like they were soulmates. Their love worked.

In the end, I did really like it. The ending really shocked me, I didn't think it'd end that way. And it was sad, and it's the only reason I didn't favorite it. Because I just think it was all going so so well and then BAM! it just fell apart. It was a good little twist of a sort, and the writing was absolutely beautiful but I was just shocked and depressed about the ending.

NOW GO READ IT AND TELL ME IF YOU LIKED IT.

My Rating: 4/5 -Loved it, but the ending just hurt me.

100 Follower Giveaway @ Cup of Tea Reviews!

2011-08-27T22:10:00.000-04:00

Sabrina: We reached 100 followers!

Ashi: *nudge* You didn't say hi.

Sabrina: It's okay. It doesn't matter.

Ashi: Yes, it does.

Sabrina: *sigh* Fine. Hi everyone!

Ashi: Better.

Lucky: We're hosting a giveaway.

Sabrina: Why?

Lucky: *face palm* Weren't you the one who suggested it?

Sabrina: No, I didn't.

Ashi: *glares*

Sabrina: I-I mean, yes, I did. Isn't this giveaway a little late since we reached 100 followers a week ago or something?

Ashi: It doesn't matter. We're hosting it now anyway.

Lucky: Could we please get back to what we were talking about?

Sabrina: What were we talking about?

Lucky: *double face palm* THE GIVEAWAY!

Sabrina: But what is there to get back to since we're talking about the giveaway too?

Lucky: Just forget it.

Sabrina: Um, what exactly are we giving away?

Lucky: Let me explain. We're giving away any book from the Book Depository that's under $15. It's international as long as you're on their free shipping list.

Ashi: The giveaway will end at 11:59pm on September 9th, GMT +8.

Sabrina: Really?! Can I join? I'm a sea away from you and Lucky!

Ashi: No! Followers only. Besides, you're paying for this giveaway.

Sabrina: WHAT!?!?

Lucky: Just click on this FORM to enter. Please read our giveaway policy first!

On My Wishlist

2011-08-27T21:43:00.000-04:00

My Picks this week are..

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies is funny, scary, and deeply moving.

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns...

Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.

Or not.

Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to the prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from the crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to—perhaps most dangerously of all—her growing attraction to a handsome art student ... an attraction that could jeopardize everything.

*I've been dying to read both of these! So..if you'd maybe like trade, or give as a gift to me, go aheard, I'd love you forever for it :D ♥

Waiting On Wednesday

2011-08-24T17:51:00.001-04:00

Hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine

Title: Triangles
Author: Ellen Hopkins
RELEASE DATE: October 18, 2011
Synopsis: In this emotionally powerful novel, three women face the age-old midlife question: If I’m halfway to death, is this all I’ve got to show for it? Holly, filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Andrea, a single mom and avowed celibate, watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband? Then there’s Marissa. She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts. As one woman’s marriage unravels, another one’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s is reconfigured into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all three of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness before it is through.

*I love Ellen Hopkins and whether it's Fiction or YA, I'll read everything by her. This sounds really good and bonus because a character has my name ;3 (Andrea)

What I'm Reading

2011-08-21T19:16:00.002-04:00

No IMM today, but here's what I'm currently reading :)

Title: Fobidden

Author: Tabitha Suzuma

Genre: YA

Synopsis:

*Ah! I have been waiting so long to read this and so far I am not disapointed. I couldn't put it down and it was really a breathe a fresh air from Tiger's Curse. I had to stop reading though, to finish up Tiger's Curse so I'm going to run back to Forbidden and cuddle up and kiss it, because I am loving it!

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck -Review

2011-08-21T19:07:00.002-04:00

Title: Tiger's Curse (Tiger Saga #1)
Author: Colleen Houck
Page Number: 406
Genre: YA
Synopsis: Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing 17-year old Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

My Review: *contains minor spoilers!
Seeing as how long it took me so long to finish reading this (about two weeks!) , it's obvious I didn't like it. So, this whole review will be jubbled up and full of ranting and whatnot, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED, let's start from the beginning.

I think the prologue was very well written and I think if it started any other way I would have put it down from the very first page. Houck has a better ability at writing in 3rd person then first.

So, right away I can tell Kelsey is an unrealistic, naive and immature character. I personally don't know any 17, 18 year old who acts like her. (myself being 17 almost 18) She seems like a 10 year old who has been through a rough patch in life. I see her as a heroine and then not. She's very selfless, a little too selfless and from the very first joke she said, I knew I wasn't going to like her because it just seemed like Houck was trying too hard to find her inner teen. And the character of Kelsey just didn't working out for me. I didn't like her at all.

From the synopsis its self it's pretty easy to figure out what's going to happen from beginning, middle and end. It was all too predictable. I think it would have all worked out if the writing was better.

When Kelsey was asked to go to Indian, and from a stranger, I think she agreed way too soon, personally my parents would need about 6 months to 1 year notice and then another year to think about it! All in all, the whole book, except for the Indian mythology, was very very unrealistic.

That being said, I loved the mythology. It was one of the reasons I kept reading. It was very interesting and I liked reading about it.

What I didn't like was the fact that Ren fell in love with Kelsey so soon, he barely knew her and she doesn't seem very likable. Same goes for Kishan. I guess they were stuck being Tigers for too long.
Though I did like both of them because I could just picture how gorgeous and beautiful they both are. (in human form, but I suppose animal form also!)

Ugh, I don't know. I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I was going to. I read all these great reviews about it but when it came down to it, I wasn't happy. I have to admit though that I was starting to think I was liking the book towards the end, but then I realized I only did because it was ending.

I don't know if I will read the 2nd or 3rd or 4th, or just finish the series. If I do, I'll be borrowing it from a friend or library because I feel like I wasted $17 with the first.

IS IT JUST ME OR DOES THE BOOK FEEL RATHER FREAKING HEAVY? I DIDN'T LIKE THAT, RECYCLE HOUCK!

Overall it was alright, not the best.

My Rating: 2/5 -It was O.K. Bit disappointing though.

What I'm Reading

2011-08-16T15:50:00.000-04:00

Title: Tiger's Curse (Tiger Saga #1)
Author: Colleen Houck
Synopsis: Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing 17-year old Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

*I've heard so many great things about this book, but I'm 100+ pages in and I do NOT like it at all. The writing isn't very good and the main character and dialoge seems very unrealistic and immature. And honestly, it's painful for me to keep reading, but I'm going to finish it no matter what.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett -Review

2011-08-16T15:43:00.003-04:00

Title: The Help
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Page Number: 522
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.
Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.
Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.
Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.
Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

My Review: Right away this was one of those books that I did not want to finish. I loved it so much.

I think Stockett did an amazing job with the characters. Especially from the point of view of two black maids in the '60s. The writing was very good as well as the character developement.
I just really enjoyed reading it and everything that happened with the characters.
I really want to watch the movie, even though just watching the trailer I can see some differences already.

Ugh, I'm just like speechless about this book because it was just so beautifully written and inspirational and I just loved it.
My Rating: 5/5 -Favorite! ♥

18th Birthday Giveaway -In Between Writing & Reading

2011-08-14T16:08:00.002-04:00

In My Mailbox (2)

2011-08-14T09:16:00.002-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, where you post the books you've recieved for review, bought, borrowed, traded, or got from the library!

This week I bought:

Zombies Vs Unicorns (I only got this for $4 at Books-A-Million!)

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

For eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything from Chinese food to chicken pox to carpool duty-- they've grown so close it seems they have always been a part of each other's lives. Parents and children alike have been best friends, so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born.

So when midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took from his father's cabinet-- a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris has described

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Berlin 1942

When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.

But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

*I can't wait to get started on these books, they each sound amazing! I've been dying to read Forbidden for such a long time and now I have it, so happy :3

I also have Eragon coming in the mail which I got from Random Buzzers, so should be here sometime next week, I can't wait for that!

2011-08-10T14:17:00.001-04:00