Thursday, September 30, 2010

A Discussion on Thursday - When "Celebrities" Strike

So, I've just discovered the amazingness of Perez for mobile, so I'm putting it to good use. However, that also means that I came across this little gem here -->

http://m.perezhilton.com/blog/132640/

Unfortunately, I haven't quite figured out how to properly display that sans full-link showing. But I'll fix it as soon as I have real internet and not just my phone.

Basically, Snookie from Jersey Shore - a show which I don't watch, so I have no idea what happens on it - is going to pen her own book. I'm thinking that its going to be like Nicole Ritchie's flop from a few years ago. Does anyone other than me remember it? I only know about it because I saw it on the bargain clearance shelf at Chapters...


Anyways, what's your take on celebrities writing books?

Personally, I think that if they have real talent they should go for it; but, sadly, not a lot of them do. I also think that many of them have ghost writers...


Let me know what your take on it all is!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Wish List Wednesday - Number Twenty-One

Well, it's that time of week again and, not for the first time, I'm left grasping at which book I want to feature this week just because there are soooooo many out there. It's amost enough to make a book-blogger pull out her hair. However, after much consideration, I've decided to go with this book...



Possession

Written by: Elana Johnson

Released: June 2011 by Simon and Schuster


Summary: In this world, you're just a possession.


**Formerly titled Control Issues.



With the cover and the very brief summary, it's intriguing to say the least. Plus, as a bonus, it's a 2011 Debut Author release!

I think that it's going to be one of those books that throws you for a loop at the very end.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Vintage Tuesdays - Fat is Just a Word

Size 12 is Not Fat

Written by: Meg Cabot

Released: December 27, 2005 by Avon Trade


Summary: Heather Wells Rocks!


Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two — and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather's perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather's residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft.

The cops and the college president are ready to chalk the death off as an accident, the result of reckless youthful mischief. But Heather knows teenage girls . . . and girls do not elevator surf. Yet no one wants to listen — not the police, her colleagues, or the P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives — even when more students start turning up dead in equally ordinary and subtly sinister ways. So Heather makes the decision to take on yet another new career: as spunky girl detective!

But her new job comes with few benefits, no cheering crowds, and lots of liabilities, some of them potentially fatal. And nothing ticks off a killer more than a portly ex-pop star who's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong . . .


The reason that I bought this book was because I liked the title and I love reading Meg Cabot books. At that point, I had stuck to her YA series only, so I figured that this would be a good jumping point into her adult books.

The reason that I read this book was because it was witty, charming, mysterious, and fantastic. Heather as a character was great and I like that she was real... aside from the past-life of a pop star and all that famous stuff. But, the way that she was written really made her jump off the page.

I'm giving this book an 8/10. It's been a while since I last read it, but in writing this review I really want to re-read it to truly remember everything about it.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Movie Monday - Libraries are FUN!

The Pagemaster

Written by: David Kirschner, David Casci & Ernie Contreras

Directed by: Joe Johnston & Maurice Hunt

Released: November 23, 1994

Rating: PG in Ontario but G in other provinces. Go figure...


Summary: A cowardly boy who buries himself in accident statistics enters a library to escape a storm only to be transformed into an animated illustration by the Pagemaster. He has to work through obstacles from classic books to return to real life.


I loved this movie growing up. Then again, even way back then I was completely enamoured with books and reading. I recently re-watched the movie after I found it in a $5.00 bin at Wal-Mart and completely bought it and I realized that it has so many more literary references than I ever realized when I was younger. Plus, watching it as an adult I finally understood the adult references that I would have never picked up on before.

I had wanted to share this movie with the kids that I worked with all summer during the weekly movie nights, but I kept forgetting to bring it with me, which is too bad since its fantastic. It really is one of those movies that completely encompasses what children's movies from the '90s were like. I'm giving it an 8/10. It's a great movie t share with the younger generation who probably has never heard about this movie. Which is a real shame.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Don't Forget!

Time is running out on getting in on the giveaway action happening here at The Lady Critic's Library.

If you've been under a rock for the last week or so, you can catch up on all the drama that's been going on by visiting this post here.

Then, once you're up to speed, you can enter to win a copy of one of those horrible books which should be burned in the town square. Think about it; you could roast marshmallows while destroying some great works of fiction!!!

*please note, that's sarcasm...

Anyways, head over to the post and enter into the contest so that you can have your very own copy!!!

Own a Piece of Your Childhood

So, while catching up on my Perez, I hit this article about Charlotte's Webb by E.B. White. Below I've copied the article itself and I've included the link to the original. I would have done just the link, but some of the comments are your typical gross ones.

Anyways, enjoy! I know that I loved this book as a kid and it was one of the first ones that I read in class.


Original web posting.

Article:


No doubt growing up you read the story Charlotte's Web. (Or if you are of this generation, you watched the Dakota Fanning movie that surely gave you night terrors for a month)


Well, the family of illustrator Garth Williams has decided to reach into the family vault and release 46 of his original sketches for the classic novel and put them up for auction.

On October 15th, Heritage Auctions will make the original illustrations, which include the iconic cover, available for purchase. For the sketch of the books cover there is an estimated price of $20,000 to $30,000.

That's a pretty penny to spend, but for a true collector, perhaps its worth it!



Granted, I would never spend that much on an illustration, but if I had an unlimited supply of money or I had just robbed a bank... maybe.

In My Mailbox (20)

As always, IMM credit goes to the lovely Story Siren and her website.




Well, this week was one where I was “packing” (I use the term loosely since I have procrastinated so much) and cleaning and organizing in order to move across province. Luckily for me, it’s because I got a job, so woo hoo.

However, I still packed in some shopping time. Of course, there were things needed to help pack; books were just the bonus. So, this week in my mailbox I got:



Sweet Valley Twins and Friends – Super Chiller #7 – The Haunted Burial Ground by Francine Pascal
I collect the SV Twins books and I have almost the whole series. They always remind me of childhood. And for some reason I couldn't find a good picture of the cover online. That's rather sad...




Born to Bite by Lynsay Sands
I love her books and I can’t wait to read this one.

Soulless by Gail Carriger
I’ve heard nothing but good things about this series and I’ve been wanting to read it for myself for a while.



So this is what I got in my mailbox. Leave a comment with the link to yours!



AND don’t forget to sign up for my first contest ever. I’m giving away three “bad” books which have been all over the blogs lately! If you want the chance to win, go over and enter!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

The First Bite

A Quick Bite

Written by: Lynsay Sands

Released: November 1, 2005 by Avon


Summary: That hot guy tied to Lissianna Argeneau's bed? He's not dessert—he's the main course!


Lissianna has been spending her centuries pining for Mr. Right, not just a quick snack, and this sexy guy she finds in her bed looks like he might be a candidate. But there's another, more pressing issue: her tendency to faint at the sight of blood . . . an especially annoying quirk for a vampire. Of course it doesn't hurt that this man has a delicious-looking neck. What kind of cold-blooded vampire woman could resist a bite of that?

Dr. Gregory Hewitt recovers from the shock of waking up in a stranger's bedroom pretty quickly—once he sees a gorgeous woman about to treat him to a wild night of passion. But is it possible for the good doctor to find true love with a vampire vixen, or will he be just a good meal? That's a question Dr. Greg might be willing to sink his teeth into . . . if he can just get Lissianna to bite.




This is the first book in the Argeneau Vampires series by Lynsay Sands but it wasn't the first published, which makes this entire series a little confusing. Of course, reading the books out of order doesn't help either, which is why I'm going to review them in order. But, the way that these books are written, you can read them in whichever order you want and it doesn't make that much of a difference in the long run. Sure, some story lines might be revealed, but you know that they're going to end all happily ever after, so it's all good.

Now, this book is great. Sure, it's a little campy, but it's a vampire romance, so what else can you really expect. One thing that I really loved about this book (and the others in the series) is that it's based out of Toronto, Ontario so when there are locations mentioned I completely know where they are... to a certain degree. Still, it's fun to read it and know that it's all Canadian.

Of course, since this isn't a YA book, there are sexual situations (and sex galore) along with more adult things. But it's all done tastefully enough; i.e. it's not an erotica novel. This is a typical romance found in the romance section, so take from that what you will.

If you're looking for a fun, more adult, read, this is for you. I greatly enjoy taking time off from everything and sitting down to read books like this, and this book was great for it. I'm giving it a 7/10.


Oh, and, as a bonus, on Lynsay Sands' website you can read excerpts from her books. Here's the link to the A Quick Bite page where you can read the prologue! This way you can find out if this book might be for you.

Enjoy!

Friday, September 24, 2010

When the Temperature Drops...

Shiver

Written by: Maggie Stiefvater

Released: July 13, 2009 by Scholastic Press


Summary: the cold.


Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

the heat.

Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

the shiver.

For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.



Well, I was really surprised when I found this at one of my libraries, so I immediately scooped it up because I wanted to know what all the hype was about. After all, this book and the sequel have flooded the blogs for the last... while anyways. Personally I never saw the need nor did I have the want to read this book, but since it was there free, I took a chance.

Admittedly, I don't see the allure of this book. Sure, I completely developped a literary crush on Sam, but I did that for Jacob too. Hmmm... I'm sensing a pattern here.

The idea behind the werewolves was something that I did enjoy reading about; how they would be forced to shift due to the temperature is such an original concept that I couldn't help but completely respect it. It was so different from anything else that I had ever read and it made complete sense in regards to the story. It was like, if you tried to think about how - in the real world - the werewolf legend could possibly be remotely true, this would be an extraordinary case to plead.

However, Sam aside, I found the characters a little one dimensional. I didn't respond to Grace at all and I thought that Olivia was a flake and completely selfish. I kind of liked Shelby, though, and I think that it would be interesting to have a book written about her. Or at least featuring her more as a main character than one mentioned only really in passing to cause tension to the love-fest happening.

At the end, I wasn't disappointed that I had caved and read this book, but I still don't see how my life would have been different had I of not read it either. If the second book can be found at the library, I may check it out since I don't like to leave a series of book unread in their entirety, but I highly doubt that I would read this again just for kicks. I'm giving it a 6/10.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Wolf! Wolf!

Never Cry Werewolf

Written by: Heather Davis

Released: August 18, 2009 by HarperTeen


Summary: Shelby’s summer plans go totally awry when her horrible stepmother sends her off to “brat camp” as punishment for one too many broken curfews. Camp is full of spoiled rich kids, obnoxious counselors wanting Shelby to talk about her feelings, and a totally inhumane “no cell phones” policy.


Things start looking up, though, when Shelby meets fellow camper (and son of a rock star) Austin Bridges III. But soon she realizes there’s more to Austin than crush material—his family has a dark secret, and he wants Shelby’s help guarding it. Shelby knows that bad boys get her into trouble…but who is she to turn her back on a guy in need, especially such a good-looking one?

Heather Davis’s debut novel mixes together irresistible characters, a pesky full moon, and a delicious taste of the supernatural.


So, I checked out this book from the library because I wanted something to read and it looked like it wouldn't suck. Luckily, it lived up to my expectations, but only just.

It wasn't horrible. It just wasn't spectacular. I thought that a story about brat camp and weres would warrant more action and adventure, if not, at the very least, drama galore. Sadly, this didn't live up to any of that and of what there was it was greatly watered down and stale.

The characters fell flat for me, and the reasoning behind the main character even getting sent to brat camp left me scratching my head. Sure, there was an evil stepmother and a brainless father, but wouldn't a regular summer camp do the same job? I mean, oh my god she's kissing some boy in the moonlight - a fact which made me think that she was the werewolf at the very beginning - is really terms for being sent to a summer institution where they make you have group therapy. And sing-a-longs. I pitied every character that had to endure that bit of the book. I wanted to rip my own ears off while only reading it...

One thing that I did like was the reference to Little Red Riding Hood in the cover art. I thought that that was rather clever.

In short, this is a slightly-below average paranormal YA book that I really could have not read and not missed anything. However, it kept me entertained and offered a solid few hours of reading something that kept my mind working. So, if you're looking for something to pass the time, you could try this. It's definitely not one of those books that I would actively recommend to friends to read. I'm giving it a 3/10.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Wish List Wednesday - Number Twenty

So, this week I'm doing something  little different because I'm going to skip over the books that are on my wish list (there are so many too to cover!) and head straight over to a film which I have just discovered on IMDb and have fallen in love with.


Sucker Punch

Written by: Zach Snyder & Steve Shibuya

Directed by: Zach Snyder

Released: March 25, 2011

Rating: Unknown, but I'm guessing that it's going to be R


Summary: A young girl is institutionalized by her wicked stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the facility.






Seriously, how amazing does this look/sound? It's described as a little Alice in Wonderland, and I can picture it as that with some fantasy ans sci-fi and general ass-kicking thrown in.

Remember that episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer where it's discovered that she's really in a mental institution and imagining all of Sunnydale? (sorry for any spoilers) I think that this movie is going to be like that episode only a million times better. And there's going to be DRAGONS!!!


2011 really can't get here any faster. I think that it's going to be one of those amazing film/literature years.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Time For a First Contest

So, due to recent events, I've decided that I'm going to do my very first contest and give away three books;

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Here are the rules.

1. You have to be a follower.
2. You have to tell me your favourite book which might be considered "bad" and why it would be considered that. Also, leave an e-mail where you can easily be reached.
3. You must respond to this post by October 1st at 12:00AM Eastern Standard
4. You have to be in North America - sorry for all you internationals, but my budget is only so large for this. HOWEVER, I'm having another contest in November, so stay tuned for that.


The winners will be drawn shortly after by a fair way that I'll decide upon later.

That's it, that's all. I can't wait to read your responses!

Vintage Tuesdays - Shared Art Names

The Birth of Venus

Written by: Sarah Dunant

Released: March 6, 2003 by Little Brown


Summary: Alessandra Cecchi is not quite fifteen when her father, a prosperous cloth merchant, brings a young painter back from northern Europe to decorate the chapel walls in the family’s Florentine palazzo. A child of the Renaissance, with a precocious mind and a talent for drawing, Alessandra is intoxicated by the painter’s abilities.


But their burgeoning relationship is interrupted when Alessandra’s parents arrange her marriage to a wealthy, much older man. Meanwhile, Florence is changing, increasingly subject to the growing suppression imposed by the fundamentalist monk Savonarola, who is seizing religious and political control. Alessandra and her native city are caught between the Medici state, with its love of luxury, learning, and dazzling art, and the hellfire preaching and increasing violence of Savonarola’s reactionary followers. Played out against this turbulent backdrop, Alessandra’s married life is a misery, except for the surprising freedom it allows her to pursue her powerful attraction to the young painter and his art.




I bought this book in the Rome airport because I have an addiction and I wanted a book. Sure, I read a few pages while we waited to board the plane, but once we were seated and in the air I was out like a light. Granted, I had stayed up all night preparing to sleep the entire trip home, so it was completely expected that I would pass out in my seat until we started to descend into Toronto.

However, the few pages that I had read while waiting in the airport were enough to make me want to read the rest once we landed and were on-route for home. So, that weekend while I was recovering from jet lag, I finished the book.

Let me just say that this was an amazing book. At the time it was unlike anything that I had read before and it opened a whole new genre of literature to me. Plus, it was so rich in the story and the characters. I think that there were several times that I found myself tearing up at what was happening.

All in all, this is a great book. I loaned it to a co-worker this summer and she loved it too. I'm giving it an 8/10.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Movie Monday - Wear Your "True" Letters!

Easy A

Written by: Bert V. Royal

Directed by: Will Gluck

Released: September 17, 2010

Rating: PG-13

Summary: A clean-cut high school student relies on the school's rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.


So, as soon as I had seen the preview for this movie I knew that I wanted to watch it myself. I knew that it would be funny and full of hilarious teen 'drama', so this past Friday I made my friend Rachelle go with me to see it. Not that I had to coerce her too much...

Needless to say, I was not disappointed when I finally saw this movie. I laughed so much at times that I would miss the next line and it was full of insightful little quips that we were still quoting as we drove home after. Really, the one-liners in this movie are gold.

The characters in this movie are great and the amount of literary references that they were able to squeeze in is phenomenal. The MCs parents are what I want to be when I'm a parent; seriously, they're funny.

If you haven't seen this yet, I highly recommend it. It's one of those movies where you can go with your boyfriend (as long as you're on with him ogling Emma Stone in her skimpy outfits) and it's a great movie to go see with your friends. I'm giving it a 10/10. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD so that I can buy it and watch it over and over again!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

In which I Ask WTF is Wrong with People?

So, finally accessing wifi at the local pub where a friend of mine works, I was able to see the blogisphere all flustered over an article that was published in Springfield Missouri by a professor from Missouri State University. After reading the original article and the responses all over the internet, I have developed some responses of my own.

In order to get you up to speed if you’re like me and only just found out about the issue from reading this post:

1. A professor wrote this article while clearly under the influence of a strong dose of stupidity. I think it’s been determined as a lethal dosage.

2. He wants books banned in schools. Books that have the ability to change the life of the reader and make them think differently about everything.

3. He seems to not be up-to-date with society in general.

There are a few other points, but those are the main ones. And from my flippanty, don’t think that I’m making light of the situation. However, I don’t think that the language I used while speaking of it a few minutes ago to a friend is appropriate on my blog. If you throw in just about every cuss word that you can think of, multiply that by 253 and you’ll be close to how I felt when I first found out about this abomination of an article.

So, let us get down to the nitty gritty and I’m going to address the facts at hand in the order that they appear in the article.

Read original article here

A person can review a curriculum all they want, but when that person is a university professor (god only knows how he has the brains to be one) their field really doesn’t translate to that of younger students. I would think that a university professor would be in the mind-set that their students are sexually active and have only become so within the last few years; heaven forbid that it happened in high school though. If this guy is a uber-Christian as he comes up, I’m sure that he’s under the impression that all people wait until marriage or else they’re damned to the fiery pits of hell.

But I digress. Statistics clearly can show that the age that children are becoming sexually active has sky-rocketed. If talk-shows have taught me anything, it’s this. Thus, it would only make sense that the school board, who is responsible for sexual education, to start teaching children about it at younger ages as well. While I’m not lobbying for kindergarteners to learn the mechanics and how to properly put on a condom, older students still within the elementary and middle school ages need to be taught this. In the article Scroggins says that eighth-graders “are being introduced to concepts such as homosexuality, oral sex, anal sex and specific instructions on how to use a condom and have sex”. Personally, I think that it’s a gross exaggeration that they’re being taught how to have sex; I’m sure that their text book isn’t the Karma Sutra or anything. Besides, if kids want to know anything all they have to do is pick up a Cosmopolitan magazine and read about it in there. Every month boasts some article about the vag and how to wield it over the peen. Not to mention everything else is promotes. And unlike the nudy magazines, there’s no age limit for purchase. Personally, I think that eighth graders should be taught how to put on a condom purely so that they’re going to know how to do it properly when the time comes and it decreases the risk that there will be negative repercussions from improper condom use.

Scroggins then moves on to the fourth grade where they’re teaching all about reproduction. I went to a Catholic school and we learned about all this in fourth grade too. It might have even started in third. Regardless, any child with a younger sibling is going to know all about reproduction and what it produces. Besides, even if they don’t, it’s about time that they know the answer to “where babies come from”. If I was a parent and couldn’t find the words to tell my kid about all this when they asked, I would be more than happy that my tax money went to the schools and the teaching of sexual education.

Then comes the “soft pornography” allegations, which should not be taken lightly. Of the three books mentioned – Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler – I’ve only read Slaughterhouse Five and it was for my first year English lit class. However, I don’t remember being disgusted by the book in any way; in fact, it made me think, which is why it was chosen for the curriculum. The “profane language” didn’t faze me since it’s not as if it wasn’t something that I had never heard on cable TV and the whole part about the “naked men and women together in cages” is this: aliens abducted the main character and a Hollywood starlet and placed them in a zoo on another planet. When compared to our Earthly society, there’s a zoo in every major city (just about) where there are *gasp* NAKED ANIMALS since they don’t wear clothing unless forced. In said zoos, people can watch the animals procreate and make cute little baby animals... which is what happened in this book. The two are one and the same; we are an alien species to animals where as in the book the aliens were an alien species to the humans. Sure, with the language I wouldn’t have some elementary school have this book on its reading list, but I wouldn’t blink twice about it being on a high school one. After all, this book would be available to anyone of any age from the public library.

As for the other books, I can’t really say anything about them but I would never, from what I have learned about them, describe them as pornography. Sex is natural. It happens in schools all over the world and sometimes it leads to people getting hurt. To write about such an event is something that I personally would never have the guts to do since I would imagine that it would take a lot out of the author. It would be more emotional to write it than to read it, but nothing would trump how it would feel first-hand. To have such books available allows readers to experience something that might be completely different from them, and for others it might offer solace after having experienced it themselves.

Besides, any book that SHOWS the characters using a condom should be commended since the spread of sexually transmitted diseases is such a problem.

But then he brings religion into it saying “This is unacceptable, considering that most of the school board members and administrators claim to be Christian. How can Christian men and women expose children to such immorality”. I went to Catholic school and saw firsthand what sex ed was like when they taught us only about STDs. There were no less than a dozen girls who ended up pregnant in the time that I was there, one being my own relation, and there were countless more who probably got an abortion. Our education wasn’t enough to fully prepare a person and look what happened. We weren’t even taught about birth control of any kind and, instead, were told to just not do it; that abstinence was the only way to go. Sure, it’s the only 100% effective form of birth control, but what high school students are going to wait when their hormones are running on overdrive? Almost no one made it out with their V-card still in their possession. Luckily, there were books and movies and television shows that made the average student rather informed when it came to sex.

What is all comes down to, is that expression is a freedom that all North Americans have and it was within this guy’s right to express himself. However, it seems as though he’s talking out of his ass and not taking into consideration the fact that society has changed even within the last ten years. Children are growing up a hell of a lot faster than they used to and the more that there is out there for them to read and learn, the better. It also seems, to me, as though he’s trying to forcibly shove his beliefs down the throats of everyone around him, which is never cool. And a large case of incurable bigotry on top of everything else is never attractive.

 
 
Also, head over to Mindful Musings and read what other people have to say on the issue at hand. You can even respond and add your post to the Mr. Linky there.

In My Mailbox (19)

IMM credit goes to the lovely Story Siren. I would add the link, but Internet is a major problem and I have to write this in Word as is while waiting for the page to load.



Anyways, this week in my mailbox I got a few things. Technically, I got six books… but since I’m not at home right now (rather, I’m not at my dad’s but I’m at my mum’s) I haven’t actually received two of them… But those two are:



Low Red Moon by An author who I can’t look up without being on this damn computer all night waiting for pages to load.

Halo by the same reason as above.



Then, from a trip into the nation’s capital and stops at Chapters and Costco, I snagged;

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

A Killing Frost by John Marsden – SQUEEE!!!! I am soooooo excited that I was able to find this book of the Tomorrow Series in Ottawa! Now I’m only missing book 6 from the series, which makes me a little sad.



Then I hit up the library and got;

Insatiable by Meg Cabot – I’m ¼ of the way through it and I’m enjoying it. It’s not as funny as her usual stuff, but it’s interesting and humorous enough.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater – I’ve finished reading this already, so stay tunes for a review.





Well, this is what I got in my mailbox this week. It would be nice if it had been Internet that worked or a laptop that’s compatible with dial-up, but, alas, that wasn’t to be. Look like I’ll be heading into town ASAP to steal internet from somewhere free.

What did you get in your mailbox?

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Snob Squad the Second

First off, I think that I’ve died and went to a hell where there’s only dial-up Internet that takes forever to load even google… Seriously, I need me some high-speed and a computer that’s not a dinosaur in order to continue on.


However, I said that I would try to post a new review tonight, and here I am.

Seriously, though, Windows 95 should be taken outside and shot…

Anyways, on with the review!





Best Friends for Never

Written by: Lisi Harrison

Released: I’m going to update this later because I think it would be tomorrow night before the Goodreads page would open.



Summary: Basically, it’s take two of The Clique girls. There’s a new girl who’s back to school who makes fast friends with Alicia. Massie and Claire must team-up to host a boy-girl Halloween party, but for Massie there’s no “Claire” in co-host. And Kristin and Dylan are fighting over a boy. Oh, and there’s a fashion walk-off specifically to decide what the new OCD uniforms will look like.

Generally your typical Clique-ness trouble.

So, I got this book out from the library in order to continue reading this series and since I skipped over books two and three, this one was the automatic choice when it came down to it. After all, I hate reading a series out of order.

I have to admit that it wasn’t horrible, but it follower the general outlay that all Clique books tend to have; Massie hates Claire, someone tried to usurp Massie, Laine is a total weirdo, and it all generally works out in the end. And there must be boy drama or else nothing has been accomplished.

These books, while making me feel incredibly old, also allow for me to forget about adult life and pretend to be a kid again for a couple of hours. They’re full of childish problems and dilemmas that really have no bearing in the real life, but at the time I can also remember how they were the most devastating things to ever happen. In that way, these books are pure gold for us slightly above YA age group.

This book in particular was quite funny and it actually gave me some ideas for Halloween costumes, which is right around the corner and I can’t wait since it’s my favourite holiday of they year. It’s definitely a book (along with the series in general as far as I’ve read) that I would introduce to my younger cousins and be all “have-at-it”. For me, though, it’s a 5/10; a fun read to whisk me away from adulthood, but really nothing that I would choose to read again unless I was reading it to said younger cousins.

Greetings from the Middle of Nowhere!

As I'm typing this post, I am sitting quite literally in the middle of nowhere and am waiting for some rabid rabbit critter to jump out and bite me. Fortunately, there's a surprising amount of reception in Nowhere so I'm able to bring to you this post which I am writing while sitting on a dilapidated bench; which I am sure is about to buckle from my weight because it's so worn.

Anyways, the reason for Nowhere is that I am visiting my mum and getting my job all sorted out, so for the past week all posts were scheduled in advance - you have to just love that Blogger option...

I'm hoping to take advantage of the pub in town (whenever I can get there) in order to get some more posts sorted out, hopefully with some pretty pictures, but for now this is going to have to suffice.

But never fear, I have soooooo many books to review ans that new Easy A movie which I saw last night. So stay tuned. If luck is with me there will be a review later on tonight!


That is, if I can find my way back to civilisation. The GPS on my blackberry can only do so much... And here there's no Yelow Brick Road to follow. Or a trail of bread crumbs, though those would have been eaten by the rabid rabbits...

Friday, September 17, 2010

Post-Death Life

Undead and Unwed

Written by: MaryJanice Davidson

Released: 2002 by Berkley Sensation


Summary: First Betsy Taylor loses her job, then she's killed in a car accident. But what really bites is that she can't seem to stay dead. And now her new friends have the ridiculous idea that Betsy is the prophesied vampire queen, and they want her help in overthrowing the most obnoxious power-hungry vampire in five centuries.

So I re-read this book this summer because while I was at work I wanted a smaller sized book to take with me, but it also had to be something that was easily portable and if something better came along that I wanted to read, this book needed to be something that I could easily put aside and not necessarily finish. Thus, Undead and Unwed was perfect since I had read it years ago (though some details were a little fuzzy) and I knew that I would enjoy it again.

Needless to say, it didn't disappoint.

I had forgotten how much I had really liked this book. It made me laugh out loud (which got me a few weird looks at work) and it was just enjoyable. Really, it was a nice chick-lit-paranormal-comedy book and it was a nice break from the YA that I have been reading a lot of these past.... ok forever it seems.

Betsy is a ditzy character who is incredibly likable and hilarious. And Sinclair makes me melt every time. It was vampires like him (not annoying Edward) who made the fantasies come to surface. But then Twilight just ruined it for everyone else... sigh.

Admittedly, as this series went on (an on), the material became stale and I stopped reading, but this first book will always remain a favourite of mine when it comes to the guilty pleasure of reading vampire romance books. And trust me, there's "romance" abound with this book.

Overall, I'm giving this book a 9/10; it's definitely one of those read-several-times books for me.

Browse Inside Always Delivers

So, if you head on over to HarperTeen's Browse Inside you can read the first 73 pages of Emily Whitman's new book Wildwing which is due out on the 21st of this month. I just finished reading it before writing this, so I can say that it definitely looks good, though I have a very strong guess as to how it all plays out.

Summary: Addy knows there's so much more to life than what she has. She must be destined for more than being a maid to an eccentric elderly man. And so when she finds a mysterious contraption in the gentleman's study, of course she steps inside. Of course she bumps into the wrong button. Suddenly Addy is in medieval England, mistaken for the young woman betrothed to the lord of the nearby manor. It's destiny. But is it home? And will she ever find her way back to her own time? Will she want to, once she's met the shy, handsome falconer's apprentice?


Doesn't is sound amazing? And that cover is gorgeous.

Now, I'm going to give you time ti head over and read it before reading the rest of this post because I'm about to blow it with a few spoilers if you don't.






HERE BE POTENTIAL SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so Addy goes to work for this guy and discovers that he has built a time machine. Consequently she triggers is when she's not even supposed to be in the same room as it and goes some 600 years into the past. All is well, though, and she makes it back home safe and sound but she wants to go back so much so (duh) she does.

However, there's a little back-story before that. The elderly gentleman that she goes to work for has lost his two-year-old son when Addy was only a few months old and the remains were never discovered. This sent the man into a downward spiral of depression since his wife had just died before that and it makes him even more eccentric than he probably already was.

Maybe it's just me, but the the obvious conclusion is this;
1. The guy has had this time machine built and working for years - obviously before his son disappeared.
2. It still works and sends Addy back to the programmed date that more than likely had never been changed.
3. The summary says that she goes back and falls in love with some young guy who is more than likely a few years older than her... like maybe 1 1/2ish years...
4. Oh My God the lover boy is the old mans long lost son who fell into the time machine and missed the express ride home!!! Because, let's face it, two-year-olds cannot read and wouldn't understand the nuances of a sign dictating that they need to be back at a certain time in order to go back home.

I am a genius. How much do you want to be that that's what happens? Of course, I'm still going to want to read this book in order to prove myself right!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

A Discussion on Thursday 3

So it's technically Monday while I'm writing this, but I like to pre-write posts so that I don't have to worry about them later.

Anyways, I just finished reading Privilege by Kate Brian, only to realize after a bit to research on Wikipedia that it's a spin-off from Brian's Private series (of course that should have been obvious when I saw the books together on the shelf at the library and the look similar), and I can't wait to see what happens to Ariana next. Also, this means that I want to read the Private series as well... but that can wait.

But I digress. The entire point to this post isn't to tell you how much that I enjoyed Privilege, but to fill you in on the information that I found in my search.

Apparently there's an online petition that went around a few years ago, it could still be going around for all I know, that was trying to get Private turned into either a feature film or a television series.

Now, I'm not one for books/series turned into movies since for the most part the writers butcher the raw material. However, in recent attempts the ability to change a book/series into a television series has been a success.

For example:
Roswell - was a book series before it was a television show. It had a fan base so dedicated that they were solely responsible for having the show continued on for another two seasons.
True Blood - I love the Charlaine Harris books and I really enjoy the show.
Gossip Girl - about to enter its fourth season. Granted they tore apart the original books, but in my opinion they made it better and not worse.
The Vampire Diaries - another series that took the books and changed everything, I still find myself wanting to watch to see what happens next.
Pretty Little Liars - ok, I like the books better and I haven't been able to watch most of the episodes, but they stuck pretty close to the books as far as I could tell.
Sex and the City - Hello, the success of that series speaks for itself.
Huge - I've only seen a few episodes but I liked those that I did watch.


I think that with a television series, especially one that's based upon a book series, they're able to take the original plot arcs and transfer them to the small screen so well because there's, what, roughly 23 hours to a season compared to 2 hours in a movie? Purely there's enough time on TV to properly portray the books. The only way that a movie really works is when it's done like the SatC movies were done; they expanded upon the foundation made by the show.

Of course, things can go terribly wrong going from book to small-screen too. Anyone remember the wreckage that was Privileged back in 2008? It was based upon the book How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls by Zoey Dean. It was a train wreck.

So in the end I guess it really depends. In fact, it seems quite obvious that a book series is better fit to become a TV series whereas a stand-alone book can be made easier into a movie (Hello Nicholas Sparks and his entire career). Still, I'm more of a fan of the series since I always want more information about the books when I'm reading them.

But that's only what I think. Let's get this discussion rolling and let me know what your opinion is.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Wish List Wednesday - Number Nineteen

Well, HarperTeen has allowed me to discover a new book coming out this month which I am now lusting after just a little. I've been wanting to read this author ever since Radiant Darkness came out, so I'm hopeing that this book (and the other) can both be found at the library.


Wildwing

Written by: Emily Whitman

Summary: Addy knows there's so much more to life than what she has. She must be destined for more than being a maid to an eccentric elderly man. And so when she finds a mysterious contraption in the gentleman's study, of course she steps inside. Of course she bumps into the wrong button. Suddenly Addy is in medieval England, mistaken for the young woman betrothed to the lord of the nearby manor. It's destiny. But is it home? And will she ever find her way back to her own time? Will she want to, once she's met the shy, handsome falconer's apprentice?



Doesn't it sound divine? And such a pretty cover. I love that dress. Stay tuned in later this week though for a more in-depth look at the book and what it may hold. Plus, a link to the sneak peek!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Vintage Tuesdays - Baaaaaaaaaaa

The Silence of the Lambs

Written by: Thomas Harris

Released: May 19, 1988 by St. Martin's Press


Summary: Clarice Starling, a precociously self-disciplined FBI trainee, is dispatched by her boss, Section Chief Jack Crawford, the FBI's most successful tracker of serial killers, to see whether she can learn anything useful from Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Lecter's a gifted psychopath whose nickname is "The Cannibal" because he likes to eat parts of his victims. Isolated by his crimes from all physical contact with the human race, he plays an enigmatic game of "Clue" with Starling, providing her with snippets of data that, if she is smart enough, will lead her to the criminal. Undaunted, she goes where the data takes her. As the tension mounts and the bureaucracy thwarts Starling at every turn, Crawford tells her, "Keep the information and freeze the feelings." Insulted, betrayed, and humiliated, Starling struggles to focus. If she can understand Lecter's final, ambiguous scrawl, she can find the killer. But can she figure it out in time?


I read this book during my tedious trips back and forth to school on the big yellow school bus. I think I had a spare that year too, so I would have been reading it then too.

One thing that I really remember about this book was the chemistry between Clarice and Lecter; the tension was extraordinary. But aside from that, the story itself was unlike anything else that I had ever read. It was chilling because it was set in a realm of complete possibility. I suppose that's why it's classified as a thriller.

This is a complete 10/10 book. It's one of those amazing reads that truly takes over all of your senses until you're looking over your shoulder for a cannibal who may be stalking you. Phenomenal.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Sigh... One Really Neat Challenge

The reason for the "sigh"? Because had I of known about this challenge months ago I would have been practically done it already. Well, almost anyways.

Today I discovered a new blog (to me) called The Bibliophile's Lounge and with it discovered the 30 Books to Movies Challenge.

Anyone who has read through my reviews must have noted how many are related to books-movies. I counted and I'm almost at 30 as is; of course, that's counting a few where I haven't actually seen the movie (if it hasn't been released and whatnot), and some relate to television series which have been made from books, but still, those would count right?

Anyways, this is a fantastic challenge and if you think about it, it would be completely possible to participate this late in the year if you did a review every day for a month. It is only September after all and the challenge ends in December. Plus, it would give you a viable reason to either go to the movie store or go to the theatre to see that movie that you have wanted to see for a while but jut never got around to seeing.

Speaking of which, does anyone know if there's a release date for Tomorrow, When the War Began in North America? I'm dying here to see it! Never mind, it debuted last night at the Toronto Film Festival. Dammit, had I of known that I would have found a way to get there to see it!!!! Well, I hope that that means that it will get a wider release later in the fall. Fingers crossed.

Movie Monday - New Fall Line-up

Hellcats

Created by: Kevin Murphy


Summary: The wild world of competitive college cheer leading.


So, confession time. As much as I detest Facebook, I'm rather addicted to the game Sorority Life on it. I know, it's a little weird, but at least it's not Farmville and I'm not setting an alarm for my crops - I have cousins who do that. But, wait, this has a point related to this review. See, for the few weeks before the series premiere on the CW, on Sorority Life there were chances to gain glam items that were emant to promote the new show. That being said, I would have watched it anyways due to the commercials that started to show months ago.

Point is, last Wednesday I tuned in to watch Hellcats and was pleasantly surprised. There were a few recycled actors from One Tree Hill (including Psycho Derek!) and old Disney Channel alumna. I mean, there's not much that can be done with cheerleading that Bring It On hasn't already overused, but surprisingly this wasn't as bad as I had prepared myself for.

I liked the whole problem with the main character and her quest for a new scholarship and Marti is a likeable enoug character. Ashley Tisdale's character is neurotic almost to a point of nausea, but hopefully that will change as the show goes on.

I'm not too sure if this is going to be one of those shows which makes it past the 18 episode point. I suppose that it will depend on how much they can come up with for sub-plots to round out the Bring It On-ness that it obviously has. Still, I'm going to tune in as much as I can. Thankfully it's on right after Top Model (another guilty pleasure of mine).

So, I'm withholding a rating until I see a few more episodes. As it stands, it's slightly above average as far as CW broadcasting goes.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Another One Bites The Dust

So, it's been just over a month since I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (a ridiculous pseudonym for the writing duo James Frey {author of A Million Little Pieces} and Jobie Hughes) hit the bookstore shelves and admittedly it's one of those books that looks really interesting and different and I would like to read it.

However, thanks to The Story Siren (Kristi) and her IMM vlog for this week, I have learned that this book is already being made into a movie. In fact, filming started in May - THREE MONTHS before the book was even released!

Why, Hollywood, why?

Anyways, I'll have to read this book and then watch the film when it's released in February of next year. Hopefully the movie will be good since Steven Spielberg is producing with Michael Bay(yuck). What's your take on all this?

Hurray for Contests!

So, if you head over to Shut Up! I'm Reading or My Neurotic Book Affair you can enter TWO contests; one for US/Canada and one International.
I've entered already and I'm super excited about it - there are some AMAZING books that they're giving away!

In My Mailbox (18)

IMM is a meme hosted over at The Story Siren by Kristi - it's a great way to discover new blogs that share your love of books.


Anyways, this week I was amazing and didn't buy anything! Ok, that's a lie, but I only bought a copy of L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad for a friend of mine, and it was from Value Village, so it completely doesn't count.

Other than that I got this list from the library;

Privlege - Kate Brian
Best Friends for Never - Lisi Harrison
Hacking Harvard - Robin Wasserman   --> I have read her books from the Skinned trilogy so I wanted to try this one out and see what her non-scifi writing was like.
The Six Rules of Maybe - Deb Caletti
Forget-Her-Nots - Amy Brecount White
Bleeding Violet - Dia Reeves


Plus, since Gustav died on me I've been trying to restore my music library on Fritz, so I was incredibly surprised and excited when I found out that you can borrow CDs. So I got a few and I'm going to have to make sure to head back there soon and get more. They actually have a pretty good selection, which surprised the hell outta me.


So this is what I got in my mailbox this week. What's in yours?

All I Can Say Is...

Thank you.

It has been exactly 6 months (give or take an hour) since I posted my very first review. A few days before that I launched this blog out into the vast space of the Internet and I haven't looked back since.

So I want to thank everyone who has read my blog and commented, not to mention took the time to click the 'Follow' button. You have no idea the amount of joy I get every time that I receive an e-mail telling me that someone commented on something that I wrote or every time that I log on to blogger and notice that I have a new follower.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Lesson Learned: Watch Your Step

The Ghost and the Goth

Written by: Stacey Kade

Released: June 29, 2010 by Hyperion


Summary: After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck here in spirit form with no sign of the big, bright light coming to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser/outcast type who hates the social elite. He alone can see and hear her, but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.


Can they get over their mutual distrust—and this weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?


I received this book through Good Golly Miss Holly's ARC tour a few weeks ago and I've been sitting on writing this review for a while now. Really, I have no excuse either because I read this book the day that I got it and the next morning I was back at the post office to send it on to the next person on the tour.

This isn't one of those books that's going to change your life, that's for sure, but it was sweet. I really enjoyed Will's character and Alona made me laugh at her shallow personality. However, as the book went on I started to really like Alona; the look into her family life made her more three dimensional as a character. Also, how can you not enjoy a vindictive ghost who plays pranks on her ex-boyfriend and her snake of an ex-best friend.

That being said, the fact that I did read it so quickly can attest to the fact that it's quite a good book. I enjoyed the characters and the idea behind the entire story. Mostly, though, it was funny and entertaining without being too heavy. It was a nice, light read that I blew through quickly. If it were still summer (it's been raining and cold here in Ontario lately) and people were still frequenting the beach I would recommend this one to them; I think that it would be a great read while you're suntanning - or in my case, avoiding all forms of sunlight - or while you're sipping a fruity drink pool side. I'm giving it a 6.5/10.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Six Feet Under?

Generation Dead

Written by: Daniel Waters

Released: May 6, 2008 by Hyperion


Summary: Phoebe is just your typical goth girl with a crush. He's strong and silent...and dead.

I got this book out from the library a few weeks ago and I was really excited to read it; I had seen the book so many times and never bought it while at the bookstore, so I thought that this was my chance to get it. Boy was that a waste of my time.

Now, maybe it was just because after a few chapters I still couldn't get into the book, but it didn't have that allure that I thought it would hold. Maybe I was just expecting too much from it, I don't know. What I do know is that I was able to skip to the back, read the last few pages plus an excerpt from the next book and I was set; I knew what was going to happen and basically how.

I really wanted to like this book. Really, I did. It is such a different concept and it looked like it would have been fun to read. Alas, some things are not meant to be. Sadly, I'm giving this book a 2/10. Maybe I'll try reading it again another time.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Never Surrender

Battle Dress

Written by: Amy Efaw

Released: May 31, 2000 by HarperTrophy


Summary: Andi Davis is looking for an escape from her disorganized, dysfunctional home life, and West Point seems the only logical way out. Andi figures that given everything she has had to put up with at home, West Point will be a breeze. But nothing could have prepared her for the first six weeks of cadet training, better known as Beast.

Andi is screamed at, belittled, and worn down during the long, grueling training that is designed to break cadets and then rebuild them into soldiers. The upper class cadets bark orders so fast that her head spins, and the fact that she is one of only two girls in her platoon makes things even more difficult. But Andi decides that anything is better than going home, anything.

This first novel by Amy Efaw, a West Point Class of 1989 graduate, is a powerful and gripping look at an intensely private community with its own rules and regulations. It shows us the terrors and triumphs of those who want to belong to a team.




First off, Andi is the type of girl who I wish I was. She's mentally and physically strong, she's compassionate while still being a realist and she just has this inner strength that I don't think many people could ever have.

Andi aside, this book was really interesting to read while captivating my attention - I read it in one sitting while I should have been sleeping or preparing for work the next morning - and making me want to know what happens next. I wish that there was a second book to this that follows Andi after boot camp and into her actual years of school and service.

It was interesting to read this book, a YA book, which didn't seem to follow the usual sub-plot that YA books generally tend to follow. I.E. There was no romance; at all. I'm not wrong, am I, that romance almost always factors into a YA plot? I just found that a bit peculiar and yet it was a little refreshing that the main character wasn't stupidly head over heels for some just-met mysterious loner boy.

Another thing that threw me for a loop with this book were the ages of the other characters in Andi's group (platoon, battalion?); it seemed as though they ranged in age from seventeen to early thirties. At first I was picturing everyone as college-aged freshmen, but then it came out that someone was already in their twenties and I had to re-read the paragraph and then re-process the characters in my head.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this; it was different than anything that I've read in quite a while and it's something that I believe that I would like to read more of. I give it a well-deserved 8/10.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Today is a Great Day

Today is a great day because it's one of the first days without the worry that came with my summer job. So, to celebrate, I am taking a day off of blogging and am just being completely lazy.

See you all Thursday!

Vintage Tuesdays - Bugs in Space

Starship Troopers

Written by: Robert A. Heinlein

Released: May 15, 1987 by Ace/Berkley Publishing Group


Summary: Juan Rico signed up with the Federal Service on a lark, but despite the hardships and rigorous training, he finds himself determined to make it as a cap trooper. In boot camp he will learn how to become a soldier, but when he graduates and war comes (as it always does for soldiers), he will learn why he is a soldier. Many consider this Hugo Award winner to be Robert Heinlein's finest work, and with good reason. Forget the battle scenes and high-tech weapons (though this novel has them)--this is Heinlein at the top of his game talking people and politics.


This was one of the few books that I had to read for my Science Fiction course in university which I actually enjoyed reading and I'm not really sure why. Normally, I am far from a person who likes to read war books, especially those with a lot of war jargon, and the fact that it's set in space adds this whole other element to it that I would never go for unless forced. Somehow this book made it work and made me want to continue reading it.

I really don't know what else to say about it without giving too much away, but this book has parts that make you sit on the edge of your seat and parts that make you yell at the main character to get his but out from inside his head and be a man. It has action and adventure and is well worth checking out from your library. I give it a 6/10.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Movie Monday - Gone to See the Wizard

Tin Man

Written by: Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle

Directed by: Nick Willing


Summary: DG is all grown up and bored. She mopes around, works as a waitress, and goes to school part time. Before she knows it she's back in the O.Z. (a.k.a. Outer Zone) and on the run from the evil sorceress Azkadellia and her storm troopers and clumsy bats. Along the way she falls in with some strange characters including the brainless Glitch, Raw, a cowardly and psychic lion-man hybrid, and, in the largest deviation, Wyatt Cain, a cowboy cop from Central City called a "tin man" because of his tin badge.

When I first saw this miniseries at the library I knew that I had to borrow it and watch it ASAP - which I did.

This was one of the best miniseries that I have ever watched; it's right up there with the 10th Kingdom. In fact, I would go as far as saying that at this point they're tied for first.

The reason that this was so amazing was how the writers were able to take the original stories and turn them completely around to construct something that's totally new yet still holds on to the basic form of the original. You still have the yellow brick road, the characters that you love, and the great city, but the way that they're twisted is something that you really need to see to appreciate.

There's really not much else that I can say about this except that I definitely am going to hunt down a copy for myself (along with the 10th Kingdom now that I lost the copy that was on my old computer) because this is the type of entertainment that I would watch again and again. I give it a definite 10/10.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

In My Mailbox (17)

As always, IMM credit goes to Kristi from The Story Siren.

This week I received some amazing stuff in my mailbox. I got, from the Good Golly Miss Holly ARC tour;

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
I can't wait to post my review for this book, but as a mini-review, it was great. The cover really captures what the book is about; especially poor Will.



Then I bought;

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
It was something like %25 off, so how could I pass it up? I still really need to read the first book though...


Then I went to two different libraries and got a whole bunch of books (listed below) but what I loved most about my library trip was that I got this amazing mini-series from the SciFi channel called Tin Man. The review will come on Monday, so stay tuned!

Runaway by Meg Cabot
Battle Dress by Amy Efaw
A Killing Frost by John Marsden (I almost screamed when I saw that these books were at the library!)
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

Then there area  few others, but they're in my room and honestly I am so tired from work that I don't want to walk there and write down the titles down. --> This weekend was exhausting because it's a long weekend and we had a carnival, jam fest, concert, duck races, and so much more going on at work that I had to help plan and then execute. I think that I drank three coffees last night alone (which technically was tonight since it's only just after midnight).

So this is what I got in my mailbox this weekend; what's in yours?

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Full of Hot Air 3

Runaway

Written by: Meg Cabot

Released: April 20, 2010 by Scholastic


Summary: Emerson Watts is on the run: from school, from work, from her family, from her friends, from herself.

With everyone she loves furious with her for something she can't explain, and nothing but the live Stark Angel fashion show on New Year's Eve to look forward to, Em's reached the end of her rope... what's the point of even going on?

But when she discovers the truth about Nikki's secret, she knows there's only one person she can turn to.

Will Christopher be able to put aside his personal feelings and help her expose her employer to the world? Is it even fair to get Christopher involved—since if he agrees, there's every chance that Stark Enterprises will try to have them both killed—this time, permanently?

Maybe it would be better for Em to just keep on running.

So, I saw this at the library and I caved on reading it. I was going to hold out until I bought the paperback (to match the other two), but I decided WTH. So here I am.

I thought that this book was a good ending to the entire trilogy, though everything was tied up almost too nicely... but at the same time it didn't leave me with any questions.

This book also made me realize just how much I hate Nikki (the original). She's just so superficial and I'm sorry but if you spend so much time doing make-up and fashion, would be so stupid and not wear the right fit and colour for their body. Also, why would a person be so opposed to change when, as a model, change is what they do every day. And then, oh surprise surprise, but when she's forced into a make-over she completely accepts it and loves it. Her character was just so infuriating! I didn't care much for Christoper either...

But Em, I love Em as a character. She's so fun and smart; that bit with the slow-burning starter that lit the car on fire? Genius.

Overall, this was a god end for the books. I really enjoyed the series, and though the first book was the best in my eyes this one still stood up to the set standard for Meg Cabot books. I give it an 8/10.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Online Fiction for Free!

So, last Saturday (which somehow seems so long ago) I received an e-mail from a reader (thank you Rachel, by the way!) that put me on to a different source for original online fiction.

A while back I featured A Drop of Romeo as one source that I had used, which was amazing, but Rachel was able to give me Project Fiction as well.

Now, I scoped this site out and it looks like it would be good to browse around. However, there are no summary's for the links, which makes it a little hard to decide what you might like to read, and some of the sites require an account with them. So, I would say that it would take a little time and patience, but at the same time there are archives for both fiction and poetry, which is nice.

In short, if you're strapped for cash and can't get to a library, you don't have to fear because there are some absolutely amazing works online for free!

Oh the Horror!

Ok, so Hollywood needs to stop taking books and ruining them. Granted, this series was already ruined as soon as the first book was released since it took the great adult versions and warped them; completely ruining all characters while trying to cover the fact by stating that they aren't based on the original books.

HELLO!!!!! Same bird-human chimera by the same name and it's NOT based upon the original? Someone needs to get their head checked... I'm just sayin'.

Anyways, They've now taken the teen series and have started to cast for the movie. Of course, the books that I'm talking about are the Max series along with the original material When the Wind Blows and The Lake House by James Patterson.

They've slated Avan Jogia (from some new TV show called Victorious) as Fang and Catherine Hardwick (who directed Twilight) is directing. Granted it's not slated for release until 2013, but still.

The moral of this story is; Hollywood needs some original source material and imaginative writers so that they don't keep relying on pre-existing books.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

When Celebrity Spawn Write...

The Daughters


Written by: Joanna Philbin

Released: May 1, 2010 by Poppy

Summary: The only daughter of supermodel Katia Summers, witty and thoughtful Lizzie Summers likes to stick to the sidelines.

The sole heir to Metronome Media and the daughter of billionaire Karl Jurgensen, outspoken Carina Jurgensen would rather climb mountains than social ladders.

Daughter of chart-topping pop icon Holla Jones, stylish and sensitive Hudson Jones is on the brink of her own music breakthrough.

By the time freshman year begins, unconventional-looking Lizzie Summers has come to expect fawning photographers and adoring fans to surround her gorgeous supermodel mother. But when Lizzie is approached by a fashion photographer who believes she’s “the new face of beauty,” Lizzie surprises herself and her family by becoming the newest Summers woman to capture the media spotlight.

In this debut young adult series tailored for younger teens, author Joanna Philbin explores what it’s really like to grow up in the thick of the celebrity world. As Lizzie and her two best friends (and fellow daughters-of-celebrities) juggle normal high school events with glamorous family functions, they discover the pitfalls of fame and the importance of friendship.

Ok, so this was one of those books that I really didn’t care for and I only finished reading so that I could know what happened. But, really, had I of not finished it I don’t think that there would have been that large of difference. Either way, I’ll probably find myself reading the next book just to see where it goes and whether or not it gets better.

See, this is what happens when the spawn of celebrities write books. Some, a very few at that, are able to push past the idea that they’re entitled and therefore should have a book deal handed to them. Others, sort of like this author who can boast that her father is Regis Philbin, didn’t really make the cut. Sure, it was a nice idea – in the way that Nicole Richie and Lauren Conrad take their celebrity lives and translate them into “fiction” – but reading about the kids of celebrities who are, of course, best friends because no one else understand them (blah blah blah) is not only boring but leaves you thinking what the hell do you have to whine about?”

This book was exactly like that. The main character whose mother is this famous supermodel is, of course (how all stories like this must be), ugly and not as beautiful as her maternal DNA should have allowed because she gets her looks from her father who is successful in his own right but rather homely and just the type of person that the most beautiful woman in the world would have settled down and married. And, of course, said main character hates that her mother places her in the spotlight with her, only succeeding in showing just how truly ugly (yeah, right) she is. Oh my god it all makes me want to rip my eyes out and donate them as a chew-toy.

I’m not saying that all celebrity children are gorgeous specimens that inherited every bit of delight that their parents had to offer. But they all go through their awkward phases where they haven’t grown into their knees, ears, noses, add-random-body-part-here; we all go through those phases in life. And if you’re just entering the ninth grade, like our main character, of course you’re going to be awkward with ‘horrible hair’ and ‘too large eyes’ and ‘spindly legs’.

In all, this book provided exactly what the inside cover boasted; incessant tripe that’s trying to ride the coat-tails of Gossip Girl and other celebrity reality shows all while the spawn of a celebrity can try her hat at something that she’s not good at. Hopefully she didn’t give up her day job... if she even had one to begin with.

So, if you’re looking for a brainless read about non-important or interesting things, go for it. If you’re incredibly shallow, this could be the book for you. Or, if you just want to melt a few IQ point off, this will get that done if only temporarily. Personally, I would never read it again... but it did succeed in sucking me into its black hole so I might just read the next one. I give it a 3/10. I shouldn’t have wasted my money...