Not Quite What I Was Planning

Not Quite What I Was Planning

Six Word Memoirs

By: The Famous and Obscure

HarperCollins

$16.99 U.S. (Hardcover)

FTC: I borrowed this book from the library.

What?

In six words life story told.

My Thoughts:

Sadly, I cannot review this book in only six words. I love reading books like these. It is always so ineresting seeing what people have to say about their lives when they only have six words to sum it up. The book was filled with stories, of triumph, heartbreak, sickness, wealth, and every other thing imaginable. I felt myself smile while I red this book, because it was just fun!

Recommendations: Anyone who can read...

Age: 13 and up

Grade: A

Dancing In My Nuddy-Pants

Dancing In My Nuddy-Pants

Louise Rennison

HarperTeens

$8.99 U.S.

FTC: I purchased this book.

Synopsis from the back of the book:

Georgia thought she had put her "red-bottomosity" to rest when she finally chose Robbie the Sex God over Dave the Laugh. Anyway, Dave the Laugh is now dating her friend Ellen (which didn't stop Georgia from snogging him at a party. . .).

But when Dave breaks up with Ellen and the Sex God is never around, Georgia doesn't know what to do! As always, in Georgia's life, nothing ever turns out as planned.

My Thoughts:

Oh Georgia. She is up to it again. Shennanigans are never far when she is around. I absolutely am in love with these books. They are so muh fun, and Louise Rennison's sense of humor makes me want to die sometimes. In this book we delve deeper into Georgia's relationship with Robbie and her desire for Dave. We also witness the birth of Angus's babies. Mischief is always around the corner for these two and that is no different in this story. I liked that Rosie became a bigger part in this story. Jas was starting to get annoying, and she is just not a good friend.Rosie and SVen bring more drama and laughs to the book.

Recommendations: Anyone wanting a good laugh

Grade: A

Age: 13 and up

Quotes: "'Non . . . I am DANCING IN MY NUDDY-PANTS!!!'" And we both laughed like loons on loon tablets. ~Georgia

Let It Snow

Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances

John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle

Penguin Group

$9.99 U.S.

FTC: I purchased this book.

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

The weather outside is frightful, but these stories are delightful! When a huge blizzard (that doesn't show signs of stopping) hits, Gracetown is completely snowed in. But even though it's cold outside, things are heating up inside, proving that the holiday season is magical when it comes to love. In three wonderfully (and hilariously!) interconnected tales, YA stars John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson create a must-have collection that captures all the spirit of the holiday season.

My Thoghts:

Love! I read this right before Christmas and it was just perfect. I bought this book because I needed a winter story to curl up and read next to fire. If that is what you are looking for than this is the right book. I absolutely love that the stories were all connected. It was exciting to see three different parts of the story work together as well as see it from the point of view from three different characters. I think each author added their own individual flair to their stories which made you feel intrigued, it also made you want to keep reading to see if more would happen. I think that the three short stories were masterfully tailored together to create on amazing snow time novel. The ending was perfect, and I was so excited that i decided to pick this book up.

Recommendations: Anyon looking for a winter read.

Grade: A

Age: 13 and up

Quotes:

"There is nothing about a bad situation that four hyper cheerleaders can't worsen." ~Jubilee, The Jubilee Express-Maureen johnson

"The middle is never the end, though." ~Tobin, A Cheertasric Miracle-John Green

"The new me, however, was not a whimperer." ~Addie, The Patron Saint of Pigs-Lauren Myracle

What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know

What My Girlfirend Doesn't Know

Sonya Sones

Simon Pulse

$7.99 U.S.

FTC: I borrowed this book from a friend. They did not receive it from a publisher.

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

My name is Robin. This book is about me. It tells the story of what happens when after almost 15 pathetic years of loserdom, the girl of my dreams finally falls for me. That seems like it would be a good thing, right? Only it turns out to be a lot more complicated than that Because I'm not gonna lie to you -- there are naked women involved. Four of them, to be exact. Though not in the way you might think. Don't get me wrong -- my girlfriend's amazing. But the way things have been going lately, I'm starting to believe that the only thing worse than not getting what you want, is getting it.

My Thoughts:

I found myself getting frustrated while I read this book. While I did like parts of it, most of it made me angry. I could not quite relate to the characters, it may have been age or just their general lack of personality. Robin had a ahrd time owning up to who he was, even if he tried portraying differently. His relationship with Sophie was just a disaster. I think that when two people only rely on eachother it is destined to end poorly, as happened in the book. The book was by far not the worst thing I read, it was just not what I expected. I remember reading Sophie's story in What My Mother Doesnt Know a long time ago and loving it, so maybe there was just to much time in between. Since the book was in verse I was able to read it quickly and I think that helped keep my attention.

Recommendation: Anyone who has fel their relationship is forbidden

Grade: B-

Age: 13 and up

Quote: "Still, it's a relief to be together when no one else is around." - Robin

Knocked out by my Nunga-Nungas

Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas

Louise Rennison

HarperCollins Publishers

$8.99 U.S.

FTC: I purchased this book, I did not receive it from a publisher.

Synopsis from the back of the book:

Georgia Nicolson is now the girlfriend of the Sex God (aka Robbie), and things are now wonderful. Except her loony parents are dragging her off to Och Aye land (aka Scotland), and the Sex God's band's chance at a record contract has left her something of a "pop widow."

The up rears temptation in the form of old flame Dave the Laugh. Is Georgia about to become a shameless vixen?

My Thoughts:

I am a huge fan of the Georgia Nicolson series. I find myself laughing out loud as I read them quite often. The books are light hearted and just plain fun to read. They also are a laugh. In tyhe third book of this series Georgia's love for the Sex God is tried as she is carted off to Scotland with her loony family. I think we begin to see more of Georgia's personality in this book. She begins to exprience rough situations and a connection to Dave the Laugh that could ruin everything with the Sex God. I love the characters. They all interact in a way that lacks words, but mostly consists of me laughing. I enjoyed going on another fun escapade with Georgia in this novel. I think another big plus to this book is the fact that it is British humor. It is very different but also quite entertaining. There is also a dictionary in the back which about makes me die when I look at it.

My Recommendations: Anyone in for a laugh

Grade: A

Age: 13 and up

Quotes: Then I told her about the Jock McThick fandango. She said, "Erlack a pongoes. Did you encourage him? Maybe you gave out the wrong signals." -Jas

"Jas, I was not in the nuddy-pants."-Georgia

Viola In Reel Life

For my first review for the new year and my new blog I am going to review Viola In Reel Life!!!

Viola In Reel Life

Adriana Trgiani

Harper Teen

$16.99 U.S. (Hardcover)

FTC: I borrowed this boook from my friend who recevied it from a publisher. I promise to give an honest review and will not be receving compensation.

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

I'm marooned.
Abandoned.
Left to rot in boarding school . . .
Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at an all-girls school in South Bend, Indiana, far, far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York. Now Viola is stuck for a whole year in the sherbet-colored sweater capital of the world.
Ick.
There's no way Viola's going to survive the year—especially since she has to replace her best friend Andrew with three new roommates who, disturbingly, actually seem to like it there. She resorts to viewing the world (and hiding) behind the lens of her video camera.
Boarding school, though, and her roommates and even the Midwest are nothing like she thought they would be, and soon Viola realizes she may be in for the most incredible year of her life.
But first she has to put the camera down and let the world in.

My Thoughts:

I found this book to be enjoyable. It is not something that I would have picked up to read normally. I think that Viola was generally a likeable character. As a reader I was able to sympathize for her and her situation of being left at boarding school, and her quest to fit in. I think that Adriana Trigiani did a good job on creating characters who were very unique but were also relateable to the readers and to eachother. I enjoyed reading about the interactions between Viola and her roommates, they were very practical and things that anyone could experience. The plot was simple, yet well mastered and contained surprises ocassionally that made the reader want more. All in all this was a good book, but it was not typically my style.

Recommendation: Girls 13-17 it relates to the awkward stage that we all go through

Grade: A

Age: 13 and up

Quote: "I just became a full-fledged teenager with an actual life, but the world has changed." ~ Viola

The A-List

The A-List

Zoey Dean

Little Brown Books

$9.99 U.S.

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

Welcome to The A-List, a wickedly funny and risqué paperback original novel that takes readers behind the scenes of the intoxicating world of Hollywood glitterati. Seventeen-year-old Upper East Side blueblood Anna ("pronounced Aaaanah") Percy is on her way to Beverly Hills, California, where she'll live with her estranged dad for the rest of the school year while her mother travels to Europe with a friend. On the plane, Anna drinks too much champagne and gets hit on by record producer Rick Resnick. Luckily Princeton student Ben Birnbaum is there to save her and he invites Anna to famous actor Jackson Sharpe's wedding, where Anna meets the cast of rich and famous characters who are soon to be her classmates at Beverly Hills High.
The fast times of Beverly Hill's most beautiful and glamorous people drive the page-turning action of this juicy new novel.

My Thoughts:

I took a break from my New York drama and came back to the west coast in this book. This was another book that I never planned on reading but I must say I am glad I did. The story has the same sort of a feeling as Gossip girl, but it is completelydifferent and entertaining in it's own way. The story is fun, flirty, and enthralling. I loved the new setting of Beverley Hills. I also enjoyed the characters in this book. Anna was smart, which was an amazing change. She had a good head on her shoulders. I am excited to continue on in this series. I find it entertaining and again am sucked into the lives of these characters!!

Recommendation: Anyone who enjoyed gossip girl!

Grade: A

Age: 13 and up

Prada and Prejudice

Prada and Prejudice

Mandy Hubbard

Penguin Books

$8.99 U.S.

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

To impress the popular girls on a high school trip to London, klutzy Callie buys real Prada heels. But trying them on, she trips...conks her head...and wakes up in the year 1815!
There Callie meets Emily, who takes her in, mistaking her for a long-lost friend. As she spends time with Emily's family, Callie warms to them—particularly to Emily's cousin Alex, a hottie and a duke, if a tad arrogant.
But can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, and win Alex's heart, before her time in the past is up?
More Cabot than Ibbotson, Prada and Prejudice is a high-concept romantic comedy about finding friendship and love in the past in order to have happiness in the present.

My Thoughts:

This book was adorable! I absolutely loved it. It was the erfect combination Jane Austen and the 21st century. I love Callie she was an amazing character. Her spunk was so evident and fun. She had so much life. This was Mandy Hubbard's first novel it holds promise for more great work to come. I loved being able to follow Callie as she grew into herself, and her Prada shoes. The setting was amazing. I loved being taken back into 19th century England. Hubbard did an amazing job of making you feel like you were actually there. I also loved Alex. His charm reminded me of Gavin from The Seasons. I could actually see him, when I read his name. This book was astounding!

Recommendations:

Anyone looking for a more modern take on Jane Austen's world.

Grade: A

Age: 13 and up

The Reformed Vampire Support Group

The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Catherine Jinks

Harcourt

$17.00 U.S. (Hardcover)

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

Think vampires are romantic, sexy, and powerful? Think again. Vampires are dead. And unless they want to end up staked, they have to give up fanging people, admit their addiction, join a support group, and reform themselves.Nina Harrison, fanged at fifteen and still living with her mother, hates the Reformed Vampire Support Group meetings every Tuesday night. Even if she does appreciate Dave, who was in a punk band when he was alive, nothing exciting ever happens. That is, until one of group members is mysteriously destroyed by a silver bullet. With Nina (determined to prove that vamps aren't useless or weak) and Dave (secretly in love with Nina) at the helm, the misfit vampires soon band together to track down the hunter, save a werewolf, and keep the world safe from the likes of themselves.The perfect anecdote to slick vampire novels, this murder-mystery comedy of errors will thrill fans of Evil Genius.

My Thoughts:

I was really excited when I bought this book. I figured it would be another fun, exciting vampire book. I was wrong. This book was not very exciting, I had a hard time keeping focus while reading it. The Vampires in this book were very different than the ones found in Twilight and Evernight. The vampires were sickly and boring. They seemed to constantly have the flu and were only awake during the day. I had a hard time with the characters because there were so many of them it often became hard to keep track of who was who. The plot also left room for the imagination. Not a whole lot went on, because the vampires were only doing things during the evening. I was disappointed by this book. It was not as good as I would have hoped.

Recommendation:

Someone who wants to read about vampires but not the heroic ones.

Grade: C

Age: 13 and up

Speak

Speak

Laurie Halse Anderson

Penguin Group

$10.99 U.S. (Special Edition)

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

My Thoughts:

This book was good, but I think all the hype about it made me enjoy it a little less.

Anderson does incredible research before she writes her books. She is able to provide extreme depth to her characters that sometimes seems unreal. I enjoyed reading this book, but it was again not what I expected. The plot flowed well, and the way the book was split up also worked well. I think the characters were written well, but I hoped for more involvement out of some of them. I found myself frustrated with some of the outcomes in this book, I wished for a happier ending. I think that this book is one that every girl should read, but probably at a younger age.

Recommendation:

Every girl at sometime in her life.

Grade: A -

Age: 13 and up

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets Six-Word Memoirs

Teens Famous and Obscure

Harperteen

$8.99 U.S.

(Release date is in September)

Brief Synopsis by me:

There is not much to describe this book. It lets normal everyday teens tell their life story in six-words. They range from love, loss, and even disease.

My Thoughts:

Super quick read, completely wortyh reading! It is amazing the insight you can receive from someone in only six words. I was impressed by many of these memoirs and even wrote a couple down. It was interesting to hear the stories of normal teenagers and how they would describe themselves.

Recommendation:

Everyone needs to read this book. It only takes about an hour but you will be better for it.

Grade: A

Age: Barnes and Noble said 12 and up, but since this book was made by teens I would say 13 and up

Extras:

Six Words Can Not Define Me!

The Awakening

The Awakening

Kelley Armstrong

Harperteen

$17.99 U.S. (Hardcover)

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.
Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

My Thoughts:

I think this book picks up perfectly where the other left off. I was again entertained by this book as well as compelled to read it in the span of anout 7 hours. Again this book only spans about a week, but enough action takes place to last the normal individual close to a month. I enjoyed this more than The Summoning becaise the relationships of he characters began to grow and the came to rely on eachother more. Chloe and her friends are on the run from The Edison Group in search of Simon and Derek's dad.ALong with the biys and Tori, Chloe is able to still find trouble. The Awakening allows the reader to step out of their life and see what truly would happen if one day they woke up with powers. This book is a great follow up to The Summoning and made me want more.

Recommendations:

Obviously anyone who read The Summoning will need to read this.

Grade: A

Extras: There is no release date for the third, and if I am correct final, Dasrkest Power book, it is entitled The Reckoning so keep your eyes open.

Age: 13 and up

The Summoning

The Summoning

Kelley Armstrong

Harper Collins Publisher

$8.99 U.S.

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home. At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a different twist on the supernatural than we normally read about. The characters are well developed which makes them come to life. Chloe is a natural heroine and you cannot help but love her. And you even begin to feel for the "misunderstood" Derek. The only problem I had with this book was the fact that the entire 390 page plot spans only a week. A lot of things happen in this week, which make it seem slightly unrealistic but it does not cause a major issue. I enjoyed the setting of Lyle house, it is itself a character. The buliding brings it's own mystery to the plot. It is a definite tale of the supernatural so thos fantasy opposed beware. All the characters have secrets that you have to read the book to find out.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys the supernatural, as well as mystery.

Greade: A

Ages: 13 and up

Fairy Tale

Cyn Balog

Random House Children's Books

$16.99 U.S. (Hardcover)

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

A captivating and witty dark fantasy that will have girls lusting after it.Morgan Sparks has always known that she and her boyfriend, Cam, are made for each other. But when Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay with the family, Cam seems depressed. Finally Cam confesses to Morgan what’s going on: Cam is a fairy. The night he was born, fairies came down and switched him with a healthy human boy. Nobody expected Cam to live, and nobody expected his biological brother, heir to the fairy throne, to die. But both things happened, and now the fairies want Cam back to take his rightful place as Fairy King.Even as Cam physically changes, becoming more miserable each day, he and Morgan pledge to fool the fairies and stay together forever. But by the time Cam has to decide once and for all what to do, Morgan’s no longer sure what’s best for everyone, or whether her and Cam’s love can weather an uncertain future.

My Thoughts:

This book was good but far from the best. I think my biggest problem was with the main character Morgan. I wanted her to have more inner strength. I think she relied to much on Cam and later Pip. I think Morgan would have been a better character if she was more self sufficient. I think that the plot was well developed but I knew from the beginning that the ending would not be sweet, and I was right. The end was bittersweet and it was hard for me to decide if I liked what happened or if it would have been better a different way. I did enjoy that the fairy in this book was male. I think it created character for the book. I think I enjoyed Pip and Cam's characters better. I felt that thye were developed in a better way. The book was a quick read, and I enjoyed it but was not over joyed.

Recommendation:

Anyone caught up in the new fairy craze.

Grade: B

Age: 13 and up

The Season

The Season

Sarah MacLean

Orchard Books which is part of Scholastic

$17.99 U.S. (Hard Cover)

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued -- in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.
When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!

My Thoughts:

As you can tell from my earlier reviews I have currently been reading a lot of fnatasy books, but I took a break to read The Season. I was pleasantly surprised. In this tale of 19th century England we meet a true heroine in Alex. I was amazed by the scenery in the books as well as the characters. from the brilliant dresses to the lavish ball gowns this novel is filled with entertainment as well as mystery. everyone will love Alex because she brings a feistiness that was uncommon at the time, with her sidekicks Ella and Vivi more mischief is created than one could ever imagine. I truly enjoyed this book. It was a great debut for Sarah MacLean. she made her characters so real, and her scenes so vivid I could easily play them out in my head.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a break from the real world, and wanting to take a trip back in time.

Grade: A

Age: 13 and up