Thursday, September 30, 2010

Justine's Thoughts: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Living Dead Girl
By Elizabeth Scott

Source: Library
Pages:
170
Book Description (from Goodreads) :

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends -- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.

Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.

This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

A quote:

Grace is my favourite church word. A state of being. Something you can pray for. Something God can grant. Something you can obtain. Perfection is out of reach. But grace -- grace you can reach for.

Any thoughts:

Elizabeth Scott certainly knows how to leave a reader speechless. It’s difficult to describe what I felt after reading Living Dead Girl. It just left me emotional, raw, and in awe.

It is disturbing and dark and heart wrenching -- these aren’t enough words to explain the nature of the novel and its plausibility. With a narrator whose voice is hauntingly real and Elizabeth Scott’s poetic prose, the reader is able to bear witness and experience everything.

Living Dead Girl is a short but unforgettable story, one that will make you cringe, cry, and ache in helplessness. It is not enjoyable; it isn’t supposed to be. But it reveals the difficult, unwanted truth that there are cruel people in the world. And by reading the exposed reality Elizabeth Scott has laid down for us, we can try and identify when something is wrong, and act on it.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (41)


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


Moonglass
by Jessi Kirby

Release Date:
May 3, 2011

Description:

A contemporary YA novel about a girl who, years after her mother's death, gets a fresh start in a new seaside town. She seems to be outrunning the past, but discovers that the sea glass she wears around her neck is not just a token of her mother's memory but a connection to the very stretch of water she now calls home.

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It reminds me of Twenty Boy Summer (which I recently finished reviewing last week) with the sea glass, especially how it's worn as a necklace. How lovely! I am definitely looking forward for this.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (24)


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

My teaser:

Sometimes in Ali's presence, they didn't feel real, exactly. They felt kind of like dolls, with Ali arranging their every move. Each of them wished that just once, she had the strength to tell Ali no.


~pg. 12 "Pretty Little Liars"
by Sara Shepard

I have just started this book (when I should have started long ago!). So far, it's great. I've got a brief picture in my mind of the girls' personalities. The big mystery is also beginning to reveal itself.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

In My Mailbox (27)


In My Mailbox is held weekly by Kristi at The Story Siren. Click here for details on how to participate.

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From the library:

Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars book 1) by Sara Shepard

Won:

Radiance
by Alyson Noel

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Busy busy weekend! I got to do my IMM just in time. Hope everyone's had a great week! :)


Friday, September 24, 2010

Contest Craze @ Princess Bookie

Have you heard?


Princess Bookie's annual Contest Craze is being held on September 27th and it is lasting for two entire weeks! And then there's a huge contest happening on October 9th. Every day there will be a contest or a mini-challenge in which you can participate. At the end of the period, winners will be announced. It's all about the craze and the hard work and the fun!

So what are you guys waiting for? Go ahead and spread the word!

Friday's Finest (32)


Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

Rules:

~Post a quote that really stuck to you after reading it in a book.
~Make sure it isn't a spoiler!
~If you'd like, expand on what you think it means and why you chose it.


Nothing ever really goes away--it just changes into something else. Something beautiful.


Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

If I had to guess, that beautiful something would be memories. Sarah Ockler had left it for the reader to ponder but in my opinion, memories are a beautiful thing. I like replaying a certain scene in my mind over and over again. And then I would get that jovial feeling of reminiscing about good times. It's so wonderful.

This book is quite a load of great quotes. I'm sure to be taking more for the future!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Justine's Thoughts: One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin

One Lonely Degree
By C.K. Kelly Martin

Source: Library
Pages:
243
Book Description:

Fifteen-year-old Finn has always felt out of place but suddenly her world is unravelling. It all started with the Party. And Adam Porter. And the night in September that changed everything. The only person who knows about that night is Audrey -- Finn’s best friend, her witness to everything, and the one person (under thirty) Finn trusts implicitly. So when Finn’s childhood friend, Jersy, moves back into town -- reckless, beautiful boy Jersy, all lips and eyes and hair so soft you’d want to dip your fingers into it if you weren’t careful -- Finn gives her blessing for Audrey to date him. After all, how could she possibly no to Audrey?

With Audrey gone for the summer, though, Finn finds herself spending more and more time with Jersy, and for the first time since September, for the first time in her life maybe, something feels right -- absolutely, stunningly right. But Finn can’t be the girl who does this to her best friend...can she?

A quote:

Things don't always change with a bang. Sometimes they change so gradually that you can't clearly pinpoint the last moment they were truly the same.

Any thoughts:

My very first C.K. Kelly Martin novel! I’m glad because I’ve begun to really like her writing -- simple with an easy flow yet deep with meaning.

One glance at the description and you’d think it’s only about the friendship and romance, the fluffy and clichéd situations, those sorts of things. But there is a whole other side of conflicts, difficult decisions that other characters have to make: family relationships, the unforgettable thing that happened at the “Party”...There are a lot of plots going on and sometimes I would feel overwhelmed with everything depressing that would happen. But then I realize now that that’s life; it can be overwhelming and stressful, with problems popping in out of nowhere. “Anything can happen.” And I liked how that CK Kelly Martin started and ended with that popular phrase.

Whether it’s Finn’s self-consciousness, her desire to go off to New York or London after high school, her turning to music to feel better, or the situations she tries to handle, she is a character anyone can relate to. Going through with her trying to deal with certain issues was difficult. It was hard to imagine myself in her situation because I wouldn’t know what to do. Finn’s attempt to try and forget and not care and be “steel” while at the same time try to somehow repair and hope and dream amazes me. She’s strong but she doesn’t know it and I admire her for trying.

One Lonely Degree has an open ending, free for the reader to create his or her own conclusion. Overall, it’s a great novel. It was refreshing to read something new and this was definitely one that is real and filling.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (40)


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


If you have not read the first book, If I Stay, then be warned that the description is full of spoilers!

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Where She Went
by Gayle Forman

Release Date:
April 19, 2011

Description:
My first impulse is not to grab her or kiss her or yell at her. I simply want to touch her cheek, still flushed from the night’s performance. I want to cut through the space that separates us, measured in feet—not miles, not continents, not years—and to take a callused finger to her face. I want to touch her to make sure it’s really her, not one of those dreams I had so often after she left when I’d see her so clear as day, be ready to kiss her or take her to me only to wake up with Mia just beyond reach.

But I can’t touch her. This is a privilege that’s been revoked.



It’s been three years since Adam’s love saved Mia after the accident that annihilated life as she knew it . . . and three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future—and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, powerful prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.


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I remember wishing that there would be a sequel to If I Stay right after I finished the book. And then not too long after that, I found out about Where She Went! Wish granted! Wow, am I ever so happy. And this does sound like it's going to be an emotional one...but good.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (23)


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

My teaser:

A small lucid part of me wanted action. Freedom. Majority ruled and I let the world slide by me content in my crate. My crate. My crate. I giggled.


~pg. 288 "Fire Study"
by Maria V. Snyder

Yes, clearly, something is wrong with Yelena since she isn't herself. But I find this part to be interesting seeing how the style in writing shows how incoherent Yelena is. And since this is the very last book, I want to treasure every single scene! Ahh!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Justine's Thoughts: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Poison Study (Study #1)
By Maria V. Snyder

Source: Library
Pages:
361
Book Description:

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace -- and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust -- and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can’t control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren’t so clear....

A quote:

“...you’ve slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”

“That sounds more like a poison than a person.”

Any thoughts:

I have never encountered such an extraordinary book like Poison Study. I can honestly, truly say that. It is so wonderful and I adore it to pieces.

The first minute I started, I realized that it isn’t the usual type of books that I read. For one, it takes place in a society with punishments, a “Code of Behaviour”, military districts and murder. Its detailed setting illustrated the tone and atmosphere as well as illuminated Snyder’s magnificent writing. That was the second thing. Snyder’s writing is efficient and has a sense of maturity and grandeur. I became easily used to her choice of words only after the first chapter. It is needless to say that I was instantly hooked.

Our heroine, Yelena, is now one of my favourites, ranking in my top three. She is a character I never disliked. Instead, I admired her ability to stand strong, make decisions in tough situations and gather strength in times of desperation. In short, she is a heroine that can kick villain butts.

The plot overall was full of exciting events. I could not -- for even one minute -- stop reading! I stayed up late until my eyes closed shut and the next morning, I picked it up without doing much else. With a mix of action, secrecy, loyalty, magic, friendship and acrobatics, Poison Study is without a doubt a splendid fantasy book. Not to mention that there is romance (although it doesn’t come till later on), which then officially and ultimately claimed my love for this book.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (39)


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


The Lying Game
by Sara Shepard

Release Date:
December 1, 2010

Description:
Foster kid Emma Paxton has only just discovered Sutton Mercer, the wealthy twin sister she never knew she had, when Sutton drops off the face of the earth, asking Emma to cover for her at home, school, and with her friends—just for a few days. At first Emma enjoys trying on her sister’s fabulous life: her fiercely loyal friends, her adoring boyfriend, her close-knit family. But as Emma is drawn deeper into Sutton’s world she finds the friends are not so fabulous, the boyfriend is not who she wants to be with, and the family is clinging to long-buried secrets and a veneer of functionality. And worst of all, Sutton may not be coming back. In fact, someone may have made sure she never could…and that someone knows Emma is not who she claims to be. Emma will need all her wits to survive The Lying Game.

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I've yet to read (first) and watch (second) Pretty Little Liars. I've heard many things about the show and the book. A lot of people I know like both. So I'm going to give that a try as well as this new series. It sounds pretty similar to Meg Cabot's Airhead series, which I really, really love. I'm psyched to get reading on Sara Shepard's works!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (22)


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

The rules are:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS.
My teaser:

The chorus started again through the speakers and I sang louder, "Ca-sey Jones you bett-er...watch your speed..." Frankie laughing from the backseat, Matt smiling at me sideways, fingers secretly brushing my knee, the noon sun laid out and happy on the dusty road ahead.

Together. Happy. Whole.
The three of hearts.
The possibilities endless.


~pg. 16 "Twenty Boy Summer"
by Sarah Ockler

Whoa. The writing is incredible, the characters enjoyable, the plot tough and intriguing. Everything is amazing so far. I can see why many people like this book a lot.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

In My Mailbox (26)


In My Mailbox is held weekly by Kristi at The Story Siren. Click here for details on how to participate.

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All are from the library:

Fire Study (Study book 3) by Maria V. Snyder
Twenty Boy Summer
by Sarah Ockler

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I'm feeling somewhat happy this week for these reasons:

a) The first week of school was actually great! Having a spare class is relieving, especially at the end of the day. And my other three classes are alright. I'm only loving one of them right now, however, and that is Leadership.

b) The library has given me great books this week! I was on the waiting list for Twenty Boy Summer for a long time. I'm glad I finally get to read it! And about Fire Study, is it the final book in the series? *widens eyes* My heart just skipped several beats....Buuuut, after looking on Goodreads, I guess there are short stories out there written in Valek's POV. That's totally enough to satisfy me.

c) It's a fantastic weekend! Although I do have (tons of Math) homework, there's an event that takes place today for the whole day. It's all about culture foods, which is always so much fun!

I hope everyone else is also having an awesome week! I'll be visiting your blogs to see what cool books you received this week ;)

Friday, September 10, 2010

Friday's Finest (31)


Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

Rules:

~Post a quote that really stuck to you after reading it in a book.
~Make sure it isn't a spoiler!
~If you'd like, expand on what you think it means and why you chose it.


It's not enough to believe! Don't you see that, you stupid girl? You could spend your whole life hoping and believing! If a love affair is one-sided, then it's only ever a question, never an answer. You can't live your life waiting for an answer.


Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Yay, Sophie Kinsella! While I love her heroines and adore their funny, quirky nature, they can sometimes be too dependent on fate.



Thursday, September 9, 2010

Justine's Thoughts: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

An Abundance of Katherines
By John Green

Source: Library
Pages:
215
Book Description:

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge-Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun- but no Katherine. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and may finally win him the girl.

A quote:

You can love someone so much, he thought. But you can only never love people as much as you can miss them.

Any thoughts:

Could you believe that I didn’t know what the terms “abundance”, “prodigy” and “pupillary sphincter” meant? I hate to admit it but before reading my first John Green book, I didn’t know what those terms really meant. And in the end, I realized I learned many things just from reading An Abundance of Katherines.

It was an interesting concept, this book. Though it took me quite a while to get into it and get used to the narration (there’s footnotes!), I was glad I didn’t give up. (Side note: Who would give up and stop reading a John Green book? I just couldn’t do that.) Once I was emerged within the story, I couldn’t help but speed through it.

Its sense of adventure was quite a fun journey. Colin and his best friend, Hassan, go on a road trip together and end up at a place in Tennesee called Gutshot. There, they meet people who illuminate the entertaining, clever sides of Colin and Hassan.

The Theorem about the Katherines who Colin dated was very unique and although I didn’t understand most of what was being explained, it was fun nonetheless to go along with it. There was a full explanation (you didn’t have to read it) at the back of the book by a math expert for the curious ones. I started reading it but then I got completely lost and eventually got distracted.

What I found most interesting was the anagramming. I never even knew about anagramming and I didn’t even know what it was! (To answer your question: yes, I’ve been living under a rock for the past hundred years.) ...Though I did hear about it somewhere. Anagramming becomes important later on in the story. Colin, our main guy, is a natural at anagramming and could anagram a word in his head in less than a second. Is there such a person? There probably is. But anyway, Colin is one heck of a smart guy, a prodigy as a child. It’s enjoyable to get a peek inside of his brain, to see the way he thinks, how he makes connections from one thing to another.

There is nothing like An Abundance of Katherines. Its tone of amusement, knowledge and realization (Eureka!) will guarantee a great read.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (38)

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


Banished
by Sophie Littlefield

Release Date:
October 12, 2010

Description:
Sixteen-year-old Hailey Tarbell can’t wait for the day she’ll leave Gypsum, Missouri, far behind, taking only four-year-old Chub, the developmentally-delayed little boy her cruel drug-dealing grandmother fosters for the state money. But when a freak accident in gym class leaves a girl in critical condition, Hailey feels drawn to lay her hands on the injured girl and an astonishing healing takes place. Before Hailey can understand her new powers, a beautiful stranger shows up…just in time to save her and Chub from hired killers. A desperate race begins, with Hailey as the ultimate prize: there are those who will stop at nothing to harness her gifts to create an undefeatable army of the undead. Now it is up to Hailey and a small but determined family of healers to stand up to the unbelievable and face the unthinkable.

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It was something intense that captured my interest. And then there's the cover... It has an eerie feeling to it. The touches of blue make it look very cool and though there are strands of hair all over the girl's face, it totally gives an impression of a suspenseful hunt.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (21)


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

The rules are:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS.
My teaser:

And for that first, breathless moment, Beth almost believed she was out in the ocean, swimming beyond the moorings in the bay at Pebble Beach, instead of in the over-chlorinated YMCA pool back home in Martin, Massachusetts.

She almost believed it was still summer.


~pg. 1 "After Summer"
by Hailey Abbott

I thought this was the perfect quote and the perfect book at a time like this. Summer is over. School starts today. And it's just so very melancholy. Even the weather agrees with me. It already feels like autumn!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

In My Mailbox (25)


In My Mailbox is held weekly by Kristi at The Story Siren. Click here for details on how to participate.

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All are from the library:

Next Summer (Summer Boys book 2) by Hailey Abbott
Twenties Girl
by Sophie Kinsella
Blood Promise
(Vampire Academy book 4) by Richelle Mead
After Summer (Summer Boys book 3) by Hailey Abbott
Wings (Wings book 1) by Aprilynne Pike

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Can you believe this is the last weekend before school? Well, that's the case for me. I don't know about the rest of you guys. But it's still so sad! It will mean less time for reading & reviewing and more time for focusing (on school). *long, heavy sigh*