Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Wishlust 5

Wishlust is where I will post a few books that are on my infinitely long wishlist. By infinitely long, I mean almost 600 books! Hopefully, you will find a book or two that seem interesting. =)

Peak - Roland Smith
After Peak Marcello is arrested for scaling a New York City skyscraper, he’s left with two choices: wither away in Juvenile Detention or to go live with his long-lost father, who runs a climbing company in Thailand. But Peak quickly learns that his father’s renewed interest in him has strings attached. Big strings. He wants Peak to be the youngest person to reach the Everest summit—and his motives are selfish at best. Even so, for a climbing addict like Peak, tackling Everest is the challenge of a lifetime. But it’s also one that could cost him his life.

Geek Magnet - Kieran Scott
Everybody loves KJ. Especially the geeks. See, KJ Miller is super nice, smart, pretty, the stage manager of her high school’s spring musical . . . and a total geek magnet. She’s like the geek pied piper of Washington High, drawing every socially clueless guy in a five-mile radius. If only Cameron, the hottest guy in school, would follow her around and worship her the way her entourage of dorks do. Enter Tama Gold, queen of the popular crowd, and solution to all of KJ’s problems. KJ is too nice, and the nice girl never gets the guy. Tama’s ready to help KJ get cruel, ditch the dorks, and win Cameron’s heart. But is KJ?

Band Geek Love - Josie Bloss
All band, all the time. That's how trumpet goddess Ellie Snow has made it to senior year. No drama, no dating. Just keeping lock-step within the safe precision of the Winslow Marching Band. She's a fierce section leader now, and so over the heart-crushing social disaster of her freshman year. No boy is going to ruin Ellie's shining moment-her senior solo performance at the homecoming game.

And then Connor Higgins shows up. Not even Ellie can resist the trumpet player who could be a model for Abercrombie & Fitch. It's a hook-up made in band-geek heaven! But Ellie's not ready to publicize their romance, not even to her best friends. After all, Connor's just a sophomore. What would everyone say? Breaking formation and revealing her true self would be like . . . marching on the field completely naked!

Then Ellie discovers the flipside of secrets and how it feels to be shut out by the ones she loves.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

In My Mailbox June 21-26

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren.

The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein - Libby Schmais (from Book Divas)

Lotus Lowenstein's life is merde. She dreams of moving to Paris and becoming an existentialist. Yet here she is trapped in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with a New-Agey mom, an out-of-work dad, and a chess champion brother who dreams of being a rock star. Merci à Dieu for Lotus’s best friend, Joni, who loves French culture enough to cofound their high school’s first French Club with Lotus. At the first meeting, the cutest boy in the world walks in. His name is Sean, and he too loves French culture and worships Jean-Paul Sartre.

At first, Lotus thinks Sean is the best thing to happen to her in years. He’s smart, cultured, and adorable. Unfortunately, though, Joni feels the same way. And having an existentialist view of love, Sean sees nothing wrong with enjoying both girls’ affections. Things come to a head when all three depart for Montreal with their teacher, Ms. G, on the French Club’s first official field trip. Will Sean choose Joni over Lotus? And will Lotus and Joni’s friendship ever recover?

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Youtube Connection 11

Youtube Connection is a Thursday feature where I will post a video (or more) that is somehow related to a book I've read.

This week's book is Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett. The video is the trailer of the 2008 film Flashbacks of a Fool. Even though the novel and movie are different, a character in Butterfly (Maureen) strongly reminded me of a character in Flashbacks of a Fool (Evelyn). Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The Unwritten Rule - Elizabeth Scott

Sarah likes Ryan, the one person that she cannot like, no matter how long she has liked him. The truth is, Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, her best friend. No one likes the boyfriend of a best friend. However, no matter how hard she tries to be a great best friend, Sarah cannot resist the temptation. Will Sarah ever be able to tell Brianna her feelings toward Ryan, and if she does, will Brianna ever want to see her again? Caught in between wanting to be a good best friend and having Ryan, will Sarah be able to a make a choice that will make herself happy?

The Unwritten Rule is my first Elizabeth Scott novel. To be honest, I was slightly disappointed. I felt that Scott did not fulfill the book's complete potential. Scott characterizes Brianna as a bossy person, who only shows affection through unkind remarks. Throughout the novel, I was just waiting for Sarah to stand up for herself. I felt like she was a complete pushover. Scott demonstrates that Brianna's nature is due to her parents' treatment of her. However, I still could not feel sympathetic towards her.

The ending took me by surprise. I expected a "and they all lived happily ever after" sort of ending, but it was not. Without spoiling anything, Scott ends the novel in a way that makes complete sense with the characters in the novel. It's hard to say much without spoiling.

After reading The Unwritten Rule, I can see that Scott is an author that is not afraid to take risks. In this case, I thought that some of risks worked (the ending), while others failed (Brianna's character). I look forward to reading more books by Scott. I currently have Perfect You on my bookshelf, and her more serious novels look fantastic too.

Related Links
Elizabeth Scott's Site
Simon Pulse
Amazon
Powell's

I won this book from a giveaway.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Trips Giveaway

Since this is my last summer before I start college (at Georgia Tech!), I wanted to make sure it was amazing. Over the weekend I went to Mississippi. I had a great time, but you know, my favorite thing about going on trips is coming back! Nothing is better than returning to my bed!

Speaking of summer, I wanted to know how your summer is! Not too mention, I have a great opportunity for all of my readers! Meaning, giveaway time. Just fill out the form (link below) for a chance to win a $40 gift card, which you can use at any CSN Store! There may be shipping charges or, in the case of Canadian addresses, international fees for certain products. Giveaway ends July 4th.

FORM

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Youtube Connection 10

Youtube Connection is a Thursday feature where I will post a video (or more) that is somehow related to a book I've read.

This week's book is Saving Zoë by Alyson Noel, which I finished reading last night (and loved!). I decided to show a book trailer. Enjoy!

Monday, June 14, 2010

My Double Life - Janette Rallison

Alexia Garcia looks almost identical to pop sensation Kari Kingsley. One day, a picture of her becomes viral on the the internet, and Kari's manager, Maren, calls her. Maren offers Alexia the chance to work as Kari's double. At first, Alexia is reluctant, but then she learns that this may be her one chance to meet her father.

Hollywood is completely different from Alexia's hometown, Morganstown, West Virginia. For one, the guys are a LOT more hunkier. Alexia soon finds herself in a romance with Grant Delray. The only problem is, he thinks she is Kari Kingsley! Will Alexia ever be able to tell Grant her true identity, and will he want anything to do with her afterwards?

I really enjoyed reading My Double Life. On first glance, the novel seems like sugary sweet goodness, without any true substance. Rallison, however, cleverly adds in a family plot line, that not only gives the book substance, but also makes it unique. I also liked how Rallison made Alexia half-Latino. Doing this allowed Alexia to be a memorable character. Another character I enjoyed was Kari Kingsley. Rallison's portrayal of Kari revealed that even Kari, who has always been surrounded by Hollywood, struggles with her fame. Humanizing Kari allowed readers to sympathize with her situation, even if the sympathy was little.

Another reason I liked My Double Life was that the book allowed me to view an event I have fantasized about. I mean, we have all dreamed about becoming famous right? Like the rest of us, Alexia dreamed about it, and she got to fulfill her fantasy. It was a fun adventure, and I was definitely swooning over Grant Delray, especially near the end. As I was reading, I was practically grinning ear to ear. Yes, I became starstruck over a fictional character. The only problem I had with My Double Life was the end. I felt that a part of it seemed too good to be true.

I recommend My Double Life to anyone who has ever fantasized about being famous.

Related Links
Jennifer Rallison's Site
Putnam Juvenile
Amazon
Powell's

I received My Double Life from Book Divas.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Some Regularity

Ok, I think I've written this post before, but this time, I REALLY mean it. Now that I am on summer vacation, I am worry- and stress-free. :D That means I can devote time to my book blog. I already updated my contest sidebar (on the left), and tomorrow, I will be posting a review. YAY!