Friday, December 18, 2009

the feeling of meh...

There must be something wrong with me, because with books lately all I've been feeling is meh.  The past two books I've read have left me feeling completely uninspired.  The last book I really devoured was The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott.  I am working on a book now that was highly recommended by teens on the YALSA list as one of the Best Books for Young Adults, but so far the first chapter or so has been only ok.  Is it the time of year, is it burn-out from work and school, have I hit a saturation point when it comes to YA books and I need to break for a bit?  I don't know what it is.

 I just hope I can get through it and get back to finding some books that I just LOVE!  I miss being really excited about a book, not being able to put it down, and then telling everyone that the must read it right now the minute I put it down.  I want a book that will be up reading until 4 am and then only put down cause my eyes won't stay open.

Maybe I should take a picture of my "to be read" shelf and post it so people can give me recommendations.  Or does anyone have any recommendations to get me out of my meh zone?

Friday, December 11, 2009

Percy Jackson Movie

As many others are, I am psyched for the Percy Jackson movie.  I've seen previews that look pretty awesome and the star looks a little like Zac Efron mixed with an elf, but in a good way.  There is one thing that is worrying me a but about the movie though; the age of the actors.  I saw the girl who is going to play Annabeth (who is beautiful, but not blonde like she is in the book) on Law and Order Criminal Intent playing someone definitely older than a teenager.  And, while Brandon T Jackson is awesome, he is also much older than I'd have pictured Grover.

With my slight trepidation about these age issues, I am still looking forward to the movie, and you can be that I will most likely be there at a midnight showing (if they have one) just like I am for each and every Harry Potter movie (even though the Half-Blood Prince blew big ones).


Monday, December 7, 2009

Wish You Were Read by Todd Strasser

A teen girl writes on her blog that she wishes the popular Lucy would die.  The next day, Lucy disappears.  The community of Soundview is a sleep town full of rich kids, and at first people think Lucy just took off, but Lucy's ex-best friend Madison doesn't buy it.  As the days go by, and Lucy continues to be missing, the town grows more scared.  Then the blogger wishes someone else dead, Lucy's boyfriend Adam, and he disappears too and Madison decides to take action.

I've read good reviews of this book, but to me the writing fell flat.  Madison was not likable, and in fact came across as really flaky.  She's got a crush on Tyler; who is obviously supposed to be a possible suspect.  Lucy disappeared when Madison and Tyler failed to wait until she went into her house when they took her home after a party as part of a "Safe Rides" program.  Madison knows Lucy would not run away, but she's too wrapped up in her crush with Tyler to really bother looking to her friends.  It feels almost Heatherish with the clique full of people who are frenemies, but without the biting wit.



Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Unwritten Rule

Every girl knows the unwritten rule of friendship:  no matter how cute, or attractive he is, you can never, ever, like your best friend's boyfriend.  Unfortunately for 17 year old Sarah, her best friend Brianna is dating a boy that Sarah has liked every since 8th grade.  Now perfect, beautiful, sexy Brianna is dating the boy petite Sarah has always wanted.  Sarah is sure she'd never be able to compete with Brianna, who always shines and is always the center of attention, and she knows she shouldn't even think about Ryan that way since Brianna is her best friend, but she can't help it.  And sometimes it seems like Ryan might be interested in Sarah too...

I started reading this book last night and couldn't stop except when I had to sleep.  Sarah's torment is easy to relate to, and she is a likable character.  Her fixation on Ryan does almost cross into obsession, but the length of the book helps keep this from seeming overdone.  Brianna's and Sarah's friendship is very realistic, and the way Brianna mistreats Sarah, with simple comments that are subtle insults, is well done.  You can see why Brianna is someone Sarah wants to be friends with, but also why the friendship is toxic.

I really enjoyed this book, and I think teens will relate well to it.  This was a nice break from the darker books Scott has written lately:  Living Dead Girl and Love You, Hate You, Miss You  Also, I love the cover and how purple it is!


Monday, November 23, 2009

New book!

Ok guys I have just started a new book that I can't wait to read.  I got an ARC of The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott!  Woohoo!  So, check back soon to see my review because I can't wait to read this book!


Thursday, November 19, 2009

It's been awhile...

I need to work on keeping up here more often, but I do have a reason for being absent. I had surgery last week and have been kind of out of it for awhile. But, I am back and I have a review!

Unfortunately I have to give my first bad review on here. I started reading, and was really into Going Bovine by Libba Bray but, it ended up just getting too Weetzie Bat for me in that I thought it was getting weird just for the sake of being weird.




Here is what Going Bovine is about: Cameron is a loser just trying to make it through high school. He spends most of his time underachieving and getting high. Then, everything changes when he finds out that his visions aren't just from the drugs, they are hallucinations due to his brain being eaten away by Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, otherwise known as Mad Cow Disease. Now Cameron is spending his time wasting away in a hospital, until one day a pink punk angel tells him he has to save the world on the search for a cure, oh and he has to bring his new friend Gonzo the dwarf on this trip with him.

I will admit that I skipped to the end to see if Cameron was going to make it, and that made me decide if I was going to read the rest of the book or not and really try to invest in Cameron. In the end, once Cameron left the hospital the book totally changed and was just really weird. I think teens might be able to relate to it more than I did though.

Monday, November 9, 2009

I finished Soulstice. I will say that the Fearscapes were... a lot to handle? They didn't really make me scared or sick or anything, but they almost got to be too much description. The ending of the book is a bit of a cliffhanger, so I do want to know what happens next, but the next book won't be right on the top of my To Read Pile.

Now I am reading Going Bovine by Libba Bray. I am really enjoying the humor in this book so far, and can't wait to read more. It's been a little slow going cause I am still sick, but hopefully I can get more into it soon.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Soultice continued

Still working on Soulstice, I have next week off for my birthday (I will be 30, yikes!) and hope to get some reading done, but I wanted to give an update on this book because just wow. I will admit I've had to skip some parts because of the descriptions, and I am not a squeamish person! Simon Holt has essentially made Stephen King for teens with this series. I mean that as a big compliment because I love Stephen King books. So far, I'd say that if you have any teens that like stories that have some really dark details, then give them this series!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Finished Beautiful Creatures...onto Soulstice!

One thing being sick has done for me is that it's given me time to read.  Between being stuck at home or sitting in the doctor's office I've gotten some quality reading time in.  With this time I've been able to read my text book (yay SQL :-P) and also some real books!


I finished the ARC of Beautiful Creatures, a love story between Caster Lena and Mortal Ethan.  I really enjoyed the book, the atmosphere was great and the secondary characters were flushed out and very likable.  The only thing I am left puzzled by deals with Lena's name and the claiming that happens on her 16th birthday.  I am looking forward to this book being published because I think the teens at the library will love it!  Also, the cover is just beautiful (see my last post for a picture of the cover).


Now I am reading an ARC of Soulstice: The Devouring Book 2 by Simon Holt.  I've not read the first book, but I've heard a lot about it and how spooky it is.  This book has enough introduction to it that it stands on its own, and only 40 pages in I've already come across some really fun and freaky scenes.  This series deals with a teen girl named Reggie and her fight against the "Vours, evil, demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on Sorry Night" and feed on fear.  I am enjoying the book so far and have been glad to get to experience this series that is popular with the teens at my library.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

It's starting to look a lot like Halloween...

This time of year is one of my favorite times of year.  I love Halloween and I celebrate it by watching a horror or Halloween movie or tv show each night in October.  It's usually a mix standards and new movies.  So far my favorite new movie this year has been Hatchet.


I also enjoy reading a fun, atmospheric book or two this time of year.  I'd love to read more but school keeps getting in the way.  Right now I am reading Beautiful Creatures and am enjoying it.  I am almost at the end and I can't wait to see what happens. 

What's your favorite spooky book?

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