Friday, September 30, 2011

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop #12

Friday again! Sorry this is so late for me. I drove home last night and got in kinda late and have been gone all day, so this is the first time I've been able to sit down. Whew!

Anyways, Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read each week and is a joint effort between all of us bloggers  to find new blogs to read and love. Plus, each week a different question is asked, and I get to answer it! So here goes:



Q. What book that hasn't been turned into a movie yet would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you cast as your favorite character?

ME. It seems like every book with a little bit of buzz coming out right now has been optioned for a movie, but I'm thinking The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross would make a pretty awesome movie. I love love love period stuff, and this would just be begging for me to watch it, plus I can see a pretty cool ad campaign for it. :) To play Finley, we'd need someone super tough... In a few years I'd love to see Hailee Steinfeld play her. I've been practically obsessed with her since I saw her in True Grit, and she needs something else to show off that steely look of hers.

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly par-tay for book bloggers to connect! It's hosted by Crazy for Books (follow that link to get to this week's Blogger Hop post!) and lasts Friday through Monday every week! Except this week! We're going Saturday through Tuesday! Woo! And we get another exciting question, here goes:

Book Blogger Hop

Q. In honor of Banned Books Week, what is your favorite banned or frequently challenged book?
ME. I love love love Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I understand why people question the book's appropriateness for younger readers, but at the same time, it is definitely a cautionary tale. In Brave New World, the people are conditioned from birth to feel no real emotions, especially affection, and indulge in all kinds of behavior questionable to us on a daily basis. It is an important novel to read, but I wouldn't encourage you read it too young. I only read it during my senior year of high school, and it was a bit shocking even then. Definitely worth your read though!

Have a lovely weekend all! I know I will! Root for the Crimson Tide against Florida on Saturday, the game starts at 7 central time! Roll Tide! Hehehe. :)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Eve by Anna Carey

From Goodreads:

Where do you go when nowhere is safe?
Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her.
Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.
The premise of Eve  is utterly creepy. When you find out exactly what the students are in for after their graduation, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Anna Carey sets up how Eve learns all of this quite well, and I thought the world-building was pretty darn good. I felt like most of my questions were answered, and since it's a planned series, the few I had left were quite alright. 


I feel like Eve is a bit more post-apocalyptic than dystopian. This may change with later books, but we spend a lot more time in destroyed civilizations than in pseudo-utopian ones. I love post-apocalyptic anything at least as much as I love dystopian, though in all honesty dystopian may be getting a bit burned out for me. So Eve was a good relief; I got the desolation and fighting back spirit of dystopian, but in a dingier, more desolate setting. :) 


And that's the thing, everyone is dirty. Caleb has dreadlocks and Eve describes him as smelling like sweat. Sometimes we forget about that kind of thing in books when people are out in the wilderness. The author doesn't describe their state of cleanliness, so we never think about how they smell. I loved the fact that we're reminded that people stink when they live in the woods, without access to lots of soap. Odd, I know, but it made me happy.


Honestly, Eve was not a super fun protagonist to follow. She's naive, which is understandable, given how she's raised, but at some point you'd think she'd start to figure out some stuff. But no. She continually does stupid things that get people killed, and she skips off unharmed. I also didn't feel like she'd like Caleb so much so quickly. She's been conditioned ruthlessly to believe that men are only out to hurt women, so when this guy comes around, shouldn't she be more suspicious? She's supposed to be pretty darn intelligent, so maybe you'd suspect that he has ulterior motives? Naw. She decides pretty soon that he's good, which he does prove to be, but I would think she'd be more cautious. Maybe she would start thinking he's different and spend some time figuring that out, but no. She gets cuddly pretty quick. Really, she gets comfortable with men really quick. Hmm.


But, all in all, I thought the story was a good one. Eve has some growing up to do, and she needs to do it quick, but there's a lot of potential for the next book to be great. I did not expect the twist in the ending at all, and I'm itching for another book. 


Risk a paper cut? Eve has great potential, and if you're willing to read one decent book (that is not at all a waste of your time) with the hopes of an exceptional one to come, go for it! I know I'll be waiting in line. :)


To buy: Amazon

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

From Goodreads:
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. 
Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.
If you know me at all, you know I love serial killers. I don't love them in a way that'd make me want to be one or anything, don't worry, but I think their mentality and motives are absolutely fascinating. And there is no serial killer as famous as Jack the Ripper. People have been fascinated with the Ripper since he first started killing. There were no definitive eyewitnesses, he stopped at five women, and investigators couldn't decide whether he had medical training or not. He's the guy that got away, and always will be, because there's no way for us to solve the mystery today. Anyway, needless to say, I was excited to read The Name of the Star.

Given my excitement, The Name of the Star didn't quite live up to my standards. I don't quite know why, but I think it may have been that I wanted more creepy, serial killer craziness and not so much about supernatural powers. I did love the London setting and reading about places I've only seen in movies... Sigh. I also appreciated all the CORRECT facts. The facts of the Jack the Ripper murders are so well-documented and easy to find I probably would've stopped reading the book had a fact been wrong. Sometime I read books that have their facts completely wrong and I want to throw the across the room.

Anyways, I wanted action, action, action, but the beginning of the book was very much about the characters. I love well-developed characters, and most characters were, but it got to be a bit much. I especially didn't like Rory's love interest. He was kinda bleh for me. The second half of the book picked up, and the twist really made it more interesting, and made me really want a sequel, especially the ending. The end really had all the action that I had been waiting patiently for, and made the book definitely worth my time.

Risk a paper cut? If you're creepy like me and love Jack the Ripper, for sure. Any fans of paranormal novels will get their fill, though I know the synopsis doesn't make it sound like it! All in all, The Name of the Star is a ripping good and creepy time.


To buy: Amazon

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop #11

Friday again! Another week come and gone and it's time for my basically 4 day weekend, just like every weekend. College does such wonderful things. :)

Anyways, Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read each week and is a joint effort between all of us bloggers  to find new blogs to read and love. Plus, each week a different question is asked, and I get to answer it! So here goes:





Q. Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep revisiting it.

ME. After looking through the books I've read on Goodreads, and, honestly, the only series I can recall reading many times over is Harry Potter. And everybody knows about Harry Potter! There are tons of series I love, but I haven't read most of them more than twice, because I always want to read new stuff!


Book Blogger Hop is a weekly par-tay for book bloggers to connect! It's hosted by Crazy for Books (follow that link to get to this week's Blogger Hop post!) and lasts Friday through Monday every week! Except this week! We're going Saturday through Tuesday! Woo! And we get another exciting question, here goes:



Book Blogger Hop

Q. As a blog reader, what information (besides the book review) do you like to see in other bloggers’ reviews of books? (For example – Author bio, social media links, book synopsis from Amazon/Goodreads or one written by the blogger, page count, ISBN number, link to purchase, etc.)
ME. I like as much information as possible, but I especially like to see a link to Goodreads and a link to buy the book! I have no preference for the style of synopsis, though I always want to see one, in case I've never heard of the book, rather than a reviewer just delving into their points. Personally, I love writing my own, but find sometimes I can't word a synopsis better than the one already written, I just can't find the right flow for it, or honestly don't have the time. The most important thing in a review to me is not the extra information, though. I just want to read a review I think is honest. If I can tell a blogger is honestly just telling me what they thought, rather than supporting some kind of agenda, I'm happy. That's what this community is all about and why I love being a part of it.



Have a lovely weekend all! I know I will! Root for the Crimson Tide against Arkansas on Saturday, the game starts at 2:30! Roll Tide! Hehehe.

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

From Goodreads:
The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. 
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. 
And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true. The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him. As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
I've heard a whole lot of praise for The Near Witch, so needless to say, I was super excited to read it. I really liked it, but I had some complaints. Though there is no denying Victoria Schwab has a way with words and a great ability to create a palpable atmosphere.

The vibes you get reading The Near Witch are awesome. I got this feeling that it was always windy, so there was always the sound of wind in your ears, making it hard to hear. This made it feel creepier to me, I don't know why. But the idea of a village secluded by this vast, mysterious moor that people don't really venture onto is creepy, right? Good stuff.

I liked Lexi, because she doesn't settle for the lame information people tell her. Instead, she goes out and figures things out herself, and heroines who sit about and moan make me angry. Lexi had a dilemma and did something about it. We've been talking a lot about women in my British literature class and it's good to see a girl who sees problems and fixes them. This was not the case in a lot of fiction even up until recently. She really sticks it to the men who thought she should just sit in the house and let them take care of it.

I did think the relationship between Lexi and Cole was not developed enough, though. She sees him on the moor, talks to him once, is attracted to him, and then they're together. It happens pretty quickly, and I just didn't feel like it was a natural progression, but more of a device to make sure Lexi was there to defend Cole to the Elders. That being said, I did think they were cute once they were together, and Cole is sigh-worthy. Can't help but like the wounded, sad type, which Cole exudes in spades. Plus, he can control wind, which is pretty awesome, right?

The witches, Magda and Dreska, were probably my favorite part. You never knew when they were going to be sweet and grandmotherly and give Lexi a charm, or when they were going to kick her out of their house spewing crazy mutterings. Unpredictable and fun!

Risk a paper cut? The Near Witch is awesomely atmospheric. It's a story of myths, betrayals, backstabbings, and love. How could you not want to read it?

To buy: Amazon

I also must thank Disney-Hyperion for graciously providing me with an egalley through Netgalley. Thank you, thank you!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Goliath (Leviathan #3) by Scott Westerfeld

Published on: September 20, 2011
Publisher: SimonPulse
Source: Simon & Schuster Galleygrab

From Goodreads:
Alek and Deryn are on the last leg of their round-the-world quest to end World War I, reclaim Alek’s throne as prince of Austria, and finally fall in love. The first two objectives are complicated by the fact that their ship, the Leviathan, continues to detour farther away from the heart of the war (and crown). And the love thing would be a lot easier if Alek knew Deryn was a girl. (She has to pose as a boy in order to serve in the British Air Service.) And if they weren’t technically enemies. 
The tension thickens as the Leviathan steams toward New York City with a homicidal lunatic on board: secrets suddenly unravel, characters reappear, and nothing is at it seems in this thunderous conclusion to Scott Westerfeld’s brilliant trilogy.
Like I said in my review of Behemoth, I just moderately liked Leviathan, but this series has definitely gotten better and better as it's gone on.  Behemoth was good, but Goliath was excellent, a perfect ending to the series. I didn't know I would be so sad for it be over, but after reading all three of the books, I most certainly am. If you're like me, and just kinda liked Leviathan, I assure you that you should keep reading these books. They get so so so much better, and are completely worth your time.

Scott Westerfeld keeps astounding me with his creativity. I would think he'd run out of interesting creatures and odd machines for the Clankers and Darwinists to have, but it seems he has a never-ending supply. Sometimes those descriptions can get exhausting, but the beautiful illustrations make it so much easier to visualize. I noticed that almost every new machine or animal and/or confusing clash had a picture.

All of those things we've been waiting for for two other books are finally happening. :) Secret identities are revealed, feelings are made known, and happy endings are on the horizon. Everyone wants to know how Alek and Deryn are going to end, and I will not spoil details, but I can't hide that I'm happy about it.

I still love each and every character, especially Deryn. That is a girl anyone can admire, and I love her spunk and vivacity. I also love some of her more commonly used phrases and words. She's fun.

To conclude, read Goliath if you've read the other two books. If you haven't read the other two books, read them. Then read Goliath! :)

Risk a paper cut? Yes. The 500-odd pages of Goliath are totally and completely worth your time.


To buy: Amazon

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Behemoth (Leviathan #2) by Scott Westerfeld

From Goodreads:
The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers. 
Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory. 
Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.
The reason it's taken me this long to read Behemoth is that I only liked Leviathan, the first book in the series. I had tried to start the book once before and it hadn't caught my interest, but with the third book, Goliath, coming, I decided it was time to give it another try. I am so glad I did.

I liked Behemoth so much more than I liked Leviathan. I think this was because the world was mostly established at this point, and I was able to focus on the story and characters rather than puzzle over the "Clankers" and "Darwinists". At the same time, I liked the story of this one better too. The majority of the story lies in the Leviathan's trip to Istanbul to make amends with the Sultan, so the Ottoman Empire doesn't join in with the Clankers. The people of the Ottoman Empire have found a way to perfectly mesh the ideals of both Clankers and Darwinists, and have no real loyalty to either, so both the Germans and English are wooing them.

What sets this series apart from a lot of what is coming out right now is Scott Westerfeld's ability to weave an alternate history so well. Most people who know something about World War I can see familiar elements and events, but there are new twists to them, and it keeps the story fresh, rather than just a rehash of history.

I especially love the interactions between Deryn/Dylan and Alek. We all know where it's heading, but it's still fun to watch Alek be clueless to Deryn's secret. And Deryn is such a good boy! She's tough and smart, and a real soldier, despite actually being a girl. :) Alek is slowly learning how to not be such a prudish noble, and I like him all the more for it.

I also really enjoyed the ending. The action was really well paced and interesting, and just made me want to get to the final book even more!

Risk a paper cut? Behemoth is a tale filled with action, intrigue, and hydrogen. What more do you want?


To buy: Amazon

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Follow Friday #10!

Friday again! Another week come and gone and it's time for my basically 4 day weekend, just like every weekend. College does such wonderful things. :)

Anyways, Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read each week and is a joint effort between all of us bloggers  to find new blogs to read and love. Plus, each week a different question is asked, and I get to answer it! So here goes:



Q. It's that pesky magic book fairy again! She has another wish: What imaginary book world would you like to make a reality?

ME. This is such a hard question! I know the world of Harry Potter is an obvious, though highly desirable, but I tend to really get immersed in major fantasy worlds more than anything else. When I have to read about an entire world completely unlike what I know it's so fun to get into, and I don't want to leave if it's done well. My favorite would probably be the worlds of the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman. I know this is a polarizing series, but I loved the books when I read them. I loved the parallel worlds. One was much like ours, but one we spent most of our time in was much like what I read in other fantasy books, and I loved the juxtaposition. Ohhhhhh. Now I need to reread those... *runs off to find my copies*


I've nothing much to tell you guys in my closing remarks, so have a lovely and eventful weekend! See ya soon!

Winners of the 100 Follower Giveaway! :) :)

Whew! My second giveaway has now come and gone, and I thought it was super fun. I hope you guys did too! I've picked the winners through Rafflecopter, which uses Random.org for random number generation. So, without further ado, I'm pleased to announce the winners!

The signed copy of White Cat goes to... Entry #73, MElysah!!
The ARC of Eve goes to... Entry #172, lindsaywrites!!
The ARC of Shatter Me goes to... Entry #16, Kate!!
The ARC of The Space Between goes to... Entry #210, usagi!!

And my additional prize, just because y'all are awesome, is a copy of Warm Bodies, by Isaac Marion, which is my favorite book I've read all year. Gotta share the love!

This goes to... Entry #178, Rachel!! (Now that's a good name.)

I've emailed all of the winners, and they have 48 hours to respond, or I'll have to pick someone else in their place, and that would make me sad. I hope you guys have a lovely rest of the week, and I'll be seeing you tomorrow for Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop! :)

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Vanessa and Justine Sands have vacationed in Winter Harbor, Maine for as long as they can remember. The beach town holds fond memories, especially of the days spent with the Carmichael boys, Simon and Caleb. Vanessa is bound and determined to get over her fears of cliff-diving and the ocean, and be more like her fearless sister this summer.
But when Justine's body washes up on the beach after a particularly heated argument with her parents, Vanessa can't believe Justine's death was a suicide, despite what the doctors say. Plus Caleb has disappeared. As she sets out with Simon to uncover the truth, bodies keep washing up on the shore. All of those dead are men, and all are smiling. Vanessa soon finds out Justine's death is part of something much larger and older than her family problems, and she is somehow inexorably entwined.

Siren by Tricia Rayburn was not what I expected it to be. I read the title and my mind went to mermaids, which, as you may know, are traditionally quite similar to sirens. I'd been dying to read a mermaid book, and thought this might fill the void. It hasn't, but that isn't to say I didn't enjoy Siren all the same.

Vanessa is not the strongest heroine I've ever read, but she's not the worst either. At the start of the book, I was afraid she was going to be her wimpy, afraid of everything self the entire time, and she wasn't. Part of why she's a wimp is that she's lived in her older sister, Justine's, shadow her entire life. She also depends on her way too much. Despite this, she harbors no resignation and they are as close as can be. I also admired that she was so bound to find out what happened to Justine, despite the fact that she was so afraid of EVERYTHING.

I am a die-hard lover of nerds. Simon is so utterly adorable in his nerdiness, so I obviously loved him. He is so sweet. It's nice to have a guy who isn't a tortured soul or a bad boy. Simon is just his sweet sweet self, and he loves Vanessa. Swoon. :) :)

There are a lot of good characters, with lots of interesting traits that I'd like to know more about in the second book. I also liked the different concept of sirens, especially that they're able to really be like normal women and live lives like normal people, but have this seduction ability. They don't just sit in lagoons or on rocks waiting for the sailor to come by. I also liked that they're not inherently evil, as they can be portrayed a lot of times. Each woman makes her choice about how she wants to live her life.

I have lots and lots and lots of questions, and hope Tricia Rayburn can answer them in book 2, which is out now! This is really my biggest complaint. I need my questions answered!!! I feel like an author needs to give the reader enough answers to be satisfied, but leave us hanging enough that we'll want to read another book (if it's a series), or, really, they should believe their characters are compelling enough to keep us intrigued. I'll be picking up the second book quite soon though. :)

Risk a paper cut? Anyone interested in the mythology of mermaids and sirens will be interested to read a new take on them, and anyone who just likes a good, kinda creepy story will like this book too!


To buy: Amazon

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop #9!!!

The week has come and gone guys! It's already somehow feeling like fall here in Alabama, and football season has officially started! I'm finding it hard to believe this is my ninth week of Friday memes, but it is! :) If you haven't seen, I'm having my 100 follower giveaway here, so go enter! I'm giving away ARCs from Anna Carey, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tahereh Mafi, plus a signed book by Holly Black. Isn't that worth your time? :) Plus, they're only seven more days to enter! EEEEEEEE!

Anyways, Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee each week and is a joint effort between all of us bloggers to get more followers. Plus, each week a different question is asked, and I get to answer it! So here goes:




Q. Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one?
Me. Sometimes I kinda would like a villain to win, but never enough to really root for them. Sometimes they're just super interesting characters, though not actually good, and sometimes the reasons behind what they're doing are good, but the actions in and of themselves are not. All in all, not really. I'm always really rooting for the good guys! Though sometimes to end with a villain winning makes for a really great story.


Book Blogger Hop is a weekly par-tay for book bloggers to connect! It's hosted by Crazy for Books (follow that link to get to this week's Blogger Hop post!) and lasts Friday through Monday every week! And we get another exciting question, here goes:


Book Blogger Hop

Q. Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn't read that genre anymore?
ME. I mostly read YA, but I still love to read a lot of adult and historical fiction. I read YA because it's relatable. Most of the time, the stories are about people quite similar to me who end up in outstanding situations, and I love being able to picture myself in those stories. But, it's also not hard for me to identify with characters in adult novels, especially as I get older. So, if authors stopped writing YA I wouldn't have a problem reading other things at all! I could NEVER give up reading completely. I'd read cereal boxes if there was nothing else to read. :)

So... All the fun is done! Please go check out my giveaway (IT'S INTERNATIONAL!) and have a great weekend! :)

Sunday, September 4, 2011

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Published on: September 6, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher provided egalley on Netgalley

From Goodreads:

Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It’s all about Before and After. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.
Sixteen-year-old Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss—a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.
Now, normally I cry at everything. I cry at stupid things. I cry at the smallest details that no one else cries at. But I did not cry in The Beginning of After. I could tell I maybe should have, but I just didn't. I found The Beginning of After to be just a decent book, not extraordinary or life-altering, but entertaining enough and worth a read.

The book starts just before a fatal car accident that kills our protagonist, Laurel's, parents and little brother, along with their neighbor Mrs. Kaufman. Her husband, who was driving, is in a coma, and unlikely to come out. It is supposed to be all about Laurel's grief and how she deals with it. Honestly, I felt like her grief only played a part sometimes. She'd have mini episodes of freakouts, and then be totally fine for a few chapters. While I didn't like much of what Laurel did or said, I can get over that. A girl who's lost basically her entire existence has that excuse. I did find her great interest in prom to be odd. Your whole family is dead, and you're worrying about a boy asking you to prom? Yes, you need a sense of normalcy, but the switch between her state of mind is jarring and didn't feel right.


I have a feeling I'm not in the majority of people when I say that I didn't find the book to be all that moving.  I honestly don't know how I would react should something like that happen to me and I could be completely off base in my thoughts. I felt like Laurel's grandmother's grief was much more compelling, and we only saw brief glances of that. But in those brief glances, you could see a woman torn apart with grief but who has to hold herself together to be the strong face for her granddaughter. That is where I found the most emotional parts of the book.


I feel like it sounds like I really didn't like this book, and that is utterly not true. I can see the message Jennifer Castle was trying to get across. I thought the story was paced well and flowed well enough. I can see fans of Sarah Dessen loving it easily. I just didn't find it to be as deep as it seemed to be striving to be.


Risk a paper cut? If you're dying for something dying to make you cry, try it.


To buy: Amazon

Friday, September 2, 2011

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop #8

Whew. Friday again! What a relief, eh? It's been a good week already. If you haven't seen, I'm having my 100 follower giveaway here, so go enter! I'm giving away ARCs from Anna Carey, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tahereh Mafi, plus a signed book by Holly Black. Isn't that worth your time? :)

Anyways, Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee each week and is a joint effort between all of us bloggers to get more followers. Plus, each week a different question is asked, and I get to answer it! So here goes:




Q. If you change the ending to any book (or series), which book would you choose? Why and to what?
ME. I remember reading The Sweet Far Thing quite a few years ago, and being completely upset with the ending. Now, if you haven't read Libba Bray's series, you obviously won't know what I'm talking about, but I don't want to actually spoil it here... If you've read it, you know what I mean. KARTIK!!! I don't know what I'd change it to, but I'd definitely change it. I cried.


Book Blogger Hop is a weekly par-tay for book bloggers to connect! It's hosted by Crazy for Books (follow that link to get to this week's Blogger Hop post!) and lasts Friday through Monday every week! And we get another exciting question, here goes:






Book Blogger Hop

Q. What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season?
ME. Ohhhh, for sure just the weather. I'm from south Mississippi, and go to school in the middle of Alabama, so it's almost always hot here. In the fall we get some really lovely not so hot weather that I adore. That is what I always look forward to, not sweating my brains out every time I walk outside. :)

So... All the fun is done! Please go check out my giveaway (it's international!!!) and have a great weekend! :)

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The "I'm So Excited About Having 100 Followers That I'm Giving You Free Stuff" Giveaway!

Yes. I have, by some miracle, reached 100 followers! And I'm excited. In my excitement, I have things to give you guys because you're wonderful. Lots of things. Too many things, really, to make my wallet happy. But I don't care!


THE PRIZES:
Yes, those are them! Pretty bedspread, eh? :)
Prizes:
A signed hardcover copy of White Cat by Holly Black

An ARC of Eve by Anna Carey
An ARC of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (sorry, not the version with cover art)
An ARC of The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Sound good??
Legit.
Rules:
  1. You must be at least 13 years old to enter.
  2. You do NOT need to be a follower to enter.
  3. Giveaway is open to US and international entrants.
  4. So, basically, there aren't any rules. Just don't lie, guys. That's all I ask.
How to earn entries:
  • For 1 entry each:
  • For 2 entries each:
    • Be an old follower (I will be keeping up with this.)
    • "Like" Paper Cuts on Facebook (the link is to the right!)
The giveaway runs for the next two weeks, from September 1st to the 15th. To clarify, you either get the +1 for being a new follower OR +2 for being an old follower, not both. And I think that's it! If you have absolutely any questions (since I can be confusing/confused at times) don't hesitate to ask me here in the comments or email me.

EDIT: You guys have been so awesome just in a few hours... So, if somehow I reach 150 followers while this giveaway is still going on, I will add a couple more pretty awesome prizes. I thought I was going to keep them for myself, but... You guys are just too cool for that. :) :) I'm not telling what they are though!!!