Daily Dose (57)

This new meme is hosted by Holly from Good Golly Miss Holly.
(Click the photo to see its source!)

Your Spelling Status

The other day this week my teacher asked if she could read the summary of the book I was reading. To those of you who are interested to know what it was, it’s Hold Still by Nina LaCour.

Later, she began addressing everyone’s status on their spelling. It is after all a kinesiology class. It involves the different parts of the body: the bones, the joints, the muscles (Want to know examples, guys? Ischial tuberosity, intertubercular groove, lateral malleolus). In this course, spelling really counts. And in my class actually, my entire school everyone’s spelling is simply awful. It’s a known fact.

My teacher went on that during her high school and university years, she read books for fun a lot. Whether it was fiction or nonfiction she would always be reading a book. And then she turned to me, knowing that I am a fellow bookworm, one of the rarest species in the school, and asked, “Justine, how’s your spelling?”

I thought about it, but that didn’t take long because I knew the truth: my spelling is awesome. And that’s exactly what I said, hesitantly adding, “Not to brag...or anything.”
I told my mom this story yesterday and she said to keep on reading; it’s very good for you since you’re a visual learner. It’s true -- I am a visual learner and reading does have its benefits. My spelling and grammar have been really good for a long time.

Whenever I edit someone’s paper, they’re the main things I instantly notice. Sure,

we can get confused with “your” and “you’re” or “their” and “they’re” sometimes. For me, the truth is: I don’t. I’m not even that good in English class, guys (although grammar always bumps

my mark up)!

So who knows if it’s the constant reading that’s the reason for my spelling skills? Or is it my visual learning skills? Or am I born with it?! If that’s the case, sign me up for a national spelling bee contest anytime! (I

do wish our school had a spelling contest. I’d sign up!)

But how about you guys? I want to know if your spelling has improved ever since you’ve started reading constantly and blogging about it. Or if your spelling is not that decent, tell me why you think that is. Maybe it has something to do with what kind of learner you are. Who knows?

I’m all ears! And boy, do I miss rambling about book-related things!

In My Mailbox (44)

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

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Borrowing:

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

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Open House for the university I'm going to was today! On another note, winter is still here...unfortunately. But March is coming soon. Way sooner than I expected. It means many many things, especially a week off of school. I'll be spending it in driving school, though, which I need to get done. March seems like it's going to be a busy month!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Friday's Finest (52)

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.

Sometimes inspiration strikes; other times you have to hunt it down.

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Having inspiration hit you in the face unexpectedly is awesome. All of a sudden you feel the need to do something with this crazy idea in your mind. Then you put it into action. Next thing you know, you've created something out of nothing. But when you have to hunt inspiration down, it gets a little frustrating. At least for me. It's just like looking for a needle in the haystack.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Justine's Thoughts: Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

Perfect You
By Elizabeth Scott

Source: Library
Pages: 282
Book Description:

Kate Brown’s life has gone downhill fast. Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate is invisible.

And then there’s Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can’t stand even though she can’t stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she’s sure she’s just his latest conquest.

Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn’t realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them. . .

A quote:

"Cute" is one of those words people use when they know you're smart enough to realize "you've got so much personality" means "you're ugly."

Rating:

4/5

Any thoughts:

I love Elizabeth Scott. Every time I read her novels, I get sucked into the plots and its characters. This one was no different. I was hooked from the very start and I loved every single minute of it.

Like always, there are serious subjects beneath the light and sweet surface. Somehow, Elizabeth Scott makes it work with just the right amount of each. Kate Brown is going through a tough time with her family -- dealing with the return of Grandma (a very bad thing), her dad’s dream to sell vitamins at the mall even if it means quitting his job, her brother Todd living at home jobless after graduating college, and the money problem. Then there’s Kate’s ruined friendship with Anna and the complicated ‘thing’ going on with Will. It really does seem like the year for Kate is the worst ever.

But Kate has a strong attitude. She is determined to fix things and to go through whatever life throws at her. Her comebacks are the best, she analyzes a lot -- she’s just your typical teenage girl. But while she keeps to herself, thinking the worst of everything, she doesn’t learn a lesson until the end with the help of Grandma. Life can be lived happy if you let yourself be happy.

If I wasn’t a fan before, I’m definitely a fan now. (I’m kidding, I was already a big fan way back!) Elizabeth Scott successfully manages to insert cute and giggly moments (make out sessions!) as well as serious and sombre times (often with the family). Perfect You has the right balance -- a sharp, but amusing romance, all the drama in high school, a struggling family, and a non-existent friendship. It’s a novel that’s easy to love.

Waiting on Wednesday (62)

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

The Lucky Kind
by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Release Date:
May 10, 2011

Description:

High school junior Nick Brandt is intent on getting a girlfriend, and Eden Reiss is the one that he wants. He has exactly four semesters to get the girl, but when the phone rings on an otherwise ordinary Tuesday night, life for Nick and his parents will never be the same. What had been a seemingly idyllic home life has become something else entirely. But with this shake-up comes a newfound confidence for Nick; he's become a bolder version of himself, no longer afraid to question his parents, and no longer afraid to talk to Eden.

Alyssa B. Sheinmel has written a powerfully gripping story about family secrets, falling in love, and finding luck in unexpected--and sometimes unwelcome—circumstances.

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It makes me wonder what that phone call is about. What an interesting synopsis. I'll be waiting anxiously for this one. :)

Teaser Tuesday (38)

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

My teaser:

Each time I go to the bathroom, I try not to look in the mirror. Once, I catch my reflection: it looks like I've been punched in both eyes.

~ pg. 7, "Hold Still"
by Nina LaCour

Daily Dose (56)

This new meme is hosted by Holly from Good Golly Miss Holly.
(Click the photo to see its source!)

Happy Family Day, everyone!

In My Mailbox (43)

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

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Won:

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

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This was a great week, but I'm still ever so glad that the weekend is here along with lovely weather. Spring is arriving pretty quick! And it's a long weekend since Monday is Family Day! Spending time with family and family-friends is the best thing I could ever ask for.

Friday's Finest (51)

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.

Everyone carries this thick prism of gunk that they see the world through. Each person has layers of stuff, making it hard to see anyone clearly. So until someone invents soul glasses that will remove all distortions from their perceptions? Worrying about what people think? Is a complete waste of time.

The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendinger

The feeling of not caring about what people think -- it's so great. You feel like you can do anything, almost. You feel free. Of course, it takes a whole lot for me to feel that way since I do care about what people think most of the time. Sadly. But I love the feeling of just not caring. It's exhilarating.

Justine's Thoughts: This Girl is Different by JJ Johnson

This Girl is Different
By JJ Johnson

Source: Peachtree Publishers; NetGalley
Publication: April 1, 2011
Pages: 288
Book Description:

This girl is different… That’s what Evie has always told herself—and it’s true. Home-schooled by her counter culture mom, she’s decided to see what high school is like for the first time—for her senior year. And what a year it is.

As it turns out, it’s not just Evie who’s Different. Lots of people are. Many of her assumptions about others are turned on their heads as she makes friends with kids her own age for the first time, discovers what’s good and what’s bad about high school, and learns lessons about power and its abuse—both by the administration and by Evie herself.

A quote:

How can wordlessness be so damned loud?

Rating:

4/5

Any thoughts:

This novel is different. I’ve never stumbled upon such an original and interesting story with a unique girl as the protagonist. It’s definitely something that I will remember for a long time.

We start out with Evie -- a homeschooled, strong-minded, brave girl who lives with her mom in a geodesic home they made themselves. She meets Rajas and Jacinda in the woods before school starts and there is an instant friendly atmosphere. Then Evie madly obsesses about Rajas. The first day of school arrives and it’s not what Evie expected. Taking account of her first day, she decides to bring about issues regarding school policies and ends up wreaking havoc in school. While she’s standing up for what she believes in, she realizes her relationships and her chance to go to Cornell are on the line. Now it’s up to Evie to do what is right and bring up the courage to face what she has caused.

The beginning sparked some interest in me since Evie has a smart, compelling voice. Her opinions are well expressed and the writing is brilliant. I admired her willingness and boldness to stay true to herself, to the different aspect of her that makes her distinguishable from others. Though sometimes irritating, Evie’s views will make you think out loud. She stands her ground at all times and she truly believes in speaking out. But when you’re at a school, there are certain limits. As the principal of the school, Dr. Folger, said, “Is there harm in speaking out? Yes, and no. I value freedom of expression. However, I also believe that such freedom comes with responsibility. They are two sides of the same coin, shall we say.”

The characters were fun to get to know. Evie has a different, easy-going, relationship with her mom, who she doesn’t call “Mom” but instead calls her by her first name, “Martha”. Good humour and support comes from her and is always by Evie’s side. The principal, Dr. Folger, is the same as well and he’s probably my most favourite, oddly enough. Rajas and Jacinda I liked a lot in the beginning but as the story progressed, I didn’t like them so much anymore, but that’s for you to find out.

Overall, it was a mixed feelings sort of book. I did enjoy it in the end although a few things went unresolved. I will, however, keep an eye out for JJ Johnson for refreshing novels such as this.

*Thank you to Peachtree Publishers for providing an e-book copy!

Waiting on Wednesday (61)

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

She Loves You, She Loves You Not
by Julie Anne Peters

Release Date:
June 1, 2011

Description:

Seventeen-year-old Alyssa thought she knew who she was. She had her family, her best friends, and most importantly, she had Sarah. Sarah, her girlfriend, with whom she dreamed with about the day they could move far away and live out and proud and accepted for themselves, instead of having to hide their relationship.

Alyssa never thought she would have to make that move by herself, but disowned by her father and cut off from everyone she loves, she is forced to move hundreds of miles away to live with Carly, a mother she barely knows, in a town where everyone immediately dismisses her as 'Carly's girl.' Struggling to forget her past and come to terms with her future, will Alyssa be able to build a new life for herself and believe in love again? Or will she be forced to relive the mistakes that have cost her everything and everyone she cared about?

This compelling novel about coming out, finding love, and discovering your place in the world will speak to anyone who has known the joy and pain of first love and the struggle to start over again.

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You all know that I love contemporary. There's something about the genre that pulls me in...maybe it's the relevant issues of the protagonist or the raw, jumbled emotions he or she feels. The title of this one sounds intriguing enough. It's going to be a long wait for this one, that is for sure.

Winner of the 300 Followers Giveaway

...and the giveaway has come to an end! I just wanted to thank you all so, so much for everything you've done. To all my followers, to all my blogger friends, to the entire book blog community -- I love you. I can feel the support from each of you and I thank you.

Now without further adieu, I will announce the winner of the $10 to the Book Depository.

Latisha DePoortere!

Congratulations!

Out of 302 entries and 135 participants, you are the lucky one to be picked by random.org!

Latisha, I have already e-mailed you so you have until Saturday, February 19 to respond. If I don't hear from you by that time, I will be forced (*eek*) to choose a new winner.

If you didn't win, no worries! There will be a big, big giveaway coming later in the year. Of course, that's assuming I get a part-time job. Which I will. :)

Thank you all, once again. Without you, my book blogging life would be incomplete!

Teaser Tuesday (37)

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

My teaser:

I didn't think I was in love with Zach, but I was happier when I was with him than when I was with anyone else. But best of all was being alone. Do you want to be alone when you're in love?

~ pg. 161, "Liar"
by Justine Larbalestier

Daily Dose (56)

This new meme is hosted by Holly from Good Golly Miss Holly.
(Click the photo to see its source!)

Hehe, I thought the last one is cute.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! :)