Waiting On Wednesday (19) As You Wish by Jackson Pearce

Sorry, no cover folks!

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
Pub. Date: Aug. 25, 2009
Publisher: Harper Collins

Seven months ago, Viola’s boyfriend told her he was gay—moments before she was going to lose her virginity to him. Heartbroken, Viola has resigned herself to near invisibility, until she inadvertently summons a young jinn out of his world, Caliban, and into her own. Here he will remain until she makes three wishes.

Jinn is anxious to get back to Caliban, but Viola is terrified of wishing, afraid her wishes will be manipulated into curses. Jinn knows that should she wait too long, the Ifrit, guardians of earthbound jinn, will press her to wish by hurting those around her.As they spend time together, Jinn can’t deny that he’s slowly falling in love with Viola, blurring the lines between master and servant. It’s only after Viola makes her first wish—for a popular boy to love her—that she realizes the feelings are mutual.

With every wish Jinn’s time with her diminishes, but the longer she waits to wish the greater danger she’s in from the Ifrit. Together, Viola, Jinn, and Viola’s ex-boyfriend try to outwit the Ifrit while dealing with their own romantic complexities and the alcohol-laced high school social scene.

It sounds like a really crazy book, but it also sounds like a fun read! Plus, the author lives in Georgia as well, which is awesome!

What do y'all think about it?

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Review: Pure by Terra Elan McVoy

Title: Pure
Author: Terra Elan McVoy
Pub. Date: April 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Summary:

Tabitha and her four best friends all wear Purity Rings, symbols of the virginity-until-marriage pledge they made as tweens. Now the girls are fifteen, and their rings have come to symbolize not only their purity, but also the friendships and identities they've built based on their shared faith. Simmering tensions rise to the surface and the group is split apart when one of Tab's friends admits that she and her long-term boyfriend have broken the pledge. In the midst of the confrontations, betrayals, confessions, and revenge that follow, each girl is forced to reexamine her friendships, her faith, and what exactly it means to be pure.

Review:

For about the first 75 pages, I had the hardest time trying to get into this book. Tabitha’s faith practically jumped off the pages and strangled you with her religion. There were so many times in that span when I wanted to close the book and be done with it--the vibe was too preachy for my taste. I must say that I am happy that I stuck it out because after the big confession the entire book became so much more likeable, and readable. Though it wasn’t a masterpiece by any stretch, Pure was just a fun book to read.

Tabitha was like any teenage girl with the decisions she had to face, broken friendships, and boy ‘troubles’. Though, unlike a teenager, she never really messed up or made any terrible decisions; even when everything was absolutely terrible for her it was never because she did something wrong, it was because she did something good for a friend. She wasn’t perfect though, she had doubts about things that she’d done and decisions she’d made and that made her seem very real to me.

I am not going to give away the big sex spoiler even though it’s what unravels the whole book. It’s almost physically impossible for me not to tell you because it’s such a huge part of the story. I’m just going to say that I don’t understand why it was such a big deal to these other girls. I mean, I get why they were upset, but to completely shut her out? It seemed incredibly harsh to me. I think it was incredibly juvenile of them to do that.

The one thing that really annoyed me was the happy ending. I know, that’s weird but everything worked out just right in the end, even if Terra McVoy leads you to believe that there might be some rough patches between the two girls. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy for Tabitha that she and her friend were trying to make their friendship work again, but it didn’t seem realistic to me that they could do that after everything that happened.

Overall, it was a fun book to read but nothing ground-breaking. I liked that Terra tried something different, but there was definitely room for improvement.

In My Mailbox

Let the Shadows Fall Behind You by Kathy-Diane Leveille
Pub. Date: April 2009
Publisher: Kunati Incorporated
For Review


Filled with quirky, heartwarming characters, this novel is a late coming-of-age story shaped by the eternal redeeming power of female friendship. Brannagh Maloney returns to her hometown for a reunion of old friends, carrying the burden of thinking she has lost her lover, Nikolai Mirsky. Once there, she finds it hard to ignore old family secrets, and decides to visit the house where she was raised and treated cruelly by her grandfather. Brannagh forces the old man to tell her what happened to her mother, and the shocking truth finally sets her free as she understands why her grandfather had acted so harshly. When Nikolai turns up unexpectedly, Brannagh's life takes another turn as her mysterious past deepens.


It sounds really good and I'm super excited to read it!


The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
Pub. Date: April 28, 2009
Publisher: Random House Children's Books

It has been a year of change since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father alaudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds.

The Order—the mysterious group her mother was once part of—is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for.

I got the paperback version of this in the mail on Monday and I was ecstatic, to say the least. I don't care if I already have it in hardback, it's always nice to have more than one copy of an amazing book!

Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Pub. Date: April 28, 2009 (in paperback)
Publisher: Random House Children's Books


Love, Stargirl picks up a year after Stargirl ends and reveals the new life of the beloved character who moved away so suddenly at the end of Stargirl. The novel takes the form of "the world's longest letter," in diary form, going from date to date through a little more than a year's time. In her writing, Stargirl mixes memories of her bittersweet time in Mica, Arizona, with involvements with new people in her life.

In Love, Stargirl, we hear the voice of Stargirl herself as she reflects on time, life, Leo, and—of course—love.

I haven't read Stargirl but now that I have the sequel I'm really tempted to. Are they any good?

Just Blinded Blog Makeovers!

As you may know, recently I've helped a few bloggers spruce up their blogs and I had enormous amounts of fun doing it. So much so that I actually created my own blog, Just Blinded Blog Makeovers, for that purpose!

So if your blog is in need of a makeover then head on over there, fill out an application and send it to me, so I can starting spicing up your blog!

Terra Elan McVoy Book Release Party!!!

Gosh, I can't believe a week has passed since the release party! I am so behind on my posting! I apologize for witholding information about bookish fun!

I met up with Shalonda and Vania (but Vania got a little lost on the way there!) at the bookstore where the book release party for Pure was being held, which was insanely adorable! Since Terra wasn't there yet we scoured the shelves and ate strawberry flavored mini-cupcakes (crazy yummy! It even had bits of strawberry in the icing!) The place was packed, to say the least. I was so surprised by the amount of people there; I wasn't expecting so many.

When Terra got there everyone was screaming congratulations to her and talking with her. Not long after she got there she made a small speech about her book and the bookstore, as well as the staff there and her boyfriend. She also introduced a singer who actually played a couple of his songs acoustic while everyone sat and listened.

After he finished Terra did a small reading from the book, which was great because she really got into it, and then did a Q&A with the crowd. Once she was done with that she started signing books and she was really nice and talked to every single person who got their books signed. We talked with her for a couple of minutes (and sorry, but the extra special thing we were planning didn't work out!) and gave her the present we got her--which included some candy from Shalonda, a tote bag by me, and a card and something to carry it all in from Vania. She loved it, to say the least. We also got our pictures taken with her!

She was so sweet and absolutely adorable! I hope we all have the chance to meet up with her again!

Me and Terra:

The Tote Bag:

Go to Vania's post for more pictures!

Another Reason That I Don't Like Weather(wo)men...

We had only a 30% chance of rain today and look at what happened. Yeah, thanks for warning us weather people.

My family and I were at the dinner table when we started hearing thunder and then the lightning came not long after that. My sister and I were ecstatic because we love stormy weather! We turned all the lights off in the kitchen and just watched the weather for a few minutes...and then it happened.

At first, it was just small pieces of hail, no bigger than your pinky fingernail. Then they started getting bigger and bigger. My older sister and I went outside on the porch and purposefully sat there to get hit by them. We're weird, so I can't explain our actions. I got hit by one of the big ones...on the butt. It hurt a lot.

Then they got to be the size of golf balls. No joke. After it died down we took picture of the aftermath.

Waiting On Wednesday (18) One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin

One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin
Pub. Date: May 26, 2009
Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Summary:

Anything is possible. . . .

Finn has always felt out of place, but suddenly her world is unraveling. It started with The Party. And Adam Porter. And the night in September that changed everything. The only person who knows about that night is Audrey—Finn’s best friend, her witness to everything, and the one person Finn trusts implicitly. So when Finn’s childhood friend Jersy moves back to town—reckless, beautiful Jersy, all lips and eyes and hair so soft you’d want to dip your fingers into it if you weren’t careful—Finn gives her blessing for Audrey to date him. How could she possibly say no to Audrey? With Audrey gone for the summer, though, Finn finds herself spending more and more time with Jersy, and for the first time in her life, something feels right. But Finn can’t be the girl who does this to her best friend . . . can she?

I loved C.K. Kelly Martin's first novel, I Know It's Over, so I'm excited to see what she'll do with this one. I'm not really into the whole boyfriend-stealing thing (if she does it, that is), but I'm pretty sure I'll love because of the author.

Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pub. Date: October 2008
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

Summary: (From Scholastic website)

Twenty- four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Review:

I have been trying to write a review for The Hunger Games for days now and I still have not written one that comes close to describing how amazing it truly was. It took only the first chapter for me to invest myself into this book and become attached to the characters. Suzanne Collins made it seem like second-nature to care for everyone in this novel, even the small characters we barely come to know are easy to love.

The story Suzanne tells in The Hunger Games is heart-breaking, action-packed, and jaw-dropping; it’s like nothing I’ve read before and I can’t stop gushing about it to everyone I know. Before I even finished it I had already put it in my top ten.

Katniss is one of the coolest, most kickass character I have ever read, and she had such strength and was an admirable person. She was full of love, and drive and it will show to anybody who bothers to read it. Though I couldn’t help but be annoyed at the way she was so indecisive about Peeta. I mean, she was willing to die just to save herself from killing him! I think she wanted him around because she really is in love with him.

I must admit that Katniss was not my favorite character, it was actually Rue. She just had this kind spirit about her that made you fall in love with her so quickly. I also loved how she teamed up with Katniss because it also made you see this side in her that was also helpful in The Games; the tree-jumping trick she could do was super cool.

Even though I was reluctant to read The Hunger Games I was surprised by how easy it was for me to love, and so quickly too! I’m not too sure about the sequel, though I do want to read it, because I don’t know what Suzanne Collins could do with it. The only thing that was left open in the end was the romance aspect and it doesn’t seem like she would write an entire book just about that.

I am excited for the sequel and I can’t wait to see what the author will do with it.

Libba Bray Event!

Libba Bray, author of the Gemma Doyle series, is hosting a virtual event on There.com, in promotion for the paperback release of The Sweet Far Thing.

Libba will be doing a reading of THE SWEET FAR THING and chatting with other There.com users from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, April 28th.

So this is the chance you've been waiting for to finally hang with the amazing author Libba Bray, so don't forget or you will miss out!

Blog Makeover

No, don't worry, I haven't redone my blog again, but I have helped someone else do theirs! Books Make Great Lovers is now the owner of a band spankin' new looking blog and I hope she's very happy with it.

After I did a guest blog for her for Such a Pretty Girl I realized that I wanted to totally make over her blog, which I did and now everyone can see because it's up!

So go on over there and check it out! Let her know what you think of the new look!



Before:

After:

P.S. The review for The Hunger Games should be up tonight! Sorrry for the wait on this one.

In My Mailbox

Sorry about being late on this one guys!

Pure by Terra Elan McVoy

Tabitha and her four best friends wear purity rings, a visible reminder of their promise to remain virgins until they marry. At fifteen, it is mainly these purity rings and what they stand for that have kept them together. But now things are changing—and boys come into the picture. And when Cara breaks her promise, it turns their friendship upside down. Morgan and Naeomi and Priah drop Cara, refusing to be friends with her, leaving Tabitha split between staying loyal to Cara and disliking the fact that she broke her promise...will they five of them ever be able to make up their differences?

You should see a review and an interview with the author within the next week or two!

30 Days to Finding and Keeping Sassy Sidekicks and BFFs: A Friendship Guide by Clea Hantman

Where would Jennifer be without Courtney? How about Drew and no Cameron? Life is just more fun with friends. And who doesn’t want a sidekick in case there’s ever a need to fight crime or solve a mystery? Every girl needs at least one wonderful pal, and when you harness the power of friendship, life’s possibilities can be limitless. It might sound like kid’s stuff, but the support of a girlfriend can last a lifetime. Long after the boys have come and gone, a true blue girlfriend will still be by your side.

But like it or not, friendships take work, plain and simple. And that’s where 30 Days to Finding and Keeping Sassy Sidekicks and BFFs comes in—a field guide to friendship that will help you learn the basics of meeting new friends and keeping the old.

Doesn't this look like a cute read? I actually saw this on a couple of other blogs and wanted it so I'm glad that I did get it!

For more information on In My Mailbox click here.

Waiting On Wednesday (17) The Everafter by Amy Huntley

The Everafter by Amy Huntley
Pub. Date: Sept. 29, 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins

Summary:

Madison Stanton doesn't know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this--she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can re-experience--and sometimes even change--moments from her life: Her first kiss. A trip to Disney World. Her sister's wedding. A disastrous sleepover.

In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life--and death.

Kristi (The Story Siren), introduced me to this on her Books To Pine For post and I fell madly in love with the cover. It's beautiful, isn't it? It sounds spooky too, which I love! I can't wait for this one!

Review: The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Awakening
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pub. Date: April 28, 2009

Summary:

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl – someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I’m as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment – not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a group of people who call themselves The Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I’m a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever. I

’m running for my life with three of my supernatural friends – a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch – and we have to find someone who can help us gain our freedom back before The Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

Review:

The Awakening was a heart-stopping, thrilling sequel to The Summoning. Even now, days later after finishing it, I’m still reeling from the action in the novel and the steaminess between Chloe and Derek. I swear I will be heart-broken if she doesn’t end up with him! He’s so yummy.

I had a hard time putting it down, and I read it in just a matter of hours, but once I did I wanted to pick it up and start it all over again. I even read the acknowledgements because I did not want to close the book and face the truth that I had finished it and have to wait a year or so before getting the next one. I was upset and ecstatic at the same time because it was just so amazing!

Since this one takes place after the kids have run away from The Lyle House it has a whole lot more action and more people being raised from the dead, which isn’t all that bad because Chloe learns a lot more about her powers. The four of them (Derek, Simon, Chloe and…Tori) are constantly on the move, trying to keep away from the Edison Group, and are always getting into trouble or finding danger.

Derek? Yes, please! He is ten times sexier than any fictional character that I’ve ever read, which is saying a lot. He’s so mysterious, serious, and passionate! If Chloe ends up with Simon there will be a screaming fest from me and my sister because we are both rooting for her and Derek. Who do you like best?

So to sum this whole book up, and it’s really hard to do that, I would say that it is perfectly amazing and Kelley Armstrong can do no wrong. She has created a story like no other and has perfected it to a tee. To say that I am eagerly awaiting the last installation in the series would be a major understatement. Kelley must hate me because I have to wallow here for another year before I get the next one!

This series is a must read!

How Did Reading 'Save' You?

Tanya Egan Gibson, author of How to Buy a Love of Reading, has recently added a new section on her website where readers, or anyone in general, can share their stories about how reading 'saved' them. Such a cute idea, right?

Anyway, anyone who shares their story might get something out of it as well! Between now and the book's release date, May 14th, three winners will be chosen to have their stories made into 'flash-animated' books that can be seen on the author's virtual bookshelf, but they will also receive a copy of the author's book.

So get on over there and let everyone know how reading saved you!

While you're here why don't you check out How to Buy a Love of Reading's book trailer!

In My Mailbox

Best. Week. Ever.

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong
Pub. Date: April 28, 2009

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl – someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I’m as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment – not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a group of people who call themselves The Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I’m a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

I’m running for my life with three of my supernatural friends – a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch – and we have to find someone who can help us gain our freedom back before The Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

I need the third one already!

Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce
Pub. Date: April 14, 2009

Beka Cooper is finally a Dog—a full-fledged member of the Provost’s Guard, dedicated to keeping peace in Corus’s streets. But there’s unrest in Tortall’s capital. Counterfeit coins are turning up in shops all over the city, and merchants are raising prices to cover their losses. The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeit money from Port Caynn. In Port Caynn, Beka delves deep into the gambling world, where she meets a charming banking clerk named Dale Rowan. Beka thinks she may be falling for Rowan, but she won’t let anything—or anyone—jeopardize her mission. As she heads north to an abandoned silver mine, it won’t be enough for Beka be her usual “terrier” self. She’ll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals—to be a Bloodhound. . .

I haven't read the first one yet, but I'm intrigued...

Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner (ARC)
Pub. Date: May 26, 2009

It’s High School Musical—rated R!

When the girl who’s foresworn men meets the boy who’s devoted himself to picking up women, there’s bound to be drama—perfect for a sixweek summer program devoted to the arts. Olivia’s summer goal: to write a musical that censures men with wandering eyes. Max’s summer goal: to hone his acting skills, along with his talent for attracting the ladies. Before camp is over, they’ll perform Olivia’s musical onstage and in real life—though the ending may turn out differently than either expects.

Jake Wizner’s story within a story takes the battle of the sexes to a whole new level in a bawdy, uproarious romp that’s laugh-out-loud fun.

I've seen this book on a couple of other sites and it looks incredibly funny! Plus, the fact that they are making fun of HSM is freakin' awesome.

For more information on In My Mailbox click here.

Finally The Pictures!

The other day I finally got the camera with my Laurie Halse Anderson book signing pictures on it back from my dad! So here they are!


This is a picture of when Laurie first came out and was introducing herself and chatting with everyone.

Here she is signing a book...not too sure who's book though.

This is me and my younger sister getting both of my books signed by Laurie. My sister is on the left and I am on the right. Does she look older than me? Vania and Shalond both think so but I don't see it.


Again, signing a book.

My sister is three years younger than me. How can she look older than I am???

Sorry for the blurriness of the picture! Laurie's assistant, or whoever that was, took the picture.

Waiting On Wednesday (16) Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

Title: Sea Change
Author: Aimee Friedman
Pub. Date: June 01, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

16-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science...and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate.

There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship...and reality.

Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined?

I am smitten by the gorgeous cover; it is so beautiful! Plus, I love mysterious boys.


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Contests Page

My 'Contests' page is looking a little shabby at the moment, so if you have a contest going on you can email me (click on Contact in the navbar) and I'll post it on there. But please, remember to send me a link to the contest as well!

Review: Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Title: Audrey, Wait!
Author: Robin Benway
Pub. Date: April 2009 (Paperback version)
Publisher: Penguin Group

Summary:

When funny, charming, absolutely-normal Audrey Cuttler dumps her boyfriend Evan, he writes a song about her that becomes a number-one hit-and rockets Audrey to stardom!

Suddenly, tabloid paparazzi are on her tail and Audrey can barely hang with her friends at concerts or the movies without getting mobbed-let alone score a date with James, her adorable coworker at the Scooper Dooper. Her life will never be the same-at least, not until Audrey confronts Evan live on MTV and lets the world know exactly who she is!

Review:

I have never, in my life, connected so well with a character like I have with Audrey Cuttler—we mostly had the same taste in music, we both love going to shows, we had the same sense of humor, and even the same best friend. I couldn’t tell where I ended and Audrey began! It was almost as if we were the same person.

Audrey was one of the most down-to-earth, relatable, and funniest characters that I’ve read in the longest time. I had such a blast reading about her and her latest troubles and drama.

I have to mention her ‘rules for show’ because I was so happy to know someone who actually knew them…even if she was a fictional character. I was thinking, “Yes, finally! Someone who knows the rules!” while reading it. I wish I could quote them, it’s only two rules, but I can’t because I have an ARC. Plus, her description of ‘teenies’ was spot-on perfection.

I can’t count how many times I squealed because Robin Benway mentioned a band that I love in the book. She mentioned Steven’s Untitled Rock Show as well, which was insanely cool!

Audrey, Wait! was one of those fun books to read that you can’t put down; it was hilarious, spunky, and instantly became a favorite of mine! I can’t wait to see what Robin has in store for us in her next book!

I'm Excited To Share With You...

The beautiful cover for The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan, the companion book to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I think I'm ten times more excited to read it now! The Dead-Tossed Waves is supposed to be released in Spring of 2010.



Isn't it beautiful?!

In My Mailbox

As you can see there is an absence of book pictures and that is because I, yet again, didn't get any books this week. I must be going through a dry spell and I hope it will end very soon because I am very sad that I'm not getting any...though I do have enough to keep me busy for awhile.

For more information on In My Mailbox click here.

What Did I See?

The Barnes and Noble that I went to for both of the book signing was one of the nicer ones with a really good selection of teen books, which they don't have at my Borders. Boo Borders! So I got took a couple of pictures (only three really, and two of them are of the same book) because I was so excited to finally see them out in the world. I even suggested both of them to a frazzled looking girl with a huge stack of books lying next to her; I really hope she took my advice and got both of them!


Anyway, first up is Willow by Julia Hoban! Which I was so excited to that they had on it's release date!

It looked so sad cramped in that tiny space so I had to take it out and let it make some new book friends!

The next book is The Forest of Hands and Teeth, which I've only seen in a bookstore once and it wasn't even on the new release shelf! I call that a crime.

Isn't it gorgeous? I always get so excited when I see good book in the bookstore for the first time! Is that a little lame? Eh, I don't care anyway!

Cellulite is the New Cleavage

I don't know if any of y'all remember but Laurie Halse Anderson's booksigning was on Wednesday, and I don't think it could've been any cooler! I was super excited because I was planning on meeting up with two other book reviewers, Shalonda and Vania, at the signing as well. I had a great time hanging out with them...Vania you are not boring, trust me.


Shalonda and I had just met and introduced ourselves when Laurie walked into the bookstore, we were both a bit starry-eyed when we saw her. It was Laurie Halse Anderson, for Christ's sake! She introduced herself and was as nice as could be. She had to go set up and ready, so she left to do that.

(Stolen from Shalonda!)

We soon met up with Vania and took our seats and waited for the signing to start. I was pretty upset by how dead it was there, but I loved that there were a few guys there getting their books signed.

Laurie walked walked out and introduced herself to the 'crowd' and she was off from there. It was one of the coolest signing I've been to because she was so fun, and funny, and she talked to us as if she had been our best friend for years.

Of course, since she was touring for Wintergirls she talked a lot about body image, and some of the things that she said were pretty frightning. She also came up with an awesome body image slogan: Cellulite is the New Cleavage. I wish that were true.

A few questions were asked, then she signed our books. I had only two books to get signed, but she wrote 'Speak Up!' in Speak and 'Taste Life!' in Wintergirls, which I thought was pretty genious.

The camera that I took to that signing had to go to work with my dad, so I don't have any pictures from that one, but you can visit Vania and Shalonda's sites to see some that they took. Hopefully I will get the camera back so I can load the pictures onto the computer so I can post them for you guys.

Then, on Thursday was the Anne Brashares' book signing that had been rescheduled. Remember, when I was supposed to go but it had been cancelled? Well, it was rescheduled for the day after Laurie's.

I met up with Shalonda and Vania again about an hour and a half before the signing started to grab a bite to eat at the mall...Chik-fil-a was so yummy. We sat and chatted for a little over an hour and then went to the bookstore.

I must admit that I was surprised that there were fewer people for her signing, with the movies and all I thought it was going to be really crowded.

She came out and introduced herself and then quickly answered some of her frequently asked questions, and then got on with talking about the book and herself. She told us her own version of the Sisterhood story in which her and all of here sisters-in-law wore the same exact dress to their weddings, which was pretty crazy. She told us about how she became an author and then answered some of the crowd's questions and then read from her newest book 3 Willows.

I only got two out of my four books signed but that's not a story I want to tell.

After we got our books signed we got our pictures taken with Jennifer Jabaley, author of Lipstick Apologies, who had shown up to the signing as well. She was so adorable, and sweet, and incredibly bubbly! You couldn't help but instantly love her!

(Stolen from Vania!)

Shalonda had to leave soon after that, but Vania and I spent awhile just browsing the shelves and talking about books. We waited until the crowd died down to get our pictures taken with Anne, and she was as nice as could be!

(Also stolen from Vania!)

We plan on meeting up, and hopefully doing a little something special, at Terra Elan McVoy's signing on the 17th, and then Melissa Marr's signing on the 26th, so keep your eyes out for more posts and pictures about those!

Review: Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Title: Bad Girls Don't Die
Author: Katie Alender
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Pub. Date: April 21, 2009

Summary:

Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude.

When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.

Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

Review:

If I could use only one word to describe ‘Bad Girls Don’t’ Die’ it would be spooky. I must tell you that if a book can spook me then it must be pretty creepy because I am not one to get scared easily. It kind of reminded me of those fun, scary teen movies that we all love but are too embarrassed to say that it actually scared us. Hold on, I have to tack another adjective on to describe the book, which would be fun. So it was spooky but it was also a blast to read.

Alexis’ younger sister Kasey’s obsession with dolls was just the icing on her crazy cake. I am terrified of dolls so that was really creepy for me! She was such a strange character, for the first part of the book I couldn’t understand or get any kind of grasp on her. Though it was soon revealed why she was so eerie and it made perfect sense. I think I even gasped at one scene in the book because what happened was so unexpected.

The mystery aspect of it--to quote a cliché--kept me on the edge of my seat. When I thought that I had everything figured out Katie Alender spun everything around until I wasn’t sure of anything anymore, which was a wonderful change for me!

To say the least, it was a wonderful book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It is released on the 21st, so I would advise you to pick up a copy as soon as you can!