Neglect

Ne-glect

1. Verb: Fail to care for properly:
2. Noun The state or fact of being uncared for:

Syn: disregard, omit, ignore. 

This blog is so neglected it has started to collect dust and cobwebs. 

But seriously? I'm so sorry! Life just sort of happened and I haven't had a sane second to write or read. I think I'm at a better place, at least for now, that I can start up again. Ready to hear the crazy stuff I've been through?

March 15th- My aunt died

April 1st- Had an organ removed

April 15th- My grandma died

May 5th- My roommate had her organ removed

May 12th- (aka mothers day) My grandpa died

May 13th- I broke down. 

So basically the last few months has been me trying to find solid ground. Not sure I've found it, even now, but I am trying to get passed the grief. I feel justified in my absence but I needed you to know that I still love you and reading and this whole world of books! Here is to hoping that I get things back in order and down to business. Thanks for understanding. 

This is W.A.R.: Who Would You Cast...

Lisa and Laura Roecker have recently published a new book and in celebration of their new books they are having a TOUR!! 

For this stop on the tour Lisa and Laura have cast their character Rose: Selena Gomez 

What the authors said about their pick: [Rose would be played by Selena Gomez. Rose is exotic, with dark hair and eyes. She doesn't yet understand the power of her beauty and hasn't learned to embrace it. She’s uncomfortable in her skin and self-deprecating. While one day she will grow and learn and exude confidence,for now she’s still learning.]

Author Bio

Lisa and Laura Roecker are sisters-turned-writing partners with a passion for good books, pop culture, and Bravo programming. Not necessarily in that order. A prepubescent obsession with Lois Duncan and their mother's insistence that they read Men Are Just Desserts inspired This is WAR. The sisters live in Cleveland, Ohio, in separate residences. Their husbands wouldn't agree to a duplex. Cyberstalking is always encouraged at lisa-laura.blogspot.com and @landlroecker on Twitter.

Twitter: @LandLRoecker Book site: http://www.thisiswarbook.com/

This Means War by Lisa and Laura Roecker

This is not a story of forgiveness... The mystery of their best friend's murder drives four girls to destroy the Gregory family. Emily Thorne would be proud.

Everyone at Hawthorne Lake Country Club saw Willa Ames-Rowan climb into a boat with James Gregory, the Club’s heir apparent.And everyone at Hawthorne Lake Country Club watched him return. Alone.They all know he killed her. But none of them will say a word. The Gregory family is very, very good at making problems go away. Enter the W.A.R.—the war to avenge Willa Ames-Rowan. Four girls. Four very different motives for justice and revenge, and only one rule: destroy the Gregory family at any cost.

Thing have been happening...

Seriously, whatever.

It's kind of crazy how everything can be just fine one moment and then the next three moments are hectic crazy. I know I have been neglectful and that is mainly because all the sudden things started happening. Big things.

Death:
For the last thirty so years my aunt has been battling MS. I don't know much about MS but I do know it's painful and more often then not leads to premature death. My aunt fought hard for years but she passed away on March 15th. My family headed off to Arkansas for the funeral right away. My mom ended up having to stay longer to help with my grandpa who is suffering with cancer. In the mix I ended up staying there with her for the extra week.

After we got home I only had a few days to pack before I thought I would be going to Arizona for a few days before making my way back to Idaho and starting school. So why am I not in Arizona right now soaking up the sun and swimming everyday? See below.

Surgery:
I'd been having this awful pain in my stomach for the past few months. I thought it was the type of foods I was eating so I had been avoiding certain foods and really trying to make it go away. It was the terrible kind of pain where you can't even sleep till it passes. Except on this passed Monday the pain came back with a vengeance  It lasted all day and finally at nine I asked my mom to take me to the emergency room.

Long story short I had my gall bladder removed last week. Everything with the surgery went fine and I am doing MUCH MUCH better. I'm just glad the pain is gone and I can focus on getting recovered.

So:
I didn't end up going to Arizona like planned but instead I am still in Georgia and will be going straight to Idaho next week. Sad but true.

The good news?
I'm enrolled in a YA Lit class for this semester and am required to read about 30 books by the semesters end. I decided I would review each one on this blog as a sort of project for the blog. I'm really excited to see what books the teacher is going to have us read!

Reading Report:
What I am currently reading: Wicked by Sara Shepard (I recently became addicted to this series. It was one of those that I refused to start because I thought I wouldn't like it. I was wrong. Really wrong.)
Recently Finished: Pretty Little Liars, Flawless, Perfect, Unbelievable, Mind Games (AH!!!!), I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you, and Dead is So Last Year. (I think I got my swing back. Good-bye for now, book coma!)
Up Next: Killer by Sara Shepard

-Kare Out-

Trinkets by Kirsten Smith

Description: Sixteen-year-old Moe's Shoplifters Anonymous meetings are usually punctuated by the snores of an old man and the whining of the world's unhappiest housewife. Until the day that Tabitha Foster and Elodie Shaw walk in. Tabitha has just about everything she wants: money, friends, popularity, a hot boyfriend who worships her...and clearly a yen for stealing. So does Elodie, who, despite her goodie-two-shoes attitude pretty much has "klepto" written across her forehead in indelible marker. But both of them are nothing compared to Moe, a bad girl with an even worse reputation.

Tabitha, Elodie, and Moe: a beauty queen, a wallflower, and a burnout-a more unlikely trio high school has rarely seen. And yet, when Tabitha challenges them to a steal-off, so begins a strange alliance linked by the thrill of stealing and the reasons that spawn it.

Hollywood screenwriter Kirsten Smith tells this story from multiple perspectives with humor and warmth as three very different girls who are supposed to be learning the steps to recovery end up learning the rules of friendship. Goodreads

Wins:

• Three kleptos walk into a Shoplifters Anonymous  how long does it take for them to decide to go on a stealing spree? Exactly one and a half meetings. That's it. 
• Moe: She is the genere bending one. She's a mixed bag of crazy beans and that's probably why she was my favorite. You never really knew what she was, was she the burnout trouble maker or the girl who liked to stay in on Friday night and read while taking a hot bath? Could she possibly be both or neither?
• Elodie: Photographer for the yearbook, goody two shoes, and quiet shy girl. Why would she be at a shoplifters anonymous? Could this good girl have a devious side?
• Tabitha: The beauty queen extraordinaire but is popularity too much to bear? I loved and hated Tabitha and I think that was the point. You loved that secretly she hated her popularity but hated that she would never do anything about it. 
• I liked how the story wasn't focused on the fact that they stole but more of the reasons behind it. What is the real reason the girl who has everything steals? What makes a good girl so crazy that stealing is the solution? Does the burnout have a secret about her stealing methods?
• The boys: I loved how they slowly emerged from the background of the story and you could see who the girls would end up with but watching (so to speak) them finally get to the point where they were together was the fun part. 
• The point of views: All three girls were represented but in totally different mediums. Tabitha's was straight up prose. Elodie's was in verse style (I thought it was so cool that verse was thrown in!! Plus it totally match up to her personality). Moe wrote in her journal. The dynamics made it pretty much awesome and never boring. 
• Sometimes when the point of view changes I find myself gravitating to a certain character, one that I like more. With this one I didn't. I just loved all three of the girls they all had just the right amount of annoyances and redemptions that they were equally loved by me. That is rare. 
• Random Observation: The titles to tell you whose point of view it was, was a price tag... genius!!

Overall: It's like Leverage meets high school and then flirts with Breakfast Club. Yes it was that good. I just can't get over how much I loved it!

-Kare Out-

Rainbow Swirlz!!

Rainbow Swirlz Screen Printing: 

(aka: My love of t-shirts and adorable animals combine) 

My favorites so far

Adorable no? Plus that name is also awesome, like a unicorn super hero or something. Do YOU know any cute t-shirt places that I can scour? Leave links in the comments or tweet it to me (@epicbooknerd). I'm serious, I want to see more cute t-shirts. :)

Reading Report:
Currently Reading: The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman (Sounds epic just on it's premise. A library that loans out 'objects' and not books. Magical objects.) and that same Doctor Who comic (theres like 12 stories in it or something which is why it's taking so long.)
Recently Finished: Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales (average read with a great punch of 'this is what friendship is') and The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett (Hex Hall meets something TOTALLY new. Just amazing!!)
On Deck: (You guessed it!) Fuse by Julianna Baggott. I keep meaning to pick this one up to read next but it never happens. So I'm also adding Mind Games by Kiersten White and Game by Barry Lyga. Maybe I'll read one of those ones at least. I'm trying not to request anymore books for right now because I already have a back stalk of books I need to read and I'll be leaving soon.

-Kare Out-

A Bird Ballet

Seriously, whatever.

So I was just you know surfing the internet last week and I found this video of a Bird Ballet. It's pretty awesome! You should watch it. Sometimes nature is so amazing. 

A bird ballet | Music Video from Neels CASTILLON on Vimeo.

Anyway just thought I would share this with you. Have a good weekend!!

Reading Report:

Currently Reading: A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty and another Doctor Who graphic novel. Call me obsessed. 

Recently Finished: Doctor Who: The Forgotten by Tony Lee 

On Deck: Fuse by Julianna Baggott (still, I know)

-Kare Out-

Book Haul

Books in the mail, books in the store, books from the most beautiful place in the world (library), just books. Oh also: These are from the last few weeks not just this past week. 

Bought: aka I discover the joy of amazon and the used book

• The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (just finishing up my collection)
• Past Perfect by Leila Sales
• Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

Review:

• Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson
• A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty (Starting this one and already laughing, not even on the first page!)
• Trinkets by Kirsten Smith (kleptos unite. Already read this one, such a good book! Look for my review on March 12th)
• Game by Barry Lyga 
• The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
• Fuse by Julianna Baggott

Library:

• Carrie Pilby  by Caren Lissner
• Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers
• Speechless by Hannah Harrington
• Hysteria by Megan Miranda 

What did you get in the mail?

-Kare Out-

I'm Getting a Hair Cut!

Seriously, whatever. 

This is monumental. I haven't gotten a hair cut since April of last year. The lady who does my hair lives here in Ga so when I'm in Idaho I just have to wait it out. I was going to get it cut in the summer when I was off but she was way booked up so it didn't happen. I am so freaking excited!! I'm not sure when but I've already been scouring for pictures. I wanted to show you them. 

So I am in love with these bangs!!

And I like all of her many layers here and where they begin. 

I kind of already know what I want and these pictures are just solid visuals of what it is I want. You have no idea how excited I am. :D Are you weird like me and have to have pictures to illustrate what you want? Do you get excited to get a hair cut? Do you prefer long hair, medium hair, or short hair?

-Kare Out- 

Flash Reviews

Bits about books I've read.

The Morgan Rawlison Series by Maryrose Wood

So some background is needed here. I read this series like two years ago so I'm all fuzzy on the details otherwise I would do full reviews for all of them, that's how much I loved this series! However I don't have time to re-read them so I'm flashing them. Just know that this series is awesome and I-the girl with series commitment issues-managed to read them all in a row without missing a beat. I highly encourage you to read these, they are so good!

Why I let my Hair Grow Out 
Goodreads
Flash: Take one part Paranormalcy add one part Iron Fey and mix well, put it all behind an Ireland backdrop and you have Why I Let My Hair Grow Out. Morgan is one of the more snarky characters I've read and I just wish there were more like her. She changes pretty drastically in the mix, the whole finding self thing. Some how a bike ride through Ireland and a magical adventure can set you up right in the world. Oh, and did I mention, there is a cute and funny Irish boy, complete with accent? Well there is and his name Colin. A great story that balances reality, fairy(and faery) tales, love, and laughter.

How I Found the Perfect Dress
Goodreads
Flash: Some of the big points in my original review were learning about leprechauns and gnomes, seeing more of Morgan's home life like friends and family (particularly her sister Tammy who is a huge fan of Disney), and of course more Colin except this time he is on her side of the ocean. You see Phinnbar, the trickster of the series, is back and tricky as ever. More snark + new spin on mythological creatures + a boy with an accent = you really can't go wrong reading this series.

What I Wore to Save the World

Goodreads
Flash: Unicorns are a huge part of this book. Just thought I'd put that out there first. Seriously though they are pretty epic, there horns have magical properties like the glow stick setting. Yes, they are that cool. Back to Colin's side of the ocean this time but set in my favorite place which I have never actually seen, aside from Narnia, England!! Tammy's snark is improving and she is as cute as ever. We also meet Grandpop-Colin's Grandpa-who is the cute old grandpa of the story. More magic and deep self discovery and the almighty love. The fact that this series ended in a way that it can't ever come back makes me miserably sad. Although it was a brilliant end to the series.

-Kare Out-

Sea of Love by Jamie Ponti [Happy Valentine's day]

Description: As if it's not bad enough that Darby had to leave NYC and her BF to move to Florida, where her family's started running a hotel, now she has to help with the hotel's annual Valentine's Day Cupid's Ball. Things start looking up when local beach hottie Zach takes Darby surfing and shows her around. Beach life actually starts to grow on this fish out of water. This Valentine's Day, is Darby ready to dive into a new relationship with the guy who's captured her heart

Wins:

• This book is super short. All of these Simon Pulse RomComs seem to fly by. It was just the sort of jump start I needed for the year. 
• A story about Valentine's day near February? I totally didn't do this on purpose either. I just saw it at the library and decided to read it. Yay for happy coincidences!!
• Sea of Love was cute and fluffy and sometimes that is exactly what you need. I'd been in a reading funk and from past experience I knew these types of books were quick and cute, perfect for lifting me out of that rut. 
• Darby- a) She get props for an awesome name. b) She had this whole I-don't-want-to-be-in-this-town whinny attitude in the beginning that was slightly annoying but eventually I warmed up to her. 
• Zack- I never really got a picture of him down in my head but I know the cover doesn't do him justice. I love how he showed Darby the good in her new town. He really opened her eyes. 
• I loved how the book was about Darby accepting the new town that she was in, opening her eyes to the lay of the land. 
• Kate- She was a hoot! I wished you knew more about her because she's one of those characters who you can't get enough of. 

Overall: Quick and cute stamp of approval. Such a sweet tale about new places and finding love. 

Happy Valentines day (or single awareness day)!!

Figured this post could only be improved by homemade VALENTINES and COOKIES :D

YOU'RE NOT just MY FRIEND you're my best friend/I HATE when YOU are so far away

without LOVE life STINKS/I'D KILL to get a hug from YOU

Sugar cookies frosted with raspberry jello flavored frosting. Yum!!

-Kare Out-

Operation Valentine's Day

I'm not a huge fan of Valentines day. I think it is kind of cheesy. HOWEVER, I like to take the time to tell my family that I love them and show them some sort of appreciation on Valentine's day. Last year I made them all these really cute valentines. I drew the animals myself and everything. They were adorable. I kind of wanted to keep them all, that's how amazing they were. I have a few ideas brewing for this year and since it's right around the corner I figured I'd give you a visual representation of my ideas.

Lovely valentines (read the small print) (Etsy)

And of course Whotines for Dallin (Etsy)

Sugar Cookies (Make Bake Celebrate)

Frosted with yummy jello flavored frosting!! (How Do It)

When my creations are finished I'll put pictures up. Till then: How do you celebrate Valentine's day? Are you a fan of it or not? Please expound. Do you have a significant other to celebrate with or are you floating solo this year? (I would be in the second category sadly.)  

Reading Report:
Currently Reading: The Cavendish Home for Girls and Boys by Claire Legrand: This book is creepy in the best way! I'm not very far into it but what I've read I love!!
Recently Finished: Sea of Love by Jamie Ponti, Crank by Ellen Hopkins, and Getting Over Garret Delaney.
On Deck: Fuse by Julianna Baggot and a slew of library books.

-Kare Out- 

An Old Post

Weekly Whatever is a new thing I'm going to try. Basically I post about something going on in my life or bookish things that I love or even about the way Doctor Who rocks my socks. It can be bookish or it can be a rant about the way people chew their food. Anything is game. It's just random collection of whatever. Hence the name. 

This week I'm taking a step down memory lane. I was looking through Katie's blog (Call Me Crazy Ya Reviews) and I noticed a guest post I had written up for her. It was on why I loved books, and what they are to me. I vaguely remember writing it but even as I read it, the one who wrote it, it reminded me why I love books and sometimes you just need that reminder. I thought I'd post it on my blog. Enjoy! 

To me books are:

A time machine

(The Book Thief, To Kill a Mocking Bird, and Night)

A magic show

(Harry Potter, My Fair Godmother , and City of Bones)

A portal to another world

(The Chronicles of Narnia, The Iron King, and Now You See it)

A key to the past

(Revolution, Nobody’s Princess, and A Great and Terrible Beauty)

A window to the soul

(The Mocking Birds, I am the Messenger , and By the time you read this I’ll be Dead )

A vision of what could be

(The Hunger Games, Inside Out, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth)

A non-stop Laugh

(Hex Hall, Demonglass, and Just one Wish,)

A story between a boy and a girl

(The Oracle of Dating, Love Undercover, and At first Sight)

A view through a boy’s eyes

(Infinity, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and The Giver)

What are books to you? What do books give you? Which is your favorite category? Any suggestions to add?

-Kare Out-

Flash Reviews

Bits about books I've Read.

North Of Beautiful by Justine Chen Headley

Flash: This was an amazingly written book. A people mapmaker/artist Terra finds the beauty in who she is despite her flaws. She embraces who she is fully. This book covers all the bases. A girl standing on rocky ground trying to figure out who she is? Check! A boy who loves her for who she is? Check! A family in disarray? Check! A mental trip to China? Check! Redemption for even the characters you spend the whole book hating? Check! This book floored me and that's all I have to say. 

Quotes: 

“Getting lost is just another way of saying 'going exploring.” 

“Beauty--real everlasting beauty--lives not on our faces, but in our attitude and our actions. It lives in what we do for ourselves and for others.” 

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Flash: 1.Libba Bray is very, very good at sarcasm. 2. The unique range of characters, feminists to some very sexy pirates. 3. Censorship addressed. 4. Silly ads on some of the pages that resemble the way EVERYTHING these days has a billion ads. 5. Very well developed characters. 6. British guys (this may be related to the sexy pirates I mentioned before). 7. Growing up and finding just where you stand. 8. You won't find any girls just waiting to be saved in this book, no these girls take charge and thrive. 

Quote:

“There was something about the island that made the girls forget who they had been. All those rules and shalt nots. They were no longer waiting for some arbitrary grade. They were no longer performing. Waiting. Hoping. They were becoming. They were.” 

10 Things we did (and probably shouldn't have) by Sarah Mylnowski

Flash: I had a real fun time with April and her crazy story. It was funny, realistic (well to a point), and easy to slip into. Aprils voice was funny and for the most part light hearted. Hudson was my favorite, non judgmental  sweet, and, oh yeah, adorable. That ending was perfect, it wasn't perfect in the sense that everything wrapped up nicely but it was a good way to end a story. 

Quotes:

“No one was perfect. But we all did the best we could. I guessed you had to forgive when you could, move on when you couldn't, and love your family and friends for who they were instead of punishing them for who they weren't.” 

“We're all crazy. What's your specific form of crazy?” 

-Kare Out-

Cover Reveal of Stained by Cheryl Rainfield

 Description:

In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer. Sometimes you have to be your own hero.

Release Date:

Nov 19, 2013

Publisher: 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

A Note from Cheryl Rainfield:

"Like I did with SCARS and HUNTED, I drew on some of my own experiences of bullying, abuse, and trauma to write STAINED and to give it greater emotional depth. Like Sarah in STAINED, I experienced abduction, imprisonment, periods of forced starvation, mind control, and having my life threatened. And like Sarah, I tried hard to fight against my abuser, keep my own sense of self, and escape. I hope readers will see Sarah's strength and courage, and appreciate her emotional growth as she reclaims herself."

Book Trailer:

Pre-Order: 

Amazon [US: hardcover | kindle Canada: hardcover | kindle UK: hardcover | kindle] The Book Depository | Powell's | Books a Million

-Kare Out- 

Hating Heidi Foster by Jeffery Blount

Description: Mae McBride and Heidi Foster were the very best of friends. Tied at the hip from early elementary school, their relationship was the stuff of storybooks, legendary even, in the minds of their high school classmates.Unshakable. 

That is, until Mae's father died while saving Heidi's life. When Mae finds out, she blames Heidi. She blames her father for putting Heidi ahead of her. She blames her friends for taking Heidi’s side. She begins to unravel amid that blame and her uncontrollable and atypical anger. At the same time Heidi is beset by guilt, falls into depression and stops eating properly; wasting away physically and emotionally while waiting for Mae to let her back into the friendship she misses so dearly. 

Mae, consumed by her hatred of Heidi, the confusion regarding her father’s motives, the perceived desertion of her friends and her mother’s grief, loses more and more of herself.What could possibly bring these two old friends back to each other? A miracle?

Hating Heidi Foster, is a young adult novel about the place of honor true friendships hold in our lives. It is about suffering and loss and the ethics of grief. It is about a deep and painful conflict, the bright light of selflessness and sacrifice and the love that rights the ship and carries us safely to port. Goodreads

Wins:

• What you HAVE to understand about this book is the fact that it isn't a lavish tale. It doesn't go into deep description or characterize all that much. What it does is highlight the importance of it's message. That message: The importance of friendship. 
• This book is good in the way that it defines real grief. The blind rage we get when someone passes, the guilt when someone sacrifices for us, the hole that a person can leave in our life. 
• It was fairly quick read. It's only about one-hundred pages long and it's stuffed pretty full.
• Even though this book doesn't have much depth into the characters you still can fill that void with the little the author gives you. He gives you a skeleton and you can fill it in the way you want. 
• The idea that a character blames their best friend for their fathers death? Very, very human. This is the reason why I agreed to review this book. This idea intrigued me and I wanted to see how it played out. 
• "Look at all the misery we've had to face with only the cliches to comfort us." pg 39. It seems like this should be a lyric in a song. It's beautiful. 

Fails:

• You have no idea what Mae or her mother or Heidi even look like. This characterization is needed for a clear picture in your head. I felt like I only saw a vague and blurry picture of what it could be. A book should take you there. 
• This is probably just a I-am-the-only-one-who-really-cares-about-this-sort-of-thing thing but it drives me nuts. She calls her Mom Mummy and her Dad Daddy. She's fourteen, not four. Now I get the Daddy and I can over look it but Mummy? It just makes me think about Docto Who. (I also feel this way about the word tummy. We are not little kids.) (It's not just that it's used but that it is used through the whole book. I mean if you call them Mom for most of the book and then Mummy when you are sad or really need them that's fine but the whole book? I just can't do it, self edit sets in.)

Overall: This book is like a gem that could use some polishing but it still shines without it. A great commentary on loss and life. 

-Kare Out-