Review: How it Ends by Laura Wiess

Title: How it Ends
Author: Laura Wiess
Pub. Date: August 2009

Summary:

All Hanna's wanted since sophomore year is Seth. She's gone out with other guys, even gained a rep for being a flirt, all the while hoping cool, guitar-playing Seth will choose her. Then she gets him -- but their relationship ishurtful, stormy and critical, not at all what Hanna thinks a perfect love should be. Bewildered by Seth's treatment of her and in need of understanding, Hanna decides to fulfill her school's community service requirement by spending time with Helen, her terminally ill neighbor, who she's turned to for comfort and wisdom throughout her life.

But illness has changed Helen into someone Hanna hardly knows, and her home is not the refuge it once was. Feeling more alone than ever, Hanna gets drawn into an audiobook the older woman is listening to, a fierce, unsettling love story of passion, sacrifice and devotion. Hanna's fascinated by the idea that such all-encompassing love can truly exist, and without her even realizing it, the story begins to change her.

Until the day when the story becomes all too real...and Hanna's worls is spun off its axis by its shattering, irrevocable conclusion.

Review:

Laura Wiess’ books have always had the ability to leave me shocked, speechless, and in love, but How it Ends went above and beyond anything I could’ve ever expected from her. When I first read the summary of her newest book I thought, “This doesn’t sound like Laura Wiess at all to me,” but this maybe the best book she’s ever written.

I’ve never read a book before that moved me so emotionally and has made me cry that hard. Seriously, I had to put the book down because I couldn’t see and just cry into my pillow. And it wasn’t the pretty kind of crying, it was the nasty blubbering kind. I’ve said it before: I don’t cry. At least, not while reading books. But, damn, Laura Wiess got me with this one. I don’t know what it is, but she really knows how to move me with her novels.

And I must say that she did a splendid job of telling a story within a story. Which sounds very difficult--and it must have been--and confusing, but it wasn’t. Both stories flowed together so effortlessly that it seemed only natural for the book to be told that way. There wasn’t a story that I liked better than the other because both had such important things to tell the reader about the characters.

Though Hanna definitely grated on the nerves a little, she was so dumb when it came to boys. And I’m saying that as nicely as possible. She could never see who the better guy was and repeatedly picked the one who was mean and careless about her feelings.

I can’t even begin to touch on the subject of Hanna and Helen’s relationship though. Helen was such a wonderful woman, even if she did lie to Hanna about her past but she did it with the best intentions. And I was mad with Hanna for ignoring her, and out-growing her, and for cutting their “connection”. It wasn’t deserved. Though, I was happy that they were able to mend their relationship while it lasted.

Laura Wiess did an amazing job on this book. Such a Pretty Girl will always be close to my heart but How it Ends may have beat it for my favorite book. I have not been able to stop thinking about since I finished and I don’t think I ever will.

Even Family Christian Store Is In On It Too?

What is this world coming to?!

This is so sad. I am speechless...

*Edit* THE CHESS PIECE! I never noticed that! And the apple! Lord almighty...hehehe.

Because I'm a nerd and very proud!

About two months ago my cousin performed at a coffee house in Alabama and my uncle finally got the videos up yesterday. Sadly, I wasn't able to be there when it happened, but I've seen all the videos and I'm a proud girl. Anyway, I was just going to let you guys check her out on my new blog page (yes, I made a new one and closed down the old one) and I'll link her YouTube page below, as well as my new blog.

You won't be sorry you decided to check her out before she gets big!

Click here for my new blog, and here for my cousin's YouTube page.

Laura Wiess Interview!

She is such a wonderful woman and so well spoken! I loved hearing her voice and listening to her talk about her characters and her books. You guys have to listen to this one! The interviewer has a nice voice but he talks way too much and takes up so much of her time!

Listen to the interview here.

Updates!

I don't know if any of you have been watching the news lately, but if you have then you've heard about the flooding going on here in Georgia. And I'm in the middle of it all. Thankfully, my house hasn't been touched by the floods yet (and I pray that they won't) but I'm not far away from everything that's been happening. I'm about five minutes (FIVE MINUTES) away from Six Flags and almost entire roller coasters have been flooded there. Huge sections of interstates and roads have been shut down (like almost everything near me that I would use to go pretty much everywhere). But like I said, we're okay here.

(That's the Great American Scream Machine, an all wood roller coaster which will most likely be shutdown after this)

Though that isn't the only reason I haven't been on in awhile. Last Friday I went on a trip to NC with my family and went to all of the old places we used live and areas we loved going to and it was really nice. I even went to a BN because my Grandpa gave me a gift card worth fifty bucks (!) for my birthday (which was on Saturday) and spent it all in one trip. Nobody ever tells you about the addiction to books and it's horrible effect on your wallet! But there is a funny/terrible story about that BN I went to that I will tell you about later.


I got back from that on Sunday night, the night that the storm started, and when we woke up the next morning to find that we had no running water, no cable, no internet, and our home phone didn't work. The thing that killed me the most was the running water because that meant no showers, no brushing my teeth, no flushing after I went to the bathroom. Though my dad came home with buckets of water, so we could brush our teeth and occasionally flush, but we were screwed on the shower bit. We were told that morning that the water would be out for a day, but then we find out that it would be out for SEVERAL DAYS. I swear I almost cried.


So today, we booked a room at a hotel so we could watch the news and shower, but an hour before we were allowed to begin our stay everything came back. I took a long glorious shower, so did my older sister, but while Tori was taking hers the water stopped again. But it came back and now everyone here has taken a shower!


If you weren't keeping up, I hadn't showered since Sunday morning. And I'd never felt so gross in my entire life.


Some roads are still blocked and traffic is slow going, but we might try to go out to the store or grab a QT drink, or maybe even go to the mall. We can't stand being cooped up in this house anymore!

In My Mailbox

Another one! Can you believe it?

Yay! Another Book Signing!

In eight days I may be going to yet another author event! Adriana Trigiani, author of Viola in Reel Life, will be doing a book signing at my favorite Barnes and Noble (the one in North Point). If anyone else is planning on being there, just email me and maybe we could meet up and hang! She will also be signing at five other cities across the US.

Here are her other tour dates:

Tuesday, September 1 - LAKE GROVE, NY - Barnes & Noble – 600 Smith Haven Mall – 7pm

Thursday, September 3 - LOS ANGELES , CA - Barnes & Noble – 189 Grove Drive – 7pm

Wednesday, September 16 - ATLANTA, GA - Barnes & Noble – 7660 North Point Parkway ( Alpharetta , GA ) – 7pm

Thursday, September 17 - DALLAS, TX - Borders – 10720 Preston Road, Suite 1018 – 7pm

Friday, September 18 - RALEIGH, NC - Quail Ridge Books & Music – 3522 Wade Ave. – 7:30pm

Tuesday, September 22 - CHICAGO, IL - Off-site event hosted by Anderson ’s Bookshop – Pfeiffer Hall at North Central College , 310 E. Benton Ave. ( Naperville IL ) – 7pm

Thursday, September 24 - WASHINGTON , DC - Borders – 5871 Crossroads Center Way (Baileys Crossroads, VA) – 7:30pm

Decatur Book Festival Vlog

For pictures of the event go to Vania's blog.

Decatur Book Festival: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Penguin Group
Pub. Date: August 2007

Summary:

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Review:

I must admit that I wasn’t expecting much when I started this book, because I thought I was over the whole vampire genre, but I was quickly sucked into the vampiric world Richelle Mead created that is unlike any other that I’ve ever read. Her world is unique and structured with so many details that it makes it so easy to fall into and understand. I loved the idea of having two different kinds of vampires, one good and the other evil, one alive and the other undead, because it added a certain twist to the book that made it much more enjoyable to read. I also like the idea of a dhampir having a mental bond with a moroi, like I said before it was incredibly unique.

Rose was such a fun character to get to know. She was the kind of character that I could truly enjoy reading about. I loved that she was so sarcastic and stood up for her friends, even if she was met with punishment afterwards, she was the kind of girl who didn’t sit around waiting for something to happen but went and did it herself. She had guts and I liked that about her.

Of course, a book isn’t truly fun to read (for me, that is) unless there is some kind of romantic aspect twisted in there. And boy, was this one twisted. Falling for a man who is seven years older than her not to mention that she will one day be co-guarding Princess Vasilisa, who happens to be her best friend, with him. Meaning they can never be together. But they are having big problems trying to ignore the fire burning between them. It’ll be interesting to see how things will progress between Dimitri and Rose in the coming books.

To say that I’m excited to read the other books in this series would be an understatement. I have the second book in the series, Shadow Kiss, sitting next to my computer waiting to be read, and it will be.

In My Mailbox

You guys are being spoiled! Yet another IMM vlog!

Decatur Book Festival Week: Coming to You Live From the Decatur Book Festival

Hey everyone!

This Kelsey of Just Blinded Book Reviews reporting to you from the Decatur Book Festival! This morning has been so eventful and it's only eleven in the morning. Earlier I had breakfast with a couple of super cool book bloggers (like Eli, Shalonda, Vania!) and some really nice authors (like DAVID LEVITHAN, Jennifer Jabaley, Diana Peterfreund) at J Christopher's (which has the most yummy cinnamon rolls on this planet). Though I was super late getting there because of my sister-in-law, who happens to be directionally challenged, had no idea where we were going even though we had directions. I didn't have much time to chat though :( because we had to get here around ten so she could get here for the Charlaine Harris signing, and she did...eventually.

You guys should see the tents filled with books! I wish I had an infinite amount of cash on me, even with the books being super cheap I won't be able to get every single one I want! I am going to have a ton of fun
ravaging those later today! I can't wait to get all of my books signed!

I'm rolling around a small suitcase filled to the brim with books (and clothes because I spent the night at my brother's place) and I felt like the biggest loser lugging that thing around until I saw another girl doing the same thing (great minds think a like, eh?). Ally Carter at 12:30! I am beyond excited to get my things signed by her!

Across the street from the blogger a tent super cool dude is sitting on a bench, playing guitar and singing. He was here last time we were here for a signing (a Jennifer Jabaley, Ginger Rue book release party) and he was incredibly nice and said, "hello ladies" to us. Also, the coolest guy ever is here! He's walking around in a zebra costume. I will have to get my picture taken with him later today if I can find him.

This is Kelsey, signing out. Bye guys!

(Haha, I'm such a nerd, trying to sound like a news caster.)

Decatur Book Festival Week: Guest Blog by Terra Elan McVoy

Terra is the author of Pure and will be signing her book at the DBF from 1:30-2:00 at The Escape.

I asked Terra to do a guest post on her first memory of books! Hopefully there will be more guest posts like these from authors that will be at the Festival.

I don't have a memory that doesn't involve books, really. One of my very first memories, in fact, involves a book--a book my aunt gave me around the time my first sister was born (OH WHAT A BUSY DAY, by Gyo Fujikawa). She was visiting and I was so excited to sit and read it with her that I tore up the stairs to my room, grabbed the book, tore back . . . and promptly tumbled down the stairs. And I guess I've been falling head-over-heels one way or another when it comes to books since then. When I was growing up, sitting huddled together --my sisters and I-- as our mom read out loud to us (The OZ books, Charlotte's Web, The Neverending Story . . . ) was a nightly occurrence, and went on until I started high school. The library was a weekly visit: just as sacred and essential as going to church. I kept stacks of them under my pillow to read after lights out, and I started writing my first one when I was in sixth grade. (Luckily that one is buried in some old Kaypro somewhere.) Books are my friends; they are my food; they are my turn-on; they are my teachers; they are my life. I would surround myself with them (and have) even if it weren't my job, either as an author, as a bookseller at an independent children's bookstore, or as the co-director of youth programming for the Decatur Book Festival. No other thing in this world can transport you to another place or another life in the way a good book can: not music, not painting, not movies, not anything. And I am so lucky that every day I get to share my love of books with other readers --whether they are grownups or babies only a few months old. Some women grow up to be crazy cat ladies. I think I have grown up to be a crazy book lady. And that's a great thing, if you ask me. I am so looking forward to sharing my passion for books with everyone this weekend at the Decatur Book Festival, whether you are a dyed-in-the-wool book lover like me, or a newbie to the art of spine-cracking!

Thanks for participating in my DBF week Terra!