Hello My Blog!

How long has it been? Almost a year? Well, it doens't feel like it's been that long! But it's true! Oh my. How the time races past me!
Well, where to begin?
How about the basics:
•I'm now a junior. In four months, I will be a senior! I believe the last time I posted anything, I was a sophmore.
•I am no longer a crazy over achiever! (When it comes to school, atleast) ;) Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. I just realized that I have things and people in my life who are much more important to me than school. Especially when all I need to aim for is a passing grade.
•This leaves room for reading. ♥ It was a passion of mine for a while and then I just stopped. What happened? Well, I don't know. A mixture of stress and lack of time made it hard. But I've returned to my strange obsession with reading once again.

So, those three 'basics' are really the only things to be covered for the moment. I am currently reading Captivate by Carrie Jones! It'll be the next review I post. :)

Hope all is well for everyone inhabited in the Blog World.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

I’ve always wanted to read a Sarah Dessen book. So when I found this in my school library, I hopped on it.

Title: Just Listen

Author: Sarah Dessen

Number of Pages: 371

Published by: Penguin Group

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summery: (from bookreads.com)When Annabel, the youngest of three beautiful sisters, has a bitter falling out with her best friend-the popular and exciting Sophie-she suddenly finds herself isolated and friendless. but then she meets Owen-a loner, passionate about music and his weekly radio show, and always determined to tell the truth. And when they develop a friendship, Annabel is not only introduced to new music but is encouraged to listen to her own inner voice. with Owen's help, can Annabel find the courage to speak out about what exactly happened the night her friendship with Sophie came to a screeching halt?

My Review:Sarah Dessen has a gift. She’s an amazing writer. Reading this book really was fun, even during the slower parts of the story. And you really can’t teach someone how to do that. It’s based on talent; which she happens to have a lot of.

Every one of her characters seemed so very real to me. Each having a very distinct voice. I fell in love with almost all of them. The only two characters I didn’t like were the ones you weren’t supposed to like; the ‘villains’ of the story, so to say. Sophie and Will were such unlikable characters. I came close to hating both of them, and for Dessen to make her audience feel such powerful emotions is amazing.

As for Owen, Annabel’s love interest, I really didn’t like him in the beginning. He loves strange music and sits alone at lunch. It seemed odd to me. But as I got to know him, I realized how cool he actually is and how much more there is to him. And the same goes for Annabel. It’s hard to understand why she does the things she does, but as you get to know her, it makes sense.

Annabel’s family was actually very complicated. I’m glad they played such a big part of the story. It wasn’t just about Annabel and her problems. It was about how a family copes when trouble comes their way. Big issues were dealt with that aren’t normally brought up all in one story; death, anorexia, rape. It added a certain depth to the story that most YA books seem to lack.

This was definitely a character-driven book. I happened to love it, but if you’re looking for a fast-paced, action-paranormal story, this is not the book for you. But if you’re looking for something that makes you feel and fall in love with the characters, then I definitely recommend reading this.

seventh book of 2010

Awards!

From the lovely Nina at We Adore a Happy Ending, I received the Blogger Buddy award. :)

I'm passing this on to:

•Raila from Get the Books out of the Bookshelves

•Adriana from Loves to Read

•Sandy from Pirate Penguin

•lanlan from Bookworm on a White Cloud

•Nina from We adore a Happy Ending (I know you've already received this award, but you haven't received it from me!)

From the lovely Adriana at Loves to Read, I received The Humane Award. :)

If you are one of the amazing bloggers below who have received this award, you must list a few bloggers that post lovely comments on your blog regularly and generally make your day brighter. (Yes, I may have changed the number because I thought it was too high. xD)

•Nina from We adore a Happy Ending

•Raila from Get the Books out of the Bookshelves

•Melissa from i swim for oceans

•Adriana from Loves to Read (I know you already received this award, but you haven't received one from me!)

•Jennifer G. from the Introverted Reader

Also from the lovely Adriana at Loves to Read and Raila at Get the Books out of the Bookshelves, I received the Bliss Happy 101 Award.

For the Bliss Happy 101 award you have to list 10 things that make you happy.

Here's my list in random order.

1. Seeing my dad, mom or grandmother happy makes me happy.

2. Reading a good book.

3. Visiting my home state (Washington)

4. Reading the gospels and learning more about my Creator.

5. Hiking, running, riding my bike all make me happy.

6. A cloudy, rain, windy day.

7. Music!

8. Watching my three favorite movies over and over; Pride and Prejudice, Penelope, and Stardust.

9. The moon.

10. Maintaining a 4.0 GPA. :)

If YOU, right now, are reading these words, then you have received this award from me. :)

The Boy Book by E. Lockhart

Picked this one up at my school library. They aren’t very well stocked, but it’s not as bad as I would have thought. Anyway, The Boyfriend List was written before The Boy Book and is apparently about the same group of characters. Well, I did not realize this until halfway through the book… I do believe this complements my intelligence quite well. ;-)

Title: The Boy Book

Author: E. Lockhart

Number of pages: 193

Published by: Delacorte Press

Rating: 3.5

Summer: (from: goodreads)Here is how things stand at the beginning of newly-licensed driver Ruby Oliver's junior year at Tate Prep:

• Kim: Not speaking. But far away in Tokyo.

• Cricket: Not speaking.

• Nora: Speaking--sort of. Chatted a couple times this summer when they bumped into each other outside of school--once shopping in the U District, and once in the Elliot Bay Bookstore. But she hadn't called Ruby, or anything.

• Noel: Didn't care what anyone thinks.

• Meghan: Didn't have any other friends.

• Dr. Z: Speaking.

• And Jackson. The big one. Not speaking.
But, by Winter Break, a new job, an unlikely but satisfying friend combo, additional entries to The Boy Book and many difficult decisions help Ruby to see that there is, indeed, life outside the Tate Universe.

My Summery: I’m sorry to start with spoilers, but it’s a necessity to understand what’s going on while reading this review. Here’s what happened before The Boy Book: Ruby dated and fell for a guy named Jackson. Ruby’s best friend, Kim, went out with Jackson shortly after he dumped Ruby. (In my own opinion, I believe Jackson dumped Ruby for Kim.) Ruby is heart broken and angry. But she tries to forgive Kim, because they are best friends. Well, Jackson asks Ruby to go to a party/dance with him for old time sakes because Kim can’t go. At this party/dance, Ruby and Jackson kiss. There were witnesses. And that’s when Ruby becomes a leper, loses all her friends, and is labeled a slut.

Okay, now that you’re caught up, I can begin. This story just didn’t make sense to me. Ruby and Kim had been friends for such a long time. And for Kim to go for Jackson when she knew it would crush her best friend did not seem realistic. But, Ruby forgave Kim. It’s what best friends do. They forgive each other when mistakes are made. Now, when Ruby made the mistake of kissing her ex-boyfriend whom she still loved, did Kim forgive Ruby? No. She made Ruby an outcast and a leper. It seems to me that their friendship may not have been very strong, though they had been ‘best friends’ sense elementary.

People at Ruby’s school labeled her as a slut for kissing someone else’s boyfriend. Again, I was confused. Maybe it’s not the same at other schools, but at mine, people aren’t labeled as a slut for kissing someone else’s boyfriend. Girl’s are labeled as a slut for *gasp* being a slut. Or by definition, “A woman considered sexually promiscuous.” I don’t think kissing fit’s the definition, but hey, every school is different I suppose.

As for Ruby, I did like her. She was a well developed character with interesting quirks. There was so much about her that teenaged girls in general would be able to relate to. Though, her parents seemed totally strange to me. At times, they made me laugh. But after a while, they annoyed me more than anything else. Ruby’s mother kept accusing her of being lesbian just because she didn’t have a boyfriend and no longer invited anyone over. That would not only offend me, but it’d get on my nerves beyond belief. She was just so out of tune with her own daughter.

All that aside, it was an interesting story and a quick, light read. Although I don’t recommend you ever buy it, I do suggest picking it up at the library if nothing else is available. It’s a good enough story with a quirky main character.

sixth book of 2010

Fallen by Lauren Kate

I should have written this review a couple days ago, but English essay’s and geometry homework got the best of me. *sigh* On the bright side, it’s now Friday! Thank God for Friday’s.


Title: Fallen
Author: Lauren Kate
Number of Pages: 452
Published by: Delacorte Press
Rating: 3.5


Summery: (From goodreads) There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

My Review: This book started out good. The emotions and theme came across really well…in the beginning. But as the book progressed, the more confused I became; unable to understand why Luce did the things she did and felt the way she felt. In some instances, I assumed Lauren Kate just randomly picked an emotion for Luce to feel and just hoped that it lined up with what was going on. Not that a lot went on. In the 452 pages of this book, not a lot happened. And when big events actually did happen, not enough information is given to make the reader anxious or scared.

As a character, Luce isn’t great, but isn’t bad. In the beginning, I liked her, but further into the book, she started to annoy me. As she gets closer to Daniel, her dialogue becomes cheesy. And as I mentioned earlier, there aren’t many explanations for why she feels a certain emotion or why she does what she does. I was unable to connect with Luce because of this. But her friend, Cam, had me stunned. He was kind, charming, and respectful of Luce. Whereas Daniel, was rude, disrespectful, and just plain mean. Luce kept picking Daniel because she felt as if she knew him, but in most cases, this is just a shallow excuse for feeling a strong attraction to the opposite sex. So it annoyed me when Luce kept ditching Cam for a guy who kept shrugging her off. All that aside, Cam had me more interested than anyone else in the story. From the very beginning of the book, I knew what would happen between Daniel and Luce, but Cam was a mystery to me. And a charming mystery at that.

As for the story line, as I said before, not a lot happened. And more than that, no questions were answered. The only things that were revealed as facts were the things that most guessed from the very beginning. I am going to read the sequel, Torment, for the sole purpose of retrieving answers to my questions. I understand that some people loved this book, and others hated it. I’m neither of the two. It was an okay book, though parts were definitely irritating. Anyway, the point being that there’s a fifty percent chance that you will love this book. So I do recommend checking this out at the library and giving it a shot.



Fifth book of 2010

Over the Top

I received this award from Jennifer G. at The Introverted Reader and lanlan at Bookworm on a White Cloud. Both are fantastic blogs. Check 'em out!

Rules for this award: Answer each question with a one word answer and then pass along to five other bloggers.

(1) Your Cell Phone? Lonely
(2) Your Hair? Short
(3) Your Mother? Beautiful
(4) Your Father? Fun
(5) Your Favorite Food? Bread
(6) Your Dream Last Night? Forgotten
(7) Your Favorite Drink? Water
(8) Your Dream/Goal? Helping
(9) What Room Are You In? Family/room
(10) Your Hobby? Reading
(11) Your Fear? Water
(12) Where Do You Want To Be In Six Years? Happy
(13) Where Were You Last Night? Asleep
(14) Something That You Aren't? Outgoing
(15) Muffins? Yucky
(16) Wish List Item? DVD
(17) Where Did You Grow Up? Washington
(18) Last Thing You Did? typed.
(19) What Are You Wearing? Spiderman!
(20) Your TV? Off
(21) Your Pets? Quiet.
(22) Friends? Fun
(23) Your Life? Fortunate
(24) Your Mood? tired
(25) Missing Someone? Family
(26) Vehicle? Fortunate.
(27) Something You Aren't Wearing? Coat
(28) Your Favorite Store? Bookstore
(29) Your Favorite Color? Green
(30) When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Today
(31) Last Time You Cried? Forgotten
(32) Your Best Friend? Bubbly
(33) One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Washington
(34) Facebook? Yes
(35) Favorite Place To Eat? Chipotle

Passing on to:
Nina at We Adore a Happy Ending
Raila at Get the Books Out of the Bookshelves
Adriane at Loves to Read
Justine at A Bookful of Thoughts
Athira at Reading on A rainy Day

Okay, so book update! I have a couple pages left in Fallen and then I will be ready to write a review! Which, If things go as planned, (though, they rarely do) I will have the review up by tomorrow or Wednesday.

Happy Reading, everyone!

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

I bought this book without really thinking too hard. I was only in Barnes and Noble for a couple minutes and new I wanted to buy a book. So I saw this and bought it without much thought, other than that I knew it was one I wanted to read.


Title: Perfect Chemistry
Author: Simone Elkeles
Number of Pages: 357
Published by: Walker & Company
Rating: 4/5


Summer: (from goodreads.com) A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers. When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.


Review: This book was so hard to put down. When I wasn’t able to read it, I’d be thinking about it. Just one of those books that catch your attention from the very beginning and keep you reading until the very end.

What was truly amazing was how you were able to see and sympathize with two different people living two completely different lives. Which I didn’t think was possible. When I found out that Alex was in a gang, I really didn’t think I would be able to sympathize with him at all. But I was so wrong. Looking into his world and how he sees things was mind boggling. And looking into Brittany’s world had me fascinated, too. I didn’t think I would be able to relate to someone so materialistic, but as you read on, you realize why she is the way she is and are able, in some way or another, to relate to her.

Most people I know who’ve read this book fell for Alex like no other. I’m a little disappointed that it was not the same for me. Though, there’s no denying I wasn’t crushing on him like crazy, but that was it. And I can honestly say that I don’t know why that was. Well, aside from that, Alex was a well developed character. But him alone would not have made the book what it was. It was both Brittany and him that made the book what it was. Their relationship and how they were able to become better people because of it was what made the book great.

I only have one negative comment to make: The Epilogue. It was cheesier than anything I’ve ever read in my life. Okay, that may be over exaggerating, but this was really bad. I can’t say why it was bad because that would spoil the whole book. And I’d rather not do that to anyone who hasn’t read it. But the epilogue has little effect on how much I liked the book. With or without the epilogue, it's still a book that I will read again and again.

I would definitely recommend this to any girls out there that like a good love story. Definitely not a guy book, but anyone could see that by looking at the title. ;)

Fourth book of 2010