Blinded by Books

THE HUNGER GAMES TRAILER!!!

2011-11-14T06:54:00.001-08:00

I have been on Twitter and Facebook all morning because on Good Morning America the trailer for The Hunger Games was released. I got up at 7:45 just so I wouldn't miss a second of it. I was really wary that it was going to suck because I wasn't a huge fan of the teaser trailer but JESUS. It looks so freaking amazing that I can barely even stand it!

The World of Children Award

2011-10-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

Hey readers!

I know I haven't blogged in a LONG time but I thought that it might be a good time to wipe the dust off this blog and let you guys know about this great nonprofit organization I was emailed about. The World of Children's Award is "the only global funding nonprofit that recognizes individuals who are committed to improving the lives of children worldwide. We are dedicated to finding heroes who are doing extraordinary work for children, and we share their amazing stories and programs with the media and others who are part of the global community working for the rights of children everywhere."

This organization is trying to get the word out about their live online broadcast that starts tomorrow (Nov. 1st) at 5:30. This broadcast will feature several people who have worked hard to raise literacy rates in children in foreign, third world countries. They have written a guest post for my wonderful readers to give them more information about their organization and broadcast.

Children are the future of tomorrow. They are the next generation of leaders bringing joy and innovative design to the world. However, not all children are fortunate enough to achieve their dreams or live their lives. In Africa, there are nearly 75% of children who could not read or have access to books. These are impoverished children who lack the means of a proper education. But, we’re here to change that. The World of Children Award is the only global funding nonprofit that recognizes individuals who are committed to improving the lives of children worldwide. Who are these individuals? They are humanitarians – people with compassion, motivation, and perseverance to take charge of making a difference in society. We are dedicated to finding heroes who are doing extraordinary work for children, and we share their amazing stories and programs with the media and others who are part of the global community working for the rights of children everywhere.

On November 1st at 5:30pm - 6:30pm, EST on Fora.tv - LIVE from UNICEF, the World of Children Award will broadcast “Changemakers for Children in partnership with the US Fund for UNICEF,” a live stream featuring social changemakers who are working to benefit children, including Tatiana Grossman, who founded Spread the Words, an organization dedicated to increasing early literacy in Africa. Tatiana Grossman will be attending live and will be answering questions about her work. She recently also conducted an interview with CNN. Tatiana transforms the lives of children by collecting thousands of books through a solo book drive that now serve 62 schools and villages in Botswana and Lesotho. To this date, she has created libraries in 115 African Villages and primary schools for the first time. This year, Tatiana is prototyping digital projects and gathering free digital textbooks and content to equip classrooms in Africa.

Please take your time and watch the broadcast here: http://fora.tv/live/word_of_children/changemakers_for_children. Learn more about how these individuals are committed to creating social change and how you can make a difference. If you have any questions, our changemakers will be available to answer them via live chat.

Where Would We Be Without Our Libraries?

2011-09-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

We've all recently seen pictures of the damage Hurricane Irene has to done and seeing those things just breaks my heart. Today my heart broke just a little bit more after hearing about a small-town library that lost most of its children's books due to the flood. They put the books on the lower shelves so that the kids could reach them and when the flood came it took almost all but five picture books. The library is in some serious need now and I was hoping some of my lovely followers would be willing to help them out.

They are asking that you don't send boxes of books because they are worried they won't have enough dry space to keep them, so only publishers and authors are allowed to send physical books to them. However they have three different ways in which we can help them out. One, send a monetary donation to the library so that they have the money to buy more books when they get back on their feet. Two, an independent bookstore near their small town is also helping out. Just call that bookstore and they will help you pick out a book to buy based on the needs of the library at the moment. Three, you can send a "virtual giftcard." Again, you would need to call the bookstore for this one and tell them the amount you would like to give and they take it off your credit card and add it to the library's giftcard.

So if you feel led to help out this poor little library I would highly suggest doing one of those three options. Obviously I didn't give out all the information you'd need (just the gist) so here is a link to the rest of the info you'd need to lend a hand to them.

LINK HERE!

The Trailer is Finally Here!

2011-08-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

The teaser trailer for The Hunger Games premiered last night during the VMAs. I made myself watch the whole thing only to find out that the trailer was like the VERY last thing they played. To be honest, the trailer is nothing special to me. I didn't watch it and get excited because I was finally getting to see some glimpse of the movie I've been dying to see ever since I heard about it. The only thing I really liked about it was the voice over of Gale's little speech. I think that bit was quite perfect. Other than that I thought it looked a little...cheesy? Maybe cheesy is the wrong word...or not.

What do y'all think? Am I being too harsh for just the teaser trailer?

A Teaser From the Teaser Trailer?

2011-08-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not know, but tomorrow night during the VMAs MTV will be premiering the teaser trailer for The Hunger Games. I, myself plan to sit through the entire thing to watch it...because I like to punish myself like that. But if you can't manage to wait until then here is a two-second clip (it might even be one second) of the teaser trailer. If you (for some ungodly reason) are waiting until tomorrow night to see it in its entirety the don't worry cause you aren't missing much. It's a super short clip and all it shows is Katniss running.

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music

So what do y'all think of the "clip"? Will the movie live up to its expectations?

A New Blog!

2011-07-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

I just recently started a new blog that I hope my readers will look at and enjoy. This blog isn't like the many others I've started and never kept up with, (I hope!) this blog is actually for designing. A long time ago I had that makeover blog and this is somewhat like that but the designs are completely different. This time I am not just taking pictures, slapping blog titles on them, finding matching backgrounds and calling that a finished product! I have actually gotten into design a lot more and since then I've learned more too. Exit out of that Google Reader to see what I'm talking about!

Anyway, I really hope you guys will take the time to check out my new design blog!

Blinded By Designs

Review: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

2011-06-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

Lauren Kate Interview

2011-06-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the Lauren Kate interview! I was so glad that I had this opportunity and I hope you guys enjoy it!

Click here for Part 2.

Lauren Kate Event

2011-06-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to Lauren Kate's event...and had an awesome time! Lauren is so sweet and funny and it was amazing to have the opportunity to interview her before the signing. The video interview will most likely be posted later today or tomorrow in a separate post.

Lauren began the signing by telling us that she met the singer who she name Lucinda after, and how nervous she was to tell her about it.

She then read a small bit of her new book, Passion, that had fans foaming at the mouth for more!

She continued the event with a Q&A where a lot of good questions were asked by her fans.

Then I got my books signed and had my picture taken with Lauren! Isn't she just the cutest?

I had a really great time at the signing and if she is doing an event near you then you should go see her! She had Essie nail polish for everyone who showed up to the event!

(More scenes from Lauren Kate's event will be posted with the video interview so make sure you come back to watch it!)

Interview Questions?

2011-06-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

Vania, Eli, and I are meeting Lauren Kate tomorrow but before the signing we all have the chance to meet and hang out with her! We decided to make it fun for you guys and do a video interview! Lauren Kate is a very big author and I know some of my readers love her so I want to ask you guys if you have any questions you would like us to ask her for the interview?

Maureen Johnson and Sarah Mlynowski!

2011-06-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met up with a ton of fun bloggers and went to Maureen Johnson and Sarah Mlynowski's event at Little Shop. If you have the chance to see these two on their tour (though I'm pretty sure we were the second to last stop) you definitely should. These two have to be some of the funniest and craziest *coughMAUREENcough* people I have ever met.

Maureen donned a robe for some of the event.

Sarah's new book, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have), is actually based on a real experience she had in high school!

Maureen read a bit of her new book, The Last Little Blue Envelope, that had us all cracking up!

And Sarah RAVED about the paperback cover for Gimme a Call, which is SO cute!

I had my picture taken with Maureen in which she tried out her Jack the Ripper face.

I swear this had to have been one of the best signings I've ever been to! For more pictures from the event and a list of the highlights go to Vania's blog (from which I stole all these awesome pictures!)

Come back on Thursday for a recap of Lauren Kate's event!

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2011-06-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

Let me know what you thought about my review or the book in the comments!

Sometimes I Just Want to Punch Blogger in the Face.

2011-06-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have been having the WORST time with blogger in the comment area. And not just with my blog but with all blogs! I can't leave a comment unless I leave it as an anonymous comment and I hate doing that. I recently visited a blog that had Intense Debate and had absolutely no trouble commenting so I thought I would try it out on my own. I really hope this works! I've installed it so that it only works on new post (this one on) because if I install it on all of them all the previous comments are deleted.

Have you guys been having such a hard time posting comments lately? Let me know if this works better for you!

Review?

2011-06-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

I am going to try getting back to reviewing, maybe only for the Summer. I thought I would try a new way to review books and vlogs came to mind. So here's my experiment with review vlogs. I really hope you guys like it!

So I thought if I continued these I would want a phrase to end all my videos so they don't all end too awkwardly. Any thoughts of what I could say?

Signings in Georgia in June

2011-05-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

Normally there aren't many signings going on here in Georgia but apparently all the YA authors have decided to come here in June, which makes things super hard for me! I've been trying to cut back on my driving because gas is so freakin' expensive and all these cool authors coming next month are not going to help me stick to that.

For anyone in the Georgia area:

June 7: Alyson Noel will be at the Barnes and Noble in Alpharetta, GA (Signing starts at 7:00)
June 8: Melissa Marr will be at the Eagle Eye Bookshop in Decatur, GA
June 12: Maureen Johnson and Sarah Mlynowski will be at The Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA
June 15: Lauren Kate will be at the Barnes and Noble in Alpharetta, GA (Signing starts at 7:00)
June 25: Jennifer Echols, Rachel Hawkins, Chandra Sparks Taylor, R.A. Nelson, and Rosemary Clement-Moore will be at the Homewood Library in Birmingham, ALABAMA (Starts at 1:00)
June 30: Ally Carter will be at the Barnes and Noble in Alpharetta, GA (Signing starts at 2:00)

If anyone knows of any other book signing that I haven't posted, let me know!

Insider Information?

2011-05-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

I am possibly driving up to Tennessee or North Carolina to see The Hunger Games being filmed within the next month or so. I was hoping one of my readers would have insider information! See I don't want to drive up there and see NOTHING so if someone knows like when and where certain scenes are being shot I would really appreciate it if you could tell me. Email me or leave a comment!

Please Let This Be A Joke!

2011-05-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

Cinna has finally been cast and normally I would be excited about another character coming to life but I think this casting is a total fail. Lenny Kravitz (you know? American Woman?) has been chosen to play the part of Cinna. I'm just gonna say it...I pictured Cinna as white. It does make me upset but I would totally be okay with the race change if they had chosen someone who was capable of handling this role. I don't think Lenny Kravitz is a good enough actor to play Cinna. I've seen Precious and while he was good in that he didn't scream Cinna. Plus...isn't he a bit old? I pictured Cinna to be in his mid-to-late 20s and Lenny Kravitz is a lot older than that.

Read Entertainment Weekly's article on this for more information.

Released Early!

2011-05-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

The picture of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss was released early and I just got a look at it. FWAH! This picture is AMAZING you guys. I knew she could pull of Katniss but getting to see the picture just locked it in place. In the article it says that she is training in archery and track so she's really getting into the role! This copy of EW will be out on Friday with even more pictures inside!

Read the article here.

Revealing Katniss Tonight!!!

2011-05-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight at 6:30 pm on Entertainment Weekly's website (click here) they will be releasing the first ever pictures of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss! From what I understand these pictures will be in Entertainment Weekly's magazine this week with Jennifer Lawrence on the COVER! Who else is excited? Counting down the minutes!!!

So much movie news!

2011-05-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

Ten out of the twelve Tributes have been cast as well as Seneca Crane! Honestly, most of the Tributes don't play a big enough role (except for the Careers) for me to care who they are or if they look right for the role. A lot of them look super young to me but I keep on forgetting that the age limit for these kids is 18. I guess because they are so violent that it's hard for me to remember how young they are supposed to be. For those of you who aren't fans of The Hunger Games movie on Facebook should do so immediately because they have a page dedicated to the Tributes and casting. It is pretty much where I get all of my info on casting and such!

Link here for that.

Like I said Seneca Crane, the Head Gamemaker, has also been cast and (the very sexy) Wes Bentley has been chosen for the role. I haven't really seen a movie with him in it, except for P2 when he played a crazed killer man, so I can't really judge on his acting skills. But I'm optimistic about his ability to play Mr. Crane.

Lastly, it has been rumored that John C. Reilly (Step-Brothers) will be playing Haymitch. I will be pissed if this turns out to be true so that is all I'm gonna say about that.

Also, ABC Family seems to be picking up on the book craze. After making Pretty Little Liars a smash hit and trying out (and failing, I think) Huge they are trying again! Their new series The Nine Lives of Chloe King, premiering June 14th, is based on a book series by Celia Thomson. In the series Chloe dies when she falls from a super high tower but wakes up with the super abilities of a cat...and now people want her dead.

I read the first book in the series like six years ago (literally) and I remember liking it but my taste has changed so much since then that I need to try it out again.

Saoirse Ronan has been cast as Melanie/Wanderer in The Host! I love this girl and I think she is a great actress and she definitely has some backgroud with book adaptations. The only thing I don't like about her is that she looks a little young. This girl is only 16 and she looks young for her age but she is supposed to be play a 20 year old.

(I tried to find a picture where she looked a bit older)

The geniuses behind Next Movie have compiled a list of all the book adaptations that are currently in the works. Some of them even surprised me! Get that list here.

It's All Downhill From Here

2011-04-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

Peeta and Gale have finall been cast for the Hunger Games movie and I am actually disappointed! Well...I'm really only upset about who they cast for Gale. I have seen The Last Song and this kid is not the best. He's actually pretty crappy. I've never really seen any movies with the other kid in it but I'm sure he'll be fine because he's been in a lot of (supposedly) good movies.

Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth are headed for the fight of their lives.

The two stars have been cast in the big screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best selling book, "The Hunger Games," as Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne, respectively. They join Jennifer Lawrence, who was recently cast as main character Katniss Everdeen, in the highly anticipated young adult fantasy film.

About a future, war-ravaged world run by a corrupt government, the books focus on Everdeen, Mellark and Hawthorne, participants in the Hunger Games Tournament. It's a televised event in which children battle to the death.

Lionsgate hopes to make a film series out of what is an outrageously popular series of books. Hutcherson and Hemsworth are both emerging young stars; Hutcherson has featured in, among other films, "The Bridge to Terabithia," "Journey to the Center of the Earth," and his breakout supporting role in "The Kids Are All Right," and will feature later this year in the remake of the 80's action film "Red Dawn."

Hemsworth played opposite Miley Cyrus in "The Last Song," and will feature this year in "The Throwback" and "Arabian Nights."

(On the left is Gale and the right is Peeta)

Now I need to watch The Kids Are All Right...

Read The Huffington Post article here.

Music That Reminds Me Of...Your Turn!

2011-03-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

Remember a billion years ago when I started posting music that reminds me of certain books? I've been thinking about bringing it back but I haven't really heard any music that screams to me about a book. I want to know if you guys would be interested in bringing it back? I heard this song the other day and I thought it could sound like it fits a lot of books but I want to know what you guys think of when you hear this song. Any certain book come to mind?

Once burned, twice shunned
Too much of your line made me blind.
I'd wait all night
But you left one too many times.

I want to change my orbit
Don't care what you do now.
I want to live in darkness
Don't want to be spun around.

You go down, down, down
I fall out of love with you.
Come back round, round, round
You sun of a gun.

You go down, down, down.
This time I won't save you
When you drown, drown, drown
You sun of a gun.
You sun of a gun.

Birds sing for you,
You can make the blue sky blush
You've got them all fooled
But I am burned out on this rush.

I want to change my orbit
Don't care what you do now.
I want to live in darkness
Don't want to be spun around.

You go down, down, down
I fall out of love with you.
Come back round, round, round
You sun of a gun.

You go low, low, low.
This time I won't save you
When you go, go, go
You sun of a gun.
You sun of a gun.

Red sky creepin'
Disappearing
Bye-bye feeling
Heart you're stealing

You go down, down, down
I fall out of love with you.
Come back round, round, round
You sun of a gun.

You go down, down, down.
This time I won't save you
When you drown, drown, drown
You sun of a gun.
You sun of a gun.
You sun of a gun.

Elizabeth Scott's New Book!

2011-03-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

While her latest book, Between Here and Forever, isn't even out on the shelves the cover for her newest book has just been released! Honestly I don't know what I think about it right now. It is incredibly different from her other covers and it doesn't seem to fit the summary. When I look at the cover the red and the smoke make me think about hell so I thought maybe she was trying her hand at a fantasy, but she's not. Anyway, I want to know what you guys think about the cover!

What if you woke up and didn't know where you were?

What if you didn't know who you were?

And what if, when your memories started to come back--what if they didn't match the you that you're supposed to be?

When I read the summary I thought it might be about a girl who was in a coma, woke up and couldn't remember her life. In Between Here and Forever the main character's sister, Tess, is in a coma...Do you think these books are like cross-overs?

The release date is due for September 15, 2011.

Inheritance

2011-03-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

I have never read this series but I know there is a pretty big following surrounding these books so I thought some of my readers would like to hear this! It was just announced the fourth book in this series will be titled "Inheritance" and has a release date of November 11, 2011. The cover art has also been released and I like it! I think it fits the other books perfectly but I like the colors of this one better.

The author also had something to say about this:

"The burning questions asked by fans around the world will finally be answered in this last installment,” said Christopher Paolini. “All will be revealed!”

Snatch Up A Free eGalley!

2011-03-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

While browsing through my Shelf Awareness email today I discovered something super awesome! Simon & Schuster are giving away free eGalleys of Elizabeth Scott's new book, Between Here and Forever. Just click on the link I have below, follow the instructions, and you will have your very own copy of Between Here and Forever! I am so gonna go put this on my phone right now.

Click here to get it!

Hello Katniss!

2011-03-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

So, it's official, or at least The Wrap says it is, Jennifer Lawrence is playing the part of Katniss in the new Hunger Games movies. I must say that I am super happy about this because she was amazing in Winter's Bone, which was such a gritty role to play so I think she'll handle playing Katniss very well. If you doubt her for the role then I think you should watch this movie.

There are several rumored roles for Peeta, including Alex Pettyfer (hot, but he isn't an amazing actor and he should leave the book adaptations alone for awhile), John Hutcherson (I haven't really seen him in anything recent so I can't form an opinion about him, but he's got the body for him), and Hunter Parrish (I've never seen Weeds so I can't for an opinion on him either.)

I haven't heard much about who is in the running to play Gale.

What do y'all think about this?

Dying to Read This!

2011-03-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

A modern-day thriller about Rory, an American high-school student who enrolls at a London boarding school for her junior year. Soon after her arrival, a series of murders begins to take place across the city—on the exact dates and in the exact style of Jack the Ripper. Rory’s ties to the killer bring her in contact with a secret paranormal branch of the British police, as they attempt to stop the mysterious killer.

I read about Maureen Johnson's new book the other day and now I'm obsessed with it. I think it sounds super awesome...and original! I've always been interested by Jack the Ripper so the fact that Maureen is actually writing a book about it is something I find friggin' cool. I can't wait until Septemeber to get it...hello, birthday present!

And isn't the cover to die for?

Why Am I Not Rich?

2011-03-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

Warner Bros will open its “The Making of Harry Potter” walking tour at Leavesden, England, the production base of the Harry Potter films, in spring next year. The three-hour-long tour will give fans the chance to see sets, costumes, props and effects used in all 8 Harry Potter movies. Tickets go on sale later this year. Potter fans will be able to walk onto sets including headmaster Dumbledore’s office and the 120ft long Great Hall featuring “the tables and benches used in the films”. The studio tour, first announced last November, is part of Warner Bros’ $161M refit of Leavesden, which is set to be one of the largest studio production facilities in Europe when it opens.

I want to go so badly it's ridiculous...except I'd need like a billion dollars. How awesome would it be to tour the set where the movies were made? I mean, who wouldn't want to walk around Dumbledore's office?

Another Cover Release

2011-03-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

Today Kami and Margi released the cover for their third book, Beautiful Chaos, the third book in the Caster Chronicles series. The book has no description as of yet but it's release date is set for October 18th.

I'm loving it. I wasn't too happy with the cover for Beautiful Darkness but I think this one made up for it. What do y'all think?

Laura Wiess' New Cover!

2011-03-03T07:55:00.001-08:00

I went on Facebook this morning and this beauty was awaiting. It is very different from her other covers but I really like it. It sort of has a Gayle Forman vibe to it.

What do y'all think?

Breathless

2011-03-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

I just saw the cover for Kimberly Derting's new book The Pledge and I almost died from the gorgeousness. I am so happy for Kimberly because she is such a nice person and deserves to have a cover that matches what is sure to be an awesome book.

A romantic sci-fi novel set in a dystopic, war-torn world, in which a teenage girl realizes that she may be the key to saving her country.

Doesn't it sound amazing???

No More Reviews

2011-02-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

I know this is probably old news to you guys but I've decided to quit the book reviewing business. I just wanted to make it official with this post and change the name of my blog. I will still be posting on the blog like I have been within the last month or so. I am only posting book news and such on here now because I couldn't imagine giving up my blog. I really like to stay in the book news loop and I want you guys to know whatever I discover! I hope you guys will still stick around and read my blog but if you don't I completely understand.

Oh, and to publishers: if you still have me on your mailing list then you should probably remove me from it. Also, I will not be accepting anymore queries.

Thanks for hanging around as long as you have guys!

Ally Carter's New Cover

2011-02-14T14:21:00.000-08:00

Ally posted on her blog the new cover for Uncommon Criminals, the sequel to Heist Society. I like this cover much more than I liked the cover for Heist Society. And now we know the book will have some jewel theft in it instead of art theft.

Here is a mini excerpt from the book!

It did not look like a clandestine rendezvous, not with the old woman and young man on the park bench and the teenage girl walking toward them, looking as if she'd just lost her very best friend.

Selena Gomez as Hanna Baker?

2011-02-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

Universal Pictures has recently been signed over the rights to film 13 Reasons Why...jumping on the book adaptation bandwagon. I'm surprised this one hadn't been snatched up already so it is a really smart move on their part.

Selena Gomez has been chosen to play Hanna Baker. I'm not so sure how she'll do with this part. I've only seen her in her Disney show (guilty pleasure) and the acting in that isn't too difficult to do, so with a serious role like this it's got me wondering how she'll do. I think she is a little cutie and I hope she'll do well with this...for the sake of the book.

I'll keep you guys posted if I find out any more information about this movie.

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures and Strike Entertainment have acquired the Jay Asher novel 13 Reasons Why as a star vehicle for Selena Gomez. Strike's Eric Newman and Marc Abraham are producing with Mandy Teefey of July Moon Productions.

Jennifer O'Kieffe has been set to adapt the novel, about a shy California high school student who returns from school to find a box waiting on his doorstep. It contains seven cassette tapes recorded by Hanna Baker, the classmate he had a crush on. Before she committed suicide, Hannah sent the tapes to one classmate with instructions to pass them on to a list of students like a chain letter. The tapes explain to 13 people how they played a role in her death. The book was a bestseller when published in 2007 by the Penguin Books young adult imprint RazorBill. Strike's Kristel Laiblin is exec producer.

Gomez, who stars in the Disney Channel series The Wizards of Waverly Place, starred in the Tom Bezucha-directed Monte Carlo. She's repped by CAA. (Taken from Deadline.com)

Read the news here.

Lucy Christopher is a hint-dropping meanie.

2011-02-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

If any of my fellow followers also follow Lucy Christopher, author of Stolen, on Facebook then you already know the news. All week Lucy has been dropping hints that has to do with some super awesome news about her book.

On Tuesday she let this little hint slip:

Oh my! I have SUCH exciting STOLEN news .... almost ready to reveal! One little hint, it may be relating to four little letters - F. I. L. M.

This was enough to have my fangirl self squealing like a huge loser, but she's dropped some more exciting hints after that!

The same day she wrote this:

‎...hmmm.....want another hint?? ... my exciting news might have something to do with a certain actor who wants to be involved!

*Insert cartwheels here* Who could it be???

On Thursday she teased us all with this:

...next hint/tease....he said that playing the character of Ty would be 'every actor's dream'!

Hell yes. Someone who actually understands how awesome it would be to play Ty! I'm loving this guy already!

On Friday she posted that she would be going to South Africa on vacation and we wouldn't be able to hear the news of this hunky actor until she came back. It took some hounding on the fans' part but she left her final tease:

And the big film news...eek....you might have to wait til I get back, but a hint in the meantime .... He's blonde and gorgeous!

I am ready to fly to South Africa, hunt this woman down, and threaten to do terrible things to her until she tells me who this boy is. You think I'm kidding but I'm totally serious. Why would she toy us with this if she knew she couldn't tell us who it was until she came back?!

Suuuuper Excited!

2011-02-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

One of my newer favorite authors, Carol Lynch Williams, has a book coming out next month and I'm so excited for it that I just had to tell somebody! She wrote The Chosen One and Glimpse for those of you who don't know of her yet and both are amazing books and you should read them asap! I wrote a review for Glimpse for those of you who are interested in looking at that.

Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control....

March 15, 2011

Honestly, I'm so happy right now that I can't even form a complete sentence in my mind!

The Power of Six Cover?

2011-01-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

I was in the bookstore the other day looking at the new I Am Number Four with movie tie-in cover and while flipping through the back of it I saw the cover for The Power of Six. I was surprised that I had never seen it before because I thought for sure that the second it was released it would be all over the book world. So I did a little bit of searching and saw that out of all of the blogs I follow only one had done a post on the release of the cover. I don't know if it's that I don't follow enough blogs but I thought that maybe if I hadn't seen it then you guys hadn't either. Am I really that out of touch or was this never a big thing?

"I can feel it in my bones that he is one of us. And I know somehow, that I must find him.”

Supposedly if you click on the cover here you will get to read an excerpt but it's only pulling up a blank tab for me. Let me know if it works for you guys!

The Best Book Adaptation I've Seen Recently

2011-01-28T22:49:00.000-08:00

With all of the book adaptations coming out in the next couple of years I think a really good one was overlooked in all the hooplah. I recently rented Twelve from my local videostore because I have an insane girl-crush on Emma Roberts so I didn't really have any expectations. Only a couple of minutes in and my mine was blown. Now that I've read the book it is so insane how closely the movie captured the essence of the book, and it's so rare when that happens. It has been a long time since I've seen a movie like this. Twelve is an absolutely GORGEOUS movie! Guys, if you have the time to watch it then I beg you to do it!

I leave you with the trailer so you can get a taste of what I'm trying to say!

Based on the controversial Nick McDonell novel, "Twelve" follows high school dropout turned successful drug dealer White Mike (Chace Crawford) in New York's Upper East Side. Business is booming when all of the kids are home from boarding school and everyone has money to blow. Mike leads a double life, concealing the truth from his childhood friend Molly (Emma Roberts) while his supplier Lionel (Curtis Jackson) pulls Mike further into the world of the Manhattan drug trade. Mike's two lives begin to collide when his cousin is brutally murdered on an East Harlem playground and a new drug, twelve, emerges as the recreational drug of choice.

I just want to note this for my younger readers: there is nudity in this movie!

Want to learn more about the book? Click here for the author's website!

Perfect Cover Reveal

2011-01-27T17:38:00.001-08:00

Ellen Hopkins revealed the cover for Perfect, her new book to be released on September 13 of this year. I have to to hand it to Sammy Yuen because he stepped out of the box on this one! It is very different from all her other covers but it still has that similar feel to it.

Everyone has something, someone, somewhere else that they'd rather be. For four high-school seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there.

Cara's parents' unrealistic expectations have already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling toward suicide. For her, perfect means rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of love. Kendra covets the perfect face and body—no matter what surgeries and drugs she needs to get there. To score his perfect home run—on the field and off—Sean will sacrifice more than he can ever win back. And Andre realizes to follow his heart and achieve his perfect performance, he'll be living a life his ancestors would never understand.

Everyone wants to be perfect, but when perfection loses its meaning, how far will you go? What would you give up to be perfect?

What do y'all think?

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!

2011-01-23T18:29:00.000-08:00

I am so behind that it is a little sad. Awhile ago I read this awesome book, A Season of Eden, and while looking around on YouTube for some fanmade trailers (which I don't normally do but I was in the mood to watch some tonight) I discovered something that could be good...or bad. It was made into a movie...a super low budget movie. I looked around and couldn't find anymore information on it than the movie trailer that I found. I did hear that it was a movie that was supposed to be released in the UK which sucks balls because that means I'll probably never get to watch it. Since I didn't find anything on it I don't even know if it was released. I am kind of hoping that it was and there is some place that I can find it because I am dying to see it. The book was so steamy that I can only imagine what it would be like to watch it! I am going to email the author and try to get more info about it. Do you want me to keep you updated on anything I discover?

I do have one thing to say about the trailer though...that girl...let's just say she wasn't what I had in mind for the main character. And the acting? Again, it's the girl because the teacher isn't bad. I'm sure if they found someone else to play Eden I would like the idea a lot more.

What do y'all think?

I'm a Little Skeptical...

2011-01-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

I haven't been deeply involved in the book news lately but I recently saw the cover for Libba Bray's new book, Beauty Queens, but looking at it makes me a little skeptical of it. Libba Bray is literary genius and all but I don't know how anyone could make a summary and cover like this...good. What are your thoughts on her new book?

From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island.

Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to emall. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.

A Date, A Title, and A Summary(ish)!

2010-12-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

I am giddy with excitement because recently Laura Wiess, author of Such a Pretty Girl, Leftovers, and How it Ends, released the title of her book, but she just announced on Facebook that we have a date for it and that it is already available for preorder on Amazon! There was much squealing involved when this was discovered.

The title of her new book is Ordinary Beauty, which is an amazing title if you ask me but I am pretty biased, and the official release date is June 14th of next year! I want to say that it is so soon but it really isn't, especially since I am such an impatient person. Maybe if there is enough buzz about it the release date will be bumped!

The summary isn't much of a summary really, but more a sentence describing the book. Honestly, that is enough for me to go batshit crazy. Hell yeah.

A young woman struggles to escape the shadow of her mother's addiction and neglect in this story from the author of Such a Pretty Girl.

Here is the page for Amazon if anyone is interested in looking at it or preordering the book (which I will be doing very soon.)

Nook Advise?

2010-12-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

I am thinking about buying myself a Nook this Christmas but I haven't really been able to talk to someone who has owned one and knows the pros and cons of this amazing little device. So I am just looking for someone to tell me what they like about it and maybe some problems they have had with it. So please, help me!

Boots Please!

2010-12-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

I was perusing the csn store the other day looking for another review product and when my boredness took over and I went crazy looking at everything they have! Then I found this cutie-pie stool.

I think it looks like something you would find in a 50s diner! I love all things vintage so it's no surprise that I love this. I was so tempted to get it but what would I ever need a barstool for? That would've been a useless impulse purchase! But I still think it's adorable.

However, this winter there is one thing that I am in dire need of: boots! I am known in my family for being a titty-baby when it comes to cold. My feet and hands are always like ice and since I don't own a pair of boots I thought that now was finally the time. I found these adorable boots and thought they were perfection!

Love, love, love!

Thanks again CSN for giving me this opportunity!

CSN Review

2010-11-23T18:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long wait guys!

Price: $43.99, free shipping.

Link to Site.

Cover Reveal

2010-11-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn’t live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he’s never known, and just when he thinks he’s got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

All I could think when I saw the cover was MMMMM. Yes, please!

It Was Horrible!

2010-10-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

I always get a little excited when I see an email from CSN in my inbox! Is it weird that I had a really hard time deciding what to get this time? At first I thought I could get a chair for my desk, so I started looking at dining room chairs for it because I new an actual computer chair wouldn't fit the space because it is so tiny! Then I looked at children's chairs which fit but were too small...Goldilocks, anybody?

That is when it happened! I was just walking around minding my own business when I readjusted the straps on my bag, and it just snapped right off. So now I see that I am in desperate need of bag, a good quality bag and since it worked so well with my school bag I thought it was a perfect idea. Now I won't be forced to get another cheap ass, but adorable, bag from 5-7-9.

I have fallen in love with this one designer's bags, Sydney Love and now I know I will be getting one of hers.

I have fallen in love ten times over now and I can't pick which one is the cutest!

New Covers Alert!

2010-10-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

Recently both Elizabeth Scott and Sarah Dessen have released the covers for their new books and I have to say that I am quite dissapointed with both. I've read a couple of posts about these covers and everybody is raving about them and while I think their nice I don't think they are anything amazing.

This is a big step down from Grace's cover which I am still obsessed with and I feel like I've seen this cover somewhere before. Honestly, I don't have anything to say about this one since it has the same essence as all of her lighter books.

While I am happy to finally get SOMETHING from Sarah Dessen, I am not impressed. It looks...too posed for my liking. And something about the hands in the back pocket is grinding on my nerves. I am not saying that I hate this cover, but again it's a step down from her previous one.

It looks like yellow is the new purple.

It's Time For...Quotes From Tori!

2010-10-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

If you've met my sister before than you know that she is not the kind of person to hold back her opinions. And she is very opinionated when it comes to books so this is a meme dedicated to the funny, and sometimes truthful, things that she says.

Last night Tori and I took a trip to Borders and while we were there we made a horrendous discovery--we saw a journal for the upcoming Beastly movie. My sister and I have despised the idea of this movie ever since we saw what they did to "Beast." While describing to my mother what he looks like in the film she said this: "He looks like got mugged by a tattoo artist."

Now tell me that is not an acurate desciption.

I Want Something a Little Different This Time Around

2010-10-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

I am trying to get myself in the Halloween mood now so by the time it rolls around I can be in the full Halloween swing. What better way to do that then to read some books and watch movies that will scare me shitless? I couldn't think of one so I have decided to join Bites' Scared Sh*tless Reading Challenge! After midterms are over (which is this Tuesday) I will map out what books I am going to read...if I can get up enough courage I may even try IT by Stephen King. I have the biggest fear of clowns so even saying that I might pick it up is HUGE for me! By next weekend I will post a list of the books/movies that I intend to read for this challenge so make sure to keep an eye out for that. If you have any suggestions for what I should read, please tell me in the comments! I will gladly take any ideas you guys have because I'm sure my list won't be too long.

Interested in getting scared shitless too? Join the challenge!

Who Else Is So Excited For This?!

2010-09-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

Finally we get the trailer for I Am Number Four! All I have to say is at least it looks like Alex Pettyfer didn't screw up this book adaptation. I know it got a little cut off so here is the link to the trailer.

So why do you guys think?

How appropriate is The Hunger Games?

2010-09-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

I just had my aunt ask me if The Hunger Games is a book that would be appropriate for my 12 year-old cousin to read and my automatic response was "YES!" because I was so happy that she was even interested in it...but then I started thinking. The book is a tad bit gory with all the fighting and death scenes in it, so I'm starting to second-guess myself. Maybe it is appropriate for her but I still think her of her as a little nine year old. I just can't see her reading something like that! Though she is reading The Book Thief, but I've never read that so there is no way I can compare the two and see if The Hunger Games is a good book for her.

So I guess I'm asking you guys what you think: would you agree that this book is something a twelve year old should read? Because I honestly have no idea!

P.S. This was on her English teacher's recommended reading list. (Great taste!)

Birthday!

2010-09-19T09:32:00.001-07:00

Birthday town, population: me...and some other people. (I really wanted to say that but it felt so 90s!)

Always Remembering

2010-09-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

Has it been nine years already? My how time flies and forgetful we can become.

I was actually nine years old when 9/11 happened. I remember sitting on the coffee table watching cartoons (I was homeschooled and I hadn't quite gotten around to school yet) when my mom came out of her room in a towel, after having just gotten out of the shower, when she stole the remote from me and turned it to a news channel...just in time to see a replay of the first tower falling. She was holding her head in her hands and shaking. Being nine at the time I had no idea what was going on; all I saw was a building falling. It wasn't until weeks later that it finally hit me that there were people in that building: fathers, mothers, daughters, brothers, siblings, aunts, uncles, husbands, and wives. People who had lives; people who were loved and loved in return.

I was there to see the second building fall. I couldn't help but think why someone was driving planes into big buildings. What was the point? What were they expecting out of it? Mom and my older siblings were frantic because they understood. Phone calls were made, tears were cried, and I stood there in the midst trying to get my nine year-old brain to grasp the urgency of everything.

Little did I know that 9/11 would change peoples lives forever. Not only the country but every individual was changed; some more than others but it affected us all. I, personally, didn't know anyone who had their life stolen that day and I can't even begin to imagine what that must have felt like, must still feel like.

I still don't understand something--why are we so willing to hurt others for personal gain? I mean what do we really get out of it? Are we really so sick that we like to see others in pain for nothing more than trying to make a statement?

What is wrong with us?

Music That Reminds Me Of...The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

2010-09-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

The other day I was listening to this band that my sisters and I have been in love with for a long time and suddenly realized how well the lyrics fit Katniss and the Districts' fight against the Capitol's control.

Taking Control by Eisley

When we get down
If we get down
We'll get up again
We'll get up again
And if we get down
When we get down
We'll get up again
We'll get up again
And we won't take it when you won't take it, oh no

You've been taking control of our lives
And you've been letting us go
You've been taking control of our lives
And we wont take it when you wont take it, oh no

And if we get down
How should we know
If we'll get up again?
We'll get up again.
And we can take the right way out of here
I'll be sure to show you again
Then we won't take it when you won't take it, oh no

You've been taking control of our lives
And you've been letting us go
You've been taking control of our lives
And we wont take it when you wont take it, oh no

I can't be the one to finally pull you out again, out again
But we won't take it when you won't take it, oh no

You've been making a joke of our lives
And you've been letting us go
You've been taking control of our lives
And you've been letting us go
You've been taking control of our lives
And we wont take it when you wont take it, oh no

You've been taking control of our lives
And you've been letting us go
You've been taking control of our lives
And you've been letting us go
(I can't be the one to finally pull you out again, out again
No I can't be the one to finally pull you out again, out again)

And yet another song by Eisley!

They All Surrounded Me by Eisley

I gathered my thoughts and sat out on a trail
into the woods, wearing sword and chainmail
I started to whistle and walk to the beat
that my heart played constantly on repeat

The nightfall was chilly, I
slumbered right where I fell
dreaming up adventures cause' I had none to tell
Upon the morning, I woke with a start
for the beasts had blackened the horizon

They all surrounded me, they all surrounded me,
that's when the giant dragon jumped over the hill
and he said
He said, "no, no, no, no, no, no way sir,
no, no, no, no, no, not today sir,
you won't surround me, you can't surround us."

(repeat whole song, then)

Oh.....

They all surrounded me...
They all surrounded me...
They all surrounded me...
They all surrounded us...
That's when the giant dragon jumped over the hill
and he said
He said, "no, no, no, no, no, no way sir,
no, no, no, no, no, not today sir,
you won't surround me, you can't surround us."

Have you got a song that you think fits the trilogy perfectly? Let me know what it is in the comments!

Anyone Feel Like A Free Poster of the Best Series in the World?

2010-08-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen my tweet or my Facebook, then I feel obligated to tell you that Hot Topic is giving away free (rockin') posters of The Hunger Games! And for those of you who love this series, it should be super easy for you to get one! All you have to do is go to Hot Topic's Facebook page and on the left side there is an ad to win the poster, click on it and it will open up a new window. Now all you have to do is answer the four trivia questions correctly and you'll get a coupon for a free poster. Print it out, take it to the store, and you get your very own poster!!!

The Search For Mockingjay...

2010-08-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

I am one of the nerds who has gone searching for Mockingjay at any place that may possibly have it, but I has turned up empty-handed...so far. I have called five different Krogers (and actually went to one), called three different Walmarts (went to one as well), called two drugstores, been to two different Publix's, been to three different drugstores, and I still can't find it! I am not giving up though because I do not want to wait until 6 o' clock tomorrow to get it. I mean, it's only two hours so it shouldn't be that hard...right?

I am bum-fuzzled by how many people who don't know what it is!

Edit: So I'm giving up my search because nobody around here has it out early. They must have decided it was "break Kelsey's heart" day.

Holy Motherf*cking....AWESOME!

2010-08-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, I think this may be the happiest now then I ever will be for the rest of my life. I just looked at the list for YA authors attending the Decatur Book Festival this year and I'm freaking out. Seriously. Every two seconds I'm squealing and gasping and all around having a heart attack. I don't know if the list can get any better now. Here is a mashup of all the awesome authors coming!

Did anyone else have a mini-heart attack too? If you live anywhere near Georgia you should really plan on coming to this! You will not regret it, I swear.

CSN: Laptop Bag Review

2010-08-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

For this review I decided to make a vlog because it was easier for me to show you guys the bag and because it gave me a chance to mess around with the cam on my new laptop. And the bag is 15.5 inches!

David King Laptop East West Messenger Bag ($79.99)

P.S. That Brandi Carlile in the background if you were wondering or interested!

Music That Reminds Me Of...A Season of Eden

2010-08-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

This song by Muse screams to me of a passionate, forbidden romance (though I've recently been told what the song is really about and it kind of ruins it) and I've never read a book that has more of that than A Season of Eden by J.M. Warwick.

He's my teacher. I shouldn't be alone with him. But I can't help that he's irresistible.
I let the door silently close at my back. He stared at me, and a taut quiet stretched between us. "I like hearing you play," I said, moving toward him. He turned, in sync with my slow approach. He looked up at me but didn't say anything. I rested my clammy hand on the cold, slick body of the baby grand."May I?" The muscles in his throat shifted, then he swallowed. "Eden." My knees weakened, like a soft tickling kiss had just been blown against the backs of them. "Is it okay?" I asked. His gaze held mine like two hands joined. He understood what I was really asking. "Let me stay," I said. "Please."
"You're going to get me in trouble," he said.

Steamy, isn't it? And that's just a small part of the book!

And now for the song that I think embodies the forbidden romance in A Season of Eden!

Lusting Lovelies (2)

2010-08-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

Soooo many good books are being released next year that it makes me want to be able to fast-foward time!

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

This sounds so beyond amazing to me and that cover is one of the best that I have seen in a long time! (Photograph by Ali Smith)

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Maya lives in a small medical-research town on Vancouver Island. How small? You can’t find it on the map. It has less than two-hundred people, and her school has only sixty-eight students—for every grade from kindergarten to twelve.

Now, strange things are happening in this claustrophobic town, and Maya's determined to get to the bottom of them. First, the captain of the swim team drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. A year later, mountain lions start appearing around Maya's home, and they won’t go away. Her best friend, Daniel, starts getting negative vibes from certain people and things. It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret—and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy: Her paw-print birthmark.

I think we all know how obsessive I am about this series so no explanation is really needed.

Girl, Stolen by April Henry

Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen--with her inside! Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?

Again, an awesome cover but I think the summary is more appealing because it's so unique! I am seriously dying to read this! This is a 2010 release and I am totally okay with that because I get to read it sooner than I thought!

CSN Preferred Blogger!

2010-08-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

I had such an amazing time reviewing my last piece of furniture from CSN, so I was super excited when got another email from them telling me I was a preferred blogger! Exciting?! Yeah, I think so.

Again, the hard part is trying to figure out what to get because their stores are loaded awesome things. For a second I thought about one of their adorable bedroom furniture sets I found, but quickly realized my mom would kill after all the work we went through to get my dad's mom's set back together for me. So, yeah, that was a big, honkin' no right there.

Then it hit me! I am so in need of a laptop case that I can carry around school and not have my shoulders screaming in pain. Of course it has to be adorable too! And then I found it--the bestest laptop case ever. This thing is perfection for me since I am a lover of all things Fall, dead trees ( I hope that isn't weird!), and cute birds! Plus, it looks like it has a ton of friggin' storage, which I'll totally need when I'm carrying my laptop and books around.

Sorry Runt, I'm not going to be selfless again...even though you love those stairs.

Re-Create A Cover Contest: Losing Faith by Denise Jaden

2010-08-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to enter a contest like this but something always seems to get in the way from me entering. This time I'm going to do it! I am finally going to enter one of Princess Bookie's cover contests!

Here is the original cover:

And here is my cover!

I hope y'all like it! Oh, and I want to thank Gibbering from Deviantart for letting me use her gorgeous picture.

Review: Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams

2010-08-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

Title: Glimpse
Author: Carol Lynch Williams
Pub. Date: June 2010
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 496
Copy Received: Library

Just a year apart, the Chapman girls were as close as sisters could be. Hope could always count on Lizzie, and Lizzie could always count on Hope- always. But even sisters have secrets. Big secrets. And if Lizzie has her way, she'll take the biggest secret of all to her grave. With Lizzie in lockdown, can Hope discover the truth and save her sister, or is it already too late?

A cover can only go so far with a book until the actual story comes into play, and that is when you begin to see the plot in its most naked form. Glimpse had one of the most stunning covers that I have seen in the longest time, but it isn't the cover that I think of when the book comes to mind--it is the story. Glimpse was a triple threat, it had an amazing cover, true characters, and a story that latches onto the reader, who will have a hard time forgetting Hope's tale. Actually, it's a quadruple threat because the writing is to die for, and it's written in verse.

One thing that I've noticed with Williams’ characters is how naive they are; her characters are so innocent that you want to wrap them in your arms and cover their eyes so that they never have to experience the bad things of this world. Sadly, they are the ones who are forced to see the worst things; they have to grow up so quickly because of the environment that they live in. Though Hope had it way worse than Kyra, the main character in The Chosen One, in my opinion.

Ever since the death of her father, Hope's mom has had to earn money in the worst way possible--prostitution. Lizzie and Hope grow up too fast because of their mother's lifestyle and are forced to fend for themselves for days at a time because their mother is 'working.' Hope's whole life changes when she walks in on her sister, Lizzie, holding a gun to herself. When Lizzie is taken away to the hospital, Hope, and the doctors, begin to wonder what it was that made Lizzie suicidal. In this time Hope begins to see her mother for the woman she truly is-- terrible, cold-hearted. When she discovers what it is that made Lizzie want to kill herself she finds out how cruel people can be.

The one problem I had with Glimpse is how neither Hope or the doctors had no clue what was wrong with Lizzie. In my mind it seemed like it was the easiest conclusion to make, it was like the characters were sitting in the dark while I already made that conclusion and I just wanted to shake them because it was right in front of them the whole time! Though I think Hope had an inkling of what was going on but she buried it deep in her mind because she had a hard time believing that was reason for Lizzie's suicidal tendencies.

Glimpse was a simple book...and I mean that in the best way possible. It was like Lisa McMann's Wake trilogy in that way; the simpleness fit the story because of Hope and the situation she was in. Though it may have been simple it does not mean that the story was lacking by any means! The story was so full and luscious but left a lot of room for the reader to place themselves and their imaginations in it.

I am so glad that more and more writers these days are actually writing about the type of things that most others don't even think about. I'm glad that someone is stepping for the broken, the victims and telling their stories to rest of the world.

First Semester is Done!

2010-08-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

Actually I finished on Thursday but I've been extra lazy, enjoying the small amount of time that I have off until next semester starts. I did finish a book during my break! I found a copy of Glimpse at my library, which caused me to squeal like a loser because I have been longing to read it for god knows how long! It was pretty much amazing and I want to get my review up for that later this week, so keep an eye out for that!

I've missed you guys like crazy and I'm so happy to be back! Hopefully next semster won't be as crazy and hectic so I can spend more time here.

Lusting Lovelies

2010-07-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

I know everyone has their version of a "Waiting on Wednesday" and lately I've been hit with a wave of lovely books that I've been lusting after like mad, hence "Lusting Lovelies". This is going to be an irregular series on my blog; I'll pretty much post these whenever I feel the need to let the world know about whatever book(s) I'd kill my sister to own. Sorry Tori! Since the wave hit I'm gonna have more than one book in this first post, but afterwards it'll probably be one or two if I keep up with it! Also, this is going to be a mix of books that have been released and some that haven't. Enjoy!

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Gemma, 16, is on layover at Bangkok Airport, en route with her parents to a vacation in Vietnam. She steps away for just a second, to get a cup of coffee. Ty—rugged, tan, too old, oddly familiar—pays for Gemma's drink. And drugs it. They talk. Their hands touch. And before Gemma knows what's happening, Ty takes her. Steals her away. The unknowing object of a long obsession, Gemma has been kidnapped by her stalker and brought to the desolate Australian Outback. STOLEN is her gripping story of survival, of how she has to come to terms with her living nightmare—or die trying to fight it.

I've been dying to read Stolen ever since I first about it a couple of months ago, and since then must lust for it has been magnified. I haven't read any reviews on it because I want to be completely surprised by it but I know it's gonna be awesome. I started reading it in the bookstore the other day and I almost cried when I had to leave without it!

Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams

Williams (The Chosen One) opens her latest novel with a bang--almost. Written in spare yet resonant verse ("Last night/ me and Lizzie/ sit/ in the dark,/ sit on my bed,/ in the quiet of/ night./ We're all grown up,/ I think./ But we are/ having us some/ troubles"), the book is told from the unreliable perspective of 12-year-old Hope, whose 14-year-old sister, Lizzie, threatens to shoot herself on page one. Lizzie is hauled off to a mental hospital, but the reason behind the suicide attempt remains unclear--even to Hope. As the story progresses, clues about the girls' upbringing are revealed in a series of flashbacks. Hope's memories paint a picture of sporadic sisterly bonding (secret club meetings in the attic, lip-synching to Jesus Christ Superstar), while other incidents (their father's death, Lizzie's crying spells, their alcoholic mother's abusive temper and prostitution) hint at a darker reality. Williams's decision to wait until the end to divulge the cause of Lizzie's misery is a gamble, but one that works. The truth-- exposed after Hope reads her sister's diary--is appalling.

The first thing that caught my attention with Glimpse was the cover; there is something so breath-taking and entrancing about it. The second thing was that it is written in verse; I love books in verse. The last was the summary, doesn't it sound amazing? Dying to read? Yeah, that's me.

Nothing by Janne Teller

"Nothing matters."

"From the moment you are born, you start to die."

"The Earth is 4.6 billion years old. You'll live to be a maximum of one hundred. Life isn't worth the bother!"

So says Pierre Anthon when he decides that there is no meaning to life, leaves the classroom, climbs a plum tree, and stays there.

His friends and classmates cannot get him to come down, not even by pelting him with rocks. So to prove to him that there is a meaning to life, they set out to build a heap of meaning in an abandoned sawmill.

But it soon becomes obvious that each person cannot give up what is most meaningful, so they begin to decide for one another what the others must give up. The pile is started with a lifetime's collection of Dungeons & Dragons books, a fishing rod, a pair of green sandals, a pet hamster — but then, as each demand becomes more extreme, things start taking a very morbid twist, and the kids become ever more desperate to get Pierre Anthon down. And what if, after all these sacrifices, the pile is not meaningful enough?

Interesting, right? But again, it's the cover the drew me in at first. I really hope this one is as good as it sounds!

Fallout by Ellen Hopkins

Hunter, Autumn, and Summer—three of Kristina Snow's five children—live in different homes, with different guardians and different last names. They share only a predisposition for addiction and a host of troubled feelings toward the mother who barely knows them, a mother who has been riding with the monster, crank, for twenty years.

Hunter is nineteen, angry, getting by in college with a job at a radio station, a girlfriend he loves in the only way he knows how, and the occasional party. He's struggling to understand why his mother left him, when he unexpectedly meets his rapist father, and things get even more complicated. Autumn lives with her single aunt and alcoholic grandfather. When her aunt gets married, and the only family she's ever known crumbles, Autumn's compulsive habits lead her to drink. And the consequences of her decisions suggest that there's more of Kristina in her than she'd like to believe. Summer doesn't know about Hunter, Autumn, or their two youngest brothers, Donald and David. To her, family is only abuse at the hands of her father's girlfriends and a slew of foster parents. Doubt and loneliness overwhelm her, and she, too, teeters on the edge of her mother's notorious legacy. As each searches for real love and true family, they find themselves pulled toward the one person who links them together—Kristina, Bree, mother, addict. But it is in each other, and in themselves, that they find the trust, the courage, the hope to break the cycle.

Told in three voices and punctuated by news articles chronicling the family's story, FALLOUT is the stunning conclusion to the trilogy begun by CRANK and GLASS, and a testament to the harsh reality that addiction is never just one person's problem.

This sounds so good I could pass out.

Have We Finally Got a Cover?!

2010-06-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

I was perusing through Facebook when I saw that Kelley Armstrong had been tagged in a picture of book covers and one of them was for The Gathering! If this is the actual cover then I give Harper a thumbs up because it's gorgeous, and fits in really well with the Darkest Powers trilogy. What do you guys think of the cover?

NOTE: This may not be the actual cover!

EDIT: I've just been informed that this is the actual cover, it was released a couple of days ago. LOVE IT!

Thank You Chidzy182!

2010-06-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

Chidzy182 is genius behind Anne Brashare's trailer for My Name is Memory, which is absoluely stunning and if you haven't seen it before I've embeded it into the post so watch it! Anyway, I don't even know anything about this person other than their gorgeous book trailers...I don't even see a website. But I wanted to extend my gratitude towards this person for showing me the most amazing, mind-blowingly awesomest band ever.

While I was watching the trailer a couple of days ago I was really diggin' the music in it, so I looked the band up and I have been listening to them non-stop since I downloaded their (free) ep off their myspace page. They are my new obsession and I owe it all to Chidzy182 for putting them in the trailer. So thank you!

P.S. Go watch some more of Chidzy182's trailers!

And you should totally listen to the entire song from the trailer too!

History Book by Dry the River

An Exciting Twitter Chat!

2010-06-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

I've never been one to join Twitter parties or chats, but I've found out about one that I am super excited to join! Cheryl Rainfield, author of Scars, is having a Twitter Chat on Wednesday, June 23rd at 7 pm! I am really interested in what she has to say and all the opinions of others who are joining the chat as well. I really hope to see you there!

Stair Master!

2010-06-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

Today when I got home from classes I found this huge box waiting for me inside the garage, and I had the hardest time trying to guess what was inside. It didn't even cross my mind that it could've been the stairs I ordered for Runt...yesterday. I opened the box and was giddy with excitement when I discovered it was the little step stairs...and the best thing? They were already assembled, so all I did was pull them out of the box and place them by my bed.

The one thing that I really liked about these stairs was that they are carpeted, so they're easier on my boy if he doesn't quite get the hang of it on the first try and they won't scratch up my hardwood floor!

Honestly, I didn't have any bad experience whatsoever while working with CSN and I would gladly purchase more items for their store when I have the chance! Plus, Runt is pretty happy too! No more trying to jump up on the bed and making it halfway and then flopping onto the floor. This is what I would call a win-win situation!

Thanks Caitlin for giving me the opportunity to work with you!

Moving on...Down?

2010-06-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

Recently my older sister moved out of the house and since I'm the second oldest child in the household now that means that I "inheret" her bedroom. Which makes me a happy girl because not only is her room bigger, but the closet is bigger, it has it's own bathroom, and more privacy!
When CSN contacted me about doing a review for one of their products I thought it was magic! Not only do I get a new room but something new for it! I looked through the enormous list of things they offer and started clicking away to find a new piece for my room. I considered everything from bookcases and lights, even bathroom vanities, but I decided to be selfless and get a little something for my dog...that's right, my dog.

Since moving into this new bedroom, I got a beautiful bed frame but it's very tall so my little bub can't jump up on my bed anymore! So this piece of furniture that I've decided to use this review for is the little step stairs for animals and I'm sure Runt will be very happy with my decision!

So stay tuned for my review!

Where Have You Been?!

2010-06-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

I've been gone for a couple of weeks now and I, honestly, never meant for that to happen! As my readers know I'll be starting college soon...tomorrow actually, and I've been running around like a madwoman to get ready for it. But I felt like I owed it to you guys to give at least some kind of update, just to let you know I'm still alive and all. I don't know how much I'll be updating the blog now because I don't know how much time I'll be spending on college-related things. Plus, my sister's boyfriend (Hi KenAAn!) is gonna be visiting us for almost two weeks, and I'll be visiting family as well! So as you can see I'm gonna have a very hectic month or so with all the visits and starting college, but I'll at least make sure that I update you guys every once in awhile on things that are happening.

Schedule for the month:

June 8th--Start college
June 12th--Shalonda's wedding
June 13th--Kay Cassidy signing
June 29th--KenAAn's visit

Okay...it may not seem like that much to get done, but I'm kinda sweatin' over here! But I really hope to see you guys soon!

Are Any of My Readers College Students?

2010-05-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

I'll be starting college next month and the one thing I want to ask my parents for is a laptop for school, but knowing my parents I will have to have an amazing argument prepared. I've already started a small list of benefits of having a laptop for school but I know it won't be enough for them. So I'm asking my college student readers who have laptops to email me or leave a message in the comments letting me know how having a laptop for school has benefited you. I really appreciate this you guys, thanks!

A Great Problem To Have!

2010-05-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have all these amazing books on my shelf and I'm having the hardest time trying to decide what I should read next. I'm finally out of my reading rut and now I'm having this problem (if you can even call it a problem) and I would so greatly appreciate y'all's help in deciding what I start next! My dog wasn't much help in that are but I'm hoping you will be!

I've created a poll with my top choices so it will be easier for you to pick what I'm going to read.

Review: Scars by Cheryl Rainfield

2010-05-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

Title: Scars
Author: Cheryl Rainfield
Pub. Date: March 24th
Publisher: Westside Books
Pages: 233
Copy Received: Publisher (ARC)

Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. Scars is the unforgettable story of one girl's frightening path to the truth.

Kendra knows she was sexually abused in her childhood but she has just one problem—she can’t remember the identity of her abuser. She isn’t at a time in her life where she is strong enough to deal with memories of the abuse, so she cuts herself to forget; to make the memories go away when they threaten to overtake her.

Now, years after the abuse stopped, Kendra is getting the feeling that it isn’t over. She starts to feel like someone is following her, watching her every move. Then her abuser starts leaving her messages, threatening to kill her if she tells anyone about the abuse.

Kendra doesn’t think she can talk to anyone about her abuse or that she knows he is still after her. Her mother would just rather forget about the whole thing and her father has enough problems as it is to deal with at the moment. But then she meets Meghan, a girl who she connects with in almost every way possible, and she feels as if she can really open up to someone for the first time; she lets herself become vulnerable to Meghan, who does the same in return. Kendra finally lets herself feel loved by someone.

I think that even though this book mainly centers on the abuse that Kendra went through and trying to find out the identity of her abuser, I also think it’s about coming to terms with something we have no control over, and learning to accept and love yourself after going through something horrific.

Even weeks after finishing Scars I can’t stop thinking about Kendra and her story, which I’ve found out is common with sexual abuse victims. The climax of the book is something I never could’ve prepared myself for, it’s thrown in your face so quickly that it’s almost too hard to swallow. My breath caught in my throat, my jaw literally dropped, and I had to reread that one line to make sure that I’d read it correctly the first time…and I did.

I was very happy with the way Cheryl Rainfield ended the book, because I knew it couldn’t end too happy with everything that had been discovered. I think it has the perfect ending, with everyone trying to face and accept the past and look forward to the future ahead of them.

I also want to applaud Cheryl for having the courage writing something that was very closely related to the experience that she had as a child. I don’t think anyone could’ve written anything like Scars the way she had.

Top 5 Series: Favorite Book Trailers

2010-04-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

I've been toying around with starting a Top 5 series in which I share some of my favorite bookish things such as trailers, covers, and books. I'm going to start of the series with my Top 5 Favorite Book Trailers, so I really hope you guys enjoy this! These are not in any certain order because I had a really hard time deciding which ones I liked the most.

The Karma Club by Jessia Brody

Website: Jessica Brody
(Want to win a Flip Video Camera from Jessica Brody? Click on the link above for more info!)

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Website: Carrie Ryan

White Cat by Holly Black

Website: Holly Black

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Website: Lauren Oliver

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Website: James Dashner

So those are my Top 5 Favorite Book Trailers! What are some of your favorites?

Does This Make Sense To You?

2010-04-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a trip to the college of my choice (which will remain nameless, but won't be that hard to find if you really search for it) with my dad and just found out that I may not be able to get in. Since I'm homeschooled the application process is a bit more difficult than it normally would be so we went to just check and make sure everything was good before I actually applied for *collegeofmychoice*. The woman we initially talked to said that she wasn't suited to give us that information so she gave it to another woman who had more knowledge on homeschooling and such.

The second she came out to speak with us after looking over my application was to ask about the GED I'd taken back in...well, a long time ago. She wanted to know if it was required of me (being homeschooled and all) that I get my GED and I said no that it was something we'd just done as a precaution once we "graduated". Turns out, that's a problem with them. Since I'd taken the GED I'm what they consider a "non-traditional student" which means I have to wait FIVE YEARS before I start college at *collegeofmychoice*. But since I took the SATs and did well enough to get in that kind of makes things wonky. The woman said it was a gray area, and even she wasn't qualified to give us an answer. The man who could was wasn't in and wouldn't be until Monday.

So now I will have to wait until Monday and see if I actually am qualified to get in. This is going to be one long weekend...

Does that make any sense, whatsoever, to you?

Loving the Decades?

2010-04-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile I will go through a faze where I only read books from certain decades and apparently my family finds this really weird. While eating dinner the other night I was reading one of my favorite series from the 90's and said that I may start reading my 90's books again, and my mom looked at me strangely like she was trying to decipher what I'd just said so I broke it down for her--90's books are books that were published in the 90's. Not so out there, right? She thought so because she wondered if that was something other people did or if it was just me and that got me wondering. Is it really just me? Am I the only who becomes obsessed with books from certain decades and will only read books from those decades during that time? Do you do this too? Please tell me you do!

Now since I'm all kinds of knowledgeable on books from older decades...Not really, I just wanted to let you know about my favorite books from my lovely decades!

Favorite series from the 90's: The Time Travelers series by Caroline B. Cooney

Favorite author from the 80's: Joan Lowery Nixon

Favorite book from the 80's: Don't Look Behind You by Lois Duncan

Favorite book from the 70's: Are You Alone in the House? by Richard Peck

Favorite series from the 60's: Katie John series by Mary Calhoun

Do you have any suggestions for books published in the older decades?

New Blog Starting With a Question

2010-04-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've started a new blog here on blogger called Questioning My Life and I would really like it if you guys would head on over there because I've started the blog with a question that's been plaguing me for the longest time and I would really like to get y'all's opinions on it.

I do air some of my families dirty laundry so if you'd rather not read about that then you don't have to, but this is something that is really close to my heart and I would be so greatful if you guys would read it and tell me what you think.

Thanks in advance guys!

Click here to see my new blog.

More New About The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong!

2010-04-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of hours ago Kelley Armstrong released the blurb for the newest book in her YA series/trilogy. It sounds interesting but it doesn't exactly draw me in or get me incredibly excited for the new trilogy. Now what I want to see are the covers! I loved the covers for the Darkest Powers series so I'm curious to see what the new trilogy's covers are going to look like.

Maya lives in a small medical-research town on Vancouver Island. How small? You can’t find it on the map. It has less than two-hundred people, and her school has only sixty-eight students—for every grade from kindergarten to twelve.

Now, strange things are happening in this claustrophobic town, and Maya's determined to get to the bottom of them. First, the captain of the swim team drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. A year later, mountain lions start appearing around Maya's home, and they won’t go away. Her best friend, Daniel, starts getting negative vibes from certain people and things. It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret—and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy: Her paw-print birthmark.

What do you guys think? Opinions?

The Reckoning isn't the Last in the Series?

2010-04-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

This may be crazy old news but I just discovered The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong will not be the last book in the Darkest Powers series! Turns out that it is the last book in the trilogy (duh, since it's the third book) but the next book, The Gathering, will be another trilogy that is set in the same world as the characters from the first trilogy but it will have completely new characters. The next trilogy will is called Darkness Rising. Strange, isn't it?

Here is Kelley's explanation, posted on her forum, about the two trilogies in her own worlds.

Okay, poor Alison is getting flooded with questions about the end of The Reckoning (don't worry, no spoilers here) Responses range from confusion to anger. Why were several minor plot threads left unanswered when this is supposed to be a trilogy?

At first, I scratched my head. Why would every plot thread be wrapped up when this trilogy is just the first of what I hope to be many stories set in this world? Then I realized the problem. The definition of trilogy.

1) a series of three books, connected in some way but with three separate plots

2) one plot/story stretching over three books

The Darkest Powers is #2, the rarer form. That means The Reckoning is the last book in the trilogy, not the last in the series. It only wraps up the major plotline introduced in The Summoning. It is not intended to tie off every minor plot thread and retire the characters.

The next book is The Gathering. Same world. New characters. New Edison Group experiment. The Gathering starts trilogy #2, Darkness Rising. While my plot line shows Chloe and the others being introduced late in that trilogy, that is NOT a guarantee until the whole thing is written.

So what happens beyond that second trilogy? I have no idea. I'm only contracted for 6 books, so that's all I count on. If the publishers want more, though, I'm sure Chloe and the others will return.

I know my decision to veer away from Chloe et al does not please every reader. I know it greatly displeases some readers. But The Gathering is done. There's no turning back.

I've weathered this storm before, when I announced a change of narrators after book 2 in my Otherworld series. The emails flooded in. I was an idiot. I was sabotaging my career. I'd tasted success and now failure loomed on the horizon. Ten books later, I believe it has stopped looming, but you never know

I believe I owe it to my readers to give them my best. Sure, the Chloe books are selling extremely well. Sure, I could coast on that for a while, keep churning out new adventures for her even after readers start saying "it was fun revisiting the characters, but nothing really happened." To me, though, if I know I'm coasting, then I'm not "giving readers what they want"--I'm cheating them out of decent books. Long series with a single narrator work for some writers. Some can keep it fresh and original. I can't and I know it.

So, with The Reckoning, we bid a temporary farewell to Chloe and the gang and move on to explore new corners of their world. I hope readers will stay with me for the journey. I don't guarantee you'll like the new characters as much as you liked the old ones. Some will prefer them. Some will hate them. I'll gain readers. I'll lose readers. But I'll know I'm giving all of them my best effort, and that's what counts.

It's an interesting idea and I'm excited to see what she will do with the new trilogy but I'm heart broken that I won't see any of the old characters, like Derek...let's hope HarperCollins will want more in the series from her so we can see Chloe and the gang again!

Nothing Book-Related Here.

2010-04-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

This post has absolutely nothing to do with books (unless you count the book that was based on the video game, which I have read *NERD*) but I felt like sharing my excitement with those of you who like the Resident Evil movies and video games. Now I'm not like a crazy huge fan of the video games like some other people I know...like my sister's boyfriend, for instance, but I do love the games that I've played. I've seen every single movie, the last two in theaters so I was beyond excited when I discovered awhile ago that they were releasing a fourth movie. I was even more excited when I watched it this morning because it looks awesome. I just felt like sharing this with you guys...

Synopsis:

Five years have passed since the Hive, now Alice (Milla Jovovich) joins with an old friend Chris Redfield (Wenworth Miller) and with her sister Claire (Ali Larter) to put an stop to Wesker in order to save the world and help those who survived, with new enemies like The Executioner (based on RE5) and a new virus which makes enemies poweful.

Sound pretty awesome and it looks like their bringing some of the video game characters on in this one which is even more cool and they have a lot of the "special" zombies too! I can't wait for Sept. 10! This one may be a midnight showing!

Just Yell Fire!

2010-04-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to the I Heart Daily newsletter, created by Melissa Walker and Anne Ichikawa, and today they showcased an awesome non-profit organization called Just Yell Fire. Started by Dallas Jessup, 17, to raise awareness about the astonishing number of girls who are abducted, raped, and killed everyday. The video created by this organization teaches us girls simple and effective self-defense tips and moves to help us stop a predator in his (or her) tracks.

So please, I ask that everyone, male or female readers, to watch this video because it just may say your life. Read more about the organization and even donate if you feel led to do that here! You can watch it for free here or download it for free here.

I'm going to post the trailer here so you guys can get a feel for what the "informative movie" is about.

Yes, it may be a little cheesy but I feel this is something everyone should watch! So please, go watch it!

This Bunny Mold is Ruining My Day.

2010-04-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

I got my SAT scores earlier this morning and I did it! I did well enough to get into the college of my choice! I feel so relieved that I have that over now and I don't have to do it again! Now I have college and shots to worry about! Thank you guys so much for the great feedback I got when I posted about it a couple of days before I was supposed to take it. That made me feel really positive about the whole thing.

I'm also getting ready for Easter today! Woohoo! Not. I'm trying to make a cake from a bunny mold and it won't work. I've tried two times but each time the bunny gets stuck to the mold and breaks the cake. I tried Pam then I tried Crisco with flour and it DOESN'T WORK. So I'm going back to the store to get another cake mold so I can try it again. Cross your fingers that it works...please! I did one two years ago and it was completely adorable but for some reason it just isn't working this year. Boo you, dumb cake!

For all you bakers out there, do you have any other suggestions I could try to keep the cake from sticking to the mold? Feedback it greatly appreciated!

Update: I tried one last time and it worked! But the reason that it wasn't working before was because I was using a Red Velvet cake mix which is very moist so it stuck to the pan. This time I did a regular white cake which is more firm so it didn't stick. Thanks for suggestions guys!

Review: The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

2010-03-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Title: The Dead-Tossed Waves
Author: Carrie Ryan
Pub. Date: March 9th
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 416
Copy Received: Publisher

Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She's content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry's mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother's past in order to save herself and the one she loves.

The Dead-Tossed Waves takes place some thirty or so years after The Forest of Hands and Teeth ends and follows the life of Mary’s daughter, Gabrielle. Gabry, as she likes to be called, lives in a fenced-in town, much like her mother’s, but this town doesn’t have the religious influence that Mary’s did. Gabry and Mary live in the town’s local light-house and keep the Mudo (formally known as Unconsecrated) that float in from the ocean at bay.

Gabry, much like her mother, never thought much about the consequences of leaving her town, but unlike Mary she doesn’t leave because of an attack; she jumps the fence to hang out with her friends at the old run-down amusement park that neighbors her town. I don’t really have to explain what happens next because it comes as no surprise, but their group of friends gets attacked by the Mudo and the boy that Gabry loves gets bitten trying to protect her.

Gabry runs home, after being ordered to by Catcher (the boy she loves), leaving her friend’s behind to deal with the wrath of the Militia. The morning after The Council has a town meeting to notify everyone of their punishment, and they decide to kill the kids who have already been Infected and the others will be sent to serve The Recruiters for two years. After the meeting Gabry talks to Cira, the best friend she left behind that night and Catcher’s sister, who tells her to go back and find Catcher, who was never found by the Militia.

As Gabry goes beyond the barriers again she meets another boy, Elias, who helps her find Catcher and discovers something she never thought possible…

As a fan of The Forest of Hands and Teeth and an even bigger fan of zombies, I was super psyched to finally read the long-awaited (for me, at least) The Dead-Tossed Waves. Only a chapter in and I could already see how much Carrie has approved in pretty much everything. The writing was overall so much better and the story was more gripping, easier to fall into and read.

Since Gabry doesn’t live in the closed-off town that her mother lived in we learn a lot more about the world and how it works. Plus, we discover something that we didn’t even know was physically possible and takes up a big chunk of the story line so I can’t say too much without ruining it!

I have to say that I liked this book so much better than TFOHAT, so if you weren’t too crazy about that one you should still give this one a try. And if Carrie keeps on getting better with time I can’t wait to see what she’ll do with the next book, The Dark and Hollow Places.

Blog Tour: Carrie Ryan Interview

2010-03-24T05:31:00.000-07:00

Guys, I am so excited today because I have an interview with Carrie Ryan, author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves. Yay! I want to thank Kelly and Carrie for the opportunity to do this!

*Warning: There are some spoiler-y questions and answers in this interview*

The idea of someone being immune to the virus was never discussed in The Forest of Hands and Teeth, but did you know you were going to use it in The Dead-Tossed Waves while writing it?

Immunity is exceedingly rare in their world which is the reason I never mentioned it in The Forest of Hands and Teeth (they’d likely never have even known about it). But I knew that the way the infection worked that there would likely be some immunity, just none that anyone in the first book would be aware of (for them to know about immunity they’d have to have an immune actually get infected and then choose not to be immediately put to death which was very rare so even if there were immunes in their village, they’d likely never know).

What was it like for you to be back in that world and The Forest again?

I absolutely loved being back in that world again! But at the same time it was challenging because this is a slightly different world with a different point of view so I didn’t have as much carry-over between the two books as I expected to. I’ve been fascinated with surviving in a post apocalyptic world for years so I really enjoyed being able to explore that from a slightly different angle.

How did you come up with the new names for the “Unconsecrated” and why?

I felt like the village in The Forest of Hands and Teeth would use a name with religious connotations because religion plays such a dominant role in their world while it doesn’t play as big a role in the world beyond the Forest. I actually spent quite a long time thinking about what words they’d use and how it would change over several generations and I came up with the word Mudo which means speechless or voiceless in Papiamento (a language spoken on the island of Curacao). Since Vista used to be a port town I knew they’d have contact with pirates and since Curacao has the largest dry-dock in the Caribbean it made sense that their language would permeate through the coastal towns.

You left the ending of The Dead-Tossed Waves very open; does that mean we’ll see more of Gabry in your next book?

Yes :)

What do you think of the cover change?

I’ve been thrilled with all of my covers so far. I’m mostly of the opinion that I know so little about covers and design and what works and doesn’t that I leave all those decisions in the hands of the experts at Delacorte. So far I think they’ve done a great job.

Can you give me three of favorite zombie books and movies?

One of my favorite books is Max Brooks’ World War Z -- he just does an amazing job of creating distinct characters and showing how the entire world would react to a zombie plague. Brilliantly done.

I love The Walking Dead as a graphic novel because it’s open ended which fascinates me. One of the reasons I set my books so far after the Return is because I want to know how people survive after the intial panic when all the stores are empty of food and the pre-Return tools and knowledge start to fall apart.

For movies? Impossible to choose :) I love Dawn of the Dead because it’s what made me fall in love with the genre, I love Night of the Living Dead because it started the modern zombie and also Shawn of the Dead (totally agreed!) because it captures the hilarity and the tragedy so brilliantly.

Can you give us some inside on your next book? Please? Because you love us?!

I can tell you that the title is The Dark and Hollow Places and that I’ve seen the cover comp and am in LOVE with it. Other than that…. I don’t know what I can share until I talk to my editor. It’s the same world, takes place not long after the end of The Dead-Tossed Waves :)

Thanks you so much Carrie for the freaking awesome interview!
________

Here is a list of the complete tour:

3/16. Cynsations
3/17 The Book Smugglers
3/18 MTVNews.com “Hollywood Crush”
3/19 The Page Flipper
3/20 Through A Glass, Darkly
3/21 Reader Girlz
3/22 Mundie Moms
3/23 Cheryl Rainfield
3/24 Just Blinded Book Reviews
3/25 The Story Siren
3/26 Bildungsroman
3/27 Beautiful Creatures

Make sure you visit Random Buzzers because they're asking Carrie questions all week!

Become a fan of The Dead-Tossed Waves on Facebook!

Make sure you visit Carrie's website for more information about her books!

Wake and Swag Contest Winner!

2010-03-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

This was my biggest contest to-date! I had over seventy entrants and with extra entries over 320 total! Thanks guys for the great turn out!

And now for the winner *drum rolls*

Candace from Candace's Book Blog!

Congrats Candace! I'll be sending you an email in just a couple but if you don't reply in the next 48 hours I'll have to pick a new winner.

P.S. This is my 300th post! How exciting!

In My Mailbox

2010-03-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

In My Mailbox is a meme started by Kristi, The Story Siren, and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.

Last week's books:

Bought This Week:

For Review:

Won:

Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten

Amazing Contest Alert!

2010-03-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

Faye from Ramblings of a Bookworm is having one of the coolest contests I have ever seen! She wants to be your book fairy and is holding a contest to pick the lucky guy or girl! The winner gets to pick twelve, that's right twelve, books from a huge selection of awesome books!

Here's the list so far:

On top of all that, she has mystery swag she's giving away too!

The contest ends on April 25th so make sure you head on over there and enter!

Click here to enter.

P.S. My contest ends TONIGHT everyone! Enter!!!

Update and Such.

2010-03-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I took the SATs Saturday but I won't know my scores or anything until the 1st (so far away)! I was drained all day after the testing; I practically slept the whole day. My brain was mush. I'm now trying to get back into the habit of reading a book that doesn't have to do with Math or the SATs, and it's surprising how much of a hard time I'm having doing it!

But hopefully I can start reading again so I can breathe some life back into the blog! I'm in the middle of writing a couple of reviews, so I may have a couple up this week. OH, and I will have an awesome interview with Carrie Ryan up on the 24th along with a review for The Dead-Tossed Waves as part of a tour. Make sure you keep an eye out for that!

Nice to be back! (Though I really never left because after announcing my break I started posting more than I usually do. Procrastination is a bad, bad thing!)

P.S. My Wake and Swag contest ends on THIS FRIDAY! So if you haven't entered yet you better do it now!

I Love My Local Library Paper!

2010-03-11T06:52:00.000-08:00

Monday is library day and when I was their I picked up their local book-ish paper because their teen section is usually awesome and I wanted to see what they had to say about the latest releases. I am now in love with the paper more than ever!

First, they totally love Gone by Lisa McMann and The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan! Smart people!

P.S. Those are tiny exclamation points.

And they did a great review of Before I Fall...which I haven't read but I would kill my sister (I'm joking, I'm joking...or am I?) to get a copy of it. My camera had a hard time focusing while taking this picture so I'm sorry if you have a hard time reading it.

Edit: I did not mean that my local library publishes it's own paper! They subscribe to a book-related paper called Book Page and it's amazing!

A Tribute to Sammy Yuen Jr.

2010-03-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

I have often lusted after books only because of their covers, and who hasn't? Usually they come from Sammy Yuen who has created so many wonderful, gorgeous book covers but hasn't gotten the recognition he truly deserves. So this is to you, Sammy Yuen!

He's created the covers for all of the following:

Incarceron and Sapphique by Catherin Fisher

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside by Holly Black

Crank, Glass, Fallout, Burned, Impulse, Identical, and Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Venomous by Christopher Krovatin

Wake, Fade, and Gone by Lisa McMann

The Fallen: The Fallen and Leviathan by Thomas E. Sniegoski

So thanks, Sammy Yuen; I lust after your covers.

Go to his website or his Simon and Schuster page for a full list of his creations.

In My Mailbox

2010-03-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

Yay! I actually have an IMM post for you guys...and this one is even a vlog!

Books bought:

Keeping The Moon by Sarah Dessen
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Willow by Julia Hoban
The Writing Handbook

Received:

White Cat by Holly Black
The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
Roy Morreli Steps Up to the Plate by Thatcher Heldring
The Very Little Princess by Marion Bane Bauer
The Fast and the Furriest by Andy Behrens

What books did you get this week?

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.

Music That Reminds Me Of...Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

2010-03-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about posting this one for awhile now but I thought that while some of the lyrics--and the song itself--really worked, some didn't fit so well. I decided to go ahead and post it anyway because both the book and the song are amazing.

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

How far will Rose go to keep her promise? The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them. . . including Dimitri. He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa—the one she has sworn to protect no matter what—and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

Read my review here

Howl by Florence and the Machine

If you could only see the beast you've made of me
I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free
Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart
Drag my teeth across your chest to tast your beating heart

My fingers claw your skin, try to tempt my way in
You are the moon that makes the night for which I have to howl
My fingers claw your skin, try to tempt my way in
You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to

Howl, howl
Howl, howl

Now there's no rolling back, I'm aching to attack
My blood is singing with your voice, I want to pour it out
The saints can't help me now, the ropes have been unbound
I hunt for you with bloodied feet across the hallowed ground

Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
I want to find you and tear out all of your tenderness

And howl, howl
Howl, howl

Be careful of the curse that falls on young lovers
Starts so soft and sweet and turns them into hunters
Hunters, hunters, hunters
Hunters, hunters, hunters

The fabric of your flesh, pure as a wedding dress
Until I wrap myself inside your arms I cannot rest
The saints can't help me now, the ropes have been unbound
I hunt for you with bloodied feet across the hallowed ground

And howl

Be careful of the curse that falls on young lovers
Starts so soft and sweet and turns them into hunters

A man who's pure of heart and says his prayers by night
May still become a wolf when the autumn moon is bright

If you could only see the beast you've made of me
I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free
The saints can't help me now, the ropes have been unbound
I hunt for you with bloodied feet across the hallowed ground

Just Got Mine!

2010-03-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite books of '09 was just released in paperback last Tuesday and I just got my copy of it! Why so late? Because I have the dumbest Borders ever and they didn't have a copy of it the day it was released so I had to order and wait ~~patiently~~ agonizingly for it to show up! But boy was I excited when I got it. So why am I talking about this? Because I think that everyone who hasn't read it yet (shame on you!) or was waiting for it to be released in paperback (better but...shame on you!) should go out and get it now. You have no idea what you've been missing out on and you shouldn't be kept in the dark any longer!

And another reason? My super intelligent, glasses-wearing dog loves it too!

Buy it:
Barnes and Noble
Borders
Amazon
Indie

Thanks to mom for helping me get Runt to pose for the pictures and to Runt for being such a good sport!

Michelle Zink's New Covers

2010-03-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

Earlier this morning Michelle Zink revealed the new covers for her Prophecy of the Sisters books. I'm not sure what I think of them yet; I really like the old cover but there's something about these that I do like as well, not as much but I do like them.

Old:

New:

What is your opinion? Should they have stayed with the old covers or are the new ones better?

The Dead-Tossed Waves Trailer

2010-03-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

After the success of Carrie's last trailer I didn't think it was possible for this trailer to be any better, but this one is like...Ahhhh! It is incredibly amazing and I know I'm going to watch it ten more times. Coolest trailer ever.

Beastly Trailer/Featurette

2010-02-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

I was browsing trailers on YouTube because that's what I do when I'm bored and I came across Beastly's new trailer/featurette thing. I'll let you see if for yourself.

At this moment, I'm furious and speechless because of how much they've changed the book. I read it early last year so I don't remember too much about it, but looking at that trailer I can see that they've...done something new with it. First, I just want want to know what they've done to Beast; that wasn't how he looked in the book! I don't know...this just doesn't work for me. I don't even know if I'll got see this in theaters because it looks like such a let-down.

What do you guys think of it? Like it, hate it? I want to know!

Contest for a SIGNED Copy of Wake and Swag!

2010-02-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy because this contest is like, my first official contest. Well, the first one that I've held, by myself. I'm such a nerd that I'm almost squealing...on the inside, of course.

I have a signed, finished copy of Wake (in paperback) and a load of swag up for grabs, all you have to do is enter the contest!

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people’s dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie’s seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can’t tell anybody about what she does – they’d never believe her, or worse, they’d think she’s a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn’t want and can’t control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else’s twisted psyche. She is a participant…

What You Will Win:

Signed Copy of Wake by Lisa McMann
Forget-Her-Nots bookmark (signed)
Prophecy of the Sisters bookmark
The Cinderella Society bookmark (signed)
Shadowed Summer bookmark (signed)
The Forest of Hands and Teeth bookmark
The Iron King bookmark
Rampant bookmark
Fairytale bookmark
The Body Finder bookmark
In a Heartbeat bookmark (signed)
Princess for Hire bookmark (signed)
After discussion guide
If I Stay discussion guide
Wintergirls discussion guide
The Hollow postcard
Oblivion Road postcard
Forget-Her-Nots postcard
Two (2) "Fang" tattoos
The Hollow tattoo
Monster Reader tattoo
The Hollow card
Beautiful Creatures bookplate (signed)
Cool Halloween Pencils
Fairytale magnet
Breaking Dawn stickers
Fang preview
Beautiful Creatures necklace
Beautiful Creatures bracelet
Summer Court bracelet (Wicked Lovely series)
Theatre Illuminata bracelet (Eyes Like Stars series)

Picture of the prizes:

Rules:

All of this will go to one (1) winner.
Open to US residents only!
Contest ends March 19th and the winner will be picked on March 20th or 21st.
If you are under 13 years old, you must have permission from your parents or guardian.
I will be using Contest Winner Picker to pick the winners for my contest.
I am not to be held responsible for any lost or damaged items.
Any information acquired will not be sold or distributed.
To enter, fill out the form below.

I Met Lisa McMann?

2010-02-25T07:23:00.000-08:00

Why yes, yes I did. Not only that, but I had the rockinest time doing it! She has to be one of the funniest, nicest, coolest authors that I have met since I started blogging. Though it may have something to do with the fact that I'm terribly fangirly over her trilogy.

So I show up to the signing super early, like two hours because I don't want to get stuck in traffic and be horribly late and miss the entire thing. I pretty much sit in Starbucks reading with my sister until Shalonda shows up. Once she gets there we walk over to The Little Shop of Stories because we only have about a half hour before the signing starts and we want to get good seats and Shalonda needed to buy a copy of Gone because she had trouble finding it at any bookstore. (Which is funny since I had the hardest time finding a copy of Wake; it seemed like everywhere I went they had Fade and Gone, but they were out of copies of Wake. Made me terribly angry.) Once she has her copy we just browse the YA section and catch up because we haven't seen each other for a couple of months now. She's been uber busy with her wedding planning!

After browsing for awhile one of the girls that works at the bookstore lets us know that everyone is upstairs already for the signing, so even though we showed up early we got seats in the back, which made it a little difficult for pictures. But I think I did well...and I got some video I know you guys will want to see!

Vania showed up just as I was running out of the store to grab the keys to the car from my parents because I forgot my books and the camera in it. She went inside and sat down while I ran like hell to the car. I was so afraid that I would miss something, but I didn't! I showed up just as Terra (as in Terra Elan McVoy, author of Pure and her upcoming book, After The Kiss) finished introducing her, great timing or what?!

So Lisa did a small reading from...her two unreleased books, The Unwanteds and Cryer's Cross! Even better? I got video of her reading from both of them! But I'll post those after I'm doing talking about the signing. After she read, she did a Q&A with the audience and people asked some really great questions. I wish I had taken video of the entire signing because it was so great! Lisa had everyone laughing incredibly hard during the whole thing.

Once she was done with the Q&A it was time for the signing! I was an huge nerd because I brought the top to one of the cardboard stands for Gone so that she could sign it, but I don't care because it looks rockin'. While she was signing my books, we talked a bit and I'm supposed to give all you bloggers a message from her:

When you go to a signing, tell the author who you are! They feel horrible when they find out you were there after the fact and they never knew because you never told them who you were. Capiche?

After we got our book signed, Shalonda had to leave because she had to get home to her new puppy! So she left but Tori, Vania, Shelli (author of Grace Under Fire and On the Brigh Side), and I went to eat out and just hang for the rest of the night.

So needless to say, I had loads of fun and if Lisa is stopping by your town anytime soon you should totally plan on going because you will have fun.

Oh, and I'm supposed to tell you guys, my readers, that Lisa says hi!

Time for pictures!

(Reading the very first part of Wake that she wrote.)

(Isn't her hair wonderful? It looks so soft and flippy!)

(The very first book that she wrote! It's an adorable little picture book)

(Signing a book)

And now the moment you've all been waiting for! The videos of Lisa McMann reading from her two unreleased books!

Reading from The Unwanteds

Reading from Cryer's Cross

Hope you enjoy the videos!

P.S. Sorry if the videos were a little shaky but my arms were getting tired!