oodles of books.

Bout of Books 7.0 | Challenge - Create a Cover

2013-05-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

Original cover:

My cover:

Image taken from here | Artwork created by Lala Vicencio

I looove create-a-cover challenges, they are my favorite! While I didn't get a chance to join the contest, I still wanted to participate anyways because I found that awesome image above (which can also be purchased as a poster here) and thought it would be a great cover for one of my favorite books of all time, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

Bout of Books 7.0 | Challenge - Book Soundtrack

2013-05-15T01:58:00.004-07:00

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

"I was sitting up and flushed, and so determined I could barely feel my lungs or any other part of me. Sophia dropped my hand, and she looked as though she was going to cry.

'Please try to believe me,' I said. 'This didn't happen by accident. You have been with me from the first life. You are my first memory every time, the single thread in all of my lives. It's you who makes me a person."

First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes

"Yours is the first face that I saw. I think I was blind before I met you. Now I don't know where I am, I don't know where I've been, but I know where I want to go...and so I thought I'd let you. Yeah these things take forever, I especially am slow. But I realize that I need you, and I wondered if I could come home."

First You Try Everything by Jane McCafferty

"'Of course I loved you!'

'Loved?'

The past tense clanged like a prison door shutting, and changed everything; the room itself was transformed by it, the bed, the dresser, the bare floor, the window, all seeming to step back while absorbing the word's singular power."

House Full of Empty Rooms by Kathleen Edwards
"And I'm far from perfect, I'm far from anything but I swear that when we started I used to make you happy but I don't know you...not the way that I thought I did. Maybe you don't know me and you don't wanna be the first to say. I've been wondering about what we're gonna do and I've been wondering about what we're gonna do. A house full of empty rooms."

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

"There are moments when I wish I could roll back the clock and take all the sadness away, but I have the feeling that if I did, the joy would be gone as well. So I take the memories as they come, accepting them all."

Fire Escape by Diane Birch

"Goodbye my love. I'll be seeing you when the lights go, when I put my head on the pillow...I'll think of you. My crimson dove, wish that I could save you from the sadness. Honey, all around me lies the madness, oh, of your love. What makes the price good enough to wanna pay? What makes the hurt go away? Fire escape when all that I can do is ache, since you've gone away..."

This is one of my favorite things to do, choosing songs for books, but it is also really tough and I couldn't think of a whole soundtrack for one book! These three songs and books are old favorites that I have blogged about before and I decided to share them again.

Bout of Books 7.0 | Challenge - Book Spine Poetry

2013-05-14T00:59:00.000-07:00

Follow me to where it began,

So far away, and past midnight

the night enchanted by starlight

beyond...and what happens next?

Forbidden bliss.

I've never done a book spine poem and coming up with one was really tough! It was a lot of fun though, so I am glad I participated. I used 9 books and only 5 extra words.

Bout of Books 7.0 | Goals & Updates

2013-05-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I've signed up for the last two years, but unfortunately for various reasons, I was never able to participate in the entire Bout of Books read-a-thon. This year, it falls on the last week of school (a.k.a. finals week) but school is officially over for me on Thursday and then, freedom! So I plan to spend my first few days of freedom getting back into reading.

Instead of making a list of books that I plan to read, this year I decided to set up my goals a bit differently.

+ Read approximately 2 hours/day

+ Finish 2 "currently reading" books

+ Participate in at least one challenge

+ Comment & meet new bloggers!

Monday

Number of books I've read today: 1

Hours read today: 0

Total number of books I've read: 1

Total number of pages I've read: 0

Books: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Tuesday

Number of books I've read today: 0

Hours read today: 40 mins

Total number of books I've read: 1

Total number of pages I've read: 65

Books: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin | Ghost Hand by Ripley Patton

Wednesday

Number of books I've read today: 0

Hours read today: 30 mins

Total number of books I've read: 1

Total number of pages I've read: 80 (approx.)

Books: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin | Ghost Hand by Ripley Patton

Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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Excerpt + Giveaway | Playing Hooky by Rita Webb

2013-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Playing Hooky by Rita Webb
Series: Paranormal Investigations #1
Genre: New Adult - Paranormal Romance
Publication: 01.01.2013
Pages: 100

Summary: Valentine’s Day.

And my 21st birthday.

Whoop-de-doo.

Just another college day full of classes and more homework than is humanly possible.

…until Jason, my best-friend-since-kindergarten, shows up to take me out for the day.

Like old times: the two of us on a wacky adventure, playing hooky from real life. With his lopsided grin and tickets to a circus full of misfits and monsters, he introduces me to a whole new world—one full of magic and mystery—and turns my reality upside down.

Except nothing goes as planned, and we end up running through the city to find a missing siren before someone brews a love potion with her blood.

Sirens and love potions, witches and elves, and Valentine kisses. Nothing will be the same for me again.

Here is a short excerpt of a New Adult Paranormal Romance novella, Playing Hooky by Rita Webb. Also check out the giveaway below and enter for a chance to win!

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours, you can enter for a chance to win any of the prizes listed below, including some bookmarks or a copy of one of Rita Webb's books!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All the Books (04.29 - 05.05)

2013-05-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hey there! I threw out the old "Weekly Recap" and sort of grabbed this new feature originally started over at Ten Cent Notes, where I'll share all the new books on my shelves, what I'm reading, what I plan to read next and other happening on the blog that you might have missed.

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger | Ghost Hand by Ripley Patton | Playing Hooky by Rita Webb

Being so busy with school, I haven't been able to get much reading done, as usual. I am currently working through all three of these books + some school stuff that I hope to get done soon! Hopefully by next week, I'll have finished at least one of these.

As some of you might have seen, I attended the L.A. Times Festival of Books a few weeks ago and met a few authors. I also bought a lot of books. So here goes what I got that weekend:

Wake by Lisa McMann [review] | Fade by Lisa McMann | Gone by Lisa McMann

The first author I saw at the festival was Lisa McMann and so I picked up her trilogy, with brand new re-designs. It was awesome meeting her and I can't wait to get back into this series and finally finish it!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman [review] | Just One Day by Gayle Forman | The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson | Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

It was great meeting Gayle Forman again, and since If I Stay was one of my favorite books ever, I picked up an extra copy (and had her sign it!) which I am currently giving away here. Also, really excited to read her new book, Just One Day. I finally snagged myself a copy of The Name of the Star and Eleanor & Park which I've wanted for the longest!

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen | What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Since Sarah Dessen was going to be signing and I didn't have any of my copies of her books, I bought two. I also grabbed an extra copy of What Happened to Goodbye to give away in the future.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry | Eve & Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate | The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

I was able to grab a free paperback copy of Pushing the Limits (thanks Harlequin!) and an ARC copy of The 5th Wave when I spent a certain amount at Mrs. Nelson's booth. I also grabbed a finished copy of Eve & Adam for Katherine Applegate to sign for me.

Monthly Rewind | April 2013

The TBR Pile | May

Author Recap | L.A. Times Festival of Books

Author Event Recap: L.A. Times Festival of Books 2013

2013-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure I was going to make it this year to the festival. Partly because my brother's birthday (or birthday party) falls on the Saturday, a.k.a. the first day of the festival. On Sunday, I had plans to go hiking and meet up with a classmate after that to do some work together. I felt too tired to wake up early for the hike though, so I cancelled that. Around 10am, the boyfriend left for a photo shoot and I had about six hours before meeting up with my classmate. I checked online the schedule of activities and my attention was instantly caught when I saw Sarah Dessen was going to be there that day! I double checked on her website and saw that she was in fact going to be on a panel around 12pm and signing after.

I decided I would go after all! I got ready quickly but ended up in traffic and was having a hard time parking, so I didn't get there until a little after noon. I wandered around for a bit once I was there, but without a map or schedule, I really had no idea where to go. I set out to find the YA stage, but after a few minutes I saw a sign for the information booth. I headed that way instead and finally managed to snag a schedule and a free tote bag. On my way to the YA stage, I checked the schedule and realized that the signing and panel I had seen for Dessen was in fact a ticketed event, for which I had no tickets. Bummer!

Disappointed, I decided to continue since I knew I would find some author signings to attend anyways. I made a quick detour to the Harlequin booth, who were handing out free paperbacks of several of their titles and snagged a copy of Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. I made another quick stop at the Once Upon A Time bookstore booth and grabbed two t-shirts.

Once I reached the YA stage, I sat down for a few minutes even though it was too hot to sit for too long. The festival was really crowded around this area because it was also near the children's stage and booths. Since the authors on the panel were Middle Grade, I wasn't too familiar with them and eventually decided to keep wandering. I was walking past one of the booths when I saw that Lisa McMann was sitting at one of the tables watching the crowds walk past. I was super excited and went up to her and started chatting with her about her books. I didn't have my copy of Wake with me (which I now realize I let someone borrow once and they never returned it) or Fade because I had no idea she was going to be there. Since Wake was one of favorite books the year that I read it, I bought the trilogy and had her sign it!

I continued walking and across the way, Katherine Applegate (author of Eve and Adam) was sitting there also by herself just chatting with one of the volunteers. I already have an ARC of Eve and Adam, but I decided to go ahead and pick up a finished copy for her to sign as well.

Since I had checked Sarah Dessen's website while sitting at the panel, I knew she was going to be signing elsewhere, so I went to look for the other Mrs. Nelson's booth (they had three at the festival!) and hopefully find out what time she was going to be there. I found it eventually, not too far down and saw that Gayle Forman was also going to be signing, an hour before Sarah Dessen. Since I still had about an hour left to kill, I wandered around the festival. I saw a few performances, took a break under a tree (did I mention it was hot that day? It was hotttt!)

About fifteen minutes left to the signing (and a few too many book purchases later) I made my way back to the booth and saw that there was another person in line already waiting. I stood in line and I started chatting with the other person in line. Eventually there were three of us in line and Gayle Forman arrived. I'd met her previously, but hadn't gotten a copy of her book Just One Day yet, so I purchased that and had her sign it. I also grabbed another copy of If I Stay for her to sign, which I am giving away here.

After that I got back in line to wait for Dessen, and landed the first spot in line. The other two girls I had been talking to jumped in line right behind me. One of them was also a blogger, Jackie, from over at Starting from Narnia and we were able to chat for the hour we had to wait for Dessen to arrive. The line ended up getting pretty long so I was glad I got there early, and even happier I had Jackie for company. Luckily, Dessen arrived a bit early and we didn't have too wait much longer in the sun. I hadn't brought any of her books that I own fo her to sign (because they are still at my parents house) and instead bought a few of her books that I don't own. She was really nice! It was awesome to meet her and I got to take a picture when I thought I wouldn't be able to.

Anyways, that was pretty much my entire day because I left shortly after. For such a last minute event, I was able to meet some great authors, bloggers and grab some great books!

The TBR Pile | May

2013-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Oh hello there, May. I didn't think you'd be here so soon...

Did anyone else's month of April fly by? Mine certainly did and as for reading, well, I didn't get too much done. I can't say I will be very successful this month either, BUT finals are happening in less than two weeks and then freedom! I cannot wait to be done with this semester; it has been so stressful. And I will have more time to read, finally.

Since last month wasn't too great, this month's list is a bit similar to last months:

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
Ghost Hand by Ripley Patton
~~Playing Hooky by Rita Webb~~
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
~~Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin (audio)~~

I'm not going to try to rush through any of these because this is going to be a tough month for me to even get some reading done. I definitely will try my best though. Happy reading :)

Monthly Rewind | April 2013

2013-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

April Photo

I went to the Caribbean during Spring Break and it was just gorgeous!

April in one word:
Unwind

Five things that happened in April:
1. I went to the Caribbean.
2. I opened a savings account.
3. I got sick a lot.
4. I learned to make a kite.
5. I discovered the awesomeness of Pandora.

Popular songs on my iPod:

Popular on my iPod (April 2013) by Cindy P on Grooveshark
Top Books Read: Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell
Most Popular Review:

New Obsessions:

1. Getting my toe nails done

2. Pandora

3. These planners

Things I'm looking forward to:

1. Being done with school (May 17th can't come fast enough!)

2. Going to Vegas!

Upcoming releases I am looking forward to:

April was definitely a good month, but slow for reading. Hopefully May will turn out better! Happy reading friends, and thanks for stopping by :)

Review | The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

2013-04-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 01.10.2012 by Dutton Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★★★

Summary: Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities."

Thoughts: This is the first book in a long time that has made me feel like ASKJA!!AWKIRHAIG♥A!!♥♥! It makes all those mediocre/bad books I've read recently completely worth it. What else can I say that you haven't already read elsewhere? Nothing. You've probably read it all. Simply put: this book is awesome. It made me feel; I laughed and I cried. Oh, how I cried. And when I finished it, I looked at life a little different.

This was my first John Green book and to be completely honest, I am glad I waited. I waited for several of his books to be released, and for the hype to be over when this one was released, and then I waited some more. And when I read this, it was perfect. Like many others, I read this book rather quickly and I even skipped my morning class one day so I could finish it. It finally makes sense why everyone always recommended John Green.

Hazel and Augustus are a perfect pair and I loved them. They are both witty and intelligent, and best of all real. Obviously they are both fictional characters, but they feel real. Hazel is so strong, and Augustus is completely honest and awkward. I adored them both.

I also can't not mention everyone else in this book: Isaac (Augustus best friend,) Augustus' parents, Hazel's parents, and of course, Van Houten and Lidewij. They are all such an important part of this story that makes it all the more real.

When I came to the last page of this book, I turned it expecting more. And there wasn't anything more. So I closed the book, I laid in bed and cried. I cried because it was so beautiful. I cried because I was done with it and it was so unfair. But what else can you expect from a cancer book? Yes, it is a book about cancer. But there is so much more than just that. It is unlike anything I have ever read and I will treasure it forever.

Seriously, nothing I write can explain how much this book touched my heart. If you haven't read it, make sure you do. This book needs to be a part of your life too.

Psst: I loved this book so much I am giving away a copy of it here.

Blogoversary!

2013-04-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

It was a few days ago, but my blog has turned four years old! Can you believe it? It feels like yesterday when I decided to start this blog. My life has changed so much since then, and so has this blog. I am glad that I still continue to share my thoughts on here, even if I am absent a lot sometimes. I decided to have a tiny little celebration and give away a few books. It took me a while to decide what exactly I wanted to do, since last year my giveaway was much bigger and took up too much time and energy. So this year, I decided to go with something a bit more simpler.

Blogging for four years means reading a lot more. I remember reading just about twenty books a year before I became a blogger. After, though, my goal has always been to read a hundred (haven't made it yet...I'm a slow reader.) That being said, I decided to give away a few of my favorite reads from the past four years. Since my reading tastes have changed a lot since I started blogging, most of the books are Young Adult, which is mostly what I read now.

g i v e a w a y

One winner will received all four books pictured below (US only)

If I Stay by Gayle Forman (signed!) | review

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (signed!) | review

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green | review coming soon!

How to Kill a Rockstar by Tiffanie DeBartolo | review

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And since I can't forget about my international readers, I will be offering one international winner a choice of one of the books listed above via The Book Depository as long as they ship to your country.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to all my readers out there! I wouldn't be here without you :)

Review | Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

2013-04-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 05.09.2006 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Format: Audio
Source: Library
Rating: ★★★ ½

Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastian’s, a boys' school that's pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are no better, from Thomas, who specializes in musical burping, to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.

Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling of who she really is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, hersocial life and—hardest of all—herself.

Thoughts:This is one of those books that I picked up only because it was on audio. Sure, it sounded like something I would enjoy, but I really had no idea what to expect. Saving Francesca was different than what I thought it would be, but overall, I enjoyed it.

We are introduced to Francesca who goes to a former all-boy-school that she hates because all her friends went elsewhere. Her family is struggling with her mother’s depression. Her mother, who controlled and managed their life, suddenly falls apart and can’t seem to get out of bed and now, Francesca has to learn to take charge and help around as much as possible.

Francesca is a likable character, somewhat. She’s snarky, funny, sometimes spontaneous and really protective of her brother. But she can also be quite naïve about several aspects of her life, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I found a bit frustrating at first. As for the secondary characters; there was a ton! While I found the amount of characters confusing at first (I stopped trying to figure out who was who somewhere around the fourth or fifth chapter,) I found each character unique and interesting by the time I was able to grasp who they were.

“I can't believe I said it out loud. The truth doesn't set you free, you know. It makes you feel awkward and embarrassed and defenseless and red in the face and horrified and petrified and vulnerable. But free? I don't feel free. I feel like shit.”

The best part about Saving Francesca is probably the humor. While the book revolves around a more serious topic, there are many laugh out loud moments throughout. My favorite part was definitely the writing style. I hadn’t read anything by Marchetta before, but I can definitely say that I look forward to reading other books by her.

“Where did this come from? Do you know what this is? Luca is going to sneak out of bed in the middle of the night and squirt it on his tongue. It's like drugs for ten-year-olds. Today it's Ice Magic. Tomorrow, heroin.”

While I was a little uninterested at first, I think my attention was finally captured when a love interest is introduced. Romance doesn’t play an important part in the story. It has a minor role but I felt that when that part is introduced, it really starts the development of Francesca’s character. I can’t say I really liked the love interest all that much (he was kind of an idiot and a jerk) but we get to see more of the real Francesca after their first few encounters.

“Do you think people have noticed that I'm around?"

"I notice when you're not. Does that count?”

Even though Francesca has to deal with her mother’s depression throughout the book, I had a hard time relating to her through these difficulties. I have never dealt with depression or with someone who is depressed, but I would have still been able sympathize with what was going on. I didn’t though. At least, I didn’t until the end, when we finally understand what was really going on and Francesca learns some truths that were kept from her.

Overall: Saving Francesca is about growing up, family and learning who your real friends are. It's about learning to be yourself. It's about a teen who has to deal with real life situations, but with enough humor to offer a less serious tone to the book. I am sure contemporary fans will enjoy this one, and definitely recommend it.

Top Ten Tuesday | Rewind: Ten Characters (and Literary Figures) that I'd Name My Children After

2013-04-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Hey guys! I didn't mean to be absent so much last week but you know how it goes, I got caught up with life and stuff. Anyways, this week's Top Ten Tuesday is the bloggers choice, so I decided to go ahead and pick the Top Ten Literary Names I'd Name My Children After. This topic seems like a fun and kind of silly one, since I don't know if a) I will have children one day and b) if I will actually name them after these literary characters. But to be honest, some of these are choices that I would really really choose for my children if I had some.

1.Atticus [To Kill A Mockingbird]: This is one of those real life choices that I have even discussed with my boyfriend about. It will most likely be a middle name, but I almost like it better as a first name.

2. Jane [Jane Austen]: After reading Pride and Prejudice, I fell in love with Jane Austen. While I haven't read all her books, I have read enough to know I will love her forever.

3. Serenity and/or Zoe [Serenity]: Okay, so this one is more based on the show than anything else, and is another one of those real life choices. But it is book related, kind of :)

4. Paul [How to Kill a Rockstar]: Because he was awesome and I loved this book and it's music related.

5. Jesse or Miles or Tuck [Tuck Everlasting]: This is one of my all-time favorite books and I think if I had to choose one book to name my children after, it would have to be this one.

6. Davy [Welcome to Temptation]: I adored him, really. And this is one of my favorite books of all time.

7. Adam [If I Stay]: Because this book ripped my heart out.

8. Augustus or just Gus [The Fault in Our Stars]: Need I say more?

9. Daniel [My Name is Memory]: This is one of those books that I still talk about even though it's been years since I read it because it is still so very special to me.

10. Sam [Shiver]: I thought this book was super cute and even though I didn't cry, it still meant a lot to me.

Did anyone notice that the majority of my list consisted of male names? I've always wanted boys. Haha.

What Top Ten did you choose this week? Leave some links below and I'll make sure to stop by yours too!

Review + Giveaway | Surface by Tiffany Daune

2013-04-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Surface by Tiffany Daune
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Paranormal
Publication: 02.01.2013 by Noble Young Adult
Format: E-book
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Rating: ★★★½

Bound to the water bound to land, a Siren’s soul will never be safe on either side of the ocean’s surface. Hidden beneath the rolling waves lies the secret to Theia’s past and as she unveils each haunting truth, she realizes the last seventeen years of her life have been a lie. Now, drawn into a mysterious new world and with nowhere to turn, Theia must place her trust in Luc, a beautiful boy who stops her heart with each dazzling smile, but even his unearthly charm can’t hide the truth—he has secrets— dark secrets binding him to his world—an underwater world where Theia will never belong—a world determined to destroy her soul.

Thoughts: While not overly fond of the mermaid books I have read, I definitely wanted to give them another shot to see if I could like them. With it's beautiful cover, Surface caught my eye instantly. After reading over the synopsis, I knew I wanted to give it a shot. Surface, while not causing me to fall in love with mermaid folklore, definitely gave me a more positive look on these paranormal creatures, and made me want to check out other mermaid/siren books.

Surface is action packed and detailed from the start, throwing the reader into a scary situation which leads Theia, our protagonist, to learn the real truth about herself. Learning that she's a siren didn't really shock her as much as I expected it to, but partly this is because her few memories of her father were only by the water. With the help of Luc, an extremely handsome Artagasian, she learns more about their history and how she is in danger, not only from others sea creatures, but humans as well. I was mildly put off with how easily she handled learning every thing she learned, but I brushed it off as I read on to find out more.

The story switches points of views among several characters, surprising me at first, but in the end I found it added a lot more to the story. Since we are able to learn more about the characters and their intentions, instead of getting a one sided story, I was able to connect to several of the secondary characters who play pretty important roles in developing the story. The more we learn about every character, the more interesting the book became and, really, this is what captivated my attention most.

I was a little disappointed that some things were not explained in more detail (like how the underwater world really works? I mean, Theia doesn't notice when she is first underwater, and I thought that was kind of weird.) But I did like how the author offered a lot of information (but not an overwhelming amount) on the differences among Artagasian, mermaids, and sirens, along with an fascinating history to back it up.

I don't want to go into too much detail about the story because even though it is short, it presents a lot of interesting surprises that I would rather not spoil, and offers an interesting ending that I really liked.

Overall: With twists and turns, a sweet boy and some romance (which does happen to be kind of quickly formed between the two characters - insta-love, anyone?) interesting characters and back stories to help bond each one with the reader, and an interesting take on mermaids/sirens, I definitely enjoyed Surface. I am sure fans of paranormal and mermaid books will find this one a good read to dive into as well, and I look forward to reading more from Daune in the future.

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours, you can enter for a chance to win a brand new e-reader, a Starbucks or Amazon giftcard, or your very own e-copy of Surface!
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Check out the other stops and follow the rest of the tour for more chances to enter.

Top Ten Tuesday | Favorite Books I Read Before I Was A Blogger

2013-04-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: I started reading this series when I was twelve years old and by the time I finished it, I still had years before I would actually begin blogging. All the books are still my favorites, of course.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: I borrowed a copy from the library, just because. I had a few hours before going to work one day, so I drove to a nearby park and read and read. I got so caught up in the story I was late to work that day. I have loved it ever since.

3. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: This book took me about a million years to finish (I think it was like, three months, or something) but I loved every second of it. Sure, sometimes I wanted to fling it across the room, but that only made me love it more. One day, I will re-read it.

4. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume: This is the only Blume book I have ever read and I picked it up on a whim at my local pharmacy. I could not get enough of it, and convinced my best friend to try it too. She loved it also. It has been a favorite for many years.

5. The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn: Another random pharmacy buy (before I was a blogger, I rarely went to bookstores! *le gasp*) I had no idea it was an entire series, so I accidentally picked up the last book, first. I devoured it. And then I realized I still had seven more books on this family to read. I was in heaven. I devoured those books, too. The only series I have ever finished in a matter of weeks.

6. The Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer: Okay, so I only read the first three books before I became a blogger. Breaking Dawn was one of my first few reviews here! I read Twilight before New Moon was published and I almost died in anticipation. Same goes for the other two books. I read these books faster than I had read any book in years. They sparked my interest for Young Adult. And the rest, is history.

7. God-Shaped Hole by Tiffanie DeBartolo: I picked up a copy of this book for two bucks at a thrift store only because I liked the quote on the cover. Little did I know that this book would be so amazing within. It blew me away.

8. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie: This was my first adult Romance at the young age of thirteen. I flew through this book and then became addicted to all romance novels, and all books written by Jennifer Crusie. I own all her books; the only author under this category. (Also, this was another pharmacy buy!)

9. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks: I saw the movie first. While I don't love the book as much as I love the movie, it's still one of my favorites.

10. Never Too Much by Lori Foster: Another addicting romance that I couldn't get enough of. While I didn't particularly like any of the other books I read by this author, this one definitely stood out for me. And I'm pretty sure I bought this one at my local pharmacy.

What are your Top Ten this Tuesday? Leave your link below :)

The TBR Pile | April

2013-04-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Since I've been out of the country for the past week, this is a bit later than usual. Last month, I resolved to read six books, and while I only read three of the books from my TBR list, I happened to read six books total. I still had two books from the previous month, and one book to read for school, so I didn't have a chance to read any others from my list. I also didn't read too much while I was on vacation, and that was okay.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Surface by TIffany Daune
Ghost Hand by Ripley Patton
Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell (audio)

Some books rolled over from the previous month, so hopefully I will be able to get to all of them this month. I hope everyone is having a fantastic April! Happy reading :)

I'm on vacation! :)

2013-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

I am currently on an island. Yep, that one you see right up there ^

Spring Break is finally here and I am enjoying myself by the water with my boyfriend. I may or may not have scheduled a few posts, but either way, I'll be back to commenting sometime next week. Hope you all have a lovely week :)

Weekly Recap (03.17 - 03.22)

2013-03-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's been a while since I've done a weekly recap. How was everyone's week? I got more reading done than usual, and even though I didn't blog much, I was able to comment plenty around the blogosphere. School has been overwhelming me and I cannot wait for spring break next week. It's going to be awesome!

Surface by Tiffany Daune (For review)

Playing Hooky by Rita Webb (For review)

Deep Down by Deborah Coates (For review)

Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel, & Raven by Lauren Oliver (Bought)

Requiem by Lauren Oliver (Bought)

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Bought)

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver (Bought)

On March 10th, I went to a Lauren Oliver signing in Mission Viejo, CA., and I bought the four books I was missing of hers so I could have her sign them. It was awesome getting to meet her again!

I also got my little chibi Allison Sekemoto in the mail, which was handmade by Julie Kagawa herself. I managed to snag one from her Etsy shop, but they sell out really fast (3 mins!) so I got really lucky It's so cute, and super tiny, I love it :)

I've decided to put up a poll every week so that you guys can help me decide what to read next. I always have trouble choosing what to pick up next, so depending on the responses I get, I might continue doing this for my weekly recaps on Sundays. Anyways, have a good week and happy reading :)

Review | Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything by E. Lockhart

2013-03-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything
by E. Lockhart
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 03.14.2006 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Format: Audio
Source: Library
Rating: ★½

At the Manhattan School for Art and Music, where everyone is “different” and everyone is “special,” Gretchen Yee feels ordinary. She’s the kind of girl who sits alone at lunch, drawing pictures of Spider-Man, so she won’t have to talk to anyone; who has a crush on Titus but won’t do anything about it; who has no one to hang out with when her best (and only real) friend Katya is busy.

One day, Gretchen wishes that she could be a fly on the wall in the boys’ locker room–just to learn more about guys. What are they really like? What do they really talk about? Are they really cretins most of the time?

Fly on the Wall is the story of how that wish comes true.

Thoughts: I don't know where to start with this book, so let me just tell you the truth. Fly on the Wall was a little funny and kind of entertaining, but it felt pointless by the time I was done. Even though I have heard wonderful things about E. Lockhart, this was an earlier book of hers (I believe,) and I wasn't too impressed.

Gretchen Yee is an okay character. She loves comic books, draws comic book characters for her art classes (which her teachers do not approve of,) and is a hoarder living with her parents who are getting a divorce. Nothing too special or interesting about her, but she is not unlikable, I guess. She spends her days alone now that her friend hangs out with another group of kids, daydreaming about the boy she likes, and just being...plain.

The story doesn't really change much until the fantasy twist when Gretchen ends up a fly in the boys locker room. Wish granted! Now she can watch boys and their gherkins all day long! (And all I could think was, really, you call them gherkins? Okay...?) And she does and for several chapters all we learn about are the sizes and shapes of their "gherkins" of pretty much all the boys at school. At one point she begins grading boys butts. Seriously?

She does get to observe identity issues, watches boys get bullied and really, learns that boys and girls are more similar than she expected. That's the message in the book and once the ending comes around, the story is wrapped up nicely and The End.

Overall: I was disappointed. Not because I thought it was truly bad, but because I expected something better from this author. I will definitely be giving her another shot (Ruby Oliver series, anyone?) but I don't highly recommend this one. It is a quick, and kind of entertaining read, but nothing special and with a lot of graphic content that I don't think is suitable for younger teens.

Review | A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

2013-03-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Science Fiction
Publication: 08.09.2011 by Candlewick
Format: Audio
Source: Library
Rating: ★★★★

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose-- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire-- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes-- or be left without any future at all.

Thoughts: It has taken me a long (long?) time to write this review. Not because I didn't like it, or because I loved it so much that I have no words to describe it. I think it's just been difficult to figure out exactly what it is I enjoyed so much about this. I'm not sure if this is a bad thing? A Long, Long Sleep caught me by surprise. I'd never heard of it and picked it up on a whim after reading the synopsis really quickly at the library one day. I really wasn't sure what to expect, but I can say that I really did like it.

A Long, Long Sleep begins with Rosalinda being woken up by Bren with a "kiss." She's then thrown into a future where her family and boyfriend are dead, she is the heiress to her parents empire, and she has to learn to adapt to the strangeness of everything, all while recouporating from being in stasis for so long, which has left her weak and unhealthy. Luckily, she is an heiress and has plenty of people looking out for her and her well-being. So she is tossed to some foster parents and sent to a school and pretty much left up to her own devices.

At first, I wasn't too impressed. While this book claims to be science fiction, there aren't too many elements that would be considered sci-fi. I am not an expert in this genre so after a while I wasn't really bothered by this because the future was still advanced, just not ridiculously so. There are hovering "cars," fancy new gadgets, and genetically engineered specimen, and really, that was enough for me. The beginning also dragged on a bit but I was still interested in the story to keep going.

I have to admit that at the beginning, I didn't like Rosalinda. She could be so annoying at times and I just wanted to smack her. I didn't find her particularly interesting until she becomes friends with Otto, a blue genetically engineered teenager who actually brings out more of her personality and adds an interesting part to the book with his background story. We also get to see a few more glimpses into her past, and these were what grabbed my interest the most. I wanted to learn more about her and Xavier (her boyfriend) and how their relationship developed, which I know will be weird for some of you, but I thought was kind of sweet. With each flashback though we learn more about her troubling past, her parents, life growing up, and why she was who she was, and this really changed my mind about her, especially because of the way she was treated.

The story really picks up the pace when Rosalinda is attacked by a plastine, which is this really creepy human-robot that is sent to kill her. Once the story picks up, it gets a lot more interesting, and I was rushing through it to get to the ending. I think the best part of this book is towards the end, when Rosalinda finds out the truth about what happened to her, when we glimpse at her past one last time, and a few other mysteries are revealed. While the last few paragraphs just wrapped the story nicely, I was pretty satisfied with how things turned out.

Overall: Even though it's considered a science fiction book, it is really a story about love, loss, and believing in oneself, so you don't have to be a science fiction fan to enjoy it. It provides a unique take on betrayal, some forms of abuse, and is an interesting re-telling of the familiar fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty. I enjoyed it a lot and definitely recommend it to young adult fans.

Bookish Thoughts | More on Audiobooks

2013-03-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

A little under four years ago, I was not an audio book listener. I'd heard a few books on audio because I was "forced" to in class but I didn't really listen to any on my own. One day, I stumbled upon a new library in my neighborhood and the way they had their YA section set up was having both physical books and audio books combined. I'm used to having audio books on their own shelf far off into a corner, but instead, these were right in my face. So I though, why the heck not? And I gave it a shot. I picked up The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong, and at first I disliked the idea of listening to the book, instead of reading it. It was weird for me. But by the end of the book, I was in love.

From then on, I started checking out audio books more regularly, and I've been listening to them for years now. I love the experience of being able to listen to a book, while I'm driving or doing chores around the house, or working out/running. It's awesome! In fact, this year, I've been so busy with school and life that I have only listened to most of the books I've "read" this year.

Earlier this year though, I almost gave up on them. I don't remember where I saw it but there was a forum of some sort that was discussing audio books. Someone made a comment that listening to audio books wasn't really reading. You weren't actually doing the reading, so it didn't count. I was stumped. Was that person right? Was it really not "reading"? I felt like I'd been cheating on my Goodreads challenge because I was adding all these books that I'd only listened to and didn't actually...well, read.

Then one day, I posted something really short about it here on the blog. It was a Top Ten Tuesday post and I mentioned I didn't want to listen to anymore audio books. And you know what? Rachelia from Bookish Comforts left me a comment that said I shouldn't let someone else's opinion sway my mind if I was doing something I enjoyed. She also went to say that, "I think audiobooks do count as reading - while it's a different experience, you are still devoting hours to listening and immersing yourself in the story." And I thought, damn, she's totally right. So I'm still listening to them like crazy.

So what about you? Do you like listening to audio books? If no, why not? Do you think they count as "reading" a book? Share any of your favorite audio books too! And favorite narrators, if you have any! I love Jesse Eisenberg (White Cat by Holly Black) and Scott Brick (The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga.) I'm always looking for new suggestions, so share them with me! :)

Review | Waves by Sharon Dogar

2013-03-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Waves by Sharon Dogar
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 04.01.2007 by Chicken House
Format: Audio
Source: Library
Rating: ★½

When Hal's family makes the heart-wrenching decision to leave Charley, their comatose daughter, behind in a hospital ward while they spend the summer on the west coast of England, Hal finds it harder than ever to shake his sister's presence. What power is letting him share her memories? And will they reveal the deep, dark truth behind her tragic "accident"? Set at a beach where growing up goes wrong, WAVES is a coming-of-age story about first love and first loss; about a family drowning in sorrow, and the remarkable son who is struggling against the tide to save them.

Thoughts: This is one of those books that sounds like it's going to be awesome, but ends of being so not what you expected. From the cover, it looks like a light summer read, and from the summary it sounds like a heartbreaking story that I won't ever forget. It attempts to be both of these things, and happens to be neither of them, sadly.

Hal, for one, is sort of a jerk. He hates his sister for being in a coma and hates that he doesn't know what happened to her. He is determined to find out, but doesn't learn anything until the last couple of pages of the book which is a real drag. Charley's past self is definitely likable; a kind-of-insecure, fun girl that falls madly in love with Pete. Of course, the first part of book doesn't even show us the real Charley, just coma-state-Charley which was too weird and sort of confusing to be interesting. As for Pete, what was so special about him anyways? Sure he was good looking but there was no substance to the guy and he always seemed so hung up on taking care of Am, his ex-girlfriend, who of course, Charley hates.

So while away with the family, Hal begins to "hear" Charley in his head and this is where I thought the book got too weird. Not only was he hearing her voice speaking to him, he was also "seeing" her memories and reliving them himself at some points. It was really strange and I thought a completely unnecessary route to take in telling how Charley felt. Since the book is told in alternating views, both Charley and Hal's, these scenes when their minds connect, or whatever it is they're doing, become quite repetitive.

Hal seems to be going crazy, but these memories he begins to see sort of lead him to finding out what happened the night of the accident, which when finally revealed, is not as big of a mystery as we originally expect. The story is prolonged and in the end, the mystery is completely dissatisfying which is the only reason I kept going with the book!

Overall: I think fans of the authors work might appreciate this one more than I did, because I found it weird and repetitive. This one probably would have been a DNF for me if I hadn't wanted to find out how it ended, but the conclusion turned out to be just another disappointment for me. While I did enjoy Charley's side of the story (and is the reason I gave this book the extra half star,) the rest of the book was not as engaging as I had expected and I really cannot recommend this to others who have enjoyed the authors writing before and want to give this one a shot as well.

Review | Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

2013-03-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 03.15.2011 by St. Martin's Griffin
Format: ARC
Source: Orange County Book Festival (Gift)
Rating: ★★½

Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money.

But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control...

Thoughts: The biggest mistake I made when starting this was having such high expectations of this author. Her previous book, The Chosen One, blew me away and going into Miles from Ordinary I expected something similar that was equally heart-wrenching. Of course it was silly of me to think that this book would be like the last one, with the story being so different, but it sounded like it would be something just as captivating. Sadly, I was let down more than I thought I would be, and while Williams is amazing at capturing the mind of a 13/14 year old girl, the story weaved into Miles from Ordinary was not extraordinary and left me feeling iffy about the whole thing.

Lacey is this quiet, simple girl who pretty much takes care of her mother, who sees and hears Lacey's dead grandfather. Being short on money, Lacey talks her mother into getting a job as a cashier and helps her every step of the way. On the first day of her new job, and Lacey's new volunteer position at the library, they head out together and Lacey hopes that this will be a new beginning for them. Unfortunately, when the day comes to an end, Lacey finds her world spinning out of control and she struggles to figure where everything went wrong.

I have to say that I liked Lacey. I totally got what she was going through and even though I wasn't exactly able to relate to her because I've never had a crazy mother, I was still able to connect with her. I think Williams does an amazing job in writing what goes on inside a young girls head, and this was probably my favorite part of the book. The secondary characters are also important, each one playing an important part in Lacey's day.

The story takes place in a day, and while it was a short read, it was too slow for my liking. Nothing really happens in the first half of the book, and while we do learn a little more about Lacey, her mother, her aunt and their complicated relationship through memories, I wasn't too captivated by the story. The book drags on as Lacey discovers her mother is missing and then attempts to find her before anything disastrous happens. The last third of the book is creepy, but also dragged on so much in those few pages, that I eventually lost interest in the weirdness and put the book down for a while.

Towards the end, there is an incident Lacey goes through, and I feel like I never really got what was going on there. It added to the creepy factor, definitely, but it is not explained once the book is concluded and I was disappointed because I expected some kind of twist! And while the conclusion is reasonable, I thought it was rushed and flat compared to the prose that is used for the rest of the book.

Overall: I am glad I gave this a shot, honestly. I definitely didn't love it and I really wanted to. It wasn't at all what I expected, but I think that was the problem. I definitely think others who enjoy contemporary/heartbreaking/powerful books will enjoy this one. I plan to pick the other books by Williams because this one will not deter me from reading more of her work. I know she is an amazing writer, and while Miles from Ordinary did not turn out to be for me, I have hope for the next book!

Bookish Thoughts | Email Subscriptions

2013-03-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, I discovered the awesomeness of subscribing by email to a blog. I never did this because I always followed via GFC and really didn't know how to use anything else (still don't, in fact.) I didn't want to subscribe to emails because I thought they would spam my inbox and I definitely didn't want that happening. But then some of the blogs I loved, and a few that I discovered, were not using GFC and this was troubling to me. I don’t have as much time to sit around the computer all day the way I used to, and I still can’t figure out how the feed readers work exactly, so I was a little frustrated with what to do.

One of my oldest blogging friends, Steph the Bookworm, had switched over to Wordpress and I no longer saw her posts on my GFC. I kept going back to her blog and realizing that she had posted a few things since I’d last checked it, so I decided, what the heck? And I subscribed to her blog via email. And it was awesome. Every morning I check my email, and sometimes I’d have a new email telling me Steph had a new post. And I’d open the email and I would read the post from there. Yes! I could read what she wrote without doing anything. It was right there, waiting for me. Anywho, one thing led to another and now I am subscribed to plenty of blogs and I love it.

I usually check my email on my phone because I am notified immediately when I get a new one. I am not one of those people who let the emails pile up. I read them right away, store it in a folder, and keep my inbox as empty as possible (this is why I also forget to email people back ~~sometimes~~ all the time.) I have an iPhone and I hate that little red number that shows up on the top of the icons telling me I have a new notification. So every morning, as I am laying in bed and trying to talk myself into getting out of bed, I check all my emails. And that means, every morning I am reading your posts. Yes, yours.

But you know what I realized? I am enjoying all your content and not commenting. Yep. Being a blogger, I know how awesome it is to receive comments. Every single one makes me want to pump my fist in the air and yell, “Yes!” – I don’t cause I am usually in school/work when I get an email (yes, I get an email for every comment and I love it) and that would weird. But with me receiving your posts in my email means I don’t have to go out of my way and find your post. So that means I never actually see it on your blog. Or comment. And now I feel bad about it. I mean, I want to comment. I do. I just don’t seem to have time to or remember when I am actually blogging/commenting because I have already read what you wrote and instead, I read what I haven’t looked at yet. And that kinda sucks for you.

What do you think about email subscriptions? Do you subscribe? Why or why not? Do you find yourself commenting less on blogs that you do get emails to, the way I do? I would love to hear your thoughts and if you have suggestions, those would be great too!

Top Ten Tuesday | Series I Would Like to Start...but haven't yet

2013-03-05T00:35:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Caster Chronicles: Okay, so I cheated a little and already started this one, but I do want to read the entire series!

2. Newsflesh: This sounds so awesome and I have been meaning to read it for so long!

3. Throne of Glass: I have heard only good things about this book and I cannot wait to read it!

4. Dust Lands: I've had a copy of this book for so long and I keep trying to read it, but haven't...yet!

5. Divergent: Everyone says this is awesome and I really want to check it out.

6. Across the Universe: This just sounds like something I need to read

7. The Immortals: I've heard great things about this series, have the first book, and have even met the author!

8. Halo: I have all the books in this series and I have yet to start it. I don't know why.

9. The Marbury Lens: Another series that I own and have met the author, but haven't had the chance to check out.

10. Vampire Academy: I love vampires. Also, I want to know what all the fuss is about.

What are your Top Ten this Tuesday? Leave your link below :)