IMM (16)

ImMyMailbox

[Lets give props to Kristi (The Story Siren) for her amazing meme that allows us to drool over what books people got in their mailbox. If you want go get in on the IMM Magic check out Kristi's blog ]

http://www.sharingmachine.com/index.php?comic=mtts

For Review:

The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens 

Blue by Lou Aronica

Won:

Party by Tom Leveen

Library:

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (GAH! Truly spectacular!)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore (audio books)

Seriously the past two weeks have been amazing as far as books go! What did you get in your mailbox?

2011 Debut Author Challenge

I just love the buttons!

My VERY first time :D

So this challenge is hosted by The Story Siren [the epic book blogger] and basically you read debut YA books and link your reviews to her blog (well from my understanding anyway) If you really want to join in this challenge head over to her blog and read up on it!

Info/Rules

Sign up!

Buttons :D

12 books

1 year

All new authors

This is going to be fun!

What books am I reading?

[the infinitely epic list]

1. Withered by Lauren DeStefano
2. The Emerald Atlas by John Stevens
3. The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker
4. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
5. Luminous by Dawn Metcalf
6. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
7. Watched by Sharde Richardson
8. Timeless by Alexandra Monir
9. I'll be there by Holly Goldsberg Sloan
10. A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
11. A Long Sleep by Ann Sheehan
12. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

These books all sound so amazing so while you bask in their amazingness I'm gonna go read.

just sayin

Follow Friday/Book Blog Hop

Follow Friday

 [Want to join the following fun? Check out the rules at Parajunkee's View]

Book blogger hop

Question: What is your favorite book cover?

I am actually really digging a couple right now!

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

-and-

The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone

[Want to join the hopping fun? Check out the rules at Crazy for books]

just sayin,

Blogger Giveaway: Dana Does Read

Where?
Dana @ DanaDoesRead
What's up for grabs?
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Type of giveaway?
Comment answering the question "If you could find a diary from any time period/famous person, what would that be?" easy right? So get over to Dana's blog and get it done!
When does it end?
It didn't say so good luck! And that means it could end whenever so get your mouse over there and sign up!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Liar Society

Waiting on Wednesday


Cover: This was the only cover I could find... 

Description:
Kate Lowry didn’t think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, who died mysteriously a year before, she’s not so sure. When the emails continue, Kate is forced to confront her school’s resident druggie, a sketchy administrator, and even her own demons. 

As Kate moves closer and closer to the truth, she teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not so)shining armor–the dangerously attractive, bad boy, Liam and her love-struck neighbor, Seth. The three uncover an ancient secret lurking in the halls of their elite private school with the power to destroy them all. 

But the truth doesn’t always set you free. Sometimes it’s only the beginning


My Thoughts:
hmmm... I love a good mystery! 


just sayin,

Like it?

I just got a hair cut (the first one in like a year!) You know that feeling after a good hair cut? It feels different but in a good way? Well thats how I'm feeling about my new blog design. I absolutely love it. Do you know what I mean? Hmmm...

Anyway I have run into a sort of stumbling block on my reading  path. I think some book along the way totally messed up my mind or something because I am just reading because I know I have to, which sucks!So I have a couple reviews saved up and (no I refuse to give up on my beautiful blog!) I will keep posting the reviews I have left. Eventually I will get back into the reading spirit but for now you can eat the ones I provide.

Do you ever feel like you have read too much? Or maybe a book hit you square in the face and knocked you out for a while and you can't get back up? Or maybe you have too many good looking books to choose from? Needless to say a bookfart/slipping into a book a coma/whatever-the-heck-you-call-it stinks. What DO you call it? Discuss it in the comments!

just sayin,

Monday Moments:Katie from Call Me Crazy

First off I just want to say thank you so much to Kare for having me! I've had so much fun talking with her about books and the most random topics one could ever think of. I'm so glad to have such an awesome book blogger friend like Kare!

Even though I'm seventeen I'm not really your typical teenager. My hobbies don't include partying until the wee hours of the morning and going to the mall every weekend. I enjoy reading, sculpting, quilting and glass works! I'm a first year home schooler and loving it! Many people ask why I decided to leave my high school my senior year and it was just because of bullying. Random fact time: That's where I got my blog name, I was known as "Crazy Katie" which I (just to show how weird I am) loved how that sounded! Ah the joys of being a teen in today's society...
Lately I haven't been working on my artwork as much as I should since I've been engulfed in this amazing book blogging community and reading a ton. Above are some pictures of what happens when I'm bored during my summers. The blue/ purple one is a mosaic, the rose is hand carved out of polymer clay and the Mockingjay is a hand stitched square I made for my book quilt.

5 Random Facts
1. I'm terrified of butterflies... seriously just because something has wings doesn't make it cute.
2. My dog, Max, is my world!

3. I've been told a four year old can write better than me. My handwriting is terrible, it's like a chicken drank caffeine and ran over my paper.
4. I'm an only child so I'm a tad spoiled. Especially with books!
5. I drive a bright yellow beetle with black and yellow leather seats.

My Favorites

Movie: 10 Things I Hate About You

This movie has so many hilarious lines that I love quoting on a daily basis! Also the young Joesph Gordan Levitt! Yum!

"My insurance does not cover PMS!" -Mr. Stratford

T.V. Show: Vampire Diaries
I'm totally Team Damon, but Paul Wesley is a hottie too! Who else swooned at their television when Damon told Elena he loved her?!

Song: Poison by All American Rejects

It just fits my mood right now. My favorite song changes probably three times a day. I love this band!

Book: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

I loved Calla. She's a total powerhouse!

Author: Lauren Oliver
I'm obsessed with Delirium. Lauren is genius.

Literary Crush: Peeta Mallark
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
*Drool* What a studmuffin! He's loyal, warm-hearted and loving. Team Peeta all the way baby!

Quote:

"I'm going to tell you a secret. Our lives are shaped by the future, not by the past. Once you decide how you want your life to be, all you need to do is live into that future."
-Heaven Look A Lot Like the Mall by Wendy Mass

Thank you so much to the epic Kare for having me! I had a blast!

Crazy Katie


Check out Katie's blog (Call Me Crazy)

Katie Currently has a contest going on so make sure you check it out! 100 follower giveaway

~and~

I also have a giveaway going on on my blog so you should also check it out too! Random Buzzer's Giveaway

just sayin.

Random Buzzer Giveaway

**Winner was chosen


I was lucky enough to recive ARCs for two amazing books from Random Buzzers. Now I want to share the love with my followers! So I am giving away an ARC of :

The Fortune of Carmen Navarro by Jen Bryant

-and-

 Wish by Joseph Monninger

Check out my reviews for Wish and The Fortune of Carmen Navarro!




Rules:
- Us only
- Only enter once
- Must be a follower of my blog
- No extra entries (will be disqualified)
- One winner will be selected
- Comments don't count (please fill out the form)
- Ends December 1st - I'll announce the winner by the 4th (unless I don't get enough people signed up in that case i'll extend the contest)
- You don't have to but if you want Karma to be your friend you should spread the word!

Wish by Joseph Monninger

Description:


Bee’s brother, Tommy, knows everything there is to know about sharks. He also knows that his life will be cut short by cystic fibrosis. And so does Bee.




That’s why she wants to make his wish-foundation-sponsored trip to swim with a great white shark an unforgettable memory.


But wishes don’t always come true. At least, not as expected. Only when Bee takes Tommy to meet a famous shark attack survivor and hard-core surfer does Tommy have the chance to live one day to the fullest.


And in the sun-kissed ocean off a California beach, Bee discovers that she has a few secret wishes of her own. . . .


Epic wins:

• Tommy: (aka Snow Pony) He was one spunky kid. Bee’s sweet and honest brother who has a slight obsession with sharks. I just loved his fascination with sharks. He also has Cystic Fibrosis or CF and knows he only has half a life. :(
• Bee: (The MC) According to her oh-so honest brother (a boy who won’t waste his limited breath lying) she is really pretty, like drop-dead pretty. She always, always, always puts Tommy first. As Ty puts it she holds her cards close to her and lets Tommy take the lime light.
• Little Brew: (well actually it’s Jason… it’s a long story) A Cali boy who lives for the surf. He and his brother, Ty, treat Tommy like he is a normal kid; they went so far as to give him an Indian name, Snow Pony.
• Ty: LB’s brother and Tommy’s idol, a shark attack survivor. Not your typical ‘Yeah the shark bit off my arm and or leg’, no he was bucked off his surf board by a great white only for the great white to realize it was just a gross human :) Tommy practically idolizes him and I think Ty idolizes Tommy back.
• Sometimes books sweep you into the story catapulting you into the book. Sure I love that type but this book was different, and I didn’t hate it. It slowly drags you wave-by-wave until It builds to a huge wave and crashes down on you dragging you under and holding you there for several chapters. In these chapters you don’t know if everything will be ok or not, which
• Favorite Quote: “You didn’t always have to explain why you loved something. Love was a thing that swam beneath you, kind of like a shark, and you wouldn’t want the world to be without it, but it could hurt too” (186 Monninger) -Tommy
• All the fun shark facts
• Bee’s love for Tommy
• The new light it shed on sharks. They explain that sharks don’t mean to attack humans. Like this: Your favorite cookie is chocolate chip, you think you see one but it’s dark so you can’t really tell what it is. You take a bite and its raisin, not you’re favorite so you throw it back. An honest mistake.
• The romance between Bee and a certain guy…

Epic Fails:

• It was sooo very slow in the beginning but it made up time the end.
• The mom’s a little off, and there is a role reversal with Bee and her mom. This IS normal sometimes.
• Basically the whole time there is foreshadowing of a bad event the problem is you don’t know what it is till it happens (those dang hooks!).

Overall:


I give it (wait for it…) A HIGH STINKIN’ FIVE! Sure it took some time to get into it but so worth every second!
P.S. Sorry for all the ocean/surfing metaphors, it just sort of happened that way.


just sayin,
-Kare

The Fortune of Carmen Navarro by Jen Bryant

Description:


Carmen Navarro rings up customers at the Quikmart, bored to tears. It’s a job, and she needs it. But Carmen’s true love is music: she dropped out of high school to sing with the Gypsy Lovers and land a recording contract, someday.


Just a few miles away, Ryan Sweeney hunches over his books, a studious cadet with his eye on West Point. There’s not a single girl at the Valley Forge Military Academy, and that’s fine by him.


But when Ryan, on a day pass from campus, spots Carmen, with her shining black hair and snake tattoo, his pulse quickens. Carmen, who normally rolls her eyes at the stiff Academy soldados, can tell this one is different. She slips him a note: “Come hear my band.” A romance begins, unlikely, passionate . . . and quickly imbalanced. In an enthralling narrative of obsessive love, the novel builds to a stunning close.


Inspired by the novella and opera Carmen, Jen Bryant creates a strong-minded and alluring heroine in this contemporary tale of tragic love.


Epic wins:

• The whole book is based off of a play called Carmen. It was really cool to see the passion the author had for the play, and to see that passion transferred to the book.
• All the many point of views.
• Maggie: Her feet are planted on the ground and she has a sane head. She was like a clean, cotton shirt that has just come out of the dryer. It still smells like laundry detergent and has a few wrinkles. I loved reaching into her thoughts! Her ending was the happiest in my opinion.
• Carmen: A paper bag blowing in the wind. You never knew what direction she would go in and sometimes she got blown high into the air. She had a huge heart though and was a really good friend to Maggie. She wasn't cut out for books but she had a voice to out sing the best.
• Ryan: Stiff and ridged like a freshly ironed shirt (sorry for the laundry metaphors they just seem to work). And as he lets himself go he becomes obsessed with Carmen. I think his ending was best for him, he could be anything.
• Will: Similar to Maggie, he wasn't perfect but he wasn’t on the rigid side or the gypsy side of the scale. If Maggie and Will met they would be either really good friends or the perfect couple (just my opinion).

Epic fails:

• It was a little slow but easy to follow.
• …hmm yeah not really getting anything else that I thought was odd (this isn't really a fail is it then right?)

Overall:


Guess what? Yep this book gets a high five! Want to know why? It was a beautiful but tragic story that nobody wins but nobody loses. I didn’t know these kind of books existed, I mean black or white, happily ever after or not, I admit I was wrong. I loved how the loose ends where tied at the end.


Just sayin,
-Kare

IMM (14)

ImMyMailbox

[Lets give props to Kristi (The Story Siren) for her amazing meme that allows us to drool over what books people got in their mailbox. If you want go get in on the IMM Magic check out Kristi's blog ]

http://www.sharingmachine.com/index.php?comic=mtts

For Review:

Unlocked: Ten "key" tales (a bunch of Authors)

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens

Girl Stolen by April Henry
 (arc tour)

The Oracle Rebounds by Allison Van Diepen

(net-galley)

Glimpse by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

 (e-book)

Right Side Talking by Bonnie Rosanski

(e-book)

That's what I got this week! What did you get in your mailbox this week? (link it and I'll check it out!)

just sayin,

Choices by Deborah Lynn Jacobs

Description: (goodreads)


SHIFTING BETWEEN MULTIPLE REALITIES, a teenage girl consumed by guilt over her brother's death tries to find a universe in which he is still alive. Sticky notes rim the mirror in rainbow colors. REMEMBER. DON'T FORGET HIM. READ THE NOTEBOOK. Remember what? Remember who? And what's this about a notebook? There's another note, bottom center of the mirror. THE DREAMS ARE REAL. In an unconscious effort to find her dead brother, Kathleen slips between universes. Choices begins in one dimension, then fractures into four distinct voices with every decision Kathleen/Kay/Kate/Kathy makes


Epic Wins:

• I read it in one night, maybe 5-6 hours max, it was just so gripping and the idea itself was hard to ignore.
• Great concept, being able to switch to different ‘universes’, it's something worth reading.
• Kathleen (Kay, Katy, Kate, Kathy or whoever she is) was a conservative girl who never did anything that would be considered dangerous. That is until she has about five personality splits.
• Luke: hmmm… what can I say? Charming but he has secrets, ones you can’t wait to find out but once you do you are mad. Of course understanding washes over you eventually.
• Her brother: She realizes that her brother was the glue that held their family together for a while. She cares so much about him; she can hardly believe that he is gone. Or is he?
• She flashes into different universes and fixes them before she moves on. It really makes you think about each choice you make, how many thousands of choices you make a day? You can picture the universe split at each choice. Should I write this sentence or do I choose not to? (Crazy huh?) Maybe this is what Shakespeare was rambling on about when he said ‘To be or not to be’?
• Jen: In some universes I love her and in some I hate her. Jen has a hard time forgiving, and when your friend is going through some tough stuff it isn't nice if you ignore them, but she pulls through in all of them.
• You get multiple stories of teen hardship, which makes this book very easy to relate to it. It has every personality, well for the most part.
• Kathleen figures out how to become the glue for her family.
• In the end she uses all of her new ‘personalities’ to figure out how to approach life’s choices.

Epic Fails:

• I really didn’t like the chopped blue hair she had in a couple of universes but that’s not much to whine over.
• She was very weird sometimes, like for example she would drink and get high in one universe then in the next she would be timid and quiet, normal Kathleen. This, of course, is due to the changing of universes so again you can’t really complain.

Overall:


Um… did you see the fails? This should be obvious. I loved it! This writer has power (not to be punny but the author has a book called powers) when she writes; her books deal with honest problems and heart wrenching solutions. Sure she throws in some paranormal/fictional element but everyone can relate to the problems, because most of them are things we deal with. This book gets a high five!




just sayin,
-Kare

Waiting on Wednesday: The Romeo and Juliet Code

The Romeo and Juliet Code

by Phoebe Stone

Description:
Felicity's glamorous parents have a secret. When they leave her with distant relatives in Maine, Felicity hopes they won't leave her long. Her new Uncle Gideon hides things. Her Aunt Miami is star-crossed. And Derek, a kid her age, refuses to leave his room.
But Felicity needs Derek's help. Gideon is getting coded letters from Felicity's parents, and she's sure they're in trouble. Can Felicity crack the code, heal the family and save her parents, all while surviving her first crush? It's a tall order, but - like THE SECRET GARDEN'S Mary Lennox before her - Felicity's up for the challenge.

Why?!
I know its has a middle grade status but the concept is intriguing, the cover cute, and it's title sounds pretty cool (not going to lie).
This sucker comes out Jan 1st 2011 from Arthur A Levine Books. If you really want a copy you should check out goodreads (I stole their summery after signing up for their giveaway)!!

just sayin,

IMM (13)

ImMyMailbox

[Lets give props to Kristi (The Story Siren) for her amazing meme that allows us to drool over what books people got in their mailbox. If you want go get in on the IMM Magic check out Kristi's blog ]

http://www.sharingmachine.com/index.php?comic=mtts


For Review:

Whirligig by Paul Fleischman

You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin

Random Buzzers:

Three Black Swans by Caroline B. Cooney

Won:

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

(Can I just say THANKS Susan!!!!!!)

Library:

Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner

That's what I got this week! What did you get in your mailbox this week? (link it and I'll check it out!)

just sayin,