tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12265211508883910462024-02-18T18:12:07.340-08:00Eloise and Her BooksEloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-30434937046043806672012-07-23T10:42:00.001-07:002012-07-23T10:42:46.785-07:00Review: Across the Great Barrier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Across the Great Barrier (Frontier Magic Book 2)<br />Patricia C Wrede<br />339 Pages<br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Eff is riding west, away from the safety of the frontier city she's always known....</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Eff could be a powerful magician if she wanted to. Except she's not sure she wants that kind of responsibility. Everyone keeps waiting for her to do something amazing--or to fail in a spectacular way. Worse, her twin brother, Lan, a powerful double seventh son, is jealous of all the attention she's been getting.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Even as Eff protests that she's just an ordinary girl, she's asked to travel past the Barrier Spell with one of the new professors at her father's school. The land west of the Barrier is full of dangers, both magical and wild. Eff will need to use all her strength--magical and otherwise--to come safely back home.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;">-description taken from goodreads</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;">This review contains no spoilers for this book or the first in the series.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;">There's an unfortunate trend in trilogies called "The Second Book Slump". Unlike the first installment where the world and characters are fun and new, the second book is often drier and just a stepping stone for the author to get to the finale. Although an experienced author, Wrede falls into this trap with her second in the <i>Frontier Magic</i> series.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">For those who haven't read the first in the series (The Thirteenth Child), Patricia Wrede sets up a unique, alternate history of post civil war America where magic is taught in universities and western expansion means contending with dangers such as steam dragons. It's a fantastic world, but the novelty of it wears off after one volume. In this one I wanted to learn more about Eff, the protagonist who, although possessing a great talent for magic, has had the stigma of being an unlucky thirteenth child following her all her life. Instead of this, I had to sit through about two hundred pages of Wrede listing off various magical plants and animals. There wasn't any real development at all, and all the main action was cornered off into the last quarter.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Although there were parts that should've been suspenseful, but because I had no reason to care about the characters I couldn't get invested in their problems. Reading this book was like drinking a flat soda; there was still some flavor, but all of the fun bubbles from earlier had fizzled out.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I will pick up the final installment, which comes out this August, eventually. I do believe in Wrede's skills as an author, and it's clear from the hints dropped throughout this volume that she's planning something big. </span></span></span></div>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-88254817666283580992011-05-30T18:19:00.000-07:002011-05-30T18:23:21.438-07:00Review: The Lost Hero<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjYnC2zfRDQvZ9dC8-Dpj4ZG3aY0YejEssMeLwxioiVy7s4S73NLUYi9WXFSStI3II5SZhevCHqKKkwuqR1MSqN0J83_IuEcQSMyZemtc3eih9XjtsUl0JhK5pgvQpRF5fqIvPC75fpeF/s1600/The+Lost+Hero.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjYnC2zfRDQvZ9dC8-Dpj4ZG3aY0YejEssMeLwxioiVy7s4S73NLUYi9WXFSStI3II5SZhevCHqKKkwuqR1MSqN0J83_IuEcQSMyZemtc3eih9XjtsUl0JhK5pgvQpRF5fqIvPC75fpeF/s320/The+Lost+Hero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612684073217400482" border="0" /></a><br /> <style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus Book 1)<br />Rick Riordan<br />Pages: 553</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"></p><blockquote>Jason has problems. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper, and his best friend is a guy named Leo. They’re all students at the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids,” as Leo puts it. What did Jason do to end up here? And where <i style="">is</i> here, exactly? Jason doesn’t know anything- except that everything seems very wrong.<br /><br />Piper has a secret. Her father, a famous actor, has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare about his being in trouble. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits during the school trip, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp-Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out, whether she wants to or not.<br /><br />Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too- like the curse everyone keeps talking about, and some camper who’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them- including Leo- is related to a <i style="">god</i>. Does this have anything to do with Jason’s amnesia, or the fact that Leo keeps seeing ghosts?<br /><br />~description taken from book jacket</blockquote><br /><br />I’m a long time fan of Rick Riordan. I started his Percy Jackson series when it was first released, as proven by my copy of The Lightning Thief which has the hideous first edition cover before the publishing company decided to redesign it. I’m happy to say that the first installment of The Heroes of Olympus is just as good as the Percy Jackson books, if not better.<br /><br />Before I start, I should give a caveat to readers- it’s probably not a good idea to start this series unless you’ve read the Percy Jackson books first. A ton of names and plot points from the Percy Jackson series are mentioned in quick succession at the start of The Lost Hero. Even as someone’s who’s read them but hasn’t picked them up in a couple of years, it was confusing. It’s definitely still possible to thoroughly enjoy The Lost Hero without this background, but I wouldn’t recommend it.<br /><br />The Lost Hero alternates between the three new characters Jason, Piper and Leo. Each one is given two chapters and then the point of view switches to the next in line. Riordan doesn’t deviate from this pattern, which causes some problems in the first half of the book. For example, events from Jason’s sections will be recapped in Piper’s. Then Piper’s experience will be told again in Leo’s chapters. For a large chunk of the book I felt like I was just rereading the same thing over and over again, and it could have been fixed with some editing. Considering this book is exceedingly lengthy these passages would not have been missed. However, Riordan picks up his stride later on and this problem dissolves by the second half.<br /><br />One thing I love about Riordan’s books is that he fills them with memorable, quirky characters. Normally when I read books that rotate narrators I find that I attach to one more easily than the others and often want to skip to that character’s next chapter. In this case, I loved all of them. I’m especially happy that the author included a female narrator in a series marketed predominantly towards boys. Riordan has always creating strong, smart female characters in his books, but writing about one in the first person takes it one step further. I’m sure a lot of middle school girls will be happy to read the story from Piper’s own perspective rather than just experiencing her through a boy’s eyes.<br /><br />The Lost Hero is a fantastic start into a new series, and I’ll be first in line when the sequel comes out in October!<br /><br />4/5 Stars<p></p>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-46121564281706697842011-05-25T18:12:00.000-07:002011-05-25T18:17:23.472-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5IDLPIvMqqhGrht1AJnc-67Mlp06ttxB8OsXY3grebP-kmsPV3FG2n_rxmRyLCUsiO1H9rPfXve4-qglozJzs1OgcqzkTntq-Afv8HxNLVjo8Ko7cm22DTxzjSGM41BiU0QAGtmGTiUG/s1600/Lola+and+the+Boy+Next+Door.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5IDLPIvMqqhGrht1AJnc-67Mlp06ttxB8OsXY3grebP-kmsPV3FG2n_rxmRyLCUsiO1H9rPfXve4-qglozJzs1OgcqzkTntq-Afv8HxNLVjo8Ko7cm22DTxzjSGM41BiU0QAGtmGTiUG/s320/Lola+and+the+Boy+Next+Door.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610827184587451026" border="0" /></a><br />Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme held by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a>.<br /><br />This week I'm waiting for Lola and the Boy Next Door!<br /><br /><span id="freeText336970936522758069" style=""></span><blockquote><span id="freeText336970936522758069" style="">For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.<br /><br />When the family returns and Cricket—a gifted inventor and engineer—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.</span><br /><br />~description taken from goodreads</blockquote><br /><br />I finally got around to reading Anna and the French Kiss a week ago and I'm already craving more! NEED IT NOW. RAWR.Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-39421119252400319582011-05-25T16:45:00.000-07:002011-05-25T18:03:08.710-07:00Review: Clarity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aXOeRoRz3DUNaOrkWJ2EfW8DFuLR7aNf3kyIeeOJVjSZfQhPnG-V1m2IlZNVXeJlU-Eu7wsVf79A6_id9GsFxer7ZkKgVqtergkAfZ6p69v8VwA-u6oK3qCN-6iq29_9i5rWvLI6xlvo/s1600/Clarity.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aXOeRoRz3DUNaOrkWJ2EfW8DFuLR7aNf3kyIeeOJVjSZfQhPnG-V1m2IlZNVXeJlU-Eu7wsVf79A6_id9GsFxer7ZkKgVqtergkAfZ6p69v8VwA-u6oK3qCN-6iq29_9i5rWvLI6xlvo/s320/Clarity.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610823752765630866" border="0" /></a><br />Clarity<br />Kim Harrington<br />Pages: 242<br /><br /><span id="freeText526915857814968041" style=""><p></p><blockquote><p>When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth? </p><p>This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats. </p><p>Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift. </p><p>And a curse. </p><p>When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?</p><p>~description taken from goodreads</p></blockquote><p><br /><br />Normally I don't pick up mysteries, so Clarity was a bit of a whim. Overall it makes for a nice afternoon read- perfect to bring to the beach or, for those wary of the ozone layers, to cozy up with on a comfy armchair.<br /><br />Clarity is short and sweet, a trait that's refreshing in the sea of increasingly lengthy YA installments. Harrington dives right into the story and keeps the pace running quickly. We're told upfront that Clare and her family all have paranormal abilities that they use to attract business from tourists, but they make Clare an outcast at school. However, Clare is soon recruited by her town's new detective to help figure out the culprit behind a recent murder. Along the way Clare has -cross that- GETS to deal with two romantic interests, the detective's son and her ex boyfriend.<br /><br />Since I'm not a big mystery person I was surprised at how easily I figured out the ending of this book. For something advertised as a 'whodunnit' I expected a larger twist. However, Clarity has enough going for it that this doesn't really matter. Kim Harrington writes immediately likable characters. It's easy to fall into Clare's story and empathize with her. This goes as well for all the secondary characters. I found myself loving Clare's eccentric mother and wished there had been more scenes with her. The only problem is the two boys in the story are both so well developed that I don't know which one I'm rooting for!<br /><br />I'm not sure what genre I'd peg Clarity down as. It's advertised as a paranormal mystery, but it seems more of a romance than anything else. This isn't a problem per se, but it's deceptive in the marketing. It means a lot of people might come into Clarity expecting one thing, and then getting another and being disappointed (which would explain some of the negative reviews on goodreads). It's a shame, because Clarity is a really fun book. I know I'll be looking out for the sequel when it comes around!<br /><br />3.5 Stars<br /></p></span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-26914542793227752882011-05-15T20:14:00.001-07:002011-05-15T20:27:41.786-07:00Review: Sing Me to Sleep<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FkfrUOlIl8G8BgdM6Q5saVgGhdZeWhMbrm7PcQ3KE0sp9yarJ2O0l_VP9_5MjWQDwqqGS-Cc7_MHmDzdEf0qZyX49VID8-p4uMeCLSAkDyb3UxPCWGQEZ8Pn5LaHKKscJWyYLy0_ZPiq/s1600/Sing+Me+to+Sleep.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 128px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FkfrUOlIl8G8BgdM6Q5saVgGhdZeWhMbrm7PcQ3KE0sp9yarJ2O0l_VP9_5MjWQDwqqGS-Cc7_MHmDzdEf0qZyX49VID8-p4uMeCLSAkDyb3UxPCWGQEZ8Pn5LaHKKscJWyYLy0_ZPiq/s400/Sing+Me+to+Sleep.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607150431579226482" /></a><br />Sing Me to Sleep<div>Angela Morrison</div><div>Pages: 320</div><div><br /></div><div><span id="freeText2469352770307585383" style=""><p></p><blockquote><p>THE TRANSFORMATION</p><p> Beth has always been “The Beast”—that's what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth's only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she's selected to be her choir's soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.</p><p> THE LOVE AFFAIR</p><p> When Beth's choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek's untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek's eyes? She's not The Beast, she's The Beauty.</p><p> THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE</p><p> When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?</p><p> THE HEARTBREAK</p><p> The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek's been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.</p></blockquote><p></p></span></div>I just couldn't finish it. Even though Beth spent pages and pages complaining about girls becoming pretty too easily in movies, her 'transformation' was pretty dull. A new haircut, lasik and getting rid of acne scars are not major procedures nowadays. The fact that Beth went from 'scaring small children' to 'supermodel gorgeous' without any major plastic surgery was unbelievable to the point of outright stupidity. I mean, the classmates that used to taunt her didn't recognize her without her thick glasses? I just can't suspend my disbelief that far.<div><br /></div><div>Gaping plot holes aside, I found Beth entirely unbearable as a narrator. She spends all of her time lamenting over her looks, which might be why she's doesn't notice all the boys who take an interest in her. I'm sick of authors who think it's charming for a protagonist not to recognize obvious flirtation. It just makes the narrator seem all the more stupid and drags the book on for an extra hundred pages.</div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't get far enough to get into the real romantic turmoil of the story, but I'm going to presume that if I'm not interested in either of the suitors after 200 pages of a 320 page book, I'm not going to be.</div><div><br /></div><div>All this said, <i>Sing Me to Sleep </i>is not the worst I've ever read. I can see where some might find appeal, especially if they don't share my pet peeves. However, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone and won't be reading anything else by this author.</div><div><br /></div><div>The one star rating is automatic for every book I can't bring myself to finish but read more than half of.</div>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-27409777394149854142011-01-10T19:17:00.001-08:002011-01-10T19:17:43.277-08:00Review: Wildthorn<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgee5uYKYtJ_qGvpPxl7DH8Ct1a9YJ1oQ-auf1OR4kdQUzGARQAM7IsXscwpmskIvxiaIAgSvN6VcxudvO97JaTNBLzKmQQJBPyPsVp3xbbMR66PsnhVHR_bmVxYi2ObSmiROX_f41ud_KU/s1600/Wildthorn.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgee5uYKYtJ_qGvpPxl7DH8Ct1a9YJ1oQ-auf1OR4kdQUzGARQAM7IsXscwpmskIvxiaIAgSvN6VcxudvO97JaTNBLzKmQQJBPyPsVp3xbbMR66PsnhVHR_bmVxYi2ObSmiROX_f41ud_KU/s320/Wildthorn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560762202887147378" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Wildthorn<br />Jane Eagland<br />Pages: 350<br /><blockquote><br />Louisa Cosgrove <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> Louisa Cosgrove- <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> Lucy Childs. Or, is she?<br /><br />A horse-drawn carriage takes her to the wrong place: Wildthorn Hall, an asylum for the insane. This must be a great misunderstanding. They strip her naked, of everything- undo her whalebone corset hook by hook. They take her identity. But she is still seventeen- <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> Louisa Cosgrove- isn't she?<br /><br />To untangle the mysterious, wretched present, she remembers the past.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I wished I were a boy.</span><br /><br />Locked away in the dingy bowels of the hall, she feels a fire burn inside her. She remembers her cousin. She remembers Papa.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I want to be a doctor.</span><br /><br />She is determined to escape- and only love will set her free.<br /><br />~description taken from book jacket</blockquote><br /><br />I got this book out from the library on the whim, vaguely remembering a review of it I'd read somewhere. I only decided to actually read it because I just signed up for a reading challenge that this book fits. I AM SO GLAD I DID.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Wildthorn</span> steps right into the drama- Louisa is admitted into an asylum under the name Lucy Childs. For the first part of the novel, the author switches between Louisa's time at the institution and her childhood, where you learn about her studious nature and desire to become a doctor. Normally, when an author skips around with points of view or timelines like this this I find myself aligning more with one storyline than the other. Here I was equally interested in both of them, which is due to the intense emotional attachment I felt with the Louisa. In most of the books I read, I read <span style="font-style: italic;">about</span> the protagonist, but here I <span style="font-style: italic;">became</span> her. Reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Wildthorn</span> was simply an amazing experience, one you shouldn't miss out on.<br /><br />Another aspect of the novel that made me really happy was the discussion of sexuality. It's rare to encounter LGBT characters in historical YA fiction, so that alone was interesting. However, the main thing I liked was how well it was handled. I've noticed that when some authors write gay or lesbian characters that tends to be their defining characteristic, which annoys me. In <span style="font-style: italic;">Wildthorn</span> it was definitely treated as an important detail, but not so much that it took over the story.<br /><br />5/5 StarsEloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-37103041116570363082011-01-08T20:57:00.000-08:002011-01-08T21:31:27.259-08:00YA Historical Fiction ChallengeI've never entered a reading challenge before, and since it's a new year I figure it might be fun! Maybe it'll keep me motivated to read during my free time next semester instead of watching youtube videos!<br /><br />I'm entering the YA Historical Fiction Challenge over the blog YA Bliss. It's open to anyone and everyone (ie. you don't need a blog to enter). <a href="http://www.yabliss.com/2010/11/ya-historical-fiction-challenge.html">So check it out!</a><br /><br />I'm going to try for level 2, which is ten books. I might have to fall back to level 1, but hopefully not! Here's a tentative list of books I want to read, more to be added later:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbrW0j_ARI4l2b8UVNj9nqxfsxXvwIIZ1Ch0h6ROs_QSjopjOhC7kW4zrkAu4_gmBRw9EQpbSq3qRjs3nNwKp_PstOxPrAcKvO_FlKlOc7-hzIkktlvfHekn20AGtaQs4UnTuNksxkyOC/s1600/A+Countess+Below+Stairs.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbrW0j_ARI4l2b8UVNj9nqxfsxXvwIIZ1Ch0h6ROs_QSjopjOhC7kW4zrkAu4_gmBRw9EQpbSq3qRjs3nNwKp_PstOxPrAcKvO_FlKlOc7-hzIkktlvfHekn20AGtaQs4UnTuNksxkyOC/s200/A+Countess+Below+Stairs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560049568508093906" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfW4yGSNWmWhCbsEXLeFjebg2UGNBZbl3o3Arz5cWGoZlMFKhiBnxrgyc8X5E43S_W4FVjVM9BIzWFKebdo7YC5LuDiFKCRVCSB6ng73QpL_3dxIcItTD0JGBl_5NMtUdndyrkCfkUqCW/s1600/A+Northern+Light.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfW4yGSNWmWhCbsEXLeFjebg2UGNBZbl3o3Arz5cWGoZlMFKhiBnxrgyc8X5E43S_W4FVjVM9BIzWFKebdo7YC5LuDiFKCRVCSB6ng73QpL_3dxIcItTD0JGBl_5NMtUdndyrkCfkUqCW/s200/A+Northern+Light.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560049900074211154" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomuAdN_31b0NKUMsd5IRfKmK-LWHsoJeIJhaZZgo70Tmx735kDzQ83hmFCRmfDnWLFZ-rqrcWiUwzK3vEVN3PSXrZTFkPVqLDUZELUleZqFAZrLKL9ZZQYpLjtGamqYiSLm4G3hjwJifZ/s1600/Revolution.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomuAdN_31b0NKUMsd5IRfKmK-LWHsoJeIJhaZZgo70Tmx735kDzQ83hmFCRmfDnWLFZ-rqrcWiUwzK3vEVN3PSXrZTFkPVqLDUZELUleZqFAZrLKL9ZZQYpLjtGamqYiSLm4G3hjwJifZ/s200/Revolution.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560050117213493042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNbV7feHMrP-5RhthcnzbExpksIdfr5dqHe9ge1s-MAbenzPbqawg3eOWP3gFU7x9X_D-AASMrobaD9QQp9k-F4O4aQkVQlCj1UvmlnmEXjtuNu1Q_oFnAddyw91H1WGBy1QymV1L50m9/s1600/A+Countess+Below+Stairs.jpg"><br /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson<br />A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly<br />Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoy7dNic4HQ5WeXZqR3N46HP1zM1W7t5BWfZ7uFL9tCx7k3EpHKDgMkc2_rKvG07ZoRK7nfmpnS2cuZSimjej7NViH6yMWb457K7UJfglaISmAVf8ldg793UvSS0Er1pgxjA00Nzpb__e/s1600/Reluctant+Heiress.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoy7dNic4HQ5WeXZqR3N46HP1zM1W7t5BWfZ7uFL9tCx7k3EpHKDgMkc2_rKvG07ZoRK7nfmpnS2cuZSimjej7NViH6yMWb457K7UJfglaISmAVf8ldg793UvSS0Er1pgxjA00Nzpb__e/s200/Reluctant+Heiress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560051741197232290" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9_3MK-8F9lM7t1yeKngfndHnF4beONnnlxEWrZy4bjKG6DbLLRUtFj2VhwhnrWHj2_WXxnL1L5o5iDYrUoxBVRTlYqxFLg6eS7MfnjYtxg3_JWjYnmEKRUmXG4I4xOX298dpBea5AbuM/s1600/Octavian+Nothing.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9_3MK-8F9lM7t1yeKngfndHnF4beONnnlxEWrZy4bjKG6DbLLRUtFj2VhwhnrWHj2_WXxnL1L5o5iDYrUoxBVRTlYqxFLg6eS7MfnjYtxg3_JWjYnmEKRUmXG4I4xOX298dpBea5AbuM/s200/Octavian+Nothing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560052145151570450" border="0" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson<br />The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. AndersonEloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-36474119091164375552010-12-31T14:13:00.000-08:002011-01-08T20:16:55.261-08:00Review: Looking for Alaska<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1LAsM9gP44bhJZC0L5DpLlAVuAlNP53L8tPKbIFd1xrpFtBYg0yKx5H5CPLuRZ25HNKpm7-MyxkEixSQTwy87_4yID0gu-8vesLVGr7-7MY2-a6N9P_xsN_sgYdfy2klx_-enSNRKZZY/s1600/Looking+for+Alaska.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1LAsM9gP44bhJZC0L5DpLlAVuAlNP53L8tPKbIFd1xrpFtBYg0yKx5H5CPLuRZ25HNKpm7-MyxkEixSQTwy87_4yID0gu-8vesLVGr7-7MY2-a6N9P_xsN_sgYdfy2klx_-enSNRKZZY/s320/Looking+for+Alaska.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556973579568964050" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Looking for Alaska</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">John Green</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pages: 221</span><br /><br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (Francois Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly stable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.<br /><br />After. Nothing is ever the same.<br /><br />~description taken from book jacket</blockquote><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Well, most people reading this blog will have already read this one. For good reason- it's kind of amazing. I figure I'd review it anyway, if only to get the word out!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Last summer I read </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">An Abundance of Katherines</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, one of John Green's other books. </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Looking for Alaska</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> follows the same formula: Nerdy guy with a quirky interest decides he needs something new in his life, goes to a new location and meets an equally quirky girl who changes him. Generally, it annoys me when an author does the (almost) exact plot twice, but in this case I didn't really mind. This is because John Green is simply a really, </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">really</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> funny author. It takes a lot for me to laugh aloud when I'm sitting alone reading, but Green had me doing so several times throughout the course of </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Looking for Alaska</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. Also, the amount of obscure information he packs into his books is mind-boggling. He seems like one of those people who must have read every book ever printed. If I ever get the chance I want to hear him speak.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">As a whole, </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Looking for Alaska</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> is a bit of a heavy read, but not depressingly so. I think this is because you're meant to figure out what event separates the 'before' and 'after' of Miles' life, so it lessens the blow somewhat. The large doses of comedic dialogue also help with this. However, if you're looking just for a 'light' read I'd recommend </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">An Abundance of Katherines</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. Actually, never mind that. Read both of them. John Green is excellent and I want to help spread the love.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">4.5/5 Stars</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-20662702275079961402010-12-29T15:46:00.000-08:002011-01-08T20:18:05.370-08:00Waiting on Wednesday (4)<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme held by </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. It's where bloggers can showcase the yet to be released books that they're most excited for!</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCUaaE3HlDqKupYNzZusk2Q5iK1g_gx_6DVHmrfeCHKOX8LrhpG3Sk_xHLmacoOlw8IqmsV6bPV_FASp1-I6I1yEEtl78MrMhZdgiMKLOdS1lVqLJKzJHyPCBiYU8YD4mMXGLQWTmVKMa/s1600/Vespertine.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCUaaE3HlDqKupYNzZusk2Q5iK1g_gx_6DVHmrfeCHKOX8LrhpG3Sk_xHLmacoOlw8IqmsV6bPV_FASp1-I6I1yEEtl78MrMhZdgiMKLOdS1lVqLJKzJHyPCBiYU8YD4mMXGLQWTmVKMa/s320/Vespertine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556255395305578018" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Vespertine</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Saundra Mitchell</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Release Date: 3/7/2011</span><br /><br /><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><p>It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.</p><p><br /></p><p> When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.</p></blockquote><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This sounds like a mix of my two favorite genres- historical fiction and paranormal romances. Definitely one to jot down on your release calendars!</span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-80181788108630134382010-12-27T13:39:00.001-08:002011-01-08T20:18:19.457-08:00Review: Forest Born<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIj_jp2I1W9VQase1a6EGuI2Lc-HHu1RWY_FT7IL8V7SEMTie75KQr0N_sZ-lBNydg6-oloQAc6K1PW2A6uPr0WcL1jCl2PDASm6kEBmeuup51zxw5DLcjuMyIuDK8bo-qLyOinf8R3A_/s1600/Forest+Born.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIj_jp2I1W9VQase1a6EGuI2Lc-HHu1RWY_FT7IL8V7SEMTie75KQr0N_sZ-lBNydg6-oloQAc6K1PW2A6uPr0WcL1jCl2PDASm6kEBmeuup51zxw5DLcjuMyIuDK8bo-qLyOinf8R3A_/s320/Forest+Born.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555480041525088354" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Forest Born (Books of Bayern #4)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Shannon Hale</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pages: 389</span><br /> <style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1;</style><br /><p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"> </p><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“Growing up in the Forest, Rin always turned to the trees when she needed peace or reassurance, even direction, until the day they seem to reject her. Rin is sure something is wrong with her, something that is keeping her from feeling at home in the Forest, keeping her from trusting herself with anyone at all.</p><p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"> When her brother Razo returns to the city after a visit home, Rin accompanies him to the palace in hopes of finding a new sense of herself. But a mysterious threat haunts Bayern, and Rin joins the magical girls she thinks of as the Fire Sisters –Isi, Enna, and Dasha- as they venture into the woods toward the kingdom of Kel... where someone wants them all dead.”</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Description taken from book jacket</p></blockquote> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">First off, I want to say that I adore Shannon Hale. She’s a fantastic writer, and follows what I think is the perfect philosophy with YA books- write what you think is a good story, not what’s easily marketable. As a result, she’s produced numerous solid novels that I’d recommend, which includes her previous <i style="">Books of Bayern</i>. However, all good things must end in order to remain good things and, unfortunately, the <i style="">Books of Bayern </i>have hit that point.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"> <i style="">Forest Born</i>, the fourth in the series, includes enough background information that you could come into the series a stranger and not be terribly confused. Although, it would be easiest to read them in order since the events happen sequentially. This installment follows Rin, who makes a delightfully insecure heroine. She is ‘forest born’, as the title points out, and you (re)discover the world of Bayern along with her as she heads out to work at the castle. There’s intrigue right from the start when Rin suspects a lady in waiting of wanting to kill Prince Tusken and suspicious fires start up at Bayern’s boundary with the neighboring country Kel.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"> While the characters and humor are great, like in all of Hale’s other books, <i style="">Forest Bor</i>n remains plagued by mediocre plot twists. One character pulls a Gandalf, but it isn’t done properly. Instead of having the shocked reaction you’re supposed to, you realize that Hale’s hit the bottom of the idea barrel for the series. As a result, the entire second half of the book has a very forced feel to it. Even though I got attached to Rin and wanted to hear more about her, the plot just wasn’t interesting anymore. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"> I still love Shannon Hale, but I hope <i style="">Forest Born</i> is the last in her Bayern series. While it’s a solid read, and much better than the work of other authors, I’m disappointed because it doesn’t measure up to her other books. Hale’s writing itself is absolutely magical- she just needs better storylines to work with.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"> 4/5 Stars</p>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-9182714593558275472010-10-13T11:59:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:18:32.802-08:00Waiting on Wednesday (3)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyvNB_e5WJsQyOqkCqCBwITYKRHYYZWi-WkiASNYcU8_FqEJg48HpUSNtv5EKcV5j35EInsMoC9oTOaw6Sc9wGc5AvHXY3PAoLSJvScs_nXNVfUvQf1hufNqlI_SVxlRhAv5mAygAgAmB/s1600/Entwined-Cover.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyvNB_e5WJsQyOqkCqCBwITYKRHYYZWi-WkiASNYcU8_FqEJg48HpUSNtv5EKcV5j35EInsMoC9oTOaw6Sc9wGc5AvHXY3PAoLSJvScs_nXNVfUvQf1hufNqlI_SVxlRhAv5mAygAgAmB/s320/Entwined-Cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527608222015071698" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Title: Entwined</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Author: Heather Dixon</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Release Date: March 29, 2011</span><br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><span id="freeText7132028949641169487" style="" class="reviewText">Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forest every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father’s grief. What they don’t understand—although as time passes they begin to get an inkling of the danger they are in—is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Luckily, Azalea is brave and steadfast. Luckily, a handsome young army captain also has his eye on Azalea. . . . Lush, romantic, and compelling, this debut novel by Heather Dixon will thrill fans of Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley, and Edith Pattou.<br /><br />Description taken from Goodreads</span></blockquote><span id="freeText7132028949641169487" style="" class="reviewText"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> I love fairy tales, especially when they're retold in the form of a novel, so this book sounds right up my alley. The Twelve Dancing Princesses also happens to be one of my very favorites. I've already read </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Wildwood Dancing</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> by Juliet Marillier (which happens to be amazing, in case you're looking for a quick recommendation), so I want to see what perspective this author will take on the story.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme held by </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span><br /></span></span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-43425200179234051552010-10-10T10:23:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:18:45.998-08:00Review: Never Cry Werewolf<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBM1EYJZG0nhlnUVWbdMhvXCivWudXlZUaqokeYuDIQ3BuFynxQGBCHS5Od7I9EqysSYrkb74fiJba6zzzXDTZ5a15Rw6ne3e2_j9s0fcMgK8-1PA08TSHZAMgaRwSUfEMCAP2KAHHxBIF/s1600/Never+Cry+Werewolf.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBM1EYJZG0nhlnUVWbdMhvXCivWudXlZUaqokeYuDIQ3BuFynxQGBCHS5Od7I9EqysSYrkb74fiJba6zzzXDTZ5a15Rw6ne3e2_j9s0fcMgK8-1PA08TSHZAMgaRwSUfEMCAP2KAHHxBIF/s320/Never+Cry+Werewolf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526469957372270786" border="0" /></a><br /> <style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }span.reviewtext { }div.Section1 { page: Section1; TitlT</style><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >Title: Never Cry Werewolf</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >Author: Heather Davis</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >Pages: 224</span><br /> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family:georgia;"> <span class="reviewtext">“Shelby’s summer plans go totally awry when her horrible stepmother sends her off to “brat camp” as punishment for one too many broken curfews. Camp is full of spoiled rich kids, obnoxious counselors wanting Shelby to talk about her feelings, and a totally inhumane “no cell phones” policy. </span><br /><br /><span class="reviewtext">Things start looking up, though, when Shelby meets fellow camper (and son of a rock star) Austin Bridges III. But soon she realizes there’s more to Austin than crush material—his family has a dark secret, and he wants Shelby’s help guarding it. Shelby knows that bad boys get her into trouble…but who is she to turn her back on a guy in need, especially such a good-looking one?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="reviewtext"> Description taken from Goodreads</span></p></blockquote><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="reviewtext"></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="reviewtext"> I don’t know where to start with this one.<span style=""> </span>It just wasn't very good. I mean, normally when I dislike a book I can see some reason why it was published, even if I don’t necessarily agree with it. I didn’t like <i style="">Hush, Hush</i>, despite its tremendous popularity, but I can at least understand why other people enjoy it so much. Not so much with this book.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="reviewtext"> Lets talk about characters. Mainly, how I wanted to line them up and systematically punch every single one in the face. Shelby, the generic angst-riden teen, is nothing more than a whiney brat with no reason to hate the world as much as she does. Her –OMG- evil stepmother wants her to focus on her schoolwork and not stay out late at night? The abuse! Her father made Shelby move homes? Surely no child in history has had to deal with such trauma! The list goes on. Shelby is so annoying that it actually becomes painful to read about her. Usually when this happens there are side characters that carry my interest throughout the book. Not here. All the other campers are taken directly from bad afterschool specials, including the jerky son of a paparazzi photographer and the legions of stuck up girls who only care about their makeup. If you’re going to use stock characters in your book (which isn’t a bad thing, necessarily- Meg Cabot makes it work) you need to make them interesting.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="reviewtext"> You would hope that Austin Bridges, the love interest, would rise above this. In a way, his personality less obnoxious then his fellow cast members, but his dialogue is so ludicrous that, once again, it becomes painful to read. You see, Austin Bridges is –OMG- British. Apparently, this means that it is not physically possible for him to utter an entire sentence without at least two separate usages of British slang. Sound annoying? You better bloody believe it is, mate. </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="reviewtext"> The one thing I did like is the writing style Heather Davis employs. <i style="">Never Cry Werewolf </i>is a breezy, quick read. I don’t think it took me much longer than a couple of hours to go through it, and I’m a slow reader. However, some aspects of the plot were just too ridiculous to swallow. Mainly, Austin confiding his deep-dark-secret in Shelby less than 48 hours after meeting her. Yes, teen romances happen quickly, but <i style="">come on.</i> It was like the author got bored of writing and wanted to speed things up.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="reviewtext"> Overall, <i style="">Never Cry Werewolf</i> was a disappointment. Although it’s far from the worst book I’ve ever read, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone and will avoid this author in the future. If you’re looking for a werewolf romance try <i style="">Shiver</i>.</span></p> <p face="georgia" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="reviewtext"> 1.5/5 Stars</span></p>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-61322300653028929032010-09-06T11:35:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:18:58.099-08:00A quick update<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Some of you may have noticed that I haven't posted anything recently. The last couple of weeks have been a bit hectic for me since I was wrapping up my summer job and internship. Trying to relearn several hundred kanji hasn't helped things either. BUT. I am now back at school now and classes start tomorrow, so I'll be on a more defined schedule and able to update regularly again.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I also noticed that in my absence a couple of people actually gave me blog awards! That's super nice of you guys, and I'm really sorry that I haven't thanked you sooner. I'll be doing a *proper* thank you post soon, and spreading the awards around then.</span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-63023865808953047322010-08-19T20:48:00.001-07:002011-01-08T20:19:10.139-08:00Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-f4JV-lWlDQtMX-tAN6NdB4vbMNnnre9FFk2Aw39-5_2eDiLXZ-0anf3CNQEs2DL3R5UkC4jza7vM7YW7aO6uSbpIcbORJU6QF1c_0Llvz9ZHt4dqw1MpvmZuK_6wW6j53iz-DzizOKZ7/s1600/Jessica's+Guide+Cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-f4JV-lWlDQtMX-tAN6NdB4vbMNnnre9FFk2Aw39-5_2eDiLXZ-0anf3CNQEs2DL3R5UkC4jza7vM7YW7aO6uSbpIcbORJU6QF1c_0Llvz9ZHt4dqw1MpvmZuK_6wW6j53iz-DzizOKZ7/s320/Jessica's+Guide+Cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507334048902058194" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Title: <span style="font-style: italic;">Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Author: Beth Fantaskey</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pages: 384</span><br /><br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica’s Senior Year “get-a-life-plan".<br /><br />Enter a bizarre new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu who claims that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth and he’s her long-lost fiancé. He’s arrogant, officious, embarrassingly overprotective, and well, incredibly hot.<br /><br />Armed with a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health and Emotions, Jessica tries to imagine the transition from an average American teenager to a glam European vampire princess. But just when things tart to heat up with Lucius, a devious cheerleader sets her sights on him.<br /><br />Soon Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war- and save Lucius’s soul from eternal damnation. All of which leaves her to wonder: Wouldn’t life be easier if she could just fall for a nice mortal boy?”<br /><br />~description taken from jacket cover</blockquote><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For those of you skimming, I'll say it now: Go out and buy this book. I made the mistake of getting it from the library, and now I have to wait a few weeks to have my own copy. Do yourself a favor and get your own. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jessica, also called Antanasia, is one of the most appealing narrators I’ve ever encountered. She’s smart, honest, and most importantly, you really feel for her. When something goes right for Jessica, you cheer, and when something goes wrong you cry with her. I was entirely enthralled with the storyline, only putting it down when outside circumstances necessitated it. Even the ‘normal’ moments that weren’t especially climactic seemed it, simply because I was so interested in what happened to Jessica. This raw, emotional tie is incredibly difficult to pull off, and is what, in my opinion, truly makes a book great.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">However, Jessica isn’t the only reason I love this book. I also attribute it to Lucius (or Luscious, as I like to call him... terrible pun). Lucius is nowhere near a perfect hero, but he is perfect for Jessica. He makes plenty of rude remarks about the American farmland Jessica’s grown up in, but she refuses to take any smack and hands it right back to him. Even from their first encounter in Jessica’s barn, you can literally feel the chemistry popping in the air when she stabs him in the foot with a pitchfork.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Seems a bit extreme? Just wait until you experience Lucius- you’ll understand then (and yes, he isn’t just a character, but an experience). Some of his lines are hilarious but others make you want to punch him in the face. But after you do that you want to snuggle with him all night long. Basically, he’s irresistible. One of the few heroes who you know you’ll still be fantasizing about months after you flip the last page.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The bad with this book? I couldn’t find any hints towards a sequel. There’s a brief epilogue story on the author’s website that I’m saving for when I’ve had a terrible day. Other than that, I’m not sure if there’s any planned continuation. The only consolation is that the author has published another novel, <span style="font-style: italic;">Jekel Loves Hyde</span>, that I'll be picking up as soon as possible.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grade: 5/5 </span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-32848035053817667402010-08-18T20:52:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:19:23.554-08:00Waiting on Wednesday (2)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcazdLNzOeQruOLaEXb2PJeZaLNMaphdryPn4oCdANnJYmRM-18DwIPEqO1cLjoxZUQ71ZyyhGwvezBoP3qUWNwk7X-DZfSXEx8my3I8rjYazPcOtNWuOEjaSXJquHm9-bQm6P5y82xKc/s1600/Extraordinary+Cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 182px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcazdLNzOeQruOLaEXb2PJeZaLNMaphdryPn4oCdANnJYmRM-18DwIPEqO1cLjoxZUQ71ZyyhGwvezBoP3qUWNwk7X-DZfSXEx8my3I8rjYazPcOtNWuOEjaSXJquHm9-bQm6P5y82xKc/s320/Extraordinary+Cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506964202822358114" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Title: Extraordinary</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Author: Nancy Werlin</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Release Date: September 7, 2010</span><br /> <span style="display: none;" id="freeTextContainerbook7456034" class="reviewText"> Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7456034-extraordinary#" onclick="Element.show('freeTextbook7456034'); Element.hide('freeTextContainerbook7456034'); return false;">...more</a> </span> <span id="freeTextbook7456034" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="reviewText"><br /></span><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span id="freeTextbook7456034" style="" class="reviewText"><br />Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe, but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself. Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt.<br /><br />Generations ago, the faerie queen promised Pheobe's ancestor five extraordinary sons in exchange for the sacrifice of one ordinary female heir. But in hundreds of years there hasn't been a single ordinary girl in the family, and now the faeries are dying. Could Phoebe be the first ordinary one? Could she save the faeries, or is she special enough to save herself?</span></blockquote><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I think this one sounds really cool! Plus, the cover design is absolutely gorgeous, which always recommends a book to me. ;D</span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-32601680495463522582010-08-17T21:09:00.001-07:002012-09-29T08:21:04.370-07:00Master Review List<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 130%;">A</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/academy-7-by-anne-osterlund.html">Academy 7</a><br /><a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/review-across-great-barrier.html">Across the Great Barrier (Frontier Magic Book 2)</a></span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-artemis-fowl-atlantis-complex.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex</span></a><br />
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B<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">C</span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-clarity.html" style="color: black;">Clarity</a><br />
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D<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">E</span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-everlasting.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Everlasting</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">F</span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2010/12/review-forest-born.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Forest Born</span></a><br />
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G<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">H</span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/hush-hush-by-becca-fitzpatrick-for-nora.html"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Hush, Hush</span></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">I</span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-iron-king.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">The Iron King</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">J</span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-jessicas-guide-to-dating-on-dark.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side</span></a><br />
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K<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">L</span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2010/12/review-looking-for-alaska.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Looking for Alaska</span></a><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-lost-hero.html" style="color: black;">The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus Book 1)</a><br />
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M<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">N</span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2010/10/review-never-cry-werewolf.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Never Cry Werewolf</span></a><br />
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O<br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 130%;">P</span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/review-princess-ben-by-catherine.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Princess Ben</span></a><br />
Q<br />
R<br />
<div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">S</span></div>
<div>
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-sing-me-to-sleep.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Sing Me to Sleep</span></a></div>
<div>
<br />
T<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">U</span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/un-lun-dun-by-mieville.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Un Lun Dun</span></a><br />
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V<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">W</span><br />
<a href="http://eloiseandherbooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-wildthorn.html">Wildthorn</a><br />
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X<br />
Y<br />
Z</div>
Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-10427438102302569682010-08-14T10:42:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:20:03.032-08:00Read-a-Thon Update<center style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><a href="http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/2010/07/read-thon.html/"><img src="http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx153/mojo09226/Readathonbutton.jpg" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Technically the read-a-thon started yesterday, but I haven't had time to do an official starting post until now. Here's a pic I took of the books I want to finish this weekend:</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6zjxFUEhQix62G4ejZLk1yZ916XK0Td-d-XLRZX8uqaed1HEI8a2K6IknzloQGd2vyK38eSE795BRfZJ2gG1gNS8DBB5RefRLPEkfWr6gb1LYfWSvczSKJdK7yS7DSfBDt_T26CwZjdq/s1600/P1000333.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6zjxFUEhQix62G4ejZLk1yZ916XK0Td-d-XLRZX8uqaed1HEI8a2K6IknzloQGd2vyK38eSE795BRfZJ2gG1gNS8DBB5RefRLPEkfWr6gb1LYfWSvczSKJdK7yS7DSfBDt_T26CwZjdq/s320/P1000333.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505323174080370018" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Host by Stephenie Meyer</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Dracula by Bram Stoker</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I had started Dracula before the read-a-thon started, but haven't finished it. So, I won't count that one towards any contests, but I still want to get it under my belt. And btw, did you notice I said the word 'contests'? It's because there's quite a few going on. Check out the picture at the top of those post and enter the read-a-thon yourself. It's not too late!!!</span><br /></div></div>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-8670278114893544742010-08-12T21:07:00.001-07:002011-01-08T20:20:16.995-08:00Blog Hop & Follow Friday (3)<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It's Friday, which means it's time for my (usually) weekly Blog Hop/Follow Friday post! Both are great ways to find other book blogs out there so I recommend going to visit them and looking around. I'm quite serious- 99% of the blogs I follow I've found through these memes.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><a href="http://www.crazy-for-books.com/"><img src="http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt34/crazybookblog/cfbmemebutton-2.png" alt="Book Blogger Hop" height="150" width="150" /></a></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The weekly question for this is:<br />How many books do you have on your 'to be read' shelf?<br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA. adfkljashdfldk. Seriously? I'm going to go with well over a hundred. I can count of one hand the number of times I've visited a bookstore and haven't bought anything IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I'm also a library addict (it's like my own personal store!) so I usually don't get around to reading the books I've bought for a long time. So... I'm not going to try counting. It would take too long and just depress me. -_-</span><br /><br /><center style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://www.parajunkee.com/search/label/FF" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4710921228_bf32d46f6d_o.png" border="0" /></a></center><br /></span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-69636501632860825182010-08-12T20:42:00.001-07:002011-01-08T20:20:29.937-08:00Review: Everlasting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXTxCmOI0Wb_Peu14m7inspjwEjHRNFAzr3-Sk-j2DasPg81UZefWx3qSw19fkHoFIkg-66MNOLvJcsNC_pw4VPuh8Gbj4bcrc6-yRl0a1E7oGQzwsihZ16lNcasZ5FExvGLFCMBUQeQy/s1600/Everlasting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXTxCmOI0Wb_Peu14m7inspjwEjHRNFAzr3-Sk-j2DasPg81UZefWx3qSw19fkHoFIkg-66MNOLvJcsNC_pw4VPuh8Gbj4bcrc6-yRl0a1E7oGQzwsihZ16lNcasZ5FExvGLFCMBUQeQy/s320/Everlasting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504734949246596418" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Title: Everlasting</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Author: Angie Frazier</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pages: 329</span><br /><br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: Marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.<br /><br />On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous –and alluring- magic.<br /><br />The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who –and what- matters most.”<br /><br />~description taken from book jacket<br /></blockquote><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Everlasting</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> is an example of one of those books that are perfectly nice and enjoyable, but overall lack that intangible “it factor” that makes it memorable.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Camille, the heroine, is fun to read about, but just doesn’t stand out from the hoards of other YA protagonists. It’s not that she’s annoying or I had any problems with her- she was just generic, making it nearly impossible to empathize with her. The same can be said for Oscar, the man she loves. He’s perfectly nice and attractive, but forgettable. I only finished </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Everlasting</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> last night, but I’m already having difficulty trying to scrounge up details about his personality. Because I can’t bring myself to care about either of the two, the romantic aspect of the book (which is quite large) falls flat.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Another problem I have regarding characters is Ira- the ‘funny sidekick’ as China Mieville would put it. He is by far my favorite in the novel, but is eerily similar to Captain Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean. I don’t want to throw around the word plagiarism lightly, but there are enough similarities between the two to be concerned about. They’re both criminals, have an affinity for wenches, mention alcohol –specifically rum- multiple times, use the exact same wording and phrases, and overall possess the same general attitude. The only real difference is that Ira isn’t as developed as thoroughly.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Similar to how the romance feels lackluster, the plot is equally unenthralling for the same reason: I couldn’t care about the characters and therefore couldn’t be concerned about what happened to them. This is a bit sad since the events of the novel are actually put together quite well- everything works and remains within the suspense of disbelief. It’s for this reason that I’m annoyed at the unsubtle hints of a sequel near the ending. I think it would be more beneficial for Miss. Frazier to drop the characters, take it as a loss and move onto a different storyline. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ultimately, there’s not much that’s technically wrong with </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Everlasting</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, but there’s not much right about it either. It is a fun, light read and I did finish it to the end. However, I cannot actively recommend it since there are so many other, better books out there. One example is Juliet Marillier’s </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Cybele’s Secret</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. It also features a seafaring romance and a search for a magical artifact, but features that ever illusive “it factor”. I’d recommend picking that up instead of Everlasting.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grade: 3/5</span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-50345787439871568022010-08-11T15:26:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:20:45.653-08:00Read-a-thon This Weekend<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS POST.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This weekend I'll be participating in my first ever read-a-thon! With hyphens and everything! It's being hosted by the Bibliophilic Book Blog, and you can check it out by clicking on the picture</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">RIGHT HERE!!!<br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><center><a href="http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/2010/07/read-thon.html/"><img src="http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx153/mojo09226/Readathonbutton.jpg" border="0" /></a></center></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It takes place starting this Friday at 9 AM and ends the following Monday at 9AM. The theme is to read books you already own, so no cheating with library books! This will be especially good for me because I've had a backlog of books going since middle school...</span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-29779514586540011982010-08-11T10:22:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:20:59.457-08:00Waiting on Wednesday (1)<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In case you haven't heard of it, Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme held by Jill at </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. It's where you get to talk about what upcoming books you're absolutely pumped for and spread the word around to other people. Here's what I want to read:</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugdBmR1Yo7grvN5npNa5StqMal588oCD_ZIQlI_mcR_TN-3faKblAKkiIy10ZrdzXVd7JmiwNo427Lj6RA-UeXO91joaaG4f7iz6qjrnxYQm7MDu80TpzSVYRzsPbu7nRQi0TMMbd6vJb/s1600/Nevermore-cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugdBmR1Yo7grvN5npNa5StqMal588oCD_ZIQlI_mcR_TN-3faKblAKkiIy10ZrdzXVd7JmiwNo427Lj6RA-UeXO91joaaG4f7iz6qjrnxYQm7MDu80TpzSVYRzsPbu7nRQi0TMMbd6vJb/s320/Nevermore-cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504204881975347186" border="0" /></a><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Title: Nevermore<br />Author: Kelly Creagh<br />Release Date: 8/31/2010<br /><br />Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.<br /><span id="freeTextbook7129598" style="" class="reviewText"><br />Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.<br /><br />As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.<br /><br />His life depends on it.<br /><br />~description taken from goodreads</span></blockquote><span id="freeTextbook7129598" style="" class="reviewText"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This book probably wouldn't have caught my eye normally, but I've seen a bunch of other blogs raving about it. From what I can tell it doesn't seem like the average 'herp derp- I'm gonna write aboot high school stereotypes' book. I guess I'll just have to read it to make sure. >: )</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQGccBpk1Wb3VB9gpm60KLtPogKPzrbNrcMuZWeytiBTPQ_qvfTJV-2FX8RoByHNks-XmMYCw5li8cKwTu6MmcqWLpiTYgAQNghEucHvE85N1vFCu9tmVXOvMLtmLPQNxrIpXMBQnmzYg/s1600/Jane-Cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQGccBpk1Wb3VB9gpm60KLtPogKPzrbNrcMuZWeytiBTPQ_qvfTJV-2FX8RoByHNks-XmMYCw5li8cKwTu6MmcqWLpiTYgAQNghEucHvE85N1vFCu9tmVXOvMLtmLPQNxrIpXMBQnmzYg/s320/Jane-Cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504206603532604466" border="0" /></a><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Title: Jane<br />Author: April Lindner<br />Release Date: 11/11/2010<br /><br /><span id="freeTextbook7826117" style="" class="reviewText">Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, an iconic rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer, and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is tested by a torturous secret from his past.<br /><br />Part irresistible romance and part darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic <em>Jane Eyre</em> promises to enchant a new generation of readers.<br /><br />~description taken from goodreads<br /></span></blockquote><span id="freeTextbook7826117" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="reviewText"><br /><br />I'm a <span style="font-style: italic;">Jane Eyre</span> lover, so I'm really, REALLY looking forward to this one. Luckily it comes out during Columbus Day weekend so I can pick it up and have time to read it then!</span><br /><br /></span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-84737526410785817372010-08-10T18:00:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:21:17.670-08:00Review: The Iron King<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLWbDn9b37_Oqrz5Z93AgCa4JApikN_8HJYpRB1SsREXWUvLMPpaoD_Ovc7GnFTVaj8kCRT9PR4yT23bX411yoV1meZIZFkYZic-C1RG3UgEhLJctHNZ2F8lvJxi9yx_k65ZCfTnDxGJu/s1600/The+Iron+King.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLWbDn9b37_Oqrz5Z93AgCa4JApikN_8HJYpRB1SsREXWUvLMPpaoD_Ovc7GnFTVaj8kCRT9PR4yT23bX411yoV1meZIZFkYZic-C1RG3UgEhLJctHNZ2F8lvJxi9yx_k65ZCfTnDxGJu/s320/The+Iron+King.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503951081749427666" border="0" /></a><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Title: The Iron King<br />Author: Julie Kagawa<br />Pages: 363<br /><br />“Meghan Chase has a secret destiny- one she could never have imagined...<br /><br />Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school... or at home.<br /><br />When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan sense that everything she’s known is about to change.<br /><br />But she could never have guessed the truth- that she is the daughter of the mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face... and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.”</blockquote><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">~description taken from the back of the book</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I’m glad I waited for The Iron Daughter to come out before I picked up The Iron King. Not to be overdramatic, but I think I’d die of anticipation otherwise.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Iron King</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> is Julie Kagawa’s first novel, but it doesn’t read like it. The plot is seamless and runs at an incredibly smooth pace. It doesn’t rush at the climax like other books do (especially debuts), and there are no dragging points, even at the beginning. It’s just written really, really well. My only peeve was that Kagawa isn’t subtle with her foreshadowing. By the tenth time she’s mentioned Meghan’s iPod you already know that it’s going to be important somehow. However, this is really minor and didn’t affect my enjoyment of the novel at all.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">But onto more important things like –cue drumroll- THE ROMANCE. Since The Iron King is published under Harlequin Teen, you know that there’s going to be some steamy action, even if it’s not as scandalous as what’s present in the adult imprint. Now, normally I’m a bit of a hard-ass when it comes to judging romantic interests in YA series. I’m enough of a feminist that I get infuriated when the female characters suddenly lose all semblance of a personality when they enter a relationship but I do enjoy a well thought out ‘bad boy’. </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Iron King</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> strikes a perfect balance between the two.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ash, the winter prince described on the book jacket, is overbearing and pompous. There are certain times when I want to step in and smack him hard, or at least have Meghan do so. Yet, despite these obvious deficiencies he’s still really appealing! The problem is, so is Puck, Meghan’s friend from childhood. Although Meghan seems to have made her choice between the two bachelors, there are two books left so the decision is far from set in stone. Personally, I’m Team Puck. ;D</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Overall: Make sure you have a copy of </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Iron Daughter</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> ready for when you finish this.Whether you’re reading for the faery war plot, the romance, or the desire to see Meghan develop more of her powers and kick some butt, you’ll want to have the next volume on hand.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grade: 5/5</span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-84490777136728380932010-08-09T17:44:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:21:35.033-08:00Fun Ranting Times<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">So, I've seen </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/books/review/Paul-t.html?_r=1&nl=books&emc=booksupdateemb3">this link</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> floating around several other YA blogs recently. Although I've developed an aversion to the New York Times because of its inability to report from an unbiased standpoint, I eventually decided to click and see what the fuss was about. Basically, it talks about how many adults now choose to read YA books in their free time rather than adult literature.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I've always thought of myself as an anomaly in this area- when I was in High School all my friends had already left YA lit behind in middle school, so I thought I was too old for it, even though I was technically still in the target age group. It wasn't until I discovered the book blogging universe that I realized there were other adults out there who choose to read YA not for their jobs, but for pleasure. It makes this quote</span><br /><br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">According to surveys by the Codex Group, a consultant to the publishing industry, 47 percent of 18- to 24-year-old women and 24 percent of same-aged men say most of the books they buy are classified as young adult. The percentage of female Y.A. fans between the ages of 25 and 44 has nearly doubled in the past four years. Today, nearly one in five 35- to 44-year-olds say they most frequently buy Y.A. books. For themselves.</blockquote><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">all the more interesting. Where are these masses of 18-24 year olds reading YA lit? I'm in that group and I don't see my peers checking out that section of Barnes&Noble or any of the other bookstores in my town. When I'm riding the bus or subway I don't see other people perusing The Hunger Games. If the aforementioned numbers are actually accurate why can't I find a physical interest in YA, not just one on the internet?</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkUgmP_aaqeSfgWOFa7z0aEgfkzoJckpTgQGKRljxyGxfayCQOB-_3Nq0RrO_nvvqbIpjI1qNv048nJgHgaGryNGkhXgr-YNdOctKkgIbnlKDbL9cKPqAndURz8Aaa8vcZrz1Rk4pHPCg/s1600/Paul-articleInline.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkUgmP_aaqeSfgWOFa7z0aEgfkzoJckpTgQGKRljxyGxfayCQOB-_3Nq0RrO_nvvqbIpjI1qNv048nJgHgaGryNGkhXgr-YNdOctKkgIbnlKDbL9cKPqAndURz8Aaa8vcZrz1Rk4pHPCg/s320/Paul-articleInline.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503586976079336098" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">My theory is that people are just too embarrassed to admit it, which the article touches on as well. Once in my Victorian Lit class we were talking about sensationalist novels and what the modern equivalents would be. Most people agreed that the most derided genres today are romance, sci-fi and YA, since they're all "aimed at people who are just reading for enjoyment rather than any wish to think". If this is the stigma that's attached to YA novels, why -would- adults admit to reading them? It's much more respectable to be seen reading the latest bestselling trade paperback. Save everything else for before you go to bed at night, when nobody's watching.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I'm rambling.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">What I -INTENDED- to talk about is why I, personally, choose to read YA over books aimed at me. It's simple: I think they're more enjoyable. I like the characters more, the plots are more imaginitive and there's just more "entertainment value". If I'm reading for myself, that's what I'm going to go for, not some random novel about a depressed janitor going through his mid life crisis.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">However, I also study literature and plan on being a librarian. I really love reading the classics and other 'thinking' books. The thing with me is, if it's literature but not a classic, I don't make time for it. There are so many universally acclaimed books still being printed after 200+ years that I don't want to spend my time reading a piece of adult lit that came out two years ago and everyone will have forgotten about in ten. If someone genuinely enjoys adult lit like I loves me my YA that's an entirely different story. But to say that one is more literary than the other? No. They'll pretty much ALL be out of print sooner or later.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">To sum up, I have the same general attitude as the esteemed individual Eric Cartman.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"Whateva, whateva, I read what I want!"<br /><br /></div><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn77Pxdulv4iqx_iTRCOZKbfniAgYbh9jULkU_v2DEq8icj3KbYw-1dXf4LvQdPKViNwv0UB1G-RWFxLFeq169ARBQ3-LmQYi_le6SLOmTKDlgc0PEhfHTGk46AoWo0_XTr-qJP-TqPgcN/s1600/eric-cartman-240.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn77Pxdulv4iqx_iTRCOZKbfniAgYbh9jULkU_v2DEq8icj3KbYw-1dXf4LvQdPKViNwv0UB1G-RWFxLFeq169ARBQ3-LmQYi_le6SLOmTKDlgc0PEhfHTGk46AoWo0_XTr-qJP-TqPgcN/s320/eric-cartman-240.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503587369557067186" border="0" /></a>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-36755092670097996542010-08-08T17:23:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:21:58.741-08:00In My Mailbox (2)<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >In My Mailbox is a meme held by </span><a style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/">The Story Siren</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >. It's where you list all the books you've received through the mail, or got in general. For me it's just ones that I've bought or have borrowed from the library.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I haven't done this in a few weeks, so I have a lot to list! Also, I found the USB cord for my mommy's camera so I have pictures, too! </span><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" >Purchased</span><br /></div><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf35nGLtrU0TwWYj3GnOZY0icYVsJHZGfFj0DW79G5gO43L4u5RLRhydiC9op3inFNQlI5_EhW2zRQaviOJXoQk_yyp3_3ZlRJvw3ois8pWuxYpqKrqQiL-K6PvX3LUtSUHFitvwGhyOms/s1600/Bought.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf35nGLtrU0TwWYj3GnOZY0icYVsJHZGfFj0DW79G5gO43L4u5RLRhydiC9op3inFNQlI5_EhW2zRQaviOJXoQk_yyp3_3ZlRJvw3ois8pWuxYpqKrqQiL-K6PvX3LUtSUHFitvwGhyOms/s320/Bought.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503200223079974050" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce<br />Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis (bargain book on amazon!)<br />The Morganville Vampires Volume 1 & 2 by Rachel Caine<br />Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead<br />The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa<br />Glimmerglass by Jenna Black<br />Stardust by Neil Gaiman<br />The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Manga Purchased</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7No1QsfkJnxr_nQHzcjlB7IVEADM-8q95g9v_oXz_UL0x4_bWfiP3KJ3t2FcKGZeDyi5GkiH4wX1pnYndhkgUReYNjZ593xS8MDy7a2gKernp71tfUWFz1F71wu6tZlWYHTTB7CLB5CO/s1600/Manga.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7No1QsfkJnxr_nQHzcjlB7IVEADM-8q95g9v_oXz_UL0x4_bWfiP3KJ3t2FcKGZeDyi5GkiH4wX1pnYndhkgUReYNjZ593xS8MDy7a2gKernp71tfUWFz1F71wu6tZlWYHTTB7CLB5CO/s320/Manga.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503201125199080162" border="0" /></a>B.O.D.Y Volumes 4-6<br />Honey Hunt Volumes 2-3<br />Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Post Card Book (not reading material, but I still wanted to post it!)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">From the Library</span><br /></div><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijICkQw5vTi42P1ayOlE1pc_7G_7JMlCNhWl_x5EmJW1RT9JtrukvBFafM81hA75CeGdBgGXncjdIekqxrVBS02M8m6jU8DbaKEsadDsUwRFma6Cs4t_JlsCDufj6IoaTLfoFQG4-3gN82/s1600/Library.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijICkQw5vTi42P1ayOlE1pc_7G_7JMlCNhWl_x5EmJW1RT9JtrukvBFafM81hA75CeGdBgGXncjdIekqxrVBS02M8m6jU8DbaKEsadDsUwRFma6Cs4t_JlsCDufj6IoaTLfoFQG4-3gN82/s320/Library.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503201492143318578" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Everlasting by Angie Frazier<br />Siren by Tricia Rayburn<br />Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman<br />Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson<br />Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon<br />Sunshine by Robin McKinley<br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">13 to Life by Shannon Delany</span><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A good number of these are either vampire or werewolf books, so you can tell I'm going through Twilight withdrawal. Right now I'm trying to locate a replacement series, so if you have any suggestions please tell me!</span><br /><br /><br /></span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226521150888391046.post-2325168409931877312010-08-07T16:03:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:22:13.454-08:00Review: Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQ37pfJVyynvRVj1qrkt97M1FowbN6EZeK6Lx9DM5R1Z-tBFQqR2T2cLRAETxdggVEPoqnzfKJfqbpG21B7Ik8vtQD-8xI6rONCNp39xRMHUFU3I6tKIGQMAEi0dOYb38gCnLF0ujbJbi/s1600/COVER-Atlantis+Complex.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQ37pfJVyynvRVj1qrkt97M1FowbN6EZeK6Lx9DM5R1Z-tBFQqR2T2cLRAETxdggVEPoqnzfKJfqbpG21B7Ik8vtQD-8xI6rONCNp39xRMHUFU3I6tKIGQMAEi0dOYb38gCnLF0ujbJbi/s320/COVER-Atlantis+Complex.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502807777197845218" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex<br />Eoin Colfer<br /></span><br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? This goodness taken hold of the world’s greatest teenage criminal mastermind?<br /><br /><br />Captain Holly Short is unconvinced and discovers that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common in guilt-ridden fairies, not humans, and most likely triggered in Artemis by his dabbling in fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing confessions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy.<br /><br /><br />Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time, A deadly foe from Holly’s past is intent on destroying the actual city if Atlantis, Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind- and the grips of a giant squid- in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants?”</blockquote><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">~Description taken from jacket cover</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I’ve been reading the Artemis Fowl books since the first one was published a decade ago. Its one of the select few childhood series I’m determined to see through to the end, proving that it isn’t limited to the age 9-12 audience. Given this background, I’ve been waiting anxiously for The Atlantis Complex since I heard it was coming out six months ago. It’s because of this build up of excitement that made me so disappointed in this installment, and makes this review somewhat painful to write.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">One of the many reasons I’m completely enamored with Eoin Colfer as a writer is because of his superior sense of pacing and suspense. In previous books, he’s put Artemis and Holly in such desperate situations that, even though you know in the back of your mind they’ll survive, you still can’t put the book down. Half of this is because the passages are so well-written, and the other half is waiting to see how Artemis will figure a way out of the bind. There’s no comparable scenario in The Atlantis Complex. For instance, the book jacket mentions a scene in which a giant squid takes hold of Artemis, promising to be an enthralling bit. In reality, it’s short, poorly executed, and Artemis is rescued by a deus-ex-machina rather than one of his own plans. All I could think was “Colfer’s done this before and he’s done it better.”</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">However, this plot rehashing is most annoying when he places in a random character death in the first fifty pages and parallels it to Commander Root’s. When Root was killed in The Opal Deception I actually cried, which rarely happens when I read a book. The death in The Atlantis Complex, on the other hand, seemed random and included solely out of convenience or that he didn’t know what to do with the character. I find this so perturbing because Colfer has proven himself to be a better author than to have to rely on such an amateur trick as this.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This isn’t to say that there was nothing redeeming about The Atlantis Complex. Orion, Artemis’ ‘other’ personality, is one of my favorite characters simply because he’s so ridiculous. He incessantly professes his love to Holly, much to Artemis’ chagrin and can’t stop citing romantic poetry. He’s also, in my opinion, the center of one of the best comic moments in the series (it involves the mention of a birthmark, but I won’t say more than that). I’d really like him to show up in the next book, if possible.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">There’s a huge amount of unsubtle hints to the next, and reportedly last, book in the series. Mostly, the constant references to Opal Koboi, but also the tense romance between Holly and Artemis. It makes me wish that Colfer had skipped over The Atlantis Complex entirely, and just written one final, excellent book. It would have fit in better with an otherwise stellar series.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grade: 3/5 Stars</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Note: Although this review is harsh, I remain by my opinion that Eoin Colfer is an amazing author. Including The Atlantis Complex I’ve read eleven books by him, and this is the only one I wouldn’t highly recommend.</span>Eloisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638474980436956374noreply@blogger.com2